2007 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

2007 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE – October 12, 2007
(from UFF)

On to Special Session D!

The Florida Legislature, after passing the revised budget has adjourned, Sine Die, bringing the 2007C Special Session to a close. Special Session D will begin on Monday, October 15.

Senate President Pruitt has set a meeting of the Senate Finance and Tax Committee for Monday at 11:30 am to workshop property tax legislation. Proposed legislation was not available at the time this report was written.

On Tuesday, the Finance and Tax Committee will meet at 9 am to vote on the bill. The agenda for that meeting will also include a bill necessary to put the amendment before the voters in January.

On Wednesday, October 17, both chambers will go into session for a floor vote on the bills – if all goes as planned. The House calendar was not available at the time this report was compiled.

Budget Reductions/Appropriations passes along party lines

To recap what this means to education:
• Community Colleges: Community college programs were cut a total of $19.4 million or 1.8%, after nonrecurring funds were added back. A 5% tuition increase also passed.
• Universities: The final reduction number for state universities was $58.8 million or 2.5%. A 5% tuition increase also passed.
• Pre-kindergarten: 5.9% decrease in funding but the per pupil funding was not impacted as it is intended to revert only funding for students who failed to enroll in prekindergarten.
• K-12: reduced K-12 FEFP appropriations by $269.8 million. After the reduction, the net increase from the 2006-07 appropriations is 5.19% per student. The reduction incorporates the total 2007-08 Merit Award Program (MAP) appropriation of $147.5 million. Most line items were reduced 0.69% except with no reduction in the Teachers Lead program. All school districts were reduced 1.4% but this includes their MAP distributions that were not available for 2007-08 expenditures.
• Public School Workforce: This program was cut a total of $9.5 million or 2.3%.

Adjustments to Education Appropriations/Pre K-12 bill passes
Bill highlights:
o Authorizes commissioner to reduce the class size penalty transfer to fixed capital outlay by 10 percent if the class size operating categorical is reduced in a subsequent appropriation during the same fiscal year.
o Provides for flexible but limited use of reading instruction and instructional materials funding if districts do so by a resolution of the school board.
o Modifies the use of 2-mill capital outlay funds to clarify that school districts’ class size reduction compliance does not include schools (charter) that do not use district
facilities and that for 2007-08 up to $25 per un-weighted FTE can be used for 2007-08 expenses for property and casualty insurance and purchase of certain vehicles.
o Provides that MAP funds are distributed by July 31 and changes the distribution of funds from September 1 to October 1. Documentation of district MAP expenditures is moved back to November 1.
o Allows proration of the National Board mentoring payments in any year where funds are insufficient to pay the full amount of the payment.
o Expresses the intent of the Legislature that any reductions in expenditures by school districts in response to any of the appropriation reductions for the 2007-2008 fiscal year be made in functions other than classroom instruction.