Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners–Thursday, December 10
Dec 10, 2009
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Florida sales tax deduction among $31 billion in federal tax breaks passed by U.S. House
The House voted Wednesday to extend $31 billion in popular tax breaks, including an income tax deduction for sales and property taxes, to be financed with a tax increase on investment fund managers and a crackdown on international tax cheats.
Foreclosure filings skyrocket in Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade
More misery on the foreclosure front: Lenders filed more than 7,000 notices in November against property owners in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, according to report from Condo Vultures.
The Gates Foundation’s $100 million challenge
Here in Hillsborough County our school district is entering into a bold, long-term partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop new ways to improve teaching.
Blog: Florida education department asks school districts to sign on to Race to the Top
If Florida school districts want a share of the state’s Race to the Top funds (up to $700 million, if the feds approve the state’s request for the innovation grant), they need to let the Florida Department of Education know. Soon.
As president of the Greater Florida Consortium of School Boards, Pinellas school board member Carol Cook recently fired off this letter to Gov. Charlie Crist, asking him to find the money to spare Florida school districts up to $80 million in mid-year budget cuts. Cook told fellow board members yesterday that the cuts could be about $4 million for Pinellas schools.
Top Miami-Dade schools officials give up some pay to help district
Members of the Miami-Dade County School Board on Wednesday elected to give up 10 days of pay to help the district keep administrative costs down.
Audit report reveals questionable expenses by Palm Beach County School Board, administrators
Auditors from Ernst & Young found hundreds of dollars worth of questionable expenses by Palm Beach County School Board members, Superintendent Art Johnson and top administrators, according to a special report released this week.
Struggle to keep public libraries open challenges area counties
The quandaries that surround the library systems in Volusia and Flagler counties are the same.
Broward takes years to collect refunds on school construction projects
More than two years ago, Broward School District auditors discovered that three high schools required $4.8 million in additional construction work on their athletic fields. They estimated at least $1.3 million of that was due to “errors” by a Fort Myers architectural firm.
- Broward Teachers Union asks for probe into transportation department
- Broward School Board debates reforms for choosing contractors
School board members warn of big boundary changes
Broward School Board members officially agreed to delay boundary changes for Pioneer Middle School next year, but some warned Tuesday that they’re not doing anything to address overcrowding in western Broward schools ? something that could trigger even more extensive, and controversial, moves in the future.
Committee: Count portables in Broward schools as classrooms
A group of representatives from the Broward school district, the county and several cities said Wednesday that the school system should not loosen the way it measures school crowding — though it should count portable classrooms as part of a school’s capacity.
Editorial: Florida districts start dealing with class size concerns
As we’ve noted many times, Florida school officials are worried about meeting the requirements of the 2002 class-size reduction amendment not this year, but next year, when classroom counts kick in. The state has estimated that schools will need more than 6,500 more teachers, at a cost of more than $350 million.
Volusia OKs attendance zone for new school
Saying it was doing what’s best for students, the Volusia County School Board on Tuesday approved the recommended attendance zone for a new high school, despite continuing objections from Deltona city officials.
Editorial: Protecting students
In 2002, Florida residents fed up with poorly funded, overcrowded schools spoke out to force lawmakers to support public education.
Brevard Parents want more control over redistricting
Instead of complaining about upcoming school zoning changes, many Brevard County parents are now taking the redistricting dilemma into their own hands.
Committee recommends portables over rezoning at most Collier schools
Most Collier County students will attend the schools they attend this year. That is, if a subcommittee of local residents has anything to say about it.
Fla. redistricting proposals may get new challenge
The Legislature again may ask the Florida Supreme Court to keep off the 2010 ballot two citizen initiatives designed to limit gerrymandering in congressional and legislative redistricting, a pair of House and Senate leaders said Wednesday.
Proposal to expand oversight of Florida’s pension fund is blocked
Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink’s two-year push for broader oversight of Florida’s investments was blocked Tuesday by two colleagues on the Cabinet who help her oversee the nation’s fourth-largest public pension fund.
For the first time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is poised to impose stringent new water quality regulations on the state of Florida that will cost our state and its businesses and families billions of dollars a year.
Florida citrus votes to continue self-imposed tax
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson today announced the Florida citrus industry has overwhelmingly voted to continue funding a self-imposed tax to conduct important research for another six years. Consensus was reached through a statewide referendum that concluded today.
Florida schools flout law, should teach more black history, panel says
Florida schools may have been desegregated 40 years ago, but the curriculum still is not integrated, says a statewide panel studying how African-American history fits into the classroom.
Indiana House panel takes up property tax caps
An Indiana House committee has taken up legislation that ultimately could lead to limits on property tax bills being amended into the state constitution.
Summit addresses violence in Florida schools
As images of local victims of violence, including 9-year-old Shardavia Jenkins and 17-year-old Jeffrey Johnson Jr., rotated on a projector, more than 100 members of the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project filed past a silver casket during the symbolic funeral.
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