The community is divided over the Escambia Children’s Trust, especially since last Tuesday’s program committee workshop regarding the Out-of-School Time grants. Other nonprofits have questioned the large amount of funds paid to groups like Urban Development Center – $187K for 30 eligible students.
The other side calls the funding issues “growing pains,” and ECT and the providers who will do better with the next $5.7 million handed out.
The question is – how could the $5.1 million have been spent in a more impactful way for children?
I called around to look at other options for $5 million.
Glasses
Last year, the Escambia County Public Schools had 18,317 students from pre-K to fifth grade. According to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Association, 23% of children ages 6-11 need glasses. The average cost for glasses and for children is $50.
18,317 kids x 23% = 4213 kids needed glasses x $50 = $210,650 – only slightly more than paid, as of 9/30/23, to Children’s Theater ($196,189), JB Washington Sports ($191,487) and UDC ($188,046). Those three programs served 245 kids. 4,213 vs. 245 – simple math
Oral Surgery
I was given an estimate of $5,000 for oral surgeries. 200 surgeries x $5K = $1 million.
Five million dollars is nearly half of the Trust’s annual revenue. There shouldn’t be any mulligans. The ECT Board needs to look at the best and highest use of its funds – $5-6 million for afterschool programs is too much. Carve out at least $1.2 million for crucial health issues.
Drag Queen Christmas Settlement
From The News Service of Florida: State regulators and the Hyatt Regency Miami have reached a settlement in a dispute about minors attending an event last year titled “A Drag Show Christmas.”
Regulators threatened to revoke the hotel’s liquor license, and the dispute helped lead to the Legislature passing a law this spring aimed at preventing minors from attending drag shows.
Under the settlement, known as a consent order, the Hyatt Regency Miami agreed to pay a $5,000 fine and to prevent minors from attending performances at a facility known as the James L. Knight Center if such a performance “contains, depicts or simulates” activities targeted in the new law. The consent order said the hotel “admits no liability by settling” the dispute.
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation announced the settlement Wednesday. A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction against the new law, saying it violates First Amendment rights. The state has appealed the injunction to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.