REC Presentation: School Millage Surtax

Out of control spending must be reigned in.

There IS a limit to what we can afford.
Presented to Sarasota REC meeting January 14th, 2009
2009
By Walt Augustinowicz
y
Policy Committee Chairman
You can contact me at walt@augustinowicz.com
1
How much is enough? – Per Budget
 In 2008‐2009 Sarasota County Schools appropriations
budget was a whopping $23,104 per student
according to the 2008/2009 Budget Facts published by
the school board in October 2008.
 According to the fact sheet total budgeted
appropriations were
i i $ million for the actual
$944.55 f h l
total student enrollment of 40,882.
Total Spending
Total Students
How much is enough? – Updated Per Actual
 In 2008‐2009 Sarasota County Schools actual
appropriations was a huge $13,882 per student according
to the updated figures provided to us by the school admin
p g p y
office this week.
 According to the sheet total appropriations were $574.54
$574 54
million for the actual total student enrollment of
41,389.
 Due to update we should amend line in resolution 1 to
match this new number.
4
How much is enough?
 In 2009‐2010 the Sarasota County Schools
appropriations budget is $18,875 per student
according to recap sheet school admin office sent us
this week.
 Charlotte County’s total appropriations budget is
$12 735* per student
$12,735 per student.
* Per 2009‐2010 Charlotte County School budget http://www.yourcharlotteschools.net/Downloads/Budget/0910Budget.pdf
And Charlotte County Demographics http://www.yourcharlotteschools.net/AboutUs.cfm?PageID=Demographics
5
Budget Data from School Admin
6
How does that compare to private school?
 The average tuition of ten popular private schools in
g p p p
Sarasota county is $6884 (inclusive of registration and annual fees.)
Tuition Comparison
$20,000
$18,000
$16,000
$14,000
$12,000
$10,000
$8,000
$6,000
$4,000
$2,000
,
$0
7
Raw Data on School Tuition
Private School Price Review
Name Tuition Source

Heritage Christian Academy $4,786 Website
S
Suncoast Christian Academy
Ch i i A d $4 300 Called
$4,300 C ll d
Sarasota Christian School $8,325 Called
Venice Christian School $4,887 Website
Saint Martha School $6,170 Webite
Cardinal Mooney
Cardinal Mooney $7 875 Website Adopt a student form
$7,875 Website Adopt a student form
Epiphan Cathedral School $6,475 Website
Incarnation Catholic School $6,330 Website
The Tabernacle Christian School $6,050 Website
New Gate School $13,640 Website
Out of Door Academy never could get through always a voicemail (941) 349‐3223
Average $6,884
Where there were multiple price tiers for different grades we used the middle shool tier.
Where there were multiple price tiers for different grades we used the middle shool tier
These were prices for 1 student. Most had discounts for 2 or more.
We included annual fees and registration cost if provided by schools
This may not be a complete list of all schools but enough to get a good indication 8
The school systems says we should
only count the general fund when
only count the general fund when
calculating per student costs.
 That is an invalid premise.
 Do you not count your mortgage payment when working
on you household budget?
 Accountants would tell you to at least amortize the
expenses over 30 years. We have 42 schools, if we only
rebuild 1 to 2 a year at the price they are spending this type
b ild t t th i th di thi t
of budget will continue every year in perpetuity.
9
D h l ?
Does more money help?
FCAT
The answer is NO.
NO
Florida Department of
Education statistics on 10th
graders’ FCAT scores show
graders
Charlotte county has gone up
in Reading, Math, and Writing
while Sarasota has dropped in
Reading and Writing since the
tax increase was first passed
in 2002. Charlotte does this
without a the extra tax.
Keep in mind Charlotte

