Brevard board weighs closing ALC model in favor of school-based diversion, staff say savings possible

District staff presented two options for Brevard Public Schools’ response to serious student disciplinary incidents during a Feb. 11 work session: (1) maintain and strengthen Alternative Learning Centers (ALCs) as five-day placements with enhanced stipulation agreements, or (2) expand a school-based diversion program modeled on the district’s drug‑diversion work, keeping students at their home schools under strict conditions with weekly counseling and possible online curricular placement.

Mr. Raymer, who led the presentation, and Misty Bland, director of alternative sites, described current operations and data for the North Central ALC (Merritt Island) and South ALC (Melbourne), and presented staffing, transportation and budget summaries.

Why it matters: The board must balance student safety and learning needs, staff capacity, transportation impacts and fiscal considerations. Board members generally favored pursuing the diversion option but asked staff to refine offense categorizations, implementation details and supports for principals and school staff.

Summary of current practice and two options

Current operations: District staff said North Central had 18 enrolled students (as of Feb. 13) and South had 91. Elementary-level students attend the ALC five days a week; secondary students commonly attend a hybrid schedule (two days on-site, two days off) depending on academic performance. The district currently operates about seven buses to transport ALC students (four north, three south) and employs 38 staff at the two ALCs.

Option 1 — ALC as five-day program: Under this option, all students in the ALC would attend five days a week, supported by a strengthened stipulation conduct agreement (already approved by the board). The district has moved to a model of limiting ALC placement to once per grade band (one time K–6 and one time 7–12) to reduce repeat placements. Staff warned that secondary class sizes could rise into the mid‑20s as the year progresses without earned‑return adjustments.

Option 2 — School-based diversion and online curricular placement: Option 2 would expand the existing drug‑diversion approach to other qualifying level‑4 offenses, keeping students at their home schools on a stipulation conduct agreement, requiring weekly counseling, excluding students from extracurriculars while under the agreement, and, where necessary, offering an online curricular placement monitored by certified teachers. Staff described the diversion model as requiring two district social workers for counseling support and an online program staff need of four secondary and one elementary teacher to monitor coursework.

Staffing, transportation and budget considerations

Staff said the two ALCs combined operate on an approximately $1.2 million annual budget each (3‑year average); combined operational and staffing costs run in that range and would not be completely recouped if buildings remain open for other uses. If the district expands diversion, staff estimated 31 existing ALC staff could be reallocated back to school assignments while retaining seven staff for a smaller centralized program. Transportation savings from reassigned buses could be redeployed to other routes.

Board questions and policy details

Board members and district staff focused on how to classify level‑4 and level‑5 offenses, the statutory limits for certain offenses (for example, mandatory long-term expulsion for pulling a fire alarm was referenced), and how to ensure students in online curricular placements remain on track academically. Staff proposed a measurable engagement requirement for online placements (for example, completing at least 6% of each course per week) and indicated that failure to meet pacing could trigger a full expulsion recommendation.

Several board members suggested reclassifying specific offenses from level 4 to level 5 (false accusations against staff, hazing, sexual assault, sexual harassment and similar acts) to ensure immediate expulsion consideration. Trustees also emphasized that implementation details — school-based supervision, social‑worker assignments, and principal input — must be refined with the district’s discipline committee before a final change to the code of conduct.

Direction and next steps

Board members generally favored Option 2 (expanded diversion) as the next step. Staff were directed to refine the level‑4/level‑5 breakdown, work with principals and the district discipline committee to develop implementation procedures, and return with proposed language and operational details for the 2025–26 school year. Staff also noted the district will need to maintain clear timelines (earned‑return dates were already tightened) and monitoring procedures to ensure students make academic progress while excluded from extracurriculars.

Ending

Staff will bring a refined plan — including offense categorizations, staffing assignments, social‑work coverage and online curricular requirements — to the discipline committee and then to the board for formal action. The board requested additional data on repeat ALC placements for the current cohort and on implementation budgets.