At least 18 new students will use vouchers to go to private schools this fall, a spokesman for the state Department of Education said Monday.
More than 100 people have called the state's voucher hotline since last week when school grades were released, DOE spokesman Adam Shores said. Eighteen of the callers told the state their children would be using vouchers, Shores said. He didn't know how many vouchers would be used by each family.

Parents at 10 schools in four counties have until July 1 to notify the state that they plan to use a voucher for their children this fall.

Some 8,900 students attend the 10 voucher-eligible schools. Five of the schools are in Miami-Dade County, three in Palm Beach County and one each in Orange and Escambia counties.

In 1999, two Pensacola elementary schools became the first and, until last week, only schools to be eligible for vouchers. Fifty-eight of their students accepted private schools vouchers, and 47 of them continue to attend a private school on a voucher.

Vouchers are equal to the amount of money that would be spent on the student in public school or the cost of tuition at the private school, whichever is less. The average annual cost of teaching a student in Florida is $5,200, but that varies widely depending on the district.

The toll-free number set up by the state is 1-800-447-1636. It will be answered from 8 a.m. through 8 p.m.