Flagler School Board spotlights operational efficiency; staff report faster repairs, new food-service and AI plans

The Flagler County School Board on Tuesday focused on Goal 5 of its strategic plan — operational efficiency — hearing reports from plant and custodial services, food nutrition, transportation, technology and finance staff about measures, recent gains and next steps.

District staff said the average time to complete maintenance work orders has fallen from “around 14 days” to about 11 days, though paperwork delays still lengthen the measured timeframe. Corey Bush, director of plant services, said the change reflects routing work orders by trade and school so technicians receive requests directly and can complete jobs without extra assignment steps. “We were around 14 days … currently, we're we're looking at 11 days,” Bush said.

Nancy Anderson, director of custodial services, credited improved follow‑through on closing work orders and supervisors’ outreach when sites need help. Anderson said the custodial team has reduced its measured completion time largely because crews not only finish tasks but now complete the electronic paperwork promptly.

Food and nutrition services reported a shift to a new efficiency metric, meals per labor hour (MPLH). The department aims to increase MPLH incrementally each year through staffing alignment, revised standard operating procedures, and modest facilities changes to serving lines. Angie Bush, food services, said the metric balances increases in meals served with attention to safety and quality; she told the board she expects “a finite stopping point” for gains and estimated a practical ceiling near 21 MPLH unless safety or quality are compromised.

The board discussed the district’s universal free meals under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Staff said participation has increased since CEP took effect and that the district will reassess CEP eligibility with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2026–27. Food‑service staff acknowledged ongoing concerns about plate waste, cafeteria flow and how built environments affect students’ ability to eat during available time.

Transportation staff reported on-time arrivals rising from roughly 87% before the department’s recent operational changes to about 90% now, and said the goal remains 100%. Presenters cited a leased‑vehicle replacement program, a van program for remote routes, and route‑analysis to reduce travel inefficiencies. The department said parts delays have improved since the worst of post‑pandemic supply issues, but ongoing driver and dispatcher staffing shortages remain a constraint that can affect punctuality.

On technology and data, the board heard about a new professional learning plan with a distinct artificial‑intelligence focus. Louise Bossardet, director of information services, and Amy Kopack, instructional technology coach specialist, described summer and in‑service trainings, an AI task force, pilot programs (including a Khan Academy AI tutoring pilot), and student access to vetted AI tools such as Magic School and Canva. Kopack said the district has recorded roughly 8,000 student AI sessions in sanctioned tools and is taking a staged approach to expand access while protecting student data.

Staff emphasized data governance and vendor review. Bossardet described internal dashboards and a district survey calendar used to improve data accuracy for state reporting; those dashboards allow cross‑department tracking of training completion and other required items. Ryan (last name not specified) said the district participates in a Florida clearinghouse of vetted data‑privacy agreements so districts can “piggyback” vetted contracts rather than negotiating each vendor agreement from scratch. The board heard that many tools now add AI features and that the district’s legal and purchasing processes review contract modifications before adoption.

Finance staff reported the district’s financial condition ratio stood at 8.5% on June 30, 2024. Patty Womack (presenting for finance) said the district used allowable ESSER transfers and other one‑time funds to bolster the unassigned fund balance; she reminded the board the Florida statutory minimum fund balance is 3% and noted the board’s policy target band is higher. Womack said salary and benefits account for about 80% of general fund spending and that the district expects the ratio to dip as enrollment and FTE forecasts firm up for FY 2024–25.

Board members asked for more frequent, clearly defined metrics for technology professional learning and AI pilots and pressed staff on privacy guardrails, on how food‑service metrics relate to student experience, and on transportation staffing strategies. Staff said many items will be tracked and reported back as metrics and that the district will reassess both CEP participation and the new MPLH metric after additional data collection.

The board did not adopt new policy during the presentation; staff described pilot work, planned reassessments and routine budget monitoring that will return to the board as data matures.

Staff sources: director of plant services Corey Bush; director of custodial services Nancy Anderson; food nutrition services (Angie Bush); transportation staff; director of information services Louise Bossardet; instructional technology coach specialist Amy Kopack; finance presenter Patty Womack; Dr. O'Brien (academic/strategic plan presenter).