- Ruediger Elementary
- Homepage
Hanna Calls on Governor to Veto HB7069
May 30, 2017
The Honorable Rick Scott
Governor, State of Florida
The Capitol, Plaza Level 05
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Dear Governor Scott,
As Superintendent of Leon County Schools, I thank you for your dedication to the State of Florida. Under your leadership, education in Florida has made great strides. To preserve and foster continued growth in Florida’s education system, I respectfully ask you to veto the Fiscal Year 2017-2018 Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) and House Bill 7069 (Conference Report on SB 2500).
You stated in your budget proposal that “we have to fight for Florida’s future and ensure our children and grandchildren have the opportunity to succeed in our great state.” The level of funding in the FEFP will undermine your good work and drastically reduces opportunities for Florida’s children. It rolls back the progress our state has made under your leadership.
While the impact of HB7069 is far-reaching, this bill would considerably effect Leon County Schools (LCS) ability to deliver services. Our school district will experience the following fiscal constraints if HB7069 and the FEFP are not vetoed:
· FY 2017-18 FEFP funding will be $241,384,457 for LCS – a decrease of $40,723 (0.02%);
· The Base Student Allocation (BSA) will be $31.17 less in FY 2017-2018, compared to FY 2016-2017. (BSA FY 2018 $3997.23, BSA FY 2017 $4,028.40);
· The total FY 2017-2018 FEFP funds per student (for LCS) will be $7,126.25 – a slight increase over the current year of $2.06 or 0.03%;
· Post-recession funding gaps will remain for programs such as the ESE Guarantee ($992,000 for LCS below 2007-2008 levels), Supplemental Academic Instruction for LCS ($147,000 below 2007-2008 levels ($1,514,279 total funding), Safe Schools ($110,000 above 2007-2008 levels ($1,221,290 total). This increase is due to the high crime rate in Leon County. It is not due to increased funding from the state.), and Student Transportation ($358,000 below 2007-2008 levels ($5,093,465 total funding);
· The Leon County School District is serving 1,478 more students than were served in 2007-2008, thus increasing the destructive effect on associated services;
· For the second year in a row the Legislature reduced the required Local Effort (RLE) millage rate from the current 4.638 mills to 4.322 mills to maintain the total RLE contribution at the current year level. The RLE in the 2018 FEFP is actually $1.83 million less for Leon County Schools, a decrease of $54.04 UFTE;
· The Leon County School Board will be required to contribute approximately $500,000 more in FY 2017-2018 to the Florida Retirement System to cover required contribution rate increases;
· The retirement rate increase places the Leon County School Board in a $540,000 deficit from the very beginning point of the budget;
· This bill requires school districts to allocate a proportionate share of the discretionary capital outlay millage with charter schools. Statutory language had been permissive before this bill was created by allowing school districts to locally determine if they wanted to share their discretionary capital outlay millage with charter schools. Some districts did choose to share their proceeds. Leon County Schools had $91.4 million of unmet needs for FY 2017-2018, with a net amount of $20.8 million to meet those needs. Approximately $786,000 of that $20.8 million will fund charter schools instead of being used to alleviate district infrastructure needs;
· Leon County Schools can expect a health insurance increase of at least $1 million, in a year when funding has been cut;
· The Legislature created the “Schools of Hope” program for 25 traditional public state schools. It appropriated $140 million in funding for this untested program;
· The Legislature also appropriated $214 million in teacher “bonuses” for performance (highly effective and effective evaluations), not raises that are added to the base salaries, for certain qualified teachers through the Best and Brightest program. Bonuses do not enhance the salary structure to compete with other states for talented teachers.
Teachers are the best asset a school district has. Now, more than ever, it is important to invest, recruit and retain the highest quality teachers for our students. I am aware that both you and Commissioner Stewart have devoted resources- time, effort, and financial- during your tenure to accomplish this goal. The bonus structure that is currently outlined in HB7069 does not elevate teacher salaries; an important factor in recruiting and retaining teachers. Both the FEFP and HB7069 do nothing to advance our collective cause. In fact, they undermine it. If the Schools of Hope and the Best and Brightest funds were redirected to the FEFP, the overall statewide increase in funding would be $354 million. This would provide the Leon County School Board an additional $4.2 million to deliver basic educational services and provide teachers meaningful raises, instead of a “one-time” bonus.
In addition to the financial ramifications for Leon County Schools, HB7069 will negatively influence school instruction, school leadership, and student performance outcomes. Our school district will experience the following difficulties if HB7069 and the FEFP are not vetoed:
· HB7069 reduces transparency and accountability to improve schools and student performance;
· HB7069 requires many changes to instructional practices and the organization of schools, after the school year has started. This will result in chaos;
· HB7069 reduces the local autonomy of school principals to make instructional and personnel decisions as well as meet the professional development needs of teachers;
· HB7069 mandates that students return to paper-based testing, despite some schools fully integrating technology;
· HB7069 creates a one year $140 million program, Schools of Hope, that target 25 schools for improvement.
Finally, the budget conforming bill (HB7069), drafted under the cloak of secrecy, inappropriately functions as an implementing bill. This atypical legislative process cannot be the best method to influence change as there are too many unknowns and potential unintended consequences.
I urge you to exercise your veto on both the Fiscal Year 2017-2018 Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) and House Bill 7069 (Conference Report on SB 2500).
Thank you again for the leadership that you have displayed on behalf of Florida’s children. I welcome the opportunity to work alongside you to fight for Florida’s Future.
Sincerely,
Rocky Hanna
Superintendent