Broward County Public Schools, Florida

From Sunshine Review

Broward County Public Schools is the school district in Florida associated with Broward County. It is the sixth-largest school district in the United States.^[1] The school system has a total attendance of 252,565 students project for the 2009-2010 school year. The Florida Department of Education provides a list of past, current, and future school enrollment totals for each district.

The district's budget in Fiscal Year 2006-2007 was $5.07 billion.^[2] In 2008/2009, the school district employed 39,714 people. 23,477 of those employed were instructional staff.^[2]

Taxes Budget Meetings Elected Officials Administrative Officials Contracts Audits Public records Academics Background checks

[edit] Website evaluation

Main article: Evaluation of Florida school district websites

[edit] The good

• The website has contact information for administrative officials. ^[3]
• The website has some information available on academic performance. ^[4]
• Contact information is provided for the school board. ^[5]
• The website has information on school board meetings. ^[6]
• There are some public records available online. ^[7]
• The website has a list of school district departments. ^[8]

[edit] The bad

• The website does not appear to have any information on taxes, budgets, contracts, audits, or background checks.

[edit] School board

The school board controls school property, establishes, organizes, and operates the schools of the district, including: establishing schools, adopting enrollment plans, providing for school elimination and consolidation, cooperating with school boards of adjoining districts in maintaining schools, maintaining the school year schedule and other more specific duties as outlined in the Florida statute. ^[9]

It operates, controls and supervises the district's public schools as well as determines the rate of school district taxes, with the option of two or more school districts operating and financing educational programs together.

[edit] Teacher contracts

The county and the Broward Teachers Union have an agreement for the 08-09 school year that outlines salaries, conditions and other aspects of the employment contract.^[11]

Even though the unions fought for months to make sure raises were included in the Broward county budget for the upcoming school year, by late March 2009 they were eager for members to vote on the contract "so all employees can be paid in a timely manner," according to the statement the union posted on its Web site. "Doing so will also allow the union's negotiations team and members to focus on the upcoming contract talks that begin shortly."

One thousand angry teachers rallied and shortly after the School Board voted 8-1 not to guarantee teacher raises for the 2009-10 school year, as Superintendent James Notter recommended. Phyllis Hope was only dissenting voter. Several of these board members said they will consider raises once they know how much money the state will give to the district.

The contract includes provisions such as:

• An average 3.25 percent increase this year, including the increase teachers already received by moving to a higher step on the district's salary scale.
• Cutting two levels out of the salary scale, so teachers can reach the top faster.
• Giving teachers hired before July 1, 2001, full credit for their teaching experience. That will cost the district $4.5 million.

Voting on the contract ran between April 27 and April 30.

"We really don't have an option," said Maureen McHugh, who teaches second grade at McNab Elementary School, in Pompano Beach. "At least ratifying it will allow them to go back to the negotiating table."

In March, district officials anticipated $160 million in cuts from the state for the upcoming school year, not including economic stimulus money.

"The whole thing is a big, fat question mark," board member Stephanie Kraft said during Tuesday night's hearing. "Maybe we can find the money. I think the board's position initially is that since we don't know if we can find the money, we don't want to stick our necks out."^[12]

[edit] Recent layoffs

On 23 June 2009, the Broward School Board voted unanimously to lay off almost 394 teachers. The board said it had little choice considering the three years of state budget cuts and lessening student enrollment. They had encouraged the audience to call and write state leaders in protest.

This was the first time in more than twenty years that the Broward School District has laid off teachers. Officials say they hope the teachers will be back at work with the district by Aug. 24, the first day of school. Superintendent James Notter hopes at least one-third of them will be back in the class room by the beginning of the school year.

"I pray we can bring every one of these teachers back," said board member Robin Bartleman. "I want you to have a job. I want you to work. I don't want you to have to worry about how you're going to pay your bills."

He said the state did not adequately fund schools' budgets, causing the board to follow through the lay offs.

Several board members said the district should negotiate with the union about factoring evaluations into future teacher cuts. But that wouldn't help any of the teachers whose jobs were eliminated tonight.

Schultz said the district should not be eliminating teachers' jobs, and should instead consider the $100 million in budget cuts suggested by the union. Board members said next year could be even worse.^[13]

[edit] School budget

The district covers some FAQs about the Broward County school budget as well as provide a historical summary of financial and demographic data in anticipation of the finalizing of the 09-10 school budget.

The School Board successfully sold $ 133.9 million of debt on June 5, 2009 as follows:

• Qualified School School Construction Bonds $49.9 million
• Build America Bonds $63.9 million
• Certificates of Participation (tax exempt) $20.1 million^[14]

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocates $50,452,282 to Broward County Public Schools.^[15]

[edit] Millage

Broward County schools millage

Millage comparison

Taxable Valuations:

• Prior Year final gross taxable value $176,457,014,624
• Current Year Gross Taxable Value $159,086,130,336
• Less Current Year Net New Taxable Value (new construction, additions, etc.) (1,619,070,736)
• Current Year Adjusted Taxable Value $157,467,059,600

Required local effort:

• Prior Year Required Local Effort (based on 100% of valuation of Gross Taxable Value) $885,637,756
• Current Year Required Local Effort (based on 100% of valuation of Gross Taxable Value) 818,498,141
• Total Increase/(Decrease) ($67,139,615)

The current year Adjusted Taxable Value of $157.5 billion is the current year value of the taxable property that existed at the end of the prior year (Prior Year FINAL Gross Taxable Value of $176.5 billion). As described below, Gross Taxable Values are used to compute the Millage Rate; current year Adjusted Taxable Value is used to compute the Rolled Back Rate. The Required Local Effort (RLE) is the amount that the School Board is required to contribute in order to participate in the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP). The amount of the RLE is determined by the state and is appropriated at 95%. For 2009-10, the School Board must contribute $818.5 million, which the state will appropriate at $777.6, in order to receive an additional $527.7 million from the state.

