In one significant move to bolster classical education, Florida in 2024 created a new specialized teacher certification for classical schools — to the dismay of the state’s largest teachers union and many Democrats.

Florida, at the same time, became the first state to require its colleges and universities to accept the Classic Learning Test for admissions, putting it on par with the SAT or ACT. More than 120,000 Florida students have taken the CLT college entrance exam in the year since the policy was enacted. Students also can take the CLT to qualify for Florida’s massively popular Bright Futures scholarship.

Nationally, at least 250 classical schools have opened since 2020, according to data from the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

That includes at least 18 private or charter schools that have emerged in Florida, according to the Heritage Foundation survey.