SPC takes swipe at class size amendment

The college's board of trustees fears Amendment 9 would result in a reduction of funds for higher education.

By ADRIENNE P. SAMUELS
© St. Petersburg Times
published October 18, 2002

St. Petersburg College on Thursday joined the statewide political debate over a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at lowering class sizes in Florida's elementary and high schools.

The college's board of trustees fears that Amendment 9 would take funds normally given to the state's college and university systems, and use them instead to build thousands of new classrooms.

After saying they don't want this to be a partisan fight, the trustees voted to write a resolution against Amendment 9 and decided to send informational mailers on the college's stance to every registered voter in Pinellas County.

Amendment 9 will be on the Nov. 5 election ballot.

"It has a potentially devastating effect on this college," said Carl Kuttler, the college's president.

Trustees questioned how the state would bankroll the salaries of hundreds of new teachers to accommodate the new classrooms while at the same time providing the college with sufficient funding.

Trustees said they weren't against K-12 education, but they believe the state should use something other than a constitutional amendment to deal with crowded schools.

The Pinellas County teachers union feels differently.

"I do think it's somewhat hypocritical for them to come out against something like this while at the same time they lament about how poorly prepared students are to enter the college environment," said Rob McMahon, president of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association. "If our kids had more attention earlier, they could be prepared when they leave our system and not need the remediation that SPC and USF cry about all the time."

College officials are drafting a resolution and other information that will be mailed out to registered voters before the Nov. 5 election. Voters in Pinellas County will receive the mailing, and Hillsborough voters may also receive it. The mailings will cost an estimated $50,000.

One board member questioned the wisdom of using the college funds in such a way. But the college is legally allowed to use that money to lobby for its survival, Kuttler said. The money is coming from an auxiliary fund made up of revenues from vending machines, college officials said.

The state Board of Education is opposed to the amendment as well and has posted information about the issue on its Web site.

The University of South Florida on Monday will consider a similar, anti-Amendment 9 resolution.

SPC is taking what it calls a "rare" action because it fears the average voter might not understand the budget problems, the board said.

"Intuitively it makes sense to us," said Susan Jones, chairwoman of the college's board of trustees. "Financially, it's a disaster."

-- Adrienne Samuels can be reached at 445-4157 or samuels@sptimes.com .

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