Miami-Dade schools could be out $72 million from state punishing district over masks
Current and former Miami-Dade County Public Schools parents condemned state leaders Friday for pushing a bill they argue would take away critical funding for district schools.
The “Putting Parents First Adjustment,” part of the state’s $105 billion annual budget the Republican-led House signed off on earlier this week, would shift $200 million away from 12 school districts, including Miami-Dade. The plan takes aim at school districts that defied Gov. Ron DeSantis’ July executive order that prevented schools from requiring students to wear masks and implemented one anyway.
Miami-Dade could lose $72 million.
In August, when the delta variant was sweeping across Miami-Dade, the district’s medical advisory committee recommended masks be worn at all times. Former Superintendent Alberto Carvalho agreed, as did the majority of the School Board.
Now, some state leaders want districts to “pay the price for the decision to protect our children,” said Nancy Lawther, former president of the Miami-Dade County Council of PTA/PTSA. On Friday, Lawther, in front of the school district offices, led a news conference with about a dozen others to denounce the state’s plan.
The House budget’s language states it would impact only the salaries of non-school site administrators — grant directors, budget managers and chief financial officers, for example — making more than $100,000 per year. Lawther, however, argued every role in the school system impacts schools and vital student services. If approved, services ranging from supports for students living with disabilities to mental health programs to transportation would be affected, she said.
Superintendent Jose Dotres, whose first day on the job was Monday, agreed. While the bill pledges to avoid impacting students directly, Dotres told the Herald Editorial Board it would affect the “framework of services for students,” because many of those employees oversee student-focused programs. There are 243 non-school site administrators in Miami-Dade schools who earn more than $100,000 annually, according to the district.
Unlike the House version, the Senate’s budget bill doesn’t include financial penalties for the 12 school districts. The issue could, however, come up during budget negotiations between the two legislative chambers.
The plan also has DeSantis’ backing. Though the governor initially rebuked the concept, on Tuesday he tweeted his support for the budget cuts. Moreover, he said he supported giving parents “recourse for harms imposed on their kids due to this defiance.”
What parents, educators have to say
Despite the plan’s name, some parents in the district say the effort does anything but put parents first. In fact, Karen Latham, a parent of two and a speaker at Friday’s conference, said she and others take offense to the amendment’s title.
Not only will the plan negatively impact students, but hundreds of thousands of parents will also be hurt, she said. And that’s especially true of parents who have children that rely on specific services.
“I believe certain politicians thrive on divisiveness,” she said. Some state leaders are “taking up [certain] issues to divide us. To me, [the plan] is weak-spirited and divisive.”
Phyllis Compton, a retired educator in Miami, said she is angry at the governor and other elected officials.
“Can you imagine where this money could go? [The cuts] will most certainly affect our electives and arts,” she said Friday. “I’m angry at our governor [for supporting] these punitive actions.”
For her part, Rosemine Lederl, a parent advocate with P.S. 305, kept her message to state leaders “short and clear.”
“The only people that will suffer are our children, so we must reconsider,” she said. “We ask that you reconsider what is best for our kids.”
This story was originally published February 18, 2022 at 4:12 PM.
