early learning
State Budget
Voucher Expansion
KIDS COUNT
child care
improve access to child care
Fully Fund K12
Education
By
Norín Dollard, PhD
|
August 22, 2024

Florida FY 2024-25 Budget Summary: Education

‍The state budget for fiscal year (FY) 2024-25 totals $116.5 billion after accounting for $949.6 million in vetoes, a decrease of over $2 million compared to prior-year funding. Concerning funding sources, the budget incorporates $48.6 billion in General Revenue Fund dollars, $30 billion from state trust funds, and $37.9 billion in federal funds.

Current Landscape 

Problems in Florida’s public education system that were exacerbated by COVID-19 persist even in a post-pandemic era. On the supply side, child care shortages continue statewide due to staffing shortages.[1] On the demand side, parents continue to be faced with child care costs that place a significant strain on their household income. These costs account for 13 to 30 percent of household income for families at 85 percent of the state median income, and much more for those who are paid less.[2] In K-12 education, schools continue to struggle with shortages among teachers and instructional support staff, such as bus drivers. Critical shortages of special educators, which predated the pandemic, are still severe.[3]

Federal funding has played a significant role in bolstering the state’s investments in education over the past few years. In 2020 and 2021, the federal government passed three relief laws that infused the state’s child care and education systems with billions of supplemental dollars to support the needed response to the pandemic and address revenue drops. Between the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), the 2020 Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA), and the 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARPA), Florida K-12 and higher education systems received $16.2 billion,[4] with an additional $3.3 billion allocated for early learning and child care.[5]

Of the state’s Education Stabilization Fund,[6] made up of dollars from CARES, CRRSAA and ARPA, $14.6 billion (90 percent) had been expended as of June 30, 2024. (See Table 1.) Not surprisingly, 98.9 percent of CARES funds, the earliest federal relief package, have been expended for elementary and secondary schools and workforce development. Nearly all of the CRRSAA funds (96 percent), the second category of COVID-19 relief funds allocated, have been expended. Plans to allocate the remaining Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds from ARPA are fully approved by the United States Department of Education, with 80.1 percent of Florida’s ARPA funds spent. All funds must be obligated or encumbered (i.e., set aside or committed for a specific purpose) by September 30, 2024, and spent by September 2025. Funding was also made available for non-public schools under CRRSAA, of which 83.7 percent has been expended.

Dollars from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEER), which combines CARES, CRRSAA and ARPA funds, were awarded directly to institutions in both the Florida College System and State University System. HEER funds were available for spending through September 30, 2023, and 99.2 percent have been expended.[7]‍

In 2023, the Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 1, which made Florida’s education vouchers universal. Under this law, there is no longer an income eligibility cap for K-12 participants, and most K-12 students can receive vouchers to either be home-schooled or attend private school.[8] The significant cost of this expansion — upwards of $4 billion[9] — will have major  impacts on public school budgets for the foreseeable future. The 2024 legislative session was marked by bills that sought to correct aspects of HB 1’s implementation, particularly around accountability. For example, HB 1403, passed in the 2024 legislative session, enacted some accountability provisions and, pursuant to HB 1 (2023), provided an overhaul of the K-12 education code[10]. 

Budget 

EARLY CHILDHOOD AND PRE K-12 EDUCATION

Florida voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2002 that mandated the state provide free, quality, universal voluntary pre-Kindergarten (VPK). The program pays for three hours of educational programming a day for four- and five-year-old children. There is no income eligibility and 67 percent of eligible four-year-old children in the state attend VPK, the second highest participation rate in the country.[11] However, many families find themselves struggling to pay for the remainder of each day’s services. While Florida ranks high on access to child care through VPK, the state ranks 42nd in the nation for its per-student VPK spending ($3,142).[12] Three hours a day is not enough to support a robust, quality education for all of Florida’s children or to enable all parents to fully participate in work and school opportunities.

The pandemic has also had a continuing impact on the child care landscape in the state and nation. Many of Florida’s centers shut their doors in spring of 2020 and then reopened with support of CARES Act dollars. The federal funds were administered through the state, which prioritized serving children of first responders and paying providers according to enrollment instead of attendance, girding against the worst predictions about the sector from early in the pandemic.[13] Federal COVID-19 relief dollars for child care have had a demonstrable impact on the price of child care, enhanced child care provider stability, and increased access to reliable care.[14]

With the end of COVID-19 relief funding, parents face potential increases in child care costs, while child care staff face stagnant incomes and child care providers grapple with reduced capacity or closure.[15] Specifically, 2,196 child care centers are estimated to be at risk of closure, affecting 212,729 children.[16] The Florida Chamber of Commerce found that child care shortages result in a loss of $5.4 billion, including $911 million in lost tax revenue and $4.5 billion due to employee absenteeism and job turnover.[17] The report also found that 64 percent of parents of young children had missed work or school due to child care issues in the preceding three months.

Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten

The total allocation for VPK increased by $11 million to $438 million, an increase of 2.6 percent from FY 2023-24. The base student allocation (per-pupil funding level) increased by 3 percent to $3,029 for the 2024-25 school year and $2,586 for the summer program.[18] There has been a continued decline in VPK participation since 2013-14, which was accelerated during the pandemic due in part to affordability of child care beyond the three hours per day funded for VPK.[19] This decline slowed in 2022-23 and 2023-24 and is expected to increase slightly this year and into future years as the state’s population of 4-year-olds continues to rise.

