[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6278926,"mediaKeyId","2628523-7b6a69b78a6110f55cdfa8c48d08d272","parentId",2628523,"title","Votes at a glance: Palm Beach County School Board (March meeting)","audioSeconds",4067,"startMs",1062000,"endMs",5129000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2628523-7b6a69b78a6110f55cdfa8c48d08d272&start=1062&end=5129","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2628523-7b6a69b78a6110f55cdfa8c48d08d272/thumbnail_1062000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6278926/Palm-Beach/School-Districts/Florida/Votes-at-a-glance-Palm-Beach-County-School-Board-March-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278926-3845fd62ba5f33bb985319a86ebc7f61/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161711&Signature=ZmBMum-ivukt0FZKfrEPk1SOktO3f16GMkLOOQADr2YqUKta8MfUbOp0raK8CRwx9SohdkqqW~jlCWC2B1GugukV7pysWSC1gGq23FwQoH7z4L2XpvmBUBufmo2p1D-6FpodTvzKWwkVrhErrH~2aoM0PpwF3w7HQnwixfM2AAoCMpBIZTp6kfyIDu4jjWIf-AWZXRqtUgYee48yOw8tJ3h5svK5fLXkoRl4E0REOqV7sEouavryxT96VrVGdpdtt3C~x4J0rN3Xvg7cFw6OpTWHz3IwXFQt6-3AF8sJLvwhfku5pkmUJH7vTGL~G9LWpWiO8JlxMXRuf3l9Wy2dnA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Palm Beach County School District, FL","date","2025-03-13T11:43:01Z","article","The Palm Beach County School Board recorded the following actions during its March meeting (motions and outcomes as entered in the meeting minutes):

- Minutes and routine approvals: The board approved five sets of minutes and the meeting agenda; motions carried unanimously.
- Agenda changes: Superintendent Michael Burke withdrew agenda item COM1; the board added a personnel addendum (P2) for good cause and approved it later in the meeting.
- Consent agenda: The consent agenda was approved after one item (BRD‑1) was pulled for discussion; motion carried unanimously.
- BRD‑1 (board advisory committee appointments): The board ratified and approved appointments to board advisory committees; motion carried unanimously. Board member Matthew Lane noted staff are reviewing policies to ensure compliance with state and federal requirements where applicable.
- COM‑4 (Proclamation): The board proclaimed March 2025 as Women's History Month; motion carried unanimously and the proclamation was read into the record.
- COM‑5 (Proclamation): The board proclaimed March 2025 as Palm Beach County Month; motion carried unanimously.
- FMPF‑2 (Consultant agreement amendment): The board approved an amendment to the consultant agreement with Robert J. Brand to add estimated hours for background investigations and authorized the board chair to sign; motion by Vice Chair Marsha Andrews, second by Matthew Lane; motion carried unanimously.
- Personnel addendum (P2): The board approved the personnel addendum as submitted; motion carried unanimously.

All recorded motions carried without recorded opposition. Where additional discussion occurred, staff provided clarifications and committed to follow‑up reports or meetings. Several items were informational or ceremonial and required no further board action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","03.12.25 Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Summary of motions and outcomes recorded at the Palm Beach County School Board meeting, including agenda approval, consent agenda, proclamations, a contract amendment, and the personnel addendum.","taxTitle","Palm Beach, School Districts, Florida","taxId",14656,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6278931,"Board OKs $21,000 amendment to hire outside investigators for police background checks",268,4862000,5130000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2628523-7b6a69b78a6110f55cdfa8c48d08d272&start=4862&end=5130","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2628523-7b6a69b78a6110f55cdfa8c48d08d272/thumbnail_4862000.jpg","/articles/6278931/Palm-Beach/School-Districts/Florida/Board-OKs-21000-amendment-to-hire-outside-investigators-for-police-background-checks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278931-9bcfbe5e59d34d11eb526fde3a1b9eb2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161711&Signature=NjaDCrRtyIhjblOoK~kG801pXrLwqJ-UGE7U2u~khWcUXU-O4BDvdXsYzAH6DxDmiA3kqOKVILnw6rxwYS3T-kqeOYviORwiqe3L318AVfAVpJB4iQGVB3zsFd50pnvTJsaA1H~lYGI-4uR9~VHQiS0KcwePBQLF9WTvecAkR~bgmxokdpuCIxYEBCDRaqz3HP3~A5CNjPy3AEXFXXNthWw2l2umd9eNRtFUypmmjgikhoqMPevANKFHOQeR3xD1ftXbD2R5GSvoto7VLaCBlsgDbC8J6tXIK0Y3Zlhm8VqkcO~f0Zd8~9dmDS~FEHKh0ETmJXxaV1R1KejVvtRFdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The School Board unanimously approved an amendment to a consultant agreement with Robert J. Brand to provide additional background‑investigation services for hiring into the district's police and security positions.

