04-05-07 SLCSB Joint Meeting with City of Port St. …



THE SCHOOL BOARD OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY

Special Meeting – April 5, 2007

MINUTES

The School Board of St. Lucie County met in joint session with the Port St Lucie City Council on April 5 2007 at approximately 1:10 p.m. in the Port St. Lucie Community Center meeting room.

PRESENT: DR. JOHN CARVELLI, Chairman

Member Residing in District No. 3

MS. CAROL A. HILSON, Vice Chairman

Member Residing in District No. 2

MRS. KATHRYN HENSLEY

Member Residing in District No. 4

MR. TROY INGERSOLL

Member Residing in District No. 5

DR. JUDI MILLER

Member Residing in District No. 1

ALSO PRESENT: MR MICHAEL J. LANNON, Superintendent

MR. DANIEL B. HARRELL, Attorney

SCHOOL BOARD OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY AND PORT ST. LUCIE CITY COUNCIL JOINT MEETING

A G E N D A

1. Call to Order

2. Roll Call

3. Pledge of Allegiance

4. Update on School Zones

5. School System Progress

6. Career & Technical Programs

7. 5 Year Plan/Land Acquisition/Co-locating of Facilities

8. Date of Next Joint Meeting

9. Adjournment

Mayor Patricia Christensen and Chairman John Carvelli co-chaired the meeting which began at approximately 1:10 p.m. in the Port St. Lucie Community Center. All members were present. Everyone appreciated the opportunity to address needs that were brought forward by the City and the School Board in terms of creating a greater level of civic and public awareness. Please note the meeting was recorded and minutes were prepared and offered for the public record by the City of Port St. Lucie.

Please see the following.

A special meeting of the City Council of the City of Port St. Lucie and the School Board of St. Lucie County was called to order by Mayor Christensen and Chairman Carvelli on April 5, 2007 at approximately 1:10 p.m. at the Port St. Lucie Community Center, 2195 SE Airoso Blvd., Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Council Members Attending: Mayor Patricia P. Christensen

Vice Mayor Jack Kelly

Councilwoman Linda Bartz

Councilwoman Michelle Lee Berger

Councilman Christopher S. Cooper

Mayor Christensen led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.

SCHOOL SYSTEM PROGRESS/HOW DO OUR SCHOOLS BANK IN THE STATE? RISE OR FALL?

Superintendent Lannon said, “Part of the purpose for coming here today was to answer questions that were jointly put together. The information in the packet will give us opportunity for follow-up. The motto of our school system is ‘Every Child. Every Day.’; it’s about looking at the needs of each child. We think we are a district on the rise. We are the 21st largest school system in Florida and the 127th in America out of 17,000 school districts. We are the second fastest growing school district and the first in new students this year. We’re growing at 7%. This year we had 3,000 new students. Our district has improved from a C to a B. Our challenge is to become an A-rated school system within three years. St. Lucie County schools are recognized for closing the achievement gap. We’ve focused on the Hispanic populations, as well as other minority populations. The Hispanic Advisory Council was created this year. In the Red Zone the Hispanic population grew 25%. We have expanded LEP pilot programs for the 2007-08 school year. We have cutting-edge technology expanding into all classrooms. This year we opened the Samuel S. Gaines Academy, the K-8 at Copper Creek, and next year we will open the FAU Lab School in Tradition. We’ve hired 700 new teachers this year. We have about 2,500 teachers in St. Lucie County. Half of our workforce has been hired in the last two years.”

Superintendent Lannon continued, “We have a grow-your-own scholarship program. Any child graduating from any of our schools will be given a certificate for a guarantee of employment, should they go through a course of study that qualifies them as a teacher. We recognize that part of our responsibility is to end the brain drain so we can move forward with economic development. If we do not do that, we will continue to have highly educated children leave our area. The parent portal allows parents to check attendance, assignments, and communicate with teachers via e-mail. We are focused on high-quality instruction and student learning. We want to focus on boys and girls who are focused on coming to school. We are a system of best practices. We have increased Advance Placement courses and dual enrollment courses in our high schools. We also have International Baccalaureate courses at Port St. Lucie High School. We’re engaging stakeholders in decision-making. We have a Citizens’ Budget Committee.”

