Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/94842
Sarasota News Leader November 23, 2012 ed out: The federal component for the 2014 fiscal year will be about $ 2.7 million, the state will provide about $76 million and local funds will amount to about $262 million. Local funds make up almost 75 percent of the budget for the Sarasota County Schools, he noted, with the majority of that money coming from property taxes. The district also has a special 1 mill tax that voters have kept in place since 2002. The last time voters approved that extra tax was in 2010, with district officials pointing out that the revenue makes programs possible that otherwise would have to be cut back or cut out. A number of factors have put stress on the budgets of schools nationwide, Weidner said. The Great Reces- sion resulted in fewer dollars for all government funding at the same time property values — and therefore proper- ty taxes — plummeted. Page 15 The preliminary budget indicates charter schools will claim an extra 700 students in the 2013-2014 school year, Weidner added. With the district expected to gain only 500 more students than it has this year, he said, that will result in a net loss of 200 students for the reg- ular public schools. Each student who moves to a charter school takes with him his share of the state money provided per pupil for the district, Weidner noted. We continue to be as frugal as we can. Al Weidner Deputy Chief Financial Officer Sarasota County Schools School Board mem- ber Frank Kovach pointed out that, be- cause the board has been approving use of its reserve funds for budgets over the past years, those reserves soon might be dried up. Sarasota County has cut $140 million from its budget and 600 jobs since 2006, Weidner noted. Another funding issue in Sarasota County, he pointed out, is the increasing number of char- ter schools. That means less money for the other public schools to share. "We continue to be as frugal as we can," Weid- ner said. "2014-15 will be a critical year," he added. "We have to see what state revenues will be …." The last time the district saw a budget in- crease was in the 2006-07 school year, Weid- ner told The Sarasota News Leader. % I am so incredibly pleased, with my beautiful smile and my comfortable and natural bite. - Barbara Lee For a complimentary consultation call 941.923.5406 | Christine Koval, D.M.D. | www.askdrkoval.com