What will the failure of Amendment 8 mean for the schools?
Although the class-size requirements passed in 2002, the schedule for implementing the new rules, the effective date for full compliance, and the financial penalties for school districts that didn’t comply were set by the Florida Legislature. Lankford, president of the Florida School Boards Association, said that organization is ready to come to the defense of schools hard-hit by the new rules. “The Florida School Boards already voted,” Lankford said. If any school district is hit with financial penalties for failing to meet class-size requirements, the association will file a lawsuit on its behalf. Lankford also noted charter schools have been exempted from some provisions of the class-size amendment. They don’t have to meet the classroom-by-classroom size requirements, only schoolwide requirements, Lankford said. But, according the state constitution, charter schools are considered public schools. The association will be watching for “equalized” penalties, applied to charter schools
