The Flagler County School board this week will debate adoption of a new security plan that includes adding armed cops in elementary schools. The approach would be costly, ineffective, and more emotional than intelligent. Smarter approaches–and far greater priorities–abound.
Old Kings Elementary
With Stern Words on Process, Flagler School Board Ratifies Private Hire of Cop at Old Kings
Board members Sue Dickinson and Colleen Conklin raised issues with the preferential message the private-pay guard at Old Kings Elementary may send to other schools, and the way the decision was made without the board’s knowledge. Three board members had no issue with the process. All five welcomed the check.
Parent at Old Kings Elementary Hires Full-Time Armed Guard at Her $12,000 Expense
Laura Lauria put up $12,000 just for the first two months’ cost of a full-time sheriff’s deputy at Old Kings, an arrangement carried out without the school board’s knowledge and outside normal policy and legal oversight, though school and sheriff’s officials welcome it–with caveats.
Old Kings Elementary School Bus Involved in Minor 4:30 p.m. Wreck on Colechester
A Flagler County school bus carrying less than two dozen students from Old Kings Elementary School was involved in a minor wreck at 4:30 this afternoon at Colechester Lane and Colleen Court. No one was hurt.
Flagler School District Cut from $30 Million Race-to-the-Top Grant; Rezoning Still Ahead
The $30 million federal grant–a third of the district’s annual budget–would have let the district turn all its middle and elementary schools into K-8 magnet schools of choice, with transportation. Nevertheless, the district still plans to adopt several reforms, including converting Indian Trails into a K-8 center, and countywide rezoning.
Astronaut Suni Williams Enthralls 1,000 Flagler Students in a Ham Radio Chat From ISS
Suni Williams, one of the most decorated American astronauts, was 210 miles above Florida as she fielded some 20 questions for 10 minutes from students before a packed audience of 1,000 at Indian Trails Middle School today, in a thrilling, old-fashioned hook up made possible by the Flagler Palm Coast Amateur Radio Club.
Flagler Schools’ Overall Enrollment Flat For 4th Straight Year as Charters Keep Growing
Flagler County’s three charter schools’ enrollment exceeds 1,000, or 8 percent of the district, which saw its traditional schools’ enrollment fall to the lowest level since the 2005-06 school year.
For the Flagler Youth Orchestra’s 8th Season, 200 Students Join Before Recruiting Begins
A Flagler Youth Orchestra trio is visiting five Flagler County schools Thursday and Friday in the FYO’s annual recruiting tour, but a record number of students have already signed up for the increasingly popular program ahead of its open house on Sept. 12.
Sheriff’s and School Bus Director’s Caution: “Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible.”
With Flagler County schools resuming on Thursday, Aug. 15, the sheriff’s office and the school district’s transportation department–responsible for 85 bus routes traveling 8,000 miles a day–are reminding parents, students and all drivers to heighten their prudence. A list of bus routes and times is included.
Complaint Cites Broad, Harsh Discrimination Against Black Students in Flagler Schools
Flagler County schools are among five Florida districts cited by the Southern Poverty Law Center in complaints filed with the federal Office of Civil Rights, calling for federal investigations into discriminatory punishments that disproportionately target black students.