A six-student team of problem solvers presented their student-centered safety plan to the state commission established after the Parkland school massacre, and were asked by several commission members to spread their plan statewide, including at the Broward school.
Flagler County School Board
Classrooms as Career Incubators: Flagler School District Showcases Students’ Paths to Local Jobs
The Flagler County school district showcased its 21 flagship programs at 10 schools, each designed to give students means to experience careers first-hand while completing academic requirements.
FPC Student Charged With Threatening School Shooting Was Twice Charged With Raping Young Children
James G. Cooke III, the 17-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School student charged on Thursday night with a felony for allegedly making a video SnapChat threat of shooting up an unspecified school, was twice before charged with raping children, according to arrest records.
Snapchat Video Threatening a School Shooting Leads to 17-Year-Old FPC Student’s Arrest
A 17-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School student was arrested just before midnight Thursday after a Snapchat video sent under the name “Jimmy Boy,” showing ammunition and a message–“I’m ready to shoot up the school”–was detected by a county resident and traced back to the student.
It’s All About ‘Alignment’ Between Schools, Colleges and Jobs, Local Education Leaders Tell Flagler Businesses
The Flagler Chamber of Commerce roughly once a year devotes one of its Common Ground breakfasts to spotlight local education’s major players, as it did this morning at Palm Coast’s Hilton Garden Inn.
Flagler Claims School Funding Formula Has Unfairly Penalized the District for Years. A Controversial Bill Could Change That.
Flagler was receiving $300 less per student than the average $7,200 per-student share because of the so-called District Cost Differential, which takes a complicated set of “amenities” into account to divvy up state education dollars.
Judge Rules School Boards Must Provide Security Officers to Charter Schools Just As They Do Their Own
In a decision that could have statewide implications, an administrative law judge Tuesday ruled that the Palm Beach County School Board is required to assign safety officers to charter schools under a law passed last year. Judge John Van Laningham sided with Renaissance Charter School Inc., which operates six schools in Palm Beach County and […]
FPC’s Problem Solvers Will Present Their School-Safety Initiative to Marjory Stoneman Douglas Commission
Members of the Flagler Palm Coast High School Community Problem Solving Group “FPC Bulldog Patrol” have been invited to present their project to the next meeting of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission, April 9-10, at the BB&T Center in Sunrise.
Constitutional Amendment Proposal for School Board Term Limits Easily Clears House Hurdle
The proposal was approved in an 11-4 vote that was largely along party lines. Voters would be asked in 2020 whether they want to impose eight-year term limits on school board members.
Lisa McDevitt, Flagler Auditorium’s Vigor and Champion, Remembered as ‘Mama Lisa’ Of the Performing Arts
Paying tribute to Lisa McDevitt, the Flagler Auditorium’s long-time executive director, were some 300 people Saturday, including family, friends, and performers she’d shepherded through the stage over the years.
Grade Average for IB Class of 2018 at FPC Exceeds World’s By a Shade as 40 Students Claim Diplomas
The FPC 40 students who earned an IB diploma or certificate dispersed to 14 colleges in Florida, two other states and the Philippines before returning to claim their diplomas at a recent ceremony at the school.
Lisa McDevitt, a Force Behind Flagler Auditorium and Arts Education, Dies at 58
Lisa McDevitt, the executive director of the Flagler Auditorium for the last 16 years and a fierce advocate for the arts in education, died Monday after a months-long struggle with cancer.
Rymfire’s Donelle Evensen and Matanzas’s Eugenia Moore Win District’s Top Honors for 2019
Donelle Evensen a literacy coach Rymfire Elementary School, is the 2019 Flagler County Teacher of the year, and Eugenia Moore, the guidance clerk at Matanzas High School, is the support employee of the year.
Old Kings Elementary’s Addison Davis Survives Being ‘Eviscerated’ and Wins County Spelling Bee on a Pretzel
Addison Davis, 11, a fifth grader at Old Kings Elementary, won the county-wide spelling bee Wednesday and goes on to the regional bee in Jacksonville on Feb. 19.
