School Climate & Safety

Class-Size Fines on Horizon in Fla.

By Sean Cavanagh — January 19, 2011 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Florida school districts that can’t shrink the size of their classes could soon face shrunken state funding.

School systems across the state may have to absorb monetary penalties for not meeting the requirements of the state’s mandate to limit class sizes, approved by Florida voters in 2002 and phased in over time. By last fall, schools and districts were required to cap class sizes at 18 students for grades K-3, 22 for grades 4-8, and 25 for grades 9-12.

State law says that districts and charter schools that don’t comply with the mandate will lose a portion of their class-size categorical funds, with some of that money being reallocated to districts and schools that are in compliance. In late November, the state released a list of schools and districts showing that many weren’t hitting the required targets. Districts’ potential loss of funds ranged from a few thousand dollars to $6.6 million for Miami-Dade schools and $16.6 million for Palm Beach County schools, and totaled about $43 million in penalties statewide.

Schools and districts were given until mid-December to appeal those penalties to the state’s education commissioner, Eric J. Smith. The commissioner can recommend lowering the penalties if schools and districts can show that they haven’t met the mandate “despite appropriate efforts to do so, or because of an extreme emergency,” he explained in a letter to school and district leaders.

Interactive Map

A majority of states have at least one policy that limits the number of students that may be in a general education classroom, according to the Education Commission of the States, and several have relaxed those class-size policies since 2008.

SOURCES: Education Commission of the States; Education Week Library Director Kathryn Dorko and Library Intern Ruth Lincoln

This week, Florida’s board of education is expected to review those appeals. Mr. Smith is expected to submit his final recommendations on easing penalties to the state’s legislative budget commission next month.

Districts across Florida have struggled with the class-size requirements, and many school officials have complained that the legislature has not lived up to obligations to pay for the mandate. State officials say $19 billion has been provided in state money so far.

In November, Florida voters considered a ballot measure to raise class-size limits by three pupils in K-3 classes and five students in higher grades. The measure won a majority of votes—but not the 60 percent approval necessary to become law.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the January 19, 2011 edition of Education Week as Class-Size Fines on Horizon in Fla.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
The Future of the Science of Reading
Join us for a discussion on the future of the Science of Reading and how to support every student’s path to literacy.
Content provided by HMH
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
From Classrooms to Careers: How Schools and Districts Can Prepare Students for a Changing Workforce
Real careers start in school. Learn how Alton High built student-centered, job-aligned pathways.
Content provided by TNTP
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Whitepaper
The Future of School Safety
This report provides sensible answers and concrete solutions to help educators make evidence-based decisions to improve campus security.
Content provided by T-Mobile for Education
School Climate & Safety What Makes Schools Safe? Researchers Outline These 4 Key Recommendations
Researchers distilled dozens of studies to create practical school safety recommendations.
5 min read
Pictures of the Week North America Photo Gallery 23236807597084
Melissa Alvarez hugs her son, Ignacio, then 2, during a special session of the state legislature on public safety on Aug. 23, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn., following a deadly school shooting that March. New research drawing on scores of studies identifies some of the most important steps schools can take to stop violence on their campuses.
George Walker IV/AP
School Climate & Safety Spotlight Spotlight on Enhancing School Safety and Emergency Response
This Spotlight will help you explore proactive measures and effective strategies for enhancing school safety and emergency response.
School Climate & Safety Leading a District After a School Shooting Is Hard. These Superintendents Want to Help
A network of superintendents who've led districts after school shootings plans to support colleagues recovering from similar crises.
4 min read
Photograph of crime scene tape and school.
F. Sheehan for Education Week / Getty