Sarasota – After the announcement of budget cuts, financial lack and attitudes, the Sarasota County Schools brought the bow with its budget for the rest of the financial year.
The fiscal year of the school system actually began on July 1, so that it has been working without a final budget for months. The spokesman for the schools, Kelsey Whealy, said that the budget is normally approved earlier, but delays from the state have returned the process.
While the school authority of Sarasota County unanimously voted to approve her budget last month, the decision did not come without some public concerns.
What you pay in base taxes
Although the district reduced its tax rate slightly, most homeowners will still determine a higher tax bill due to increased real estate values.
The district reduced its total operating tax by 1.17%, somewhat smaller than the increase in tax rated real estate values by 2.9%.
The local efforts, which is generally referred to as a state -prescribed property tax rate, is necessary so that the district is given student financing.
A mill corresponds to 1 tax of $ 1 for each taxable value of $ 1,000.
The RLE millage is only part of the total amount of property taxes that the residents will pay.
The total operating tax approved by the school authority is 6.095, including:
Basic discretion games, a millage that provides the school districts at a limited price to finance teachers, teaching supplies, supply companies and students. It is used to build new schools, replace air conditioning, buying buses and buying for security upgrades.
For a house with a taxable value of 413,000 US dollars – the average house value in Sarasota County – would go to the school district around $ 2,517.24.
There are still concerns
Since the end of the school year, the district has informed about the incoming financial deficits this year due to decisions, including expanded school selection vouchers and federal cuts.
Despite an insurance company that the teachers were safe and classrooms have priority, the residents still have problems in the areas of the new budget, of which they believe they have to be improved during the final budget of the budget of September 16.
Although the District website was planned for a one -hour session and allowed three minutes per speaker, the school authority voted to reduce public speeches to two minutes.
CEO Robyn Marinelli initially increased the application and said they would have to be ready in time to start the meeting immediately.
While some inhabitants questioned the decision to close a primary school with a low capacity, other questions asked other holes in the open job offers.
Paulina Testerman, a parent of a student of the Sarasota High School, gives the district without teachers without a teacher for six months last year.
Of these, 25 classrooms went without teachers all year round, she said.
The information came from a request from the public records, said Testerman, after finding out that during her daughter's algebra lessons, for six months without a teacher, a list was listed in the last 10 days of the school year.
Testerman asked how every student in the class has passed, although the classroom was based on replacement and teaching plans for the rest of the year.
“Tell me why teachers are replaced by replacement and teaching plans?” she asked.
Sebastian Martinez, a SCS graduate, asked the district to break down the changes in personnel divided by certain schools to ensure the transparency for families how they are influenced.
No school council or district manager answered the claim after public comments.
Kennedy Cole, a student of the Booker High School, questioned the district's confirmation that no teachers had lost their job in the cuts of this summer.
During the meeting of the North Port Community last month, superintendent Terry Connor insured the public that no teachers had been released directly based on budget cuts, but also offered alternative positions in the district.
According to Cole, Booker High lost a behavioral trainer, two language connections, a deputy accountant and media consultant, three security officers and one English teacher, a social science teacher, the teacher of science and an election debt.
Some of the alternative positions offered by the district do not correspond to their current role, said Cole.
A full -time employee at Booker High, who lives in Bradenton, was offered a part -time job at the North Port High School as an alternative position, said Cole.
“This is not a reasonable alternative, and if you think I invite you to make this trip for a part -time job every day,” said Cole.