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  • Florida
  • Brittany Larkin, Jasmine Ulmer, and R. Craig Wood

State Issues Affecting P–12 and/or Higher Education Funding

Several state issues affect P–12 and higher education funding in Florida. Emphases include affordable postsecondary education options, performance funding, career and professional education, and accountability for charter and virtual schools. These state issues are reflected in funding trends, funding formula changes, and budgetary trends.

Funding Priorities/Trends for P–12 and/or Higher Education

Virtual School Accountability

Florida Virtual School (FLVS) must now submit annual reports to several governing bodies regarding operations, accomplishments, marketing, assets and liabilities, financial audits, and accountability mechanism for FLVS Global (CS/ HB 7029). In addition, FLVS must annually report costs of providing services to students, and the Auditor General must conduct an operational audit by January 31, 2014.

Charter School Accountability

Within the realm of K–12 education, charter schools now face increased financial accountability (CS/CS/HB 7009). For example, charter schools must now submit a uniform monthly financial summary sheet, maintain a website that reports financial stability, and not expend more than $10,000 upon receiving a notice of termination or closure. Additionally, provisions prohibit acceleration clauses in contracts and grant a sponsor clawback authority to recoup improperly expended funds.

Charter School Flexibility

CS/CS/HB 7009 simultaneously expands charter school flexibility. Governing boards and administrative personnel may assume duties normally ascribed to the district school board and superintendent in order to create and implement internal employee evaluation and compensation systems. Furthermore, charter schools may not only hire employees at will, but also release annual contract [End Page 253] employees without cause. Charter schools also may pay a sponsor $500 to draft application for material deficiencies. The sponsor must reimburse the charter school on a monthly basis for all invoices submitted by charter schools for federal funds available for the benefit of charter schools and students. This bill prohibits a sponsor from requiring a charter school to comply with updated policies until those policies are incorporated into the charter agreement. In a separate bill (CS/ SB 1108), federal funds for exceptional student education may be reimbursed to charter schools, including Title I, Title II, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 funds.

Career and Professional Education

To align workforce needs with high school graduation requirements, legislation calls for performance funding and incentivizes career and professional education course credits that lead to industry certification (CS/CS/SB 1076). Performance incentives are available for public schools, district workforce programs, and Florida College System (FCS) and State University System (SUS) institutions with programs that meet economic demands.

Changes to the Funding Formula for P–12 and/or Higher Education

Career and Professional Education

CS/CS/SB 1076 establishes Florida Education Finance Program funding for industry certifications earned in high school at two funding levels: (1) a weight of 0.1 for industry certifications that do not articulate for college credit, and (2) a weight of 0.2 for those that do. This bill allocates performance funding for teachers, school district technical centers, and postsecondary FCS and SUS institutions. Industry certification teachers may receive compensation bonuses; the bill also expands existing bonus programs for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate teachers. In addition, SUS institutions may receive performance funding in computer and information technology, highdemand programs, and cloud virtualization and large data management. The performance-fund allocation methodology will rely on several employment outcomes: percentage of graduates employed or enrolled in further education, the average wages of employed graduates, and the average cost per graduate. By October 31, 2013, the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors will recommend allocation mechanisms to the legislature. [End Page 254]

Impact on School District or Higher Education Budgets

Higher Education: Preeminent University Status, the $10,000 Bachelor’s Degree, and Postsecondary Education Access

CS/CS/SB 1076 creates mechanisms for designating Preeminent State Research Universities; a state university that achieves all twelve statutory metrics is authorized to operate an Institute for Online Learning that offers affordable online bachelor degree programs (for Florida residents at no more than 75% of the in-state tuition rate). Furthermore, a state university that achieves 11 of the 12 institutional performance metrics...

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