Top 10 Things School Administrators Need to Know About the 2020 Budget

Top 10 Things School Administrators Need to Know About the 2020 Budget

By: Jessica Janasiewicz M.A., M.Ed. 
Governmental Consultant

The 2019 Legislative session will come to a close on Saturday, May 4, 2019. The last item that will be approved by both chambers is the 2020 budget. Florida law requires a 72 hour “cooling off” period for the budget prior to its being approved and as a result, we are able to report on the elements of the budget in advance of its passage. Below are the top ten things that FASA members should know about the 2020 budget.

• Total potential new state funds for public schools are $12,450,345,660.

• The increase in average dollars per Unweighted FTE student is $242.60.

• The Base Student Allocation (BSA) increased $75.07 per Weighted Full Time Equivalent (WFTE) student in comparison to last year’s funding.

• The Base FEFP funding is projected to increase about $363,868,974 though this will be reduced by $131,893,882 to pay for WFTE enrollment growth, $50,000,000 to replace the reduction in funding for the Digital Classrooms Allocation, and $35,000,000 to pay for the FRS rate increase.

• The conference agreement reduced the funds for the Digital Classrooms Allocation by $50,000,000 to $20,000,000.

• The Instructional Materials Allocation is $233,952,826.

• The Transportation Allocation is $444,978,006.

• Several new mandatory expenses were added to the FEFP that will consume a substantial portion of the $782,876,763 increase in total potential funds provided by the Legislature. These new mandatory expenses include some of the following items:
  • The Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal Bonus Program:$284,500,000
    • The Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal Bonus Program provides three pathways to earn a bonus for teachers and one for principals.
    • For teachers, the pathways and the prescribed limits for amounts of the bonus are:
      • The one-time recruitment award shall be an amount up to$4,000.
      • The two retention awards shall be $2,500 for highly effective teachers, $1,000 for effective teachers.
      • The principal award shall be $5,000.
  • Increase in Safe Schools Allocation: $18,043,981
  • Increase in Mental Health Assistance Allocation: $5,762,714
  • Increase in Class Size Reduction Allocation: $13,480,880

• The total increases in required expenses is $546,657,624.

• The FY 2019-2020 FEFP increases total potential funds by $782,876,763. Of that total, $546,657,624 are committed to expenditures required by the Legislature. Revenue not encumbered by the Legislature totals $236,219,139, or 1.1% of the total potential funds.