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Getting a high school diploma could soon get harder in Florida. Lawmakers are reviewing legislation to raise the graduation standards. As Whitney Ray tells us educators say schools can�t afford to enforce the stricter standards without more money.

Many Florida teens are getting their high school diplomas but not an adequate education. Nicholas Sirven is a junior college freshman. He�s taking remedial math and English.

�The classes I�m taking now are the same as taking high school, basically taking high school all over again,� said Nicholas.

One out of every two junior college students in Florida takes remedial courses, at a cost of 70 million dollars to the state. Representative Eric Fresen is sponsoring legislation to cut down on the expense by raising graduation standards.

�We are also turning it into a fiscal responsibility issue to where what we are suppose to be delivering at the high school level we truly deliver,� said Fresen.

The bill would require high school students to take tougher math and science classes. It would also require students to make a higher score on the 10th grade FCAT. Florida School Boards Associations President Wayne Blanton said districts can�t afford to implement the new standards.

�Increased math and science requirements, while I understand why they are there and why they�re asking for them, it would be very difficult to do that at the time that we have this reduced budget and we are in the process of laying teachers off,� said Blanton.

While educators say the legislation asks them to do more with a declining budget, the bill�s sponsor says raising the bar for graduation wouldn�t cost the state any extra money. If the bill passes the stricter standards would go in to effect for 9th graders entering high school in 2010-2011.