Board scrubs $1,750 a day school speaker

Orlando Sentinel ^ | August 31, 2003 | Dave Weber

[Cincinatus' Wife]

TAVARES -- A small number tucked deep within the Lake County school district's $396 million annual budget might have gone unnoticed.

A bill for $3,500 does not amount to much in a district that shovels more than $1 million a day through its coffers, 365 days a year.

The plan was to pay a Sumter County motivational speaker $1,750 a day to whip up a frenzy against violence in the schools. The two-day total is about the same as the state's allocation to educate one student for a whole year.

"Talking around, I don't think he was overpriced," said Lynn Jones, coordinator of safety for Lake County schools, who signed off to hire the speaker. But some School Board members disagreed and nixed the expenditure when it came to their attention last week. Superintendent Pam Saylor recommended hiring the speaker but could not get a majority of board members to agree.…………..

…….The district gets about $273,000 a year in federal money passed through the state to improve school safety. Most of it goes to instruct students on the troubles caused by violence, as well as for special programs such as the planned student workshop.

But $20,000 has been set aside for a St. Petersburg consultant to evaluate whether Lake's antiviolence program is working. Jones acknowledged "it seemed extreme to pay that much for an evaluation," but said the state wants one. The board went along, with mixed opinions.

"It's paid by a federal grant," School Board member Dennis Reid said, dismissing concern over how the money is used.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

One school district, one superintendent - it's your money they're freely spending while telling you it isn't enough "for the children."

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Vouchers will help public schools - Fear loss of MONEY - But what of “for the children?”*** The study found that public schools whose students were eligible for vouchers made significantly larger test-score gains than other public schools in the state. Even public schools that had only one failing grade but faced the threat of vouchers if they failed again made exceptional improvements. Similar low-scoring schools that did not face the prospect of voucher competition, however, did not make similar gains. In Florida, vouchers have provided public schools with powerful incentives to improve. If schools don't improve, they stand to lose students - and the funding they generate - to other schools.***

"persistently dangerous" - School-safety rankings - or just black marks?*** At the heart of the discrepancy may well be a reluctance on the part of educators to report campus crime fully. A survey by the National Association of School Resource Officers found that 89 percent of school police believe crime is already underreported. "It's the scarlet letter in education today," says Mr. Trump. "Administrators have said to me privately that they would rather be academically failing than be a dangerous school."***

[Ed_in_NJ]

It is SOP for boards to justify waste by saying "it's federal money" -- as if we are too stupid to know from whence 'federal money' originates!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

It's ((((FREE)))) money.

[niteowl77]

"It's paid by a federal grant," School Board member Dennis Reid said, dismissing concern over how the money is used.

You tell them, Dennis! The REAL money is the stuff you can confiscate right at home.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Yes! Florida is a state like Texas with no income tax. In Houson the property apprasials just keep getting bigger and bigger. There is no control over this. The office of the appraisor is not elected.

As it is now, "wealthy" school districts are forced to hand over millions of their own locally collected school property taxes to districts that collect less (poor districts). The result, no one has "enough" and those districts being drained, keep taxes raising taxes on property owners.

[SamAdams76]

Here are some shots of the "motivational speaker" in action. He's worth every penny, I tell you!

[Former Proud Canadian]

This guy shouldn't cost too much. After all he lives in a VAN down by the RIVER.

[jocon307]

"...whip up a frenzy against violence..."

Strange turn of phrase.

[Liz]

"It's paid by a federal grant," School Board member Dennis Reid said, dismissing concern over how the money is used.

Where does this bird-brain think a federal grant comes from? Thin air? This idiot has no clue as to how government works. Somebody ougthta tell him a federal grant is tax dollars -- taxpayers' money.