Duval County Public Schools recently claimed Florida’s newly expanded scholarship program will leave a $17 million hole in their budget.

“In a year like this year where they only partially fund the vouchers then that money has to be made up and its made up from our budget,” a representative from the district told First Coast News.

But the state did fully fund the scholarships and it appears the $17 million gap claimed by the district comes from a honest misunderstanding of both the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) and a new law intended to address this very concern.

Florida law requires the scholarships to be paid for by state and not local tax dollars.

HB 5101, which passed in June and took effect July 1, created a new education funding category called the “state-funded discretionary supplement” to ensure school districts would not be financially burdened by state-funded education choice scholarship programs.

This new funding category can be found in column 6 on page 34 of the latest FEFP breakdown published by the Department of Education. For Duval County Public Schools, that amount is $16.8 million being paid to the scholarship program by the state. It is not funding the district will have to pay for itself.

For Duval County, the state estimated there would be $124.4 million in FES scholarships paid for by state dollars. This total amount includes the new $16.8 million supplemental funding category.

In addition to creating a new funding category to prevent potential holes in district budgets, Florida lawmakers also set aside a $350 million “education enrollment stabilization program” that the Florida Department of Education can use to ensure districts’ now-established budgets would be protected if scholarship programs grow faster than the expected 117,000 student growth.

Charter schools typically don’t have transportation services, and they can’t gerrymander enrollment zones that zigzag through the county to diversify the student body. So what’s a charter school to do if it wants to enroll more minority students?

What about building a school right where minority students live?

In Duval County, that would violate Brown v Board of Education by creating “a separate but equal school,” according to Duval County Public Schools superintendent Diana L. Greene.

This was one of several excuses Greene used to deny a recent charter school application.

Of course, building a school where minority children live doesn’t actually violate Brown. If it did, Duval County Public Schools would be in violation too.

The charter school group in question operates two schools: Seaside Charter Beaches and Seaside Charter San Jose. The schools are mostly white, even when compared to nearby public elementary schools.

Seaside Charter Beaches, for example, is 80 percent white, which is more than nearby public elementary schools Mayport (51 percent), Joseph Finnegan (54 percent) and Atlantic Beach (70 percent).

But now Seaside wants to open a third campus where neighboring public schools are Pine Estates (76 percent black), Garden City (77 percent), Biscayne Elementary (84 percent) and Highlands Elementary (75 percent).

These aren’t even the most racially segregated schools in Duval County. Carter G. Woodson Elementary is 95 percent black. Brentwood Elementary and Sallye B. Mathis Elementary are 94 percent black. Four elementary schools -- Lake Forest, Richard L. Brown, Rufus E. Payne, and S.A. Hull -- are 92 percent black. Susie E. Tolbert Elementary is 91 percent black.

Meanwhile, the district operates several public elementary schools that are just about as white as Seaside’s schools: Atlantic Beach and Thomas Jefferson, both 70 percent white; Hendricks, 71 percent; Whitehouse, 76 percent; and San Pablo, 79 percent.

Superintendent Greene believes operating a mostly white school while creating another school in a minority area creates racial segregation and violates Brown v. Board. But if that’s the case, one must wonder what she and Duval County Public Schools have been doing all this time.

JACKSONVILLE – The rock seemed to come out of nowhere, startling the boys walking home from school in the calm of an October afternoon. It hurtled inches from Michael Palmertree’s shoulder, hitting his friend, who fell unconscious with a wound to his head.

Michael checked to make sure his younger brother, Johnathan, was unharmed. Then he reached for the cell phone his mom had given him for emergencies and called 911.

It didn’t occur to Michael as an ambulance arrived that the rock had been intended for him or Johnathan, but his mother knew better. Tammy Alam had been worried since the start of the 2016 school year that they had been targeted by bullies. That’s when she enrolled her boys at their district school after relocating the family from Maine.

At first, she told herself it was because they were new to the school. She encouraged them to ignore the taunts and name-calling. But as the bullying escalated – tripping and shoving in the hallways, ripped backpacks – Tammy became convinced the abuse against 11-year-old Michael, who is part white and part African-American, and 7-year-old Johnathan, who is part white and part Asian, was racially motivated.

On the afternoon of the rock throwing, Tammy realized further discussion with school personnel was useless. She considered homeschooling, but as a single mom working full time, she worried she wouldn’t have enough time. Then she remembered the school three miles from the family’s apartment, which she drove past every day. (more…)

Charter schools. A high-tech charter middle school grows into a new location. Sun-Sentinel. A national group looks to Florida to test a new charter school screening database. Gradebook. A Collier charter school will remain without transportation this year. Naples Daily News.

Internships. Bank of America offers summer jobs in Jacksonville. Florida Times-Union.

Spanish. Miami-Dade public schools look to boost Spanish instruction. Miami Herald.

Teacher pay. Collier district officials remain at odds with teachers over raises. Naples Daily News. (more…)

Middle schools. Choice options - including charter schools that compete with the district's offerings - come into play as Duval officials rethink their approach to middle school. Florida Times-Union. Hernando County plans to start a new academy for middle-school students who are falling behind. Tampa Bay Times. A military academy aimed at middle school students is close to its enrollment goal. Ocala Star-Banner.

Magnet schools. A science academy teachers youngsters about marine life during trips down the St. Johns River. Florida Times-Union. Graduation marks the end of a difficult year for a Palm Beach County magnet program. Palm Beach Post. A Palm Beach high school is offering space for students who could not find space in the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, the Post reports.

Charter schools. A charter school for students with autism leaves the school district behind and hopes to join forces with a nearby private school. Gradebook.

Alternative schools. The Orange and Seminole County school districts both plan to create new options for students who fall behind in high school. Orlando Sentinel.

Unions. The Florida Education Association endorses Charlie Crist for governor. Sunshine State News. The Pasco teachers union negotiates planning time with the school district. Tampa Bay Times. The Brevard teachers union stakes out positions on a range of statewide issues but has yet to take a position on a local school tax. Florida Today.

Funding. Some advocates are calling for a revamp of the formula used to distribute education funding to school districts. WTSP. School districts worry funding increases might not keep pace with spending demands. Tampa Tribune.

(more…)

Charter schools. A new study shows they receive about $2,130 less in funding per student than district-run schools. StateImpact. Next week is National Charter Schools Week. Extra Credit.

Tax credit scholarships. Advocacy groups are mobilizing against legislation expected to come up for discussion today in the Senate. Sentinel School Zone.

School grades. An A-F revamp passes the House on the 15th anniversary of Jeb Bush's original A-Plus Plan. Associated Press. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Current. Times/Herald. Pinellas schools receive school recognition bonuses. Tampa Bay Times.

Private schools. A Christian school in Clearwater plans to expand to accommodate growing enrollment. Tampa Bay Times.

School safety. Lawmakers increase penalties for sex offenses committed by school workers. Tampa Tribune. Gradebook.

Funding. Palm Beach County school district officials oppose the Legislature's latest education budget. Palm Beach Post.

Weather. Schools close in Northwest Florida amid widespread flooding. Panama  City News Herald. Pensacola News-Journal.

Accreditation. Duval schools retian their seal of approval for another five years. Florida Times-Union.

Labor. Pasco school district officials prepare for contract negotiations with their employees. Gradebook. It should not have taken years to remove a teacher from the classroom, the Tampa Bay Times editorializes.

 

Open enrollment. Parents debate Duval County's open enrollment proposal at community meetings in Jacksonville. Florida Times-Union.

Charter Schools. A Senate panel scales back legislation aimed at easing their expansion. News Service of Florida. Gradebook. State Sen. Dwight Bullard pans charters on MSNBC's Ed Show.

Magnet schools. Demand for new Pinellas County programs is high. Tampa Tribune.

Cultural exchange. Students at a Hernando County K-8 science academy embark on a cultural exchange with Chinese middle schoolers. Tampa Bay Times.

Funding. Sarasota voters overwhelmingly back the renewal of a tax to fund schools. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Testing. The switch to computerized grading of student essays could eventually eliminate the need for statewide, standardized writing tests. StateImpact.

Class Size. Lake County avoids state fines for violating the caps. Orlando Sentinel. A Sentinel columnist pans the move. Florida Tax Watch calls for an overhaul of class-size rules. Gradebook.

Unions. Pasco County school employees file a complaint with their school district. Tampa Bay Times.

Special Needs. Hillsborough County looks for ways to accommodate special needs students on their bus rides. Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Tribune.

Charter schools. Legislation is on the move. Palm Beach Post. Florida Current.

Tax-credit scholarships. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nan Rich opposes the program, while primary favorite Charlie Crist does not take a firm stance on legislation that would expand it. Sunshine State News. Politico mentions Florida's program in a broadside about public money going to religious schools. Responses from Eduwonk and the National Review.

Open enrollment. The move could give Duval schools officials more breathing room under state class-size rules. Florida Times-Union.

School grades. An overhaul heads to the House floor. News Service of Florida. Gradebook.

Testing. New end-of-course exam requirements prompt Orange County schools officials to cut electives. Orlando Sentinel. Common Core opponents' claims rate Half True. PolitiFact.

Parent involvement. Members of Pinellas County's "parent leadership cadre" are happy with their district. Gradebook.

Labor news. Pinellas County Schools prepares to cut teacher positions. Gradebook. Walton County teachers resume pay negotiations. Northwest Florida Daily News.

Student activities. It's hard work becoming a spelling bee champion. Florida Today. Tallahassee's Chiles High School wins its second-straight Brain Bowl title. Tallahassee Democrat.

Tax-credit scholarships. Some fear Step Up For Students could become a "taxpayer-financed monopoly" as the cap on tax-credit contributions increases, bringing in more money under the 3 percent administrative allowance used to run the program. Palm Beach Post.  Jason Bedrick of CATO responds to a Miami Herald editorial that opposed legislation expanding the program. The legislation has prompted a back-and-forth between state Rep. Ritch Workman and his local school board. Florida Today.The Heartland Institute writes up the bill, while Watchdog.org looks at the testing question. (Step Up administers the program and co-hosts this blog.)

Open enrollment. Duval Superintendent Nikolai Vitti's plan to have district-wide open enrollment would create more choices, but the most revered schools are already over-booked. Florida Times Union.

Charter schools. A collaboration between a charter school and a private college blurs lines between K-12 and higher education, and raises questions among Miami-Dade school district officials, the Miami Herald reports. Orange County school district officials want to take one charter school's application appeal before a judge, but construction has already begun. Orlando Sentinel. Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, questions state funding intended to help SEED open one of its boarding schools in Miami-Dade. WFSU.

Common Core. A new Achieve survey probes public opinion on the standards. Sentinel School Zone flags one major finding: Most people still say they know little about them. The standards have become an issue in a Republican congressional primary involving state Senate Majority Leader Lizbeth Benacquisto, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

School choice. A raft of legislation, from charter schools to education savings accounts, is proving controversial this legislative session. Miami Herald.

Career Academies. Senate President Don Gaetz touts efforts to expand them in an Orlando Sentinel op-ed.

Turnaround schools. Efforts get a mixed reception among Pinellas County parents. Tampa Bay Times.

Virtual schools. Florida Virtual School puts on a demonstration at the Capitol. WCTV.

Teacher evals. Answer Sheet picks up a post from a Hillsborough media specialist who takes aim at VAM.

Rick Scott. The governor the Republican-led Legislature has continued to "gut" public education by promoting charter schools and vouchers, says South Florida Sun Sentinel columnist Stephen Goldstein.

Student discipline. Santa Rosa County Schools plan to eliminate corporal punishment. Northwest Florida Daily News.

Substitute teachers. New laws and tight budgets are prompting some school districts to change how they manage a crucial part of their workforce, and in some cases outsourcing it. Tampa Bay Times.

Special needs. Hillsborough officials prepare to settle a case in the wake of a child's death. Times.

After an unexpected funding shortfall, Florida Catholic schools want state education leaders to review how one of the state’s biggest school districts distributed federal dollars earmarked for needy children in public and private schools.

The request was made last week after Catholic schools in northeast Florida learned the Title I funds they rely on to provide services to low-income students throughout the school year will be gone by month’s end. The 125,000-student Duval County School District, the sixth-largest in Florida, is responsible for passing a portion of the funds on to private schools.

“We were pretty much caught off-guard,’’ Patricia Bronsard, schools superintendent for the Diocese of St. Augustine, which includes Duval, told redefinED Monday. “We serve a pretty diverse population … the very population that can’t afford to have this disruption.”

Now the diocese schools and other private schools – about 30 to 40 in all – are scrambling to shore up those services so children who count on additional tutoring and other programs won’t have to go without, Bronsard said.

Duval Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told the Florida Times-Union his district has done nothing wrong. He pointed to a change in how the funds were spent in district schools as the reason for the shortfall. He estimated the lost funds total about $580,000.

Vitti could not be reached Monday for comment.

Duval County School Board member Jason Fischer said he thought the timing of the notice was unfortunate, but he’s not sure who’s at fault and awaits an internal review.

“I do think we all have the obligation to work together,’’ he said of public and private schools. “I don’t know where the responsibility lies (for the late notice). Everybody should know at the beginning of the year what the expectations are.’’ (more…)