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Senate Proposal Eliminates Local Decisions, Advocates Say

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By ADAM EMERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 31, 2009

The scary thing, say those who advocate for schools and their leaders, is that a Florida Senate committee came up with a budget that's not so bad, considering the economy.

Scary because senators would start making financial decisions advocates say are best left to local school districts.

The cuts wouldn't be nearly as bad as feared. Whereas the Hillsborough County school district prepared to slash its budget by as much as 15 percent for next fiscal year. the senate's education budget committee last week proposed cutting less than 2 percent.

But senators would force other conditions. They would cut annual pay to school board members by as much as $10,000, cut the length of principals' contracts from 12 months to 10, limit education at the Florida Virtual School to core academics and even control how school districts buy cell phones.

"This is an extreme level of micromanagement," said Jim Warford, the executive director of the Florida Association of School Administrators. "Anybody who thinks that a school principal can take two months off a year hasn't been in a school recently."

The measure would prohibit school districts from paying for cell phones or out-of-state travel unless approved by school boards. Elected superintendents – there are 43 of them in Florida – would have to cut their pay by 5 percent, and districts would no longer be required to count recognize a teacher's experience in other states when determining terms of employment contracts.

Also, the proposal calls for cutting online elective courses at the Orlando-based Florida Virtual School. If that happens, administrators there warn that students wouldn't be able to accelerate their education.

And senators, as in January, zeroed in on school board salaries, which range from $23,116 to $40,932, depending on the district.

Two months ago, lawmakers asked school boards to consider reducing their pay by 5 percent. This time, senators would force board members to cut their salaries to at least the amount paid to legislators, which comes to $30,336.

Wayne Blanton, the executive director of the Florida School Boards Association, said senators are unfairly targeting school boards and not other elected offices, such as county commissions or city councils.

Blanton also called the proposal "overprescriptive."

"They need to have the faith in the school boards to do the right things," he said.

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

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