Pinellas approves school closures

[Members of the public listen to Cathy Houck, a teachers assistant at Palm Harbor Elementary, during the hearing. James Borchuck, Times]

Updated: 4:20 p.m.

The Pinellas School Board voted moments ago to close seven schools and revoke busing privileges for thousands of students.

The decision comes after months of controversy as the school district tries to keep pace with worsening budget news out of Tallahassee. When the district first proposed closing schools in November, the projected shortfall for next year was about $40-million. The district now must make between $60-million and $80-million in spending cuts.

By a vote of 7-0, the board voted to close Gulf Beaches, Kings Highway, North Ward, Palm Harbor and Rio Vista elementaries, plus Southside and Coachman fundamental middle schools. Southside’s program will move to Madeira Beach Middle and Coachman will move to Kennedy Middle. Clearview Avenue Elementary will close as previously planned.

Supporters of Gulf Beaches, Palm Harbor and Southside asked the board for another year to figure out ways to keep their schools open. Gulf Beaches supporters suggested turning the school into a fundamental school or a charter school. Parents from Palm Harbor Elementary suggested changing their school to a fundamental program, which would eliminate busing costs there. Southside supporters suggested their small school would serve as a good pilot for the district’s school-based management initiative.

But the board opted to approve the closings as previously proposed.

“This is not a pleasant chore,” board member Mary Brown said. “But when you come on the board you don’t do nice, pleasant things all the time.”

The board also voted to revoke busing for students who next year remain enrolled in schools outside their zone. The vote affects about 17,000 students who last year elected to remain in schools they got into under the old choice plan, rather than move to their new zoned school. Previously, the board contemplated forcing all of these so-called “grandfathered” students into their zoned schools next year. But the board backed off after hundreds of parents complained. The compromise: They can stay in their existing schools, but the district won’t provide bus service.

The elementary school closings will save an estimated $4.3-million and the middle school closings about $1.9-million. Revoking bus service for grandfathered students will save about $7-million.

The district will continue to the cut the budget through the spring. Among the proposals so far: Reduce school budgets across the board, improve the bidding process to lower the cost of building and renovating schools, cut positions in the transportation department, get rid of leased portable classrooms and negotiate a better health insurance plan.

Earlier in the day, Pinellas school officials released a map that shows possible new zone boundaries for elementary schools (Download elemmap.pdf) next year.  Another map showing changes to middle school (Download midskulmap.pdf) zone boundaries also is available.

Thomas C. Tobin, Times Education Reporter

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[Above photo: James Carroll speaks on behalf of Gulf Beaches Elementary to members of the school board during the public hearing. James Borchuck, Times]

Comments

[Laura]

I don't get the whole thing about not grandfathering siblings. Next year when my 8th grader is going to her current middle school, and my 6th grader is going to his newly assigned different school, how am I supposed to be in two different towns to pick them up at dismissal? This just doesn't make sense.

[MBE mom]

I thought I would come here to get some more detailed information, but I see it's more about opinion than anything else. Personally, we are happy to become fundamental as we tried to get into the fundamental program this year. And as for the commentors that mention parents that were "involved" before the fundamental parents came in, well, then why didn't they join the fundamental program? That's what the program is all about, except that it is a requirement rather than a choice. And there is accountability for both parents and students. Fundamental is not for everyone. But nothing out there will satisfy 100% of the public that it serves. If negative spewing and bad mouthing is what your children will see and hear, then they in turn will mirror that behavior. For those that don't want change, well, I'm sorry, but life is about change. Fortunately, children are more resilient and flexible than adults.

[used to work for...(10:37)]

Nope, "teacher" @ 11:11, you're wrong.

Worked in an elementary school in St. Petersburg.

For several years.

Dealt with families who'd been booted by the fundamental schools that took over their zoned school. Involved parents. Good people. Good people who wanted to stay in their neighborhood schools--except those schools were now gone.

Eventually I had to leave and find a job that would help me pay my bills.

[teacher who works for PCS now]

As for "Used to work for PCS" - yup, you probably were one of these useless staff developers or another Tajmahite. hahahaha... Sounds like 9:19 already did a lot of the research.... now where's yours....? 9:19 has numbers.... where's your numbers?
As for 11:01pm.... I agree. Lots of waste and interruptions from these people. I wish they would just leave us alone so we would have more time to do an already difficult job working daily with kids with no budget to speak of in the classroom. Oh that's right, I forgot... I need to forgo with necessary classroom supplies so that the people who come around to deliver a cute lesson here or there can keep their much bigger salaries.

