by Vanessa "Va-Va" Woodard Byers


Tuesday, May 24, 2011, is a very important day for the people of Miami-Dade County. Foremost, hopefully not first, on the minds of many is Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals. I'd like to think the athletic competition between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls is not a priority over other issues for many people but I'm a realist. Then there's the Special Election for County Mayor, charter amendments and other local seats to be voted on that day.

An important meeting, held that same evening, that we should attend/watch, is the Miami-Dade County Public Schools' Budget Town Hall Meeting. The District's 2011-2012 budget and financial forecast will be discussed and transmitted live on WLRN Channel 17 on Tuesday, May 24 at 6:30 p.m.

While the budget numbers presented will likely be districtwide, "big picture" numbers, keep in mind the possible impact of the increase or decrease of those numbers on schools in your school board district and schools where family and friends attend or work. This was a nasty budget year in the Florida Legislature for public education. To plug deep holes in the MDCPS budget will be accomplished by reducing the District's payroll costs. Translation: School employees will be laid off to help balance the budget. The layoffs are not a surprise as their impending implementation have been on the horizon for quite some time.

The budget town hall meeting will also be webcast on www.dadeschools.net. Viewers are encouraged to email their budget questions to [email protected] during the meeting.

Stay alert and stay focused!



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