The amendment adds an estimated 600 hours of investigative work and increases the contract by approximately $21,000 to cover hourly fees and expenses, board members were told. The contract language and scope estimate indicate the figure is an estimate and the district will pay only for actual hours worked.

Chief Mooney of the district police department explained the consultant compiles longer‑range investigations — for example, candidates with out‑of‑state work histories whose records require extra time to verify — and that investigators support background checks for police officers, dispatchers and security operators.

Board Vice Chair Marsha Andrews moved the amendment; Board member Matthew Lane seconded. The board clerk recorded no recorded opposition and the motion carried unanimously.

Board members asked clarifying questions during discussion: the 600‑hour figure is an estimate, the consultant's work focuses on document collection and reference checks rather than fingerprinting or drug testing, and the additional work is needed in part because one of three long‑standing contracted investigators recently died and the remaining consultants have taken on extra workload.

The contract amendment includes an estimated count of approximately 80 investigations served; staff clarified that number represents an estimate of how many background investigations the additional hours could cover, not a guaranteed caseload. The district said it already has two other contracted investigators and will only pay for hours actually performed under the amended agreement.

The board approved the amendment as part of the business agenda.","The school board unanimously approved an amendment to the consultant agreement with Robert J. Brand to add up to 600 hours of background‑investigation work (estimated to serve about 80 investigations) for school police and related positions after one long‑standing contracted investigator died.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6278935,"Board seeks data and schedules workshop after members raise gaps in special‑needs pre‑K capacity",408,7055000,7463000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2628523-7b6a69b78a6110f55cdfa8c48d08d272&start=7055&end=7463","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2628523-7b6a69b78a6110f55cdfa8c48d08d272/thumbnail_7055000.jpg","/articles/6278935/Palm-Beach/School-Districts/Florida/Board-seeks-data-and-schedules-workshop-after-members-raise-gaps-in-specialneeds-preK-capacity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278935-ac26335c7c50f308eeed1da836efa281/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161711&Signature=g~JFJoikAc9XI-T6WNgK5JdvSl~8BpZVJOSVzq~2pDAx4S39PbkkMYmuZJRpZCL2~9x0Kf4AsDu7Eigdil6mG2Y~0FT46MLLaK-~SVzhq7wzgkWdKCnR9ON8x3JucufSee0R-E5XkTcndWqb303P~y3LhWxlzasWERctdptqGdytGbOlTOb6GmfwNhdxkej-h-ElayagjYBabhBZHAULKBwXWXV0~ry7~hmBtLzT2a-qqh7PXC0O86BcdbMY8tOGqIw9~p8pACtPa4GRK27XpgQVDQQys6c-ZM7Amjir4TUfvQsPjTkPFAJAZGCfeaMXhyq2PDyvu5ARSjhLp4r~ig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several school board members said Tuesday they are concerned some neighborhoods lack accessible early‑intervention pre‑K classes for students with disabilities and asked staff for data and a workshop to address capacity.

Board member Edwin Ferguson told colleagues he had heard from families in parts of District 7 that they lacked available ESE pre‑K units and in some cases had to rely on private providers or pay for transportation. He asked the board to examine whether the district has enough classroom slots and whether the distribution of those slots matches local need.

\"What about the families who don't have those means?\" Ferguson said, noting that early identification and therapy (ABA, speech, physical therapy) strongly affect a child's long‑term independence. \"The sooner you identify a child as autistic and get them into therapy, it really increases the chances of them being able to take care of themselves as an adult.\"

Superintendent Michael Burke responded that the district and regional offices collaborate to identify program sites. He told the board that over the last four years the district increased pre‑K ESE units from 141 to 168 for the upcoming school year and offered to prepare a formal report on site selection and current capacity.

The board indicated support for a follow‑up workshop. Chair Karen Brill and other members said they will invite Child Find and the Early Learning Coalition and that the Children's Services Council (where one board member serves) has agreed to host a session with regional partners to review need and access. Board members asked staff to report on wait lists and geographic distribution of ESE pre‑K seats.

No vote was taken; the superintendent committed to producing the data and to notify board members about the Children's Services Council workshop date. Several board members said they wanted the board to receive and digest the data before any final policy action.

