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Hernando Today

Senate Draft Budget Gives Schools Hope

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By TONY MARRERO

Hernando Today

Published: March 27, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - With next year's grim financial picture causing the Hernando County school board to cut jobs, the Senate's proposed draft version of next year's budget offers a glimmer of hope for some.
The version, released Thursday, keeps per student funding at last year's levels. In Hernando, the funding would actually go up by about .42 percent, or about $625,000.
The Senate was able to craft the draft budget by using more than $865 million in federal stimulus funding and about $520 million in revenue from lottery and gaming revenue.
But officials emphasized the proposal provides only a flicker of hope.
For one, Hernando will still see less money because of a projected decrease in enrollment next year and because of declining property values in the county, said CFO Desiree Henegar, who hadn't seen the Senate draft budget Friday.
And Henegar pointed out the Senate is proposing to require school districts to help pay for some categories that had been 100 percent state-funded, such as transportation and instructional materials.
"They shift the burden to the local level," Henegar said.
Henegar, who has 15 years of experience working in school district budget offices, said the Senate version of the budget "is always very positive" but still must deal with philosophical differences with the House.
Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, says the Senate is trying hard to avoid serious cuts while trying to meet a $6 billion shortfall in next year's budget.
"We've done our best to … I don't want to say hold education harmless, but we've come close to doing that," said Fasano, who is chairman of the Senate appropriations committee.
Fasano acknowledged the Senate and the House "will be miles apart on the budget." The House opposes measures to expand gambling on Seminole reservations and at dog and horse tracks. The Senate budget includes gambling revenue of at least $300 million a year.
Many senators — Fasano included — also support raising the cigarette tax by as much as $1 a pack and eliminating some 200 tax exemptions. How much support there will be in the House for those measures is unclear.
Both chambers are expected to have their respective budgets passed by Easter and will begin talks in earnest after that.
"We'll meet somewhere and get it done," he said. "It's going to require a lot of negotiations. "I do a lot of praying, but I'm going to do a lot more over the Easter weekend."
Still, as he watches teachers receiving notice that they won't be reappointed to their jobs next year, Hernando Classroom Teachers Association President Joe Vitalo was buoyed by the Senate's draft budget.
If the final version of the budget is even close to the Senate's, it could mean the district could put back some of the 200 teacher and support positions that were cut by a board vote this week.
"This is very encouraging that someone's actually found a light bulb at the end of the tunnel," Vitalo said. "We should not stop the pressure on Tallahassee to make this a reality."

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandotoday.com.

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