South Florida schoolchildren might soon find themselves taught by other instructors' decorative apples.
The state Department of Education has fined the school districts of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties almost $10 million dollars for failing to comply with a new law limiting the number of students in classrooms, according to the Associated Press.
The penalties hit when it hurts -- and after the state pulled promised funding dedicated to ensuring compliance.
"Every dollar is crucial for the district right now,'' Broward Superintendent Jim Notter told the Miami Herald. "Frankly, dollars mean jobs."
Under an amendment passed in 2002 and phased into place for the 2010 school year, rolls for core classes like science, reading, and math are not to exceed 18 students per teacher for pre-K through third grade, 22 for fourth through eighth grade, and 25 for high schools.
The department of education pledged to provide the necessary funding for compliance when the law was passed, and then retracted the money when the economy plummeted.
Like 24 of the other counties found in violation, the Broward school district has already appealed its $3 million fine. Miami-Dade has not yet followed suit, but did not waive its right to contest its own $6.6 million penalty. The Board of Education will hear appeals on January 18.
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As costly as the fines are, both districts have already spent whopping amounts of cash in an effort to comply. Miami-Dade spent nearly $50 million to reach 96.5 percent conformity; Assistant Superintendent Daniel Tosado said 100 percent compliance would have cost nearly $30 million more.
Broward poured $70 million into hiring more teachers and creating more classrooms, reaching 97.5 percent compliance.
In both counties -- the nation's fourth and sixth-largest school systems -- staff including counselors, A/V specialists, athletic directors returned to teaching.
(On the plus side, at least neither is Palm Beach County: that district was slapped with a whopping $16 million citation.)
