Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners–March 9
Mar 9, 2010
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Sends Letters to Governor and SBA Requesting Immediate Action
State Senator Ted Deutch (D-Boca Raton) is introducing new vital legislation and stepping up pressure on the State of Florida to restrict taxpayer funding for corporations doing business with Iran.
House Speaker Larry Cretul’s Budget Proposal Increases School Funds
Hike isn’t enough to prevent steep cuts in education programs.
House Speaker Larry Cretul issued a budget allocation plan Thursday that would increase state funding for public schools by 9 percent to offset a $788 million drop in local property tax receipts, but he warned it won’t be enough to avoid some spending cuts.
Where will school cuts come from?
Parents, residents, district staff look for areas to trim Manatee schools budget
Renting the school district’s administrative office space, cutting administrators, possibly closing a school.
Recommendations could save Florida taxpayers $3.2 billion
A group of current and former government officials, business leaders and policy analysts today made cost-savings recommendations — including reduction of penalties for minor drug offenses, collecting the sales tax on Internet purchases and putting state government on a four-day work week — to save Florida taxpayers up to $3.2 billion.
Economists take another look at Fla. revenue
The numbers being crunched Tuesday are expected to be little different from the last forecast because the state and national economies have settled down in recent months after a couple years of high volatility.
Florida property value dip expected to ease in 2010
The hit to property values this year will not be as large as earlier forecast, but the recovery of those values will take longer, a new state forecast says.
House speaker: Shortfall between $1.1B to $3.2B expected House speaker: Medicaid, education seeing biggest revenue crunch
Florida legislators began the grim business of budget-cutting on multiple fronts Thursday, with the House leader issuing a spending outline and a grim outlook.
Column: Adequate funding needed for Florida’s public schools
The budget outlook for our public schools is dicey.
Recession redefines Sarasota school tax
The message to voters during the 2006 special school tax campaign included a big promise: Keep giving us an extra tax on your property and we will make Sarasota a world-class school system.
Sarasota school tax suit highlights political tension
Buzz of a lawsuit aiming to stop the school property tax referendum started more than a month ago, when some of the staunchest critics started exchanging e-mails about potential electioneering violations.
Stimulus Money Saves Jobs in Polk
School District Facing A Tight Budget Year Again
A new $16 million school opens near Bartow. The last year-round school in Polk County moves to a traditional calendar and ends its choice-school component. In another lean financial year, $50 million in federal stimulus funds saves hundreds of jobs in the Polk County School District.
Orange schools’ schedule ‘flip’ saved $5.8 million
Audit finds savings was in line with officials’ promises
The results of an independent audit of Orange County’s transportation department are in, and the results show that the deeply unpopular schedule “flip” was not a financial flop.
Florida Lawmakers retreat on class sizes
In a near-party line vote, a constitutional amendment relaxing requirements of the class-size mandate cleared a major committee hurdle today in the Florida Senate.
Desperate condo, homeowner associations thrown a lifeline
Revenue-starved condominium and homeowners associations struggling to keep the taps running and the lawns mowed have found a novel way to squeeze money from units that don’t pay what they owe.
New York Times: Deal to Save Everglades May Help Sugar Firm
When Gov. Charlie Crist announced Florida’s $1.75 billion plan to save the Everglades by buying out a major landowner, United States Sugar, he declared that the deal would be remembered as a public acquisition “as monumental as the creation of the nation’s first national park, Yellowstone.”
Senate smackdown: Here’s our Seminole deal. Take it or leave it.
The Florida Senate has come out with a new Seminole Indian gambling compact — and this time, the chamber puts Gov. Charlie Crist and the tribe in a box: take our deal or leave it.
U. S. Education Chief: Access at Schools to Be Reviewed
Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Monday the federal government will become more vigilant to make sure students have equal access and opportunity to everything ranging from college prep classes to science and engineering programs.
Broward schools to consider cuts to arts, music, physical education classes
Elementary programs face big changes next year
Facing huge cuts in state money, Broward’s public elementary schools next year could see major changes to their art, music, physical education and library programs.
Broward schools recruiting teachers in New York
“TEACH near the BEACH!” read the education jobs posting in the Feb. 28 edition of The New York Times.
Success of rally for college funding unclear
More than 200 students joined university system leaders seeking to build support for the so-called “New Florida Initiative,” which seeks $1.75 billion in additional state support over the next five years.
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