Broke School System Never Considered Selling Naming Right; Instead They Name Track For Parks
BY BUDDY NEVINS
The School Board today voted to name a track at Coconut Creek High for member Bob Parks after admitting that nobody even bothered to consider selling the naming rights.
“Was the school going to use this as a revenue producing facility? asked member Stephanie Kraft. “Right now with our financial situation being what it is, I’m reluctant to give up (any) money.
“We never considered it, said David Jones, the Coconut Creek principal. “We hadn’t thought about the money.
Hey, Mr. Jones. Teachers and staff are losing their jobs. Programs are being cut.
And you “hadn’t thought” about the money? “Hadn’t thought” about selling naming rights?
One school got six figures for the naming rights. How many jobs or programs would that save, Mr. Jones?
You, Mr. Jones, are what is wrong with the school system.
A Campaign Issue For Parks
Coconut Creek officials said before the vote they would protest the naming. They will create a campaign issue for Parks, who is facing his toughest re-election in decades.
Coconut Creek officials say naming of the track for Parks was ridiculous because he has done nothing for the city schools.
“This isn’t over, said a Coconut Creek elected official.
The new athletic field was built with the city as partners. It is suppose to be used by the city, too.
But the city’s elected officials never had a say on what the track’s name should be.
Parks supporters pushed the naming idea because the veteran member is facing a tough re-election.
It was pointed out at Tuesday’s School Board meeting that Parks already has the track at Deerfield Beach High named after him. Another lost opportunity to sell the naming rights.
Parks Supporters Solicted Honor
Parks told School Board members today that he “had nothing to do with naming the Coconut Creek High.
Yeah, and the moon is made of green cheese.
I know that his supporters were making call.
In addition, the committee that recommended the track be named for him consisted of school-based people. They worked for Parks! Parks voted on Jones’ appointment as principal.
Not exactly an arms length transaction.
Significant was how Parks support has deteriorated on the Board.
Member Kevin Tynan said no school facility should be named after a living person. Right on!
Kraft wisely pushed the money issue.
Ann Murray also disagreed with the naming.
Parks abstained.
Members Phyllis Hope, Ben Williams, Maureen Dinnen, Jen Gottlieb and Robin Bartleman supported Parks. They said they were following rules, which allows the naming of school facilities for Board members.
Rules are made to be broken and changed, folks.
Guess what the School Board decided to do in the future to avoid a controvery concerning naming rights?
They’ll hold a workshop to discuss itand no doubt discuss it again and again and again.
Meanwhile, money is slipping through their hands while they name facilities for their fellow School Board members.
May 18th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
The Athletic Field project at Coconut Creek started before the Athletic Field project at Deerfield Beach High. Both projects were done by Recreational Design Concepts. RDC was a big financial supporter of Parks during the 2006 election cycle when Parks ran unopposed. Parks worked to give both projects to RDC. The project at Deerfield finished before the Creek project even though the Creek project started earlier. Parks core of support is in Deerfield. Parks 2006 campaign financial report reads like a who is who of the local construction industry. Most of whom have benfited greatly from Bob’s votes in awarding contracts. Who thinks that building architects, engineers, and contractors really care about public education? Bob Parks is an icon for what is wrong in local politics. He has been on the School Board for 25 years. How well do you think the school district is doing with Bob on the board for the last 25 years? If you think the district is doing well go ahead and vote for Bob again, but if you think that we have had enough cronyism, corruption, and incompetence, please vote to put a new face on the board. Someone who is not beholden to the lobbyists, contractors, and special interests. The County is a cesspool of corruption and it is because of politicians like Bob Parks who feeds his friends at the public trough.
May 18th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
The idea of selling naming rights to both facilities AND KC Wright was mentioned numerous times both on the dais and privately five years ago. Too bad nobody cared.
Who had this vision? That’s for me to know and you to find out.
May 18th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Dear Friends:
Bob Parks has served as an elected school board member for many years. He is to be respected and I have no resentment toward him whatsoever. But this naming thing has got me going today.
When West Browad High School was nearly completed, the host City of Pembroke Pines, which is honored to have that incredible facility within our city limits, asked that it be named West Pines High School.
