>> HI. I'M TAMARA SHAMBURGER, CHAIR OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. >> I'M MELISSA SNIVELY, THE BOARD'S VICE-CHAIR. >> WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE SERVE MORE THAN 200,000 STUDENTS. THAT INCLUDES CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL THROUGH OUR ADULTS IN OUR WORKFORCE PROGRAMS. >> OUR DISTRICT IS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN AMERICA, AND OUR TEAM IS MADE UP OF MORE THAN 24,000 PEOPLE WORKING AT MORE THAN 245 SITES. >> WE ARE DIVERSE AND DEDICATED. OUR BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD IN OUR BOARD AUDITORIUM TUESDAYS AT 4 P.M. THE BEST WAY TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY IS TO INVOLVE YOU, THE PUBLIC IN WHAT WE DO. >> YOU ARE WELCOME TO E-MAIL OR MEET WITH ANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND FOLLOW OUR DISTRICT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. BOARD MEETINGS ARE COVERED LIVE BY HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOLS TV ON SPECTRUM CABLE CHANNELS 635 AND FRONTIER CABLE CHANNEL 32.
>> MEETINGS ARE ALSO STREAMED LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org. CLOSED CAPTIONING IS PROVIDED ON ALL BROADCASTS AND PAST MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN OUR ONLINE ARCHIVE. >> AS YOUR ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD, WE ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY. WE'LL INCLUDE TIME FOR AUDIENCE COMMENTS BEFORE WE ADDRESS OUR BUSINESS ITEMS. OUR AGENDA AND ANY SUPPORTING MATERIALS CAN BE VIEWED ONLINE IN ADVANCE. THEY ARE POSTED SEVEN DAYS BEFORE EACH MEETING ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org. >> OUR VISION IS PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE, AND THAT MEANS ALL STUDENTS, EVERY DAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN EDUCATION. WITH YOUR HELP, WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ] >>Melissa Snively: GOOD AFTERNOON. THE BOARD MEETING FOR OCTOBER 15th, 2019 IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER.
MEMBER HAHN WILL NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. >>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU. IN RECOGNITION OF NATIVE AMERICAN AND ALASKA NATIVE AMERICAN MONTH, I'D LIKE TO SHARE A QUOTE FROM THE CHEYENNE NATION. OUR FIRST TEACHER IS OUR OWN HEART. THE MEANING BEHIND THAT QUOTE IS THAT OUR HEART IS WHERE OUR INTUITION RESIDES. BEFORE YOU MAKE THAT DECISION OR CHOICE, TAKE TIME TO PAUSE AND LISTEN TO THE WISDOM IN YOUR HEART AND LET IT GUIDE YOU WHILE YOUR MIND ADVISES YOU. PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE. [MOMENT OF SILENCE] >>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU.
NOW PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] >>Tamara Shamburger: MELISSA MALLS THANK YOU, MS. HAHN. I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR STUDENT SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVE FROM STEINBRENNER HIGH SCHOOL. IF YOU COULD PLEASE STAND AND RECOGNIZE SO WE CAN WELCOME YOU. [ APPLAUSE ] THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE TWO WITHDRAWN ITEMS TODAY. ITEMS C 6.10, AND B 6.34. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER CONA AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT IS UNANIMOUS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MS. SHAMBURGER NOT AT THE DAIS CURRENTLY. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TAMARA SHAMBURGER.
NOW MEMBER HAHN WILL READ THE BOARD GUIDELINE. >>Stacy Hahn: AS WE BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETING, LET ME QUICKLY REVIEW THE FORMAT OF OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. PLEASE SILENCE ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THERE ARE SPEAKERS IN THE ROOM BEHIND ME THAT ALLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO HEAR THE MEETING. THIS MEETING CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON THE LIVE WEBCAST ON CABLE TV AND ON VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM. IT ALSO CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING IN THE ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVE.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. WE HAVE TWO ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN THIS EVENING. 5:01 P.M., A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ADOPTION OF NEW AND REVISED POLICIES AND AT 6 P.M., WE HAVE EMPLOYEE INPUT. AS A COURTESY TO THE PARTIES INVOLVED IN ITEM 6.33R, WE WILL TRY TO HEAR THEM AROUND 6:30 P.M. THIS EVENING. WE ARE NOW ON TO OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THE MEETING. THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS AND VALUES YOUR INPUT TO THE BOARD. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE TO YOUR COMMENTS, OUR STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND WE'LL KEEP OUR BOARD INFORMED ABOUT THE RESPONSES. OUR SCHOOL BOARD RESPECTS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME TO BE HERE. HOWEVER, IT IS REQUESTED THAT WHEN YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD, COMMENTS ARE NOT DIRECTED PERSONALLY AGAINST ANY PARTICULAR BOARD MEMBER OR STAFF MEMBER, BUT RATHER DIRECTED AT THE ISSUES.
