MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - Florida Gov. Rick Scott vetoed portions of the state budget on Friday after calling for a special legislative session set for next week.
Scott has agreed to sign the state budget bill for the 2017-18 fiscal year, next week, if lawmakers pump hundreds of millions of dollars into public schools.
The governor said there are three major items on his agenda. The first is to “increase the K through 12 funding.”
“The goal is to increase it. I’m going to ask for $100 per student,” he said during a news conference at the Miami International Airport.
This would amount to an additional $215 million for those in K-12 programs.
School superintendents in Miami-Dade and Broward approved of the increase in education funding. “We are very thankful to Governor Scott,” said Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. “People across the State of Florida finally listened. We’ve gone from a starvation-level budget to a significantly improved budget.”
“This will have some modest impact and alleviate some of the cost increases that we’re gonna have as a district,” said Broward Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie.
Not everyone is on board with Scott’s budget. Florida Democratic Party spokesperson Johanna Cervone issued a statement, saying in part: “Not only does this budget deal funnel millions to private for-profit charter schools, remove oversight from local school boards and short-change Florida’s children — it was negotiated in secret.”
Despite the increase in budget, many educators are weary about a particular House bill. “We still have significant concerns about House Bill 7069 and some of the provisions in it that could be quite disastrous,” said Carvalho.
“There are a number of provisions in that bill which we believe and we know from our analysis are detrimental to public education,” said Runcie. “It disrespects the work that’s being done in our classrooms.”
Last month, members of the Broward Teachers Union and United Teachers of Dade said the bill cuts money for education and closes some schools this summer in order to make room for private charter schools.
Scott said this is something currently in review. “I’m gonna focus on what I believe is good for every student in the state,” he said.
Scott’s second focus is asking for $85 million to establish the Florida Job Growth Fund. “The whole focus will be, ‘How do we get more jobs in the state?'” said Scott.
The third focus Scott announced Friday was a $76 million increase in funding for Visit Florida. “The most important thing I can say about all of this is, Florida families are going to be in a good position,” Scott said. “Our children are going to be in a good position. The future of this state is going to continue to prosper.”
Florida leaders said budget negotiations have been ongoing, but a decision could not be made in time.
Lawmakers will be back in the Florida State Capitol for three days, beginning Wednesday.
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