FL $64 million for charter school upkeep, zero for public schools this year

[madfloridian]

The same thing happened last year, but the amount given charter schools was then $55 million. Zero for public schools.

Florida charter schools get $55 million for upkeep. Traditional schools get nothing.

The charter school operated for children of employees of The Villages, the Republican stronghold in north Lake County frequented by Scott and former President George W. Bush, is expected to receive about $1 million.

School district officials across Florida are bemoaning the Legislature's decision to cut traditional public schools out of PECO — the Public Education Capital Outlay program. The state's 350 charter schools will share $55 million, while the approximately 3,000 traditional schools will go without.

And this year? Even worse for the public schools.

From the Palm Beach Post:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/local-education/state-plan-to-help-charter-schools-irks-palm-beach/nT3qC/">State plan to help charter schools irks Palm Beach County School Board

Charter schools are alternatives to traditional public schools. They receive taxpayer funding but are freed from meeting some state requirements — such as in curriculum, hiring and classroom sizes — in exchange for targeting specific classroom results from their students. They often are run by private companies, some of them for-profit.

The state Department of Education last week gave a Florida Senate subcommittee a report on the state Board of Education’s requested budget for next year. The budget includes a request for about $64 million for capital improvements at charter schools. Last year charters received about $55 million for school construction.

If approved, that budget would mark the third straight year the state has given capital outlay money to charter schools but no capital funding to districts to build and maintain traditional public schools, said Vern Pickup-Crawford, the county school district’s state lobbyist.

But it's okay and the public school chancellor for the state said public school districts just need to raise taxes.

The state’s budget request reflects the Board of Education’s priorities to assist charter schools, said Pam Stewart, chancellor of public schools for the state Department of Education. Stewart also pointed out that individual school districts can levy local individual property taxes of $1.50 for every $1,000 of taxable value to raise money for their local capital needs.

The state appears to have officially come out in support of charter schools over public schools.

This method of financing, or should I say, NOT financing public schools' maintenance, is making sure traditional public schools will not be able to survive long in Florida.

Crossposted at DU3

How about a rec or two?

[rpannier]

1. You get a rec for me

Good to see you're staying on this.
Sad that it's coming to this

[Divine Discontent]

2. scandilous! and it's right out in the open... they're so bold in their warped favoritism of charter

schools, and contempt and neglect of public schools.

[Enthusiast]

3. Warped is right! nt

[No Elephants]

4. Glad to be the 5th rec. (For DU2, that's phenomenal!)