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Schools
School district works with others to draft its wish list
By DONNA WINCHESTER
Published January 17, 2007
Every year, school administrators in Pinellas County put together a wish list of items that they want state lawmakers to approve during the spring legislative session. The process begins months before lawmakers go to Tallahassee and includes input from schools, PTAs, school advisory councils and community organizations. This year's list is 20 items long. Several likely will appear on the wish lists of other school districts, said Steve Swartzel, a district administrator who lobbies for Pinellas' interests during the session. What are the odds of success? "I would be very surprised if all of these things were funded," Swartzel said. "But I'd be disappointed if none of them were funded." Here are some requests that the district hopes lawmakers will approve in 2007. Legislation | Programming | Personnel | | School safety: Increased funding for school safety precautions, such as the Jessica Lunsford Act, before- and afterschool care, and the hiring of school bus aides. | Prekindergarten: An upgrade of voluntary prekindergarten that would allow for a six-hour day for 180 days and a summer program of as many as 210 hours. | School nurses: Funding to increase the number of registered nurses to ensure a ratio of one nurse to 1,500 students. | | Transportation: A supplement to districts that have increased student transportation costs related to federal court-mandated choice programs. | Alternative education: More funding for high school career academies and other career technical education. | Housing: Additional incentives to the community for creating affordable housing for teachers and other school personnel. | | Private school requirements: A requirement that private schools receiving public school scholarship money use certified teachers and participate in the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. | Technology: An increase in state funding for instructional technology. | Raises and insurance: Additional funding for cost-of-living raises and adjustments for the increased cost of health insurance for district employees. | | Class sizes: More money to allow school districts to continue reducing class size as required by Florida's class size constitutional amendment. |
[Last modified January 17, 2007, 07:16:57]
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