While this budget may be leaner for Jacksonville than in previous years, it still pays to be connected to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The latest example comes from the Senate accepting the House offer on PreK-12 education, as it is likely that the state will spend $5 million for a new gym for the Jacksonville Classical Academy.
The money would go to creating a 33,000-square-foot gymnasium on campus that will create a new facility for class and locker rooms, facilitating sports activities, assemblies, theater productions and offices for P.E. and coaching staff.
The charter school in Mixon Town, which is chaired by the politically influential John Rood, the former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas, has been a frequent stopping point for DeSantis.
DeSantis spoke at the school in 2020 when it was affiliated with the conservative Hillsdale College, saying that it being open was proof schools should hold in-person classes, and blasted teachers unions for wanting more mitigation for the virus than he thought necessary. In 2021, he offered an overview of the Fiscal Year 2022-23 education budget, promising to "keep the momentum going" with a "lot of wins for students, families, and teachers."
Yet the school DeSantis spoke at has changed in recent years, amid attrition of students, as reported by Jacksonville Today. The Hillsdale association is no more.
Legislators live in fear of vetoes from the Governor as Sine Die nears every Legislative Session, and this one is no exception. However, it's highly unlikely the Governor would veto the $5 million request if it made the budget given his personal connections to the school and the man behind it.
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