School Readiness Program

Florida’s School Readiness Program offers financial assistance to families with low income for early education so parents can work and their children will be prepared for school. Most of the funding comes from the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant in addition to general revenue and other federal funds. In all, $1.2 billion is allocated to school readiness in FY 2024-25. The FY 2024-25 budget includes an $89 million increase in school readiness, which expands access to the program overall and reduces waiting lists.

Even pre-pandemic, many Florida families were unable to access school readiness vouchers to assist with the ever-increasing cost of child care. In FY 2022-23 there was an average of 5,239 children on the waiting list in any given month, a reduction of 3,251 from the previous fiscal year.[20] In FY 2022-23, 209,986 children were enrolled in school readiness programs statewide.[21]

In FY 2023-24, funds were allocated to expand school readiness eligibility to families with income up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level — $62,400 for a family of four — if there were adequate local matching funds.[22] In FY 2024-25, $30 million in non-recurring funds was again allocated for this expansion contingent on matching funds.[23]   New, non-recurring funding of $23.1 million was allocated for the School Readiness Plus Program, which would enable families with income between 85 and 100 percent of the state median income to receive child care subsidies. This range makes families of three with income between $63,471 and $74,672 eligible for the program.[24],[25]

While the expansion is much needed, the use of non-recurring funds means that the sustainability of the added capacity is not guaranteed in future years.

Increasing funding for early learning and child care

Increasing access to early learning and child care is an essential part of the economic engine and child care providers are described as “the workforce behind the workforce.”[26] During the 2024 legislative session, several bills were introduced related to early learning that would have increased access to child care for Florida families. Proposals included:

  • universal early child care vouchers (SB 1288[27]/HB 1197[28])
  • expanding VPK from three to eight hours (SB 294[29]/HB 427[30]) 
  • increasing income eligibility for school readiness (SB 120[31]/HB 1437[32])
  • providing affordable sliding scale copayments for child care (SB 916[33]/HB 929[34])

Only one measure, which allows for tax credits to employers who provide or subsidize child care for their employees (SB 820[35]/HB 635[36]), was enacted into law and included in the tax package, HB 7073.[37] Nevertheless, the number of bills introduced signals an understanding that greater investment in child care is needed. There are options to increase revenue that could be used for early learning and child care, including using unallocated general revenue, estimated at $7.8 billion in 2023-24,[38] reallocating tobacco settlement funds to child care, levying an excise tax on e-cigarettes, or earmarking recreational marijuana sales tax revenue for early learning.[39]

K-12 EDUCATION

Providing quality education to all of Florida’s students is a core constitutional responsibility of the state government and critical to economic growth. Adequate state funding for education provides the foundation for students to compete in an ever-changing economy, and it helps to attract highly qualified teachers and foster equity and fairness in Florida’s education system. During the Great Recession, many states reduced their education funding due to lost tax revenue.[40] In many states, Florida among them, there was not renewed investment in education as the economy improved.  Nationally, the inflation adjusted Gross Domestic Product increased by 17 percent between 2008 and 2018, whereas public K-12 spending increased by only 6 percent.[41]

Increasing teacher pay has been a focus of policymakers over the last few years, and the budget includes much-needed funds to boost educator pay. Though Florida has made progress with starting teacher pay and is now ranked 16th nationwide, the state also ranks 50th in the nation for its average teacher pay of $53,098.[42] In the FY 2023-24 budget, there is an additional $202 million for teacher salaries, bringing the total teacher salary allocation to $1.25 billion.[43] However, when accounting for inflation, greater investment is needed, as teacher pay declined by 11.2 percent in Florida between 2014 and 2023.[44] (See Figure 1.)

In FY 2021-22,[45] schools received 32.9 percent of their funds from state funds, 49.1 percent from local sources (including the Required Local Effort portion of Florida Education Finance Program [FEFP] funds), and 18 percent from federal sources. The FEFP is the funding formula that combines federal funding, state general revenue, and local tax dollars. The formula allocates these dollars on a per student basis and accounts for student grade level, the district they live in, whether they have a disability, and other factors to ensure equitable distribution of education funding.[46]

The FY 2024-25 budget includes:

  • ‍$2.8 billion in FEFP funds for Family Empowerment Scholarships.[47] This contrasts with the $1.4 billion expended in FY 2022-23,[48] and $2.1 billion expended in FY 2023-24 from the FEFP.[49] There is an additional $50 million appropriated in the back of the bill to augment unexpended funds from the $350 million placed in an Education Stabilization Fund last fiscal year for potential cost overruns associated with the expansion of vouchers.[50],[51] This is in addition to the $1.1 billion approved for voucher expenditures by the Department of Revenue for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarships.[52] The 2024-25 budgeted amount of $3.9 billion very closely aligns with the $4 billion estimated by Florida Policy Institute and Education Law Center in 2023.[53] As vouchers continue to increase, there will continue to be a significant impact on public school budgets. Step Up for Students, the state’s primary scholarship funding organization, recently announced it had awarded more than 460,000 scholarships for 2024-25.[54]
  • $1.192 billion in additional dollars for the state’s portion of the FEFP funding, bringing the total state funding to $15.5 billion.[55] Local funding also increased to $12.9 billion, as did per pupil spending and the base student allocation (BSA), which increased by 3.7 percent. Increases to the overall education budget generally and to the BSA particularly are critical, given the state’s ranking of 42nd in per pupil expenditures.[56] However, the BSA still lags when adjusted for inflation. The BSA for FY 2007-08 would equal $5,951 in today’s dollars as compared to the 2024 BSA of $5,331.[57]
  • ‍$202 million in additional dollars to increase teacher pay. This is in addition to the recurring $1.05 billion recurring appropriation for the Teacher Salary Increase Allocation, bringing the total to $1.25 billion.[58] These funds have to be spent on increasing full-time teacher salaries, including certified pre-K teachers, to a minimum of $47,500.[59] This is important because Florida continues to lose qualified educators and needs greater investment in recruiting and retaining K-12 faculty. While progress has been made in increasing new teacher pay, increasing the average teacher salary is necessary to address the needs of veteran educators. Such funding improves the quality of life for teachers and their families and increases stability in the workforce, which enhances the academic success of all students, especially children and youth of color, who are disproportionately and adversely affected by teacher turnover.[60]
  • A continued increase in funding for Mental Health Assistance. The budget allocates $180 million,[61] an increase of $20 million over the previous allocation for the second year in a row, for mental health services provided at K-12 schools. These are critical services, considering the declining mental well-being of teens and young adults and increases in suicide attempts.[62]

