Strong, Smart Investments in Students & Families Demonstrate Sunshine State Leaders’ Commitment to Florida’s Future

Statement from Jeb Bush, Founder of the Foundation for Florida’s Future and Florida’s 43^rd Governor, on a state budget that puts students first.

“The pandemic’s impact on learning made this a high-stakes year for policymakers.

“Thankfully, they are making strong, smart investments to empower families with opportunity, close learning gaps and strengthen pathways to college and career.

“The leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, Senate President Wilton Simpson, House Speaker Chris Sprowls and budget chairs Senator Kelli Stargel and Representative Jay Trumbull promises our students strategic support and better opportunities now and in the future.”

 
Highlights of the 2021-22 fiscal year budget that was signed by Governor DeSantis today include:
 
Investing in Schools and Educators

• Increasing per-pupil funding to $7,795 – nearly $39 more than the current fiscal year.
• Using money from the American Rescue Plan to provide $1,000 bonuses to nearly 180,000 teachers and 3,600 principals.
• $550 million in teacher raises.

Empowering Families with Opportunity

• Funding for 61,000 new students to have access to private school choice opportunities.
• Funding for high-impact charter schools that serve low-income students. Lawmakers included $60 million for the “Schools of Hope” program to help these specialized charter school operators meet their goal of creating close to 50,000 seats for students in the coming years and.
• Equitable funding for charter schools with $183 million for construction and upkeep of facilities.

Bridging the Digital Divide 

• $140 million to bridge the “digital divide” with devices and broadband access to underserved areas.

Strengthening Pathways to College and Career

• Nearly $160 million for workforce training and a public dashboard to find high-paying, in-demand jobs in communities.
• $15.5 million for Dual Enrollment Scholarships to provide public, private and home school students with college acceleration opportunities.
• Free opportunities to take the ACT or SAT for high school juniors.
• $10 million for certifying and rewarding teachers to teach computer science.

Close Learning Gaps

• $7.6 million to provide $500 Reading Scholarship Accounts to parents of struggling young readers to invest in their learning.
• $14.5 million for early literacy screening and monitoring.