All local governmental bodies, including school boards, city councils, county commissions, and appointed boards, commissions and task force groups in the state of Florida, operate under "Government in the Sunshine" laws. All deliberations are performed and decisions made in public meetings and work sessions. The Orange County School Board holds no meetings before 5:30 pm or work sessions before 4:30 pm to be more convenient for employees, families and the community. The public is invited at every public meeting to address any issue that appears on the agenda. Special order speakers, arranged ahead of time, come before the board in pre-agenda meetings to share issues that are not on a school board meeting agenda. All meetings are taped and available on Cable Channel 199 and as video links on the district website. Establishing attendance zones for new schools follow a lengthy process with multiple opportunities for community input, including at rule-making work sessions when zoning options are presented to the school board.
All school board members spend a great deal of time in their districts discussing issues, listening to concerns and staying informed of progress of individual schools. Since this is the day of electronic communication, in a district as large as Orange County, school board members also spend a great deal of time answering e-mails and referring parents and community members to various administrators to resolve issues and answer questions. This requires constant attention and time to keep the dialogue fresh and factual. The district web site, Connect-Ed phone calls, e-newsletters and press releases keep families, the community and the press informed on issues and events. In this way, when issues are discussed and proposals from the superintendent deliberated, school board members are more in touch with the community and the community is more informed.
A large, complex and diverse district like Orange County, focused on continuous improvement, regularly confronts big, and sometimes controversial decisions. The superintendent, as CEO, with administrators and staff, brings proposals to the school board. Before coming to the school board, due diligence is performed. Sometimes school and community input has already been gathered, sometimes it is in a later step. But looking at all sides and reviewing all aspects to the degree possible is essential. For example, a current proposal to study switching middle school and high school start times to save significant costs will require study of pros and cons, foreseeable consequences, and gathering and consideration of input from schools, students and families before a decision is made. Ultimately, though, all decisions are made within the scope of the big picture-what is in the best interests of all schools and all students.
Since there are so many existing schools being renovated, communities are kept informed in various ways to explain the stages of renovation, gather input from principals, teachers, staffs and families, and keep them informed of progress. The school board typically oversees the capital budget and establishes policies that ensure fiscal discipline and equitable treatment of schools. COVE (Construction Oversight and Value Engineering Committee) is a superintendent-appointed group of outside design, construction, accounting and real estate experts who also oversee and advise on the building program. Because renovations involve contracts with professional architects, engineers, attorneys, and other consultants, and construction companies, school board members primarily serve as a conduit for information between the renovation team and school communities. Most projects are straightforward. Several in District 6 have not been. They have involved more school board decisions than what is typical.
Edgewater High School's renovation is one. A citizens group, the Edgewater Task Force, was formed within the community well before plans were to commence. They became vigorous advocates for more land for the Edgewater campus. As school board member, I met with them at least a dozen times. Staff met with them multiple times, as well, and there were was an unprecedented amount of email and phone communication. There were several large community meetings, as well as two work groups formed- The High Performing High School Study group that included community members from Edgewater, Evans and Jones High Schools (met for two months in 2005); the Edgewater Rebuilding Committee (met for two months in 2006). Multiple studies by district staff, architects, engineers and attorneys were performed to determine the most fiscally responsible plan. Since Edgewater is an urban campus and adjacent land is very expensive, a rational and creative approach was necessary. I wrote many articles in the local newspaper and e-mail updates to keep the community informed. I meet regularly with the new administration to stay informed of academic progress and provide necessary support. It was not always a smooth path, but, fortunately, many stars aligned in 2007 so that the campus can be rebuilt and more land can be acquired in a manner that is responsible to the taxpayers. The community input was tremendous, and valued, as final options were deliberated and decisions were made by the school board on the acquisition of more land.
Evans High School is another tough one. A fragile school undergoing multiple layers of improvement, Evans needs intense and focused attention. As school board member, I meet regularly with community members and school administrators to stay informed on issues at the school and community and provide necessary support. There has been much e-mail communication as well, and articles written in local newspapers to share progress. Although still experiencing some controversy, we have been able to build a cohesive, unified group of supporters who work on behalf of the children of Evans and stay focused on moving Evans toward success. We stand firm on the school board's unanimous decision to build a new 9th -12th grade facility in the shortest period of time on its freshman campus. This decision was made after studies were done by the superintendent's staff, and several work sessions involving the district's efforts to achieve unitary status (to move out from under court-ordered desegregation; 2005-2006). Several community meetings have also been held, and will continue in the future, to discuss re-use of the main campus. A work group will be formed to bring together stakeholders who can seek opportunities and feasible options. Again, just like in the development of plans for the rebuilding of Evans, due diligence and gathering of input will lead to proposals that the school board can deliberate before decisions are made.
While this is an overview, it is clear that the Orange County School Board creates many paths for community engagement, values and utilizes the input that community engagement provides, and is always seeking improvements. In the district's new strategic plan, our mission statement firmly plants this commitment-"To lead our students to success with the support and involvement of families and the community." (Refer to 03/29/08 post on community engagement for further comments.)
Schools boards and superintendents in the state of Florida are constitutional officers-that is not the case in most states-and therefore have the serious responsibility to serve all students equitably. Public school systems operate under a heavy, ever-increasing mantle of federal and state laws, regulations and mandates. That is why it is important that communities be fully informed so that there is understanding of the complexities and difficulties in making decisions that are ultimately made in the best interests of all children, follow all laws and regulations, fulfill all mandates, are responsible to the taxpayers, and are geared toward improvement, reform and progress.
8 months ago