The Florida Policy Institute released their summary of the state budget for fiscal year 2021-2022. The legislative session and subsequent budget occurred in the midst of a global pandemic and economic recession with unprecedented aid flowing from the federal government. The Florida Policy Institute (FPI) notes that, although the resulting “significant influx of federal dollars…
Governor DeSantis signed the record $101.5 billion budget for the coming fiscal year into law today at a popular restaurant in New Smyrna Beach. He also vetoed $1.5 billion in spending including Hillsborough County Public Schools’ Summer Bridge program among other programs designed to help children. This budget marks the first to exceed $100 billion…
The 2021 Florida Legislative Session ended on April 30th. Lawmakers will return on May 17th to discuss details of the gaming compact. No money from the compact is in the current budget and plans are to keep it in reserves until the 2022 session. However if anything related to education funding arises, we will keep…
According to the Miami Herald, the Florida lawmakers have yet to reach an agreement on how to spend $12 billion in federal COVID stimulus funds earmarked for public education. School districts, strapped with additional expenses and needs due to the pandemic, desperately need these funds. Budget talks broke down between the House and Senate earlier…
Florida’s incoming Speaker of the House Chris Sprowls warned of significant budget cuts due to the state’s dire financial crisis. He told participants in an online webinar last week that Florida experienced a “massive financial hit” due to Covid-19 and expects the state to take “three to four years” to recover. School districts are bracing…
BREAKING NEWS- Today, Leon County Judge Charles Dodson ruled in favor of the Florida Education Association in their lawsuit against the state. Read the Ruling here. From the Tampa Bay Times– Saying the state has “essentially ignored the requirement of school safety” in its requirement that campuses reopen in August, Leon County Judge Charles Dodson…
Reopening schools was the topic for Hillsborough County’s Superintendent Davis yesterday. His plan is fluid but likely allows families to have a choice. The plan was outlined in a 47 page presentation to the school board on Tuesday. Superintendent Davis outlined three plans to the board with varying options within each plan (Tampa Bay Times):…
School leaders across the country are sounding the alarm on looming budget cuts. The pandemic has led to a national fiscal crisis predicted to be worse than the Great Recession. In 2010, Congress responded with nearly $115 billion in state stimulus money to stabilize education funding. To date, Congress has only earmarked $16 billion to…
The CARES Act, signed into law on March 27th, gave an unprecedented $2 trillion economic relief to individuals, businesses, and states. $30.75 billion of that money went to the Education Stabilization Fund to assist early learning, K-12, and post-secondary institutions and students deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The US Department of Education will distribute those…