After all, we gave up millions in tax revenue — that land was to be an industrial office complex — in order to allow the school to be built there. Despite our many logical objections, the school board insisted they knew better and had to put it where it is. We now know that was a mistake, but I digress.
The response to our request was “no.” Followed later by “hell no.”
Although other cities like Fort Lauderdale, Miramar, Hollywood and many more had the honor of high schools being named after them, the school board’s new improved rules stopped naming schools in so silly a way. And these rules were fixed in stone, iron clad, they had to be enforced vigorously and defended as if dear life depended it it. They could not be broken.
The new rules demanded more interesting names for our schools — like Dolphin Bay, Cypress Bay or Cypress Glades, even Fluffy Cloud perhaps, or other like gibberish better suited in my view to the naming of air fresheners or deodorants. How’s that for improvement?
Don’t get me wrong. West Broward High School is a great name. It certainly beats Fluffy Cloud. But it’s not quite as endearing as West Pines High would have been. We’ve gotten used to it. So my hope was never to have to pick that scab of an issue again.
But now I’m hearing that those “rules” allow facilities to be named after persons that are living. Sorry, but I’ve got a problem with that.
Typically, schools are named in honor of national notables such as Washington, Martin Luther King, Madison, Jefferson, Erasmus (they were dead by that time). Some after local notables like LaGuardia or Wagner, we have one such example in my city with Flanagan High. Many quite naturally after the neighborhoods in which they were located. Doing that helps create decades of local pride and endearment. We could use some more of that today.
Very few name facilities after people who are living. Much less two facilities after that same living person. Kevin Tynan is right. That practice is just not good policy. Again, this is not a shot at Bob Parks. But if my City doesn’t rate enough to have a school named for it, then with all respect to Bob, he shouldn’t either.
Best wishes,
Angelo
FROM BUDDY:
This kind of thoughtful exploration of issues is why it is our loss that Agnelo Castillo has dropped out of the county commission race.
May 18th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
As usual it’s a coincidence that your wife’s former employer Judy Stern has been involved in Park’s campaigns for years. Get real. You are washed up. A loser who is going no higher than city commish. Is this the only forum left where you think people care what you have to say. Not quite. I see you wrote your novel of a comment during the work day. is this what my tax dollars are grossly overpaying you for?
May 18th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Bottom line? The School Board does whatever it wants, if it wants to, wherever it wants to, and how often it wants to. You can complain all you want until you’re blue in the face. They don’e give a $%^&. They are the almighties up there on their little thrones who decide it all. They figure whoever makes the rules, can break them. Like it, or leave it.
I certainly hope we will have our say on election day…
May 18th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Buddy – You are being too harsh on David Jones, the Principal of Coconut Creek High School. Did you ever consider that Mr. Jones received his marching orders from his superiors who may have told him not to pursue naming rights for the track at Coconut Creek HS? He certainly could not come out and say that so he may have had to “take one for the team.” Although the school principal does possess a great deal of control at a school, he or she is no match for a School Board determined to name a facility after one of its own members. Mr. Jones is not the problem in this situation – all of the culpability rests squarely on the School Board.
FROM BUDDY:
I totally agree that the culpability rests with the School Board.
But Mr. Jones, who I have never met but I talked to, could have refused to be a cheerleader for Parks. Does he have to bow so low?
May 18th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
There are those of us who were trying to run interference on this and clearly the Board sided with the “process”. So, when I said this would never happen I was clearly wrong. One too many Board members simply could not get over the “process.
On to other things. The City of Coonut Creek would never admit Bob Parks accomplished anything for the schools of Coconut Creek even if Dr. Parks drove a milion dollars worth of Apple products up to Monarch High School’s door.
Seriously, what has the City of Cocnut Creek done to improve education in my city? Nothing. What they have done is moan and comlain but failed to do their jobs by getting over the fact that Monarch High School was initially built as a smaller school and developed a working relationship with Board members. Monarch High was expanded no thanks to the City.
When they had an F school in their midst what did they do for the high school that was the city’s name sake? Distance themselves from it and point fingers. It was Dr. Parks, working with the area office that made changes that helped to bring improvement. He brought the evironmental program there to attract studetns back. Looking at the demographics of the school , he also brought a automotive program to the school. There are other improvements he made. I could go on and on as to what he has done for Creek kids.
