Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the news and newsmakers of the day who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life or detracted from it in some significant way:

Volusia County Schools: Controlling the Narrative

“Before my comment could be published on the Volusia County Schools forum, I was blocked from the page by the administrator of the page (Km (sic) Short). I believe it’s important for our community to know that respectful voices with differing opinions are not always given the opportunity to be heard. Below was my statement after Kim shared more Negative comments regarding our A rated School District.

Kim Short, I have a genuine question.

Why does this page seem to focus almost exclusively on the current School Board members while rarely discussing the backgrounds, records, or histories of the candidates you support? If the goal is to inform the community, shouldn’t the same level of scrutiny and transparency apply to everyone seeking public office?

I also wonder why conversations continue to revisit issues from years ago instead of focusing on the challenges and opportunities facing our schools today. At some point, our community benefits more from discussing solutions than repeatedly reliving the past.

With respect, you previously ran for School Board and the voters chose Jessie Thompson. Elections are part of our democratic process, and while everyone has the right to remain engaged, continually framing discussions around past grievances can give the impression that the focus is on past elections rather than the future of our schools.

One question I have is this: If you are so passionate about the future of Volusia County Schools and believe your voice is needed, why did you choose not to run for the School Board in this election? Public service is one of the most direct ways to create the change you want to see. I ask that sincerely because your perspective suggests you care deeply about our district.

I also recognize that, as the administrator of this page, you control what is published and when it appears. That is certainly your right. My hope is simply that differing viewpoints are given the same opportunity to be heard respectfully so our community can have open and balanced conversations.

One thing I believe we should all be able to agree on is this: Volusia County Schools is an A-rated school district. That is an objective achievement, and facts don’t lie. This success belongs to our students, teachers, support staff, administrators, families, and the entire community who work every day to make our schools better.”

–Craig Lungren, Community Information Specialist, Volusia County District Schools, as excerpted from his editorial (press release?) on the Facebook page “Craig Lungren,” July 12, 2026. 

I spent the bulk of my adult life in public service – and it was the greatest honor of my life – a rigorous pursuit that came with certain ethical obligations and moral imperatives.  

Perhaps most important was the necessity of keeping my trap shut and personal opinions to myself to ensure clarity (and neutrality) in official communications citizens relied on to stay informed.

When one accepts public funds and holds a position of community trust – like a public information professional – it is important to limit even the possibility that editorializing and speculation could be confused with the official position of the public agency.

In academic terms, that’s Public Communications 101.

This isn’t a teacher or staff member offering a first-person perspective on how their personal finances, taxes, and benefits have been mangled by the district’s shambolic payroll system.  I received it when message appeared on my personal Facebook feed, authored by Craig Lungren, who is listed as a Volusia County District School’s Community Information Specialist…

Apparently, CIS Lungren got his dander up after Kim Short, a resolute civic activist and education advocate who serves on the Education & Workforce Committee of five area Chambers of Commerce (and frequently takes Superintendent Carmen Balgobin and her dutiful minions on the Volusia County School Board behind the woodshed) blocked him from her private Facebook group known as the Volusia County School Forum. 

It seems Lungren worked himself into a pique then vented his spleen over Ms. Short exercising her First Amendment right to speak her truth amid on-going questions of how the district continues to post graduation rates that far exceed demonstrated student competence in key learning and performance areas, then demand everyone dance in circles celebrating “A” grades for area schools.   

For example, according to the Florida Department of Education, an “A” rating is considered just 62% of points or greater based on twelve education “components.” Most recently, across Florida 76% of schools earned an A or B grade… 

Considering CIS Lungren’s aversion to a private citizen controlling access to their personally moderated closed group discussion, I have a question of my own: As a resident and taxpayer, why can’t I express my opinions on VCS public social media page?

Without explanation, you and I were recently blocked by an imperial edict of Superintendent Balgobin which expressly prohibited us from posting to the district’s public site and told that any future communication would be through “official channels” only…

So much for that “differing viewpoints being given the same opportunity to be heard respectfully so our community can have open and balanced conversations,” horseshit, eh?

Unfortunately, CIS Lungren’s screed wasn’t limited to his personal social media page. 

To ensure widest possible dissemination (as Community Information Specialists do), Lungren circulated his impetuous post to “Volusia County,” “Volusia County Schools,” “County of Volusia,” “Volusia County Business,” “Port Orange,” “New Smyrna Beach,” “Deland Florida,” and “Ormond Beach Observer.”  

If he wasn’t acting in his official role, why did he do that?

