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Sarasota News Leader July 26, 2013 Page 16 Those specialists will be replaced by parapro- day, July 30, in its chambers at The Landings, fessional aides at a savings of $595,086, ac- 1980 Landings Blvd. in Sarasota. cording to budget projections. The final budget will be adopted after a secEliminating those positions, he said, "was ond public hearing on Sept. 10. something we did not want to do because BUDGET DETAILS those people were doing an excellent job." For the 2013-14 school year, the total estimatAt one time, Weidner added, the district had a ed appropriations for the Sarasota district are media specialist in every school, and some of $773,570,039, up 4.54 percent. Salaries are those staff members even had aides to assist expected to account for $258,000,345 of that them. amount. Among other staff reductions in recent years, Employee benefits are estimated to cost he noted, were data coaches, who had assist- $73,419,978, with health insurance expenses ed teachers in determining which students up a projected 10 percent. needed extra attention, and reading coaches, who provided that one-on-one time with the General fund revenues for FY 2014 are put at $359,474,094, an 11.5 percent decrease from youngsters. the $406,123,710 figure in FY 2008. Among the positive notes for the next fiscal year, Weidner said the Sarasota County Prop- The projected capital revenue amount for FY erty Appraiser's Office had certified the county 2014 is $83,823,851, a decline of 49.3 percent tax roll at a value representing a 4.86 percent from FY 2008. increase from 2012. That was the first time The district is rebuilding Booker High School the county's property tax roll had grown since and the Sarasota County Technical Insti2007, he told the board. tute, both in Sarasota, as well as Venice High School in Venice. It is just starting a rebuilding Additionally, he said, when he attended a state of Sarasota High School. educational conference about a month ago, he heard predictions that the Legislature could District enrollment is projected at 42,266 for provide as much as 5 percent more in funding the next school year, up from the 41,092 figure it reported during its last official count of the for school districts during its 2014 session. 2012-13 school year, on May 2. Weidner was hopeful, he said, that the School Board would not have to end up finding ways The Executive Summary for the FY 2014 budto cut more than $2 million from its FY 2015 get notes that the base student allocation the Legislature set for the 2013-14 school year budget, based on preliminary projections. "has been reduced to very close to the 2005However, he told the board earlier, "I don't see 2006 level. This represents an 8% decrease anywhere else we can cut." since 2007-2008." The School Board will hold a public hearing That amount for the next school year is $3,752; on the tentative budget at 5:15 p.m. on Tues- in 2005-06, it was $3,742. %