Duval School Board Chair says accelerated programs not ‘in jeopardy' despite proposed funding cuts
Under the proposed spending plans being pushed by the Florida House and Senate, bonus dollars awarded to districts when students pass accelerated programs would be slashed in half.
The proposal prompted Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier to send a letter to parents earlier in the legislative session, warning the loss of funds would force the district to cut courses, lose teachers, or even charge parents for exam fees and lab materials.
'I don't see a situation where those programs are in jeopardy,' Duval School Board Chair Charlotte Joyce (District 6) said.
RELATED: Why Florida lawmakers want to slash AP funding and why education groups say the math doesn't add up
Joyce told Action News Jax that after working with lawmakers, the district is now confident those impacts won't come to fruition.
She explained that the bonus funding districts previously received will instead go to the district's discretionary fund, so the district won't lose money overall.
'I can tell you that Dr. Bernier has said publicly he is committed to pulling that money back out and putting it back into those programs,' Joyce said.
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But with the Senate only proposing a $135 per-student increase and the House even lower at just $62, Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar argued districts will likely find it difficult to shift money back into accelerated programs, given overall cost increases due to inflation.
'The reality is if we divert those dollars back to those programs, we don't have that new money. It's not new money,' Spar said.
But Joyce told Action News Jax that districts are still working with lawmakers to ensure that districts aren't put in that position.
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'It depends on who you are and how you're interpreting those numbers. And so, again, at the end of the day, we just want to make sure that we're well funded in Duval County and we do what is absolute best for our children,' Joyce said.
Budget negotiations were still underway as of our interview with Joyce.
Lawmakers have until midnight to hammer out a final spending plan to avoid going into session overtime.
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