JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the Florida Legislature considers two bills that could slash funding for popular acceleration programs in public schools, students, parents and school district leaders are sharing vocal opposition to the changes.
The St. Johns County School District shared a flyer urging families to voice their support for the programs and tell their local lawmakers not to pass HB 5101 or SB 2510.
Here’s why:
HB 5101 would allow the Education Estimating Conference to predict how many students need funding and scholarships. Agencies and scholarship groups would provide data for these predictions, and the initial funding forecast would be reviewed by school districts before it is finalized.
SB 2510 would change how schools count students and how they receive funding based on virtual learning, career certifications, and enrollment numbers. This means funding would be based on estimates of how many students are expected to enroll, not the actual number. If the estimates are too low, funding cuts could follow.
House Bill 5101 was substituted for Senate Bill 7030 before passing a vote on Wednesday. Senate Bill 2510 passed a vote on the Senate floor 33-3 on Wednesday and is now under consideration in the House.
According to district leaders, Duval County Public Schools could lose up to $8 million in funding, and St. Johns County’s school district could lose $7 million.
St. Johns County says more than 17,000 students are enrolled in AICE, AP, IB, Dual Enrollment and CTE programs, and the funding supports exam fees, teacher training and support, textbooks and supplies, technology, teachers, school counseling, work-based learning opportunities and teacher bonuses.
The funding cuts could mean families would have to pay more for tests and materials, and there could be fewer courses and limited opportunities for students, including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge, Dual Enrollment, and Career and Professional Education.
Teacher quality and training could also suffer, and schools could lack the equipment needed for industry-standard training.
Students could miss out on valuable career exploration and real-world experiences. Last year, DCPS said 76% of graduates earned college credits through these programs.
St. Johns County urged its parents to contact the county’s legislative delegates:
Rep. Kim Kendall
Rep. Judson Sapp
Rep. Sam Greco
Sen. Tom Leek
In Duval County, Wolfson Academies is also rallying its community to be vocal in its opposition to the bills by taking part in an email campaign.
The community is encouraged to explain to local lawmakers how the bills relate to them specifically and how the programs that will be affected benefit students and families (like saving on college later because college credits can be earned in high school).
The school is also asking the community to highlight how the programs that will be affected directly benefit the Florida workforce and should not be cut.
Those who would like to have their voice heard on these or any other bills moving through Tallahassee can use this information to contact their elected officials: https://www.jacksonville.gov/departments/duval-legislative-delegation/delegation-members-jacksonville-info.
The school also shared direct email contacts for local lawmakers:
Senators
Clay Yarborough - Yarborough.Clay.web@flsenate.gov
Tracie Davis - Davis.Tracie.web@flsenate.gov
Representatives
Wyman Duggan District 12 - Wyman.Duggan@myfloridahouse.gov
Angie Nixon District 12 - Angie.Nixon@myfloridahouse.gov
Kimberley Daniels District 14 - Kimberly.Daniels@myfloridahouse.gov
Dean Black District 15 - Dean.Black@flhouse.gov
Kiyan Michael District 16 - Kiyan.Michael@flhouse.gov
Jessica Baker District 17 - Jessica.Baker@flhouse.gov
Nothing is set in stone yet. Both bills must be signed by the governor before any changes can take effect.
Cindy Pearson, District 3 Board Member for DCPS, explained that even with the bills passing, the House and the Senate have to come together to create their joint budget. That means there’s still room for negotiation to keep that program funding as it is now.
She encourages people to keep advocating and sharing their stories with legislators.
“Tell your story, how this is going to affect you as a student, or your student as a parent, or your school as a teacher, continue to reach out,” Pearson said. “But we will regroup after today and figure out what our talking points are, what our call to action is. So stay tuned. We’re going to continue to work on this.”
