Local education leaders and teachers are warning parents, the state education spending proposal that's waiting for Governor Rick Scott's signature, is bad for your child's education.
The governor asked for a 3% increase in spending per student-but only got a fraction of that. Not enough local educators say.
“As a teacher and a parent, we already know what we’ve been doing and I foresee it, unfortunately, only getting worse," says former Teacher of the Year winner in Palm Beach County, Stacey Greenberg.
According to the National Education Administration, Florida ranks 49th when it comes to per capita spending from local and state governments for public K-12 schools.
This minuscule increase won’t help, says Calusa Elementary Principal Dianne Rivelli-Schriber.
“I think what’s happening is they’re not realizing that the cost of living is increasing," Rivelli-Schriber.
Greenberg is an 18-year teaching veteran. She teaches deaf and hard of hearing students at Indian Pines Elementary in Lantana.
She, like so many other teachers, buy essential supplies that the current budget can’t afford.
“Hundreds. Hundreds of dollars per year out of pocket," she says.
Teachers can get some for free from Red Apple Supplies.
“The need in our classroom is already tremendous, we only anticipate that if this passes, the need will grow even bigger," says Palm Beach County Education Foundation CEO Christina Lambert.
“Which I’m worried about because teachers could say, okay, I’m done," Greenberg says. "That’s a big fear that I have, is teachers are going to realize how much they put into this and what little we’re getting back.”
It’s possible for the governor to veto some parts of the budget and not others. If this passes, the budget will take effect in July.