Volusia County Schools CFO fires back at County Council over 'disrespect'

Volusia County Schools' chief financial officer pushed back against the County Council's decision to deny funding to the district for new school resource deputies, calling the treatment of district officials disrespectful ― and he could seek an opinion from the Florida attorney general's office on the issue.

The district sent a prepared statement to the media from Todd Seis, the district CFO, in response to the council's decision.

In the statement, Seis said Deputy Volusia County Schools Superintendent Rachel Hazel and Volusia County Schools Interim Chief Operating Officer Patricia Corr "presented a well-prepared case for additional funding to enhance the safety of our middle schools."

"However, their earnest efforts were met with a surprising level of disrespect and disregard by the County Council," Seis said. "Such unprofessional conduct not only undermines our collaborative efforts but is also an affront to the dedicated professionals working tirelessly for the safety of our children."

At the council meeting on Nov. 7, District 4 Councilman Troy Kent sharply criticized district officials for the timing of the request and for not having "basic statistics ready to go" at the meeting.

Kent also said the district has funds in reserves to cover the cost, and county government Attorney Mike Dyer said the district is responsible for providing law enforcement.

"I didn't know that we could go to other taxing authorities, government bodies, and ask them to help pay our bills," Kent said at the time.

Adding the officers would cost about $762,011 for the fiscal year.

The school district proposed sharing the cost by having the sheriff's office cover about $342,905 and the district pay about $419,106.

The district proposed sending the officers to Creekside Middle in Port Orange; Deltona Middle, Galaxy Middle and Heritage Middle in Deltona; Holly Hill School in Holly Hill; Silver Sands Middle in Port Orange and Southwestern Middle in DeLand.

Those schools currently don't have an officer. But all schools at least have an armed guardian on campus to help stop a threat, Corr told the council.

Seis said that while the school district is financially responsible for providing law enforcement, that's not the whole story. State law says that the district can enter mutual aid agreements with law enforcement agencies. The school district and law enforcement agency can share the cost of funding a school safety officer's salary, he said.

The district already has a cost-sharing agreement with the sheriff's office to provide law enforcement at some schools.

District officials said that the sheriff's office supported the proposed increase in deputies.

"The initiative to add school resource deputies to seven additional middle schools is crucial," Seis said. "The council's dismissal of this initiative not only undermines children’s safety but also disrespects the professional judgment of their own Sheriff's Department."

The school district's budget is separate from the county government under the County Council, and the two entities levy their own taxes separately. The sheriff's office is funded through the county government, and the County Council approves the sheriff's office budget annually and votes on budget adjustments.

Seis wasn't part of the council presentation on Nov. 7 because he was at the Florida School Finance Officers Association conference, which he described as "crucial for staying updated with statutory and accounting changes and is only held biannually." He also said that the district provided financial information to council members before the meeting.

Sies also shot back at Kent's criticism over the timing of the request and the size of the district's budget.

He said funding requests coming after a budget is approved is normal "for any organization that meticulously plans for contingencies within their budgets while maintaining a reserve fund balance."

"Volusia County children’s safety is a continuous priority and cannot be confined within fiscal calendars or organizational boundaries," he said.

He pointed to the county's own general fund reserves that can be used for unexpected expenses.

"So, suggesting that accommodating our request is unfeasible due to timing blatantly ignores the well-established fiscal practice of planning for unexpected needs and is without merit," Seis said.

Seis also criticized what he described as "Kent's flippant suggestion" to use Florida Education Finance Programs funds.

"His background in educational leadership should have educated him that these funds are strictly for educational purposes. Such a proposal, no matter how serious, not only undermines his experience but also misrepresents the legal constraints governing school finances," Seis said.

Kent said in a text message to The News-Journal that was not what he said, and he encouraged people to watch the discussion of the recorded meeting for themselves.

"To clarify, you will see that I asked the school district to use their unassigned, general fund reserves and not mix the FEFP funds as Mr. Seis has claimed, " Kent said.

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Kent also said that while state law allows for the county to pay for part of the cost of law enforcement at schools, it's not required. He also said he stood by his vote and the criticism he shared at the meeting.

"(At the Nov. 7 meeting) we had a ham-handed, badly presented request for over $340,000 Volusia County taxpayer dollars," he said.

Seis said he will seek guidance from the school board and the board's attorney about getting a legal opinion from the Florida Attorney General's office about the conflict. In the meantime, the school district plans to find another way to increase the number of school resource deputies, he said.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia Schools CFO criticizes council for denying deputy funding