Will Weatherford: School Isn't Over For Class-Size Reduction Issue

State Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, doesn't think that the loss of Amendment 8 spells the end of the class-size debate.

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Weatherford said "the results showed Floridians' support for flexibility in keeping class sizes small in Florida by a wider margin than the vote by which the 2002 class-size amendment passed.

"In 2002, 2.5 million Florida voters, making up 52 percent of the electorate, put inflexible class-size caps in the Constitution. On Tuesday, 2.7 million Floridians, making up nearly 55 percent of the electorate, voted for Amendment 8 and class-size flexibility."

Weather concluded that Tuesdays vote was not an affirmation of the 2002 class-size amendment. "Instead, it proved a majority of Floridians support a common-sense approach that promotes class-size flexibility while protecting taxpayers," he said.

The lawmaker, a member of the Full Appropriations Council on Education and Economic Development, went on to warn:

Floridas inflexible requirements on class size will continue to pose tremendous challenges for our schools. The result of the election has not changed the need to create flexibility for our students, parents, teachers, principals and school district leaders. It has also not changed the harsh reality taxpayers will face when paying higher taxes to achieve class-size compliance."

The Florida School Boards Association estimates that the tightened class-by-class student-teacher ratios will cost the state and local districts $1 billion in added compliance expenses this year alone.

But in its never-ending quest to hire more teachers (i.e., dues-paying members) the Florida Education Association liberally funded the no-on-8 campaign and remains committed to squeezing budgets by any means necessary.

Weatherford concluded,"Until Florida law is changed to provide our schools with more flexibility in managing class size, the endless stories that have played out since the start of this school year will become an annual occurrence.

Bottom line: Get ready for another run at this issue next session.