Schools pocket rewards from Bush

Though some call it a mere photo op, 842 Florida schools make the grade and receive $76-million.

By STEPHEN HEGARTY

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 30, 2001

TAMPA -- Gov. Jeb Bush traveled the state handing out school recognition checks Wednesday, illustrating once again that he wants to reward schools for academic improvement -- and likes to deliver the rewards in person.

"When you work hard and your teachers do all the right things, your teachers and principal get to decide how to spend some extra money," Bush said to a cafeteria full of cheering children at Palm River Elementary School in Tampa.

Standing on the cafeteria stage, Bush scribbled his signature on an oversized check for $57,406 while kids waved big paper cutouts in the shape of A's.

Palm River and 841 other Florida schools got official word Wednesday that their test scores and school grades earned them tens of thousands of dollars to spend as they wish. Statewide, the checks totaled $76-million, down from $80-million last year.

This year the monetary awards come at a time of financial unease. Many school districts are trimming budgets, and the state's overall revenue collections are down. Schools still are talking of spending their school recognition money on extras and staff bonuses, but at least one Pinellas County school is contemplating using the money to replace a media aide recently lost to budget cuts.

Bush was joined Wednesday by Education Commissioner Charlie Crist on what has become an annual feel-good event.

The governor could not have picked a better school than Palm River Elementary if he wanted to illustrate dramatic improvement and the ability of economically disadvantaged children to learn. At Palm River, roughly 89 percent of the children are eligible for the federally subsidized lunch program. The school improved from a D to an A.

"In this case, in this school, there were extraordinary gains," Bush said. "This is not about politics. It's about kids learning to read and write."

At Carwise Middle School in Palm Harbor, principal John Leanes said his school might use

his staff has indicated they want to use the money on bonuses.

At Carwise Middle School, principal John Leanes said his school might use some of its $148,940 to essentially buy back a media aide lost recently in budget cuts. That might cost about $15,000. Otherwise, Leanes said, his staff has indicated they want to use the money on bonuses.

In Pasco County, Denham Oaks Elementary principal Freda Malphurs said her staff probably won't spend its $89,727 on bonuses, at least not directly. Instead, they might put the money into a fund for school supplies.

"If we have a fund for the supplies, maybe the teachers won't have to spend out of their own pocket on supplies," Malphurs said.

Many of the schools already knew they would be getting money because when school grades were announced in May they either earned an A or improved a grade level. But Wednesday was the first official notice.

"Just seeing it in print is really exciting," said Williams Middle School principal Quincenia Ball, whose Tampa school went from a D to a C and earned $82,973.

The awards are based on a calculation of $100 per child at the school.

In Hillsborough County, where schools have been asked to trim their budgets by 2 percent, about half the schools had never received any recognition money. For the first time, the state is handing out less money to fewer schools this year. After giving $30-million to 323 schools in 1999, the program exploded to $80-million and 997 schools in 2000. Though overall school grades improved this year, many schools that made progress last year simply maintained a B or a C, which doesn't qualify for a reward.

Bush, who is running for re-election, clearly enjoyed mixing it up with well-dressed children at Palm River Elementary.

He was quick to praise accomplishments, cite the money the state devotes to schools and defend his policies.

"Most people (opposed to the plan) didn't have all the information," Bush said. "They thought it was all tough and no love."

The governor's critics frown on these annual events as distracting from larger issues of school funding.

"To me it looks like a photo opportunity," said Maureen Dinnen, president of the Florida Education Association teachers union. "Deciding how to spend the money is going to be made more difficult this year by the general lack of funding."

Schools do tend to have difficulty every year deciding how to spend the money.

"It sounds like a lot of money, but it will go quickly," said Janet Reed, principal at Floral City Elementary School in Citrus County, which has $44,827 to spend.

"There's plenty of need, but how do you decide?" said Dennis Griffin, principal at Bay Point Middle School in St. Petersburg, which received $138,045. "I tell you, though, it's a good problem to have," Griffin said. "We're working hard right now to see that we have this same problem again next year."

- Times staff writers Melanie Ave, Barbara Behrendt and Alisa Ulferts contributed to this report.

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