Packed Day For School Board

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, which he claims 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.