I am in the Daytona area

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Home : 2008 : April : 9

I am in the Daytona area
By BioAdoptMom3

which is about four or five hours north, but I wanted to warn you that the state of FL is in a SEVERE budget crisis right now. In our district there is a hiring freeze on all positions right now, four schools with low populations
are being closed at the end of the year, no paras are employed in any classrooms except for ESE anymore, the summer schedule, including public Pre-K, is going to a four day week with ten hour days to save energy, all budget money not spent has been frozen, we are preparing to pay more for insurance and newly graduating teachers have been told that they have little if any chance

to find a job here. My DH works in purchasing and came home today with the news that they are to spend NONE of their budge money without superintendent approval until further notice. The situation in Broward County could possibly be not so severe, but I know the budget crisis is effecting the entire state of FL in some way.

As for our schools, most are excellent here. In my opinion (I teach K) we have even gotten to the point where we are so rigorous at the elemntary level that we are no longer even developmentally appropriate. I think what a lot of folks out of state do not realize is that we are so transient. People are constantly coming here to look for jobs because of the climate, Disney, tourist industry, etc. and then moving away again when things don't pan out or they lose that dream job. If you are in an inner city type school, the transient rate can be well over 50%. I was in a school like that for 21 years and had on several occasions, motel owners coming to ask me when I had last seen the child because the family had moved in the middle of the night without paying the rent. I am im a more stable school this year and have already lost seven children, and gained eight new ones.

Nancy