Ricks Scott Gives $23.6 Million Bonus To Central Florida Schools

ORLANDO, Florida -- Governor Rick Scott presented checks totaling more than $23.6 million in School Recognition Program funding to representatives from seven Central Florida school districts Saturday.

Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Sumter school districts can use their school recognition award dollars for faculty or staff bonuses, to purchase educational equipment or materials, or hire temporary staff to help maintain or improve student performance.  


One Brevard County school that is scheduled to be closed, Gardendale Elementary in Merritt Island, Florida, received a performance bonus in the amount of $41,208.

“I can think of no better investment for our state than investing in those teachers who work on the frontline of Florida’s future every day by teaching our children," Governor Scott said.  "Florida students and teachers were ranked 6th for educational quality, our fourth-grade students scored among the best in the world on an international reading survey, and we recently learned Florida students are number one for percentage of students taking an AP exam. This funding, in addition to the over $1.2 billion education investments proposed as part of the Florida Families First budget, gives our schools and teachers the support they deserve.”

Florida’s School Recognition Program acknowledges the quality of public schools by giving financial rewards based on sustained or significantly improved student achievement in reading, mathematics, science and writing.  

Schools eligible for recognition awards include those receiving an “A” school grade, improving at least one letter grade from the previous year, or improving more than one letter grade and sustaining the improvement the following school year. Alternative schools that increase their school improvement rating or are rated “Improving” also qualify for awards. The school staff and school advisory council at each recognized school jointly decide how to use the financial award.

“I commend Governor Scott’s commitment to education in Florida. The school recognition funding, along with his proposed $1.2 billion in funding for K-12 education, will offer our schools and teachers the resources they need to strengthen our education system and offer our children an even better path towards success,” said Florida State Senator Andy Gardiner whose District is made up of parts of both Orange and Brevard County.

As part of his Florida Families First Budget, Governor Scott requested an increase in School Recognition Program funding to $125 per student, up from $93 this year. State funding for K-12 education in the Florida Families First budget totals $10.7 billion – the highest state funding level in history. Included in this historic total is $480 million to support $2,500 pay raises for Florida’s K-12 classroom teachers, plus the cost of associated benefits.

Total funding for K-12 education in the Florida Families First budget is $18.47 billion, an increase of $1.25 billion, or 7.3 percent, over last year’s budget, which also invested $1 billion in K-12 education. This increase represents per student funding of $6,799, an increase of more than $400 over the current fiscal year.

“These schools have earned this money, continuing the positive, educational opportunities taking place in their classrooms,” said Florida State Board of Education Chair Gary Chartrand. “Directing funding into programs with a proven track record for success is money well spent. I applaud Governor Scott’s resolve to increase funding for the School Recognition Program, which ensures that teachers who are really making a difference get rewarded.”

The total amount of school recognition funding distributed Saturday was $23,608,821.

BREVARD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TOTAL        $4,725,579

