Florida School Boards Association
TALLAHASSEE — Charter schools continue to blossom in popularity and in number throughout Florida, but the controversy surrounding them isn’t dissipating in 2016 — especially as “school choice” continues to dominate education policy coming out of the state Capitol. As Republican lawmakers consider plans to make it easier for charter schools to form and also…
BRADENTON — School impact fees will be collected in April for the first time since 2009 after Manatee County Commission voted 5-2 on Thursday to allow the Manate Conty School Board to reinstate them. School impact fees are collected on new residential development, and can only be used for projects related to building new schools…
Two Florida lawmakers are looking to open Florida to a private funding model for social services that Utah has used to expand its prekindergarten programs. Rep. Chris Sprowls and Sen. Aaron Bean have filed legislation (HB 1049/SB 1200) to create the “pay for success” system that led to major investment banks putting millions toward Utah’s…
A billion dollars. That’s a lot of money. That’s Gov. Rick Scott’s goal for cutting taxes in 2016. But with each passing day, it looks more obvious that Scott is headed for defeat because the Legislature is not sold on the idea. It all comes down to one word: recurring. Simply put, Scott wants most…
TALLAHASSEE The chairman in charge of crafting the Senate’s education budget proposal signaled again Thursday that Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s plan to increase K-12 education dollars primarily off the checkbooks of local taxpayers isn’t going to fly. Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, is preparing his fellow senators to consider other options including ones that would require…
Gov. Rick Scott took his campaign for a billion dollar tax cut in 2016 directly to lawmakers last week, making a rare appearance at a House committee meeting when his budget director Cynthia Kelly briefed lawmakers on his budget recommendation. The $79.3 billion spending plan represents a 1-percent increase over the current state budget. It sparked…
At a media event in Jacksonville on Monday morning, Gov. Rick Scott unveiled his $79.3 billion proposed budget. With $29.8 billion in general revenue coming in, Scott’s “Florida First” budget proposal is higher than the current $78.4 billion budget and the $77 billion he proposed for the 2015-2016 year back in January. Read full article
TALLAHASSEE — When Gov. Rick Scott rolls out his budget proposal Monday, he’ll talk about spending more money on schools, but some fellow Republicans say he’s not telling taxpayers the whole truth. A spike in school spending will have to come from higher property taxes on businesses and homeowners in Florida, and that has Republican…
With senators in his own party voicing skepticism, Republican Gov. Rick Scott’s budget director has sent a letter to executive branch agencies, making the case for $1 billion in tax cuts in the next legislative session in addition to a new $250 million fund to attract jobs and a multitude of high-dollar demands by the…
TALLAHASSEE (AP) — Setting up another contentious budget battle, Florida Gov. Rick Scott was expected Thursday to call for $1 billion in tax cuts, most of it targeted at businesses. Scott is recommending the hefty amount despite signs that the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature will resist going along with such a large tax cut package. Scott,…