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Editorial: Answers needed on Hillsborough schools' financial crisis

 
The Hillsborough County School District and superintendent Jeff Eakins need to come clean about the severity of a budget crisis and put all options on the table for addressing it.
The Hillsborough County School District and superintendent Jeff Eakins need to come clean about the severity of a budget crisis and put all options on the table for addressing it.
Published Sept. 28, 2016

The Hillsborough County School District needs to come clean about the severity of a budget crisis and put all options on the table for addressing it. School Board members heard grim details this week about the impact of crushing debt, from school roofs going unrepaired to broken air-conditioning systems driving up the heat in classrooms. There is plenty of blame to go around, but the superintendent and board members have to respond promptly and decisively to a deteriorating situation that is making it more difficult for teachers and students to focus on learning.

As Tampa Bay Times staff writer Marlene Sokol reported, the financial crisis stems from the twin pressures of huge borrowing costs and demands by creditors to build cash reserves. As the payments on school construction debt eat into the budget for maintenance and repairs, the district is left with fewer options for paying for work that has to be done. The list of maintenance needs has grown to nearly $800 million, and recommended upgrades to roofs and air conditioners are tagged at $71 million this year. Yet the district can afford only $4 million in renovations to the air conditioning at a single school. That is unacceptable for a school district that aspires to be great.

The number of requests for air-conditioning repairs is higher this year, and up to 30 schools need their entire systems replaced. An environment is not conducive to learning if students are too hot to concentrate and teachers are looking for better places to work. And a rundown facility signals to parents and the public that these schools are not a priority. This is a slippery slope, especially for the nation's eighth-largest school system.

The board had no shortage of people to blame, from the former superintendent, who was fired in January 2015, to the Legislature, which in recent years redirected hundreds of millions in construction and maintenance money away from traditional public schools and toward privately run charters. But this budget crisis also stems from a lack of district planning and political courage. District leaders, who have been around for decades, have not kept up with the impact that growth and school choice have had on the student population. There has been no serious appetite for fundamentally rethinking how to best use the schools and the district's human resources to get the best bang for the buck.

All options should be explored, from closing schools that operate far under capacity to redrawing attendance zones to maximize campus space. Though the district has committed to a much-needed investment in its transportation system, a more comprehensive look at facilities could reduce the need for buses. The district also should look at outsourcing maintenance and other operations that are not core education functions. Every dollar saved is one more for the classroom.

Superintendent Jeff Eakins told the Times editorial board Wednesday he expects the School Board to have several special meetings to consider the options and act. Good. Just as the budget crisis last year was announced to wide surprise, the chief operating officer's description on Tuesday — "we're in a situation where we're dire straits" — caught the public off guard. It's time the district provided clearer answers to ensure teachers and students can focus on learning rather than whether the roof leaks and the air conditioning works.