Floridas Public Education Funding Crisis

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Floridas Public Education Funding Crisis

• Seminole County Public Schools

CALL TO ACTION
MIDDLE SCHOOL TOWN MEETING March 11, 2009
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Constitution of theState of Florida

• Article IX.
  Section 1. Public education.
• The education of children is a fundamental
  value of
• the people of the State of Florida. It is,
  therefore, a
• paramount duty of the state to make adequate
• provision for the education of all children
  within its
• borders.

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SCPS WILL CONTINUE TO OFFER A AAA EXPERIENCE

• ACADEMICS
• ARTS
• ATHLETICS

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ACADEMICS

• All K-12 schools are academically high performing
• Voluntary Pre-K (4 years olds) highest
  performing in Central Florida
• 0.5 Drop-out Rate
• 91.1 Graduation Rate

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BRIGHT FUTURE SCHOLARSHIPS

• 5,880 Seminole Students are receiving 14,539,445
  in Bright Future Scholarships.
• Source Florida Department of Education
• Latest data available 2/27/09

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ARTS

• Art Music courses offered Pre-K through 12 at
  all schools
• All school bands rated superior

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ATHLETICS

• State Champions or Runner up State Champions in
  ALL major sports
• ? Basketball
• ? Baseball
• ? Wrestling
• ? Football
• ? Golf

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Historically Underfunded

• Florida ranks 50th lowest in the nation per
  capita spending for K-12 education
• SCPS ranks 58th lowest (of 67 Florida counties)
  in per Student Funding
• Source 2005-2006 U.S. Census Bureau
• Source DOE

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Operating Budget Funding Sources

• Sales taxes (54.5)
• Local property taxes (ad valorem 42.6)
• Other Local (1)
• Lottery (6.1 million)
• Federal (0.5) Discretionary Lottery
  2,620,883
• School Recognition
  3,560,902
• 6,181,785
• Note Percentage of total state education
  budget since the
• lottery began has slid from 60 to 51

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Why a Budget Crisis?

• State Revenue Shortfall of Sales Tax
• 2008 - 2009 2.3 billion (impacting 08-09
  school year)
• 2009 - 2010 4.0 billion (impacting 09-10
  school year)

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Per Pupil Funding
(Central Florida Districts)

• 08-09
• Orange 6,996
• Brevard 6,944
• Volusia 6,850
• Seminole 6,804
• Lake 6,683

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SCPS FUNDING FACTS

• On a per student basis, SCPS is ranked 58th
  lowest out of the 67 Florida School Districts in
  funding.
• For 2006-2007, the percentage of the SCPS budget
  spent on classroom expenditures was 65.4, the
  2nd highest in Florida.
• Of the operating budget, approximately 85 is
  personnel costs (salaries benefits).
• Tax Millage rates are set by the Legislature.
• SCPS is levying the maximum allowable millage.

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BUDGET RELATED ACTIONS THIS YEAR

• Reduced 328 positions
• Summer school limited to remedial (no
  acceleration)
• School supply budget cut 5
• Closed Quest Alternative School
• Hired substitute teachers (no benefits) for 2nd
  semester
• Increased fees for student field trips
• Reduced after school busing

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BUDGET RELATED ACTIONS THIS YEAR

• Eliminated teacher signing bonuses
• Reduced stipends for ESOL and reading
• endorsement
• Eliminated district supplement to the middle
• school sports
• Scaled back Student Museum
• Environmental Center Operations

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DISTRICT OFFICE OTHER REDUCTIONS/SAVINGS

• Increased room temperatures to 76º during
  cooling season
• district-wide
• Reduced 22 district office positions.
• Reduced district level supply budgets by 10
• Implemented hiring freeze
• Increase waiting period for health benefits
• Funded property insurance and equipment from
  capital
• budget

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Were at the Breaking Point!

• Special Legislative Session in January 2009
  reduced our revenue by an additional 2 (9.1
  million).
• Additional Estimated 2 Reduction March 2009
  (8.6 million)
• The SCPS revenue for 2009-10 could be reduced by
  an additional 15 or 64.2 million.
• SCPS also lost 16.3 million in Capital Funds
  (Construction, debt service).

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONMONITORED SCHOOL DISTRICTS

• FUND BALANCES LESS THAN 2
• Taylor 0
• Manatee 1.66
• Dade .27
• Jefferson .28
• Gulf 1.58
• Columbia 1.67
• Franklin 1.71
• Dixie 2.19
• 15 On Watch!!!

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WE MUSTCONVINCE LEGISLATORS TO

• Enact no new unfunded K-12 mandates
• Cap growth on voucher programs
• Delay for the 2009-2010 school year
• Class size amendment changes
• New middle school physical education expansion
• New K-8 virtual education
• New high school accountability requirements
• New curriculum standards (Next Generation)

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THE LEGISLATURE MUST ALSO GENERATE NEW K-12
FUNDING BY

• eliminating certain sales tax exemptions
• expanding collection of Internet/mail order sales
  tax revenue
• dedicating gaming revenue primarily to public
  education
• increasing tobacco and alcohol sales tax
• raising general sales tax by 1

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When do we start?

• Beginning January 2009
• Contact your legislators and state policy makers
  through phone calls, emails, letters, visits and
  organized responses.
• Tell legislators and state policy makers it is
  their paramount duty to adequately provide
  funding for high quality public education.

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LCMS
G L M S
TEAGUE MS
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• THANK YOU!