Education Funding

Fla. School Aid Threatened By Drop in Tourism

By Alan Richard — October 17, 2001 4 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Fiscal times were tight in Florida even before last month’s terrorist attacks, owing to the slowdown in the economy. Now things look even bleaker—especially for schools—in that tourism-dependent state.

The attacks of Sept. 11 stopped some Americans from the vacationing and air travel on which Florida so heavily depends. Gov. Jeb Bush has ordered the legislature into a two-week special session, starting Oct. 22, to resolve a budget shortfall of $1 billion or more in the current year.

Many states besides Florida face budget crunches this year. But states hit hardest by the drop in tourism following the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon face more serious budget crises—New York and Hawaii among them.

In Florida, school districts could feel the brunt. Across the state, districts have frozen hiring, cut staff and student travel, and compiled lists of substantial budget cuts that might be needed.

“There will be no agency untouched,” said Jim Horne, a former state senator and Florida’s new education secretary, appointed this past summer by Gov. Bush, a Republican.

Mr. Horne had already been at work restructuring the state education department to reflect a new K-20 education system—spanning primary through graduate school—that was approved by voters three years ago and is rolling out this year. Now he may be forced to rethink the current budget, along with next year’s, to reflect not only the new law, but also the dramatic budget cuts that might be required.

His hope was that one-time cuts and a rebounding economy would make next year’s budget less tight than this year’s. But now he fears that permanent cuts may be required. That could mean job losses in K-12 school districts as well as the state’s universities and community colleges, Mr. Horne said, even though he and Gov. Bush have pledged to try to keep education cuts at a minimum.

Scaling Back

State leaders were awaiting data to be released this week that would tell them more about how far state tax revenue would drop. This year’s state budget includes $7.9 billion for precollegiate education.

Florida districts have already been preparing for the worst. Most districts froze hiring last week, and some considered cuts to their academic programs. In suburban Tampa, Superintendent John Long made a list of possible cuts in the 51,000-student Pasco County district. His list included middle school and junior-varsity high school sports, textbook purchases, and after- school programs, among other items.

He said the state economist’s estimate of a $1.5 billion shortfall could mean he must shrink his $500 million budget by $13 million.

If layoffs are required, Mr. Long said, administrators and uncertified employees would come first, teachers last. Contract negotiations with the district’s teachers may be reopened, he said, even though they won only a 2 percent raise this year in the face of a slowing economy.

Lawmakers should give districts flexibility to make cuts locally, Mr. Long said. For instance, the state shouldn’t keep class-size requirements while cutting money for salaries, he argued.

Teacher-contract talks in about a third of Florida’s school districts may be put on hold during the budget debate, said David Clark, a spokesman for the Florida Education Association.

“The budget was bad before those events [of Sept. 11] occurred,” he said. “It’s gotten worse now.”

The Florida School Boards Association is calling on legislators to consider ways other than sales taxes to pay for schools. Florida has no state income tax and relies heavily on sales taxes, many of them paid by tourists.

Wayne Blanton, the executive director of the school boards’ group, sent a memo last week to all districts, urging a hiring freeze and suggesting cuts in business travel and office supplies. If the budget shortfall is worse than expected, he said, “I can guarantee you we will not only have a hiring freeze, we will have to reduce personnel.”

Hawaii Hit Hard

In Hawaii, where tourism came close to a halt after Sept. 11, the legislature also will convene on Oct. 22 for a special session to consider Gov. Benjamin Cayetano’s proposals to stimulate the economy. The Democratic governor’s plan includes tax relief and a $1 billion package of capital improvements.

Several school construction projects, as well as maintenance at schools across the statewide district, may be placed on a fast track to keep people working.

Of the roughly $200 million worth of construction projects the Hawaii education department proposed this year, the legislature has already funded about $45 million. The governor’s plan includes an additional $262 million for classroom construction needs, according to the state’s budget and finance department.

It’s unclear, though, whether the education department’s operating budget will be affected by the economic slowdown, said Greg Knudsen, a spokesman for the department.

“If the tax revenues that we’ve counted on to fund this current year are not materializing, then we’re going to have to cut back,” he said.

In Arizona, meanwhile, the legislature is scheduled to gather in a special session Nov. 13 to consider up to $1.5 billion in budget cuts. Nebraska lawmakers were slated to enter a special session this week to consider smaller budget cuts.

Assistant Editor Linda Jacobson contributed to this report.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being Webinar
Creating Resilient Schools with a Trauma-Responsive MTSS
Join us to learn how school leaders are building a trauma-responsive MTSS to support students & improve school outcomes.
School & District Management Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: We Can’t Engage Students If They Aren’t Here: Strategies to Address the Absenteeism Conundrum
Absenteeism rates are growing fast. Join Peter DeWitt and experts to learn how to re-engage students & families.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Funding States Get Antsy as Education Department Layoffs Delay Millions for Schools
Reimbursements for federal education aid are weeks late, according to state chiefs.
7 min read
Illustration of a clock and it's shadow is an hourglass with the symbol of money in the sand.
DigitalVision Vectors
Education Funding What the Latest Federal Funding Law Means for Schools
The new federal spending resolution leaves the door open for continued disruption to federal education funding.
6 min read
Broken and repaired: 3D symbol of a Dollar.
Education Week and Getty
Education Funding Trump Admin. Ordered to Temporarily Restore Teacher-Prep Grants in 8 States
A federal judge chided the Trump administration for offering what amounted to "no explanation at all" for terminating the grants.
4 min read
California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks at a press conference to announce a lawsuit against the Trump administration over budget cuts to teaching training funds, at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building on Thursday, March 6, 2025, in Los Angeles.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announces a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the cancellation of teacher-training grants on March 6, 2025, in Los Angeles. A judge on March 10 ordered the temporary reinstatement of the funds in California and seven other states.
Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times via TNS
Education Funding Trump Axed $400M in Funds for Columbia. Could a School District Be Next?
One legal expert described the move as arbitrary: “How can you predict what arbitrary punishment may come your way?"
7 min read
Student protesters gather inside their encampment on Columbia University campus on April 29, 2024.
Student protesters gather inside an encampment on the Columbia University campus on April 29, 2024. The federal government has terminated $400 million in funds to the Ivy League university although investigations into alleged antisemitic harassment are continuing.
Stefan Jeremiah/AP