TAMPA, Fla. — The economic slowdown caused by COVID-19 is expected to create huge shortfalls in tax revenue at the local and state level.
That has some teachers worried about their jobs and how much money our local school systems can bank on for the next school year and beyond.
Bracing for sharp budget cuts, Palm Beach County’s school system has already instituted a hiring freeze. And that has local teachers concerned about what’s next here.
"The fears that we have are that we live in a state where our funding is based upon sales tax, quite honestly,” said Rob Kriete, President of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association. “So, there is a legitimate concern about how the budget is going to be changed, altered or cut up however you want to call it, going forward.”
Last week, a group called the Council of the Great City Schools wrote a letter to Congress asking for help. In part, the letter warned that school systems around the country might see revenues slashed by as much as 25 percent.
“These budget cuts will mean teaching staff will be laid off,” the letter warned, “class sizes will balloon, and remaining teaching staff will likely be redeployed into classes and subjects that they might not be used to teaching."
“And it really begins in Tallahassee. They need to make a concerted effort here in Florida that education is a primary concern and that we’re going to find it appropriately,” said Kriete.
Districts across the Tampa Bay Area agree there will be financial challenges ahead, but Hillsborough County, the region’s largest, says it’s currently hiring teachers, needing close to 1,000 each year. And while expecting a budget shortfall, they’re looking for ways to not impact the classroom.
Pinellas says it’s hiring to fill 224 teacher vacancies.
Pasco schools says they have no district wide reductions.
Polk has no hiring freezes in place and is holding an online teacher hiring event in just over a week.
Sarasota schools are currently holding an online job fair with five open positions.
The Florida Department of Education has assured local school districts statewide that they are fully funded for this budget year which runs through the end of next month.
Beyond that several districts say they are awaiting details from the state, knowing there could difficult choices ahead.
“How the budget will then look as we get into the fall, that’s going to be another story,” said Kriete, “as legislators are going to have to make some tough decisions here in the state of Florida.”
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