Wayne Blanton
Wayne Blanton
believe board control dates either local press problem school starting
You either believe in local control or you don't. If someone has a problem with starting dates of school they should go before their local school board and press that.
count learn
First, you need to learn to count to three. Then, you need to learn to count to five.
administer amount beginning bigger fair issue
There's a fair amount of coordination beginning to go on. The bigger issue is how to administer it once it happens.
level local schools
At the local level we know where the schools are. We can go out and see them. We can plan.
money rather teacher
We'd rather use that money for teacher salaries and bonuses, but philosophically I know where that's going.
billion dollars five four half maybe short takes trade
We can't keep up. We're four and a half billion dollars short on the construction side. If that's what you have to trade for five more students, then that's maybe what it takes to trade.
care concerns fuel given health higher hired increases instead pay percent raise rising taking teachers three tremendous
We have tremendous concerns in three areas: transportation, because of rising fuel costs; utilities, because of rising fuel costs; and increases in health care costs. We could have given teachers a 7 percent pay raise instead of taking those things away. We could have hired more of those teachers at a higher salary.
behind both capital class dollars far growth meeting money size spent
We would like to see some of that money spent as pay-as-you-go for capital expenditures. We are so far behind both in our growth for capital outlay and meeting class size that we've got to come up with some substantial dollars in this year, and that would be one way to do it.
fixed legislate policy rather
We think we're going to get it fixed legislatively. It has always been our policy that we'd rather legislate than litigate.
budget education seen
It's the most outstanding education budget I've seen in my 31 sessions.
biggest districts moral various
That's the biggest issue. Various districts have different definitions of moral turpitude.
agree creates debate disagree emphasis engaging provided public school whether
Whether you agree or disagree with his policies, he has provided a lot of emphasis on public schools. Engaging the public in the school debate ... creates a better atmosphere.
bad couple critical face housing next prices shortage
We'll face a critical shortage in the next couple of years if we don't do anything. We thought housing prices would have cooled by now, but they haven't. And that's bad news.
attractive florida
When you set that criteria, you will get it. Florida is an attractive state.