JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mayor Donna Deegan and Councilman Matt Carlucci signed a resolution Monday in support of state-funded advanced placement courses.
Since April, local high school students have protested the proposed funding cuts by the Florida legislature. If passed, state leaders would slash funding to AP, IB, CTE, and dual enrollment courses in half.
“We’ve put in so much work, and this is kind of the payoff,” says Kaden Young.
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Young, a rising senior at Samuel W. Wolfson High School, has led the charge among his peers to advocate for the preservation of these courses.
Along with some of his peers, Young has rallied at city council meetings and school board meetings, calling on local leaders to act.
In response, Mayor Deegan signed the resolution in hopes that state leaders will reconsider.
“I don’t know when I have last been this impressed with a group of young people,” the Mayor remarked.
On June 3rd, the Florida Senate proposed to restore full funding to the courses, but the proposal would need support from the Florida House before the change could be enacted.
Wolfson rising senior Jarrett Kelley is optimistic, though, saying that he is counting on leaders in Tallahassee to do the right thing.
“I’ve been on the whole entire advanced track since middle school and look forward to having them fully funded next year,” he says.
Without funding from the state, some teachers risk losing their jobs, and students would likely have to pay out of pocket for their Advanced Placement exams.
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