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September 15, 2021

September 15, 2021, Sales Surtax Oversight Committee Meeting

 

Committee Members Present: Hank Rogers, Nate Day, Diana Galavis, Stephanie Garry Garfunkel, Delmas “Dedee” Harper, Monique Tookes, Brian Evans, Terrie Brady, Lawrence Dennis, David Hathaway, and Alberta Hipps

Joe Carlucci joined by phone.

Board Members Present: Vice Chair Willie

Duval Superintendent of Schools Dr. Diana Greene (non-voting) was also present.

Call Meeting to Order

Chair Hank Rogers called the meeting to order at 1:05 p.m.

Public Comment

Deborah Thompson

Ms. Thompson discussed small business participation and utilization, employment for residents and the sales surtax. Ms. Thompson provided a hard copy of her comments which have been attached.

 

Susan Aertker

Ms. Aertker discussed the importance of the public knowing how charter schools are spending their sales surtax dollars. Ms. Aertker provided a hard copy of her comments which have been attached.

 

Marion Tischler

Ms. Tischler discussed use of sales surtax dollars by charter schools. Ms. Tischler provided a hard copy of her comments which have been attached.

 

APPROVAL OF COMMITTEE MEMBER VIA INTERACTICE VIDEO/TELEPHONE SYSTEMS

Motion:

That the Sales Surtax Oversight Committee approve the participation of Committee Member Joe Carlucci via interactive video and/or telephone systems.

 

Vote Results:

Motion: Nate Day

Second: Dedee Harper

 

PASSED

 

APPROVAL OF THE SEPTEMBER 15, 2021, AGENDA

Motion:

That the Sales Surtax Oversight Committee approve the agenda for the September 15, 2021, meeting.

 

Vote Results:

Motion: Nate Day

Second: Dedee Harper

 

PASSED

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES – JUNE 16, 2021

Motion:

That the Sales Surtax Oversight Committee approve the meeting minutes of June 16, 2021.

 

Vote Results:

Motion: Terrie Brady

Second: Brian Evans

 

PASSED

 

Items to be Discussed

OPERATIONS UPDATE

Assistant Superintendent of Operations Paul Soares and Executive Director of Design and Construction Services Byron Page gave a PowerPoint presentation (see attached) on the Operations Update. Discussion included:

  • For community outreach and input for new construction, the plan is to replicate the process that was done for Rutledge Pearson.
  • How local labor is being integrated for Rutledge Pearson with Ajax.
    • Construction has not yet begun which is why the number under construction is listed as ‘0’ in the presentation. Ajax was awarded a Construction Management contract so they may only see 10-15% of the money awarded by the contract. The rest of the contract is bid out on a competitive price basis. Bidding process for Rutledge Pearson isn’t expected to occur until approximately March/April 2022. Design must be completed before the bidding process for the construction can take place.
  • The 28% minority business participation represents the construction management agent contract and it’s through firms that support Jacobs Engineering directly. A lot of the staff that are working on the master facilities plan, such as project managers, are from minority owned firms.
    • Committee Member Lawrence requested a list of the minority owned businesses that are a part of the Office of Economic Opportunity percentages provided in the presentation.

 

CHARTER SCHOOL QUARTERLY REVIEW FEEDBACK

Chief Financial Officer Michelle Begley gave a PowerPoint presentation (see attached) on the Charter School Quarterly Review Feedback. Discussion included:

  • The overall projection for the next 6 months is about $52 million for both District and charter schools.
    • Estimate is updated by Ms. Begley every month.
  • Based on Section 212.055(6) of the Florida Statutes, the allowable expenditures of the sales surtax dollars for charter schools include:
    • Construction/Facility Improvement
    • Technology
    • Purchase of Property
    • Purchase of Relocatables
    • Purchase of Student Transportation Vehicles
    • Purchase of Insurance
    • Motor Vehicles
    • Media Collections
  • The District is limited to as what they can request from charter schools, however, the Committee may request additional information with the submission of their quarterly reports.
  • Charter schools do not request an amount for sales surtax dollars. Their share is based on Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) or enrollment. For the period between January through June, Survey 2 and Survey 3 are what’s used to base the allocation amount to each charter school.
  • There is a list of criteria as to what makes a charter school eligible to receive sales surtax dollars.
    • One of the criteria is that a charter school must have had an audit for the past two school years.
  • There isn’t anything in the statute as to the type of motor vehicle a charter school can purchase. It is dependent on the purpose listed for that motor vehicle.
  • The statute does not have anything which requires a charter school to spend the sales surtax dollars within a certain time frame.
  • There is not a statutory requirement has to when the charter schools must get paid their disbursement. There was an agreement made between the District and the charter schools that funds would be disbursed within 2 weeks of the District receiving.
  • There is a clawback revision that addresses what happens to the sales surtax dollars if a charter school were to close.
  • This year, there are 37 charter schools in the District.
    • 30 are eligible to receive sales surtax funds.
  • Quarter 1 Charter Schools Reports Observations Discussion:
    • Committee Member Allison Busuttil submitted her comments in writing prior to the meeting due to her absence. Those comments have been attached.
    • 13 schools reported no expenditures
      • There is nothing in the statute which says the District must review if charter schools are spending the money or their progress. The District’s responsibility is to share the funds with them.
    • Chief of Staff Sonita Young recommended that it would be helpful for the Committee to receive an updated allocation list of charter school disbursements. Smaller charter schools receive smaller disbursements so it makes sense that they would need to accumulate their funds over a period of time before being able to spend it on an allowable use.
    • With responding to questions from the community as it relates to charter schools and sales surtax dollars, as a committee, it needs to be determined what charter schools should submit with their quarterly reports.
      • Chair Rogers will work with the District on ways to make the charter school reports accessible to the public, as well as the allowable expenditures chart provided in the PowerPoint presentation.

 

POLICY 9.66 PROPOSED REVISIONS

Chair Rogers read the proposed changes to the attendance policy (Board Policy 9.66) to present to the School Board as the Committee’s recommendation. The School Board would need to vote to approve to make the change in the policy. The proposed language is, as follows:

Members of the Committee shall make every reasonable effort to attend all regular and special meetings. Any member who fails to attend three consecutive regular meetings of the Committee without just cause shall be automatically removed from the Committee. If any member fails to attend two of three successive meetings of the Committee, then member’s office is automatically deemed vacant, and the vacancy shall be filled as provided for in this policy.

 

Motion to approve proposed language: Alberta Hipps

Second: Dedee Harper

 

PASSED

 

2021 -2022 COMMITTEE SCHEDULE

Committee Member Brian Evans made the recommendation to skip October and re-convene in November. Additionally, for the Committee to not meet in December and re-convene in January.

Second: Terrie Brady

After discussion, the Committee decided it will meet every other month going forward unless otherwise decided.

PASSED

 

NEXT MEETING

Next meeting is November 17th 2021 at 1:00 p.m.

 

Adjournment

ADJOURNMENT

Motion:

That the Sales Surtax Oversight Committee moved to adjourn the meeting at 2:47 p.m.

 

Vote Results:

Motion: Brian Evans

Second: Nate Day

 

PASSED

 

 

 

 

 

Minutes were taken by Katrin Perez Gonzalez, Coordinator, Strategic Planning

 

 

 

 

These minutes were approved at the November 17, 2021 Sales Surtax Oversight Committee Meeting.

 

 

******For attachments or presentations from the meetings, please email Ms. Kat Perez, Coordinator, Strategic Planning.