Jessica Vaughn: 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. Karen Perez: I'M KAREN PEREZ, THE SCHOOL BOARD'S VICE CHAIR. OUR DISTRICT IS THE SEVENTH 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. 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 CAPTIONS IS PROVIDED ON ALL BROADCAS AND PAST MEETINGS -- BROADCASTS AND PAST MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE ONLINE ARCHIVE. WE'RE 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'RE 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. (SOUNDING GAVEL) THE BOARD MEETING OF OCTOBER 28 IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER.
MEMBER COMBS WILL NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF REFLECTION FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THIS AFTERNOON, OUR HEARTS ARE HEAVY AS WE REFLECT ON ONGOING DEVASTATION CAUSED BY HURRICANE MELISSA. WE HOLD IN OUR THOUGHTS THE RESIDENTS OF JAMAICA AND ALL THE NEIGHBORING ISLANDS WISHING THEM STRENGTH IN THEIR RECOVERY EFFORTS IN THE DAYS AND WEEKS TO COME. PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF REFLECTION. THANK YOU.
NOW PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. (PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE) . Karen Perez: MEMBER COMBS, WILL YOU PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STUDENT ENTERTAINMENT? Nadia Combs: I'D LIKE TO THANK THE BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA AND PRINCIPAL TOBY JOHNSON AND DIRECTOR JASON GERALD. THESE WONDERFUL STUDENTS ENTERTAINED US PRIOR TO THE BOARD MEETING AND AT THIS TIME I'D LET THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND WANT TO SAY IT WAS BEYOND, BEYOND INCREDIBLE. YOUR TALENT WAS AMAZING. STUDENTS, PLEASE COME UP AND INTRODUCE YOURSELVES. I'M A SENIOR AT BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND PLAY VIOLA. MATEO VALDEZ, A SENIOR AND I PLAY THE VIOLIN. MY NAME IS ANDREA. I AM A JUNIOR AT BLAKE AND I PLAY VIOLIN. MY NAME IS TELLER. I'M A SENIOR AT BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND PLAY VIOLA. HI, I'M AVA AND A SENIOR AT BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND PLAY VIOLIN. HELLO, MY NAME IS LUCA, I'M A VIOLINIST.
I PLAY VIOLIN AND I'M A SENIOR AT BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL. MY NAME IS NAHIM MARTIN. I'M A JUNIOR AND PLAY BASS AT BLAKE HIGH. MY NAME IS JACOB, I'M A SENIOR AND I PLAY CELLO. I'M A SOPHOMORE AND I PLAY VIOLIN. HELLO, MY NAME IS SASHA. I'M A DOUBLE BASS PLAYER AT BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND I'M A SOPHOMORE. HELLO, ELAINE. I'M A SOPHOMORE AT BLAKE HIGH AND I PLAY VIOLA. HI, OLIVIA, I'M A SENIOR AT BLAKE AND PLAY VIOLA. I'M DELANEY AND I PLAY CELLO. ANIKA, SENIOR AND I PLAY VIOLIN. HI, MY NAME IS CLEMENT WILLIAMS. I PLAY THE CELLO AND I'M A SOPHOMORE. MY NAME IS ALLEY AND I'M A SENIOR AT BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND PLAY THE CELLO. GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. I'M JASON GERALD AND I ALSO PLAY VIOLA. AND I AM SERVING AS THE ORCHESTRA DIRECTOR FOR 23 YEARS NOW AT BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.
IT'S BEEN MY PLEASURE. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THAT'S AWESOME. IT REALLY DOESN'T SEEM THAT LONG, AND THAT'S JUST A TESTAMENT TO YOUR INCREDIBLE SUPPORT AS A BOARD AND THESE AMAZING FINE MUSICIANS. THIS IS TRULY A TREASURE WE HAVE IN OUR COUNTY, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE SUPPORT. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY. Nadia Combs: PARENTS, PLEASE COME UP IF YOU WANT TO TAKE ANY PICTURES. Karen Perez: BOARD MEMBERS, I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CHAIR VAUGHN AND MEMBER HAHN. WE HAVE TWO SETS OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY. OCTOBER 7, 2025, SCHOOL BOARD WORKSHOP AND OCTOBER 14, 2025, SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY. AND A SECOND BY MEMBER COMBS. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TODAY'S MEETING. AS A REMINDER, WE ARE A NONPARTISAN 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. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS YOU'RE ASKED TO GET BACK IN THE CUE.
