pinion Letter to the Editor: Is the Manatee School District Top Heavy?

There have been many allegations that the Manatee County School District is top heavy. That is, they have too many administrative positions. 
 
The Manatee Education Association (the teacher’s union) has issued a report comparing similar School Districts administrative expenditures to the number of full-time students. 
 
The results of this report were very revealing. 
 
The 12 School Districts that were compared were: Manatee, Clay, Sarasota, Escambia, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Collier, Lake, Marion, St. Lucie, Osceola and State. 
 
For the last three years, Manatee has shown to have the highest administrative expenditures by far over all the other similar districts or the State average.  Manatee County in 2009-11 spent $671.82 per student in administrative expenditures.  The next closest was Clay with $564.60.  All the rest were lower with the State average at $511.45 and the lowest St Lucie at $421.87. 
 
According to the Sunshine State News, Statewide, the number of school employees earning $100,000 or more jumped 818% from 2005 to 2010.  By contrast, the ranks of private sector workers making $100,000 inched up only 7% during the same period. 

During these five years, you have flat student enrollment and the biggest recession since the Great Depression -- that adds up to a raw deal for the taxpayers. 
 
The School District profited from the real estate bubble and spent money like drunken sailors and now that income is back to normal, the School District seems unable to cope with reality. 
 
The only way to affect change in the School District spending is to replace the board members who are ineffective at controlling expenses or getting cooperation from the school administrators.  The School District has shown that they are unwilling to cut costs at the higher level but more than happy to cut the teachers and maintenance personnel.

Steve Vernon

Manatee County