Florida government Ron DeSantis
Ronald Dion Governor DeSantisFlorida vetoes online learning budget amid pandemic DeSantis says Florida ‘will not reopen’ when COVID-19 increases Florida governor signs abortion bill requiring consent of parents for minors MORE (R) vetoed the budget for a package of online education programs that have played key roles for students and educators during the coronavirus pandemic.
DeSantis’ veto, issued Monday, eliminated the $ 29.4 million budget for the Florida Plus Comprehensive Program, which provides online platforms that have become more prominent as students and teachers embrace distance learning. The veto will also eliminate an online course database and an online library service.
According to Politico, more than 2,000 adult students could lose their scholarships and approximately 150 employees in Tallahassee, Gainesville and Pensacola could lose their jobs.
Complete Florida will go offline at midnight without new sources of funding, which means that the library’s databases, among other tools, will not be available in the mid-summer semester of college.
The cut was part of a broader $ 1 billion veto of Florida’s 2020-21 budget as the state tries to deal with a growing outbreak of the coronavirus.
“Our current economic outlook is very different since the Legislature passed this budget in March. As governor, I must remain a steadfast steward of taxpayer dollars. This budget reflects a strong commitment to Floridians by safeguarding significant investments in key areas such as education, the environment, infrastructure, public safety and more, “DeSantis said in a statement.
Critics criticized the veto, saying it leaves educators without crucial tools they have come to trust during the coronavirus pandemic.
“This would be one of the biggest negative impacts on higher education in the past two decades,” Tom Messner, executive dean of the Library Learning Commons at Florida State College in Jacksonville, told Politico. “It just seems like a mistake.”
The Florida State University System defended the measure, saying it is working to collaborate with other agencies to implement new programs.
“The Governor’s veto provides an avenue for the planned transition of programs that are essential for universities and colleges, including online education services, outside the University of West Florida (UWF). The State University System is collaborating with UWF and the Florida Department of Education to ensure a smart and strategic plan for transitioning essential programs, “he said in a statement.
“This transition enables us to address challenges previously identified within the Florida Plus Comprehensive Program, while continuing with the critical components that are of great benefit to our college and university students. We are confident that the new administration will improve the oversight and decision-making processes decisions. ” added.
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