As Florida’s economy struggles, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) continues to suffer from heavy budget cuts. Since the beginning of the school year, the District has lost $32 million. Now, the Florida Legislature is considering another billion dollars in state cuts, with M-DCPS expected to take another $29 million hit, more than $83 per student.

Until now, the District has weathered the loss by continuing to do more with less, and by increasing revenues through competitive grants and other supplemental funding sources. M-DCPS maintains one of the lowest administrative cost percentages in the state, accounting for just 1 percent of the operating budget.

Still, rising costs in many areas coupled with the magnitude of the pending cuts from Tallahassee have impacted services to schools and students. Funds used to pay part-time hourly workers at a number of District locations, including schools, have been cut and some workers have been informed they will no longer report to their usual hourly assignments.

“We have seen this potential impact coming for some time and have addressed it at several public meetings,” said Superintendent Rudy Crew. “Now it has become a reality, and it is a terrible development both for our employees and for our students, who are the recipients of their services.”

The impact of the funding cuts coming so late in the fiscal year when accounts have been depleted is equivalent to more than $100 million or 4.2 percent on an annualized basis.

Over the past year, M-DCPS has taken a number of steps to address these funding cuts and avoid affecting services to students:

• Budgets already have been reduced in all areas except full-time positions by $91.5 million.
  
  
• A moratorium was placed on non-essential hourly and overtime expenditures, travel, and purchases or new commitments requiring the use of general fund dollars.
  
  
• A hiring freeze was imposed, including hourly staff, except for direct classroom staff.
  
  
• Cabinet and Regional Superintendents have reviewed their budgets and made appropriate reductions.
  
  
• A list of suggestions was presented to the Commissioner of Education and legislators to give the District more spending and compliance flexibility (For detailed information, click here).

Funding for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2008, will be based on this year’s funding levels, after reductions, and may be at the same level or even decreased further. Estimated funding cuts for the next fiscal year may reach $200 million. The District continues to strategize for these anticipated cuts and will discuss plans at workshops with the School Board.

As the District moves forward, it is important for the community to keep in mind the steady progress M-DCPS has made in boosting student achievement. Last year, students’ performance on the FCAT continued a trend that adds up to significant improvement over the last five years. Science scores increased across the board; writing improved at all grade levels; and for the second year in a row, the majority of our students scored at or above the national median in reading and math.