Broward county is amazing. They vote down increasing local school funding and now ask for handouts from the rest of the country.

 

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/schools/s...558,print.story

 

Broward schools to seek bailout of their own

Broward district ready to seek $500 million federal bailout

By Kathy Bushouse

 

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

 

December 10, 2008

 

If the federal government is giving out money, the Broward County School Board wants its piece.

 

Congress has approved more than $700 billion for the financial services industry and is poised to extend money to Detroit automakers. On Tuesday, School Board members unanimously backed a plan directing Superintendent James Notter to seek up to $500 million in loans from the federal government to help the cash-strapped district.

 

It's a cry for help from a school district that has cut at least $128 million from its operating budgets in the past two years. That has forced the district to scrap construction projects, freeze hiring and keep hundreds of jobs open because of state-mandated budget cuts.

 

But it's a move unlikely to gain traction, school funding experts say, because that would mean all the nation's taxpayers paying for one district's rescue.

 

"I don't begrudge them from trying to protect their children," said Craig Wood, a professor with the University of Florida's College of Education who specializes in education finance. "But as a national public policy, it begs a lot of questions. Whose taxpayers are paying the bill?"

 

Notter said the district would use new federal loan money to renovate old buildings and buy state-of-the-art equipment for schools. That would create jobs and boost Florida's sagging economy, Notter said.

 

"It is an economic stimulus package," Notter said. "? That puts a lot of people to work."

 

Notter will send the request to Broward's congressional representatives to see if any of them would be willing to take it on.

 

Jonathan Beeton, communications director for U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, said in a statement Tuesday that the congresswoman is "is committed to working with them to find alternative revenue sources at both the federal and state level."

 

While Broward's district is the only one in Florida to officially announce its intention to seek federal money, Notter said he got the idea from Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who last month floated the idea of a federal buyout for schools.

 

Palm Beach County Schools Superintendent Art Johnson said his board would not seek a bailout. He also said that if federal money is provided to public education, he expects it would be available to all school districts and divvied up based on priorities and needs.

 

Broward isn't the first district in the nation to call for federal money to help schools.

 

The superintendent of a school district in suburban Cleveland said last week that if private industries could get federal money, schools should be able to get a piece. He sought $100 million from the U.S. Department of Treasury through the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP.

 

Broward board members agree. If it's good enough for the federal government to loan money to the financial industry and consider a loan for the automobile industry, they said, the nation's public schools should seek help, too.

 

"This would be the perfect time," board member Beverly Gallagher said. "They're bailing out financial institutions. They're bailing out the car companies."

 

The district cut $34 million in the 2007-08 school year, and already has cut $94 million from its operating budget for this school year. It expects state-mandated cuts this year of at least $40 million should the Legislature convene a special session in Tallahassee.

 

Next school year's budget could be cut by as much as $120 million, said board chairwoman Maureen Dinnen.

 

"We're getting pretty darn close to $300 million," Dinnen said. "I know we have a big budget, but we can't take that kind of hit and not cut into, way into, the bone of this organization."

thank god for private institutions who know how to run themselves... I am so sick of poorly run government/state/municipality run things.

Hey, it's worth a shot, I guess....

 

They should be spending their time doing something USEFUL.

In fairness, the State cut a lot of funding for schools. I believe they cut about $100M for Broward. They are cash strapped, but not because of poor management. They just suffered through a lot of cuts from the State. Poloa, what are you referring to when you say "they vote down increasing local school funding"?

A few years ago, I think around '03, Broward voters voted down a referendum for a half penny or penny increase to the county sales tax to funds the public schools.

 

If Broward feels they don't get enough funds from the state for the public schools they are free to raise the funds themselves but of course they wont do it.

A few years ago, I think around '03, Broward voters voted down a referendum for a half penny or penny increase to the county sales tax to funds the public schools.

That's sad. :thumbdown

A few years ago, I think around '03, Broward voters voted down a referendum for a half penny or penny increase to the county sales tax to funds the public schools.

 

If Broward feels they don't get enough funds from the state for the public schools they are free to raise the funds themselves but of course they wont do it.

 

It's not as easy as you make it sound. There is a long process to get a referendum going, and in any case it's not like that would resolve their financial issues right now. Going forward, yes, but you make it sound like they can react in a matter of a month or so. There is a process to follow.

A few years ago, I think around '03, Broward voters voted down a referendum for a half penny or penny increase to the county sales tax to funds the public schools.

 

If Broward feels they don't get enough funds from the state for the public schools they are free to raise the funds themselves but of course they wont do it.

 

It's not as easy as you make it sound. There is a long process to get a referendum going, and in any case it's not like that would resolve their financial issues right now. Going forward, yes, but you make it sound like they can react in a matter of a month or so. There is a process to follow.

 

The referedum was on the ballot so I don't understand what is the relevance of the ease of getting a referendum on the ballot. Schools are always in a "crisis" mode as they continuously complain with alarmist comments about the lack of funds. It was another "crisis" back then that led Broward to put the referendum on the ballot and Broward voters in effect said they didn't care about the so-called "crisis" because they voted it down.

It's generally accepted that Floridians think all taxes are bad and evil, so better to let other people pay them. So why should it come as a shock that the state, nevermind the local goverments, can't afford anything when the tourism intake dries up? The state better start looking hard into an income-tax system, because with this global economic downturn, tourism money will continue to dry up.

A few years ago, I think around '03, Broward voters voted down a referendum for a half penny or penny increase to the county sales tax to funds the public schools.

 

If Broward feels they don't get enough funds from the state for the public schools they are free to raise the funds themselves but of course they wont do it.

 

It's not as easy as you make it sound. There is a long process to get a referendum going, and in any case it's not like that would resolve their financial issues right now. Going forward, yes, but you make it sound like they can react in a matter of a month or so. There is a process to follow.

 

The referedum was on the ballot so I don't understand what is the relevance of the ease of getting a referendum on the ballot. Schools are always in a "crisis" mode as they continuously complain with alarmist comments about the lack of funds. It was another "crisis" back then that led Broward to put the referendum on the ballot and Broward voters in effect said they didn't care about the so-called "crisis" because they voted it down.

 

With all due respect, the cuts this year are legit. Their complaint in 03 was that the area was growing so fast that they needed more funding to keep up. This year it's a matter of covering the basics, as opposed to new programs and schools. Their fiscal situation is pretty bad.