Mayor Christensen asked, “Are there still modifications to the bus plan? Parents are still commenting that their kids are being bused to schools outside their zone.” Superintendent Lannon responded, “School assignment is always difficult. Our next presentation will include transportation.” Dr. Carvelli said, “I hope this provided you with a good overview about where we are going. The last time we met there were a lot of questions. The communication line is always open. We need you as our partner.”

UPDATE ON SCHOOL ZONES/UPDATE ON CHANGES IN ZONING

Ms. Kathy McGinn, Assistant Superintendent Strategic Planning and Central Services, said, “My presentation has to do with student assignment. In January 2006 the School Board approved changes to our student assignment process. There was a three-year phase-in for the modified zones. We continue to maintain stability of assignments for students. Magnet schools were also maintained. The School Board gave us five points to look at in deciding the changes. Those five components are: Are bus rides shorter? Are students assigned by regional zone? Are populations in each school diverse? Are magnet schools maintained? Can stability be maintained? Since the first year of implementation, the percentages have decreased in terms of students who live 10 or more miles from school. We’ve made a dramatic impact in terms of getting kids closer to home. Additionally, twice as many students are living less than two miles from school. Over 100% of our elementary students are within two miles. In terms of the regional zones, 85% of students in the Green Zone attend school in the Green Zone; 92% of students in the Red Zone attend school in the Red Zone; and 83% of students in the Blue Zone attend school in the Blue zone.”

Ms. McGinn continued, “The third dimension talks about diversity. Through continuing the choice process we are able to balance the student body. Port St. Lucie is very diverse. If you look at the socio-economic status of the zones there is diversity. The fourth dimension is magnet school enrollment. Magnet schools have continued to serve students. There hasn’t been a decline in the number of children attending magnet schools. Looking into the second year, we will be enrolling Samuel S. Gaines Academy and our new K-8. We’re expecting that 96% of students who live in the Green Zone will go to school in the Green Zone; 98% of the students who live in the Red Zone will go to school in the Red Zone; and 98% of the students who live in the Blue Zone will go to school in the Blue Zone. We’ve enrolled approximately 15,500 students since August 2004. That does not include incoming kindergartners. This year we’ve enrolled 3,600 new students. The majority of the students are coming from southeastern Florida. If you look at the students coming to us from outside the country, they are coming from Mexico or Haiti. You’ll see that there is a slight decrease in the projected growth for the Green Zone, a slight decrease in the Blue Zone, and significant increase in the Red Zone.” Dr. Carvelli added, “We took a tremendous amount of input from the community when we revised this.”

Vice Mayor Kelly asked, “How many magnet schools are in the county? How many are in the City of Port St. Lucie?” Ms. McGinn responded, “There are four in the county and one in the City of Port St. Lucie. The FAU Charter School will serve the county as a whole. It’s not within the definition of a magnet school.” Superintendent Lannon said, “A magnet school is not about a school of excellence. A magnet school is about attracting a segment of population otherwise not available to the school site. We want all of our schools to be centers of excellence. There was a time that a particular school was seen as the star. We need to be able to have schools of excellence across the district.” Mrs. Hensley said, “The decision was made to ensure that no child is in an overcrowded classroom. There may be some students placed this year while we’re building capacity within the zone.”

