Government & Education news

LAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS TO OFFER RAPID COVID-19 TESTS

8/4/2020

Speedy results make a big difference when it comes to COVID-19 testing. Lake County Schools announced today that the district has created public and private partnerships to make rapid testing available to all district employees and students prior to the first day of school on August 24.

For rapid testing, a simple finger-prick will yield results in 10 minutes. Anyone whose results show an active infection will receive a second test for confirmation.The procedure will also test for antibodies, indicating that a person has been infected with the virus at some point in the past. People with confirmed positive test results would be required to quarantine for three days and then be tested again. Once they test negative, they can come to school or work without restrictions.

The process will work similarly throughout the school year when roving nurses will be available to test symptomatic students and employees. This will allow the district to more quickly and accurately identify students and staff who need to be quarantined instead of shutting down entire classes or other large groups because of the possibility of exposure.

Lake County Schools partnered with Adult Medicine of Lake County, the Department of Health in Lake County, and Lake County government to make the rapid testing possible.

“The hope is that parents will not hide their children’s symptoms with fever-reducing medicines and then send them to school, where they could potentially infect others. Instead, they can let their school nurse know about the symptoms, get tested, and get answers right away,” said Matt Cady of Adult Medicine of Lake County.

“Many of our parents work outside the home, and the idea of a blanket 10- to 14-day quarantine could sideline them financially,” School Board member Bill Mathias said. “With rapid testing, that quarantine period can be drastically reduced for those who are not infected. Students can get back to thriving in their classrooms and parents can get back to work much more quickly.”

District leaders are also pursuing funding partnerships for other safety measures in classrooms, including acrylic partitions for tables and desks and a protective coating that could prevent viruses and bacteria from adhering to and growing on flat surfaces.

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TREES MARKED ON SHADY MOUNT DORA STREET ARE NOT DEJA VU

8/2/2020

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For some it may seem like deja vu for Mount Dora, but things aren’t always as they appear. Last week, some residents expressed concern about approximately five to eight towering trees on the City’s shady Overlook Drive appeared to be marked for trimming or removal. That concern caused a flash back to 2015, when approximately 23 shade trees were removed from the city’s historic downtown streets and the canopy was never replaced.

This time is much different. After the public outcry over the incident five years ago, the City contracted an arborist to take an inventory of the City’s trees and their condition. The report identified the marked trees on Overlook as diseased or damaged and the majority of those trees have easily visible signs of such issues to even novice sets of eyes.

“At this time, the trees are not being removed as we are waiting for our Public Works Manager to come back from vacation to advise further on when and how the work can be done,” stated Lisa McDonald, spokesperson for the CIty of Mount Dora. “All precautionary steps are being taken, including using our tree removal permitting process.”

It’s not clear at this point whether the shade trees will be replaced, but City Manager Robin Hayes will give an update about the Overlook Drive trees at Tuesday's public CIty Council Meeting.

Five years ago, residents tied green ribbons on their trees, doors, mailboxes, and cars,to symbolize their request that the Mayor and City Council do more to preserve and restore Mount Dora's arborous charm after downtown’s mature shade canopy was destroyed. The goal was to encourage the city council to develop a timeline to replace fifty percent of the palms planted downtown in 2015 with shade trees similar to those planted in other Florida municipalities, including downtown Eustis and Sanford.

Below are photos of the current diseased and damaged trees on Overlook Drive.

After the 2015 controversy, some officials expressed their desire to replace some of the palms on downtown’s Donnelly Street with small shade trees. However, that hasn’t happened and the shady, quaint canopy that once existed downtown is now a distant memory.

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LAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS SHARE PARENTS' CHOICES

7/30/2020

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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.

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MOUNT DORA POLICE CHIEF ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT

7/28/2020

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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.”

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LAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS DEEMED HIGH RISK BY CDC GUIDELINES

7/23/2020

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(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.

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

7/14/2020

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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.

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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).

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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.

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

7/7/2020

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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.

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LAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS ANNOUNCES OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS TO RETURN TO SCHOOL

7/1/2020

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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.

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VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR AUGUST PRIMARY IS THIS MONTH

7/1/2020

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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.

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