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Polk Among School Districts Facing Class-Size Penalty

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The Associated Press

Published: February 5, 2008

TALLAHASSEE — Less than one percent of traditional Florida public schools are in line for financial penalties for failing to meet Florida's class size reduction requirements after State Board of Education rulings Monday.

The board ruled 31 public schools were out of compliance for not meeting class size requirements, including schools in 14 of Florida's 67 school districts.

The board recommended the schools be penalized by having a total of $475,324 rerouted from their operational budgets, which include teacher salaries and supplies, to capital outlay for such brick-and-mortar solutions as building more classrooms.

The statewide teachers union and associations representing Florida's school boards and superintendents have urged lawmakers to repeal a law requiring the punishment, arguing deficient schools may need to hire more teachers rather than add class space to meet the size limits.

The schools facing penalties include 21 traditional and eight charter schools, public schools that receive tax dollars but are run by private organizations or public agencies other than school boards. They also include two traditional university-run laboratory schools.

That's 0.75 percent of all traditional public schools and 2.27 percent of charter schools. Another 57 schools that didn't meet class size reduction requirements were granted appeals on grounds including extraordinary growth, inability to hire sufficient teachers and data errors.

The Legislative Budget Commission, essentially a joint House-Senate committee, will have to approve the penalties later this month.

List Of Schools Cited

Some school districts are facing penalties for having schools that don't meet class size requirements after State Board of Education rulings Monday. Money will be transferred out of each school district's operational budget and into capital outlay for such things as building more classrooms. County school districts with at least one noncomplying school and the amounts they face losing from their operating budgets include:

•Alachua, $5,090

•Duval, $65,263

•Escambia, $11,509

•Franklin, $4,267

•Hardee, $19,967

•Lee, $27,716

•Leon, $13,249

•Manatee, $100,625

•Marion, $257

•Orange, $26,213

•Osceola, $94,095

•Polk, $6,462

•Putnam, $6,287

•Volusia, $28,666

Source: State Department of Education

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