New ruling could force School District of Palm Beach County to share millions in taxpayer money with charter schools

New ruling could force School District of Palm Beach County to share millions in taxpayer money with charter schools

A years-long funding fight pitting the School District of Palm Beach County against charter schools is taking a new turn.

TAX DOLLARS.

A YEARS-LONGDISPUTE IS PITTING THE PALMBEACH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTAGAINST CHARTER SCHOOLS.

THISAFTER VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLYAPPROVED A TAX HIKE TO BENEFITDISTRICT SCHOOLS AND EXCLUDECHARTERS..

THE CHARTER SCHOOLSFOUGHT BACK- SCORING A NEWLEGAL VICTORY.

WPTVNEWSCHANNEL FIVE'S STEPHANIESUSSKIND BREAKS DOWN IMPACT..IN A STORY YOU'LL SEE ONLY ONFIVE.STEPH THIS 43 PAGE RULINGEFFECTIVELY REVERSES TWOPREVIOUS LEGAL VICTORIES FORTHE PALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOLDISTRICT.

NOW THE DISTRICTCOULD BE FORCED TO SHAREMILLIONS OF DOLLARS WITHCHARTER SCHOOLS.

THEY SAY ISTHEIR FAIR SHARE BUT THEDISTRICT SAYS ITS FOLLOWINGTHE WILL OF THE VOTERS.

ISPOKE EXCLUSIVELY WITH THESUPERINTENDENT ABOUT WHAT THISALL MEANS FOR YOU- FENNOY27:33 I WAS VERY UPSET, ANDI'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.

I WASVERY UPSET IN AN ALREADYUNUSUAL SCHOOL YEAR..

PALMBEACH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTSUPERINTENDENT DR. DONALDFENNOY SAYS THIS LEGAL SETBACKWAS UNEXPECTED.

FENNOY 34:08 IDIDN'T SEE THIS ONE COMINGBACK IN 2018..

VOTERS PASSED APROPERTY TAX HIKE WITH MORETHAN 70% OF THE VOTE... WITHSPECIFIC LANGUAGE THATEXCLUDED CHARTER SCHOOLS.FENNOY 30:03 IT WAS LEGAL ATTHAT TIME IT'S BRINGING INABOUT 200 MILLION DOLLARS AYEAR... GOING TOWARD THINGSLIKE MORE POLICE OFFICERS..PRESERVING FINE ARTS ANDCHOICE PROGRAMS AND TEACHERRAISES.

ANDY BINNS, GOVERNINGBOARD CHAIRMAN PALM BEACHMARITIME ACADEMY 1:20 IT WASALWAYS ABOUT FAIRNESS, IT WASALWAYS ABOUT TREATING EVERYBODYEQUITABLY ANDY BINNS IS THEGOVERNING BOARD CHAIRMAN FORPALM BEACH MARITIME ACADEMY..ONE OF THE CHARTER SCHOOLSTHAT SUED FOR A SHARE OF THEPOT.

ANDY 2:17 WE TOLD THEMUPFRONT THAT THIS WAS NOT FAIRBECAUSE THEY WERE GOING TOEXCLUDE CHARTER SCHOOLCHILDREN FROM THE GROUPING THELATEST APPEALS COURT RULINGNOW SAYS THE DISTRICT'S BALLOTLANGUAGE WAS ILLEGAL..VIOLATING STATE LAW THAT SAYSCHARTER SCHOOL STUDENTS SHOULDBE FUNDED ... (FS?) "...THESAME AS STUDENTS ENROLLED INOTHER PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THESCHOOL DISTRICT." FENNOY 29:35THE QUESTION IS THESE AREADDITIONAL REVENUE GENERATINGOPPORTUNITIES THAT THEDISTRICT IS AFFORDED TO DO IFFORCED TO SHARE THE MONEY...ABOUT 22 MILLION DOLLARS AYEAR WOULD GO TO THE CHARTERS.MIKE BURKE, CFO 6:35 WE'REHOPING ITS NOT RETROACTIVE ANDWE HAVE TO GO BACK BECAUSEWE'D HAVE TO COME UP WITH $45MILLION THAT'S ALREADY BEENSPENT SCHOOL DISTRICT CHIEFFINANCIAL OFFICER MIKE BURKESAYS IF THE RULING STICKS..THEY'LL HAVE TO LOOK CLOSELYAT ALL BUDGET ITEMS INCLUDINGTEACHER RAISES.

MIKE BURKE18:02 MORE THAN HALF THE MONEYGOES TO TEACHER PAY SO ITSGOING TO BE HARD TO ESCAPEREVISITING THOSE SUPPLEMENTSITS A FACTOR THAT ANDY BINNSSAYS DEMONSTRATES EXACTLY WHYTHEY WANT THEIR SHARE.

ANDYBINNS 3:40 WE LOST SEVERALTEACHERS TO THE DISTRICTBECAUSE THEY WERE GETTING PAIDTHE EXTRA MONEY BY THEDISTRICT FENNOY 32:19 THERETRO PART IS VERY VERYTROUBLING BECAUSE WE'VE DONEEVERYTHING THAT WE PROMISEDTHE TAXPAYERS WOULD DO FORNOW..

THE SCHOOL DISTIRCT SAYSIT WILL KEEP UP THE FIGHT..APPEALING THE RULING ANY WAYPOSSIBLE..

WHILE SAVING WHEREIT CAN.

FENNOY 31:02 YOU WILLHEAR ABOUT US MAKINGADJUSTMENTS WITHIN THEORGANIZATION TO PUT THAT MONEYASIDE UNTIL THE FINAL RULINGIS MADE STEPH THE CURRENTREFERENDUM GOES UNTIL 2023 ANDACCORDING TO NEW STATE LAWS..ANY FUTURE REFERENDUMS MUST BESHARED WITH CHARTER SCHOOLS.WE HAVE A COPY OF THE COMPLETERULING AS WELL AS A TIMELINEOF HOW WE GOT HERE AND MOREREACTION FROM THE CHARTERCOMMUNITY ALL ON OUR WEBSITEWPTV DOT COM.

IN WEST PALMBEACH SS WPTV