MEMBER COMBS WILL READ THE BOARD GUIDELINES -- BACK IN THE QUEUE. Nadia Combs: AS WE BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETING, PLEASE ALLOW ME TO QUICKLY REVIEW THE FORMAT OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. PLEASE SILENCE ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THERE ARE SPEAKERS IN THE ROOM THAT ALLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO HEAR THE MEETING UPON STEPPING AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THIS MEETING CAN BE VIEWED CAN CLOSED CAPTIONING ON TV AND IN MONITORS IN THE AFTERNOON AND ALSO IN THE ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVE. Karen Perez: WE DO HAVE ONE ITEM SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN, AND THAT'S 6:00 P.M. FOR EMPLOYEE AND STUDENT 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 WILL KEEP OUR BOARD INFORMED ABOUT THE RESPONSES. OUR SCHOOL BOARD RESPECTS THE PUBLIC RIGHT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME TO BE HERE.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK ABOUT ANY ISSUES 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. WE DO REQUEST THAT YOU TRY TO 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 HEAR A CHIME. THE RED LIGHT AND THE CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I WILL NOW CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS. THE FIRST SPEAKER? HELLO. MY NAME IS SUE BATIGLIARI AND I'M A PARENT OF TWO CHILDREN AT DOBE IN APOLLO BEACH. I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF PARENTS AND FAMILIES ADVOCATING TO EXPAND DOBE ELEMENTARY INTO A K-8 SCHOOL. MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE LIVED IN APOLLO BEACH FOR 11 YEARS. WE BUILT OUR HOME IN WATERSET BECAUSE WE LOVED THE COMMUNITY. A SAFE PLACE WHERE KIDS WITH RIDE THEIR BIKES AND PLAY WITH FRIENDS AFTER SCHOOL. WE WANTED TO RAISE OUR CHILDREN IN A CONNECTED NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE FAMILIES LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER.
AT THE TIME WE DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE SCHOOLS. ONLY THAT WE WERE EXCITED TO GROW OUR FAMILY IN A PROMISING AREA. FAST FORWARD TO TODAY, OUR DAUGHTER IS IN SECOND GRADE AT DOBE AND OUR SON JUST STARTED KINDERGARTEN. WE REALIZE CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE NOT THE RIGHT FIT FOR OUR CHILDREN AND FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE APPLIED TO YORK MAGNET WITHOUT SUCCESS AND LIKE MANY PARENTS WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS. MY HUSBAND SAID IF DOBE DOESN'T EXPAND HE WANTS TO PROVE AND -- TO MOVE AND THAT BREAKS MY HEART. MY KIDS HAVE FRIENDS ON THE STREET THAT PLAY TOGETHER AFTER SCHOOL. MY IN-LAWS LIVE NEARBY AND HELP CARE FOR THEM. THESE ARE PRICELESS THINGS, THE SENSE OF SAFETY AND BELONGING WE MIGHT HAVE TO FACE BECAUSE OF OUR ZONED SCHOOL EISENHOWER. NEW CHARTER SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLS SHAPED PARENT PERCEPTION AND PARENTS ARE ANXIOUS ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT AFTER DOBE.
THEY'RE MOVING AWAY. OUR COMMUNITY HAS COME TOGETHER IN AN INCREDIBLE WAY. WE GATHERED 1100 SIGNED PETITIONS AND COMPLETED TWO COMMUNITY SURVEYS REPRESENTING NEARLY 500 PARENTS AND RESIDENTS WHO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION. THE MOST RECENT SURVEY OF 260 RESPONDENTS, ABOUT HALF WERE DOBE PARENTS, 16% YORK, 12% PRIVATE, 8 CHARTER, AND 3% HOME SCHOOL. MOST FAMILIES JUGGLE MULTIPLE SCHOOLS AND LONG COMMUTES. 80% OF CHARTER, 80% OF PRIVATE AND HALF OF THE HOME SCHOOL FAMILIES SAID THEY'D RETURN TO DOBE IF IT BECAME A K-8. THAT'S A CLEAR MESSAGE. FAMILIES WANT TO STAY IN THE COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS. MOST PARENTS CONTINUE TO HOLD A NEGATIVE PERCEPTION OF EISENHOWER AND THAT'S A REALITY WE CAN'T IGNORE. WE ALL HOPE EISENHOWER IMPROVES BECAUSE WE WANT WHAT'S BEST FOR EVERYBODY. UNTIL THOSE CHANGES TAKE HOLD AND PARENTS PERCEPTION IMPROVES, FAMILIES WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK ELSEWHERE AND THE DISTRICT WILL KEEP LOSING STUDENTS AND FUNDING.
