[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6243066,"mediaKeyId","3242953-7f9eaa50edb9ab0301e2e0ed2ed328c5","parentId",3242953,"title","District proposes broader transfer options and sibling protections, keeps 9‑week probation for troubled transfers","audioSeconds",3785,"startMs",4163000,"endMs",7948000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3242953-7f9eaa50edb9ab0301e2e0ed2ed328c5&start=4163&end=7948","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3242953-7f9eaa50edb9ab0301e2e0ed2ed328c5/thumbnail_4163000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6243066/Florida/District-proposes-broader-transfer-options-and-sibling-protections-keeps-9week-probation-for-troubled-transfers","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6243066-a6ad5aa9b37eb58c9ef309ab075ff7f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1775305835&Signature=a6lC5dLUmH8rI5kcnbPAmA2s0VxsjYjHsS6aM4-3CBo~lDKjq8qnEfZ9DkeNPVHJaw-OgKlb6BX70s3sEItEHWNiIjAD2wgc-7jNPcU1IqX-R2le0n80EytyY7NiLb9BpG3JATlejbXd6j0MFTsyQkC2ryAzNqg8xvHYwkRUrPCwJML-mi7aSrce~pQRgcq4itLHwNZ39XCXsnitxzThJqM3z7O6YB8x1D~PvZmYtiFkahGaQg4r8C7l6FrHwFcWBwh0awcvIqXlb6C-UxJk0-v4EzSIi5rggSIyPJldakLcAqFZ-i-24-rQyjP1dJpz3ZlPlk6flJVnWXWDIharlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Orange County Public Schools","date","2025-05-08T16:22:27Z","article","At a May 8 work session, district staff presented a redraft of policy JCA — assignment of students to school — that would expand some transfer options, clarify guardianship requirements and sibling eligibility, remove several capacity constraints, and retain a nine‑week probation for transfers that do not meet academic, attendance or behavior expectations.

Staff said the rewrite is intended to increase choice while clarifying operational rules. The draft adds a formal definition of \"sibling,\" adopts a single‑point rule that the guardian completing an application must have enrollment/withdrawal authority consistent with board policy KBBA, and removes a separate change‑of‑address section by folding relevant language into the application process.

Major proposals and board discussion

- Siblings: The draft allows siblings to transfer with a student who receives a transfer (including transfers granted under the FES UA public option and controlled open enrollment). Staff said siblings may remain at the receiving school to \"complete all grade levels at the school,\" citing examples such as K–5 or 6–8 configurations, and the policy removes prior language tying sibling transfers to remaining seat capacity. Board members asked whether siblings may accompany magnet students at schools such as Windy Ridge and Arbor Ridge; staff confirmed that siblings may transfer with a magnet student even when the receiving grades operate as a magnet program.
- Guardianship and applications: The guardian who completes the transfer application must have the authority to enroll and withdraw the child as outlined in board policy KBBA; that change is intended to eliminate the need to submit parenting plans or affidavits repeatedly.
- Student continuation/probation: The draft reintroduces a standard continuation agreement and permits schools to place transfer students on probation for failure to meet attendance, academic or behavioral standards. The probationary form will be standardized by Student Enrollment and must be signed by applicable parties. At the meeting staff proposed a nine‑week (one grading period) probation; staff also proposed, then withdrew, an 18‑week semester option after board discussion. The board agreed to keep the probation period at nine weeks for the draft language presented.
- Capacity and program changes: Staff removed a separate \"academic transfer\" option that had been useful when a program was unique to one campus; increased availability of programs systemwide has lessened the need for that category. The draft also removed language repeatedly conditioning transfers on available capacity in several transfer categories.
- Special education (FES UA/public option and IEP coordination): The draft adds a public option transfer pathway for qualifying students with disabilities. Staff said any receiving school must be able to implement the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP); if the receiving school cannot meet a student's IEP, the receiving school would not accept the transfer. Similarly, if a parent seeks a transfer that conflicts with an IEP placement, the placement decision rests with the IEP team.

