Flagler County Public Schools, 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 are listed with contact information.[1] Meeting schedule, minutes, budget amendments, and agendas posted.[2]
- Student curriculum, progression plan, and testing information posted.[3]
- Union[4] and vendor contracts are available.[5]
[edit] The bad
- Site does not have a search function.
- Administration page is "coming soon."[6]
- Does not provide information on taxes, budget, audits, background checks, and how to make public record requests.
[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 Flagler, the Board is comprised of members elected to four-year terms. A chairman and vice-chairman, and other officers that the Board may determine, are elected annually by the Board. Elections are held on the third Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The chairman must preside at all School Board meetings and appoint committees among his other responsibilities as may be prescribed by the law or by action of the Board. In the absence of the chairman, the vice-chairman shall president and perform such duties. The Superintendent shall serve as secretary and executive officer of the Board and at any organizational meeting, the Superintendent shall act as chairman until the organization of the School Board is completed. [8] Bill Delbrugge is the current Superintendent of Flagler County Public Schools District.
The following are the members of the Flagler County School Board.
| School board member | District | Term | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Dance | District 1 | 2012 | |
| Colleen Conklin | District 2 | 2nd | 2010 |
| Peter Palmer | District 3 | 1st | 2010 |
| Sue Dickinson | District 4 | 2012 | |
| Evelyn Shellenberger | District 5 | 2nd | 2010 |
Bill Delbrugge is the superintendent of Flagler County Public Schools.
[edit] Teacher contracts
The Flagler County Educators' Assocation (FCEA) Contract (2007-2010) includes the salaries for ten, eleven, and twelve month instructional personnel of the Flagler school district. The following is the salary schedule for 2007-2008. [9]
| Salary Step | Bachelors | Masters | Specialist | Doctorate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $38,213 | $40.963 | $42,463 | $43,713 |
| 2 | $38,962 | $41,712 | $43,212 | $44,462 |
| 3 | $39,725 | $42,475 | $43,975 | $44,225 |
| 4 | $40,428 | $43,178 | $44,678 | $45,928 |
| 5 | $41,035 | $43,785 | $45,285 | $46,535 |
| 6 | $41,648 | $44,398 | $45,898 | $47,148 |
| 7 | $42,273 | $45,023 | $46,523 | $47,773 |
| 8 | $42,907 | $45,657 | $47,157 | $48,407 |
| 9 | $43,550 | $46,300 | $47,800 | $49,050 |
| 10 | $44,205 | $46,955 | $48,455 | $49,705 |
| 11 | $44,868 | $47,618 | $49,118 | $50,368 |
| 12 | $45,629 | $48,379 | $49,879 | $51,129 |
| 13 | $46,404 | $49,154 | $50,654 | $51,904 |
| 14 | $47,194 | $49,944 | $51,444 | $52,694 |
| 15 | $47,966 | $50,746 | $42,246 | $53,495 |
| 16 | $48,812 | $51,562 | $53,062 | $54,312 |
| 17 | $49,642 | $52,392 | $53,892 | $55,142 |
| 18 | $50,585 | $53,335 | $54,835 | $56,085 |
| 19 | $51,545 | $54,295 | $55,795 | $57,045 |
| 20 | $52,525 | $55,275 | $56,775 | $58,025 |
| 21 | $53,523 | $56,273 | $57,773 | $59,023 |
| 22 | $57,677 | $60,427 | $61,927 | $63,177 |
In March 2007, the Flagler County Education Association began negotiations with the school district concerning salary increases. The district offered a 3% raise, which is a significantly smaller increase than the 8% raise given to teachers in the past three years. The district argued that with fewer students this year, the district can only afford a small increase in teachers' salaries. By July, teachers and the district remained at a standstill. [10]
[edit] School budget
In 2008, the school district started with $7.5 million less than it did in 2007. [11] Its total expenditures were $112,427,000 while total revenue was $110,828,000. The average spending per student in Flagler County was $10,171. [12] The average teacher salary is $33,780. The financial breakdown is as follows: [13]
- Instruction: $39,905,000
- Teacher Salaries: $25,403,000
- Pupils: $4,962,000
- Total Support Services: $24,637,000
The district already has plans to eliminate certain bus route as well as vacated non-classroom positions to save money. Superintendent Bill Delbrugge wrote to legislators, saying "Massive changes, including layoffs, across the board pay cuts, and program eliminations will result if the only response at the state level to declining revenue projects is to cut the state budget." [11]
With the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Flagler County will receive $969,503 in federal stimulus dollars. [14]
[edit] Academic performance
Florida Public Schools are graded based on the performance of students on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
[edit] 2007-2010
Below is a chart of the school's grade based on the student's performance of the statewide test called the FCAT.[15] To see results, click "show".
| School | Level | Grade: 2007-08 | Grade: 2008-09 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Terre | Elementary | A | A |
| Buddy Taylor | Middle | A | A |
| Bunnell | Elementary | A | A |
| Cornerstone | Elementary | C | |
| Flagler-Palm Coast High | High | A | D |
| Imagine School at Town Center | Combination | D | |
| Indian Trails | Middle | A | A |
| Lewis E. Wadsworth | Elementary | A | B |
| Matanzas High | High | A | B |
| Old Kings | Elementary | A | A |
| Rymfire | Elementary | A | B |
| Summit Academy | Middle | B | C |
[edit] Unions
The Flagler County Educator's Association (FCEA) is the teacher's union for this district, representing 80% of the district's 727 instructors. [10]
[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.[16]
[edit] School choice
Currently, charter schools are funded through the Florida Education Finance Program and in the same manner as public schools. Since 2009, Flagler has four charter schools--Cornerstone Elementary School, Heritage High School, Imagine School At Town Center, and Summit Academy--with 490 students total. [17]
Florida has an open enrollment policy, which means that if a child attends or is assigned to a low-performing school in the district (based on School Accountability AYP Reports), then his/her parents have the right to use an Opportunity Scholarship to attend a high-performing school. Intradistrict choice allows parents to put their children in public schools, public charter schools, or private schools as long as there is room for more students while interdistrict choicde allows children to attend such schools in a neighboring district. [18]
[edit] External links
- Flagler County School District official website
- Florida Smart - Flagler County
- Public School Review - Flagler County
- School Matters - Flagler County
- Flagler County Educator's Association 2007-2010 Contract
[edit] References
- ↑ Board of Education
- ↑ Board Documents
- ↑ Curriculum
- ↑ Union Contracts
- ↑ Purchasing contracts
- ↑ Administration
- ↑ School board powers and duties, Florida statute
- ↑ Organization, Membership, and Officers of the Board, 202
- ↑ Salary Schedule 2007-2008
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Teachers Union, District Stalled Over $$$
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Education Cuts
- ↑ Budget Information
- ↑ Budget Breakdown
- ↑ Florida Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies
- ↑ Florida School Accountability Reports
- ↑ Florida School Boards Association members list
- ↑ Flagler Charter Schools
- ↑ Know your school choice options in Florida
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