RELATED STORIES

• Fewer Lee County students may force more job cuts
• Lee County School Board discusses cutting expenses

More Education News

• Carrying the torch: Students at Osceloa Elementary School participate in a morning torch walk for exercise and competition
• Naples volunteer honored with The Education Foundation of Collier County’s Glass Slipper Award
• Collier higher education briefs: Nov. 22, 2008

Tell us about it

• What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
• Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
• Upload photos & videos
• More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

Share and Enjoy [?]

BONITA SPRINGS — No more field trips. No more musical instrument repair. No more art class equipment maintenance.

For now, the Lee County School District will have no independent, internal auditor to look over the $1.55 billion operation. It will have no charter school director to aide the district's 25 charter schools.

The budget the Lee County School Board passed 4-1 Tuesday evening is about $73 million smaller than last year. It has nearly 600 fewer positions than last year's budget, the reduction of which led to dozens of lay-offs of secretaries, bus operators and administrators, among several other positions.

But now, the district's about 10,500 workers of Lee County's largest employer may breathe fresh air for at least the next year, right? Surely, the cutting is finished for now?

No. Not even close.

"Afraid not," said Donna Mutzenard, a service unit director associated with the union-affiliated Teachers Association of Lee County. "I hope so, but we're all really concerned with student enrollment and the economy and things that keep getting worse and not better. Basically, we need the state legislators to find us money."

Not only are budget situations like the one just faced expected to continue for the next three to four years, but perhaps the worst of the cuts for this year are yet to come. Like employees' raises or their health benefits. Or, something else. Like jobs.

In a meeting held before the budget hearing, Superintendent James Browder told the board that he expects the district will now come in under its student enrollment estimate by up to 3,500 students, which, in a worst case scenario, could lead to another 75 positions being eliminated within the district.

Browder would not specify what positions may end up being eliminated, but he said they would be positions normally assigned to certified teachers.

The district receives its educational funding from the state based on its the enrollment estimate the district is forced to calculate using state formulas that have over-projected student growth for the past two years. In 2006-07, the district had to return $10 million to the state when it came under the estimate. Last school year, the district returned $16 million.

Browder said he is sure the district will use up all of the $13 million the budget has set aside for the return of student headcount funds this year.

"My feeling is that that number will look more like $16 million," Browder said. "What we've got to prepare for is the worst case scenario. Dr. Jones is doing that today and I'll be prepared to bring you all of that information in regard to what's happening."

Also within the district's reserve funds are approximately $15 million that has already been set aside for an anticipated two percent state cut, which may occur later this year due to decreased state sales tax revenue. The new budget already has a reduction of over $1 million in state funding, well below the $40 million increase the district was expecting to meet increasing costs.

Late last school year, the district began cutting. They eliminated positions and programs and they opened up their employees' contracts. The expectation was that $14 million of a roughly $29 million cut would come from the employees' salary or benefit packages. But those negotiations were put on hold due to the district's unknown budget situation.

Negotiations are expected to resume later this month. When they were postponed, employees' salary raises were frozen. It is expected the negotiations will lead to a cut of part or all of the employees' raises and/or a partial cut of their health benefits.

The sole dissenting vote on the budget's approval was Bob Chilmonik, despite the fact that the board is required by law to pass a balanced budget. Chilmonik said he would not vote for the budget because a significant discussion over the cuts did not take place, a referendum that would have freed up money set aside for building schools for use in saving jobs was not fully considered, and that the district's employees are not being fairly compensated.

"Especially today, it makes that discussion even more important," Chilmonik said. "We have a champagne taste with a beer budget."

Board Members Steven Teuber and Elinor Scricca both disagreed with Chilmonik's decision, but did not criticize him for doing so.

The budget passed is supported by a total property tax millage rate of 6.868 mills, or about $137.36 for a $200,000 taxable value home. The school district has not increased its millage rate from one year to the next since 2003.