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Minutes 12-20-95 MINUTES OF THE EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD MEETING HELD IN CONFERENCE ROOM "A", CITY HALL, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1995, AT 6:30 P.M. PRESENT Anne Centi, Chairwoman Wilfred Hawkins, Asst. to the City Margaret Newton, Vice Chairwoman Manager Rhona Schneider Renee Stern Nellie Denahan, Alternate Ben Demaline, Student ABSENT Kenneth Blair Muslima Lewis Irving Sechter Daniel Winters, Alternate I. GREETINGS Chairwoman Centi called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m., and distributed Certificates of Appreciation to Ms. Schneider and Ms. Stern. II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Since the meeting was being held in Conference Room "A", which does not contain a Flag, the Pledge of Allegiance was not recited. III. ROLL CALL The roll was not called. IV. MINUTES APPROVAL - November 29, 1995 Ms. Schneider moved to approve. Ms. Stern seconded the motion which carried unanimously. V. AGENDA APPROVAL The agenda was accepted as presented. 1 MEETING MINUTES EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA DECEMBER 20, 1995 VI.PUBLIC AUDIENCE (3 MINUTE LIMIT PER PERSON) A. Speakers: Ms. Letecia Castro Sousa - Exchange Student from Campo Grande Brazil Chairwoman Centi introduced Ms. Sousa. Ms. Sousa lived with Chairwoman Centi for six months while attending school in Florida. From Florida, Ms. Sousa moved to Kansas to attend high school for an additional six months. Ms. Sousa's father is an ergonomist, and owns a factory. He is in the process of opening another factory with a partner from California. Ms. Sousa is now studying to become an attorney at a university in Brazil. Letecia Sousa said attending school in the United States is very different from Brazil. In Brazil, most of the students attend private school. Classes are split sessions from 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., or from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., six days per week. All academic subjects are studied during these hours. Any student wanting to take extra classes must pay additional fees. The students do not change classes. They remain in the classroom and are permitted a 15-minute break. The teachers change classes. Ms. Sousa liked this arrangement because it allows the students to make friends. Changing classes limits the time spent with classmates and, therefore, friendships are difficult to cultivate. Ms. Sousa feels the teens here are afraid to make friends and they do not like to socialize. Even after experiencing problems here and moving to Boca Raton, she was unable to develop friendships except with other exchange students. Ms. Schneider questioned whether or not Ms. Sousa was assigned "a buddy" to provide assistance. Ms. Sousa responded negatively and advised that when her family housed an exchange student in Brazil, the students befriended her. They asked her to the movies and the mall. Ms. Sousa did not have that same experience. She felt no one cared about her. Ms. Sousa said the students here do not know anything about the world. They had no idea where Brazil was located, and that it has its urban areas like any big city in the United States. Ms. Sousa was shocked that the students knew so little about other countries. Ms. Schneider inquired as to how the poor students in Brazil receive their education since most students attend private schools. Ms. Sousa advised that Brazil's economy is not very good. It is a country suffering from inflation. Parents of public school students must provide documentation relative to income earned since the government subsidizes education. However, there are no boundaries in Brazil. Students may attend school in 2 MEETING MINUTES EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA DECEMBER 20, 1995 any area. Most of the students are driven to school by their parents. Chairwoman Centi questioned whether high school students work after school. Ms. Sousa responded negatively. In the afternoon, Ms. Sousa takes swimming and private English classes. Many of the students take extra sports classes or use their off time to do homework. Ms. Stern inquired as to the number of students in each class. Ms. Sousa advised that there were approximately 40 to 50 students in each high school class. The classes last approximately one hour. Ms. Sousa attended a Catholic school; therefore, she had religion classes as well as all other academics. The Catholic schools do not exclude non- Catholics. No art or music classes are taught as part of the regular curriculum. These classes are available at an additional cost at another school. In Brazil, high school does not count toward college. When high school classes are completed, the students take a college entrance exam. All subjects are covered on that exam which is given over a four-day period. Those students wishing to enter college are permitted to take the exam as many times as it takes for them to pass. At the university Ms. Sousa is attending, 1,000 students took the exam. However, there were only 75 openings. Chairwoman Centi asked Ms. Sousa to explain what she liked about being a student in the United States. Ms. Sousa advised that she came to this country to learn English, and to get to know other people and what is going on in other places. She enjoyed staying with Ms. Centi and seeing the sights in Florida. In addition, she liked her host family in Kansas and she enjoyed the school she attended. Ms. Sousa will be spending the holidays here in the United States, and then will be traveling to Europe for three weeks before returning to Brazil. Chairwoman Centi and the members thanked Ms. Sousa for her presentation. VII. OLD BUSINESS A. Review Draft Letter to Mayor and City Commissioners Reference High School Chairwoman Centi reminded the members of the discussion on this issue, and Ms. Schneider said it was tabled because of the lack of money. Ms. Denahan advised that at the Chamber Education Committee meeting, Norm Bleshman said Boynton Beach will have its school by the year 2000. Ms. Denahan feels it is important to make a statement on this issue because we want it to be a priority. 