2018-10-11 EAB MEETING MINUTESEDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD
SPECIAL MEETING
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018
BROCKWAY MEMORIAL LIBRARY CONFERENCE ROOM
6:00 PM
The meeting was called to order at 6:07 pm with the following members present:
Tiffany Anderson
Antonio Netto
Dana Vignale
Patricia Walker
Also present: Ysabely Rodriguez, Village Clerk
Arrived later:
Doug Garber
Leslie Fraser
Cristina Crespi
Absent: Sylvie Duerkop
1. Public Comments
No public comments were offered.
2. Discussion of Business:
Mr. Netto stated that he had previously sent info regarding the 2015 survey and introduced the subject
of support funding and boundaries. He met with the MSE principal, Dr. Swain. They discussed the need
for local initiatives for funding resources. He also learned that the school is at 93% capacity.
Responding to Mr. Netto’s inquiry regarding school funding, Dana Vignale explained that funding is equal
for schools since our property taxes are divided among all schools, but some choice programs receive
more funding. She suggested that a PASS Grant is a possible opportunity to obtain substantial financial
resources; it is a matching grant.
Ysabely offered that Tom Benton, the Village Manager, suggested that we meet with Dr. Swain.
Several suggestions were offered about the board’s role:
We should include educating parents via a presentation at Miami Shores Elementary. Content of the
presentation would be based on the survey results and would also help to showcase the school.
Discussion about the structure of the survey included the suggestion to add a “perception” choice to each
question allowing us to compare what parents value versus their perception of MSE in those categories.
It was also suggested that the survey be available in Spanish and Haitian Creole as well as English.
The survey could ask the question “Would you be interested in attending a presentation on school grades,
school funding, school choice, and school safety?”.
It was agreed that the survey would be made available to Miami Shores residents only. It will be created
on Survey Monkey and be available on our page of the Miami Shores Village website. It will also be
available in a print version, to be distributed at upcoming events, such as Green Day. They could be
placed at the Community Center and Brockway Library as well. Once it is online, advertising on the
marquee would also be helpful. Cristina Crespi stated that 150 responses constitutes a valid statistical
sample, and there are 450 households with children from Pre-K to grade 5 in Miami Shores.
The members agreed that it would be beneficial to have the survey available online before our
“introduction” article in the village newsletter in order to make it known that the survey was available in
addition to introducing ourselves as a board.
Dana Vignali offered to combine all questions and create the survey incorporating the suggestions
conditions agreed to at this meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 7:10pm.
The next regular meeting is Thursday, October 18, at 6:00pm in the Village Hall conference room.