Karen Perez: THE BOARD MEETING OF DECEMBER 9, 2025, IS CALLED TO ORDER. MEMBER COMBS WILL NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF REFLECTION FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. PLEASE JOIN ME FOR A MOMENT OF REFLECTION. THANK YOU.
NOW PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. (PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE) . Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER COMBS, WILL YOU PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STUDENT ENTERTAINMENT? Nadia Combs: YES. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE PROGRESS VILLAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE TEAM ALONG WITH PRINCIPAL PETER MAJERA AND DIRECTOR DESIREE SHAPIRO. THE WONDERFUL STUDENTS ENTERTAINED US PRIOR TO THE BOARD MEETING. AT THIS TIME WE'D LIKE TO HAVE THE STUDENTS INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND ESTEEMED CABINET AND SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. I WANT TO INTRODUCE RAVEN KING AND DESIREE SHAPIRO AND THEIR WONDERFUL PROGRESS VILLAGE DANCERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MY NAME IS RAVEN KING AND I'M ONE OF THE DANCE TEACHERS AT PROGRESS VILLAGE MIDDLE MAGNET SCHOOL. THANK YOU THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO PERFORM. THANK YOU. I'M DESIREE SHAPIRO. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR GIRLS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MY NAME IS LUTIA AND I'M IN THE SEVENTH GRADE.
MONET AND I'M IN THE EIGHTH GRADE. MADELINE AND I'M IN THE EIGHTH GRADE. ADDISON SMART AND I'M IN SEVENTH GRADE. MY NAME IS LIVE LID YOU AND I'M IN SEVENTH GRADE. CHARLOTTE AND I'M IN SEVENTH GRADE. KATE AND I'M IN SEVENTH GRADE. KAYLA BAXTER. RESIA, SEVENTH GRADE. ANLISA AND I'M IN EIGHTH GRADE. JASMINE, EIGHTH GRADE. CHLOE AND I'M IN SEVENTH GRADE. MY NAME IS AVA AND I'M IN SEVENTH GRADE. MY NAME IS TIANA AND I'M IN SEVENTH GRADE. ELIANI. ENA AND I'M IN 7TH GRADE. MY NAME IS MATI AND I'M IN THE EIGHTING GRADE. VOLANO, EIGHTH GRADE. RILER AND I'M IN SEVENTH GRADE. LACY SHARP AND I'M IN SEVENTH GRADE. VIOLET AND I'M IN THE SEVENTH GRADE. MADISON AND I'M IN EIGHTH GRADE. CECILIA, EIGHTH GRADE. LILY DAVIS, EIGHTH GRADE. GREAT JOB, GIRLS. LET'S STAND UP. . Karen Perez: I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY -- BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER VAUGHN. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLYLY.
LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT THE -- ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT EXCEPT FOR MEMBER HAHN. WE HAVE TWO SETS OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY. NOVEMBER 18, 2025. BOARD RECOGNITION MEETING. AND DECEMBER 2. THE BOARD RECOGNITION MEETING. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND 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. AFTERWARD, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOU'RE ASKED TO GET BACK IN THE QUEUE.
MEMBER COMBS WILL READ THE BOARD GUIDELINES. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. SORRY. I'M JUST GETTING OVER THE FLU. 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 THAT WILL ALLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO HEAR THE MEETING UPON STEPPING AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THIS MEETING CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON LIVE WEB CAST, ON VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM AND ALSO IN ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVE.
Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. WE HAVE ONE ITEM SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN. AT 6:00 P.M., EMPLOYEE AND STUDENT INPUT. TONIGHT OUR RECOGNITIONS, WE HAVE A1, RECOGNITION OF CITIZENS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE REORGANIZATION. CHRIS FARKAS, DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF OPERATIONS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. Christopher Farkas: THANK YOU, CHAIR. APPRECIATE IT, BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT. WE HAVE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE CITIZENS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND WHAT THEY MEANT TO THE BOARD AND I KNOW THE BOARD IS VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE THINGS THEY HAVE DONE. FOR THE GROUP AND CROWD, I WANT TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION. IN 2017-18 THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS FACING OVER A BILLION DOLLARS IN DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF CHOICE. SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS HERE TODAY WERE PART OF THAT BOARD. WE KNEW THAT A HALF PENNY REFERENDUM WAS THE ONLY WAY TO RAISE OUR HEADS ABOVE THE WATER AND GET SOME AIR CONDITIONING AND ROOFS AND SOME THINGS STUDENTS NEEDED SO BAD.
