The Florida Board of Governors (BOG) has used PBF metrics since 2014-2015 that favor big state universities like the University of Florida and Florida State University that are already well-funded. The BOG also denies PBF money to the three universities that finish in the “Bottom 3” each year no matter how much they improve.
Last session, the Democratic candidates for governor sat on the sidelines while State Rep. Ramon Alexander, D-Tallahassee, and House Majority Leader Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero, co-led a bipartisan effort to overhaul the PBF metrics. Their plan called for an end to the “Bottom 3.” Rodrigues was able to get the legislature to pass a law that requires the BOG propose changes to make the PBF system fair.
The five major candidates Democratic gubernatorial candidates are Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, real estate investor Jeff Greene, business owner Chris King, and former Miami Beach mayor Philip Levine.
None of the candidates even mention PBF reform on their campaign websites. They also haven’t released any written plans for fixing the flawed PBF metrics, either.
But when the candidates come to the FGCU campus, they’ll likely be pressed to talk about the PBF issue. The BOG denied PBF state investment funds to FGCU in 2017-2018 because it was in the “Bottom 3.” For all the other years, FGCU received one of the lowest state investment PBF amounts.
Rodrigues works at FGCU. Earlier this year, FGCU President Michael V. Martin wrote a guest commentary for the News-Press that asked the governor and legislature to change the PBF system in order to give his university a fair shot at getting money.
“FGCU, along with the state’s other regional institutions, is adversely affected by a ‘performance-based formula’ which drives incremental funding changes but reflects a “one size fits all” approach,” Martin wrote. “The current funding formula seems to contradict the Florida Board of Governors’ commitment to create a system that will ‘build on these institutions’ individual strengths and unique missions.’”
Martin added that: “At FGCU, we fully embrace performance funding. And we’ll be able to optimize our performance provided we start with a fully funded base budget, and that the metrics for incremental funding are in tune with our mission along with the needs and expectations of those we are charged to serve.”
A live stream of the debate will be available at winknews.com.