ORMOND BEACH OBSERVER
OrmondBeachObserver.com
Ormond’s financial push to save Osceola ASSOCIATE EDITOR
The city of Ormond Beach is vowing to commit up $1.8 million to save Osceola Elementary. Though the Volusia County School Board decided in August 2020 to close Osceola Elementary in favor of merging the student body with Ortona Elementary to the south, Ormond Beach is seeking a second chance. As it stands, a new school is planned to be constructed at the Ortona site to house the combined 600 students, and last month, the School Board began discussing the logistics in moving Ortona students into a “portable city” at Osceola’s campus during Ortona’s construction. But Ormond Beach city commissioners hope that with School Board member Anita Burnette now on the board, other members could reverse their decision. City Manager Joyce Shanahan already told the School Board the city would pay for any needed stormwater work, and now it is ready to bear the full cost of housing all estimated 400 Osceola students at Ortona in portables, which could total somewhere between $1.5 million and $1.8 million, according to discussion had the commission meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 2. “It is more than unfortunate that this happened during a global pandemic, because Ormond Beach residents would
“It is more than unfortunate that this happened during a global pandemic, because Ormond Beach residents would come out screaming against this. Everything about it just didn’t feel right.” TROY KENT, City Commissioner
to roughly 168 students. Osceola’s percentage of disadvantaged students is technically lower at 71%, but with double the student population at 406, that comes out to about 288 students. Mayor Bill Partington said that every factor points to saving Osceola. He said when Ormond residents voted to approve the school district’s half-cent sales tax, they were doing so in favor of improving their neighborhood schools, not closing them. “What benefit is that to Osceola Elementary School?” Partington said. “Extinguishing it from the face of the Earth?... I think it was a lie for the people who voted for that half-cent sales tax, who thought they were going to get some upgrades to their schools.” School Board member Carl Persis was asked to speak before the commission to give them a rundown of how the board arrived at the decision, and what Ormond Beach could do next. Persis was the lone vote in August against choosing Ortona. If both schools were located in Ormond Beach, Osceola would still be the right choice, Persis said. “I am hopeful that when they see some of the new information, that maybe one — just one — will say, ‘I see this differently now than I did then.’” Persis said. The city will hold a special meeting Monday, Feb. 8, to pass the resolution on committing city funds to saving Osceola Elementary. The School Board was scheduled to hold a workshop on the subject on Feb. 9, but it was canceled Feb. 3.
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BRIEFS Volusia County Schools: fill out free and reduced meal application
tain an education of the highest quality and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state achievement standards and state assessments.
Fewer Volusia County Schools families have completed the Free and Reduced Meal Application this year, and that could negatively impact federal funding for public schools with a high poverty ranking. To ensure those schools continue to receive federal Title I funding, it is imperative for families to fill out the Free and Reduced Meal Application no later than Friday, Feb. 12. Even if those families are not sure they qualify to access free/reduced-price meals, they should complete an application. It’s easy to apply online and takes only a few minutes, and the application is available in English or Spanish. The application is at: https://www.vcsedu. org/schoolwaycafe/free-and-reduced-meal-applications. (If you don’t have access to a computer, all schools will have a computer available for you to fill out the application.) The Florida Department of Education, through which the federal funding flows, will determine the Poverty Ranking of all public schools based on applications completed by the Feb. 12 deadline. The Poverty Ranking will determine which schools qualify for Title I funding for next school year. Currently there are 44 Title I schools in Volusia County. Title I is designed to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to ob-
DSC’s online bachelor’s programs rank among the nation’s best Daytona State College has once again been recognized in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings for Best Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs. DSC is the highest ranked school among Florida’s 28 state colleges, and the only one in U.S. News & World Report’s top-50 that is not a university. The new rankings were announced Tuesday, Jan. 26, and marks the ninth consecutive year the college has earned a spot among the nation’s best. In addition to its overall ranking, Daytona State was also ranked in Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans and the online business degree program as well. “The annual rankings by U.S. News & World Report are one of the highest standards by which colleges and universities are measured,” said Dr. Tom LoBasso, DSC President. “The fact that Daytona State continues to achieve such high marks, year after year, is a reflection of the hard work put in by our faculty and staff, and their commitment to providing education at the highest level.” Daytona State College began offering bachelor’s degrees in 2006.
calendar of events
February WED.
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Business After Hours at Fugu Sushi 4:30p.m. - 6:30p.m. 26 N Beach Street, Ormond Beach Preregister online - $10 Members $15 at the door Members $25 Future Member Online registration will close at 3:00pm. Following you can register at the door.
WED.
17 Economic Prosperity Hour
7:30a.m. - 9:00a.m. Anderson-Price Memorial Building 42 North Beach Street, Ormond Beach Bill Zirkelbach - VP Small Business Banker, Seacoast Bank Topic: PPP Updates Event Sponsors $10 Members $15 Member at door $25 Future Member
Presenting Sponsor
Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce 165 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach, FL 32174
(386) 677-3454
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JARLEENE ALMENAS
come out screaming against this,” City Commissioner Troy Kent said. “Everything about it just didn’t feel right.” Kent, who attended Osceola Elementary as a child himself, remarked on Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry’s comments on equity during the Jan. 26. School Board meeting, where he claimed Ortona students would be more adversely impacted should the School Board change their mind and choose the Osceola site for a new school. Ormond Beach has equity issues, too, Kent said. Both Osceola and Ortona are Title 1 schools, meaning they both receive additional resources from the state due to its number of economically disadvantaged students. According to 2018-2019 data by the Florida Department of Education, Ortona’s disadvantaged students accounted for 82.9% of its 203 students. That comes out
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Could the School Board reverse its decision?
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021
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