Hillsborough County Public Schools, Florida

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Hillsborough County School District is a school district in Florida. The school system has a total attendance of 188,227 students project for the 2009-2010 school year. The Florida Department of Education provides a list of past, current, and future school enrollment totals for each district.

[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, digests, and agendas are posted.[2]
  • Annual financial audit reports are posted.[3]
  • Administrative officials are listed with contact information.[4]
  • Labor contracts are available.[5]
  • Has information on benchmarks for academic performance[6], as well as testing and accountability.[7]
  • Has information about taxes, background checks, vendors, contracts, and how to make public records requests.

[edit] The bad

  • Budget summary posted, full budget is not available.[8]

[edit] The bad

  • Budget summary posted, full budget is not available.[9]


Information about taxes can be found by typing "tax" in the search engine at the top of the homepage, or by going to the online school board agenda page and typing the word "tax." The current millage rate and taxes are available at http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/boardagenda/pdfs/BD20090903_360/Attch_20090903_360_E01.pdf

A list of vendors is available by typing the word "vendor" in the search window. It takes you to a website that has all kinds of information, including a list of vendors, a bid schedule, current bids, and background checks information. http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/procurement/vendorsbidders.asp. All contracts are posted on the school board agendas page, for which there is a link on the homepage, http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/boardagenda/search/. Individual contracts can be located through the search function on that page.

As far as background checks, there is information about the Jessica Lunsford Act, if you're talking about vendor background checks, on http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/procurement/vendorsbidders.asp. If you mean employment background checks/criminal history records, you can find information through the employment web site: http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/HumanResources/Documents/ApplicationCenter.asp

A form is available on the Communications web page with information about requesting non-student public records. By typing the word "record" in the search window you will find the first link is Communications: http://publicaffairs.mysdhc.org/files2008-09/prrequest.pdf.

[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. [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.

MaryEllen Elia is the Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent appointed in 2005.

Member District Term expires
Susan L. Valdes, Vice-Chair District 1 2012
Candy Olson District 2 2010
Dr. Jack Lamb District 3 2012
Jennifer Faliero District 4 2010
Doretha Edgecomb District 5 2012
April Griffin District 6 2010
Carol W. Kurdell, Chair District 7 2012

[edit] School board spending

School board spending The Hillsborough County School Board, the nation's eighth-largest school district, imposed a travel moratorium on itself until it can set up both guidelines and a travel budget. The board currently does not have guidelines in place, with it's seven members spending $40,000 annually on travel costs.

"We have people who are spending more than their fair share," Chairwoman Jennifer Faliero told fellow board members in pushing for the moratorium. Later she confirmed she was referring to member Susan Valdes' expenses.[11]

Valdes spent $13,513 in 2006-07 and $10,503 in 2007-08 on travel, school district records show while other board members spent an average of $1,500 to $7,500.

Valdes defended herself, saying she has cut back her spending after earlier criticism. As a rookie board member, she said, she had been encouraged by other members to travel to gain experience.

[edit] Teacher contracts

As of July 9, 2009, Hillsborough teachers and the district were still divided on contract issues. Negotiations between the teachers' union have been teetering back and forth at this point.

"We don’t want to agree in advance to future cuts," said Jean Clements, president of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers' Association. "If we need to come back to the table, we can come back to the table."

The district said they anticipate a $10.9 million budget shortfall for the 09-10 school year. One possible solution they propose is two days of unpaid furlough for teachers and three days of unpaid furlough for administrators and other 12-month staff. This measure would save $11.3 million.

Union officials say that as the economic climate seems to be clearing, revenues could raise, easing the shortfall. This would, they say, allow teachers to take their normal 2 percent step increase on the salary scale.

Deputy superintendent Dan Valdez told the union in June that this raise would be impossible. The negotiations have come to agreement on canceling school for the entire week of Thanksgiving and add the days elsewhere to save money wasted on that week's typically poor attendance.

The union has proposed weekly early dismissal for extra planning time for the teachers, which the county has not accepted.

"We’re still saying our teachers desperately need this planning time, and they don’t have enough time now," Clements said.[12]

[edit] School budget

Hillsborough County Public Schools has approriated $1,767,049,964.70 with $970,577,009.31 dedicated to salaries and $289,174,935.05 to employee benefits.[13]

[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.[14] To see results, click on "show".

[edit] Unions

The Hillsborough Classroom Teachers' Association represents the teachers in the district.

Recently, the Hillsborough County schools and teachers' union joined forces with a nonprofit Florida voucher group to help train private school teachers.

"Bottom line is these are our children, they are disadvantaged children, and they often return to our public schools," said Jean Clements, president of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers' Association. "I want them to get the best possible education, wherever they get it."[15]

[edit] School choice

There are currently twenty-three Charter Schools in Hillsborough County School District, six of which are Recognized Charter Schools. The data below is based on information taken from a February 2009 survey.[16]

