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Are Breakfasts On The Menu?

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By MICHELE SAGER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 25, 2008

NORTH TAMPA - Leaders for Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High will have to decide whether they can afford to provide free meals and turn away students in these tough economic times.

The charter school's board recently met to discuss financial projections for the next school year. One of its top issues is whether to offer free breakfast again. Brooks-DeBartolo offered free breakfast to all its students this past year to mimic the policy of the school district.

Even when the school broke away from the district's catering program in February for a private firm, it continued to offer the free morning meals that students counted on.

Now, leaders will have to decide whether to continue the practice. Principal Phildra Swagger said she hopes it continues.

"I recommend we continue offering the free meals because of our goals to offer our students every opportunity to excel at school," she said. "I believe that starts with a healthy meal."
Board President Derrick Brooks said a decision won't be made until the finance committee meets later in the month to discuss the school's financial outlook.

Another issue debated among the board members is whether to allow 12th-graders to enroll at the school without attending in previous years. School policy requires that a student attend Brooks-DeBartolo at least two years to graduate from the school, Swagger said.

But Brooks noted that policy was put in place for the school's first year, when the charter school served only ninth through 11th grades. The 2008-09 school year will be the first to feature a 12th-grade class.
Swagger said she worries that admitting transferring 12th-graders will hurt the integrity of the program.

"We had always said this was about building upon the program we created in our lower grade levels," she said. "I worry that a student could transfer over with a higher GPA with the wrong intentions."
Swagger was referring to the practice that sometimes occurs among high-ranking students who want to be valedictorian. A student attending a school with more Advanced Placement courses could earn a higher grade point average than a Brooks-DeBartolo student and transfer in, automatically becoming the highest-ranked student in the class.

Board members suggested creating a policy similar to the district's that limits senior transfers and rankings. In Hillsborough County's traditional public schools, students' rankings are frozen during the third quarter of their final year. Also, they cannot transfer to another school through the choice program in their senior year.

Brooks said he doesn't want to see any good student turned away.

"I don't think that's the message we want to send to the community," he said. "If we have a good student that qualifies for the program, I can't see telling them they can't come here."

Board member Jorge Valiente said it also doesn't make fiscal sense when the school is short about 200 students of its goal of 400.

Board members decided to research the issue and make a decision at a later meeting.

Reporter Michele Sager can be reached at (813) 865-4843 or msager@tampatrib.com.

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