Pasco School Union President Calls For ‘Human Outcry’

A day before Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill into law that effectively ends tenure for new teachers in the state, Lynne Webb, president of the United School Employees of Pasco union called upon area residents to get active in their support of the public education system.

“Teachers and firefighters, police officers – the public service workers – are being unfairly blamed for decisions that were made that they had nothing to do with,” Webb said. “These pensions, rights, benefits that they’ve gotten are the result of years of negotiations (and) legislation that passed. Our employees did their part. Their employers did their part. Legislators made poor decisions by giving tax breaks and other things instead of fulfilling the promises they made to these employees.”

Webb said Pasco County’s educational system is facing a financial crisis because of the state’s lawmakers.

“It’s really the legislators who didn’t adequately plan,” she said. “They made poor choices and poor decisions and they’re trying to resolve that on the backs of teachers, police officers.”

The Pasco County school district is facing a minimum shortfall of $60 million in its budget. The are coming from all sides – federal, state and county.

County commissioners are considering reducing or eliminating , which would further add to the district’s financial burdens, Webb said.

The funding shortfall has even prompted one school board member, Steve Luikart, to inquire about the financial savings a would provide.

While Webb said she doesn’t think Pasco’s ready for a four-day school week, she said it could be a possibility if the situation worsens.

“I’m not sure that would be in the best interest of the community (now),” she said. “I think at some point government and public schools will be coming to that.”

Webb said provisions would have to be made to accommodate youngsters who would be out of school a day a week on a regular basis. In addition, the four-day workweek would essentially make school employees lose some of their income.

“You’re asking these people to basically take a 20 percent cut in pay,” she said.

That move, she added, probably wouldn't make up for the shortfall.

“I’m not sure that alone would bring us to the $60 million,” she said.

As the district continues to work out ways to handle the shortfall, Webb encouraged residents to voice their concerns with legislators and county officials. She said it’s not too late to help save some of the funding for local classrooms.

“There’s always time to help the district out,” said Webb.

She recommends contacting county commissioners and telling them not to cut school impact fees, telling legislators not to cut school funding and “bombarding Rick Scott with phone calls telling him to keep his promise.”

People, she said, can “tell their legislators not to balance the budget on the backs of their kids. They (legislators) need a human outcry.”

Webb agrees with school board chairwoman Joanne Hurley, who commented the district was facing the “perfect storm.”

“It’s here,” she said.

So, what does Webb think will happen if all the cuts go through and the district is forced to absorb more than $60 million in losses?

“I don’t know that they can get the job done,” she said. “I think they’ll (school employees) continue to do the best job they can. (But) you can’t have a well-nourished education plan when all somebody gets is bread and water. (For the state) it’s obviously not about providing a high quality education, it’s for providing an education based on subsistence.”

For more information about the USEP, visit useponline.org.

To find out where to contact state lawmakers, visit flsenate.gov for state senators and myfloridahouse.gov for state representatives. The Pasco County Commission’s website is found at pascocountyfl.net.