Florida schools closing because of budget cuts

From the Sun Sentinel

SANFORD — As many as three more Seminole County public schools may be closed next year to help cover a growing budget shortage, school officials said Tuesday.

The School Board confirmed that closing schools is among several serious options it is considering to fix a budget deficit that could top $22 million for the 2012-13 school year.

"We could see two, maybe three closing," Deputy Superintendent George Kosmac told the board.

Kosmac said the official statewide headcount of students this week will determine which schools might be candidates to close. The board has indicated any elementary school with an enrollment less than 675 is in jeopardy.

By last week's enrollment count, 11 Seminole elementary schools fall short of 675 students. Those include Carillon, Geneva, Goldsboro, Hamilton, Highlands, Keeth, Lake Orienta, Layer, Midway, Stenstrom andWinter Springs.

Longwood Elementary had low enrollment last year and was closed over the summer, saving an estimated $1 million.

The board discussed a number of other possible cuts Tuesday, and was happy with none. Those include eliminating two "cluster zones" in the Sanford area that allow parents to choose among eight schools for their children and in the process diversify some schools that previously had large minority enrollments.

Employee furloughs, sharing principals among schools, reducing custodial staff, selling property that was bought for future school sites and eliminating teacher aides also are being considered. Charging middle and high school students a fee to participate in athletics — "pay for play" — are being looked at as well.

"There are no easy decisions and there is no low hanging fruit," Deputy Superintendent Anna Marie Cote told the School Board, which has been cutting spending for the past four years. "Now decisions are impacting programs and students and schools."

Meanwhile, the financial picture for Florida public schools continues to deteriorate, Finance Director John Pavelchak told the School Board.

"It is looking very dismal right now," Pavelchak said.

He said a decrease in state revenues, including a drop in the property tax base, points to a statewide revenue shortage as high as $2.2 billion for the fiscal year beginning next July.

Superintendent Bill Vogel said the district also could face a more immediate financial concern if the state decides to further reduce school funding for the current year. The Legislature last spring cut funding for this year by 8 percent.

"We were told there could be a possible funding adjustment," said Vogel, who expects a decision by December.

dweber@tribune.com or 407-883-7885

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-seminole-school-cuts-continue-20111011,0,582764.story