School Board Rejects Runcie’s Bond Proposals
BY BUDDY NEVINS
The Broward School Board showed Superintendent Robert Runcie on Tuesday who is the boss.
A majority of Board members ordered Runcie to rewrite his plans for the bond oversight committee.
Runcie was advised by some to cut the number of members on the committee from 19 which he suggested.
(I believe Runcie recommended an overly-large bond oversight committee to prevent it from accomplishing anything meaningful. He doesn’t want to risk having the committee criticizing him and his staff.)
Echoing what Browardbeat.com has been writing for months, member Nora Rupert said that trying to get 19 members to agree upon anything was like herding cats.
Member Abby Freedman, Runcie’s strongest supporter, agreed with Rupert. She told the superintendent that a 19-member committee was too large.
Member Donna Korn noted that the School Board only contains nine members and it had been talking about the bond committee for hours.
Member Patti Good said she was concerned about three members of the faith based community groups being on the committee. She also wanted the committee to be strictly independent.
Other members had other problems with Runcie’s plan.
One was concerned that not enough parents were on the committee. Another said that a student member of the bond committee should not be allowed to vote.
Board members also questioned with appointing committee members from the following groups: Broward Workshop, Broward Teachers Union, Urban League, League of Cities, Consortium of Charter Schools, the AFL-CIO and the fire departments. The Broward Workshop, a downtown Fort Lauderdale group comprised of business executives, are strong backers of Runcie and the just-passed bond issue.
They largely agreed to a ban on lobbyists serving on the Board, proposed by Runcie.
Runcie promised to return to the Board with a new plan encompassing their ideas.
XXXXX
An earlier opinion piece by Sunrise Mayor Mike Ryan and some debate on the committee can be found here.
November 18th, 2014 at 5:11 pm
First of all, I did not support this bond issue from the get go. My reason being the waste and corruption in school construction projects in the past. Forget Runcie’s proposal and protect the taxpayers with a Committee of Professional types, not the same ole political hacks bowing to the wishes of the Glass Tower or Politicians.
November 18th, 2014 at 6:44 pm
I could not watch it due to family illness today. But after this…I can’t wait to watch. It is ABOUT TIME that the women (many of who have been weak) demonstrating and understanding that they are in charge. I hope that the rubber stamp of yes….could be long gone. Noe, let’s actually protect the students and get rid of the criminal leadership and we will he well on our way
November 19th, 2014 at 9:38 am
It may be unfair to name names, but plenty of these groups Runcie listed are controlled by LOBBYISTS! Ok, let’s be blunt, the NAACP and Black groups are always lobbying for minority projects (they leave out other minority groups, Chinese, Arabs, Native Americans, Hispanics of course), contracts or projects that, loo and behold, end up being given to members or supporters of the NAACP, Urban League, etc. Don Peeples made his “start” in South Florida using Black “civil rights” groups to get changes to signed and sealed contracts. We all know of two “Black construction companies” which are simply “brokers” or middlemen on public contracts, and their owners, of course, are tied to the NAACP and URBAN League. Seems the same racial blackmail and extortion game Runcie is trying play here again. “Faith based groups” too often ends up being Black Churches lead by political active preachers whose programs are publicly funded time after time. The “Monitoriting” should be done by NON PARTISAN, NON CONFLICTED, INDEPENDENT MINDS, not the “usual suspects” of self-interested lobbyists hiding behind race or faith frontmen.
November 19th, 2014 at 2:23 pm
Impressive comments from the School Board members! There is hope that the taxpayers’ money will be spent effectively for the purpose intended.
November 19th, 2014 at 8:12 pm
Now that this is settled, let’s get the school board involved in pushing back against the excessive standardized testing in our schools! Palm Beach County is getting organized. Where is the leadership in Broward?
November 19th, 2014 at 8:35 pm
Marion Count taxed $400,000 and taking their money and hiring Art, Music, PE teachers and Media Specialist for every school in the County. Most honorable school board in the state of Florida Marion County. We would be wise to follow their leadership. Putting teachers back to teach our children all aspects of life. Grandparents remember what classes you had when in school if you went to school in Broward County like I did having an Art ,Music, PE teacher and our libraries all had Media Specialist in every school. Why did it all go wrong?
November 19th, 2014 at 8:56 pm
When Marion County taxed $400,000 they took the money and are hiring Art, Music,PE, teacher and all libraries in the county will have a Media Specialist. You grandparents that went to school in Broward County schools you had a Art, Music,PE teacher and a Media Specialist in every school. $800 million we should follow Marion County lead. Giving our students the education we received teaching them all aspects of life.
November 20th, 2014 at 1:36 pm
Why not just let the state IG oversee it all in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Auditor?
And a state oversight board for good measure.
But that would mean real oversight with teeth, not political, illusory oversight.