Page 138 - Superintendent Report 2023-24

The Superintendent was well-prepared to interact with the legislators and he diplomatically offered valuable, first-hand
knowledge of intricate financial details, which ultimately helped to inform and instruct some of Florida’s FY23 Education
Budget and legislative decisions. Utilizing his financial expertise, Superintendent Burke also engaged legislatively with the
Federal Assistance Awards Data System (FAADS) to assist in crafting their legislative platform. He is an active FAADS
participant and is relied upon by other members.

State Budget/Finance
There was a $552 increase in the Base Student Allocation (BSA) primarily due to the collapsing of several significant
categorical variables including teacher salary and instructional materials. This year also saw a $40M increase to the Safe
Schools allocation bringing the statewide total to $250M, and a $20M increase to the Mental Health allocation bringing it
to $160M statewide.
The Charter School Capital Outlay bill (HB 1259) would cost the District approximately $460M. However, through the
legislative lobbying efforts directed by Superintendent Burke, this impact will now be distributed over a 5-year sliding scale
versus an all-at-once payout.

Teacher Retention
One of the big successes for the District during this legislative session was the extension of Deferred Retirement Option
Program (DROP) provisions. Superintendent Burke spent time in Tallahassee in March discussing the need to extend the
policy so that the District has the option to retain its most experienced teachers. Mr. Burke’s advocacy, as well as his direct
contact with legislators, helped impact change as the DROP program was increased from 60 months to 96 months for all
employees. In addition, 24 months of DROP was also added for teachers, along with employees’ ability to enter DROP at any
time after achieving eligibility.

Students & Student Scores
During the last three weeks of the legislative session, Superintendent Burke joined other superintendents in sounding
the alarm on the potential loss of granting diplomas for several thousand high school students who would otherwise be
ineligible to graduate on time. Both Mr. Burke and the School Board wrote letters to the Florida Department of Education
requesting the return to former concordant scores to assist students in meeting the graduation requirements. This request
was based on the pandemic-impacted high school experiences of these students. The appeals were successful, resulting in
more District students earning their high school diplomas.

Universal School Vouchers
The potential impact of the universal school voucher program requires careful planning. The Superintendent and his
team are implementing targeted marketing efforts to highlight the District’s “Your Best Choice” campaign and share the
exceptional benefits and opportunities available to students and families.

FY23 Appropriations Request for West Tech Scholarships
District advocacy efforts under Superintendent Burke resulted in a $239,000 appropriation for West Tech educational
scholarships. This is the fourth consecutive appropriations victory for West Tech to secure critically needed funds for
students in western communities. These funds provide student scholarships to West Tech where they will learn skills and
earn industry certifications that can lead to immediate, sustainable, year-round employment.

Communication on Legislative Activity
In direct response to feedback from the 2022 Legislative Evaluation, a new communication system was established for
the leadership team and the School Board to receive timely updates during the FY23 legislative session. As a result, six
leadership meetings were held between March 7 and May 5, where session and federal updates were provided. These
were distributed via recordings to the Board. Additionally, four updates were delivered at Palm Beach County School
Board meetings between March and May, accompanied by weekly reports to apprise the Board of newly filed or newly
amended bills.

138 // Superintendent Annual Report 2022 - 2023