Big Education’s greed is amazing, and somewhat alarming.
If those who run the government schools put as much emphasis on education as they do on finance, America might have the smartest kids in the world.
The latest minor issue to be blown out of proportion regards bonuses given to schools when kids excel in advanced classes.
A proposal in the legislature would cut the bonuses in half.
Liberals are portraying this as funding being slashed.
In fact, the money would be put back in the funding mechanism for schools, the Florida Education Finance Program. Rather than losing money, some districts might see a net benefit, according to legislators.
In any event, it is peanuts. For Jacksonville schools it would amount to $8 million.
In a $1.5 billion budget that is .5 percent of the total, hardly something to get hysterical about.
The bonuses statewide amount to $300 million of the $29 billion allocated for education.
If school officials have been using bonuses to finance recurring programs, then they will have to pay for their lax budgeting practices.
The House bill increases education funding by $750 million. This follows large increases in recent years, including large pay raises for teachers.
The changes being considered do not cut funding for any courses. No child’s education is being jeopardized.
The fact Is that the state is collecting more money than it needs and legislators are looking for ways to provide tax relief for Florida residents. That is the responsible thing to do and there is no reason to insulate the education budget from that process.
In the end, it is virtually certain that the education budget will be increased, as it is every year.
We refer again to the time when the liberal media was wailing about education budgets being slashed and Eye on Jacksonville checked the facts. Over a 10-year period not one school district in Florida reduced its budget a single year. It was all a hoax.
