Florida Keys News
Friday, June 22, 2012
Alternative schools homeless for now

Monroe County's alternative schools remain in exile with no home yet for this fall, as administrators plan to save money by combining staff for all 44 students from two very different programs born in Key West.

So far, it's been an impossible sell to one community 17 miles up U.S. 1.

Parents and staff at Sugarloaf School told School District administrator...

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Leave KCA

where it is. It is a successful school. The changes will disrupt the balance and harmony of what is a wonderful school and a great program. Leave it alone. FKCC- Please make this affordable for the school to remain where it is, donators to FKCC- please establish a KCA fund/scholarship etc. It is worth it.

Agree with you Kiki...

Unfortunately all FKCC cares about is the Money not the students or these prospective students! The administration only cares about their own. They lay off dozens of essential support people and faculty, give fat raises to their friends in the inner circle in the administration building and at the same time keep raising their tuition and fees. They are a self serving lot that cares nothing for the students they are suppose to work for!

How about downtown?

They should look around the administration headquarters and see if there isn't space available there. After all, they keep bragging on how the number of administrative personnel has been reduced. Convert their former offices into classrooms.

Space

Surely the new HOB has room??

What do you mean where's the money?

Just go over the check registe for the past year or so and maybe we can find other reasons why there is no money for the schools or some of the other programs. Under Burke's leadership it was apparently customary to order "educational" supplies from companies like Leann's Gourmet Coffee and Next Day Gourmet. Thousands of dollars were spent on a Baccalaureate Program that was not to cost us anything, and that program is at least on hold for now. Looking over the recent months there are expenses of at leaat $12,000 for a consulting company that specializes in responding to state audit reports, which makes me wonder why there is over a quarter million in payroll for a CFO and Internal Auditor. Money spent for horse-drawn carriage tours while in Philadelphia, and also money spent for a company that either gives arial tours of the Grand Canyon or gives pregnancy tests in California (both companies have the same name). One intersting expenditure appears to be approximately $20,000 to another company that lists itself as a "payroll specialist". This company, if correct, is listed as being off the coast of France in the English Channel on an island. (I'm just waiting to see how many people are going to request a travel voucher to visit this company, if indeed it is as listed.)Oh yeah, almost forgot the money spent the past year or so on preventive dentistry. I'm sure there could be much more in expenses that we, as common people trying to live within a budget, would consider as highly questionable and/or frivilous in such hard financial times.

Thanks Jara. Mess it up and

Thanks Jara. Mess it up and leave. Should have just left two functioning programs alone.

With Leadership like this

we would get by better without those Leaders. Fire Jara and use his salary to support the sucessfull girls program. For the Parents who spoke out , You are doing the right thing, your children do not need to be exposed or affectd (infected) by disruptive elements in the school system. There was a reason they were separated in the first place and they should stay so.

What? We don't have any money....for this?

There are "those" here...who seem to be having NO trouble finding all kinds of money....and locations....for THE HOMELESS......that do absolutely nothing for us.....BUT.....we can't even find a home.....for OUR OWN CHILDREN? Should we be wondering why there is so much effort...by so many people...and Attorneys.....to create a useless new homeless paradise......and yet not a dime....or second of effort...to help these people , who have thankless jobs......tireless jobs.....find a suitable location to teach some of our "troubled" youth......SO THAT THEY DON"T END UP........as DRUG ADDICTS, CRIMINALS.....or HOMELESS?

Yep, this is how messed up our community is.

Kids mess up? Just throw them away. Real nice Sugarloaf parents. real nice. I'll help you out, if it's convenient for me: NIMBYism at its finest.

Your absolutely right! This society has it's priorities upside

down! Per the website mind dump it costs 2X as much to incarcerate a prisoner for a year verses educate a student PK - 12. them. http://www.minddump.org/cost-per-student-compared-to-prison-inmate

You Can't Tell Me

There isn't one building in Key West that can house these kids? Maybe Ed Swift needs to step up and do the right thing by offering one his buildings.
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