This week’s special legislative session on education and economic-development funding seemed Tuesday to be on the verge of collapse before it even began, with Senate and House leaders trading barbs and facing a tight deadline. Read More
When lawmakers open a special session Wednesday afternoon, they’ll be under a tight, three-day time limit to increase education spending and create a new economic development program for the governor. The deal was inked behind closed doors last week by Gov. Rick Scott, House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron in an effort…
Advocates of traditional public education welcomed Gov. Rick Scott’s demand on Friday that lawmakers redo the K-12 education budget for next year and boost it with $215 million in additional spending. But school superintendents, teachers union leaders and others cautioned that those added dollars won’t be good enough if Scott intends to also sign House…
Gov. Rick Scott on Friday slashed the entire $11 billion public school budget and eliminated $409 million in local projects from the Legislature’s $83 billion spending plan, setting the stage for a special session next week to increase funding to schools. Read More
Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a new state budget into law Friday evening, but not before he vetoed nearly $12 billion. The governor vetoed money for public schools as part of a budget deal he worked out with legislators. Legislators will hold a special session next week, where they are expected to increase the amount…
In response to the requests and advocacy of school board members, superintendents, district staff, parents, and students, Governor Scott has announced that he intends to veto the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) portion of the state budget because he finds it to be inadequate to meet the needs of students and their families. A Special…
The clock starts today for Gov. Rick Scott who has 15 days to decide whether to sign an $82.4 billion state budget — and just how much of it he wants to veto. Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, on Wednesday is sending the budget bill (SB 2500) to Scott, who faces a June 15 deadline to act on…
Florida Gov. Scott should veto the misbegotten K-12 education budget. Turn a deaf ear to his political foes’ contention that in doing so he would be caving in to (liberal) teacher’s unions. Swat down fantastical tales of overly larded public-school budgets. Decry, resolutely, the appallingly secretive deal-making between legislative leaders that, ultimately, leaves public schools…
Two days after calling for a veto of the Legislature’s education conforming bill, the Florida Association of School Boards upped the ante by asking Gov. Rick Scott to reject the proposed Florida Education Funding Program as well. The group’s executive director and president sent the governor a two-page letter echoing concerns about the spending plan…
The chorus of voices calling for Gov. Rick Scott to veto a controversial education bill — and perhaps part of the state budget for public schools — grew this week, even as supporters tried to push back. Two of the state’s major education organizations — the Florida School Boards Association and the Florida Association of…