Manatee County Schools Budget Hotline

As we receive questions and concerns from school district employees regarding budget cuts for the 2008-2009 school year, we will post answers to those questions and concerns on this site. The purpose of the hotline is to quell unfounded rumors by providing realistic and rational responses from district officials with direct knowledge of the budgetary process. We encourage you to check back frequently, and if you have a question or concern, you can submit it via Budgetinfo@manateeschools.net

BUDGET CUTS HOTLINE!
Questions and Answers
Updated May 20

Why don´t we cut more district support staff instead of making teachers take a pay cut$

So far we have overwhelmingly cut more from district support areas than from our schools. During the 2007-2008 school year, Tallahassee forced us to cut our district operating budget by $8.7 million. Only $244,000 of those cuts came out of our schools. The rest of those cuts came out of district departments and support areas. For the 2008-2009 school year, we´ve cut $5.6 million out of non-school support services and our Supervisory, Administrative, Managerial and Professional (SAMP) employees have been the first to absorb the recommended salary reductions.

Aren´t we top heavy as a school district$

One of the things we´re really proud of as a school district is the percentage of total operating expenditures we funnel into our classrooms. In fact, when you compare the Manatee District to the six other districts in the state of Florida closest to our size (38,000 students to 43,000 students), you´ll see that Manatee ranks No. 1 in the percentage of total expenditures spent on instruction. See the following chart for details:

EDUCATIONAL FUNDING ACCOUNTABILITY ACT EXPENDITURE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FY 2006-07
	Instructional Cost	Total Expenditures	Instructional % of Total Expenditures	# of UFTE Students
Manatee	189,935,165	297,828,326	63.77%	41,744.33
Sarasota	227,156,697	367,377,449	61.83%	42,297.00
Collier	223,240,647	364,183,443	61.30%	42,500.06
Escambia	171,929,920	283,291,972	60.69%	42,025.33
Marion	172,476,924	286,104,006	60.28%	41,970.71
Lake	135,932,789	232,295,131	58.52%	38,901.28
St. Lucie	154,499,604	266,751,405	57.92%	38,673.09

Why don´t we go to a four-day work week?

Several people have suggested this idea and it is interesting to consider, however Florida Statutes requires school districts to have exactly 180 school days, so even if we wanted to move to a four-day week it wouldn´t save us any money because we would still need to have school for the required 180 days. Only the state legislature can change the statutes regarding the number of required school days. In addition, going to a four-day school week could create difficulties for working parents.

What about district administrative and support personnel switching to a four-day week?

Again, it´s an interesting idea to consider, but it would be very difficult to properly provide the necessary services to our students and schools on days when administrative, clerical and maintenance support would not be working and therefore would not be available. Every school day, parents, students, teachers and staff seek and receive the assistance of our support personnel, whether it is in guidance, curriculum, human resources, payroll or maintenance. When our schools are in session, we need all of our support services to be available and operating as well.

Why did we purchase the Professional Support Center in the first place?

Prior to purchasing the Professional Support Center, we had planned and budgeted for a variety of building projects to meet critical needs in the district. We were going to build a facility for professional development purposes on the Caruso Road property, we were going to have a total renovation and rebuilding of the outdated Matzke Complex and we were planning an addition to the School Support Center downtown. To accomplish all of these improvements, it was going to require a significant number of personnel to be housed in portables for as long as two years in some cases, to complete the construction. Obviously, setting up, maintaining and taking down portables is an expensive proposition. When the Superior Electronics Building became available, we quickly identified it as a place that could help us meet some of our critical needs while saving money. The purchase of the Professional Support Center (formerly the Superior Electronics Building) not only allowed us to eliminate the need for the professional development facility on Caruso Road and the addition to the School Support Center downtown; it allowed us to downsize the scope of the rebuilding project at the Matzke Complex. In total, we believe the purchase of the Professional Support Center saved us between $8 million and $12 million on a list of projects we had originally budgeted at approximately $30 million. As an added bonus, we were able to move entire departments into the Professional Support Center shortly after its acquisition.

Why don´t we sell the property the district bought on the southwest corner of Manatee Avenue and U.S. 301 where the Checkers Restaurant used to be located?

We have asked for an appraisal on that property and are considering selling it. However, this property was purchased with capital dollars and the revenue from the sale will be placed in the capital budget. Even if we could place the revenue from the sale of this property in the general operating fund, it would be a non-recurring revenue. When building an operating budget it is bad policy to use one time non-recurring revenues to fund recurring costs.

Why are we raising the cost of school lunches?

Everyone who has been to the grocery store lately knows food prices are increasing rapidly. In order to keep up with these increased costs, we're raising student lunch prices by 5 cents and student breakfast prices by 10 cents. If we didn't take this small step now, we would face a larger increase for the 2009-2010 school year.

My understanding based on an article in the Bradenton Herald is that our positions have been cut. Is this true? If so, why were we not told prior to it being published in the newspaper?

There have been no cuts or layoffs as yet of school personnel for the sake of reducing our budget. The School District must cut $21 million from our operating expenses to balance the budget in 2008-2009. We put together a list of items totaling $28 million and asked for input on this list of possible cuts. The Superintendent is considering input from all facets of the district and based on that input, he will recommend a plan to reduce the budget to the School Board. Anything you've seen in the Bradenton Herald, the Manatee Herald Tribune or any other local media outlet has only dealt with possibilities that may or may not factor into the final decision regarding the budget. Any affected personnel will be notified as soon as a final decision is made on the budget.