HIGHER EDUCATION

The more educated a state’s populace is, the higher the median wage.[63],[64],[65] This makes sense on an individual level: the median wage for someone with a bachelor’s degree ($85,800) was roughly 2.1 times that of someone with a high school diploma alone ($45,040) in 2023.[66] Investments in higher education also make sense at the community level: the larger the supply of highly-skilled workers, the more attractive the community is to high-wage employers.[67] Indeed, Florida’s public higher education system charges relatively low tuition. Recently, U.S. News and World Report ranked Florida 1st in the nation for higher education, due in large part due to its low tuition.[68] Higher education appropriations per FTE are greater as of 2023 than pre-Great Recession levels in 2008 by 6.7 percent.[69]

Florida College System

The FY 2024-25 Florida College System (FCS) allocation was $1.7 billion,[70] a decrease of $861.7 million from the FY 2023-24 appropriation, a less than 1 percent decrease. As was noted in this report’s K-12 Education section above, the budget does not reflect the pandemic relief funds allocated for higher education under CARES, CRRSA, or ARPA, collectively known as the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). Those funds were provided directly to the institutions of higher education. The total allocation of HEERF in Florida is $4.6 billion, 98.9 percent of which has been expended (See Table 1.)

State University System and Student Financial Aid

State university funds increased by more $495.2 million over FY 2023-24 levels to $4.9 billion[71], an increase of 11.9 percent. 

Overall, the budget includes $1.2 billion in student financial aid, an overall increase of $45 million from FY 2023-24 to $1.2 billion.

Research shows that students of color from households with low income are more likely to face barriers to academic success during their K-12 years, which can then cause them to miss out on merit-based scholarships like Florida’s Bright Futures.[72] Indeed, through FY 2022-23, the share of Bright Futures grants going to Black students has never exceeded 7 percent and scholarships to Latino students reached 28 percent.[73],[74] By comparison, Black young adults ages 18-24 make up 19 percent of Florida’s population and Latinos make up 32 percent  of young adults in this age group.[75] The continued emphasis on merit-based scholarships as they are currently awarded could be a further barrier for students with low income in accessing the higher education system, adding yet another obstacle to economic mobility and shared prosperity in Florida.

Education Vetoes

The governor vetoed a total of $179 million in education allocations. The largest share of vetoes, 46.3 percent, was in allocations to capital outlay projects, followed by 26.3 percent in cuts to the State University System and 21.3 percent to state K-12 dollars outside the Florida Education Finance Program. Most of these were member projects. The largest single educational veto, $30 million,  was to the New Worlds Tutoring Program, a program administered by the Lastinger Center at the University of Florida to support statewide initiatives promoting student achievement in reading and mathematics.

‍

Notes

[1] Norín Dollard, “Florida Children, Parents, and the Economy Do Better When Policymakers Invest in Quality Child Care and Early Learning Experiences,” Florida Policy Institute, July 11, 2023, https://www.floridapolicy.org/posts/florida-children-parents-and-the-economy-do-better-when-policymakers-invest-in-quality-child-care-and-early-learning-experiences

[2] Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta,“Childcare At What Cost? Positioning the Price of Childcare within the Context of Household Income,  April 11, 2024, https://www.atlantafed.org/community-development/publications/partners-update/2024/04/11/childcare-at-what-cost-the-price-crunch-on-household-income

[3] Florida Education Association, “Halfway Through the School Year, Teacher and Staff Vacancies Remain Too High”, January 17, 2024, https://feaweb.org/release/halfway-through-the-school-year-teacher-and-staff-vacancies-remain-too-high/

[4] Florida Policy Institute analysis of U.S. Department of Education, Education Stabilization Fund, accessed August 9, 2024, https://covid-relief-data.ed.gov/profile/state/FL.

[5] Florida Policy Institute “Improving Access to Quality Early Learning,” May 14, 2021, https://www.floridapolicy.org/initiatives/improve-access-to-quality-early-learning-and-child-care

[6] U.S. Department of Education, Education Stabilization Fund, accessed August 9, 2024,  https://covid-relief-data.ed.gov/profile/state/FL

[7] Funding for institutions of higher education (HEER fund) are not reported by the three COVID relief packages, CARES, CRRSAA and ARPA.

