Rick Scott proposes doubling money for digital learning

Gov. Rick Scott promised during his re-election campaign to double digital learning initiatives for school districts from $40 million to $80 million.

"The more that our students are using digital (technology), there's a greater chance that they will be ahead of the game," Scott said in August 2014.

The Legislature budgeted $40 million for digital learning in 2014-15, the first year for that particular line item. (The previous year there were $17 million in grants for wireless and bandwidth upgrades.) Scott proposed doubling that amount in his 2015-16 budget released in January. The money will go toward improving school district information technology infrastructure, increasing bandwidth and providing computers for students.

Each school district will get $500,000, and the remainder will be allocated based on student population.

We will have to wait to see how the Legislature, which convenes March 3, reacts to his proposal but for now we rate it In the Works.