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School Officials Worry About Crist's Rosy Forecast

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By ADAM EMERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 25, 2009

TAMPA - While Florida's governor eagerly touts the benefits that a stimulus of federal money would have on public education, area school leaders are saying, not so fast.

During a Sunday appearance on Meet the Press, Gov. Charlie Crist told NBC moderator David Gregory that, with the school stimulus package, "we'll be able to pay our teachers more next year than we were this past year."

Crist also has relied heavily on the stimulus money when crafting the budget for Florida's schools. But Hillsborough County school administrators and school board members have warned it won't be enough to stop budget cuts.

Under the stimulus plan, Hillsborough County schools would receive $38.9 million for economically needy students and $44 million for special education. Another, more substantial pot of money would "stabilize" schools, but superintendents don't yet know how the state would divvy up that money.

While they aren't questioning the benefits that are known, school leaders are cautious about their total impact.

"It will be a great help," Hillsborough schools Superintendent MaryEllen Elia said of the stimulus money. "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.

State economists are expected to release their darkest forecast of the state budget when they meet in mid-March.

With such a gloomy picture, some school board members are worried about the rosy message Crist is delivering.

Hillsborough school board Vice Chairwoman Susan Valdes said she fired off an e-mail to Crist with concerns about his comments on the Sunday talk-show circuit. She said she didn't receive a reply.

"We have to understand these are nonrecurring dollars," Valdes said. "For us to say we're putting money in teachers' pockets is very difficult."

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

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