What to cut? Pasco school officials offer an initial list of possibilities

By at 16 March, 2010, 2:51 pm

Facing a funding shortfall of $50 million or more next year, Pasco County school leaders have begun exploring areas to cut spending. The list, distributed Tuesday, includes: Cut middle school sports, $427,442 Give up one school-related personnel per school, $1,713,211 Eliminate courtesy bus routes, $400,000 Eliminate art and music programs, $7,973,381 Eliminate instructional technology specialists, $4,306,464 Reduce salaries by 1 percent, $3,334,864 Superintendent Heather Fiorentino has indicated disdain for some items on the list, which was compiled by staff. She suggested that cutting art and music, for instance, would hurt the district's efforts to meet class size rules.

She also didn't care much for the notion of moving to a four-day school week for a savings of about $3.2 million. One idea Fiorentino acknowledged would be controversial, but would help quite a bit, would be to change middle and high school schedules to have all teachers instruct six periods a day. That, like much on the list, would require negotiations. The board is in the first stages of considering its 2010-11 budget. What do you think it should cut?

Original post:
What to cut? Pasco school officials offer an initial list of possibilities

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