HI. I'M NADIA COMBS, 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 THROUGH ADULTS IN OUR WORKFORCE PROGRAM. I'M HENRY SHAKE WASHINGTON, 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. OUR DISTRICT IS 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 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. 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. Nadia Combs: THE SPECIAL-CALLED BOARD MEETING OF FEBRUARY 28, 2023, IS CALLED TO ORDER.
MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE. [MOMENT OF SILENCE] THANK YOU.
PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] Henry "Shake" Washington: YOU MAY BE SEATED. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON, AND I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER VAUGHN. ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT. BOARD MEMBERS, I'D LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TODAY'S MEETING. AS A REMINDER, WE'RE A NONPARTISAN BOARD WHO BELIEVE THAT ALL CHILDREN CAN BE EMPOWERED TO LEARN TO SUCCEED AND OUR DECISIONS WILL BE MADE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING. TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE AGENDA STATEMENTS AND/OR QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL BE -- WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARDS, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOU'RE ASKED TO GET BACK INTO THE QUEUE.
MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL NOW READ THE BOARD GUIDELINES. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AS YOU BEGIN THIS MORNING'S MEETING, LET ME QUICKLY REVIEW THE FORMAT FOR 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 LIVE WEBCAST, ON CABLE TV, ON VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM. IT ALSO CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING IN THE ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVES. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MR. WASHINGTON. NOW WE WILL GO TO 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 WILL 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 THE TIME TO BE HERE.
HOWEVER, IT IS REQUESTED WHEN YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD COMMENTS ARE NOT DIRECTED PERSONALLY AGAINST A BOARD MEMBER OR A 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.
THIS MORNING, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, REMINDER THAT YOUR THREE MINUTES START WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. WHEN THERE ARE 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOU'LL SEE A YELLOW LIGHT ON THE LECTERN, A RED LIGHT AND CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I WILL NOW CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS. IF WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR AND TO THIS AUGUST BODY. THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING ABLE TO COME AND ADDRESS YOU TODAY. MY NAME IS THOMAS SCOTT. I AM THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE TAMPA BAY COALITION OF CLERGY, WHICH CONSISTS OF 38 FLUENT AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCHES HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY REPRESENTING SOME 40,000 CITIZENS. I COME TODAY BECAUSE WE STAND IN OPPOSITION TO THE PLAN THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING PROPOSED. WE REVIEWED THE PLAN AND LOOKED AT IT, IT APPEARS THAT DISTRICT FIVE HAS A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED.
I THINK OVER 19-PLUS SCHOOLS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED OR IMPACTED BY THIS PARTICULAR CHANGE. AND SO WE STAND IN OPPOSITION. IT APPEARS THAT IN THE CULTURE THAT WE ARE NOW IN THAT WE'RE GOING BACK 50 YEARS FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE AND EQUALITY AND AGAINST RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION IN THE COMMUNITY. WE ARE FIGHTING NOW TO KEEP BLACK HISTORY GOING IN THE SCHOOLS. WE ARE FIGHTING NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR KIDS ARE NOT BUSED ALL OVER THE COUNTY. WE ARE FIGHTING AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CHILDREN RECEIVE FAIR TREATMENT. SO THIS PLAN DOES NOT, IN MY OPINION, CURRENTLY IS FAIR TO ALL OF THE CITIZENS. SO WE NEED A PLAN THAT IS GOING TO BE FAIR AND EQUITABLE TO EVERYBODY, EVERYONE. PLEASE, I BEAR IN MIND THAT CHANGE IS -- WILL HAPPEN. BUT CHANGE FOR CHANGE SAKE IS NOT NECESSARY. IT'S NOT IMPORTANT. HOWEVER, IN THE MIDST OF CHANGE, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS TREATED FAIRLY AND JUST AND RIGHT.
