CHAIR OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE SERVE MORE THAN 200,000 STUDENTS INCLUDING CHILDREN STARTING WITH OUR EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS AND CONTINUING WITH ADULTS THROUGH OUR WORKFORCE PROGRAMS. I'M KAREN PEREZ, THE SCHOOL BOARD'S VICE CHAIR. OUR DISTRICT IS THE SEVENTH LARGEST IN OUR AMERICA AND OUR TEAM IS MADE UP OF 20,000 PEOPLE WORKING ACROSS 250 SITES ACROSS THE COUNTY. SPEAK . OUR DISTRICT IS DIVERSE AND DEDICATED. OUR BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD IN OUR BOARD AUDITORIUM ON SELECT TUESDAYS AT 4:00 P.M. THE BEST WAY TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR 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.
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 INTEREST INTERESTED IN WHEN ABOUT 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 ARE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. Jessica Vaughn: THE BOARD MEETING OF JULY 8, 2025, IS CALL TODAY ORDER.
MEMBER PEREZ WILL LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF REFLECTION FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AS A BOARD MEMBER AND LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER I'M DEEPLY SADDENED BY THE LOSS OF 107 LIVES IN TEXAS FLOOD ON JULY 4th.
AS A PARENT WHO HAS SENT MY CHILDREN TO ENJOY SUMMER CAMPS, AND I UNDERSTAND MEMBER RENDON AS WELL, OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO THE FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES AFFECTED BY THIS DEVASTATING EVENT. IN TIMES OF TRAGEDY AND HARDSHIP, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THE STRENGTH AND SUPPORT THAT CAN COME FROM COMMUNITIES NEAR AND FAR. JUST AS OUR OWN COMMUNITY IN FLORIDA HAS FELT THE EFFECTS OF NATURAL DISASTERS, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY SHOWN BY OTHERS ACROSS DIFFERENT STATES. LET US CONTINUE TO STAND TOGETHER. OFFERING COMPASSION, EMPATHY, AND ASSISTANCE TO THOSE IN NEED. AS WE NAVIGATE THESE CHALLENGING TIMES TOGETHER. AND AS WE COME TOGETHER TODAY, PLEASE LET US TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN TEXAS. THANK YOU.
PLEASE STAND WITH ME FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. (PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE) Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. WE HAVE ONE WITHDRAWN ITEM TODAY, 503, STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. AND I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. PLEASE LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT. WE HAVE ONE SET OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY, JUNE 17, 2025, SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER PEREZ. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND THE MOTION 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 AND TO SUCCEED AND OUR DECISIONS WILL BE MADE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING. TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EFFICIENT AGENDA STATEMENTS AND QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARDS THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. AND IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOU'RE ASKED TO GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. BEMPER PEREZ WILL READ THE BOARD GUIDELINES. Karen Perez: LET ME QUICKLY REVIEW THE FORMAT OF THE 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 CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON THE LIVE WEBCAST ON CABLE TV AND VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM AND ALSO WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVE. Jessica Vaughn: WE HAVE ONE ITEM SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN AT 6:00 P.M. THAT'S EMPLOYEE AND STUDENT INPUT. 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 AND KEEP OUR BOARD INFORMED ABOUT THESE RESPONSES. OUR SCHOOL BOARD RESPECTS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME TO BE HERE. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK ABOUT ANY ISSUE YOU'D LIKE AND YOU'LL NOT BE INTERRUPTED. HOWEVER, ANY BEHAVIOR INTENDED TO INTERRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AND WE REQUEST THAT YOU FOCUS ON THE ISSUES.
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 AND A RED LIGHT AND A CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I'LL NOW CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS. MADAM CHAIRWOMAN, BOARD MEMBERS, REAL PLEASURE TO BE HERE. LEWIS VIERA OBVIOUSLY ON TAMPA CITY COUNCIL. PARDON MY VOICE. I WAS GETTING OVER A COLD AND FOR MOST MEN COLDS ARE DEVASTATING EXPERIENCES AND THAT WAS TRUE FOR ME, SO THERE YOU GO, RIGHT?
