Message from the CEO: Moving Business Forward

Good Morning Valued Chamber Member,

Florida Department of Education Commissioner, Richard Corcoran, released an Emergency Order on Monday that outlined several goals related to reopening Florida’s K-12 school system this fall. In order to help provide school districts with the needed flexibility to fully open and continue in-person instruction, Commissioner Corcoran waived or limited several state requirements. Under 2020-EO-06, the following Florida Statutes are being waived:

Requiring school districts to establish a uniform and fixed date for the opening and closing of schools (F.S. 1001.42(4)(f));
Requiring school districts to operate public schools for a minimum of 180 days or an hourly equivalent (F.S. 1003.02 and 1011.60(2)); and
Strict compliance with the reporting requirements for educational planning and information, as set forth in section 1008.385, Florida Statutes, and Rule 6A-l.0014, Florida Administrative Code.

All School districts and charter school governing boards must submit a “reopening plan” to the Department of Education for approval. Additionally, school districts are required to provide the Florida Department of Education with progress monitoring reports for those students wishing to continue their innovative education. This will help to ensure students who are failing to make adequate progress and have support.

On Wednesday evening, the Palm Beach County School Board reached a consensus to go to online-only learning when classes resume next month. Guiding the Board to come to that conclusion were recommendations from health officials concerned that the increased number of COVID-19 cases presented a significant safety risk to in-person learning. During the workshop, the Board Members did not vote on the issue but expect to make a decision next Wednesday to keep campuses closed. The school district’s Reopening Task Force presented Board Members with a 32-page presentation looking at the challenges and opportunities of reopening. Once an official plan is approved by the School Board, it also must be approved by the Florida Department of Education. While the Education Commissioner did issue his Executive Order on Monday, his order allows School Districts that have received advise from their local health officials to submit distance learning re-open plans. Classes are currently scheduled to resume on August 10^th.

This week, Amazon announced they will open a new delivery station in Boca Raton later this year. Amazon Logistics, the company’s delivery service, stated that the delivery stations would allow them to supplement capacity and flexibility. The new station will speed up deliveries for customers in the Boca Raton area and will create hundreds of full-time and part-time jobs, paying a minimum of $15 per hour with benefits.

Governor Ron DeSantis issued an extension of Executive Order 20-52, which is extending the State of Emergency order for an additional 60 days. The move allows the state to continue accessing federal funds to respond to the pandemic. The Governor signed his initial emergency order on March 7^th. This extension will last through September 5th. For a full list of COVID-related Executive Orders, please click here.

We are continuing to provide you with educational webinars and virtual experiences to help you and your business. Please see below for a list of upcoming virtual experiences:

07/16 – 8:00am: Boynton Beach: Coffee Plus Network
Click here to register
07/16 – 12:00pm: Successful Women in Business
Speaker: Martine Pierre-Paul, Founder & CEO of Modern Etiquette & Leadership Academy, LLC
Click here to register
07/21 – 8:30am: Virtual Workshop: How to Develop Content that Grows Revenue
Speaker: Todd Paton, President, CEO & Founder, Paton Marketing
Click here to register
07/21 – 5:00pm: PULSE Happy Hour
Click here to register
07/23 – 8:30am: Boynton Beach: Government Affairs Council
Speaker: Beth Rappaport, President, Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations (COBWRA)
Click here to register
07/24 – 8:30am: Boynton Beach: Women’s Business Council
Speaker: Dr. Brazelia Lazzari, Brazelia Med Spa
Click here to register
07/28 – 12:00pm: Smart Talk for Women
Speaker: Nancy Proffitt, Proffitt Management Solutions
Click here to register
07/28 – 5:00pm: Live After Five – Virtual After-Hours Network
Click here to register

To stay up to date on all Chamber activity, visit bocachamber.com or download the Chamber App on your phone or tablet and stay connected! You can also access all of our past virtual experiences by visiting our YouTube Channel.

As we conclude another week of Moving Business Forward, the Chamber continues to encourage our businesses community, its employees and their families, to take the necessary steps in helping to flatten the curve. The wearing of masks, social distancing, and frequent hand washing will all help in the effort to prevent any future restrictions that could be placed on businesses. Let’s all do our part!