To clarify the remarks from Voice of Reason Teacher:

5 million in staff training....only a small portion is necessary training to recertify teachers (maybe 1 mil to 2 mil)... the rest is used to pay the salaries of too many staff developers....
Oh yeah... and then another three million for instructional development.... that's to pay car allowances for other staff developers to do walkthroughs of classes and count the number of words on the walls of elementary teachers, to give a thirty minute language arts lesson for a class, or to just sit in classes and make observations of teachers to pass along to the higher ups.... these visits do little to nothing to improve instruction... but again justify jobs of staff trainers and developers with too much time on their hands and too much money in their pocket from PCSB.... if anything, most teachers see these visits as intrusions and not relevant to their day to day work in the classroom....Wouldn't your child be better served by having these so-called experts back in the classroom where they can do some major work daily to help remediate struggling students? Instead these adminstrative folks receive a much higher pay for being nothing more than a backseat driver for already overwhelmed teachers.These teachers need more onsite help then a silly lesson and out of context suggestions from someone who sits in a ivory tower all day on the school district's dime.
Now for many of those useless trainings such as "what is your color?" or a three hour training on how to read a pay stubb.... hahahaha.... there are at least thirty to forty emails a week on the district web site announcing useless, irrelevant, feel good trainings such as these.... I had all my points earned within the first three years of my new certification period without attending anything other then preplanning trainings and the staff development days assigned during the year....
Check out all the staff developers and trainers in the county.... this budget needs to be cut back seriously, folks.
And as for books.... Do you seriously think that all that money goes to books in your child's library....In addition....my students are online more than they ever check out books.... most don't even know where the media center is located.... Most of this money is spent on replenishing books that are not returned... however, in the end, where does the rest go....? Time to start using a public library to share the burden if your child needs up to date books...How about buying a book for your child or going to a used bookstore?
Get a clue "Voice of Reason" teacher.... You sound more like a staff developer to me. Probably trying to hang on to your job by misrepresenting yourself on this forum. hahahahaha.... No teacher with reason would have justified these horrific budget numbers in a fiscal crisis for the district. What a dope.

[used to work for PSC]

Attention 9:19
Very impressive.

Now do some research as to what that money actually does. Get a clue.
I guarantee you would miss a huge amount of this spending unless you don't actually HAVE kids in the system. Most people who post things like you did don't even have had kids in school.

Oh and Mad Beach Mom, For what it's worth, I agree with the poster(s)who've tried to warn you about you school being overrun by SSFM. You're involved and engaged. That's great! But so are most parents. So were the parents at Bay Vista. So where the parents at Pasadena Elem.

Watch your back.

Don't say we didn't warn you.

[Voice of Reason Teacher]

PCSB spent 13 million in Media Services, 3 million in Instructional Development, 5 million in Staff Training and 2 million in Instructional Technology. I don't think I'd miss any of that money being cut.

OK lets breath deep.
Media Services: Books for your childs library. I am sure you would throw a fit if they couldn't have books.
Instructional Development: Develops classes, planning
Staff Training: Teachers must recertify every 5 years and have so many inservice hours...thus staff training. No training=no teachers
Instructional Technology: Do you like grades on the internet? Do you like emails from your child's teacher? Instructional tech pays for that. I bet you would be unhappy if your child sat in a room with no technology. Please think before you type.

[Attention Parents and St. Pete Times]

Here's some research on the Pinellas School District and its bloated administrative budget.
Parents take note.... this is where your tax paying dollars are going:
Each middle school is allocated at least $20,000 in textbook funds/flex funds. High schools get nearly $50,000a piece- take a look at that budget
(3,023,155.92).
PCSB spent 13 million in Media Services, 3 million in Instructional Development, 5 million in Staff Training and 2 million in Instructional Technology. I don't think I'd miss any of that money being cut.