Flagler District’s Graduation Rate Soars to 88%, Vindicating Big Push and Tager’s “Bunker”
The district’s graduation rate’s improvements were powered by gains among black and at-risk students, and by Superintendent Jim Tager’s “bunker,” a system that focuses on students who think they can;t make it.
Overlooking Its Call for ‘Unity,’ Flagler NAACP Claims Sheriff ‘Sought to Bury’ Incident Involving 2 Racist Students at FPC
What the Flagler Branch of the NAACP billed as a “unified public support press conference” for the high school teacher targeted by two students’ racist threats featured more grandstanding and accusations than revelations today.
Yet Another Student Is Arrested, At FPC, Over School Shooting Threats, Capping Exasperating Week
In the fourth school-safety incident in five school days, yet another student, a 16-year-old attending Flagler Palm Coast High School, was arrested today on allegations that he threatened to shoot up the school.
Ethics Commission Finds Probable Cause School Board’s Janet McDonald and Husband Dennis Violated Law on Disclosures
A state ethics investigation found that both Dennis and Janet McDonald inaccurately reported assets on disclosure forms ahead of election runs. The late Frank Meeker, a county commissioner, filed the ethics complaints shortly before his death in 2016.
Two FPC Students Barred From Campus After Allegations of Online Threats Against Teacher
Two students at FPC were allegedly exchanging online chatter about the time and place to harm a teacher. The Sheriff’s Office investigated and declined to pursue charges, though the students face discipline from the district.
Ambition and Pledges of Openness Frame Swearings-In at County Commission and Palm Coast Council
Joe Mullins was sworn-in as a county commissioner and Donald O’Brien elected chairman while Jack Howell and Eddie Branquinho took their seats on the Palm Coast council today.
Flagler Schools Will Reluctantly Adopt Religious Freedom Policy Imposed By State
The Flagler County school district is following state law in adopting a new but vague policy protecting religious expression, though some school board members say it’s an unnecessary imposition.
Paul Peacock of Indian Trails and Cara Cronk of Buddy Taylor Are District’s Administrators of the Year
Indian Trails Middle School’s Paul Peacock is this year’s Principal of the Year in the Flagler district, and Buddy Taylor Middle School’s Cara Cronk is the assistant principal of the year.
Flagler Education Foundation Revenue Jumps 70%, Local Donations Up 143% Over 2016
Joe Rizzo, the Flagler Education Foundation’s executive director, has been on the job since February 2017, significantly improving the school district’s non-profit arm’s fund-raising and visibility.
Flagler Youth Orchestra, Accompanist to Generation of Students, Marks 14th Year With Open House Wednesday
Many thousands of students have enrolled in the free Flagler Youth Orchestra’s strings program through the years, with some 400 enrolling each fall. Its open house is next week.
Where School Board Candidates Stand on Exceptional Student Education (ESE)
Complete video interviews of Flagler County School Board board candidates by the Flagler Exceptional Student Education Support Group.
Paul Anderson, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Paul Anderson is one of five candidates in two races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 28 primary election: all Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Trevor Tucker, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Trevor Tucker is one of five candidates in two races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 28 primary election: all Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Carl Jones, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Carl Jones is one of five candidates in two races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 28 primary election: all Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
John Fischer, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
John Fischer is one of five candidates in two races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 28 primary election: all Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Janet McDonald, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Janet McDonald is one of five candidates in two races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 28 primary election: all Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Palm Coast Manager’s Power-Play Mucks Up Donation of Truck to FPC’s Fire Academy, Ignoring County’s Role
What should have been a feel-good donation of a fire engine to FPC’s popular Fire Academy turned into a turf war after Palm Coast Manager Jim Landon ignored the county fire department’s role in the academy.
New Back To School Normal For Flagler School Employees: How To Deal With a Mass Killer
The Flagler Auditorium today filled with 1,000 faculty members for “active shooter” or “incident survival” training through a vivid, disquieting presentation by Sheriff’s officials.
Flagler School Enrollment Remains Flat, Florida Will See Slowdown in 2019-20
Enrollment in Flagler County has been flat for a decade, hovering at or just below 13,000 students since 2007. That’s not about to change.
