Florida School Boards Association
On Monday, the Florida superintendents association issued a statement accusing the House Education Appropriations subcommittee of using inaccurate information to paint school districts as poor stewards of taxpayer dollars when it comes to school construction costs. It’s one thing to say it. It’s another to back up the statement. And on Tuesday, districts began releasing…
Florida superintendents are going on defense to protect their locally generated tax revenue that’s dedicated to school maintenance, construction and other capital projects. The district leaders, who have met the past three days in Tallahassee, are growing increasingly concerned that state lawmakers will target the tax as a source of regular revenue for charter schools.…
In recent days, the Florida House and Senate have released their initial education budget proposals. Both chambers seek to up the ante beyond Gov. Rick Scott’s plan, with the Senate looking to cut local property tax contributions and put the state on the hook for the amount, instead. The House plan aims to increase the base student allocation by more…
The Florida House unveiled a$1 billion tax-cut packageWednesday — similar in size to what Gov. Rick Scott wants, but a lot less permanent. The House steers clear of the centerpiece of the Republican governor’s plan — a $770 million reduction in the corporate income tax paid by manufacturers and retailers. Instead, House Finance and Tax Chairman Matt…
TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s public schools would get a $650.6 million increase in 2016-17, about a 3 percent bump over the current state budget, under a proposal state Sen. Don Gaetz released Tuesday. A former Senate president who chairs the chamber’s education appropriations subcommittee, Gaetz called his $20.3 billion proposal “historic” and “hefty.” The proposal would…
Setting the tone for an adversarial debate this session, Florida House Republican leaders want to rein in what they call a “disturbing pattern” of school districts “glaringly and grossly” exceeding a state-imposed limit for spending on school construction projects. Citing annual data that districts report to the state, House education budget Chairman Rep. Erik Fresen,…
TALLAHASSEE Tumbling financial markets are further clouding Gov. Rick Scott’s push for $1 billion in tax cuts as the Legislature deals with a suddenly less rosy financial outlook and less money to divvy up. State budget forecasters this week said they expect that Florida will have nearly $400 million less for its budget than originally…
A lawsuit filed in 2009 alleging that Florida has failed in its most important duty — providing every student with a uniform and a high quality education — will finally go to trial in Tallahassee this March. To that end, the attorneys presenting the case are asking the community for financial help to ensure that…
Jeb Bush on Monday outlined a plan to overhaul education that seeks to diminish the federal role while providing more incentive for people to save. Coming on Martin Luther King Day, Bush said, “access to a quality education is the great civil rights challenge of our time.” Ideas include: Create Education Savings Accounts to replace 529 college savings…
TALLAHASSEE — In the past five years, the Florida Legislature has taken $1 billion away from teacher salaries, early education programs and other educational programs to shore up a leaky school construction and maintenance fund. They’re poised to take millions more away this year because the main source for school construction money — a 2.5 percent…