Volusia County (VCS) School Board Agenda Explained — July 28, 2026

Volusia County Schools Packet Summary — July 28, 2026

Meeting Overview

The agenda for the July 28, 2026 workshop/work session includes presentations focused on the AdventHealth Partnership Update, Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Update, and the quarterly report on House Bill 1473 related to school safety.

The agenda lists these items as presentations and informational topics for board review.

Key Items on the Agenda

AdventHealth Partnership Update

The packet includes a presentation on the partnership between AdventHealth and Volusia County Schools focused on student health, safety, opportunity, and workforce development.

The presentation highlights three partnership priorities:

• Reducing absenteeism through efforts to identify and address root causes keeping students out of the classroom.
• Supporting athlete health and safety through sports physicals, ECG screenings, and athletic program support.
• Expanding career pathways through healthcare learning experiences and workforce development opportunities.

The packet states that AdventHealth committed $50,000 to support absenteeism-reduction programs designed with the district. The funding is described as supporting targeted approaches focused on barriers such as transportation, food insecurity, and other student-specific needs.

Exceptional Student Education Update

The packet includes an Exceptional Student Education update covering department structure, Department of Justice settlement information, audit report card progress, professional learning, and priorities for continued work.

The presentation describes an ESE department structure that includes:

• ESE Coordinators providing school-level instructional and compliance support.
• Program Teachers on Assignment supporting program implementation.
• ESE Specialists providing expertise in areas including compliance, behavior, speech-language services, deaf and hard of hearing services, and vision services.
• Student Staffing Specialists supporting staffing and placement decisions.

The packet also outlines the ESE evaluation process, including referral review, parent consent, comprehensive evaluation, eligibility determination, individualized education program development, and placement decisions based on the least restrictive environment.

Policy and Compliance Items

Department of Justice Settlement Update

The packet provides background on the Department of Justice settlement process involving disability-related services and compliance requirements.

According to the presentation, the DOJ opened an investigation in April 2018 under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The packet states that a settlement agreement was signed in August 2021, followed by a memorandum of agreement amendment in March 2024.

The presentation states that the settlement was closed effective May 12, 2026, ahead of the agreement’s August 2, 2026 term, and identifies completed compliance areas including:

• Policy revisions related to ADA nondiscrimination provisions.
• Behavioral Supports Consultant implementation.
• Documented law enforcement procedures.
• Individualized Education Program and Behavior Intervention Plan monitoring systems.
• Staff training requirements.
• ADA compliance oversight.

ESE Audit Report Card Progress

The packet presents ESE audit progress information showing changes in school ratings over multiple school years.

The presentation states:

• Schools scoring 8 or higher increased from 9% to 48%.
• Schools below 6.0 decreased from 19% to 3%.
• One school achieved a perfect score of 10.0.

The packet identifies continued work areas including sustaining behavioral supports, addressing schools below the federal proficiency threshold for students with disabilities, and continuing compliance monitoring.

School Safety Report

House Bill 1473 Quarterly Report

The packet includes a quarterly report on House Bill 1473 school safety requirements.

The report provides the following inspection information:

• Six schools were inspected or reinspected.
• The inspections represented 8% of schools.
• Six schools had no school safety requirement deficiencies.
• 100% of inspected or reinspected schools had no reported school safety requirement deficiencies.

Community and Student Support Topics

Student Health and Career Pathways

The AdventHealth presentation describes programs intended to support student wellness and career exploration.

The packet includes information about:

• Weekend food-pack support programs intended to reduce absenteeism connected to food insecurity.
• Free sports physicals and ECG screenings for student athletes.
• Healthcare career exploration activities, including tours, career previews, job shadowing, and internship opportunities.

The presentation states that the partnership has provided 7,852 free physicals since inception and 3,197 ECGs through a partnership with Who We Play For.

Future Partnership Activities

The packet identifies future partnership activities including:

• A planned fall Step Into the Future event.
• Continued work on chronic absenteeism strategies.
• Health Academy classroom upgrades at Pine Ridge High School and New Smyrna High School.

What to Watch at the Meeting

The board agenda includes presentations on student support initiatives, special education services, school safety compliance, and community partnerships.

Key areas for review include the district’s continued implementation of ESE compliance systems, progress on student support programs, and updates related to school safety requirements.