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Board questions value and costs of memberships; Council of Great City Schools HR audit draws scrutiny
Summary
Board members debated district and board membership dues (Council of Great City Schools, FSBA, chamber) and requested a breakdown of membership fees, travel expenses and the timeline and cost for a recent HR audit performed by the Council of Great City Schools.
Duval County School District board members pressed district staff for a detailed accounting of membership dues, travel expenses and a recent human-resources audit performed by the Council of Great City Schools.
The topic surfaced during discussion of agenda item 1, a package of district and board memberships. Several board members asked whether the Council of Great City Schools (a national membership organization serving large districts) provides unique, recurring technical support for the district and whether the cost should be borne from the board budget or staff budgets.
Superintendent (name not specified) described the council as a national peer network that provides monthly calls, rapid legal and operational support and connections to other large urban districts. The superintendent said the council had helped district leaders coordinate responses to federal funding and executive‑order guidance and that the district had used the council’s HR review as part of internal improvement work.
Board members asked for a “bring back” that would itemize: (1) the district versus individual membership options, (2) travel expenses broken down by organization for the last 12 months, and (3) a cost breakdown of council services beyond membership dues, including the HR audit and any additional consulting. One board member specifically requested travel totals “by organization” rather than traveler names.
Board members raised the timing and availability of an HR audit report performed by the Council of Great City Schools. Multiple speakers said they had only recently received the council’s written findings even though the audit work had occurred earlier. Board members described the timing as problematic because a council representative, Mr. Hart, was scheduled to appear at the same meeting where the board was being asked to renew the district’s membership. One board member said: “It’s just very interesting that it is coming on the night that we’re voting for this contract.”
Staff acknowledged the audit was a negotiated service paid by the district and said the HR review was completed sometime after the council’s site visit; one staff remark referenced an audit cost “around $40,000,” and another speaker referenced $46,000. District staff agreed to provide a timeline showing when the audit was requested, performed and reported to the board, and to clarify what portion of council expenses are district‑level services versus board membership fees.
Several board members suggested the board could “cherry pick” organizations to reduce duplicate memberships. Others said the council’s value lay in its direct peer support for large districts and that its services were used by cabinet members as well as the superintendent.
No formal vote on membership renewals was recorded in the workshop discussion. Board members asked staff to return with the requested itemized costs, travel totals and an explanation of whether portions of council services could be funded from other budget lines.
