Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners–August 12
Aug 12, 2008
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Amendment 5 tax swap a math problem
Assuming a judge doesn’t knock it off the Nov. 4 ballot this week, a $9.3 billion to $11 billion tax-swap proposal for schools would force the Legislature to make some tough decisions.
Amendment 5, the major constitutional ”tax swap” on the November ballot that would replace school property taxes with other revenues, poses one of the biggest math problems the Florida Legislature will ever have to solve.
Opponents call Amendment 5 ‘grossly misleading’
A broad coalition fighting Amendment 5 argued in court papers that the proposal should be removed from the ballot because the summary is “grossly misleading” and does not fully describe all the changes that would occur.
EDITORIAL: Evasion on Amendment 5
Crist ought to say how lost school funding should be replaced
Interest groups – ranging from the Florida Education Association to the Florida Association of Realtors — are lining up to oppose or support Amendment 5.
COLUMN: So many reasons why you should oppose Amendment 5
Want a good reason to vote against the latest tax scheme to come out of Tallahassee?
COLUMN: The latest tax idea–Leap first, look later
We’ve been hearing a lot lately, and will hear a lot more, about Amendment 5 on the Nov. 4 ballot. It’s a big change in the way Florida is taxed that will affect a lot of us, one way or the other.
EDITORIAL: The plan for Amendment 5 is no plan
Polls show that about 40 percent of Floridians favor Amendment 5, the proposed constitutional measure on the November ballot that would eliminate most school property taxes.
EDITORIAL: Tax- Swap Treachery
Gov. Charlie Crist surprised few last week in announcing his support for Amendment 5, the proposed constitutional measure that would eliminate most school property taxes in Florida. What is surprising is the governor is so blinded by ideology that he will not acknowledge the ever-growing evidence that it would cause long-term economic and educational harm to our state.
Few homeowners in South Florida taking advantage of portable tax savings
For South Florida’s sluggish housing market, one word became shorthand for the magic elixir to get buyers and sellers on the move again: portability.
EDITORIAL: State income grim, but deeper service cuts unwise
Florida’s budget picture has worsened every quarter of this year. Friday — less than seven weeks into the state’s fiscal year — state economists are expected to announce a pending deficit in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Broward Schools face cutbacks as new year gets closer
Support staff is cut; magnet bus routes are consolidated
Kids who spent much of their summer watching their parents save money will step into Broward County classrooms on the first day of school and feel the squeeze of district’s penny-pinching.
Miami-Dade, Broward schools dealing with deep cuts
Students returning to school next week will notice differences from the classroom to the athletic field to the cafeteria. Blame budget cuts.
When South Florida’s 600,000 public school students return to class in eight days, it won’t be the same — thanks to an array of changes forged by a bleak budget season and a summer of tough choices.
Moms fighting for funds in education
Two mothers form 50th No More to raise Florida’s ranking in educational spending
Florida is dead last among states nationwide in education spending in relation to income. Two mothers in St. Johns County hope to inspire Floridians and lawmakers to change that.
Florida’s teachers union wants top court to hear appeal on voucher votes
Florida’s teachers union has filed an appeal in its legal fight to have two school voucher-related constitutional amendments thrown off the Nov. 4 ballot.
Broward County School Board District 1 has newcomers seeking seat
Two longtime Broward School District employees and a civil engineer for Miami Beach are jockeying to replace Eleanor Sobel on the Broward County School Board.
Teachers swamp district, board with e-mails requesting raises
The Broward Teachers Union launched an e-mail and fax assault on the Broward County School District and School Board on Monday, bombarding officials with thousands of messages urging the district to find money to give teachers raises this year.
New Miami-Dade schools await thousands of students
Thousands will go to new eco-friendly buildings with wireless web and digital blackboards
When the new school year starts Aug. 18, first-day jitters will take on a whole new meaning in Miami-Dade County.
EDITORIAL: ACLU school lawsuit aimed at wrong target
The American Civil Liberties Union sued the Palm Beach County School District to make the district do something that the district already wanted to do. “I made it clear from day one,” Superintendent Art Johnson said this week, “that I support their goal of higher graduation. I support their goal of unification of graduation requirements. But they’re suing the wrong party.”
Anna Cowin takes personnel dispute with School Board to state
The School Board refused to approve Superintendent Anna Cowin’s pick for a new assistant principal at Eustis High, so she’s asking the state to intervene.
If approved, $65M would go toward 4-percent pay raise for faculty and staff
The Florida Board of Governors approved a $3.7 billion budget request Thursday, a $350 million increase over current-year spending.
Gloria Estefan will sing for school funding
Singer Gloria Estefan will perform an Oct. 24 concert at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to promote education groups.
Our state is still in the dark when it comes to school funding, according to Gloria Estefan, who Monday announced her first South Florida concert in four years — a partial fundraiser for education groups from Miami-Dade to Indian River counties.
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