Helpful Pages at CBS4.com
Oct 7, 2008 11:53 pm US/Eastern
Miami-Dade Schools May Not Be Able To Cover Costs
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Thousands of classrooms are already dealing with budget cuts, and now the Miami-Dade school district still needs more money. The district is so low on cash, that without the help of loans, it may not be able to cover all its expenses.
The district is in a cash flow deficit, meaning as of now the district doesn't have all the money it needs to cover its operating costs. This is on top of a millions of dollars that have already been slashed from the school budget.
With one son in middle school, and a daughter close to kindergarten, Herbert Delgado has every reason to worry about the huge budget issues Miami-Dade schools are facing.
His son Antonio has already seen the effects of the tighter budget. His family has to come up with more money for band and school supplies, and his teachers complain about the cuts.
"They say 'oh we need new books, new computers', they changed the system to a cheaper system," Delgado said.
CBS4 News has learned Miami-Dade school's cash concerns don't stop with this year's budget.
CBS4 News obtained a memo, sent from the superintendent to school board members telling them low funds and an upheaval in the financial markets have driven the district into a larger cash flow deficit than in previous years.
And the district is in trouble, unless the school board borrows money which it can't pay back until tax dollars come in December. District managers also want to move money from the capital budget, which goes toward things like building new schools, to put into operating costs.
"This is the result of overspending, year after year," said Dr. Marta Perez, with the Miami-Dade School board.
Dr. Perez blames the previous superintendent, Dr. Rudy Crew, and some of her colleagues for the cash crisis.
"They were approving anything that was placed before them by the previous superintendent, and many of those things we could not afford," Dr. Perez explained.
On Friday, she plans to vote to approve taking on the debt and moving the money around, she says she has no other choice.
"We really have to do it, we have to do it," Dr. Perez said.
Delgado wants the district to find a way to fix the money mess, or he feels he'll have to send his kids to private school
"If the education, education quality in public school goes down considerably, I would have to consider it and actually take action on it," Delgado said.
A spokesperson for the district says this is not the first year they've had to take measures to cover their costs, while they wait for tax dollars to come in.
No one in the superintendent's office would grant an interview until Friday; that's when the board is set to vote.
In that same meeting, the board will also vote on the new superintendent's $275,000 contract.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
CBS 4 Jobs
Click to enlarge
Ex-NFL QB Steve McNair, Woman Found Slain In Tenn. 27 mins ago 
Stumble It!
