School districts around Florida say they are bracing for more big cuts after the Legislature passed a $16.6 billion K-12 education budget.

But the sky-is-falling scenario isn't universally embraced, and legislative leaders say Chicken Little is not coming home to roost.

While lawmakers reduced K-12 spending by $1.4 billion, districts will lose less than half that amount because the Legislature also enacted pension reform requiring school employees to contribute 3 percent of their pay toward their retirement fund. That shift means a net cost reduction of 3 percent to school systems, which have heretofore fully funded their employees' pensions.

Budget analysts in Tallahassee estimate that the total reduction for K-12 schools will be about 3.8 percent -- not the 8 percent loss bruited about by districts.

Nevertheless, some large school systems around Florida continue to issue dire warnings predicated on the 8 percent figure. In some cases, local officials say they are mulling budget cuts that would gash academic services.

"Headlines from just today’s statewide newspapers provide a glimpse of what districts are facing: Pink slips issued in Monroe County, Flagler to cut 45 minutes from the school day to save money, Palm Beach County looking to cut custodians and police officers in schools," recited Mark Pudlow, spokesman for the Florida Education Association.

Following is a roundup of reports from districts by Sunshine State News and the News Service of Florida:

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY: The state's largest school district said it is preparing for a $144 million budget cut. Previously, the system reduced spending on maintenance operations and staff. But with capital projects all but stopped, officials say there's not much more to be pared there. The district declined to detail what cost-saving measures it has in store.

LEON COUNTY: The school board may turn its high schools' optional seventh-period classes all virtual, saving an estimated $1 million out of a projected $10 million cut. About 10 percent of Leon County's public high-school students take seventh-period classes.

LEE COUNTY: Anticipating a $30 million cut, the school board may eliminate more than 50 support staff positions.

DUVAL COUNTY: Expecting a budget shortfall of $82 million, the district is considering a four-day week, furloughs, increasing class sizes and reducing bus transportation to magnet schools.

VOLUSIA COUNTY: The district, which funded 500 jobs through federal stimulus money, faces an estimated $13 million budget shortfall. As in other districts, leaders say their first priority is to protect classroom funds and, second, to save jobs.

PINELLAS COUNTY: Planning for a $60 million shortfall, the district may eliminate 400 jobs, mostly through attrition. Officials say reductions in transportation, utility costs and health insurance expenditures remain on the table.

Even after stagnant state budgets and sagging local property tax revenues -- roughly half of which goes to local schools -- several districts have been able to maintain budget reserves that will help to soften this year's fiscal blow.

Two districts told Sunshine State News that they are not expecting any major new belt-tightening.

ORANGE COUNTY: Anticipating tight times ahead, the district last fall prevailed on voters to approve a temporary 1 mill property tax hike. That increase -- which will generate an additional $85 million annually over four years -- is expected to largely offset a projected $95 million shortfall this year, district spokeswoman Kathy Marsh said.