Education funding: The Florida House PreK-12 Appropriations is preparing to take a closer look at how state money is divided among school districts, including hiring a consulting group to make recommendations on adjusting the school-funding formula. That formula, known as the Florida Education Finance Program, uses several factors to decide how the $21 billion-plus is distributed among districts. The focus may begin with the price-level index, which tries to factor in the cost of living differences of districts. Some districts have complained that the current formula shifts money from poorer districts to wealthier, urban ones. News Service of Florida.
Bright Futures boost: The Legislature's Joint Legislative Budget Commission added $25.3 million to the Bright Futures scholarship program on Thursday. Last spring, lawmakers budgeted $520 million for the program, which offers full and partial college scholarships for high-achieving students. But a study in November indicated an increase in students eligible would push the amount needed to about $545 million, prompting the increase approved for the fund. News Service of Florida. (more…)
Graduation rate rises: Florida's high school graduation rate rose 1.6 percentage points in 2017, to 82.3 percent, according to figures released Wednesday by the Florida Department of Education. The rate has gone up steadily since the 2006-2007 school year, when fewer than 60 percent of students got diplomas. Gilchrist County had the highest rate in the state, at 93.4 percent. Nassau and St. Johns were next at 90.9 percent, and Suwannee (90.5 percent) and St. Lucie (90.1 percent) were the other districts over 90 percent. Gadsden's 50 percent rate was the lowest. Florida Department of Education. News Service of Florida. Orlando Sentinel. WTXL. Palm Beach County's graduation rate jumps by almost 3 percentage points to hit an all-time high of 85 percent. Palm Beach Post. Boca News Now. Sun-Sentinel. Duval, Baker and Clay counties all show gains in their graduation rates, while Nassau's and St. Johns' drop slightly. Florida Times-Union. WJXT. Escambia County's graduate rate increases by 3.4 percentage points in the past two years, and Santa Rosa's has gone up 0.7 percentage points. Pensacola News Journal. The high school graduation rate rises in St. Lucie County, but falls in Martin and Indian River counties. TCPalm. Graduation rates top 80 percent for the first time in all four Tampa Bay area counties: Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando. Tampa Bay Times. WUSF. WTSP. Polk County's graduation rate jumped 3.6 percentage points, to 75.4 percent. Lakeland Ledger. The Manatee County graduation rate slips, but stays above 80 percent. Sarasota's rises incrementally. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. SRQ Magazine. Alachua County's graduation rate jumps 4.3 percentage points, to 82.7 percent. Gainesville Sun. The Bay County graduation rate dips more than 2 percentage points and is below 80 percent. Panama City News Herald.
Capital for charters: Florida charter schools will get $91.2 million from school districts as part of a capital funds sharing program approved by the Legislature last year. The money comes from local districts' property taxes collected for building and maintaining schools. Districts with high debt service won't have to share their funds. The fund-sharing is part of last year's education bill, H.B. 7069. Gradebook. The Flagler County School Board will vote next week on a mediation agreement that would require the district to share money with a charter school in the district. Imagine School at Town Center has been asking for money from the district since 2012. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Storm recovery: Lack of power is the primary problem for Florida schools trying to reopen their doors. Fifty-five of the state's 67 public districts were still closed Wednesday. Education Week. WKMG. School districts around the state announce plans to resume classes, with many reassessing on a daily basis. Florida Department of Education. Florida Times-Union. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Today. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post. Fort Myers News-Press. Naples Daily News. Gainesville Sun. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Flagler Live. WFLA. Some Orlando community centers are offering free child care today to help parents who need to go to work but have children who are still out of school. Orlando Sentinel. Several schools in Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Indian River counties will offer free meals to students and their families today and Friday. Palm Beach Post. TCPalm. Traditional public schools stepped up this week to provide protection and other aid for residents fleeing from the hurricane. redefinED. Tampa Bay Times. The hurricane delays the choice of 25 struggling schools to receive extra financial assistance through the state's "schools of hope" program. The state Board of Education was supposed to select the winners Wednesday. Fifty-seven schools applied. Miami Herald. Irma causes a gaping sinkhole to open behind an Apopka school. WOFL. Orlando Sentinel. Parents scramble to keep their children occupied while schools are closed. Tampa Bay Times.
State education budget: The Florida Board of Education approves a $21.4 billion request to the Legislature for education funding for the 2018-2019 school year. That's an increase of 1.85 percent over last year. The request includes an increase in the Florida Education Finance Program of $200 per K-12 student, $421 million for Bright Futures scholarships, $20.6 million more to meet the class size amendment, and $22 million extra for capital projects. Orlando Sentinel. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida.
After the fire: Students and teachers displaced after a fire destroyed Lee Elementary School in Tampa will be moved together to Lockhart Elementary, about a mile and a half away, Hillsborough County School District officials announce. Older students from Lee will attend classes at nearby Young Middle Magnet School until portable classrooms can be set up at Lockhart. Tampa Bay Times. WFLA.
Top Florida senators say they're prepared to create a stable, predictable funding source for charter school facilities.
But the road to get there remains uncertain, even after a second Senate panel voted today to advance a measure that would require school districts to share local property tax revenue with charters.
Charter schools in Florida receive the same operational funding as traditional public schools. But when it comes to money for facilities, they rely on annual appropriations from the Legislature. That funding has stagnated even as charters continue to grow, and it's far below what traditional public schools receive.
On Tuesday, Senate President Joe Negron told reporters that's unacceptable.
Education funding should follow the child to whatever public school they attend, he said. And the era of funding charter school construction through annual appropriations in the state budget — primarily through the dwindling Public Education Capital Outlay — must end.
"It's competing with other dollars that, to me, should be for universities and community colleges and schools in other areas," he said.
Senate bill 376, approved this morning by the panel in charge of education spending, would require school districts to give charter schools a proportionate share of their local property tax revenue reserved for capital projects. (more…)
Kenny
The two-day Florida Charter School Conference officially opens Thursday with keynote speaker Deborah Kenny, founder and chief executive officer of the successful New York charter schools, Harlem Village Academies.
But a pre-conference schedule the day before offers sessions on starting a charter school and networking for principals, along with a three-hour town hall meeting featuring school leaders and legislators scheduled to talk about the future of charters in Florida.
No confirmations, yet, on the roster for that meeting. But look for discussions about charter school funding, especially calls for more oversight in light of the recent discovery of an Orlando charter school that paid its principal $800,000 last school year before the school shut down.
There might also be discussions on PECO funds – Public Education Capital Outlay dollars dedicated to school construction costs. Last year, lawmakers designated $55 million for charter schools and none for traditional public schools.
The rationale? Traditional schools can levy property taxes to build and maintain schools; charters don’t have that luxury. With 574 charter schools in 44 districts and more anticipated, expect debate about the public dollars in 2013.
Although the conference features a separate breakout session Friday on the Charter School Growth Fund, lawmakers might offer some details during the town hall meeting on how that money is used. The fund is made up of $20 million in Race To The Top dollars and $10 million in private donations. (more…)
