INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Indian River County School Board meeting Tuesday night was a night of culminations because a number of plans long in the works were finally approved.
“All of these 4-Os (meaning the board of four gave unanimous approval) come after many serious discussions and a lot of hard work and round tables to make us well-versed on what we’re voting on,” said Vice Chairman Carol Johnson. Chair Jeff Pegler was absent from the meeting.
Among the plans approved was the five-year capital improvement plan for 2013-2017, which allows for all kinds of repairs of educational buildings — ranging from redoing the heating and cooling system at the Performing Arts Center at Vero Beach High in the next year to the tune of $3.5 million to replacing the skylight roof at Gifford Middle School for $800,000 and replacing bits and pieces of carpets all over the district for $200,000.
Before the vote for approval for the repairs, former School Board member Gene Waddell, who is board chairman emeritus at Indian River Charter High School, spoke to the board and the public to make the point that $19 million in local tax monies helps pay for projects like the school repairs. He figured that, amortized by the number of students, $1,245 in tax dollars was being spent per student.
“But 12 percent of the students get none of it,” he said, referring to charter school students.
Waddell asked the School Board and the public to consider this question: Shouldn’t this tax money be shared with the charter schools in Indian River County?
After he spoke the board thanked him then voted unanimously to approve the capital projects.
It also approved a utility easement on 66th Avenue and 57th Street to be used for a storm water reuse treatment and pumping system.
On the topic of “many serious discussions and a lot of hard work” that came before the votes on a variety of projects, School Board member Matthew McCain said about the water reuse plan, “I’ve been hearing about that (setting up the water reuse system) since I was in the third grade.”
McCain, who grew up in Vero Beach and went to Rosewood Elementary School is now 45 years old.
“Somebody, please tell me,” he pleaded, “that this vote is it.”
In other business: School Board Superintendent Fran Adams met with parents and students earlier Tuesday to talk about the issues that most concerned them. School lunches was one of those issues.
Also, said Adams, the parents and students raised concerns about homelessness, voluntary pre-kindergarten and dress codes.
Board member Claudia Jimenez spoke about the growing concern with students’ mental health issues, which are increasing among younger students. Jimenez said that teachers must not only deal with the academic life of children but “the whole child.”
As an example of what she meant, Jimenez said that county public schools serve 3,808 breakfasts and 9,620 lunches daily.
“If children are having issues (whether they be mental health challenges or physical issues like hunger), it’s difficult for them academically,” said Jimenez.
For them to learn, she said, these other areas must not be ignored.
The meeting ended with Superintendent Fran Adams saying that the class-size amendment is “now in full force,” which means some adjustments are being made that might be unsettling to students.
She asked students and parents to realize that before the county can hire new teachers to limit class size, it must first try to balance class size through transfers and other means, which requires shuffling some students’ schedules.
