Osceola County School District, Florida

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Osceola County School District is a school district in Florida. The school system has a total attendance of 50,657 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.[3]
  • Internal audits are posted.[4]
  • Administrative officials are listed with contact information.[5]
  • FCAT results[6] and school accountability reports are available.[7]
  • Teachers contract[8] and awarded vendor contracts are listed.[9]
  • Provides information on how to make a public records request.[10]

[edit] The bad

  • Does not give any detail on background checks, only mentions all candidate for employment must have one done.[11]
  • No information provided on taxes.
Working for accountable government now


[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]

Member District
Jay Wheeler District 1
Julius Melendez District 2
Cindy Hartig District 3
David Stone, Vice Chair District 4
John McKay, Chair District 5

The Superintendent for the School District is Michael A. Grego. [13]

[edit] Schools Budget

In 2009 the school expects to spend $678,181,590 with $829,286,345 in total revenues, transfers, and balances. [14] Of this, over $270 million will go to pay for teachers' salaries and $157 million will go towards facilities Acquisition and Construction. [14] Additionally, the total student population of the county comes to 49,798.[15]

The school district expects to receive: [14]

  • $61,011,010 from Federal Sources
  • $203,543,938 from State sources
  • $258,234,382 from Local sources

There is a difference of -$110 million from the 2008-2009 school year. [14]

[edit] Millage

The proposed millage rates for the 2009-2010 are as follows: [16]

Name FY 08-09 FY 09-10 Change
Required Local Effort 5.059 5.165 0.106
Basic Discretionary Operating 0.498 0.748 0.250
Additional Discretionary 0.206 0.000 -0.206
Discretionary Critical Needs 0.000 0.250 0.250
Basic Discretionary Capital Outlay 1.750 1.500 -0.250
Total Millage 7.513 7.663 0.150

The total levy from taxes in 2008-2009 was $204,246,850 and it is expected to be $175,741,562 in 2010, a difference of -$28,505,288. [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.[17] To see results, click "show".

[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. [18] The results are included in Florida school districts lobbying totals. (For information on the project or to start your own, see the project page.)

Osceola County School District does not sponsor, fund, or underwrite any legislative receptions, and does not give gifts to legislators or members of the executive branch.[19] It has been active in lobbying in other ways: the district has spent $380,000 lobbying between 2001-2006 (see table).

Reported lobbying expenditures, 2000-2009 [20]
Year Amount spent on lobbying
2006 $40,000
2005 $80,000
2004 $80,000
2003 $80,000
2002 $80,000
2001 $20,000

The school district pays membership dues to the Florida School Boards Association, a taxpayer-funded lobbying association.[21]

[edit] Representation

Since 1999, the school district has spent $522,000 on lobbying contracts. This is an approximation, and does not include the totals for the school's relationship with Osceola Legislative Effort, nor does it include other lobbying expenditures:

Firm Date start Date end Amount
Osceola Legislative Effort11-15-199909-30-2001$120,000
Alcalde and Fay08-30-2001 08-30-2005 $240,000[22]
Mixon and Associates10-01-200509-30-2006 $18,000
Mixon and Associates 10-01-2006 09-20-2007 $18,000
Governmental Solutions01-01-200612-31-2006 $40,000
BH & Associates01-01-200712-31-2007 $40,000
BH & Associates01-01-200812-31-2008 $40,000
BH & Associates01-01-200906-30-2009 $24,000
Osceola Legislative Effort, c02-11-200009-30-2009?[23] [24] [25] [26]

Osceola is represented by the lobbying firms Mixon and Associates, Governmental Solutions, BH & Associates, Osceola Legislative Effort, and Alcade & Fay. [27]. It shares the services of Osceola Legislative Effort with Osceola County, the City of Kissimee, and the City of St. Cloud.[28] It is no longer represented by Alcalde & Fay.[29]

[edit] Legislation

In August 2009, school district officials collaborated with two key legislators, Rep. Will Weatherford from Pasco County and Rep. Seth McKeel from Polk County, on the workforce funding issue.[30]

Rumors of additional budget cuts in the 2009 season have spurred action to minimize backlash. Officials have been working with Senator Gaetz to promote their legislative priorities in economic development.[30] Representatives from the Florida Education Association, Florida Association of School Administrators, Florida Association of District School Superintendents, Florida School Boards Association, and other education associations convened to generate a tentative relief package based on the budget numbers of recent years.[30] Officials are also seeking to secure grants through the support of Senators Gardiner and Dockery, who both serve on the Conference Committee.[30]

Regarding the "Industry Training Center," officials have reached out to Dr. Fuller, Assistant Superintendent for Non-Traditional Schools, who initiated a similar program in Fort Walton. They are also seeking the aid of Senator Gaetz and Rep. Seth McKeel.[30]

Finally, on August 7, 2009, Osceola County Superintendent Michael Grego met with Rep. Rivera, the House General Government and Education Appropriation Chairman, to discuss delay in class size and the flexibility on the capital outlay.[30] A bill for a four-day week for students is in contention as well. While some believe such a bill would provide relief in light of the proposed budget cuts, Superintendent Michael Grego asserts that the bill would not address the "funding shortfall for education." [30]

[edit] Most recent

Osceola County School District has spent at least $24,000 on lobbying in 2009. This is from a contract with BH & Associates.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ↑ Budgets
  2. ↑ Board Members
  3. ↑ Meetings
  4. ↑ Internal Audit
  5. ↑ Dept Listing
  6. ↑ FCAT results
  7. ↑ School Grades
  8. ↑ Teacher Contract
  9. ↑ Awarded contracts
  10. ↑ Records Request
  11. ↑ Apply
  12. ↑ School board powers and duties, Florida statute
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 School Board for the School District of Osceola County, FL
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Osceola CSD 2009-2010 Budget
  15. ↑ Osceola County School District Information
  16. ↑ Osceola CSD 2009-2010 Budget, Page 13
  17. ↑ Florida School Accountability Reports
  18. ↑ Online Sunshine - Lobbying Information
  19. ↑ Osceola Schools FOIA letter
  20. ↑ Open Secrets
  21. ↑ Florida School Boards Association members list
  22. ↑ This is an estimate. The dates come from 30 days after the contract between the school district and firm was signed, and 30 days after the termination letter from the school district. The total is the contract amount per month of $5000 for 4 years.
  23. ↑ Osceola Legislative Effort, extension of agreement to 2003
  24. ↑ Osceola Legislative Effort, extension of agreement to 2005
  25. ↑ Osceola Legislative Effort, extension of agreement to 2007
  26. ↑ Osceola Legislative Effort, extension of agreement to 2009
  27. ↑ Client List
  28. ↑ Contract with Osceola Legislative Effort, Inc - 1999-2001
  29. ↑ Meeting Minutes
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 30.4 30.5 30.6 "Osceola Lobbyist E-mails", Osceola E-mails, August 2009


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