GOP candidate for governor Jack Ciattarelli is proposing a statewide education voucher program modeled on a system in Florida, a plan his campaign says will expand parental choice but which critics argue could divert significant public funds to 23 Islamic schools that many Republicans accuse of promoting “Sharia law.”
The proposal would provide an annual voucher of $8,000 per student for families to use at private schools. Chris Russell, a spokesman for Ciattarelli, stated the policy would be universal, applying to families at all income levels.
“School choice means school choice for everyone. Money follows the student,” Russell said.
Ciattarelli has also indicated he would opt New Jersey into a new national voucher program expected to begin in 2027, should states be given the option to participate.
The plan draws direct inspiration from Florida’s universal school voucher system.
However, that very model is now facing public scrutiny from Florida’s own top Republican officials. Three members of the Florida Cabinet—Attorney General James Uthmeier, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson—have recently questioned the legality of voucher funds going to private Islamic schools.
In public statements, the officials expressed concerns that taxpayer money is supporting institutions they contend undermine American values.
“Sharia law seeks to destroy and supplant the pillars of our republican form of government and is incompatible with the Western tradition,” Uthmeier said on social media. He added that using vouchers to “promote Sharia law likely contravenes Florida law,” though his office has not announced any formal investigation.
The controversy in Florida was ignited by a report from the RAIR Foundation, a right-wing media organization, which highlighted two Islamic schools in Tampa that accept state vouchers. The schools, Hifz Academy and Bayaan Academy, have received millions in state scholarship funds, which are directed by parents, not the state.
Florida’s voucher program applies to 2,278 private schools, with 82% of participating students attending religious institutions. Roman Catholic schools are the largest religious group within the program. The Florida Department of Education, which holds the authority to set voucher policy, has not indicated it will revoke the schools’ eligibility.
There are 23 private Islamic schools in New Jersey, serving 4,424 students during the 2025-26 school year. These schools stand to gain $35,392,000 under Ciattarelli’s voucher proposal despite concerns that they “promote Sharia law,” according to conservative commentators.
In New Jersey, Ciattarelli’s voucher proposal has drawn sharp criticism from education advocates and Democratic lawmakers.
State Senator Vin Gopal, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, has warned the plan could “destroy the public school system” in New Jersey by draining financial resources.
Opponents, including major labor unions, argue the vouchers would siphon taxpayer money to private institutions while failing to address the core challenges facing public schools.
They also point to critiques of the Florida model, including social media posts from a Florida teachers’ union and a parent claiming that even with a $7,000 voucher, private school remained unaffordable for many working families.
The candidate’s broader education platform includes promoting charter schools in districts deemed “failing,” having the state assume all costs for special needs students, and reducing the size and scope of both the federal and state departments of education.
As the gubernatorial campaign progresses, the debate over school vouchers is poised to remain a central issue, with Ciattarelli’s proposal inviting both comparisons to a national model and the political controversies that have accompanied it.