Lynn Gray: HI. I'M LYNN GRAY, CHAIR OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE SERVE MORE THAN 200,000 STUDENTS. THAT INCLUDES CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL TO 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 COMMUNITIES 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 AT 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. TOAD TOAD THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN EDUCATION. WITH YOUR HELP, WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. (SOUNDING GAVEL). Lynn Gray: GOOD EVENING. THE BOARD MEETING FOR JUNE 29th, 2021 WILL NOW BEGIN. AND AT THIS POINT, WE ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
MEMBER HAHN, WOULD YOU NOW READ THE MOMENT OF SILENCE? Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU. I WANT TO SAY THANKS TO EVERY SEAT THAT'S BEEN FILLED HERE TODAY. FOR EACH MIND AND HEART THAT FILLS THE PRESENCE OF THIS ROOM, WE HAVE IDEAS, VISIONS, AND INSPIRATIONS, WE HAVE TALENTS, ABILITIES, AND THIS TIME TO WORK TOGETHER TODAY, WHICH I AM THANKFUL FOR. NOTHING IS EVER IN VAIN, FOR EVEN MISTAKES AND MISSTEPS ARE USED FOR GOOD. SO I WANT TO BLESS THIS MEETING, TO ALL THOSE PRESENT, AS WELL AS THE LIVES WHO WE ENCOUNTER AFTERWARDS, AND READY US TO MAKE EVERY MOMENT COUNT THIS AFTERNOON. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ASK FOR CONTINUED PRAYERS FOR THE VICTIMS, FAMILIES AND THE FRIENDS OF THE SURF SIDE CONDOMINIUM IN MIAMI, FLORIDA, AND MAY PEACE BE WITH THEM ALL. THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR OUR STATE, AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN ALL TAKE SOME TIME OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, IF WE ALREADY HAVEN'T, TO SAY SPECIAL PRAYERS TO EVERYONE INVOLVED.
THANK YOU. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. NOW WE'LL STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [ PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ] Lynn Gray: BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE ONE WITHDRAWN ITEM TODAY, 5.01, APPROVE THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO GET RIGHT TO 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. WILL THERE BE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS ARE ON. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT EITHER IN THE BOARD ROOM OR BY REMOTE. THE MINUTES. BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TONIGHT'S MEETING. WE ARE PERMITTING UP TO 50 PEOPLE TO BE PRESENT IN THE BOARD ROOM. GIVEN THE SIZE AND THE ORIENTATION OF THE BOARD ROOM, WE CAN DO THIS SAFELY. AS A REMINDER, THIS IS A NONPARTISAN BOARD AND THE BOARD IS 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 SECOND FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARDS, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOU ARE ASKED TO GET IN THE QUEUE.
MEMBER HAHN, WILL YOU NOW READ OUR GUIDELINES? Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU. AS WE BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETING, LET ME QUICKLY REVIEW THE FORMAT OF OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. 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, AND 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 ARCHIVES. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU. WE HAVE TWO ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN. 5:01 P.M., WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR RECOMMENDED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL FOR ELEMENTARY ART, ELEMENTARY MUSIC AND MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL DEVELOPMENTAL LANGUAGE ARTS AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT. AND AT 6 P.M. WE HAVE EMPLOYEE INPUT.
AND AT THIS POINT IN TIME WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL -- I JUST 2021 SAY A RECOGNITION, AND I AM GOING TO LET MEMBER HAHN JUST DO ALL OF THE SPEAKING. SHE IS EXCITED. WE ALL ARE.
