On this Heard in Central Florida you’ll hear remarks from Dr. Bill Vogel, superintendent of Seminole County Florida Public Schools recorded at the August 25, 2011 Hot Topic Luncheon of the League of Women Voters of Seminole County as—in the face of looming budget deficits — he describes the “tipping point” of the public school system from A-rated to a potentially lower rank. Vogel presents solutions the community must address to maintain the A ranking of the district and he responds to questions from the audience. Feature Length — 43:24

Since 2003, Bill Vogel, age 64, has served as superintendent for the school system. After a life-long career in education – and two other superintendent positions before this one – Vogel will retire from the system in June 2012.

The state of Florida rates as an “A” Vogel’s Seminole school district, and gives a “B” to the other 4 county public school districts in Central Florida — Orange, Osceola, Volusia and Lake

From “starting school on a shoe string” – as the League titles this presentation, to Vogel’s characterization of the year as a “tipping point,” this coming budget year is not slated to be a fiscally easy one for the public school board, nor for many school boards… given the state of the economy and, as some assert, an increasingly stingy environment found among state, county and city elected leadership.

During Vogel’s 18-minute opening remarks, he addresses the education and business metrics making what he calls Seminole schools’ “triple A-plus experience” in academics, arts and athletics — an envy to many beyond the district and a source of pride to parents and students in the district.

Vogel describes the primary focus the district is placing on students as they graduate into the workforce. He summarizes budgets, capital expenditures, looming deficits and optional solutions the community face to maintain, or not, the A-rated caliber of the district.

In an additional 14-minutes, Vogel answers 13 questions from the luncheon audience. Those questions center on such subjects as the rate of money spent in his classrooms, the comparable status of this year’s student enrollment, steps the board is taking to solicit community input regarding budget solutions, past, present and future millage rates and the possibility of a voter referenda to consider millage rate increases, and levels of cooperation from city and county governments on the district’s budget challenges.

Below are link to various documents and charts to which superintendent Bill Vogel refers in his opening remarks. Your attention to each of them will be alerted by stating the chart number to which he is referring, i.e. “see Chart -6 here.”

We also have posted his resume as well as an on-line slide show of still pictures taken during the event.

Superintendent Bill Vogel is introduced by League vice president and former Seminole county school board chair, Jeanne Morris,

At the conclusion of Vogel’s comments, league president Pat Graves calls on league members to discuss upcoming league projects and programs. These remarks last 2-minutes.

This is the 14th podcast Carroll McKenney Public Media has produced presenting a series of on-going events hosted by the League of Women Voters of Seminole County, Florida.

Principal Speaker

League Hosts

Links to documents referred to by Dr. Vogel (each a 1-page PDF file unless noted)

• Chart 1: Reading and mathematics metrics (2-pages)
• Chart 2: Operating budget (5-year history)
• Chart 3: Funding crises
• Chart 4: Capital outlay revenue
• Chart 5: Operating budget deficit
• Chart 6: Orange and Seminole County School Millage and Tax Comparison
• Chart 7: Millage rate history

Links to organizations addressed by league members

• Seminole Hub - Helping local nonprofits thrive
• Seminole County Environmental Studies Center

Links to other podcasts produced by CMF Public Media featuring Dr. Bill Vogel

• Vogel 1-on-1 (8/19/10)
• School Funding Priorities (1/22/10)
• Commentary: Why a quality education for your children matters (1/21/10)
• Half-cent sales tax referendum (9/30/10)

Pictures

After you launch the slideshow below, click “Next” and “Previous” to rotate through the photos.