Maybe there's another way out of this box
Could it be that taking an ax to school budgets isn't the only way out of the predicament many Florida districts have been put in? At least two districts are uttering the T-word.
The Alachua County School Board just put a one-mill property tax hike on the November ballot that would raise about $13 million – which is about how much the state cut from the district this year, according to this story in the Gainesville Sun. Meanwhile, the Naples Daily News reports that the Collier County School Board wants voter approval for a tax swap – shifting 0.25 mils from the district's capital property tax to the general fund.
Even if voters in those districts say yes, the extra money wouldn't undo the cuts already done or under way. But with the state budget forecast continuing to look gloomy, it could help deflect future cuts.
- Ron Matus, state education reporter
Get inside the world of Florida education with Times staff writer Jeffrey S. Solochek and the rest of the Times education reporting team. We'll bring you up-to-date information about the latest education trends, fads and news, taking time to break down proposed laws and dig deep into local school issues.
Read this if you are in Collier County
http:\\www.bytemeworld.com\schoolboard.htm
Posted by: chip | June 06, 2008 at 12:16 PM