Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners–April 27
Apr 27, 2010
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Florida House and Senate budget compromise comes together in a rush
State lawmakers reached a deal on a new budget shortly before midnight Monday after bargaining over everything from workers’ pay and benefits to health care appropriations.
- Federal dollars in jeopardy
- Florida budget spares higher education
- THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA: Senate cuts library funding by $8 million in budget talks with House
- Lawmakers won’t make state employees contribute to pension, but reduce early-out benefits
- Crist Could Veto Whole State Budget
Florida schools face October deadline to shrink classes despite budget crunch
Electives, non-teaching jobs could be cut to meet targets for ‘core’ classes
Florida school districts soon will have to swallow what foes of the state’s class-size rules warned would be “bitter medicine”: By this fall, they must shrink all “core” classes to meet required sizes even as they continue to struggle with anemic budgets.
Blog: Race to the Top–Governor’s group meeting Wednesday to revise Florida’s application
The panel Gov. Charlie Crist pulled together to revise Florida’s controversial Race to the Top application meets Wednesday to try to hash out a plan more palatable to more in the education community.
School cuts may affect Florida’s student performance
Parents, teachers worry about impact on learning
Fifty-nine media assistants who do everything from helping students find books to performing puppet shows to make literacy come alive might not be in schools next year.
Crist Signs Private-School Voucher Expansion Into Law
With solid bipartisan support, Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday ushered in the most sweeping expansion of private-school vouchers in Florida history.
Prompted by multi-million-dollar payday, legislature appears ready to OK red-light cameras
Lawmakers are ready to give the green light to red-light cameras, setting out a uniform state code for the controversial ticket machines that could be a money maker for cities, counties and the state.
Arts, PE Teachers Asked to Take Half Pay in Broward
Principals at dozens of Broward County public schools have given librarians and teachers of art, music and physical education a choice: Take a pay cut of almost 50 percent, or take your chances waiting for a job to open up at another school.
Broward schools to lay off 461 non-classroom employees
Next Thursday, the board will discuss how many teachers will lose their jobs. Superintendent James Notter said he thinks it will be between 800 and 1,000.
Schools face shrinking sports budgets in Broward
AD’s expect their programs will have to focus on fundraising
While Broward County schools grapple with a budget shortfall, one thing has become clear. High school sports won’t be immune from feeling the pinch.
Manatee schools sell extra cable capacity
The school district will net almost $9 million over the next 30 years by selling spare capacity on its local broadcasting system.
Florida’s growth management agency in peril
Here’s a lesson for middle-school students who will be required to take civics classes under a proposed law headed to the governor: Look out for closed-door shenanigans.
A bill approved unanimously in the House on Monday would require state property appraisers to consider cancer clusters, like the one designated in the Acreage, when determining home value.
Voters to decide half-cent sales tax for Okaloosa County Schools
The Okaloosa County School Board put it into the hands of voters to decide whether to adopt an additional half-cent sales tax, which would go toward maintaining schools.
Florida government agencies save money with in-house health clinics
Now, a growing list of local government agencies including Sarasota County, the city of Sarasota and the Manatee County School District are considering opening clinics as they struggle with health care costs that have risen at double-digit rates in recent years.
School prayer bill advances in Florida Senate
With blistering criticism for civil libertarians and some harsh words about an “overreaching” religious climate in Northwest Florida schools, a Senate panel on Tuesday approved a watered-down school-prayer bill.
Could changes to Bright Futures scholarships hurt college hopes of many?
It used to be you couldn’t even whisper about messing with the rules that shape Florida’s generous Bright Futures merit scholarships for fear of setting off students and parents in love with the idea of free and fairly easy college money.
Florida Senate OKs children’s services election bill
The Florida Senate agreed Thursday at the behest of Sen. Joe Negron to require periodic reauthorization ballot questions for children’s services councils with special taxing districts.
Hillsborough school district seeking accreditation
The Hillsborough County public school district is poised to become one of the largest districts in the nation accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
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