2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 1
I'M JESSICA VAUGHN, 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 7TH LARGEST IN AMERICA AND OUR TEAM IS MADE UP OF 24,000 PEOPLE WORKING AT CLOSE TO 250 SITES ACROSS THE COUNTY. OUR DISTRICT IS DIVERSE AND DEDICATED. OUR BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD IN OUR BOARD AUDITORIUM ON SELECT TUESDAYS AT 4:00 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 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.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 2
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 A. 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: THERE WE GO. THANK YOU. THE BOARD MEETING OF AUGUST 26, 2025, IS CALLED TO ORDER.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 3
MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF REFLECTION FOLLOW BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I WANT YOU TO PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF REFLECTION HONORING MR. TONY SALADINO WHO PASSED AWAY A WEEK AGO. FOR MORE THAN FIVE DECADES, HE DEVOTED HIS CAREER TO TEACHING PHYSICAL EDUCATION BEGINNING AT FOREST HILLS SCHOOL IN 1958. TONY CONTINUED TEACHING FOR 30 YEARS AT SUFNER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. HE LATER TAUGHT AT VALRICO WHERE HE FAITHFULLY SERVED STUDENTS UNTIL HE RETIRED IN 2015. IN 1981, TONY AND HIS BELOVED WIFE BERTHA CREATED THE SALADINO BASEBALL TOURNAMENT WHICH QUICKLY GREW INTO ONE OF THE MOST CHERISHED TRADITIONS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND BLOSSOMED INTO ONE OF THE LARGEST HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL TOURNAMENTS IN THE NATION. AGAIN, IN THE NATION. MR. SALADINO INFLUENCE REACHED FAR BEYOND THE CLASSROOM. THE LIVES HE TOUCHED ARE A TESTAMENT TO HIS LEGACY.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 4
AS BOTH AS AN EDUCATOR AND A ROLE MODEL. THANK YOU. PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. (PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE) Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE MEETING, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOME ELECTED OFFICIALS WE HAVE HERE. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE PLANT CITY MAYOR KILTON AND COUNTY COMMISSIONER MILLER. SO WELCOME TO OUR MEETING. OKAY. SO I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 5
I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND A SECOND BY -- YOU GUYS -- THEY SWITCHED SEATS SO IF YOU COULD CHANGE IT. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 6
ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. BEAR WITH US. TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET THIS GOING SOON. SEEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND WITH THAT, THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF VICE CHAIR PEREZ. WE HAVE TWO SETS OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY. JULY 22, 2025, SCHOOL BOARD WORKSHOP AND JULY 29, 2025, SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 7
I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER RENDON AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. 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 ARE A NON-PARTISAN BOARD WHO BELIEVE ALL CHILDREN CAN BE EMPOWERED TO LEARN, 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 CUE.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 8
MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL NOW READ THE BOARD GUIDELINES -- BACK IN THE QUEUE. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. 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 CAPTIONS ON LIVE WEBCASTS ON CABLE TV, ON VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM. IT ALSO CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING IN THE ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVE. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. WE HAVE ONE ITEM SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN AT 6:00. THAT'S EMPLOYEE AND STUDENT INPUT. WE HAVE RECOGNITIONS. A1, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS BEST KREWE AWARD. CALL UP TO RECOGNIZE THESE CREW AWARDS SO AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO CALL SHERRY, SUPERVISOR PARTNERSHIP ENGAGEMENT PHILANTHROPY AND OUTREACH.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 9
GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT, CABINET MEMBERS AND GUESTS. FOR THE PAST YEAR WE PROUDLY CELEBRATED THE BEST KREWE PROGRAM RECOGNIZING EXCEPTIONAL TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS AND SPORTS STAFF ACROSS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. TODAY WE'RE EXCITED TO HONOR THE GRAND CHAMPIONS OF THE PROGRAM. THOSE WHO HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND IN THEIR DEDICATION AND IMPACT. LET'S TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT ON THE STRENGTH OF OUR PARTNERSHIP AND THE INCREDIBLE SUPPORT FROM THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS. TOUCHDOWN TAMPA BAY! FIRE THE CANON! THREE, TWO, ONE, TOUCHDOWN TAMPA BAY! (CHANTING) ♪ WE ARE TRULY HONORED TO WELCOME MS. DARCY GLAZER, OWNER AND CHAIRWOMAN OF -- AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS TO THE PODIUM. HI, EVERYBODY. JUST VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO IN THE COMMUNITY.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 10
MY FAMILY HAS BEEN VERY INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THE SCHOOLS FOR -- SINCE WE PURCHASED THE TEAM 30 YEARS GO, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, I HAVE FIVE BROTHERS AND WE GREW UP IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, AND WE KIND OF LIVED ON THE EDGE OF CIVILIZATION SO IT WAS ALL FARMLAND PAST WHERE WE GREW UP. AND WE WENT TO PUBLIC SCHOOL. AND SO IT'S VERY CLOSE TO OUR HEART. EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY IS DOING HERE AND I JUST WAS SITTING DOWN THERE AND SAT NEXT TO SHANETA RIGHT THERE. SHE IS A BUS DRIVER AND IT BROUGHT BACK A CORE MEMORY THAT IF I CALLED ANY OF MY BROTHERS AND SAID WHO IS DUDLEY, THEY'D KNOW IT'S BUS 103, THE BUS WE TOOK TO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS GROWING UP. SO THIS MEANS A LOT TO MY FAMILY AND SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE TO BE HERE TODAY. WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND EXCITED ABOUT OUR SHAKE COVER PROGRAM COMING TO COMPLETION WITH 135 SCHOOLS.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 11
WE HAVE SHAY COVERS. SO KIDS CAN HAVE OUGHTDOOR CLASSROOMS AND SUN PROTECTION WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT TO EVERYBODY AND ALSO JUST CONTINUING OUR PROGRAM OF TAKING OUR VISION MOBILE TO ALL THE SCHOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL CHILDREN HAVE THEIR EYES CHECKED. I THINK IT'S UP TO 20,000 EYEGLASSES THAT WE HAVE GIVEN AWAY AND I WEAR CONTACTS. EVERYBODY IN MY FAMILY CAN'T SEE. SO IT'S -- WE KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A PAIR OF EYEGLASSES TO BE YOUR BEST SELF AND TO REALLY LIFT UP THE CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY. SO REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY AND THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY FOR EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY DOES. IT'S SO IMPORTANT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT. BRIAN FORD AND AGAIN I'D LIKE TO ECHO EVERYTHING THAT SHE JUST SAID. THIS HAS BEEN MY FAVORITE DAY OF EACH MONTH COMING TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND RECOGNIZING THESE EXTREME PERFORMERS AND TODAY IT WAS A VERY TOUGH DECISION HOW WE WENT ABOUT TRYING TO SELECT FROM THE OVER 30 WINNERS FROM ACROSS THE YEAR OF LAST YEAR OUR FIRST YEAR.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 12