Board members requested additional data and procedural safeguards. Several members and the superintendent asked staff to report how many transfers have been revoked in prior years and to return a standard probationary form for the board's review. Member Gallo and others voiced concern about using transfers to move disruptive students between schools; Superintendent Dr. Vasquez and staff said revocations are rare and that schools try multiple interventions before revoking a transfer. The board asked staff to compile revocation and approval data for several past years and to return with proposed form language and any recommended pilot approaches.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","OCPS | 2025-05-08 School Board Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","In a May 8 work session, staff presented revisions to policy JCA on student assignment that expand sibling transfer rights, remove several capacity constraints, add clearer guardianship requirements and retention criteria, and retain a nine‑week probationary period for transfers with behavioral or attendance problems.","taxTitle","Orange, School Districts, Florida","taxId",14621,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6243071,"Board counsel outlines overhaul of ethics and lobbying policy to align with Florida law",1781,2405000,4186000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3242953-7f9eaa50edb9ab0301e2e0ed2ed328c5&start=2405&end=4186","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3242953-7f9eaa50edb9ab0301e2e0ed2ed328c5/thumbnail_2405000.jpg","/articles/6243071/Florida/Board-counsel-outlines-overhaul-of-ethics-and-lobbying-policy-to-align-with-Florida-law","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6243071-513396d2afc7aeba3afb4d4d5aca9f40/orig.mp4?Expires=1775305835&Signature=ckCVogrBxuMiHMJUzhQFtX8i8Zjf~VJ7FCDQAk7uCGRygpxqRPko1rp0QVVqPZh8fklBgripXQi6HIS2cH0eQQi5ZHNXmQrSNVBtJllZY5wvOpqvgK~xyPNgRfHQOdvC4OYfiEIJ6wql2eUVQ8MwFOmwNLsrsLw6rYiPTleU6cZDteu84AXauYYISWQ~kksLO7ZElXG-RWPWBXLfbhUvqPA8CO429~N~PnelAMcr-uzSIbfk7YCAKc5UPmKATQbOptlkL~N9usMK6yQ7DHpElC8gptYlABJjyrH~motBRUizQ5F2wkAKcmoQBDVBofrCjW316l4zSkB2I~6l6qGL7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a May 8 work session, general counsel John Palmerini and Associate General Counsel and Ethics Compliance Officer Vivian Kokotis presented a streamlined draft of KCE, the district ethics and lobbying policy, that aligns many provisions with Florida law and reduces district‑specific restrictions the board previously had imposed.

Palmerini told the board the draft removes about seven pages of internal rules that went beyond state requirements and instead reproduces statutory language where appropriate. He said the draft removes a gratuitous‑meals section and eliminates a $5 notation in favor of treating gifts consistent with state law. \"Pursuant to Florida law, board members and OCPS employees shall not solicit or accept anything of value to the recipient...based upon the understanding that the vote, official action, or judgment...would be influenced thereby,\" Palmerini said, summarizing the deleted provisions and the statutory standard.

Major changes and clarifications

- Gifts: The policy will now define gifts consistent with applicable Florida law and reference existing statutory limits (Palmerini noted the $50 board‑member gift limit in statute) rather than reiterating district thresholds. The district removed internal prohibitions that were not required by state law.
- Lobbying registration and reporting: The draft requires that a lobbyist, business associate, principal or vendor completing lobbying contacts with board members, procurement employees, reporting individuals or the superintendent must submit the district's lobbyist and vendor reporting form within 10 calendar days of the contact, placing the primary reporting obligation on lobbyists and vendors rather than the officials who receive the contact.
- No‑contact procurement period: The policy reiterates the procurement no‑contact period (from solicitation issuance until notice of intended award or resolution of a bid protest) and clarifies that designated procurement staff may receive solicitation questions and provide answers to all prospective bidders without that being considered lobbying.
- Former employee restriction: A statutory two‑year prohibition on former OCPS employees lobbying the district for compensation remains, with limited statutory exceptions and the possibility of waivers in rare cases.
- Product testimonials: Vendors may not use testimonials from OCPS employees without written consent from the ethics compliance officer or the superintendent; employees providing testimonials without approval may face disciplinary action. The draft allows employee testimonials for qualified 501(c)(3) charitable foundations under specified restrictions.

Board members asked how vendors would be notified of the changes; Kokotis said constructive notice is provided by publishing the policy and procurement materials and that standard contracts reference the KCE policy. Member Gallo noted that public officials' calendars are public records and that reporting burdens reasonably fall on lobbyists; Kokotis and Palmerini said vendor registration and procurement channels provide additional notice.