HAHN HAHN THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. HOW APPROPRIATE TODAY THAT YOU ARE IN PURPLE AND WE ARE RECOGNIZING THE PURPLE STAR DESIGNATION PROGRAM. FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE SOME VERY SPECIAL VISITORS IN OUR AUDITORIUM TODAY. FLORIDA REPRESENTATIVE LEARNES. COLONEL COREY DAMON, MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE, VICE WING COMMANDER. CLAUSE CLAUSE AND MISS CONVENIENCE I SHALL A WATERS, MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE SCHOOL LIAISON OFFICER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING TIME O OUT OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE TO JOIN US FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETING AND THIS SPECIAL RECOGNITION. I FIRST WANT TO START BY PROVIDING SOME CONTEXT TO THE REASON WE HAVE HOUSE BILL 429 AS A SCHOOL BOARD PRIORITY. BEGINNING BACK IN 2011, A MUTUAL DESIRE TO IMPROVE THE SERVICE FOR OUR MILITARY CONNECTED YOUTH LED THE MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE AND THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT TO IMPLEMENT THE MacDILL COUNCIL OF EXCELLENCE. WHICH LINKS TOGETHER OUR DISTRICT AND BASE LEADERSHIP IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WAYS TO BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR MILITARY STUDENTS EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS.
THINK ABOUT IT. THESE FAMILIES ARE COUNTING ON OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT TO HELP PREPARE THEIR STUDENTS FOR LIFE DESPITE FREQUENT MOVES, TIME APART FROM THEIR PARENTS, AND THE EMOTIONAL TOLL OF THE EVER-PRESENT RISK FACING THEIR LOVED ONES EACH AND EVERY DAY AS THEY DEFEND OUR COUNTRY. OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT IS PROUD TO BE A LEADER IN THIS WORK, AND EVEN MORE IN THE EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR THE MacDILL COUNCIL OF EXCELLENCE. AND AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE CONTINUALLY LOOK FOR WAYS TO EXPAND OUR SUPPORT FOR OUR MILITARY FAMILIES. ONE SUCH WAY IS THROUGH THE PURPLE STAR SCHOOL DESIGNATION PROGRAM. THIS IS PART OF OUR 2021 SCHOOL BOARD LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM, AND WE ASK THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO FORMALLY START A SCHOOL PURPLE DESIGNATION PROGRAM AS A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING OUR MILITARY-CONNECTED STUDENTS. I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT STATE LAWMAKERS RECENTLY APPROVED HOUSE BILL 429, THE LAW WHICH GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS SIGNED AT THE CEREMONY ON JUNE 4, ESTABLISHES A STATE WIDE PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS TO BE DECEMBER IGNITED AS PURPLE STAR CAMPUSES.
YOU MIGHT BE ASKING WHAT DOES THAT DESIGNATION MEAN FOR OUR SCHOOLS? WELL, THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CURRENTLY DEVELOPING THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTS. HOWEVER, OH FOR SCHOOLS TO EARN THE DESIGNATION, THEY NEED TO DEMONSTRATE THE FOLLOWING: DESIGNATE A STAFF MEMBER AS A MILITARY LIAISON AT THE SCHOOL, MAINTAIN A PAGE ON THE SCHOOL'S WEBSITE THAT INCLUDES RESOURCES FOR MILITARY STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES, MAINTAIN A STUDENT LED TRANSITION PROGRAM TO ASSIST MILITARY STUDENTS ENTERING THE SCHOOL, AND OFFER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAFF MEMBERS ON ISSUES RELATED TO MILITARY STUDENTS. AS WELL AS 5 PROSECUTION CONTROLLED OPEN ENROLLMENT SEATS FOR MILITARY STUDENTS. THE PURPLE STAR WILL ALLOW HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TO CONTINUE TO STAND OUT AS THE MOST MILITARY-FRIENDLY DISTRICT IN THE STATE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING OUR SCHOOLS WHO HAVE THE PURPLE STAR, AND WHO HAVE THE PURPLE STAR DESIGNATION. WE WORK WITH REPRESENTATIVE LEARNED TO INTRODUCE HB 429, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK REPRESENTATIVE LEARN HE HAD WHO IS HERE TODAY FOR HIS SUPPORT OF THIS BILL AND GETTING IT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE AND SIGNED INTO LAW, AND I WOULD NOW LIKE TO INVITE HIM TO COME TO THE PODIUM TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
THANK YOU, CHAIR, SUPERINTENDENT. THIS IS MY FAVORITE BILL. I FOUND IT ON A DOCUMENT THAT WAS ON MY DESK, BECAUSE EVERY PART OF THIS BILL IS PERFECT FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FOR ME PERSONALLY, AND ALSO JUST ALL OF OUR KIDS. I OWN A SMALL TUTORING CENTER AND I TUTOR KIDS OF MILITARY FAMILIES HERE IN TOWN. I'M ALSO THE TECH COMMANDER IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY, DEPLOYED THREE TIMES. THIS BILL LITERALLY CHECKS EVERY BOX FOR ME. I WILL TALK ABOUT IT SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME 30 MINUTES ON TODAY'S AGENDA TO GO THROUGH. NO, BUT IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, I DO WANT TO TALK FOR A SECOND ABOUT HOW THIS BILL HELPED. THIS IS FUNDAMENTALLY ABOUT TRANSITIONING MILITARY FAMILIES, AND I WAS TALKING OUTSIDE WITH COLONEL DAMON WHO IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THIS. HE IS THE NEW VICE WING COMMANDER, HAS BEEN ON THE JOB FOR ABOUT A WEEK.
