How Florida's Public Schools Are Funded

Public schools in the US play a significant role in providing basic education to learners from kindergarten to twelfth grade learners. The education program is provided on free charges to learners and parents, with property taxation used to enhance public education funding. In Florida, the Florida legislature ensures the public education sector is adequately funded through federal, local, and state governments coordinated funding (Florida Department of Education, 2020). Like the other states, most Florida learners do not complete their education programs due to personal problems and hardships. Funding of Florida education is covered in the state's constitution, whereby Article IX section states that education is a fundamental element for children and the people of Florida. This clause also reiterates the mandate of the Florida government, in the provision of adequate funding for high quality, uniform, safe, efficient, and secure education for all the learners.  

Florida's funding for education programs dates back to 1973, when the Florida Education Finance Program was enacted, establishing the state's policy on equalizing funding for all Florida students to attain educational services and programs (Florida House of Representatives, 2011). The Act also established the need for the state to ensure equity between learners from different local economic areas. Therefore, the main goal of FEFP is the equalization of educational opportunities for Florida learners (Florida Department of Education, 2020). In achieving its goals, the Act established four key factors that must be considered. First, differences in taxation bases for the local property must be considered in ensuring equalization of education for all learners. The Act also considers the differences in educational program costs, the differences in the cost of living for Florida residents, and the varying education costs for learners in sparse student populations.  

The FEFP is the main mechanism by the Florida government to fund operating costs within its district schools. There are, however, other sources of funding, but the FEFP is the primary K-12 educational program funder. One of the key features of FEFP is that it forms the basis for financial support for individual students who participate in educational programs. The funds released by FEFP are generated from the multiplication of full-time equivalents for students for all the programs funded by FEFP, then the sum is multiplied by various cost factors from the students. According to the Florida education sector, cost factors are established through the Florida legislature, and they show differences in FEFP programs.  

The Florida education sector is also funded through scholarship payments, which support five distinct programs within Florida schools. McKay Scholarship for Students with Disabilities program covers all the disabled students. Through this program, all the parents of disabled students can enroll their children close to their homes. In this program, students with disabilities can even access education from private schools in partnership with the state's public education sector. Gardiner Scholarships are designed to supplement learners' education programs for disabled students in public schools (Florida Department of Education, 2020). The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program is funded by voluntary contributors, who help students attain the Nation School Lunch program. The Hope Scholarship Program is designed to help learners facing various challenges in public schools. For instance, bullying has been a major problem in most American schools. Other challenges that students could face in public schools are harassment, kidnapping, hazing, sexual offenses, threat, assault, robbery, intimidation, and physical attack. With such challenges, students could find learning difficult in public schools. In curbing this problem, the Hope Scholarship program enables learners to transfer from troublesome schools, thus attaining peace in other public schools. Finally, the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program enables students from poor backgrounds to attend schooling in public and private schools, adjacent to their homes. In Florida, scholarship programs amount to more than 95% of unweighted FTE funds.  

Sources of Funding for Public Schools in Florida 

State Support 

Public schools in Florida receive educational funding from the state government, through various legislative appropriations. The funding from the Florida state government is distributed through the FEFP program. In the 2019-2020 academic year, the state government appropriated more than $9,204,663,401 (Florida Department of Education, 2020). The amount would be used to run all the education programs in Florida public schools. Out of this amount, the General Revenue Fund contributed $8,762,965,588, the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund contributed $353,358,911, while the State School Trust Fund contributed $88,338,902 (Florida Department of Education, 2020). The General Revenue Fund gains its money from various taxation avenues and a 6% tax imposition of all services and goods. A class-size reduction program is also initiated in the state, contributing to $3,111,099,382 of the total amount. In this class-size reduction program, the Florida government stipulates that the maximum limit for grades 4-8 is 22 students, 18 for prekindergarten up to grade three, and 25 students from grade 9 to 12 (Florida Department of Education, 2020). The education Enhancement Fund was introduced by the Florida Legislature and covered the proceeds from Florida Lottery. The amount is also attained from taxation of slot machines in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Lottery programs in the city contribute to more than $82 million in School Capital Outlay and Classrooms First Programs.  

The constitution also allows school districts to use specific revenues to increase capital outlays. The constitution's Article XII, section 9, stipulates the amount that every district should gain annually from the state's proceeds in motor vehicle licensing. Other minor funding sources from the state government are tax distribution from sales collected by the state's Department of Revenue. The amount is then distributed on equal measures, among all the counties within the state, in compliance with the Florida Constitution, Article VII, section 7. After receiving these funds, counties can share them with districts, consequently distributing them to the various schools. State forests, through tax receipts, also provide funding to the Florida state education. Mobile home licenses, deposited through License Tax Collection Trust Fund, are also used in funding public schools in Florida. 

