Book 60 Page 31561 10/13/09 10:00A.M. MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL JOINT MEETING OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY AND THE SARASOTA CITY COMMISSION OF OCTOBER 13, 2009 PRESENT: School Board of Sarasota County: Chair Caroline Zucker, Vice Chair Shirley Brown, Members Kathy Kleinlein, Frank Kovach, and Carol Todd, Superintendent of Schools Lori White, and School Board Attorney Art Hardy Sarasota City Commission: Mayor Richard Clapp, Vice Mayor Kelly M. Kirschner, Commissioners Suzanne Atwell, and Terry Turner, City Manager Robert J. Bartolotta, City Attorney Robert Fournier, and City Auditor and Clerk Billy Robinson ABSENT: Commissioner Fredd "Glossie" Atkins The meeting was called to order by Chair Zucker at 10:00 a.m. at the Sarasota County School Board Chambers. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Chair Zucker 1. PRESENTATION RE: WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS (AGENDA ITEM I-1) Members of the City Commission and the School Board introduced themselves. 1) HOW CAN THE CITY AND THE SCHOOL BOARD WORK TOGETHER TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY? (AGENDA ITEM I-1-1) Mayor Clapp stated that community residents are interested in issues which affect their everyday lives; that budgetary constraints are very real; however, some additional opportunities may exist to work together to improve the community; that the City has identified investment in the Newtown community as a key priority; that City and County funds have been invested in public housing in the Newtown community; that job creation is a key focus in Newtown; that the School Board is renovating Booker High School which will be a major improvement in Newtown. Discussion ensued conçerning the scarcity of resources, a program called partners-in-print for a partnership between the teachers and parents, parent turnout for parent-teacher events, volunteer resources, the need for help from the home and community, community involvement, mobility in the schools, school choice in the School District, magnet schools, programs offered in the schools by Jewish and Family Services, the positive behavior support program, the November 14, 2009, Parenting Institute offered by the School District, a summit to explore effective investments in the Newtown community, the cost for failure, the unemployment rate in Newtown, Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) scores, the number of guidance counselors in the schools, cost-effective generational approach to education, a continuing discussion to involve young people, closing the achievement and preparation gaps, school readiness, pre-school curricula, programs of child-care facilities, training of child-care workers, Pre-K pre-kindergarten) programs, pre-natal through age 5 child-care programs, vocabulary and language development of pre-school children, literacy programs for adults, involvement of families and parents, a possible partnership with SCOPE (Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence), mentoring programs for adults, leveraging of assets, the resources of the Newtown Redevelopment Office, Federally-funded after-school enrichment programs, successful pre-school programs, at-risk child-care facilities, readiness-level state data, analysis of the data from Pre-K programs, the Gold Seal Program of the YMCA, SCOPE's Institute for the Ages, and funding for successful early education program. 2) HOW CAN WE ADDRESS APPARENT INCREASING VIOLENCE AMONG TEENS IN SCHOOL AND OUT OF SCHOOL? (AGENDA ITEM I-1-2) Mayor Clapp stated that the City's programs to address increasing violence is higher police is not the only response. increased police presence for SROs, the presence; however, Officers (SROs), municipal funding and data listed as School Resources backup material, Discuss ensued concerning report included in the Agenda incident and arrest statistics (AOA) in the report. statistics, "Assisting Other Agencies" Chair Brown concerning AOA and Board Vice and the Commission from School came before the Board and will work In response to a question Chief of Police Larry Leon District for investigation or arrest in the Sarasota School Board come into the School SRO which is reflected that other agencies may resulting in a report by stated the situation, with the SRO concerning statistics statistics. concerning the difference in the reflect from Vice Mayor Kirschner Mr. Leon stated that the statistics In response to a question School and Booker High School, incidents are handled by the school between Sarasota High the victims; that some reporting by the schools or administration. of the data, incident level in the increased crime rates, interpretation peer. mediation programs, Discussion ensued concerning studentto-student communication, of