My question is what have City officials, who are backing a candidate that flouts rules and lies when she gets caught at it and write fund raising letters appealing to party politics in a non-partisan race, have done to further education in this City? Since I am at all the meetings, I would say NOTHING.
So. other than raise my taxes, what has Creek really done to enhace the eduction of children in Coconut Creek?
FROM BUDDY:
I very much appreciate that you have visited Browardbeat and contributed to the debate.
Aren’t you the same person who assured Browardbeat.com readers that there was no truth in reports that the facility would be named after Bob Parks?
May 18th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
What other eternal beacons to the huge egos on the School Board will they vote on while kids sit in classes of 35+ with 10 year old textbooks? This is disgusting. At least KC Wright was dead before she got a building named after her. Parks is still on the board because of the apathetic voters who go for name recognition and his complete lack of worthy opponents (like now).
Gottlieb got an unfair advantage to get her kid in the new elementary school. Retired principals get rehired while other people get the pink slip. This must stop.
The whole mess of them should find a new line of work in November.
May 18th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
“Looking at the demographics of the school , he also brought a automotive program to the school.”
Wow- pretty “racey” comment for the district advisory chair, isn’t it?
Which “demographic” were you referring to?
May 18th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Terms limits for all School Board, County Commission and City Councils!
May 18th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
What happened to the “unwritten ban” on naming ANYTHING after a living person? Remember the William Dandy fiasco?? I am disturbed with the majority of the School Board who voted “Aye” Thank you to Stephanie Kraft, Ann Murray, and Kevin Tynan. Also, for everyone complaining about corrupt public officials. PAY ATTENTION !!! When there is an election in YOUR area, find out about the candidates. Don’t believe the campaign literature, it’s just like paid advertisements on TV. It’s YOUR money. If you don’t care how it’s spent, don’t bother to vote. That’s what 90% of Broward County has done in most elections in the last 10 years. It’s much easier to complain than to take positive steps.
May 18th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
This is a total disgrace on the part of the useless school board. We have teachers losing jobs, class sizes being cut and they have the nerve to spend time on this garbarge??
Time we voted all these useless folks out. Maybe the time has come for a federal take over of this useless system!!!
May 19th, 2010 at 4:40 am
Actually the vote of the School Board helped me to figure out who doesn’t deserve my support in some very close upcoming school board races.
One vote usually doesn’t sway me, but when its a close decision, it can make the difference. And, at least two races are very close decisions to me.
Buddy, If Parks doesn’t make anything from the naming, why does he have the legal requirement to abstain? I thought he was required to vote unless he stands to make a financial gain from the vote. It’s a state law mandate, not an option or right. I’d love to see his Conflict Statement he filed. I assume he filed one.
May 19th, 2010 at 5:39 am
Patti Lynn says:
“When there is an election in YOUR area, find out about the candidates. Don’t believe the campaign literature, it’s just like paid advertisements on TV.”
We’ll remember that next time you run.
May 19th, 2010 at 6:31 am
Have to agree with J.J. on the City of Coconut Creek’s attitude toward improving Coconut Creek High. The unspoken attitude of some commissioners was that there were too many black from Pompano Beach and too many poor Hispanics from North Lauderdale within its boundaries and so some scheme should be worked out so that Coconut Creek students south of Copans Road could attend Monarch High. In fact, many parents do send their kids to Pompano Beach High School.
This is similar to the efforts to have middle school students from south Coconut Creek attend Lyons-Creek rather than the much closer Margate Middle (which I believe is an A school).
Much of the opposition to Parks has to do with the frustration among many in Coconut Creek over these issues.
May 19th, 2010 at 7:39 am
I am so tired and somewhat embarrassed by the actions of some of these school board members. The schools need money to run the programs needed. The principals are the best ones (usually) in position to direct the usage of the funds. If someone wants to pay the school a $100,000 naming fee and wishes to name it Dr. Ricky Bobby Parks High School, then so be it. Maybe Dr. Parks would so kindly pony up the money, rather than spend more money getting re-elected for yet another term of corruption.