[8] Chapter 2023-350, Family Empowerment Scholarship, Laws of Florida, https://laws.flrules.org/2023/350. Accordingly, there is a numeric cap on homeschool or Personalized Education Plan students that is set at 60,000 for school year 2024-25 and increasing by 40,000 through 2027, when the cap expires.  There is also a percentage cap of 3 percent of the state’s exceptional student population on the number of students with disabilities that can be served each year.

[9] Norín Dollard and Mary McKillip, “The Cost of Universal Vouchers: Three Factors to Consider in Analyzing Fiscal Impacts of CS/HB1”, March 1, 2023, https://www.floridapolicy.org/posts/the-cost-of-universal-vouchers-three-factors-to-consider-in-analyzing-fiscal-impacts-of-cs-hb-1

[10] Florida Statutes, Chapters 1000-1013, 2024, http://www.leg.state.fl.us/STATUTES/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Index&Title_Request=XLVIII#TitleXLVIII

[11] Allison H. Friedman-Krauss, W. Steven Barnett, Katherine S. Hodges, Karin A. Garver, G. G. Weisenfeld, Beth Ann Gardiner, and Tracy Merriman Jost, “The State of Preschool 2023,” Rutgers Graduate School of Education’s National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), 2024, pages 60-61, https://nieer.org/sites/default/files/2024-05/2023_nieer_yearbook_4.24.24-compressed.pdf

[12] Allison H. Friedman-Krauss et al., “The State of Preschool 2023,” 2024, page 20.

[13] Child Care Aware, “Picking Up the Pieces – Building a Better Childcare System Post COVID-19”, Fall 2020, https://info.childcareaware.org/hubfs/Picking%20Up%20The%20Pieces%20%E2%80%94%20Building%20A%20Better%20Child%20Care%20System%20Post%20COVID%2019.pdf?utm_campaign=Picking%20Up%20The%20Pieces&utm_source=Full%20Report%20PDF.

[14] The Century Foundation, ‘With Arrival of Childcare Cliff, Some States Have Stepped in to Save the Sector,” January 17, 2024, https://tcf.org/content/report/with-arrival-of-child-care-cliff-some-states-have-stepped-in-to-save-the-sector/.

[15] US Senate Committee of Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, ‘Supporting Working Families: The Need for Ongoing Support for the National’s Child Care Sector’, May 2023, https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/the_need_for_ongoing_support_for_the_nations_child_care_sector_report.pdf

[16] Julie Kashen, Laura Valle-Guttierez, Lea Woods and Jessica Milli, “Child Care Cliff:  3.2 Million Children Likely to Lose Spots with End of Federal Funds”, The Century Foundation, June 21, 2023, https://tcf.org/content/report/child-care-cliff/

[17] Florida Chamber Foundation, “Untapped   Potential in Florida - Florida’s Workforce Productivity and the State’s Economy, September, 2023, page 5, https://www.flchamber.com/untappedpotentialfl

[18] Chapter 2024-231, General Appropriations Act, Laws of Florida, Line item 83, https://laws.flrules.org/files/Ch_2024-231.pdf.

[19] Office of Economic and Demographic Research, “Early Learning Programs Estimating Conference Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program Handout”, January 9, 2024, http://edr.state.fl.us/Content/conferences/vpk/VPKHandout.pdf

[20] Florida Department of Education, Division of Early Learning, ‘Annual Report 2022-23’, n.d., page 8, https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/20628/urlt/2223-DEL-AnnualReport.pdf.

[21] Florida Department of Education, Division of Early Learning, ‘Annual Report 2022-23’, n.d., page 7

[22] US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, “HHS Poverty Guidelines for 2024,” January 17, 2024, https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines

[23] Chapter 2024-231, General Appropriations Act, Laws of Florida, Line item 81

[24] Florida Policy Institute analysis of Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services, Division of Energy Assistance, State Median Income (SMI) by Household Size for Mandatory Use in LIHWAP for FY 2024 – Households of Size1 through 6, https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ocs/COMM_LIHWAP_Att1SMITable_FY2023.pdf.

[25] House of Representatives, “CS/CS/HB 1267 Economic Self-sufficiency, Final Bill Analysis’, June 24, 2024, page 23, https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=h1267z1.CFS.DOCX&DocumentType=Analysis&BillNumber=1267&Session=2024.

[26] US Congress, US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, “Supporting Working Families:  The Need for Ongoing Support for the Nation’s Child Care Sector”, May 2023, page 2

[27] Florida Senate, “Early Childcare Universal Voucher Program”, https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/1288

[28] Florida House of Representatives, “Early Childcare Universal Voucher Program”, https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=79864&SessionId=103

[29]Florida Senate, Instructional Hours For Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program, https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/294.

[30] Florida House of Representatives, “Instructional Hours For Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program”, https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=79031&SessionId=103.

[31] Florida Senate, “Child Care Services”, https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/120.

[32] Florida House of Representatives, “Child Care Services”, https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=80243&SessionId=103.

[33] Florida Senate, “School Readiness Program”, https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/916.

[34] Florida House of Representatives, “School Readiness Program”, https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=79580&SessionId=103.

[35] Florida Senate, “Child Care and Early Learning Providers”, https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/820.

[36] Florida House of Representatives, “Child Care and Early Learning Providers”, https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=79198&SessionId=103.

[37] Esteban Leonardo Santis, “Behind the Numbers (Part 3): 9 Takeaways from the Florida Legislature’s Tax Package,” Florida Policy Institute, April 11, 2024, https://www.floridapolicy.org/posts/behind-the-numbers-part-3-nine-takeaways-from-the-florida-legislatures-tax-package.

