Brevard School Board must cut $3.6M from budget — this month

BY KATE BRENNAN Florida TodayMonday, March 24, 2008
VIERA — With the school year two-thirds over and most of the money spent, the Brevard County School Board faces the daunting task of cutting another $3.6 million from its budget this month.
Superintendent Richard DiPatri wants the board to go even further at tonight's meeting. He recommended the board cut about $2 million more to brace for budget reductions next year that he said could run as high as $35 million if state revenue shortfalls worsen.
"I'm real nervous about next year, and I'm trying to build up as many reserves as I can," DiPatri told the board earlier this month. "I'm taking a very cautious, conservative approach."
In total, Brevard Public Schools has lost about $13.6 million this year from its $587 million operating budget, or just more than 2 percent.
The board already has pared down its budget by about $10 million through cost-saving measures implemented last August, including freezing 45 vacant positions, requiring each district department to reduce its budget by 10 percent and reining in employee travel expenses.
To trim the remaining $3.6 million and roll over nearly $2 million into next year's budget, DiPatri recommended:
•Reducing summer school programs by $1.83 million by cutting all enrichment programs and credit makeup courses and eliminating transportation, except for middle- and high-school exceptional education students.
•Reducing an emergency fund for capital projects by $1 million.
•Reducing the workers' compensation fund by $1.5 million.
Using two sources of revenue, the district is expecting $700,000 in state award money for middle-school students who earned a C or better in algebra, and $540,000 from a statewide settlement with Microsoft for overcharging districts for their products.
The board will decide whether to accept, reject or modify the recommended cuts today.
Board chair Janice Kershaw asked DiPatri to consider using a portion of the district's reserve funds to soften the blow from the budget cuts. But board members Amy Kneessy and Robert Jordan said they opposed dipping into the reserves now in case the situation gets worse later.
"We're saying $30 (million) to $35 million next year, but what's going to happen after that?" Jordan said. "How far is this going to go down? That's what really scares me. We really need to prepare for maybe five years of downward spiral."
Jordan, who said he'd prefer to ask each school and department to shave their budgets by a certain percent next year, expressed frustration at the way state lawmakers made cuts.
"So much for the governor saying they were going to hold education harmless because this is really harming us," he said.

Art and Band parents beat back physical ed requirement for middle schoolers

Art and band parents beat back physical ed requirement for middle schoolers
By LAURA GREEN
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 19, 2008

TALLAHASSEE — Bowing to Band boosters - the world's most powerful lobby, one senator joked - lawmakers backed away from mandating physical education for every Florida middle schooler.

Instead, parents would be able to let their child skip the semester of PE requirement, under an amended bill approved by a Senate committee Wednesday.

Arts activists flooded lawmakers with emails and phone calls concerned that the original version of the bill (SB610) would have limited access to their courses.

Sen. Larcenia J. Bullard, D-Miami, said she got many phone calls and about 1,400 emails from teachers of arts courses and others worried about the bill.

Most middle school students only get two electives. If PE were required, critics said, too many students would be forced to drop chorus or band to take a foreign language or remedial reading or math courses required for struggling students.

Senate education committee Chairman Sen. Don Gaetz congratulated sponsor Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, for coming up with compromise language.

"If I have to choose between band parents and anything else, I'll choose band parents," said Gaetz, former Okaloosa County Superintendent. "I know they are the most powerful lobby in the world."

The bill passed the Senate pre-k through 12 education committee with Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, dissenting.

Brevard County Middle School Music Performance Assessment March 25 & 26

Hello Band Families,

We need Adult and Student helpers after school next week on Tuesday and Wednesday. Please volunteer and/or support your student if he/she wants to volunteer.

Cocoa Beach Jr Sr High School is hosting the Brevard County Middle School Music Performance Assessment next Tuesday and Wednesday March 25 & 26 in our new auditorium. For those of you who are not familiar, this is the Middle School version of the event our CBHS Wind Ensemble attended last Saturday at Satellite High School.

We will be host to 20+ Middle School Bands and parents over the 2 days. It is considered an Honor to do this. We will use our new auditorium to listen to the bands play and we will host a complimentary dinner both evenings for the judges.
The schools will begin to arrive each day at 2 pm and we will be busy until about 9 pm. Their arrivals and departures will be staggered.

There are various jobs involved and Yvonne Campbell will assign tasks when she gets volunteer commitments. Both students and adults will be assigned to each task.

MOMS & DADS are needed for the following:

INFORMATION AND PROGRAM DISTRIBUTORS 2 pm – 9 pm (shifts available)

2 adults. First shift starts at 2 pm to set up and work at tables in the Theatre Lobby. You will provide information to parents and directors. We will provide you with all the details including diagrams. You will also distribute programs.

BUS DIRECTOR - 2 pm – 9 pm (shifts available).

1 Adult in the parking lot to direct the busses.

DINNER SERVERS – 5 pm to 7:30 pm

2 or 3 Adults to help serve the meal we will be providing for the judges and a few
other people. The dinner will be served between 6 and 7 pm. Yvonne Campbell will coordinate the dinner and needs helpers.