ANY BEHAVIOR INTENDED TO INTERRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED. OUR CIVILITY POLICY IS IN PLACE. WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE.
I WILL NOW CALL UP THE FIRST SPEAKERS, AND YOU WILL EACH HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. THE FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE JOSEPHINE AMATO FOLLOWED BY MARK KLUTHO AND RICHARD WARNER. >> MY NAME IS JOSEPHINE AMATO. I AM AN ADVOCATE AND THE FOUNDER OF SAFE BUS FOR US ADVOCATING FOR STUDENT SAFE RIDES TO SCHOOL. UNDER IDEA RELATED SERVICES FOR TRANSPORTATION HAVE SEVERAL CATEGORIES. TRAVEL TO AND FROM SCHOOL, TRAVEL BETWEEN SCHOOLS, TRAVEL IN AND AROUND SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND SPECIALIZED TRANSPORTATION. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, DENYING OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY EQUAL ACCESS TO AMERICAN SCHOOL BUS AND IGNORING 504 AND IGNORING I.D.E.A. OUR IEP SYSTEM IS SPECIFICALLY SET UP ONLY TO RECOGNIZE SPECIALIZED TRANSPORTATION AS A RELATED SERVICE. IT WILL ONLY PROPAGATE SPECIALIZED TRANSPORTATION, EVEN THOUGH I.D.E.A. HAS MANY MORE CATEGORIES IN WHICH THIS RELATED SERVICE IS AVAILABLE AND LEGALLY REQUIRED FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. 504 IS MUCH BROADER IN ITS DEFINITION, IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY THAT IMPACTS MAJOR LIFE FUNCTION LIKE ASTHMA, ADHD, AUTISM, TRANSPORTATION IS A RELATED SERVICE TO A STUDENT'S EQUAL ACCESS TO THEIR FREE AND APPROPRIATE PUBLIC EDUCATION.
BUT OUR SCHOOL LEADERS INSOCIAL SECURITY TRANSPORTATION IS A RELATED SERVICE ONLY AVAILABLE FOR SPECIALIZED TRANSPORTATION. I HAD TO FIGHT FOR SIX MONTHS -- SIX MONTHS FOR MY STUDENT WITH A MAJOR MEDICAL CONDITION TO HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO HER TRANSPORTATION TO SCHOOL. WE HAVE LEADERS IN THIS DISTRICT IN CHARGE OF DECISIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE, WHO CARE ABOUT BEING RIGHT MORE THAN THEY CARE ABOUT DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR STUDENTS. I WAS HARASSED. I WAS THREATENED. I WAS CONSTANTLY MISLED AND I WAS TOLD YOU BETTER BE CAREFUL, MS. AMATO. I WAS THINKING, WHAT DO I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT, NOT GETTING A BUS MY DAUGHTER WASN'T GETTING? NOT GETTING A BOOK IN HOSPITAL, HOMEBOUND MY DAUGHTER WAS GETTING? NOT GETTING THE EDUCATIONAL SUPPORTS MY DAUGHTER WAS -- AND PRIVATELY PAYING FOR. AM I GOING TO GET A CIVILITY LETTER FOR BEING CIVIL IN AN UNCIVIL ENVIRONMENT?
