The Flagler County School District kicked off its workshop meeting on March 10, 2026, with a deep look at the new three-year strategic plan currently being built. The plan is organized around five main goals: academics, safety and resiliency, communication and engagement, organizational efficiency and fiscal responsibility, and a fifth area tied to student wellness. Staff presented a working framework to the board, inviting their input before the plan is opened up to the wider community for feedback.
The district plans to release a public survey through its Exchange engagement platform by the end of March. From there, a community input session is scheduled for April. A special board workshop focused entirely on the strategic plan is also being planned for late April. The goal is to have a final approved plan in place before the start of the 2026-27 school year in August.
Board members were encouraged to weigh in on what the plan should measure and prioritize. One member called for a stronger focus on staff retention, including mentorship programs for bus drivers and aides. “They are a huge, huge role for these students,” one member noted, urging the district to pair newer hires in those roles with experienced mentors. Another board member urged the district to make sure employee surveys reach people after they have settled into their jobs, noting that workers in transition may not feel comfortable answering honestly.
The public will have a chance to provide feedback before the plan is finalized. Community members can expect a survey link to be shared through the district’s website and social media. The board emphasized that feedback from teachers and school staff — who bring firsthand classroom experience — would be especially valuable. “We do have experts in the field,” one member said, urging extra outreach to employees.
Student Absenteeism Alarm: One Child Had 109 Absences or Tardies by Day 120
Chronic absenteeism was a major point of discussion during the workshop. The district currently flags a student as chronically absent after 21 or more unexcused absences, but the new strategic plan would shift that threshold to 15 days, in line with how the state of Florida defines the problem. Board members expressed concern that the current definition may allow too many students to fall through the cracks.
One board member shared a troubling example passed along by a teacher: a student who, by the 120th day of the school year, had already racked up 109 absences or tardies. “At what point do we require a meeting with the parents?” the member asked. “At some point, you have to say, well, that year’s a wash. You weren’t there.” District staff acknowledged the concern and noted that families can already be taken to court for truancy, but said the district is limited when a family doesn’t show up for a scheduled meeting.
The district has taken several steps to address the issue, including creating an attendance dashboard so schools can more easily spot students who are slipping into chronic absence patterns. Staff have also been hired to go out into the community to locate and re-engage missing students. Each school also runs its own attendance incentive programs. One board member pointed to Bunnell Elementary as a school doing strong work in this area and suggested its approach could be studied and potentially replicated across the district.
Board members also raised concerns about substance use — including vaping and tobacco — and asked whether the district could track it as part of the safety category in the strategic plan. Members agreed that educating younger students before they reach their early teenage years could help prevent future problems. The board did not vote on attendance policy changes at this meeting; the topic was flagged for a future dedicated workshop where specific targets and strategies will be set.
Student Code of Conduct Gets an Overhaul — Students Had a Voice in the Process
The district’s Code of Student Conduct is being updated for the 2026-27 school year, and for the first time, student voices played a formal role in shaping it. Assistant Superintendent Mr. Glasgow and Director of Student Services Mr. Finnelli presented a progress update to the board, sharing results from a community feedback survey and a student listening session held earlier in the year.
The community survey collected 128 responses, with the majority coming from parents through the ParentSquare platform. Feedback did not point strongly in any single direction, which staff described as a positive sign. The student listening session was hosted as a Teen Town Hall and featured four student board members: Ava Muldoon from Matanzas High School, Olivia Delgado from Flagler Palm Coast High School, Eva Lewis from Tenziej High School, and Jasmine Collier from Buddy Taylor Middle School. The students spoke about wanting more input sessions, finding better ways for students to seek positive attention rather than acting out, and making multicultural events more reflective of school behavior expectations.
Key updates being made to the code include clearer language around the definitions of bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment, as well as a new section on what families can expect during in-school and out-of-school suspensions. The code is also being updated to note that a student on out-of-school suspension should not appear at a school bus stop. “The beef they got in trouble for probably is still at the bus stop,” Mr. Glasgow acknowledged, explaining the new language is meant to remove that temptation.
The updated code is set to go before the board for posting at the March 24th board meeting, with a final vote expected at the April 28th meeting. A Frequently Asked Questions document is also being developed to help parents and students better understand how discipline rules are applied. Once posted to the district’s website, that FAQ will also be accessible through the district’s online chatbot. No vote was taken at the March 10 workshop.
Board Approves Personnel Changes, Law Firm Name Update in Routine Business
The board moved through two routine agenda items during the workshop. Human Resources Director Mr. Walker presented the first draft of the March consent agenda for personnel items. One board member asked for clarification on a job change listed in the transfers and promotions section, where an employee appeared to be moving from a 190-day position to a 261-day, or 12-month, position. Mr. Walker explained this was the result of a “domino effect” of vacancies — one employee left a 12-month guidance clerk position, which was then filled by another person whose old role opened up in turn. The board was told there was no budget impact from the change. The item was presented for review ahead of the full vote at the March 24 board meeting.