Who is CIS Lungren speaking for?  Why is he broadcasting his response to Ms. Short’s views to local governments?  Who is he trying to impress with his obsequious diatribe?

In my view, as a recipient of public funds CIS Lungren’s conduct is egregious and should be immediately addressed by Superintendent Balgobin.  That should include emergency policy direction from the Volusia County School Board to ensure this quasi-official bullying never happens again.

Unfortunately, accountability is anathema in the toxic optimism of the Balgobin administration.  

Now that my productive life is over, I exercise my right to free and unfettered expression through this blog site.  A cathartic pursuit that stimulates a larger discussion of the issues and allows me to exorcise my frustrations after more than three-decades of professionally imposed silence. 

I’ve said this before, but something stinks in the Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand – and the issues are not limited to calling 64% an “A” while graduating functional illiterates – then crowing about it, ad nauseum, as though it were some sick accomplishment… 

In my view, the real problem is the district’s reactive response to any contrary opinion that threatens the façade of competence. 

That censorship now includes shutting down constituent comments on VCS social media, while a Community Information Specialist openly lectures an engaged resident in that arrogant passive/aggressive tone that pervades the Balgobin administration’s intimidating response to public criticism.

Amendment 3: A Flawed Threat to Our Quality of Life

“Leek said he is conflicted about the property tax amendment. He said there should have been a better product presented to voters. Property taxes have gotten out of control and growth in local government spending has become “insane,” he said. But rather than focusing on an increase in the homestead exemption, the focus should be on spending, Leek said.

“If you address a single revenue source, you’re going to be playing Whack-a-Mole,” Leek said. “We’ve got an entire budget for years built on this revenue source.”

If Amendment 3 passes, there will be spending cuts, Leek said, but not enough to make up the deficit. As a result, he said, there will be a fee shift.

“Will it help folks that you’re trying to help? Absolutely. Will it shift the burden to properties that are higher valued? Absolutely. Will there be new fees, I don’t see how there won’t,” he said.”

–Sen. Tom Leek, (R-Ormond Beach) speaking at the Flagler County 2026 Legislative Update, as quoted by reporter Brent Woronoff writing in the Palm Coast Observer, “Flagler County’s legislators review session, answer hard questions,” Friday, July 10, 2026

As a dilettante editorialist, I don’t construct these critiques to tell readers what they want to hear. I write them to tell my neighbors what I think you need to hear within the context of current events and the bureaucratic spin that seems to permeate everything we hear and read.

That’s why I have taken a side on Florida’s “property tax reform” debate. 

In my view, Amendment 3 is bad public policy. A rushed and ill-thought constitutional amendment that even its creator, Gov. Ron DeSantis, has now distanced himself from.    

The fact is, anyone who tells you they understand the potential civic impacts of Amendment 3 on neighborhood services, public safety, parks, recreation, utilities, and infrastructure is being disingenuous – because no one knows what the ultimate damage will be.  So, they couch it in terms of “nontraditional revenue sources,” new fees,” and “shifting the burden.”  

If you are a Florida taxpayer, that should scare the hell out of you… 

The reason no one knows the full story is because Gov. DeSantis strategically nixed a study that would have identified necessary service cuts and fee hikes.  Then the legislature made a forced decision without the time (or political courage) to tap the brakes and formulate a plan while they were being held captive in Tallahassee.

Don’t take my word for it. 

Last month, during the Volusia Legislative Update, Sen. Tom Wright explained that during the special session, Gov. DeSantis strategically held up the budget, and if they didn’t vote to approve the bill “…we would probably see all of our budget items zeroed out.”

In my view, that’s not good governance – it’s political thuggery.

In addition, Sen. Wright explained, “We’re hoping that the cities and counties are going to get their stories out and let people know — because we made sure that the people get to choose, we didn’t choose for you, the people of Florida get to choose on that bill — that we need the services of our communities and our counties.  “This is not going to be good for anybody if we have to raising all kinds of fees and collecting other taxes that we don’t now collect.”

It is increasingly apparent that those legislators we sent to the state capitol to represent our interests are getting nervous after foisting Frankenstein’s monster on the very communities they were elected to represent.  Even Gov. DeSantis has said he won’t be the face of Amendment 3, claiming “The reason is what the Legislature did wasn’t my proposal.”

It appears everyone associated with the amendment understands it’s bad for Florida taxpayers.

