COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Florida’s governor is promising to build a better education system for your children.
Governor Rick Scott spent time visiting with students at Highlands Elementary in Immokkalee on Friday morning, where he spoke on his quest to raise the state’s funding investments towards the securing Florida's future budget.
The budget includes more than $21 billion in state and local funding for K-12 public schools.
“What’s great is if we fund education, all their needs are going to be met and we're creating opportunity. We've added almost 1.5 million jobs in the last 7 years. It’s because we have a great K-12 system, a great state college system, a great university system. We have to keep that up,” said Gov. Scott.
Money from the budget will go towards objectives including keeping students safe, computer science programs, and providing for the influx of students from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands following Hurricane Irma.
According to the governor’s office, the Securing Florida’s Future budget includes:
- More than $21.4 billion in state and local funding for Florida’s K-12 public schools. This historic funding equates to $7,497 per student – an increase of $200 per Florida student – the highest total funding, state funding and per-student funding for K-12 in Florida’s history;
- $15 million in funding for a brand-new program to expand opportunities for middle and high school students to learn coding and computer science;
- $10 million, for a total of $74.5 million, in funding for school safety initiatives that promote a safe learning environment;
- $12 million in funding to establish the English Language Learners Summer Academics program. This program will be focused on reading improvements and making sure students in grades 4 - 8 displaced by Hurricane Maria have access to summer academies; and
- Nearly $18 million, for a total of more than $63 million, in funding for the Teacher Classroom Supply Assistance Program. This proposal will increase funding by $100 per teacher from $250 to $350 annually.
