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Madison County School Board instructs North Florida Child Development to vacate site by Nov. 3; motion passes 4-1
Summary
After months of negotiations and a payment of prior arrears, the board voted 4-1 to direct its attorney to issue a vacate notice to North Florida Child Development and to end district-provided services to that site effective with the vacate timeline.
The Madison County School Board voted 4-1 on a motion to direct the district attorney to issue a vacate notice to North Florida Child Development and to require that the provider vacate the premises by Nov. 3.
Superintendent (name not specified) told the board that North Florida Child Development had submitted payment of past arrears — "she brought the $51,006.75 ... She paid that and submitted that payment," the superintendent said during the meeting — but that the district currently does not have an active agreement with the provider. The superintendent said about 37 children are enrolled at the site now and that the program had a federal slot capacity of 54 (17 slots unfilled).
Board members discussed options ranging from entering a new agreement to absorbing the children into district programs. The board considered whether to continue transportation and feeding services for the children if the provider remained on the premises. Miss Knight moved that the attorney be asked to issue a vacate notice and to set a vacate deadline; Miss Hagan seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-1.
The board resolved that all services provided to North Florida Child Development by the district would terminate on the effective date in the notice and that the provider must vacate by Nov. 3. The superintendent said district staff are prepared to enroll the children into district-run programs and to try to make the transition "seamless" so that the children are not disrupted.
Board members noted the board had previously considered the matter and that the principal new fact since that meeting was the payment of past arrears. The superintendent also said the district had a staff member available to take over care for the children if the program closed.
The board vote was recorded as 4 in favor, 1 opposed. No roll-call names for each vote were read into the record during the motion. The board instructed the attorney to prepare the vacate notice and to coordinate the date for termination of district services.
The board's action does not itself create a new contractual relationship with any provider; it directs the district attorney to issue notice under the district's legal authority and directs staff to manage enrollment and services for the affected children in coordination with district procedures.
