Duval County School Board - January Meeting
January Board Meeting Webcast
Below are the highlights of the January 7, 2013 Board meeting:
Board Recognized the Jacksonville Fair Quilt Contest winners, high schools that improved their graduation rates and the Math Field Day winners
- During the presentation portion of the monthly Board meeting, Dr. Nikolai Vitti, Superintendent of Duval Schools and School Board members recognized the winners of the Jacksonville Fair quilt contest. Winners include the following schools:
- Hogan-Spring Glen Elementary School, first-place, Jurors' Choice;
- New Berlin Elementary School, second-place, Jurors' Choice;
- Samuel A. Hull Elementary School, third-place, Jurors' Choice;
- Abess Park Elementary School, honorable mention, Jurors' Choice;
- Louis Sheffield Elementary School, first-place, Community Choice;
- S. P. Livingston Elementary School, second-place, Community Choice; and
- Susie Tolbert Elementary School, third-place, Community Choice.
- The Superintendent recognized seven high schools that increased their graduation rates. The following schools showed improvement:
- Jean Ribault, increased 21.96 percentage points;
- A. Philip Randolph, increased 16.91 percentage points;
- William M. Raines High, increased 14.61 percentage points;
- Andrew Jackson, increased 9.84 percentage points;
- Frank H. Peterson, increased 9.80 percentage points;
- Darnell-Cookman, 100% graduation rate; and
- Paxon School For Advanced Studies, 100% graduation rate.
- The Superintendent recognized the Math Field Day winners, which include:
- Julia Landon College Preparatory, first-place; and
- Fletcher Middle, second-place.
Board Approves Policy for Students with Diabetes
The Board adopted a new policy that caters to the needs of students with diabetes. The new policy gives parents three options, which include the following:
- Special assignment to a school site with a full-time registered nurse on staff;
- Student remains at the current school site with family-supported diabetes management care; or
- Remain at current school site with trained staff members.
Board Approves Suspension Without Pay for Two Employees
Julie Bennett, a social studies teacher at Fletcher Middle School and Stephanie Raver, a Language Arts teacher at James Weldon Johnson Middle School, were both suspended without pay for unprofessional conduct. Ms. Bennett and Ms. Raver are both receiving a 20-day suspension without pay.
Board Approves Reassignment to Assistant Principal and Placement on the Assistant Principal Salary Schedule for Sharon Sanders
Recently received information of a district investigation concluded that misconduct involving testing procedures occurred at Windy Hill Elementary School.
Board Approves $1.5 Million for Energy Conservation Projects
The Board approved the use of Capital Outlay Fund Balance in an amount not to exceed $1, 500,000. The Board's approval of energy and water conservation projects allows the district to continue its cost avoidance initiative. In 2011 the district issued a Revenue Anticipation Note in the amount of $4,880,000 for similar energy and water conservation projects. Upgrades consist of the following items:
- Replacing existing lighting with energy efficient bulbs;
- HVAC equipment replacement;
- Water conservation measures; and
- Energy monitoring control systems with motion sensors.
Energy conservation efforts have saved the district $47 million over the last seven years.
Board Approves Class Size compliance Plan for 2012-2013
Current estimates have the Districts penalty at approximately $7.7 million pending review of the districts compliance plan and appeal by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE). Once the appeal is reviewed and approved by FLDOE the District expects the final penalty to be approximately $1 million. The district has a detailed action plan to ensure that the district is completely compliant with class size in the future.
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