Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Most Recent

No More COVID Money, Florida School Funding Blame Game Begins

From 2020 and 2021, the state of Florida received billions in COVID-19 relief funding to dole out to school districts to help with students’ education during the pandemic.

Now the dollars have run out, local school districts are complaining they will have to cut spending and lay off workers and looking to blame Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

DUVAL COUNTY SCHOOLS

Last week, the interim school superintendent announced the district “has struggled to grapple with the loss of COVID-19-related relief funds,” and in part, it may mean hundreds of layoffs of district employees.

One of the local union groups, the Duval Teachers United, blamed state legislators for not spending enough on education.

Yet the district received over $300 million in COVID funds, raised the sales tax in 2020 and the local property tax in 2022, and increased their spending by 26%, around $500 million for their 2022-2023 budget.

VOLUSIA COUNTY SCHOOLS

Volusia said it received nearly $200 million in funding but will now have to “reorganize priorities” as COVID-19 funds run dry, and cuts will have to be made.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOLS

Orange County received over $850 million from COVID-19 relief. The school district says it may be approaching a “funding cliff.”

Money from the COVID-19 funds went to intervention programs, mental health counselors, staff bonuses, and social workers programs to help students recover from the “learning loss.”  School districts around Florida argue if the state or local taxpayers don’t fill in the gap (money) from the loss of COVID-19 dollars, it will hurt the quality of education for students.

However, the dollar amount awarded to these districts didn’t improve the scorecards of students recovering from the pandemic.

According to data from a report titled ‘The Nations Report Card”, reading and math achievement is worsening.

Education Week, a news organization, released a survey showing 48% of school district leaders expect the states to cover the cost of the new programs when COVID money runs out. 37% expect to use local taxes to cover the difference.

Republicans have criticized school districts for spending too much on programs unrelated to increasing scores among students falling behind.

“These districts that took the COVID money to start “new programs” that weren’t needed were warned the money wouldn’t be there when it ran out. And now they are looking at the taxpayer to flip the bill once again,” said a former Talk Radio commentator and Florida State Rep. Matt Caldwell.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

With the end of the 2023-2024 school year looming, Caldwell expects school districts will attempt to deflect criticism regarding their uncontrolled spending by complaining that Gov. DeSantis isn’t spending enough on education.

Author

Share Story Via Text, E-Mail, Facebook or Twitter

Follow Us on Social Media

Related Stories

Education

Parents deciding to homeschool their children has become more popular over the last few years. A new report from the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education...

Education

Florida State University (FSU) researchers at the school’s Coastal and Marine Laboratory and College of Communication and Information are working to restore Wakulla Springs‘...

Education

By Rachel Cook, University of Florida News Florida schools opened this fall with an estimated 5,000 unfilled teaching positions – proof that training new teachers is...

Florida Politics

As communities across Florida’s Gulf Coast recover from Hurricane Helene, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Rick Scott are meeting with...

Education

Florida State University’s football team is off to a disappointing start to the 2024 season, but students, faculty and alumni can celebrate national rankings...

Florida News

With pools, lakes, rivers and coastline near every household, the risk of drowning is prevalent across the Sunshine State, and a leading cause of...

Economy

At a recent roundtable on condo costs, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis heard pleas from condo owners on large assessments they are facing due to...

Miami

It’s not a red-light camera; instead, it’s a camera on school buses that are nailing speedsters during commuting school hours. The big problem is...