Education is one of the most important decisions a parent makes. Where your child goes to school shapes their future — their opportunities, their values, and their potential. For too long, that decision was made by ZIP code, not by parents. School choice changes that.
For families across Florida’s 14th Congressional District, Florida’s school choice framework is one of the most powerful tools any state offers parents. This guide walks through what is actually available in Hillsborough County, how to access it, and where John Peters stands on the federal questions that affect what Florida is allowed to do.
What Is School Choice?
School choice is a policy framework that allows parents to direct education funding — whether from state, federal, or tax-credit sources — toward the school that best fits their child’s needs, rather than being assigned to a school based on their home address.
In Florida, school choice means parents can choose:
- A traditional district public school (with open-enrollment rights to schools beyond their assigned attendance zone)
- A public charter school
- A private school using the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (Step Up For Students) or Family Empowerment Scholarship
- A home-education program
- A virtual or hybrid program
The funding follows the student. The decision belongs to the parent.
Florida’s School Choice Programs: What’s Available Right Now
Florida operates several distinct programs that together make up the most comprehensive school choice framework in the country:
- Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (Step Up For Students). The largest program. Tax-credit-funded scholarships for low- and middle-income families to attend participating private schools.
- Family Empowerment Scholarship (ESA). Education Savings Accounts that allow eligible families to use state funding for tuition, instructional materials, transportation, therapies, and other approved education expenses.
- Public charter schools. Tuition-free, publicly funded, independently operated schools available across Hillsborough County and the rest of the state.
- Hope Scholarship. A scholarship specifically for students who have been the victim of an incident of bullying, harassment, violence, or threat of violence at their assigned school, allowing transfer to a participating private school.
- Public-school open enrollment. Florida law allows parents to choose any public school in the state with available capacity, not just the one assigned by attendance zone.
- Florida Virtual School and other virtual programs. Free online education options for full-time or supplemental enrollment.
For Hillsborough County families, the Hillsborough County Public Schools system is one of the largest in Florida. Open enrollment, charter schools, and Step Up scholarships all interact with HCPS schools — and with private and parochial schools across Brandon, Riverview, Plant City, Valrico, and Sun City Center.
Step Up For Students: Florida’s Largest School Choice Program
Step Up For Students administers the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and the Family Empowerment Scholarship. The combined programs serve over 400,000 Florida students as of 2026 — making it one of the largest private-school-choice programs in the country.
Eligibility. Income-based eligibility extends up to approximately $111,000 in household income for a family of four — covering a meaningful share of working and middle-class FL-14 households. Specific income thresholds vary by program and household size.
How to apply. Applications are submitted through Step Up For Students at stepupforstudents.org. The application timeline matters — Florida programs typically have annual application windows, with priority for renewing students. Hillsborough County families should plan ahead, gather income documentation early, and apply before the deadline rather than waiting until the school year is about to start.
What the scholarship covers. Tuition and fees at participating private schools, transportation, and certain instructional materials. Specific covered expenses depend on the program (Tax Credit Scholarship versus Family Empowerment Scholarship ESA).
For families uncertain whether the program fits their situation, the Step Up For Students family-services line and FL-14 community organizations partnered with Step Up provide application guidance.
Homeschooling in Florida: Rights, Resources, and Federal Threats
Florida is one of the most homeschool-friendly states in the country. Florida law requires home-education families to file an annual notice with the county school district, maintain attendance and educational records, and complete an annual evaluation by one of several approved methods (standardized test, certified teacher review, portfolio review, or psychometric tools).
For Hillsborough County homeschool families, the Hillsborough County Public Schools home-education office handles annual notices and provides resource information.
Federal threats to homeschooling. Periodic proposals at the federal level — and in some other states — would impose curriculum-content mandates, registration requirements, or accountability frameworks that would erode the parental authority Florida law currently protects. Homeschool freedom is a state issue with a federal-policy interface that requires constant defense.
Why Does Congress Matter for School Choice?
Most school-choice policy is set at the state level. Congress matters in three specific ways:
- Federal funding flows. Title I, IDEA (special education), and other federal funding streams interact with how states design their school-choice programs. Federal rules can either accommodate state-level innovation or constrain it.
- Tax policy. Federal tax treatment of 529 plans, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, and education-related expenses interacts with state-level school choice in ways that affect FL-14 families’ total cost picture.
- Civil rights and regulatory framework. Federal civil rights enforcement, special-education law, and federal regulatory positions shape what state-level school-choice programs can and cannot do — and what kinds of schools can and cannot participate.
A representative who supports school choice at the federal level defends Florida’s right to operate its programs and works to expand the federal flexibilities that complement state choice.
John Peters’ Commitment to School Choice in FL-14
John Peters’ positions on school choice and the federal interactions that affect Florida’s 14th Congressional District families:
- Defend Florida’s school choice framework against any federal preemption or civil-rights-clothed attempt to restrict participating schools.
- Support expansion of 529 plans and Coverdell ESAs to give FL-14 families more federally tax-advantaged tools for K-12 education savings.
- Defend homeschool freedom against federal-level proposals that would impose curriculum mandates or registration requirements that erode state-level parental authority.
- Support federal Title I flexibility so federal education dollars follow students rather than being trapped in administrative pass-throughs.
- Stand against federal cultural mandates that conflict with the values Hillsborough County parents teach at home and at the schools they choose.
After nine terms — eighteen years — Kathy Castor’s votes have aligned with the federal-mandate caucus that wants to restrict the school-choice framework Florida built. John Peters will defend Florida’s framework, expand the federal tools that help FL-14 families, and stand with parents on the curriculum and values fights that matter most.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is school choice?
School choice is a policy framework that allows parents to direct education funding — whether from state, federal, or tax-credit sources — toward the school that best fits their child’s needs, rather than being assigned to a school based on their home address.
How does school choice work in Florida?
Florida offers several school choice programs: the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (Step Up For Students) for low- and middle-income families, the Family Empowerment Scholarship ESA program, a robust charter school sector, the Hope Scholarship for students who have experienced bullying, public school open enrollment, Florida Virtual School, and home education. Funding follows the student; the choice belongs to the parent.
What is Step Up For Students and how do I apply?
Step Up For Students administers the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and the Family Empowerment Scholarship — together serving over 400,000 Florida students as of 2026. Income-based eligibility extends up to approximately $111,000 in household income for a family of four. Applications are submitted at stepupforstudents.org. Apply early; Florida programs have annual application windows with priority for renewing students.
What states have school choice?
As of 2026, more than 30 states have some form of school choice program, ranging from tax-credit scholarships to full Education Savings Account programs. Florida’s framework is among the largest and most comprehensive in the country.
Why does Congress matter for school choice if education policy is mostly state-level?
Congress matters in three specific ways: federal funding flows (Title I, IDEA, and others) interact with state programs; federal tax policy on 529 plans and Coverdell ESAs affects family costs; and federal civil-rights and regulatory positions shape what state-level school-choice programs can do. A representative who supports school choice at the federal level defends Florida’s framework and expands the federal tools that complement state choice.
Stand for FL-14 parents
Education choice is a parental right. Florida built one of the strongest frameworks in the country to protect that right. After nine terms — eighteen years — FL-14 families deserve a representative who defends that framework in Washington and stands with parents on every related fight.
Donate to John Peters’ campaign or contact the campaign. See John’s full plan on education and the issues that matter most to FL-14.