Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners–July 1

 

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EDITORIAL–A big thumbs down: Amendment 5 makes bad situation worse

This November, Florida voters will see nine constitutional amendments on the ballot, and this newspaper and countless organizations and citizens will be examining the pros and cons of each in the coming months.

Schools brace for more funding cuts

School districts across Florida already reeling from reductions in state funding of almost $815 million are being told to prepare for further cuts.

Energy, insurance, budget laws effective Tuesday

Power companies in Florida face limits on greenhouse gases and hurricane premiums charged by a state-backed insurer will be frozen for another year under dozens of new state laws going into effect Tuesday.

School impact fees adjust upward

County commissioners unanimously approved an automatic adjustment to school impact fees Monday.

Tough budget decisions lie ahead for local cities

When homeowners open their property tax bill in August, they might find comfort in seeing a reduction from last year’s bill. But the extra cash in their pockets is causing extra headaches for some city governments who must nip and tuck at their budgets with less money coming in.

New ethics law to impact schools

School districts around the state await instruction to carry out Florida’s Ethics in Education Act, officially in effect Tuesday, as some fear it may force them to fire good employees, impose a burdensome bureaucracy and lead to lawsuits.

6 states to design own plans for fixing schools

Six states are getting the OK to write their own prescriptions for ailing schools under the Bush administration’s signature education law.

EDITORIAL: Vote down shell game amendment

An impressive alliance has formed to oppose a tax-cutting amendment on the November ballot. We wish them well.

EDITORIAL:  Snake oil peddlers

The Taxation and Budget Reform Commission is created every 20 years to examine Florida’s fiscal structure. It has the authority to put constitutional amendments directly on the ballot, and this year the commission offered up several.

School funding measure bolsters proposed voucher amendment

Call it the zombie of education policy.

A national school funding fad widely derided as a gimmick has been revived to boost passage of a pro-voucher ballot measure.

EDITORIAL:  Stealth voucher plan doesn’t belong on ballot

In November, Floridians could vote on school vouchers without knowing that they’re voting on school vouchers. To avoid that kind of deceptive ballot manipulation, the Leon County Circuit Court should rule favorably on a request by education organizations and civil rights groups to strike proposed Amendments 7 and 9 from the fall ballot.

Housing slump doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll save money on property taxes

First the collapse of the housing market drove down the value of your home. Then Florida voters approved a tax break earlier this year.

Dade mayor’s budget would shrink property-tax cut

To minimize service cuts, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez’s budget plan would chip away at property-tax cuts — especially for people who live in cities.

Mayor Alvarez’s plan requires rejiggering the four tax rates that compose the county’s overall rate. He wants to cut three of those rates while raising the fourth just enough to keep the total flat.

District, teachers union spar on contract

The Miami-Dade school district and teachers union bargained in the first round of salary negotiations.

Miami-Dade teachers and school district officials inched toward ending a deadlock over salary raises that the cash-strapped district promised but has postponed.

Schools want 100% safety on bomb cleanup, but Army Corps says it can only guarantee top 12 inches

When the Army Corps of Engineers is through clearing up the grounds of a middle school built atop a World War II bombing range, it must say it is 100 percent safe — or face lawsuits.

FCAT National Comparison Test Cut

Beginning in 2009, Florida is dropping the portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test that measures how much children know about reading and math compared with students in other states.

 
Poll: Schools not properly preparing kids

It’s not much of a report card.

Half of Americans say U.S. schools are doing only a fair to poor job preparing kids for college and the work force. Even more feel that way about the skills kids need to survive as adults, an Associated Press poll released Friday finds.

Bar codes help schools turn page on textbook loss figures

Forgotten under a pile of clothes in the closet, damaged in the rain or just plain MIA, nearly $5 million worth of textbooks have been lost or destroyed, mostly by students, since 2002.

New idea for controversial Tract K: Solar panels to power schools

It’s hard to catch a sunbeam.

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