Karen Perez: HI, I AM KAREN PEREZ, CHAIR OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THAT INCLUDES CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL AND ADULTS THROUGH OUR WORKFORCE PROGRAM. HI, I AM JESSICA VAUGHN, THE SCHOOL BOARD'S VICE-CHAIR. OUR DISTRICT IS THE 7th LARGEST IN AMERICA, AND OUR TEAM IS MADE UP OF 24,000 PEOPLE WORKING AT CLOSE TO 250 SITES ACROSS THE COUNTY. Lynn Gray: OUR DISTRICT IS DIVERSE AND DEDICATED. OUR MEETINGS ARE HELD ON SELECT TUESDAYS AT 4 P.M. THE BEST WAY TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY IS TO INVOLVE YOU, THE PUBLIC, IN WHAT WE DO. Henry "Shake" Washington: YOU ARE WELCOME TO MEET OR E-MAIL ANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND FOLLOW OUR DISTRICT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS ARE COVERED LIVE BY HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOLS TV ON SPECTRUM 635 AND FRONTIER CHANNEL 32. Stacy Hahn: MEETINGS ARE STREAMED LIVE ON OUR WEB SITE AT HILLSBOROUGHSCHOOLS.ORG.
CLOSED CAPTIONING THIS PROVIDED ON ALL BROADCASTS AND PAST MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN OUR ONLINE ARCHIVE. Nadia Combs: WE ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO STAY. WE WILL 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 WEB SITE AT HILLSBOROUGHSCHOOLS.ORG. Nadia Combs: OUR VISION IS PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE. TODOS LOS ESTUDIANTES TODOS LOS DIAS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN EDUCATION. WITH YOUR HELP, WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. Karen Perez: THE BOARD MEETING OF MARCH 19, 2024 IS CALLED TO ORDER.
MEMBER VAUGHN WILL NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE. [MOMENT OF SILENCE] THANK YOU.
NOW PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] Karen Perez: MEMBER VAUGHN, WILL YOU PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STUDENT ENTERTAINMENT. Jessica Vaughn: I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ORCHESTRA ALONG WITH PRINCIPAL ANNE RUSHING AND MUSIC DIRECTOR MELISSA ROLLINS. THESE WONDERFUL STUDENTS ENTERTAINED US PRIOR TO THE START OF THE BOARD MEETING. AT THIS TIME WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE STUDENTS INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. HI, MY NAME IS NIPAL AND I AM IN THE FIFTH GRADE. HI, MY NAME IS JEREMIAH, AND I AM 234 THIRD GRADE. MY NAME IS JANET ELISE IN 3rd STRAYED. I AM IN PRESIDENT FOURTH GRADE. HI, MY NAME IS BRADY AND I AM IN FOURTH GRADE. HI, MY NAME IS SKYLER AND I AM IN FOURTH GRADE. HI, MY NAME IS ALISON AND I AM IN FOURTH GRADE. HI, MY NAME IS PRISHA AND I AM IN THIRD GRADE.
HI, MY NAME IS ANGELINA. AND I AM IN FOURTH GRADE. HI, MY NAME IS HALLE AND IN THIRD GRADE. MY NAME IS AMIRA AND I AM IN THE THIRD GRADE. MY NAME IS MELANIE AND IN THE THIRD GRADE. MY NAME IS STELLA AND I AM IN THIRD GRADE. MY NAME IS DETIAN AND IN THE FURTHER GRADE. I AM LANA LEWIS, AND I AM IN FIFTH GRADE. I AM MISS ROLLINS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. SARAH, THE IB COORDINATOR. HI, I AM ANA GIBBLIN, THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL. I AM ANN RUSHING, THE PRINCIPAL. THANK YOU, AGAIN, FOR HAVING US. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: PARENTS, IF YOU WANT TO COME UP AND TAKE A PICTURE. Jessica Vaughn: GREAT JOB. THANK YOU. Karen Perez: WE HAVE ONE WITHDRAWN ITEM TODAY THAT IS 7.10, APPROVED PIGGYBACK FOR LG ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUS PURCHASES.
BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TODAY'S MEETING. AS A REMINDER, WE ARE 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 FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARDS, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOU ARE ASKED TO GET BACK IN THE QUEUE.
MEMBER VAUGHN, WILL YOU NOW READ BOARD GUIDELINES. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, CHAIR PEREZ. AS WE BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETING, PLEASE ALLOW ME TO 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. Karen Perez: WE HAVE ONE ITEM SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN. AND THAT IS 6 P.M. EMPLOYEE INPUT. 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 KEEP THE 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 A BOARD MEMBER OR STAFF BUT RATHER DIRECTED AT THE ISSUES. AND ANY BEHAVIOR INTEND TODAY INTERRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED. OUR CIVILITY POLICY IT IN PLACE. WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME. SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE.
