It seems St. Petersburg College is giving lessons on how to cost a lot of (other) folks a lot of money.
First, the St. Pete Times reported that the largest textbook seller in North America is dickering over the profit they make off of students at St. Petersburg College. 
By contract, the Follett Higher Education Group is allowed a 25% profit, but some believe they are adding other fees and “systematically overcharging SPC students.”
Howard Troxler thinks that 25% profit on the backs of students should be good enough.
Then, the outgoing president of SPC, Carl Kuttler, says he will retire at the end of this year. And since his time is almost up, Kuttler wants a check for more than a half a million dollars. $684,000 to be more precise.
Kuttler says he is owed that money for unused sick and vacation time ($336,000), a car he was promised ($30,000), unused flex time (nearly $132,000), and a sabbatical he never took (almost $186,000).
This is in addition to his pension/retirement of at least $195,000 a year from the Florida Retirement System.
In that same column linked above, Howard Troxler also tells us that Kuttler got some of that textbook money, too, for trips to Russia, Italy, and Puerto Rico.
It’s great to be President.
Ted Frempter
3 months ago
This is the same textbook company (Follett) which was caught cutting buyback prices at the University of Tennessee for which they had to pay a huge settlement to the school. How can any school contract with a company which overcharges and/or underpays for textbooks purchased from students in this economy is beyond me. Methinks Mr. Kuttler should provide answers.
Tino
3 months ago
$90 per credit hour is “a bunch”? I just did the math and babysitting for a 5 year old costs less than that on an actual hourly basis. In fact, that’s about 1/3 to 1/2 of the average cost of college tuition nationwide.
I guess not everyone can pass remedial math, I suppose.
David
3 months ago
Unfortunately, this is just one more example of public employees enriching themselves at the expense of those they are supposed to serve. Perhaps Mr. Kuttler can now secure a position with the textbook company. Isn’t that the usual next step in this type of legal theft? No wonder people are losing faith in public servants.
tommy
3 months ago
Hey Tino,
If you had read beyond the headline, perhaps you would have noticed that tuition was not mentioned.
I guess not everyone can pass remedial reading comprehension.
Tino
3 months ago
From the article: “For seven years, Follett charged more than the 25 percent profit margin allowed by its contract with SPC. Book by book the overcharges ranged from less than $1 to more than $14.”
As someone who has purchased $200 textbooks and paid over $1,000 per credit hour in the past, I just don’t see the outrage or getting nicked for an extra buck or two per textbook.
Let’s put this into perspective. These students are paying far, far less than the market price for their education (by sticking it to the taxpayers), yet those same students are “outraged” for being “ripped off” by a couple of bucks on a book.
The fact remains: education at St Petersburg College costs these students less than if their mommy dropped them off at daycare to finger paint and take naps.
I would be willing to bet that if I backed out my personal contribution to St Petersburg College (via taxes), —I— am contributing more for their education than the amounts of money that these students are being “taken for”.
Where’s my refund?
tommy
3 months ago
I don’t want anyone “taken for” – taxpayers or students.
Tino
3 months ago
As long as we can put this into perspective, I just checked my latest tax bill. In the line for Pinellas Schools, I am coughing up $3,500 a year just for that item. That is the amount a full-time student will pay to go to St Petersburg College.
That’s why I can’t feel a lot of sympathy for a student (who is getting about a 75% discount on their tuition because of taxpayers like me) complaining about a few bucks per book. How about we raise their tuition by a few thousand dollars, lower my property taxes, and throw in all their books for free? Problem solved.
Gar
3 months ago
Hey Tino stay on the path. This post mentioned SPC textbook costs and the president’s so called “retirement package” So are you saying your property and/or sales taxes are used to pay for students to go to SPC? I thought the taxes were used for public schools such elementary, middle and high? You must have a heck of a tax bill if the public education portion is $3500! Another thing what does your daycare rant have to do with anything? By the way I work full time and pay property taxes. As far as I know you haven’t helped me with my tuition @ SPC.
Tino
3 months ago
“So are you saying your property and/or sales taxes are used to pay for students to go to SPC?” “As far as I know you haven’t helped me with my tuition @ SPC.”
Damn straight I am, you ingrate. That’s why the tuition is almost free, and less than the cost of day care for a 5 year old. Who do you think pays for the cost of community colleges, the education fairy?
I use that example because it puts the massive subsidy into concrete terms: a mom can drop her baby off at daycare and pay more than the cost of a college education.
Actually, SPC is funded by the state, and they take a few thousand more from me every year for that (there’s also a “State School” line on the tax bill). Students bitching about getting nicked for a few dollars (literally, a few dollars) doesn’t get a lot of sympathy from me.
Gar
3 months ago
Tino,
First of all I didn’t call you any names. Second check your facts, tuition is not “almost free”. A student carrying a 12 hour load pays over $1,000 per term and that is without lab fees or books.
http://www.spcollege.edu/webcentral/futurestudent/tuitionandfees.html
Next having a baby and using daycare is a choice just like going to college. Lastly I pay my taxes and tuition so you didn’t do me any favors! Since you can’t provide any sympathy, how about a solution?
HerpDerp
3 days ago
I’m detecting much Republican butthurt in this sector. . .