Rick Scott wants 100 million for charter school upkeep. No response about public schools.

[madfloridian]

Rick Scott continues his crusade to fund charter schools building and maintenance while again giving nothing to public schools.

Scott recommends $100 million for Florida charter schools

Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday released a key detail of his proposed education budget: $100 million for charter school construction and maintenance.

His recommendation was welcome news for charter school advocates. If approved by state lawmakers, it would represent a $25 million increase from the current year.

"This is a lifeline for us," said former state Rep. Ralph Arza, who represents the Florida Charter School Alliance. "It helps us provide classroom space and desks for students across the state."

Scott would not say if he planned to recommend construction and maintenance dollars for traditional public schools, too.

In 2011 through 2013 charter schools in Florida received 91 million for maintenance and building....
but traditional public schools got nothing.

2011

Traditional public schools in Florida will get no money from the state this year for additions or needed repairs to thousands of aging buildings, but charter schools will score big.

The charter school operated for children of employees of The Villages, the Republican stronghold in north Lake County frequented by Scott and former President George W. Bush, is expected to receive about $1 million.

School district officials across Florida are bemoaning the Legislature's decision to cut traditional public schools out of PECO — the Public Education Capital Outlay program. The state's 350 charter schools will share $55 million, while the approximately 3,000 traditional schools will go without.

2013

The state Department of Education last week gave a Florida Senate subcommittee a report on the state Board of Education’s requested budget for next year. The budget includes a request for about $64 million for capital improvements at charter schools. Last year charters received about $55 million for school construction.

If approved, that budget would mark the third straight year the state has given capital outlay money to charter schools but no capital funding to districts to build and maintain traditional public schools, said Vern Pickup-Crawford, the county school district’s state lobbyist.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

1. Rick is an especially vile human being...Public schools dont teach kids to be idiots and only

idiots will vote for him, therefore............

[FloriTexan]

2. This is apalling. K&R n/t

[madfloridian]

4. I totally agree.

And we are stuck with him doing things in secret.

[mcar]

3. Why why why did this d'bag get reelect-ed?

Haven't we floridians suffered enough?

[madfloridian]

8. A lot of us wonder about that.

[Starry Messenger]

5. k&r

[scarletlib]

6. Where is the class action law suit against this ciphering of public moneynto private for profit

Schools? Doesn't the florida constitution require a quality education for it's students? Don't these actions defeat that purpose?

[madfloridian]

7. There should be a law suit. Yes, schools are required to be funded.

But no one around here pays attention to that. People think their kids are special if they are in charter schools.....Jeb started that premise around 2006.

Maybe their will be a lawsuit....I hope so.

[madfloridian]

9. Kick.

.