State: New board figures tab for Florida education

TAMPA -- Despite concerns by board members that they are not ready to make a budget recommendation, the new Florida Board of Education is poised to approve a $12.7-billion spending request today for the state's entire education system.

The board has not yet developed a strategic plan to guide its budget priorities. And it doesn't really know how much revenue the state has to work with.

Nevertheless, board members meeting at Tampa's Erwin Technical Center are expected today to approve the state's first-ever "coordinated budget request" covering everything from kindergarten through college and graduate school.

"Clearly this is not the best way to do budgeting," said board member T. Willard Fair, who joined board member Charles Garcia in expressing concerns about the timing of the budget request. "So, I'm going to be frustrated this year. I'll accept the Horne budget plan this year, but it's got to change."

Though Education Secretary Jim Horne repeatedly referred to the budget request as "historic," "much anticipated" and "first-ever," he also acknowledged that due to time constraints it is nowhere near the revolutionary reordering of spending priorities that he envisions for the future. In fact, it is largely a "continuation budget" that keeps the lights on, the buses running, and the teachers and professors getting paid.

Still, there are a few significant changes in the proposal that signal the board's priorities. They include:

A 5 percent increase in college tuition. If approved, that increase would come on the heels of a 7.5 percent increase in effect this year and would raise tuition costs for a (Florida resident) full-time student by about $88. Florida's university tuition is among the lowest in the nation.

The state's biggest increase in need-based financial aid: 48 percent or $43-million. The budget includes a $10-million increase for financial aid for part-time students and $12-million for the creation of a grant program for vocational students.

Some of the financial aid increase (about $12-million) is triggered by the tuition increase, which automatically bumps up the costs of the Bright Futures Scholarship program. Bright Futures is set to grow by 23 percent under the plan.

An overall $650-million increase in general revenue for education spending.

An increase of $152 per pupil for the K-12 public school system.

Public schools would have some more flexibility in spending their money. Some of that flexible money comes with the elimination of existing programs. For instance, the proposal would eliminate the $152-million program that gave $850 bonuses to teachers this year. That money would be folded into budgets for districts to spend as they see fit.

The budget recommendation is just that: a recommendation that will go to the Legislature. Lawmakers can be expected to tinker or overhaul the state board's recommendation, but Horne -- a former senator who specialized in budgets and education -- said he hoped they would give it more serious consideration.

In the past, three separate budget requests were developed by the public schools, community colleges and the university system. Horne characterized them as "three separate budgets constructed in isolation . . . designed to protect individual turfs."

Due to a massive reorganization of education governance in Florida led by Gov. Jeb Bush, the Legislature created the Board of Education to speak with a single voice on all education issues. That board was pressed into action earlier than originally planned.

This being just the board's second meeting, some members felt crafting a budget recommendation was too much too soon.

"We're putting the cart before the horse," said board member Charles Garcia. Despite his misgivings, at the conclusion of Tuesday's meeting, Garcia said he would approve the recommendation today so long as the motion makes it clear that approval is subject to the plan's conforming to the strategic plan the board will create later. Garcia was also comforted by the idea that the board could amend its recommendation months from now before the governor presents his budget proposal.

"This is not a perfect system," said board Chairman Phil Handy. "It is subject to the political realities and timing realities before us. It is a beginning, however."

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Lucy Morgan

From the Times state desk