September 26, 2011
Ramzey Smith
LEON COUNTY SCHOOL BUDGET 2011-2012
FOR MY FIRST PACKAGE, I WAS ASSIGNED TO COVER THE NEW LEON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL BUDGET FOR THE 2011-2012 SCHOOL YEAR. THE REASON THAT THIS WAS SELECTED AS HARD NEWS WAS BECAUSE OF THE MAJOR INCREASE IN FUNDS FROM LAST SCHOOL YEAR TO THIS YEAR. THE COUNTY RECIEVED 42 MIILLION DOLLARS IN EXTRA MONEY FROM EDUCATIONAL BONDS ACCUMULATED FROM THE PREVIOUS SCHOOL YEAR. EVEN WITH FIGURES SHOWING A HUGE INCREASE, CHEIF FINACIAL OFFICER, MERRILL WIMBERELEY, WAS CERTAIN THAT THE BUDGET IS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR.
THE OVERALL PROCESS OF DEVELOPING AN ANGLE, GENERATING MY SCRIPT AND CAPTURING ALL OF MY FOOTAGE WAS RELETIVELY SMOOTH. THE ONLY PROBLEMS THAT I OCCURED WERE WITH DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND ACTUALLY BEING AUTHORIZED TO SHOOT VIDEO. DURING THE PLANNING WEEK, I SHOULD'VE RESEARCHED MORE AND BEEN AWARE OF VISITOR'S PASSES AND BEING ON CAMPUSES THE LEGAL WAY. MOST IMPORTANLY, I ENJOYED COVERING A STORY THAT INVOLVED LCPS BECAUSE IT EDUCATED ME ON HOW MONEY IS ALLOCATED THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
