Parents, Educators and Students Need a Budget That Puts Them First!

We must continue fighting for what is right for our school families as the legislature reconvenes to finish their one responsibility: develop the state's budget.

For too long, Florida's students, educators, and school communities have been told they need to wait for things to get better. Wait until politicians and elected officials choose them as a priority. Wait to ask for more in the budget until the time is right. Wait to see if there's anything that can be done. 

Meanwhile, class sizes are ballooning out of control, arts and music programs are being cut, and all over the state, schools are being shut down. Teachers rank 50 in the nation in pay, over 60% of education staff professionals make less than $35,000 a year, and academic freedom at our higher education institutions is at risk.

Too many lawmakers and elected officials have failed to produce meaningful investments for public education.

We must expect that during the special session on the budget, lawmakers fulfill their constitutional obligation to fully-fund public education—doing so is their paramount duty.

As they work on the budget, lawmakers must:

• Increase public school spending by $1,000 more per student;

• Separate public school funding from voucher school funding in the FEFP;

• Remove strings from the teacher salary allocation so that each district and local have the flexibility to direct funds where they are needed the most; and

• Stop the proration of public school funding that has led to decreased per-student spending.

Making Florida the best in the nation in public education requires meaningful, sustained investments that work for parents, students and educators today.

​

​

Speak Up for Florida’s Students at the State Board of Education Meeting 

Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026 🕘 Time: 9:00 a.m. 📍 Location: Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus 254 N.E. 4th St., Building 3, Chapman Conference Room 3210 Miami, FL 33132 The Florida State Board of Education is meeting — and your voice matters now more than ever. This is a critical opportunity for parents, students, educators, and community members to show up and advocate for strong, well-funded public schools. Two Ways to Participate  Attend In Person

Submit Public Comment in Advance Share your feedback online here: ➡️ https://web02.fldoe.org/Rules/ 

 

Public pressure works. This is your chance to ensure the State Board hears directly from families and communities who want safe, thriving public schools that have the resources our students deserve. 

 

Public Dollars Require Public Accountability

Tell Florida Lawmakers: Fund Public Schools and Demand Accountability

Florida lawmakers are back in Tallahassee, and budget decisions are being made now.

As legislators finalize the 2026–27 state budget, they must ensure Florida's education funding reflects the needs of students, not politics.

We need a budget that prioritizes:

• Adequate funding for public schools

• Protection for core student services

• Accountability for voucher spending

• Investments in educators and neighborhood schools

Recent audits found major accountability failures in Florida's voucher program:

• The state lost track of 30,000 students

• School districts received $47 million in late payments

• Florida made $60–110 million in excess voucher payments

That's unacceptable.

If public dollars are funding a student, that student should be counted.

Tell lawmakers to include voucher accountability in the final budget by requiring:

• A state-issued student ID for every student receiving public education dollars

• Strong financial safeguards and transparent reporting for voucher programs

• Fair funding protections for public school districts

Public dollars require public accountability.

Send your message today and tell lawmakers:
Florida students cannot afford more cuts, more waste, or less transparency.

An increase that does not keep pace with inflation is a cut—and our students cannot afford more cuts.

​

​Protect Funding for Students with Disabilities

📧 Email Your Legislators: Protect and Increase Special Education Funding

 

Students with disabilities are counting on us—email your legislators today to protect the funding our kids need.

A proposed budget plan changes how the state tracks funding for students with disabilities (Exceptional Student Education or ESE) while expanding spending on private school scholarships.

Florida public schools serve more than 420,000 students with disabilities. These students often need smaller classes, specialized teachers, therapy services, and other supports to succeed.

Special education funding helps schools provide these services to the students with the greatest needs. When that funding does not keep up with inflation and rising costs, schools lose resources. That means fewer staff, fewer supports, and more pressure on classrooms.

Cuts to special education funding don't just affect students with disabilities, they affect all students, because schools must stretch limited resources across the entire school community.

As lawmakers finish the budget, it is critical to make sure special education funding keeps up with rising costs so schools can continue supporting every student who needs help.

Please take a moment to email your legislators today.

When you send your email, consider adding a personal note about why strong public schools and support for students with disabilities matter to you and your family. 

Personal stories help lawmakers understand the real impact their decisions have on our kids.

​​​​​​​

A Strong Florida Begins with Fully Funded Public Schools

Florida lawmakers are constitutionally required to pass a state budget.

So let's begin with the foundation.

