- April 28, 2025
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Only in government is lack of growth considered a cut.
The House, Senate, and Governor’s budgets all increase both student spending and teacher pay. On April 8, the Volusia County School Board spent the day discussing our budget cuts. The theme was that we are victims of Tallahassee politicians, but it isn’t their fault. Our budget loss is our fault.
We are now in our fourth year of declining enrollment. We have fewer students now than we had 10 years ago, but our $1.5 billion budget is twice the size it was then.
At the meeting, we were promised that solutions would be welcomed — as long as they came from “experts,” of course.
After listening to everyone’s comments throughout the day, I told them what my experts — teachers and principals — have told me that they know will work. The board responded strongly.
Not in a good way.
I was angrily lectured for being “negative,” and for voicing ideas that weren’t cleared first with district administrators.
When money is tight, the district goes straight to the front lines, with pink slips to teachers, yet our sole purpose is to provide first for that front line: teachers, principals, transportation, food service — the basics needed in each school.
I described what should be our priorities:
Putnam County is one of the poorest counties in the state. Their middle-high (7-12) school was out of control, with gangs and general chaos.
Two years ago, a new principal implemented a series of changes that have calmed their school, and have already increased their enrollment. Their 7th grade alone is up by 1/3 in that short time. I asked the principal how she accounted for that growth. She said flatly that now parents trust them, and they’re re-enrolling their kids.
Our district wants to close small elementary schools. Ormond Beach Elementary is a Title 1 school, and yet has the highest proficiency rates in all of District 4. Based on FDOE numbers, it was one of the schools VCS mentioned as not “breaking even.”
OBE’s principal has long wanted to have an arts magnet school. Volusia County doesn’t have one. It sounded like a great way to improve our offerings, and attract more student enrollment by bringing to Volusia County something the public has made clear it wants.
I told the board about Palm Beach County, where two failing high schools were merged 20 years ago to create the highly successful Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Likewise, the goal for OBE is for it to become, instead of closing, an arts magnet school, in the next 2-3 years.
Oops. Board members aren’t supposed to have ideas or plans that have not been appropriately blessed by those who work for us.
Grading policies and practices also cost us public trust, such as:
Current conditions are the result of current policies. Boards make policies. Administrators implement them.
It’s past time to ditch the stock answers — “we’re already doing that,” “we don’t have enough time/staff/money,” or above all, “that’s not how it works.”
Boards are not props. We drive progress with new ideas. Bureaucrats implement them. That is exactly how it works.
We are projected to lose 10,000 students next year. What we’re doing now clearly isn’t working. Our successes can’t be celebrated at the expense of our challenges. We can face facts and take action, or we can continue to decline until we circle the drain.
“Positive emotions are nice to have. Negative emotions are critical to keeping us alive.” — Arthur Brooks
Our success or failure is in our hands.
Editor's note: The following is a statement from the Volusia County School District in response to Donna Brosemer's "My View."
Volusia County Schools’ current budget reflects necessary investments, including state-mandated safety requirements following the Parkland tragedy, essential services, compliance costs, and inflation-driven increases, not discretionary spending. These requirements exist regardless of enrollment fluctuations, which are projected by FLDOE to be a decrease of approximately 1,400 students next year, not 10,000. Additionally, our responsibility to provide safe, effective learning environments has expanded significantly as mandated by state law.
Superintendent Balgobin stated, “No discussions about closing any schools, including Ormond Beach Elementary, have occurred at the district level.” Financial data presented at the workshop was informational context only, not a plan for closures. Any such significant decision would require extensive community engagement and formal board consideration.
Regarding specialized programs for students, VCS offers French Immersion, Spanish Dual Language, gifted programs, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) and over 100 middle and high school Career and Technical Education programs. The district follows a comprehensive process for establishing such programs that includes formal planning, resource allocation, and board approval. Additionally, VCS is already looking to expand magnet program opportunities for the upcoming school year.
The Student Progression Plan, (Policy 307), clearly outlines VCS grading practices, including specific protocols for assessments and clear guidelines that do not include “grade floors”; or “social promotion.” Policy 307 permits zeros for missing work and establishes specific protocols for assessment. VCS’s gifted education provides challenging instruction at all levels, including to a level 3 proficiency and beyond.
The School Board functions as a governing body where decisions require collective action. VCS welcomes all board members’ ideas when presented through proper channels that allow for thorough consideration.
Our commitment to work collaboratively towards student safety and success remains our highest priority. We encourage all stakeholders to work collaboratively through established channels as we address our district’s opportunities together, ensuring every decision advances the educational opportunities for the students we all serve.
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