Bush Still Playing Games with
Education Budget.
By: Steve Schale
Published: February 2, 2006
If the Legislature implements the Bush budget as proposed, public education
spending as a percentage of general revenue will fall to the lowest level in
ages.
In the budget he proposed today, education spending will make up some $14
billion out of a $27.9 billion general revenue budget---or just barely 50.1%
of all undedicated tax revenues. Further, the raw amount of GR dedicated to
the Florida Education Finance Programs line-item is just $6 million more
than what the legislature approved in the 2005-2006 state budget.
This proposal continues the trend that started when Governor took office of
annually reducing the percentage of GR spending dedicated to public
education. If education simply received the share of GR (55.4%) that was
dedicated to it in 1999, the total education budget from general revenue
would be more than $15.4 billion--- more than enough to reduce class sizes
and increase teacher quality and pay.
Education’s reduced priority in the state budget is a salient part of the
debate. It seems counterintuitive to give the Republicans credit for
increasing education spending, when in fact they are actually reducing
educations share of state tax revenues and claiming that we can no longer
afford the types of investments that would create a world class system of
neighborhood schools.
Steve Schale is the Political Director for the Florida Democratic Party, House Victory, and is a near lifelong resident of North Florida. He has worked on more than two dozen federal and state elections since 1996.
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