Florida schools brace for cuts as lawmakers debate education budget

A side-by-side comparison of the education budget proposals from the Florida House and Senate was unveiled Monday as the chambers get ready to negotiate their differences in conference committees.

The differences are many.

The Senate, for instance, calls for more than double the amount that the House proposes for additional teacher pay. The House deletes a program to provide stability funding for school districts experiencing enrollment declines, while the Senate calls for $20 million to that end. And so forth.

One thing is becoming clear to school district officials as they watch the Tallahassee wranglings: They must prepare for the likelihood they’ll be asked to do more with less. One factor is that enrollment is slipping as the state funnels millions more into private school and homeschool vouchers, Politico Florida reports.

Already, district leaders are talking about where they might cut programs and positions to make ends meet. “We’re going to have to keep tightening our belts and watching every penny,” Hillsborough County school board member Nadia Combs said. Read more here.

Many parents, school officials and other public school advocates continue to urge lawmakers not to cut in half the additional funding provided to schools based on student success in accelerated and career courses, the Florida Times-Union reports.

Florida schools brace for cuts as lawmakers debate education budget