Fewer students, decreased funding, changes caused by school choice efforts—traditional public schools, especially in Florida, are going through tough times. According to former teacher/school superintendent/county commissioner/state lawmaker and now head of the Florida School Superintendents Association Bill Montford, the big bugaboo is inflation's impact on school funding.
"And even though each year, there's what's called a record amount of funding for public education - and that's true - but I think if you compare the numbers it's real simply put. The cost of living and the expenses has gone up higher than the increase in support for public education. It's just a simple matter of math."
But what the state of Florida giveth, it can also taketh away. Montford notes districts get fewer dollars when they enroll fewer students, which is happening as more families opt to use the state's voucher program to send their students to private and charter schools, Montford says.
"If you drop in enrollment, you drop in funding. But in many cases, your expenses will remain the same."
He cites the ongoing need to maintain schools, run buses, staff classrooms and all the other costs associated with education. And why are there fewer kids going to traditional public schools?
"There are a lot more parents who are taking a different approach educating their children. Either home school or private school. And then you've got the scholarships. In 2023, the legislature removed all caps in terms of income so anyone can qualify for scholarships. And we have more parents taking those options."
Although Montford insists the state's traditional public schools can successfully compete with even the best private, charter and home schools, the student drain continues. Leon County School Superintendent Rocky Hanna lays much of the blame on state and national politicians and what he calls their "media allies."
"Elected officials at the highest levels talk negatively about public schools and about public-school teachers and what's going on in our classrooms, that we're indoctrinating kids and grooming kids; turning boys into girls and girls into boys and who's going in what locker room. And it's all a bunch of crap!"
And since fewer students means less funding, more and more Florida school districts are having to consolidate and close schools. Orange County is shutting down 6 elementary and 1 middle school. Broward County is shuttering 4 elementary, 1 middle and 1 high school. Nine schools are closing in Miami-Dade. Even tiny Union County in Northeast Florida is facing the possibility of school closures.
Caught in the middle, it seems, are Florida teachers. Here's Jonah Mundi, a science teacher at Tallahassee's Nims Middle School.
"Florida is currently ranked 50th in the nation in terms of teacher salary. And that's causing talented teachers, talented professionals, young teachers, veteran teachers, to leave the profession. Not because we want to, but because we can't afford it."
Hanna notes there are fewer and fewer education majors coming out of the state's colleges and universities. He says he thinks there are two main reasons.
"One is the pay, certainly the pay. And two is this horse crap about what is going on in public schools. And all the culture wars and all the things that are being said. And young people are saying, 'I'm not going to get in the middle of that! For $48,000?!?!' Who would want that job?"
Still, if little can be done at the local level to tamp down the negative rants against public schools, maybe something can be done to bring in more money. The Leon School District plans to ask the county's voters for a boost in property taxes. And School Board Member Rosanne Wood notes nearly half of the state's other districts are doing the same.
"There are, for a millage increase, 29 counties in Florida that have made that decision. They realize we are not being adequately funded by the state, so they're taking it into their own hands."
The proposed tax increases will be decided by Florida voters in the November election.
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