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As
we enter into our fifth year of reforming public education,
some critics are claiming that the Legislature has failed to
address public school construction needs and has ignored the
obvious solution, which would be more dollars for school construction.
Nothing could be further from the truth. In a special session
in 1997 we provided nearly $3 billion to directly address
portables and school overcrowding. As a matter of fact, according
to a recent national report, Florida state government funds
a higher portion of local school construction than any other
state, except Alaska and Hawaii.
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The Legislature also demanded
that these construction dollars be spent wisely, not wasted on extravagant
buildings as some counties had previously done, spending three times
as much as other counties on comparable facilities.
Today, according to the
latest Florida Department of Education report school districts still
have more than $1 billion at their disposal for school construction
needs. Of the $2 billion in lottery bonds, 42 percent has yet to be
spent by local school districts.
The Legislature is doing
its part to fund construction needs. Some school districts can do
more to maximize use of dollars, provide more parental options, and
shift bureaucratic expenditures to classroom instruction and school
construction. Also, creating plans, approving plans, drawing up contracts,
and the actual construction, take time, years, in fact. In the meantime,
many children remain in overcrowded schools.
To provide immediate
relief for these children, Republicans are sponsoring the "School
Crowding Relief Intervention for Parents & Teachers" Act
(SCRIPT), which provides $3,000 grants to parents of students in overcrowded
schools to attend the private school of their choice. This bill is
a win-win for everyone.
Taxpayers win because this bill not only improves classroom conditions
but also provides a savings to the taxpayer. The average funding for
children in public school education is over $5,000 not including the
money spent to build schools. For every child that takes a SCRIPT
grant to attend a private school, the taxpayers will save a minimum of $2,000.
Parents win because they are given a choice. They have the option
to send their child to another public school, including any charter
school that is not overcrowded, or keep their child in the school
that is receiving this targeted relief. If they choose to keep their
child in public school, they will benefit from reduced overcrowding.
If they choose to use a SCRIPT grant and send their child to a private
school, they will have $3,000 to choose the best education they can
find for their child.
School districts and public school teachers win because class
size can be reduced making classrooms more manageable, lunch schedules
will improve, and there will be less need for portables since the
grants specifically target overcrowded schools.
Finally, I’d like to ask a question. Which part of the bill
do opponents object to? The part that helps the children who leave?
The part that helps the children who stay? The part that helps the
teachers? The part that empowers the parent? Or the part that helps
the taxpayers?
Sincerely,
Tom Feeney
Speaker
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You can contact the Speaker
via email or
Capitol Office:
Room 420 The Capitol, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone (850)488-1450
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District Office:
P.O. Box 622109
Oviedo, FL
32762-2109
(407)977-6500
SUNCOM: 392-6500 |
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