Florida's Support Education license plate gets a fresh look

Business Wednesday, January 16, 2019

After 25 years and more than a million miles on Florida’s highways, the Support Education specialty license plate has a fresh look. While the design is new, the cause remains the same – when a Florida resident purchases or renews their Support Education specialty tag, $20 goes directly back to support schools, teachers and students in the county where the tag is registered.
In Miami Dade County, the funds support the work of The Education Fund, a nonprofit headquartered in Miami Lakes that serves students and teachers in Miami Dade County public schools. The license plate proceeds underwrite programs that help teachers use best practices to excite students to learn, transform schoolyards into Food Forests, improving students’ science achievement, help students get on the path to college and career, provide free school supplies to classrooms, with more than $1 million in supplies provided last year alone.
“We use the funds from the state license plate to support public school classrooms across Miami Dade County. Students love the hands-on classroom projects made possible. We hope everyone will purchase the new education plate and help our students succeed,” said Linda Lecht, president of The Education Fund.
Since its introduction as Florida’s second specialty license plate in 1994, over $13 million dollars has been raised through the collaborative efforts of the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (CFEF) in Tallahassee and local education foundation members throughout the state.
The new design promotes the importance of education in the Sunshine State and is among only a few specialty tags in Florida where the money goes directly back into the county where the tag was purchased or renewed.
Florida’s K-12 local education foundations invest in classroom innovation, recognize excellence and provide targeted support beyond what tax dollars provide such as free school supplies for students who can’t afford them, classroom grants for teachers and after-school enrichment programs.
“The Support Education specialty tag is a powerful way for citizens to demonstrate their commitment to our public schools and provide needed, local support for teachers and students,” said Mary Chance, president of the CFEF. “We are so excited to debut the new design and hope more Florida drivers will support their local teachers and students with the purchase or renewal of the Support Education license tag.”
The annual fee for the Support Education specialty license plate is $25. Local taxes and state fees may apply and first-time purchase price and fees may vary based on scheduled vehicle registration renewal date. The new Support Education tag design is available now and can be purchased in-person at the local tax collector office or online at LicenseToLearn.com.