Funding Florida's schools: Districts seek fair share

Some Florida school districts feel slighted over their share of education money

February 6, 2010|By Denise-Marie Balona, Orlando Sentinel

There's not a school district in Florida that doesn't feel shortchanged by the Legislature, with teacher salaries virtually frozen and per-pupil spending continuing to slide. But some are feeling even more put-upon -- mostly because they think the formula Florida uses to dole out money to its 67 districts is unfair. They'd like the Legislature to change that formula when it convenes next month. But there's little chance of that happening.

So, what's the beef?

Some districts complain they're penalized because of the various assumptions built into the state's funding formula, especially the one that focuses on cost-of-living differences. The result is a calculation that distributes sometimes widely different amounts to each district in the state. And the disparity, officials say, is even more pronounced today because previous funding cuts have impacted districts differently.

Are there examples of these differences?

Let's start with the state's per-pupil spending, which this year is $6,866 on average. Some districts get more than others. Some, less.

How much of a difference can there really be?

Quite a big one. For instance, tiny Franklin County in the Panhandle receives $8,285 for every child who enters its public schools this year, but Orange County, one of the state's biggest districts, collects $6,799. Volusia County school leaders complain that their schools are being shortchanged. For instance, they argue, Volusia gets $6,755 for each kid this year while Seminole, which is right next door and has roughly the same number of students, takes in $6,787 per child.

Are these isolated examples?

No. Per-pupil funding can vary by as much as $1,900 from district to district, according to a recent financial report from the Florida Department of Education. Santa Rosa County, on the Gulf Coast, receives the least funding — $6,409 for each student. Central Florida's seven districts fall somewhere in the middle.

What are some of the most common complaints?

Educators in Volusia County, which ranks among the bottom in funding in the region, say they're unfairly penalized by part of the formula that considers the cost of living. Under the state's logic, teachers will be willing to work for less money to live near the beach, said Volusia schools Superintendent Peg Smith.

Smith said Volusia leaders will be lobbying for change during the upcoming legislative session.

Richard Shirley, superintendent of Sumter County schools, says his county suffers because Florida relies too much on local taxes to fund schools and does not provide enough state money.

"After losing close to $2billion in K-12 funding over the past two years, districts can't endure any more cuts and, perhaps, are more sensitive to anything that resembles unfairness in the formula that seems to take away what they consider to be 'their' funding," said Ruth Melton, director of legislative relations for the Florida School Boards Association.

How does Florida's system compare with other states?

Last month, the well-respected Education Week magazine gave Florida low marks for education spending. However, the state earned a grade of B-plus for equity — meaning it does a good job of fairly distributing the money it spends on schools.

Florida's program has been praised elsewhere as a model for other states because it focuses on ensuring that children in poorer areas and wealthier areas have access to the same programs. No one from the state Department of Education was available for further comment.

What does the state consider when determining per-pupil spending for each county?

These are some of the key factors:

Special-education programs. It costs a lot more money to offer programs for children who are severely disabled or way behind academically. So the state spends more money on these kids.

Students who don't speak English. Programs serving these children are pricier, too, which means a child who's learning to speak English will draw more money to a district than one who already knows English.

Cost of living. The state determines this based on the cost of numerous goods and services in each area. It also analyzes wages.

Size. Small districts get an extra pot of cash because they otherwise wouldn't otherwise generate enough per-pupil money to offer some of the programs larger districts enjoy because of their economies of scale.

The new property tax. Last year, lawmakers gave districts the option of imposing an additional tax of 25 cents on every $1,000 of taxable property value for two years. Most districts levied the new tax, which means they're taking in more money than those that didn't.

Is there an overriding complaint?

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