3 MEETING MINUTES EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA DECEMBER 20, 1995 Mr. Demaline recommended drafting a letter to be read at a City Commission meeting. Mr. Hawkins advised that this can be added to the City Commission agenda. In addition, a member of the board can read this letter at a School Board meeting. It is possible that the Mayor and City Commissioners may wish to attend that School Board meeting. Chairwoman Centi recommended that the draft letter be reworked in response to the information from Mr. Gentile and Mr. Drake of the School Board. Motion Mr. Demaline moved to redraft the letter to support the high school based on the presentation from the last meeting. Ms. Denahan seconded the motion which carried unanimously. B. EAB support for House Bill #107 Lottery Accountability Ms. Schneider questioned what the people were told relative to how these lottery funds were to be used. Ms. Denahan said the people were led to believe that the lottery funds were going to support the schools exclusively. Ms. Schneider explained that it is her understanding that the lottery funds are used to support the schools, but Tallahassee is not providing the funds they would normally provide. Therefore, lottery funds are not enhancement funds. Mr. Demaline reported that Representative Andrews attended the advisory committee meeting at his school. During his presentation, he explained that Palm Beach County received $58 million last year from the lottery. The County then decides how to spend those dollars. Vice Chairwoman Newton asked for clarification on what the board would be supporting relative to this bill. Chairwoman Centi advised that this bill is asking for accountability by the submission of monthly and annual reports. It also requests that a newsletter be published in each County providing a financial statement. Mr. Hawkins advised that portions of the lottery dollars were specifically designated for education. Technically, this did not occur because the lottery dollars are being used to subsidize the general fund of the State budget. There has not been an increase in the dollars going to education as it was presented to the voters in accepting the lottery. People believed that the profit of the lottery would go directly to education. That has not happened. No increase in designated dollars for education has been realized. This bill is an attempt to bring accountability to the original bill which was passed. In Vice Chairwoman Newton's opinion, it seems like this is more paper pushing; however, if it is going to be a first step toward getting the money that is needed for education, she will 4 MEETING MINUTES EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA DECEMBER 20, 1995 support it. Mr. Hawkins advised that it is like a budget oversight committee. Ms. Stern read from the bill which advised that "...beginning with fiscal year 1996/97 and continuing for five years, the amount of lottery funds that have replaced general revenue funds for public education shall be returned for educational enhancement purposes as follows: 20 percent in fiscal year 1996/97; 40 percent in fiscal year 1997/98; 60 percent in fiscal year 1998/99; 80 percent in fiscal year 1999/2000; and 100 percent in fiscal year 2000/2001. For each fiscal year thereafter, all lottery funds shall be used only for educational enhancements as originally intended and shall not be used as a substitute for existing resources for public education." Mr. Hawkins advised that the next step will be to look at the formula for allocation for the Counties. It is important to make sure Palm Beach County gets its fair share. Motion Vice Chairwoman Newton moved to support House Bill #107, Lottery Accountability. Ms. Stern seconded the motion which carried unanimously. Mr. Hawkins suggested that the board ask the Commission to adopt a Resolution to send to our Legislative Delegation supporting this bill. Motion Ms. Denahan moved to include support of House Bill #107 to our revision of our letter to the Board of Education and our letter to the Commissioners. Ms. Schneider seconded the motion which carried unanimously. C. Change Meeting Day The members were reminded that the reason for this suggestion was to afford School Board members the opportunity to attend the Education Advisory Board meeting. Discussion ensued and there was agreement among the members present that the fourth Tuesday for the month was convenient for the regular monthly meeting. This item will be discussed in more detail at the next meeting. D. Committee Reports Lake Worth Community High School - No report Congress Middle School - No report 5 MEETING MINUTES EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA DECEMBER 20, 1995 Lake Worth Christian School - No report Santaluces High School - Anne Centi Chairwoman Centi advised that Santaluces has invited the Education Advisory Board to conduct its January meeting at the Media Center. Atlantic Community High School - Ben Demaline Mr. Demaline