School board moves meetings to new locations

The School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) will meet at 6 p.m. tonight at the Alachua County Administration Building.

The meeting location on the second floor in the Jack Durrance Auditorium is a temporary one while the SBAC’s board room undergoes a renovation. Meetings and workshops on July 20, 22 and Aug. 3 will take place in the auditorium, but the Aug. 4 workshop will be held at Gainesville City Hall.

On tonight’s consent agenda the SBAC has recommended actions that address personnel, purchases and program contracts for the upcoming school year.

Some of the programs receiving funding or contract approval include career and technical education funds, turnaround school supplemental services allocation, and an agreement with the Florida Virtual School.

As staff and schools prepare for the launch of the new school year on Aug. 10, the SBAC will approve the final inspections of project work on Howard Bishop Transition School, Wiles Elementary parking lot improvements, and Buchholz High School’s HVAC and roof replacements.

According to the Facilities Maintenance Department’s annual report, it completed more than $3.4 million in work orders between July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. The 247-page report itemizes more than 12,798 work orders ranging from A/C repair to toilets not flushing—a total of 10,156 completed so far.

Also, the Florida Educational Equity Act which requires the SBAC to submit an educational equity plan update is on the consent agenda.

The district lays out a strategy to increase enrollment for minority and ELL (English Language Learners) students in advanced placement classes such as AP/IB/AICE courses to close the enrollment gap, according to the agenda.

Data show overall enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) courses decreased by 160 students in 2020-2021 which the school district attributes to overall COVID-19 enrollment decreases.

To view the meeting online, local residents can watch the Channel 12 live stream or tune in via YouTube. 

Citizens can offer input for the meeting by attending in person or calling 352-955-7646.