[38] Esteban Leonardo Santis, “Florida FY 2024-25 Budget: Introduction and Revenue Overview,” Florida Policy Institute, August 9, 2024, https://www.floridapolicy.org/posts/florida-fy-2024-25-budget-introduction-and-revenue-overview.

[39] Esteban Leonardo Santis, “Funding Florida’s Future: Revenue Options for Board Early Learning Investments”, Florida Policy Institute, February 8, 2024, https://www.floridapolicy.org/posts/funding-floridas-future-revenue-options-for-bold-early-learning-investments.

[40] Education Law Center, “$600 Billion Lost,” n.d., https://edlawcenter.org/research/600-billion-lost/.

[41] Education Law Center, “$600 Billion Lost,” n.d.

[42] National Education Association, “Educator Pay and Student Spending: How Does Your State Rank,” April 2024, https://www.nea.org/resource-library/educator-pay-and-student-spending-how-does-your-state-rank/teacher

[43] Chapter 2023-239, General Appropriations Act, Laws of Florida, Line item 84, https://laws.flrules.org/2023/239

[44]  National Education Association, “Educator Pay and Student Spending: How Does Your State Rank,” April 2024, https://www.nea.org/resource-library/educator-pay-and-student-spending-how-does-your-state-rank/teacher

[45] Florida Department of Education, “2023-24 Funding for Florida School Districts,”n.d., page 3, https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7507/urlt/fefpdist.pdf

[46] Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, “Florida Education Finance Program System: Report 95-50,” April 8, 1996, https://oppaga.fl.gov/Products/ReportDetail?rn=95-50.

[47] Florida Senate “Public School Funding, the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) Fiscal Year 2024-25, SB2500 Conference Report,” March 5, 2024, page 1

[48] Florida Department of Education, “Florida Education Finance Program 2022-23 Fourth Calculation”, April 14, 2023, page 7, https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7507/urlt/22-23FEFPFourthCalc.pdf.

[49] Florida Department of Education, “Florida Education Finance Program 2023-24 Fourth Calculation”, June 4, 2024, page 7,  https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7507/urlt/23-24FEFP4thCalc.pdf.

[50] Chapter 2024-231, General Appropriations Act, Laws of Florida, section 74

[51] Chapter 2023-239, General Appropriations Act, Laws of Florida, section 54

[52] Florida Department of Revenue, “Tax Information Publication 23ADM-05,” December 12, 2023, https://floridarevenue.com/taxes/tips/Documents/TIP_23ADM-05.pdf.

[53] Norín Dollard and Mary McKillip, “The Cost of Universal Vouchers:  Three Factors To Consider in Analyzing Fiscal Impacts of CS/HB1”, March 1, 2023

[54] Step Up for Students, “More Than 450,000 Students, and Counting, Awarded Florida Education Choice Scholarships,” July 17, 2024, https://nextstepsblog.org/2024/07/more-than-230000-students-and-counting-awarded-florida-education-choice-scholarships/.

[55] Florida House of Representatives, “Public School Funding The Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) Fiscal Year 2024-25, Conference Report for House Bill 5001”, March 5, 2024

[56] National Education Association, “Rankings of the States 2023 and Estimates of the School Statistics 2024”, April 2024. https://www.nea.org/research-publications.

[57] Florida Policy Institute analysis of Base Student Allocations, derived from Florida Department of Education, “Florida Education Finance Program Calculations” for 2007-08 and 2004-05. BSA is adjusted for inflation to first-half of 2024.

[58] Chapter 2024-231, General Appropriations Act, Laws of Florida, line item 84

[59] Chapter 2024-231, General Appropriations Act, Laws of Florida, line items 5, 84

[60] Norin Dollard, “Florida Urgently Needs Bolder Investments in Average Teacher Pay,” Florida Policy Institute, November 19, 2021,  https://www.floridapolicy.org/posts/florida-urgently-needs-bolder-investments-in-average-teacher-pay.

[61] Chapter 2024-231, General Appropriations Act, Laws of Florida, line items 5, 84

[62] See: Hopeful Futures Campaign, “America’s School Mental Health Report Card,” February 2022, https://hopefulfutures.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Final_Master_021522.pdf; Also, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Death Rates Due to Suicide and Homicide Among Persons Aged 10-24 United States: 2010-2017,”  NCHS Data Brief, Number 352, October 2019, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db352-h.pdf.

[63] Economic Policy Institute, “A Well-Educated Workforce is Key to State Prosperity,” August 22, 2013, https://www.epi.org/publication/states-education-productivity-growth-foundations/.

[64] Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Learn More, Earn More: Education Leads to Higher Wages, Lower Unemployment,” May, 2020, https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2020/data-on-display/education-pays.htm.

[65] Jennifer Ma, Matea Pender and Meredith Welch, “College Board, Trends in Higher Education Series - Education Pays 2016, The Benefits of High Education for Individuals and Society,” December 2016,  https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED572548.pdf.