County’s budget is also $12K
per student not $19K and they
are equal or better than
Sarasota in Math and Writing.
Data obtained through http://fcat.fldoe.org/results/default.asp
10
Where is the money going?
 A large portion of the annual budget is being used to
A l i f h l b d i b i d
level our current schools and rebuild extravagant new
smaller schools.
 We can’t afford to do this in our current economy.
 Even the Florida Legislature thinks we are spending
too much on our schools.
too much on our schools
11
Wh t d th St t f Fl id thi k th
What does the State of Florida think the
maximum cost of construction of schools
should be?
 TITLE XLVIII Chapter 1013.64 sets the maximum
schools should spend per station if expecting help
from the state under PECO.
 6. Upon construction, the total cost per student
station, including change orders, must not exceed the
t ti i l di h d t t d th
cost per student station as provided in subsection (6).
 For Jan 2010 that amount is $27,282 per station.
*http://edr.state.fl.us/conferences/peco/station.htm 12
Venice High School
 $91 million to rebuild
illi b ild
 Currently 70% occupied
 New school will be 27% smaller.
New school will be 27% smaller
 Cost of $45,614 per student station!
 Remember that state has calculated it should cost no more
than $27 282 per station
than $27,282 per station
*Facts and figures obtained from school board 5 year capital work plan
http://www.sarasotacountyschools.net/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=15894
13
Booker High School
 Currently 54% occupied
 New school will be 43% smaller.
*F d fi b i d f h l b d i l k l
14
SCTI
 Currently 18% occupied!
 New school will be 32% smaller
New school will be 32% smaller.
 When complete school board estimates that even by 2014 it
will still only be 24% full.
 Cost based on actual projected use is $180,000 per student
station!
15
Our Schools are Half Empty
 Maybe we should lease the space to charter schools?
Total
Pages 11 and 12
16
Why can’t we vote down the
school bonds?
school bonds?
 The Florida Constitution Article VII Section 12
requires bonds to be approved by a vote of the electors.
 Sarasota County in 1990 invented a scheme called a
certificate of participation to bypass this vote.
 Our current school board members are ALSO
directors of a separate non‐profit corporation that
leases new schools back to the school district. 17
Certificates of Participation (COPs)
School board Dummy corp
signs a lease leases buildings
agreement with back to school
dummy corp. board
Superintendent School board sells
promises to put bonds called COPs
line in the budget to pay to build
to pay the lease
to pay the lease. school
18
Sarasota County Lawsuit
 Because this was a blatant attempt to avoid a vote by
the people a suit was filed against Sarasota County.
 It went all the way to the Florida Supreme Court.
 In a narrow vote it was deemed technically legal.
NO. 74,979
STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellant,
vs .
SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY
SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY,
Appellee.
19
Dissenting Supreme Court Judges Opinion
 “Today the Court approves form over substance. The
financial schemes employed in these cases are the
equivalent to the issuance of bonds and pledging ad
valorem taxes to support them. Thus, I totally disagree
that the bonds in question can be approved without a
h h b d i i b d i h
referendum from the owners of freeholds as required
by article VII, section 12 of the Florida Constitution. I
y
believe it pure sophistry to say that "these obligations
are not supported by the pledge of ad valorem
taxation. ;
taxation.";
Entire ruling can be found at http://www.law.fsu.edu/library/flsupct/74979/op‐74979.pdf 20
Proof Corporation Exists
21
Lease
agreementt
 1st page of lease….
f l
•Can be found at http://www.sarasota.k12.fl.us/Agenda1/February%2017,%202009%20Board%20
•Meeting%20on%20Tuesday,%20February%2017,%202009/6F6E8658‐886C‐467D‐AA65‐C64F88BD787C.pdf
22
Martin County Funding Workshop
 Unfortunately other counties are now copying Sarasota.
 In the minutes for a Martin County funding workshop you
can read the following…
 “Bob Nabors gave the legal background and provided an
analysis of the Florida case law upholding the issuance by
school districts of Certificates of Participation (COP) and
p
lease purchase financings without elector approval by
referendum under the Florida Constitution. COPs have
f f
now become the most utilized structure for financing g
educational facilities in Florida.”
23
*Minutes can be found at http://www.sbmc.org/_docs/2005/Exploration‐of‐Financing‐Alternative‐8205‐Workshop‐min.pdf
And don’t forget School Board Pay
 You will note from the budget below that salary and
benefits for a school board member…
 $339,626 ÷ 5 = $67,925 each!
24
It is time to send a message
 There are limits to what we tax payers can afford.
 Find other ways to improve schooling.
 Research what other municipalities with better schools
and less funding are doing. Look outside of Florida.
 VOTE NO on the tax increase!
25

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Out of control spending must be reigned in.

Name Tuition Source

Keep in mind Charlotte

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