Charter schools in Florida will have to report student performance publicly and will have to avoid conflicts of interest, according to a recent Senate bill.  But the House Schools and Learning Council’s companion bill did not contain some accountability measures included that Senate bill.  

An Orlando Sentinel charter school investigation is credited with helping frame the legislation, which allows the closing of schools with financial emergencies for two years.  This legislation would also prohibit conflicts of interest among board members, employees and charter administrators.

Construction monies would be diverted from regular local schools to charter schools and these monies come from property taxes. 

School districts would be prevented from entering into confidentiality agreements with teachers accused of harming students in any way, whether welfare, safety or health.  

South Florida cities, school districts, airports and police departments are selling used and, in the case of police departments, seized property at online auctions. Airports auction unclaimed lost-and-found articles as they run out of storage space.

They offer these items on various sites such as Govdeals.com, Propertyroom.com and Publicsurplus.com.

Property varies from tools, bicycles, jewelry, furniture and cameras at airports and law enforcement departments to old teacher desks, computers and vacuum cleaners from school systems in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Some agencies also use eBay to sell items such as a rare collectible comic book sold by the Lauderhill Police Department for about $180.

At least 15 Broward cities use online auctions to sell items, lowering costs for disposal and reducing the workload on employees.

Last year, Broward County began using PropertyRoom.com, said Joel Mariani, Division Logistics Manager for the county. The public has responded positively.

Among other unusual offerings are dump trucks and ambulances as well as various other vehicles. Oakland Park is holding its fourth online auction since 2001 and used renebates.com, to raise $350,000.

Some governments have stayed with live auctions to ensure residents benefit from the low prices and also let those without computers bid. Davie and North Lauderdale are among these entities.

Police departments have used the money for protective vests, weapons and other equipment. Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport finds many lost iPods, laptops and cell phones and waits 90 days before passing the unclaimed items through the county to PropertyRoom.com.

Broward County plans to add a section Broward.org later this year to auction larger items. it is currently nicknamed “bcBay.”