reiterated that Representative Andrews attended the School Advisory Council meeting at Atlantic High School. He offered to attend an Education Advisory Board meeting to discuss the lottery. The main topic of discussion was that the County is considering dropping the seventh period from the school day. Atlantic is concerned about this because it will be detrimental to the magnet programs. The seventh period has allowed students time to take elective classes such as art or dance. Ms. Shetler believes dropping this period will dissuade students from enrolling in the IB program. In addition, a certain number of electives are required for scholarships. Dropping the seventh period will decrease the chance of some students being able to take those electives and, therefore, eliminate their chances for scholarships. Ms. Shetler requested that the Education Advisory Board send a letter to the County expressing concern about the seventh period. She further requested that the board read a letter of support for the seventh period at a School Board meeting. Motion Mr. Demaline moved to draft a letter to the School Board. Ms. Schneider seconded the motion which carried unanimously. Mr. Demaline advised that there will be a meeting at Lake Worth High School on January 8, 1996, at 7:30 p.m., to discuss the seventh period. Mr. Demaline will draft the letter. Forest Park Elementary School Ms. Denahan reported that during the SAC meeting, the reconstruction of the school was discussed. The bid opening took place on December 19th, and the project came in within the budget. Larry Zabik is in favor of including Alternate 1 which includes the food service area. This will run $200,000 over the bid, but Mr. Zabik agreed to include it. Alternate 2 6 MEETING MINUTES EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA DECEMBER 20, 1995 includes the administrative area. That would bring the total to $4.154 million. The budget is $3.509 million. They will look at the funding. It may be necessary for the Education Advisory Board and the Chamber of Commerce to show support for this project at the January 17 School Board meeting. Ms. Denahan commended the Poinciana Elementary School SAC for helping her understand their School Improvement Plan. Their plan explains "adequate progress" as implementation of all of the strategies they planned. She was very enlightened by their explanation. With regard to the construction bid opening, Mr. Hawkins questioned whether or not traffic flow was addressed. Ms. Denahan said the problem should be resolved before school begins as long as construction begins in February as planned. At present, City Manager Parker and Police Chief Dettman agree with the need for the crossing guard. Galaxy Elementary School - No report Rolling Green Elementary School - No report Poinciana Elementary School - Margaret Newton Vice Chairwoman Newton reported that she has received a complaint from one of the parents who feels that her sons are being pushed out of the school because of their lower academic achievement and because Poinciana is becoming a predominantly White magnet school. Ms. Denahan was very surprised by these remarks. She explained that Karen Wetzel was one of the driving forces that encouraged her to get more information about the school. She saw Ms. Wetzel out in the neighborhood getting signatures so that children in the existing zone would be able to get into the school. Mr. Hawkins said there was a perception they knew would exist when the school was planned. There is a rule in place that people who live in the SAC area of Poinciana would get the first opportunity to enter the school. That rule not only applies to existing students, it also applies to siblings. The racial balance goal has been met according to School Board criteria. The number of Black students has not decreased; however, the number of White students has increased. Students outside of the immediate Poinciana SAC, who have not applied for Poinciana, are being bused to other schools to help racially balance those schools. Mr. Hawkins will discuss this situation with Mr. Sills to find out if the students are being pushed out. Vice Chairwoman Newton advised that the parent complained that her sons are falling behind academically because the school is asking for materials she cannot afford to 7 MEETING MINUTES EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA DECEMBER 20, 1995 purchase. In addition, they need remedial work in math. For these reasons, the parent feels her sons are being pushed out. Mr. Hawkins said there is a concern in establishing magnet programs in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods. He questioned whether or not it is possible to avoid a situation where some of the students may fall behind because of the background of students entering the magnet. Vice Chairwoman Newton feels there must be provisions for those students to bring them up to par. If they cannot be brought up to par, they should be taught at the level where they are most capable of achieving. Ms. Schneider requested clarification with respect to what happens to students who cannot afford the materials for a project presented by a teacher. Vice Chairwoman Newton advised that under the law, a student cannot be graded on a project for which he/she cannot afford to purchase materials. Mr. Hawkins reported that he has been asked to locate businesses in the community that are willing to make contributions to sponsor a student's field trip. Christa McAuliffe Middle School - No report Citrus Cove Elementary School - No report Hagen Road Elementary School - Renee Stern Ms. Stern reported that a great deal of time is being spent on the School Improvement Plan. One of the things they are addressing is having children better prepared when they enter Kindergarten. At present, there is no testing program for children prior to Kindergarten. Ms. Stern wrote to the district she came from for information on testing. When such a program is in place, an early intervention program is necessary for students who will have reading problems. Ms. Denahan reported that they have 300 mentors at Hagen. Crystal Lakes Elementary School - Rona Schneider & Renee Stern Ms. Stern reported that Crystal Lakes is concerned with their reputation. They have a very fine reputation and want everyone to know it. They are considering putting together a booklet which reports on what is happening at the school. They feel it would be a good source of information to be presented through the Chamber and other schools in the area. They are polling real estates to find out the type of questions that are asked. Ms. Schneider feels part of the reason for publishing this booklet is related to the fact that they are losing a large number of Black students to magnet schools. They would like to identify themselves as a special school in an effort to attract students. 8 MEETING MINUTES EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA DECEMBER 20, 1995 Chairwoman Centi said she has attended fund-raisers in South Florida where videos were produced by a company hired by the school at a reasonable price. They were presented to an audience of business people. Mr. Hawkins advised that another part of the problem at Hagen Road is overcrowding; however, this situation will be reversed when the new elementary school is built. Ms. Stern feels they are losing students because of the redistricting. The lines have been redrawn and they are pulling in more White students than Black students. VIII. NEW BUSINESS A. Report from the Boynton Beach Chamber of Commerce Educational Board - Nellie Denahan A meeting was held at the Chamber of Commerce to help people become more aware of the Forest Park School issue. They are providing many ideas on how to get businesses involved in the SAC. The business education partnership is headed by Virginia Farace, who has provided many contacts. The Chamber is getting business involved with education so that when the students graduate from high school, they know how to hold a job, and have leadership skills. B. Report from Business SAC Meeting - Anne Centi Chairwoman Centi attended the Business SAC Meeting. There was a presentation by Susan Buchanan, School Improvement Specialist. Ms. Buchanan reported that Motorola brought up the fact that some of the children were not up to par with reading and math skills. They further mentioned that we were #5 in the world in reading and math skills at one time. Today, we are #69. This plunge has taken place over a period of five years. A major part of the problem is there is no accountability even though a School Improvement Plan is in place. There is no consequence if the criteria of the program is not met. The business community is beginning to pull back because of the lack of accountability. Ms. Denahan feels the principals and teachers have a different point of view than she has with respect to the School Improvement Plan. They are aware of the fact that there are no ramifications if the plan is not met. The parents want to make progress and make a difference in the community. Mr. Hawkins explained that the School Improvement Plan was one simplistic approach to a complex problem. People think it is an economic issue. States allocate more funds to the prison system than they do to education. The Federal Government talks about Blueprint 9 MEETING MINUTES EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA DECEMBER 20, 1995 2000, but does not provide the funding for it to be accomplished. This is a very complex issue, and no answers have yet been provided. The Plan is to bring parents and the community into the system and putting them face-to-face with people in the system. Ms. Schneider feels the parents must become more involved in education. C. Special Request from Plumosa School Chairwoman Centi advised that she received a phone call from Plumosa requesting her attendance at their meeting and possibly provide a liaison. She advised that the board is having a problem covering all of the Boynton Beach schools. They want everyone to know that Boynton Beach children attend the school. Their class sizes are approximately 35. There is a problem with racial balance at this point. They would like to become a magnet school. The School Board is considering the possibility of Plumosa becoming a language magnet school. Chairwoman Centi advised that there is a Community Network Board. School Board Representative Bob Hayes is a participant in this network and handles Atlantic High School. Plumosa School has a surplus of $25,274 which they have not spent. IX. CORRESPONDENCE & ANNOUNCEMENTS A. Principal Heyward, Santaluces Community High School, will be happy to host our January meeting at Santaluces High School on Wednesday, January 24, 1996 Chairwoman Centi made this announcement. She believes the meeting will be in the Media Room, but she will contact the City Clerk's Office so that phone calls can be made to the members. X. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the board, the meeting properly adjourned at 8:10 p.m. 10 MEETING MINUTES EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA DECEMBER 20, 1995 Janet M. Prainito Recording Secretary (Two Tapes) 11