South Florida’s School Districts Brace for Funding Hit (FL)

February 14, 2011

It’s the worst possible scenario, say South Florida’s schools officials. At the same time millions in federal stimulus dollars are running out, the governor’s budget calls for the state to slash education spending by 10 percent.

“The levees will burst as they did in Hurricane Katrina,’’ said Broward Superintendent Jim Notter. “We will have a disaster on our hands.’’

Of the $4.6 billion in cuts proposed by Gov. Rick Scott, more than $3.3 billion – or 71 percent – apply to education.

The potential impact on Broward public schools: $205 million.

On Miami-Dade: $214 million.

“A $214 million cut is the beginning of the demise of our public school system,” said Miami-Dade schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.

The leaders of both school districts said this week that would mean jobs and programs going back on the chopping block.

“If this condition does not change dramatically,’’ said Carvalho, “we will be joining the pack of many districts before us that have started to [fire teachers].”

Of Miami-Dade’s $4 billion budget, more than 80 percent goes to salaries. Of Broward’s $1.9 billion budget, it’s about 85 percent.

In keeping with his cut-costing mantra, the governor’s proposed budget also slices state higher education spending by about 6 percent in the upcoming year. Unlike some K-12 leaders, however, the Florida Board of Governors – which oversees the state’s 11 public universities – is not yet sounding the budget alarm.

However, the state university system’s “New Florida” initiative – unveiled with much fanfare last year under previous Governor Charlie Crist – is so far getting the cold shoulder from Scott. The new governor allocated no money whatsoever to New Florida. The Board of Governors had requested $150 million.

New Florida bills itself as an economic-revitalization blueprint that calls for a massive i nfusion of public dollars into state universities as a way to diversify and strengthen Florida’s job base – creating new high-paying jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Public universities aren’t the only ones subjected to belt-tightening under the proposed budget. The University of Miami would lose $2.1 million in funding for a medical training and simulation lab, and $4.6 million in medical school funding. Private historically black colleges and universities would lose $4.5 million in funding, and Nova Southeastern University would lose $3.2 million in health program funding.

Broward School Board member Robin Bartleman said she disappointed in the lack of attention the governor is paying to education.

“Children are our most important investment,’’ she said.

Scott defended his plan, saying public schools will just have to do more with less.

His proposal has been met with skepticism from both Democrats and Republicans, and isn’t likely to be the final budget adapted by lawmakers this spring. Local school officials are calling the governor’s plan the “worst-case scenario.’’

But even a “best-case scenario’’ is still pretty scary. Broward school officials are expecting at least a 5 percent reduction in revenue.

Over the past three years, both school districts have had to stomach serious cuts.

Miami-Dade has seen its spending slashed by more than $180 million. The district, the nation’s fourth largest, has dramatically reduced the size of its central administration, streamlined its food service program and made cuts to transportation.

Broward has cut more than $136 million over the past three years. The school system had to fire hundreds of teachers last year, but was able to rehire most with the help of last-minute federal dollars.

This year, the Broward School Board had to impose a tax increase to help cover its costs.

But perhaps the biggest hit will come when the stimulus dollars run out, set to happen in the upcoming fiscal year.

In Miami-Dade, stimulus dollars account for $126 million and fund more than 2,000 positions. Broward’s chunk of the stimulus funds is about $87 million.

“Next year is going to be the toughest year we have ever seen,’’ said Notter.

Further complicating matters: The funding cuts would come on the heels of districts having to meet the class size amendment, a constitutional mandate that limits how many students can be in core classes. Although the state legislature required all public school districts to be in compliance by this school year, the state didn’t come up with any of the promised funds to help. Both districts have spent millions of dollars and come up with creative solutions, such as having students taking virtual classes, but both came up short and now face financial penalities.

In an interview with Petersburg Times editorial board, Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon described Scott’s budget as an “unorthodox” plan that he’s “perplexed by.”

“I think the notion of just not replacing the federal stimulus money is I think a bitter pill, I mean it’s too big a pill,” he said.

Both Miami-Dade and Broward have already started agonizing over what can be cut from their already tight budgets. Among the things they’ll consider: tightening salaries and imposing fur loughs; putting school construction projects on hold; and reducing the number of positions in the central offices.

There is some good news: The Miami-Dade district has about $70 million in its rainy-day fund, a greater share of its operating budget than most Florida school districts have stowed away. (Broward has about $20 million in its reserves.) Dade also saved half of the jobs bill money it received this fiscal year from the federal government.

Still, deep cuts will be necessary, Carvalho said.

“There is no easy solution,” he said.

Miami-Dade’s Chief Financial Officer Richard Hinds said schools officials would comb through the scaled-back central offices for additional savings. In addition, Carvalho plans to hold a series of community meetings to discuss potential cuts.

“We have to be strategic, deliberate and compassionate,” Carvalho said.

Earlier this week, Miami-Dade School Board member Renier Diaz de la Portilla renewed his call for cutting administrative salaries.

“In order to save jobs, we’re going to have to make some very tough decisions in the upper echelons of our employees,” Diaz de la Portilla said.

Carvalho agreed, but said cuts to certain employee groups would not be enough.

“The biggest cuts first will be taken at the very top,” Carvalho said.

Miami-Dade Board member Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall, a former state representative, urged her colleagues to speak up against Scott’s proposal.

“We’ve got to let them know that we will not take this sitting down,” Bendross-Mindingall said. “We’ve got to make certain that our teachers, our cafeteria workers, our bus drivers have the quality of life that they deserve.”