Anderson Elementary Academy offers grade levels K-5th to 115 students.
Brooks Debartolo Collegiate High School offers grade levels 9th-12th to 242 students.
Community Charter School Of Excellence offers grade levels K-5th to 124 students.
Florida Autism Charter School Of Excellence offers grade levels PreK-12th to 69 students.
Hope Preparatory Academy offers grade levels K-5th to 74 students.
Kids Community college offers grade levels K-5th to 224 students.
Learning Gate Community School is a Recognized Charter School that was awarded $42,543 in 2008. The school offers grade levels K-8th to 527 students.
Literacy Leadership Charter High School offers grade levels 9th-12th to 65 students.
Literacy/Leadership/Technology Academy offers grade levels 6th-8th to 230 students.
Mount Pleasant Standard Base Middle School offers grade levels 6th-8th to 115 students.
Pepin Academy Of Tampa offers grade levels 9th-12th to 149 students.
Quest Middle School offers grade levels 6th-8th to 115 students.
Rcma Wimauma Academy offers grade levels K-5th to 151 students.
Richardson Academy offers grade levels PREK-5th to 82 students.
Shiloh Elementary Charter School is a Recognized Charter School that was awarded $16,477 in 2008. The school offers grade levels K-5th to 392 students.
Tampa Bay Academy offers grade levels K-12th to 115 students.
Tampa Charter School is a Recognized Charter School that was awarded $9,648 in 2008. The school offers grade levels 3rd-8th to 151 students.
Terrace Community Middle School is a Recognized Charter School that was awarded $42,840 in 2008. The school offers grade levels 6th-8th to 528 students.
Trinity School For Children - Lower Division is a Recognized Charter School that was awarded $35,105 in 2008. The school offers grade levels K-5th to 411 students.
Trinity Upper School is a Recognized Charter School that was awarded $16,575 in 2008. The school offers grade levels 6th-8th to 185 students.
Village Of Excellence Academy offers grade levels K-5th to 112 students.
Walton Academy offers grade levels K-5th to 165 students.

Step Up for Students — which runs the state's tax credit voucher program — plans to spend at least $100,000 on classes for teachers who serve its scholarship students, among the county's most economically disadvantaged children. The school district and union will provide space in the jointly developed Center for Technology and Education.[15]

[edit] Lobbying

Main article: Florida taxpayer-funded lobbying

Taxpayer-funded lobbying, public entities using funds to lobby for special interests, happens in cities, counties, and other entities. These activities are hard to track. The issues lobbied for may be diverse, but school lobbying typically deals with issues close to the school district or school board.

In July 2009, Sunshine Review submitted Freedom of Information Act requests to the 27 Florida school districts with lobbyists registered for 2009 with the Florida legislature. [17] The results are included in Florida school districts lobbying totals. (For information on the project or to start your own, see the project page.) Hillsborough County Public Schools has three registered lobbyists with the Florida legislature and executive for 2009. [18] [19]

The school district pays membership dues to the Florida School Boards Association, a taxpayer-funded lobbying association.[20]


Hillsborough contracts with lobbying firms
Firm Start date End date Amount Paid
H. Lee Moffitt1-Jan-0430-Jun-04$25,000 $29,250
Carlton Fields Government Consulting1-Jan-0430-Jun-04$35,000 $35,159.53
Carlton Fields Government Consulting1-Jan-0530-Jun-05$35,000 $35,051.60
Carlton Fields Government Consulting1-Jan-0630-Jun-06$35,000 $35,891.95
H. Lee Moffitt1-Jan-0730-Jun-07$25,000 $25,000
Carlton Fields Government Consulting1-Jan-0730-Jun-07$35,000 $35,000
Holland & Knight1-Sep-071-Jul-08$35,000 $35,053.70
HBEC group27-Aug-0730-Jun-08$65,000 $65,000
Holland & Knight1-Nov-081-Jul-08$35,000 $35,054.10
HBEC Group31-Jul-0831-May-09$65,000 $65,000
HBEC Group1-Jul-0930-Jun-11$60,000 -

In the table above,[21] payments made to the firm and the the contract amount may differ if the firm accrued other expenditures covered under the contract terms.

The school district has spent $455,461 on lobbying contracts since 2004.[21] It has held contracts with H. Lee Moffitt, Carlton Fields Government Consulting, Holland & Knight, HBEC group. Currently, Hillsborough schools is represented by HBEC group until 2011.[21]

[edit] Representation

The firm, when under the representation of Carlton Fields Government Consulting, switched to Holland & Knight. This is because the lobbyist representing the school district, Bob Martinez, switched firms. The school district wanted to maintain their contract with Martinez, so it followed him to Holland & Knight. [22]

[edit] Most recent

The school district has a contract with HBEC group for $60,000 per year for the period of July 2009 - June 2011. HBEC agreed to take a reduction of $5,000.00 to the previous yearly amount due to budget constraints. Hillsborough County's cost for HBEC is $60,000.00, including all expenses incurred, meaning $60,000 for 2009.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ↑ Board Members
  2. ↑ Meetings
  3. ↑ CAFR
  4. ↑ Directory
  5. ↑ Contracts
  6. ↑ Benchmarks
  7. ↑ Assessment and Accountability
  8. ↑ Budget
  9. ↑ Budget
  10. ↑ School board powers and duties, Florida statute
  11. ↑ Tampa Bay Online, Hillsborough School Board Halts Travel As It Studies Costs, July 16, 2008
  12. ↑ "Hillsborough teachers, district remain divided on contract issues," Saint Petersburg Times, 9 July 2009
  13. ↑ Hillsborough 2008-09 school budget
  14. ↑ Florida School Accountability Reports
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 [1]
  16. ↑ Charter Schools by district
  17. ↑ Online Sunshine - Lobbying Information
  18. ↑ Florida Executive — 2009 Registrations By Principal Name
  19. ↑ Florida Legislature — 2009 Registrations By Principal Name
  20. ↑ Florida School Boards Association members list
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Legislative Services Hillsborough Count Public Schools
  22. ↑ E-mail with Hillsborough County Public Schools


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