Volusia School Board member wants taxpayers to fund dues to conservative group she heads

DELAND — Volusia County School Board member Jessie Thompson asked the board to pay her $459 dues to the Florida Conservative Coalition of School Board Members, a group she heads that's based out of her home.

Thompson is the president of the organization, which calls itself "nonpartisan" but is only open to "conservative school board members," according to its website.

At its Tuesday meeting, board member Ruben Colón made a motion to deny the request. Carl Persis seconded the motion, which passed 4-1 with Thompson opposed.

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School Board attorney Aaron Wolfe presented the proposal before the board as an action item calling for discussion and a vote because there was no precedent for whether or not the board should pay an individual member’s dues to an organization.

Volusia School Board members already belong to the Florida School Board Association, which aims to increase student achievement by developing effective board leaders' advocacy for public schools, according to its website.

Prior to the board’s final vote on the item, Thompson said if the board didn't support her dues, she would opt out of her FSBA funding for funding that will cover her coalition dues.

In comparing the two organizations, Thompson said, “It is not in competition with FSBA, but it is running parallel, and it is providing networking education to school board members around the state, some that have opted out of FSBA (and) some that are still part of FSBA. It comes at a substantial less cost, so that’s been a reason for some, but others didn’t agree with certain things taught at FSBA.”

What is the Florida Conservative Coalition of School Board Members?

According to Thompson, the Florida Conservative Coalition of School Board Members shares education ethics, provides grants and other opportunities, and allows for statewide networking.

She said the coalition was founded on four values: God, family, education and country.

“We go out to become better school board members through the education that we receive,” said Thompson, who is registered to vote with the Republican Party of Florida. “This isn’t to make me a more conservative person. This isn’t to make me more Republican. This is literally to find opportunities that exist to help better our entire school district no matter who it is, and for that reason, that’s why I’ve put this forth for the school board.”

Thompson noted that school board members from across the state have not “had an issue” when they have done the same.

“Clay County was the only one so far that held a vote,” she said. “I know Orange County did not.”

According to the invoice attached to the April 9 school board meeting agenda, the address associated with the Florida Conservative Coalition of School Board Members is the same as Thompson’s home address. The phone number listed for the organization is Thompson’s personal phone number.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Thompson confirmed that nobody on the board of the Florida Conservative Coalition of School Board Members makes money because the organization is a nonprofit.

Dues are primarily used to cover the organization’s upkeep, she said. Remaining funds will go toward conferences, she added, with one scheduled for June 10 at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach.

Those who wish to join the coalition must fill out a personal application, according to Thompson.

Volusia County board members opposed funding Thompson’s dues

Colón said he belongs to many groups that support his partisan personal politics; however, he would never expect anyone to pay for his memberships to such organizations.

While he recognized that Volusia School Board members are already a part of the FSBA, he did not think the board should fund Thompson’s dues for the coalition because “this is not a group that we are all welcome to.”

“It is specific to a thought process,” Colón continued. “FSBA is open to everyone.”

Persis echoed these concerns.

“It seems like, to me, we’d be using taxpayers’ money to to fund what is blatantly a conservative organization,” he said. “It’s definitely slanted. Maybe that’s a good slant, but it isn’t something that I think taxpayer dollars should be used to support — to the right or to the left.”

Anita Burnette opposed paying in effort to be fiscally responsible.

“While it may not be a lot of money, it adds up,” she said. “And so because of the fiscal responsibility, I am going to have to say no to this as well.”

Chair board member Jamie Haynes said that to her, the cost is “not as relevant, although we are at a time period where we have to look financially.”

After studying the coalition’s website, Haynes noticed that she could not find any courses, meetings or topics of discussion, among other information she would have liked to have seen.

“I can’t see anything, and I don’t see what can be gained from this. I don’t feel comfortable at this time supporting for one individual to belong to a group,” Haynes said. “And I did read that it says ‘nonpartisan’ but I don’t know that everybody here would be welcomed to be a part. At FSBA, we’re all welcome. And we’re all welcome to bring a different opinion.”

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida school board denies member's dues request to conservative group