[66] Bureau of Labor Statistics, ‘Occupations that Need More Education for Entry are Projected to Grow Faster Than Average, April 17, 2024, Table 5.2, https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-summary.htm

[67] Noah Berger and Peter Fisher, Economic Policy Institute, “A Well-Educated Workforce Is Key to State Prosperity”, August 22, 2013, https://www.epi.org/publication/states-education-productivity-growth-foundations/

[68] US News and World Report, May 7, 2024, “Yes, Florida Is No. 1 in the Country for Education. Here’s Why., https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2024-05-07/why-florida-is-the-best-state-in-education-and-economy

[69] State Higher Education Executive Officers, “State Higher Education Finance, FY 2023,” SHEF, n.d., page 8, https://shef.sheeo.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/SHEEO_SHEF_FY23_Report.pdf

[70] Chapter 2024-231, General Appropriations Act, Laws of Florida, line items 8; 126 through 131A

[71] Chapter 2024-231, General Appropriations Act, Laws of Florida, line items 9-13; 145-162A

[72] Susan M. Dynarski, “The New Merit Aid” in C. M. Hoxby (Ed.), College Choices: The Economics of Where to Go, When to Go, and How to Pay For It (Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2004), pp. 63-97.

[73] Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, “Florida Bright Futures Disbursement History by Race / Ethnicity, https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/SAPFBFSSR/SAPFBFSSR.

[74] Holly Bullard, “Lawmakers Must Reshape the Bright Futures Program to Build a More Equitable Florida,” Florida Policy Institute, January 28, 2021, https://www.floridapolicy.org/posts/to-build-a-more-equitable-florida-lawmakers-must-reshape-bright-futures-program.

[75] Annie E Casey Foundation Data Center, Young Adult Population Ages 18 to 24 by race and ethnicity, https://datacenter.aecf.org/data/tables/11207-young-adult-population-ages-18-to-24-by-race-and-ethnicity?loc=11&loct=2#detailed/2/11/false/2545,1095,2048,574,1729,37,871/12,8367,69,67,70,71,66,7983/21595,21596.

‍

Re-employment Assistance (RA)

American Rescue Plan Act Changes. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 extended PEUC and PUA benefits through the week ending September 6, 2021. It also increased the maximum duration of PEUC benefits ($300 a week) to 53 weeks and the maximum duration of PUA to 79 weeks. Although PEUC and PUA did not end until September 6, 2021, Florida withdrew from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC) effective June 26, 2021. FPUC provided persons who were out of work due to COVID-19 with an additional $300 a week in unemployment insurance.

Reemployment Assistance weeks reverted to 12 effective January 1, 2022. DEO determines the maximum number of weeks available to RA claimants based on a statutory formula that looks at the average unemployment rate for the most recent third calendar year quarter (i.e., July, August, and September). Based on the downturn in unemployment, the maximum number of weeks for RA reverted to 12 effective January 1, 2022.

RA work-search and work registration requirements reinstated on May 30, 2021. Persons filing an application for RA benefits beginning March 15, 2020, are not required to complete work registration in Employ Florida through May 29, 2021. In addition, work search requirements for individuals requesting benefits for the weeks beginning March 15, 2020, were also reinstated on May 30, 2021.

RA biweekly reporting requirements reinstated. Although previously waived, biweekly reporting was reinstated effective May 10, 2020. DEO’s guide to claiming weeks is here.

Mobile app deployed. DEO has deployed a mobile app for RA applications.

‍DEO announces extended benefits. DEO announced implementation of Extended Benefits (EB).

Resources and guidance. For a list of resources and guidance from the United States Department of Labor on unemployment insurance and COVID-19, go here.

For DEO’s “Reemployment Assistance Frequently Asked Questions and Additional Resources,” updated 12/30/2020, go here.

For DEO’s latest claims data, go here.

‍

Department of Children and Families (DCF) Multi-Program Policies

DCF opens offices. DCF has reopened its brick-and-mortar storefronts, which were previously closed  due to coronavirus.

DCF adds call center numbers. DCF has added a call center number for Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call center numbers now include 850-300-4323, 866-762-2237, or TTY 1-800-955-8771.

Certification periods extended by 6 months only through August 2020. Certification periods for cash, food and medical assistance were extended by 6 months for individuals and families scheduled to recertify in April through August  2020. FNS’ approval of the SNAP extension for August is here.  However, effective September 1, 2020, SNAP, TANF and Medicaid recertifications have been reinstated, although DCF says that no one will lose Medicaid due to recertification.

‍DCF allows phone interviews. Phone interviews are now being used for TANF cash and SNAP food assistance.

Mandatory work requirements suspended only through May 2021. Under a directive from Governor DeSantis to waive work requirements for safety net programs, DCF  waived work requirements for individuals participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) through May 2021. To do this, DCF explains that it partnered with the Department of Economic Opportunity to apply “good cause” statewide for TANF and SNAP recipients who would otherwise be subject to participation in mandatory work requirements as a condition of receiving those benefits. Through May 2021, persons who were sanctioned in the past due to work requirements will be able to reapply and participate in SNAP or TANF again.
‍

Work requirements were reinstated effective June 1, 2021.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Emergency allotments (EA) ended. DCF automatically supplemented SNAP allotments of current recipients up to the maximum for a household’s size for July 2021. However, EA was discontinued beginning August 1, 2021.

The SNAP benefits increase by 15 percent ended in October 2021. Floridians who participate in SNAP to put food on the table will receive a temporary 15 percent supplement to SNAP under COVID relief passed by Congress and extended by the American Rescue Plan Act through September 2021.

FNS permanently increases SNAP through revamp of the Thrifty Food Plan. Effective October 2021, FNS has mandated a permanent increase to SNAP through a revamp of the Thrifty Food Plan. DCF says that the increase amounts to about 6% for Floridians.

Time limits suspended. SNAP time limits are suspended during the COVID-19 public health emergency. No one in Florida should be barred from SNAP due to time limits, even if they exhausted their time limit in the past.

