| In the 2008 legislative session, the Florida state | | | | legislative session opened in early March, the |
| legislature must cut nearly one billion dollars from | | | | budget committees recommended even more - |
| its operating budget. The recommendation from | | | | $357 million or close to 1.5%. While the governor |
| Governor Charlie Crist and the legislative | | | | has no problem slashing school accounts, his same |
| committees is to cut from education. The main | | | | budget proposal asks for $330 million in new |
| question left seems to be "how much can the | | | | funding for prisons and corrections - almost twice |
| schools afford to lose?" Unfortunately, despite the | | | | the amount that he wants to take from the |
| promises made during the Amendment 1 | | | | schools. |
| campaign that a tax cut would not affect Florida | | | | While nothing has been finalized, the suggestions |
| students, education is almost guaranteed to take | | | | have been to hold teacher pay steady & |
| one of the biggest financial losses this year. | | | | eliminate bonuses, cut back on the Florida Bright |
| Florida has no income tax, so public revenue is | | | | Futures Scholarship (by lowering scholarships for |
| generated almost exclusively from sales taxes | | | | students in majors with lower demand and job |
| and property taxes. 2007 brought a slow-down in | | | | growth), and scaling back resource classes like art, |
| tourism and a sharp decline in property values. To | | | | music, and computers. As it is, Florida schools rank |
| top things off, voters in November passed a | | | | poorly in national comparisons and losing access |
| ballot provision that reduces the rate of property | | | | creative and technical instruction isn't going to |
| tax liability for owners. The total loss in revenue | | | | prepare students for college or the increasingly |
| from last year is currently projected at more | | | | high-tech and competitive job market. |
| than $869 million. Since the state constitution | | | | Although it is probably too late in the budgetary |
| forbids deficit spending, this lost funding has to be | | | | season to make up for the missing funds, it is |
| made up with spending cuts. | | | | possible to contact your elected state |
| Charlie Crist's recommended budget calls for a cut | | | | representatives and let them know how you feel |
| from education of about $182 million. When the | | | | about spending priorities. |