Politics & Government

Frequently Asked Questions About Pasco Schools Budget Cuts: Part II

The Pasco County School Board will address its budget shortfall during a meeting in Land O' Lakes tonight at 6 p.m.

As Pasco County School Board members prepare to vote on a plan to , area residents have plenty of questions about the funding gap that tops $54 million.

The board is expect to pass the plan that calls for unpaid furlough days for its employees and from the payroll. This plan was created to address the funding shortfall.

To help Pasco residents understand the issues the district has been grappling with, officials have put together a frequently asked questions document.

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Here are some of the questions the district has issued official statements on:

How are lottery dollars spent?

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The state allocates lottery dollars to fund the Florida Bright Futures Program and other state level programs. The K-12 portion of lottery funding is required to be used to fund the School Recognition Program, with the balance distributed to schools to be used for projects approved by each School Advisory Council. 

New laws call for the development of end of course exams.  Is there a cost to development of these tests?

It is estimated that each end-of-course assessment costs approximately $100,000 to develop.  

How many employees make more than $80,000 per year?

There are currently 54 employees (including the superintendent and assistant superintendents) who make more than $80,000 per year.

How many employees make more than $100,000 per year?

There are currently eight employees making over $100,000 per year (including the superintendent).

What percentage salary reduction would all staff need to take in order to balance the budget and avoid other cost-saving measures (i.e., program cuts, furlough days and layoffs)?

In order to make the $54 million cut, each employee’s salary would need to be reduced by at least 18 percent. This would be in addition to the 3 percent contribution required by the state for the Florida Retirement System.

Will some district-level positions be eliminated?

Administrator positions already have been eliminated during the last eight budget cuts as a way to protect schools. To date, 88 district-level positions have been eliminated since the start of the 2007-2008 school year. The Board is considering additional district-level positions as it works to streamline the budget even further. Keep in mind that Pasco has the lowest administrative costs of any district in the state, with 314 total administrators (including school-based principals, assistant principals and district office staff). 

Can we get rid of McKay scholarships?  How much do they cost us each year?

No.  This is state program and we have no discretion over whether or not students choose to participate.   This year, the District spent $2.9 million on McKay Scholarship tuition payments to private schools.  Furthermore, starting July 1, 2011, the Legislature has implemented an expansion of eligibility for this program, which could equate to additional lost revenue in future years.

Can we save money on things (such as white boards, computers, LCD projectors, major renovations, new schools, and textbooks) instead of cutting costs for people?

Many of the items on this list are capital expenditures, paid for with capital funds (major renovations, new schools, computers, etc).  While we might save money from the capital budget, we cannot, by state law, transfer capital funds to pay for operating expenses. People’s salaries are an operating expense and must be paid with operating funds. While textbooks are an operating expenditure, they are purchased with instructional materials categorical funds. These funds come directly from the state and may only be used for the purchase of textbooks and instructional materials. 

Can we raise property taxes to support our schools and avoid cuts?

The Legislature sets the Required Local Effort Millage Rate (RLE). The School Board only has limited discretion over the amount of local taxes that can be assessed (known as millage).  Last year, the Board was given the authority to levy an additional Critical Operating Millage to generate additional revenue.  However, the voters of Pasco County rejected that higher rate and the Board is not permitted to levy it for the 2011-2012 school year. 

Would pre-employment drug testing save the district money on health insurance, workers compensation coverage or fit for duty testing? 

Yes. This is something we are currently exploring, but it would require negotiation with the United School Employees of Pasco.

For those parents whose children are missing 20 or more days of school, can we tap into their tax returns?

This would require a change in law.

For more information about budget cuts and Pasco County schools, visit the district’s website at pasco.k12.fl.us.


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