YOU ARE THE DECISION MAKERS FOR THIS COMMUNITY. YOU ARE THE PERSON WHO SET THE POLICIES AND THE GUIDELINES FOR HOW OUR SCHOOLS ARE GOVERNED AND HOW THEY MOVE FORWARD. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU TO VOTE NO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A PLAN THAT IS FAIR, A PLAN THAT IS RIGHT, A PLAN THAT IS EQUITABLE AND A PLAN THAT WILL ALLOW FOR ALL OUR CHILDREN TO BE EDUCATED. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY, I WANT TO THANK THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR HIS WORK AND HIS AGREEING, HE HAS BEEN AMENABLE TO MEET WITH THE TAMPA BAY COALITION OF CLERGY. I WANT TO REFLECT THAT HE'S BEEN AMENABLE TO MEET WITH US TO DISCUSS THE PLAN AND TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU, MR. SUPERINTENDENT, FOR THAT. AND ALSO THANK YOU, BOARD, AS YOU MAKE YOUR DECISIONS TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ROBERT PETE EDWARDS. PROBABLY MORE SO THAN ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE AND EVEN ADMINISTRATION STAFF, I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH MONITORING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ON BOUNDARIES, SEGREGATION, DESEGREGATION, AND ALL. I STARTED AS A SOPHOMORE IN 1967 WHEN THEY CLOSED DOWN THE OLD JEFFERSON. SINCE THAT TIME, I'VE WORKED ON 7th GRADE CENTERS, MAGNET SCHOOLS, AND I WAS ON THE COMMITTEE, THE WORKING COMMITTEE, THAT ENTERED THE FINAL CONSENT DECREE WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE FEDERAL COURTS AT THE TIME. I REVIEWED THIS PLAN. I'VE SEEN OTHERS LIKE IT. THIS IS A HORRIBLE PLAN FOR EVERYBODY 37 THERE ARE SOME MISSTATEMENTS THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME WITH THIS. THE NUMBERS DON'T EVEN ADD UP ON THE COST SAVINGS. WHAT I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO CONSIDER IS SHOULD YOU APPROVE THIS PLAN AS IT IS AND THE FOLLOW-UP WHERE YOU ALLOW THE SUPERINTENDENT TO SELL OFF THE SCHOOLS, BECAUSE IT'S GONE FROM TWO YEARS AGO THAT THE SCHOOL, PARTICULARLY JUST, WAS GOING TO STAY INTACT TO NOW THEY WANT TO SELL IT.
IF YOU FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THIS, I REMIND THE BOARD HISTORY OVER THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO, IT WAS DISCOVERED UNDER THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION AND SOME ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ARE NOT IN OFFICE NOW AND OTHERS THAT THERE WAS A PLAN TO SELL OFF ALL THREE OF THE SCHOOLS ON THE HILLSBOROUGH RIVER WITHOUT EVEN A SCHOOL BOARD KNOWING ABOUT IT. THOSE ARE FACTS. THEY ARE STATED IN THERE AND ALL. WHAT I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO DO IS DO THREE THINGS. ONE, START ALL OVER AGAIN. WHEN I LOOK AT THE CONSULTANT'S REPORT, THEY DIDN'T EVEN GET INTO OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED ON SIMILAR PLANS IN THE PAST. SO I THINK YOU CAN'T GET BY ME. I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME. SO YOU NEED TO TEAR IT ALL UP AGAIN. SECONDLY, DO NOT GIVE THE SUPERINTENDENT THE POWER TO SELL JUST SCHOOL TO ANY OTHER SCHOOL.
NOW, LET ME TELL YOU WHY JUST IS SO IMPORTANT. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME AROUND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT JUST. IF HE HAS THE POWER TO SELL JUST, THE NEXT TWO SCHOOLS THAT THEY WANT OFF THE RIVER IS BLAKE AND STUART. I WONDER DID HE EVER TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE PROPOSAL CIRCULATED IN THE COMMUNITY ALSO TEARING DOWN BOOKER T. WASHINGTON AND SELLING THAT PROPERTY. I ASK ALL OF YOU TO JOIN ME, AND I ASK THE AUDIENCE, IF YOU HAVE THE COURAGE AND MORAL CONVICTION, TO JOIN ME IN ASKING THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA TO INVESTIGATE THIS WHOLE THING. I THINK IT NEEDS TO GO, BASED ON MY HISTORY OF HOW THE SCHOOL BOARD IS OPERATED, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A STATEWIDE GRAND JURY AND PANEL AND A STATEWIDE PROSECUTOR LOOK AT IT ALL BECAUSE THEY ALSO ARE IN VIOLATION.