1/2 million for the Superintendent's office alone- that's a joke.
$260,000 Office of Equal Opportunity
$250,000 Chief Business Office
$450,000 Student Assignment Office
$180,000 School Operations Reg 3
$500,000 School Operations Reg 4
$650,000 Elem Reg 1 & 2
$180,000 School Operations Middle School
$250,000 School Operations High School

Students would miss a penny of these superpriced offices!!!!
Check it out St. Pete Times! There's more where this came from.... hahahahaha

[Mad Beach Mom]

also I have never been told or had any information that would lead me to believe poor "test scores" (ie FCAT) are a violation of a fundamental schools contract...

perhaps the mandatory parental involvement, diligence about homework, and concentration on fundamental educational concepts is more the driving force behind the good test scores at fundamental schools...

is it me, or does that crazy notion just make a lot more sense than a bunch of crazy parents doing whatever they can to target kids with low test scores and eliminate them from the school? I, for one, am WAY too busy with my own kids to even start thinking of how to get that information...and I certainly don't have the heart to do that to a child..like MOST parents I know...

[Mad Beach Mom]

and if all of the above is true, I can assure you the SS faculty (and all current fundi famlies) will be very happy with the group of kiddos at MBE/MBMS...there are excellent families at this school...few discipline problems and all around good people!!

My son came from a very well respected magnet program and the classroom environment (discipline issues,etc) here at MBE is far superior!

[Mad Beach Mom]

Ok..I don't understand all of this "pushing out" stuff....since we have many friends that have children in fundamental schools, it is my understanding that before you enter a fund program you sign a contract that EXPLICTLY states all the rules and expectations from both the student and the parent..these expectations include dress code, school work (homework etc), discipline, attendance, parental involvement,etc...if a child/family violates this contract CONSISTENTLY and proper demerits/warnings are given, the family must go before the "board" (made up of parents) and the issues surrounding the violations are discussed. At that time, the board decides if the child/family should remain in the program and makes that recomendation to the principal..MOST OF THE TIME..the family/child is given another chance and OFTEN the behavior is corrected and the child/family stays in the program..if the child/family CONTINUES to violate the contract that they signed before entering the program, the school has the power to dismiss them from the program...

How is ANY of that "pushing people out"?

[PASADENA PARENT]

Sorry to anyone that thought I was shouting.I'm not a fast typist and caps are just quicker for me.

[SchoolChoiceMom]

As the parent at a school that's being closed, I think this blog may be keeping me sane.

To "go after the state" - according to my information the State is providing $110 Million to pay for salaries etc. under the class size amendment - total school budget after cuts is about $800M.

If you look at the cuts as a percent of the $80M cut required it's a big chunk. If you look at them as a percent of the total budget it's not all that much. It bugs me that kids got kicked to the curb first.

The $1M in salaries that were cut - is that after Wilcox, or is that the entire floor of people he got rid of because nobody could tell him what they did? Nobody has clarified that - and $1M is still peanuts compared to what they are asking kids to absorb!

And yes the state is also responsible for this mess. Maybe that amendment about allocating 65% of budget to actual education should be brought back but require 75 or 80% instead.

"Florida, The State That Eats its Young!"

Please do remember this when you vote next time - the Board works for us. Run against them, help someone run against them, vote for whoever runs against them. It's all down to us.

[Not Tank, but he's right]

Pasadena Parent,
Stop Shouting.

"THE PASADENA PARENTS ARE EXCITED AND HAPPY TO GO TO MAD. BEACH AND MEET THE PARENTS AND STAFF, AND JOIN THEM.(NOT PUSH THEM OUT)"

Just like you were happy to not push out the students at Pasadena Elementary School? Don't you know the history of your own school?

[John]

Tank, you are a jerk! Fundamental parents, staff and administration all have the mindset that our students comes first. I know in my heart that blending with Mad. Bch. Mid. will be an exciting time of getting to know each other. I truly believe that our 'family' has just become bigger and better. Just you wait and see!

[ms teacher]

Hey, now that PCS is "downsizing" by closing schools, etc., why not close the ADMINISTRATION building, move only NEEDED admin. personnel BACK into the former Druid Complex building or one of closed elementary school buildings. Think of all the money that could be saved on energy and salaries! Then, PCS could rent out the ADMINSTRATION building or better yet, sell the behemoth! I could see a hospital or assisted living facility there . . .just some ideas!

[PASADENA PARENT]

ITHINK TANK IS A PERSON USING THIS BLOG TO ARGUE AND SPREAD HATE ABOUT PEOPLE HE DOES NOT EVEN KNOW. I DOUBT HE IS EVEN A PARENT. TOM, COULD WE USE THIS SITE FOR USEFUL DIALOGUE INSTEAD OF NEGATIVE OPINIONS. THE PASADENA PARENTS ARE EXCITED AND HAPPY TO GO TO MAD. BEACH AND MEET THE PARENTS AND STAFF, AND JOIN THEM.(NOT PUSH THEM OUT) THE KIDS COMING FROM SOUTHSIDE WILL ONLY BE THERE 2 YEARS,AND I DON'T KNOW ANY THAT WOULD ACT AS TANK HAS SUGGESTED.

