Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/180498
Sarasota News Leader September 27, 2013 Page 29 That ballot also will include races for seats on the Holiday Park and Recreation District Board. THE MILL MONEY Al Weidner, the deputy chief financial officer for the school district, told the News Leader on Sept. 25 that the revenue from the special 1 mill tax is paying for 497 district positions in the current school year. Zucker pointed out that the first attempt to hold a referendum on the tax failed in 2000. When the School Board tried again in 2002, it was successful. Voters have renewed the tax every four years since then. According to the Executive Summary provided with the School Board's 2014 fiscal year budget, $20,571,471 appropriated from the special tax revenue after the first referendum School Board member Caroline Zucker. paid the salaries of 235 teachers, 23 teachContributed photo er aides, nine guidance counselors and nine school secretaries, for a total of 276 positions. Another $1,998,846 is being used to enable the It also covered a 3-percent, cost-of-living in- district to continue providing assistant principal positions for all its Title I schools with crease for employees. fewer than 800 students, as well as interns to Because of decreased educational funding help with non-Title I schools with fewer than from the Legislature since the 2008-09 school 800 students. Funding for elementary science year, the summary continues, referendum dol- teachers also comes out of the special tax revlars are paying for art and music teachers, se- enue: $1,609,517. curity aides, guidance counselors and media personnel. For example, in the current school Additionally, $1,533,112 is paying for liaiyear, $4,709,706 is covering the salaries of the sons or "extra duty day support" provided to schools with significant numbers of students district's visual and performing arts coordi"who do not speak English as their native lannator, performing arts technicians at Booker guage," the summary notes. and North Port high schools, foreign language teachers for the school system's gifted stu- Again, "due to inadequate state funding," the dents, the Young Marines program at Venice summary says, $629,811 is paying for guidance Middle School and dance teachers at specific counselors/behavior specialists in the school system. % elementary schools.