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USF Preschool Hit By Money Crunch

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MICHELE SAGER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 18, 2008

USF CAMPUS - Already facing financial woes, the USF Preschool for Creative Learning has been hit by another money crunch because of cuts at the University of South Florida.

The preschool is having trouble filling summer seats and will lose a valued staff member to personnel shuffles.

Preschool leaders recently learned they will lose their office manager to budget cuts at the university. In a process called bumping, university officials cut a collection of positions. Lower-ranking employees lose their jobs, so employees with more seniority can fill those positions.

The preschool's office manager will go into an applicant pool for future jobs on campus that open up while another USF employee will take the office manager job.

"It was a hell of a blow for us," said Magda Santos, preschool director. "You take all this time to build your team and then they sweep in and make these changes. I know nothing about the new person. I don't even know if this person likes children."

Santos said the new employee will be fingerprinted and submit to a background check like all other preschool employees.

Summer enrollment is also down by half at the preschool thanks to campus budget cuts and rising fuel costs.

Santos said USF is offering fewer summer courses on campus, so fewer college students are placing their children in the summer preschool. Also, many USF students don't come to campus in the summer, opting to take courses online to save on gas costs.

Fuel prices also are affecting the desirability of the preschool summer program, which once was centered on weekly field trips. But soaring gas prices have forced almost all field trips to be cut.

"We're getting hit on all sides," Santos said.

The director noted that the preschool is almost full for the fall and that spending will be limited.

Board members suggested that some needed items, such as new books, might be obtained through private fundraising.

Reporter Michele Sager can be reached at (813) 865-4843 or msager@tampatrib.com.

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