INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Indian River County School Board unanimously agreed Tuesday evening to approve a 15-year extension to its contract with North County Charter Elementary School. The school’s contract was due to expire at the end of June.
School Board members applauded the charter school’s operations and dedication to its students. However, Board Chair Carol Johnson voiced concerns about having 15-year contracts for any charter – not North County Charter specifically.
“I don’t think that’s the best thing for the district,” Johnson said of the lengthy contract terms. “Fifteen years is a long time.”
School Board member Claudia Jimenez pointed out that, while it is a long-term contract, it’s not as though the district wouldn’t have oversight.
“There is still accountability,” she said.
Fellow School Board member Karen Disney-Brombach agreed.
“They are rising to the occasion,” she said of North County Charter Elementary School and the county’s other charters.
Disney-Brombach said the School District has been holding the charter schools to a higher level of accountability, ensuring they provide a quality service to their students.
“We don’t have to worry about North County Charter,” she said.
Jimenez said she was glad to see that the relationships between the charter schools and the district have improved.
“I think we’re lucky in Indian River County that we have our homegrown charters,” Jimenez said.
The Indian River County School Board also approved Schools Superintendent Dr. Fran Adams’s “above expectations” annual evaluation, a public hearing on Aug. 13 to air the district’s new board policies, and the following items:
- Agreement with Sunshine Land Design to construct a new parent pick-up/drop-off loop and wetlands improvements at Oslo Middle School for $147,160;
- Accept the Educational Plant Five Year Survey Report, which assists in planning future needs;
- Award contract to Ag-Scape Services to provide drainage and accessibility improvements at Dodgertown Elementary for $43,280;
- Renew the agreement with the Economic Opportunities Council of Indian River County to allow two concretables at Citrus Elementary and one at Highlands Elementary for the Headstart Program;
- Amend the budget for the Sebastian River Middle School thermal energy storage plant project to account for nearly $342,000 in extra costs due to underestimating the expense of equipment;
- Granting an easement to Florida Power and Light to underground utilities as part of the Fellsmere Elementary expansion and renovation project;
- Revise the template the School District uses to administer its Construction Management at Risk Agreement;
- Name School District Executive Director of Instructional and Information Technology Bruce Green to the newly created post of Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Assessment, which will cost the district an additional $27,508;
- And revise the Code of Student Conduct for the 2013-14 school year.
All items under the School Board’s Consent Agenda were unanimously approved under a single motion and vote.