Welcome to

Governor Rick Scott signed the 77 billion dollar budget today, vetoing just 68 million dollars in projects. The Governor is touting record education funding, which is true when you consider total dollars but not extra costs.

Rick Scott likes to point out that Florida will spend more than 20 billion dollars on schools this coming year.  “Record funding for K-12, record funding for state colleges, record funding for universities” is what Scott said the night lawmakers went home. And It is a record for total spending, up 575 million from last year. But Ruth Melton of the Florida School Boards Association says costs and student enrollment are up as well. “But we also have 90 thousand more students than we had in 07-08. The total funds per student is less this year than it was in 07-08“ says Melton.

There are other stark differences from pre recession funding. Money for exceptional students is down 59 million. Money for classroom supplies is short 43 million, and money for buses, fuel and drivers is down 58 million. Melton says  while funding is down, costs are up. “We all know what’s happened with  not only gas prices, but tires and all kinds of things that go with transporting students” says Melton.

Both Rick Scott and Florida Democrats are making Education funding a key issue in this falls election. The GOP is out with a two million dollar ad buy talking about tuition…

“Now Governor Rick Scott is making college more affordable” Chimes Rick Scott’s latest  tv spot. And Florida Democrats have a web only ad out Monday pointing out the shortcomings of new funding. The ad features only classroom and hallway noise, but has graphics suggesting Scott cut funding and per pupil funding is still down.

For all the hype, there’s just 132 million new state dollars going into schools this coming year. That’s just one of every ten new dollars the state had to spend this year. The other 400 million plus new cash for schools is coming from higher taxable property values.