Protect Funding for College & Career Readiness Programs—Take Action Now!

Parents and communities who value the college and career options at their high schools need to take notice and take action. 

SUMMARY:

Florida lawmakers are proposing significant cuts to funding for college and career readiness programs in high schools, despite previously celebrating their success. While state leaders debate $5 billion in tax cuts, the proposed education budget slashes incentive funding for Career and Technical Education (CTE) and college-level programs (AP, IB, DE, AICE) by a full 50%. Despite a projected $2 billion surplus, proposed budget increases for K-12 education are minimal (0.7%-1.5%), failing to keep pace with inflation.

With Florida facing future deficits of up to $7 billion, education funding could worsen. Concerned parents and communities should contact their representatives to oppose these cuts and protect vital college and career readiness programs in public schools.

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While the Governor argues for $5 billion in property tax relief and the House Speaker wants $5 Billion in Sales Tax reductions, the Florida Legislature is poised to balance its preK-12 Education Budget by cutting funding for career and college readiness.

I kid you not…

WARNING: this is going to get a little technical.

For the last 3 years, Florida saw an influx of new residents, a robust GDP and a General Fund balance bolstered by federal American Rescue Plan funding. During the same time, legislators approved significant investments in environmental programs, state infrastructure projects and expansion of voucher funding to hundreds of thousands of students already in private school. Now, lawmakers are proposing “austere” budgets, including massive cuts to successful career and college readiness programs.

For years, Florida’s lawmakers have focused on the importance of “college and career readiness.” 

Today’s middle and high school students, enrolled in Career and Technical (CTE) programs, can earn industry certifications preparing them to directly enter the workforce. High school students can, also, participate in college-level programs (Advanced Placement-AP, Dual Enrollment-DE, International Baccalaureate-IB and AdvancedInternational Certificate of Education-AICE), graduating not only college ready, but with college credits that will reduce the cost of higher ed (for both the student and the state). Success in these programs also enhances a students’ college application and is expected for admission at top universities.

For the past decade or more, Florida has incentivized high school student enrollment in CTE programs and college-level courses by:

• Offering a weighted GPA.
• Offering college credit or valuable career certifications
• Funding bonuses to teachers whose students pass the assessments/certifications
• Including the percentage of graduates earning passing scores (AP, IB or AICE) or a passing grade in dual enrollment or an industry certification in the school grade calculation.

CTE programs and college-level courses are expensive and Florida’s PreK-12 funding formula supports them by providing additional funding to schools for students successful in such programs. Schools use the so-called add-on weights to fund, enhance and expand these programs. Currently, the add-on weights are worth $865 for AP, IB and AICE exams and up to $1,622 for high school students completing a full CTE program with certification.

The incentives have worked. In 2020, Governor DeSantis and Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran celebrated Florida’s leading the nation in Advanced Placement exam participation, saying “Advanced Placement courses are a gateway to achieving success in college, career and ultimately in life, and I am extremely proud of these results. Under Governor DeSantis’ bold leadership, Florida will continue making tremendous strides in student success.”

The incentives have worked to expand CTE, as well. In February, designated as Career And Technical Education Month In Florida, the Governor celebrated the states record-breaking Career and Technical Education enrollments, enrolling over 800,000 K-12 students in CTE programs in 2025.

Those days appear to be over.

This week, the Florida Senate released a budget calling for a 50% reduction in the add-on weight/incentive funding for students enrolled in college-level programs (AP, DE, IB and AICE). The House budget ALSO calls for 50% reductions in add-on weight/incentive funding for CTE certification.

In addition, the budgets are recommending minuscule increases in per-pupil funding of 0.7% (House) or 1.5% (Senate), both well below the rate of inflation and less than needed to fund anticipated cost increases for insurance, utilities and school safety officers.

Lawmakers are trying to spin the cuts as simply moving half the funds into the Base Student Allocation (BSA) portion of the state funding funding fomula, making the use of those funds more flexible to districts. But with BSA increases of 0.95%-1.25% increases, it appears they are literally funding the BSA with the cuts they’re taking from the program add-on weights.

How did we get here?

Less than a year ago, in May 2024, Governor DeSantis addressed a Florida homeschool convention, telling the audience that Florida’s budget surplus is SO big “I don’t know what to do with all this money!” DeSantis celebrated a booming economy with an annual GDP of nearly $1.3 trillion, an overall debt level at a 25 year low and $17 Billion in reserves. Times were (briefly) good -though preK-12 funding increases never exceeded inflation.

Last fall, however, the Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research released it’s Long-Range Financial Outlook report for fiscal years 2025-26 through 2027-28. It forecasted a far less rosy future, with a projected budget surplus of $2 Billion in FY2025-26 folllowed by a nearly $3 Billion deficit in FY2026-27 and a nearly $7 Billion deficit in FY2027-28.

The Long-Range Financial Outlook identified several fiscal strategies to eliminate a projected budget gap. These options included:

• Reduced Program Growth and/or Budget Reductions
• Reduction or Elimination of the Revenue Adjustments Affecting Taxes and Fees
• Revenue Enhancements and Redirections
• Trust Fund Transfers
• Reserve Reductions

Currently, leadership is arguing over whether $5 Billion tax cuts should enacted via sales tax or property tax (in direct contradiction to the sugested fiscal strategies) at the same time it is slashing funding for successful college and career readiness…

Remember, according to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, this is supposed to be the good budget year, the one with the $2 billion surplus. If this is what education funding looks like in a good year, how will schools survive budgets dealing with 3-7 billion dollar deficits?

On Wednesday, Students from Leon County’s Rickards High School, a Title I high school with robust International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement programs, testified before the House Budget committee extolling the benefits of the rigorous college preparatory programs. The repeatedly noted that their family chose Rickards because of these programs and, in a state that values “the money following the child” they believed the money should continue to follow them to their public school choice.

I believe a state that balances its education budget on the backs of hard working public high school students, who are excelling in the programs Florida celebrates, while fully funding $4 billion in private school vouchers/tuition discounts, has its priorities messed up.

It is time to call your state representatives and demand they continue to fully fund add-on weights/incentive funding for essential college and career readiness programs like CTE, AP, IB, DE and AICE. Remember, the Senate is proposing cuts to the advanced college readiness courses. The House is ALSO cutting vital CTE funding.

The House Prek-12 Budget (HB5101) sponsor is Rep Jenna Persons-Mulicka : (850) 717-5078

House Budget Chair is: Rep Lawrence McClure : (850) 717-5068

You can find your state representative here: https://www.flhouse.gov/FindYourRepresentative

The Senate Prek-12 Budget (SB2510) sponsor is Sen Danny Burgess : (850) 487-5023

Senate Appropriations Chair is: Sen Ed Hooper : (850) 487-5021

You can find your state senator here: https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Find