The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutAgenda Education Advisory 041305AGENDA I. 11. 111. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 '" AT 6:OOPM COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF MINUTES ITEMS BY STAFF LIAISON 1. Presentation by Marisol Ferrer, North Area Superintendent, and Kristin Garrison, Palm Beach County School Board Planner 2. National Volunteer Week: April 17th - 23rd OLD BUSINESS 1. Committee Member School Reports 2. Adult Education Survey - Will go live on website week of April 18th 3. Awards Program -Need list of nominations from schools to honor at May 19th Council Meeting 4. Calendar Update NEW BUSINESS COMMENTS BY PUBLIC COMMENTS BY MEMBERS X. ADJOURNMENT AGENDA I. 11. 111. IV. V. VI. VII. EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 IH AT 6:OOPM COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF MINUTES ITEMS BY STAFF LIAISON 1. Presentation by Marisol Ferrer, North Area Superintendent, and Kristin Garrison, Palm Beach County School Board Planner 2. National Volunteer Week: April 17th - 23rd OLD BUSINESS 1. Committee Member School Reports 2. Adult Education Survey - Will go live on website week of April 18th 3. Awards Program -Need list of nominations fiom schools to honor at May 19th Council Meeting 4. Calendar Update NEW BUSINESS VIII. COMMENTS BY PUBLIC IX. COMMENTS BY MEMBERS X. ADJOURNMENT 2 board members warned on chats Their get-togethers may violate the state's Sunshine Law, lawyers tell a pair of Pinellas School Board members. By THOMAS C. TOBIN, Times Staff Writer, 215 LARGO - Attorneys for the Pinellas school system have twice warned two School Board members their get-togethers concerning board business could open them to charges of violating Florida's open- meetings law. The sand warning came Friday when attorneys told board members Mary Russell and Janet Clark their tour of a future school construction site Thursday "may be construed by some" as a violation of the Sunshine Law. They also noted that such violations could result in criminal penalties and removal from office. Russell and Clark said they believe their get-togethers were proper and that the attorneys are overreacting. Russell said she is being singled out because she has challenged the board's procedures since her election In 2002. She said other board members frequently appear together in similar fashion. Other board members said Friday the rules for appearing jointly and notifying the public are clear and well-defined. J:440 other board members were present for the Thursday tour. Russell notified School Board attorney John Bowen of the tour 31/2 hours before it was to occur, sending an e-mail. However, she did not notify the School Board office. -s Florida's open-records manual states that the Sunshine Law applies to "any gathering whether formal or casual of two or more members of the same board" to discuss actions the board might take in the future. The press and the public had no opportunity to attend Thursday's tour. Therefore, Russell, Clark and the two neighborhood representatives they met with are the only people in a position to judge whether official business was discussed. Clark and Russell said Friday they inspected a districtamed property in Clearwater's High Point area. They listened to neighborhood people concerned that a planned new building for High Point Elementary would take away a park. The issue is expected to come before the board soon. They said they received a list of talking points and did not engage in dialogue with each other. Russell said she made the comment: "I'm not sure we'd be having this discussion if those were $300,000 houses" nearby. Clark said she set up the tour and that Russell asked to come along. It kept the neighborhood representatives from having to show up twice, she said. Both board members said seeing the property made them better informed on the issue. The tour lasted 30 minutes. 15 They're playing with fire; they're asking for an infraction," said Alison Steele, a St. Petersburg lawyer who represents the Times regarding the Sunshine Law. Board members can go on inspections and fact-finding trips, and they can get together casually. But without proper public notice they can't have even the slightest discussion about official board business, Steele said. She said the best policy is to avoid such gatherings altogether. "If I thought I had done something wrong I'd be worried," said Russell, who said she wholeheartedly supports the Sunshine Law. ''I just can't be afraid of it, though ... I'm just trying to do my job," Another recent get-together also drew a warning from