Press Releases or News
Press Releases or News, listed in chronological
order, the most recent listed at the top.
School Lawyers Improve
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, October 13, 2008 – News Story
Six months after School Board members argued for
the ouster of the school system's legal team,
Dirk Smits and the Vernis Bowling law firm
likely will get a new contract Tuesday. (pdf
of entire article)
Priorities Questioned after
School Board Debate
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, October 12, 2008 – News Story
The Monroe County School Board recently reduced
the number of district vehicles
employees can take home at night after hammering
out a compromise plan that lets some employees
drive school cars part of the way home. The
complex compromise has prompted a plea from
board member Debra Walker to concentrate on
larger issues.
(pdf
of entire article)
Acevedo has Brought a High Level of Excellence
to Monroe County Schools
by JOHN ANDOLA, Key West Citizen Columnist,
October 4
Randy Acevedo, with 15 years'
experience in Monroe County schools, has served
as director of instructional technology,
executive director of business services and, for
the past four years, superintendent of schools.
Student achievement under his leadership is at
an all-time high. According to the Florida State
Department of Education, Monroe County is an
A-rated school districtwith the highest
percentage of A-rated schools in the state.
(pdf
of entire article)
Don't Forget
to Factor in No Child Left Behind
Letter to the
Editor, Serge Sanchez, October 2
This is in response to Ms.
Guevremont's letter
published Sept. 20. First,
she states the Monroe County
School District has minimal
support systems in place for
diverse learners. Second,
she claims that trends since
2003 show either a decrease
or no progress for
sub-groups of students.
There are two key points Ms.
Guevremont fails to include
in her letter. (pdf
of entire article)
High Schools Should Stay Alcohol Free
Key West
Citizen, September 5, 2008
Now that Key West high school has a new,
spacious auditorium with lots of parking, we
suppose it was inevitable that someone would
float the idea of allowing alcohol (beer and
wine) to be served in connection with
evening or weekend performances unrelated to
school activities. This idea was a trial
balloon launched out of the blue at a recent
Monroe County School Board meeting, and
we're happy to be able to say the balloon
deflated immediately. The auditorium is a
real asset for our community, and we
certainly approve the idea of making it
available to the public when it is otherwise
unused by the school. But booze should not
be allowed for any reason, under any
circumstances .
(pdf of entire article)
Schools End Valedictorian Tradition
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, September 4, 2008 – News Story
Ending generations of tradition
in Florida Keys high schools, the school
district no longer will use the valedictory
system in Key West, Marathon or Coral Shores. In
its place, the district will adopt collegiate
rankings, from magna cum laude on down. Any
student who meets the requirements for the rank
will earn it. It seems the traditional
valedictory system has become outdated and
controversial in the age of advanced placement,
dual enrollment, honors classes and other
"A-weighted" courses that let students earn more
than 4.0 grade points.
( pdf of entire article)
Exodus From Schools Has Slowed
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, September 3, 2008 – News Story
The fall 2008
student count is in, and the news is good,
because it's not that bad.
Monroe County school officials have held their
breath as student enrollment -- upon which state
and local funding is based -- fluctuates year to
year.
Schools Superintendent Randy Acevedo and the
School Board predicted 200 fewer students would
register for school this fall, but as of Friday,
the Labor Day count showed only 76 fewer
students. In simple numbers, 8,176 students were
registered for school in the Florida Keys as of
Friday, compared with 8,251 students last fall.
(
pdf of entire article)
What's in a Number?
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, August 21, 2008 – News Story
The Monroe County
schools superintendent in July announced that
Florida Keys schools earned the highest grade
point average in the state, with a combined 3.92
GPA.
(Key
West Citizen online and
pdf of entire article)
School Chief: Foreclosure Talk is Just Politics
By David Ball, Upper Keys
Reporter, August 30, 2008 – News Story
Monroe County School District
Superintendent Randy Acevedo says he is still
running his re-election campaign on a platform
of student achievement and fiscal responsibility
even as he's the subject of reports he faced
foreclosure on his Key West home. "I guess you
could say it's Keys politics," said Acevedo, a
Democrat who is seeking a second four-year term
as the Monroe County School District
superintendent. ...
.....Acevedo said his original mortgage
company sold his mortgage to Saxon, and he
and his wife contacted Saxon on Tuesday to
confirm that it is now the owner of the
loan. Acevedo said they never missed any
mortgage payments.
