Franklin County 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 minutes and agendas are posted.[2]
- Administrative officials are listed with contact information.[3]
- Student progression plan is posted.[4]
- Information for requesting public records is posted.[5]
[edit] The bad
- Site is difficult to navigate, does not have a search function.
- Information is not provided on taxes, budget, contracts, audits, and 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. [6]
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 Franklin, the Board consists of five members who must be nominated and elected by qualified electors who reside in the same residence area as the member. Members are elected to four-year terms and must maintain residency in the area from which he/she is elected throughout the duration of his/her term of office. Three members are elected during the time of the presidential election and two members are elected during the time of the gubernatorial election. A chairman and vice-chairman, and other officers that the Board may determine, are elected annually by the Board. 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. [7] Nina M. Marks is the current Superintendent of Franklin County Schools.
The following are the members of the Franklin County School Board.
| School board member | District |
|---|---|
| George Thompson | District 1 |
| David Hinton | District 2 |
| Teresa Ann Martin | District 3 |
| Jimmy Gander | District 4 |
| Carlton Whaley | District 5 |
Nina M. Marks is the superintendent of the district.
[edit] Teacher contracts
The Franklin County Teachers Association (FCTA) Contract (2005-2008) details the salaries for instructional personnel of the Flagler school district. Representatives of the Franklin County Teachers Association and the Franklin county School Board meet during the regular school year to discuss matters that require negotiations, including pay schedule. Teachers receive full credit on the salary schedule for satisfactory teaching in the Florida. Teachers who begin at the start of the school year and work full-time the entire contract period receive their contract salary over a period of 10 months. Teachers who have annual contracts will be informed of their job status by three weeks following the close of the regular legislative session. If a teacher is not recommended for reappointment, he/she may request the reason(s) for non-reappointment. [8]
[edit] School budget
In accordance with the State Board of Education, the Superintendent prepares and maintains an annual District budget that takes into consideration the immediate and long range needs of the District's school system and student achievement data. [9] The School Board must approve amendments to the District school budget. [10]
In 2007, total revenue for Franklin County School District was $16,495,000 while total expenditures were $15,961,000. The average teacher salary is $45,609. The financial breakdown is as follows: [11]
- Instruction: $7,459,000
- Teacher Salaries: $3,968,000
- Pupils: $418,000
- Total Support Services: $4,116,000
The Sharpening the Pencil Program (SPP), a program created in 2001 to improve school district management and identify cost savings opportunities, evaluated the Franklin County School District during Fiscal Year 2002-03. In conjunction with the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) and the Auditor General, SPP conducted a review that determined that Franklin County was using 65% (92 out of 142) of the applicable best practices adopted by the Commissioner of Education. It identified three areas--educational service delivery, transportation, and food service operations--that could reduce the district's costs and increase revenue by $297,035. [12]
With the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Franklin County will receive $253,032 in federal stimulus dollars. [13]
[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.[14]
| School | Level | Grade: 2007-08 | Grade: 2008-09 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apalachicola Bay Charter School | Combination | C | A |
| Franklin County Elementary and Middle School | Combination | C | |
| Franklin County Learning Center PK-12 | Elementary | F | |
| Franklin County Schools K-12 | Combination | D | C |
[edit] Unions
The Franklin County Teachers Association (FCTA) is the teacher's union for this district. Representatives of FCTA and the School Board can meet during the regular school year for the purposes of negotiation and/or the reviewing of the FCTA Contract. Parties must agree to cooperate in arranged meetings, select representatives for such discussions, and furnish necessary information, and constructively consider and resolve such matters. [8]
[edit] School choice
Currently, charter schools are funded through the Florida Education Finance Program and in the same manner as public schools. Since 2009, Franklin has one charter schools--Apalachicola Bay Charter School--with 311 students. [15] According to the statewide FCAT test, Apalachicola Bay Charter School is the academically highest-performing school in Franklin County in 2009.
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. [16]
[edit] External links
- Franklin County School District official website
- Florida Smart - Public schools in Franklin County
- Public School Review - Franklin County
- Great Schools - Franklin County
- Franklin County Teachers Association 2005-2008 Contract
- Franklin County School Board Policy Manual 2009
[edit] References
- ↑ Board Members
- ↑ Meetings
- ↑ Administration
- ↑ Student Progression Plan
- ↑ Records request
- ↑ School board powers and duties, Florida statute
- ↑ School Board Governance and Organization 2.00
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 FCTA Contract 2005-2008
- ↑ School Budget System 7.10
- ↑ District Budget Amendments 7.11
- ↑ Budget Breakdown
- ↑ Franklin County Financial Management Practices Review 2003
- ↑ Florida Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies
- ↑ Florida School Accountability Reports
- ↑ Franklin Charter Schools
- ↑ Know your school choice options in Florida
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