St. Johns County School District, Florida
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Contents |
[edit] Website evaluation
In 2011 St. Johns County School District earned a Sunny Award for having a perfect website transparency score.
This website was most recently reviewed Jan. 20, 2012.
- Main article: Evaluation of Florida school district websites
[edit] The good
- School board members listed with contact information. Meeting schedule, minutes, and recent agenda available.[1]
- Administrative officials listed with contact information.[2]
- Budget is published.[3]
- Annual audits are available.[4] Financial activities are also posted under the website's Transparency section.[5]
- Information on background checks is provided.[6]
- Union[7] and vendor contract information is provided.[8]
- Provides information on the standardized tests in the district.[9]
- Information provided on how to make public records requests.[10]
- Tax information is provided.[11]
[edit] Transparency website
St. Johns has also launched a transparency section of their website where users can find detailed information about the school district's spending, including: taxes, audits, bids, budgets and even monthly bills.[12]
[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. [13]
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.
The Chair and the Vice-Chair are elected for one year terms every November. The school board can create committees where necessary. [14]
The school board is empowered to determine the policies for the school system.
| Member | District | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Beverly Slough | District 1 | 2006-2010 |
| Tommy Allen Chairman | District 2 | 2008-2012 |
| Bill Mignon Vice Chairman | District 3 | 2006-2010 |
| Bill Fehling | District 4 | 2006-2010 |
| Carla Wright | District 5 | 2008-2012 |
The Superintendent of schools is Joseph Joyner. [15]
[edit] School Budget
There was a 2% budget cut in 2008-2009 in response to the slowing economy. The District continued a hiring freeze for 2009. In 2009-2010 there were $10.2 million in Federal Stabilization Funds. [16] The tentative budget for 2009-2010 is $433,487,124.14 which should cover the needs of 29,724 K-12 students[17] The operating budget is $3.8 million higher than 2008-2009 but $7.9 million lower than 2007-2008. In order to achieve savings the following cuts have been made:[17]
- Ninety fewer support staff than 08-09 and 290 fewer support staff than 07-08.
- Reduction of 1.2 million in funds for new textbooks.
- A reduction of $300,000 in Supplemental Academic Instruments.
- Schools with 25% less operating funds.
- Departments with 30% less operating funds.
- $300,000 in savings provided by vendors.
- Closing of schools (except high schools) for the summer to conserve energy
- A reduction of $26.8 million in in the Capital Budget
The total spending budget for the district in the last completed fiscal year was $221,327,000, which was, and will be again, split into four components:
- Instruction: $98,151,000
- Teacher Salaries: $63,139,000
- Pupils: $10,332,000
- Total Support Services: $62,337,000
Additionally, there are currently 25,757 active students in the district.[18]
[edit] Millage
The proposed millage rate for 2009-2010 for this district: [17]
| Type | 2008-09 | 2009-10 Proposed | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required Local Effort Millage | 5.111 | 5.294 | 0.183 |
| Basic Discretionary Effort | 0.098 | 0.748 | 0.009 |
| Supplemental Discretionary Effort | 0.121 | 0.250 | 0.250 |
| Local Capital Improvement Millage | 1.75 | 1.500 | -0.250 |
| Total Non-Voted Levy | 7.801 | 7.480 | 0.321 |
| Debt Service (Voter-Approved) | 0.162 | 0.000 | -0.162 |
| Total | 7.642 | 7.801 | 0.159 |
[edit] Academic Performance
The school district is the third in the state in total FCAT points. Only one of ten districts to have earned an "A" rating for seven consecutive years. Tied for first in the state in reading and third for Math. [19]
[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.[20] To see results, click "show".
| School | Level | Grade: 2007-08 | Grade: 2008-09 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy For Business And Leadership Education | Combination | C | A |
| Alice B. Landrum Middle School | Middle | A | A |
| Allen D Nease Senior High School | High | A | B |
| Bartram Trail High School | High | A | A |
| Creekside High School | High | A | |
| Crookshank Elementary School | Elementary | A | B |
| Cunningham Creek Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Durbin Creek Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Fruit Cove Middle School | Middle | A | A |
| Gamble Rogers Middle School | Middle | A | A |
| Hickory Creek Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Julington Creek Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Ketterlinus Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Liberty Pines Academy | Combination | A | |
| Mill Creek Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Murray Middle School | Middle | A | A |
| Ocean Palms Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| Osceola Elementary School | Elementary | B | A |
| Otis A. Mason Elementary School | Elementary | B | A |
| Pacetti Bay Middle School | Middle | A | A |
| Pedro Menendez High School | High | B | D |
| Ponte Vedra High School | High | B | |
| Ponte Vedra Palm Valley/Rawlings Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| R. B. Hunt Elementary School | Elementary | A | B |
| Sebastian Middle School | Middle | A | A |
| South Woods Elementary School | Elementary | B | A |
| St. Augustine High School | High | B | A |
| St. Johns Technical High School | High | F | |
| Switzerland Point Middle School | Middle | A | A |
| The Webster School | Combination | A | A |
| Timberlin Creek Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
| W. Douglas Hartley Elementary | Elementary | A | A |
| Wards Creek Elementary School | Elementary | A | A |
[edit] District Size
The following is the school district population: [21]
| Year | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | 20,918 | 21,910 | 23,090 | 24,320 | 25,757 | 26,474 | 27,514 |
[edit] Unions
The union for this district is the St. Johns Education Association. [22]
[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. [23] 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.)
St. Johns County School District has four registered lobbyists with the Florida legislature and executive for 2009. [24] [25] Two of these lobbyists work to influence the executive. Payments made to the lobbying firm Mixon and Associates total $56,200 since 2004. [26]
| Date start | Date end | Amount |
| Aug-2009 | Jul-2010 | $10,200 |
| Aug-2008 | Jul-2009 | $12,000 |
| Aug-2006 | Jul-2007 | $12,000 |
| Aug-2005 | Jul-2006 | $12,000 |
| Jul-2004 | Jun-2005 | $10,000 |
The actual payments made to the firm (covering expenses outside the contract amount) total $73,687.37 since 2004.[26] For 2009, $7,732.69 has been spent.
The school district pays membership dues to the Florida School Boards Association, a taxpayer-funded lobbying association.[27]
St. Johns County School District does not hold legislative receptions, nor does it give gifts to public officials.
[edit] Most recent
The current contract St. Johns County School District has with Mixon & Associates is for $10,200.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ↑ School Board
- ↑ Contact Us
- ↑ Budget
- ↑ Accounting
- ↑ Transparency
- ↑ Screening
- ↑ Contracts
- ↑ Awarded Vendor Contracts
- ↑ Testing Facts
- ↑ Records Requests
- ↑ Taxes
- ↑ St. Johns County School District, Transparency
- ↑ School board powers and duties, Florida statute
- ↑ School Board Governance
- ↑ St. Johns County School District
- ↑ Tentative School District Budget
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Tentative Budget FY 2009-2010
- ↑ St. Johns County School District Information
- ↑ State of Schools Presentation
- ↑ Florida School Accountability Reports
- ↑ St. Augustine Record: September 25, 2007- Schools' explosive growth continues By Paulette Perhach
- ↑ SJEA
- ↑ Online Sunshine - Lobbying Information
- ↑ Florida Executive — 2009 Registrations By Principal Name
- ↑ Florida Legislature — 2009 Registrations By Principal Name
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Contracts - St. Johns County School District
- ↑ Florida School Boards Association members list
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