Volusia County Schools displace nearly 300 teachers, consolidate electives
The district's human resources department placed 172 of the teachers. The remainder “secured placements either through fairs or within their current school,” Danielle Johnson, Volusia’s director of community information, said in an email.
As of now, the district has not made any permanent changes regarding teacher displacements and reassignments, Johnson confirmed.
“Any teachers that accepted a placement out of position will still be able to apply for and accept positions that become available in their original field of interest,” she said in an email. “We will not hire any teachers in areas where displaced teachers have a certification.”
While she confirmed that no more teachers will be displaced this year, Johnson said in an email that “contractually,” teachers can be transferred up until two weeks before the next school year’s start date, which is Aug. 12, and “placements are fluid throughout the summer.”
Will Volusia County Schools eliminate any programs next year?
The district has not cut any programs as a result of transferring or reassigning teachers, Johnson confirmed.
However, programs at specific Volusia County schools have been downsized or eliminated if student interest was lacking, according to an email from Johnson and the district’s website. These decisions impacted teacher displacements, she said.
“Every year, adjustments to school budgets and programs are made with student interest in mind and careful consideration of the impact on student learning,” according to an email from Johnson and the website. “All schools and student communities are different, so while programs may have shifted and changed throughout the district, schools have ensured they are tailored to their students’ wants and needs.”
Johnson said alternative programs, based on student interest, were made available to students affected by the changes.
"Simultaneously, we are expanding programs in areas where a clear need was identified, which will enhance our curriculum offerings and better serve our community’s diverse educational needs.”
On April 26, the district announced on its website that AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) — a program focused on helping students develop critical thinking, organization and study skills — will no longer be offered at all middle and high schools. Starting next school year, the program will only be offered as an elective course at Creekside Middle, Spruce Creek High and Taylor Middle-High, according to the update.
The district reported that AVID enrollment rates across Volusia County Schools have continuously dropped:
2,512 students were enrolled in AVID in the 2021-2022 school year.
2,391 students were enrolled in AVID in the 2022-2023 school year.
1,984 students were enrolled in AVID in the 2023-2024 school year.
“The AVID program requires a membership fee as well as dedicated teachers, training and materials,” according to the district’s update. “For schools with lower student enrollment or interest in the program, choices have been made to ensure fiscal responsibility and shift resources from an AVID elective class toward other programs. In these cases, school administrators and staff carefully consider the specific needs of their student body and determine how to best utilize available resources to support student success.”
Deltona High's choir program downsized
Alison Root, whose son takes choir at Deltona High School, told The News-Journal that the program will be significantly downsized next school year, noting that while it currently offers “many” courses taught by a choir director, it will soon only offer one or two classes and will be taught by either a band or theater teacher.
“It’s basically done,” Root said. “I wouldn’t hesitate that program lasting more than a year or two, period.”
Root has addressed the Volusia County School Board at its last two meetings.
“I hope you understand that what your, you and your lack of planning, has taken from my son his senior year and what it’s taken from me as a parent. You have stolen his lasts,” she said at the April 9 board meeting.
Two weeks later, she asked board members when adjustments would be made at the district level.
According to the district’s website, there will be “realignments and readjustments” at the district level, but those decisions will not be made until “closer to the end of the school year” “due to employee contract timelines, as well as employee departures and retirements.”
“There’s just over a month left in the school year,” Root told the board at its April 23 meeting. “How much closer do you need to be? The students and teachers should be the last to suffer mishandling of budget items. Lead by example and start with your district. Do better.”
How will cutting or downsizing programs impact students?
Elizabeth Albert, Volusia United Educators’ union president, told The News-Journal that some elective enrollment numbers may have decreased as a result of previous middle school scheduling changes.
“Two years ago, the district shifted the middle school model from a seven-period day to a six-period day, which reduced student's ability to select electives,” Albert said. “So two years ago, we took away an elective offering from students in the middle schools, so the enrollment numbers in some of these fine arts programs were diminished because the district didn't afford a model where students could necessarily get into the program anyway, even if they were interested in it.”
Albert said that to her, it seems “a bit deceptive” for the district to say it is cutting or downsizing programs due to a lack of student interest.
“If your feeding pattern is from middle to high school for these programs, and you created a roadblock when you took away a class period, it's only reasonable to notice a decline in enrollment because it wasn't available as an opportunity,” Albert said.
She continued, noting that for many students, electives are the best part of their day because those programs and courses allow students to express themselves as individuals and show their personality.
“When you’re limiting children’s access to those classes or times during the day when they just get to be themselves and express themselves musically, artistically or just by running around … you’re making school essentially less fun and (a) less desirable place to be,” she said.
Albert told The News-Journal that “the district is walking a very dangerous line” by cutting or downsizing some programs.
“They are absolutely, absolutely creating a pathway for parents to take advantage of the vouchers and get their kids out of public schools because we’re not offering the things that make school fun,” she said.
“I do believe, in my core, that public schools provide the highest quality education when compared to any kind of charter, private or for-profit, school, religious school,” she continued. “I think public school is number one in what we do, but … I’m hoping that these decisions have been thoroughly vetted, and that every potential consequence has been identified and discussed because it would be reckless and irresponsible to have not talked about our competitors and what they’re offering compared to what we offer in the public school system.”
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say that no additional teachers will be displaced this year, although teachers can be transferred up until two weeks before the next school year.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia Schools reassign nearly 300 teachers, drop some electives
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