- May 16, 2024
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Volusia County Schools is eliminating the AVID program from a majority of its schools, including all Ormond Beach area middle and high schools.
The district issued an update on its Advanced Via Individual Determination program on Friday, April 26, stating that while the "program has been successfully implemented and will remain at Creekside Middle School, Spruce Creek High School, and Taylor Middle-High School, not all middle and high schools in the district will continue to offer AVID as an elective course next year."
"The AVID program requires a membership fee as well as dedicated teachers, training, and materials," the district stated in its update. "For schools with lower student enrollment or interest in the program, choices have been made to ensure fiscal responsibility and shift resources from an AVID elective class toward other programs. In these cases, school administrators and staff carefully consider the specific needs of their student body and determine how to best utilize available resources to support student success."
The update comes after the news that some 284 teachers in the school district could be displaced due to VCS using one-time federal coronavirus relief dollars for operating costs, including those for personnel. At a School Board meeting on April 23, Superintendent Carmen Balgobin said cuts would be made at the school and district level closer to the start of the new fiscal year on June 1.
Currently, 22 teachers were shifted away from AVID elective classes to other programs, according to the district.
"All instructional personnel were successfully placed last week if they had not already found a position in their current school or through our Transfer Fair," the district stated in an email to the Observer.
According to the district's website, AVID is an "internationally recognized college preparatory system designed to support students for success in advanced academics and for eligibility and future success in college."
VCS reported that AVID enrollment across the district has been decreasing in the last few years. Enrollment in the 2023-2024 year is 1,984 students, down from 2,391 in 2022-2023 and 2,512 in 2021-2022.
In Ormond Beach area schools, the district reported 91 students in Seabreeze High School are enrolled in AVID this year, 143 in Mainland High School, 94 in Hinson Middle School and 90 in Ormond Beach Middle School.
"Even if your child's school doesn't offer a dedicated AVID elective, the program's strategies and best practices can still be incorporated into regular classrooms," the district update states. "Teachers can use AVID techniques to promote student engagement, critical thinking, and college readiness, benefiting all students."
