School Board Approves Budget

LAND O' LAKES - The Pasco County School Board gave final approval Tuesday evening to a $1.3 billion budget for 2007-08.

The board also approved a property tax rate of $7.21 for each $1,000 of taxable property value, a decrease from $7.41 in 2006-07.

When the board gave tentative approval to the budget at its first public hearing July 31, the total was $1.2 billion.

Olga Swinson, the school district's chief finance officer, said the change came about because the district now has the final figures on fund balances from the previous fiscal year's budget. When the tentative budget for this year was done, the district just fund balance estimates.

This year's budget is still less than the $1.4 billion budget in 2006-07, partly because the capital projects fund dropped to $464.4 million from $539.2 million.

The general fund, which pays for the day-to-day operations of the school district, increased to $562.2 million, up from $510.5 million in 2006-07.

A statewide revenue shortfall could force the school board to amend its budget downward in coming months. The Legislature had planned a special session this month to discuss budget cuts, but the session was postponed.

Superintendent Heather Fiorentino said the district also is hoping to pick up extra state dollars after an official October student count is done.

The state projected the district would grow by 1,200 students this year, but now it looks like that figure could be about 2,000 students, Fiorentino said. State funding is based on enrollment.

In other business Tuesday, the board gave tentative approval to the application from a charter school that could open as early as next August, though board members raised several concerns.

The approval is contingent on Imagine School of Pasco submitting additional information. A contract also must be negotiated between the charter school and the district.

The school plans to serve 276 students in kindergarten through sixth grade initially, later adding seventh and eighth grades. By its fifth year it would serve 728 students.

The school doesn't have a site, but its target area is the Interstate 75 corridor between state roads 54 and 52.

Board member Kathryn Starkey expressed skepticism the school could open in 2008 without a site set. Kathy Helean, an Imagine School representative, said the school would put off the opening until 2009 if a site isn't found by January.

Imagine is part of a nonprofit company based in Virginia, with regional offices in Florida. Board member Frank Parker said that concerns him because the district had problems getting financial and other records from another charter school with out-of-state headquarters.

Fiorentino said the contract with Imagine would require records be kept at the school.

Another prospective charter school, Life Skills Center - Pasco County, withdrew its application.