Singer Gloria Estefan will be doing her first South Florida concert in four years -- a partial fundraiser for education groups from Miami-Dade to Indian River counties. The Casino Hotel near Hollywood, Fl is where the singing superstar will perform Oct. 24 for about 5,500 people. 

Because of recent legislative cutbacks, that's about how much money will be whacked from South Florida school district budgets, said Linda Lecht, president of The Education Fund in North Miami, one of the groups to benefit from the concert.

''I have been working in education for 20 years and it's the worst I've ever seen,'' said Lecht, whose nonprofit group has raised about $30 million for Miami-Dade schools since being launched by the Ford Foundation in 1985.

''They keep saying they won't cut from the classrooms. But when you cut close to $300 million [in Miami-Dade County], there's not much left and they cut from the classrooms,'' Lecht said. ``Even before this happened we were 49th in funding education around the country.''

The Gloria Estefan Foundation has partnered with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Florida to donate money to the The Education Fund, as well as Broward Education Foundation and the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County and Education Foundation of Indian River County, where the Estefans recently opened the Costa d'Este Beach Resort.

In recognition for her work, the hotel gave her a customized black-and-white Fender guitar, engraved with ''Gloria'' and covered with roses. 

If  you go :

• What: Gloria Estefan in concert.

• Where: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood.

• When: 8 p.m. Oct. 24.

• Cost: $250, $175, $125, $95. Tickets on sale noon Friday at Hard Rock box office, Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or 866-448-7849.

• Information: 800-937-0010 or www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com