Marion County Florida School Board

No four-day school week this year

The proposals to go to a four-day school week and to privatize bus service came about in recent months as ways to cut the school district budget. Combined, they would have saved the district about $6.8 million.

But Yancey said Monday that a year of severe cost-cutting moves, which started last October, paid off more than expected.

It appears there will be about $4 million more in reserves than expected, based on estimates generated Friday and Monday by the district's finance department.

Final figures will be calculated for this fiscal year, which ends Thursday.

The cuts included:

-- A hiring freeze implemented last October;

-- The use of less-costly certified substitutes as teachers;

-- Through attrition, not filling school-based administrative and district-level openings;

-- Deep cuts to budgets at every school;

-- More federal money than expected from Medicaid, grants and the federal E-rate funding, which is based on the number of students on free and reduced-price lunch.

The district also received good news on its insurance renewal. BlueCross BlueShield of Florida will not raise rates, an additional savings of about $2 million, Yancey said.

Yancey warned, however, that the budget outlook for the 2012-13 year is bleak, so the four-day school week may be necessary. The School Board will vote today on whether to go to a four-day week in 2012-13.

"School calendars must be approved by the School Board," School District spokesman Kevin Christian said. He noted the School Board can always change it back to a five-day school calendar before 2012-13 if needed.

Yancey has maintained that he must go to four-day school, reduce salaries or lay off at least 100 teachers.

Yancey says he still must consider cutting up to two paid holidays for employees not on 12-month contracts, such as teachers, and three unpaid holidays for 12-month staff, such as administrators, for 2011-12.

Yancey said recently he is still worried about plummeting property tax revenue. Marion County property values have dropped by an estimated 8 percent in the past year.

Yancey said he now will take into consideration all of the previous proposed cuts and decide what he will recommend to the School Board during August budget sessions.

Here are just some of major cuts still under consideration:

-- No more substitutes.

-- Cut half or all stipends paid to coaches and others who oversee other extra-curricular activities.

Four-day school week passes in Florida county | What's the latest?

While Board members originally considered implementing the shorter week for the 2011-2012 school year, the district was able to save in other places instead, but expects another $8 million in budget cuts for the 2012-2013 budget

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 21 states already have school districts with public schools offering four-day school weeks

The Education Commission of the States admits the most a school will save is an unimpressive of overall budget savings by transitioning to four days a week

A downside, of course, is long, draining class days, with three-day weekends possibly providing too much time between lessons, causing regression in learning

One day less a week will save on water and energy, along with transportation costs.Students will attend school either Monday through Thursday or Tuesday through Friday, with an additional 75 minutes tacked on each day in the 2012-2013 school year, 13 News says

The action comes after a massive $24 million cut to next year’s operating budget.

Employment practices decisions

Marion County District School Board, Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) full-time equivalent (FTE) students and student transportation for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2007

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