Broward school district makes payment to charter schools
FORT LAUDERDALE - The Broward County school has made an initial payment of nearly $32 million to charter schools after it was determined that it did not properly share tax revenues.
Last March, State Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. informed Broward County school officials that an investigation was being launched into whether the school board did not "properly" share revenue from a discretionary tax with charter schools in the district.
The following month, Andrew King, general counsel for the state Department of Education, told the state board that the school district had agreed to a three-year payment plan to pay the charter schools.
The district made the first payment on July 10, according to King.
The payments are tied to a 2018 voter-approved referendum that raised property taxes for increased teacher pay and to improve school safety.
The payment deal was agreed to the same day former Broward County schools Superintendent Peter Licata announced he was retiring for medical and family reasons. The school board quickly replaced Licata with Dr. Howard Hepburn.
Additional payments will occur on July 10 over the next two years, with an overall total of about $108 million, King said.