Vaccine exemptions and school funding
Florida AG warns Catholic schools: accept vaccine exemptions or risk state funding for voucher students
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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has sent a formal warning to the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, telling Catholic schools that they must accept religious vaccine exemptions if they take taxpayer-funded voucher money. The letter says Catholic doctrine itself does not support rejecting exemption requests on religious grounds, according to TC Palm.
Schools that refuse to comply could lose access to Florida's private school scholarship programs, which allow families to use state money to pay tuition at private schools, Herald Tribune reported.
Uthmeier's Letter Targets Vaccine Exemption Denials
Uthmeier sent the letter directly to the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops. While the letter did not call out any specific diocese by name, it pointed to the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee's immunization policies as an example of the problem, according to Jacksonville.com.
The attorney general argued that Catholic schools cannot use Catholic doctrine as a reason to deny religious vaccine exemptions. His letter says that position contradicts Catholic teaching itself. Schools that keep such policies risk losing their eligibility for state scholarship funds, News-Press reported.
Florida Vouchers Tie Private Schools to State Rules
Many Catholic schools in Florida accept students who pay tuition using state-funded private school vouchers. These vouchers are part of Florida's educational scholarship programs, which send public money to private schools. That funding link is what gives the attorney general leverage over these schools' policies, according to TC Palm.
By taking state scholarship money, private schools open themselves up to certain government requirements. Uthmeier's warning makes clear that accepting exemption requests is one of those requirements, News Journal Online reported.
Catholic Bishops Say They Are Reviewing the Warning
The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops responded carefully after the letter became public. The group said it is reviewing the attorney general's letter and will issue a formal response. The conference did not say whether it agreed or disagreed with Uthmeier's position, Herald Tribune reported.
The response leaves the situation unresolved for now. It is unclear how many Catholic schools in Florida currently deny vaccine exemption requests or how quickly the attorney general's office expects schools to change their policies, according to Jacksonville.com.
Broader Clash Between School Autonomy and Public Funding
This dispute reflects a larger tension in Florida's school choice system. Private schools gain more students and money through the voucher program, but that funding can come with strings attached. The state can use the threat of losing scholarships to push private schools toward certain policies, News-Press reported.
For Catholic schools, this creates a difficult choice. They can keep strict vaccine policies and risk losing voucher students, or they must accept religious exemptions to stay eligible for state funding. The attorney general's letter puts that choice front and center, according to TC Palm.
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