THIS AFTERNOON, EACH SPEAKER HAS THREE MINUTES. REMINDER THAT YOUR THREE MINUTES START WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. WHEN THERE ARE 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOU WILL SEE A YELLOW LIGHT ON THE LECTERN. A RED LIGHT AND A CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I WILL NOW CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS. HELLO, MY NAME IS GREG ELLIOTT AND I AM A CIVIL ENGINEER BY PROFESSION AND I MANAGE ROAD AND BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. MORE IMPORTANTLY, I AM A DAD OF TWO CHILDREN. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED TO KNOW MY KIDS DON'T EVEN GO TO APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY JUST YET. MY SON JUST TURNED ONE. MY DAUGHTER WILL BE ENTERING KINDERGARTEN AT APES IN AUGUST. THE LACK OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL IS SO CRITICAL TO THE AREA AND MY FAMILY THAT MY KIDS HAVE NOT ENTERED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BUT I'M HERE SPEAKING WITH YOU GUYS TODAY.
MY WIFE AND I HAVE LIVED IN APOLLO BEACH FOR NEARLY NINE YEARS. AND I RECALL WHEN WE FIRST MOVED TO APOLLO BEACH, IT SEEMED LIKE A SLEEPY LITTLE TOWN. LITTLE DID WE KNOW THE GROWTH HAS OPINION EXPONENTIAL. A POSITIVE FROM THE PROFESSIONAL STANDPOINT, WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE GROWTH IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT I WOULD SEE TO SUPPORT ALL THE NEW HOUSING BUILT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED TO KNOW THAT I ALSO ATTENDED A K-8 SCHOOL GROWING UP. IT HAD MANY BENEFITS AND FOCUSED ON ACADEMICS AND I DIDN'T WORRY OF MAKING NEW FRIENDS OR TRANSFERRING TO A NEW SCHOOL. AND IMPRESSIONABLE ADOLESCENT YEARS. I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT DUE TO GROWTH IN MY HOMETOWN, MY HIGH SCHOOL WITH AS NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THE STUDENTS. THE SOLUTION WAS TO BRING IN MODULAR UNITS TO SERVICE CLASSROOMS WHILE THE SCHOOL WAS BEING EXPANDED.
I CAN TELL YOU WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT WE WOULD NOT RATHER GO AWAY IN A NEW SCHOOL BUT TO BE COMFORTABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH THE FAMILIAR FACES OF OUR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. LET'S MAKE K-8 COME TO FEW SIGNIFICANCES FOR ABES AND APOLLO BEACH. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS COOL LINE BINUCCI, AND A PROW MEMBER OF THE APOLLO BEACH K-8 INITIATIVE. I AM GOING TO BE VERY BRIEF TODAY UNLIKE I HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST. WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE BEEN ON BOARD WITH OUR INITIATIVE, I WANT TO THANK EACH OF YOU. I KNOW YOU EACH DEDICATED A LOT OF TIME SPEAKING WITH US, ANSWERING QUESTIONS, JUST BEING, YOU KNOW, VERY OPEN TO US ASKING AND DESIRING THIS. SO IT IS VERY EFFORT TO OUR GROUP THAT YOU CARE A LOT OF THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT CHILDREN.
SO, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. MY MAIN PURPOSE THOUGH TODAY IS ACTUALLY AS A MESSENGER. I HAVE LETTERS THAT I JUST DELIVERED FROM ONE OF OUR SECOND-GRADE CLASSES. MISS GRAVES' STUDENTS ASKED THAT I DELIVER THEM ALL TO YOU TODAY AND THAT IS WHY I'M HERE IN FRONT OF YOU. THAT IS REALLY ALL I HAVE FOR TODAY. THANK YOU, AGAIN, FOR YOUR TIME AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN NEXT MONTH. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER AND WILL SPEAKERS 6-10 PLEASE LINE UP. HI, MY NAME IS JACK STAFFORD. I USED TO ATTEND APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY. I LIKE GOING TO APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BECAUSE MY DAD WENT THERE WHEN HE WAS A KID. NOW I GO TO A DIFFERENT K-8 SCHOOL. MY PARENTS TOOK ME OUT OF APOLLO BEACH BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ANY MIDDLE SCHOOL OPTIONS FOR ME.
