Vermont has the distinction of being the only state whose entire education system is based on the voucher system (though some towns have opted out). Founded after the Civil War, Vermont has the oldest voucher program in the country and serves as the template for most other voucher systems. Roughly 90 towns participate, and a large pool of public and over 80 private schools are involved in the choice system. In this state, school choice is considered a prerogative of taxpaying parents and is a large part of the educational culture of the state.
This city instituted its voucher program in 2001. It is focused on low income students who want to excel in more rigorous private or religious schools. In the 2001 to 2003 budget, roughly $126 million was budgeted for this program, and it remains popular especially in the African-American community. About 60 percent of the participants in the program are African-American. The basic requirements are that the family's income that uses the vouchers cannot exceed 175 percent of the poverty level. It affects over 103 public schools total.
The voucher program instituted in the state of Florida was, in 2006, struck down by the state Supreme Court. The state Constitution has an "equal public education" clause that the Court held was violated because public schools would be treated differently from each other based on performance. However, more recent voucher programs, which remain popular, have been reenacted that satisfies the court due to the fact that it has been voted in through a state referendum. In general, the state focuses its school voucher system based on its immense popularity with African-American and Hispanic populations and is aimed at the poorer members of the community. In general, the state wants to encourage excellent students in the public school system to receive a more vigorous education in the private system that they could otherwise not afford.