[chopchop0]

Let's see how many of you vilify him for this...

Rick Scott's budget: Scott proposes $66.4-billion budget with more money for schools - OrlandoSentinel.com

The governor's budget proposal includes:

•-- Increasing per-pupil spending to $6,372, an increase of about $142. Last spring, Scott and lawmakers imposed a $1.3 billion cut to public schools, cutting funding to about $6,230 per-student. The increase would amount to about $1 billion, and account for funding some 30,000 new students.

"I'm not signing a budget that doesn't significantly increase funding for education"

[bbronston]

I won't villify him but I have to scratch my head and wonder about the 'schizophrenic' nature of his budget policy.

[Maggi07]

It makes no sense. He doesn't think anything through.

I'm happy to see the money he took out of education going back, but it makes it clear that his original decision was made with complete lack of understanding and zero forethought, which is what I originally suspected.

[kyle19125]

It does seem a bit wishy-washy, flip-floppish. One wonders what the incentive was to give it back, perhaps he's already warming up for his re-election bid.....yikes.

[Jo48]

Charter Schools. Vouchers. The funding is to the student and is portable to where they want to go.

[vaughanwilliams]

Probably window dressing in response to having the worst approval rating in America. Besides, a proposal and reality are two different things. "Oh well, I proposed it and the Legislature shot it down. Move along now."

[Gatornation]

He realizes he'll never get elected again and his future political career is now at risk.

[OrlFlaUsa]

Could it not be as simple as he realizes he over cut education and is now replacing some of the lost funding?

[MiamiRob]

he still sukz (typo intended)! He should be sitting in a jail cell for defrauding Medicare instead of being in the Governor's mansion.

[hiknapster]

The rest of the story:

Even with the increase, the school-funding level would be roughly $460 less per-pupil than it was two years ago.

But while his budget is a good "first step," it would actually provide less money than districts have this year, Collins noted, because it does not totally replace the last batch of federal stimulus money that has helped shore up school budgets for several years.

"It doesn't do it," said Bill Vogel, superintendent of Seminole County schools.

Even with the governor's proposed spending increase, Seminole would still be facing nearly a $20 million shortfall for the coming year in part because Scott wouldn't cover the full loss of the federal money.

The district is already planning cuts that could include closing three schools, eliminating some teaching and coaching positions, and cutting back on summer school and janitorial services.