NEWS

Budget proposal gives increase to Florida public schools

Arek Sarkissian
arek.sarkissian@naplesnews.com; 850-559-7620
Credit: NosUA, Getty Images/iStockphoto

TALLAHASSEE — Florida public schools would receive a modest funding increase next year under a budget deal being negotiated by legislative leaders.

The House and Senate members working on the budget agreed to give schools $20.4 billion, slightly more than the nearly $20.2 billion in the current budget. That spending comes out to $7,220 per student, a $24 increase over $7,196 provided to schools this year.

More: House, Senate agree on budget size, start final negotiations

The school funding agreement reflects the House budget proposal offered two weeks ago. The Senate wanted to spend $20.9 billion on schools, or $7,423 per student.

House and Senate negotiators also accepted the House plan to set aside $200 million for high-performing charter school networks and $214 million for a teacher bonus program known as the Best and Brightest Scholarship.

Leaders are facing a Tuesday deadline to resolve all their differences in the proposed $83 billion budget for next year. The agreement provides slightly more in state spending than the current $82.3 billion budget.

The school funding deal came as lawmakers continued meeting over the weekend. Conferees will meet Monday to discuss how much to spend on school construction projects.

Rep. Carlos Trujillo, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said he will deliver a counter Monday to the Senate's $500 million school capital outlay plan.

Any issues Trujillo, R-Miami, fails to resolve with Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, by Monday will be turned over to House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O' Lakes, and Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart.

"We've always had issues move up to the presiding officers, at least for all of the years I've been here," Latvala said. "We handle what we can, and then the remaining issues goes up the chain."

The $200 million for charters will fund a plan Corcoran named “Schools of Hope,” which provides cash to high-performing charter school networks that want to expand into the poorest parts of the state.

The plan faced opposition from senators who believed it would place already-struggling school districts at a greater disadvantage. But a compromise would provide some of those districts with financial support before the high-performing charters are brought in.

“We’re targeting those kids, those students who are in high-need areas,” said Rep. Manny Diaz, a Hialeah Republican chairing the House Pre-K-12 Education Subcommittee.

More: 2017 legislative session

Conferees also agreed to provide $214 million toward the teacher bonus program known as Best and Brightest Scholarship, which is more than four times the $49 million in this year's budget.

The program has plenty of support from Corcoran and Sen. David Simmons, the Altamonte Springs Republican chairing the Senate Pre-K-12 Education Subcommittee. Funding for the plan was left out of the budget proposed by the Senate two weeks ago.

“We're definitely going to bring something for those teachers,” Simmons said. “We’re on the same page.”

Budget conferees also hammered out differences in the state’s higher education budget, which included $180 million for the Bright Futures Scholarship and a $120 million boost for student assistant grants.

There was also an increase to expand the Benacquisto National Merit Scholar program by allowing out-of-state applicants.