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Courtesy photo / Volusia Schools Superintendent Margaret Smith urges county residents to 'make their voices heard' regarding proposed cuts in education spending by the governor. DELAND -- Volusia Schools Superintendent Margaret Smith said if Gov. Scott's proposed budget with a 10 percent cut in spending is enacted, governor's budget of a 10% cut is enacted, the district budget here will be reduced by $44.5 million, the equivalent or 936 additional positions in all categories.
"We understand the state of the economy, but are asking the legislature to not make such deep cuts that will impact our students in classrooms,"Smith said in a statement released today by school spokeswoman Nancy Wait. "All Volusia County citizens are encouraged to make their voices heard to support K-12 public education."
Smith raised her concerns with the School Board at its Tuesday meeting.
The board approved a resolution urging the Florida legislature to pass legislation that allows flexibility within school district budgets, promotes stability in overall education funding, supports local control, and delays implementation of new or existing programs not directly funded through the K-12 public education budget.
"Additionally, the school board encouraged the legislature and governor to establish consistent and appropriate revenue streams stabilizing public education funding in Florida," Wait said.
Among other items of note described by Wait from Tuesday night's board meeting:
The superintendent stated school board members, administrators and teachers continue to work together regarding the American Federation of Teachers grant and the Race to the Top grant. Committees are working to address staff evaluation and compensation, professional development, and technology.
The school board approved a resolution supporting the Florida School Boards Association and including Volusia County Schools as a plaintiff in litigation to challenge the constitutionality of imposing penalties upon school districts which are not in full compliance with class size requirements.
The school board heard a report from the task force that was charged with reviewing the district's policy regarding the naming of valedictorians and salutatorians. The research showed a national trend away from designating valedictorians and salutatorians and moving toward the Latin honor system. Florida mirrors the national trend. The committee suggested the following:
* Beginning with students entering ninth grade in 2011-12, no longer designate valedictorian/salutatorian
* Use the rank in class average to determine graduation honors - the rank in class average is the cumulative weighted average of all final semester grades earned in grades 9-12, excluding grades for courses that have been forgiven, calculated to the fourth decimal position
* Award graduation honors designations as follows: o Summa Cum Laude (with highest honors) - 3.9 and higher o Magna Cum Laude (with high honors) - 3.7 - 3.8999 o Cum Laude (with honors) - 3.5 - 3.6999
* Do not allow students with a level 4 offense in 11th or 12th grade to be eligible for an honors designation. No action was taken. The superintendent will bring a formal recommendation at a later school board meeting.
The board heard a presentation regarding supplemental education services. SES offers federally-funded free tutoring to students who participate in the free/reduced meal program and attend a Title I school that has not made adequate yearly progress for two or more consecutive years. Currently 25 providers are tutoring more than 2,300 students from 23 schools.
The school board discussed the recently announced contest inviting high school students to create PSAs regarding "What's Super About Public Schools!"
The school board approved the following resolutions for the month of March:
* Youth Art Month * Music in Our Schools Month * Theatre in Our Schools Month
Revised contract with the Orange County Bar Association for the online Drug, Alcohol and Traffic Awareness course. No capital outlay, overhead, management and/or maintenance fees will be assessed and the school district will receive a credit of $12.50 for each student registering and completing the course.
Passage of "Certification of Facilities Data," Florida Inventory of School Houses
Next meeting:
4 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, DeLand Administrative Complex, 200 N. Clara Avenue, DeLand.