In a time when the Legislature is trying to pare back the size of the state budget, lawmakers agreed this week to pump more than $29 billion into K-12 education, a $945 million increase over current year spending.
Per student funding would increase by $142.74, to $9,130, under a plan House and Senate budget conferees agreed to this week, a 1.59% increase from the current fiscal year. [The inflation rate for 2024 was 2.9 percent. It has been slightly below that this year.]
“It’s adequate, it’s historic, it’s all of the things. It’s really good,” House budget chief Rep. Lawrence McClure said of per student funding.
Much of the K-12 education budget increase, 71%, would be funded by local property taxes, Politico first reported.
Florida’s growing school choice program, in which state dollars can be used for private school tuition or homeschooling, has decreased public schools’ share of enrollment.
“I think we can all agree that the public school population is declining. The schools still are open and operating, so that expense is there, and if there’s fewer students being there then money comes from somewhere [else],” Senate budget chief Sen. Ed Hooper told reporters this week.
The spending agreement was made as legislators met in an extended session dedicated to crafting a budget for state fiscal year 2025-26, which begins July 1. The extension was necessary because legislative leadership couldn’t agree during the 60-day regular session on how much money to spend and ways to reduce taxes.
As part of the K-12 agreement, the chambers agreed to allocate an extra $101.6 million toward teacher salary increases statewide, targeting an area Florida has lagged in. Last year, salary increase allocations went up by about $200 million. Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed about $250 million for teacher and personnel salary increases this year.
According to the National Education Association, Florida is 50th in the nation for average teacher salaries.
Accelerated courses like Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate were facing reduced funding under earlier proposals, but pushback from school officials and constituents made a difference. Ultimately, the programs are funded at a rate consistent with the current year, $596 million.
The chambers have agreed to infuse an additional $6 million into the Schools of Hope program. Schools of Hope are charter schools opened near struggling schools.
Policy in play
While lawmakers agreed to extend the session to address the budget, they have found creative ways to use the spending blueprint to readdress substantive legislation that died during the regular 60-day session. That policy-focused legislation will be included in what’s called a “conforming bill.” Unlike the budget, which expires in a year, conforming bills make permanent changes to statutes.
As of publication, a K-12 education conforming bill had not been released.
The chambers have publicly discussed reviving a bill that died during the regular 60-day session to allow Schools of Hope to open inside persistently low-performing public schools or on the property.
Lawmakers are looking to adjust how school choice scholarships are reimbursed as more students use the option. Throughout the session, school administrators and legislators expressed concerns about how and when money is paid to scholarship recipients or schools, saying it was impossible to track where some students were enrolled.
“Obviously, the accounting for the scholarships has not gone well. We’re trying to come up with a way that the money does follow the child, the student, and instead of reporting quarterly I think we are going to report monthly,” Hooper said.
–Jay Waagmeester, Florida Phoenix
Deborah Coffey says
There will be no public education within 5 years in Florida. Keep electing Republicans and there will be no public anything!
Atwp says
The red state of florida pay their teachers less than any other state! That is bad. Shame for those loud mouth Republican politician. Some of the teachers voted for the Repubs, this is what you get.
Just say'n says
Yes schools are doing such a great job that TAXPAYERS want to remove there children from successful schools because there so great.Its only republican kids right?People are pissed off with public schools who seem to ignore parents concerns or just dismiss them entirely with no accountability. If private schools address parents concerns and parents are satisfied with the results what’s the problem?If the money allocated to the student and can follow the student to give them an opportunity in a different environment that’s better for the students in public school,less kids in a class room(less teachers spending there own money on supplies) less kids on a bus,less kids for lunch,less staff and more money for students.Compitition makes everyone pick up there game or they fail.If that’s the case then they’ll be going back to public school and the money will follow them back.The problem is that almost never happens.You can take your car to the corporate owned dealership for repairs or an independent shop of your choice and if that doesn’t work you can go back to the dealership ready to take you back just like schools.In the end its the student who will suffer along with society with uneducated workforce. You all know what I’m talking about,going through the drive thru and the employee do simple math.
Joe D says
Okay….
Maybe I’m missing something in this story…
Why am I as a Florida State taxpayer subsidizing ANY of the college tuition costs of OUT OF STATE STUDENTS?!?
Now, I understand there are SPECIFIC focused scholarships for attracting excellent candidates in sports, science, humanities, etc. But $82k state subsidies for EACH of New College’s 802 students (90 of which are out of state students). I understand that our illustrious Governor Ron has tried to remake New College the bastion of MAGA Excellence….but $82k State subsidies PER STUDENT?!? GIVE ME A BREAK!
$19k for University of Florida doesn’t sound TOO outlandish, but outside of specific focused scholarships to bring in particularly TALENTED students from out of state, WHY are the FLORIDA taxpayers paying for out of state student tuition with subsidies AT ALL? Possibly it’s to maintain Florida as one of the “lowest costing states for tuition.” But, if that lowest costing tuition is coming out of MY retired POCKET, I’m more than a little incensed (as should every in State Florida parent and college age student, that has the GRADES, but not the FUNDING to attend a Florida State College).
During a prior article, I was complimenting Daytona State College for its low costing state tuition. I feel kind of STUPID now, finding out that the everyday taxpayer is funding LARGE ( and in the case of New College…OUTRAGEOUS $82k per student) chunks of the college’s expenses, to maintain that ARTIFICIALLY low tuition.
I think there needs to be an investigation into State college subsidies vs the cost of keeping tuition low for out of state students.
I’m all for giving New College a 2 year BREAK on their increased subsidy, given that Governor Ron cleared out most/all of the Faculty Board members and installed his own unqualified MAGA CRONIES in their place. But, that should be IT! If the New College (or any other Florida college for that matter) can’t manage their program with only BASIC state subsidies for IN STATE STUDENTS, then they should seriously consider why they are staying open. I’m thinking I’m not alone in my thinking, but MAYBE I’m just too OLD FASHIONED.
Where is the Florida State DOGE office when you need them?!?