SO BEHIND YOU ILLUSTRATED ARE ALL THE WINNERS FROM THE PAST MONTHS THROUGH LAST SCHOOL YEAR. AND WE'RE SO EXCITED TO CARRY THIS PROGRAM INTO THIS SCHOOL YEAR BUT WE'RE ALSO VERY PROUD OF ALL THE PROGRAMS AND ALL OF THE COLLABORATION THAT WE SHARE CAN, AND WE'RE HONORED TO BE A PART OF THIS AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO RECOGNIZE THE WINNERS EACH MONTH COMING UP. ON THAT NOTE, THE WINNERS FROM LAST YEAR BASED ON US ALL GOING BACK AND FORTH TRYING TO DETERMINE A WAY TO PICK A WINNER, WE LET THE COMPUTER -- WE LET TECHNOLOGY HAND HANDLE IT -- HANDLE IT. WE GOT THREE WINNERS THAT, YOU KNOW, AT EACH LEVEL. THE SUPPORT STAFF, TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL. I'D LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO READ THEIR STORY ONCE AGAIN. FIRST AS SHE MET EARLY SHANETA STRONG, OUR BUS DRIVER. AND TONIGHT WE HONOR AN INDIVIDUAL -- YES, BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 13
AS I MENTIONED EACH MONTH THAT WE HAVE A TRADITION AT ONE BUC AND ON BEHALF OF THE GLAZER FAMILY WE RECOGNIZE ANYBODY THAT GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND AND THESE INDIVIDUALS DID THAT EACH OF THE MONTHS. TONIGHT WE'RE HONORING AN INDIVIDUAL WHOSE ACTIONS REFLECT EXTRAORDINARY COURAGE AND A LIFETIME OF DEDICATION. FOR OVER 22 YEARS SHE PROUDLY SERVED AS A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER WITHIN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ENSURING THE SAFETY AND WELL BEING OF COUNTLESS STUDENTS EACH DAY. HER DAILY DEVOTION TO STUDENTS' SAFETY INCLUDING A DAY THIS PAST YEAR WHERE YOU HEROICLY SAVED A CHILD AND THAT BROUGHT YOU TO OUR AWARENESS ILLUSTRATES THE BEST OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND YOU TRULY EXEMPLIFY EXCELLENT COMPASSION AND UNWAVERING GUARDMANSHIP. ON BEHALF OF THE GLAZER FAMILY AND OUR ENTIRE ORGANIZATION, THANK YOU. AND YOU GOT A FOOTBALL I'LL PRESENT YOU WITH IN HONOR OF THE 50th SEASON AND ALL YOU DO.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 14
NEXT IS MS. ELIZABETH ALEXANDER, A TEACHER FROM PIZZO K-8. YOU MAY REMEMBER HER STEADFAST DEDICATION TO HER ENGAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE. SHE IS A TEACHER WHO EXEMPLIFIES THE SPIRIT OF THE BUCS CREW AWARD CHAMPION. ACADEMICALLY SHE MEETS THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF HER STUDENTS WITH STRATEGIC IMPACT. PERSONALLY HER DESIRE TO SHOWS OTHERS SHOWS IN HER THOUGHTFULNESS AND INITIATIVES LIKE ORGANIZING THE GIFTS FOR ALL HER KIDS DURING THE HOLIDAYS, AND THAT'S WHAT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION AND I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT MONTH. YOU'RE A TRUE CHAMPION OF STUDENT SUCCESS AND SCHOOL CULTURE, SO THANK YOU AGAIN ON BEHALF OF OUR ENTIRE ORGANIZATION AND THE GLAZER FAMILY. YOU GOT SOMETHING BIG. I HAVE ANOTHER BIG ANNOUNCEMENT BUT I WANT TO BRING UP MR. JAKE RUSSELL AS WELL. PRINCIPAL FROM CHAMBERLAIN HIGH SCHOOL. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. SO MR. RUSSELL TOUCHED MANY ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS IN YOUR TWO DECADES AS A PRESIDENT -- AS A PRINCIPAL AND MANY MORE IN THE CLASSROOM.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 15
PRESIDENT. YOU'VE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO IMPROVE OVERALL SCHOOL GRADES, INCREASE EXAM PASS RATES AND SINGLE HANDEDLY TRANSFORM THE SCHOOL YOU WORK INTO A FAMILY ATMOSPHERE. YOU CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCED LEARNING AND SUCCESS INCLUDING THE NEW TRAJECTORY FOR CHAMBERLAIN HIGH SCHOOL ITSELF WHICH WILL OFFER A VARIETY OF TECHNICAL PROGRAMS IN THE 26-27 SCHOOL YEAR. THAT'S AMAZING. YOU'RE NOT ONLY A PRINCIPAL BUT A MENTOR, EDUCATOR AND LEADER IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD AND IF I RECALL THOSE WERE THE WORDS THAT BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION TO GET YOU THAT RECOGNITION A FEW MONTHS BACK. BUT CONGRATULATIONS AND AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF THE GLAZERS AND OUR ENTIRE ORGANIZATION -- AND NOW FOR THE GOOD PART. YOU ALREADY GOT YOUR GAME BALL AND I HOPE YOU'RE PROUDLY DISPLAYING THAT GAME BALL. NOW WITH OUR 50th SEASONING UNDERWAY, COMING UP, WE'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU AS OUR GUEST AS SEASON PASS MEMBERS AND YOU'LL RECEIVE SEASON PASS TICKETS FOR YOU AND A COMPANION FOR EACH OF OUR REGULAR SEASON GAMES AND I'M GOING TO BE THERE TO WELCOME YOU AND SHOW YOU TO YOUR SEATS.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 16
