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 gross receipts tax on electric bills — continues a downward trajectory, largely because of energy conservation measures.
State economists this week said $369 million in gross receipts tax revenue will be available for the Public Education Capital Outlay trust fund. That’s about $62 million less than the Florida Department of Education has requested for all school, college and university building and maintenance needs.