Manatee School officials have said they need to cut $21 million to balance the 2008/09 budget. When I get updates on the current legislative plans from Tallahassee they say that Manatee Schools will only be cut $2.7 million, why the difference in numbers?

The $21 million we need to cut to balance the 2008/09 budget comes from two sources; $11 million in lost revenues and $10 million in increased recurring operating expenses. Revenue for Manatee County Schools will be reduced $11 million next year. The majority of this reduction is from the State of Florida through the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP). The current information releases for the State's budget for 2008/09 announce that Manatee Schools budget will be reduced by $2.7 million for 2008/09. This comparison is after the $8.7 million we have been cut in 2007/08. If the comparison was based on the original budget for 2007/08 it would reflect a cut for Manatee Schools of $11 million. The beginning budget was used to base allocations and contracts. Operating expenses are increasing by $10 million in 2008/09. These expenses include such things as Step increase, utilities, fuel prices, and increased costs for health insurance. The $11 million reduction in revenues and the $10 million increase in operating expenses make up the $21 million cut number.

How does the district make proposed cuts when we do not know yet what the state will be allocating to school districts in the state budget?

Under Dr. Dearing's leadership, we have been very proactive in preparing for the possibility of budget cuts. Barring any unforeseen moves by the legislature, we feel like we have a very accurate picture of how much we will have to cut from next year's budget. Since the summer of 2007, sales tax revenues in the state have been in sharp decline, a factor which has significantly reduced the amount of funding for public schools. So far this school year (2007-2008) our revenue from the state has been reduced by $8.7 million. Other than a cut of $244,000, we have been able to shield schools from this year's budget reductions by making cuts at the district level and by taking $3.6 million from the Board's $10 million rainy day reserve fund. In Tallahassee, where the legislature is currently in session, both the House and the Senate budget proposals are in line with our estimates of school revenue for 2008-2009.

I have read the state may use money from its rainy day fund to keep per-student funding the same. Is this true, and how will it affect the school district's budget?

There has been some discussion to access rainy day or trust fund monies to help balance the budget. However, the state budget will be approximately $4 billion lower in 2008-2009 than the 2007-2008 budget. In addition the revenue projections continue to decline. Just this week (April 21, 2008) it was revealed that lottery revenues are $88 million lower than expected, which will result in a shortfall in the state's lottery budget.

What happens if the Manatee Education Association decides not to take the pay cuts?

The district is currently in talks with the MEA and AFSCME to find out how we can work together to find a solution to the current challenges we all face.

I am very likely one of the hundreds who will lose their job if a solution is not found to the fiscal thrashing our school system is facing. My livelihood will be crushed if unemployment is in my future. Although a pay cut is not preferred, it is a better alternative than unemployment. Can you keep me from losing my job?

Our School Board has some difficult decisions to make. We can choose to lay off 300 to 400 employees, or implement an across the board salary reduction. The Board and Superintendent have stated publicly that a layoff will lower the level of service to our students and would be devastating to our community. To avoid sizable layoffs, it will take cooperation between the district, the unions, district employees and ultimately the School Board to make the best decisions on how we will maintain the level of service to our students.

I read in Saturday's paper that you are now considering cutting back 12-month clerical personnel to 10 or 11 months. Is this true, and is this in addition to the proposed salary cuts?

There is no plan to reduce clerical staff from 12 months to 11 months on a district-wide basis.

With the cost of gas, groceries and other necessities soaring, how do you expect people to get by if you cut their pay checks?

The School Board has made it a priority to raise salaries over the last four years. In 2006, the Manatee District's average teacher pay of $45,070 ranked 6th among Florida's 67 school districts, according to a statistical brief produced by the Florida Department of Education. It is frustrating for us to lose the progress we've made in improving our salaries. However, the alternative of eliminating 300 to 400 employees would be devastating to our district, those families affected, and our community.

I have heard people say if they are going to cut my pay, I am not going to go out of my way to do the little things that are not in my job description. How do you expect employees to be loyal to the district when they seem so expendable?

Our employees are not expendable. That is why we want to keep them all employed and serving our students.

I've heard summer school is being cancelled this year. Any truth to that rumor?

The planning for summer school began in January, 2008 and it is on schedule to begin in July.

Is it true that the salary for School Board members is set by the state and they cannot take a pay cut?

School Board members' salaries are set by the state; however all of our school board members have indicated they will voluntarily reduce their salaries.

What is going on in other districts? Are the cuts they are facing as deep as ours?

The cuts are as deep or deeper in other school districts. To see for yourself, please visit the “Budget Cuts in Other Districts” link on the home page of this website to find stories about those districts. The link is listed under “Hot Topics”.

Why don't we sell the Professional Support Center?

The School District has two separate buckets of money: General Operating Funds and Capital Funds. General Operating Fund dollars pay for teachers' salaries, utilities, textbooks, and other costs associated with the day-to day operation of our schools. By law, those General Operating Fund dollars must be kept separate from the Capital Funds that are used to purchase or build schools and other district buildings. If we were to sell a district building, the revenue from that sale would go back to the capital fund that was used to purchase the building, and would not be available to help us pay our operational expenses.

Will the Learn and Earn Bonus be cut in the new budget? Learn and Earn has been a very nice incentive to continued education, but as much as I enjoy receiving that annual check, it seems an unnecessary expense when we are talking about layoffs?

Thank you for the suggestion. Right now there is no change planned for Learn and Earn. We recently expanded Learn and Earn during bargaining to teacher aides and teacher assistants.

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