Highlands County Schools, Florida
From Sunshine Review
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
Contents |
[edit] Website evaluation
- Main article: Evaluation of Florida school district websites
[edit] The good
- School board members are listed with contact information. Meeting schedule, minutes, and agendas available.[1]
- Student progression plan is posted.[2]
- Some administrative officials are listed with contact information under respective departments.[3]
- Labor contracts are posted.[4][5]
- School accountability reports are posted.[6]
- Board policy on background checks is provided.[7]
[edit] The bad
- School board policy on public record requests is posted, but does not contain any contact information.[8]
- Does not contain information on taxes, budget, vendor contracts, and audits.
[edit] School Board
The Highlands County School Board's regular meetings are held every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m, but are subject to change due to holidays, elections, and other conflicts. In addition to the regular meetings, the Board holds Workshops (work sessions) as needed to study, review and discuss specific issues. When needed, The Board may schedule Public Hearings or Special Meetings to discuss specific issues and take action when applicable. [9]
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. [10]
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.
Below is a list of the current Board Members for Highland County Schools. [9]
| Member | District | Term expires |
|---|---|---|
| Wally Randall, Vice-Chair | District 1 | 2010 |
| Donna Howerton | District 2 | 2012 |
| J. Ned Hancock | District 3 | 2012 |
| Rev. Richard Norris | District 4 | 2010 |
| Andy Tuck, Chair | District 5 | 2010 |
Wally Cox is the Superintendent and Dr. Rodney Hollinger is the Deputy Superintendent of the district.
[edit] Teacher contracts
Highlands County School Board provides a set of salary schedulesfor all instructional and administrative positions in the county school system. It must abide by Florida Statute 447
The Highlands County Education Association represents teachers in Highlands county and the county has a contract between them and the taxpayer-funded lobbying organization. Another taxpayer-funded lobbying organization, Tthe Highlands County Educational Support Professionals Association, also has a contract with the county.
[edit] Instructional salary schedule 08/09
| Years of experience | Level | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | $34,000 |
| 1-3 | 2 | $34,500 |
| 4 | 3 | $35,000 |
| 5 | 4 | $35,500 |
| 6 | 5 | $36,000 |
| 7 | 6 | $38,000 |
| 8-9 | 7 | $40,000 |
| 10-11 | 8 | $42,000 |
| 12-13 | 9 | $44,000 |
| 14-15 | 10 | $46,000 |
| 16-17 | 11 | $50,000 |
| 18 | 12 | $54,000 |
[edit] School Budget
Highlands County School Board holds a public hearing on the final budget on August 18, 2009.
The District School Advisory Council held a meeting at the Highlands County School Board in January where residents learned the 2008-09 state budget shows a $332.3 million cut for education funding. The school board had just been notified that $1,691,086 was being cut from its budget.[11]
[edit] Academic Performance
[edit] 2007-2009
Below is a chart of the school's grade based on the student's performance of the statewide test called the FCAT.[12]
| School | Level | Grade: 2007-08 | Grade: 2008-09 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avon Elementary School | Elementary | C | A |
| Avon Park High School | High | D | D |
| Avon Park Middle School | Middle | C | C |
| Cracker Trail Elementary School | Elementary | B | B |
| Fred Wild Elementary School | Elementary | C | B |
| Hill-Gustat Middle School | Middle | A | A |
| Lake Country Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Lake Placid Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Lake Placid High School | High | D | D |
| Lake Placid Middle School | Middle | B | A |
| Memorial Elementary School | Elementary | Not Applicable | C |
| Park Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Sebring High School | High | C | D |
| Sebring Middle School | Middle | A | A |
| Sun'N Lake Elementary School | Elementary | B | B |
| Woodlawn Elementary School | Elementary | A | C |
[edit] Unions
Highlands County Schools' local unions are the Highlands County Education Association and the Highlands County Education Support Professionals, which extend from the Florida Education Association. All are taxpayer-funded lobbying organizations. Membership in the HCEA or HCESP automatically makes you a member of the Florida Education Association, the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers and the AFL-CIO.[13]
[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.[14]
[edit] School choice
- See also: Florida school choice
All typical Florida school choice programs are applicable in the Highlands County school system, yet there are no charter schools in the district. Students would need to apply for the Opportunity Scholarship Fund to be able to attend a school of their choice in another district.[15]
[edit] External links
- Highlands County School District official website
- School Finder - Highlands County
- School Matters - Highlands County
- Public School Review - Highland County
- Great Schools - Highlands County
[edit] References
- ↑ School Board
- ↑ Student Progression Plan
- ↑ Departments
- ↑ HCEA Contract
- ↑ HCESPA Contract
- ↑ Accountability reports
- ↑ Background Checks
- ↑ Records Policy
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 [1]
- ↑ School board powers and duties, Florida statute
- ↑ "Education budget cuts," Highlands Today, 19 January 2009
- ↑ Florida School Accountability Reports
- ↑ Member benefits
- ↑ Florida School Boards Association members list
- ↑ Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools, click Highlands
| |||||
