TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Top Florida officials are recommending a two-year hiatus on new school buildings in order to deal with the state's depleted school construction fund.
    
A letter sent Tuesday to Gov. Rick Scott says that if the state delays new buildings it can pay for previously approved projects.
    
Scott last month asked schools to return as much as $250 million to the state in order to take care of a looming shortfall in the account.
    
State officials also in January took the unusual step of stopping payments to ongoing construction projects until lawmakers figured out a way to replenish the construction account.
    
The State Board of Education chairman and chairman of the Board of Governors wrote Scott to say they can pay for current projects on a timely basis and minimize disruption.

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