Article on Budget for June

School district: No money for pay raises; $63 million in cuts possible
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By CHRISTINA DeNARDO

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

When the Palm Beach County School District unveils its budget recommendations next month, it won't include any money for employee raises.

During a bargaining session with the Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association, district negotiator James Hayes said there's no money in the budget for raises for teachers but re-emphasized the district's commitment to no layoffs.

"The economy picture is a gloomy one and it will be for the forseeable future," Hayes said.

Palm Beach County schools will need to cut $36 million from their budget next year. But when the rising costs of fuel, utilities and property insurance are included, the district's budget will likely need be cut by $63 million.

The district negotiated small raises for bus drivers, school police and cafeteria workers earlier this year but those raises will expire in December. When the distsrict re-negotiates with the unions that represent those workers in the fall, they won't offer raises to them, either.

This year the district had to cut the current year's budget by instituting a hiring freeze for non-teachers and teacher's aides, and cutting out-of-county travel and department budgets by 10 percent.

Superintendent Art Johnson has already said that teacher raises will be little or nothing this year. Last year the district spent $31 million on raises for its 12,000 teachers.

District officials point to school districts such as in Broward and Miami-Dade counties that drew up multi-year contracts promising rising salaries to teachers.

Now those districts may have to go back on their promise or lay off teachers to make ends meet. Miami-Dade Superintendent Rudy Crew already recommended the school board suspend raises negotiated two years ago.

School district: No money for pay raises; $63 million in cuts possible
Listen to this article or download audio file.Click-2-Listen

By CHRISTINA DeNARDO

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

When the Palm Beach County School District unveils its budget recommendations next month, it won't include any money for employee raises.

During a bargaining session with the Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association, district negotiator James Hayes said there's no money in the budget for raises for teachers but re-emphasized the district's commitment to no layoffs.

"The economy picture is a gloomy one and it will be for the forseeable future," Hayes said.

Palm Beach County schools will need to cut $36 million from their budget next year. But when the rising costs of fuel, utilities and property insurance are included, the district's budget will likely need be cut by $63 million.

The district negotiated small raises for bus drivers, school police and cafeteria workers earlier this year but those raises will expire in December. When the distsrict re-negotiates with the unions that represent those workers in the fall, they won't offer raises to them, either.

This year the district had to cut the current year's budget by instituting a hiring freeze for non-teachers and teacher's aides, and cutting out-of-county travel and department budgets by 10 percent.

Superintendent Art Johnson has already said that teacher raises will be little or nothing this year. Last year the district spent $31 million on raises for its 12,000 teachers.

District officials point to school districts such as in Broward and Miami-Dade counties that drew up multi-year contracts promising rising salaries to teachers.

Now those districts may have to go back on their promise or lay off teachers to make ends meet. Miami-Dade Superintendent Rudy Crew already recommended the school board suspend raises negotiated two years ago.

Good post, now maybe we can save ourselves with strategic planning, wake up from the green dream, pull together and knock out some creative contract items, and quit knocking each other out.

School district: No money for pay raises; $63 million in cuts possible
Listen to this article or download audio file.Click-2-Listen

By CHRISTINA DeNARDO

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

When the Palm Beach County School District unveils its budget recommendations next month, it won't include any money for employee raises.

During a bargaining session with the Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association, district negotiator James Hayes said there's no money in the budget for raises for teachers but re-emphasized the district's commitment to no layoffs.

"The economy picture is a gloomy one and it will be for the forseeable future," Hayes said.

Palm Beach County schools will need to cut $36 million from their budget next year. But when the rising costs of fuel, utilities and property insurance are included, the district's budget will likely need be cut by $63 million.

The district negotiated small raises for bus drivers, school police and cafeteria workers earlier this year but those raises will expire in December. When the distsrict re-negotiates with the unions that represent those workers in the fall, they won't offer raises to them, either.

This year the district had to cut the current year's budget by instituting a hiring freeze for non-teachers and teacher's aides, and cutting out-of-county travel and department budgets by 10 percent.

Superintendent Art Johnson has already said that teacher raises will be little or nothing this year. Last year the district spent $31 million on raises for its 12,000 teachers.

District officials point to school districts such as in Broward and Miami-Dade counties that drew up multi-year contracts promising rising salaries to teachers.

Now those districts may have to go back on their promise or lay off teachers to make ends meet. Miami-Dade Superintendent Rudy Crew already recommended the school board suspend raises negotiated two years ago.

Good post, now maybe we can save ourselves with strategic planning, wake up from the green dream, pull together and knock out some creative contract items, and quit knocking each other out.

If we're not going to get any raises, let's go back to the way it was 10 years ago, and truly have the summers off. We can take what the State mandates we have, and thats it. The other stuff can be done on teacher's work days like it was this year.

This was in the Miami Herald, but gives you some ideas of cost factors.

School cops to cost Broward district more

Posted on Tue, Jun. 17, 2008

BY NIRVI SHAH
nshah@MiamiHerald.com

Hoping to soothe a lingering sore point with Broward cities and the Broward Sheriff's Office, School Board members on Tuesday pledged to spend more money on school resource officers.

