10/01/2026
EXCLUSIVE AUDIT: $76.6 MILLION IN PENSION BONUSES & $44.2 MILLION IN BANKED LEAVE AT SARASOTA SCHOOLS
https://tripledippers.org/2026-sarasota-school-board-tripledipper-report/
🚨A fresh forensic audit of Sarasota County School District public records (PR2026-913) and Florida Retirement System (FRS) data has uncovered massive fiscal waste and double-dipping while local property taxes continue to climb! 📊 THE BREAKDOWN:
🔹 253 Active DROP Participants are pulling full salary paychecks while building $76,618,719 in projected retirement cash bonuses—paying 0% into FRS while local property owners foot a mandatory 22.02% tax surcharge ($4.67 Million every single year)!
🔹 $44.2 MILLION District-Wide Leave Liability: Over 3,800 school employees are hoarding unused time off, cashing it out at final, peak career salaries rather than the pay rate when earned. Active DROP participants alone hold 13,074 banked days off worth $5.6 Million!
🔹 Academics vs. Bureaucracy: Despite high graduation claims, U.S. News & World Report data reveals 40% of Sarasota high school graduates fail basic math and 36% fail basic reading. 🏆 TOP 5 PENSION CASH BONUS RECIPIENTS:
1️⃣ Ronald Corso (Asst. Principal, North Port High) – $760,689 Bonus | $151k Salary
2️⃣ Karen Cramer (Teacher, Cranberry Elem.) – $700,800 Bonus | $125k Salary
3️⃣ Victoria Stillo-Gross (ESE Facilitator) – $697,559 Bonus | $146k Salary
4️⃣ Erika Franz (Teacher, Tatum Ridge Elem.) – $673,002 Bonus | $124k Salary
5️⃣ Kathy Wilks (Asst. Principal, Riverview High) – $671,018 Bonus | $152k Salary 🌴 TOP 5 EMPLOYEES HOARDING BANKED TIME OFF:
1️⃣ Ricardo Bellon (STC) – 2,438 Hours (325 Days) | $160,421 Cashout
2️⃣ Cheryl Steele (Pine View) – 2,100 Hours (280 Days) | $146,850 Cashout
3️⃣ Cheryl Thomas (Booker Middle) – 1,628 Hours (217 Days) | $123,394 Cashout
4️⃣ Diana Encarnacion (Venice Middle) – 1,860 Hours (248 Days) | $120,240 Cashout
5️⃣ Gavin Thomas (Sarasota High) – 1,958 Hours (261 Days) | $114,556 Cashout 💬 "Over 85% of taxpayers don't have a pension, yet property owners are forced to pay higher taxes for outrageous bonuses. Work-life balance is essential for mental health and employee wellness. Cashing out hoarded hours at final, highest salaries is a massive taxpayer rip-off that artificially spikes last-year pay and boosts lifetime pensions."— Dave Jaye, Lead Researcher, TripleDippers.org & USATaxFighters.org 💡 THE COMMON-SENSE SOLUTION:
Every school employee operates under a 1-year contract expiring June 30. The School Board must:
1️⃣ Non-renew 1-year contracts for retired DROP staff and hire energetic, entry-level educators.
2️⃣ Cap banked leave at 60 hours (private-sector standard) to stop leave-hoarding and burnout.
3️⃣ End pay-rate spiking by paying leave cashouts at the rate earned. This single policy shift will protect students, improve staff wellness, and unlock tens of millions for property tax relief on the November 4, 2026 ballot! 📲 Read the full forensic audit & download the data:🔗 https://tripledippers.org/2026-sarasota-school-board-tripledipper-report/