[Mad Beach Mom]

Tank...perhaps the first year will be a challenge..although I hope not..

But you have to remember, many MBE students are staying put..that means by Fall 2010, the incoming 6th grade class (which will include my son) will be made up of primarily MBE current 4th graders that did not leave their school...it will be the mind set that you speak of regarding some SS parents that will have to change...
and perhaps "some" SS parents think like that..but we are friends with families from SS(and also families at Lakeview) that do no think like that..let's hope good manners will prevail!
If not...I will hope my child will have the fortitude to stand against and purposely avoid children (and parents) that act so rudely....I know I will!! :-)

9:07 - that principal along with theeast lake principal was a rehire after drop so they get a full pension anyways.

Tank, You're an idiot

[Tank]

Ha ha. They won't be welcoming you!

I can' wait to see all of the mad beach parents standing with open arms, waiting for the SS parents to show up. They shake hands and the SS parents immediately reach for the anti-bac. Face it Mad Beach - in the minds of SS folks you'll always be second class, trash citizens.

Your teachers will be gone in a year, forced out by the whacko over-involved. The SS parents will tell their children not to interact with Mad Beach kids - they'll be outcasts.

Good luck!

[MBE Mom]

I agree whole heartedly with Mad Beach Mom at 9:29. Most MBE parents are active and involved with the school. I look forward to welcoming the Southside students.

What about the love?

how do you fire the superintendent?

she lied to teachers, and does not listen to the public. She was the third choice, lacks real experience and is morally bankrupt.

D'Andrea is a horrible Spanish teacher. no business being around children.

[You know what needs to be done]

13 million is 21%, more than a dent.

Your kids will still get an education. Stop complaining because your school got shut down. Do something productive.

Ask the board to fire the superintendent.

[Mad Beach Mom]

and yes I meant "grip".....;-)

[Mad Beach Mom]

9:24: I think ALL of those things ARE coming...it has been said here that this is the BEGINNING of the cuts...I think all the things you mention will happen..they have to...

From the front page story:

"When Pinellas first proposed the measures in mid November, district officials were stunned by news from Tallahassee indicating they needed to cut spending by $40-million for 2009-10. By Tuesday, those projections had surged to the $60-million to $80-million range.

Tuesday's actions were just a start, totaling about $13-million in cuts."

THese closings only make a DENT in those projections....it is VERY likely we will even see MORE school closings as early as next year...we are in a HORRIBLE economy...if these changes are rattling you to this degree, how in the world are you going to cope with what is coming down the pike..it is a DIFFERENT world then even a few years ago...we as parents have got to get a gripe....

[Mad Beach Mom]

wow....we are at mad beach and plan to stay at mad beach..i have no issue with my child attending a fundamental because i already am a very involved parent at mbe..the "contract" for fundamental will be a non-issue..it is everything we are already doing....most of the parents at mbe are feeling the same way...currently , we are friends with families who have children at lakeview, southside, pasadena, jamerson, perkins, bauder, seminole elementary, pinellas park, gulf beaches and a variety of private schools in the area....all of them are involved parents and love their schools for personal reasons...i have no doubt that any family from either mad beach or southside or any incoming school that acts the way many suggest here they will act, will stand out like a sore thumb..most parents just want a good experience for themselves and their children and will move the stars to make that happen...

WELCOME SOUTHSIDE FAMILIES!! I think you will LOVE our beautiful seaside school and adore the families who decide to stay and take part in your amazing fudamental program!!!

Parents,

Stop pitting fundamentals against "regular" schools. Stop judging parents'(un)willingness to do or not do for their children. We all have different needs, we all have different circumstances.

Stop arguing about which parents are better or which schools are better and start arguing about which school board members have a clue as to what they are doing and whether or not the school district's administration is properly carrying out their duty as steward of your money.

I do believe I went to elementary school with the man pictured above.

How much do you want to bet if I approached him-he would remember me? I haven't seen him in a good 30 years, but I bet we could recall several others who still live and work and give back in our community.

