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 MATERIAL 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 BOARD MEETING OF JUNE 6th, 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] YOU MAY BE SEATED. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. WE HAVE NO WITHDRAWN ITEMS TODAY. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER -- I'M SORRY. IT'S NOT UP HERE.
BY MEMBER VAUGHN AND I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MEMBER GRAY, MEMBER HAHN, AND MEMBER PEREZ. WE HAVE TWO SETS OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY, APRIL 11, 2023, SCHOOL BOARD WORKSHOP AND THEN MAY 9, 2023, SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON AND I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER VAUGHN. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. 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 HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS LEFT 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 GO OVER THE BOARD GUIDELINES. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. 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 ON LIVE WEBCAST AND ON CABLE TV.
Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. WE HAVE ONE ITEM SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN. THAT'S 6:00. THAT'S EMPLOYEE INPUT. WE WILL GO ON TO THE RECOGNITION AND PROCLAMATIONS. AO 1, SUCHI PATEL RECOGNIZED FOR WINNING THE CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE AWARD.
MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING THIS RECOGNITION. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THIS IS TRULY A PRIVILEGE, FROM ONE TIGER TO ANOTHER ONE. EACH YEAR, THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONDUCTS A CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE WHERE MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESS HOLD A CONTEST IN THEIR DISTRICT FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, ENCOURAGE THEM TO LEARN AND TO PURSUE CAREERS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE BY CREATING AN APP. EACH PARTICIPATING MEMBER OF CONGRESS SELECTS A WINNING APP FROM THEIR DISTRICT. SUCHI PATEL, NOW A SENIOR AT GEORGE S. MIDDLETON HIGH SCHOOL, WON THE 2022 CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE FOR THE DISTRICT REPRESENTED BY FLORIDA CONGRESSMAN SCOTT FRANKLIN. MS. PATEL CREATED A SMARTPHONE APP CALLED THE MY RX THAT ALLOW THE USER TO SCAN A MEDICATION TO SEE IF ANY FOODS OR MEDICATIONS COUNTERACT WITH MEDICATION. MRS. PATEL, PLEASE JOIN US AT THE LECTERN SO WE CAN CONGRATULATE YOU AND YOU CAN BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT THE APP YOU HAVE CREATED AND YOUR INSPIRATION, MRS.
PATEL, THANK YOU. TIGER ONE. TIGER ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. WASHINGTON. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE IN FRONT OF ALL OF YOU ESTEEMED SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. WHAT ACTUALLY MOTIVATED ME TO START CODING WAS THE BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AT MY MAGNET SCHOOL. I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT PROGRAM FOR EDUCATING ME IN TERMS OF LEARNING HOW TO USE WEB PROGRAMMING AND DEVELOPING AN APP FROM SCRATCH. SO MY GRANDFATHER ACTUALLY WENT TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF AN ADVERSE DRUG TO DRUG INTERACTION. AFTER SEEING THE MEDICAL INEQUITY IN MY FAMILY I DECIDED TO PURSUE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BENEFIT EVERYONE IN MY COMMUNITY. SO I HOPE THAT THIS APP WILL BE ABLE TO BRIDGE MEDICAL INEQUITIES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS EDUCATE THOSE, ESPECIALLY WHO ARE OLDER ABOUT VARIOUS PRESCRIPTIONS AND HELP THEM MANAGE THEIR MEDICATIONS BETTER SO THAT WE REDUCE THE PREVALENCE OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AND BEYOND.
SO THANK YOU. Henry "Shake" Washington: I MUST SAY, THAT'S TRULY PHENOMENAL. THAT'S PHENOMENAL. THAT'S GREAT. I MEAN, PHENOMENAL. THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY. I CAN'T SAY NOTHING ELSE. YOU CAN'T GET BETTER THAN THAT, PEOPLE, I DON'T THINK. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU, MS. PATEL. AND I WANT ALL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO PLEASE STAND AND BE ACKNOWLEDGED. FAMILY AND FRIENDS, PLEASE STAND. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. AND CONGRATULATIONS. A 02, THE RECOGNITION OF STUDENTS WITH PERFECT ATTENDANCE FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12th GRADE. AN MARIE COURTNEY WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING THIS RECOGNITION. GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD MEMBERS, MR. DAVIS, CABINET MEMBERS. TODAY WE RECOGNIZE SEVEN STUDENTS WHO HAVE SHOWN GREAT COMMITMENT TO THEIR EDUCATION THROUGH A DEMONSTRATION OF PERFECT ATTENDANCE KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12th GRADE. THAT'S 13 YEARS OF PERFECT ATTENDANCE OR 2,340 DAYS OF PERFECT ATTENDANCE. JAMES WOMACK ONCE SAID COMMITMENT UNLOCKS OF DOORS OF IMAGINATION, ALLOWS VISION AND GIVES YOU THE RIGHT STUFF TO TURN OUR DREAMS INTO REALITY.
