DeSoto School District, Florida
From Sunshine Review
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Contents |
[edit] Website evaluation
- Main article: Evaluation of Florida school district websites
[edit] The good
- Upcoming meetings posted on the front page.[1] Minutes and recent agendas available.[2]
- Budget summary posted, full budget is not available.[3]
- Student progression plan and curriculum posted.[4]
- Union contracts posted.[5]Awarded vendor contract information posted.[6]
[edit] The bad
- Does not provide information on taxes, elected and administrative officials, audits, background checks, and how to make public record requests.
- Residents have expressed the need for greater transparency on how taxpayer dollars are spent.[7]
[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. [8]
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.
| Member | District | Term expires |
|---|---|---|
| Rodney Hollingsworth, Chair | District 1 | 2010 |
| Karen Chancey | District 2 | 2012 |
| Deborah Snyder, Vice Chair | District 3 | 2010 |
| William Stanko | District 4 | 2012 |
| Ronny Allen | District 5 | 2010 |
Adrian H. Cline is the District's Superintendent.[9][10]
[edit] Budget
| Budget Division | Amount |
|---|---|
| Salaries | $23,266,980.16 |
| Employee Benefits | $524,254.25 |
| Purchased Services | $5,253,134.78 |
| Energy Services | $1,679,831.63 |
| Materials and Supplies | $1,698,043.09 |
| Capital Outlay | $125,414.43 |
| Other Expenses | $286,485.00 |
| Total | $32,834,143.34 |
Below is a breakdown of Federal subsidies:
| Budget Division | Amount |
|---|---|
| National School Lunch Act | $1,502,273.12 |
| USDA Donated Foods | $100,000.00 |
| Vocational Education Acts | $4,171.90 |
| Eisenhower Math & Sciences | $322,791.57 |
| Drug Free Schools | $16,186.29 |
| Individuals With Disabilities Education Act | $1,365,729.17 |
| Elementary and Secondary Education Act | $1,583,966.35 |
| Adult General Education | $189,353.94 |
| Elementary & Secondary Education Act | $103.74 |
| Miscellaneous Federal Through State | $364,800.74 |
[edit] Teacher Contracts
Teacher contracts are negotiated by the Florida School Labor Relations Services (FSLRS), a joint venture of the Florida School Board. The primary function of FSLRS is to consult with school district personnel and school board members in the area of employee and labor relations.[12]
[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.[13]
| School | Level | Grade: 2007-08 | Grade: 2008-09 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeSoto County High | High | C | D |
| DeSoto Middle | Middle | B | A |
| Memorial Elementary | Elementary | A | B |
| Nocatee Elementary | Elementary | C | C |
| West Elementary | Elementary | A | A |
[edit] Unions
All public school teachers in Floriday belong to the state-wide union, the Florida Education Association (FEA). The budges of the FEA in 2008 was as follows:
- Total Revenue: $ 20,133,842
- Total Expenses: $ 19,978,236
- Total Assets: $ 9,177,174[14]
[edit] School Choice
Florida has one of the most effective school voucher programs in the country. However, by virtue of a Florida Supreme Court ruling, students who remain in a failing public school may only transfer to another public school.
The Opportunity Scholarship Program has been a part of Florida’s A+ Education Plan since 1999. As originally implemented, the program offered students who attended or who were assigned to attend failing public schools the option to choose a higher performing public school or a participating private school. A failing public school is a school that has received two “F” grades within a four-year period.
On January 5, 2006, the Florida Supreme Court issued a ruling declaring the private school option of the Opportunity Scholarship Program unconstitutional. Students assigned to a failing school are no longer offered the opportunity to transfer and enroll in a participating private school. The option to attend a higher performing public school remains in effect.
The Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation released, in March 2004, a scorecard rating school choice programs around the nation, and the report rated Florida’s McKay program first and the Opportunity Scholarship program sixth.[15]
[edit] External links
- DeSoto County School District official website
- Local School Directory - DeSoto County
- Great Schools - DeSoto County
- Public School Review - DeSoto County
- Florida Smart - Public schools in DeSoto County
- Teacher Contracts
- Budget
[edit] References
- ↑ DeSoto Homepage
- ↑ Meetings
- ↑ 2008-09 Budget Summary
- ↑ District Info
- ↑ Teacher Contract
- ↑ Vendor Bids
- ↑ Desoto County Schools blog, Sunshine Review rates district webpage, October 16, 2009
- ↑ School board powers and duties, Florida statute
- ↑ DeSoto School Board
- ↑ Voting guide, DeSoto County
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 DeSoto School District Budget
- ↑ Florida School Labor Relations Services
- ↑ Florida School Accountability Reports
- ↑ Collier County Teacher Union Facts
- ↑ Florida School Choice
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