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Budget Cuts Could Hit K-12 Students Hard

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By CATHERINE DOLINSKI, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 8, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Lawmakers may cut as much as $125 million out of the current state budget for K-12 public education, which could cost Hillsborough schools roughly $3 million a month through the rest of the fiscal year ending June 30.

Plummeting tax revenue is forcing lawmakers to fill a nearly $2.5 billion shortfall this fiscal year and next, despite having trimmed the 2007-08 budget by $1 billion in October.

At that time, lawmakers cut close to $300 million from K-12 schools, but cushioned the blow by restoring $125 million with one-time, or nonrecurring, state dollars. That limited the cost to K-12 school operating budgets to about $100 less per student.

Joe Pickens, House Schools and Learning Council chairman, said lawmakers likely will have to take some or all of that back next month.

Connie Milito, lobbyist for Hillsborough County Public Schools, said Hillsborough schools are prepared to absorb the losses because the district cut its current budget after lawmakers warned in October that the one-time dollars would not be available next fiscal year.

Other school districts may feel substantially more pain, said Mark Pudlow, spokesman for the state teachers union. "I think it's going to be cause potentially for job losses."

Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville, chairman of the Senate PreK-12 Appropriations Committee, said lawmakers will cut budgets for after-school and other nonprofit programs first.

"I don't want to have Mom calling me and saying, 'My kid doesn't have any textbooks.'"

Budget writers said Thursday they anticipate total cuts for 2007-08 in the range of $300 million to $400 million. Lawmakers will make those cuts at the start of the spring session beginning March 4.

Reporter Catherine Dolinski can be reached at (850) 222-8382 or

cdolinski@tampatrib.com.

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