Hope Florida to expand across Lake County schools amid controversy
WESH 2 News
[{'start': '3.236', 'end': '6.973', 'text': "AT A TIME OF CONTROVERSY, HOPE  FLORIDA IS EXPANDING TO HELP  STUDENTS AND PARENTS GET THE  SUPPORT THEY NEED.  GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS WAS ON  LAKE COUNTY TODAY TO SHARE HOW  SCHOOLS WILL CONNECT FAMILIES  WITH THE RESOURCES.  AS WESH TWO SENAIT GEBREGIORGIS  EXPLAINS, THE ANNOUNCEMENT COMES  AFTER SOME LAWMAKERS DROPPED AN  INVESTIGATION INTO THE PROGRAM.  ITIT WAS ALL POLITICAL.  OF COURSE IT WAS.  WHEN PEOPLE SMEAR WHAT THEY FEAR  AND IF HOPE FLORIDA REPRESENTS A  THREAT TO THEIR WORLDVIEW,  THEY'RE GOING TO GO AT IT.  GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS CALLED OUT  SOME LAWMAKERS AT A NEWS  CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY AFTER THEY  DROPPED AN INVESTIGATION INTO A  FOUNDATION LINKED TO HOPE,  FLORIDA.  THE PROBE STARTED AFTER  ACCUSATIONS OF MEDICAID  SETTLEMENT MONEY BEING FUNNELED  THROUGH THE HOPE FLORIDA  FOUNDATION INTO THE HANDS OF  POLITICAL GROUPS THAT CAMPAIGNED  AGAINST LEGALIZING RECREATIONAL  MARIJUANA.  I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY  OUT THERE THAT THINKS IT'S A BAD  THING TO GET 30,000 PEOPLE OFF  WELFARE PROGRAMS AND SAVE  TAXPAYERS 100, $108 MILLION.  THE ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,  WHICH WAS STARTED BY FIRST LADY  CASEY DESANTIS, PLANS TO WORK  WITH LAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS.  THESE LIAISONS WILL SERVE AS A  DEDICATED PERSON ON STAFF WHO  CAN ACT AS A POINT OF CONTACT  FOR HOPE FLORIDA RESOURCES FOR  THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF  EDUCATION IS SPEARHEADING THE  PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE PARENTS  WITH TOOLS AND SET THEIR CHILD  ON THE RIGHT PATH.  THEY DON'T KNOW WHO TO CALL.  AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO  IS SIMPLIFY THE PROCESS.  IT'S ONE NUMBER, AND YOU CAN  TALK TO A HUMAN.  LAKE COUNTY IS FOLLOWING AFTER  ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS,  WHICH WAS THE FIRST TO ADD A  HOPE FLORIDA LIAISON.  THE GOVERNOR HOPES TO SEE THIS  EXPAND ACROSS ALL 67 SCHOOL  DISTRICTS.  EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT OUR SCHOOLS  ARE THE CENTERS OF OUR  COMMUNITY, AND OFTENTIMES IT IS  OUR PRINCIPALS.  IT IS OUR TEACHERS.  IT IS OUR GUIDANCE COUNSELORS  THAT FIND OUT ABOUT AN ISSUE  THAT A FAMILY IS HAVING THROUGH  THE STUDENT AND THROUGH THE  PARENT.  WHAT BETTER WAY TO GET THEM HELP  THAN TO IMMEDIATELY CONNECT THEM  TO THIS NETWORK?  COVERING LAKE"}]