JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida legislators are working to preserve funding for school acceleration programs after months of uncertainty, though questions remain about the exact amount that will be maintained.
The Florida Senate and House are presenting different funding proposals for programs such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), and Dual Enrollment, which had previously faced potential 50% cuts.
State Sen. Danny Burgess announced Tuesday that full funding would be restored, with a structure allocating 80% directly to the programs and 20% as discretionary spending. “That has to go back to the school service,” Burgess said. “My understanding is that’s actually how it’s currently handled.”
However, Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka revealed a discrepancy during Wednesday’s budget conference.
“It’s my understanding in the Senate’s proposed FEFP, that they’re funding that supplement at around $418 million, which represents around 70% of what would be generated,” she said. The House’s proposal would provide “100% of what would be funded under today’s statutory weight system.”
Local students who advocated against the cuts are monitoring the developments closely.
“You’re not just doing this for your own school. You’re doing it for kids that would otherwise not have the opportunities afforded to them if these cuts were made,” said Tyler McDonald, a recent graduate of Darnell-Cookman.
Kaden Young, a rising senior at Fletcher High School, acknowledges the mixed messages but remains cautiously optimistic. “Obviously, it’s hard to see through what’s going on right now because it is conflicting. But the good news is that they’re talking about the cuts, and that’s what we’ve been fighting for, at least get the conversation going.”
Despite the positive developments, students express concern about having to defend these educational programs. “It’s great to see how it’s progressed and how we’ve had an impact, but also it still fills you with concern that it’s a matter of harm reduction, not how can we best fund our students and make sure that they have a future in this state,” McDonald said.
With the extended legislative session nearing its end, student advocates plan to intensify their efforts. “This is the point where we have to kick it into overdrive,” Young said. “We can’t stop fighting, because our fighting, our fight, has worked so far.”
Duval County Schools spokesperson Laureen Ricks stated, “While we do not comment on pending legislation, we can share that we continue to monitor this matter closely.”