CAREER AND TECHNICAL PROGRAMS

Superintendent Lannon said, “Our vocational emphasis now is about career and technical information. We are changing the expectations at all levels of our school system.” Ms. Kathryn Schmidt, Director of Career and Technology Education, said, “I am very pleased to be able to talk about something that is critical to our county. We have over 8,900 students in the program. It is highly rigorous. These programs are continuously aligned with our county, regional, and statewide economic development. Our programs are developing the future high tech workforce. At the K-8 and middle school levels, we are career exploration. These modules are opportunities for students to apply math, science, critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills. Students in these programs experience a broad range of cutting edge technology. These experiences help students to define their future goals. At the high school level we are industry certified career preparatory programs. St. Lucie County has three fully certified auto technology programs, five allied health academies, certified culinary arts programs, and early childhood education academies. Our graphic communications academy is a diverse program where students learn graphic design and custom printing. This academy is a school-based enterprise that supports athletic programs, student organizations, and other community programs. We have business partnerships. Students at Port St. Lucie High School are building a house on campus through the participation of the Treasure Coast Builders Association. This program is fully aligned with the National Center for Construction and Research at the University of Florida. At Treasure Coast High School over 100 students are enrolled in the manufacturing and pre-engineering academy. State-of-the-art technology will prepare these students to assist in the evolution of scientific discovery to real world applications. In partnership with the Workforce Board of the Treasure Coast, 30 students will be given a six week paid internship program. Washington Mutual Bank has opened an on-campus, student-driven bank at Centennial High School. The students are actively engaged in school work that is meaningful. We motivate students to stay in school, but to strive for higher levels of academic achievement. Students use their skills in community service activities. We provide students with an accelerated, seamless transition to post-secondary education. Nearly 9,000 students are currently enrolled in career and technical programs.” Superintendent Lannon said, “That gives the students increased focus. You don’t have children meandering their way through high school. However, children make decisions, children will have the ability to adjust their majors. Today’s world requires skills that can earn a living. I know this body has had concerns in the past with vocational education.”

Councilwoman Berger said, I think what you have done is fantastic. What have you been doing in reference to special education classes? My concerns last time we met were based around the higher statistics for autism. I know it is something that is an issue in every school.” Superintendent Lannon responded, “Autism is the fastest growing body of special need students in America. Finding highly qualified people lags behind the need. In St. Lucie County we are well positioned to talk about special education. Under law we are required to provide services using high quality instructors. They are sometimes hard to find. We are constantly recruiting for the highest quality teachers.” Councilwoman Berger said, “I know that you have new tools for the kids in school and some children get to bring items home. If you could bring some of that new technology to show us I think that would be interesting.” Superintendent Lannon said, “It’s called adaptive technologies. We’d be glad to bring that to the next meeting.” Councilwoman Berger said, “In my experience the best way to curve behavior is through diet and nutrition. The next time we meet we can talk about what each school is doing along those lines.” Superintendent Lannon said, “I’d be glad to come back and give a presentation about food service needs. You have a letter (see supplemental minutes packet) that asks how we can change the dynamic that exists. The average school-aged child is awake 6,000 hours a year. They are in school 1,000 hours. There are 5,000 hours that family, community, and neighborhood influence children. We’re going to have to find new partnerships.”

Superintendent Lannon continued, “I’m very proud of what Kathy (Schmidt) has been able to do in capturing these programs. We will not allow a school to have a reputation that is substandard. We will open our marine science program at Harbor Branch next year. There will be 100 entering ninth grade students from across the county in the program. They will become students at Fort Pierce Westwood High. They will have one class there and be taken to Harbor Branch. It will grow until there are 400 students in the program. Fort Pierce Central High has a program called Honors Central. So far enrollment is up ten times for next year. We want boys and girls to have the best. We can give them the opportunity to choose what is passionate to them.” Ms. Carol Hilson, School Board Vice Chairman, said, “I have been working with FAU about the card program that is there. The problem is the ESE teachers are scarce. We have to subcontract out of the county to get occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists. It is so important that we serve all the children.” Councilwoman Berger responded, “I’d love to be part of that. There is a huge need in our area. I know the card program has been a value to our area. As our area grows, those needs are going to come with it. We need to be able to match those needs.” Mrs. Kathryn Hensley, School Board Member, said, “It took four years to get the card approved. We have a school health advisory committee and they have been looking at nutrition. We have a subcommittee looking at best practices.” Councilwoman Berger said, “Nutrition isn’t just about obesity. It’s also about behavioral changes.”

