Schools add flags to list of essentials

Public classrooms in the state - even colleges - must have a donated flag by next August.

By CATHERINE E. SHOICHET
Published July 26, 2004

"It's just another unfunded mandate," says Citrus school official Patience Nave.

Red, white, blue . . . and green?

A new state law that went into effect this month gives Florida school districts, community colleges and public universities another item to add to their fundraising agenda: flag money.

The law requires all public schools in the state to fly an American flag in every classroom by Aug. 1, 2005.

But schools that need to purchase additional copies of Old Glory won't be able to dip into Florida coffers - at least not yet. The law says schools must spend the next year asking for donations to purchase the flags.

As they ready for the start of the school year, some schools already are sending letters to veterans groups, individuals and corporations they think might fork over a star-spangled donation.

"It's just another unfunded mandate," said Patience Nave, vice chairwoman of the Citrus County School Board. "But in this particular case, the mandate is small. We knew that we could go out and raise money to do it."

The Veterans Coalition of Citrus County has offered to spearhead the district's $10,000 fundraising effort - enough to buy about 900 flags.

That's exactly what lawmakers had in mind when they approved the legislation, said state Sen. Mike Fasano, a New Port Richey Republican who was one of the original sponsors.

"I will be shocked if any school has to put out dollars to purchase flags for their classrooms," Fasano said. "It's not even raising money. It's just reaching out to corporations that maybe are willing to buy a flag or two."

The law, called the Carey Baker Freedom Flag Act for the state representative from Eustis who served in Iraq, is intended to foster patriotism in Florida's youth.

"I think it just helps in many ways for all of us and all of them to appreciate what our flag stands for," Fasano said.

Still, at least one university president thinks the money could come from another source - the unused campaign funds of state legislators.

"The law they passed says we have to solicit money before we spend any state money, as if we had any state money to spend to start with," said Florida State University president T.K. Wetherell, who sent out letters to legislators suggesting a donation.

"It's not a bad idea," Wetherell said of the flag law. "There's nothing wrong with doing it. But most other places would go ahead and fund the thing with new dollars."

In response to Wetherell's letter, Fasano sent a personal check of $25 to FSU.

A state estimate shows it could cost as much as $2.7-million if all of the 156,000 K-12 classrooms in Florida need new flags.

That estimate is based on an average flag price of $17.50. But a Fort Lauderdale company will supply flags and brackets to schools starting at $4 each, according to a recent Department of Education memo to state educators.

"(The law) could have a substantial financial impact," said Linda Cobbe, a spokeswoman for Hillsborough County schools. Most Hillsborough classrooms already have American flags, she said, but many of them do not meet the requirements of the new law, which mandates that flags be at least 2 feet by 3 feet and made in the United States.

Getting new flags to fit that requirement could cost as much as $62,300, Cobbe said.

Most classrooms across the state already have American flags. Both Pinellas and Pasco counties, for example, have flags in their classrooms and hundreds to spare in district warehouses.

And superintendents statewide say patriotism and the Pledge of Allegiance are part of the daily dose of public education in Florida.

Until now, however, the stars and stripes have stayed out of most lecture halls and seminar rooms at Florida's 28 community colleges and 11 public universities.

FSU and the University of Florida will each need to raise about $10,000 to put flags in all of their lecture halls, university officials say.

"The cost of the flags isn't going to be that much," said University of South Florida spokeswoman Michelle Carlyon, who said USF is still in the process of hammering out the price of putting flags in its 309 classrooms. "Actually installing them is going to be the most pricey thing."

Janice Buchanan, executive director of the St. Petersburg College Foundation, said the law gives the community college an opportunity to reach out to a new set of donors. For $20, individuals or local Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion posts can purchase a flag, a bracket and a small plaque honoring the gift, she said.

At the University of Central Florida in Orlando, flags have adorned classroom walls for nearly a year, after a student group, ROCK, or Rebuilding on a Conservative Kornerstone, raised money to put them in place.

- Catherine E. Shoichet can be reached at 727 893-8215 or at cshoichet@sptimes.com

[Last modified July 25, 2004, 23:46:08]