The budget crisis facing Pinellas schools was not on the agenda at Tuesday night's School Board meeting, but the issue took center stage anyway, making for some tense moments.

About 60 Pinellas teachers appeared in black clothing to protest the Legislature's decision to cut education funding, leaving Pinellas with a $40-million deficit. Kim Black (left), president of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association, said the protest was "to symbolize the grief we feel" over the cuts, which in Pinellas may translate to a pay freeze for the coming school year.

Black praised district officials for working to avoid an earlier proposal to cut salaries by 2 percent, a move made possible by increasing health insurance premiums. But she added: "Now we need to find just a little bit more (in the budget) so that the impact of the increase in health premiums can be offset by a modest salary increase."

Black also proposed several budget cutting ideas, including a one-year moratorium on teacher training; postponing the district's compliance with the class size amendment; a one-year stoppage in textbook purchases and a return to the four-day work week during the summer months.

That led to a discussion later in the meeting that had some board members sniping at each other and reacting to teachers, who alternately applauded and voiced displeasure.

Board member Mary Brown said her priority was to keep all district
employees working and that teachers shouldn't get a raise at the
expense of others on the payroll. "If we do it for one group, we should
do it for all," she said. "I want to do it in a manner that people's
jobs will be spared."

Board member Linda Lerner complained that the district asked the
public for budget cutting ideas but hadn't taken the time to consider
them fully. She asked for more meeting time to discuss the budget
beyond the 80-minute discussion scheduled for Thursday's workshop.
Board member Nancy Bostock responded, saying "one or two board members"
had monopolized recent discussions on the budget and caused the board
to be unproductive. "Talking and making good decisions are two
different things," she said.

"I don't appreciate that feedback," Lerner said.

After more speeches and a good deal of testy back and forth, the
board decided to hold a special workshop on the budget, probably next
week.