AskFlagler School Board Interview: Derek Barrs

Derek Barrs is one of two candidates running for District on the Flagler School Board in 2024. He is seeking to take over from Colleen Conklin, one of the county’s longest-tenured elected officials who decided against pursuing another term after this year. His opponent is Janie Ruddy, a professional educator.

The elections for both this year’s School Board races will be held on the August 20th primary ballot. There will be no runoffs, as each race has only two candidates. The elections are nonpartisan, and therefore will be open to all registered voters in Flagler County regardless of party affiliation.

Other Candidate Interviews

Flagler County Commission:

• Andy Dance – Flagler County Commission, District 1
• Fernando Melendez – Flagler County Commission, District 1
• Kim Carney – Flagler County Commission, District 3
• Bill Clark – Flagler County Commission, District 3 (Did Not Complete)
• Nick Klufas – Flagler County Commission, District 3
• Ed Danko – Flagler County Commission, District 5
• Michael McElroy – Flagler County Commission, District 5
• Pam Richardson – Flagler County Commission, District 5

Flagler School Board:

• Derek Barrs – Flagler School Board, District 3
• Janie Ruddy – Flagler School Board, District 3
• Lauren Ramirez – Flagler School Board, District 5
• Vincent Sullivan – Flagler School Board, District 5

East Flagler Mosquito Control Board:

• Julius ‘Jules’ Kwiatkowski – East Flagler Mosquito Control Board, Seat 1
• Perry Mitrano – East Flagler Mosquito Control Board, Seat 1
• Lance Alred – East Flagler Mosquito Control Board, Seat 3
• Ralph Lighfoot – East Flagler Mosquito Control Board, Seat 3

Palm Coast City Council:

• David Alfin – Palm Coast Mayor
• Peter Johnson – Palm Coast Mayor
• Alan Lowe – Palm Coast Mayor
• Cornelia Downing Manfre – Palm Coast Mayor
• Mike Norris – Palm Coast Mayor (Did Not Complete)
• Kathy Austrino – Palm Coast City Council, District 1
• Shara Brodsky – Palm Coast City Council, District 1
• Ty Miller – Palm Coast City Council, District 1
• Jeffery Seib – Palm Coast City Council, District 1
• Dana ‘Mark’ Stancel – Palm Coast City Council, District 3
• Ray Stevens – Palm Coast City Council, District 3
• Andrew Werner – Palm Coat City Council, District 3

Interview Criteria

• The object of the interview is not to grill the candidate, nor to give them softballs. Ideally, in their answers the candidates provide to voters a useful insight into their ideology, their priorities, and their knowledgeability and preparedness for office.
• These questions are sent to each declared candidate in Flagler County’s local elections. All candidates running for the same office received the same exact questions.
• The only edits made are for spelling, formatting and basic grammar (i.e., ‘their’ when it should be ‘there’). Censorship of profanity may also be applied if it were applicable. Otherwise, answers are presented in their full form as the candidate provides them.
• Answers are subject to fact-checking if they contain information that’s blatantly misleading or untrue (misrepresenting factually verifiable information, misquoting a statistic, etc). Clarifications will be added underneath the candidate’s answer if applicable. The answers will still be presented as given even if a fact-check or clarification is needed.

Candidate Interview

Date of Birth: March 16th, 1973

Hometown: Madison, Florida

Career/Educational Resume: Click to View Resume

1. Order these three groups according to how strongly you feel a School Board member is tasked with serving them: students, teachers, and parents.

1. “Students
2. Teachers
3. Parents”

2. Describe any career experience you have in which you directly worked in or with the public education system. If none applies, explain how any other experience you have would directly apply to the education aspects of School Board duties.

“I began my professional career in law enforcement with the Madison County Florida, Sheriff’s Office. Over the years, I served in various roles, including that as a school resource deputy. I served as a mentor with Take Stock in Children, high school football coach, and the Education Foundation to support our schools, teachers, and students. This experience not only solidified my dedication to public service but also provided firsthand insights into community needs and safety concerns and the positive impacts you can have within individuals, community and the school district. I served as a liaison between the Sheriff’s Office and the School District at that time to ensure there was clear communication between the two entities.

“I lead a diverse statewide team of over 300 professionals and managed a substantial operational budget over $34 million dollars with over $12 million in grant funds with the Florida Highway Patrol and where I served at the rank of Chief. This has help prepare me with invaluable skills in strategic management, budget oversight, and team leadership., demonstrating my ability to handle complex fiscal responsibilities effectively.

“Beyond my professional and career roles, I have remained actively engaged in community service. I have and continue to serve on local, state, national, and international boards, demonstrating my commitment to civic duty and advocacy. I have also served on the St. Johns County School District ½ sales citizens advisory board to help monitor and advise the School Board and the community of the expenditures of the sales tax proceeds, Flagler Beach Rotary Club, and the Flagler Sheriff’s Employee Assistant Trust (FSEAT) Board of Directors.”

