Government & Education news

LAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS SHARE PARENTS' CHOICES

7/30/2020

Lake County Schools asked parents to select from four options of instruction available to their children when school starts on August 24. Online enrollment intent forms were due by midnight yesterday and 39,331 responses were received.

THE RESULTS ARE...

Approximately 42% or 16,708 chose to return to brick-and-mortar schools for traditional, full-time instruction.
Approximately 26% percent, or 10,108, chose Lake Live, which provides structural virtual learning that mirrors the traditional daily school schedule. Students stay enrolled in their home school and are taught by teachers from their enrolled school when possible based upon enrollment and teacher availability.
Approximately 24%, or 9,584, selected full-time Lake County Virtual School, which offers flexible daily virtual learning with teachers available through the day and during evening hours. Instruction includes two to three teacher-led live lessons weekly.
Approximately 7% or 2,878, chose the Modified Day option, which offers students traditional in-school learning for English Language Arts and Math while taking their other courses through Lake County Virtual School.

District staff will filter the responses, understanding that some parents may have selected one option then later changed their minds and selected a different option. The most recent option submitted from each parent will be used for planning as district leaders prepare for students to resume instruction on Aug. 24.

Brick and mortar schools have been shuttered since March in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. For local things to do, click here and for the area's free mobile app, click here.

1 Comment

MOUNT DORA POLICE CHIEF ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT

7/28/2020

0 Comments

After almost three decades serving the City of Mount Dora, Police Chief Robert Bell made his retirement plans official today.

“Mount Dora Police Chief Robert Bell, who notified me on July 1 of his plans to retire, this week confirmed his official retirement date of August 7, 2020’,” stated CIty Manager Robin Hayes. “His retirement follows 27 years of service to the city and its residents as a Police Officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Deputy Chief, and for the last year as Chief of Police.”

During his years of service, Bell built strong relationships throughout the community with his priority of community policy. His long-standing personal involvement in the City’s Northeast community made Bell a trusted public servant among that historic neighborhood’s civic leaders.

In his retirement letter dated July 1, Bell strongly encouraged the City Manager to continue to place special emphasis on Mount Dora’s downtown which is its economic engine, as well as the Northeast community.

“The Northeast is a historic part of Mount Dora comprised of many wonderful families with history and roots that go back to Mount Dora‘s beginnings. The people living in that area love Mount Dora and want to be an integral part of its future.” wrote Bell in a thoughtful resignation letter.

Mount Dora Police Department (MDPD) has suffered from internal strife before and after its former Police Chief John O’Grady was suspended and eventually terminated in 2019. The investigation into O’Grady exposed a fractured and polarized department resulting in multiple lawsuits on all sides and Bell is not without critics inside the agency.

Bell announced his retirement to Mount Dora City Council today during a scheduled work session and introduced them to MDPD's new Acting Chief Brett Meade, an accomplished law enforcement professional with more than 38 years in law enforcement, including 25 years with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Meade is recognized across the country as a senior program manager with the National Police Foundation, and as a leader in operational and policy development and implementation. The new Acting Chief's experience is complemented by his education which include a doctorate in education in Organizational Leadership, a master’s degree in Public Administration, and a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration.

Bell’s retirement is the second big change at MDPD within a week. On July 21, Assistant Police Chief Michael Fewless, who joined MDPD in 2019, was terminated by Human Resources Director Sharon Kraynik for violating the City's media policy.

Meade will begin work immediately on an entire review of the Police Department. Over the past month, issues of concern, including questions about both personnel and policies, have been raised by members of the Mount Dora Police Department. The new Acting Chief’s prior experience in this type of review, played a significant role in the decision to name him as acting chief, according to Hayes.

Bell concluded his resignation letter to Hayes by stating “...the support that I have received from you and our City Council, over the last year, has been exceptional. I am most appreciative of all you have done to help us be successful. Thank you for your leadership, your guidance, and your friendship. I look forward to continuing that friendship into the future.”

“We are proud to be the nation’s first accredited police department and MDPD is committed to professional operations and treating all officers, staff, and residents with respect.” said Hayes. “That same commitment by leadership and staff also includes following procedures to ensure the best possible services are provided to the community.”

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here.   For local things to do, click here and for the area's free mobile app, click here.

