State Sen. Nancy Detert, chairwoman of the Senate Pre-k-12 Education Committee, sees Florida's economic crisis as so severe that it requires drastic action to help public schools survive.

"I am for, frankly, declaring a financial emergency and to set this financial emergency for two years, so it has a beginning date and an ending date. And within those two years to give school districts flexibility -- totally -- even including spending capital money on operating if that's the best they can do," Detert, a Sarasota County Republican, told the Gradebook.

It appears the governor could take such action, if certain conditions are met. Detert -- a former Sarasota School Board member -- contends that such a move, though harsh, would help to "break the chains" the state has placed on local school districts.

"Maybe we'll all end up better off in the end," she said.

Visit the Gradebook at noon Saturday for a full interview with Nancy Detert.