HIS FAMILY IS NOT HERE YET, AND THEY ARE MOVING FROM GERMANY, AND THOSE FAMILIES DON'T GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TOUR OUR SCHOOLS THE WAY MANY OF OUR PARENTS WOULD. THIS IS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT PARENTS LIKE THE COLONEL CAN ENROLL THEIR KIDS IN THE BEST SCHOOL POSSIBLE THAT MEETS THEIR NEEDS AND HELPS THEIR KIDS THE BEST. THIS IS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE LOOK PAST JUST SCHOOL LETTER GRADES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE BASICALLY ARE MATCHING GREAT KIDS WITH GREAT SCHOOLS SO THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE KIDS GETS THE BEST EDUCATION POSSIBLE WHIM THEY ARE HERE IN THE SUNSHINE STATE. THIS IS A GREAT BILL, HELPS SO MANY PEOPLE, AND I LEARNED A LOT IN THIS. MANY OF YOU KNOW I WAS ELECTED FOR THE FIRST TIME SIX MONTHS AGO. THIS WAS THE FIRST BILL I FILED. IT IS NOT NORMAL TO GET THE FIRST ONE THROUGH THE FINISH LINE IN THE FIRST YEAR.
AND I CANNOT SAY THAT I DID IT ALONE. THIS WAS A GREAT BIPARTISAN EFFORT, MYSELF WITH REPRESENTATIVE JUDGE MANNY, WHO AT THE TIME HE SERVED, HE WAS THE HIGHEST RANKING MILITARY OFFICER WOUNDED IN THE WAR IN IRAQ, IS NOW IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND THE DEIGN WE PASSED THIS, WITH EXACTLY 14 REPUBLICANS AND 14 DEMOCRATIC CO-SPONSORS TO MAKE THIS THE MOST BIPARTISAN BILL THAT PASSED THE FLORIDA HOUSE THIS YEAR, A GREAT WIN FOR NOT JUST OUR KIDS BUT FOR THE ENTIRE INSTITUTION OF THE FLORIDA HOUSE AND EVERYTHING THAT WE STAND FOR. SO THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. AND FOR THE OTHER 29 MINUTES I WILL YIELD MY TIME BACK TO THE CHAIR. BUT SERIOUSLY, THANK YOU, MEMBERS, CHAIR, COLONEL DAMON, I KNOW ON BEHALF OF COLONEL JOHNSON, AND ALSO VANICIA AND OUR MILITARY FAMILIES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I APPRECIATE IT. HAHN HAHN THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN. FROM ONE MILITARY FAMILY TO ANOTHER, THIS MEANS A LOT PERSONALLY TO ME AS WELL. AND I AM SO HONORED TO WORK WITH MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE WHICH IS IN DISTRICT 2, AND MANY OF THE FAMILIES. SO THIS IS A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL BILL THAT WILL SUPPORT STUDENTS IN ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. THANK YOU. Lynn Gray: REPRESENTATIVE LEARNED, I THINK WE MAY HAVE A FEW COMMENTS. WOULD YOU MIND STANDING JUST A TINY BIT LONGER AND THEN DO PHOTOGRAPHRY?
