Educators are sounding the alarm about a proposed funding cut that could impact the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge, and dual enrollment courses offered at public high schools throughout the state of Florida.
The Florida House of Representatives passed a budget bill that slashes by half the amount of reimbursement given to school districts for students who do well on their exams.
We visited a Cambridge classroom at Norland Senior High School. The students in that room are challenging themselves academically and also earning college credit.
“When you look at a family that’s able to earn college credit for their children at no cost, that is a significant fiscal benefit to that family, and we’re facing very financially challenging times,” said Miami-Dade School Board member Dr. Steve Gallon.
The House budget cuts incentive payments from $600 million to $300 million for public schools to offer those rigorous courses.
“It is a reduction of opportunities, we’re not in the business of reducing opportunities for students, we should be fighting to promote and increase opportunities for all of our students,” Gallon said.
Currently, the state gives school districts $865 for every student who passes the IB and Cambridge exams and scores at least a three on the AP exam. The state also gives $1,622 for every student who earns industry certification in a career or technical education program. Anywhere from 54% to 95% of Broward and Miami-Dade students who take those courses meet that criteria. The money goes to train teachers, buy equipment for those classes, and recruit students.
“For those higher-achieving students, we need these opportunities so that we can keep encouraging them to do more and be the best that they can be,” said Toni Cooper, the dual enrollment coordinator at Norland High School.
House Speaker Daniel Perez sent us a statement saying, “The House budget does not cut funding for AP, IB, AICE, CAPE or dual enrollment courses. In fact, school districts will receive more money per student on average statewide. HB 5101 only adjusts a bonus formula that rewards districts when students pass certain exams—something that currently applies to only about 30% of students taking those courses. Even with that adjustment, the budget still includes over $300 million in bonus funding for these programs, on top of full course funding through the FEFP.”
“To try to make a case that it’s not actually a cut? Of course it’s a cut,” said Ron Steiger, the CFO of Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Steiger talked about the issue at the last school board meeting, saying the reimbursement program has sparked huge growth in advanced courses.
“All of this has worked really well, exactly as the state intended,” Steiger said.
Cooper sees the budget proposal as an attack on student ambition.
“It’s heart-wrenching, simply because I believe that our students would be limited in reaching their full potential,” Cooper said.
Gallon said he’s hopeful the Florida Senate will restore the funding before the budget bill gets to the governor’s desk.
