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Public school supporters are taking their case against state private school funding to court.  As Matt Galka explains, Florida’s tax credit scholarship fight ramped up today in the state’s Capital.

The Florida Education Association is trying to drop the hammer on the state’s tax credit scholarship program. The teacher’s union, joined by other public school advocates, says the program is unconstitutional.

“It is the Florida legislature’s paramount duty to fund public schools adequately so they make sure all students can achieve the American dream,” said F.E.A. Vice President Joanne McCall.

A similar state voucher program was struck down in 2006.  The state gives dollar-for-dollar tax breaks to corporations for providing the private school scholarships.

Shortly after the lawsuit was announced, school choice supporters made sure their voices were heard right outside of the F.E.A.’s building

Abigail Rodriguez is one of the nearly 70,000 children in the state receiving a private school voucher.

“The education in private school is so much more advanced, and not only that, we have the opportunity in private schools that we can learn more about God,” said Rodriguez, who attends Potter’s House Academy in Orlando.

Faith based learning as well as a lack of accountability are main issues that opponents have with the program.

“We support faith based schools entirely, but they should do like everyone else, pay their own way,” said Rabbi Merrill Shapiro, a member of the United Americans for Separation of Church and State.

But Pinellas County Pastor Robert Ward says the bottom line is that the scholarships help kids.

“There’s some parts of our community that we need an alternative for,” said Ward.

$447 million dollars from the state will be available for the program next year.

Governor Rick Scott has come out against the lawsuit.  Scott, a school choice supporter, released a statement saying that the lawsuit was “unconscionable,” and the coalition was using children as a political ploy.