- December 4, 2025
The Flagler County School Board approved a local platform for the 2026 Florida legislative session to be included in the joint Flagler County priorities document.
The School Board approved two local priorities suggested by its legislative advisors from the Cerra Consulting Group. A third priority suggested by School Board member Janie Ruddy received a positive response by the other board members, but it required a local financial match of $1 million with no definite funding source.
Ruddy’s suggestion would ask for $1 million in state funds with the local $1 million match to be supplemented by federal funding. The money would expand dual-enrollment at Flagler Technical College by upgrading instruction, trade labs and equipment so more high school juniors and seniors can complete industry certifications and step into apprenticeships or employment.
The consensus at the Aug. 26 workshop was to not include it among the board’s priorities until matching funds could be identified. It wouldn’t be included in the unified county document, which has to be submitted by early October, but John Cera said it could be added to the platform later.
At the board meeting that evening, Ruddy made a motion to add the FTC priority and pushed for it to be included in the county document.
“I do think it has great value,” Derek Barrs said at the workshop, but ultimately Ruddy's motion was defeated 4-1.
“I do love that platform,” Lauren Ramirez said before the vote. “I wish we had more time to ask the right questions, because this is what our community needs.”
The board members unanimously approved the two local priorities they had discussed two weeks earlier at their agenda workshop:
