Superintendent Elia Posts Schools Budget Update

A report on the April 21 Hillsborough County School Board budget workshop comes 10 days after Superintendent MaryEllen Elia discussed the matter at a Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce luncheon and 15 days before the Florida Legislature is set to end its session.

That the news is not so good is not surprising, not this year, not when some $70 million to $80 million likely will need to be cut from the school budget, as Elia pointed out at the chamber’s April 11 .

In her most recent budget update, posted on the school district’s Website, Elia tried to make the most of a trying situation. The best she could come up with: “I’m pleased to report that our budget outlook at this time is as good as can be expected.”

But that’s not so good, not in one of the most trying years in one of the most difficult of all economic times, as evidenced by Elia’s next remark: “I feel confident making that statement despite the fact that we have had to cut the budget fives years in a row, for a total of $133 million in cuts, and will have to make more cuts in the coming year.”

How many more cuts, how deep and where is the three-tiered, $64,000 question. But life is not a game show and the amount that needs to be cut is in the millions, not the thousands.

Still, the news at the local level could be a lot worse.

“Under the most optimistic scenario, here in Hillsborough County we still have millions to cut,” Elia said in her budget update. “There are no easy cuts to make. Surrounding school districts are discussing massive layoffs, furloughs and cuts to valuable programs such as arts and music and athletics. We are not considering such drastic measures.”

What is expected is “more reorganization,” a continued focus on ways to save energy, and some relief from some requirements of the class size amendment.

At the chamber luncheon, Elia said relief is possible with the federal stimulus package, but in her budget update she notes that while the stimulus money will help, it won’t “restore the money that has been lost.”

It was further noted that the stimulus money is targeted for Title 1 schools (with high percentages of economically disadvantaged children) and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (or special education). ‘

“The money is non-recurring and is to be allocated over a two-year period, so we can’t make any long-term commitments with that money,” Elia noted. “The stimulus money runs out this year.”

As for why cuts are necessary, Elia notes the obvious, considering that the school district’s funding depends in great part on local property taxes and to some extent on state sales tax collections.

It hasn’t been a banner year, nor even an adequate year, in housing or sales for quite some time.

“Without finding new sources of revenue, the state is forced to make cuts,” Elia said.

To cut costs, school officials since 2007 — the year many business people will tell you the economy hit a proverbial brick wall — have reorganized departments, adjusted teacher work schedules, eliminated district positions through attritions, held vacant positions open for 90 days or more and shifted to a four-day, 10-hour work week in the summer.

The district on it Website offers a detailed list of cuts made since 2007, including the abandonment of block scheduling at the high school level. The resulting savings of $38 million came with the reduced need to hire, train and pay additional teachers."