MAKING OPPOSING CASES
(From left) Former County Commissioner Jon Thaxton moderates a panel discussion among Sarasota
County Schools Superintendent Lori White; Don DeLeo, chairman of Sarasota Citizens for Better
Schools; and Rod Thomson, president of The Thomson Group. Photo by Rachel Hackney
A TIGER BAY CLUB PANEL DEBATES THE MERITS OF THE SARASOTA COUNTY
SCHOOL BOARD'S LATEST REFERENDUM ON A SPECIAL 1 MIL TAX
If the Sarasota County School District were to affecting student achievement," White pointed
lose the approximately $42 million a special 1 out. Because of the referendum funds, the
mil tax would add to the budget for the 2014-15 Sarasota district is "able to attract the best
school year, the system would have to reduce [teachers]," she added.
salaries, cut its guidance counselor ratio and
curtail the offering of small classes such as those In a program focusing on the district's fourth
for some Advanced Placement (AP) courses, referendum on the tax — scheduled for March
Superintendent Lori
25 — White and Dan
White told approxiDeLeo, an attorney
The quality of the teacher is the with Shumaker Loop
mately 200 people at
the Sarasota Tiger Bay single most important factor affecting & Kendrick who is
Club meeting on Jan. 8. student achievement.
chairman of Sarasota
"The quality of the
teacher is the single
most important factor
Lori White
Superintendent
Sarasota County Schools
Citizens for Better
Schools, defended
the initiative to seek