3. Flagler Schools received a B rating in December from the state, its ninth such rating in the last ten years that one was given. The district has had at least one, usually multiple, C schools every year since 2015. What’s within the School Board’s power to galvanize those ratings upward?

“Flagler County Schools has made notable progress over the past year, and it is essential that we build on this success. As a board, we need to collaborate closely with the School Superintendent and implement targeted strategies to help our district achieve the A rating we are striving for.

“Here are the key areas of focus:

• Strengthen Core Educational Standards: We must prioritize reinforcing core educational standards to build a strong foundation for student success.
• Resource Allocation: Providing necessary resources is crucial to support our teachers and meet the evolving demands of their roles effectively.
• Enhance Parental and Community Engagement: We should foster continuous parental involvement and community engagement to support and enrich our educational environment.
• Attract and Retain Top Talent: To ensure our educators are well-prepared to guide students toward future success, we need to create a supportive and rewarding work environment.
• Clear Direction for Leadership: The School Board must offer clear guidance to the Superintendent to enable effective execution of her role.
• Transparency and Early Intervention: Maintaining open and transparent communication is vital for addressing needs proactively and making necessary adjustments.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: While we all utilize data, we need to comprehensively analyze all available data to identify performance gaps and make informed adjustments.”

– Editor’s Note: Flagler Schools’ 2024 grades were released after this question was sent out, and the C schools did improve to Bs.

4. How would you want district staff to handle a large student protest walkout such as the one that occurred at Flagler Palm Coast High School in 2022? Keep in mind the scope of authority as a School Board member.

“District staff must adhere to established policies and procedures during such incidents. It is crucial to recognize that Florida State Statute 877.13 addresses disruptions to the lawful administration or function of educational activities. After the event, a thorough review should be conducted to ensure that all policies were properly followed and to determine if any updates or changes to current policies and procedures are necessary.”

5. With neither of the School Board’s two most tenured members running for re-election this year, all five members will be in their first term on the Board. Does the School Board have an experience problem? If so, how might you propose addressing the challenge?

“Each board member brings unique strengths to the board, and by working with a shared goal of enhancing student success and making the Flagler County School District a model for excellence, we can collectively address the challenges ahead. It is crucial for both new and existing members to engage in comprehensive school board training. This includes participating in the New School Board Member Academy, the Peer 2 Peer Advisory Program, and other professional development opportunities offered by the Florida School Boards Association.”

6. The Flagler School Board parted ways with a Board Attorney and a Superintendent in the last couple years, with both processes spawning great political strife in the public eye. Do you feel those incidents have hurt Flagler Schools’ ability to attract top talent to its administrative positions? If so, how can the district be made a more appealing place to work?

“There may indeed be an impact to our district’s ability to attract top talent to its administrative positions and other positions. I have heard from individuals who had job offers in Flagler and surrounding counties and they took the jobs in the surrounding counties and not Flagler. Potential candidates might be hesitant to come and join the Flagler County School District with the recent history of instability and public conflict. To enhance the district’s appeal, it is crucial to build and promote a positive reputation by showcasing achievements and emphasizing a commitment to stability. I believe our School District is moving in the right direction with the current Superintendent. We must continue fostering a supportive and collaborative work culture, and work on teacher/staff pay and benefits. Transparent communication about the district’s vision, goals, and processes will help address concerns and build trust. Strengthening internal governance and leadership stability, along with leveraging positive testimonials and success stories, can further improve the district’s attractiveness. Engaging in community outreach and developing a strong strategic plan will help to making Flagler Schools a more attractive place to work and for candidates to not go to other districts.”

7. Consideration has been given to adopting a ‘guardian program’, employing armed guards in an attempt to increase readiness for a school shooting. When compared to the current arrangement with the FCSO and its School Resource Deputies, what’s the right path for Flagler Schools to ensure the safety of its students and faculty?

“The safety and security of everyone on our school campuses and property is a top priority. I have seen firsthand how crucial it is to maintain a secure environment and the significant disruption to learning that incidents can cause, I am a strong supporter of our School Resource Deputy program and the value it brings to our school district and community. School Resources Deputies are in my opinion the original community policing model, building relationships with a proactive approach and building bonds between students, faculty, and law enforcement to prevent and deter crime.

“Additionally, I would support the Guardian Program as a supplemental measure to our School Resource Deputies, provided that all applicable laws and necessary training are thoroughly implemented. There are many laws that have been in enacted as well as best practices tools with an overall goal of prevention, early intervention, and planning as well as active communication to ensure we have safe schools.”

8. Are there any new or underutilized revenue streams you can name that Flagler Schools could tap into to support its operating budget? If so, expand upon your plan for implementation.

“From capital expenses we need to work closely with our legislature and look for appropriations such as the cuts for the Technical College, we must continue to work with the legislature to bring these funds back to Flagler County. Some of our neighboring districts have saved millions of dollars in energy conservation, for an example the AC may need to be turned off at a certain time instead of it running past the time of when staff is in place to avoid additional cost. We need to look at all ways of how we can save money and we can do this by being proactive.

“Seek and identify any and all federal and state grant opportunities which we would be eligible for our district.”