May 19th, 2010 at 8:23 am
Absolutely ridiculous….I hope they find someone to kick his butt in the election. But to the School Board making money, why don’t they sell some of the real estate they own…. How many millions and site are owned by the school board that they don’t need to build new schools???????
May 19th, 2010 at 11:56 am
Post number 6 and 8 are from different people even though the user’s name is the same. Not sure why someone else used my user name? No big deal, though.
In any case, Buddy, thanks for your reply in post 6. In response:
“FROM BUDDY:
But Mr. Jones, who I have never met but I talked to, could have refused to be a cheerleader for Parks. Does he have to bow so low?”
Jones may or may not have received a “recommendation” to support naming the the track for Parks. I truly do not know in this case, but I can tell you and the readers with absolute certainty that principals have received similar “recommendations” in regards to other issues over the years. Because all school-based administrators in Broward are on a year-to-year assignment, it might be in a principal’s best interest to consider these “recommendations” very strongly.
May 19th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Kudos to Stephanie Kraft, Ann Murray, & Kevin Tynan for voting NO on naming the track at Coconut Creek High School after Bob Parks.
While naming a facility for cash has become vogue lately, these are usually private facilities like Joe Robbie/Sunlife Stadium or Office Depot/BankAtlantic Center and not public buildings like schools.
Those of you who think the School Board has mistepped by not pursuing cash for naming rights are off-topic here.
The stakeholders of Broward county aka the taxpayers own these public school facilities and unless you want to inscribe the names of all of us thereon, I think the track should be named the Coconut Creek High School Track.
Bob Parks has worn out his welcome and put the final nail in his political coffin with this ego-driven poor decision, but I FIRMLY believe he strong-armed this whole deal.
May 19th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
The committee to name the Coconut Creek facility after Bob Parks was NOT a even a VALID committee because it violated School Board policy.
Here are the names of the Coconut Creek Stadium Naming Committee who voted to name this facility after Bob Parks:
In attendance:
ANN HUMPHREYS – Teacher / Coconut Creek High employee
ROBERT HURLEY – Coach / Coconut Creek High employee
ALLEN JACKSON – coach / Coconut Creek High employee
MISSY JONES – Administrator / Coconut Creek High employee
LOU KLOCKZIEM – Alumni community member / FORMER Coconut Creek High employee
KEN MAY – Administrator / Coconut Creek High employee
JILL RIDINGER – teacher / Coconut Creek High employee
TRAVIS ROBINSON – Non-instructional Coconut Creek High employee
EDWARD ROKOS – Teacher / Coconut Creek High employee
JOY Thibodaeu – Non-instructional Coconut Creek High employee
Maria Voyles – Teacher / Coconut Creek High employee
School Board Policy 1401 specifically states that committees involved in naming rights of public schools be comprised of STAKEHOLDERS (read taxpayers).
Where, I ask, are the stakeholders on this list?
When Bob Parks was asked, behind closed doors, to withdraw this proposal, he cited his ongoing feud with what he called the “Three Queens” of Coconut Creek and his need to have this named after him so his political campaign would benefit from the exposure.
Sure not the exposure you were looking for, was it Bob?
Shame on Jim Notter for not having the courage and simple leadership to pull this item from the agenda, even though he was asked to by several board members. More important to suck up to the self-serving Parks than to do the right thing.
Shame on you Bob Parks for strong-arming School Board employees for your personal political benefit and for bringing unwarranted shame upon the entire School Board.
May 20th, 2010 at 6:46 am
Jennifer Gottlieb, Robin Bartleman, Ben Williams and the rest said they couldn’t violate School Board policy and had to vote for naming the track after Bob Parks.
THEY ARE LYING.
The committee that recommended the naming consisted of NO community people as required under their own rules. It was only School employees and one retirees, all of who were pressured by their administrators into voting for Parks.
It is wrong.
May 20th, 2010 at 7:44 am
Bob (Parks),
With all due respect,
Why don’t you just “pull the bandaid” and NOT spend the millions to run for yet another term of ridiculous, narcisistic, disingenuous decisions you have made over your career that has hurt our children? Give someone who might have a shred of decency a chance to heal your damages. Amputate yourself from the School Board.
You can then give all your unused campaign money to the schools that need the most help in your District…that would be the best act you could ever do for the residents of Broward County.