Indian River 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
- Budget is published.[1]
- School board members are listed with contact information.[2] Meeting minutes, agendas, and videos are available.[3]
- Administrative officials are listed with contact information.[4]
- Annual financial audits are available.[5]
- Lottery reports and a presentation "Shining the light on the education budget" are available.[6]
- Awarded vendor contracts are available.[7] Labor contracts posted.[8]
- Information is provided on making [[Floridasunshinereview.org requests.[9]
- Student progression plan[10] and testing information provided.[11]
[edit] The bad
- Does not provide information on 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. [12]
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 current school board members. [13]
| Member | District |
|---|---|
| Karen Disney-Brombach, Vice-Chair | District 1 |
| Matthew McCain | District 2 |
| Carol Johnson, Chair | District 3 |
| Claudia Jiménez | District 4 |
| Debbie MacKay | District 5 |
The Indian River County Superintendent is Dr. Harry La Cava, Ed.D., who previously spent nearly 30 years working in our nation's sixth largest school district; Broward County Public Schools. [14]
[edit] Teacher contracts
A 2006-2009 agreement exists between the Indian River School Board and the Indian River County Education Association. [15]
[edit] School budget
The schools tentative budget for 2009-10 school year is $322,499,898, which will be $33,134,723 less than the 2008-09 school year.[16] Of that $79,874,251 is dedicated to instruction and $$6,779,735 to school administration.[16] The district is enforcing a 10% budget reduction for next year over the present budget, based on assumptions that the state would be cutting our funding by that percent. The change in funds from the state include a 2.25% increase over the final funding of the 2008-2009 school year. Several cuts have been made to this year’s budget. This 2.25% is an increase to the fourth calculation from this school year, but it is not a 10% reduction as the district had predicted.[17]
The Indian River School District is slated to receive $1,932,145 in Title I Grant allocations under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.[18]
The school revenues are allocated by Federal, State and Local resources. The allocations were as follows:[16]
- Federal: $265,000
- State: $24,148,188
- Local: $121,124,414
[edit] Academic performance
[edit] 2007-2008
Below is a chart of the school's grade based on the student's performance of the statewide test called the FCAT.[19] To see results, click "show".
| School | Level | Grade: 2007-08 | Grade: 2008-09 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beachland Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Citrus Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Dodgertown Elementary School | Elementary | A | B |
| Fellsmere Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Gifford Middle School | Middle | A | A |
| Glendale Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Highlands Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Imagine Schools At South Vero | Elementary | Not Applicable | A |
| Indian River Charter High School | High | B | A |
| Liberty Magnet School | Elementary | B | A |
| North County Charter School | Elementary | A | Not Applicable |
| Osceola Magnet School | Elementary | A | A |
| Oslo Middle School | Middle | A | A |
| Pelican Island Elementary School | Elementary | B | A |
| Rosewood Magnet School | Elementary | A | A |
| Sebastian Charter Junior High School | Middle | A | A |
| Sebastian Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Sebastian River High School | High | B | A |
| Sebastian River Middle School | Middle | A | A |
| St. Peter's Academy | Elementary | C | A |
| Thompson Magnet School | Elementary | C | A |
| Treasure Coast Elementary School | Elementary | B | A |
| Vero Beach Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Vero Beach High School | Combination | B | B |
[edit] Unions
The Indian River County Education Association is the union representing teachers employed by School District of Indian River County.[20]
[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. [21] The results are included in Florida school districts lobbying totals. (For information on the project or to start your own, see the project page.)
Indian River School District has four registered lobbyists with the Florida legislature and executive for 2009. [22] [23] Only three of these lobbyists work towards influencing the executive.
Indian River pays membership dues to the Florida School Boards Association, a taxpayer-funded lobbying association.[24]
[edit] Representation
The school district is represented by the lobbying firms Mixon and Associates and Schoolhouse Consulting Group. Indian River School District has spent $142,706.12 since 2003 on lobbying contracts.
