Fla. Senate Boosts Schools By More Than $1 Billion
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/AP) — Lawmakers in Tallahassee actually want to spend more money on state schools.
The Florida Senate is proposing a nearly $1.2 billion increase in state spending on schools.
A Senate panel on Tuesday rolled out its initial school budget that includes the proposed increase. The Senate proposal to boost state support for schools would increase per-student funding by 3.1 percent.
Gov. Rick Scott warned that he would veto the 2012 state budget if lawmakers did not set aside a significant amount of money for public schools. The House is scheduled to vote on a budget later this week that would increase per-student funding by 2.27 percent.
Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs and chairman of the Senate education budget committee, wants to use some of the extra money to pay for intensive reading training for students attending low-performing schools.
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