FSBA Session Spotlight — Capital Construction Reports

Yesterday, two important state reports on studies conducted on school district capital construction projects were released.  Both studies were required by legislation passed last year, HB 7029.  This bill addressed a variety of issues including, but not limited to, education funding, school choice and open enrollment, charter schools, personnel, and school construction.  In addition to…

The State Requirements for Educational Facilities (SREF) Should Be Retained; Some Modifications Could Be Made

The State Requirements for Educational Facilities (SREF) are part of the Florida Building Code. SREF requirements apply to construction, renovation, and remodeling of public educational facilities owned by district school boards and Florida College System boards of trustees. This review focused on K-12 public school construction.  We did not identify a compelling reason to eliminate…

Teachers get a top focus in Florida governor’s budget

To better recruit and retain quality teachers for Florida’s K-12 public schools, Gov. Rick Scott wants the state to spend $58 million in the next budget year on a handful of initiatives — and those don’t include a controversial teacher bonus plan that lawmakers, with Scott’s support, have advanced in recent years. Read More

FSBA Session Spotlight — Governor’s Recommended Budget

Today, Governor Scott unveiled his 2017 Recommended Budget.  The Governor recommends a total budget of about $83.47 billion – an increase of about $1.3 billion over the current year budget.  We have posted the full budget recommendation, the statewide and district-by-district FEFP summary, and the Governor’s press release (which includes links to other budget documents)…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 23-27, 2017

Several Interim Legislative Committee meetings were held last week.  Among the more significant meetings, the Senate PreK-12 Education Appropriations Subcommittee conducted a workshop on teacher pay and compensation.  DOE presented an overview of statutory requirements and various adjustments, supplements, benefits, and other funding relating to compensation.  This was followed by comments from a panel of…

Official speculates Florida leaves over $200M internet sales tax on the table

In a committee hearing Tuesday, Florida lawmakers learned that while a tough budget year may be coming, they’re essentially letting more than two hundred million dollars in sales taxes go uncollected.  “Sales from the internet are not exempt from the tax,” said Ryan Dugan, sales tax policy analyst with the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday.…