the schools school, gang-related activity, assets, and the availability the relationships, the schools as community adult-student during non-school hours. the commitment of the from Commissioner Turner concerning made a significant In response to a question White stated that the City of North Port has SROS is municipalities to SROs, Ms. are difficult to measure; that the benefit of commitment to SROs; that the outcomes at a young age. students learn to interact with law enforcement asking if the design of the renovated Booker In response to a question from Vice Mayor Kirschner Chair Zucker stated yes; that representatives High School will allow for non-school hour activities, facilities which will be incorporated of the Newtown community expressed an interest in multi-use by the design team. Discussion continued concerning the costs associated with making the schools available during non-school hours, the sharing of costs, security of the buildings, community schools, the cost of vandalism, clean-up and security of play areas, the level of involvement of volunteers in the schools, church volunteers, used personal items left behind at the schools, access to the playground at Bay Haven School, construction of separate playgrounds on school property with private funding, designation of parkland, protocol for payment of damages, partition fencing of school playgrounds, consideration of several prototype projects at the Elementary Schools such as at Bay Haven and Tuttle Elementary Schools which have active neighborhood associations, the challenges of opening playgrounds, the Interlocal Agreement with Sarasota County for Parks, prioritization of allocation of resources, Data and Literacy Coaches, the expansion of the school day by one half hour, teacher training, and the renovation of the Robert L. Taylor Center including the integration of a softball field. 3) ARE THERE WAYS TO IMPROVE SCHOOL SUCCESS RATE THAT WE CAN USE HERE? EX: HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE" (AGENDA ITEM I-1-3) Mayor Clapp referred to an article concerning the "Harlem Children's Zone" included in the Agenda backup material and requested comment. Discussion ensued concerning an article in the October 12, 2009, New York Times regarding the success of a Charter School in one of the most depressed neighborhoods in Cleveland, Ohio, Charter Schools in Sarasota County, School Board funding of Charter Schools, the responsibilities of the Board Members of a Charter School, volunteer and parent participation in Charter Schools, health clinic and community centers for children and adults, the discontinuance of Federal funding Book 60 Page 31562 10/13/09 10:00 A.M. Book 60 Page 31563 10/13/09 10:00 A.M. for full-service schools, the development of a continuum of care for children in Sarasota County, sense of ownership of the schools, involving families in participation in the process, and the engagement of the community in the design and construction of Booker High School. 4) ISSUES WITH SCHOOL DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP, FOR EXAMPLE, SOUTHSIDE AND BAY HAVEN ELEMENTARY - HOW CAN WE ADDRESS THIS? (AGENDA ITEM I-1-4) Mayor Clapp stated that neighborhood residents have raised an issue with the drop-off and pick-up of school children at Southside and Bay Haven Elementary Schools and asked if anything can be done differently to improve the situation from the neighbors' perspective. Discussion ensued concerning student bus ridership at Southside and Bay Haven Elementary Schools, safe walking areas, carpooling, school attendance zones, improvements in traffic circulation at Southside Elementary School, continuous traffic circulation, traffic flow, security, the planning of student drop-off and pick-up, conversations with the neighbors, and the opportunity to speak with neighbors. 5) HOW CAN WE ACT TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE SCHOOLS MORE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY? EX. OPEN PLAYGROUNDS TO NEIGHBORHOODS. (AGENDA ITEM I-1-5) Mayor Clapp stated that school events often have a low turnout; that additional volunteers are required in the school system; that demographics play a role; that some good programs exist such as the Parent Institute; that a Newtown summit could be beneficial in making a generational change; that the School Board and the City Commission could discuss the issues at theiri individual meetings. Discussion ensued concerning partnership with the City neighborhood associations, land for playgrounds, the value of conversations between the School Board and the City Commission. 2. ADJOURN (AGENDA ITEM II) School Board Chair Zucker adjourned the Special Joint meeting of October 13, 2009, at 11:58 a.m. 04 - idhad! Chy RICHARD CLAPP, A MAYOR EST CE lo BILLY B BGBINSON, CITY AUDITOR AND CLERK