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School Savings Proposal Emphasizes Hiring Freezes

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By RONNIE BLAIR

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 17, 2008

Updated: 05/19/2008 02:46 pm

LAND O' LAKES - Superintendent Heather Fiorentino hopes to deal with an anticipated $16 million shortfall in the school district's 2008-09 budget with hiring freezes and other cost-saving efforts.

Fiorentino released her recommended budget cuts late Friday afternoon. The Pasco County School Board is scheduled to review the recommendations at a 3 p.m. budget workshop Tuesday.

Under Fiorentino's plan, the school district would save about $11.3 million by using flexibility in class-size reduction requirements to freeze teaching positions.

An additional $719,566 in savings would come from freezing positions in district departments.

Some of her other recommendations include reducing school budgets by 10 percent, a $437,000 savings; reducing the use of substitute teachers by 10 percent, a $325,000 savings; and reducing district department budgets by 15 percent, a $550,000 savings.

In a memorandum to board members, Fiorentino said the $16 million shortfall calculation is a "moving target" and the final total depends on factors outside the district's control, such as the amount of money collected from property taxes.

State officials have cautioned school districts and government entities to anticipate additional cuts in the middle of the fiscal year, Fiorentino said.

"We must be very conservative and deliberate in the way we handle the shortfall," Fiorentino wrote in the memo.

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218 or rblair@tampatrib.com.

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