As the new school year begins, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis directed the Division of Unclaimed Property to work with Florida’s schools and school districts to reunite unclaimed property held for public and private K-12 schools, school boards, and districts in the state. This new “Back to School” unclaimed property initiative includes more than 4,600 unclaimed property accounts for schools and school entities.
“As the new school year approaches, the more than $1 million found in unclaimed property for schools, school boards and districts in our state is money that could make a difference in our kids’ lives,” Patronis said. “We will get to work immediately and work diligently with our schools to ensure return every cent is returned so that our children can benefit.”
Account values vary, with one valuing more than $135,000.
Since CFO Patronis took office in July 2017, he has returned $361 million in unclaimed property, breaking the previously held record set in the program’s 57-year history by more than $8 million ($313,411,800 during Fiscal Year 16/17). Approximately 697,000 claims have been paid since July 1, 2017.