Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has suspended school choice scholarships to four schools in the state, alleging that they have “direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)”.

DeSantis says they pose a threat to student safety and public welfare. The schools in question are Lower and Upper Sagemont Preparatory Schools in Weston, Parke House Academy in Winter Park, and Park Maitland School in Winter Park.

DeSantis cited a law he signed in May, which prohibits private schools in Florida from participating in an educational scholarship program if they are owned or operated by entities controlled by a foreign country of concern, with China being one of those countries. He emphasized that the CCP is not welcome in Florida, and he will not allow any attempts to influence students with communist ideology or funnel taxpayers’ money to schools linked to foreign adversaries.

These schools are part of a larger education network called Spring Education Group, which is controlled by Primavera Holdings Limited, an investment firm based in Hong Kong with operations in China, Singapore, and the United States, owned by Chinese individuals residing in Hong Kong.

DeSantis has been taking a series of measures to restrict Chinese influence in Florida, including banning Chinese citizens from buying land in the state.