Flagler School District Scores a B For 7th Year In a Row, Ranks 32nd Out of 67
Only Indian Trails Middle School scored an A while Old Kings and Rymfire elementaries dropped a grade. Other schools maintained last year’s grades.
Andy Dance Re-Elected To Flagler School Board Without Opposition; Others Must Slog It Out
Andy Dance was re-elected to a fourth term. A school board and a Palm Coast council race will be decided in August, others won’t be decided until November.
School Board Rejects $2.5 Million Bid For Palm Coast Parkway Property It Bought For $3.5 Million
The $2.5 million offer was $500,000 higher than the best appraisal of the property. The board split 2-2 on the offer from Michael Collard Properties, who’d offered $1.8 million last year.
For Flagler Students, Slight Declines In English and Math Mask Stronger Gains in the Details
When broken out, the declines tend to be more isolated than systemic, and despite the declines, the district remains above the state average in both English and math.
Flagler Schools’ Problem Solvers Claim Two 1st Places Among 6 Trophies at International Competition
Katia Martynuk of FPC and Michael Mwaura of Indian Trails took first place as Flagler’s students from the two schools also claimed one second-place and three third-place finishes.
Flagler’s and DSC’s Education Chiefs Talk Bunkers, Breweries, Graduation and Jobs
Superintendent Jim Tager, Flagler Technical Institute Director Renee Stauffacher, and Daytona State College President Tom LoBasso were the featured speakers an education breakfast.
Flagler School Board Unanimously Approves 13 Deputies in Schools, Ending Tiff With Sheriff
The $1.8 million agreement almost splits costs between the sheriff and the school board and doubles the number of deputies in schools in the first post-Parkland massacre contract.
Flagler Beach Cool To Contributing Money, Palm Coast-Style, For Schools’ Resource Deputies
Palm Coast pays for an extra school resource deputy to defray the school board’s and sheriff’s costs, but Flagler Beach is reluctant to do likewise for now.
Compromise Over School Deputies in Flagler, But Look Beyond False Security of “Hardening”
There’s an effective way to end the stalemate between the Flagler Sheriff and the school board over deputies in schools without breaking the bank or compromising security.
Rift Widens Between Sheriff and School Board Over Deputies’ Cost For Flagler Schools
At least an $88,000 rift divides Flagler’s sheriff from the school board as they negotiate to have deputies at every school come August. The divide may be larger when mental health money is included.
School District Seeks to Reassure Flagler Parents Disaffected Over Reorganization Involving 1,900 Special Education Students
The Flagler school district is cutting in half its so-called “staffing specialists,” or advocates for special education students, but says the change is for the better. Parents disagree.
With Social Media Surveillance, Flagler School District Is Breaching Community Trust
With its contract with Social Sentinel, a social media snooping company, the Flagler school district is going into the secretive surveillance business for a much heavier cost than advertised.
Students Raise Concerns, But Flagler School Board Approves Social Media Surveillance
The Flagler County School Board Tuesday approved a three-year, $55,500 contract with Vermont-based Social Sentinel to troll eight different types of social media accounts.
Flagler School Board Wants To Snoop on Students’ Social Media, And Maybe Yours. Wrong Move.
The School Board is set to contract with Social Sentinel, a company that will troll social media accounts across Flagler for $18,500 and issue “alerts” to select officials. It’s an inappropriate move down a slippery slope.
7 New Sheriff’s Deputies, 143% Cost Increase as Outline of Flagler’s School Safety Takes Shape
Sheriff Staly and Superintendent Tager are negotiating an increase of the school deputies’ program to $1.8 million split 50-50, with the schools’ share paid by the state and the sheriff’s by the County Commission.
As in Flagler, Few Districts Embrace Arming “Marshals,” So Money May Shift to School Cops
In Flagler County, Superintendent Jim Tager and the school board said they would not support arming anyone who is not, in essence, as trained as school deputies must be to carry a weapon.
Details Behind 6th Grader at Center of Bunnell School Incident Point To a “Gun,” a Troubled History and Family
The 6th grader at the center of the alleged gun incident by a Bunnell Elementary playground has had a history of suspensions and an unstable home life.