Manatee School Board supports lawsuit against state over ed-reform bill. Sort of

The School Board of Manatee County expressed solidarity with the Broward County School Board’s intention to sue the state legislature over a controversial education reform law, but Manatee’s board stopped short of promising to join the lawsuit or pledge financial support.

On July 5, Broward’s board voted to sue the state over HB 7069, a wide-sweeping law that requires local districts to give charter schools tax revenue earmarked for capital expenses and offers incentive cash for charters to open near failing public schools. Other districts across the state have considered joining in the fight.

Board Chairman Charlie Kennedy made a motion Tuesday for the board to pledge $5,000 to Broward’s pending lawsuit.

Vice Chairman John Colon, and board members Scott Hopes and Gina Messenger seemed hesitant to commit money to a lawsuit that has yet to be filed, and Kennedy ultimately withdrew his motion. All five board members said they see the legislation as problematic.

“I have no problem saying, ‘Yes I support them doing that,’ but my question is, I don’t see what the point is of contributing money,” Messenger said Wednesday.

In a 4-to-1 vote the board approved a watered-down motion expressing support for the Broward board and pledged to revisit the issue of whether to chip in funding once the plaintiffs had picked an attorney.

Hopes, who was sworn in earlier in the afternoon, was the lone dissenter. He said the law concerned him, but he wanted to work with local lawmakers to better understand the political forces at work before voicing solidarity with other districts in a lawsuit.

This story was originally published July 26, 2017 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Manatee School Board supports lawsuit against state over ed-reform bill. Sort of."