Partners

ConnectFL: Improving Cellular Connectivity for School Districts

ConnectFL, brought to you in partnership with Diamond Communications, is an exclusive cellular tower development program for FSBA member districts.

The program is designed to help districts improve cellular connectivity by streamlining the management of cellular tower development on district-owned property — helping districts improve connectivity and generate revenue.

As technology and communication demands continue to grow, ConnectFL offers districts a trusted, streamlined solution to strengthen connectivity for staff, students, families, and the surrounding community.

Potential Benefits:

• Long-term revenue generated through land lease agreements
• Enhanced safety and emergency communications for campuses and facilities
• Stronger staff and family communication through improved cellular service
• Streamlined development process managed by industry experts

How It Works

Through ConnectFL, FSBA and Diamond Communications manage the project coordination and external communications, reducing administrative burden for districts while promoting district-owned property to national cellular carriers.

The Process

1. Connectivity Assessment and Carrier Interest

Diamond Communications evaluates cellular coverage needs and promotes eligible district land to major carriers.

2. Lease Agreement

If a carrier commits to development, your district collaborates on lease terms and conditions.

3. Cell Tower Development

The carrier constructs the tower with district input and coordination.

4. Connectivity and Ongoing Revenue

Your district benefits from improved cellular service and receives ongoing lease revenue for the use of district-owned land.

Please note: Not all districts will qualify for cell tower development. Eligibility is dependent on carrier commitment and site demand. The typical program timeline for highly qualified districts is one–three years.

Ready to Get Started?

Explore whether ConnectFL is the right fit for your district. Email: connectfl@fsba.org to schedule an initial consultation.

FSBA’s BuyBoard National Purchasing Cooperative Program (“BuyBoard”)

Would you like to save time and money while purchasing the products and services that your school district uses every day? Of course … which is why BuyBoard is for you!

Currently endorsed by FSBA and eleven other state school board associations, BuyBoard is a comprehensive and well-established purchasing cooperative which can reduce costs on products and services your school district is purchasing today.

Your FSBA membership entitles your school district to become a BuyBoard member for FREE! Once you sign up for BuyBoard – which takes just a few simple steps – your school district has the ability to make direct purchases from an approved list of vendors that have already gone through a competitive bidding process.

NEOLA®

NEOLA® provides school districts with a complete service for developing and updating Board Bylaws and Policies, Administrative Guidelines/Procedures, Forms, Staff Handbooks and Student/Parent Handbooks in electronic and printed format. The electronic format supports automatic linking from the table of contents and searching based on key words. NEOLA® is currently working with more than 1200 superintendents and school boards in Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

Contact Neola

Diligent Community is now available for FSBA Members

We are excited to announce that Diligent Community is now available to FSBA member school boards, offering an advanced platform for board meeting and policy management. Association members can benefit from exclusive, member preferred pricing on Diligent Community, continuing our commitment to provide cost-effective, high-quality governance solutions for educational leaders.

About Diligent Community

Diligent Community streamlines districts’ governance processes by bringing meetings, policies, and communications together in one central platform. Built for the unique needs of school boards, Diligent Community enables administrators, staff, and board members to efficiently manage agendas, minutes, policies, and public resources—all with powerful workflow features and secure online hosting.

Preferred Pricing for Association Members

School boards that are association members are eligible for exclusive, preferred pricing on Diligent Community. Please contact your association representative or Diligent directly to learn more about these special rates and request a demonstration.

Request information: Florida School Boards Association + Diligent

For BoardDocs subscribers: Transitioning to Diligent Community

For districts currently using BoardDocs, Diligent is facilitating a smooth transition to Diligent Community. Existing BoardDocs customers will receive dedicated support throughout the migration process, including consultation with a migration specialist and access to comprehensive transition resources.

To get started, visit your dedicated migration specialist’s resource page here, where you’ll find key migration information, helpful tools, important updates, and answers to frequently asked questions throughout your transition journey.

Need more Information or Support?

• For current BoardDocs users: Please contact your designated Customer Success Manager or contact Diligent support at 866-262-7326 or support@boarddocs.com for assistance.
• For those interested in a demonstration or consultation about Diligent Community, please fill out the request form and a Diligent representative will be in touch. Florida School Boards Association + Diligent

Diligent and our association are working together to support every district during this important upgrade—helping you unlock greater efficiency and transparency at a great value.

AKCG: Hennes Division

AKCG: Hennes Division provides crisis communications, issues management and strategic counsel to public school districts throughout Florida, helping district leaders navigate everything from board controversies and superintendent transitions to safety incidents, social media misinformation and threats and other high-profile challenges.

Founded in 1989 and led by Chambers & Partners-ranked crisis counselors Bruce Hennes and Thom Fladung, Hennes Communications has guided public school districts across the nation through some of their most difficult and highly visible moments.

Today, that experience continues as AKCG: Hennes Division, giving FSBA members access to the same trusted, senior-level counsel, now supported by the expanded resources and national expertise of AKCG. Together, we help school districts build, preserve and restore their reputations before, during and after a crisis.

• Crisis communications and media relations support during board controversies, superintendent transitions, safety incidents and other high-visibility district matters.
• Message development and spokesperson training for board members and administrators who may need to address the community, the media and one another during difficult public meetings.
• Proactive crisis planning that puts scenarios, protocols and a trained response team in place before a crisis occurs, rather than building the plan for the first time under pressure.
• Direct access to a nationally recognized crisis team. Hennes has been named to the Chambers Crisis & Risk Management Guide for four consecutive years and is one of only 21 firms recognized nationally.
• The same Florida-tested counsel, now backed by AKCG’s deeper bench of crisis communications and reputation management professionals.

For FSBA member special rates and service offerings, contact Thom Fladung at Fladung@crisiscommunications.com.

Web: www.crisiscommunications.com