HI. I'M LYNN GRAY, CHAIR OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE STARVE MORE THAN 200,000 STUDENTS. THAT INCLUDES CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL THROUGH OUR ADULTS IN OUR WORKFORCE PROGRAM. HI. I'M DR. STACY HAHN, THE BOARD VICE-CHAIR. OUR DISTRICT IS THE 7th LARGEST IN AMERICA. AND OUR TEAM IS MADE UP OF MORE THAN 24,000 PEOPLE WORKING AT NEARLY 250 SITES ACROSS THE COUNTY. WE ARE DIVERSE AND DEDICATED. OUR BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD IN OUR BOARD AUDITORIUM ON SELECT 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 CHANNEL 635 AND FRONTIER CABLE CHANNEL 32.
MEETINGS ARE STREAMED ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org. CLOSED CAPTIONING IS PROVIDED ON ALL BROADCASTS AND PAST MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN OUR ONLINE ARCHIVES. 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. TODOS LOS ESTUDIANTES, TODOS LOS DIAS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN EDUCATION. WITH YOUR HELP, WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. Lynn Gray: THE BOARD MEETING OF JUNE 15, 2021 IS CALLED TO ORDER. GOOD EVENING OR GOOD ALMOST EVENING.
MEMBER HAHN. GOOD ALMOST EVENING TO YOU. WOULD YOU LEAD US TO A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE? Stacy Hahn: YES. DEAR LORD, AS WE GATHER IN THIS PLACE, MAY WE SHOWER YOUR BLESSINGS ON ALL OF US AND PREPARE OUR HEARTS FOR THINGS DISCUSSED. HELP US SPEAK WITH HUMILITY AND A COMMON PURPOSE WHICH WE CAN AGREE AND COME UP WITH LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS. BLESS THIS MEETING TODAY, ALL THOSE PRESENT AS WELL AS THE LIVES OF THOSE WE WILL ENCOUNTER AFTERWARD AND READY US TO MAKE EVERY MOMENT COUNT. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU.
Stacy Hahn: PLEASE JOIN ME FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. WE HAVE NO WITHDRAWN ITEMS TODAY. I WILL NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER SNIVELY AND I HAVE A SECOND BY -- [NOT SPEAKING AT A MICROPHONE] THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WANT TO SPEAK. DON'T TOUCH ME. I AM BEING DENIED THE RIGHT TO SPEAK.
Lynn Gray: I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER SNIVELY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER COMBS. ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS ARE ON. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS ARE ON. IT IS UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU. DR. HAHN IS AWAY FROM THE DAIS, BUT IT IS UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO IT ONE MORE TIME. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER SNIVELY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER COMBS. ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS ARE ON. IT IS UNANIMOUS. OH. MEMBER PEREZ, I'M SORRY. DID YOU WANT DISCUSSION? OKAY. ROLL CALL. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT EITHER IN THE BOARDROOM OR BY REMOTE. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
WE HAVE THREE MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY. APRIL 27, 2021 SCHOOL BOARD RETREAT. APRIL 13th, 2021 SCHOOL BOARD WORKSHOP. AND LAST, MAY 11, 2021 SPECIAL-CALLED BOARD MEETING. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER COMBS. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS ARE ON. IT'S GETTING THERE. ALL MEMBERS HAVE VOTED WITH VAUGHN -- VAUGHN, WHY DON'T YOU RAISE YOUR HAND AND THAT WOULD BE A CONSENT. THANK YOU. IT IS UNANIMOUS. AT LEAST I GOT THE WORD "UNANIMOUS" OUT. THAT WAS GOOD. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TODAY'S BOARD MEETING. WE ARE PERMITTING UP TO 60 PEOPLE TO BE PRESENT IN THE BOARDROOM. GIVEN THE SIZE AND ORIENTATION OF THE BOARDROOM, WE CAN DO THIS SAFELY. AS A REMINDER, THIS IS A NONPARTISAN BOARD, AND WE ARE ALWAYS ASKED TO CONSIDER OUR CHILDREN'S INTEREST AND NEEDS FIRST.
TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE AGENDA STATEMENTS AND/OR QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARD, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOU ARE ASKED TO GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. BOARD GUIDELINES.
MEMBER HAHN, WOULD YOU DO US THE PLEASURE OF READING THE BOARD GUIDELINES? Stacy Hahn: YES. THANK YOU. 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 UPON STEPPING AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THIS MEETING CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON THE LIVE WEBCAST, ON CABLE TV, AND ON VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM. IT CAN ALSO BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING IN THE ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVE. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU. WE HAVE ONE ITEM SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN, AND THAT IS THE 6 P.M. EMPLOYEE INPUT. NOW WE'LL GO OVER THE PUBLIC COMMENT. 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 WHEN YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD COMMENTS, THEY ARE NOT DIRECTED PERSONALLY AGAINST A 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. WE HAVE ALLOTTED ONE HOUR THIS EVENING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, AND EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES. I WILL NOW CALL UP THE FIRST SPEAKERS. HERE WE GO. MR. COSTANO. MRS. COSTANO. MS. VERONA. AND AMBERLIN RHODES. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. Lynn Gray: GO AHEAD. I'M SORRY. YES. GOOD EVENING, JAMES COSTANO, HILLSBOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOL ADVOCATES. I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I'M HERE TO ASK AND PLEAD WITH MR.
DAVIS TO PLEASE SUPPORT AND FIX OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I'M ASKING EVERYONE HERE ON THE DAIS TO SUPPORT HIM IN THAT ENDEAVOR. BEING IN THE MILITARY IN THE FBI FOR 31 YEARS, I'VE BEEN TRAINED TO LOOK AT INDICATIONS AND WARNINGS AND CONDUCT ANALYSIS. AND I SEE THE BIG PICTURE THAT TALLAHASSEE IS BASICALLY -- HAS BASICALLY PUT IN MOTION MECHANISMS TO DESTROY PUBLIC SCHOOLS BY CREATING A CHARTER-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT. I'M A CONSERVATIVE. I'M A REPUBLICAN. AND I'M A TAXPAYER. SO WHEN I SEE THAT -- AND THERE'S ONLY ONE POT OF MONEY. WHEN I SEE THAT ONE POT OF MONEY FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS BEING STOLEN BY THE CHARTER SCHOOLS AND, GRANTED, I'M PAINTING A BROADBRUSH, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, CHARTER SCHOOLS DO NOT OUTPERFORM OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THERE'S A 25-YEAR STUDY, PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE OUTPERFORMED CHARTER SCHOOLS A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TIME. THERE ARE A FEW CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT ARE VERY, VERY GOOD AND SERVE THE COMMUNITY, BUT AS A WHOLE, THEY DO NOT.
I WANT TO GIVE OVER SOME POINTS THAT I HAVE ISSUE WITH, SEEING THAT OUR TAXPAYER MONEY THUS FAR THAT'S FUNDING THE CHARTER SCHOOLS. ONE, THEY SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON PROCHARTER POLITICAL CANDIDATE CAMPAIGNS. SO MY TAXPAYER MONEY FUNDING SOMEONE'S POLITICAL CAMPAIGN THAT I HAVE NO CHOICE OVER. THEY ARE PRONE TO FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE. YOU SEE IN THE PAPER TIME AFTER TIME, AT LEAST IN THE PAST YEAR, PEOPLE GOING TO JAIL OR HIGHLIGHTING THE FACT THAT THEY ARE STEALING, BASICALLY COMMITTING CORPORATE FRAUD ON OUR TAXPAYER MONEY TO ENRICH THEMSELVES BY HAVING CORPORATE JETS OR YACHTS OR BOX SEATS AT A SPORTING EVENT ON OUR TAXPAYER DIME. THE QUALITY OF THE TEACHERS ARE NOT BETTER THAN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLTEACHERS. MOST OF THE TEACHERS ARE NOT CERTIFIED. THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME CREDENTIALS. THEY DON'T HAVE A STATE CERTIFICATION. FINALLY, THEY SPEND THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MARKETING AND ADVERTISING TO STEAL STUDENTS FROM OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AGAIN, ON OUR TAXPAYER DIME. I'M JUST OUTRAGED BECAUSE I WENT TO PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOL HERE, AND I SEE BASICALLY -- Lynn Gray: FINAL THOUGHTS. SORRY, JAMES. WELL, FINAL THOUGHTS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE DAY. OUR GROUP IS THE PAUL REVERES. WE'RE THE WINSTON CHURCHILLS. WE'RE WARNING OF THE PENDING DOOM TO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. RIGHT NOW, THEY COMPRISE 15%, AND THAT'S GOING TO JUST CLIMB. AND EVENTUALLY YOU'LL HAVE TO FIRE MORE TEACHERS AND START CLOSING SCHOOLS. IT'S GOING TO BE AN ISSUE. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MS. COSTANO. EVELYN VERONA. AMBERLYNN RHODES. I'M JUST HAVING TO RETRACT. WE'RE ON TWO MINUTES.