BEFORE EVERYONE STARTS DEFEND WHRAG IS INDEFENSIBLE BEHAVIOR, I HAVE REAMS OF EVIDENCE THAT I SENT TO THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. I WILL SAY STOP DEFENDING THE SYSTEM AND START DEFENDING OUR KIDS. I AM WAITING FOR A LEADER WHO IS COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO DEFEND THE CHILD OVER THE SYSTEM, WHO WILL BE STUDENT CENTERED, STUDENT FOCUSED, WHO WILL PUT THE CHILD FIRST BEFORE THE SYSTEM. WHAT DOES IT SAY WHEN WE SIT BY QUIETLY AS AN ENTIRE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT PUT IN TRANSPORTATION AS A RELATED SERVICE. I WILL NOT STOP STANDING UP FOR OUR CHILDREN. I WILL CONTINUE TO STAND UP FOR OUR CHILDREN. I'M WAITING FOR THE LEADER TO DO THE SAME THING. THANK YOU. >>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MS. AMATO. NEXT, WE HAVE MR. KLUTHO. WELCOME, MR. KLUTHO.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. >> MARK KLUTHO. 07, ADOPTION OF PROCLAMATION, NATIONAL ENERGY AWARENESS MONTH. THIS HAS TO BE THE JOKE OF THE YEAR WITH THE STUPID BUILDINGS THAT YOU HAVE, BELCHING THE CARBON. I MEAN, YOU KNOW THAT WORD CORRELATION, WHAT DOES THAT GIVE US? BIRD EMERGENCY. TWO-THIRDS AT RISK. BIRDS ARE IMPORTANT INDICATOR SPECIES BECAUSE IF AN ECOSYSTEM IS BROKEN FOR BIRDS, IT IS OR SOON WILL BE FOR PEOPLE, TOO. YEAH, CORRELATION. YEAH, HOW ABOUT THAT GRETA THURENBERG? YOU KNOW, THE THING IS, THAT YOUNG WOMAN SHE'S SCREAMING AND YELLING, BUT LONG BEFORE SHE WAS BORN, I WAS BRINGING THE SCIENCE OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE, PASSIVE SOLAR BUILDINGS THAT YOU FLAGRANTLY IGNORE, THAT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM, THAT WOULD STOP THE EXTINCTION OF ALL THESE BIRDS. AND WHERE ARE THE TEACHERS? THEY PROTESTED MIGHTILY FOR THEIR PAY INCREASE, BUT DO THEY CARE ABOUT THE FUTURE? IT DOESN'T SEEM SO OBVIOUS, DOES IT?
NO. I DON'T THINK YOU DO EITHER, DO YOU? NOW, THIS PLANET IS DYING. YOU PEOPLE ARE SCOUNDRELS. THAT'S THE WORD. AND THESE BIRDS, THE CANARIES IN THE COAL MINE. YEAH. IT ISN'T GOING TO BE PRETTY. THIS IS ONLY 2019, ALL THESE LITTLE CHILDREN THAT ARE HERE, THEY ARE GOING TO SEE SOMETHING TERRIBLE COME, AND YOU JUST KEEP IGNORING SCIENCE. MALFEASANCE IS THE WORD. >>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MR. KLUTHO. NEXT, WE HAVE MR. RICHARD WARNER, AND THEN THE NEXT THREE SPEAKERS ARE GLEN FISK, ANN HAYES, AND SUSAN PISCHIOATA. SORRY IF I MISPRONOUNCED THAT. >> RICK WARNER, ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN. I HAVE A QUESTION. I'VE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON FOUR ITEMS. AM I TO DO ALL THAT NOW? >>Melissa Snively: CORRECT. YES, YOU WOULD DO ALL THAT NOW. >> STARTING WITH ITEM 4.10, THE RECENTLY SIGNED CONTRACT WITH THE TEACHERS. I'M SURE MOST PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM SAW GOVERNOR DESANTIS' PROPOSAL TO RAISE MINIMUM TEACHER SALARIES TO FORTY-SEVEN FIVE.
I LOOKED AT YOUR SCHEDULE AND THERE ARE EIGHT CATEGORIES ON IT THAT ARE LESS THAN THAT AMOUNT. PERSONALLY, I'M HOPING THAT THAT IS A CATALYST FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. THE GOVERNOR HAS ESTIMATED THAT THE COST OF DOING THAT IS $600 MILLION, WHICH BY MY CALCULATION IS ABOUT 10% OF THE FUNDING THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE NEED. THAT'S $6 BILLION. THAT'S HOW SHORT WE ARE OF BEING ADEQUATELY FUNDED. HOWEVER, THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL, FAIRNESS DEMANDS CONSIDERATION OF THE ENTIRE SALARY STRUCTURE FOR BOTH TEACHERS AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL AND ALSO SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT BEEN PICKED UP ON YET, THAT FAIRNESS ALSO REQUIRES CONSIDERATION OF THE COMPENSATION OF CHILD PROTECTION WORKERS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND JUVENILE JUSTICE WHO MAKE FAR LESS THAN WHAT IT TAKES TO SUPPORT A FAMILY. MOVING ON TO THE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT. MY QUESTION IS WHETHER A SALARY RANGE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR THAT JOB PRIOR TO GOING OUT AND LOOKING FOR IT.
JUST AS AN ITEM THAT SOME PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM MAY NOT BE AWARE, IN HIS ROLE AS THE LEADER OF THE COST-REDUCTION EFFORT, OUR CURRENT SUPERINTENDENT HAS BEEN PAID SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 50 AND 100 THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR LESS THAN WHAT WOULD BE EXPECTED FOR THE LEADER OF THE 8th LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE NATION. THANKS FOR PUTTING YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS, SUPERINTENDENT.
