On the heels of the recently concluded Florida legislative session, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced an additional $289 million for STEM programs, civics education, and after-school and summer learning programs.
“I am proud to announce an additional $289 million for programs that will improve student achievement and close learning gaps,” said DeSantis. “This announcement builds on our accomplishments over the past three years to make Florida a national leader on education, with our focus on civics, early literacy and STEM programs. I look forward to more announcements in the coming weeks as we continue investing in education for Florida students.”
According to an infographic released by the state, the money is broken down in six ways:
- $105 million for “after-school and summer learning camps,”
- $47 million for primary materials aligned to Florida’s new standards for English, Math, Civics and Holocaust Education,”
- $50 million to “support reading intervention and professional development for reading coaches,”
- $44 million to “support STEM and hands-on learning programs,”
- $22.5 million for “resources to help parents to be more involved in their children’s education” and
- $5 million to “establish Regional Mental Health Resiliency Teams that serve students.”
DeSantis made the announcement at Hialeah Educational Academy and was joined by Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran.
“Governor DeSantis continues to make the right call when it comes to working to provide a world-class education to our students,” said Corcoran in a prepared statement. “Florida continues to emphasize and command focus on the key pillars of learning, especially for early grades and students represented in achievement gaps, with wrap-around supports for literacy, mathematics and the civic literacy skills necessary to elevate our students into lifelong learners and great citizens.”
The announcement comes on the heels of DeSantis marking the concluded legislative session as the “year of the parent in the State of Florida” based on the number of education-related issues heading to DeSantis’ desk.
Among the notable pieces of legislation include the Parental Rights in Education bill that prohibits instruction related to “sexual orientation or gender identity” in grades K-3. Also, DeSantis and Florida Republicans overhauled the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA), and replaced it with incremental progress monitoring throughout the school year.
The Legislature also passed a bill imposing term limits for school board members to a total of 12 years, or three terms. DeSantis requested only two terms for school board members, but will still likely sign the legislation.
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at The Florida Capital Star and The Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
