Governor Rick Scott says he wants lawmakers to boost spending for the K-through-12 education budget in the upcoming legislative session.
The governor will lay out his spending plan later this month. He's said for months he hopes lawmakers will hold the line on K-through-12 spending, but on Friday he said he'll likely recommend an increase.
"We're still working on the number, but my focus is on increasing funding for K-through-12", Scott said. "In the budget for teachers, I don't want them to have to spend as much out of their own pocket for supplies, so I want to do a debit card for their supplies. I want to put money into professional training."
If lawmakers agree to spend more on public school education, it would come on top of a billion-dollar increase last year.
But critics say that increase only replaced money cut during Scott's first year in office.
Scott, who will seek re-election in 2014, has focused on education in recent months.
He made a tour of schools seeking input from teachers and parents on what they'd like to see in the public school system.