School districts may not face tax cuts

Florida's school districts may be getting their own tax relief.

School districts may be exempt from the proposal to double the homestead exemption, Scott Kittel, education policy coordinator in the governor’s budget office, told a House education committee Tuesday.

Districts stand to lose hundreds of millions under the proposal. Hillsborough County estimated the move would cost it more than $50-million. Palm Beach County school officials put the cost at $47-million.

"If they do that, it would save the state a lot of heartbreak," Vernon Pickup-Crawford, lobbyist for the Palm Beach County School District, said when told of the change. "Because the money would have to be made up somehow. If this is the case, that's one less concern the school districts have."

School officials have been discussing the implications with Gov. Charlie Crist's staff, arguing that they have kept spending at a minimum. They worry that by making the homestead exemption optional at a local level, some school districts could be sending less money to the state only to get the same amount in return as districts that send more. And they say less money means less teacher pay, services and no room to meet class size reduction goals.

-- Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler / Alex Leary

Comments

CC and the Republicans have to exempt school taxes from the increased homestead exemption. Why? Because they have been slowly passing the buck of paying from schools from Florida to local property tax owners in order to fund all these special interest tax cuts of the Bush era.

The best way to decrease property taxes immediately is to substantially reduce the required local effort and increase the state's share of the education budget. Of course, that would mean the Republicans might have to make tough choices in Tallahassee, and we know that isn't going to happen.

12:26

so let's just make Tallahassee the big government welfare keeper for the locals -

Local school districts have alwyas fought for locla control - but you want them to have to pay less for it?

You can't have your cake and eat it too.

why can't shannon just use her married name? colavecchio-vansickler? hasn't the novelty of having the longest byline in america worn off by now?

[Reality]

OR… we could replace the funding that was cut due to the scam sold to Florida called “LOTTO”, then – actually implement the load of BS used to sell that scam to Florida.

We could also stop attacking and blaming the system in an effort to build “perceptional” support for the outsourcing of tax dollars to our private corporate friends.

Then, we can return to the recognition that a strong, fiscally and fundamentally sound public education system is essential to the future of our economy, workforce, and nation.

It’s easy to do the right thing… let’s try it!

[terminator]

12:26
Hit the nail right on the head.
The poor empty headed Mr. Crist thought voters would really buy into his "government must live within it's means" BS.
Looks as if CC has sold out to Wayne Blanton.
Poor Charlie. No one told him how he was going to pay the bills in Tally without having to raise taxes or eliminate tax exemptions for the fatcats, especially in lieu of Florida's slowing real estate market.
So we'll just go ahead with the Jeb Bush-Donna Arduin shell game of "now you see it, now you don't".
C'mon Charlie. The large school districts in Florida have more money than God.
Make them go on a diet for cryin out loud!

9:52

The Lotto financed my entire college education, as well as about 90% of the rest of the students at the 11 state schools.

It's being spent on education

[Reality]

1:56,

Those of us old enough to remember the scam, as sold by then Governor Martinez, know the reality of the mess (politicians) now blame the teachers for…

The Lotto was sold under the premise that the funds it generated would “Accentuate” current school funding. Sounds good huh?, so we all bought it and voted for it. Then the reality came out.

That administration actually intended the Lotto funding to “Replace” planed funding cuts.

The current system has funding and budget issues because the do not have a 100% dedicated funding source. It is a roller coaster funding course based on the amount of replacement revenue the Lotto generates, which as we all know is inconsistent and fluctuates based on the jackpot and subsequent ticket purchases.

Inconsistent funding source = inconsistent budget, planning, implementation, standards, results… ect…

That’s where Jeb and the boys stepped in with FCAT… a system designed to divert attention from the reality of poor administration, and direct it toward those dirty little lazy teachers.

Result… You believe the Lotto put you through school, everyone blames those dirty little lazy teachers, and public funds transfer to private interests (aka Vouchers)

As “DUBYA” put it best… “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED”

Hey Termie, look up the term "it's" before you call CC empty headed again.

[terminator]

3:38
Thanks for the grammar lesson there kid.
Now how bout offering some policy insight!