I DO NOT KNOW IF THESE SEVEN STUDENTS WE RECOGNIZE TONIGHT HAD A DREAM TO EARN PERFECT ATTENDANCE FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THEIR SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL, BUT THEY HAVE MADE IT A REALITY. EACH OF OUR 7 GRADUATING SENIORS PERFECT K-12 ATTENDANCE WILL BE PRESENTED A BRAND-NEW LAPTOP. OUR PARTNER, SUNCOAST CREDIT UNION, IS KINDLY PROVIDING EACH STUDENT WITH A $500 SCHOLARSHIP. WE HAVE COURTNEY BARRY, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SUNCOAST CREDIT UNION FOUNDATION, WITH US THIS EVENING. COURTNEY. IT IS MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THESE EXTRAORDINARY STUDENTS. DILLON QUIGLEY, ALONSO HIGH SCHOOL. PLEASE WAVE. ANTHONY JOANNIDES, KING HIGH SCHOOL. ALISHA THOMAS, KING HIGH SCHOOL. DANTE PATTERSON, MIDDLETON HIGH SCHOOL. ERIK DYER, NEWSOME HIGH SCHOOL. TYLER RYALL, NEWSOME HIGH SCHOOL. AND NOT WITH US THIS EVENING BECAUSE HE IS CELEBRATING HIS GRADUATION WITH HIS FAMILY, MASON CHARBENEAU FROM RIVERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL. STUDENTS, AS YOU BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL, I AM CONFIDENT THAT THIS ACCOMPLISHMENT FORECASTS MANY SUCCESSES IN YOUR FUTURE.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE PARENTS AND FAMILIES OF THESE INCREDIBLE STUDENTS. YOUR SUPPORT OF YOUR CHILD'S COMMITMENT TO THEIR EDUCATION IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. ANOTHER HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO COURTNEY BARRY WITH SUNCOAST FEDERAL CREDIT UNION AND OUR GENEROUS PARTNERS IN EDUCATION FOR THESE WONDERFUL PRIZES FOR THESE AMAZING STUDENTS. CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATES. IF WE COULD GO AHEAD AND STAY SO WE CAN GET SOME PICTURES, I KNOW THE FAMILIES WOULD LOVE TO HAVE PICTURES. Nadia Combs: SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING. Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM, THROUGH THE CHAIR, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN WITH COMMITTED PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS. IF YOU ARE A PARENT OR CAREGIVER OF THE STUDENTS, PLEASE STAND UP AND LET'S RECOGNIZE YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION. WE APPRECIATE YOU. WE UNDERSTAND WHEN THAT ALARM CLOCK GOES OFF AND THEY MAY NOT WANT TO GET UP AND YOU HELP THEM GET UP AND YOU'VE TAKEN THEM TO AND FROM SCHOOL, TO AND FROM ACTIVITIES, WE THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION.
STUDENTS REMARKABLE. I CAN'T TELL YOU I HAD THE SAME TRACK RECORD OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS -- JUST KIDDING -- BUT THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. THANK YOU FOR BEING EXEMPLARS FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING COMMITTED TO YOUR TEACHERS AND THEY ARE COMMITTED TO YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND WE APPRECIATE SUNCOAST. Addison Davis: CONGRATULATIONS. GOOD JOB. Nadia Combs: CONGRATULATIONS. THAT'S A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON 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 AND 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 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 AFTERNOON, 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 A CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I'LL CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS, IF THEY WILL PLEASE LINE UP. MARK KLUTHO, LARGO. START WITH 7.08. YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE BIDS FOR THESE CHEMICALS, INSECTICIDES, PROBABLY INCLUDING WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING OUT TO KILL THE RATS, WHICH THEN KILLS THE OWLS. YEAH. ISN'T THAT A SHAME? HEADLINES: EARTH IS NEARING THE TIPPING POINT FOR A HOT FUTURE. EARTH'S CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS AT HIGHEST LEVELS IN 4 MILLION YEARS. RECORD WARMTH HAS MELTED OLDEST, THICKEST ARCTIC ICE. CLIMATE PANEL FORESEES BIG TROUBLE AS THE EARTH WARMS. RISING TIDE OF DIRE WARMING. WILL THE WORLD WE LIVE IN TODAY STILL BE HABITABLE TOMORROW? HERE'S A TEMPLATE, THE RATIO, THE PROPORTION OF HOW BUILDINGS SHOULD LOOK.