I'M HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT STRONGLY AN EFFORT SPEAR-HEADED BY BOARD MEMBER WASHINGTON TO RENAME THE AUDITORIUM AT JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL AFTER A LATE WONDERFUL COLLEAGUE, COUNSELWOMAN GWEN HENDERSON WHO PASSED ON NOT TOO LONG AGO. I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SERVING WITH HER FOR SOME TIME AND SHE WAS A WOMAN OF GREAT PASSION AND A STRONG LEADER AND SHE WORE A LOT OF HATS. ONE OF THE TOP HATS SHE WORE WAS A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER AND AN ADVOCATE FOR OUR KIDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SHE LOVED OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY WERE A PLACE WHERE KIDS FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS NO MATTER YOUR INCOME, NO MATTER YOUR FAITH OR WHERE YOU COME FROM OR WHAT LANGUAGE YOU SPEAK YOU CAN GET A SHOT AT THE AMERICAN DREAM AND THAT'S WHAT SHE BELIEVED IN. SHE WAS A BIG BELIEVER IN OPPORTUNITY FOR EQUITY FOR PEOPLE. SHE WORE A LOT OF HATS.
IN TERMS OF EXPERIENCES SHE HAD. SHE WAS A BIG CHAMPION OF OUR BLACK HISTORY, HER BLACK ENGLISH BOOKSTORE AND NORD HISTORY AND CARVER CITY AND IN TAMPA WHERE A LOT OF RETURNING AFRICAN AMERICAN VETERANS CAME HOME TO RAISE FAMILIES LIKE THE HENDERSON FAMILY. BUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST HATS SHE WORE WAS BEING A VERY PROUD JEFFERSON DRAGON ALONG WITH OUR FRIEND CHARLIE MIRANDA WHO IS HERE. WE HAD A LOT OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, CAPINE, SUAREZ, HENDERSON. MY DAD WENT TO OLD JEFFERSON FOR SIX MONTHS WHEN HE CAME HERE FROM CUBA IN 1960. THIS IS A FITTING TRIBUTE FOR HER BECAUSE OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, HER CHAMPIONING PUBLIC EDUCATION AND CHILDREN AND ALWAYS -- I MEAN, ANY TIME SOMEBODY WENT TO THE MICROPHONE AND SPOKE ABOUT JEFFERSON, YOU WOULD GET A SHOUTOUT AND I EMPHASIZE THE WORD SHOUT. A SHOUTOUT FROM COUNCILWOMAN HENDERSON BECAUSE SHE LOVED BEING A JEFFERSON DRAGON.
I'D URGE YOU TO SUPPORT IT. I KNOW ALL Y'ALL GOT GOOD HEARTS SO I KNOW THAT YOU'LL SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR A VERY GOOD WOMAN. SO THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU.
NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHARLIE MIRANDA, TAMPA CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. I WANT TO THANK ALL SEVEN OF YOU FOR MAKING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE THROUGH EDUCATION. GWEN HENDERSON HAD THE SAME THING IN MIND. NOT YESTERDAY BUT EVERY DAY. SHE WORKED HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE KIDS THROUGH HER YEARS OF BEING IN PUBLIC EDUCATION WERE THE BEST THEY CAN BE WHEN THEY LEFT SCHOOL. HOWEVER, IN MY 31 YEARS ON AND OFF OF COUNSEL I CAN TELL YOU ANOTHER THING. SHE WAS THE -- COUNCIL. SHE WAS THE BEST PREPARED COUNCIL MEMBER ON HER FIRST YEAR THAN ANYONE I WORKED WITH, INCLUDING MYSELF. SHE WAS SOMETHING TO DEAL WITH. SHE HAD A FEELING ABOUT LIFE. ABOUT TEACHING THE KIDS NO MATTER WHERE THEY CAME FROM OR WHAT COLOR OR WEIGHT OR HEIGHT, TO BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE AND NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM HER.
