Florida Virtual School money could be cut

Each year, Florida school districts get millions to reduce the size of their classes, as the law demands.

But what about a school that has no classroom?

The Florida Virtual School, which now draws 88,000 students to its online course offerings, received nearly $14 million in class-size reduction money this year, an amount that has grown by nearly 4,000 percent since it first received the funding in 2003.

Now that the Legislature is forced to close a $3 billion budget deficit, lawmakers from both chambers say it's time to take the school's pot of money.

"When you look at this logically, you have to wonder why it's getting class-size reduction funding," said Rep. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, and chairwoman of the House Pre-K-12 Appropriations Committee.

Since voters set limits on how big class sizes can get, the state has recognized the Orlando-based Virtual School as a public school district. That makes it eligible for money that helps schools hire more teachers to keep class sizes lower.

To the Virtual School, the class-size reduction money has become a critical part of its budget and represents about 15 percent of its state funding. With an online course enrollment that surges 30 percent to 40 percent annually, it's the fastest growing school system in Florida.

While it's become an easy target for lawmakers struggling with a souring economy, the school's chief executive said the money has enabled it to maintain its own student-to-teacher ratio, which currently is 170 to 1.

If lawmakers take it away, the ratio increases to 200 to 1, said Julie Young, the Virtual School's CEO.
"Class size has nothing to do with bricks and mortar," Young said. "We were designed to be a solution to the class-size amendment."

Now she has to convince House and Senate lawmakers of that before they begin negotiating their education proposals later this week.

At least one senator says the elimination of the Virtual School's class-size funding is an idea both chambers can agree on.

"I think there are some things we've overpaid," said Sen. Stephen Wise, a Jacksonville Republican who is chairman of the Senate's PreK-12 Appropriations Committee. "The quality of education there is superb, but these are tough economic times."