Title
MOTION TO APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PEMBROKE PINES CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARD FOR DISTRIBUTION OF THE A+ RECOGNITION FUNDS.
Summary Explanation and Background
SUMMARY EXPLANATION AND BACKGROUND:
1. The Florida School Recognition Program is an incentive program created by the State to provide financial awards to public/ charter schools that demonstrate outstanding achievement by receiving an "A" grade, and to schools that improve at least one letter grade.
2. In July 2019, the State finalized the 2019 School Recognition Award Grades for the Charter School Middle School and awarded the schools with an "A" grade.
3. As such, the Charter Schools will receive funds from the State through the 2020 Florida School "A+" Recognition Program. This year's program award amount calculation is $100 per full-time equivalent (FTE), based on the Final FY2018-19 FTE count (Exhibit 1. FY2019-20 Florida Recognition Awards Memo). The funds allocation for the City of Pembroke Pines Middle School is as follows:
|
School Site |
FTE Count |
A+ Allocation |
|
Location 5081- Charter Middle |
1,326.23 |
$ 132,623 |
4. The process for distribution of the A+ Recognition Funds is that only the teachers and non-instructional staff that remained employed from the previous school year can vote one method for disbursing the funds to employees. Each recognized school forms a committee that consists of instructional staff, non-instructional staff, and advisory board members. This committee then surveys all employees and determines who is eligible to receive the award based on their employment status and what percentage each eligible employee receives. The committee then prepares a ballot that consists of several fund disbursement options wherein the eligible employees vote on through secret ballot. Once the votes at each site have been tabulated, the results are forwarded to the Advisory Boards for approval and then forwarded to the City Commission for final approval.
5. The State requires that all recognized schools have their distribution agreement approved by their governing board by February 1st. The following was established as a result of this deadline:
a) The Charter Elementary/ Middle Advisory Board met on Tuesday, January 7, 2020 and approved the percentage allocation for the distribution of the A+ recognition funds for the Pembroke Pines Charter Elementary Schools as voted on by the teachers and non-instructional staff at the Pembroke Pines Elementary Schools. (See Exhibit 2. Elementary/ Middle School Parent Advisory Board Meeting Summary 1-7-20 and Exhibit 3. Approved Middle School A+ Distribution Plan).
6. Recommend City Commission to approve the recommendations of the Elementary/ Middle Charter School Advisory Board for the distribution methods of the Middle School A+ Recognition Funds.
Financial Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT DETAIL:
a) Initial Cost: The City of Pembroke Pines is responsible for the FICA component of the A+ Recognition total award amount. This equates to $10,145.66 in relation to the Charter Middle School award amount.
b) Amount budgeted for this item in Account No: A budget will be created to distribute these funds according to the allocation amount provided by the State, utilizing the 335975- Governor's A+ Fund revenue accounts for the Middle charter schools, and the applicable FICA and personnel expenditure accounts. In aggregate, the charter school budget will increase by $132,623.
c) Source of funding for difference, if not fully budgeted: The FICA component will be funded from existing appropriations.
d) 5 year projection of the operational cost of the project: Not Applicable
e) Detail of additional staff requirements: Not Applicable