Titusville High School      128,872

Apollo Elementary School            67,755

Coquina Elementary School         44,807

Mims Elementary School              40,809

Andrew Jackson Middle School 58,426

Imperial Estates Elementary School         58,225

Astronaut High School   106,646

Pinewood Elementary School     30,626

Challenger 7 Elementary School                46,234

Enterprise Elementary School    62,034

Space Coast Junior/Senior High School   150,593

Rockledge Senior High School     117,290

Ronald Mcnair Magnet Middle   51,307

Fairglen Elementary School         61,868

John F. Kennedy Middle School 66,841

Cocoa High School           87,256

Saturn Elementary School            70,058

Hans Christian Andersen Elementary      69,414

Ralph M Williams Junior Elementary        56,634

Manatee Elementary     84,258

Viera High School             205,380

Meadowlane Intermediate Elementary School  100,296

Meadowlane Primary Elementary School              72,602

W. Melbourne Elementary School For Science    41,522

Port Malabar Elementary School               63,659

Palm Bay Elementary School       72,880

Lockmar Elementary School        68,297

Bayside High School        153,159

Westside Elementary School      75,689

Sunrise Elementary School          70,878

Heritage High School      160,997

Central Middle School    117,610

Sherwood Elementary School    47,496

Harbor City Elementary School   39,411

Croton Elementary School           53,440

Roy Allen Elementary School      47,037

Suntree Elementary School         64,477

Longleaf Elementary School        64,350

Westshore Junior/Senior High School     89,417

Quest Elementary School             77,619

Merritt Island High School            136,128

Edgewood Jr/Sr High School        87,068

Tropical Elementary School          61,910

Audubon Elementary School      48,136

Robert L. Stevenson Elementary               45,011

Gardendale Elementary Magnet School                41,208

Thomas Jefferson Middle School              58,986

Lewis Carroll Elementary School                63,287

Cocoa Beach Junior/Senior High School  128,398

Theodore Roosevelt Elementary              41,332

Freedom 7 Elementary School Of International Studies  38,248

Cape View Elementary School    32,057

Satellite Senior High School         106,062

Delaura Middle School   64,882

Spessard L. Holland Elementary School  38,374

Sea Park Elementary School        31,968

Surfside Elementary School         36,709

Ocean Breeze Elementary School             51,973

Indialantic Elementary School     67,178

Herbert C. Hoover Middle School             50,734

Gemini Elementary School           52,071

Dr. W.J. Creel Elementary School              82,083

Palm Bay Academy Charter School           51,728

Odyssey Charter School                58,260

Sculptor Charter School 45,993

Royal Palm Charter School           23,150

Imagine Schools At West Melbourne      36,476

FLAGLER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TOTAL         $853,316

