Florida school districts

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The Florida public school system (prekindergarten-grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards members and superintendents. Florida has sixty-seven public school districts with geographical boundaries that are identical to the geographical boundaries of Florida's 67 counties. There are also several special school districts.

The Florida state constitution requires that the state offer free and "adequate provision for the education of all children residing within its borders." Additionally, by 2010 the Florida Legislature requires that prekindergarten through grade 3 classrooms not exceed 18 students, grades 4 through 8 not exceed 22 students, and grades 9-12 not exceed 25 students.[1]

[edit] School spending

See also: Florida state budget
Florida's education costs are 1/3 of the state budget

The state of Florida had an approximately $65.5 billion budget for FY 2009, of that education was approximately a third of the total budget, $20.5 billion.[2] In 2009, in light of a national and state economic decline, state officials eliminated $466 million in education spending. Additionally, according to the 2008 Deficit-Elimination Package, they presented an option for school administrators to volunteer for pay cuts and limited the severance of teachers and administrators to one year.

The Florida Department of Education provides a list of past, current, and future school enrollment totals for each district.

  • On July 1, 2009, officials announced that the state's budget crisis has forced the state to eliminate summer school for 2009.[3]

[edit] Personnel salaries

Florida's school superintendents make impressive salaries in comparison to other states. For example, one superintendent is reported to make $298,756 a year. [4]

According to a May 2008 report by the Florida Department of Education, the average salary of a public school teacher in the 2007-08 school year was approximately $46,922, a $1,626 (3.6 percent) increase from 2006-07. In the 2006-07 school year the average salary was $45,296. In 2003 the average salary was approximately $40,598.

Monroe, Collier, Broward and Dade school districts have the highest teacher salaries in the state ranging from $50,000 to as high as $54,083 a year. [5]

[edit] Teacher contracts

In the state of Florida, teachers are usually hired on annual contracts. After a span of three years, teachers are typically awarded "professional service contracts," commonly known as tenure. Tenure offers special protections from firing, for example during layoffs and budget cuts. However, in recent years, the practice has come under scrutiny because some argue it makes it hard to fire "bad teachers" or has a tendency to "push out young teachers." Supporters of the practice argue that tenure helps draw people into teaching and that getting rid of the current system won't guarantee that firing decisions are based on "quality or need."[6]

[edit] Transparency

See also: Evaluation of Florida school district websites
  • In June 2009, a Florida circuit court judge ruled that "a man has no right to have access to thousands of names, addresses and telephone numbers of employees and their dependents enrolled in the Manatee County School District’s health insurance plan." Circuit Judge Edward Nicholas said the information is exempt under Florida law and cannot be requested. The ruling comes in light after Joel Chandler made a public records request for health insurance information from all the Florida school districts.[7]
  • In early 2009, Sen. Mike Fasano sponsored Senate Bill 468 is sponsored. The bill proposes to exempt personal identifying information regarding the health and benefit coverage of public school employees from the Sunshine Law. The transparency legislation was proposed in reaction to the outcry that arose after Joel Chandler requested the information.[8]
  • In May 2009, Polk County court judge ruled that Wes Bridges, the Polk County School District's lawyer, was guilty of violating the state's public records law despite the "admirable" attempt. Bridges pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge and was ordered to pay $275.50 in fine and court costs.[9] Bridges was charged on April 17 2009 after a complaint was filed stating that the attorney made continuous excuses for withholding public records after Joel Chandler submitted his request. [10]

[edit] List of school districts

Florida counties
Contents Top · 0–9 · A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

[edit] A

[edit] B

[edit] C

[edit] D

[edit] E

[edit] F

[edit] G

[edit] H

[edit] I

[edit] J

[edit] L

[edit] M

[edit] N

[edit] O

[edit] P

[edit] S

[edit] T

[edit] U

[edit] V

[edit] W

[edit] Special school districts

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ↑ Florida Constitution,"Article IX, Section 1," retrieved June 24,2009
  2. ↑ Florida state FY 2009 budget, retrieved June 24,2009
  3. ↑ The New York Times,"Florida among states cutting summer school classes," July 1, 2009
  4. ↑ Florida Superintendents make impressive salaries - they insist they are worth it
  5. ↑ Florida Department of Education, "Teacher Salary, Experience, and Degree Level, 2007-08," May 2008
  6. ↑ St. Petersburg Times,"Tenure often determines if Florida teachers keep jobs," April 9, 2009
  7. ↑ Bradenton Herald,"Judge rules employees’ info off limits," June 23,2009
  8. ↑ Florida Senate,"SB 468," retrieved June 29,2009
  9. ↑ The Ledger,"Polk Schools Lawyer Broke Law On Records," May 14,2009
  10. ↑ The Ledger,"School Board's Lawyer Faces Charges," April 18,2009
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