For the first time in the 15-year history of school and district grades, Flagler County schools did not earn a single A in 2016. Officials are cautioning parents and students not to put too much stock in the results, which reflect a new but also tougher way to grade schools.
Flagler County School Board
Marcus Sanfilippo Will Succeed Richard DuPont as Bunnell Elementary Principal
Marcus Sanfilippo had been an assistant principal at Indian Trails Middle School. He is a former county Teacher of the Year and in 2015 was the assistant principal of the year.
Bunnell Elementary Leads the Way as Flagler’s Problem Solvers Shine Again at Internationals
Flagler County’s nearly 60 community problem solvers accomplished at this year’s international competition what their predecessors have almost every year for more than half a decade: they cleaned up in wins, trophies and plaudits.
Flagler’s Third Graders Improve English Skills and Climb to 10th Best in Florida
The proportion of students who scored a 3 or better (out of 5)–that is, students who are proficient in English at their grade level–also improved, from 60 percent to 63 percent.
6 Local Unions Show Electoral Power as 16 Candidates For School Board, Palm Coast and County Match Mettle
The United Public Employees of Flagler County, representing 6 local public unions, hosted the largest simultaneous political forum in the county’s recent history, yielding a few insights into three races.
Flagler’s African American Mentor Program Honors Its Own Weeks After Earning Unsung Hero Award
The African American Mentoring Program is the creation of former school board member Jim Guines and John Winston, who 10 years ago saw a broad need in the county for mentors to guide young, black students who, for one reason or another, lacked direction.
Flagler Auditorium Sees $500,000 Grant As 1st Step to $5 Million Capital Makeover
The Flagler Auditorium is in line to get five successive $500,000 grants that the auditorium board and the district would match, enabling the transformation of the 25-year-old facility, including a lobby three times bigger than its current size.
Flagler Schools Seeks to Be 1st in Florida To Use Concussion-Alert Football Helmets District-Wide
The helmets, which would cost $500 each, would alert coaches and trainers in real time of the severity of collisions players sustain to the head, enabling trainers to more readily take precautions against concussions.
Demolition Devours Another Chunk of Old Palm Coast as Backhoes Blitz ITT Building
The massive building at 1 Corporate Drive had been ITT headquarters in Palm Coast’s nascent days then office and classroom space for the school district’s adult education programs. The building had its uses but was never a good investment for the district.
Full Funding Restored to Flagler’s Adults With Disabilities Program, a Big Victory for District
Intense lobbying by local school officials and their legislators helped restore the full $545,000 appropriation they’d lost last year, enabling the district to again double enrollment in the Adults with Disabilities’ Step Up program starting July 1.
Ex-Flagler Superintendent Delbrugge’s Son and Daughter Arrested For Stealing Girl Scout’s Cookie Money
Nicholas Delbrugge, 20, and his sister Ashley Winters, both former residents of Flagler County and the son and daughter of former Flagler School Superintendent Bill Delbrugge, were arrested this evening in Deltona and charged with snatching a a girl scout’s cookie money from her hands four days earlier.
District and Palm Coast Will Redesign Some Bus Stops in 1st Step To Counter Crashes Involving Children
Some of the county’s 600 bus stops will be redesigned to include a $1,200 “pad” where students should wait for buses, while an education campaign will target students in elementary and middle schools.
School District’s Decision to Demolish Old ITT Building Triggers Upheaval Behind the Scenes
A board member pledged to call the attorney general over the improper end of the discussion surrounding the 3-2 vote last week, and the company picked to demolish the building lost the license enabling it to do so.
At FPC, Community Problem Solvers Re-Imagine Library as Fluid “Learning Commons”
When every student has a media center in the palm of the hand, it’s time to change the name and purpose of a school library. That’s what FPC’s Community Problem Solvers set out to do, and achieved.
Call The Question! School Board Moves to Demolish Old ITT Building in “Awkward” Vote
The school board will spend $163,000 to demolish the iconic hulk on Palm Coast Parkway, but the 5-0 vote was marred and rushed by an improper maneuver by board member Sue Dickinson.
To School Officials’ Surprise, NAACP Accuses District of ‘Obstruction’ and More Arbitrary Discipline
The Flagler branch of the NAACP is accusing the school district of “willful” obstruction in disciplinary cases involving black students, and of ignoring behavior problems at Buddy Taylor Middle School.
Flagler School District Is Rated B For Third Straight Year, All Schools Either A or B
This year’s grades are almost eight months late. They’re less reliable than in previous years. And they’re still facing bitter criticism because of the state’s troubled standardized testing system.