The board also received an update on a name change for one of its contracted legal firms. An amendment to an existing agreement was presented, noting that the firm previously known as Spelman is now operating as Spelman and Harmon. General Counsel Smith described the change as a “perfunctory amendment” — purely a change in the partnership name with no impact on services or agreements. One board member joked that law firms tend to keep adding names over time: “That’s how you get these with seven.” The board accepted the update without objection.
District Moves to Bid Out Electrical, Plumbing Work — And Rethink How It Buys Milk
Operations Director Mr. Bush and his team brought two significant purchasing decisions before the board. The first was a request to advertise a formal Invitation to Bid, or ITB, for electrical, mechanical, and plumbing services. Currently, the district pieces together these services using a handful of local contractors, often bumping up against dollar thresholds that require additional paperwork for each project. The new bid process would allow the district to pre-negotiate hourly rates with a pool of qualified contractors, giving it more flexibility and potentially reducing the administrative burden.
Board member Ruddy pushed for stronger oversight in how the district tracks what it actually gets for the money it spends on outside contractors. She pointed to a past situation involving school psychologists where the district did not have clear data on how many students were served or how many hours of work were completed. “I’m looking for some understanding in terms of how we are going to gauge the outcomes so it doesn’t become a runaway train,” she said. Staff assured the board that projects above $10,000 would still come before the board for approval and that contractors would be required to submit invoices verifying their material costs. The board agreed to look at contractor utilization data on an annual basis. The item will return for a full vote on March 24.
The board also heard a proposal to separately bid out its milk and dairy supply, currently obtained by piggybacking on another district’s contract with M&B Products, Inc. Staff believe going out to bid independently could lead to meaningful savings. A representative pointed out that a neighboring district is currently paying about four and a half cents less per carton of milk. With the district serving more than 1,000 cartons a day, those savings could add up significantly over a year. Companies, including Borden and T.G. Lee, have already reached out expressing interest in bidding. The board directed staff to move forward with the ITB process for milk and dairy as well, with the full vote scheduled for March 24.
Can a Parent Opt Out When an Elected Official Tours Their Child’s School? Board Debates the Question.
A community member’s written request sparked a lively debate at the March 10 workshop: should parents be notified — or allowed to opt out — when elected officials visit their child’s school? The item was added to the agenda following a letter to the district about a specific visit that concerned at least one parent. Superintendent Moore and board members discussed the existing rules at length, ultimately deciding not to make any policy change at this time, but agreeing to revisit the topic.
Under current policy and state statute, members of the Florida Legislature have the right to visit any public school in their district. The district extends that same access to other elected officials. When an official visits as a guest speaker presenting directly to students, families are already notified and given the chance to opt their child out — this is required by state law. But if an official is simply walking through the school on a tour, no parent notification is currently sent. That is the gap the concerned parent was raising.
Board members acknowledged the spirit of the concern but disagreed on how — or whether — it could be addressed through policy. “I just don’t understand why we would limit our elected officials more than we would our community members,” Superintendent Moore said, noting that community partners, donors, and local leaders tour schools regularly without triggering parent notifications. Some members suggested a beginning-of-year general notice informing families that community and elected official tours do occur at schools. Others worried that trying to formalize opt-outs for tours would be nearly impossible to implement consistently.
One board member noted that some superintendents across the state have actually tried to block school board members from entering their own schools. “There have been superintendents who have asked their employees to sign non-disclosure agreements so that they don’t have to communicate with the board,” Superintendent Moore warned, suggesting that restricting access too broadly could open the district to similar problems. The board reached no formal vote on a policy change. Staff were asked to share documentation from a recent official visit so a concerned community member could see what, if any, notifications had been sent. The district said it would continue reviewing how it communicates with families about school visitors.
Board Split Over Holding a Governance Retreat — Vacant Seat at the Heart of the Debate
Board member Ramirez formally requested that the board schedule a governance retreat in April or May to review how meetings are run and update the board’s procedure manual. The request touched off a tense back-and-forth among board members about whether such a meeting was worth holding — particularly while the board is operating with only four members following a vacancy.
Ramirez said the retreat had been discussed and promised for months. “We have eight more months. We may or may not receive an appointment,” she said, arguing the board should not keep waiting and should use a few hours to align on structure. She said she had noticed the workshops could “flow a little bit better” and wanted the team to sit down together and work through it. Board Chair Chung expressed support for the general idea but questioned whether it made sense to do so without the fifth board member present, noting that if the board disagreed during the retreat, there would be no tiebreaker.
