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Despite Stimulus Money, School Forecast Gloomy

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By ADAM EMERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 24, 2009

TAMPA - The financial forecast for Hillsborough County schools likely will get worse – even with a stimulus of federal money – and administrators will have to explore ways to cut even deeper, the district's superintendent said today.

Superintendent MaryEllen Elia warned school board members that further cuts to the district's budget could exceed those administrators already have made. Although Gov. Charlie Crist issued a rosier projection of funds in his budget, Elia said that state economists are likely to present their darkest picture yet in the coming weeks.

Crist relied heavily on the federal stimulus dollars signed into law by President Barack Obama last week when crafting the budget for Florida's schools. That money "will be a great help," Elia said, "but it is not going to offset cuts we've already experienced."

In the past two years, the Hillsborough school district has cut $82.2 million. State Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith warned superintendents two weeks ago that, based on a reduction of tax revenues, they may have to cut as much as 15 percent in the next fiscal year. For Hillsborough County, that's about $196 million.

Lawmakers seem willing to look at other ways to raise revenues and ease other costly burdens on schools districts, Elia said. "But we have to we have to look for ways to cut costs while protecting the classroom," she said.

Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285.

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