Superintendent Bowden discusses 'A' grade at Argus Foundation lunch

SARASOTA — Superintendent Todd Bowden's talk at the Argus Foundation's luncheon Wednesday marked a special occasion for the Sarasota County school district's top administrator: a year to the day since he was chosen from a field of contenders to be superintendent.

Months later, when Bowden officially took over as superintendent last March, the self-billed "pro-business" Argus Foundation hosted a welcome reception in his honor, along with the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and the Education Foundation. On Wednesday, he thanked them for their support.

"That sent a message to this community of the way that we were going to work together going forward," Bowden said, smiling to the crowd of about 100 people seated at Louie's Modern. "That made an impression on a lot of folks."

Bowden began his "State of Schools" presentation by explaining some key statistics about the district, noting that the 43,000 students who attend Sarasota County schools put the district in the top 5 percent in size of all school districts nationally. Despite the area's reputation for wealth, more than 50 percent of Sarasota County students receive free or reduced lunches, and 11 of the district's schools are Title I, meaning they have a high percentage of students from lower income families.

Sarasota is also one of six A-graded districts in the state this year and one of two that have retained their A rating in the 14 years that the Florida Department of Education has graded school districts. But Bowden noted that the district received 63 percent of possible points this year, leaving it just one percentage point above the threshold for an A grade.

"When school grades come out in June, we high-five for about a half-hour and then we get back to work, because how many of you celebrate a 62?" Bowden said. "We have an excellent school district, but we have a lot of work to do. We need to be honest about that."

The district has made it a goal to work toward 1 percent growth in total points for next year's grade, and Bowden's tentative goal is to maintain a district with all A and B schools. Last year, eight schools received either a C or a D from the state.

Toward the end of his presentation, Bowden turned the conversation to the public referendum on a 1-mill, local-option property tax extension scheduled for March. Last year, the tax provided $56.5 million for the district and made up 13 percent of the district's total operating budget.

The referendum has become a topic of contention at School Board meetings and within the community, as some have debated whether the tax vote should occur during a general November election rather than a special election in March. The special election costs roughly $300,000 to administer, a cost that one attendee, Michael Barfield, prominent local paralegal, asked about during the luncheon's question-and-answer portion.

"The $300,000 used in special elections — couldn't you use that money in your budget and move the elections until November?" Barfield asked Bowden.

Bowden responded diplomatically.

"My role as superintendent is to implement the decision of my board," Bowden said. "...If you were to ask me if I could impact achievement with $300,000, my answer to you is an honest yes."

Argus Foundation president Jeffrey Charlotte, president of a Venice-based construction company, noted Argus' support for a November election referendum at the end of the luncheon.

"Great question, Mr. Barfield. We asked the same question several times," Charlotte said. "Eventually, it will get changed to where it will be mandated by the state, and we might be underfunded for one year, but we'll figure it out."

The Sarasota County legislative delegation took a clear stance on the topic when it sent a letter to the School Board before its recent vote on the referendum's ballot language. Delegation members argued that the special election was a misuse of taxpayer money and that voter participation is at its lowest during special elections.