Okaloosa Schools Superintendent Mary Beth Jackson and the Okaloosa County School Board plan to find an “innovative” solution to cover some of Okaloosa STEMM Center's costs.
It was among a handful of local projects approved by the state Legislature but included in the $461 million that Gov. Rick Scott vetoed.
The science, technology, engineering, math and medical center in Valparaiso received $250,000 last year to help cover some its costs. This year, Scott deleted the item from the budget.
For the district, that means a 20 percent cut in the school’s annual budget, according to spokesman Henry Kelley.
The STEMM Center houses the Okaloosa STEMM Academy, which just wrapped up its third school year. Since opening, the program has garnered strong interest from students, parents and a number of organizations including the Air Force Armament Museum and Engineers for America.
Projects of interest that will go forward are:
•$62 million to widen U.S. Highway 98 in the Destin and South Walton areas
•$19.5 million increase in student funding between Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton school districts
•$12.4 million to the University of West Florida to fund critical workforce education needs, veterans and military support and economic development and research
•$3 million for Eglin/Niceville Reclaim Water Project
•$300,000 for a homeless shelter in Fort Walton Beach
•$50,000 for Northwest Florida Fairgrounds
•$36,973 for the Northwest Florida Ballet
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: State funding not approved for Okaloosa STEMM Center