I TALKED TO MR. PORTER ABOUT IT, THEY ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE SPIRIT OF THE CONSENT DECREE ORDER THAT WE FOUGHT LIKE HELL TO GET BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF DIVISION. YOU BETTER THINK TWICE BECAUSE THIS IS ALL MESSED UP AND I HATE TO SEE BOARD MEMBERS GET CAUGHT UP IN IT AND COST THE TAXPAYERS MONEY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JENNIFER SPARKS. FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS FOR YOUR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I HAVE ATTENDED MANY OF THE SCHOOL BOUNDARY MEETINGS, INCLUDING THE WORKSHOP. THE PROCESS HAS ALLOWED FOR COMMUNITY COMMENTS AND INPUT, AND AFTER CAREFULLY CONSIDERING ALL REASONABLE OPTIONS, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS HAS PROPOSED SCENARIO 4. OVER $500,000 HAS BEEN SPENT ON THE ANALYSIS, COUNTLESS HOURS HAVE BEEN SPENT BY THIS BOARD.
THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS HAVE BEEN LEFT WITH CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR PENDING SCHOOL CHANGES, AND TEACHERS HAVE ALSO BEEN STRESSED BY ALL OF THIS UNCERTAINTY. THIS PROCESS STARTED WITH THE NEED TO CUT COSTS, INCLUDING CLOSING UNDERUTILIZED SCHOOLS WHILE WORK -- EXCUSE ME, WHILE WORKING TOWARDS IMPROVING STUDENT OUTCOMES. SCENARIO 4 SERVES THESE GOALS. WHILE IMPACTING AS FEW STUDENTS AS POSSIBLE. AND THE COST SAVINGS ARE SIGNIFICANT. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THIS BOARD TO PLEASE VOTE TO APPROVE SCENARIO 4. THIS BOARD MUST MAKE THE TOUGH DECISION TO CLOSE SCHOOLS UNDER 60% OCCUPANCY. THE STUDENTS AND TAXPAYERS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY DESERVE NO LESS. THE SCHOOL BOARD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR FINDING A SOLUTION THAT APPEASES ALL BOARD MEMBERS AND OUR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND COMMUNITY SERVE A DEFINITIVE CONCLUSION TO THIS PROCESS. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. YVETTE LOUIS, PRESIDENT OF THE NAACP. THIS IS THE LAST DAY OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR HISTORY, YOU'RE BOUND TO REPEAT IT, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE PUSHING OUR STUDENTS BACK TO WHERE, UNFORTUNATELY, WHERE WE HAVE COME FROM AND EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE TRAVELED SO FAR BY FAITH, BUT WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF PUSHING OUR KIDS BACK, LEAVING THEIR COMMUNITIES AND GOING OUT ELSEWHERE FOR SHINY OBJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED IN FRONT OF US. I'VE SEEN THE PLAN, THIS PLAN THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS DEALING WITH JUST. I HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS DEALING WITH ADAMS. I HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE SCHOOLS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED IS IN THE INNER CITY. AND THE INNER CITY SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE BRUNT OF WHATEVER GOES ON WITH THIS. SCHOOL BOARD. WE HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN THE HEAT BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE WANTS TO COME TO THESE SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY LOOK OR THE WAY THEY ARE.