Proposal Would End Local Districts’ Oversight of Charter Schools in Favor Of State Power
The proposed constitutional amendment would set up a statewide entity with the power to approve charter schools anywhere in Florida, bypassing local school districts. The Legislature is expected to approve sending the proposal to the ballot.
Florida’s Black Cowboys: An Exhibit Tours All Flagler Schools, Bucking Stereotypes
The Florida Black Cowboys exhibit, produced by the Agriculture Museum, opens a window on a little-known part of Florida and American history. The exhibit will appear at every Flagler County school.
Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club Lives: School Board Grants Reprieve, 5-0
The school board’s unanimous decision ends a remarkable turnaround for the club, which just last September faced permanent closure, though its deficits have still not been entirely erased.
“We Live Without My Son”: A Mother’s Story of Her Teen’s Suicide Frames Town Hall Meeting
Barbara Coxwell, who lost her 15-year-old son to suicide in 2013, and School Board Chairman Colleen Conklin, led the virtual town hall as a first step in a countywide effort to broaden attention to suicide-prevention across all age groups.
Unfounded Threat Briefly Lifts Flagler Schools’ Status to Yellow, Increasing Cop Presence
An unfounded threat reported third-hand to Flagler school officials this morning and mirroring a threat in Florida’s Panhandle prompted the district to raise its security status to yellow before reverting back to normal.
Bunnell Elementary’s Sean Gilliam Is Flagler County’s Champion, Buoyant Speller
Sean Gilliam, a sixth grader at Bunnell Elementary, correctly spelled the word buoyancy to defeat 16 competitors. Fifth grader Grayson Ronk of Wadsworth Elementary School was the runnerup.
Worrisome Numbers for Black Students Behind Flagler School District’s “Touting” of Graduation Rates
The graduation rate for black students has taken a nosedive, with just 63.3 percent of black students are graduating, down 4.6% in 3 years. The numbers are especially bad at Flagler Palm Coast High School.
Flagler School District Earns Apple’s Distinguished Program Award
Flagler Schools was recently named as a Distinguished Program by Apple for the Digital Learning Movement in place across all district schools. Representatives from the company were at the last School Board meeting on Jan. 5 to make the announcement.
Kim Weeks (No, Not That One) Is Flagler’s Teacher of the Year, DeAndre Harris Takes Employee Honor
Kim Weeks is a media specialist at Old Kings Elementary School for 11 years, DeAndre Harris is a paraprofessional at Indian Trails Middle School where he works with Exceptional Student Education (ESE).
Flagler School Enrollment Flat For 8th Straight Year Even as Population Continues to Grow
Most of those moving into Flagler and Palm Coast are retired or non-working, while not enough working-age families with children are moving in to replace those moving out.
Artless Censors: The Flagler’s School Board’s Misplaced Allegiance to “Staff”
The Flagler school board shirked its responsibility when it chose to be a cheerleader for a principal instead of offering guidance and oversight after a student’s art work was censored at FPC.
Denied Belle Terre Swim Club, Innovative Soccer Academy Turns to Permanent Palm Coast Roots
The 57 students enrolled at Palm Coast’s Professional Sports Pathways are part of a growing trend of hybrid specialty school-skill training programs that also serve as magnets for families looking for specific educational opportunities.
Ethics Commission Orders School Board’s Colleen Conklin to Pay $1,500 Fine Over Mail Flub
The issue started as a $25-a-day fine over a late financial disclosure form that was itself never in question, that School Board Chairman Colleen Conklin never made sure had reached the commission.
“My Concern Is The Christian Kids”: A Pastor Raises Objections to Yoga in Flagler Schools
A local pastor complained to the school board that yoga and meditation in a wellness program at three Flagler County schools is a violation of the separation of church and state. The pastor largely misunderstands the $30,000 program, a grant through State Farm Insurance.
Next School Year’s Calendar Will Start on Aug. 10 and Restore Full Thanksgiving Week Off
Flagler schools’ 2016-17 calendar will start at its earliest date in recent memory, a full month before Labor Day, and end the day before Memorial Day.
Belle Terre Swim Club Gets a $25,000 Annual County Lifeline and Nears Membership Goal
County government’s annual contribution will make it more difficult for the school board to close the troubled Swim and Racquet Club, as will an advisory group’s campaign that has netted some 250 new memberships, or just 150 short of the goal the board set for January.
