by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Not since 1991, when the country and the state suffered its last financial analyst-acknowledged recession, has there been a more important legislative session that the one coming up in about a month.
With an economy that has been struggling since before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the State and its legislators have some very serious, life-altering decisions ahead of them. Under great scrutiny, and even fire, legislators will ponder a myriad of things including how to lure more people to Florida in order to pump more tourism dollars into the economy.
They will also be under the microscope as far as education is concerned, specifically education funding for individual counties and systems statewide. A great deal of talk recently has centered on the inevitable cuts Duval County is facing. With over one million people and 120,000 students, Duval should be one of the best-funded school systems in the state.
That’s hardly the case. Last year, the legislature approved a $15.2 million cut for Duval schools and, barring some drastic change of heart and creative alternative funding, another $18.6 for the 2002-03 school year.
With all of that in mind, Duval County School Board chairman Jimmie Johnson has created his “wish list” for the upcoming session. The list is created by the School Board during the previous year with plenty of input from staff, administrators and regional superintendents.
This year, Johnson’s main objective has two parts: one, no new legislation that will have a negative impact on Duval County and, two, the funding Duval County will receive and the flexibility to determine exactly how allocated funds are spent. Considering the political ramifications for the legislators should they start slashing education budgets statewide the way Freddie Kruger slashed throats on Elm Street, part one may not be too tricky. However, changing a policy that was created almost 30 years will be much more difficult.
“Out of 67 counties in Florida, we are 40-something in the funding received for each child’s education,” said Johnson, a former teacher and administrator. “That’s because of the formula used to determine funding. It was created in the 1970s and never adjusted. Because we are a property-poor county [compared to others in the state], we have never gotten the funding that some of the major counties receive.”
This year’s legislative package covers everything from funding to the Student Code of Conduct to putting a moratorium on changes to the way FCAT scores are determined and their affect on a school’s overall grade. Johnson is quick to point out that the correspondence he sent to the legislature, City Council members and Mayor John Delaney isn’t a self-centered, Duval-first list, but rather initiatives he’d like to see administered statewide.
“Each year we set the items,” said Johnson. “We work with the staff and the Board, but mostly the staff comes up with most of the items. We share ideas and make decisions on what to go forward with. Some are systemic and some are statewide. We have great support throughout the state; it’s not a selfish list. These are requests that will help the whole state of Florida, not just Duval County.”
Regardless how much, or how little, money is allocated for Duval County, Johnson would like nothing better than to change the method for distributing those funds. As it is now, an antiquated formula is used and the individual districts are obligated to adhere to that mandate.
“The state gives us money and they tell the counties to spend it like this or that,” said Johnson. “The individual districts should be given leverage to spend the money as we see fit.”
Johnson contends, essentially, that there is no way the bureaucrats in Tallahassee can know the specific needs of each individual county or school system. He doesn’t want to cash a big check (one that’s getting smaller every year) and then start doling out money to whomever he sees fit. Rather, Johnson believes a system can be established to track the money and how it’s allocated.
“We would like to set the course of the funding and use them the best way we can to reach our educational objectives,” said Johnson. “Now, hold us accountable. Let us present a plan, show how we performed and show our successes.”
Johnson would like to remain optimistic as the January legislative session approaches but the realist in him knows that this session may be the most difficult to digest in a decade. Money for schools is not going to materialize out of thin air. Looking at his list, Johnson said he’d be happy if several items received positive attention from the legislature.
School Board lobbyist Martin Miller said the objective isn’t to bat .500 in Tallahassee, but rather to make sure the hits come at opportune times.
“I don’t think you can put some kind of priority on all the items,” said Miller. “One might be worth a 50 percent success rate.”
Said Johnson, “Some items are weighted more heavily. It’s not all or nothing.”
The administrator in Johnson is worried about the upcoming session and its ramifications for the next school year. The teacher in him genuinely fears the long-lasting negative impact more budget cuts could have on teachers here in Duval County.
“Budget cuts, all budget adjustments, have an affect on your instructional personnel, sometimes more than anybody else,” said Johnson. “Teachers are extremely concerned about what happens especially in challenging departments [special education, English as a second language classes]. Those are the toughest to lose, they are insurmountable. All the talk, all the newspaper articles affect teachers greatly.”
Limiting the money for art teachers, Johnson can handle. Money, through business donations and fund raisers, can be raised. Larger classrooms, Johnson can deal with. Losing teachers because there’s no money to pay them or give them needed raises?
“Identifying who to layoff? I
hate to even think about that,” said Johnson.
Although he doesn’t have all the answers, Johnson says it’s time for the country as a whole to back up its claim that the education of our youth is a top priority. In Florida, that may mean, Johnson says, imposing a minimal personal income tax — something that doesn’t exist — for the sole purpose of generating funds designated “education only.”
“It’s time for the country to be as serious about education as they say they are,” said Johnson. “If we are going to have a world class educational system, then we have to do the things to get there. If a personal income tax is part of it, I say yes. You can work and plan, but you have to take care of the youngsters in the classroom.”
A month from now 120 state representatives and 40 state senators will convene in the state capital. Their decisions will not only affect the way the Duval County School System operates next year, but they will surely have long-lasting ramifications. Johnson admits the session will difficult at best, but prefers to adopt the “glass is half full” attitude.
“I’m always highly optimistic,” he said. “My hope is that the folks who are adamant about public education will not go backwards in these trying times. We’ve got to come up with another way to get it done.
“It looks tight. We will do all we can to protect the classroom and the related activities.”
With the prospect of another $3.4 million being slashed from Duval County’s education coffers, Johnson can see the day parents rebel. When moms and dads can no longer accept buying more art supplies, losing athletic teams to budget cuts and insanely overcrowded classrooms, Johnson thinks they will react as a group both locally and statewide. And, it may not be too far off.
“I think you’ll see a parents’ movement this spring when it’s time for the session in Tallahassee,” said Johnson. “In another year or two, and this is not a bright light, there will be movements across the state. I believe the present legislature is serious about solving the education funding problems. I’m not sure we will get to those real tough times. The business community will step in and help change the situation in Florida if it gets to that.”