Beaches Schools Prepare to Deal With Budget Cuts Next School Year

As the St. Johns County School District faces $10 million in budget cuts for the 2008-09 school year, officials are trying to rearrange schedules, cut non-essential classes and stretch funds as far as possible.

Nease High School Principal Linda Thomson said she’s never seen such a tight budget in her 30 years as a school administrator.

“It’s embarrassing that Florida is at the bottom of the list [in the country] for school spending,” Thomson said. “It says that every other state values education more than Florida residents do.”

To spend less money, Thomson said the school has cut elective classes and put more students into the remaining classes.

“Our classes are going to be larger and we’ve had to eliminate electives in order to have the other the standard courses that we have to offer,” Thomson said.

In core subjects such as math, English, science and social studies, the state’s class-size amendment limits each section to 25 students per teacher. However, in elective classes, like physical education, there are no limits. Therefore, Thomson said, they’ll have to put more kids in physical education classes, regardless if that’s what the students are interested in taking.

“Kids don’t have any choice but to be placed in physical fitness or weight training,” she said.

LESS DRASTIC IN JACKSONVILLE

Meanwhile, so far, it appears the budget cuts won’t affect schools in Jacksonville’s Beaches quite as drastically.

Some Beaches schools plan to cut a few teachers next year due to declining student enrollment and reduce teaching assistants, technical support and classroom supplies to meet their budgets in the tough economy.

The projected budget cuts are tentative and could change, for better or worse, based on the 2008-09 enrollment, said principals across the Beaches.

St. Johns Superintendent Joseph Joyner announced this month that the district is expecting a $10 million shortfall next year, part of which comes from the passage of a state property tax amendment in January. Gov. Charlie Crist, who supported the amendment, said there would be a $2.7 million “Amendment 1 Hold Harmless,” which would protect schools from the property tax cuts. But those funds disappeared from the proposed House and Senate budgets, which are still being worked out.

To make up for the lost funds, Joyner said the district is cutting back on the textbook budget, reducing school bus trips and putting a freeze on hiring new teachers and staff.

“This is the first time in 37 years that education spending has gone backwards,” Joyner said. “And it is particularly detrimental to districts such as St. Johns County, that are continuing to grow. These cuts will affect the number of staff we can afford and the quality of services we can provide. However, our School Board is committed to making the classroom a priority as we work through these unprecedented budget cuts.”

A PLAN TO RAISE MONEY

When Ponte Vedra Palm Valley Rawlings Elementary Principal Kathleen Furness learned of the budget cuts, she rallied the troops.

She wasn’t thinking about what she needed to cut.

Instead, she met with the school’s teachers to come up with a plan as to how they could raise money to offset the short fall.

They created a three-month after-school mini camps program that provides hourlong, fun enrichment classes for students.

The idea was so popular that 230 students signed up for the camps that began April 10. At $100 per student per camp, the program has raised about $23,000 for the school, netting about $17,000 after salaries and equipment expenses, Furness said.

“It’s not a good thing when we have less money,” she said.

“The challenge is to find ways to generate revenue.”

The camps, taught by teachers, include knitting, kickball, creative computers, Spanish, clay art, music play, hand sewing, yoga for children, digital photography, computer skills and exploring literature through music.

Furness plans to continue the program next year.

Due to its “tremendous overwhelming success,” the only staff position the school will lose is one non-instructional position, she said.

She also praised the school’s Parent Teacher Organization, which for years has provided financial support through fund-raisers, including the annual Spring Carnival.

LANDRUM LOOKS TO PTO

At Landrum Middle School, Principal Wayne King said his school will continue to look to their PTO to help with raising funds to help with the budget cut.

In the past, the PTO has raised money through events such as the Battle of the Big Cats basketball game between retired professional football players and teachers.

Even so, the middle school will need to cut one of three guidance counselors and one of two deans.

The school will also lose seven teaching positions. But since class schedules will change next year, and this year’s “extended” homeroom time will be eliminated, instructional time will not be lost, King said.

“The main goal is not to lose instructional time,” he said. “And we’ve protected that.”

TIGHT DOLLARS AT PONTE VEDRA

Craig Speziale, principal of the new Ponte Vedra High School, which is set to open in August, is also struggling to make the dollars work.

Speziale said that he has to be “creative” to open a school in such fiscally tight times.

“I would love to challenge myself to work with less,” Speziale said.

Unlike Thomson, Speziale said he could hire teachers for core subjects and electives. For example, he would hire an English teacher who could also teach creative writing or journalism.

“It’s been a little bit easier in that sense,” Speziale said.

The main issue that concerns Speziale is growth; he is expecting his school to grow and he wants to have the programs and personnel to meet the demand.

His other issue is that he’s had to hire all of his teachers internally, from other schools in the district.

“We have great teachers in this county, but it would be nice to hire some external candidates when you’re trying to fill teaching and coaching positions,” Speziale said.

ENROLLMENT DROP AT FLETCHER

Meanwhile, Fletcher High School Principal Dane Gilbert said he has recommended cutting four teacher positions through attrition, because student enrollment dropped this year and is projected to do again next school year. Those cuts won’t harm programs or class- size requirements.

In addition, Fletcher High will drop two clerical jobs and let go of a technical employee who handles hardware and software problems, Gilbert said. Altogether, those changes will save the school about $400,000, he said.

However, Fletcher High will add two security guards, bringing the total to four, to better monitor students and the school cafeteria during lunch time.

SAN PABLO’S DISTRESS

Meeting the budget was distressing for Linda Graham, principal of San Pablo Elementary.

She proposes to cut $134,000 from her budget by cutting one special-needs teacher, one special-needs assistant and classroom supplies.

“Supplies are one thing, but this hits the students because people make a difference,” Graham said.

But she remains optimistic. If the student count at the health and fitness magnet school goes up in September, Graham said she won’t have to drop the teacher.

MAYPORT MIDDLE’S FREEZE

Budget constraints have already hit professional development at Mayport Middle School, said Principal Katrina McCray.

Since there is a freeze on travel expenses, teachers who participate in continuing education must pay for their own trips.

Next year, McCray plans to cut classroom materials to meet her budget.

“The staffing is continuing the way it is,” McCray said. “For us, primarily it will be the materials teachers need, the daily tools.”

CUTS AT NEPTUNE BEACH

Neptune Beach Elementary School is prepared to cut five teaching assistant jobs next year, said Principal Stephanie Manabat. While that shouldn’t impact students in the classroom, it could pose problems at the school bus hub, she said.

“We’re going to have to pull teachers to do it and volunteers,” Manabat said. “It’s not going to be as convenient as other people that have done it for years. I’m lucky to have a family-oriented staff here, and they will step up to do what they have to do to keep our campus safe.”

As long as its enrollment holds up, Atlantic Beach Elementary should be in good financial shape, said Principal Kim Wright. She said the school will eliminate one of its first-grade teachers, but that’s because the number of first-graders has decreased, not because of budget issues.Christina Abel, Caren Burmeister, Drew Dixon and Maggie FitzRoy contributed to this story.

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