Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/119978
Sarasota News Leader April 5, 2013 Page 32 whole lot of money on technology and com- how to do research [and] cite references and puters. You are going to have a group of aides teach the teachers how to use the systems." who historically have a high turnover." "[We] have a budget and I don't want us to She added, "Look at all of the computers we cherry-pick," said board member Carol Todd. have. Every period of the day we have kids Board member Shirley Brown added, "If we who are taking virtual school class [through want to change [this decision], I don't know the Internet], so we have a lot of equipment where else to cut at this time." that needs highly trained staff. We can barely But board member Caroline Zucker took a keep up with the needed training now." firm stand against the plan to eliminate media The School Board earlier had agreed to elimi- specialists: "I will not vote for this. I just cannate the media specialnot vote for this budists as part of a large get," she said, adding it bucket of cuts aimed I feel responsible to live within the would be the first time at balancing its bud- revenues we get from the state. We've been in her many years on get for the next fiscal dipping into savings … savings that are the board that she had year. This measure is disappearing. voted down the proplanned for every midposed spending plan. Lori White dle school and high Superintendent District administrative school in the district. Sarasota County Schools staff point out that the "The cut in media speschools have suffered cialists was done at the elementary school as a result of the Great Recession, given the level three years ago," said Gary Leatherman, combination of decreased money from local the director of communications and commu- property taxes since 2007 and state cutbacks. nity relations. "The people in charge of the The Florida Legislature also has had to wresmedia no longer have certification as media tle with budget shortfalls over the same perispecialists," he added. They are aides instead, od, though its members may be said to feel the he said. influence of political forces prompting them to choose where to spend the dollars they have. Media Specialist Donna Heath addressed the School Board Tuesday night: "Our library is "Since 2007, over 680 positions are gone, and an oasis for our students. Libraries are filled we've reduced the budget by 30 percent," said at lunch, before school and after. This [action] Lori White, superintendent of Sarasota County will affect over 18,000 students in our district." Schools, at Tuesday night's board meeting. She pointed out, "Elementary school has survived [the cuts] because the kids are led in each week or so and check out another few books. This is not what would happen in the middle and high schools, where we teach kids "We are limited to what we can do to meet the gap," she added. "I feel responsible to live within the revenues we get from the state. We've been dipping into savings … savings that are disappearing." %