Florida's school districts have lost out on millions for the coming year because Gov. Charlie Crist shot down a plan to provide them extra cash from an account that comes from gun-permit fees. More here.
Here's what happened: Crist in late May vetoed a $6 million "raid" on a separate state account that comes partially from the fee paid by Floridians seeking concealed-weapon permits. The governor took that action at the suggestion of Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson and gun-rights advocates. That's because money from the permit fees is used to pay the cost of processing permits. There has been a surge in permits this year.
But it turns out that legislators made school funding contingent on nearly $600 million in trust fund sweeps. So when the Department of Education sent out the latest school funding numbers this month it deducted the $6 million from all 67 school districts.
Here's how much some districts lost due to the veto:
Miami-Dade: $778,718
Broward: $574,453
Hillsborough: $445,103
Palm Beach: $386,260
Orange: $364,829
Duval: $286,390
Pinellas: $237,131
Polk: $213,286
Lee: $185,520
Seminole: $145,080
Leon: $75,464
Volusia: $137,920
Now the districts did not get a cut in funding because higher property values helped offset the potential difference. In March economists predicted a property value base for school districts that was $22 billion less than the final tax roll authorized in July.
Still it is money that schools did not get. A spokesman for Gov. Crist said that the governor knew that the veto would affect school funding and "exercised his line item veto authority accordingly."
Sen. J.D Alexander, R-Lake Wales and chairman of the Senate budget committee, said lawmakers placed the school funding provision in the budget to try and prevent Crist from being able to "pick and choose" which trust funds would be spared.
"You can't have your cake and eat it too - we couldn't and he shouldn't," said Alexander.
Look here to see a listing of the veto impact on all 67 school districts. It's on page 3 of the document and says proration for veto. Download Millage rate attachment