0 Comments

LAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS DEEMED HIGH RISK BY CDC GUIDELINES

7/23/2020

1 Comment

(Edited July 24, 6:22 pm)

On July 20, Lake County School Board unanimously adopted its reopening plan with safety protocols for the District’s schools that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify as high risk settings for a school environment. The CDC and Florida Department of Health only recommend school settings that have protocols in place that create low or moderate risk environments, according to Aaron Kissler, Florida Department of Health’s Lake County Director.

On a few occasions early into the almost eight-hour meeting, Kissler reiterated to School Board members that if the schools didn’t provide six feet of social distancing and face coverings indoors, the schools wouldn’t be following current CDC guidelines, and the schools would be assessed as “high risk” environments for spreading COVID-19.

LCS safety protocols do require face coverings when 6 feet of social distancing isn’t possible, which Dr. Kristi Burns, Chairperson of Lake County School Board, told Mount Dora Buzz applies to the vast majority of spaces in Lake County Schools. The lack of space for social distancing, even with masks, keeps the schools in the CDC’s category of higher risk environments.

LCS Board Members Sandy Gamble, whose district includes Astatula, Mount Dora, Tavares and Sorrento schools; and Marc Dodd, whose district includes Clermont schools, did not respond to an email request for input on this issue.

Most health experts recommend students be kept out of brick-and-mortar schools until the positivity testing rates for the novel coronavirus falls between 3 and 5 percent for two weeks, according to Dr. D. Paul Robinson, president of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FCAAP) executive board.  To date, the CDC has not set a benchmark infection rate to reopen schools. Lake County's testing positivity rate was 8.7% at the time LCS Board unanimously approved the higher risk plan.

Recently, corporations like Lowes, Walmart, Home Depot, Publix, Aldi and others implemented face covering requirements to protect their employees and customers. The protocols approved by the LCS Board represent a stark difference. There was no discussion at the July 20 LCS Board Meeting to adopt the same precautions indoors to protect children, teachers, employees and the community. The reopening plan has been months in the making and the District is in an unenviable position requiring it to juggle limited resources like funding, teachers and space, along with safety.

Lake County Schools’ reopening plan also included a new instructional option for students, so on July 22 the District notified parents that a new online form was available for them to select which type of instruction they would like for their children. Each option has a brief description on LCS’ website. However, the Traditional Option which returns students to brick-and-mortar schools, didn’t mention the high-risk designation of its schools. That information could have provided families, as well as school employees, with additional criteria to make more informed decisions for their families' particular circumstances.

At the request of Burns, board members agreed to send a letter to Florida’s Governor, Ron DeSantis, asking that local school boards have the authority to determine when and how it is safe to open all schools for daily face-to-face instruction. In doing so, the District would be asking for a waiver of the emergency order issued by Florida's education commissioner earlier this month requiring schools to open in August with a full-time, five-day-a-week traditional option available to families who want it.

After being shuttered since March in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus, public schools in Lake County will reopen on Aug. 24, two weeks later than the original date of August 10. The extra weeks provide additional time for teachers and staff to plan, train and prepare. It also gives district leaders more time to monitor local COVID cases in collaboration with the local health department.

Brick-and-mortar school buildings will open five days a week, as required by a State of Florida order, and offer traditional face-to-face instruction to students who choose that option. Middle and high schools will operate on a modified block schedule which lowers class sizes and requires fewer class transitions for students during the day. This is an effort to minimize their risk of potential exposure to the virus.

In addition to traditional instruction at brick-and-mortar school, Lake County students and their families can also choose from three other instructional options: full-time online instruction through Lake County Virtual School (LCVS), and the Modified Day option, which allows students to take English Language Arts and math classes at their school and their other classes at home via LCVS. Students that select LCVS will not lose their School Choice waiver. On July 20, ,the School Board made a fourth option available, Lake Live, which is a full-time online option with daily instruction from teachers at the students' home school or a school in their geographic region, when possible. Students are not required to withdraw from their brick-and-mortar school to pursue this option.

Previously, parents were asked to complete an online Parent Intent Form to let the district know which of the three options they prefer, but a new online form was created to include the fourth option. Parents will have until July 29 to complete the form again.

Arriving at school will also be different for school bus riders when school resumes. Drivers and students will be required to wear face coverings. High touch areas will be cleaned between routes and each bus will be thoroughly disinfected daily. Bus windows will be cracked to allow for greater ventilation. Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and other sensory sensitivities, may have challenges wearing a face covering. The face-covering requirement for such students will be evaluated on an individual basis.