Like any good politician, Sen. Leek tried his best to thread the needle on the controversial topic, using the non-committal adjective “conflicted” to describe his thoughts on the amendment, while admitting the product he and the others voted to place on the ballot is flawed. 

It’s more than that. 

In fact, the lack of a workable blueprint for how counties and municipalities can provide the level of essential services we’ve come to expect in the absence of their traditional revenue source speaks to the legislature’s lack of planning and forethought. 

In my view, approving this potentially destructive fee shift in less than 48-hours during a special legislative session is nothing short of negligent – and dangerous.  Especially when you consider the massive growth our state legislators have (literally) paved the way for by preempting logical local development controls, while seeking to deprive communities of the means they use to pay for increased demand.

Last week, Commissioner Lance Alred of East Flagler Mosquito Control authored a thoughtful essay in the Observer regarding the potential impacts of Amendment 3:

“Here is the connection that concerns me most, and that I don’t hear discussed enough: we are simultaneously forcing local governments to approve more development — faster, with less discretion — while stripping away the revenue those same governments depend on to fund the roads, utilities, and services that new development demands. You cannot build your way into fiscal health if the tax base that development creates is being exempted away at the state level before the ink on the plat is dry!”

It was refreshing to see that Sen. Leek understands the real problem Florida residents face – out-of-control spending by some larger counties and municipalities – to include Volusia County. 

In my view, rather than exsanguinate accessible local governments, the real focus should be on reducing waste, controlling spending (based upon legitimate audits and metrics), and ensuring a greater return from Tallahassee to pay for the malignant growth they facilitated.   

According to the Observer’s report, Sen. Leek has a proposal that “…would limit local spending growth in accordance to a city or county’s population growth, adjusting for inflation, following the Colorado model.”

I’d like to hear it. Any plan is better than wandering aimlessly toward a budgetary disaster…

In my view, painting all local governments with the same broad brush – including small communities that, by necessity, live within their limited means and provide effective and efficient tailored services to residents – is patently wrong. 

So is maximizing growth by kowtowing to deep pocketed development interests and preempting local control, then asking voters to remove a community’s ability to meet the ever-growing demands on essential services and infrastructure…    

Quote of the Week

“In 2019-2020, Volusia County Schools graduated 84.5% of our students. This year, our number was 95.6%. Our average proficiency numbers have consistently hovered in the general range of 50%-60%.

In short, we graduate 40%-50% of students who are not reading and doing math at grade level. The removal of RMA (Richard Milburn Academy) students into their own category is a very effective way to keep our numbers up, and our district grade at “A.”

The State of Florida created a well-intended structure that was meant to incentivize high performance. In some cases, it has instead incentivized ways to game the system so the adults look good. And campaign contributions from RMA interests are a nice touch too.”

–School Board Member Donna Brosemer, as excerpted from her op/ed in the Ormond Beach Observer, “My View: An ‘A’ for Volusia County Schools — Grades are not what they used to be,” Monday, July 13, 2026

According to Ms. Brosemer’s well-thought essay, Volusia County Schools are shunting struggling students into Richard Milburn Academy (RMA), a charter school co-located on the campuses of area high schools, as a means of artificially bolstering graduation rates.   

“Students who are identified as unlikely to pass their final test, and therefore are less likely to graduate, are moved from their assigned school to the RMA program, sometimes with parents’ approval, although not always. That removes them from the number tested at their assigned school, which then helps that school reach its 95% minimum, and it raises the likely test average by removing the lower-scoring students from that calculation.”

A former teacher familiar with the RMA program reported that the ruse works like this:

“Edgenuity is an online platform for coursework. A typical semester takes roughly 25-40 hours to complete. Courses at RMA on Edgenuity are stripped down to merely nothing except for the quiz. How does a student pass a quiz if the instruction video is taken out and not required to watch? This encourages students to guess or Google the answers and move along. They aren’t learning. An average Edgenuity course at RMA takes 5 hours to complete a semester of work.

“When teachers and administrators from traditional schools encourage these students to go to RMA, they are letting students know loud and clear that it doesn’t really matter if you LEARN. It diminishes everything that educators have tried so hard to teach. This message shows these students that it is okay to take the shortcut and the easy way out because the end result will be the same…a high school diploma, even if you didn’t have to do the work to earn it.”

That inside information should shock the conscience of every parent, student/victim, and stakeholder in Volusia County – and it should sicken any school administrator who believes in true academic excellence.

In response to Ms. Brosemer’s exposé, a spokesperson for Volusia County School’s responded in the Observer that the district is only following guidelines set by the state, using the Florida Department of Education’s grading system applicable to all schools across the state. 

