Governor Rick Scott today visited Mitchell Elementary School in Tampa to highlight record K-12 education investments in his Securing Florida’s Future budget. Since Governor Scott took office, state funding for Florida’s K-12 public schools has increased by $3.2 billion or 36.7 percent, from a total amount of $8.7 billion in Fiscal Year 2011-12 to nearly $12 billion in the 2018-19 Securing Florida’s Future budget.
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.
