Will Florida try and balance its budget on the backs of schools and teachers again?

Tough times for a lot of people are here and more are coming, that being said I think teachers and public education which reinvented itself on the fly and proved they were essential to communities shouldn't accept it when  somebody invariably says, well you should be happy to have a job, if they have jobs that is.

Do they ever say that to the police or fire departments when they cut their budgets? Oh wait that's right they never cut those budgets, but you can bet your bottom dollar, hmm maybe you should save it, that they have cut education budgets before and if they can get away with it, will do it again.

From the Sentinel,

“Florida school districts could see 25% cut in state funding” via Scott Travis of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The coronavirus pandemic could result in cuts of up to 25% in state funding to public schools, Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie predicted.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/schools/fl-ne-broward-schools-bond-program-reserves-20200421-5uptueryszfptij4d3abpw5cvq-story.html?

Education is going to need a bail out, that's a fact.

From Ed Week,

America’s public schools will need $70 billion for three consecutive years in the next round of federal stimulus spending to avoid painful cuts such as teacher layoffs, according to a new analysis.

That level of spending—from fiscal analyst Michael Griffith—would help blunt the dramatic budget cuts that districts will likely be forced to make because of the economic fallout brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/04/20/how-much-federal-money-do-schools-need.html

Instead of getting to work however Mitch McConnell has said he doesn't plan to give any bailouts to the states and would prefer for the to declare bankruptcy to get this, get out of paying pensions.

From Bloomberg,

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday he favors allowing states struggling with high public employee pension costs amid the burdens of the pandemic response to declare bankruptcy rather than giving them a federal bailout.

“I would certainly be in favor of allowing states to use the bankruptcy route,” he said Wednesday in response to a question on the syndicated Hugh Hewitt radio show. “It’s saved some cities, and there’s no good reason for it not to be available.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-22/mcconnell-says-he-favors-allowing-states-to-declare-bankruptcy

McConnell has billions in public money for wall street, but not two nickels for main street and that is shameful.

Did you know DeSantis hasn't signed the budget yet? Well one of the reasons is despite the session ending almost two months ago is the legislature hasn't sent it to him yet because they know there will have to be a special session and cuts will be made.

From the Orlando Sentinel, 

The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature faces tough choices in balancing the $93 billion state budget decimated by the coronavirus crisis, decisions that could wipe out or drastically reduce teacher raises, road work, affordable housing projects and more. 

Lawmakers last month passed the spending plan based on revenue projections made in January, well before the coronavirus brought much of the economy to a halt. When state economists make new projections, likely no sooner than sometime in May, the Legislature will know how big of a hole they have to fill.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/coronavirus/jobs-economy/os-ne-coronavirus-state-finances-20200423-536yewce2jcpzlv57br5she2gu-story.html

Last time we had a go around like this was in 2009 with the great recession and it was on the backs of schools and teachers that Florida balanced its budget and undoubtedly that will be the plan again. The question you should ask is how much you will take... or won't.

Also don't forget that while the rest of the state recovered from the recession Public education and teachers were never made whole.