School board association drops out of voucher lawsuit

Author: Associated Press
Published: Updated:
MGN

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – The Florida School Boards Association is dropping out of a lawsuit that contends the state’s largest private school voucher program is unconstitutional.

The group’s board of directors voted Wednesday against pursuing the lawsuit any further. A circuit judge in May ruled the groups filing the lawsuit did not have a legal right or “standing” to challenge the program.

The deadline to file an appeal is next week. The Florida Education Association has not yet decided whether it will challenge the ruling by Circuit Judge George Reynolds.

The legal battle has been closely watched as supporters have mounted an advertising and public relations campaign that called for the lawsuit to be dropped because of its potential impacts to families using the vouchers.

Nearly 70,000 children attend private schools through the tax credit scholarship program. The program currently serves low-income families but the program will expand to middle-income families starting in 2016.

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