School board asks Gov. Scott to veto education bill

Because of claims that the Florida Legislature shadily attached unpopular bills onto a “274-page behemoth,” the School Board of Manatee County joined the Florida School Boards Association in asking Gov. Rick Scott to veto two pieces of legislation.

In a letter dated May 23 and signed by every school board member, with attachments of the association’s May 16 and May 18 letters, the officials asked specifically that the governor veto House Bill 7069 and Specific Appropriation 91 of Senate Bill 2500.

On Friday, Scott announced that a special session will be held next week to discuss legislation dealing with Enterprise Florida, Visit Florida and public education, including the two bills school officials want Scott to veto. Medical marijuana was intended to be discussed during the special session, but according to the Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau, it will be added to the schedule if an agreement is reached on the number of storefront dispensaries a licensed grower can have.

House Speaker Richard Corcoran said that funding for public schools will increase by $100 per student, compared to the $24.49 increase the budget originally proposed. Scott has been quiet on HB 7069, but lawmakers expect it to be signed, the Times/Herald reported.

According to the letters, signed by the state association’s president Tim Harris and executive director Andrea Messina, the group maintains that because of how HB 7069 was hastily written, there was doubt as to how the public and some members of the Legislature could have read and fully understood the bill. There was a lack of transparency in sneaking in “two very contentious bills” under the guise of a large, multi-faceted bill with “popular provisions,” some of which don’t have anything to do with the state budget, the association says.

“In a state of Sunshine laws, this bill was cobbled together in darkness, away from legislative and public scrutiny,” the county school board’s letter read.

As for the Specific Appropriation 91 of Senate Bill 2500, the association tried to find ways to make the minimal increase in funding for the Florida Education Finance Program work.

But what suffers because of it? Everything, the association contends. Non-competitive salaries would prevent schools from hiring the best and most effective teachers, funding gaps in programs like transportation would affect schools as there are 180,000 more students than in 2007-08, and the budget allocation per student is below the national average.

“Like you (Gov. Scott), we do not understand why, in a time of tremendous job growth and economic activity in our state, the Legislature would vote to approve an austerity plan to weaken public education and stifle future job growth and creation in Florida,” the county school board’s letter read.

This story was originally published June 2, 2017 at 9:21 AM with the headline "School board asks Gov. Scott to veto education bill."