Broward Schools and Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners

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Broward school layoffs threatened

If voters pass a constitutional amendment in January that would slash property taxes dramatically, 1,200 Broward School district employees could lose their jobs. School construction would likely grind to a halt.

 

If initiative fails, a better plan is in order

Op-Ed By Rep. Carl J. Domino

An opportunity to make homeownership more affordable for all Floridians’ was lost with the conclusion of the recent legislative special session. Portability was ignored and commercial buildings still face unlimited assessments.

 

Crist wants special legislative session for auto insurance, budget cuts

TALLAHASSEE — Legislators are likely to be called into their third special session of the year in September to revisit two insurance issues that didn’t get fixed this spring and make emergency repairs to the state budget, Gov. Charlie Crist said Wednesday.

 

Dania Beach to trim budget by $1.5 million to meet property tax rollback

DANIA BEACH City officials have discovered some bad financial news — they’ll have to cut property taxes 9 percent, after all.

 

Pinellas school projects’ costs criticized

The process for building and renovating Pinellas public schools has been flawed for years and may have raised costs to taxpayers, a new report says.

 

Tax cut could cost Dade schools millions

Potential tax cuts for Miami-Dade homeowners could mean cuts for schools, too — in teacher salaries, classroom renovations and special programs.

 

School growth hits wall
Hillsborough predicts a possible drop in enrollment.

TAMPA – Hillsborough schools could easily slide into declining enrollment this fall, an extraordinary swing after almost a quarter-century of growth.

 

Court limits schools considering race

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected integration plans in two major public school districts but left the door open for the limited use of race to achieve diversity in schools.

 

Reaction to High Court’s school ruling

Some reaction to the Supreme Court decision Thursday rejecting school integration plans in Louisville, Ky., and Seattle because they improperly considered students’ race in assigning them to schools.

 

Florida budget may be a billion short

Florida’s economy is sputtering so badly that Gov. Charlie Crist and the GOP-controlled Legislature may be forced to order cuts in the more than $71 billion state budget that lawmakers passed less than two months ago.

 

Lake Worth reaches out to county for police, fire services

Lake Worth may drop its police and fire departments — in favor of the Sheriff’s Office and county fire-rescue — as a way to save money.

 

Miramar is No. 6 on the Top 10 list for growth in the nation

MIRAMAR While Miramar for the third year in a row made the nation’s Top 10 list of fastest-growing cities, the pace is slowing, according to U.S. census estimates released today. Expect the slowdown to continue, experts say, because Miramar is closer to buildout and high housing costs are scaring prospective buyers.

 

Florida gets high, low marks for teacher quality

TALLAHASSEE — (AP) — Florida got a high mark of B for teacher evaluation and compensation Wednesday from a Washington, D.C.-based group that likes the state’s use of student test scores to assess teachers and its pioneering merit pay program.

 

Report: Indian gaming revenues were up in 2006, but growth slows

MIAMI — Indian gaming revenues increased 11 percent to about $25.5 billion in 2006, a sign that money is still flowing from gamblers’ pockets into tribal operations from California to Florida, according to a report released Thursday.

 

Governor OK’s tuition hike at 3 universities

High school students — and their parents — should prepare for steep tuition increases if they want to enroll at Florida’s most popular universities beginning in fall 2008.

 

Judge: Juvenile detention for boy, 10, convicted of beating homeless man

DAYTONA BEACH — A 10-year-old Daytona Beach boy convicted of beating a homeless man will be kept in a juvenile detention facility indefinitely, a judge ruled today.