SHE WAS A NATURAL BORN EDUCATOR THAT TRIED TO MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR NOT ONLY THOSE KIDS BUT FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. SHE HAD A FEELING IN LIFE. IN FACT, THE FIRST YEAR SHE WAS ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF THE CEA. THAT'S EIGHT DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY THAT SHARE THE REVENUE TO MAKE IT BETTER THAN WHEN THE MONEY CAME IN FOR THEM. SHE WAS WELL VERSED AND I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT TO MY LEFT, THE BIGGEST DRAGON AROUND. RIGHT, MR. AYRES? THANK YOU FOR BEING WHO YOU ARE. THANK ALL OF YOU BECAUSE THE AUDITORIUM, I HOPE IT PASSES. I CAN SEE BY THE SMILES ON YOUR FACES, IT HAS AN EXCELLENT CHANCE. I REMEMBER MOST -- I REMEMBER MOST WHAT PEOPLE DON'T SAY THAN WHAT THEY SAY. AND THE NEXT THING I REMEMBER MOST BEING A DRAGON IS WHAT YOU SAY WITH YOUR MOUTH AND SAY WITH YOUR BODY, AND YOUR BODY LANGUAGE TELLS ME IT'S A DONE DEAL.
I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I DON'T WANT TO PUT THE PRESSURE ON YOU BUT HERE IT IS, I WANT TO THANK YOUR FINE ATTORNEY MR. PORTER AND YOUR STAFF. YOU GUYS ARE WONDERFUL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU.
NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. MARK KLUTHO LARGO. YOUR AGENDA USED TO BE, LIKE, THE PINELLAS. HERE YOU GET THE FIGURES. IT TELLS YOU HOW MUCH THE THINGS ARE THAT YOU LIKE TO KEEP THEM IN THE DARK. AND WHAT A JOKE YOUR CARING ABOUT THE CALAMITY IN TEXAS. WHAT CAUSED EXTREME RAINFALL FLOODING IN TEXAS HILL COUNTRY. WELL, YOU BUILDING YOUR SCHOOLS THE WAY YOU DO. THAT'S WHAT DOES IT. SAYS HERE, WATERS IN THE GULF ARE OFTEN THREE, FOUR, FIVE DEGREES WARMER THAN NORMAL. AT ONE POINT THIS YEAR, SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN THE GULF OF TEXAS AND LOUISIANA WERE MORE THAN EIGHT DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. AS HAS BEEN SHOWN TIME AND TIME AGAIN. EVENT AFTER EVENT, CLIMATE CHANGE IS THE LEADING TO WETTER, MORE EXTREME PRECIPITATION EVENTS. OH, THINK ABOUT MILTON. YEAH. WELL, SEE, WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR STUPID BUILDINGS, THEY BELCH MORE CARBON INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. THAT'S WHAT MAKES THESE EVENTS.
AND OF COURSE HERE YOU ARE ALL WEARING COATS WHEN WE HAVE A HEAT INDEX OVER 100 DEGREES, AND YOU BUY MORE AIR CONDITIONING TO BE COMFORTABLE. AND THE CARBON IS BELCHED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. HOW STUPID IS THAT. SO SAD. A AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THINGS LIKE THE MANATEES DYING. CAUSE AND EFFECT. A CORRELATION. THE ONLY WAY YOUR SCHOOL BUILDING SHOULD LOOK IS LIKE THESE BUILDINGS HERE. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY. YOU GO OVER TO THE MEDITERRANEAN, YOU WON'T SEE OTHER BUILDINGS LOOKING OTHER THAN THIS. BOY, YOU PEOPLE ARE STUPID. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU.
NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON. I BRING YOU GREETINGS FROM THE DANLEY AND HENDERSON FAMILY. MY NAME IS VELDA HENDERSON AND I'M A PROUD RESIDENT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. A GRADUATE OF THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL, A SCHOOL COUNSELOR FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY I'M THE SISTER OF GWEN HENDSERSON. I'M HONORED TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT WHY NAMING THE AUDIODDTORI IN GRUWEN'S HONOR. IT'S A FITTING TRIBUTE TO HER EXTRAORDINARY AND THE BROADER TAMPA AREA. I'VE NARROWED IT DOWN TO FIVE COMPELLING REASONS WHY THIS RECOGNITION IS SO WELL DESERVED. A LIFETIME OF DEDICATION OF EDUCATION. FOR 25 YEARS GWEN DEDICATED HERSELF TO SHAPING THE LIVES OF COUNTLESS STUDENTS AT JEFFERSON. SHE WASN'T JUST A TEACHER. SHE WAS A MENTOR, ADVISOR, ADVOCATE FOR STUDENT SUCCESS. HER IMPACT WENT FAR BEYOND ACADEMICS, CREATING A PROFOUND AND LASTING INFLUENCE. CULTURALLY AND COMMUNITY ADVOCACY. GWEN WAS A CHAMPION FOR CULTURAL PRIDE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
SHE FOUNDED THE HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES CLUB AND THE NATURALLY AWARE PROUD AND STRONG GIRL EMPOWERMENT ORGANIZATION. EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO EMBRACE THEIR HERITAGE AND ENVISION BETTER FUTURES. IMPACT BEYOND THE CLASSROOM. SHE LED INITIATIVES LIKE THE MR. AND MS. JEFFERSON SCHOLARSHIP PANGANT, NATIONAL TECHNICAL HONOR SOCIETY AND FUTURE BUSINESS LEADERS OF AMERICA PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO EXCEL IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND DEVELOP LIFE SKILLS. HER LASTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS. GWEN'S DEEP CONNECTIONS WITH THE STUDENTS ENDURED LONG AFTER GRADUATION. SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR THEM. WHETHER OFFERING ASSISTANCE, ATTENDING LIFE MILESTONES OR PROVIDING GUIDANCE. HER TOUGH LOVE CALLING WHEN THEY DIDN'T LIVE UP TO THEIR POTENTIAL BECAME A TERM OF ENDEARMENT AND HER MENTORSHIP CONTINUED TO SHAPE THEIR LIVES. A TRUE DRAGON AT HEART. THE MOTTO ONCE A DRAGON, ALWAYS A DRAGON, WAS MORE THAN A PHRASE TO GWEN. IT WAS A REFLECTION OF HER DEEP CONNECTION TO JEFFERSON WHEN THE 2010 VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM WON THEIR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, THEY HONORED HER WITH THE CHAMPIONSHIP RING SYMBOLIZING HOW SHE WAS PACTED EVERY ASPECT OF STUDENT LIFE.
RENAMING THE AUDITORIUM AFTER HER WOULD NOT ONLY HONOR HER DECADES OF SERVICE BUT ALSO SEND A POWERFUL MESSAGE TO STUDENTS THAT THEIR POTENTIAL IS LIMITLESS. IT WOULD SERVE AS A LASTING REMINDER THAT THE SPIRIT OF LOVE, DEDICATION, AND EMPOWERMENT SHE INSTILLED IN THE JEFFERSON COMMUNITY LIVES ON WITHIN THOSE VERY WALLS WHERE SHE SERVED. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE MOTION TO RENAME THE HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM AFTER OUR BELOVED GUWENDLYN GWEN HENDERSON. Jessica Vaughn: I'LL CALL UP SPEAKERS 7 TO 11. GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD MEMBERS. SUPERINTENDENT, ONCE AGAIN, I'M TINA WILLIAMS BRUSTER AND VERY FAMILIAR WITH MS. HARRIS AND I'M A DRAGON MOM TIMES THREE. SHE WAS IN HONOR OF HER, I'D LIKE TO ALSO APPROVE OF THEM DOING RIGHT BY MS. HENDERSON. YOU MAY NOT HAVE ALWAYS LIKED HER APPROACH BUT ONE THING I CAN HONESTLY SAY ABOUT MS. HENDERSON, SHE LOVED STUDENTS AND SHE WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND TO MAKE HER THAT CHOSE STUDENTS ALWAYS CAME FIRST WHICH LEADS ME INTO WHAT I'M SAYING.