Educational Issues
There are many issues which will come before the School Board of Brevard County in the coming years; however, the two most immediate involve our continuing budget crisis and redistricting students to balance school enrollments.
BUDGET
The revenue for Brevard Public Schools has declined annually since 2006-2007 with the current 2009-2010 revenue actually being less than that of the 2005-2006 fiscal year. A major reason for that decline is the reduction in student membership of about 3000 students. Some good news, however, is that the district total student membership as of January 16, 2010, is 73,030 which is about 650 more than that which was projected in September. Most Central Florida residents who are employed consider themselves fortunate to be so and it is safe to speculate that few workers have realized an increase in salary within the past few years. Even so, prices are higher and the cost of doing business has steadily increased over that same time period. Critics of education argue that declining enrollment should offset the reduce funding of education but that just isn’t so. Inflationary increases have driven up the cost of textbooks and materials, gasoline, diesel fuel, electricity, postage, property, and casualty insurance. Furthermore the cost of employee health benefits and unemployment insurance have far outweighed the small savings realized from the decline of student membership. To exacerbate the situation, the State Constitutionally mandated class size reduction requires the hiring of many more teachers with concomitant increases in the need for materials supplies, and facility improvements. While the Class Size Amendment is, in fact, a sound educational best practice, failure by the State to fund it (as required by the Amendment) only compounds the financial problems of every school district within Florida.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Federal stimulus added several million dollars to the BPS budgets for 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 but will no longer be available following the 2010-2011school year. The School Board of Brevard County directed that these dollars be used for sustaining teaching positions and program resources for economically disadvantaged and special needs students. It is important to restate that these dollars will no longer be available following 2010-2011. The new Federal Race to the Top grant dollars, if funded, will also a be short term fix for a long term problem. Please do not forget that the Federal dollars mentioned above were given to Florida because the Florida legislature was unable to adequately fund the schools within our state. Make no mistake that the responsibility for funding public schools within Florida lies with the State Government – not the Federal Government. At no time was there any inference that the Federal dollars were intended to lesson the responsibility of the Florida Legislature from their Constitutional duty to fund education nor that the legislature should utilize this short term Federal money in place of a long term State funding solution.
During 2008-2009, State officials further shifted their responsibility to local school boards by reducing the allowable millage for our Capital Projects Funds (used to pay our mortgages and to maintain our buildings and grounds) and increasing our required local millage (used for the General Operating Fund). This reduction required the School Board to defer maintenance projects which must be addressed later. Projects which in the future, only will become more expensive.
Proclaiming no increase in State taxes while shifting responsibility for funding schools and local services to school boards and other county governments is a very old trick used by state legislatures throughout the Country. They do it because they can.
Be assured that I am committed to maintaining the high level of performance and educational excellence shown by our students and employees even though our budget continues to diminish. To that end school district officials are scrutinizing every expenditure and evaluating the cost-effectiveness of every program of Brevard Public Schools. Positions have been frozen so that our workforce is being reduced through attrition and our energy management has reduced our consumption by 12%. Careful planning has never been more critical than at this point in time. That planning includes streamlining the Brevard Public Schools strategic plan in order to develop a workable document that is focused, operational and void of rhetoric. Personnel practices must be reviewed in terms of those employees in DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Program). Concerning the matter of the so-called double-dippers* the Superintendent and School Board must act courageously to halt the message of entitlement and the practice of lateral movement which most certainly has locked up the respective career ladders of Brevard Public Schools.
* Florida Today newspaper (February 28, 2008) addressed the matter of double-dippers some months ago and the gist of their editorial was correct. Florida law heretofore allowed most public employees to be re-hired by their previous public employer following a short 30-day waiting period. These persons could then collect their old salary and commence a new retirement program. Following the first year of re-employment these employees could even collect their State of Florida retirement benefits in addition to their salary. The practice is legal and there was, in fact, some rational thinking behind the State law. Defenders of the practice liken it to the School Board hiring retired military personnel in the Troops to Teachers Program and other positions. The defining difference is that retired military personnel are beginning a second career and do not start at the top of the educational career ladder. The problem now created by double-dipping is a locked up system of advancement within Brevard Public Schools as well as other public institutions. Competent persons hoping for career advancement are blocked as the top jobs seldom become available, thus frustrating every aspiring employee down the career chain. If you liken BPS to a body which needs a good blood flow, by continuing to retain top employees following their retirement, we effectively have placed a tourniquet around our organization’s neck. The Florida law has been changed effective July 1, 2010, and requires a 180 day waiting period prior to re-employment following retirement. Note that the School Board is not required to re-hire retirees.
STUDENT REDISTRICTING
The BPS long range facility plan must be redeveloped after the redistricting is finalized and the budget stabilized. Shifting demographics have led to overcrowding in some southern and central area schools and under-utilization at schools to the north as well as beach side. The School Board is working with district officials, parents and community members to reach solutions to the redistricting concerns. The next redistricting phase will include schools beach side as well as schools likely to be impacted by the culmination of the space shuttle program. Estimates related to the resulting declining enrollment vary greatly and could include several thousand students.
Defining school attendance districts and closures is always difficult; however, it is important to note that closing an under-utilized school is not always the most cost effective option. Those students, teachers and other personnel must move to another school and portables may need to be added. Remember that portable classrooms are expensive and uncomfortable and were never meant to be a long-term solution. The students must be transported and the closed school building must be maintained. Security must be increased because, as any experienced school principal will confirm, vandalism of closed school buildings is far greater than that of working facilities. The cost of closing could, indeed, be greater than allowing an under-utilized school to remain open and serve its community.
There are myriad more issues in which you may be interested. Please feel to contact me at barb@electbarbaramurray.com with your questions. I will do my best to get back to you in a timely manner.
Thanks!
Barbara Murray