Jolene Sheive sworn in to District 3 seat, joins all-female School Board
Raising, receiving and spending the money to provide effective education for nearly 73,000 students is extremely complex, but the main funding mechanism can be said simply and bluntly: Enrolled students equal money, as in state funding.
When students leave the School District for private schools or to be home schooled—or flee from immigration concerns—those state funds leave with them.
Unlike in Orange County, where school officials chose to close seven schools because of a decrease of 5,000 students, School District of Osceola County Superintendent Dr. Mark Shanoff made it clear at the last School Board meeting that no such crisis exists here.
“We do not plan on closing schools,” he said. “Our schools are in a healthy spot.”
But, in what’s being called a proactive move, the School Board approved a partnership with Memphis student communications firm Caissa K12 to help recruit students back into the Osceola district.
As part of the recruitment campaign, Caissa K12 will reach out to county families with students who are not currently enrolled in an Osceola County public school or a charter school. The focus will be, according to the district, on reaching the families of those students who were formally enrolled at some point in an Osceola public school.
The engagement will, “Provide information and support to families about schools and programs the district offers to best meet their child’s needs and interests, remove barriers that they may be experiencing, and help get them the resources they need to best set up their child(ren) for success.”
According to the contract documents, at $935 per student brought in (or back in), the district anticipates spending over $100,000.
According to Caissa K12’s packet to the district, it has worked nationally to re-enroll students.
“Parents start ‘shopping’ before kindergarten and again at key transition points (Pre-K to kindergarten, fifth to sixth grade, eighth to ninth, and when they move),” the packet states. “New movers, no-shows, recent withdrawals, and students outside feeder patterns are all being targeted by competitors. If we don’t reach them first with clear value, timely outreach, and persistent follow-up, your District risks losing them for multiple years.”
The company says it focuses on new students and “no shows”—registered students who never appeared on campus—and offers auditable reporting for its metrics.
Shanoff said a state family empowerment scholarship that provides funding to parents to send students to private schools or pay for homeschooling is responsible for an expected budget shortfall next year created by those students leaving.
“We are actively seeking students to return to us who were once enrolled,” Shanoff said at the meeting. “Our priority remains preserving and protecting the student experience the classroom. Much like every other district in the country … we have to be realistic and smart to ensure we fit within our budget and live within our means. Tough decisions in our district are imminent, but they are also locally determined.”
The vote to approve the contract was 4-1, with Paula Bronson voting against.
“I fully support the efforts to support our families,” she said. “Relying on Caissa K12 creates the perception that we are prioritizing marketing over addressing internal needs. Every dollar allocated toward recruitment is a dollar not invested in our student services or educational programs.”
Shanoff clarified the district currently lacks the administrative overhead “to do this outreach ourselves,” and that it is contracting with a company with a track record of doing this work.
Earlier in the meeting, Jolene Sheive was sworn in to fill the District 3 seat vacated in December when Anthony Cook left to attend to a family matter.
She joins Terry Castillo, Bethzaida Garcia, Heather Kahoun and Paula Bronson on fully-female board, joining Orange County as an allwoman board. “We were very sad to see Mr. Cook go,” Shanoff said. “The governor’s appointment office was pleased to make the recommendation and appointment. She was one of the first people I met when I came to Osceola County, and she’s been nothing but supportive of everything the district has done since then. The citizens and students of District 3 are lucky to have such a staunch ally and advocate.”