Bunnell Elementary School          109,518

Rymfire Elementary School         121,998

Imagine School At Town Center                74,353

Matanzas High School    143,817

Lewis E. Wadsworth Elementary               86,228

Old Kings Elementary School       105,375

Belle Terre Elementary School   130,191

Indian Trails Middle School          81,836

LAKE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TOTAL $1,796,167

Beverly Shores Elementary School           44,874

Eustis Elementary School              46,177

Sawgrass Bay Elementary School              101,789

Grassy Lake Elementary School 94,648

Sorrento Elementary      67,377

East Ridge Middle School              100,427

Gray Middle School         92,085

The Villages Elementary Of Lady Lake School       72,911

Seminole Springs Elementary School       56,321

Round Lake Elementary School  74,166

Mt. Dora High School      99,838

Treadway Elementary School     88,091

Astatula Elementary School         55,716

Lost Lake Elementary School       100,780

Groveland Elementary School    78,607

Clermont Middle School               66,082

Pine Ridge Elementary School    78,678

Cypress Ridge Elementary School             55,498

East Ridge High School   207,888

Lake Minneola High School          119,342

Imagine Schools At South Lake  94,872

ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TOTAL         $9,233,298

Lake Eola Charter             20,426

Hope Charter     36,843

Nap Ford Community Charter    11,941

Oakland Avenue Charter              46,857

Orlando Science Middle High Charter      45,431

Legacy High Charter        11,980

Cornerstone Academy Charter  68,605

Cornerstone Charter Academy High School          17,884

Cypress Springs Elementary        68,397

Hillcrest Elementary        41,281

Kaley Elementary             21,752

Oakshire Elementary      66,416

Endeavor Elementary    69,832

Camelot Elementary       51,214

Avalon Elementary          82,047

West Creek Elementary                65,831

Thornebrooke Elementary          69,399

Legacy Middle   83,232

Freedom Middle              105,189

Princeton Elementary    40,040

East Lake Elementary     59,148

Riverdale Elementary     60,035

Apopka Middle 98,090

Lake George Elementary              54,753

Andover Elementary      60,682

Whispering Oak Elementary School         125,912

Lakeview Middle              127,287

Tildenville Elementary   45,419

Hunters Creek Middle   105,381

Lake Silver Elementary  60,052

Audubon Park Elementary           105,169

Dream Lake Elementary                69,085

Lakemont Elementary   67,765

Glenridge Middle             129,585

Blankner K-8      92,711

Evans High          186,902

Maitland Middle               96,172

Brookshire Elementary  48,695

Northlake Park Community Elementary 100,570

Dover Shores Elementary            59,161

Durrance Elementary     39,830

Tangelo Park Elementary              29,889

Chickasaw Elementary   71,481

Spring Lake Elementary 49,985

Hiawassee Elementary  67,191

Mccoy Elementary          59,467

Dr. Phillips High 332,230

Clarcona Elementary      87,319

Palm Lake Elementary   56,340

Arbor Ridge K-8                69,422

Metrowest Elementary 140,274

Southwest Middle           113,132

Meadow Woods Elementary      51,781

Waterbridge Elementary              97,085

Windy Ridge K-8               107,138

Bay Meadows Elementary           54,561

John Young Elementary                68,134

Waterford Elementary  67,340

Discovery Middle             82,514

Dommerich Elementary School  57,070

Hunters Creek Elementary          74,587

Windermere Elementary              77,800

Riverside Elementary     58,472

Corner Lake Middle        119,851

Chain Of Lakes Middle   127,075

Orange Center Elementary          24,027

Southwood Elementary                65,845

Sunrise Elementary         49,445

Meadow Woods Middle               105,560

Conway Middle                103,307

Aloma Elementary           42,769

Winter Park High              307,892

Ivey Lane Elementary    29,418

Ridgewood Park Elementary       67,837

Shenandoah Elementary              53,350

Columbia Elementary     98,704

Hidden Oaks Elementary              48,537

Oak Hill Elementary         43,853

Wekiva High       198,792

Millennia Elementary     79,499

Westbrooke Elementary              58,675

Lake Whitney Elementary            57,716

Moss Park Elementary   96,743

Dr. Phillips Elementary   59,368

Deerwood Elementary  47,216

Castle Creek Elementary              71,119

Timber Creek High           274,937

Olympia High     266,819

Freedom High   280,235

Piedmont Lakes Middle                107,554

Gotha Middle    112,972

Odyssey Middle               84,576

Sand Lake Elementary   46,278

Wyndham Lakes Elementary      78,169

Wolf Lake Elementary    101,264

Vista Lakes Elementary 90,905

Bridgewater Middle        135,334

Avalon Middle   145,498

Stone Lakes Elementary               70,612

Sunset Park Elementary                86,855

Keenes Crossing Elementary      67,601

East River High  167,749

Lake Nona Middle           110,896

Wetherbee Elementary                59,461

Lake Nona High 162,529

Timber Lakes Elementary             70,925

Eccleston Elementary     38,728

Richmond Heights Elementary   26,590

OSCEOLA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TOTAL        $2,416,244

Harmony Community School      74,584

Narcoossee Middle School          97,079

Narcoossee Elementary                68,434

Osceola High School        194,017

St. Cloud Elementary School       85,923

St. Cloud High School      175,960

Michigan Avenue Elementary School      56,674

Koa Elementary                80,508

Reedy Creek Elementary School               71,167

Westside K-8     126,810

Hickory Tree Elementary School                56,336

Gateway High School     209,076

Mill Creek Elementary School     80,894

Celebration School          123,065

Pleasant Hill Elementary School 87,310

Deerwood Elementary School    65,138

New Dimensions High School     33,819

Professional & Technical High     64,757

Four Corners Charter School       99,119

Partin Settlement Elementary School     76,286

Osceola County School Of Arts   77,281

Harmony High School     173,360

Neptune Elementary School       82,291

Sunrise Elementary School          76,221

East Lake Elementary School       80,135

SEMINOLE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TOTAL      $4,185,563

Bear Lake Elementary School      97,474

English Estates Elementary School            68,767

Geneva Elementary School         49,272

Evans Elementary School              80,080

Layer Elementary School              52,917

Lawton Elementary School          77,934

Sanford Middle School  142,505

Walker Elementary School           72,735

Seminole High School     301,552

Millennium Middle School           158,605

South Seminole Middle School  112,883

Casselberry Elementary School  65,520

Wilson Elementary School            86,151

Crooms Academy Of Information Technology     54,161

Goldsboro Elementary Magnet 60,142

Hopper Center  4,385

Jackson Heights Middle School  110,036

Highlands Elementary School      53,674

Rainbow Elementary School        72,088

Oviedo High School         204,111

Carillon Elementary School          55,072

Teague Middle School   128,164

Red Bug Elementary School         83,176

Eastbrook Elementary School     70,381

Tuskawilla Middle School              100,755

Lake Howell High School               205,526

Altamonte Elementary School    79,019

Sabal Point Elementary School   72,419

Woodlands Elementary School  74,180

Lake Orienta Elementary School                58,702

Sterling Park Elementary School                68,885

Rock Lake Middle School              85,895

Wekiva Elementary School          64,505

Keeth Elementary School             56,273

Greenwood Lakes Middle School             86,846

Stenstrom Elementary School    60,124

Heathrow Elementary School     84,215

Partin Elementary School             70,219

Indian Trails Middle School          101,391

Chiles Middle School      119,624

Markham Woods Middle School               93,406

Bentley Elementary School          93,253

Crystal Lake Elementary School 72,284

Hagerty High School        217,812

Choices In Learning Charter         58,445

SUMTER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TOTAL          $398,654

Bushnell Elementary School        66,546

South Sumter Middle School      77,429

Lake Panasoffkee Elementary School     45,487

Villages Charter School  209,192