Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners–August 5

Above:  Broward County Schools Superintendent Jim Notter. From the August 3 Miami Herald:  ”He’s wonderful”

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Gov. Charlie Crist backs Amendment 5 tax swap plan, which critics call tax increase

Property taxes would drop, but critics ask: At what cost?

Gov. Charlie Crist entered the fray Monday over a plan to eliminate school property taxes in exchange for a higher sales tax, endorsing the tax swap and hinting he might barnstorm the state in support of it if he’s not chosen as Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s running mate.

2 South Florida meetings set to push state budget ideas

Urging the Legislature to avoid another year of deep budget cutting, a group of social service and taxpayer organizations is hosting a series of town hall meetings — including two in South Florida — to gather support for revenue-raising options like video lottery.

Calling itself ‘Florida’s People, Florida’s Promise,’ the coalition that includes AARP and Florida TaxWatch is staging town hall meetings in on Sept. 20 and in south Broward or north Miami-Dade on Oct. 11.

Officials uncertain of Amendment 5’s future impact

Three months from now, Florida voters will be asked to give themselves a property-tax break that could cut their bills by at least one-fourth.

Rival claims of tax-swap backers and foes baffle Florida home builders group

Home builders demanded answers Saturday to questions about a proposed constitutional tax amendment that voters will decide on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Donations pour in to agenda pushers

The daughter of Wal-Mart’s founder wrote a check for $836,000 in May to a group working to pass two questions on the November ballot to expand school vouchers in Florida.

Property-tax plan fails in Deltona

To the relief of landowners, some of whom had driven for hours or flown in from out of town, the Deltona City Commission killed a tax plan that would have slapped about 200 property owners with a total of $83 million in taxes over 30 years.

Judge Rejects Challenges To Voucher Amendments

Two proposed state constitutional amendments that could expand school vouchers will stay on the Nov. 4 ballot, a judge ruled Monday.

‘Big’ budget deficit ahead for Florida

Florida’s sagging economy will push state government back into the red this month and force Gov. Charlie Crist to either further cut spending or tap deeper into the state’s reserves.

’65 percent solution’ school plan comes to Florida

Conservatives and libertarians nationwide tout the “65 percent solution” as a way to increase classroom spending without raising taxes.

Proposal ties school vouchers to more popular issue

A proposed state constitutional amendment offers what sounds like a simple and painless remedy for improving public education in Florida — require every school district to spend at least 65 percent of its money on classroom instruction.

State’s schools juggle budgets

Manatee schools are feeling the pinch of the statewide sales tax revenue shortfall.

As cuts keep rolling in, school districts across the state are forced to trim at least $10 million from their operating budgets – and deal with rising fuel prices.

EDITORIAL:  School Funding–More inequities

It’s a tradition that needs to be changed, this unfair treatment of the Duval County public schools.

The multimillion-dollar issue, as this page has explained, involves the nearly $100 million payment made by the city’s municipal electric and water utility, JEA, to the city of Jacksonville.

Broward schools chief finds harmony with board

Broward County schools face problems similar to those in Miami-Dade, but unlike Rudy Crew, the district’s superintendent is beloved by the school board members.

Financial and performance woes are not unique to Miami-Dade County Schools.

 
717 school district jobs spared; ballot idea out for now

The Miami-Dade School Board on Monday rejected the idea of allowing voters to elect future superintendents — for now.

The Miami-Dade School Board late Monday night spared 717 wide-ranging district jobs — from teachers to maintenance workers — all slated to be cut in a proposal offered by Superintendent Rudy Crew.

Dade schools superintendent hangs on by one vote

Schools Superintendent Rudy Crew barely survived a vote by the Miami-Dade School Board to fire him.

Miami-Dade Superintendent Rudy Crew kept his job by the narrowest of votes Monday night, surviving an ouster attempt he called a ”high-tech lynching.”

Candidate files complaint against Karp

A candidate for the School Board seat in District 3 is complaining to the Florida Elections Commission that incumbent Martin Karp misused his office to help in his reelection bid.

A complaint has been filed with the Florida Elections Commission against Miami-Dade School Board Member Martin Karp, alleging he misused his office to help his reelection effort and falsely accused his opponent of not living in the district.

Manatee school board imposes teacher pay cut

The Manatee County school board on Monday unanimously voted on a contract that will cut teachers salaries by 1 percent – or the equivalent of two paid training days.

Board tells Crist it wants Cowin out

Lake County School Board members can’t wait three months for Superintendent Anna Cowin’s term to expire. They want the controversial leader gone now — and will ask the governor to remove her from office.

School districts opt for fewer buses and longer routes

In Manatee County, school bus rides will be longer and more crowded this year. Some Brevard County students will have to pay to ride the bus. And high school students in Ventura, Calif., are being forced to find their own way to school.

School districts hiring fewer new teachers

A massive teacher shortage loomed in Florida around the time Daniel Torres began college, so the Miami-Dade native figured he would easily land a teaching post once he earned his education degree.

Schools seek $65.4 million to keep professors in Fla.

Florida’s universities are asking for $65.4 million to stem the “brain drain” of professors and staff leaving for better-paying jobs in states not suffering the same cuts to higher education budgets.

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