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List of school cuts prepared
By KENT FISCHER
© St. Petersburg Times, LAND O'LAKES -- Summer school, text books, the arts and athletic programs could all be cut back in Pasco County under the state's looming budget crunch. On Tuesday, superintendent John Long outlined about $5-million in cuts that he could implement across the school district. Later that day, he met with principals and asked them to come up with more. They did, offering up an estimated $6.5-million in additional cuts that would affect everything from after-school programs to adult education classes. Long emphasized Thursday that the principals' ideas were just that: ideas. Long also said that he would not approve of some of the suggestions, such as eliminating after-school tutoring. "We asked the principals what they would be willing to live without to avoid layoffs and to keep classes sizes from going out of sight," Long said. "It's not like they don't think these programs are worthwhile." Regardless, the list of suggested cuts shows what could be lost if the district's state aid is sliced by more than 5 percent: Junior varsity and middle school athletic teams would be eliminated, although varsity sports and middle school intramural programs would be spared. New textbook purchases would be delayed and the money used to pay teacher salaries. Summer school programs would be centralized and students would have to pay a fee to attend. After-school programs and Saturday tutoring could be cut. The district's outdoor, saltwater science program, called the Energy and Marine Center, could be shuttered. Free programs at the performing arts centers at River Ridge and Wesley Chapel high schools would be scaled back or eliminated. The district would have to get special permission from the state to implement many of the principals' ideas because the Legislature mandates how schools spend certain portions of the aid. The district, for example, simply couldn't use money from its textbook fund to pay salaries without a waiver from the state Department of Education. Combined with Long's $5-million in proposed cuts, the principals' suggestions bring to $11.5-million the district's laundry list of programs that are on the table. All or none of the suggestions could become reality, Long said, depending on what the Legislature does during a special session to address its budget problem. Long said he has been told by lawmakers and state officials that Florida faces a budget deficit that could approach $1.5-billion. Education, one of the state's largest budget items, could be hit with as much as a 10 percent cut. A 1 percent cut would equal $1.6-million to Pasco schools; a 10 percent cut would mean a $16-million loss. In addition to school and district-level cuts, the principals also offered up some ideas for cuts to statewide programs that could save Florida schools tens of millions of dollars. The state could, for example, eliminate its $76.4-million School Recognition program, which sends cash to schools with good test scores. It could delay its implementation of a new science FCAT test and it could scale back the school year from 180 days to 160. Long said he was going to take the suggestions for state cuts to a meeting today of Florida's school superintendents where he hopes they will be forwarded to state officials. -- Kent Fischer covers education in Pasco County. He can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6241 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6241. His e-mail address is Facing potentially big budget cuts, Pasco school principals and administrators were asked to suggest ways to save money, both statewide and at the district level. SOME SUGGESTED CUTS IN PASCO$2.2-million in textbook purchases. $1-million from summer school by centralizing programs and charging students to attend classes. $550,000 in after-school and Saturday tutoring classes. $365,000 by closing the Energy and Marine Center, the district's outdoor elementary science center. $219,000 by eliminating middle school athletics. (Junior varsity sports could also be cut, but no cost savings estimates were available.) $120,000 from the performing arts centers at River Ridge and Wesley Chapel high schools. SOME SUGGESTED STATE CUTSCurtail FCAT tests, including a new science exam currently under development. Reduce the school year from 180 to 160 days. Eliminate the $100 per teacher stipend for classroom materials. Redirect the $76.4-million School Recognition program, which gives cash to schools with good test scores, into salaries. Source: Pasco County School District
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