Without its own school police force, the Broward school district relies on city and county government agencies to patrol schools. For years, the district has contributed $12,000 annually for each officer, leaving cities and the sheriff's office to pick up the rest of the tab.

Some police agencies in recent years have reduced the number of officers they provide to schools as their budgets have decreased. Just last month, county commissioners asked BSO Sheriff Al Lamberti to consider reducing the number of deputies in schools to shrink his budget.

On Tuesday, although the school district faces a shrinking budget and rising food, fuel, insurance and electricity costs, board members resolved to increase their contribution to 50 percent of the cost per officer over the next four years. They now cover about 10 percent of the cost.

''I know we are concerned'' about the budget, said board member Maureen Dinnen.

``In spite of that, it's a high-enough priority.''

The district's promise didn't come with money. Board members said they will vote to put the money for the pledge in their budget later this year.

The district spends about $2 million for 152 school resource officers -- which is 14 fewer officers than last school year. The board plans to increase its contribution by $8,563 per officer for each of the next four years. That would cost an additional $1.3 million next school year if the numbers remained the same.

School district Chief Operations Officer Donnie Carter said the district will have to shuffle spending to come up with the money.

''There's no extra pot to pull it from,'' Carter said.

Four years from now, the district would be spending about $7 million on school police officers if there are still 152. The district would be paying about $46,000 per officer.

'In bad economic times, that's when it's more important to have [school resource officers'] presence in our schools,'' board member Jennifer Gottlieb said.

In Sunrise, Assistant Deputy Mayor Donald Rosen said his city is committed to keeping 11 officers in the schools within its borders, but it won't be easy without more help from the school district.

He said between training, uniforms, salaries and benefits, it costs the city about $100,000 for each officer in a school.

''I would implore you to support this issue,'' Sunrise Police Chief David Brooks said.

Only board member Stephanie Kraft opposed the measure. She said she supports having officers at schools but, ''We don't even know where the money's going to come from in the future,'' Kraft said. ``I just don't think this is the right economic time.''

This was in the Miami Herald, but gives you some ideas of cost factors.

School cops to cost Broward district more

Posted on Tue, Jun. 17, 2008

BY NIRVI SHAH
nshah@MiamiHerald.com

Hoping to soothe a lingering sore point with Broward cities and the Broward Sheriff's Office, School Board members on Tuesday pledged to spend more money on school resource officers.

Without its own school police force, the Broward school district relies on city and county government agencies to patrol schools. For years, the district has contributed $12,000 annually for each officer, leaving cities and the sheriff's office to pick up the rest of the tab.

Some police agencies in recent years have reduced the number of officers they provide to schools as their budgets have decreased. Just last month, county commissioners asked BSO Sheriff Al Lamberti to consider reducing the number of deputies in schools to shrink his budget.

On Tuesday, although the school district faces a shrinking budget and rising food, fuel, insurance and electricity costs, board members resolved to increase their contribution to 50 percent of the cost per officer over the next four years. They now cover about 10 percent of the cost.

''I know we are concerned'' about the budget, said board member Maureen Dinnen.

``In spite of that, it's a high-enough priority.''

The district's promise didn't come with money. Board members said they will vote to put the money for the pledge in their budget later this year.

The district spends about $2 million for 152 school resource officers -- which is 14 fewer officers than last school year. The board plans to increase its contribution by $8,563 per officer for each of the next four years. That would cost an additional $1.3 million next school year if the numbers remained the same.

School district Chief Operations Officer Donnie Carter said the district will have to shuffle spending to come up with the money.

''There's no extra pot to pull it from,'' Carter said.

Four years from now, the district would be spending about $7 million on school police officers if there are still 152. The district would be paying about $46,000 per officer.

'In bad economic times, that's when it's more important to have [school resource officers'] presence in our schools,'' board member Jennifer Gottlieb said.

In Sunrise, Assistant Deputy Mayor Donald Rosen said his city is committed to keeping 11 officers in the schools within its borders, but it won't be easy without more help from the school district.

He said between training, uniforms, salaries and benefits, it costs the city about $100,000 for each officer in a school.

''I would implore you to support this issue,'' Sunrise Police Chief David Brooks said.

Only board member Stephanie Kraft opposed the measure. She said she supports having officers at schools but, ''We don't even know where the money's going to come from in the future,'' Kraft said. ``I just don't think this is the right economic time.''

An article in Sarasota paper, this morning, said that Sheriff is to present his budget to county commissioners tomorow. It is $762 lower than this years. The biggie is the removal of his 15 elementary SROs. There will be one less position in all supervisory ranks, and the Sheriff took a $2,000 pay cut.

Go PBSO already, why does the board even entertain police issues. They should worry about education and let the officers worry about law enforcement. Its obvious by this article that the school board can not run a police department, so therefore they contract out the work. It works in Broward, and it doesnt work for us or Miami Dade. I dont care what anyone thinks. OK I am a little mad, my beach day got cut short due to bad weather. How about this schedule huh????