School bus system may change
BY VICI PAPAJOHN Gulf Breeze News vici@gulfbreezenews.com

School Board member Ed Gray III spoke to Gulf Breeze Rotary last week both praising Santa Rosa County Schools and raising some concerns.

"The truth is that if we are looking at two teaching candidates, one with a master's degree and one with only a bachelor's, we are going to hire the one without the master's degree," Gray said. "It's a matter of money."

"The class size amendment is not the only thing squeezing our resources," Gray warned. "Taking the average class size down from 25 to 18 increased the required number of classrooms by 30 percent. But there are other issues affecting us. Unlike other taxing authorities, we do not levy and control millage rates. All funding is mandated per student from the state, according to the FEFP. The money we send to Tallahassee is only about 25 percent of what we get back, and a large portion of the funding from the state comes from sales tax. The sales tax collection number is forever falling and that downturn means everything's gotta give. The original expectation of 1 to 2 percent budget reductions for the school board is now looking more like 4 to 5 percent."

Gray cited bus service and school schedules are two areas likely to change to provide some of the needed cuts. The state provides funding only for bus routes outside a two mile radius.

"We make too many stops and we serve homes right behind the schools. We will probably need to find a more effective use of tax dollars," Gray said.

Gray sees the possibility of restructuring bus schedules so one bus can run all routes, and bus driving would be a full time job. Staggering school start times and even considering a four by four class schedule are other cost-saving reductions.

New building codes add significantly to construction costs.

"The new high school we will be building to replace the school in Jay that is crumbling away will have a price tag that exceeds $18 million because it'll be built like a fallout shelter," Gray quipped. "And if there is ever another storm you will want to go to the new Bennett Russell school. It is built solid as a rock."

"All these expenditures and cuts add up and that's why we are selling properties we don't really need like the Chamber building. The high bid for that was $1.6 million for that ground and that'll build some classrooms. And when it's built out, it'll go on the tax rolls which again benefits the city and the school board."

Gray sees some of that money staying local, helping to build the new "Cafetorium" where the old fifth grade pod stands at Gulf Breeze Elementary School, constructing classrooms in place of the old cafeteria and overhauling and refurbishing the decrepit field house at Gulf Breeze High School.

"I am very proud of this county school system," Gray said. "Over 11,000 volunteers support the work done and believe me volunteers make a difference. And our schools have consistently sustained high academic performance and have ranked within the top five counties statewide. And we have raised our teacher pay to be more competitive; we now pay a starting teacher about $31,000 - not as much as it could be but much better than where we were five years ago."