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Jim Hamilton: state funding shifts and voucher growth have squeezed Santa Rosa’s discretionary school dollars
Summary
Independent consultant Jim Hamilton told the Santa Rosa County School Board that recent changes to the Florida Education Finance Program and rising scholarship (voucher) enrollment have rolled previously categorical funds into the base, reducing the district’s discretionary revenue and leaving little room for new recurring expenses.
Jim Hamilton, a consultant who has worked in Florida school finance for decades, told the Santa Rosa County School Board on Feb. 3 that recent state funding changes and faster growth in scholarship (voucher) enrollments have sharply reduced the district’s discretionary operating dollars.
Hamilton said roughly 92% of operating revenue for districts like Santa Rosa flows through the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP), and that three state-level changes over recent years have eroded locally available funds: several categorical line items were rolled into the FEFP base; a state-funded discretionary supplement was added to offset local differences; and some weighted/add-on FTE calculations were modified. He told the board those moves made the district appear to have larger increases…
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