Affordable Rentals, Lack of Available Childcare, and the Public Education System Locally--Concerns I am Hearing

 

At yesterday's meeting of the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee, several themes emerged that are proving to be difficult barriers for the families of some junior enlisted and junior officer members of the armed forces stationed here (or potentially transferring here).

Affordable Rentals, Lack of Available Childcare, and the Public Education System Locally (which many deem to be insufficient for the military dependents' needs) are the big three that were discussed.

Multiple CO's and XO's from several Pensacola area commands were represented at this meeting, and they each expressed an awareness of this frustration/concern.  These are not necessarily all new concerns, either.

The discussion on housing and childcare revolved around a "plus-up" in allowances that area military families will be receiving to help offset the skyrocketing costs of housing rentals and childcare. (although there is fear this increase won't completely offset the rate of inflation of the costs)

We also discussed methods we are employing within the county to build affordable housing units. (which received no press once we passed it earlier this month....)As well as some things that Habitat for Humanity is doing in the community to address the affordable housing issue.

But the economy has changed, inflation has become rampant ( a bi-product of money printing ) and fewer folks are stepping up to do low-wage work (like childcare) due to federal and state policies that many feel are overly remunerative for folks that do not work.  So there's that double whammy.

With respect to challenges within the public schools--several attendees were interested in learing more about what school choice/voucher programs were/are available to military families that come to our area.  I told the group there are resources for military dependents and their families funded by DoD and the State of Florida, and information on this topic was disseminated to the group.   I also described some of the historical challenges our schools have faced which have dragged down performance district wide and the various, numerous programs that have been tried, and ultimately failed, at a couple of very difficult and high-profile schools.

When the family totally and completely breaks down in entire communities--this (poor public school performance) along with blight, high crime, and decreased property values is what we see.

Some of the conversation on that topic was uncomfortable.  But the truth is the truth, and I'll never be one to add sugar-coating over the top of it.  Great communities MAKE great public school districts, that is the universal truth of reality, and I will always defend hard working teachers and school district employees that work their guts out to help students.  In other words, this is more an isolated community problem in pockets of our area, and less an academic one or a teacher competency one districtwide.  Folks don't like to hear that though and some believe it is a lack of more "programs" and money.

That's not it, though.

On a brighter note, I did take the opportunity to spotlight the performance of more than a dozen Escambia Public Schools that together earned more than $1.5 Million in school recognition bonuses from the state of  Florida for sustained excellence and/or learning gain improvements over the last school year.

I also let the attendees know about the upcoming coffee with the commissioner event on December 15th where we will discuss the school district in depth with my special guest that day, School Board Chairman Kevin Adams.

These issues that are acutely affecting the military community here are a HUGE concern of mine as an elected official that understands that the federal military spending in our community represents nearly half of our economy locally.  If we don't get these issues ironed out and (heaven forbid) lose missions or have them diminished in size--this would be an economic loss that we cannot afford to sustain.

So we have to work to fix these issues.  Period.

What We Must Do, What We Can Do, and What We should Do....

We should Go Out of Our Way to Accommodate Military Families, Not Find Ways to Stymie Their School Choice Selections.

At the Escambia County School Board workshop last Friday morning I initiated a discussion about military children in our schools.  We are a military town, with a large contingent of military dependents in our programs. We benefit greatly from the military's involvement in our schools as volunteers, and mentors, and helpers at special events, sporting events, and all sorts of other activities.  Military attendance in our schools also generates revenues and grant proceeds that help military and non-military students alike.  In short, having military dependents in our schools makes our schools better overall. I know, personally, what it is like to be a military dependent because after my dad adopted my brother and I, we were military dependents--he was a Navy Chief Petty Officer!  (and we attended 17 different schools before graduating from Pensacola High School).  It is tough always being the new kid....

Florida recognized this issue and attempted a legislative accommodation.

In 2008, the Florida legislature passed a law ensuring that the children of Florida service-members would receive preference in registration in our schools, to include magnet school programs.  Because parents are very discriminating these days, due to the plethora of information available about schools online, often these military parents select the best, most successful programs in our district for their children to attend.  Some of our schools have certain pre-requisite requirements, and Brown Barge Middle School (BBMS), for example, typically does not allow for entry after the 6th grade year--as the 6th grade year begins a sequentially progressing series of stream courses that form the foundation of the whole grade 6-8 program.  The thought process is that, unless a student is coming in from a similar program elsewhere, it is difficult to hop on the merry-go-round after 6th grade, as too much will have been missed.

So the issue now is a military family that is coming to Pensacola from the mid-west wanting their student to attend BBMS; They've done their homework and this is the program in Pensacola that they want their child to attend.  And yet the red tape has now stymied this family's attempt to enroll this  rising 7th grade student in BBMS next year.  At this workshop that began on Thursday afternoon, NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer CAPT. Keith Hoskins' School Liaison Officer (SLO) was present to speak to the issue--as she had tried to navigate the bureaucracy to assist this family with placing this student at BBMS.  Instead of showing any deference at all to this liaison, the board abruptly ended the meeting and so the Captain's rep., who had waited patiently 2 plus hours at this workshop to hear the matter discussed, had to come the next day to see the conclusion of the board's discussion on this issue.  This, in and of itself,  was a faux pas that most in the room did not perceive.
Setting that aside, here is the fact:  We have allowed other non-military students come into BBMS after the 6th grade.  We've allowed other military students to enter BBMS after the 6th grade.  So we