OUR AREA IS GROWING QUICKLY. WE HAVE THE NEED, THE PASSION, AND THE COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT A DOBE K-8. PLEASE CONSIDER OUR CAUSE. THANK YOU. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ALEX MONT O,YA AND I'M A PROUD RESIDENT AND PARENT OF APOLLO BEACH. WHEN I CHOSE TO MOVE HERE, I WAS PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE, FOR MY FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. APOLLO BEACH HAS GROWN INTO A STRONG FAMILY-CENTERED COMMUNITY AND DOBY IS AT THE HEART OF IT. AS THE CHILD OF IMMIGRANTS, I KNOW FIRST-HAND THE POWER OF EDUCATION TO CHANGE LIVES. IT'S THE FOUNDATION MY PARENTS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO GIVE ME AND WHAT I WANT TO PASS ON TO MY CHILDREN. WHEN I FIRST VISITED DOBY, I FELT THE SAME HOPE FOR MY SON. I SAW STUDENTS RETURNING FROM SUMMER BREAK RUNNING UP TO THEIR TEACHERS WITH HUGS AND LAUGHTER AND THOSE TEACHERS REMEMBERED EVERY SINGLE NAME.
THAT MOMENT SET EVERYTHING. THIS IS A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN ARE TRULY KNOWN AND CARED FOR AND THAT'S THE CONNECTION THAT EVERY PARENT WANTS FOR THEIR CHILD. BUT AS OUR KIDS REACH MIDDLE SCHOOL, FAMILIES LIKE MINE ARE BEING FORCED TO LOOK OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY. NOT BECAUSE WE WANT TO, BUT BECAUSE THE CURRENT OPTIONS SIMPLY ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH. WE'RE RACING AGAINST THE CLOCK. TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CHILDREN CAN CONTINUE LEARNING AND THRIVING RIGHT HERE IN APOLLO BEACH. THAT'S WHY EXPANDING DOBY TO A K-8 IS NOT JUST IMPORTANT. IT'S ESSENTIAL. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT CONVENIENCE. IT'S ABOUT GIVING FAMILIES A REASON TO STAY, KEEPING CHILDREN IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY FEEL SAFE AND SUPPORTED, AND INSPIRED TO FRO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND -- TO GROW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION IN EXPANDING DOBY TO A K-8 SCHOOL. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. COULD SPEAKERS SIX THROUGH TEN COME UP?
GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS SHAUNTE DAVIS. I COME TO YOU AS A GRANDPARENT IN THE WATERSET COMMUNITY. WE MOVED TO WATERSET 12 YEARS AGO WITH THE INTENTION OF RETIRING. WHEN MY GRANDSON WERE FOUR YEARS OLD, WE WERE GIFTED HIM SO WE WERE THROWN INTO FULL-TIME PARENTING NOT HAVING A CLUE WHAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS WERE SET UP AROUND. WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT WHEN WE BUILT OUR HOME. BUT WHEN WE HAD TO FIND DAY CARE AND PRE-K AND SCHOOL FOR OUR GRANDSON, WE WERE SO THANKFUL TO COME ACROSS DOBY ELEMENTARY. DOBY HELD OUR HAND AS WE FAST TRACKED 30-SOME ODD YEARS TO WHAT EDUCATION OR THE ELEMENTARY EDUCATION SYSTEM WAS. WHAT WAS REQUIRED AND WORKED REALLY WELL WITH US. WHEN WE -- FROM THE DAY WE STARTED WITH THAT SCHOOL, WE HAD THE INTERACTION. WE HAD THE COMMUNICATION. WE HAD EVERYTHING WE NEEDED FOR OUR GRANDSON BUT AT THE SAME TIME HE WHO IS A VERY SHY CHILD WAS VERY COMFORTABLE AT THE SCHOOL.
HE WOULD HIGH FIVE HIS TEACHERS AS HE WALKED THROUGH THE GATES IN THE MORNING. THIS GRANDSON DID NOT WANT SCHOOL BREAKS. HE DIDN'T WANT SCHOOL HOLIDAYS AND BREAKS BECAUSE HE'D MISS HIS TEACHERS. HIS KINDERGARTEN TEACHER WAS WONDERFUL, AND THAT'S JUST A SAMPLE OF WHAT WE'D HAVE FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. HE GRADUATED AND WE CHECKED PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND KNEW WE WOULDN'T USE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WE WERE ZONED FOR WHICH IS EISENHOWER. WE NOW HOME SCHOOL HIM. SO AS A FULL-TIME GRANDPARENT AND PREVIOUS EDUCATOR, NOW I'M EDUCATING IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL BECAUSE I DO HIS -- I DO HIS HOMESCHOOLING EVERY DAY. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH I WISHED THAT DOBY WOULD HAVE GONE TO K-8. ON OUR LAST DAY THERE, I BEGGED MR. FULLER, I SAID, IF YOU CAN GET THIS TO A K-8, WE'LL BE BACK THE NEXT YEAR. IT WAS THAT IMPORTANT TO US.
