Sarasota board approves attendance policy, school-police MOU and curriculum items amid contested meeting
Summary
In the same meeting that saw extended public comment on immigration enforcement, the board approved a revised student-attendance policy, a memorandum of understanding with the sheriff to deputize district police leadership, and recommended financial-literacy instruction materials; some votes were split 3–2.
Sarasota County School Board members approved several operational and policy items on Jan. 20, including a revised student-attendance policy, a memorandum of understanding with the sheriff’s office to appoint district police leadership as deputy sheriffs, and district-developed financial-literacy curricular materials.
The board approved minutes and the consent agenda earlier in the meeting by unanimous votes. Superintendent John Connor highlighted consent agenda items and several high-profile purchases, including a not-to-exceed $3,000,000 contract for public-safety communications equipment to upgrade radio systems across the district.
On policy, the board debated a revised Policy 5.4 on student attendance. Some members expressed concerns about parental rights and teacher autonomy; others said the revisions standardize practice across schools. After discussion, the attendance policy was adopted by a 3–2 vote. The superintendent and board members agreed to publish the final policy and instruct staff to notify schools and families.
The board also voted unanimously to approve a memorandum of understanding with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office that authorizes the sheriff to appoint the district’s chief and deputy chief of school police as deputy sheriffs under Florida law. Supporters said the MOU strengthens safety coordination; a minority of members raised governance concerns about the timing of prior deputizations and asked for clearer board-to-sheriff communication in the future.
Another unanimous vote approved high-school financial-literacy and money-management instructional materials that the district’s curriculum team created in-house. District staff said the in-house materials will have no direct fiscal impact.
Quotations in this summary come from the official meeting record and on-the-record statements by Superintendent John Connor, board members, and School Police Chief Enos. The board directed staff to publish updated guidance and to continue partnership with law enforcement while emphasizing student privacy and counseling supports.
