Choosing Special Education at Home: The Role of Homeschooling and Political Belief on Students’ with Disabilities Participation in School Voucher Programs in Florida

Abstract

Previous literature has established the influence of school choice programs on sorting students into schools based on socioeconomic and cultural factors. The McKay and Gardiner Scholarships in Florida both provided students with disabilities (SWDs) the funding to attend private or homeschooling programs from 2014-15 to 2019-20. Using county-level data from the Florida Department of Education and the U.S. Census Bureau, a regression analysis was conducted to determine whether 1) rates of homeschooling predicted higher participation in McKay or Gardiner; 2) political belief predicted higher Gardiner participation and homeschooling participation; and 3) the 2016 United States Election strengthened the correlation between homeschooling and Gardiner participation. Findings suggest that homeschooling correlates positively with Gardiner participation and political beliefs positively correlate with homeschooling. This thesis argues that SWDs’ educational preferences are unaffected by political beliefs because demand for non-public accommodations is not mediated by religiosity or cultural concerns.