New format! January 2019 Legacy Letter

January 2019

Happy New Year!

We hope your holiday season was merry & bright, and that the new year finds you well.

School is back in session this Thursday, January 10. The BPS spring theatre schedule should be available in February. Please contact schools directly for performance information until then.

For a larger, printable version of January's calendar simply click on it, and a new window will open.

Visit our Website

BPS spending sales tax for facilities

the way voters mandated

Brevard Public Schools continues to spend money from a one-half-cent sales surtax for facility renewal and repairs the way voters were promised when they passed the levy in 2014.

That’s the main finding by the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, an 11-member watchdog group from across Brevard County that was established by voters as part of the tax initiative. Committee Chairman Gary Shiffrin called its most recent annual report “good news” for taxpayers.

Overall, 75 out of 83 BPS schools have received some type of facility investment, primarily for failing air-conditioning units and electrical and mechanical systems, says the committee’s annual report. The document includes a summary with photos (included below) of major projects completed in the past year.

Where the surtax money has gone:

· 79.28% - Facility renewal

· 12.8% - Education technology

· 2.9% - Security-related building upgrades

· 5.1% - Construction contingency

The sales surtax began January 1, 2015 and continues through December 31, 2021. It was estimated to generate $198 million in capital funding for a list of specific, critical repairs and replacement projects at schools across the Space Coast. Many of those schools were built during the Apollo era 40-50 years ago.

Small but significant portions of surtax revenue have been spent on security-related improvements and modernizing or replacing technology used in education. Those uses, too, were approved by Brevard County voters in 2014.

Higher-than-estimated revenue from the tax allowed the School Board to accelerate the voter-approved security projects, which were substantially completed by the start of the 2018-2019 school year. Security projects included the installation of high-quality perimeter fencing and gates to create at every school a “single point of access” where remote-locking doors and cameras control and monitor visitor access.

Unfortunately, Shiffrin said, conditions at schools on the voter-approved project list have continued to deteriorate since 2014.

“Facility renewal investment has been largely focused on mechanical and electrical systems, although the need for building envelope and plumbing system improvements is becoming more apparent.”

Click HERE for the full ICOC report and a list of 2017-2018 surtax-funded major projects.

The following is a paid advertorial from Hospice of St. Francis.

Volunteering with Hospice of St. Francis Offers Experiences of a Lifetime

Over and over again, our volunteers tell us that volunteering with our patients and staff provides some of the most rewarding experiences of their lives. Dedicated volunteers will be sharing their experiences and talking about why they enjoy their “volunteer jobs” at a casual, tropical-themed Volunteer Event on January 29 ^th from 2 – 3 p.m. at Grills Riverside in Melbourne. Hospice of St. Francis has opened this special, free event, entitled “Sips, Snacks and S’mores with Santa and Mrs. Claus” to Legacy Members.

If you have been looking for a way to utilize your life-long skills and abilities in a rewarding and uplifting way, join us as we enjoy savory hors d'oeuves and mocktails, and meet others who have found a way to give back to our community through their volunteer job with Hospice of St. Francis. All skills and abilities are relevant to our organization’s need for volunteers: computer and technology, customer service, education, organizational, artistic and creative, and more.

Upcoming Volunteer Training & Education

In mid-February, Hospice of St. Francis will offer a series of orientation and training classes designed to prepare new volunteers for Hospice work. We provide excellent training and education that includes an overview of the Hospice philosophy, services and the history of Hospice of St. Francis in the first session. You will learn about the roles of volunteers in hospice and how to become involved. At the first February training session all new volunteers will complete fingerprinting and the application process. You will attend additional sessions, if needed, for the particular volunteer job you choose.

R.S.V.P. Today to Reserve Your Place and Bring a Friend!

If you would like to join us on January 29, or receive more information about volunteering, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Lynn Hurd at 231-269-4240.

Hospice of St. Francis Volunteers (from left) Barbara Haley, Sharon Wooley and Audrey Sansone, are pictured here at our annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon. Throughout the year, they enjoy the opportunity to continue utilizing life-long career skills in their volunteer work with Hospice of St. Francis.

‌