”
Upper
Keys Reporter online and pdf
of article)
Schools Linked through Broadband Network Upgrade
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, August 21, 2008 – News Story
Two Monroe County school information technology
employees spent several days before school
reopened building a redundant fiber-optic loop
that connects all of the public schools in the
Florida Keys to district headquarters. They
connected school buildings from Key Largo
through Marathon and Big Pine Key to Key West.
The backup will ensure continued service if the
primary loop is severed by digging, knocked out
by weather or other accidents, Schools
Superintendent Randy Acevedo said Tuesday.
Service has been lost temporarily in the past.
"If one school lost power, the school on the
other end of the loop lost power," he said.
"This upgrade prevents that from happening."
( Key
West Citizen online and
pdf of entire article)
It's only
August, but Schools Ready to Open Doors
By
ALYSON CREAN August 13, 2008
The hallways of Monroe
County's schools were
echoing with the patter of
rather large feet this week.
Students don't return to the
classrooms until next
Monday, but the School
District's 676 teachers
started this past Monday to
prepare classrooms, attend
professional instruction and
get reacquainted after the
summer break.
(KeysNet
online and
pdf of article)
Schools see Fewer Repeat Students
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, August 11, 2008 – News Story
About 144 fewer students were held back a grade
in Monroe County schools this year than last
year, according to figures the district released
this week.
( Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
Could Beer Ease the School Budget
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, August 1, 2008 – News Story
The man in charge of booking
events at Key West High School says the Monroe
County school district could make pretty good
money if a ban on alcohol on school property
were lifted to allow the sale of beer and wine
at concerts, comedy shows and other events.
Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
Tax Rate Set for
Schools
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, July 30, 2008 – News Story
To cover the $90.4 million schools operating
budget, the board unanimously approved the
millage rate at $292.20 per $100,000 of assessed
property value. It's less than the rollback rate
by 6.17 percent, so property owners in effect
will see a tax decrease.
(link to complete article at
Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
School Board
Trims Taxes
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, July 23, 2008 – News Story
Now that the School Board has set
the local tax rate, the board will conduct a
series of three public hearings, said Kathy
Reitzel, the school district's finance director.
The board is required to hold two budget public
hearings, but holds three, one each for the
Lower, Middle and Upper Keys. On Tuesday, the
board holds its first budget hearing and will
vote to adopt its proposed tax rate. After that,
it can lower the rate but can't raise it,
Reitzel said. The second public hearing is at
Marathon High School on Aug. 26, and a Coral
Shores High School hearing is scheduled for
Sept. 9. The board will finalize its budget with
a vote at the Coral Shores meeting.
(link to complete article at
Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
School Board Cut
Taxes Slightly
By Sean Kinney , KeysNet.com, July
23, 2008 – Contributor
The Monroe
County School Board on Tuesday set a
tentative millage rate that reduces spending
for the 2008-09 fiscal year by $4 million.
This follows a cap on spending recommended
by the board in March. The millage rate
approved for now stands at 2.92, or $2.92
per $1,000 of assessed value. That's about
1.5 percent below this year's rate of 2.946.
The board can reduce that rate after public
hearings in August and September but not
raise it.
KeysNet online and pdf
of article)
Acevedo Calls $210M budget responsible
By David Ball ,Upper Keys
Reporter, July 19, 2008 – Contributor
Monroe County
School District Superintendent Randy Acevedo
says his $210 million budget proposed for
next year is a lean one and will give tax
decreases to most residents.
"We reduced $6 million
from the budget and
we're below rollback,
maybe one of the only
governmental entities
giving a tax break this
year," Acevedo said. "I
think it's a budget to
celebrate. Miami-Dade
County schools are
looking at cutting
salaries. We are adding
to them [salaries] and
giving a tax break."
KeysNet online
and pdf
of article)
Schools Focus on
Curbing Dropouts
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, July 22, 2008 – News Story
The Monroe County School Board
today is expected to approve agreements designed
to boost the school district's dropout
prevention efforts.
(link to complete article at
Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
Do Monroe County Schools Pass or Fail?
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, July 14, 2008 – News Story
"There are certainly many ways
within the grading system and FCAT scores to
rank a school and there is no measurement
defined as the best,'" Acevedo told The Citizen
Tuesday. "But, when you look at the grades in a
GPA format, we had the best performance
statewide this past year, and for that I am very
proud of our staff, students, parents and
community."
(link to complete article at
Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
Fate of Sigsbee,
Harris Schools on Agenda
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, June 24, 2008 – News Story
The Monroe County School Board is
expected to tackle the fate of several school
buildings at its all-day workshop and evening
meeting today in Tavernier.
(link to complete article at
Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
School Board to Discuss Drug Testing
By David Ball, Upper Keys
Reporter, June 20, 2008 – News Story
Some of the policy changes are required by state
law, while others reflect new directions from
the board, such as the banning of “active”
politicking by district employees on school
property and the debate over drug testing.
“Shortly after this board was in place, one of
the first policies we pulled out and modified
was for politicking,” Acevedo said. “I don’t
envision that policy changing a lot during these
discussions, but I think we want to make sure we
didn’t lose anything during this process of
updating the policies.”
Upper
Keys Reporter online and pdf
of article)
Follow-Up
Article -
More Students Likely to be tested for Drugs
(link to complete article at
Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
Grant Keeps
School Bells Ringing
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, June 17, 2008 – News Story
But what about summer school, or
those promised summer programs for children who
need a place to spend the day? If Monroe County
schools relied solely on state education
funding, there wouldn't be summer school this
year. But thanks to a $5.4 million 21st Century
Community Learning Center grant, summer programs
began Monday for 760 Florida Keys children.
(link to complete article at
Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
Return on travel costs
more than worth it
By
Josh
Mothner, Marathon
Keynoter, Letter to the Editor,
June 4, 2008
Is anyone concerned
that some Monroe County School Board members are
engaging in what can only be described as
political retribution?
We watched as the debacle over travel
expenditures distracted staff and the board from
much more important things. We watched Chairman
Steven Pribramsky state quite openly that his
concerns about the law firm of Vernis and
Bowling were predicated on how its staff talked
about him during his campaign. Is this what they
were elected to do?
(link to
complete article at
Keynoter online
and pdf
of article)
Housing Effort Aimed at
Teacher Turnover
Lisa Tennyson ,
Monroe County Affordable Housing
Coordinator
Key West Citizen, Letter to the Editor,
June 9, 2008
This is
offered for the purpose of clarification in
response to a letter printed in The Citizen on
Thursday, June 5, regarding school housing
measures. The Monroe County School Board is
trying in earnest to address the district's
25-percent teacher turnover rate, the highest of
any school district in the state of Florida.
Providing affordable housing opportunities for
interested teachers isn't the only answer, but
it's another tool to address the problem. In a
high cost county like ours, teacher salaries are
critical.
(link to
complete article at
Citizen Online and pdf
of article)
Energy Center offers Academic
Opportunities
Josh Clearman,
Alternative Energy Center , Key
West High School
Key West Citizen, Letter to the Editor,
June 9, 2008
The Monroe County School Board
showed much foresight in officially establishing
the Key West High School Alternative Energy
Center. This allocation, which came directly
from the School Board's discretionary fund and
not from classroom funds, will facilitate
progressive science education in our district,
and is part of the Monroe County School District
Sustained Investment Plan for Renewable Energy
Savings.
(link to
complete article at
Citizen Online and
pdf
of article)
School District
Gauges Perception
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, June 3, 2008 – News Story
If the answer depends upon whom
you ask, it's a good idea to ask everyone.
The 2008 Climate Survey, an annual questionnaire
that asks every student, teacher and parent in
Monroe County to rate their schools, ended
Monday night.
That means Bruce King, the
district's director of accountability and
assessment, has a lot of work to do. He'll be
the one who oversees the crunching of the
numbers and the presentation of them for
analysis to principals, teachers and the public.
"I will break it apart, school by school, and
compare it to the district average," he said.
"We have responses from between 4,000 and 5,000
students, 600-plus faculty and staff, and more
than 2,000 parents."
(link to complete article at
Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
We've Got Many Reasons to Celebrate our Students
By
Wayne Markham -
Keynoter Publisher: May 30, 2008 –
Editorial
Today at
11:30 a.m., the stage at Marathon High School
will be filled with the proud faces of 45 high
school seniors drawn from throughout the Keys.
These young men and
women comprise the eighth graduating class for
Take Stock in Children here in Monroe County.
Joining these excited graduates will be their
families, friends, donors who help fund Take
Stock scholarships and adult mentors who have
been - in many cases - lifelines for these young
men and women.
Keynoter online
and pdf
of article)
School District Plans Biodiesel Plan
By Sam Nissen, Upper Keys
Reporter, May 30, 2008 – News Story
The
Monroe County School Board is looking to fund a
1,000-gallon a year biodiesel production plant
in Key West next school year.
The plant would be
operated by students. The money - estimated to
be about $50,000 - will come from the school
board’s discretionary fund. Since the money is
coming from the school board, not the district,
no vote was taken, but all five members were on
board.
Upper
Keys Reporter online and pdf
of article)
Teachers Want 4%
Salary Increase
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, May 21, 2008 – News Story
Out-of-county trips by school district employees
and teachers will now have to come before the
School Board for approval. During an all-day
board workshop in Tavernier Tuesday, the board
and Schools Superintendent Randy Acevedo not
only worked out differences in travel policy,
but board members also said they'd no longer
seek to fire the legal firm that represents the
school system.
(link to complete article at
Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
Key West High
Ranks in top 5% of U.S.
Newsweek Web Exclusive
For the second year in a row, Newsweek ranks Key
West High School in the top 5% of all U.S.
schools. According to an announcement from
Newsweek, Public schools are ranked according to
a ratio devised by Jay Mathews.
Superintendent
Randy Acevedo said, “Mr. Welsh and all the
teachers at Key West High School have put out
tremendous effort so our students can compete in
the world market.”
KWHS Principal
John Welsh said, “Being ranked in the top 5%
shows me our students, with the help of their
teachers and administrators, are doing a great
job." (link
to website)
Board Member Slams Budget Talks
By Sam Nissen, Upper Keys
Reporter, May 17, 2008 – News Story
A long-time Monroe County
School Board member says some of his colleagues
are wasting time at budget meetings by trying to
micromanage the School District's daily
operations. “When a board member asks who and
how, those questions are easily answered and
don't change strategy direction. When they ask
what and why, those are not easy to answer,
dealing with value and philosophy, and can lead
to a change in policy,” board member Andy
Griffiths told The Reporter. Other members ask
“how much are we going to save using this kind
of grass, that kind of grass, and it's answered
and it doesn't change [a thing]. And we spend
hours on this” issue. (link to
complete article at
Keynoter online and pdf
of article)
School Employees'
Travel now must be Vetted by Board
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, May 14, 2008 – News Story
Out-of-county trips by school district employees
and teachers will now have to come before the
School Board for approval. During an all-day
board workshop in Tavernier Tuesday, the board
and Schools Superintendent Randy Acevedo not
only worked out differences in travel policy,
but board members also said they'd no longer
seek to fire the legal firm that represents the
school system.
(link to complete article at
Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
School Officials
Target Law Firm
Travel expenses also on board agenda
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, May 13, 2008 – News Story
Today's Monroe County School Board workshop
won't be boring....Teacher layoffs, budget and
program cuts, and the status of retirees who
have returned to full-time jobs at the district
headquarters also are expected to be discussed.
(link to complete article at
Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
Time to Put an
End to Double Dipping
Keynoter, May
10, 2008 –
Editorial
In today's Keynoter on
Page 13, School Board member John Dick raises
questions about what is sometimes called double
dipping. This comes when state employees
enrolled in the Deferred Retirement Option
Program (DROP), created in 1998. It was designed
to encourage skilled, senior managers to stay,
offering a pre-retirement inducement. At the end
of five years, those enrolled in DROP were
expected to retire and begin drawing on this
enriched retirement benefit.
(link to complete article at
Keynoter
online and
pdf of article)
School District Expects Less Cuts than last Year
By Sam Nissen, Upper Keys
Reporter, May 8, 2008 – News Story
Acevedo said some might be
“surprised” that next year’s budget required
fewer terminations. He also said that some of
the 35 teachers were cut for reasons other than
budget constraints. Some teachers let go for
budget reasons could be brought back if the
school can negotiate acceptable early retirement
packages for some of its veteran educators.
(link to
complete article at
Upper Keys Reporter online
and pdf
of article)
County, State
Release FCAT Scores
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, May 9, 2008 – News Story
While average statewide scores on
the essay portion of Florida's standardized
writing test are virtually unchanged from last
year, some Monroe County schools showed a large
improvement, according to results obtained by
The Citizen. The highest score a grade can earn
in testing is 6, so a score of 3.5, slightly
more than half of 6, is considered "proficient."
(link to complete article at
Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
Amid cutbacks, a
thank-you to teachers
Principals, students observe Teacher
Appreciation Week
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, May 6, 2008 – News Story
This week, however, Monroe County
teachers are getting a big thank-you from
principals and students in observance of
National Teacher Appreciation Week.....Monroe
schools this week will find other ways to honor
teachers and acknowledge "the contributions they
make to our lives," said Schools Superintendent
Randy Acevedo. "Teachers ... make sure every
child receives a quality public education."
(link to complete article at
Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
School Board
Member Warned of Layoffs
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, May 3, 2008 – News Story
Schools Superintendent Randy Acevedo recently
announced that 30 positions will not be funded
next year as the district tries to cut $6
million from its budget, aiming for an $88
million budget next year.
"We debated for several meetings what to do with
certain positions, including curriculum research
teachers, instructional services employees, and
assistant principals," Acevedo said. "The board
voted unanimously to keep the administrators
right where they were."
(link to complete article at
Key West Citizen
online and
pdf of article)
37 Jobs on the Chopping Block
By Sam Nissen, Upper Keys
Reporter, May 1, 2008 – News Story
Acevedo introduced a
school-by-school plan at the Tuesday meeting. In
it, the district’s administration recommended
certain areas take the brunt of the budget axe,
including high school athletic trainers,
substitute teachers and assistant principles,
among others.
Acevedo said he
hopes the school can avoid firing any one by not
renewing teachers’ contracts, placing
administrators back in classrooms and offering
incentives to induce early retirement. But he
also said many could reject the changes and some
will be fired.(link to
complete article at
Upper Keys Reporter online and pdf
of article)
Teacher Layoffs
Begin
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, April 30, 2008 – News Story
Though teachers learn every year at this time
whether they'll be offered contracts for the
next school year, cuts to the county education
budget makes this year's wait harder. Schools
Superintendent Randy Acevedo announced a few
weeks ago that more than 30 positions will not
be funded in the fall... As for
teachers worried about their jobs, Acevedo said:
"I sympathize with the position they're in with
all the uncertainty. They are valued, and I want
them to know I appreciate what they do for our
students. We're going to work hard to minimize
job cuts."
(link to
complete article at
Key West Citizen online and
pdf
of article)
Parents Picket
High School
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, April 30, 2008 – News Story
A group of angry parents picketed Marathon High
School on Monday to protest the early return of
their children from a senior trip to Orlando,
said Schools Superintendent Randy Acevedo."
(link to
complete article at
Key West Citizen online and
pdf
of article)
More to the Menu
than you Think
School officials balance requests with federal
standards
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, April 29, 2008 – News Story
The quality of food in Monroe County's school
cafeterias may seem trivial when weighed against
possible layoffs and program cuts, but to
students it's a big issue....
School Board members and Schools Superintendent
Randy Acevedo, at one time or another throughout
last week, had lunch in school cafeterias to
find out what is on students' minds.....(link to
complete article at
Key West Citizen online and
pdf
of article)
Watching Out for Our One Human Family
By Tom Oosterhoudt, Editor and Publisher, Conch
Color, Apr 25-May 1, 2008 – Editorial
Key
West High School's GSA came of age this week as
the school sanctioned the first general assembly
meeting in the auditorium, hosted by the GSA.
Speakers included Tom Oosterhoudt,
Superintendent Randy Acevedo, Principal John
Welsh, and others..(complete
article can be found at:
Conch Color Online)
Schools Plan to
Tighten Belts
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, April 23, 2008 – News Story
Exceptional Student Education
staff and other administrators with teaching
certification will return to the classroom if
they lose their positions at school
headquarters.
Schools Superintendent Randy
Acevedo and Mike Henriquez, instructional
services executive director, described to School
Board members how such a move might be made
during Tuesday's board meeting in Marathon.
"Assistant principals and
curriculum research [technicians] (CRTs) who are
certified could go back to the classroom,"
Henriquez told the board, though it's not known
yet which of those teaching slots would be
part-time or full-time positions. Some salaries
are paid with the help of state and federal
education grants, so they might not detract from
individual school budgets too heavily, Henriquez
said. (link to
Key West Citizen online and
pdf
of article)
School Bells
Officially Ring
By
Ryan McCarthy, Keynoter, April
21, 2008 – News Story
We are able to say a
pretty neat thing in Monroe County that none of
the facilities are older than six years,”
Superintendent Randy Acevedo said, noting equity
was an important factor for Marathon's smaller
number of students. “If you build it smaller,
you wouldn't have the same opportunities our
other schools in the county do,” he said. The
school features new computer, construction,
culinary and marine-mechanics labs Acevedo says
are on par with the rest of the county.
(link to
Keynoter online and
pdf
of article)
Schools, union
seek early retirees
BY JOHN L. GUERRA , Key West
Citizen, April 18, 2008 – News Story
Monroe County schools on Thursday
sent e-mails soliciting employees willing to
take early retirement, as the district seeks to
make ends meet in one of the worst budget years
in recent times.
"We're surveying personnel to
see if we have any interest out there,"
Schools Superintendent Randy Acevedo said.
"We have implemented early retirement in the
past to get people near retirement or the upper
end of the pay scale to accept a buyout."
(link to
Key West Citizen online and
pdf
of article)
Letter to the
Editor, Written by Kathy Reitzel , Finance
Director, and Published on April 18th, detailing
correct information concerning supplement:
There has been much written
recently about the supplements paid to district
administrators, including two articles [last]
week in your newspaper. Both articles cite the
recent auditor general's finding that the
district did not document the awarding of $1.8
million in supplements to employees. The
implication is that district administrators were
the recipients of the entire $1.8 million.
The district's response to this finding is
published in the audit and states that of the
$1.8 million in supplements, $1.3 million were
supplements paid to teachers and other
instructional personnel in the schools.
(Link to
letter)
Randy speaks to the Administrators Academy
at the Youth for a Change Conference in
Minnesota.
**
Link to Press Release
 Candidate Forum
- Sponsored by Hometown!
Political Action Committee
Date Held: Tuesday, April 8th
Place: Dante's, 951 Caroline St.,
Key West.
Website:
http://www.hometownkeywest.com/ - Coming
Later: Interview with Randy, Candidate for
Superintendent
A New Milestone for Diversity in the Florida
Keys
 Front
Cover Conch
Color - March 28-April 3
Monroe County
Superintendent Randy Acevedo presents Davy Evans
with an Equality Florida’s “Voice of Equality
Award” honoring him for his role as Key West
High School’s Gay Straight Alliance founder and
first president. Randy said, “It was an honor
and privilege to present Davy with this award
because it took a lot of courage to start the
first GSA at KWH. “What Davy did will help
create a safer learning environment in school,
and will make sure that the needs of all
students are met, and his efforts will help
protect them.” (link
to Conch Color, Vol 3, Issue 13)
PACE Girls get Helping Hand
On
“Keynoter TV News” this week, Key West Bureau
Chief Alyson Crean hosted Diana Reagan, director
of the Keys Center for Girls (formerly PACE),
along with student Myrna Rojas and volunteer
Jules Million.
It was heartening to see the
local community rally to rescue this alternative
education program from the chopping block
ordered at the state level.
Monroe County School District Superintendent
Randy Acevedo and Florida Keys Community College
President Jill Landesberg-Boyle both deserve
kudos for jumping in to assist.
The United Way of Monroe County's board voted to
increase funding to the Keys Center, and more
help from others will also be needed. But this
is a good start.
(Taken from Keynoter,
Posted-Friday, April 4,
2008,
Editorial)
The PACE Board,
Monroe County School District Superintendent
Randy Acevedo, Florida Keys Community College
President Jill Landesberg-Boyle, Carol Eisenman
and Brittany Snyder have enabled the program to
continue to serve the young ladies of Monroe
County. ( Diana Reagan,
Letter to Editor, April 4, 2008)
School District Receives
‘Clean Opinion’ from State Auditors, Fiscal
Responsibility in Best Shape in Six Years
Despite more rigorous audit
standards, declined enrollment, and an economic
downturn, the Monroe County School District
received the cleanest bill of health for its
fiscal operations since 2002. With a peak of 19
findings on both federal and operating standards
in the year ending 2005, the 2007 audit has only
five findings. Director of Finance Kathy
Reitzel, CPA said, “This was a district effort.
All the directors have worked hard to get their
department’s procedures in order.” (Link
to Press Release, March 20, 2008)
There is no 'continuing contest' between
Superintendent and School Board
Guest Commentary,
Published on Tue, Mar 11, 2008
The recent editorial titled "School district
spending is a dual responsibility" reads more
like a promotion for the next round of "Fight
Night in the Keys" rather than an opinion piece
regarding the fiscal management of our school
district. Despite efforts to color my
relationship with the School Board as a
"continuing contest," the fact is, the School
Board and I have worked well together, and the
result is a school district that we can all be
extremely proud of, one that is more efficient
and producing more student success than ever
before. I know that controversy sells
newspapers, but continuing efforts to cast a
pall over the operation of our district while
ignoring the very real progress and success we
are producing undermines the efforts of everyone
in our system who live and breathe our mission,
"Student Success, Whatever it Takes."
(the
entire commentary)
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