Budget conference: Chambers move closer on K-12 school funding, teacher pay hike differences remain

Florida lawmakers inched closer to an agreement on pre-K-12 schools funding, with the House coming to Senate spending levels for mental health and school security funding, but the chambers remain divided on how to boost teacher pay.

In the latest House offer the total public schools budget would be $28.4 billion, a $1.8 billion increase over the current year. That comes to $8,959 per student, a $240 increase over the current year.

The House agreed to spend $290 million for the safe schools portion of the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP), the main funding formula for public schools. That’s $40 million more than the budget (HB 5001) it passed earlier in the Session. The latest offer also matched the Senate preference for $180 million for mental health assistance, or $20 million more than the original House budget.