Florida granted waiver to allow families to purchase groceries online. DCF has been granted a federal waiver to permit the State of Florida to launch a pilot project statewide effective April 21, 2020, that allows families to purchase groceries online with their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card instead of going into stores.

  • At present, participating retailers are Walmart, Amazon, Aldi, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and Publix. DCF cautions, however, that EBT cards cannot be used for delivery fees.

‍

Medicaid

No Medicaid terminations from March 2020 through the end of the federal public health emergency. The national public health emergency has existed since January 27, 2020 and has been renewed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services in 90-day increments since that time. The most recent renewal is effective January 16, 2022.

On March 31, 2020, AHCA alerted providers and DCF posted on the ACCESS website that:

  • No Medicaid recipient will lose Medicaid eligibility during the COVID-19 public health emergency (unless the individual is no longer a state resident or request voluntary termination); under the newly enacted Families First Coronavirus Response Act, a state is prohibited from ending coverage for recipients enrolled as of March 18th for the duration of the public health emergency if the state opts to obtain an enhanced federal Medicaid match.
  • AHCA is working to notify recipients who may have received a termination notice in the month of March that their benefits will be reinstated.
  • An FAQ released by federal CMS provides some examples of Medicaid eligibility groups  protected under these "no termination" requirements including: former foster care youth aging out when they turn 26; youth aging out of children's eligibility when they turn 19; individuals who become ineligible for SSI; individuals no longer qualifying for Qualified Medicare Benefits (QMB). In a May 5, 2020 update, CMS states that this “no termination” requirement also applies to medically needy individuals determined eligible during the public health emergency even if they do not continue to meet their monthly share of cost in subsequent months. This protection extends through the last day of the month the public health emergency ends.  
  • On October 28, 2020, federal CMS issued a new interim final rule weakening the continuous coverage, “no termination” requirement. In states like Florida that have opted to cover full benefits for lawfully residing children in the first 5 years after entry into the United States, once they turn 18, states are now required to limit their coverage to emergency services.  In addition, states are now permitted to reduce optional benefits such as dental coverage or increase cost-sharing such as requiring nursing home residents to contribute more to their costs of care. But in Florida this type of change would require the Legislature to amend state Medicaid law.  

Redetermination/recertification times are reinstated. As of October 1, 2020 AHCA's website is alerting recipients that the Department of Children and Families is now mailing letters for case reviews to check if a household is still eligible for Medicaid and/or Medically Needy. AHCA is urging people receiving these letters to take steps now to re-apply. But note, Medicaid coverage will not end during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. In January 2021 DCF conducted one-year “automated renewals” for people whose sole income is social security and SSI and are enrolled in an SSI-related Medicaid program (e.g., MEDS/AD,  Medically Needy and Medicare Savings Programs). People getting VA income were not included in the automated renewal.

Extended application time. Effective with applications filed in February 2020, the time for submitting documentation required to process an application is extended for 120 days from the date of the application and eligibility will still be effective the first day of the month the application was received. Effective July 1, 2021, this policy has been rescinded. Medicaid applications submitted on or after July 1, 2021 may be denied on the 30th day after application or the day after verification information is due. Applications filed prior to July 1, will be allowed 120 days to provide requested verification to establish Medicaid eligibility.

‍Exclusion of additional unemployment payments in determining eligibility. The $600/week of additional unemployment insurance payments under the CARES Act will not be counted as income in determining Medicaid eligibility. (However, these payments will be counted as income in determining marketplace subsidy calculations.)

Coverage of Medicaid services during the state of emergency

  • Coverage of all medically necessary services to COVID-19 testing and treatment.
  • Waiver of limits on services that must be exceeded to maintain the health and safety of recipients diagnosed with COVID-19 or when necessary to maintain a recipient safely in their home
  • Waiver of prior authorization requirements for hospital, physician, advanced practice registered nursing, physician assistant, home health services and durable medical equipment and supplies. As of June 19, 2020, AHCA reinstated prior authorization requirements for all of these services.
  • Waiver of copayments for all services
  • Waiver of limits on early prescription refills, except for controlled substances
  • Coverage of a 90-day supply of maintenance prescriptions when available at the pharmacy
  • Reimbursement of out-of-state providers providing medically necessary services to Florida Medicaid beneficiaries. As of July 1, 2021, the availability of provider “provisional enrollment” for in-state and out-of-state providers will end.
  • Delay of fair hearings only in those instances when the recipient is continuing to receive services pending the outcome of the hearing

COVID-19 Vaccines for Medicaid Enrollees. In an executive order published March 16, 2021 Governor DeSantis revised the vaccine distribution plan, which applies to the general public including Medicaid enrollees, to lower the age requirement to 40 effective March 29, 2021 and then effective April 5, 2021 all Floridians are eligible to receive any COVID-19 vaccination approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Medicaid enrollees eligible to receive the vaccine may visit myvaccine.fl.gov to find a location distributing the vaccine and to schedule an appointment.

On March 12, 2021, AHCA published instructions for Medicaid enrollees on how to obtain Medicaid transportation once they have scheduled an appointment for a vaccine. AHCA states: "Florida Medicaid will take you to get the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost. All you need to do is set up a time to get your vaccine. Next, let your Medicaid plan know you need a ride and they will take care of the rest. If you are not enrolled in a plan, call the Medicaid Helpline at 1-877-254-1055 to find out the name and phone number for a transportation service."

