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Marion County Public Schools, Florida

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Taxes P
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Budget Y
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Meetings Y
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Elected Officials Y
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Administrative Officials Y
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Contracts Y
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Audits Y
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Public records Y
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Academics Y
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Background checks Y
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School district websites
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Transparency grading process


Marion County School District is a school district in Florida. The school system has a total attendance of 42,108 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

In 2011 Marion County Public Schools earned a Sunny Award for having a perfect website transparency score.

Main article: Evaluation of Florida school district websites

Last rated February 11, 2012.

[edit] The good

  • School board members are listed with contact information.[1] Meeting minutes[2] and agendas are available.[3]
  • Academic guidance and testing information is provided.[4]
  • Budgets, including revenue information, and audit reports are published.[5]
  • Information on how to make public records requests is posted.[6]
  • Union[7] and vendor contracts are posted.[8]
  • School board policy outlines background checks for employees.[9]
  • Administrative officials listed with contact information under respective department.[10]

[edit] The bad

  • Millage information is provided, but there is no other information on taxes.[11]

[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 are the school district board members:[13]

School board member District Term Term expires
Judi Zanetti District 1 2012
Jacqueline Porter District 2 2012
Bobby L. James, Chair District 3 2010
Sue Mosley District 4 2010
Ron Crawford District 5 2010

[edit] School Budget

Marion County school district currently retains $338,100,000 for its general operations budget, a total which is compiled from adding together other groupings of budgetary needs, which are:

  • Instruction: $161,905,000
  • Teacher Salaries: $103,242,000
  • Pupils: $18,536,000
  • Total Support Services: $109,437,000

Furthermore, there are currently 42,035 students enrolled in the school district.[14]

[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.[15] To see results, click "show".

[edit] Unions

The Marion Education Association (MEA) is the teacher's union for this school district. It has over 1,700 members.[16]

Chris Altobello currently serves as President.[17]

MEA describes its function on its website, stating, "MEA works diligently to improve professional compensation and protecting our members' rights through expert collective bargaining, grievance processing and political action. At the same time, we are strong advocates for professionalism in education. Thus, we offer training, seminars and workshops, as well as up-to-the-minute information on the constantly changing demands and requirements of our profession."[18]

[edit] Lobbying

Main article: Florida taxpayer-funded lobbying

Taxpayer-funded lobbying is the practice of government entities using public funds to lobby. This occurs at all levels of government: it can be at the federal level or occur at local level with cities and counties, for example. These activities are hard to track because of the broad nature of lobbying, among other reasons. The issues lobbied for by governments can 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. [19] The results of the information requests are included in Florida school districts lobbying totals. (For information on the project or to start your own, see the project page.) The school district received the FOIA request on July 27, and sent a response letter postmarked August 11. The district asked for $242.64 for the request. [20]

Marion County Public Schools has four registered lobbyists with the Florida legislature and two lobbyists registered with the executive branch for 2009.[21] [22]

The school district pays membership dues to the Florida School Boards Association, a taxpayer-funded lobbying association.[23]

[edit] Representation

Marion County Public Schools has been represented by the lobbying firm Mixon & Associates since at least 2006.

For the 2006-2007 period, the school district had a contract with the firm for $20,000.[24]

Payments to Mixon & Associates, 2006-2007
Date Payment
03-2006$1,666.66
04-2006$1,666.66
05-2006$1,666.66
06-2006$1,666.66
07-2006$1,666.66
08-2006$1,666.66
09-2006$1,666.66
10-2006$1,666.66
11-2006$1,666.66
12-2006$1,666.66
01-2007$1,666.66
02-2007$1,666.66

Payments made to Mixon & Associates for the contract terms total $19,999.92 for this period.[24]

The contract with the firm for 2007-2008 was for $20,000. [25]

Between March 1, 2008 and February 28, 2009, Marion County schools had a contract with Mixon & Associates for $20,000.[26]

For 2009-2010, the district has an agreement with the firm for $20,000. [27]

Contracts with Mixon & Associates, 2006-present
Contract start Contract end Amount
Mar-2006Feb-2007$20,000
Mar-2007Feb-2008$20,000
Mar-2008Feb-2009$20,000
Mar-2009Feb-2010$20,000

[edit] Most recent

Marion County Public Schools has a contract with its lobbying firm for $20,000 for 2009-2010.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

http://sunshinestandard.org
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  1. ↑ Board Members
  2. ↑ Minutes
  3. ↑ Agendas
  4. ↑ Guidance and Testing
  5. ↑ Finance
  6. ↑ Records Requests
  7. ↑ Union Contracts
  8. ↑ Vendor Contracts
  9. ↑ Employment policies
  10. ↑ Departments
  11. ↑ http://www.marion.k12.fl.us/dept/fin/finpub/budgets/FinalBudget10_11.pdf
  12. ↑ School board powers and duties, Florida statute
  13. ↑ School board members
  14. ↑ Marion County School District Information
  15. ↑ Florida School Accountability Reports
  16. ↑ Marion Education Association
  17. ↑ MEA Leadership Team
  18. ↑ MEA Who We Are
  19. ↑ Online Sunshine - Lobbying Information
  20. ↑ Marion FOIA response
  21. ↑ Florida Executive — 2009 Registrations By Principal Name
  22. ↑ Florida Legislature — 2009 Registrations By Principal Name
  23. ↑ Florida School Boards Association members list
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Payments to Mixon & Associates, 2006-2007
  25. ↑ Payments and contract to Mixon & Associates
  26. ↑ [1]
  27. ↑ Payments and contract, Mixon & Associates, 2009-2010


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