Local Support 

Local governments are also used in funding public education in Florida. Property taxes are the main contributor to revenue, collected by the local government in funding public education across all the 67 counties in the state. The Florida state government provided $7,855,919,131 to fund education from the local governments (Florida Department of Education, 2020). The amount received by all the districts is determined through statutory procedures by the Florida Department of Revenue. Before every 19th of July, the Department of Revenue determines the mileage rate effort by all the districts, thus determining the amount that these districts could attain from the collected revenues. The amount is determined by dividing the number of dollars required by 96% of the taxable value across all the school districts (Florida Department of Education, 2020). In essence, these certifications are different due to the variations in assessment ratios for equalizing the FEFP effect across the different counties and districts. 

School boards are also required to set discretionary tax levies from capital maintenance and outlay and current operations. Schools can also expend 1.5-mill capital outlays to perform specific tasks concerning local government funding (Florida Department of Education, 2020). Education plants are funded by the local government, covering activities like construction, maintenance, repairs, remodeling, and renovation of buildings in educational facilities. School buses; purchase, lease, or lease-purchase should also be in line with the local government regulation on the issue. Equipment, software, and computers are also covered in this section. 

Federal support 

The federal government could also work collaboratively with the Florida Education Board to ensure sufficient funding for all state education programs. The federal government directly gives all the district funds or could use state agencies to administer such funds (Florida Department of Education, 2020). Various departments within the federal government play significant roles in affecting the federal government's bid for quality education. The Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Interior, Veterans Administration, Education, and Labor, are crucial in supplying funds to public schools in Florida.  

Through various Acts by the federal government, students in Florida can access quality and free education. The most notable Act is the Every Student Succeeds Act, which is established on the need for proficiency and quality in mathematics and reading across the US (Amos, 2016). Another crucial Act that has helped the Florida education sector in supporting public schools is the No Child is Left Behind Act, which ensures that all students, including those with disabilities, access free education under quality instructions (Amos, 2016). The Disabilities Education Act enables learners with mental and physical problems to access education without discrimination. Other special programs that help public schools gain funding from the federal government are the Technical Education Act and the Workforce Investment Act. In essence, federal funds supplement local and state funds, which are authorized by the Florida Legislature.  

Both the state and federal governments have lagged in funding education programs in Florida, resulting in a backlash in public schools' education activities. Environmental compliance with asbestos, lead, and radon regulations (Florida House of Representatives, 2011). The Act is, for instance, inadequately funded by the federal government, resulting in reduced safety of students. Other unfunded mandates include Elementary school counselors for guidance, the teen-parent programs, instruction on AIDS education and specific instruction, and mandatory breakfast programs for elementary school (Amos, 2016). Failure to fund such programs results in inefficiency in the education sector.  

In conclusion, the Florida legislature is mandated with ensuring all the schools have adequate funding, with proper allocation of funds across all the schools. The funding activity is achieved through three main organs; the state, federal, and local governments. The Florida Education Finance Program, enacted in 1973, provides the formula through which public education funding is achieved in the state. Students in Florida are guaranteed that their educational needs are met by providing services and programs initiated through the Florida legislature. In generating funds for the FEFP program, the state combines funds generated mainly from sales revenues, with local funds generated from property taxations. In ensuring that all the students acquire equal education, all the FEFP components are developed through considerate equations, factor cost elements for various students. During the allocation of funds for the various financial years, the Florida legislature subjects the specific components of the FEFP equation to adjustments and debate. Therefore, the components of the equation may be amended, old components removed, or new components added to the equation depending on the economic and political changes at federal and state levels. Florida's funding of education programs should improve, as the state ranks 41st in per-student-spending and 50th funding for k-12 education.  

References 

Amos, D.S. (2016). Florida gets “F” in new school funding report. Jacksonville. https://www.jacksonville.com/article/20160407/NEWS/801246143 

Florida Department of Education, (2020). 2019-2020 Funding for Florida School Districts. http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7507/urlt/Fefpdist.pdf 

Florida House of Representatives, (2011). Florida Education Finance Program. http://basiceducationfundingcommission.pasenategop.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/68/2014/10/2010-11-Florida-Education-Finance-Program-FEFP.3.pdf