Still trying to find a way to thwart the will of the Florida voters, a bill to loosen class size caps is making its way through the Republican-controlled Legislature, having sailed through an Education sub-committee and currently awaiting hearing by the Senate Budget subcommittee, before making its way onto the Senate Floor.
The bill (SB 1466), filed by Senator David Simmons (R-District 22) makes provision for class size caps to be extended temporarily by three to five students in core subjects, for those who enroll after October and if the school board determines that, not assigning the student would be impractical or disruptive to student learning. The bill also markedly reduces the number of subjects considered “core curriculum courses” covered by the class size caps.
Florida voters were clear in 2002 when they approved a constitutional amendment that capped classroom sized at 18 students in lower grades, 22 in middle grades and 25 in a high school classroom. And again, last November, voters rejected a ballot measure–Amendment 8–which sort to weaken class sizes, allowing schools to use a school-wide average to determine class size, rather than on a class-room basis.
The proposed bill also states, if the maximum class size cap is exceeded temporarily, the district school board should develop a plan to ensure that the school will be in full compliance by the following October.
As yet, there is no similar bill in the House, but passage of SB 1466 by the Florida Legislature, no doubt, would lead to the permanent unraveling of class size caps.
Although the Constitution requires that the Florida Legislature fund a quality education system, since 2007, the state has been failing to do so.
Currently, Florida ranks 50th out of 50 states in per capita funding for K-12 public education and 39th in per pupil funding. And as a percentage of total resources only 3.1 percent is spent on education, ranking Florida 42nd in the nation.
The loosening of class size caps would allow even more to be cut from the education budget even though Floridians did not want flexibility on class size caps, not even temporarily. They voted instead to ensure that their children got the time and attention needed from teachers in classrooms of a certain size and educators have noted the substantial gains, as a result.
Now Republicans are trying once more, to find a way around the Florida Constitution and to subvert the will of the Florida voters.
It is estimated that SB 1466 would save school districts $70 million annually.
While the bill unanimously passed the Senate sub-committee last Thursday, the news.press.com reported, a spokesman for the Florida Education Association (FEA), Mark Pudlow said, the statewide union is opposed to the bill.
