- April 29, 2024
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Dear Editor:
The Flagler school board voted 3 to 2 to shut down the Swim and Racket club. I use the racket spelling because not only is it something used to hit a ball but is also what you would call a disreputable business. The leader of the trio is Will Furry; Will has a page on the net titled "a few words about me." He says he moved to Flagler in 2013. He is a realtor and a Christian who "serves the needs of people in the community."
What needs did you serve when you shut down the Swim and Racket club that served the needs of this community for over 30 years? Did it make you feel good; will the millions of dollars that were wasted on the gym now be spent on bringing the education level up to standard in Flagler county?
The purpose of education is to prepare youngsters for adulthood. Being proficient in math at 33%, reading at 50% and science at 54% isn't good enough but in our schools it's good enough to get a diploma; 90% graduation rate; amazing!
The people on the school board make over $40,000 per year for a waste of over $200,000 a year; would they be there if they didn't get paid; I doubt it. The ill informed recently voted for an $8,000,000 sales tax for the schools but that wasn't enough so they shut down the gym. These people can't run a two-bit gym and you expect them to run a multimillion dollar school system. DREAM ON.
Douglas R Glover
Palm Coast
Editors note: Chris Stefancik, Flagler Schools coordinator of assessment and accountability, clarifies that student performance percentages are not the same as proficiency.
“Last year, 54% of Flagler Schools' full-year enrolled students, in grades 3-10, earned a performance level 3 or higher on the end-of-year statewide standardized assessment for reading,” Stefancik wrote in an email to the Observer. “What does this mean? It does not mean that only 54% of our students are able read, instead it's a number that attempts to quantify the skills, abilities, and knowledge our students have in the areas of English language reading conventions, comprehension, and mechanics. ... This same test design and interpretation applies to mathematics and all state assessed areas. The full list of these expectations, by performance level, subject, and grade are found here: https://bit.ly/43I5vsA.
“I want to stress that, no matter the metric used and our current level of attainment, there is always room for improvement and growth,” Stefancik said.
Flagler County School Board Chair Will Furry wrote about why he voted to phase out memberships at the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club.
Dear Editor,
On March 26, 2024, the Flagler County School Board voted 3-2 to end the money-losing membership club known as Belle Terre Swim & Racquet Club, effective June 30, 2024. I want to clarify that the pool itself is not closing but is being transitioned to a student-focused facility with community access through educational programs and facility use rentals. The gym will close as soon as insurance and membership contracts can be terminated, but not earlier than June 30, 2024.
For years, this club has been hemorrhaging six-figure losses, mounting to a staggering projected $176,758 operational loss for 2024 due to decreased membership, minimum wage increases, inflationary operational costs, and insurance memberships that paid pennies on the dollar for each visit to the club, which equated to about 75% of memberships. These losses do not include past and future capital expenses that have been spent or will have to be budgeted to maintain this over 40-year-old facility.
K-12 dollars cannot be spent to support non-K-12 programs. The BTS&RC is not a K-12 program but rather a community program. Therefore, any losses must be offset by other community programs such as extended day, summer camp, etc. In prior years, any fiscal year losses for the BTS&RC were offset by the profit from the extended day program, paid for by our hardworking parents who need someone to care for their children until they get off work.
This club was donated by ITT to the School District many years ago for community use back when there were limited services available to residents. However, as Palm Coast has grown, the private sector has presented many fitness options that provide a superior experience compared to BTS&RC, making it difficult to compete in this marketplace.
Speaking for myself as your District 2 School Board Member, it is my view that Flagler Schools should not be in the health club business. We are in the business of education and should not be engaged in programs that distract us from our core mission. I was elected as a fiscal conservative, and it is clear to me that the year-over-year six-figure losses from the BTS&RC have siphoned valuable revenue from non-K-12 programs that could have been better spent to advance education and has also contributed to the erosion of our general reserve funds weakening our school's financial health. It's time to stop the bleeding.
WIll Furry
Chair Flagler County School Board
