School Notes
Supporting Student Success
Charlotte County Public Schools' District Support Services Division, we believe, is the backbone of our District. We are committed to supporting "Student Success" and will rise above our highest expectations to provide quality services and products. We are comprised of several departments:
Food and Nutrition Services safely prepares and serves healthy USDA meals to our students at 20 Champs Café sites. Serving over 2,800,000 well-balanced, nutritious meals annually, Champ's operates the largest restaurant chain in Charlotte County.
Maintenance and Operations maintains 3,000,000 square feet of conditioned space. The energy program has avoided utility costs of $8,114,701 since 2007. The District has been awarded thirteen Energy Star plaques for energy efficiency by the Department of Environmental Protection. Six schools have been recognized by the United States Green Building Council for their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
The Purchasing Department prepares approximately 120 competitive bids and approves over 6000 purchase orders annually. The Purchasing Team generates over $500,000 annually in cost savings by negotiating lower prices with suppliers. The Property Records Team generated approximately $169,000 during the 2010-2011 school year by selling surplus furniture and equipment.
Special Projects Center supports Charlotte and Glades County Public Schools. They offer thousands of audio-visual products and repair all equipment associated with these products. The media centers contain over 287,000 books and the Print Shop averages 15,000,000 impressions annually at a 40% cost avoidance when compared to the private sector.
The Transportation Department assures that eligible children arrive safely and on time to school and home daily. Nearly 90 buses travel approximately 2,000,000 miles annually. They are also responsible for ensuring that our fleet of service vehicles and school buses are maintained and inspected regularly.
Our journey continues. Our passion unmistakable. Our District's vision of "Student Success" is alive and well.
Jerry Olivo,
Assistant Superintendent
District Support Services
October 27, 2011
Give Kids a Smile
The goal of the Give Kids a Smile program is to provide dental care to children who do not receive assistance through other sources and do not currently have access to dental care. Children who are privately insured, insured through Healthy Kids, or are covered by Medicaid, or have access to dental care are not eligible. The Charlotte County Health Department in Port Charlotte located at 1100 Loveland Boulevard will treat children who are Medicaid participants.
Referrals to the program come from the school nurses as they frequently are a resource for parents whose children are in pain from an abscess or severe dental decay. If you are in need of a referral and meet the criteria contact your school nurse.
The success of the program is attributed to true commitment and teamwork from the local dental community, Charlotte Technical Center dental program, the school nurses, Charlotte County Health Department and local individuals and businesses who donate financial support for supplies.
The 5th Annual Give Kids a Smile program will be conducted on Fridays during the month of January and the first two Fridays in February at the Charlotte Technical Center Dental Clinic on the 2nd floor of the Health Sciences Building.
Gail Buck,
Supervisor
CCPS
District Health Services
October 20, 2011
The lives of nearly 8000 children rest in your hands.
These students ride Charlotte County Public School buses to and from school every day, Monday through Friday from August until the end of May. They wait at intersections in your neighborhood and walk along your streets. Their buses travel the major roads. You see them regularly from 6 AM until 9:15 AM and from 1:35 PM until after 5 PM.
We do everything possible to ensure a safe and efficient ride to and from school. All aspects of the transportation are carefully monitored.
The buses are purchased through a state contract and comply with Federal safety standards as well as the specifications established by Florida. Bus operations are monitored using the district's automated vehicle location system, and route observers. Bus stops are selected and reviewed regularly by Transportation including bus operators. Buses are inspected by certified mechanics every month to ensure all safety features are operating correctly.
The only aspects of student safety the school district cannot directly affect are the motorists sharing the roads. On March 2, 2001, 70 drivers failed to stop for a school bus while students were boarding or leaving the bus at a designated bus stop. These stops had been in place for the entire school year, and the time of the stop had not varied more than five minutes. Yet 70 motorists choose to risk the safety of our students rather than stop and wait, on average, less than a minute.
Stop and Wait. Be a part of ensuring all our students arrive at school and at home alive and healthy. October 17 – 21, 2011 is School Bus Safety Week.
Richard Duckworth,
Director
Student Transportation
October 7, 2011
Archived School Notes
Reading it’s not what it used to be...
Chris Bress, Executive Director,
Learning Through Technology and Media
September 29, 2011
Mom, Dad, and Mrs. Zeeches
Ron Schuyler, Principal,
The Academy
September 23, 2011
Charlotte Technical Center School Notes
Karyn Gary, Director,
Charlotte Technical Center
May 19, 2011