It’s official. Florida has crossed the Rubicon. For the first time in state history, a majority of Florida’s K-12 students are now enrolled in an education option chosen by their parents.

According to a new report entitled Changing Landscapes, just under 1.8 million Florida students now attend something other than their neighborhood public school. This represents 51% of Florida’s 3.5 million K-12 population.

Not surprisingly, the enormous growth in private and home school programs accounts for a sizable share of Florida’s education choice population. This recent growth has been fueled by highly popular education scholarship programs that make alternative learning options more affordable for families.

Importantly, these K-12 scholarships are increasingly flexible. As a result, families can now pursue “hybrid” learning options from multiple providers. And they can use their scholarship funds for learning opportunities beyond just tuition — including books, curriculum, tutoring, online courses, enrichment programs and the like.

Interestingly, many of the Florida students opting for an alternative to their neighborhood school are benefiting from “public school choice” programs — such as charter schools, magnet schools, and open enrollment policies. These programs reflect Florida’s commitment to education policies that empower parents to find the best fit for their child’s learning needs — even (or especially) if that option lies outside their school zone.

The enrollment numbers included in the Changing Landscapes report help to explain why “the Free State of Florida” is considered a national leader in education freedom. And they validate Florida’s No. 1 position in school choice rankings compiled by the Heritage Foundation, EdChoice, and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Still, Florida has room for improvement.

A recent survey commissioned by The James Madison Institute found a significant number of Florida families are apparently opting for learning options they consider “sub-optimal.” That is, they’re sending their kids to, say, a charter school when they’d prefer to have a private school option nearby. This may explain why nearly 100,000 Florida families applied for, and were awarded, a K-12 scholarship for the 2023-24 school year that they then opted not to use.

In addition, each of Florida’s last two legislative sessions have seen attempts to add new enrollment caps, paperwork requirements, or restrictions on how families may use Florida’s flexible scholarship programs. These misguided efforts — which have been successfully resisted thus far — threaten to stifle education innovation and hinder the growth of popular programs parents that prefer.

In sum, Florida leaders can, and should, celebrate the fact that the Sunshine State is the first to see more than half its student population enrolled in a “school of choice.” Clearly, education choice is the “new normal” in Florida. And millions of Florida students — including those finding success in their neighborhood schools — are reaping the benefits of Florida’s flourishing K-12 marketplace.