Florida school boards to lawmakers: Show us the money

From the St. Petersburg Times Grade book

by Ron Mattus

With another tight budget year looming, here are some of the funding-related priorities from the Florida School Board Association's recently adopted legislative platform:

* Restore the authority for school boards to levy an additional .25 mills for critical operating or capital outlay needs.

* Restore the local authority to levy 2 mills for capital outlay purposes without impacting operating millage, and oppose any further reduction in this millage.

* Make the necessary changes to Florida's current tax laws in order to position Florida to join the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board so that Florida may collect the state sales tax due from online and remote sales.

* Restore equity in the distribution of PECO funding for traditional public schools and charter schools.

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/florida-school-boards-lawmakers-show-us-money