I WILL ENTERTAIN FIRST MEMBER SNIVELY, THEN MEMBER PEREZ. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, REPRESENTATIVE LEARNED. THAT'S A REALLY AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR FRESHMAN LEGISLATOR TO GET THAT FIRST BILL ACROSS THE FINISH LINE, AND IN SUCH A BIPARTISAN WAY. AND WE HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, WHEN YOU WERE A WEE, WEE TYKE SO I WAS VERY PROUD TO SEE YOU SERVING, AND NOT JUST OUR STATE BUT OUR COUNTRY AS WELL. AND SO THIS BILL MEANS A LOT TO A LOT OF FAMILIES. I THINK BETWEEN THE DISTRICT I REPRESENT, DISTRICT 4, ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE COUNTY, AND DR. HAHN'S DISTRICT, WE HAVE A BULK OF THE MILITARY FAMILIES REPRESENTED IN THIS DISTRICT AND THE COUNTY. SO FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, PURPLE HEART TODAY, I THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF ALL THE MILITARY FAMILIES. I TOO COME FROM A MILITARY FAMILY. I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT, AND SPEAKING FOR MY CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE MILITARY FAMILIES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MEMBER SNIVELY. MEMBER PEREZ? Karen Perez: THANK YOU. THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. I KNOW A LOT OF FAMILIES ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. YOU KNOW, I WORK FOR THE V.A., AND THE FAMILIES THAT TALK TO ME ON A DAILY BASIS ABOUT HOW THEY HAVE MOVED THEIR FAMILIES. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GAME CHANGER SERIOUSLY FOR OUR MILITARY FAMILIES. SO THANK YOU FOR CARRYING THIS, AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID BEING A GAME CHANGER FOR OUR MILITARY FAMILIES. THANK YOU.
Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. AND REPRESENTATIVE LEARNED, WE CAN'T BE AND COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF YOU. YOU STOOD UP, YOU FOUGHT FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVED IN, AND OUR STUDENTS AND MILITARY FAMILIES ARE BLESSED TO HAVE YOU AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THIS BILL, AND A SUCCESSFUL ONE. I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU, BECAUSE YOU MOVED THE NEEDLE TO HIGH REGARD FOR OUR STUDENTS AND RESPECT FOR OUR MILITARY AND I THINK THAT IS AN HONORABLE STATEMENT THAT I AM MAKING TO YOU THAT YOU HAVE MADE TO MANY, MANY STUDENTS.
VERY PROUD OF YOU, AND THANKFUL TO OUR MEMBER HAHN FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, AND MEMBER SNIVELY FOR REPRESENTING SO MANY FAMILIES IN THE MILITARY. MY NEPHEW IS A RANGER RIGHT NOW, AND I GET GOOSEBUMPS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS SUBJECT AREA, BECAUSE I THINK EVERY ONE OF THESE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE BEEN TOUCHED IN CERTAIN WAYS BY THE MILITARY, INCLUSIVE OF OUR SUPERINTENDENT.
AND MEMBER WASHINGTON, DO YOU WANT TO SHARE? YOU HAVE ACTUALLY SERVED IN THE MILITARY. Henry "Shake" Washington: YES, I DID, FOR 22 YEARS, AND I WILL TELL YOU CONGRATULATIONS. THAT'S A GREAT FAET THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR THE MILITARY AND MILITARY FAMILIES. BEING A FORMER MILITARY MYSELF WHEN I WENT TO GERMANY, TWO YEARS ALMOST, I LEFT MY FAMILY, SO YOU NEED THAT SUPPORT. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE. THANK YOU. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU. Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, I WANT TO SAY THAT YOU STARTED A STREAK. TODAY WE HAD A WORKSHOP ABOUT THE TOP TEN PRIORITIES FOR THE 21-22 SCHOOL YEAR, SO THAT STREAK -- THERE'S NO PRESSURE. I'M JUST SAYING, NO PRESSURE, BUT THAT STREAK IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ON. NONETHELESS, THANK YOU FOR MEETING WITH ME.