WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — State leaders push for over half a billion dollars to fund advanced education courses.
Efforts to preserve funding for Advanced Placement (AP), dual enrollment, and other college-level courses in Florida schools are on an optimistic trajectory.
WATCH BELOW: 'I wish we could do $100 million more into the program,' Rep. John Snyder says
Recent developments indicate that the Florida Senate and House have reached a consensus to allocate over half a billion dollars for these essential programs—an increase that exceeds prior funding levels.
Steps forward
WPTV's Joel Lopez reports that legislators have come together, overcoming initial proposals that aimed to cut funding by half.
Instead, lawmakers are now advocating for an additional $10 million, bringing total funding to historically significant levels.
This decision is poised to have substantial implications for students enrolled in advanced academic programs across the Sunshine State.
Cayden Johnson, a sophomore at Palm Beach Atlantic University, is one of more than 100,000 Florida students who have benefited from Advanced Placement courses according to the Florida Policy Institute (FPI).
“I took AP courses like AP Calculus and AP Physics, and they really prepared me for my college coursework,” he explained. “There are so many students that benefit from it.”
The impact of funding on students
According to FPI, programs like AP and dual enrollment not only enhance students' academic experiences but also pave the way for significant savings on college tuition.
Norin Dollard, a senior policy analyst at FPI, emphasized the importance of continued investment in educational programs, highlighting their impacts for students with diverse interests.
“We just need to keep investing in our school and our students," said Dollard. “It has very broad benefit to a lot of different kinds of students, students with different interests.”
Dollard pointed out that her own son entered the University of Florida as a second-semester sophomore due to the early college credits he earned through these programs, ultimately saving both time and money.
The need for increased allocations
In response to the recent funding agreement, the FPI is urging Florida's legislature to raise the base student allocation to reflect inflation rates.
According to the FPI, on June 3, the Senate proposed earmarking funding for advanced academic and technical education in a “categorical,” similar to the way that funding for class size reduction is earmarked.
The push to cut funding in half came after a district-wide survey by the Department of Education was conducted to see to see how the dollars are being used, is it enough money, are the dollars following the students.
Concerns arose when data revealed that around half of the funds allocated for advanced courses were being redirected to other areas.
"It's not about cuts; we want that dollar following the students and the programs they’re intended to support," representative John Snyder remarked.
Collaborative efforts for improvement
Both legislative chambers are now focused on finalizing regulations to ensure that districts effectively use the allocated funding.
"I wish we could do $100 million more into the program; but an extra $10 million is a good start, and we're going to continue pushing in that direction," stated Snyder, expressing a desire for even greater investment.
Representative Dana Trabulsy acknowledged the need for further scrutiny of the budget in the upcoming year.
She noted the importance of feedback from public stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and administrators, all of whom contributed significantly to the advocacy process.
“At the end of the day,” she stated, “it’s not how we start; it’s how we finish.”
Florida leaders are fine tuning the details of the proposal, then the half-a-billion-dollar funding allocation in the state budget will rest in the hands of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