Bowen. Russell and Clark convened informally on Jan. 26 in the board's small ofice in Largo to discuss the district's budget. That meeting was placed on the board's calendar. A board assistant taped it and a Times reporter attended. But in a public statement at the board's meeting the night before, Bowen strongly recommended against the meeting, saying it created suspicion. He said the state Attorney General's Office agreed with him. He said the ofice told him the city of Jacksonville created a similar "way of work" 20 years ago and it sparked an investigation by the local prosecutor. Said Bowen: "This has never been done in the 15 years that I've been here as far as this process of Maboard members wanting to get together to discuss among themselves certain issues.'' ~f Clark, elected to the board in November, thanked Bowen for his advice and saM her sit-down with Russell would help her "come to a better understanding" of the budget. Russell chided Bowen for "impugning my character." She said: "I cannot allow petty things to get in my way of whether or not I'm doing my job as a board member." Board seeks attorney general's opinion By BARRY FOSTER, News-Sun, 2/4 SEBRING - Members of the Highlands County Canvassing bard are working on an issue that could have statewide implications. In fact, the canvassing board will be looking for an opinion from the office of Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist to decide how to deal with at least part of the matter. The situation came to light after a public records request to Highlands County Supervisor of Elections Joe Campbell from local activist Preston Colby. He asked for a copy of the minutes of the Nov. 2, 2004, canvassing board meeting during this past eledion. 16 CITY OF PALM BEACH GARDENS EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE PLANNED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS The district demographer tracts new/future residential development through periodic field surveys, contacts with municipal planners, developers and agents. Additionally, principals, school SAC members, parents and community residents provide information. City staff is helpful with development information. Student generation multipliers were adopted in 2002 (copy on back). These multipliers are utilized for concurrency determination. Additionally, the district demographer routinely determines “local” planning multipliers. Development information regarding phasing, price, home size, bedrooms and potential market helps to estimate future public school students. These estimates are incorporated into school enrollment projections. Planned/Ongoing Residential Developments Within Timber Trace Elementary Boundary 1. Old Palm Club 2. Mirabella @Mirsol 3. Mirsol 4. Parcel 3.04 5. Paloma 6. South Hampton 7. Borland Center (PB Community) 8. Parcel 3 1.06/3 1.07 I I School District-At-A-Glance School Concurrency a Student Projections Enrollment Relief Options Enrollment in P.B. Gardens Schools Questions and Answers I rent 5 Year Construction Pla 2 res that adequate school capacity is availa with new residential development. with local governmen County is broken down into 21 Concumncy 4 I . +' Each CSA operatad at 8 Tiered brvel of senrlcq untit 11604 to allow the consttuction md. As Ot August 2004, no CSA can e#c Id 1 astablbhed level of senria, oftlO% Thk level is &ermined by averagng the utilization of all schools in an indivldual CSA by school ty high). of Wools to "catCh4lp" to pJected tuture I d 5 --- of programmed capacity for each school. Slwt schools may be approved up to 12096 if a “sclroal Capacity shiv is approved by TAG. Schools may exceed maximum utilization if addEtionai capacity is planned to bring relief to that school within two years. L mi eloped Annually by District De Incorporates Data from County, State and Relianceupon County and Federal Agenci Municipal Planners, Reaide and Principals, Augu8t2004Stu I 6 001 is Projected ti? €xd Its Level of 1 I 7 ---- ear Capital Improvement Work Capital Improvements include building new tchaols and adding capaclty at existing P 8 0 Process of pwmI ently reusig based on geographic areas (SAC Advisory Boundaries Committee (ABC). reviews and recommends boundary cha School Board adopts new boundaries ea L - ionncrd In 1995 to expand community input Into the attendance boundrry P~QC~SS Composod of 19 appointod mbe Committee members review staff reports and recommendations. Public input b gathered 8t regular meeting8 sviai Community Input Meetings. ittee-approved boundary proposals am forwarded to the Superintendent.:+ I I DDEisenhower 1 I a 10 . t k 3oval Palm Beach 11 12