By ALICIA LEONARD
The Walton County School Board (WCSB) met at the South Walton High School the afternoon of Oct. 20 to workshop possible new school construction, and to hold their second regularly scheduled meeting of the month.
Walton County School District Superintendent Carlene Anderson provided the board with two possible different plans to help handle the population surge of school-aged children in the south end of Walton County.
Mac Carpenter with the Walton County Planning Department told the board that Walton was looking at an increase of up to 20,000 new residents within the next five years and most indicators show the majority of those new residents will settle in the southern end of the county. The state has projected an additional 1,000 children for Walton County school within the next five years, but the numbers showed the state has underestimated school growth for the county in the past.
A consensus of the board leaned toward a new elementary school on the Forest View property along U.S. 98, after discussing their options.
Parents at the workshop voiced concerns about crowding issues in south Walton elementary schools, traffic issues along staggered drop-off and pick-up times at middle and elementary schools in south Walton, and the need for expanded lunchroom seating in South Walton High School.
Board Vice-Chair Mark Davis asked the district’s building and planning department to scrutinize the differences in cost between a “hard bid” process and “project management” prices, adding he thought the schools the district have constructed through the hard bid process were less expensive.
Even with the consensus of the board for the district’s planning department to move ahead and return to them with ideas, plans and prices concerning construction, it could take up to a year or more for the construction to begin and will take up to three years before construction could be finished on the property the board purchased last year.
After the workshop the board took a short break and moved into the regularly scheduled meeting.
The board moved quickly through the majority of the agenda before them, but a few items, such as an agreement between Walton Academy, Inc., and the school board, as well as one expulsion request by Anderson were met with a great deal of discussion.
Board members had copious questions about the agreement with Walton Academy pertaining to the facility and educational responsibilities being turned over to the Rader Group. The group focuses on management of charter schools with an emphasis on schools that deal with troubled youth, and those already in the justice system for criminal or civil issues.
Ray Sansom, vice president for human resources and administration of the group, answered questions surrounding the agreement and management of the school.
Sansom told the board that teachers working at the Academy would still have insurance and retirement, and that the school they oversee works a little differently than those in the public sector.
District 5 Board member Jason Catalano expressed concern about the teachers employed by the district already starting their contracts for the year and having their employer changed midstream.
“Our teachers work year around as our students are in school year around. When many are on holidays and such, our teachers and facilities are up and running, so they are used to things being a little different,” Sansom said.
Sansom’s reassurances did not appear to quell Catalano’s concern about the district’s employees working for the group and his was the sole nay in a 4-1 vote with the agreement passing.
Later along in the meeting, the board listened to a recommendation from Anderson on a student’s expulsion. Davis made a motion to not accept Anderson’s recommendation, and moved that the student should only be punished through a 10-day suspension that has already been served, since that was the same punishment a fellow student had received when the two were caught together breaking the district’s policy. Anderson argued the circumstances were different because the first student had moved and was no longer in the area so they did not have to be barred from attending classes in Walton. Davis’ motion gained a second from Board member Bill Eddins Jr. and passed 3-2 with board member Kim Kirby and board Chair Gail Smith casting the nay votes.
The next regularly scheduled meeting for the board is Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. at the DeFuniak Springs board room. To learn more about the district events and meetings, go to www.walton.k12.fl.us.