AND GIVING BUILDINGS A GREEN MAKEOVER. IN NEW YORK, OLDER BUILDINGS, THEY ARE CUTTING UTILITY BILL BY 80%. WELL, HERE, WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THE SCHOOL BUILDING, HVAC. THE BUILDING IS STILL A STUPID BUILDING. STILL A STUPID BUILDING. WINSTON CHURCHILL IN THE 1960s SAID WE SHAPE OUR BUILDINGS, THEREAFTER THEY SHAPE US. HERE'S FIVE TAKEAWAYS FROM GOVERNOR RON DEFUROR, BARNSTORMING, TOUR OF EARLY STATES. HE STAYS HUMBLE. HE COMPARES HIMSELF TO CHURCHILL, FIGHTING THE WOKE MOB ON THE BEACHES. HA HA HA. I JUST READ WHAT CHURCHILL SAID. SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ARE YOU LISTENING TO WHAT CHURCHILL SAID? I DON'T THINK SO. FLORIDA SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE LOSING LEADERS AND HERE'S ONE OF THE LEADERS SAYING WE'VE GOT -- WE'VE GOT. NO, YOU HAVE. "GOT" IS PAST TENSE. AND THEN HERE WE DESPERATELY NEED A NEW ELECTRICAL GRID. THEY ARE SHOWING GREEN VINES GOING BETWEEN THE TOWERS. HOW RIDICULOUS.
LET ME END ON A LIGHT NOTE. YOU KNOW DISNEY, THEY HAVE A NEW DWARF. YOU KNOW THE NAME. IT'S WOKING. FOR ALL YOU DISNEY FANS. REMEMBER THE NAME. DEFUROR. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON, MY NAME IS ANTONIO ANISI. WHAT IS BOOK BANNING? IF YOU DECONSTRUCT THE PHRASE AS YOU WOULD WITH ALCOHOL BAN OR TOBACCO BAN ONE COULD GUESS BOOK BAN MEANS YOUR FORBIDDING OR PROHIBITING CITIZENS TO BOOK BY LAW. PEN MARK, ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE FIGHT TODAY DEFINES A SCHOOL BOOK BAN AS ANY ACTION TAKEN AGAINST A BOOK BASED ON ITS CONTENT AND AS A RESULT OF PARENT OR COMMUNITY CHALLENGES THAT LEADS TO A PREVIOUSLY ACCESSIBLE BOOK BEING EITHER COMPLETELY REMOVED TO STUDENTS OR WHERE ACCESS TO THE BOOK IS DIMINISHED. NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES WE STATE THAT OUR EFFORTS ARE FOR REMOVING SEXUAL EXPLICIT BOOKS FROM THE EYES OF MINORS, IT WILL ALWAYS BE MISREPRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC BECAUSE OF FLAWED DEFINITIONS LIKE PEN AMERICA'S.
IT IS CONCERNING THAT THERE ARE GROWN ADULTS THAT CANNOT OBJECTIVELY UNDERSTAND OR SEE THE ISSUE WITH SCHOOL EMPLOYEES SHOWING MINORS GRAPHIC PICTURES OF YOUNG BOYS GIVING OTHER BOYS ORAL SEX OR ADULTS GIVING ADVICE TO MIDDLE SCHOOLERS ON HOW TO USE ADULT SEX APPS. BECAUSE BOOKS WITH THIS CONTENT ARE STILL AVAILABLE TO MINORS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, CLEARLY A MAJORITY OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ARE UNWILLING TO REMOVE THEM. THIS VIOLATES FLORIDA CRIMINAL STATUTE 847. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON. WELL, IN LIGHT OF THIS HOT TOPIC OF THE BOOKS I'M HERE AGAIN TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. SO WHEN ANYONE IN A PUBLIC FORUM SAYS THAT SOMEONE IS TRYING TO BAN BOOKS, THIS DEFINITELY GETS ATTENTION. IT CALLS IMAGERY TO MIND OF TOTALITARIAN REGIMES THAT WANT TOTAL CONTROL OVER ALL OF THE FLOW OF INFORMATION. HENCE THE WORD TOTALITARIAN. LABELING SOMEBODY A BOOK BANNER IS DESIGNED TO EVOKE AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE AND TO LIKEN THAT PERSON TO A FASCIST.
BUT WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES IS THIS ACTUALLY WHAT'S HAPPENING IN AMERICA? ARE FASCISTS PARENTS TAKING OVER? LET'S CONSIDER REAL FASCISTS LIKE KIM JONG-UN, MOSSI, STALIN, HITLER AND UNDER THESE REGIMES, CAPITAL PUNISHMENT WAS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION FOR THESE BOOK INVITATIONALS. NOW -- VIOLATIONS. NOW COMPARE TO THE USA WHERE PERSON IS FREE TO POSSESS ANY BOOK THEY WANT AND IT IS NOT A CRIME TO OWN ANY BOOK IN AMERICA. ADDITIONALLY, NO ONE HAS LOST THEIR FREEDOM TO READ WHATEVER THEY WANT SIMPLY BECAUSE A BOOK IS NOT ON THE SHELF OF A SCHOOL LIBRARY. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF BOOKS THAT ARE NOT ON THE SHELF IN OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIES. DOES THIS MEAN THEY ARE ALL BANNED? NO. IT JUST MEANS THAT SOME PERSON IN AUTHORITY HAS DECIDED WHICH BOOKS ARE IMPORTANT OR APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN AND WHICH BOOKS DO NOT MAKE THE CUT. THE REAL QUESTION IS THIS: WHO GETS THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE WHICH BOOKS?