FIVE YEAR PLAN/LAND ACQUISITION/CO-LOCATING OF FACILITIES

Mr. Marty Sanders, Executive Director of Growth Management/Land Acquisitions/Intergovernmental Relations for the School Board, said, “I’m going to talk about our five year work plan. The five-year work plan must be adopted by October first of each year. We provide the City with that information and try to get input from you. The goal is to be able to plan our work together. That plan projects revenues, looks at capital expenditures, our needs for operations, maintenance, and new construction. The revenues are restricted to non-operating expenditures. The work plan looks at maintenance, renovation, and repair for transportation. The beginning of the five year plan is the demographics. We do an annual demographic projection. We try to match our student station needs to those demographics. The Red Zone is where the projection shows the greatest amount of growth. The growth is expected to continue. The tentative five year work plan includes the addition of five K-8 schools and one high school. In 2005 the Board created a department to address growth in the school district. We’ve tried to position ourselves so we can be proactive in addressing growth. Since 2005, we’ve added seven sites. We have a 48 acre site in the Reserve, Tradition FAU Lab School, the Winterlakes K-8, Copper Creek, Tiffany Woods, the Education and Research Park, and we’ve added a new site for Fort Pierce Central. We have a little over 384 acres of sites. There are a lot of projects that have not been approved.”

Mr. Sanders continued, “The Tiffany Woods site is 40 acres on the east side of Port St. Lucie. It can accommodate a K-8 school. It would also provide an eastern transportation compound in the City. It would take about 90 buses out of St. Lucie West. It could save about a billion and a half dollars in transportation costs. It would open capacity in St. Lucie West as the Red Zone grows. The site fronts on Walton Road and Tiffany. We have it under contract for purchase. We are looking at 72 acres in the Southbend area, located in the Blue Zone. It has access to Becker Road. There are no schools in that area. Timing is everything; some of these sites may not be available for 10 years. We will continue to work with the City to address the needs.” Councilwoman Berger said, “The population is coming before most of these schools will be built, which is why you are building the temporary school. We’re talking about a lot of traffic on roads that are not scheduled to be improved anytime soon. We have some sidewalks coming in. We need to consider areas like California and Cashmere. It’s going to get worse. The Red Zone is a hot zone and it needs to be a priority.” Dr. Carvelli said, “We’ve tried to manage quality as we’ve grown. The roads are overcrowded.” Superintendent Lannon said, “We used to build schools without much queuing space. We need about a half mile now. Today in America parents are afraid for their children. Parents now drive their children within the two-mile area. We’ve seen the need to be partners. We can’t fix things overnight.”

Mr. Ingersoll said, “I’ve visited all the schools in the county. The Green Zone may not do as well as we want. We are addressing that. The only way our school district is going to change is with us working together.” Ms. Hilson said, “Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. I’m still surprised by what I see when I go into schools. We have many issues with poverty and children who speak different languages. I spoke with an interpreter recently who works with the Haitian minority group. He told me that he doesn’t even speak the dialect of many of the students. There was no way to communicate with two of the girls. The state says these kids have to be ready to take the FCAT in two years. We have so many challenges to overcome.” Mrs. Hensley said, “Maybe it’s time we ask the state what the magic is with the two-mile radius. I think our MPO could do that. I’ll be glad to work with you on that.”

