Details, details

The state has just released the 2008-09 Florida Education Finance Program report. The document is 57 pages long. We're just trolling through the details. Thought you might like to look, too. Let us know if you see anything interesting. Click here to download the report.

OK. A few observations. While the state reduces its contribution by $792.6-million, or about 13 percent, local districts are being required to come up with $364.9-million more than last year, or about 4.6 percent. That means the local tax rates would rise by 0.177 mills, on average.

Part of that would come by reducing the local capital millage rate from 2 mills to 1.75 mills. Just wondering whether bond rating agencies, which analyze districts' ability to repay COPS and the like based on expectation of future revenue, will look unfavorably upon such a change.

But wait. There's more.

The average per-student funding cut would be $130.85, or 1.84 percent. School recognition funds would decline by $15 per student. Support for student transportation, safe schools, supplemental instruction for low performing students, instructional materials and reading programs all would decline. Teacher performance pay would be funded at last year's level, but only for districts that participated.

The only area looking at significant growth is class-size reduction funding, which would rise from $2.6-billion to $2.8-billion. And that's with lawmakers delaying full implementation at least a year.

Unresolved: The future of the National Board certified teacher bonus program. It's likely to decrease, but the House and Senate are still working on consensus language. You can check out the conforming language for the budget here.

Four days to go. Stay tuned.

Comments

Does the constitution require the following or not? The Florida Legislature (not the school districts) must provide for either class sizes to reach 18, 22 and 25 in K-4, 5-8 and 9-12 or enough money to reduce class sizes by 2 students per class. Did that suddenly only cost $200 million as an increase instead of the $500 million to $700 million that it has cost in each of the previous years? Delaying actual implementation by the school districts in the law is allowed, but the Legislature still MUST provide the state funding in the constitution. Isn't this right?

Interest charges on COPS programs will increase even though districts currently have "bonded" less than 1 mill of the previous 2 mill because most of the agencies want less than 50% of a nondedicated source to be pledged toward debt. This will cost taxpayers more money without any benefit.