The state has also recently launched a new email system to help bring COVID-19 vaccines to homebound seniors. Seniors will be able to sign up to have the vaccine come to them by emailing a request to HomeboundVaccine@em.myflorida.com.

AHCA has posted Medicaid Alerts and FAQs providing more detail on Medicaid service changes in response to COVID-19. They address a wide range of topics including, but not limited to: telemedicine guidance for medical, behavioral health, and early intervention services providers; long-term care provider network flexibilities allowing more types of providers to deliver specified long term care services; and continuity of care for adult day care center enrollees during the time these centers are closed.

AHCA is loosening coverage restrictions for behavioral health services. Effective May 5, 2020, all prior authorization requirements for mental health or substance use disorder treatment are waived and service limitations (frequency and duration) are lifted. For behavioral analysis services, current authorizations will be extended through an "administrative approval process" which does not require providers to reassess beneficiaries currently getting services. Effective July 1, 2021 service limits will be reinstated for behavioral health services and effective July 15, 2021 Medicaid prior authorization requirements will be reinstated for behavioral health services.

Per a May 29, 2020 provider alert, during the state of emergency AHCA will be reimbursing providers for telemedicine well-child visits provided to children older than 24 months through age 20. Providers are directed to actively work to schedule follow-up in-person visits to administer immunizations and other physical components of the exam which cannot be accomplished through telemedicine.  

The public charge rule will not be applied to immigrants’ use of Medicaid benefits for COVID-19 testing and treatment.

Coverage of home and community-based waiver services (HCBS) - In response to the public emergency, Florida obtained approval from the federal government to make changes in HCBS waiver programs, including the Long Term Care and Developmental Disabilities programs. The changes are effective retroactively from January 27, 2020 to January 26, 2021. Details can be found here. They include, but are not limited to:

  • permitting virtual evaluations, assessments and care planning meetings in lieu of face to face meetings and use of electronic signatures;
  • lifting service limits in order to address health and welfare issues of enrollees;
  • adjusting service prior authorization requirements;
  • temporarily expanding the settings where services can be provided;  
  • allowing payments for support services provided to enrollees in hospital or short- term institutional settings; and
  • prohibiting visitors in certain residential settings to minimize the spread of infection.

Note on COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccines for the uninsured. Florida has not opted to receive 100 percent federal Medicaid funding for COVID-19 testing of people without health insurance. Under the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act this option has been expanded to cover COVID-19 treatment and vaccines for the uninsured as well. Since the state has not taken up this option Floridians must look to an uneven patchwork of free testing, treatment, and vaccine resources scattered around the state. AHCA advises that uninsured people may receive free testing from their county health department or a federally qualified health center and that “many communities provide testing for free for individuals who do not have insurance. Please [click here] to find a test site in your area. Uninsured individuals should ask before the test whether testing is free of charge." There are no state agency instructions on where uninsured people can receive free treatment. However, more information on possible sources for free treatment is available here.

Residency proof no longer required at some vaccine sites, “paving the way for migrants.” - On April 29, 2021 Surgeon General Rivkees issued a new public health advisory specifying that COVID-19 vaccines are available to “a Florida resident” or someone “who is present in Florida for the purpose of providing goods or services for the benefits of residents and visitors of the State of Florida.” This new policy applies to all state-run and federally supported vaccination sites. It rescinds an advisory issued in January that had restricted vaccinations to people who could show proof of Florida residency

2021 unemployment compensation claimants can access free or reduced cost health insurance through the ACA marketplace. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace was re-opened in February 2021 to give people who need health insurance a new “special enrollment" opportunity to get covered. The 2021 American Rescue Plan eliminated or vastly reduced premiums for many people with low or moderate incomes.

Starting July 1, 2021, people who received or have been approved for unemployment compensation for any week beginning in 2021 can access free or reduced cost comprehensive health insurance plans through the ACA marketplace. This benefit is available regardless of someone's current income. To get this benefit, people must enroll in the marketplace no later than August 15, 2021. For help with enrollment, contact Covering Florida at 877-813-9115.

Child Nutrition Programs

School children in distance learning still eligible for free or reduced cost meals. Students in distance learning for  2020-21 can still receive school meals through the National School Lunch Program if they are eligible. The student or parent/guardian may pick up meals at the school but should contact their school for more information.

For a list of current child nutrition program waivers for Florida from USDA, go here.

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Congress allows increased fruit and vegetable benefits. At present, WIC provides $9 for children and $11 for women monthly for fruits and vegetables. The American Rescue Plan Act makes funding available for a four-month increase in the benefit of up to $35 monthly, if a state chooses to do so.

DOH attains waiver allowing remote issuance: Department of Health (DOH) obtained a waiver of the requirement that participants pick up their EBT cards in person at recertification or during nutritional education appointments.

‍WIC participants allowed to substitute certain food. Under a waiver from USDA, WIC participants in Florida are allowed to substitute milk of any available fat content and whole wheat or whole grain bread in package sizes up to 24 oz. when 16 oz. packages are unavailable.

‍USDA waived physical presence requirements: Although the scope and logistics are unclear at this time, USDA has given DOH permission to waive the requirement that persons be physically present at each certification or recertification determination in order to determine eligibility under the program through May 31, 2020.

USDA extends certification periods through May 31, 2020, for some participants.

For a list of current WIC waivers for Florida from USDA, go here.


Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

HHS provides guidance. HHS has issued guidance on the flexibilities in TANF to respond to COVID-19.

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