SO AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF THE GLAZER FAMILY AND OUR ENTIRE ORGANIZATION, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO GET THIS RECOGNITION AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO EACH AND EVERY DAY. THAT GOES FOR ALL OF THE BOARD, EVERYBODY IN ATTENDANCE, WE'RE JUST PROUD TO BE PARTNERS IN THIS PROGRAM. SO THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PARTNERSHIP SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO TO INVEST IN OUR SCHOOLS AND GO BUCS, RIGHT? GO BUCS. NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT. THE BOARD WELCOMES PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS AND VALUES YOUR INPUT TO THE BOARD AND IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSES TO YOUR COMMENTS, OUR STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND 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 YOUR TIME TO BE HERE.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 17
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK ABOUT ANY ISSUE YOU'D LIKE AND WILL NOT BE INTERRUPTED. HOWEVER, ANY BEHAVIOR INTENDED TO INTERRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED. WE REQUEST THAT YOU TRY AND FOCUS ON THE ISSUES. WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 18
THIS AFTERNOON EVERY SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. REMINDER THAT YOUR THREE MINUTES START WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. WHEN THE ARE 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOU'LL SEE A YELLOW LIGHT ON THE LECTERN AND HEAR A CHIME. A RED LIGHT AND CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I'LL CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS TABITHA ASK I'M A PARENT OF A STUDENT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WHEN I LEFT THE ARMY IN 2010 AND RETURNED TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IT WAS BECAUSE THIS WAS AN AREA WHERE I WANTED TO RAISE MY CHILD BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE I WAS BORN AND RAISED AND ATTENDED SCHOOL. ENROLLING MY SON IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WAS A SOURCE OF PRIDE FOR ME. OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS MY PRIDE HAS FALLEN AS I WATCH THE SCHOOL BOARD CONSISTENTLY BEND THE KNEE TO THE SAME RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM I WAS RAISED IN AND FOUGHT HARD TO PREVENT MY CHILD FROM BEING EXPOSED TO AND SUBJECTED TO.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 19
AS A VETERAN IT DISCOURAGES ME TO SEE THE PERSON WHO WAS MEANT TO REPRESENT THE EPITOME OF WHAT THE PARENTS THAT VOTED THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD WANT AND DONE IN THE COUNTY AND REPRESENT. AND TO SEE THIS INDIVIDUAL BEND THE KNEE TO A THREAT OVER SOCIAL MEDIA, A THREAT NO LESS BROUGHT UP BECAUSE A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER BELIEVES THEIR RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL IDEOLOGY SHOULD BE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHILE ON TAXPAYER DIME. BANNING TRANSMISSION BY ALEX IS A GROSS OVERREACH OF OFFICE AND CENSORSHIP AND A GROSS VIOLATION OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT. AS A PARENT, I AM DISGUSTED. IF I WANTED MY CHILD TO BE EDUCATED IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE THE LEADERS OF A SCHOOL BOARD BEND THE KNEE OUT OF FEAR OF BEING FIRED INSTEAD OF STANDING UP TO SUPPORT THE PROCESSES PUT IN PLACE TO PROTECT THE WANTS OF ACTUAL PARENTS IN THE COUNTY, I WOULDN'T LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
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2025-08-26 Hillsborough County, FL HCPS Board Meeting transcript 08/26/2025 - Regular Meeting · passage 20
YOU ARE NOT PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE. YOU ARE PREPARING THEM TO BE SYCOPHANTS. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT EVERY PARENT. NOT JUST THE LOUD HATEFUL MINORITY INCAPABLE OF COGNITIVE -- I IMPLORE YOU TO HAVE THE SPINE FOR THE PROCESSES YOU CLAIM YOU FULLY BELIEVE AND SUPPORT FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU.
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