College smiles at budget

But at Sarasota-based New College of Florida, there was joy, not sadness when the budget was dissected. That’s because it includes $5.4 million in funding for the school — a 50% bump and the seed money to “embark on a transformative plan for its future,” college officials say in a release. The funds are specifically for the first phase of a plan unanimously approved by the State University System Board of Governors in November and endorsed by the Florida Legislature in May.