Government Relations

The Hernando County Delegation

Hernando County School District
LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM PRIORITIES
2021 Session

POLICY REQUEST
The Hernando County School Board requests consideration of changes to Florida State Statute in the following 2 areas:

1. Revise the statutory language regarding eligibility for sparsity funds to become a permanent change in law rather than an adjustment to the appropriations each year.

2. When placing a referendum on a ballot, remove the requirement for school districts to submit their request to the County Commission. The step is unnecessary as Florida Statute gives the authority to place a millage referendum on the ballot to the school district and is only an administrative action for the County Commission.

Florida Statute 1011.73 District millage elections.—
(1) MILLAGE AUTHORIZED NOT TO EXCEED 4 YEARS.—The district school board, pursuant to resolution adopted at a regular meeting, shall direct the county commissioners to call an election at which the electors within the school districts may approve an ad valorem tax millage as authorized under s. 1011.71(9).

APPROPRIATION REQUEST - Career & Technical Education (CTE)
Criminal Justice Program - $350,000.00

Summary: Hernando School District requests $350,000.00 to launch a criminal justice program that will serve as the foundation for a future law enforcement academy. Located on the campus of Nature Coast Technical High School, appropriation funds will be used to reconfigure an existing classroom into a space appropriate for the program and to purchase equipment for a physical training (PT) course.

Career Outlook:

According to the Regional Demand Occupations List, there are over 3,200 open positions for law enforcement personnel statewide. Florida’s average salary for law enforcement officers is currently $30 per hour.

Existing school district resources:

• classroom space

• instructional staff

• capacity for expansion of program

Established Community Partnerships:

• Hernando County Sheriff’s Office

Distribution of appropriation funds:

• $275,000 for classroom reconfiguration

• $75,000 for Physical Training (PT) equipment

Career and Technical Education:
Our Longterm Goal for Growth

The Hernando County School District serves our community by providing a wide variety of educational opportunities for all students. As Hernando experiences continued growth and as the job market increases a need for more highly skilled workers to fill many manufacturing and technical jobs, we continue to pursue the construction of a vocational and technical education center in Hernando County. If built today, building construction, equipment and salaries would add up to almost $6.5 million dollars for a career and technical center designed to train highly skilled workers who are able to thrive in the ever-changing workforce. Hernando School District continues to work with local business and community leaders to identify all available partners and pathways to bring a career and technical center to Hernando.