You see, we attended a very small school together, in a little town and now we work to provide an even better environment for our kids.

I'm willing to bet if I called him today-he'd drive me to the airport if I told him I really needed him to! A favor my current friends might try to avoid.

The 7-0 vote from the school board in spite of the fact they have not combed through the entire budget, stopped travel, canceled professional memberships, stopped all non-mandated curriculum initiatives and cut salaries-including their own demonstrates the school board's lack of vision, lack of leadership, lack of personal accountability and lack of disciplined administration of the public's tax dollars.

This is not about budget cuts. This is about lack of discipline, lack of leadership and lack of vision.

The school board and the district want the rest of us to change what we are doing-while they refuse to change what they are doing.

I'm sick. Simply sick about this.

from an above post:
"...I must tell how very disconcerting it was to hear a strong administrator and wonderful principal speak of having to now take a step down and return to the classroom as a teacher, and to the sporting arena as a coach:..."

OH HOW AWFUL IT MUST BE TO BECOME A LOWLY CLASSROOM TEACHER! WHAT, WITH ALL THE STINKY, DIRTY, LICE FILLED CHILDREN WITH ALL THEIR NEEDY LITTLE NEEDS TO MEET EVERYDAY-DAY IN AND DAY OUT-ALL THE LEARNING THAT MUST TAKE PLACE-THE GETTING UP EARLY, STAYING UP LATE, REPORTING TO YOUR JOB ON TIME AND STAYING ALL DAY LONG. HAVING TO ACTUALLY CALL IN SICK AND USE UP YOUR SICK TIME INSTEAD OF USING IT AS A RETIREMENT SAVINGS ACCOUNT LIKE THE REST OF THE ELITE-THE EXAMPLE YOU MUST MAKE OF YOURSELF-AWFUL INDEED!!!!!!!!!

Well true to form the southside cadre is making its intentions known. Yes, we know you're BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE.

And sorry, your school is not "well blended". It has a substantially lower free-reduced lunch population than the county average, and for a school located where you are to have a 20% minority population is a crime.

Fundamental schools inflate their test scores by kicking out lower-performing kids then bleat about thier "superiority". Heck there was even a SS parent on this blog a while back complaining about having to have a gifted/talented program because they gifted kids "don't fit in". Gifted kids! Just kick them out too. Too much critical thinking going on there.

I feel SO SORRY for the parents and students of Mad Bch and Kennedy. Watch your backs, you are the "Bad Element" there. They want you gone. They want your staff gone and theirs moved in instead. They want your school. It's "become one of us or LEAVE!" plain and simple. A recent letter to the editor by a teacher called D'Andrea from Coachman CLEARLY laid out how fund. staff and parents feel about "traditional" kids getting in their way.

I have nothing against the fundamental model--the way it was designed many years ago. I am disgusted at what elitist, hovering parents have turned it into though. The motto "My way or the highway" should be chiseled over the door of every fundamental school.

[Jen P]

Does it makes sense to you that I have to drive in my car 2 hours out of the day (30 minutes each direction) because all the choice kids took all the positions at the school that's five minutes down the road? And yes, I HAVE to drive him because he's a disabled child and it is unfair for him to ride 2 hours out of the day in the bus (that was consistently late dropping him off and picking him up). Explain that logic to me.

[Sprig]

Jen, my resources should be mine to waste. Close to home is a nice concept, but does it work in practice? Please tell the person who lives in Cloverplace (Palm Harbor near Tampa Road) that it makes sense for the county to force her child to take a 45 minute very early morning busride to Tarpon Springs High School, when Palm Harbor University High School is less than 10 minutes away. Piggy got his Dunedin home in the zone! How did that happen? Fire the overpaid lacky who helped draw that map.

[Jen P]

I want everyone to consider also the people that did not get into their "choice" school that was close to their home and are not FORCED to drive their children across the county because they don't want their child to ride the bus for an hour each direction every day. Everytime, I drive across the county to take my child to school I am thinking about those parents driving their child across the county to my close to home school. Alot of wasted natural resources if you ask me. I think everyone should be in their close to home school. School choice was a bad idea to begin with and due to unfortunate circumstances (i.e. economy and the budget) some people are just going to have adapt.

[justwondering]

So now that we have heard from the children I wonder what the parents think about all of this?

So much for what is good for the community or doing what needs to be done for the good of all or out of necessity.