CONCESSION (TABLE) 2 pm to 9 pm (shifts available)

2 or 3 to run a small concession area outside the Theatre. Will sell drinks and light snacks. I (Claudia Davis) will coordinate this and I need helpers.

UNIFORM HELPERS – WED ONLY (3:30 pm to 4:30 pm)

2 - 3 Middle school parents - Our performance time is 4:30 on Wednesday. Our kids need to be dressed and ready. Need helpers after school that day to help dress the kids.

As you see, we need help from 2pm – 9pm both days. If you can work both days, great! Or if you can only work a shift on either or both days that is appreciated too!

We can’t have too many helpers so yes, we need you!

Please contact me with your dates and times you are available. Yvonne Campbell will give you your assignment unless you have a particular job request.
Please RSVP as soon as possible.

Thank you,
Claudia Davis
960-2577
ClaudiaCDavis@aol.com

Oppose SB 610 (Senate Bill) letter

Copy of Email I sent to Florida Senators

Hello,
I have been notified that SB 610 will be heard in the Senate K-12 Education Committee on Wednesday, March 19 at 9:00 a.m. I understand that this is the bill which mandates 225 minutes of PE each week for middle school students (grades 6-8).
I am a band student parent that is highly concerned about the future of the school Music Program being impacted if this goes through. Even though my son will be a senior in Cocoa Beach Jr/Sr High School next year, I support this kind of education in our schools and I want it to continue.

While I totally support schools offering Physical Education, I do not want the Music program to be jeopardized. I am concerned that "SB 610" will obliterate the ability to maintain a music program in our schools by not making it available due to scheduling restrictions to students. Especially at the age (middle school years) when students normally make the commitment to a musical program.

Also, many students from the K-12 school music programs eventually feed into the music programs offered in Universities and beyond. Here is a quote directly from website at Florida State University
"Florida State University's arts programs—dance, film, music and theatre—rank among the finest in the world."

What will happen to this and other similar music programs if students are not able to learn music when they are young?

I agree with the following points:

Talking Points
• Mandating PE without providing an additional period will eliminate fine arts classes and other electives for any school on a six-period day. This will lead to the elimination of high school programs which depend on middle schools to begin building skills and technique for student success at the high school level.
• This effort has significant fiscal impact even though certified PE teachers are not required by the bill. That uncertified teachers may be responsible for instruction dramatically reduces the effectiveness of the effort and many more instructors are still required to implement such a class for every middle school student. If the course is not to be taught with integrity and standards, then it is, indeed, an empty gesture.
• If additional mandates are to be placed on the school day, additional time and funding must be provided for implementation (ie. add another period in the day, fund the teachers) so that other areas of the curriculum are not reduced or eliminated.
• We are not opposed to more physical education in the school day, however, we do oppose this bill which does not provide for adequate implementation. Our position is that physical education and other electives should not be mutually exclusive.
Will you help support our music program being able to continue?
We would appreciate any support that you can give to our concerns.
Please let me know if you receive this email. Thank you in advance for whatever you can do.

Claudia Davis
http://ClaudiaDavis.net
PS: Please listen to this exciting musical clip (2 minutes) performed by Cocoa Beach High School. I hope you are as thrilled as I am when I listen to this. I do not want to see this program go away!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Gg64Pl_5ehM

FCAT ALERT! Cocoa Beach Jr Sr High School

Alert #1--Tuesday, March 11--FCAT Reading for students in grades 7, 8, 9, and 10
Wednesday, March 12--FCAT Mathematics for students in grades 7, 8, 9, and 10
Thursday, March 13--FCAT Science for students in grade 11
Monday, March 17--FCAT Science for students in grade 8
Wednesday, March 19--FCAT Norm Referenced testing for students in grades 7, 8, 9, and 10

Alert #2--New testing rules from the state have come down. Any student who has possession or access to any electronic device, such as a cell phone, iPod, or mp3 player, MUST have their test invalidated even if the devices are turned off. Please be sure to tell your student to take special care with their electronic items. Our suggestion is that these items be left at home or kept locked in vehicles or in lockers.

Alert #3--Checkouts from school will not be permitted for those students involved in the testing. The testing lasts the entire day on Tuesday, March 11, and Wednesday, March 12. There will be make-up days for students who are sick on test day.

Alert #4--Please encourage your student to get a good night's sleep before each of the tests and to eat a good breakfast before coming to school. Let them know that you take this testing seriously and that they should strive to do their best. High stakes testing such as the FCAT can be stressful for students, but with your attention and caring, your students will come thorough fine.

Cocoa Beach Jr/Sr High School has an outstanding record on the FCAT. Our students are well prepared and with your help we are looking for a repeat of past years' successes.

March 15 District Festival MPA - Saturday

Performance at District Festival at Satellite – 9:00am - 1:15am

Be at CBHS in your seat ready to play at 9:00am (already tuned) - fully dressed and having already eaten breakfast. Our MPA performance will be at 11:30am at @ Satellite High - We will return back to CBHS at 1:15am - Parents are needed for chaperoning - I need five chaperones for this event. Please email me if you can chaperone.