| The McKay Scholarship Program of the Florida | | | | this Florida schools program from kindergarten |
| schools offers parents and their children with | | | | through high school. There is no time use limit on |
| disabilities the option to attend the public or | | | | the scholarship. |
| private school of their choice. Florida schools | | | | Transportation for the Florida schools student |
| students in grades kindergarten through high | | | | varies, depending upon the selected school. The |
| school, who are mentally handicapped, speech and | | | | school district provides transportation if the child |
| language impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, visually | | | | transfers to another school within the same |
| impaired, dual sensory impaired, physically | | | | district of his or her prior year and is consistent |
| impaired, emotionally handicapped, specific learning | | | | with the district's school choice plan. Parents are |
| disabled, hospitalized or homebound, or autistic | | | | responsible for providing transportation and its |
| may be eligible for this program. This allows | | | | cost, when: |
| parents who are dissatisfied with the educational | | | | - The chosen public school is not consistent with |
| progress of their children with disabilities to | | | | the district's school choice plan, even though it is |
| request their children be enrolled in and attend | | | | within the same district; |
| schools that better suit the needs of the | | | | - The chosen public school is within an adjacent |
| students. | | | | district and offers the student's IEP services; or |
| To be eligible, the Florida schools student must | | | | - The chosen school is a private school. |
| meet the following requirements: | | | | The Florida schools' McKay Scholarship Program is |
| - Has one of the above mentioned disabilities; | | | | funded, using the per student expenditure amount |
| - Has attended a Florida public school in the | | | | for each individual child (including the costs to |
| previous year (this requirement is waived for | | | | accommodate the disability) OR the cost of tuition |
| students transferring into the state with a parent | | | | and fees for the private school - whichever is |
| of the Armed Forces, who has moved due to | | | | less. The program requires no additional state |
| change of station orders); and | | | | funding by the Florida schools |
| - Has an Individual Education Plan (IEP). | | | | There are currently 703 private schools |
| According to the Florida schools, the average | | | | participating in the Florida schools scholarship |
| value of a McKay scholarship is $6,114 annually. | | | | program, though not all private schools are eligible |
| Parents and their children may take advantage of | | | | or wish to participate. |