TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Nearly half of Florida's public schools are sharing $135 million in recognition funds for high performance.

The annual rewards for about 1,700 schools were announced Monday. They are based on school grades for the last academic year.

The grades in turn hinge largely on how well students did on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or FCAT.

Schools that received grades of A, improved by at least one grade or sustained an improvement of more than one grade the previous year will receive $93 per student.

The money can be used for such purposes as buying educational equipment and materials, giving bonuses to faculty and staff or hiring temporary help to maintain or improve performance.

Governro Rick Scott has proposed increasing the funding to $125 per student in the next budget.