A House panel approved a measure Tuesday that would ease class-size penalties on districts by calculating those fines based on a school-wide average. The proposal (HB 189), which would not change the class-size limits, was approved unanimously by the Education Appropriations Subcommittee despite the qualms of some members.
Districts have long argued for flexibility on the class-size standards that voters placed in the state Constitution in 2002. Many say it’s a logistical headache to follow the hard caps.
“We are trying,” said Georgia Slack, a lobbyist for Broward County schools. “I don’t think we’ll ever be at 100 percent.”
But there was bipartisan concern that, by easing the penalties for violating the rules, the bill could lower the incentives for districts to go along.
“What I don’t want to see is teachers being laid off. … I just want to caution that this approach is slowly eating at the class-size amendment in the Constitution,” said Rep. Dwayne Taylor, D-Daytona Beach.
