DeSantis vetoes $15 million for Miami Catholic school security. Here’s what to know

Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed $15 million in state funding that would have paid for security upgrades at Catholic schools in South Florida. The cut came as DeSantis approved a $117.6 billion budget late last month, drawing disappointment from local Catholic leaders who had pushed for the first-time grant funding earlier this year.

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FULL STORY: Miami Catholic schools wanted tighter security. DeSantis cut the funding

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Here are key takeaways:

• DeSantis vetoed the full $15 million the Florida Legislature had approved for security grants at schools in the Archdiocese of Miami, which includes 68 schools across Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. It would have been the first time the state funded security measures for Catholic schools.
• DeSantis said he vetoed the funds because private schools already receive significant state voucher scholarship money and warned against setting a bad precedent. “No one has done better for Catholic schools, and we have, because we have universal school choice,” he said at a news conference at Hillsborough College.
• The Archdiocese of Miami called the security enhancements “not a luxury” but “an essential component of providing safe environments where students can learn and thrive.” The funds would have paid for fences, bulletproof glass, video recording systems and safety officer training.
• Lawmakers approved a separate $15 million for security at Jewish day schools that DeSantis did not veto. The governor said Jewish schools have faced specific, targeted threats since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
• Jim Rigg, superintendent of Catholic Schools in Miami, pointed to rising concerns about targeted violence. “Unfortunately, we live in a time where school violence is a reality, not just in Catholic schools, but in all types of schools around the country,” Rigg said. Advocacy for the grants began after last year’s mass shooting at a Catholic Church in Minneapolis.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.

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