At school, temperature checks will be conducted on any student who exhibits any COVID-19 symptoms. Students exhibiting any symptoms, unless determined by the school nurse to pose no threat to other students, will be isolated from other students until the parent arrives to pick up the student from the school. Hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, soap and water will be readily available to employees, students and visitors. Cleaning protocols will be increased, including replacing air filters as required by manufacture or sooner. This also includes cleaning cooling coils with disinfectant as per manufacturer recommendations. The full list of safety protocols is available here.

Editor’s note: Due to the ambiguity of the CDC’s guidance for schools pertaining to whether some or all of the criteria had to be met in a given risk classification, the language in this article was revised to conservatively reflect the high risk assessment at the time of the July 20 meeting.  The link to the guidelines was provided in the article for readers, so they can make their own determination about what is best for their circumstances.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here.  For local things to do, click here. For the area's entertainment calendar, click here.

1 Comment

TAVARES HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM QUARANTINED AFTER 2 PLAYERS TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

7/14/2020

0 Comments

It’s long been a summer high school football tradition when teams begin rigorous summer workouts in June for the physical preparation of the upcoming season. This summer was no exception for Lake County’s public high schools.

Now the 33 members of Tavares High School’s football team and five of its coaches have been asked by Lake County Schools (LCS) to quarantine for 14 days after two of the players tested positive for COVID-19.

“The team was on the field last week, practicing social distancing during their workouts. A lightning storm came up, and they quickly took cover in the field house where they were unable to maintain that distancing,” said Sheri Owens, the Communications Officer for Lake County Schools. A couple of days later, LCS learned that two players tested positive for the novel coronavirus and asked the 33 students and five adults who were with them to quarantine for 14 days.

As of yesterday, the district had not received any reports of anyone else from the group being symptomatic or testing positive.

Summer workouts for the team have been shut down temporarily, but practices could resume on July 21, although, according to Owens, they have not yet been scheduled by the coaching staff.

In preparation for students’ return to school on August 10, Lake County Schools is offering three instructional options that include traditional in-school learning, full-time Lake County Virtual School and a modified-day learning which is a combination of the two. Read more about the options here.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. For local things to do, click here. For the area's entertainment calendar, click here.

Get the free Moble App

0 Comments

MOUNT DORA TO REQUIRE FACE MASKS STARTING JULY 10

7/7/2020

(Updated July 11, 2:19pm)

In response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases and the concern for residents, visitors and business owners, Mount Dora City Council unanimously passed a resolution requiring face coverings be worn by employees and patrons inside public places throughout the City.

Starting on Friday, July 10, every person working, living, visiting or doing business in the City of Mount Dora is required to wear a face covering, consistent with the current CDC guidelines, while inside any public place. This includes businesses on U.S. 441 like Publix, Walmart and Target, as well as the small businesses in downtown and the rest of the city. Face coverings are not required outdoors.

The new resolution also requires people within the City of Mount Dora to practice social distancing by staying at least six feet apart while in public places.

There are exemptions to the City’s face mask requirement including:

Children under the age of two.
People for whom a face covering would cause impairment due to an existing health condition or disability.
Persons working in a business or profession who are not interacting with the public and who are able to maintain social distancing from co-workers.
Persons working in or within portions of a business or profession who do not have face to face interaction with others.
Persons exercising while maintaining social distancing.

In recent weeks, as COVID-19 cases continued to climb in Florida, Mayor Cathy Hoechst had encouraged residents through mass emails and phone calls to voluntarily wear masks for the sake of public health. That effort was met with limited success, so the temporary resolution requiring face coverings was the Council's next step (below is a downloadable copy of the resolution).

mount_dora_-_face_covering_resolution.pdf
File Size:	1893 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

The Mayor and council members stated they been contacted by concerned residents encouraging them to mandate masks. Councilman Cal Rolfson shared that a couple informed him they wouldn’t return to Mount Dora businesses until masks were mandated or the threat from the novel coronavirus had passed. Meanwhile, Sharon Crow, a downtown business owner, told the Council that although she required masks in her store, some of her patrons expressed their unease that so many people were not following the CDC’s face mask guidelines in Mount Dora.

"It is the intent of Resolution 20-128 to achieve voluntary compliance; however, social distancing is required in all public places (inside and outdoors) and face coverings are required inside public places (not outdoors) subject to CDC listed exceptions," stated Mount Dora City Attorney Sherry Sutphen via email. "Furthermore, it is the intent of the City to monitor the requirements set forth in Resolution 20-128 and as data and information change, the regulation parameters can be increased or decreased according to the status of the virus. Based on the current intent of the Resolution, education of the requirements is the City’s goal for enforcement."

