It seems the key players agree this should be the year Florida finds a way to fund charter schools facilities fairly.
But there are big questions about how, exactly, state lawmakers will make that happen.
A key state senator unveiled a proposal that would allow school districts to boost property taxes, and steer a portion of that money to charter schools.
The catch: That approach was contained in two bills. Only one, which would steer money to charters, made it out of its first committee hearing this past week. The other, which would increase districts’ taxing authority, was held back amid concerns it would be tantamount to a tax increase, anathema to many conservatives in the Republican-dominated Legislature.
In the House, Speaker Richard Corcoran said any tax increase would be a non-starter. That could doom the Senate’s approach. School districts say they can’t afford to share property tax revenue with charter schools unless they get the extra taxing authority.
But Corcoran also said he supports the goal of improving charter school facilities funding. He told reporters it’s high time to “bring finality to that debate” and “recognize they’re all public schools.” He declared his intent to do so more than a year ago.
How the House plans to do that is not yet clear.
One possible solution emerged in an unlikely place: Gambling legislation. The House’s gaming bill would extract a guaranteed $3 billion in revenue over seven years from the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s casinos. It would earmark a third of that money, or an average of roughly $142 million a year, for “schools that serve students from persistently failing schools.”
What does that mean?
Rep. Mike La Rosa, R-St. Cloud and gaming point man in the House, said it could mean help for charter schools, but the current proposal leaves wiggle room as lawmakers hash out other details.
“This is something that is being worked on, which is why there is a vagueness in our bill,” he said during a committee hearing. “To confirm 100 percent that it’s charter schools, I don’t know … that is exactly where it’s going to land. There’s a good chance it does.”
La Rosa is from Osceola County, home to a fast-growing Hispanic community that has quickly embraced charter schools.
If $142 million in Seminole gaming revenue were earmarked for charter school facilities, it would nearly double their existing funding of $75 million.
The remaining two-thirds of the money would go to other Senate education priorities, like higher education and teacher recruitment. In other words, some key education issues may be tied to the gambling debate.
The good news for charter school advocates? This debate is starting to unfold before the legislative session even begins. There’s time to work out the details.
Special needs scholarships
Here’s an area where the House and Senate seem to be on the same page: Scholarship funding for special needs students.
A House proposal filed this week would match a Senate plan to triple funding for the Gardiner Scholarship program for children with special needs.
The House legislation would also boost per-pupil funding for the state’s tax credit scholarships.
Step Up For Students, my employer and the publisher of this blog, helps administer both school choice programs.
KIPP funding approved
The House now requires every local project in the state budget to be filed as a standalone bill.
This week, the chamber advanced a batch of education spending items, including funding for KIPP Jacksonville.
A debate ensued in the House Education Appropriations Subcommittee, unlike any that has occurred on the additional funds for KIPP, which were included in previous state budgets. Charter schools are public schools. Are they funded equitably? What does the extra funding pay for? Why can’t similar schools open in other communities? Do local school boards treat them fairly?
Jason Fischer, a first-term Republican from Jacksonville and former Duval County School Board member, said too often, the answer to that last question is no.
“I hope and pray for a day where our local school districts and school board members see themselves as portfolio managers of education opportunities for kids, and not protectionists of a system that they mistakenly believe they’re here to serve, that’s only about adults and not about children,” he said.
KIPP generally receives the same operating funds as any other Florida public school. The $1.2 million in additional state funding pays for its longer-than-usual instructional time, which is intended to help disadvantaged students catch up academically. Despite the lengthy debate, it received unanimous backing from the committee.
Legislation already filed in the Senate — and likely to surface in the House — is aimed at bringing KIPP-like “high-impact” charters to more Florida communities.
Coming up
Legislators are back home next week, in a brief respite before the 60-day session begins March 7.
