Rick Scott continues touting his education budget, calling it a “record” for education spending. According to Scott, his budget would increase per-pupil spending to $7,497, higher than ever before. But digging deeper into the math reveals the truth. 

 

When adjusted for inflation, that number is actually still well below pre-recession levels. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator, per-pupil spending would have to be roughly $8,358 the next fiscal year to simply equal the 2007-08 level. Regardless of Rick Scott’s talking points, the truth is that Florida’s education funding is still well below pre-recession dollars. From education funding to wages and jobs, Florida is still suffering from the recession under Rick Scott’s tenure. 

 

“Thanks to Rick Scott, Florida is still woefully behind the rest of the country in funding for schools and our students are suffering because of it. Scott may claim that the state has turned a corner after the Great Recession, but the truth is that Florida is still suffering from a recession in education, jobs and wages because of Rick Scott’s policies that only look out for the 1%. Simply put, Rick Scott doesn’t care about funding our schools – unless it’s the for-profit schools that write the checks for his campaigns.” said Florida Democratic Party spokesperson Johanna Cervone.

 

In addition to per-pupil spending lagging behind past statewide budgets, Florida is also below the national average when it comes to funding our students. The national average for per-pupil spending is $10,700. Even with Rick Scott’s supposed increase, Florida’s students will continue to be less competitive than their peers around the country because the GOP refuses to fully fund education. 

 

Rick Scott’s budget, and especially his education budget, is misleading at best. His numbers do not reflect the stark reality facing our schools: costs that continue increasing year after year and a stagnant budget that puts our students last and far behind the special interests that fund Rick Scott’s campaigns. 

 

 

###