I WAS VERY UPSET TO LEAVE MY FRENCH QUARTER. I LIKED IT AT APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY BECAUSE MY TEACHERS CARED A LOT AND WERE HELPFUL. ALSO, I LIKE BEING ABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL WITH FRIENDS WHO LIVE NEAR ME. PLEASE TURN APOLLO BEACH INTO A K-8 SCHOOL BECAUSE YOU WILL BE HELPING KIDS LIKE ME WHO DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THEIR FRIENDS BE BEHIND. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HI, MY NAME IS QUINN PAIGE AND I AM IN THE SIXTH GRADE. A FORMER DOLPHIN FROM APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET INTO A CHARTER SCHOOL NEARBY. I LIKE IT AND I MADE SOME NEW FRIENDS BUT NOT THE SAME AS ABES. MY TEST SCORES WENT FROM LEVEL 4 AND 5 TO A LEVEL 2. FOR 7th GRADE, I AM GOING TO START AT A DIFFERENT CHARTER SCHOOL THAT IS FURTHER AWAY BUT HOPEFULLY BETTER FOR MY TEST SCORES AND BE AS GOOD AS APOLLO BEACH.
THIS MEANS WE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE MY FRIENDS AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS AGAIN WHICH I WILL HAVE TO DO AGAIN WHEN HE I GO TO HIGH SCHOOL. I WISH APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY COULD BE A K-8 SO THEN MY LITTLE SISTER DOESN'T HAVE TO SWITCH SCHOOLS LIKE I DO. IF I CAN GO BACK TO APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY FOR 7th AND 8th GRADE, IT WILL BE A DREAM COME TRUE. 37 THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HI, MY NAME IS EMMA PAIGE, AND I AM IN SECOND GRADE AS POLSZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I WANT APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY TO BE A K-8 BECAUSE THE SCHOOL IS GOOD AND THE TEACHERS ARE NICE AND PATIENT. YOU CAN LEARN A LOT THERE. I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS THERE. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF I COULD STAY WITH THEM FOR LONGER. IT WOULD -- WAIT, OKAY.
WE STILL HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY A D-8. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT PEAKER. HI, MY NAME IS HUNTER AND I JUST TURNED SEVEN THIS MONTH. I AM IN MISS HODGES' CLASS. FEW DAY AS WEEK I WALK TO SCHOOL WITH MY MOM AND NEIGHBORS IN KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE. I LOVE WALKING TO SCHOOL AND I ASK MY MOM WHEN I WILL BE ALLOWED TO BIKE WITHOUT HER. WE SEE LOTS OF SCHOOL FRIENDS ON OUR WALK TO SCHOOL THAT ARE ALSO THAT ARE WALKING OR RIDING THEIR SCOOTERS. I WANT APOLLO BEACH TO BE A K-8 SCHOOL SO I CAN KEEP WALKING AND RIDING MY BIKE TO SCHOOL. I WANT MY NEIGHBORS TO STAY IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD -- TO STAY IN MY SCHOOL AND NOT HAVE TO CHANGE TO CHARTER SCHOOLS. I LOVE I MY SCHOOL AND WHAT IS BEST FOR THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY.
PLEASE VOTE FOR APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY TO BE A K-8 SCHOOL. THANK YOU. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS SARAH RUTHERFORD. I AM SPEAKING TO SUPPORT TURNING APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY INTO A K-8 SCHOOL. BORN IN TAMPA, I GREW UP IN ALABAMA AND I WANT TO SHARE MY COMMENCE ATTENDING A K-12. IN SHORT, I LOVED IT. I GRADUATED WITH 75% OF THE SAME STUDENTS I WENT TO KINDERGARTEN AND HAVE VERY CLOSE FRIENDSHIPS AS OF THIS DAY. THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL WERE IN SEPARATE BUILDINGS BUT ON THE SAME PLOT OF LAND. IT TAUGHT ME MANY THINGS. PEOPLE IN RELATIONSHIPS GROW AND EVOLVE OVER TIME AND FRIENDSHIPS MAY BE STRONGER AT SOME POINTS THAN OTHERS. BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE SPENT MANY YEARS TOGETHER, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW EACH OTHER ON A DEEPER LEVEL. WE KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE, SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND WORK THROUGH DIFFERENCES WHEN THEY AROSE.
