Florida education budget boosts safety, but what about everything else? | Our view

Treasure Coast Newspapers Editorial Board
School Board members on Tuesday are expected decide whether or not Martin County should be the 15th school district to join a lawsuit against House Bill 7069.

The Martin County School District is about to go begging.

The School Board will ask residents to pay more in taxes, though officials aren't sure exactly what type of tax hike they'll seek. Superintendent Laurie Gaylord wants a half-cent sales tax increase over 10 years, which could generate $16 million annually for capital projects.

But board members appear to favor a property tax hike. That could generate $44.8 million over four years, money which would be spent on operations, freeing up additional funds for capital needs.

All this, of course, depends on whether taxpayers/voters sign off. There's no guarantee they will, though the School District's needs are significant.

MOREMartin County property tax hike would net $44.8 million for schools over four years

Most Florida school districts have significant needs; things are tough all over. For that, once again, we can thank the Florida Legislature.

Legislative leaders touted the fact the $88.7 billion budget passed earlier this month increases education funding by $101.50 per student in the 2018-2019 school year.

Florida school superintendents point out the vast majority of this will go toward new school safety and mental-health initiatives.

In the wake of the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the Legislature had to respond with additional resources. In a letter to Gov. Rick Scott asking him to call the Legislature back into a special session, the Florida Association of District School Superintendents said so much money was devoted to school safety there's little left for day-to-day operating costs.

Out of that $101.50 per-student increase, the superintendents say, just 47 cents per student could go to costs such as retirement contributions, employee health-care costs and utility bills.

Making matters worse for school districts is the fact the Legislature, in this time of need, decided it was going to cut property taxes for some next year, reducing collections by some $377 million statewide — money that otherwise would have gone to public schools.

Local property taxes are part of the school funding formula known as the "required local effort." Owners pay taxes based on the value of their property, which tends to increase year by year, meaning they pay more.

But on the first day of session, House Speaker Richard Corcoran, the Land O' Lakes Republican, declared "We will not sit passively and allow the required local effort to be raised."

This ultimately led to a legislative agreement where owners of newly constructed homes and businesses will pay more — but owners of existing structures won't.

That's great for property owners, but not for school districts struggling to balance the books.

Yet the underfunding of Florida's public schools, unfortunately, is a perpetual problem. The Legislature has made great strides in strengthening higher education; Sen. Joe Negron, the Stuart Republican, sought to make Florida universities into "destination" schools, and championed bigger scholarship awards for top students, hoping to keep Florida's homegrown talent in state.

Yet by consistently underfunding public education, the Legislature stunts the development of this homegrown talent.

Sadly, this isn't a situation likely to change any time soon.

As a result, be it this year or in the coming years, expect your local school district to come, hat in hand, seeking alms for the poor.

They really have no other choice.

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