Name: Karen Disney-Brombach
Age: 56
Marital/Family Status: married for 25 years
Where child/children attend(ed) school: Sebastian River High, Indian River Charter High, Sebastian River Middle, Liberty Magnet and Fellsmere Elementary
Years living in Indian River County: 16 years
Occupation: Business Owner
Civic Involvement (memberships, duration, positions held):
- Sunny Shores Sea Camp, an organization that holds a summer camp for children and families with cystic fibrosis. For over 26 years I have been a volunteer, camp director and on the Board of Trustees.
- Florida PTA, I have served the parents and children at a local, county and state level on the legislative committee and as the Chairman of the Exceptional Child Education Committee.
- SDIRC volunteer at both school and district levels and was chosen as the School District Volunteer of the Year.
- Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival board of directors and volunteer coordinator, working with the student volunteers for 10 years.
- United Way of Indian River County, served on the citizens review panel for 1 term.
- Haven of Hope, a home for pregnant teens. Served on the board of director’s for 4 years and participated in fund raising activities.
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What issue(s) prompted you to run for Indian River County School Board and how do you plan to address it/them if elected?
Our school district has embarked on an ambitious plan for improved student learning and education via digital technology. Continuity in leadership is essential to continue the path we are on, especially now that we know the Superintendent is retiring. My experience and leadership skills will be valuable assets to guide the board through the Superintendent hiring process. Missteps are costly to the district not only in dollars but also in time lost on task.
Why do you believe you are qualified to hold a seat on the School Board?
Every year on the School Board has been a learning opportunity. I have been diligent about professional development including earning the distinction of Certified Board Member. As the President of the Florida School Boards Association, I have the privilege of spending time with and learning from the success of other districts. There is no substitute for experience!
Given the escalating numbers of shootings occurring on school campuses – from elementary schools to colleges – across the nation, do you believe the Indian River County School District is doing enough to protect its students and staff members or does more need to be done to secure the campuses? If more needs to be done, what would you propose?
I am not at liberty to discuss all of the security measures in place as that information is protected for obvious reasons. SDIRC did a comprehensive security audit to see what areas needed enhanced measures and we created a plan to correct those deficits.
Various school districts across the nation have considered and implemented policies allowing teachers and/or staff members to carry firearms with the intent of deterring school shootings. Is this a policy you would support at Indian River County schools – why or why not?
Our School Resource Officers are armed, trained and are prepared to respond to a weapon on campus incident. I do not support having weapons on campus unless they are carried by law enforcement.
The Indian River County School District, in the past, has been accused of being less than open with the community – whether it is criticism of discussion sessions not being televised and public comment not being allowed during non-business meetings or not alerting the community to potential safety issues at individual schools. Do you believe the criticism is unwarranted or do you feel the District should/could do more to invite the public in?
While there is always room for improvement, our school district has improved in all the areas mentioned in this question. The area I believe could be most improved is providing an opportunity for public comment during non-business meetings. When it comes to alerting the community to potential safety issues, in all instances the safety of the students comes first. Safety procedures are taken seriously with input and guidance from the appropriate agencies. During a real emergency, the administrator in charge must make decisions quickly with the information available at that time.
In recent years, the School Board seemingly has improved its relationship with the county’s various charter schools. Do you believe the Board is doing all it can to support and encourage charters or can more be done? If more, what would you suggest?
SDIRC has come a long way in support of our charter schools. We have shared capital dollars, invited administrators to Principal meetings and made professional development available to teachers. An area that still needs work is the coordination of exceptional education services. This area remains contentious due to the way the federal and state dollars are distributed with a pool of funding rather that a per student allocation. Neither charter schools nor traditional schools receive the funding necessary to provide the required services for students and both must use dollars from the general fund to cover the cost of special services.
Though the economy seems to be on the mend, local government budgets are still tight and municipalities are looking for ways to enhance services without increasing costs. To that end, some cities have explored the possibility of partnering with local schools to provide community meeting space or make use of the athletic fields. Is this a partnership that you would support – why or why not?
SDIRC does provide accessibility for community services such as church meetings and little league baseball. Most usage requires an application process and some require a fee due to the cost of janitorial services and after hour’s electricity. There have been some facilities closed to the public due to abuse and/or damage of property. We must balance the needs of the community with the additional cost of maintenance and be realistic about liability exposure. It has been the direction of the Board to allow public use as a general practice.
With Schools Superintendent Dr. Fran Adams’s retirement, how would you go about finding a new superintendent. The School Board, in the past, has searched nationwide as well as internally. Which route would you recommend and why? What qualities would you look for in a candidate for the post and what qualifications would you expect that applicant to have?
Regarding hiring a new Superintendent, I would use the same approach we used in 2010 -2011. Without the cost of a national search firm, we were able to attract high quality candidates to interview. The most important skill set would be a strong instructional leader to focus on literacy and student learning.
How would you rate Dr. Adams’s performance as the Superintendent? With one year left for her to serve, would you propose any changes to how she conducts business on behalf of the School District?
Dr. Adams has done a great job as she always puts student learning first. Focusing on our lowest performing readers, SDIRC was able to produce double digit gains in the lowest quartile of readers. While that did not produce higher school grades, the most vulnerable students have made learning gains and are in position to be stronger readers and perform better as a result. I expect this last year to be the same as the first three; setting bold goals, holding all employees to the highest standards and fiercely fighting for the students.
It has come to VeroNews.com’s attention that, with a new board seated, anyone on the board could raise the issue of the new administration complex and wellness center and request a new vote. This means the two projects might not be the “done deal” some have suggested. If elected, would you raise the issue of either project and ask for a new vote in an attempt to stop the project? If so, why?
The administration building is not owned by the district and will require millions to renovate to be habitable and safe, at the cost of the taxpayers. Dollars are better spent on a new administration building provided we do not borrow for the project. I will not bring it up for a new vote.
The Employee Wellness Clinic is being paid for from an internal account that is strictly for the health insurance needs of the employees and may not be used for student needs. The employees have made it clear that this is a concept that they would prefer to use to manage their health care dollars. This concept is being utilized successfully in other school districts of similar size. I will not bring it up for a new vote.
What do you want readers to know about you or your candidacy that they might not already know?
Building good working relationships with local, state and federal agencies and other elected official takes time and perseverance. Meeting with the White House Education Advisory staff, US Department of Education, Senate and House Education Committees, I was able to communicate the impact of federal mandates on local school districts. At the state level, meeting with the Governor and his staff as well as the FL Commissioner of Education, I have discussed the impact of high stakes testing to children and the importance of parental choice. These and many other issues will continue to be raised to the benefit of our students and the protection of the taxpayers.