Volusia County Schools, Florida

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Volusia County School District is a school district in Florida. The school system has a total attendance of 61,432 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

  • Current budget is available.[1]
  • Audits are available.[2]
  • School board members are listed with contact information. Meeting information, minutes and agendas available.[3]
  • Superintendent's contact information provided.[4] Other admin officials listed in directory.[5]
  • Contracts are available.[6]
  • Provides links to school accountability reports[7] and FCAT information.[8]
  • Information provided on background checks.[9]

[edit] The bad

Working for accountable government now
  • Site does not have a search function.
  • Information is not provided on taxes.
  • Does not contain information on how to make public records requests.

[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. [10]

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 Volusia County Schools superintendent in 2009 is Dr. Margaret Smith.[11]

Member District Term Term Expires
Diane Smith, Chair District 5 1st 2010
Candace Lankford, Vice-Chair District 1 2nd 2010
Judith Conte District 4 5th 2012
Stan Schmidt District 3 1st 2010
Alfred Williams District 2 2nd 2012

[edit] Teacher contracts

In Winter 2009, Volusia County School and teacher union officials agreed on a new contract:[12]

  • Pay for teachers with a Bachelor's degree starts at $34,010 and peaks at $59,147
  • Pay for teachers with a Master's degree starts at $37,001 and peaks at $63,572
  • 0% increase

In Summer 2007, the pay range for teacher's with Bachelor's degrees was $34,010-$59,147[13], an increase from the Winter 2007 negotiated rate of $32,860-$57,147.[14]

[edit] School budget

Breakdown of 2008-09 budget

The total district budget in FY 2009 is $ 1,081,127,556, the tentative total budget for FY 2010 is $ 992,064,322 - a 9.5% decrease.[15] As of May 2009, Volusia county schools is facing an approximately $10.8 million shortfall after savings are taken into account. The total budget shortfall prior to the use of savings funds equals approximately $19.1 million.[16] In an effort to reduce the county district's budget deficit, the district has not scheduled any new construction projects for the upcoming fiscal year.[15]

The projected general operation budget for 2010 comes to $447,579,209, out of which $295,849,102 (about sixty-six percent) is slated to be spent on teacher's salaries. Additionally, the total student population is 62,599.

Possible FY 2009-10 budget deficit reductions include:[16]

  • Elimination of 24 positions and reduction of items such as the athletic budget and unemployment; estimated to eliminate $3.68 million of the deficit
  • Increase mill tax levy by 0.25; it is estimated to bring in $8 million in new revenue. If approved, the mill tax would and budget cuts would reduce the school district deficit to $0.88 million, including the elimination of 24 positions and other budget cuts. The current mill rate is $7.459 per $1,000 of taxable value, it will increase to $7.805.
  • A 1% salary reduction for all employees is estimated to save the district $3.3 million.

The budget is scheduled for final approval on Tuesday, September 15, 2009.[15]

[edit] Mill revenue

Below are the mill rates collected by the school district:[17]

Year Millage Rate Estimate Revenue
2009-2010 7.805 -
2008-2009 7.459 $287,828,273
2007-2008 7.467 $296,471,118
2006-2007 7.685 $284,084,481
2005-2006 8.259 $239,989,137

[edit] Academic performance

Of the 73 schools in Volusia County 26 schools received an "A" three years in a row for 2006-2009, according to Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) test results.[18]

[edit] 2006-2009

Below is a chart of the school's grade based on the student's performance of the statewide test called the FCAT.[18] To see results, click "show".

[edit] Unions

The Volusia Teachers Organization (VTO) is the teacher's union for this school district. The statewide teachers union is the Florida Education Association.[19]

  • On July 25, 2008 Volusia County superintendent Margaret Smith filed a personal lawsuit against Volusia Teachers Organization president Andrew Spar. The Smith alleged that Spar made "false and defamatory" statements about her. The dispute began after the school district announced in June 2008 220 teachers would not be rehired for the 2008-09 school year.[20]
    • In 2008 the VTO called the district's math "fuzzy." VTO president Spar argued that the school district is in fact making deeper cuts than is necessary. "They’re using inaccurate figures, to our mind,” said Spar. In one instance Spar calculated that the district reported lower than actual numbers regarding the amount of money saved from budget cuts and the elimination of approximately 220 teacher positions.[21]

[edit] Lobbying

Main article: Florida taxpayer-funded lobbying

The school district pays membership dues to the Florida School Boards Association, a taxpayer-funded lobbying association.[22]

[edit] School choice

The state of Florida has two enrollment policies: intradistrict and interdistrict policies. In other words, students can transfer to other schools within and outside of the district.[23]

Volusia County Schools has a total of 8 K-12 charter schools.[24]

In August 5, 2009 three new charter schools were proposed for the Volusia school district. Two would emphasize the arts and a third that would emphasize instruction in both English and Spanish. The schools are proposed to open for the 2010-11 school year if approved by the school board. Two of the schools - Ivy Hawn Charter School of the Arts and the Reading Star Academy of Excellence - are expected to be located in Lake Helen. The third school - Volusia Charter School of Excellence - does not have a selected location at the moment.[24]

[edit] External links

[edit] Additional reading

[edit] References

  1. ↑ Budget
  2. ↑ CAFR
  3. ↑ School Board
  4. ↑ Superintendent
  5. ↑ Directory
  6. ↑ Contracts
  7. ↑ School Grades
  8. ↑ FCAT Explorer
  9. ↑ Personnel Applications
  10. ↑ School board powers and duties, Florida statute
  11. ↑ Volusia County Schools,"School Board Members," retrieved July 30, 2009
  12. ↑ Florida Education Negotiators,"Volume XXV, Winter 2009," retrieved August 5, 2009
  13. ↑ Florida Education Negotiators,"Volume XVIII, Summer 2007," retrieved August 5, 2009
  14. ↑ Florida Education Negotiators,"Volume XVI, Winter 2007," retrieved August 5, 2009
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Volusia County Schools,"FY 2009-10 tentative budget," July 28, 2009
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Volusia County Schools,"Budget Workshop, June 23, 2009
  17. ↑ School District of Volusia County 2008-09 Approved Operating Budget,"Millage Rates," retrieved August 5, 2009
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Florida School Accountability Reports
  19. ↑ Center for Union Facts,"Florida," retrieved July 31, 2009
  20. ↑ West Volusia Beacon,"Volusia County school chief sues head of teacher union," July 30, 2008
  21. ↑ West Volusia Beacon,"Volusia County Schools to cut 659 jobs," May 28, 2008
  22. ↑ Florida School Boards Association members list
  23. ↑ Education Commission of the States,"Open Enrollment: 50-State Report," retrieved August 5, 2009
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 News-Journal Online,"3 new charter schools proposed for Volusia," August 5, 2009


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