As Florida’s COVID-19 cases continue to be monitored, the details of the ordinance will be reviewed again at upcoming City Council meetings in case updates are warranted.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. For local things to do, click here. For the area's entertainment calendar, click here.

Local Dining Guide

Shopping Guide

FREE FACE MASKS AVAILABLE AT LAKE COUNTY LIBRARIES ON JULY 7 & 8

7/7/2020

2 Comments

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners will partner with the Florida Department of Health to provide reusable cloth face coverings to Lake County residents. The effort helps to promote the Florida Department of Health Advisory for residents to wear masks in public and socially distance.

Free face coverings are available to Lake County residents only (limit 1 per person) and will be available at the following locations from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 7 and July 8:

Astor County Library, 54905 Alco Road, Astor
East Lake County Library, 31340 S. County Road 437, Sorrento
Cagan Crossing Public Library, 16729 Cagan Oaks, Clermont
Marion Baysinger Memorial Library, 756 W. Broad St., Groveland
Paisley County Library, 24954 County Road 42, Paisley
Lake County Agricultural Center, 1951 Woodlea Rd, Tavares
Lake County Transit Office, 2440 U.S. Hwy 441, Fruitland Park

The CDC’s updated guidelines recommends all people 2 years of age and older wear a cloth face covering in public settings and when around people who don’t live in their household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. COVID-19 can be spread by people who do not have symptoms and do not know that they are infected, so it’s important for everyone to wear cloth face coverings in public settings and practice social distancing, according to the agency's updated guidelines.

The CDC also recognizes that in some situations, wearing a cloth face covering may exacerbate particular physical or mental health conditions, and in those cases adaptations and alternatives should be considered whenever possible.

Since March 1, 1990 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Lake County and there have been 24 deaths from the disease. 45 new cases were reported in Lake County county yesterday.

Visit the CDC’s COVID-19 resource page for more information about proper mask use and care., as well as adaptions for those that need them.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. For local things to do, click here. For the area's entertainment calendar, click here.

2 Comments

LAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS ANNOUNCES OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS TO RETURN TO SCHOOL

7/1/2020

3 Comments

In preparation for students’ return to school in the fall, Lake County Schools is offering options:

Traditional in-school learning,
Full-time online learning through Lake County Virtual School, and
Modified-day learning, a combination of the two.

The district has launched a new website at lake.k12.fl.us/reopening to explain the differences. Parents are asked to visit the site and by Monday, July 13, indicate on a form which option they prefer. The form for parents to select their choice is available here. The selection of an option on the form does not lock a parent into a decision or enroll the student, but rather gathers information for the district for planning. Once a student is officially enrolled in an option, the district prefers that choice is for the entire school year or semester.

TRADITIONAL IN-SCHOOL LEARNING

The traditional option is a full return to school buildings with teachers delivering instruction in person during the school day. Students will have opportunities to collaborate, communicate and problem solve with each other. This option includes enhanced safety protocols, such as six feet of social distancing in classrooms, hallways, gyms and cafeterias when possible. When social distancing isn’t possible due to classroom space or the setting, the district is still considering whether face coverings will be mandatory or strongly recommended for students and employees. Additional protocols include increased sanitization, limited group gatherings and temperature checks after a student or employee has exhibited COVID-19 symptoms.
The district is still developing a final list of safety protocols that will be in effect when school resumes. That list will be provided in the near future.

VIRTUAL SCHOOL

The full-time Lake County Virtual School option will give students access to a rigorous, fully accredited K-12 online curriculum with interactive teacher-led lessons for select content.

modified day learning

The modified-day option is a combination of the other two. It offers instruction for English language arts and math in a traditional school setting, with other courses (social studies, science and electives) offered through Lake County Virtual School. Students will be assigned either a morning or afternoon session for the traditional instruction. The district will not provide mid-day transportation for students who choose this option.

Lake County Schools purchased additional Chromebook computers so that every K-12 student can be issued a device. Students will not be asked to share a device with siblings. This investment will allow all students access to online curriculum and instruction, regardless of whether they choose the traditional, virtual or modified-day option.

An online survey of parents and students taken last month prior to the rising local COVID-19 cases resulted in 58 percent of parent and student respondents reporting they feel comfortable returning to brick-and-mortar school buildings this fall with unspecified safety protocols in place.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. For local things to do, click here. For the area's entertainment calendar, click here.

