Tampa Tribune: Schools Not Ready To Handle Construction

By Kathy Castor, Printed in the Tampa Tribune, 11/30/2005

Jill Mitchell, USF Student

“Kathy has spoken out against Congress and the Bush Administration’s significant cuts to student funding for college. Kathy tends to the needs of the daily lives of her neighbors, even students, like me, who don’t often even show up at the polls. She has worked to raise awareness of the impact of these cuts on working class and poor families and their dreams for their children. Kathy’s work at the local level shows that she understands the importance of giving communities the funds they need to meet high standards and also the importance of making college an option for all high school graduates.”

A new task force is studying the issue of overcrowded schools and fast-paced growth in Hillsborough County. We cannot afford another year or even another month without dealing with the critical problem of overcrowded schools. Local officials have the necessary growth management tools to address the issue and should do so immediately.

In recent years, Hillsborough County government has approved a record number of new residential development permits. With new growth and development comes the responsibility to provide roads, parks, law enforcement, fire protection, libraries and schools. The guiding tenet of Florida’s growth management system is to permit new development only when services and infrastructure are adequate.

Slow To Enforce

Some schools, especially in high-growth areas of the county, are already over capacity. New development should not be permitted until adequate classroom space is available.

Fortunately, the county comprehensive growth plan contains a policy that allows the commission to delay new construction until adequate classroom space is available. At the county commission’s November land use meeting, the commission for the first time enforced the policy that final approval of a residential project shall not occur until adequate school capacity exists or mitigation is provided by the developer.

Why the sudden change? In this case the developer, to his credit, agreed to the condition. Unfortunately, the commission has not enforced the policy when developers have not agreed to it.

Clearly, we have a growth management tool that can address overcrowding. It is a much better option than double sessions.

Lowest Impact Fee

Construction of new schools is lagging, in part, because Hillsborough County has the lowest school impact fee on new growth in the state for fast-growing counties. Teachers and students in existing neighborhoods, including working-class and struggling areas, also are affected when the school district’s budget is stretched to deal with overcrowded suburban schools rather than maintenance, improvements and expansion of their schools.

A study funded jointly last year by the county and the school district pointed us in the right direction: New development should pay its fair share of school construction costs.

Hillsborough County is the ninth-largest school district in the country – and growing. Our teachers and families are working every day to provide an excellent environment for our children to learn. The tools to address school overcrowding are in place. We do not need more study; we need more action. The task force should recommend that the county commission use all tools at its disposal to protect our most important investment — our kids.