ANOTHER BENEFIT OF HAVING THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS ON-SITE IT PROVIDED THE UPPER-LEVEL STUDENTS THE ABILITY TO BE ELEMENTARY TEACHER AIDES WITH GOOD GRADES AND NO DISCIPLINARY ISSUES. THE TEACHERS RECEIVED HELP WITH HELPING WITH BULLETIN BOARDS OR HELPING STUDENTS WITH TASKS. STUDENT AIDE LEARNED OF CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND TAKING ON DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND RECOMMENDATION LETTER FROM THE TEACHER WHO WAS THE MENTOR. THE STUDENT AIDE WAS SOMEONE THEY CAN LOOK UP TO AND ASPIRE TO BE IN FOOT YOU CH YOU ARE. THE ALMA MATER THAT SHOWS THE TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATION THAT WORK THERE OVER THE YEARS WHICH IS ALSO TRUE FOR APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY. OUR SCHOOL HAS WORKED TO DEVELOP A STRONG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADMINISTRATION, FACULTY AND PARENTS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY WHICH DIRECTLY IMPACTS THE EDUCATION OF OUR STUDENTS AND ALL WE ARE ASKING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND UPON AND BUILD UPON WHAT IS ALREADY ESTABLISHED.
OUR COMMUNITY IS FILLED WITH MANY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES INCLUDING ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY, AS WELL AS PARENTS WHO ARE TEACHERS THAT MUST WORK TO CONTRACT WHO AREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS REGULARLY, IF AT ALL. BUT PLEASE KNOW THERE IS A STRONG BACKING AND SUPPORT OF THIS INITIALING INITIATIVE. IT IS CRITICAL WE HAVE A VIABLE MIDDLE SCHOOL OPTION FOR CURRENT STUDENTS THAT ARE AGING OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS, AND TO FIND A SOLUTION SO OUR CHILDREN CAN CONTINUE TO GROW AND THRIVE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. Karen Perez: NEXT SPEAKER. AND WILL SPEAKERS 11-15, PLEASE LINE UP. MY NAME IS JOE. I AM IN THIRD GRADE AT APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY. I WILL BE SHARING WITH YOU WHY I THINK APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY -- WHY I THINK MY SCHOOL SHOULD BE K-8th GRADE. FIRST OF ALL, NOT A LOT OF PUBLIC MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I THINK FIFTH GRADE NEEDS MIDDLE SCHOOL AND MAYBE HAVE TOUGH TIMES FINDING A MIDDLE SCHOOL THAT IS RIGHT FOR THEM.
RIGHT NOW THEY DON'T HAVE A CHANCE TO STAY AT OUR SCHOOL. THEY WILL HAVE TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS AT SCHOOL WHICH MIGHT BE HARD FOR THEM. THEY MAY BE A LITTLE NERVOUS. SECOND OF ALL, ALL THE TEACHERS IN OUR SCHOOL ARE VERY GOOD AND THEY ARE VERY KIND. OTHER SCHOOLS MAY NOT BE THAT BE W WAY. I THINK APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS A PERFECT SCHOOL FOR EVERYONE. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, EVERYBODY DESERVES TO GO TO APOLLO BEACH. IF WE ARE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, WILL GIVE FIFTH GRADER AS FEW MORE YEARS TO BE WITH THEIR FRIEND AND THEY WON'T HAVE TO BE NERVOUS OR SCARED TO GO TO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SCHOOL THAT MIGHT -- THAT MIGHT -- THAT MAY BE FAR AWAY. AND THAT'S WHY APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY SHOULD BE K-8th GRADE. PLEASE VOTE TO MAKE SURE OUR SCHOOL IS K-8th GRADE. THANK YOU.
Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HELLO, MY NAME IS JOE ADDISON. CURRENT EDUCATOR IF A DIFFERENT COUNTY. THAT IS MY SON. HE GOES TO APOLLO BEACH. I AM A MEMBER OF THE HILLSBOROUGH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION. THE PREVIOUS PRESIDENT, ONE OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE. PUBLIC EDUCATION EMPOWERS KIDS TO SUCCEED AND I THINK THE INITIATIVES WILL ALLOW KIDS TO SUCK CEASE. HAVING THIS ABILITY, ESPECIALLY AS A PARENT, KNOWING THAT MY SON WILL GO TO THAT SCHOOL FROM K-8. I TAUGHT SIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADE SO I HAVE SEEN THAT TRANSITION FROM KIDS COMING OUT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO SIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADE. THAT TRANSITION WAS HARD FOR A LOT OF KIDS. STAYING IN THAT SAME SCHOOL, K-8 HELPS THEM OUT TREMENDOUSLY. STATISTICS SHOW THAT TEST SCORES IMPROVE IF THE KID STAYS PUT. AND I WANT TO KEEP IT BRIEF TODAY. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER.