GRADUATION RATES SOAR On Jan. 12, the Florida Department of Education released the graduation statistics for the 2014-15 school year. Escambia County’s graduate percentage jumped from 66.1 percent in 2014 to 72.7 in 2015. Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas told the daily newspaper that the district’s focus on its at-risk students was one of the factors that contributed to the phenomenal jump. The Escambia County School District has always lagged behind the state graduation rates for its at-risk and economicallydisadvantaged students. However, since the 2010-11 school year, the graduation rates for at-risk student have improved by 15 percentage points and for economicallydisadvantaged students by 11 points. Almost all of the improvement happened in the 2014-15 school year with at-risk improving 9.4 points in one year and economically-disadvantaged 7.8 points. “I'm just ecstatic,” School Board member Jeff Bersgosh told Inweekly. “I think a lot of credit goes to the teachers, a lot of credit to the students who stuck it out.; frankly, a lot of credit to the whole team. Definitely, truly a team effort.” He gave School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas credit for making graduation within four years a priority and the staff buying into the goal. “When you see the wheels turn like that and everything's moving smoothly, you'll come out with tremendous results like this,” he said. Bergosh said the switch in mentality began about seven or eight years ago when the district began adding career academies. “The mentality was it was a cookiecutter thing—you’ve got to go tocollege, and one-size-fits-all approach,” he said. “That's been transformed. Now we have 63 career academies.”
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He explained, “Students that may dislike school, but they like engineering, or they like gaming, or they like the trades, they've got a place where they can go. They can get their diploma, and then they're career-ready when they're done. “ Bergosh also credited changes in the district’s discipline policies. “I will say that we tolerated some students that perhaps at other districts would have been kicked out,” he said. “We've tried to really not give up on kids. We don't give up on kids. I've been vocal when these kids get 50 or 60 referrals that, you know, what are they still doing hanging around. If they're able to finish, I guess it was worth it.”
MOLDY FIRE STATION BECOMES PRIORITY Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hay-
ward announced that replacing the moldly fire station on Summit Boulevard will be a priority. Next month, he plans to ask the Pensacola City Council to allow him to use $3 million of 2017 Local Option Sales Tax funds to do it. One person pleased with the mayor’s decision is City Councilman Andy Terhaar, in whose district Fire Station #3 is located. “Ever since I ran for council, that was my number one issue in my district,” said Tehaar, who was elected in 2012. “That's an issue that I've been really pressing the last four years for, and I'm glad to finally see that it's going to happen.” He said the station had been damaged during Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. “Well it took some damage during Ivan and had some water intrusion,” he said. “That water intrusion caused some mold issues that have not really been addressed. It's really been escalating over the last couple of years, and it's time to get a new one.” The councilman added, “With this new LOST money that's coming in, I knew that
was going to be the catalyst to get it done, because we just didn't have the funding to do it (before).” Terhaar said, “I was hoping to get it done sooner than this, but I'm glad it's going to be getting done eventually.”
THE EVERS DOMINO The big domino
that could set off a series of political maneuvers in this election is State Sen. Greg Evers. His district boundaries have been redrawn, and he will have to move to Santa Rosa County to run for election to his District 1 seat. On “Pensacola Speaks” last week, Evers said he already has a house on Garcon Point that would make the move an easy one. He said he had opened a Senate campaign account but didn’t rule out pursuing other offices. “A lot of things can happen between now and (time to) qualify, but at this point I’m opening a campaign account for the Senate, and I’m actively raising money for the Senate,” said Evers. “Now, that money can be transferred to another account if I decide that the folks in my district would like for me to run for another office.” Evers mentioned he might run for Santa Rosa County Sheriff or, should he decide to stay in Baker, Florida, for Okaloosa County Property Appraiser. Stay tuned.
DEP NOT IN THE DUMP On Jan. 8,
the Florida Department of Environmental Protection sent a letter to Scott Miller of South Palafox Properties, LLC, owner of the Rolling Hills C&D Recycling Center that lost its operating permit last year. Apparently earlier in the week, Miller sent a letter to FDEP rescinding the Amended Site Access Agreement between South Palafox and the department, which
led to FDEP being unable to deliver cover material to the landfill site. “In said correspondence, you set forth wild mischaracterizations, wholly irrelevant assertions, and completely unfounded, false allegations as to why the Agreement should be rescinded,” wrote the district director, Emile Hamilton. “Additionally, while much of said correspondence is virtually incomprehensible, it appears you further allege that the department is responsible for the lack of final closure of the Rolling Hills Facility to date.” Hamilton said that FDEP has worked “diligently to perform the activities necessary to achieve final closure of the Facility as expeditiously as possible, despite noncooperation and road blocks by South Palafox at nearly every juncture.” He cited a recent example: “The most recent example of South Palafox Properties’ noncooperation and continued roadblocks occurred on Monday, January 4 when South Palafox Properties went so far as to bypass the department’s gate lock in order to prevent access to the property. By denying the department access, you have knowingly delayed the delivery of 4, 400 cubic yards of cover material that was scheduled for delivery this week. This material and site access were key components in the effort to accomplish final closure, which would also serve to immediately abate the H2S odors coming from the site that are impacting the surrounding community.” Hamilton ended the letter with: “In short, the department disagrees with all assertions set forth in your correspondence and will proceed accordingly toward trial holding South Palafox fully responsible for its actions.” {in}
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