Article IX of the Florida Constitution declares that the education of children is a fundamental value of the people of Florida. It requires the state to provide a system of free public schools that is uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality.

Public schools are not simply one option among many.
They are the only education system the state is constitutionally obligated to build, fund, and maintain to serve every child.

Yet the proposed funding increases do not keep pace with inflation. When costs for insurance, utilities, transportation, materials, and salaries rise faster than funding, schools lose real purchasing power. Districts are forced to cut staff, scale back programs, and reduce student supports just to keep their doors open.

An increase that does not match inflation is a cut.
Florida's students deserve better.

📢 Take action now.

Write to your legislators and ask them to increase the education budget so funding for public schools keeps pace with inflation and rising operational costs.

Use your own subject line and message, and tell them why strong public schools matter to you. Share your story as a parent, student, educator, or community member.

Personal stories help lawmakers understand what these funding decisions mean for real classrooms and real students.

​

​​Who Represents Me? Find Your Elected Officials

Decisions about schools, taxes, safety, healthcare, and the future of your community are made by people elected to represent you — but too often it’s hard to know who they are or how to reach them. This tool makes it simple.

Just enter your address and we’ll show you exactly who represents your neighborhood, along with the fastest ways to contact them. Whether you want to ask a question, share your story, or speak up about an issue you care about, connecting with your legislators is one of the most powerful ways to make an impact.

​​

​

Join Us for the Florida Legislative Session Debrief 2026

Equal Ground is leading the Florida Legislative Session Debrief Tour, a statewide series of in-person community conversations following the 2026 Legislative Session and Families for Strong Public Schools is proud to support this effort by joining every stop on the tour to provide public education updates and advocacy opportunities.

This nonpartisan tour will break down what happened in Tallahassee, what new laws and policy changes mean for everyday Floridians, and how legislative decisions will impact our communities.

Participants will:

Receive accessible updates on major legislation passed this session

Learn how policy decisions impact education, voting rights, criminal justice, economic opportunity, and more

Engage with policy experts, advocates, and community leaders

Get prepared for the 2026 election cycle, including redistricting updates

Learn how to stay civically engaged and take action locally

Tour Stops Include:
Seminole • Osceola • Lee • Pasco • Pinellas • Orange • Volusia • Hillsborough • Polk • Leon/Gadsden • South Miami-Dade • Duval • North Miami-Dade • Marion • Panhandle • St. John’s • Brevard • Palm Beach • Lake

We’ll be there every step of the way sharing updates on public education, what this legislative session means for Florida’s schools, and how you can get involved in advocacy efforts in your community.

​

​

​​Federal Action UPDATE + ACTION NEEDED: Record Number of U.S. Reps Support Homeless Child & Youth Funding - Contact Your Senators NOW

Thanks to your advocacy, a record 147 U.S. Representatives signed onto the bipartisan FY2027 funding letter recently circulated in the House of Representatives. That includes a new Republican co-lead, and an additional 25 members over last year’s letter! 

 

This didn’t happen by accident. It happened because hundreds of you took just two minutes to contact your member of Congress about the importance of EHCY and RHYA. That outreach made a real difference – thank you! 

 

We need your help once again.

 

Now that the House letter is closed, the Senate bipartisan letter is officially open. Your U.S. Senators need to hear from you about the educational and support needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness. 

 

One action to take:

Ask your U.S. Senator to sign the bipartisan Senate letter supporting FY2027 funding for EHCY and RHYA. The deadline is April 17.

​​​

Federal Action-STOP Billions in Cuts to Public Education!

The Trump administration announced its FY27 proposed budget and it includes over $7 billion in cuts to public schools. If this budget passes, it will gut programs for English Language Learners, afterschool programs, career & technical programs, migrant children and teacher training, which then affect program and staffing for all students.

The damage will fall first and hardest on communities that are already struggling. Rural districts, tribal schools, segregated urban systems, and high-poverty communities depend on federal funding to provide basic services to students. Wealthier districts can lean on local resources. These proposed cuts will be felt most acutely by vulnerable communities.

Congress has a choice. Lawmakers need to hear clearly that kids, families, and communities across the country expect them to defend public education, not dismantle it through constant cuts, chaos and restructuring.

 

 

How much is my state and school district losing? Check out this useful calculator with estimated impacts near you.

Call your Members of Congress NOW to reject Trump's budget and oppose ANY cuts to public schools.

​

​

​