Transgenders in Flagler Schools: District Takes It Case By Case as State Scrutinizes More Than Nurtures
The state and, to some extent, Flagler County, have a long way to go to ensure that transgender students are treated not only fairly and equitably, but that the environment they face is more respectful than questioning, more welcoming than inhibiting.
Bottom Line Cost of Demolishing and Paying Off School Board’s Old ITT Property: $1.27 Million
The district bought the building in 2002 for $3.5 million. It will spend $200,000 to demolish it, $770,000 to pay off the mortgage, and $300,000 to renovate another location that will accommodate operations currently at the Corporate One property.
No Longer State of the Art, Flagler Auditorium Seeks School Board Support for Improvements
A joint meeting between the school board and the auditorium board revealed a wish-list of costly needs that would require the district to shift dollars and priorities toward the auditorium. First, school board members want more clarity on those needs.
Flagler Schools’ 1-to-1 Laptop Initiative Termed a Success, But Replacement Costs at $100,000 a Year
With almost 8,000 student computers in circulation, the Flagler district spent $194,000 on replacements and repairs in two years, well below projections, as the program spreads to middle and elementary schools.
For 4th Time in 7 Weeks, a Student is Struck by Vehicle in Palm Coast; Safety Panel Meets
Buddy Taylor Middle School student Maxim Bystrov, 13, was on his bicycle when an elderly driver violated his right of way at Belle Terre and Pritchard Tuesday, injuring the boy. Wednesday, the new traffic safety committee met.
Belle Terre Swim Club Has Until January to Find 400 Members or Close, Absent Savior
A divided Flagler County School Board voted 3-2 for a drop-dead date, relying on current members to build their ranks while leaving out, for now, a sports academy that sought to run the facility. But board members said such talks can continue.
Child’s Death at Bus Stop Prompts Creation of Joint School-City Safety Committee
Palm Coast City Council member Andy Dance and School Board member Andy Dance formed the joint committee with administrators from both agencies to explore safety improvements at bus stops.
Belle Terre Swim Club Pulled From Brink as School Board Turns to Community Group
In a remarkable turn-around for club supporters, the Flagler school board agreed to extend the life of the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club by turning over membership responsibilities to a community group and shortening hours of operation.
Flagler County Youth Center Marks 10 Years in Continuing County-School Board Partnership
Flagler County government built the $1 million youth center as part of a tax-supported referendum 10 years ago. The school board staffs it, under the leadership of Cheryl Massaro, its one and only director.
School Superintendents Have “Lost Confidence” in Florida’s Student Accountability System
The rebuke comes after months of controversy about the new Florida Standards Assessment, which was plagued by technical problems this spring, including computer glitches and a cyberattack.
At Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Fundraiser, It Felt Like the 1980s Again. That’s The Problem.
Even though a sizable crowd turned up for the fundraiser Sunday, the effort still falls significantly short of keeping the club going or convincing the school board that the group leading the effort can lease the property and make it work as a club again.
Worrisome Study in Hand, Lawmakers Question Tying Teacher Salaries to Test Scores
The study supported the use of the Florida Standards Assessment for school grades and teacher evaluations but said that “the FSA scores for some students will be suspect” because of the computer glitches.
“Somber” Board Severely Cuts Flagler’s Adults With Disabilities Program So It Can Survive
The program served 85 mostly full-time clients until it lost half a million dollars in state aid, forcing staff cuts and deep reductions in services. But unlike other districts, Flagler chose to keep its program going.
State Education Board’s “Historic” Funding Proposal Is Still $1,000 Per Student Below 2006 Level
In inflation adjusted dollars, current spending on public education is $1,100-per-student less than it was in 2007, and would still be $1,000 less if the Legislature goes along with a state board of education proposal.
Matanzas Woods Construction Forces Temporary School Bus Routes For Nearby Students
As school resumes Monday, transportation changes are afoot in the Matanzas High area, while the sheriff’s office has issued a series of cautions and tips to parents and students.
With YMCA Talks Dead, District Looks For Belle Terre Swim Club Savior in Final Effort
With the YMCA, Palm Coast and the county uninterested in supporting it, the days of the Belle Terre Swim Club as a public facility will end this fall if no bidder is found by early October.
Getting Past Cheap Praise: Superintendent Challenges Teachers to Adopt More Perceptive Mindsets
Speaking to 1,000 faculty members in a packed Flagler Auditorium this morning, Superintendent Jacob Oliva outlined the coming year’s objective the way savvy tech companies roll out new products.