The Baker County Press - The Circulation Leader

Few glitches as school year begins

Written by Joel Addington
Friday, 27 August 2010 00:00
Students change classes at BCHS after first period on Monday. A dozen classrooms at Baker County High School were still without air conditioning as the school year kicked off August 23. The final phase of a multi-million-dollar overhaul of the schools heating, ventilation and cooling system has been ongoing all summer for buildings 7, 12 and 15. It’s on schedule and expected for completion in October. BCHS principal Tom Hill said the first day of the 2010-11 school year went well, although more students than usual showed up to enroll on opening day. The parents of about 30 teens spent the first period filling out paperwork and getting other information from the front office. Usually only a handful register on the first day of school. “Scheduling is really busy right now,” Mr. Hill said the following day. The school district rented a number of portable AC units for use at the high school, but one unit per classroom wasn’t enough to keep temperatures down.
Last Updated on Thursday, 26 August 2010 10:51
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Giddens, Starling survive primary, will meet in November

Written by Joel Addington
Tuesday, 24 August 2010 19:56
With the 2010 primary election in the history books, Adam Giddens (R) will face off against Donnie Starling (D) for the District 4 county commission seat in the upcoming general election November 4. Incumbent Alex Robinson (D) will meet Jimmy Anderson (R) on the fall ballot as well. Jesse Davis and Artie Burnett will be the new school board members for Baker County. School board seats were decided in the primary. See this week's edition for full coverage.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 August 2010 20:09

State's footing bill for smaller class sizes

Written by Joel Addington
Friday, 20 August 2010 12:57
The new school year begins Monday along with full implementation of the 2002 voter-approved amendment to the Florida constitution that caps the number of students in core classes like math, reading and science. The caps are as follows: no more than 18 students in pre-K through third grade, no more than 22 students in fourth through eighth grade and no more than 25 in high school classrooms. To met the limits, the district has added 19 teachers and still needs two more at BCHS. The state is responsible for funding class size reductions and has allocated some $16.2 billion statewide since 2003-04 to that end. Baker County schools received about $23.5 million through 2009-10 and will get about $5.4 million this year, said district finance chief Marcelle Richardson in a presentation to the school board August 16. See next week's edition for the full story of how class size reductions will impact the district, including graduation rates and possible funding losses if the caps aren't met.
Last Updated on Saturday, 21 August 2010 17:38

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NOT YOUR DADDY'S FCAT

This year the Florida Department of Education is rolling out new and tougher FCATs and replacing some tests with end-of-course exams that weigh heavily student's grades. Read all about it here.

FLORIDA'S POPULATION GROWING, AGAIN

Florida added a modest 21,000 new residents during the last year or so. It's not much, but experts say it's a good sign for the state's economic future. Read all about it here.

BREAKDOWN: 2010 BALLOT AMENDMENTS

The Collins Center for Public Policy has nonpartisan, straight forward summaries of all the 2010 Florida ballot amendments on its website here.

From the about section of the site — "The Collins Center, named in honor of former Governor LeRoy Collins (served 1955 – 1961), was established in 1988 as a statewide nonprofit organization to seek out creative, non-partisan solutions to Florida’s toughest issues. Throughout our history, we have strived to uphold the principles maintained by Governor Collins-- public and private integrity, deliberative democracy, environmental stewardship and economic fairness."

ONLINE HEALTH, COMMUNITY SURVEY FOR BAKER

The Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida is conducting focus groups to find out what residents think about their community, health care and other matters over the next six months. Call Jamie Williiams at 259-6291 to set up a focus group. Surveys are also available online here.