HUDSON, Fla. — Educators and families of special needs children are applauding Gov. Ron DeSantis for including $19 million to expand the Gardiner Scholarship Program in his proposed budget.

"Especially when we have children that might need a different type of learning environment, I think that it's important for everyone to have that opportunity," said Chris Nieves, whose daughter is a scholarship recipient.

Gardiner Scholarships help pay for educational services for children with special needs. Students from kindergarten through 12th grade are eligible if they have conditions including Autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy or Down syndrome. The funds can pay for tuition to eligible private schools, speech and occupational therapy, instructional materials, and more.

Sarai Nieves's scholarship goes toward her tuition at Hope Youth Ranch.

"Financially, we didn't have the means to go to a private school that would help her. So, without Gardiner, we would not be here at all," said Nieves.

Hope Youth Ranch is a non-profit private school that specializes in educating children with Autism or learning disabilities. It combines classroom learning with hands-on experience with animals. Students learn skills like how to drive donkeys and groom and ride horses. 

"It begins to form a bond between the child and the horse," explained Hope Youth Ranch Executive Director Jose Suarez. "So, you begin to form the bond with the horse, and as they form the bond with the horse, they also form the bond with the horse handler. So, then we're breaking into the human side."

Soon to be 7-year-old Sarai started attending school here three years ago.

"Before coming here, my daughter was actually non-verbal," said Nieves. "She could read since she was two, and I knew that, but no one else could because they didn’t know how to communicate with her."

A lot has changed since then.

"I love the horses and the birds, and it's a beautiful day," Sarai said after a riding class Thursday.

Suarez said his school sees the academic results, as well.

"We have to find out how they learn and then teach to where they would learn. And because of that, as we use norm referenced testing throughout the school year, we have seen one-to-two grade increases in the students in just five months of school,” said Suarez.

Two of the school’s challenges: meeting demand from families of students who want to attend and helping those families figure out how to afford tuition, which begins at $10,000 for one year. Suarez said Gardiner Scholarships help about 90 percent of their students attend for free. Families of recipients who require more services often pay a fraction of the total cost.

Gov. DeSantis said the funding for the program included in his Bold Vision for a Brighter Future budget would cover the 2,000 special needs students currently on the scholarship program’s wait list. Suarez said that would be a huge benefit to the 52 families interested in signing students up at Hope Youth Ranch next year who are currently on that wait list.

"Great news for them. Whether they come to our school or not, it doesn’t matter. It’s a chance for them to finally get the help they need for their children," he said.

Nieves also said he’s excited for what this could mean for children like Sarai.

“We had her in different schools, and not being able to see her develop to that full potential was tough. I knew that she had it in her, but I felt like no one else saw that,” Nieves said of life before Hope Youth Ranch.

"To go to a school where they’re going to be just honored and be reminded that they are special, that they could be somebody, that they’ll be able to make it – I think that’s incredible for them."

The proposal will have to make it through the budget process before it can go into effect. The new fiscal year starts July 1.