You know, “Just following orders.”

In addition, while confessing that students who are “older, credit deficient, and in alternative education programs” are placed in the Richard Milburn Academy program, the spokesperson claims the performance of RMA students is included in the district’s “accountability picture,” (although state guidelines say differently for charter schools) citing that the population of RMA students is statistically too low to skew the districtwide calculation.    

If district administrators know the FDOE’s grading system is skewed – tragically leaving 40% to 50% of graduates unable to read or comprehend mathematics at grade level – then why are they demanding everyone celebrate the fabricated outcome as though it were a real achievement?

In keeping with district communications strategy, the official response ended with an acerbic offer to educate Ms. Brosemer, claiming “Volusia County Schools remains committed to transparency and is prepared to provide Mrs. Brosemer with the applicable state statutes and calculation guides in greater detail.”

In my view, false celebrations touting accomplishments the district knows are fundamentally flawed is morally reprehensible – a perversion of the traditional performance metric drenched in the stench of lies – and a misrepresentation that mocks true academic achievement.

Skewed grades may appease Superintendent Balgobin’s friends in the chamber of commerce set, developers selling homes, and economic development types bringing more scut work to the “Fun Coast,” but it sends the wrong message to impressionable students who will now equate lowering the bar to academic excellence.

And Another Thing!

“(Volusia County Councilman) David Santiago (Down Arrow) Democracy is a lousy place to look for technical knockouts.”

–Florida Politics, Capitol Directions, “Takeaways from Tallahassee — Voices behind the names,” Saturday, July 11, 2026

If you consider yourself an educated voter (or just a masochistic political voyeur, like me) you should be reading Florida Politics. 

The Florida-centric online news site is described as “a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida,” published by longtime reporter and author Peter Schorsch. 

In fact, the “Sunburn” section – a morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics – is how I start my day.

Last week, District 5 Volusia County Councilman David “No Show” Santiago was singled out in Capitol Directions – a list of winners and losers in Florida politics – an inside baseball reference to his slimy attempt to have his opponent, J. David Sosa, disqualified and removed from the ballot over a technical error. 

As I understand it, on June 26 – after the qualifying period closed – Councilman Santiago slithered into the Supervisor of Elections office and filed a formal complaint asking that Mr. Sosa be removed from the District 5 ballot.  According to Santiago’s complaint, Mr. Sosa’s qualifying paperwork was “facially defective” because a deputy treasurer was appointed before a primary treasurer – and the “Initial Filing” box was left unchecked.

Fortunately, Santiago’s skeevy challenge failed. 

To her credit, on June 30, Elections Supervisor Lisa Lewis determined that Sosa was properly qualified, and the people of District 5 will not be denied a choice at the ballot box. 

Two other Deltona candidates – Commissioner Stephen Colwell and Mayoral candidate Maritza Avila-Vasquez – faced similar challenges by their opponents.  In those cases, Supervisor Lewis issued a finding that only a judicial determination could keep them off the ballot. 

In a report by Mark Harper writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal earlier this week, we learned the City of Deltona is doubling-down on City Clerk Joyce Rafferty’s previous decision to disqualify Commissioners Avila-Vasquez and Colwell:

“The city’s appointed spokeswoman, Catherine Barker, in a prepared statement to The News-Journal, acknowledged the election supervisor’s letter, but reiterated Deltona’s position that Avila-Vasquez and Colwell were not qualified for the election.

That could open the door to their opponents challenging their candidacies in court, although the cost of a court fight and the potential blowback of appearing to win on a technicality might also factor into any litigation calculus.”

In addition to the petty bruhaha over a scrivener’s error, Commissioner Avila-Vasquez found that her campaign website – maritzaformayor.com – has been purchased by a company tied to her opponent, current Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr., which now redirects potential Avila-Vasquez supporters (and donors) to Avila’s campaign website.  

In my view, because Mayor Avila accepts campaign donations on that site, it borders on fraudulent misdirection and political brandjacking…

Sadly, it appears neither Councilman David “No Show” Santiago or Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr. are averse to denying their constituents a choice.  Rather than stand on what they consider their merits and civic accomplishments, these hacks muddy the water, create diversions by nitpicking qualifying paperwork, and quibble the rules in a cheap attempt to have their opponents removed from the ballot.       

Because they don’t have a platform of achievement to stand on.

Florida Politics is right, Mr. Santiago: “Democracy is a lousy place to look for technical knockouts.”

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, y’all!