MY EYESIGHT WASN'T VERY GOOD ON THE THREE MINUTES. SORRY. GOOD EVENING. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. PAULA COSTANO. I WORK IN THE COUNTERTERRORISM DIVISION SEVEN DAYS A WEEK LOOKING AT LARGE DATA SETS. I PROFESSIONALLY VETTED TERRORISTS ON AMERICAN SOIL TO PREVENT TERRORIST ATTACKS TO ALL OF YOU. I AM HERE TO TELL YOU FROM MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION, UNBIASED THAT WE ARE NOT VETTING THESE CHARTER SCHOOLS PROPERLY. WE NEED TO HAVE A MORE DISCERNING APPROACH ON THE UP-FRONT OF THE APPLICATIONS BEFORE THEY PASS THROUGH. I'VE ALSO NOTICED SOME PATTERNS THAT ARE REALLY KIND OF INTERESTING. I THINK ALL OF YOU MIGHT NOTICE THESE PATTERNS ALREADY. AND INTIMIDATING LOBBYIST WHO WAS CHARGED AND CONVICTED OF WITNESS TAMPERING AND LEAVING RACIALLY CHARGED, THREATENING VOICE MESSAGES IS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND PART OF DESANTIS' CAMPAIGN. HE IS TIED INTO FOUR CHARTER SCHOOLS ON OUR DOCKET TONIGHT.
CHARTER SCHOOLS USA AND AC DEMOCRAT CA SCHOOLS. THE ACEDMICA TIED TO OSG INVESTIGATIONS. THIS IS MY PRIOR CAREER. I'M TELLING YOU TO TAKE A MORE DISCERNING LOOK AND VOTE NO. DO NOT BE COMPLICIT. IT DOES NOT MATTER THAT YOU THINK YOUR HANDS ARE TIED TO 1028. I'VE EXAMINED IT. YOU HAVE GOOD CAUSE TO PUSH BACK. WE HAVE SPEAKERS TONIGHT THAT WILL GO INTO FULL DETAIL ON SOME OF THESE INVESTIGATIONS. AN OWNER OF TWO OF THE CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT ARE ALSO ON THE DOCKET TIED TO CHARTER SCHOOL USA ARE NOT E COMPLIANT. NOT ELL COMPLIANT. NOT CLASS SIZE COMPLIANT. AND THEY DO NOT HAVE TEACHERS THAT HAVE EDUCATION CREDENTIALS. THAT IS GOOD CAUSE NOT TO ACCEPT RENEWAL OF SOUTHSHORE AND WOODMONT. THEY HAVE HAD D AND F SCORES ONLY RECENTLY GETTING A B SCORE. I QUESTION THAT B SCORE AS A PERSON WHO PROFESSIONALLY LOOKED AT DATA.