MOVING ON TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL REPORT, ON THE COVER PAGE -- DO I HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR EACH ITEM OR THREE MINUTES IN TOTAL? >>Melissa Snively: THREE MINUTES IN TOTAL. >> OKAY. READ THE CHARTER REPORT. IT HAS A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION. THERE'S 15 A SCHOOLS IN THERE, 9 OF WHICH HAVE BEEN "A" FOR FIVE YEARS IN A ROW. THERE ARE SOME GREAT CHARTER SCHOOLS OUT THERE DESPITE SOME THAT ARE NOT. LASTLY, I WOULD URGE YOU TO READ THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ANNUAL GROWTH MANAGEMENT REPORT. THERE'S SOME WONDERFUL INFORMATION IN THERE ABOUT THE STRUGGLES OF DEALING WITH NEW SCHOOLS AND REPAIRING THE ONES WE'VE GOT. >>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MR. WARNER. MR. SUPERINTENDENT, PERHAPS YOU COULD HAVE STAFF ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS HE HAD, WE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT, WE HAVE MR. GLEN FISK. WELCOME, MR. FISK.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. >> HI. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. I LIVE IN THE TOWN OF BALM. I'M REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT -- I'M INTERESTED IN GETTING A CERTAIN NAME FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL. ON THE AGENDA, 5.04. THERE'S A FAMILY THAT HAS LIVED IN SOUTH COUNTY FOR OVER 300 YEARS. THEY'VE BEEN THERE SINCE THE EARLY 1800s, MAYBE EVEN THE 1700s. AND EVEN THOUGH MOST OF THE FOLKS LIVE IN BALM AND THERE'S STILL A FEW OF THE FAMILY NAME THAT LIVE IN BALM, HAVE STREET NAMES AFTER THEM, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE SUMNER NAME BE CONSIDERED FOR THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL ON 672 THAT IS RIGHT ON THE BORDER OF THE BALM AREA. AND THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. FISK. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANN HAYES. WELCOME, MS. HAYES.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT, AND STAFF, I'M ANN HAYES. CURRENTLY A TEACHER AT WILLIAMS MIDDLE SCHOOL. I'M SPEAKING ON THE SAME ITEM, ITEM 5.04. I DON'T ENVY YOUR DECISION. THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT DECISION TO MAKE. I'VE SEEN THE LIST OF NAMES, AND YOU HAVE SOME EXCELLENT CHOICES. I WISH TO CONTINUE. I DID SEND INFORMATION TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS WITH MY OPINION. I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH MY PRESENCE BY SAYING THAT I SUGGEST THAT THE NEW SCHOOL BE NAMED AFTER MARYELLEN ELIA, OUR FORMER SUPERINTENDENT. BEING THE FIRST FEMALE SUPERINTENDENT IN OUR DISTRICT'S HISTORY I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT DESERVES TO BE HONORED, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE TWO HIGH SCHOOLS, AS YOU KNOW, THAT WERE NAMED AFTER HER TWO MALE PREDECESSORS. SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO HONOR WHAT SHE DID IN HER LEGACY HERE. VERY UNIQUE LEADER.
THIS NEW SCHOOL I UNDERSTAND IS GOING TO BE A QUITE UNIQUE SCHOOL. THE FIRST OF ITS KIND, THE FIRST 6-12 HIGH SCHOOL, AT LEAST WHEN IT STARTS OUT. I PERSONALLY -- AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, HAVE WITNESSED THE LEVEL OF DEDICATION, AND WE'VE SEEN THE RESULTS OF THE WORK THAT MRS. ELIA DID IN OUR DISTRICT. WHEN I WORKED IN THE DISTRICT OFFICE FOR A TIME, A VERY WISE PERSON SAID TO ME MANY TIMES, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE PERSONALITIES; IT'S ABOUT THE POSITIONS. LOOK AT THE POSITIONS AND THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE. I LEARNED QUITE A BIT FROM THAT. SO I THINK THAT I WOULD ASK YOU -- AND I REALLY LIKED THE QUOTE, THE CHEYENNE QUOTE WE HAD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING -- PLEASE, LISTEN TO THE WISDOM OF YOUR HEART. I BELIEVE THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO MY OPINION. APPRECIATE IT. >>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MS. HAYES. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SUSAN PISCHIOTA. AM I CLOSE? OKAY. WELCOME. FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME.