"Bill Delbrugge - One of a Kind"

Photo: Bill Delbrugge, Superintendent of Flagler County Public Schools) (Web: http://www.flagler.k12.fl.us/ ) I remember it so vividly... first day of Kindergarten, August, 1992... Mantua Elementary School, Fairfax, Virginia. Zach was five and he and the backpack were about the same size. He and his best buddy, Ross, were cranked; and had been for a week. The kids and the parents all waited together on the corner for the bus to come - and for lives to change... A true Norman Rockwell scene. When it arrived and the kids scrambled aboard, Zach fell on the steps, under the weight of his new pack. True to form, he jumped up like nothin' happened and ran to the back of the bus. As it pulled away, he and Ross pressed their hands and faces hard against the window. Funny like crazy... and never to be forgotten. He was the last, preceded by Andi and Suzy and Chelsea - all with their own unique tales of "the first day of school." Now it's sixteen years later and Zach just turned 21. He's been "finding himself" for a bit, but now is on the brink of a real adventure. He starts Firefighter Academy in Tampa on Saturday morning... Today, I was briefing Bill Delbrugge, Flagler County Superintendent of Schools, on a new program for teachers. He asked me how Zach was doing and remembers details about him and the FPC Class of '05. Zach made ok grades, but left his mark as the class president, a good athlete, the "crazy morning news"... and a big heart. He always talked so positively about "Mr. Delbrugge" and his efforts to make things better in our Flagler County Schools. He was "The Man," yet the kids could talk to him... He went out of his way to make himself approachable and available to them. As parents, we could always see that this was a man on a mission. Informed, passionate, vulnerable, professional, dedicated - the complete package. After our briefing, I asked him what was going on in the schools these days. From our conversation, three things struck me:

• Educators in Florida are really concerned about budgets and funding. "It's such a volatile issue," he said. "We get nervous when the lawmakers start changing the rules." Traditionally, the bulk of school funding has come from property taxes. "If we ever get to where we are funded by a State sales tax, it would be very difficult to predict revenues... and, therefore, more difficult to make meaningful plans."
• If the current economy sends property values, and hence property taxes, much lower... there's trouble ahead. In case you missed it, Flagler is still the fastest growing county in Florida. Matanzas High School is now FPC's "cross-town-rival"... more elementary and middle schools... more kids... more teachers needed. Wait a minute, doesn't that take more money to run the show? I couldn't help but think that Florida's median age is steadily dropping... and that means more kids. We better be prepared to fund their education!
• It seems as though our kids are making headway. Those in charge seem to have more faith in the young folks, as key negative statistics (teen pregnancy, violence, drop-outs) have taken a downward trend. "We're investing in them where it counts." In less than five years, the county schools have gone from about 2,000 computers to about 8,000! "We're doing our best to teach them about relationship building, technology, and economic globalization." "America is not all about assembly lines, like in previous generations... that's why we are focusing on teaching the students problem solving skills. We want them prepared for the realities of the world they will face."

Oh, that program for teachers I was there to brief? It's called: www.RealEstateForHeroes.com and has been created for "Military Forces, Law Enforcement Personnel, Firefighters-EMT-Rescue, Federal Agents, Nurses, and Teachers." It has been set up to provide real, usable, no-nonsense assistance for our community's every day heroes. It helps in a big way, when they choose to purchase or sell real estate, either for personal or investment purposes. To learn more, go to the website or call me direct at 386-931-1987.

So what's the last thing "Mr. Delbrugge" says to me? "Give my best to Zach... and tell him if there's any way possible, I'll be at his Firefighter Academy graduation." That's what we in real estate call "service after the sale..."