| Firm | Date start | Date end | Amount |
| Mixon and Associates | 07-01-2003 | 06-30-2004 | $16,500.00 |
| Mixon and Associates | 07-01-2008 | 06-30-2009 | $9,871.80 |
| Mixon and Associates | 01-01-2009 | 06-30-2010 | $6,900.00 |
| Schoolhouse Consulting Group | 07-01-2008 | 06-30-2009 | $6,884.50 |
| Schoolhouse Consulting Group | 07-01-2009 | 06-30-2010 | $6,663.00 |
| Mixon and Associates | 07-01-2004 | 06-30-2005 | $18,109.86 |
| Schoolhouse Consulting Group | - | 01-30-2005 | $5,617.50 |
| Mixon and Associates | 07-01-2007 | 06-30-2008 | $14,718.98 |
| Schoolhouse Consulting Group | - | 07-18-2007 | $6,884.50 |
| Mixon and Associates | 07-01-2005 | 06-30-2006 | $19,020.22 |
| Schoolhouse Consulting Group | - | 09-30-2005 | $5,617.50 |
| Mixon and Associates | 07-01-2006 | 06-30-2007 | $20,301.26 |
| Schoolhouse Consulting Group | - | 08-14-2006 | $5,617.00 |
[edit] Legislative receptions
In 2008, the district had a legislative breakfast and invited members of the Florida House and Senate to attend at $75 a person. [25] Representative Ralph Poppel, Senator Ken Pruitt, and Senator Mike Haridopolos attended. [25] The invitation to interested parties included the school district's priorities for the year. [26]
The district has hosted at least two other such receptions:
- In 2004, catering for the reception cost $278.75.[27]
- In 2005, catering for the reception cost $290.75. [28]
As only the catering invoices are available for these receptions, a full estimate of costs for the receptions is not possible.
[edit] Priorities and issue stances
The School Board of Indian River County outlined a number of it's 2009 key legislative priorities, which include:
- Continual distribution of Class Size funds on a pro-rata FTE basis for equity among districts.
- Increasing the 1997 per-student-station cost cap to reflect the current market-basket construction index.
- Increasing the Base Student Allocation (BSA).
- Forming a summer study committee to examine the long term impact of FCAT administration as well as the long term effects of 3rd grade retention.
- Allowing School Boards to levy 1/2 Penny Sales Tax.
In addition, the Indian River School Board also opposes Amendment 5, which would reduce property tax bills about 25 percent by abolishing a portion that goes exclusively to schools.
[edit] Most recent
The school district has spent $13,563.00 on a contract with lobbying firms Mixon and Associates and Schoolhouse Consulting in 2009.
[edit] School choice
- See also: Florida school choice
The School District of Indian River County (SDIRC) receives an annual entitlement allocation of federal dollars to provide resources to meet the purpose of Title I. Schools that have high percentages of children who qualify for free or reduced lunch receive an allocation, which is spent on resources to support the purpose of Title I and the goals of their School Improvement Plan. Part A funds must also be used to provide appropriate services to homeless children, children in local institutions for neglected children, and to ensure that participating private schools receive "equitable" services. [29]
Below is a list of schools receiving Title I resources for 2009-2010.[29]
Dodgertown Elementary
Fellsmere Elementary
Highlands Elementary
St. Peter’s Charter Academy
Vero Beach Elementary
There are currently five Charter Schools in Indian River County School District, two of which are Recognized Charter Schools. The data below is based on information taken from a February 2009 survey. [30]
Imagine Schools At South Vero offers grade levels K-5th to 435 students.
Indian River Charter High School offers grade levels 9th-12th to 620 students.
North County Charter School is a Recognized Charter School and was awarded $8,755 in 2008. The school offers grade levels K-5th to 97 students.
Sebastian Charter Junior High School is a Recognized Charter School and was awarded $11,138 in 2008. The school offers grade levels 6th-8th to 132 students.
St. Peter's Academy offers grade levels K-6th to 109 students.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Indian River County School District official website
- FL Dept. of Education - Indian River school district data
- Education.com - Indian River Schools
[edit] References
- ↑ Budget
- ↑ School Board
- ↑ Meetings
- ↑ Departments
- ↑ CAFR
- ↑ Finance
- ↑ Purchasing
- ↑ Employees
- ↑ Records Requests
- ↑ Progression Plan
- ↑ Parent Links
- ↑ School board powers and duties, Florida statute
- ↑ Indian River School Board Members
- ↑ Superintendent Dr. Harry Cava's Biography
- ↑ Indian River CEA Agreement 2006-2009
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Indian River 2009-10 school budget
- ↑ Indian River County Education Association Budget Issues
- ↑ Grants to Local Educational Agencies - FLORIDA
- ↑ Florida School Accountability Reports
- ↑ Indian River Schools Employee Page
- ↑ Online Sunshine - Lobbying Information
- ↑ Florida Executive — 2009 Registrations By Principal Name
- ↑ Florida Legislature — 2009 Registrations By Principal Name
- ↑ Florida School Boards Association members list
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Legislative breakfast, invoice and letters
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Purchase order and invoice, legislative breakfast, 08/20/2004
- ↑ Purchase order and invoice, legislative breakfast, 10/03/2005
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 [2]
- ↑ Charter Schools by district
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