Commentary | Major reform needed now by Broward School Board | Opinion

Five former School Board members were mentioned in a grand jury report for incompetence and neglect of duty, leading to four of them being removed from the School Board of Broward County.

This action by the governor led to “reform board” actions that began the new focus on becoming an “A”-rated school district, focused attention on the learning crisis as a result of the pandemic, ceased legal payments to School Board members named in the grand jury report, set aside millions in unallocated funds for a rainy day fund, supported new training for board members, created a public comment period at the start of board meetings and ultimately led the charge to push out a former superintendent, who many knew was in over her head but many elected and community leaders did not have the courage to stand up and do the right thing.

As Board chair during this period, those were all tough decisions made by a balanced board with a diversity of thought and experiences.

There would be no Dr. Peter Licata, Dr. Earlean Smiley or Dr. Valerie Wanza if not for the tough questions and hard decisions started by the reform board.

As we fast forward, we need additional reforms now more than ever before within our district — many decisions that prior Board members shunned, and some that current Board members may also hesitate to address with 2024 elections approaching.

The truth matters, and the public appreciates a clear understanding of the issues and opportunities ahead.

While we are the sixth largest school district in the country, with amazing students and top-notch employees, our school board needs to show courage to preserve our district and prevent the fiscal catastrophe I and others have highlighted.

With continually declining enrollment at our traditional public schools, low capital reserves, a low fund balance and parents increasingly choosing charter and private schools over traditional public schools, this moment requires leadership.

We must also be clear that much needed school construction projects will be heavily monitored and the board must address roofing, air quality and basic beautification in all of our schools.

I will not support any board action that reallocates funds for any maintenance away from our schools, with $3 billion in current school site facility needs and routine maintenance visibly lacking in many schools.

I do not support redirecting safety or security funds, mental health or school site dollars for employee compensation. We need to make some painful cuts now and look for more cost avoidances — that’s how we can increase compensation. Our No. 1 priority should remain our 250,000 children learning in safe and clean classrooms.

Re: Five schools. Eight years. Broward schools lag on renovations

Now is the time to start the process to repurpose or close at least 40 to 50 school sites due to drastic under-enrollment, sell vacant school district land to bring in more revenue, demolish unused portables that impact state funding and take a critical look at how we compensate all employees.

Re-purposing or closing 40 to 50 schools will lead to a smaller district footprint, better targeted funding for our kids, an increased fund balance to preserve the district’s fiscal health and could ultimately lead to newly built schools in later years.

Now is the time for the district to demonstrate the value of our employees, share with the public how the district compensates its employees compared to neighboring districts, and push back on false attacks from Broward Teachers’ Union leadership against the district about lack of compensation, when the district has provided more compensation to employees in the last two years than both Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Palm Beach County Public Schools.

I believe there is mutual agreement that costs have increased on all families, and we must increase overall compensation to our employees. We should lower the temperature and work together to get things done, as the Police Benevolent Association, the Broward Principals and Assistant Principals Association, and other public worker unions have done collegially.

Now is the time for our parents, community leaders and key stakeholders to join together in a common purpose of maintaining the fiscal health of the district, so that we provide quality education to all Broward children, regardless of zip code, in a more efficient environment.

Now is the time for my colleagues to make the tough decisions. Our children and this community will reflect years later on how we banded together in a nonpartisan way to truly become an “A” school district and the premier choice for Broward families.

Torey Alston, a former Broward County commissioner, represents District 2 on the Broward County School Board.