School board weighs meeting during days
Meetings with 'hot' topics would return to nights
Posted: August 10, 2011 - 12:02am
By MARCIA LANE
marcia.lane@staugustine.com
St. Johns County School Board members are looking at changing their public meetings from night to morning.
Chairman Bill Fehling proposed the change several weeks ago, and on Tuesday fellow board members agreed to put it on their September agenda for a vote.
Now they're waiting to hear what the public thinks.
District 5 board member Carla Wright offered an email she'd received from a longtime teacher who'd read about the proposed change.
Louise Bowman, who's taught in St. Johns County since 1976, wanted to know about the reason behind the change.
"At first this horrified me because the employees would not be able to attend the meetings if they choose to. But then it occurred to me that this move would save money spent paying county staff for the extended day," she wrote.
If it didn't save money, Bowman wrote: "I am not happy about it."
The School Board usually meets in the evenings so the public can attend, although during the summer when the agendas tend to be lighter, the board meets during the day, as it did Tuesday.
District staff, many of whom are administrators, volunteer their time to attend board meetings, according to district officials.
Other board members said they hadn't heard from anyone about the proposed change.
When Fehling first brought up the time change, he pointed out it would let the board start and finish meetings early.
"I'm a morning person," he said.
At Tuesday's board meeting, he expanded on his reasons. In the case of a drawn-out meeting, Fehling questioned whether board members would make decisions "based on the clock or on what's good (for the district)."
So far, they haven't had those drawn-out meetings, he said, but the possibility is always there.
The issue of security was raised, since during evening meetings much of the building is empty.
Other board members have wavered about whether to go to days, but several became more enthusiastic after it was suggested for "hot topics," where more members of the public are expected, the meetings could be switched to nights. For recognitions such as teachers of the year, the meeting also would go to nights.
Fehling said teachers who wanted to attend the daytime meetings could "look at substitutes" in order to fill their classrooms when they came to meetings.
A few teachers, including the president of the St. Johns Education Association, would be able to attend the meetings. The president isn't in the classroom while head of the union and thus has the necessary flex time.
District 3 member Bill Mignon mentioned at an earlier meeting that morning hours had proved unpopular with teachers during a previous change.
Trying out the new hours for several months to see how it works was suggested.
Several board members pointed out the public rarely attends board meetings except on nights when student recognitions or performances are scheduled. After that, most clear out.
A survey of school principals showed the majority didn't care whether students performed in the morning or night. Schools usually get a chance to perform once every two years and not all take part in the program. Daytime would make it more difficult for parents who work to attend.
Superintendent Joe Joyner told the board the district will do what they want and can make it work.
"I want to let the public have their say. I don't want them to think we're trying to sneak anything by them," Wright said after the meeting.
District 2 member Tommy Allen said currently he's "sitting on the fence, as long as it's not barbed wire."
*
About the times
Currently, the St. Johns County School Board meets at 6 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month and at 8:30 a.m. twice a month for board workshops. All are open to the public.
The proposed plan would change the monthly meeting to mornings, probably 9 a.m. Workshops would stay the same. The board will consider it at their September meeting.
Taped meetings can be viewed online by going to the school board site at http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/depts/media/SEATV99.
Streaming the meeting is a possibility, but cost for equipment is more than $30,000 and the board isn't willing to spend the money.
the board isn't willing to spend the money.
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Comments (5)
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elenore
Please keep the board meetings in the evening.
By elenore | 08/10/11 - 08:10 am
Students, teachers and parents would find the morning meetings difficult to attend. Why place barriers in the way of folks who want to be present?
Also administrators aren't volunteering their time to attend these meetings since attendance is part of their duties. They are not hourly employees.
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The Professor
What is best for the people..
By The Professor | 08/10/11 - 08:13 am
should be the decision..not because a board member is a morning person. One reason we are in this mess is having those in control do what is best for oneself instead of what is best for the majority. Have the meetings on Saturday so more people have an opportunity to attend. In the mean time our organization will pursue eliminating the high salaries of these school board members..time to tightened the belt for everyone involved...the worse is yet to come..why..the Professor knows all...
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redandwhite
are you serious?
By redandwhite | 08/10/11 - 09:07 am
"based on the clock or on what's good (for the district)."
Did this comment really come out of your mouth? You may think this but to say say it? You should not be in a decision making position if this is how you do your job. That is one of the worst comment I have ever heard from a public employee. No wonder we all get bad raps in the education profession if our leaders are thinking like this. You should not be in charge of anything if you just want to get home to watch tv or something. Horrible!!!
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MissInformation
SO SAD
By MissInformation | 08/10/11 - 01:08 pm
"Based on the clock" is sad but true.
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pitcher
tuition
By pitcher | 08/10/11 - 03:21 pm
If parents of the 47 million students in the United States who attend kindergarten through 12th grade were billed $360 per child per year — that’s $2 a day for each of the 180 days of instruction — nearly $17 billion would be generated.
Can half of America’s parents afford $360 per year for each of their children?
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