*Story updated to reflect the tentative Palm Beach County School District budget. Previously I stated I couldn't locate PBC's tentative budget and the district may be in non-compliance.
Q&A of the Day – Are South Florida’s School Districts operating illegally? And what you can do to make a difference
Each day I’ll feature a listener question that’s been submitted by one of these methods.
Email: brianmudd@iheartmedia.com
Twitter: @brianmuddradio
Facebook: Brian Mudd https://www.facebook.com/brian.mudd1
Today’s entry: Hello Mr. Mudd:
I am a conservative that wants to make a difference.
Specifically, I need your guidance on how to approach the following:
1) Real Estate Taxes & Schooling Savings. Who do I write to? Who do I contact to give my opinion on why taxpayers should be reimbursed for the School System Savings during COVID?
2) School Savings during COVID. Who do I contact to request what the Miami-Dade School system has saved during COVID? I see that whenever services are taken away (In-School options), the expenses are not reimbursed to departments or more importantly taxpayers.
COVID has caused disruption to all. Many, as you have said, are struggling financially. However, whatever is taken away should be given back in some way. Parents should receive reimbursements of the savings in the school year; taxpayers should also be reimbursed for funds given to the school system that are in surplus due to the "non-expense" of the school year (end of 2019 & 2020-2021) during COVID.
I enjoy your conversations, data, and all you offer to educate your listeners.
Bottom Line: As the case happened to be, I received this note just prior to speaking to Manny Diaz Jr., who chairs the Senate education committee in Florida. Asking him these questions directly, he offered up passionate and direct answers to these questions. His guidance is the following:
Notify your school board and state representatives along with your state senator and let them know your position.
Encourage others to do the same
Additionally, I received a promise from Senator Diaz Jr., that his committee will conduct a thorough review of the Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County School Districts. Specifically, the use/reallocation of funds during COVID as no school district has been forthcoming about cost savings or refunding taxpayers for the services paid for but not received. These services include:
- Virtual only education options
- A delay in the start of the school year/fewer educational days
- Lack of access to extracurricular programs
- Failure to provide the same level/access to supplemental food programs
At issue, among other considerations are transparency by the school districts. Here’s what Florida law requires: 1011.035 School district fiscal transparency.—
(1) It is important for school districts to provide budgetary transparency to enable taxpayers, parents, and education advocates to obtain school district budget and related information in a manner that is simply explained and easily understandable. Budgetary transparency leads to more responsible spending, more citizen involvement, and improved accountability. A budget that is not transparent, accessible, and accurate cannot be properly analyzed, its implementation thoroughly monitored, or its outcomes evaluated.
(2) Each district school board shall post on its website a plain language version of each proposed, tentative, and official budget which describes each budget item in terms that are easily understandable to the public and includes:
(a) Graphical representations, for each public school within the district and for the school district, of the following:
1. Summary financial efficiency data.
2. Fiscal trend information for the previous 3 years on:
a. The ratio of full-time equivalent students to full-time equivalent instructional personnel.
b. The ratio of full-time equivalent students to full-time equivalent administrative personnel.
c. The total operating expenditures per full-time equivalent student.
d. The total instructional expenditures per full-time equivalent student.
e. The general administrative expenditures as a percentage of total budget.
f. The rate of change in the general fund’s ending fund balance not classified as restricted.
(b) A link to the web-based fiscal transparency tool developed by the department pursuant to s. 1010.20 to enable taxpayers to evaluate the financial efficiency of the school district and compare the financial efficiency of the school district with other similarly situated school districts.
Upon comprehensive review of the websites of each TriCounty school district I found the following:
Most recent date updated budget information was posted:
- Broward County: July 28, 2020 – operational proposed budget up at least $57.4 million for the 2020-2021 year with total enrollment up only 688 students.
- Miami-Dade July 29th 2020, incomplete data.
- Palm Beach County: July 30th, 2020 proposed increase of $217,481,061
It appears all three school districts are targeting increases in per pupil spending for the upcoming school year. Take Broward for example. Despite an increase of only 688 students, Broward’s tentative budget has operating increases of at least $57.4 million built in above last year’s budget. My analysis of school spending showed Florida’s Virtual school to cost approximately $450 less per pupil per month than classroom education statewide. It’s clear that not only is Broward set to work off of a new record high budget, they’re set to increase per pupil spending for the school year despite what should be significant per pupil savings for as long as the district operates online only. Ditto for PBC and Miami Dade. How is this justified? I’ll do my part to keep you informed. Now it’s up to you to do yours for accountability, transparency and change.