3 Comments

VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR AUGUST PRIMARY IS THIS MONTH

7/1/2020

0 Comments

There’s no ignoring it’s election season. July 20th is the voter registration deadline for the upcoming Primary Election in Florida. Voters need to register and/or make party affiliation changes by that date in order to vote in the Primary Election on August 18th.

Online registration is available at www.LakeVotes.com, or voters may register in person at the Lake County Supervisor of Elections Office at 1898 E. Burleigh Boulevard (U.S. Highway 441) in Tavares. Voter registration application forms are also available at area libraries and at the DMV when obtaining or renewing a Florida driver’s license. Applications can also be mailed to voters, by calling the elections office at 352.343.9734.

RELATED STORY: 10 Things You Need to Know to Run for Mount Dora City Council

Florida holds closed Primary Elections, which require voters to be registered with one of the major parties to participate in that party’s Primary. Voters registered as No Party Affiliation (NPA) or with one of the minor parties can also vote on August 18, however their ballot will be limited to non-partisan races and any local referendums. If all candidates for a particular contest are from the same party and will not have opposition in the General Election in November, that race becomes a Universal Primary where all registered voters, regardless of their party affiliation, are eligible to vote in that contest.

Voters can check their registration status, as well as make changes to their voter record on the Lake County Supervisor of Elections website at https://www.lakevotes.com/Voting/Voter-Information .

“One of the easiest ways to avoid delays at the polls is to keep your voter record current,” said Alan Hays, Lake County Supervisor of Elections. “Our office is here to serve you, and we look forward to seeing you at the polls,” Hays added.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. For local things to do, click here. For the area's entertainment calendar, click here.

0 Comments

10 THINGS TO KNOW TO RUN FOR MOUNT DORA CITY COUNCIL

7/1/2020

1 Comment

When it comes to government, there are lots of armchair quarterbacks and second-guessers. In the end, there are only seven elected representatives in Mount Dora serving their community--one mayor and six council members--that have the final say on decisions. Three of those seats will have open elections this year and the qualifying period is just around the corner. In recent elections, many city council candidates run without opposition.

Here’s some timely information for residents interested in serving in their community:

1. What are the requirements?
A candidate must be an eligible voter in Mount Dora for no less than 12 consecutive months prior to filing for candidacy. Paperwork must be filed by the end of qualifying period (August 14 at noon).

2. What education and experience is required to run for city council?
There is no particular experience or education required.

3. What and when is the qualifying period?
The qualifying period is the timeframe to turn in the paperwork, also referred to as “the packet.” The qualifying period for the November 3, 2020 city election begins at noon on August 10 at noon and ends at noon on August 14 at noon. So the paperwork must be completed and turned into the City Clerk by that date and time. View and download the packet with complete instructions and forms here.

4. What are the three city council seats up for election?
Council seats for District 2 (including Northeast Mount Dora and Country Club of Mount Dora), and District 3 (including Lake Gertrude parts of downtown & Chautauqua), plus an at-large council seat (includes entire city). View district map below (click to enlarge) or download PDF.

mount_dora_city_council_district_map.pdf
File Size:	4222 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

5. What is the difference between the district council members and at-large council members?
District candidates are elected by voters residing in that defined district (see district map). At-large council members are elected by all the voters throughout the City.

Additionally, at-large city council seats and the mayor seat allow candidates to live anywhere within the city limits. District council members are required to live in their specific district. (See district below)    Mount Dora City Council has four district council members and two at-large, plus the mayor which is an at-large seat.

6. How long are the terms?
All city council terms are two years.

7. How much money do candidates typically raise for a campaign?
Historically, that can vary greatly depending on the district, the number of candidates vying for the same seat and the effectiveness of a candidate's campaign strategy. The ballpark range for the specific district seats this year may be $2,000 to $5,000. The mayor seat and at-large council seat require additional money to reach more voters in a larger geographic area, so the ballpark amount is likely $8,000 for a 2-person race.

8. How much are the council members and mayor compensated?
Approximately $6,000 and $10,000 respectively.

9. Where do I turn in my paperwork packet?
City Clerk’s office located on the second floor of CIty Hall at 510 N. Baker Street.

10. There is no time like the present to get involved.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here.   For local things to do, click here. For the area's entertainment calendar, click here.

1 Comment