18-04-2025
Florida's public schools need better options than state budget cuts
The Palm Beach County School District is the nation's 10th largest school district and one of Florida's best. Unfortunately, the quality county parents have come to expect from their public schools could be in jeopardy, thanks to proposed budget cuts pending before the Florida Legislature that will cost our schools up to $47 million.
State lawmakers are proposing cuts to popular college and career coursework like Advance Placement and industry certification programs. Although their budget proposals contain a record appropriation for K-12 education, the bulk of the $800 million in new money is going to pay for "school-choice" programs. State funding follows the student. So, the fewer students attending public schools, the less money Florida's 67 school districts have to work with.
Lawmakers will insist that they aren't trying to dumb down public education. State budget projections beginning in the summer of 2026 call for a revenue shortfall of almost $7 billion. The cuts have to come from somewhere, but it shouldn't be borne by the almost 3 million students currently attending Florida's public schools. Instead of talking cuts, the legislature should find ways to fully fund public education — even if it means raising new revenue to do it.
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Finding other options to spending cuts to public schools may amount to political heresy for the crowd at the state capitol. But, it's a better alternative to losing viable educational programs in order to balance the state budget. A robust public education is an investment in Florida's future that is a wise one. Unfortunately, state lawmakers seem poised to continue to pursue spending cuts that will ultimately undermine the education of our children.
Up until now, Florida's budgetary outlook was, well, rosy. Once buoyed by billions in federal funding to avert the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-dominated legislature spent lavishly on partisan priorities and political pablum (like small tax breaks) with relative ease. Universal school vouchers was one of those priorities. But it's now a $3.9 billion program that has expanded eligibility to allow more parents to use more public school funding to pay for private schools and offset homeschooling expenses.
As the federal funding wound down, the belt-tightening concerns started to grow. Last month, the Florida Revenue Estimating Conference updated its general revenue projections and cited 'weaker' state and national economic variables. The revised forecast, Amy Baker, coordinator of the Legislature's Office of Economic & Demographic Research, said comes with 'a strong caveat' that the 'greatest risks going forward are all to the downside.'
The Trump administration's trade policies and disruption of government services haven't helped either. Fewer federal dollars mean fewer resources and limited access to key programs. It takes money to provide updated textbooks and technology, not to mention the educators and support staff to run key programs, whether its career and technical education, college preparatory courses, special education or extracurricular activities. The bottom line? Deep cuts to schools ultimately undermines student achievement and narrows their opportunities as young adults.
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So now, Florida's school districts must grapple with potential cuts to AP courses, International Baccalaureate, dual enrollment, and Advanced International Certificate of Education diplomas that allow students to get college credit and compete for scholarships while in high school. It also will become harder to administer industry certifications that many believe are fast tracks to technical career opportunities and a viable alternative to a four-year college degree.
For a state that typically punches well below its weight in educational spending, this new round of budget cutting means more hitting below the belt. Public schools shouldn't be rushed to the chopping block when the economy sours, but that's been the state's go-to. State lawmakers face a challenge. Simply penny pitching isn't the solution.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FL lawmakers shouldn't take money from public schools | Editorial