AND IT'S MY SINCERE HOPE THAT GOING FORWARD, DOBY CAN BE EXPANDED BECAUSE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN WHICH WE LIVE, WE'RE GROWING EXPONENTIALLY. OUR CHILDREN ARE -- WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO GROW UP TOGETHER, TO EDUCATE TOGETHER, AND I REALLY ENJOY THE TIME WATCHING A CHILD THAT IS FROM BIRTH COMING THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, NOW SHE IS SIX YEARS OLD. I'VE KNOWN THAT LITTLE GIRL -- THERE IS A LITTLE GIRL BACK HERE. I'VE KNOWN HER SINCE SHE WAS ONE WEEK OLD. THERE ARE OTHER CHILDREN AT THE SAME -- WE ATTENDED BIRTHDAY PARTIES AND ATTENDED DANCE REC RECITALS. THIS IS THE COMMUNITY THAT I'D WANT TO SEE IN THIS LATE PART OF THE 2000s. SO IT'S MY SINCERE HOPE THAT YOU'LL CONSIDER AND THAT WE WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPAND DOBY FOR ALL OF OUR CHILDREN FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. Karen Perez: THANK YOU.
NEXT SPEAKER. . HELLO, MY NAME IS JUAN HERNANDEZ AND I LIVED IN TAMPA MY ENTIRE LIFE. MOVED TO SOUTH SHORE REGION 2010. I'M A PROUD DAD TO MY WONDERFUL FIFTH GRADER, DAUGHTER, JAYA AND AN EXCEPTIONAL SON, TRISTEN IN KINDERGARTEN. CURRENTLY SHE GOES TO A MONTESSORI SCHOOL AND MY SON GOES TO CORA ELEMENTARY PUBLIC SCHOOL. WHILE THAT MIGHT BE UNCOMMON WE FELT THIS WAS THE BEST APPROACH FOR THEIR DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL NEEDS. I'M A PROJECT OF A FAITH-BASED PRIVATE INSTITUTION AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN TAMPA. MY DAUGHTER THRIVED IN HER ENVIRONMENT WHICH NURTURED HER CREATIVITY WHILE TRISTEN WHO HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM AT AGE TWO REQUIRED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT WITH PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WHICH HAS BEEN PREPARED AND ADEPT TO GO AHEAD AND PROVIDE BEFORE HE REACHED KINDERGARTEN. BEING THAT I HAVE KIDS IN DIFFERENT SCHOOL SYSTEMS, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO DIFFERENT PARENTS IN THE SOUTH SHORE REGION FROM ALL KINDS OF BACKGROUNDS WITH VERY DIFFERENT THOUGHTS.
BUT THE ONE COMMON THEME BETWEEN ALL THESE PARENTS IN MY AREA THAT'S A SHARED CONCERN IS WHAT TO DO WITH OUR CHILDREN ONCE THEY AGE OUT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN THE AREA. EISENHOWER DOESN'T AN EXCEPTIONAL REPUTATION IN THE COMMUNITY. THIS HAS DRIVEN THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMUNITY TO LOOK FOR OTHER OPTIONS WITH VERY LIMITED PRIVATE SCHOOL OPTIONS IN THE AREA. THE MOST FREQUENT IS APPLYING FOR THE CHOICE LOTTERY AT YORK MAGNET. THE DEMAND IS MUCH GREATER THAN THE CAPACITY AND HAS BECOME SUCH A POINT FOR PARENTS IN THE AREA THEY APPLY ELEMENTARY AGED KIDS BEFORE THEY EVEN NEED A MIDDLE SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY FEAR NOT GETTING THEIR KIDS INTO A SCHOOL THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE. WITH THE RAPIDLY GROWING POPULATION IN THE SOUTH SHORE REGION, THIS IS ONLY GOING TO BE EXACERBATED AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW. THE RECENT EXPANSION OF APOLLO TO K-8 HELPS ADDRESS THE ISSUE BUT THERE ARE LOADS OFPARENCE WITH THE SAME CONCERNS WITH THEIR KIDS AT APPOLLO BECAUSE IT'S STILL CHOICE AS WELL.