Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners–April 28
Apr 28, 2009
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Florida House Approves Property Insurance Measure
The Florida House has approved property insurance legislation that promises to reduce the exposure of the state’s backup hurricane insurance fund and gradually raise rates for policyholders insured in state-backed Citizens Property Insurance.
Fla. Senate Gets Two Big Property Insurance Bills
The Florida House on Friday night approved and sent to the Senate a measure designed to beef up the finances of the state-created home insurer of last resort and the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist submits paperwork for education stimulus money
Gov. Charlie Crist submitted an application for Florida to receive its share of the federal stimulus dollars earmarked for education.
About $1.5 billion of the federal stimulus funds set aside for Florida’s schools could be released to the state within the next three weeks, federal education officials said Monday.
Budget conferences start today, budget will be done next week
House Speaker Larry Cretul and Senate President Jeff Atwater announced today to their members that budget conferences would start at 4 p.m. this afternoon butit would take until next week to hammer out a final product.
Fla. voucher expansion bill goes to Crist
A bill to strengthen a private school voucher program for children from low-income families is going to Gov. Charlie Crist.
12 percent drop in Palm Beach County property values means brutal cuts in services or higher taxes
Palm Beach County property values plummeted nearly 12 percent in the past year, likely the worst drop since the Great Depression, Property Appraiser Gary Nikolits said this morning.
Florida high schools must pare sports schedules to save money
High school sports became the latest victims of budget cuts as Florida’s controlling association voted to reduce the number of games played by 20 percent.
For months, public school teachers and administrators have publicly debated how to make up for massive budget shortfalls. The messy results: wage freezes and likely furloughs, scaled down summer school programs and cuts in transportation.
Brevard schools wait for Title I funding
Almost half of Brevard’s public schools would be classified as low-income under a plan that comes before the school board tonight aimed at spreading federal stimulus dollars as far as possible.
Backers of the proposed Seminole compact say it would benefit education, but previous expansions of gambling failed to prevent the current school-funding crisis.
In the name of improving education, Florida voters have twice expanded gambling, first with the introduction of the lottery in the 1980s, and more recently by bringing slot machines to Miami-Dade and Broward parimutuels.
Broward School Board grilled on proposed budget
Parents, students and teachers grilled the Broward School Board and district officials Monday about proposed budget cuts, with questions ranging from how Broward would spend its economic stimulus money to whether schools would lose their arts, music and other electives.
Broward elementaries facing severe cuts
A 4 percent budget cut may not sound like much, until it amounts to a school losing its only guidance counselor or arts teacher.
It was the promise of job security — that schools would always need someone to ease kids’ troubles — that lured Michelle Doriah into becoming a guidance counselor six years ago.
Palm Beach County School District expects to lose $55 million next year, but promises no layoffs
No layoffs. That’s the word from the Palm Beach County School District.
Charter-school crackdown advances in Tallahassee
Prompted by reports of nepotism and lax financial controls, the Florida Senate unanimously passed a plan Friday to make Florida’s more than 360 charter schools more accountable in their classrooms and on their financial statements.
Fla. House votes for sales tax holidays
The House has voted to bring back sales tax holidays for back-to-school and hurricane preparation purchases.
Fla. bill calls for teacher quality study
A bill calling for a study of teacher quality has passed the House.
Florida at center of fierce debate over vaccines, fear of autism link
Pediatricians and parents of children with autism are closely watching a controversial bill in the state Senate that seeks to ban vaccines containing mercury and support parents who question doctors about their children’s vaccinations.
‘Flip’ of school times really is a money saver, audit finds
It created angry parents, sleepy preteens and a mad dash by high-school students to get from sports to jobs in the afternoons. But Orange County’s much-loathed bell schedule known as “the flip” is the most efficient way to save money on busing costs, an audit by an independent transportation consultant has found.
Obama’s early decisions felt in Florida
Florida schools can forestall budget cuts. Cuban immigrants can visit relatives back home. Construction can start on a long-delayed Interstate 4 connector road. Some homeowners may avoid foreclosure.
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