RLE millage Rate:

• Prior Year RLE Calculation ($885,637,756 / $176,457,014,624) * 1,000 = 5.0190
• Current Year RLE Calculation ($818,498,141 / $159,086,130,336) * 1,000 = 5.1450

RLE prior period adjustment:

• RLE Prior Period Adjustment Millage ($6,045,273 / $159,086,130,336) * 1,000 0.0380
• RLE Prior Period Adjustment $6,045,273

Rolled back millage rate: Rolled Back RLE Calculation ($885,637,756 / $157,467,059,600) * 1,000 = 5.6243

Advertised decrease There is a 7.85% decrease when the RLE Millage Rate of 5.1830 (current year RLE Millage Rate of 5.1450 mills plus the RLE Prior Period Adjustment Millage Rate of .0380) is compared to the Rolled Back Rate of 5.6243 mills. If the Rolled Back Rate of 5.6243 mills was applied to the current year Gross Taxable Value of $159.1 billion, the School Board would generate $894.7 million, $70.2 million more than the $824.5 million RLE contribution (Current Year RLE of $818.5 million plus RLE Prior Period Adjustment of $6 million) required to participate in the FEFP. The Required Local Effort Millage Rate is calculated by dividing the Required Local Effort (RLE) by the Gross Taxable Value and multiplying the result by 1,000. The Rolled Back Rate is calculated by dividing the prior year's RLE amount by the current year's Adjusted Taxable Value. The result is multipled by 1,000 to obtain the Rolled Back Millage Rate. An additional RLE Prior Period Adjustment Millage Rate of .0380 has been calculated by the state for RLE funds that the District did not receive in the 2007-08 FEFP. The RLE amount at 100% is $6 million, and the amount appropriated by the state at 95% is $5.7 million.^[16]

[edit] Academic performance

Below is a chart of the school's grade based on the student's performance of the statewide test called the FCAT.^[17] To see results, click on "show".

[edit] Completers in 2007-08

[edit] Unions

Educators in Broward County Public Schools are represented by Broward Teachers Union.

The Broward Teachers Union was founded in 1975 and is located in Tamarac, Florida. It has more than 10,000 members, making it Florida’s largest teachers union. It represents teachers, school nurses, psychologists, social workers, media specialists and other education professionals. It also represents middle management employees of the district which includes engineers, information system technicians, and television production staff.

The Broward Teachers Union is affiliated with the Florida Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.

The Broward Teachers Union provides a general budget summary.

[edit] School choice

Some school choice facts, provided by the Florida Department of Education, show that charter school enrollment has been consistently increasing since 1999.

Broward County Public Schools received $60,164,632 from Title I, Part A. Their 20 percent obligation was $12,032,926. Per-pupil allocation for Supplemental Educational Services was $1,405.

In the Broward County School District, students are assigned to a school in the neighborhood zone but may apply to transfer to another school in the district, called an intradistrict transfer. Charter schools are also available. Students with special needs may be eligible to receive a McKay Scholarship to attend a private school. There are 49 charter schools in the Broward County Public School system and they are all tuition-free, graded for academic performance and students may apply to attend them.

[edit] Teachers fired

On May 5, 2009, two of the district's teachers were fired, one on charges of fondling the breasts of a 14-year-old girl and the other for allegedly creating a hostile environment for his students and co-workers.^[18]

[edit] Lobbying

Main article: Florida taxpayer-funded lobbying

Taxpayer-funded lobbying, public entities using funds to lobby for special interests, happens in cities, counties, and other entities. These activities are hard to track. The issues lobbied for may be diverse, but school lobbying typically deals with issues close to the school district or school board.

In July 2009, Sunshine Review submitted Freedom of Information Act requests to the 27 Florida school districts with lobbyists registered for 2009 with the Florida legislature. ^[19] The results are included in Florida school districts lobbying totals. (For information on the project or to start your own, see the project page.)

Broward County Public Schools spent $190,000 between 1998-2002 (see table). The district has not reported lobbying activity since 2002, although it has nine registered lobbyists for 2009. ^[21][22] Nine of these lobbyists work before the legislature and 5 of these before the executive.

The school district pays membership dues to the Florida School Boards Association, a taxpayer-funded lobbying association.^[23]

The school district lobbied for the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act and for educational television licensing. ^[24]

See also Florida school districts lobbying, 2009.

The school district has been represented by Florida School Services, Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate, The Rubin Group, McKee Communications, and GS Consulting Group.^{[25] [26] [27] [28] [29]}

From 2002 to 2010, Broward County Public Schools with have spent $987,133 on lobbying contracts. This does not include any information for the years between 2004-2006.

[edit] Most recent

Currently, the school district has contracts with GS Consulting Group, McKee Communications, and Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate. Together, these total $136,050 for 2009.

[edit] See also

• Florida Sunshine Law

[edit] External links

Broward County Public Schools, Florida

• Official website of Broward County School District
• Broward District Frequently Asked Questions
• Florida Smart - Broward County
• Local School Directory - Broward County
• Great Schools - Broward County
• Boward County Public School Board Website
• Broward Teachers Union website
• the American Federation of Teachers website

[edit] Additional reading

• Sun Sentinel, School district websites in Florida get poor ratings, September 9, 2009

[edit] References

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