- October 11, 2024
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Volusia County Schools’ superintendent and school board attorney both have received high ratings in their written evaluations by the School Board.
The board discussed the evaluations at a June 13 meeting.
This is the first year the board has implemented a written evaluation for both its superintendent and school attorney. Previously, only the school board attorney was evaluated.
Superintendent Carmen Balgobin received unanimously “proficient” ratings on 15 objectives. For the remaining 11 objectives — split between seven overall goals — at least one board member marked her as having made “reasonable progress toward expectation.”
Balgobin told the board that out of the four school districts she’s worked at, she’s found that “there’s something special about the people in Volusia County.” Her evaluation, she said, is a reflection of the entire VCS team.
“My goal for Volusia County is to leave a legacy and to have systems and structures in place and a staff well trained, so that for years to come, the students in this county will benefit from those systems and structures and the culture that we’re building,” Balgobin said.
Balgobin was hired as the district’s superintendent in May 2022, though she served as the interim superintendent from July 2020 to February 2021 while former Superintendent Scott Fritz — whom the board fired — was on medical leave.
School Board member Anita Burnette commended Balgobin at the meeting for her work as superintendent. Burnette said she hears a lot of appreciation for Balgobin from the community.
“I think the overall feel of everything is that Volusia County Schools is being led by a good leader,” Burnette said.
In her written evaluation, Burnette noted that Balgobin assumed the position during a “challenging time” and made “positive strides to help our district get back into a positive position with our VCS team and community.”
But there’s still work to do, Burnette wrote. She explained that Balgobin knows the district needs to increase retention for staff and educators and is aware of educational deficiencies that must be improved to help VCS become an “A” district. Volusia is currently a “B” district, according to the Florida Department of Education.
Unlike Balgobin’s evaluation, the evaluation for School Board Attorney Aaron Wolfe, with the Doran Sims Wolfe and Yoon firm, did have an overall rating. He earned a total of 19 points, the maximum number possible.
Wolfe has been advising the board since September 2022 after he switched with firm partner Ted Doran, who had earned a low evaluation score from the board.
School Board member Ruben Colon thanked Wolfe at the meeting.
“As reflected in this evaluation, we are very happy with the services you are providing,” Colon said.
In his evaluation of Wolfe, School Board Chair Jamie Haynes highlighted the attorney’s communication skills and willingness to step into the role for two of the three years of the district’s contract with his firm.
“I appreciate his professionalism, calmness and well-thought-out comments when he answers or provides guidance during a School Board meeting,” she wrote.
Wolfe thanked the board members for their comments.
“It’s been a real pleasure representing the board for the last nine months,” he said.
