Board member presses district for missing monthly financials; union warns of lost media‑aide positions and unpaid 'work for free' hours
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Summary
Board member Ms. Plavic pressed the superintendent for monthly financial statements that she says were not presented for a year and flagged a late state cost report; union leaders and HR staff described reductions in media‑aide positions, reduced hours for clerical and paraprofessional staff, and survey results indicating staff often work unpaid overtime.
At the Feb. 3 meeting, board member Ms. Plavic issued a series of detailed requests and concerns about the district's financial reporting and compliance.
Ms. Plavic said Policy 6233 requires monthly budget monitoring and asserted that the board had not received monthly financial statements since the spring of 2025. She asked staff to provide all financial statements from the prior fiscal year through the current month at the next board meeting. She also asked for clarity about the district's FEFP calculations following the state release on Jan. 23 and inquired whether the district had stopped paying a sales tax on rentals that the legislature repealed in October 2025.
On statutory reporting, Ms. Plavic stated the district had not uploaded a required cost report to the Florida Department of Education by the Sept. 9 due date; the deputy superintendent and Dr. Patton told the board the district expects to file the report within two weeks and have been in contact with the state deputy commissioner of finance and operations about the delay.
Separately, Carmen Ward, president of the Alachua County Education Association, said the bargaining unit has shrunk by about 400 employees and raised concerns that media aides were let go despite 1‑mill funding that could support those positions. Dr. Tessman, the district's chief negotiator, summarized survey results from affected staff: many clerical and paraprofessional employees have reduced hours, often skip breaks or lunches and commonly "work for free" (coming early, staying late, or skipping breaks) with no paid overtime; survey responses recorded that 79% of some groups did not take paid 15‑minute breaks and many reported unpaid extra hours.
Superintendent Dr. Patton and staff said they are hiring for key budget positions, have contacted the state to explain the late cost report and expect to be in compliance within two weeks, and are working to improve internal use of financial systems to reduce manual reporting burdens.
The board did not take formal disciplinary action; members said they expect the requested financial statements and additional clarification in upcoming meetings.