MIAMI -- At an informal budget workshop Monday, dozens of Miami-Dade County school employees lined up to tell the four board members attending what they see as waste and mismanagement in the field.

"We see money being wasted day after day," teacher Orlando Muniz told board members. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out."

Most of the ideas involved streamlining administrative and operational jobs that do not directly involve educating children.

A teachers' union representative detailed a plan to move administrators who can teach to the classrooms. He estimates the savings at about $50 million.

A longtime district employee suggested eliminating free breakfasts at schools for students who are able to pay.

Physical education teacher and former Miami-Dade County Public Schools student Alex Padron questioned why the school district needs its own police department.

"I went to school in Hialeah, so we'd use Hialeah Police Department," he said. "You have Coral Gables, Miami-Dade. You already have those police officers from the county and cities who should be at the schools."

Five of nine board members came to listen. Superintendent Rudy Crew did not, his absence drawing ire from several board members.

"I said the superintendent or someone from his staff should be here and the school board attorney or someone from her staff should be here, and no one was here," said school board member Perla Hantman. "I think it's totally insubordination, in my opinion."

Last month, a divided board rejected Crew's plan to reduce the district workforce to save $33 million. So far, his efforts to meet a $284 million budget deficit for the 2008-09 school year have included downsizing the district, cutting summer school, contract workers and bonus pay, among other moves.

With more of a gap to close, teacher raises and possibly jobs are still on the line.

"Our mission is to educate children," said school board member Marta Perez, who organized the workshop. "Anything that doesn't educate our children directly is probably fluff."