Councilman Cooper said, “I’ve seen a lot of changes over the past few years, and I’m pleased with them. We’ve done a lot of work. I’m in and out of a lot of schools. At the next meeting I’d like to see the issue of security and gangs. It concerns me. I’ve been in the schools before on a tour, and I’ve been told by the administrator that they aren’t sure if some of the kids go to the school. Not only is it happening, but nothing is done to correct it. My son was caught skipping school with a known gang member who was in the school. I asked how he was able to go through seven periods wearing “Crips” on his shorts. I pulled my son out of school. My son is home now where I know he’s safe. What bothers me is the gang member is still at school. Everything we’re doing here is irrelevant if we’re not providing a setting where they aren’t being distracted. I can’t get in the school, but the gang members are walking in every day. The teachers can’t teach them if they have felony convictions. Out police department is taking pictures of them and forming a database. My solution is to round them all up and someone with military authority teach them. It’s not fair to the kids at school trying to learn.” Dr. Carvelli said, “I’m sure Superintendent Lannon can get you in touch with people you can pass your concerns onto, and at the same time go over what the discipline structure is. We are very proactive with school security.” Ms. Hensley said, “I agree. We don’t have the best practices up to date yet. Maybe we can have an update from the Executive Roundtable on the gang initiative.” Superintendent Lannon said, “That would be a wonderful workshop for both boards. We do have a gang workforce in operation. There was a time when some didn’t want to acknowledge that there were gang members, drug use, and teenage crime. We cannot afford to have our law enforcement budgets at risk. We can’t impact school resource officers who impact education.”

Vice Mayor Kelly said, “Two years ago we had a meeting, and from that time on it was a three-year plan. We’ve done everything to accommodate you. The reality is you have kids coming to school sexually abused, students who come to school in the same clothes, and kids that poop in their pants. The real heroes are the teachers. There are some things that are never going to change. I want to know if we are on track. Are we going to be an A district next year?” Dr. Carvelli responded, “We’ve been working on that. I think 14 schools improved their FCAT scores. We work with all the kids. It’s important to know that not all students come into the school system in kindergarten. We have improved in many areas. We seek to provide the best service in the community. Our Superintendent has been very progressive.” Ms. Hensley said, “I think if we look at the criteria on a broader level, we’ve probably already an A district. We are held in high esteem.”

Superintendent Lannon said, “Our bottom line is what happens to our senior class. We should be held accountable for increasing graduation rates, decreasing dropout rates, and increasing where the students go. We moved from a C to a B last summer; that was year one. I expect that we will not make a jump this year. The 3,000 students we got this year have needs that are far beyond what we anticipated. The FCAT is so narrow. It’s about overall progress. Our goal is still to become an A district. It’s a moving target. We hae to look at the quality of our students. We have 22,500 students who live in poverty. They all come to school with extra needs. The reality is there is great poverty.” Councilwoman Bartz said, “One of the things that concerned me that you focused on today, was economic development. I appreciate that effort.”

Councilwoman Berger said, “I’d like to have the policy department prepare a presentation on the School Resource Officer Program, along with the DARE program, and gang awareness. I don’t think I need to see the Executive Roundtable Presentation again. I’ve seen it twice. I want to hear from the people that are in there. They can tell us firsthand what is going on. I want to also hear about the resources that it has taken. Let’s talk about real numbers. Included in that I’d like to see the MOT’s for each of the areas. The Red Zone is an issue. Let’s be real about it and fix it. I’d like to see about the use of recreational facilities after hours. I want to find out what it takes to use the facilities without spending the money you are asking for.” Vice Kelly said, “the City of Port St. Lucie has a higher median income than the surrounding cities. I’d like to see the figures on poverty. It goes to my image of economic development for our City.” Ms. Hensley stated that she would like to see the figures, as well.

DATE OF NEXT JOINT MEETING

Mayor Christensen said, “Do we meet in six months?” Dr. Carvelli responded in the affirmative and continued, “I talked with Superintendent Lannon about meeting again in October after our new student counts are done.” Mayor Christensen stated that the meeting could be set for the first part of November. Ms. Hensley said, “I’m okay with the date but I think we should share the information if it is available.”

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 3:05 p.m.

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