Mike Haridopolos Representing Florida Senate District 26

Florida Senate’s education budget protects classrooms

Mar 28, 2009

Fla. Senate’s education budget
by Cheryl Getuiza

Florida State Senators have laid out a plan to save education, which is music to the ears of Central Florida leaders. “Certainly, we would restore the teachers as a priority,” said Seminole County Public Schools Superintendent Bill Vogel.

Seminole County is facing $65.5 million in cuts. The Senate’s plan would drop the cuts to $1.2 million.

Vogel said it would make a huge difference. “Our priority would be to restore the reductions that we’ve had to propose at the school level.”

Senator Mike Haridopolos is the Senate Appropriations Committee Chair. He said the plan has three components. The first component is money from the federal stimulus plan.

“We are going to get that stimulus money. We are very confident about that. I think the governor has done a great job,” said Haridopolos.

Gambling revenue from the Seminole Indians are also a possibility. “Make sure gambling is allowed a little bit than before, because that’s a user fee that’s not a tax,” added Haridopolos. “Whether you like it or not, people do it on the internet, so why not do it in the right way—regulated by state and schools are funded.”

The third component would involve moving money around from various budgets.

“Right now, schools are not growing. In fact, instead of building new classes with construction dollars ... use

those construction dollars for teachers and make sure the money goes back into the classrooms,” Haridopolos concluded.

View components of the Senate budget plan - PDF

The senator said the plan will free up billions of dollars. “I think we’re talking somewhere upwards of $2 to $2.5 billion. It’s a huge chunk of money. Gambling, almost a billion dollars.”

The House has to come up with a similar plan, then the governor has to approve it. The House is expected to look at the budget next week.

Reprinted from http://www.myfoxorlando.com