New Miami-Dade superintendent strives to restore trust. .

After a year in office, Miami-Dade County Schools Superintendent Merrett Stierheim has shaken up the district, in part to make up for a loss of $43 million in its $2.6 billion budget this year.

The money crunch left Miami-Dade grappling to make ends meet this year, but it was last year's scandal that left the district's new superintendent cutting from the top down to try to retain academic success, according to Michael Villafana, district spokesmen.

"Restoring the public's confidence, that's an issue," says Villafana. "When we were confronting some of the problems last year, bringing someone like Merrett Stierheim, who has a long career in the community ... and who is trusted, was the first step."

Stierheim, a two-time county manager, was hired on an interim basis last fall and officially given the top spot this summer. Stierheim was considered the "go-to" man. Leaders of the cities of Miami and Homestead hired him to bail them out of financial crises in the 1990s, according to Jeff Ronci, another district spokesman.

Stierheim could not be reached for comment.

Stierheim is paid $210,000, compared to the $271,826 salary of former superintendent Roger Cuevas, who was fired last fall. Cuevas led the district amidst a scandal involving top administrators and school board members providing jobs for friends and family, and giving contracts for campaign contributors, according to The Miami Herald.

In June, a Florida auditor general released a report stating the district paid contractors for uncompleted work for construction operations, wasted millions of taxpayer dollars and put unqualified people in top jobs, according to the Herald. The operations occurred between July 2000 and April 2002 under the old administration.

But Stierheim is making strides to put these alleged misdeeds behind the district.

Stierheim has so far cut $25 million in administrative costs, including reorganizing 60 positions and cut ting some salaries by as much as $25,000. About 145 jobs were cut via attrition or are now in the area of federal grants and not affected by the district's general fund, Villafana says. Stierheim also worked with unions to have teachers and staff take two days off without pay during the year to save another $14 million.

And starting this year, Stierheim increased class size by one student in grades 2-12 to save in teacher costs, Villafana says. Arts and community development programs were saved.

Despite the turmoil, some students showed improvement on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test from 2001 to 2002. Of the students in 276 schools testing, 53 percent of the elementary schools and 59 percent of the middle schools showed improved scores in reading, writing and math, Villafana says, "It's a validation that despite the fact we are facing some adversity when it comes to administrative procedures and the business side, the educational side is really very strong," Villafana says. "The superintendent has made a commitment to put as many resources into the classroom as is possible."

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