Board members emphasized that socioeconomics can affect access to private therapies, that placement decisions are clustered geographically, and that capacity may vary across neighborhoods. The board will revisit the issue after receiving the report and after the planned workshop.","Board member Edwin Ferguson raised concerns about limited ESE pre‑K classroom availability in parts of Palm Beach County; the superintendent said the district increased pre‑K ESE units from 141 to 168 and will supply a formal report and coordinate a Children's Services Council workshop.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6278938,"Counselors, union press Palm Beach school board to remove disputed certified‑school‑counselor job description",4240,3819000,8059000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2628523-7b6a69b78a6110f55cdfa8c48d08d272&start=3819&end=8059","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2628523-7b6a69b78a6110f55cdfa8c48d08d272/thumbnail_3819000.jpg","/articles/6278938/Palm-Beach/School-Districts/Florida/Counselors-union-press-Palm-Beach-school-board-to-remove-disputed-certifiedschoolcounselor-job-description","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278938-b1a85b73704f47fdb9f1b094219b40c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161711&Signature=MNdI2PcKYbf2i0h9o3ZZ0vDFGkNvu1eHj~d-n6pWZPW03KomzAK4YjtaJrP-GVXpD8UXOc1S~TFe-iR6z7EdBegUVdm1bgcCZ-1r7VzLe7NOhQhnsdwfOujJu~3tf19Tf0Lpi4HhtW6Jm9a73Z-ztVaBtzRJ62pePfqu7R8kkrjOYzUj4szQKfzpm2p-BJOexsrxYw2IpB7TKj3AgSRXw3LSAEngLc1HO3HJc6tUX~RoLJVC5rIh2MZl7e4IkfU2v6211el6HbIOdLOHja~9gK-yr8Z15fi2M4vY-nS0oJpHZOn6CoQjH5xrkbhGbN7CosE1ewI0oq3YWXbhnMqALg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Palm Beach County school counselors and the teachers' union urged the School Board on Tuesday to remove a 2016 \"certified school counselor\" job description they say has led to excessive non‑counseling duties and fewer direct student services.

The issue drew public testimony from counselors and parents and formal remarks from Gordon Longhofer, president of the Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association, who called the job description \"improper and likely illegal\" and asked the board to remove it immediately.

The matter matters because counselors said the description has enabled administrators to assign duties — including managing 504 plans, leading student study teams and heavy testing logistics — that reduce counselors' time for one‑on‑one and small‑group counseling. Those direct services, counselors and speakers said, affect students' social‑emotional support, attendance and academic outcomes.

\"This job description was created without proper channels,\" Gordon Longhofer said, urging the board to take corrective action. Several counselors gave concrete examples: Laurie Landis described a former student who credited school counseling with turning her life around and said a recent survey asking whether the 2016 description should be eliminated drew 280 counselors in favor; another survey item showed 156 counselors reporting non‑counseling duties as a significant barrier to serving students.

Randy Scheitz, a school counselor with three decades of service, told the board that at his school of about 1,300 students he is the only counselor and that duties such as teaching and serving as the 504 coordinator have crowded out direct counseling. \"I am no longer able to offer small‑group counseling, which was an integral part of my comprehensive counseling program,\" Scheitz said.

Speakers at the podium repeatedly asked the board to ensure counselors are not regularly assigned duties the American School Counselor Association lists as inappropriate, such as managing 504 plans or running student study teams.

The superintendent, Michael Burke, told the board he has reached out to the association to schedule meetings and said he will review materials provided that evening. Board Vice Chair Marsha Andrews asked that the board itself review the job description and suggested adding it as a discussion item at a future meeting if unresolved. Superintendent Burke agreed to meet with the union and to provide information to the board.

No formal policy change or vote was taken at the meeting. The board requested that the superintendent distribute the 2016 job description to members — the chair said the document would be sent by the following morning — and the superintendent said he had scheduled an in‑person meeting with the association to hear concerns. Board members indicated a willingness to pursue further discussion, including bargaining if the union raises the issue there.

The record contains multiple first‑hand accounts from counselors and union leaders describing both the workload impact and student outcomes they said result from reduced counseling time. Those witnesses urged the board to act promptly to resolve whether the 2016 description should remain and, if not, what duties should be reassigned so counselors can provide more direct services.

Board members and the superintendent said they will return to the issue after staff and the union meet and after board members review the job description.

The board clerk recorded no formal motion or vote to remove the description during the meeting; the actions taken were limited to scheduling meetings and circulating the document to board members.","School counselors, the Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association and board members urged removal or review of a 2016 \"certified school counselor\" job description, saying it imposes non‑counseling duties that limit student services; superintendent and union plan talks and the board requested the job description for review.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Palm Beach County School Board (March meeting)

Board OKs $21,000 amendment to hire outside investigators for police background checks

Board seeks data and schedules workshop after members raise gaps in special‑needs pre‑K capacity

Counselors, union press Palm Beach school board to remove disputed certified‑school‑counselor job description