Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Court rejects school funding challenge

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published November 3, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - Appeals judges upheld a decision to keep a new funding formula that cut state aid to school districts in some areas with high living costs.

A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal on Tuesday affirmed a trial court decision that last year rejected a challenge from five of Florida's 67 school districts.

Officials in the challenging districts were assessing their options Thursday.

"At this time no recommendation has been made," said Miami-Dade County associate school superintendent Alberto Carvalho. "Obviously, we are disappointed."

Miami-Dade alone has lost $88-million over three years under the new formula designed to compensate for differences among counties in wage costs, Carvalho said. He said the losses have affected salaries and curriculum.

Other county school districts that challenged the formula are Broward, Palm Beach, Monroe and Volusia.

The "district cost differential" had been based on a "market basket" of goods and services including housing, transportation, food and health care until the 2003-04 budget year.

The Legislature then replaced it with the wage-based formula. It also considers amenities that may cause workers to accept less pay despite higher living costs in certain areas.

The appellate court agreed with a Tallahassee trial judge who last year upheld the new formula. Circuit Judge Kevin Davey ruled the challenging districts failed to show the formula was illegal or unconstitutional.

[Last modified November 3, 2006, 00:03:47]