Gov. Ron DeSantis approved the state’s budget for fiscal year 2025-26 on Monday, with a historic $15.9 billion in funding going toward the K-12 public school system.
The $117.4 billion budget, which went into effect Tuesday, includes a significant investment in education, and the number includes a record per student investment of $9,130 – a $143 increase over the prior year, a press release from the governor’s office said.
The $15.9 billion investment will also cover the fees of more than 429,000 students expected to take part in Florida’s school choice program, the Family Empowerment Scholarship, the release said.
Additional funding highlights for the state’s K-12 students are:
- $1.36 billion to provide salary increases for teachers and other instructional personnel, an increase of nearly $101.6 million over FY 2024-25.
- $1.6 billion for early childhood education, including $434.2 million for Voluntary Prekindergarten initiatives.
- $290 million for the Safe Schools Allocation
- $7.4 million to support civics engagement programs, including $3.5 million for the Florida Civics Seal of Excellence Program.
For nearly 10 years, Florida has ranked No. 1 in the nation in higher education, as it remained No. 1 for lowest tuition and fees and rose to No. 1 in four-year and two-year college graduation rates. The release highlights that the budget for the new fiscal year expands on that success and certifies that “Florida will continue to have the top education system in the country.”
The budget, the release said, fully funds the expected student enrollment for the Bright Futures Scholarship at $637.7 million and recommends the following for colleges and universities:
- $1.8 billion for the Florida College System
- $3.9 billion for the State University System
- $161.5 million for Florida’s four Historically Black Colleges and Universities
- $675 million in performance funding for state colleges and universities to ensure they are successfully graduating and preparing students for the outside world.
When DeSantis took office in 2019, he set a goal of making Florida the leader for workforce education in the U.S. by 2030. Since then, the state has invested over $10 million in workforce development, the release said.
The budget is building upon this advancement, with $726.9 million being allocated for workforce education.
That investment includes $467.3 million in operational funding for Florida’s CTE programs; $60 million to set up or expand CTE and apprenticeship programs; $130 million for quality nursing education programs to continue addressing nursing vacancies through the PIPELINE and LINE programs; and $10.5 million to support training programs and certification costs for new and relocating law enforcement officers and first responders.
More information about the state’s approved budget can be found here.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News.