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Another hole in school budget
By ALEX LEARY
© St. Petersburg Times, INVERNESS -- The school district has a $800,000 hole in its budget after learning enrollment projections are off by more than 180 students. Most of the shortfall, based on state money tied to student population, will be covered by a fund established for such fluctuations, officials said. But with lawmakers beginning a two-week special budget session today, looking to slash more than $1-billion from the state's $48-billion budget, the district's financial outlook has gone dark. School districts could see cuts in state revenue from 3 to 4 percent, which could cost Citrus schools millions. "It doesn't look good for education, not at all," said Sam Hurst, district finance director. "We're expecting some pretty serious cuts." Those cuts are driven by the overall economic slowdown, which has affected state governments nationwide, and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Florida has seen a sharp drop in tourism, a major problem since the budget is heavily dependent on the sales tax visitors pay. The $700,000 in reserve for student enrollment could have been used to soften reductions in state education spending, but suddenly that security has vanished, posing some tough decisions. "We're going to have to be awfully, awfully careful," said School Board member Carol Snyder. "It is certainly something that is going to cause us a lot of concern." Officials had forecast there would be 15,197 students in Citrus schools, but census figures released last week show there are 15,013, a 184 deficit. Using a complicated state formula that accounts for full-time equivalent students, the shortfall rises to 252. This means the district will receive $800,000 less than expected, Hurst said. Enrollment projections are not an exact science, said Steve Chamblin, who oversees the district's informational services. "It's just a forecast," he said. "We have to do it in December for the following school year." Administrators have already cut $1-million from the system's general fund budget, suspended employee pay raise talks and looked carefully at hiring new employees in anticipation of state cuts. Hurst said they have identified $400,000 in expenditures that can be postponed. They include a replacement for Kelly Tyler, who was coordinator of vocational, adult and community education before taking over as principal of Lecanto High School, and equipment to scan and digitize student records. Fuel prices have dropped, Hurst said, so the district expects to save $50,000. School Board chairwoman Patience Nave said the dis trict hopes that if state cuts are severe, lawmakers will allow more flexibility in the use of so-called categorical spending. This money can only be used in certain ways, such as technology or transportation. "There are categories for everything," she said. "It's a huge amount of money." -- Information from Times files was used in this report.
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