Lake County Schools, Florida

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Lake County School District is a school district in Florida. The school system has a total attendance of 40,501 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

  • Budget is published.[1]
  • School board members are listed with contact information.[2] Meeting schedule, minutes and agendas are available.
  • Administrative officials are listed in the directory.[3]
  • School testing[4] and accountability reports are posted.[5]
  • Labor[6] and vendor contracts are posted.[7]
  • Annual financial audits are available.[8]
  • Board policy on background checks is posted.[9]

[edit] The bad

  • Contact for public records requests is posted[10] but no other information is provided.
  • Does not provide information on taxes.

[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. [11]

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 Lake, all members serve a four year term. No members can serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office. A chairperson and a vice-chairperson are elected each year by the School Board.[12]

Below are the school district board members:[13]

School board member District Term Term expires
Larry Metz District 1 2nd 2010
Rosanne Brandeburg District 2
Cindy Barrow, Vice Chair District 3
Debbie Stivender District 4 1st
Kyleen Fischer, Chair District 5 2012

[edit] Teacher Contracts

An agreement exists between the School Board of Lake County and the Lake County Education Association for 2008-2009.[14]

[edit] School budget

The 2009-10 budget is $264.6 million, which is about $5.9 million less than the previous budget. Salaries account for nearly 85% of the spending.[15]

[edit] 2009 budget crisis

In 2009 Lake County Schools faced a budget crisis, with a need to cut some $30 million from the 2009-10 school year budget. The cuts are from a wide array of areas, including cuts in state funding, reduced property tax collections, and rising utility costs. In jeopardy were the jobs of 62 teachers along with 55 administrators and support staff.[16]

Proposed cuts were more modest, with 11 teaching positions classrooms and 23 teaching positions in the district office cut. That, along with 9 administrative positions and various staffers, saved $1.9 million.

The discretionary budget of every school was cut by 5% and the budgets accounting for operational costs, supplies, and equipment were each cut by 15%.[15]

School board members tentatively approved a new property tax of 25 cents per $1,000 in taxable property. It is scheduled for a final vote September 8, 2009. The proposed tax would generate about $5 million.[17]

In addition, Lake County School District is slated to receive $4,846,499 in Title I Grant allocations under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.[18]

Out of Florida's 67 counties, Lake ranks 66th in amount of money it receives from the state for education costs per student.[15]

[edit] Mill revenue

Below are the mill rates collected by the school district:

Year Millage Rate
2008-2009[19] 7.5170
2007-2008[20] 7.6980

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

[edit] Unions

The Lake County Education Association (LCEA) and the SEIU Local 8 represent the teachers and employees of the Lake county school district.[22]

[edit] School Choice

See also: Florida school choice

As of August 16, 2009, the "School Choice" page of the District's website is under construction,[23]despite the fact that there are currently nine Charter Schools in Lake County School District, three of which are Recognized Charter Schools. The data below is based on information taken from a February 2009 survey. [24]

Alee Academy Charter School offers grade levels 9th-12th to 285 students.
Altoona School offers grade levels K-5th to 121 students.
Lake Technical Center offers grade levels 9th-ADULT currently to 0 students.
Mascotte Elementary School offers grade levels Pre-K-5 to 864 students.
Milestones Community School Of Lake County, Inc. offers grade levels K-8th to 218 students.
Minneola Elementary School is a Recognized Charter School and was awarded $84,283 in 2008. The school offers grade levels PREK-5th to 1083 students.
Round Lake Elementary School is a Recognized Charter School and was awarded $93,696 in 2008. The school offers grade levels K-5th to 1207 students.
South Lake Charter Elementary School is a Recognized Charter School and was awarded $49,128 in 2008. The school offers grade levels K-8th to 739 students.<br? Spring Creek Elementary School offers grade levels PREK-6th to 653 students.

[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. [25] The results are included in Florida school districts lobbying totals. (For information on the project or to start your own, see the project page.) Lake County Schools has four registered lobbyists with the Florida legislature and executive for 2009.[26] [27]

[edit] Taxpayer-funded lobbying organizations

The school district is a member of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents and the Florida School Boards Association, both taxpayer-funded lobbying associations. [28]

Payments to Florida Association of District School Superintendents Payments to Florida School Board Association
Year Check # Date Amount
2004-2005 Dues1127135/12/2004$15,844
2005-2006 Dues1303674/8/2005$17,361
2006-2007 Dues1493373/31/2006$17,373
2007-2008 Dues1775325/9/2007$17,382
2008-2009 Dues10139607/18/2008$16,748
2009-2010 Dues1083316/22/2009$15,911
Year Check # Date Amount
2004-2005 Dues1083313/12/2004$19,725
2005-2006 Dues1303694/8/2005$20,376
2006-2007 Dues1498014/7/2006$21,069
2007-2008 Dues1673463/16/2007$21,596
2008-2009 Dues10055812/29/2008$22,481
2009-2010 Dues10254243/13/2009$21,596

Total dues paid to the FADSS since 2004 equal $100,619.[28]

Total dues paid to the FSBA since 2004 total $126,843. Therefore, the school district has spent $227,462 on membership dues to taxpayer-funded lobbying associations since 2004. [28]

[edit] Representation

The school district is represented by the lobbying firm Mixon & Associates, specifically, by lobbyists M. Juhan Mixon, James P. Hamilton, Henry Boekhoff, and Michael O'Farrell.[28] Contracts with the firm are $20,000 for a year. Lake County Schools has a contract with Mixon & Associates for $20,000 for one year, [28]

[edit] Most recent

Dues for the Florida Association of School Superintendents were $15,911, and $21,596 for the Florida School Boards Association, for 2009. Representation from Mixon and Associates for this time period costs $20,000. Total, Lake County Schools has spent $57,507 for 2009.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

Working for accountable government now


  1. ↑ Budget
  2. ↑ Board Members
  3. ↑ Directory
  4. ↑ Testing
  5. ↑ Accountability
  6. ↑ Labor Contracts
  7. ↑ Vendor Contracts
  8. ↑ CAFR
  9. ↑ Background Checks
  10. ↑ Records Contact
  11. ↑ School board powers and duties, Florida statute
  12. ↑ Lake County School Board Manual - Organization and Officers of the Board
  13. ↑ School board members
  14. ↑ Board Approved LCEA Agreement 08-09
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Orlando Sentinel Before vote on tax hike, read school budget, July 26, 2009
  16. ↑ Employment Spectator Florida’s Lake County School District Faces Possible Mass Layoffs, February 17, 2009
  17. ↑ Orlando Sentinel Lake County School Board OKs extra property tax, July 27, 2009
  18. ↑ Grants to Local Educational Agencies - FLORIDA
  19. ↑ 2009 Budget Report
  20. ↑ 2008 Budget Report
  21. ↑ Florida School Accountability Reports
  22. ↑ Lake County Education Association
  23. ↑ Lake County Schools - School Choice
  24. ↑ Charter Schools by district
  25. ↑ Online Sunshine - Lobbying Information
  26. ↑ Florida Executive — 2009 Registrations By Principal Name
  27. ↑ Florida Legislature — 2009 Registrations By Principal Name
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 Lake County Schools lobbying contracts and payments


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