Lynn Gray: MS. COSTANO FINAL THOUGHTS. I IMPLORE YOU TO TAKE A STAND. ALL OF US AS CONSTITUENTS WILL SUPPORT YOU. WE DO NOT CARE WHAT TALLAHASSEE DOES. WE DO NOT CARE IF WE ARE FINED NOW. WE WILL LOOK THAT YOU VOTE NO TONIGHT TO SOME OF THE SCHOOLS THAT YOU HEAR THE DATA IS NOT SUPPORTING THAT THEY SHOULD BE PASSED THROUGH. THANK YOU. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU. MS. VERONA AND THEN MS. RHODES. FOLLOWING THAT, LEANNE KLUM AND FOLLOWING THAT HOPE BRILLHART. I'M MS. VERONA. THE MOTHER OF A RISING FOURTH GRADER IN HILLSBOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT SAVING OUR SCHOOLS, OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE WAY THAT CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE FUNDED IN THE STATE SCHOOLS AND I BELIEVE UNDERPERFORMING PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE UNDERPERFORMING BECAUSE THEY ARE GETTING LESS AND LESS FUNDING AND NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. SO ROUTING PUBLIC MONIES TO SOME TYPES OF CHARTER SCHOOLS WHEN SO MANY LATER END UP CLOSING AFTER PUBLIC MONIES, THEY'VE RECEIVED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IS REALLY A TRAVESTY.
IT'S A WASTE. I KNOW SOME CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT OPERATE REALLY WELL, BUT MANY DO NOT. AND ONE EXAMPLE WHICH HAS RELEVANCE FOR US IS IDEA SCHOOLS, WHICH IS RUN BY THE SCHOOL OF HOPE. THE COFOUNDER AND FORMER COO OF HOPE RESIGNED IN 2020 AFTER A SCANDAL. HE PAID LUXURY BOX SEATS AT A SPURS GAME FOR $400,000. AND BEFORE THAT, HE GOT IN TROUBLE FOR LEASING A PRIVATE JET FOR NEARLY $2 MILLION A YEAR. AFTER THEY GOT NEGATIVE PRESS FOR THAT, THE BOARD CANCELED THE LEASE FOR THE JET, AND NOW THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE JUST FLY FIRST CLASS. POOR THINGS. SO THAT WAS IN TEXAS, BUT NOW IDEA SCHOOLS ARE IN OUR OWN BACKYARD. TWO IDEA SCHOOLS ARE OPENING IN THE FALL IN EAST TAMPA, AND THEY ARE RECRUITING OUTSIDE F AND D SCHOOLS. Lynn Gray: FINAL THOUGHTS. SO THEY ARE HIRING INEXPERIENCED TEACHERS AND LESS THAN 65 PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS WHO ENTER THE 9th GRADE WITH THEM END UP GRADUATING BECAUSE THEY DON'T CATER TO KIDS AT ALL LEVELS OF ABILITY.
SO WE CAN'T HAVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FUNDS USURPED BY THESE SO-CALLED NONPROFITS WHO HAVE LITTLE ACCOUNTABILITY, AND PEOPLE TALK ABOUT CHOICE BEING -- SO PEOPLE TALK ABOUT CHOICE AND CHARTER SCHOOLS KIND OF PROVIDING A CHOICE, BUT I FEEL LIKE US PUBLIC SCHOOL PARENTS HAVEN'T BEEN GIVEN A CHOICE ABOUT DISMANTLING OUR SCHOOLS. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU. AMBERLYNN, LEANNE, HOPE, AND THEN CYNTHIA. HELLO. GOOD AFTERNOON. IT'S GOOD TO SEE ALL OF YOU AGAIN. MY NAME IS AMBERLYNN RHODES, HERE REPRESENTING THE HILLSBOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS ADVOCATES GROUP. I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS. THEY ARE DILUTING OUR FUNDING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS' EDUCATION. ONLY 10% OF FLORIDA STUDENTS GO TO CHARTER SCHOOLS, BUT YET 50% OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS CAPITAL BUDGET IS GOING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS. SO THEY ARE EXTREMELY DILUTED TO OVERALL FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THREE SCHOOLS THAT I RECOMMEND VOTING NO FOR RENEWAL OR AT LEAST A CONSIDERATION FOR SHORTER PERIODS OF RENEWAL.