Florida education bill sparks debate over funds for advanced placement programs
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida lawmakers battled it out on the House floor this week over a bill that could lead to significant funding cuts to education. The bill has parents, students, and advocates on edge about advanced placement programs possibly taking a hit.
Lawmakers focused on the state's budget this week, and in the budget bill, they are proposing a 50% cut in extra funding, also known as add on weights, for advance courses like AP and IB programs.
Advocates, however, oppose this move, saying Florida students could lose in the end.
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House Bill 5101 has faced push back from students, teachers, and Democrats at the statehouse. Their concerns center around education funding for advance placement programs.
'In Polk County, where I grew up, the school paid for our AP classes, and coming from a family of six that was on a salary of a teacher and my dad who worked at Publix, I don't know that we could have afforded those,' said House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (D-Tampa).
Driskell spoke in opposition of the 50% cut, saying lawmakers should pause and rethink future funding.
'Those courses allowed me to achieve my personal dream of attending Harvard University and placing out of some of those classes in my first year after coming from a public school in little humble Polk County,' Driskell said.
However, Republicans behind the efforts say the bill does not cut or defund these important programs. State Representative Jenna Persons-Mulicka (R-Fort Meyers) encourages students who care about this issue to continue to advocate for themselves in front of their local school boards.
'It's the school board that is deciding where those funds go and whether those funds are following you, the student, in funding these programs,' Persons-Mulicka said.
The bill sponsor added that data for the past few years isn't matching up with the actual cost of these classes and this bill would allow the money to follow the students.
Even with the pushback, and after over five hours of budget debate on Wednesday, the bill got the green light.
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