State's Board Of Education Approves Historic Budget Plan
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami) - Backing a pledge made by Gov. Rick Scott, the Florida Board of Education has approved a proposed 2015-16 budget that includes record per-student funding for public schools.
The proposal is an initial step in a months-long process that will end with lawmakers passing a state budget next spring.
As he seeks re-election, Scott has called for the public-school funding formula to include $7,176 per student next year, the same number included in the Board of Education proposal Monday. The proposal would be a $232 per-student increase over the current year.
Board of Education Chairman Gary Chartrand said the proposal includes "historic" levels of funding.
"I think we all know this is an investment in our future,'' Chartrand said. "It will pay dividends for Florida."
If approved by the Legislature, the $7,176 per-student total would top a previous high of $7,126 reached when former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist was in office. With Crist running as a Democrat this year to try to unseat Scott, education funding has become a heavily debated issue during the campaign.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
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