Lee, Collier, and Buckingham Schools Update

WGCU NEWS. I'M ELISBETH ANDARGE >> FREE. AFTER-SCHOOL SERVICES MAY BE MUCH NEEDED DUE TO BUDGET CONCERNS SURROUNDING A LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS. AND FOR MORE ON THESE FINANCIAL ISSUES, WE'RE JOINED BY WJC YEARS. DANA HARPSTER, THANKS FOR BEING HERE WITH US. LEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT STRUGGLING WITH THE BUDGET NOW CUTTING TEACHERS AND PROGRAMS. SO WHAT WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT? >> THE LEE DISTRICT IS FACING A LARGE BUDGET DEFICIT OF ABOUT 46 MILLION DOLLARS. IT'S REALLY ACTUALLY 92 MILLION WITHOUT THEIR A PLEDGE TO MOVE. 46 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND FROM ITS RESERVES. THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS FOR THIS DECLINING ENROLLMENT, WHICH IS LARGELY DUE TO THE STATEWIDE FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIPS FOR PRIVATE AND HOMESCHOOL FAMILIES. BUT AS OF 2023 ARE NO LONGER LIMITED BY FAMILY INCOME. IN FACT, I HEARD A COLLIER COUNTY BOARD MEMBER ILLUSTRATE THIS BY SAYING TOM BRADY'S KIDS CAN GET VOUCHERS. SO SOME EXTRA COVID MONEY THAT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. PLAYS INTO THE IRONICALLY, DESPITE GOVERNOR SANTIS TO CLAIM THAT FLORIDA IS THE EDUCATION STATE AS HE DECLARED BY A SIGN ON THE PODIUM AT LAST FRIDAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE IN FORT MYERS, A FUNDING LEVEL, THE STATE FROM THE STATE THAT MOST AGREES INSUFFICIENT. CUT TO BEING MADE BY INDIVIDUAL PRINCIPALS. NOW IN LEE COUNTY WITH SUPERINTENDENT DENISE KARLYNN DECLARING VETO POWER OVER THEM. WE WON'T KNOW FOR SURE HOW MANY TEACHERS ARE OUT OF JOBS ARE WHAT CORRESPONDING PROGRAMS ARE CUT UNTIL LEGAL DEADLINE OF MAY. 11TH FOR NOTIFYING TEACHERS OF NON RENEWALS. >> AND COLLIER COUNTY IS ALSO EXPERIENCING SOME SOLAR PROBLEMS COMPOUNDED BY THOSE REACH AN IMPASSE BETWEEN THE TEACHERS UNION. THE SUPERINTENDENT, THE SCHOOL BOARD ABOUT SALARIES. THAT WAS RESOLVE FRIDAY. BUT NOT EVERYBODY IS PARTICULARLY HAPPY. >> NOW THAT ALL THE TEACHERS, WE'RE ALL DRESSED IN RED SHIRTS AND ATTENDED THE SESSION AND WALKED OUT PRETTY MUCH WHEN THE BORDER MADE ITS VOTE AND THE TEACHERS UNION, THEY PACKED THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING AROUND. THEY HEARD THE OUTCOME OF THE IMPASSE BETWEEN THE UNION AND ADMINISTRATION. THE DISAGREEMENT WAS LONGSTANDING AND REQUIRED A MAGISTRATE TO ARBITRATE AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR MOVING AHEAD WITH THE CONTRACT. THE RESULT WAS THE MAGISTRATE RECOMMENDING THE FOR WHICH THE BOARD APPROVED. THEN. SO WHILE TEACHERS ARE GETTING A RAISE OF 3.6%, WHICH TRANSLATES TO $1480 TO THE BASE PAY WITH MOST TEACHERS RACE RATED HIGHLY EFFECTIVE RECEIVING $2,360. IT'S NOW WHAT THEY WANTED AND PASSIONATELY ARGUED FOR, WHICH WAS 300 EXCUSE ME, $3,290 OVER THE PREVIOUS $57,000 BAY STARTING PAY ONE EYE OPENING REASON THEY CITED IS THAT COLLIER COUNTY IS FLORIDA'S MOST EXPENSIVE COUNTY IN WHICH TO LIVE, EVEN THOUGH TEACHERS THEY'RE PAID AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE STATE. THEY MAINTAIN THEIR STRUGGLING DUE TO HOUSING COST OF LIVING AND MEDICAL EXPENSES. BUT THE SYSTEM MORE THAN 53 MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT GOING INTO THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR FOR BASICALLY THE SAME REASONS THAT WE COUNTY SITE. AND REALLY ALL OF THE SCHOOL BUDGET PROBLEMS ARE HAPPENING AS SHOTS IN THE DARK BECAUSE THE STATE LEGISLATURE STILL HAS AN APPROVED BUDGET. AS IT IS. FLORIDA RANKS 50TH AMONG THE STATES IN PER CAPITA STUDENT FUNDING. UNFORTUNATELY, ALL THESE BUDGET TROUBLES ARE BEING FELT ALL OVER THE STATE WITH VARYING SEVERITY, INCLUDING SOME DISTRICTS HAVING TO CLOSE SCHOOLS OR EVEN HAVING TO COME UNDER STATE CONTROL. ONE BIT OF GOOD NEWS IS HAPPENING ON THE SCHOOL. BE AT LEAST GOOD FOR THE PARENTS. >> AND FRIENDS OF BUCKINGHAM EXCEPTIONAL SCHOOL IN LEE COUNTY. WHAT WAS A NEWS THERE? YES, IT WAS A ROUGH APRIL FOR THESE PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF BUCKINGHAM SCHOOL. >> WHICH EDUCATES CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL MEDICAL NEEDS IN LEE COUNTY EARLY IN THE MONTH, PARENTS RECEIVED NOTICE THAT THEIR CHILDREN, STAFF AND EQUIPMENT, ALL OF THAT WOULD BE RELOCATED TO WELCOME EXCEPTIONAL SCHOOL, WHICH EDUCATES CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS. PARENTS QUICKLY ORGANIZE AND ATTEND AN OPEN HOUSE AT ROYAL PALM AND REALIZE THAT ROYAL PALM WAS REALLY NOT NEARLY ACCESSIBLE FOR THEIR STUDENTS. WHO WOULD SUFFER IN THE MOVE. SO THEY FLOODED A BOARD MEETING BEGAN A PETITION AND CONTACTED BOARD MEMBERS EXPRESSING THEIR CONCERNS. ULTIMATELY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT LISTENED BY THE END OF THE MONTH. THEY RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THAT THE PROPOSED MOVE WAS PAUSED. NOW THEY'RE CONSIDERING TRYING TO CONVERT TO A CHARTER SCHOOL. I ASSUME NOT TO BE SUBJECT TO ANY FURTHER INTERFERENCE AS THEY SEE IT FROM LEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. ONE MORE THING TO KNOW YESTERDAY, THE FLORIDA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, THE STATE'S LARGEST TEACHERS UNION FILED SUIT AGAINST THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, CLAIMING THE BACHELOR SYSTEM IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL BECAUSE THE SCHOOLS THAT SUPPORTS ARE NOT UP TO THE EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS AND TRANSPARENCY DEFINED IN THE CONSTITUTION. SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT. >> WELL, THANK YOU. IT'S A LOT TO KEEP FOR SUGAR. THANK YOU, DAYNE. AND WE'LL BE CHECKING BACK WITH YOU FOR MORE ON THE VOUCHERS AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS HAPPENING. THANK YOU.