Packed Day Of Meetings For School Board

BROOKSVILLE - The Hernando County School Board will meet Tuesday for an afternoon workshop, budget hearing and evening meeting.

At the 1 p.m. workshop, the board's discussion issues will include:

Superintendent Wayne Alexander's revamped reorganization plan, in which he claims he will save the district more than $220,000 by eliminating initially-recommended positions, including the executive director of special programs and operations and the director of special programs. Work would be redistributed between other district department leaders.

Review and tentative approval of 10 new job descriptions as part of Alexander's reorganization, which primarily adds new management responsibilities for Alexander and others.

Review and tentative approval of an updated job description for gifted services at Explorer K-8 in Spring Hill. Instead of a hiring a gifted program coordinator, officials aim to cut costs by transferring those responsibilities to an assistant principal for the program's first year.

At 6 p.m., the district will hold their first public budget hearing, where board members are expected to approve a millage rate 7.78, which will generate approximately $84.4 million in tax revenues at 95 percent collections. That is nearly 0.29 mills less than this current fiscal year's millage rate of 8.065.

Excluding transfers, the district's 2008-09 tentative budget is $419.9 million, a decrease of nearly $29 million or 6.4 percent less than the current year's budget. Revenues from the district's general fund - used for day-to-day expenses - decreased by $1.8 million.

Issues to be discussed at the board's 7 p.m. meeting are primarily routine policy items.

All three meetings will take place at the district's headquarters, located at 919 N. Broad Street in Brooksville.