No More COVID Money, Florida School Funding Blame Game Begins

From 2020 and 2021, the state of Florida received billions in COVID-19 relief funding to dole out to school districts to help with students’ education during the pandemic.

Now the dollars have run out, local school districts are complaining they will have to cut spending and lay off workers and looking to blame Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

DUVAL COUNTY SCHOOLS

Last week, the interim school superintendent announced the district “has struggled to grapple with the loss of COVID-19-related relief funds,” and in part, it may mean hundreds of layoffs of district employees.

One of the local union groups, the Duval Teachers United, blamed state legislators for not spending enough on education.

Yet the district received over $300 million in COVID funds, raised the sales tax in 2020 and the local property tax in 2022, and increased their spending by 26%, around $500 million for their 2022-2023 budget.

VOLUSIA COUNTY SCHOOLS

Volusia said it received nearly $200 million in funding but will now have to “reorganize priorities” as COVID-19 funds run dry, and cuts will have to be made.

ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOLS

Orange County received over $850 million from COVID-19 relief. The school district says it may be approaching a “funding cliff.”

Money from the COVID-19 funds went to intervention programs, mental health counselors, staff bonuses, and social workers programs to help students recover from the “learning loss.” School districts around Florida argue if the state or local taxpayers don’t fill in the gap (money) from the loss of COVID-19 dollars, it will hurt the quality of education for students.

However, the dollar amount awarded to these districts didn’t improve the scorecards of students recovering from the pandemic.

According to data from a report titled ‘The Nations Report Card”, reading and math achievement is worsening.

Education Week, a news organization, released a survey showing 48% of school district leaders expect the states to cover the cost of the new programs when COVID money runs out. 37% expect to use local taxes to cover the difference.

Republicans have criticized school districts for spending too much on programs unrelated to increasing scores among students falling behind.

“These districts that took the COVID money to start “new programs” that weren’t needed were warned the money wouldn’t be there when it ran out. And now they are looking at the taxpayer to flip the bill once again,” said a former Talk Radio commentator and Florida State Rep. Matt Caldwell.

With the end of the 2023-2024 school year looming, Caldwell expects school districts will attempt to deflect criticism regarding their uncontrolled spending by complaining that Gov. DeSantis isn’t spending enough on education.