If you are at all concerned about the school budget for next year , please consider attending the town hall meeting tonight at Ft Pierce Central HS’s auditorium at 6p.m. Ft Pierce Central is on 25th Street (which extends from St. James Drive past Midway Road, and it’s not too far down the road from our school.
The following newspaper article highlights the cuts that have been made to the budget already this year. So any future cuts would have to include and supercede the cuts already made. There will be another town hall meeting on March 31st same location and same time: Ft Pierce Central HS at 6 p.m.
Don’t forget this Saturday, the Statewide Rally for Education will be held at University of Central Florida in Orlando from 11 to 1.
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/feb/25/cuts-arent-over-treasure-coast-school-districts/
From today’s paper:
Cuts aren’t over for Treasure Coast school districts
By St. Petersburg Times
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Chop, chop, chop. Since October 2007, the state has cut $1.4 billion of core funding from public schools.
Some districts have closed schools. Many have frozen teacher pay. Locally, kids are walking farther to bus stops and there are less sporting events.
But with revenues continuing to fall, the worst may be yet to come.
Even though they cut nearly $500 million last month, lawmakers may have to cut core school funding by an additional $300 million before this school year is over.
And during the legislative session that begins March 3, cuts could approach $2 billion more for next year.
Some relief is on the way. For teachers, the federal stimulus package signed by President Obama could be the difference between pay cuts and another pay freeze. For districts, it could mean some people don’t get laid off and some crucial programs don’t get vaporized.
But the stimulus isn’t enough to shield schools completely.
Take a look at what’s been cut so far and what might be next on the chopping block:
Core state spending on education
In July 2007, before budget cuts began: $19.3 billion
In January, after the most recent cuts: $17.9 billion
Potential cuts for next school year: as much as $2 billion
Source: Florida Department of Education, Florida Legislature
Per pupil funding
In July 2007, before budget cuts began: $7,306
In January, after the most recent cuts: $6,860
National average: $9,138 in 2006
Source: Florida Department of Education, 2008 U.S. Census Bureau report
Some of what has been cut to date at the state level
Bonuses for high-performing schools reduced from $100 per student to $85 per student
Number of reading coaches statewide reduced from 2,560 last year to 2,382
Eliminated mentoring bonuses for national board certified teachers ($5,322 per teacher last year) and a subsidy that paid 90 percent of the $2,500 application fee for teachers seeking that certification
Eliminated the FCAT norm-referenced test, which allowed the state to compare the performance of Florida students to other students across the nation
Eliminated the FCAT summer retakes, meaning students have one less chance to pass the 10th grade FCAT
MARTIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Cuts this school year: about $7 million
Expected cuts for next year: between 10 and 15 percent or $10 million to $20 million
Consequences to date:
No raises for teachers
Eliminated all non-required summer programs
Reduced middle school intramural sports
Reductions to middle school/high school sports
Reducing travel for school district staff (i.e. conferences, recruiting trips)
Reduced the number of games for sports and limited how far teams travel. Some middle school sports have been eliminated.
ST. LUCIE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Cuts this school year: about $20 million
Expected cuts for next year: $30 million to $40 million
Consequences to date:
No raises for teachers
Forty non-teaching positions eliminated; 43 district office positions re-assigned to schools; no pay raises, step increases or cost-of-living increases for about 5,000 school employees.
School bus courtesy stops for students living within two miles of school eliminated; routes revised and school starting times staggered to reduce total number of buses on the highway.
Reduced middle school intramural sports.
Changing school start times
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Cuts this school year: about $7.2 million
Expected cuts for next year: At least $14 million, which is a 10 percent cut
Consequences to date:
Indian River County School District assistant principals now work 11 months instead of 12.
Reducing sports programs
Not giving pay raises
Reducing summer school options
Staff writer Kelly Tyko contributed to this report.
