Dixie County 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
- School board members posted but individual contact information is not posted.[1] Meeting schedule[2] posted.
- Administrative officials are listed with contact information.[3]
- Budget summary is posted, but full budget is not available.[4]
- Student progression plan, school accountability reports and FCAT results posted.[5]
- Labor contracts are posted.[6]
[edit] The bad
- Site does not have a search function.
- Does not provide information on meeting minutes and agendas, taxes, audits, background checks, and how to make public record requests.
- Information on teachers' contracts and school budget is unavailable.
[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. [7]
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.
In Dixie County School District: One board member is elected from each of the five district residence areas. The term of office is for four years. Districts 1, 3 and 5 are elected in the same year and Districts 2 and 4 two years later.[8] A chairman and a vice-chairman, and such other officers as the Board determines, are elected annually by the School Board. The chairperson presides at all School Board meetings, appoints committees, and performs such other duties as prescribed by law or by action of the School Board. The Superintendent acts as secretary and executive officer of the School Board. [9]
Currently, Mark Rains is serving as superintendent.[10]
| Member | District | Term expires |
|---|---|---|
| David Keen | District 1 | |
| Timothy Alexander , Chair | District 2 | |
| Dwayne Rollison | District 3 | |
| Cheryl Pridgeon | District 4 | |
| Glenn Osteen, Vice Chair | District 5 |
[edit] Teacher contracts
Contracts with instructional staff begin with a 97 day probationary period. Contracts are to follow the salary schedule determined by the board and to last for a definite period of service.[11]
In Spring 2009, Dixie County School and teacher union officials agreed on a new contract:[12]
- Pay for teachers with a Bachelor's degree starts at $31,200 and peaks at $48,782
- Pay for teachers with a Master's degree starts at $33,592 and peaks at $51,257
- 0% increase
In Winter 2006, the pay range for teacher's with Bachelor's degrees was $30,000-$46,906, a 5.5% increase.[13]
In the 2006-2007 school year the Dixie County School District had 132 classroom teachers, 2,241 students and a student/teacher ratio of 17.[14]
[edit] School budget
The state's lowest-funded school district, Dixie County School District, spends 72% of its budget on classroom instruction.[15] Dixie County received $476,709 in Title I Allocations under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.[16]
In the 2006-07 school year the Dixie County School District had approximately $19,529,000 in total revenue and $19,529,000 in total expenditures. The district, however, receives the majority of it's revenue, nearly 58%, from the state. Approximately 25% of total revenue is local and 17% is comprised of federal funds. The district spends 55% of its budget on instructional material and only 12% on student and staff support. The district spent a total of $630,000 on construction projects.[17]
[edit] Academic performance
Of the 4 schools in Clay County none of the schools received an "A" three years in a row for 2006-2009, according to Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) test results.[18]
[edit] 2006-2009
Below is a chart of the school's grade based on the student's performance of the statewide test called the FCAT.[18]
| School | Level | Grade: 2006-07 | Grade: 2007-08 | Grade: 2008-09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dixie County High School | High | D | C | C |
| James M. Anderson Elementary School | Elementary | A | C | B |
| Old Town Elementary School | Elementary | A | B | A |
| Ruth Rains Middle School | Middle | B | A | A |
[edit] Unions
The Dixie County Education Association (DCEA) is the teacher's union for this school district.[19] The statewide teachers union is the Florida Education Association.[20]
[edit] Lobbying
- Main article: Florida taxpayer-funded lobbying
The school district pays membership dues to the Florida School Boards Association, a taxpayer-funded lobbying association.[21]
[edit] School choice
- See also: Florida school choice
There appear to be no charter schools in the Dixie County School District, however Florida does have an open enrollment policy. The state of Florida has two enrollment policies: intradistrict and interdistrict policies. In other words, students can transfer to other schools within and outside of the district.[22]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ↑ School Board
- ↑ Meeting Schedule
- ↑ Administration
- ↑ Budget Summary
- ↑ Instructional Support
- ↑ Faculty
- ↑ School board powers and duties, Florida statute
- ↑ School Board of Dixie County, Florida
- ↑ Organization, Membership and Officers
- ↑ Dixie School Board
- ↑ Contracts: Instructional and Administrative Personnel
- ↑ Florida Education Negotiators,"Volume XXVI, Spring 2009," retrieved August 21, 2009
- ↑ Florida Education Negotiators,"Volume XII, Winter 2006," retrieved August 21, 2009
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics,"Dixie County School District Details," retrieved August 20, 2009
- ↑ Mom works online for education funding, Aug. 23, 2008
- ↑ Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies
- ↑ National Center of Education Statistics,"Dixie School District Fiscal Details," retrieved August 21, 2009
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Florida School Accountability Reports
- ↑ Dixie County Education Association
- ↑ Center for Union Facts,"Florida," retrieved August 20, 2009
- ↑ Florida School Boards Association members list
- ↑ Education Commission of the States,"Open Enrollment: 50-State Report," retrieved August 18, 2009
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