Amendment 8

Posted Sep 13, 2010 by Sherri Ackerman

Updated Sep 13, 2010 at 10:44 AM

A judge has ruled that Amendment 8, a legislative attempt to scale back the stringent class size restrictions voters approved eight years ago, will remain on the November ballot.

The Florida Education Association challenged the amendment on the grounds that if it passed, it would ultimately take away money from public schools. Voters didn’t understand that, the union argued.

But Leon County Circuit Court Chief Judge Charles Francis said there was nothing misleading or ambigious about the amendment. Voters have a right to decide for themselves.

Florida voters approved of the constitutional class size rule in 2002, limiting the number of students per teacher in core classes such as English, math and language arts.

Since then, public school districts have struggled to meet the law and legislators have delayed the deadline - until this year.

In August, every public school in the state was required to meet the law.

That means only 18 students in kindgergarten through third grade; 22 in fourth through eighth; and 25 in certain high school classes.

Few distrticts have been able to comply and face stiff financial penalties.

Hillsborough says it has, but no one really knows until October, when the state Department of Education conducts its official count.

Our local district says the law needs to change, that with such stringent measures students and parents lose out on school choice. Some might not even be able to attend their neighborhood school, administrators warn.

And if they can’t, the district is left footing the bill to transport students to other schools.

The local teachers’ union supports upholding the law and forcing legislators to better fund schools.

But will they? And who loses if they don’t?