How do you really expect everybody else to bend just to your needs,you people need to grow up and get a grip and start thinking about somebody else other then you.

No wonder kids these days are all about me me me they sound just like their parents waa waa waa

When was the last time any of you offered to help the school district in their crises,have any of you ever picked up a paint brush and helped paint a school,or even helped pick up the trash from the school yard that all cost money you know.instead of all this whining why do you guys not put your brilliance together and come up with a viable plan for the school board.It is easy to complain from the cheap seats.

These are tough times and instead of banding together and working things out and coming up with solutions all I hear is whining when the solutions are given to you.

What was that saying, Ask not what you can do for yourself but what you can do for your city or country? I am sorry I forgot that takes effort we do not want that now hugh?

Unfortunately, the board (who we vote for) hires the superintendent. Not sure if she would ever get fired. Let's get rid of some of the associate and deputy superintendents, too. What do they even do? Seriously, too many job positions that don't need to be there.

[mom in pharbor]

Fire Julie Janssen now!

[parent with question]

Can you get rid of a superintendent? I want to know...How do you start this process? J Janssen is just a horrible example for children. I don't want someone who lies and is so unethical at the helm of my child's school system. What kind of message does this send?

Investigate Jannsen and get rid of her. Start a petition!
She is at the root of all that is bad in this county. The teachers have no respect for her and her unethical practices. Now... I know I don't have any respect for her either. Hope the Times does a story on this superintendant soon. She's got to go!

Fire Janssen!

[parent in pinellas]

Get rid of Janssen now!

[old dad with son in Pinellas Schools]

I blame; 1. the voters who put in the republican mush heads in tally, just what the he^^ were you all thinking? 2. I blame the school board for not having the forsight to handle this before it became an issue. Should have listened to Lerner. 3. I blame the media, SPT too, for backing candidates for office and throwing alot of supportive ink to many who don't give a real damn about education but interview with the board well... and last 4. I blame the parents of these kids who drop the kid and run off to other things, yes we need two incomes to live too but the parent should show up at PTA meetings and act the adult. If so, most of the fight would be overwith already. This whole problem could have been handled in 2002. Voters asleep at the wheel, Disgusting.

Did any of the board members address the other painful cuts they would impose on themselves and the bloated admin budget? I would want answers for their own financial sacrifices before they start forcing you and your children to make such big sacrifices. Call the legislators... They care little to nothing about education, either. Now is the time to make some noise or it will just get worse, all on the backs of your families, the kids, and your local schools and classrooms.

[parent and teacher]

Keep the pressure on these administrative hacks and complicit board members. Find out where else they can cut....Keep pressure on the Times to keep investigating the corruption in upper administration, the violation of teachers' contracts,the violation of arbitrater's rulings, the training budget which is way too inflated and has never been considered in the budget cuts. Look at the entire upper administrative organizational chart. Layers of folks to cut there. Keep putting pressure on these folks, parents, or your kids will lose out.

I agree, get rid of Julie Janssen and the bloated Largo administration. Putting all those crooks on a ten month paid year would be a good start. Actually, some substantial cutting of upper administration could have helped to keep one or two of these schools open for a while. Then again... corrupt administrators and inept board members who don't question their decisions is a bad, a very bad combination. Storm the palace, parents! Investigate...Put pressure on these jerks until you get an answer for where all the money is going in this county. It certainly isn't going to your children or the classroom.

[Mad Beach Mom]

Susan:
So, does that mean that the zoned kids will be assigned their zoned school BEFORE the "opt back" grandfathered kids get a seat? That would sort of answer a question I had about the possibility of a zoned school not having enough seats for the kids in their zone if all the choice kids got some kind of priority....

[Mad Beach Mom]

just a thought at 8:52: it is true, fundamental parents at Southside ARE getting more choices then most in this situation. I do indeed feel for everyone involved in this economic crises...but the faculty at Southside and the other schools involved are also "lucky"..they WILL have a job. I have friends and family that are getting laid off daily from company's in crisis with no such guarantee...and as Tom confirmed, the cuts, closings, etc IS going to continue..in lots of different ways. If today's changes only cut 13 million and it is predicted that PCSB will need to cut 80 million, we are just getting started.

[BBMOM]

I was at the SB meeting today, and Julie Jansen said that the numbers for salaries posted in the St. Pete. Times were from last year. She told us that 1 million has already been cut from that number. Did I get this correct Tom?