A Polk County charter school is one of many projects that did not make it onto the $116.5 billion state budget, which came out slightly lower than the current fiscal year.
After Governor Ron DeSantis signed the budget on Wednesday, his office released a list of vetoed new and recurring projects, totaling close to $950 million.
The Mulberry Community Academy had requested $500,000 for its expansion project, which includes constructing a new building to house additional grades it wants to add in the next five years.
The school currently serves kindergarten through 3rd grade and plans to go up to 8th grade.
Read more about Mulberry Community Academy
The total cost of the project is $14 million. The request from the state would have funded pre-construction needs such as site preparation, said Isabel Garcia, the executive director of the organization that runs Mulberry and other migrant charter schools.
"That is a blow, but we understand decisions have to be made and it's difficult to fund every request," said Garcia, who added she was grateful Mulberry made it to the state appropriations list in the first place.
"Basically what it means, is now we will have to fund-raise and find other means."
Garcia noted that the school received $350,000 from the state in the current fiscal year's budget that went towards the wastewater system for the site.
Like other Florida charter schools, Mulberry receives public funds through the school district based on student enrollment.
The school also holds fundraisers and receives grants from local groups for running services such as after-school programming, summer programs, health clinics and other wraparound services.
The school is also expected to receive $1 million in state dollars from the Schools of Hope Revolving Loan Fund, which helps fund construction for eligible charter school operators.
Mulberry Community Academy is one of three charter schools run by the Redlands Christian Migrant Association, which also oversees 55 early childhood centers that are geared towards serving children of migrant farmworkers.
The charter schools stay open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day to accommodate the hours parents and guardians work in agriculture, said Garcia.
"Some families are working seven to 10-hour days and have limited access to books and supplies," said Garcia.
Children of farmworkers sometimes migrate with their families, whose job follows the harvesting season. In the summer, workers typically travel up north. Students leave school before the academic year ends and return to Florida after its already started.
RCMA's charter schools helps those students catch up academically, said Garcia.
The school's dual language program in Spanish also puts Mulberry in high demand. There's currently a waiting list for those enrollment spots. But Garcia notes that not all families they serve come from a Spanish-speaking background.
Recently, she says they've seen more Haitian immigrants move to the area for agricultural work as well.
"The school not only provides a safe haven, but also a quality education for children of families who would otherwise feel that it was not an option," said Garcia.
Construction for the new campus building is expected to be complete in 2026.