Palmerini and Kokotis said the policy retains enforcement mechanisms, including disciplinary options for employees and contractual remedies for vendors. The board did not take a vote; members thanked staff for streamlining the policy.","At a May 8 work session the district's general counsel presented a redraft of policy KCE to align OCPS rules on gifts, lobbying and procurement contacts with Florida statutory language; the presentation removed several district‑created gift rules and clarified lobbyist reporting and no‑contact procurement periods.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6243076,"School board reviews draft public‑comment rules that would bar remarks about pending litigation and named employees",1636,815000,2451000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3242953-7f9eaa50edb9ab0301e2e0ed2ed328c5&start=815&end=2451","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3242953-7f9eaa50edb9ab0301e2e0ed2ed328c5/thumbnail_815000.jpg","/articles/6243076/Florida/School-board-reviews-draft-publiccomment-rules-that-would-bar-remarks-about-pending-litigation-and-named-employees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6243076-5fb69b3ea369c4eca8fc34f3201fab89/orig.mp4?Expires=1775305835&Signature=lJkkm2r6vpPzj7MpxAgsR0J2hnrBdHZlEw8i7d~80EzGNWPdK4paRiTIg7VCtgESKbdtvBmhzuWDLz-QiesCkgR65zp-PEnXKl1DF5qdnuZJqP91sRdXXvuq1u8m6aX~DzsGHLvYvec5Op1ejoq0VbjbaKWnDdpk6uvM48c9rJnEnaIEG1vAVqZqTy7thPhSNhHT2QEn5xXAcaFcBD2dYVrJG79JH4LZoKoiWHJlJJrZ4VvW7iZkbg7nrkwtrn5Kwjp0Ms47vSU3d86MtOZu~auKzphvcjYiogmk2ktCgYBe3dETZUiER-cGlKfFtD~QdZnVYj1wdyx2yWkdrL2u-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a May 8 work session, the Orange County School Board reviewed proposed changes to policy BEDH that would codify how the district runs its public comment periods and bar speakers from addressing pending litigation or commenting on the behavior or academic performance of individual students and employees.

The revisions formalize a pilot the district has been using: the “open public comment period” would begin one hour before a regularly scheduled meeting and conclude no later than 45 minutes after it starts. Members of the public who want to speak before the board are asked to email publiccomment@ocps by 5 p.m. the day before the meeting so staff can compile submissions for board members to review.

General counsel John Palmerini, who presented the draft, said the rules also set how long each speaker gets depending on total turnout and a priority order for who may speak. \"If we have between 1 and 10 speakers, they'll each get 3 minutes; between 11 and 20, 2 minutes; 21-plus, 1 minute,\" Palmerini said. He also outlined a three‑tier signup priority: parents, legal guardians, students and employees are priority 1; Orange County residents are priority 2; non‑residents are priority 3.

Why it matters: the board framed the drafting as an attempt to balance free‑speech rights and operational needs. Palmerini said the draft responds to a recent federal case the board had discussed previously and aims to avoid viewpoint discrimination. \"This would prohibit both good and bad comments,\" Palmerini said of the proposed language that would bar remarks about individual employees and students. He added the ban would cover both praise and criticism so the board would not be subject to selective approval of praise while excluding criticism.

Other key provisions in the draft

- No telephone call‑in comments. The draft removes a COVID‑era provision permitting telephone comment and instead relies primarily on an electronic signup system, with paper cards as backup if the system fails.
- Three designated employee groups — the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, Orange Education Support Professionals Association and the Orange County Association of School Administrators — would each have the option to speak for three minutes during the regular agenda period if they choose.
- A \"code of civility\" is retained but limited so it does not conflict with speakers' First Amendment rights; the policy text states speakers must abide by the code of civility \"to the extent it does not conflict with the right of a speaker to state his or her viewpoint consistent with current federal law.\"

Board members asked clarifying questions about scope and enforcement. Member Gallo asked whether board members themselves would still be able to praise principals or teachers during board remarks; Palmerini replied the restriction is aimed at members of the public during the open public comment period, not routine board remarks. Member Felder and others said they supported the change because the district already has administrative complaint channels for personnel issues.

Separately the board discussed a related operational safety provision restricting congregating in the lobby or at the back of board chambers. Superintendent Dr. Vasquez said the language was added originally during the pandemic after staff reported being approached aggressively and that security must sometimes manage staging for large recognitions. Palmerini said he would draft alternative wording to clarify that, when there is seating available in the boardroom, the expectation is that attendees will be directed inside, and that exceptions can be made by the superintendent for operational reasons.

No action was taken at the work session. Palmerini said he would circulate revised wording on the lobby/congregation language to the board for review ahead of the next regular meeting.","At a May 8 Orange County School Board work session, staff and the board discussed proposed revisions to policy BEDH to codify a pilot public‑comment schedule, set signup and time limits, and prohibit comments about pending litigation and the behavior or academic performance of individually named students or employees.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

District proposes broader transfer options and sibling protections, keeps 9‑week probation for troubled transfers

Board counsel outlines overhaul of ethics and lobbying policy to align with Florida law

School board reviews draft public‑comment rules that would bar remarks about pending litigation and named employees