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Elementary Rezoning ~North Phase~. Seminole County Public Schools 2012. AGENDA. Welcome Rationale for Rezoning Core Values & Beliefs Core Committee’s Role & Purpose Committee Member Introductions Meeting/Process Guidelines Government in the Sunshine (GITS) Overview of Policy & Process
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Elementary Rezoning~North Phase~ Seminole County Public Schools 2012
AGENDA • Welcome • Rationale for Rezoning • Core Values & Beliefs • Core Committee’s Role & Purpose • Committee Member Introductions • Meeting/Process Guidelines • Government in the Sunshine (GITS) • Overview of Policy & Process • Board Policy • Procedures • Parameters • Target Capacity Factors • Expectations • Outcomes • Rezoning Process • Communications • Steps to a Final Decision • Timeline—North Phase • Core Committee Questions • Rezoning Tool Demonstration • Public Input • Rezoning Tool Practice & Work Session • Next Meeting – December 10,2012 at 6:00 p.m. • Adjournment
Rationale for Rezoning Balance enrollment among schools Accommodate future enrollment growth
Core Values/Beliefs School Board Policy 2.60 Excellence & Equity The Seminole County School Board believes that a high quality education is a fundamental right of every child, that all children can learn, and that every student should have the opportunity to succeed. The Board is committed to maintaining a high quality school system that provides excellence and equity for all students.
Core Values/Beliefs School Board Policy 2.60 Excellence & Equity In particular, the Board believes, and research supports, that quality education is most effective in a diverse setting. In Seminole County, this diversity includes socioeconomic status, gender, race/ethnicity, English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and disability. One of the key educational benefits associated with diversity is improved achievement for all students.
Core Committee The Core Committee is an advisory committee established by School Board Policy 5.30 - School Student Attendance Zones, Revision of Attendance Zones, and Inter-zone Transfers Representatives include: • PTA Representatives • SAC Representatives • District Level Staff • Principals participate in an advisory capacity
Core Committee Role • Develop and evaluate proposed plans for elementary attendance zonesin the North Phase • Consider public input (plans & suggestions) • Keep the local community informed of the progress • Recommend plan(s) to the Superintendent
MEETING/PROCESS GUIDELINES • Work together • Respect perspectives of all Core Committee members • Consider input from the public • Each meeting will include designated time to receive written input from the public • The public may communicate with Core Committee members between meetings • Expedite the process
SCOPE OF THE SUNSHINE LAW • Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Law, commonly referred to as the Sunshine Law, provides a right of access to governmental proceedings at both the state and local levels. The Law is equally applicable to elected and appointed boards and has been applied to any gathering of two or more members of the same board to discuss some matter which will foreseeably come before that board for action. • Advisory boards created pursuant to law or ordinance or otherwise established by public agencies are subject to the Sunshine Law, even though their recommendations are not binding upon the agencies that create them.** The term “Board” as used herein includes the Core Committee. The term “Board Member” includes the members of the Core Committee.
THERE ARE 3 BASIC REQUIREMENTS • Meetings of public boards (Core Committee) or commissions must be open to the public. • Reasonable notice of such meeting must be given. • Minutes of the meetings must be taken, promptly recorded and open to public inspection.
THE SUNSHINE LAW • Board members may not use e-mail or the telephone to conduct a private discussion about board business. Board members may send a “one-way” communication to each other as long as the communication is kept as a public record and there is not response to the communication except at an open public meeting. Accordingly, any “one-way” communications (for example one board member wants to forward an article to the board members for information) should be distributed by the board office so that they can be preserved as public records and ensure that any response to the communication is made only at a public meeting. • Board meetings should be held in buildings that are open to the public. This means that meetings should not be held in private homes. **The term “Board” as used herein includes the Core Committee. The term “Board Member” includes the members of the Core Committee.
Board Policy 5.30 – School Student Attendance Zones, Revision of Attendance Zones, and Inter-zone Transfers • Rezoning - A rezoning is a realignment of school geographical attendance based on a student‘s residence. • This policy can be found under Elementary Rezoning on the SCPS Home page. www.scps.us (Home page)
Procedures • Identify specific geographic areas or study areas/cells that could shift from one attendance zone to another. • Utilize demographic data for each cell (student enrollment, free/reduced lunch %). • Core Committee will develop plans for consideration and evaluate each plan relative to meeting the targets established for school capacity and free/reduced lunch (to the extent practicable).
Parameters School Board Policy 5.30, Section D, Step 5 The committee will review target enrollments recommended by district staff, develop alternative plans and measure each plan against Policy 5.30 and the following parameters:
Parameters School Board Policy 5.30, Section D, Step 5 - Continued • The plan creates attendance zones that reflect the diversity of the District to the extent practicable consistent with Constitutional requirements. • The plan keeps subdivisions and small neighborhood units in the same attendance zone to the extent practicable. • The plan assigns students to the closest school to the extent practicable. • The plan creates compact attendance zones with few or no island areas.
Parameters School Board Policy 5.30, Section D, Step 5 – Continued • The plan includes target enrollments that allow for growth and anticipated changing demographics. • The plan complies with feeder patterns (no more than two schools) to the extent practicable. • The plan does not place a transportation burden on any identifiable diversity subgroup (socioeconomic, race/ethnicity, ESOL, or disability).
Target Capacity Factors Factors used to determine target capacity at each school include – • Permanent FISH (Florida Inventory School Houses) • Capacity Class Size Adjustments • PreK Programs • Anticipated Residential Growth
Expectations Balance enrollment among schools by moving as close as possible to the designated targets in the North Phase for: • Capacity • Free & Reduced Lunch
Important Note! There should be substantial movement towards the target Free and Reduced Lunch range, with serious consideration given to race/ethnicity, English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and students with disabilities.
Outcomes It can take a minimum of 1-2 years for currently enrolled students to move through the system due to variables such as siblings, rising 5th graders, etc.
Communications • The School Board’s web-site, Seminole Government TV, and local media will be utilized for communication. • The Elementary Rezoning webpage will have updated information and minutes from the core committee meetings.
Steps To A Final Decision • The Core Committee submits proposed plans to the Superintendent. • The Superintendent may develop alternative plans for consideration by the Board. • The Superintendent shall submit a recommendation to the Board. • The Board will take action on the Superintendent’s recommendation and makes the final decision.
Timeline – North Phase December 3 Core Committee Meeting 1 December 10 Core Committee Meeting 2 January 9 Core Committee Meeting 3 January 14 Core Committee Meeting 4 January 22* Board Work Session – Committee’s Proposed Plans February 12* Regular Board Meeting – Superintendent’s Recommended Plan February 17* Advertisement of Selected Rezoning Plan March 19* Public Hearing March 19* Special Board Meeting – Adoption of Plan *Tentative dates
Questions • Core Committee
DEMO!! Rezoner.com
Public Input • Questions/Comments from public