Manatee County Schools Budget Cuts

By Kathy Bushouse
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
January 29, 2009

The Broward County School Board is warning that state budget cuts could force the school district to take drastic steps for the next school year, including laying off teachers and cutting popular programs such as art and music.

Bracing for up to $140 million in state budget cuts for the 2009,10 school year, the School Board is weighing a number of possibilities, from delaying textbook purchases to eliminating extensions granted to teachers in the state´s retirement plan.

The possibility of job cuts prompted Broward Teachers Union president Pat Santeramo to urge the School Board to look elsewhere before slashing jobs.

“Are we in a crisis? Yes, we´re still in a crisis,” Santeramo said. “I just don´t think that Broward has done everything possible in order to get away from any layoffs.”

Parents also will want to weigh in, said Jeanne Jusevic, chairwoman of the countywide District Advisory Group.

“Involve the community. The community is wanting to support the School Board in any way it can,” Jusevic said. The state Legislature has yet to establish how much state aid to education will shrink. So far, budget cuts haven´t meant layoffs in Broward schools, but the latest round of cuts could change that, Schools Superintendent James Notter said.

Nothing is final yet, as the board will have many more conversations on how to save money. But the anticipated $140 million in cuts come on top of more than $163 million slashed from the district´s budget in two years.

Notter said he has asked school principals and district department bosses to plan to reduce spending by 4 to 8 percent. A 4 percent cut would translate to a reduction in 1,000 jobs or $50 million from the budget, district officials said.

The district also is considering requiring noninstructional employees who are certified teachers to serve as substitute teachers at least two days a month; cutting exceptional student education specialists at 21 elementary schools; and reducing the school district´s geographic areas from four to three.

Board members also requested Notter to study other options, such as a four,day school week.

Santeramo has other suggestions. They include no longer printing pay stubs since employees´ checks are deposited directly to their bank accounts and renegotiating Notter´s contract to eliminate some benefits, such as his car allowance.

Union leaders plan to gather next month outside the school district´s headquarters, where they will identify areas in which they believe the district can make cuts and avoid layoffs.

“Layoffs ... should always be the last step,” Santeramo said. “It should not be the first thing out of their mouths.”

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