Daily there are new revelations surfacing about the ethical and legal conduct of the Sarasota County School Board, District Staff and the Financial Advisory Committee relating to the School Tax Referendum.  A clear pattern of behavior is forming and it is to say the least disturbing. Many are questioning the School Board and District Staff doing things that while not perhaps illegal are certainly un-ethical. Let me list those specific activities that many parents, citizens and even some district employees have seriously questioned:

1. The Sarasota County School Board (SCSB) and Sarasota Classified Teachers Association (SCTA) put a specific "trigger" in the current collective bargaining contract that both telegraphs an economic loss and puts a reminder on paychecks of that loss should the School Tax Referendum fail to pass. I wrote a column asking if this is a backdoor way of influencing district employees to vote in favor of the referendum and therefore a violation of Federal Election laws.
2. The District Communications Department with the knowledge of the School Board and Superintended sent out flyers using students to deliver them to parents which lists the political action committee Citizens for Better Schools (CBS) as the point of contact agency for information on the School Tax Referendum. This action led to the filing of formal Florida Election Fraud Complaint.
3. The Venice Taxpayers League is considering filing an injunction to stop the School Tax Referendum special election because the District Financial Advisory Committee did not operate in the Sunshine as required by Florida statute.
4. The School District allowed at least one school principal to use the district Connect-ED emergency notification robo-call system to notify parents to register to vote on the referendum.
5. The School Board's use of Certificates of Participation (COPS) for funding massive school renovation and construction projects bypassing the voters on bond issue referendums.
6. The Citizens for Better School (CBS) political action committee receives 97% of its funding to date from the SCTA union. They used the $28,500 donated by the SCTA to print expensive four color brochures, which support the referendum. In effect these brochures have been paid for using property tax payer dollars. The School District collects the union dues and sends a check to the SCTA all for free.
7. The District Financial Advisory Committee taking an "advocacy role" to push the passage of the referendum as detailed in an e-mail from the Chair to Committee Members and District Staff.
8. Parents are reporting that pro-Referendum signs are being distributed by schools on behalf of the political action committee Citizens for Better Schools. Attempts to provide parents with information on the other side of the issue are rejected.
9. The School District's on-hold message promotes Citizens for Better Schools and provides the web adreess for this pro-Referendum political action committee.

It is clear that the referendum is in deep trouble. The latest example occurred today when the Venice City Council voted 4 to 2 to table a motion supporting the School Tax Referendum, a major political defeat for the School Board and School District.

Clearly, the School Board and District Staff with the help of CBS and SCTA are doing things that are most certainly questionable, undoubtedly un-ethical and possibly illegal. Is this the example that you and I want for our kids? What ever happened to being fair, doing the right thing, holding to values and setting the ethical bar high?

Sarasota County School District Setting A Bad Example for Kids?

By Dr. Richard Swier | 02/09/10

I have been covering the Sarasota School Tax Referendum and reported on several activities of the School Board and School District that are questionable at best. One of my columns reported on an election felony complaint filed by Better Sarasota Schools for Less (BSSFL).

http://www.redcounty.com/sarasota-county-school-district- setting-a-bad-example-kids/36716