School board prepares for four percent budget cut
BY PAM BRANNON Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com

Santa Rosa County School Board is the 66th least funded school district in the state -- and there are only 67 districts in Florida. So it was surprising to the school board to see that their second lowest funded district ranks 20th as far as teacher salaries, when cost of living is factored in. Without cost of living adjustments, the district ranks 29th in teacher salaries.

"I think for a school district that is second from the bottom on funding, you school board members should be praised for keeping teacher salaries and benefits a priority," School District Superintendent John Rogers said. The average teacher salary for the Santa Rosa district falls between $41,200 to $44,100, according to state reports.

"In Tallahassee they are telling us because of less revenue collected by the state than expected, we might be looking at a four percent cutback in state funds to the school districts," Supt. Rogers explained. "If we do get a four percent cut, then we have to schedule a special board meeting quickly to try to decide where we can make cuts. It will be tough."

Reports so far are that legislators are to meet Aug. 1 to see where the state budget stands, and the Governor has already told school districts to have a plan submitted to his office by Aug. 8 to show where they could make cuts in their district's budget.

The district may also have to revise its budget because of local factors.

"We are not meeting our projections on student numbers countywide at the elementary level," Supt. Rogers reported. "We are right at the projected numbers for students this year at the high school level, and very close at the middle school levels."

School Board member Ed Gray III of Gulf Breeze also said he would like someone from the board to prepare a presentation for their state legislative delegation, protesting the inequities of funding to school districts on the per capita (per student) formula legislators use. "We should not be penalized for being a good performer, and that is exactly what is happening," Gray said. "We get less money per student if we are a good performing school district."

Districts with students not meeting state testing requirements and needing extra help in academic areas get extra funding from the state.

This year, as the tentative budget now stands, the state is supposed to pay the Santa Rosa School District $4,163.47 per student. That is a slight increase from last school year's $3,981 per student for the district. But it was pointed out by administration reports that for every dollar earned, Santa Rosa only receives about 94-cents. That means the actual per capita money received from the state would be about $3,900 per student this year. And that is if everything stayed the same as it is today, without the possible four percent cuts.

Santa Rosa also levies a 4.1 mill ad valorem tax, and collects a sales tax to help with funding. The difference between school district funding in the state is drastic.

The first 12 districts ranked in the 67 state school districts receive more than $1,000 for every mill levied against property values in their part of the state.

The certified tax rolls submitted to the state show 2007 total property values in Santa Rosa County as right at $9.5 billion. In Okaloosa County, tax roll property values are totaled at about $19 billion, and Escambia property values add up to about $16 billion. The highest funded school district, in Monroe County, shows property values totaling $29 billion.

"With all funding sources included -- from state and federal sources and local millages - - Santa Rosa School District will receive $6,875 per student for next year, if everything stays the same as it is today. Okaloosa County will earn $7,066 per student, and Escambia will get $6,953 per student.

Employee salaries and benefits account for 76 percent of next year's operating budget for the Santa Rosa School District.

Bottom line, the total revenue from federal sources the district is slated to receive for the 2007-2008 school year adds up to just over $14 million.