The Miami-Dade County School Board today voted to initiate litigation against the State of Florida to recoup approximately $35 million in education funds. The funds were lost when the Florida Legislature amended certain state statutes pertaining to the Florida Education Finance Program and the use of capital outlay funds to pay property insurance.

“It is the paramount duty of the State to provide equitable, non-discriminatory education for children,” said Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. “Children should not be victimized by an inequitable distribution of education funding.”

Funds were lost in two ways when the Florida law was amended. The formula that determines the amount of property tax funding each school district contributes to the total funding package was changed and made retroactive. This cost the Miami-Dade public schools district approximately $24.7 million in funding that had already been figured into the budget.

Additionally, the Legislature capped the amount of capital funds that can be used to cover property and casualty insurance at $25 per student enrolled, resulting in approximately $10 million in additional liability to the operating funds.

The combined changes negatively impacted the District's already tenuous financial position, which has resulted in cutbacks to educational programs and staff lay-offs.

The School Board also approved retaining Edward Guedes, from the firm of Greenberg-Traurig, LLP, to represent the Board as its legal counsel in this litigation.

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