Tax reform commission steers clear of class-size changes

If changes are in store for Florida's class-size amendment, they're not coming from the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission. The panel today decided not to move ahead with a proposal that would have asked voters to scale back the class-size reduction rules they approved six years ago.

The issue was up for reconsideration after the commission last week defeated the idea but left room for another vote if a compromise could have been reached in the meantime. That didn't happen.

That leaves it to the Legislature to find ways to deal with the costs and other concerns that the amendment has sparked among school district leaders around the state. So far, the House and Senate have different ideas in play, but key lawmakers have said they'll find a compromise before the end of session. The most likely scenario, insiders say, is a two-year delay in implementing classroom counts, saving about $600-million each year.

In other TBRC action, the commission agreed to ask voters to reconsider the "no-aid" amendment that has been used to justify banning state money from going to religious schools (vouchers, okay, we said it), our sister blog the Buzz reports.