Vice Chair Furry was more direct in his opposition to holding a retreat without a clear agenda. “I’m not willing to have a retreat just to have a retreat,” he said. “If we’re going to have another meeting and occupy everybody’s time for this, there has to be a reason and something we’re going to solve.” He suggested waiting either for the appointment to fill the vacant seat or until after the August election, when the newly elected member could be brought in before taking their seat. Board member Ruddy said she also saw value in the idea but shared the concern about a four-way deadlock.
The board reached a general consensus to wait before scheduling the retreat. Chung noted that if Ramirez had specific changes she wanted to propose to the procedure manual, those could be brought forward individually at a future agenda meeting without requiring a full retreat. No vote was taken. The board directed that any specific procedure requests be added to a future agenda item for consideration.
Board Asks: Should Former Employees Who Left Under a Cloud Be Banned from School Events?
Board member Ruddy raised a sensitive issue at the March 10 workshop: what happens when a school employee resigns or is let go because of questionable conduct involving a student, but is never criminally charged? Under the current school board Policy 9160, people can be removed from school events if they are being disruptive, but the policy does not address a former employee who left under concerning circumstances but has no felony conviction on record.
Ruddy asked the board to take a closer look at whether the district should have the authority to bar such individuals from attending school events as a condition of their departure. “There have been apparently cases where an employee has been either relieved of their duties, or they resigned in lieu of termination,” she explained. “And that resignation or firing was due to maybe questionable conduct with a student. But yet law enforcement either did not have sufficient information…to pursue particular charges.” She argued the district should hold a higher standard for protecting students than what the law requires alone.
Board members agreed the issue was worth examining. Superintendent Moore noted that the current policy allows someone to be removed from an event if they are causing a disruption, but does not include language covering situations like losing a teaching license or leaving under an agreement related to student conduct. The board added Policy 9160 to a future agenda for further review and potential revision. No vote was taken at this meeting.
Safe Haven Boxes, Teen Pregnancy, and What Schools Should Teach: A Candid Board Conversation
A recent community incident prompted board member Ms. Reddy to raise an urgent question at the March 10 workshop: Do high school students know about safe haven laws? Safe haven boxes — located at fire stations and hospitals — allow a person to surrender a newborn baby anonymously, with no questions asked. A fire station in the area recently held a grand opening for one such box. Ruddy said she did not learn about the option herself until college and worried students might not know it exists. “I just want to make sure it’s being addressed,” she said.
The conversation quickly grew broader, with members debating whether and how the district should incorporate information about pregnancy options and reproductive health into health class curriculum. Some members expressed support for making sure the information is available, at least as a public service announcement. Others were cautious about how such content would be handled, especially given the importance of keeping parents involved. “I want the child, the parent, to be involved in that discussion,” one member said.
Superintendent Moore noted that the district already teaches abstinence and that health instruction is tied to state standards. She said staff would review whether safe haven information or related health topics are already covered in any of the district’s course standards and would report back to the board. If the information is not already in the standards, it would not automatically be added as formal curriculum. However, staff noted it could potentially be addressed through student services — similar to how mental health resources are offered — rather than as direct classroom instruction. No vote was taken; the board asked for a standards review and legal guidance before making any decision.
Superintendent Defends Teacher Unions as Legislature Eyes New Restrictions
Superintendent Moore used her closing comments at the March 10 workshop to speak out about legislation moving through the Florida Legislature that would place new restrictions on teacher unions. She told board members the proposed rules would make it harder for unions to enroll members and harder for them to collaborate with school districts — limitations that do not apply to firefighter or police unions. “Again, it is an area that the education system is being targeted,” she said.
Moore defended the role of teacher unions in the day-to-day operation of a school district. She said unions help process employee concerns through a central system, serve as a check on whether policies are being applied fairly, and help ensure that teachers have working conditions that support them. “Could you imagine us having to field all of the questions, the needs, individual issues that happen without going through a central advocacy system?” she asked. She also pointed to teacher burnout — which she said has been a growing issue since COVID — as a reason why worker advocacy matters. “Unions are not an enemy,” she said, adding that she sees no clear reason to target teacher unions while leaving other public sector unions untouched.
Moore encouraged board members and community members to read up on the proposed legislation and contact their elected officials with their own views. “I would encourage you to read up and make your own opinion and advocate for the way that you see fit with your elected officials during this legislative session,” she said. The board also wrapped up the meeting with a reminder about community events happening at local schools and the upcoming FSBA Annual Summer Conference. The board noted it may need to move its June 9 meeting to an earlier time due to the conference beginning on June 10, and agreed to add that scheduling question to the next agenda.
