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May 9, 2008
Rubbing salt in the woundSchool officials in Florida aren't feeling too sunny these days. First, as BoardBuzz noted last week, a tax commission has placed three dubious school-related constitutional amendments on the ballot for November.
At roughly the same time, the state Legislature completed work on a bleak education budget: 1) cutting $332 million or 2 percent from public schools; 2) slashing per student spending by $131 on average; and, 3) shifting the majority source of school funding for the first time in decades to the local level.
But while lawmakers felt the need to reduce funding for public schools, they thought it a good idea to pony up another $30 million for a controversial, publicly unaccountable corporate tax credit voucher program. Oh, and $386 million to build and operate new prisons.
The Tampa Tribune editorial page found sad irony there:
Florida's prison population is expected to soar from about 96,000 inmates today, to 120,000 inmates by 2012. Experts say the best way to slow the need for prisons is to put your money into cheaper, more humane efforts at prevention, starting with education. This year, Florida sounded a retreat in the battle. By doing so, lawmakers failed our children.
Additional coverage from Education Week (free registration required) and the Orlando Sentinel here.
Get the best roundup and analysis of what's transpired with the Florida School Boards Association's weekly webcast with Executive Director Wayne Blanton.
Posted May 9, 2008 10:24 AM | Privatization & Choice
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