Despite the growing necessity of college-level courses, Florida HB 5101 is planning to cut 50% of the funding for advanced programs such as AICE, AP, IB and CTE while also planning to cut funding for teacher bonuses, leaving students and teachers afraid.
The advanced studies funding in Orange county for the 2024-25 school year was roughly $34 million, a 50% cut would mean the county would only receive roughly $17 million for the 2025-26 school year.
Deerfield Beach High School adviser Jeff Romance says that the government should be doing more to increase the competition at public schools, not less.
This proposal to cut funding is leaving private schools overfilled with students that are becoming more and more difficult to manage. Evangelical Christian School adviser Todd Stubing says that he has seen an influx of students from the same public school sector looking for more advanced opportunities that some schools are just not offering anymore, especially not with the threat of funding.
AP classes leave a lasting impact on students and prepares them for the difficulty of a college schedule, something that many honors classes are no longer capable of doing.
“In some cases it may be hard and challenging, but it’s a good challenge,” Western High School Junior Jacqueline Sujo said. “AP English Language and Composition has made me a better writer and has definitely taught me how to analyze texts deeper.”
Sujo is one of many high school students who feel disappointed by the possible cuts on higher education programs. She has personally been affected with budget cuts from the government before. If the bill passes, she says high schoolers might miss out on the opportunity to experience college while they are still young and learning.
“Taking away the budgeting for these classes really won’t do any good,” Miami Arts Studio Sophomore Brianna Flores said. “It’s horrible.”
For some students, these classes provide them with an opportunity to lessen the cost of university studies, and having to pay for the exams won’t make this any easier. For an AP exam in the United States, the base fee is $99 per exam, and each Cambridge AICE exam is roughly $100. This is simply not feasible for students who are not able to pay that amount, and as schools lack the funding to pay for them, the amount of classes offered will drop.
Seminole Ridge High School Junior Alexia Ordonez is an example of a student who took these classes for financial benefit. “[AP classes] are my way into Bright Futures,” she said. “This is a way to help students who don’t have enough money for college to be able to attend. Why take that away?”
Teachers also deserve the proper funding as they teach more accelerated programs, but this bill seems to disagree.
Stubing feels that cutting teacher bonuses will result in a decrease in teacher interest, and some may quit overall to pursue a career with more possibilities. “I think we’re gonna have a problem where teachers are just going to get out of teaching,” he said.
Robinson High School Junior Grace Shafer believes that these possible reductions will harm the future of our nation’s children as they lack more and more opportunities. Shafer said, “Every person should know how to express their ideas, and without the funding of college classes, that could be jeopardized.”