Governance Procedures for Parents & Families

Requesting the Addition of an Item to the Board Agenda

Parents, teachers, and citizens are encouraged to attend and participate in Governance Board meetings. The Board invites all interested parties to address the Board during the scheduled public comment period which takes place during all Board meetings.

Public comment on specific agenda items will occur near the start of the meeting. Anyone wishing to address the Board should send an email to board@focusacademytampa.org. 

Speakers will be granted three (3) minutes to address a single agenda item, or a total of five (5) minutes to address two or more agenda items. If 10 or more speakers wish to speak to the same agenda item, speaking time will be reduced to two (2) minutes per speaker. A group of guests collectively speaking on one subject will be limited to fifteen (15) minutes.

Anyone seeking to give a more extended presentation should contact the Director of Operations in writing at least seven (7) days in advance of the scheduled meeting or obtaining permission from the Board Chair.

The guidelines will be in effect for most Governance Board meetings, however the Board chair may on occasion seek consensus among Board members to revise or suspend the guidelines as circumstance warrant.

Resolving Disputes/Registering Complaints

Focus Academy seeks to foster an environment of openness and communication with our families. This is accomplished in part through encouraging parent participation in regularly scheduled educational meetings, parent seminars, and other school-wide functions in order to maintain a high level of family involvement. Information is also communicated to parents via our weekly Thursday envelope, our Sunday evening email newsletter, daily notes in student planners, and the Focus Academy website and Facebook page.  As all Focus Academy students have T/IEPs, the flow of communication as it personally impacts each student is ongoing. Parents have opportunities during annual IEP meetings and Parent/Teacher conferences to discuss their student’s progress and any concerns or issues.

Although no member of the school community shall be denied the right to petition the Board for redress of a grievance, the complaints will be referred through the proper administrative channels for solution before investigation or action by the Board. Exceptions are complaints concerning Board actions or Board operations only.

The Board advises the Focus Academy school community that the proper channeling of complaints involving instruction, discipline, or learning materials is as follows:

• Teachers

• Administrative Team

• Governing Board​

Any complaint regarding school personnel will be investigated by the Administrative Team before consideration and action by the Board of Directors.

The parent representative can be reached via email at kfisher@focusacademytampa.org.