MY THING IS INVEST IN OUR KIDS. IF THESE ARE OUR KIDS, INVEST IN OUR KIDS. AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE NAACP, I GET THE CALLS. I GET THE CALLS FROM STEINBRENNER. I GET THE CALLS FROM PLANT. I GET THE CALLS FROM ALL THE SCHOOLS. THOSE PARENTS SAY, KEEP YOUR KIDS IN YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD. WE DON'T WANT THEM HERE. PLEASE DON'T BUS YOUR KIDS OUT HERE. THEY DON'T WANT OUR KIDS THERE. I GET CALLS FROM PRINCIPALS WHO DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN KIDS. SO I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW THIS BOARD IS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TO REPRESENT ALL AND ALL OF THESE KIDS AND YOU'RE SAYING PREPARING KIDS FOR LIFE, BUT YET YOU'RE PUSHING OUR KIDS BACK FROM WHERE THEY HAVE ONCE COME FROM, THEIR ANCESTORS. I'VE MET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT, ADDISON DAVIS. I ENCOURAGE YOUR PLAN, BUT WE NEED TO PUT A HALT ON THINGS SO WE CAN EDUCATE OUR PEOPLE ON WHAT THIS WILL IMPACT ON OUR KIDS.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH COMMUNITY OUTREACH. THERE HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH COMMUNITY INPUT FROM THE INNER CITY STUDENTS. PLEASE, DON'T PENALIZE US BECAUSE WE DON'T GO TO MEETINGS. WE GOT TO GO TO WORK TO SUPPORT OUR KIDS, AND THEN WHEN WE COME HOME, WE GOT TO GET THEM READY TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. SO JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T SEE US ALL AT A MEETING, DON'T PENALIZE US. AND, NO, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO WEAR SHIRTS THAT SUPPORT THIS AND HERE, AND PUT UP SIGNS IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT WE KNOW WHAT WE WANT. WE'RE PREPARING KIDS FOR LIFE. LET'S DO IT. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. IF I COULD GET THE NEXT FIVE SPEAKERS TO PLEASE LINE UP. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. I'M ASHLEY FOX. GOOD MORNING, ADDISON DAVIS. I'M GOING BEFORE YOU AS THE NAACP EDUCATION CHAIR. AND I'M ALSO SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF DISTRICT 5.
AFTER REVIEWING THE PLAN, I ALSO HAVE SEVERAL CONCERNS. WE'VE TALKED OVER AND OVER ABOUT THE UNDERUTILIZATION OF CERTAIN SCHOOLS, BUT I FIND IT FUNNY THAT A LOT OF THE UNDERUTILIZED SCHOOLS AREN'T IN DISTRICT 5. OVER 19 SCHOOLS ARE IMPACTED BY SCENARIO 4. THOSE STUDENTS ARE ALREADY VULNERABLE. THOSE STUDENTS ALREADY LACK RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES. SO THOSE ARE THE STUDENTS, IN MY OPINION, WHO NEED THE MOST SUPPORT. WHO ARE WE SELLING ROSSAC TO? WHO ARE THE POTENTIAL BUYERS? THE EARLY LEARNING DEPARTMENT THAT'S GOING TO BE MOVED, WILL THAT CONSIST OF US BRINGING MEACHAM, THAT EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER, BACK TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS? AND WITH SCENARIO 4, WE JUST FEEL THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE OF A CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION AND EFFORT TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN DISTRICT 5 AS WE MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
GOOD MORNING, CLINT PARIS. I WOULD LIKE TO START BY SAYING I AM A PRODUCT EVER HILLSBOROUGH DISTRICT SCHOOLS. I ATTENDED PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM ALEXANDER ALL THE WAY UP TO JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL. IT IS THAT EDUCATION THAT GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITIES I'VE HAD TO WORK IN THIS COMMUNITY AND SERVE AND BECOME A LAWYER AND TRY TO GIVE BACK WHAT WAS GIVEN TO ME. I FELT IT INCUMBENT TO COME DOWN AND TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS FROM AN EXPERIENCE STANDPOINT. I WAS BUSED EVERY YEAR BUT ONE. 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR, GETTING UP EARLY, WEATHER. 1977 WHEN IT SNOWED WE HAD TO STAND THERE AND GET ON A BUS AND GO TO SCHOOL. SO I SAY THAT TO SAY IT IS AN INCREDIBLE BURDEN WHEN YOU SHIFT KIDS OUT OF A COMMUNITY. I HAD FIVE SIBLINGS GO TO JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL. BECAUSE MY MOTHER WORKED TWO JOBS, SHE NEVER, EVER VISITED THAT SCHOOL.