State Board of Education OKs legislative budget ask for next year

Education Board members approved the legislative ask with no discussion Wednesday.

The State Board of Education voted to ask the Legislature for $27.2 billion — up about $167 million from this fiscal year — for the 2025-26 education operating and fixed outlay budget.

“The education budget — it’s one of the largest budget items where we have discretion,” Chair Ben Gibson said during the meeting. “I think it really shows where the state of Florida’s priorities are. … I think this is something we can all be proud of.”

The Board unanimously approved the upcoming legislative request during a virtual meeting that lasted less than 30 minutes. The original in-person St. Augustine meeting was canceled as Florida prepares for Hurricane Helene.

The funding request, which includes $25.5 billion for operations and $1.7 billion for fixed capital outlay, is based on adding 51,423 more K-12 students in the 2025-26 school year, said Suzanne Pridgeon, Deputy Commissioner for Finance and Operations, as she presented to the Board.

Giving a highlight of the proposed budget, she said the Florida Department of Education wants to spend $50 more in the base student allocation, $100 million more in teacher compensation and $10 million more for safe schools.

“The overall approach to the budget this year was to be fiscally conservative and be attentive to the long-range financial outlook,” Pridgeon said. “Although the EDR (the Office of Economic and Demographic Research) outlook shows general revenue growing modestly, it also shows statewide based funding increasing at a faster pace.”

Education Board members approved the legislative ask with no discussion Wednesday.

One parent whose children attend St. Johns County School District said the District is going to the voters this November for its upcoming sales tax ballot initiative to help fund education. Meanwhile, the state is siphoning the public school system by expanding private school vouchers, the parent complained.

“Please consider better funding our schools so that it’s not our local School Board’s fault that we are so underfunded,” the parent said.