THERE WAS WAVERING ON HOW WE'D SPEND THE MONEY. AT THAT TIME SUPERINTENDENT AIKENS LOOKED AT WHAT WORKS AND MAKE SURE THE DISTRICT AND COMMUNITY KNOWS WE'LL SPEND THE MONEY HOW WE PROMISED, THE HALF PENNY PROMISED. WE TALKED ABOUT A CITIZENS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING AT WHO WOULD BE THE RIGHT FIT, MAKING SURE WE HAD PEOPLE WHO WERE PILLARS OF THE COMMUNITY AND WOULDN'T JUST GIVE US A RUBBER STAMP AND MADE SURE THEY LOOKED INTO WHAT WE WERE DOING AND DOING THE RIGHT THING. THE SELECTION COMMITTEE WAS PRETTY PAINSTAKING. AS WE LOOK FOR THE POTENTIAL REAUTHORIZATION WE COME TO, IT'S BEEN EIGHT YEARS AND IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THAT, BUT WE'RE COMING UP ON EIGHT YEARS. WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS THAT ARE TRANSITIONING OFF AND TWO MEMBERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE JOINING US. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE JUST A SECOND TO TALK ABOUT THEM.
THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR ARE THE ONES TRANSITIONING OFF. WE'LL START WITH THE SHERIFF. RECOGNIZES THE DISCIPLINE AND COMMUNITY FOCUS VICE CHAIR, HIS PERSPECTIVE IS ROOTED SAFETY, INTEGRITY AND COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP AND HE WAS VITAL MAKING SURE HIS STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNT BEELITH DEEPENED OUR CONNECTION TO OUR SCHOOLS AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY. SHERIFF HAS BEEN THE SHERIFF SINCE 2017 AND HE IS COCHAIR OF THE REGIONAL DOMESTIC SECURITY TASK FORCE AND VICE CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY OF COORDINATING COUNSEL. THAT BEING SAID, CHAD IS THE ONE THAT PUSHED HARD TO MAKE SURE OUR KIDS ARE SAFE. HE'S ALWAYS BEEN A WILLING PARTNER WHETHER IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AND HIM AND MR. BARTALOW MAKING SURE THE KIDS GET TO SCHOOL SAFE OR ANY TIME THERE IS A CALL OR NEED, CHAD IS THERE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION AND BE THERE FOR US. WE HE HAS BEEN A PARTNER KELL WE HAVE STORMS, CHAD IS THE FIRST ONE TO REACH ABOUT THAT.
I CALL HIM A GOOD FRIEND AND HE IS A VITAL PART OF WHY THERE IS COMITANCE IN WHAT WE HAVE DONE. AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE CHAD CHRONISTER FOR BEING A MEMBER OF THE CITIZENS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. NOW, BOARD, I'LL NEED A LITTLE LEEWAY ON THIS ONE. MANY OF YOU KNOW I WAS A HISTORY TEACHER. WHEN WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL LIKE MS. BETTY CASTER, SHE IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER RESUME. MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW A LOT ABOUT MS. CASTER BUT I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOMETHING YOU MAY NOT KNOW. MS. CASTER WAS SENT BY JFK TO UGANDA AND DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS AND TAUGHT THERE WHERE SHE STARTED. SHE WAS THE FIRST WOMAN ON THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COMMISSION AND THE FIRST WOMAN TO SERVE AS THE FLORIDA SENATE PRESIDENT AND TALKED ABOUT EQUAL RIGHTS BILLS, FIGHTING SPOUSEAL ABUSE CENTERS AND FUNDED EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY CENTERS.
SHE WAS THE FIRST -- THEY TRIPLED THE ENDOWMENT AND BECAME A RESEARCH INSTITUTION UNDER BETTY. SHE IS PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL BOARD OF TEACHING STANDARDS. HE'S BEEN OUR -- SHE'S BEEN OUR CHAIR AND I'D ARGUE THE PERSON WHO GUIDED WHETHER IT WAS SUPERINTENDENT AIKENS, DAVIS OR AYRES THROUGH MANY OF THE TROUBLED TIMES WE HAD OR COVID AND THINGS WE FACED. SHE'S BEEN A TRUSTED ADVISOR. ANOTHER ONE WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH, KRISTEN DAVIS WHO HELPED ME WITH THE CITIZEN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND SHE IS A KEY PART OF WHY WE ARE SUCCESSFUL. I'D LIKE TO GIVE RECOGNITION TO MS. BETTY CASTOR, THE CHAIR OF THE CITIZENS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. SO I'M GOING TO DO A QUICK INTRODUCTION OF EVERYONE ELSE AND ALLOW CASTOR AND SHERIFF CHRONISTER TO SAY COMMENTS. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS CURRENTLY HERE. THE FIRST IS OUR NEW BOARD MEMBER, MR.
TOM LEE. TOM LEE, BEING A BUSINESSMAN ACTUALLY TOOK OVER AND HAS NOW BEEN A SENATOR FOR 18 YEARS AND THE SENATOR AS WELL. WE TALKED ABOUT TRYING TO ADD HIM TO THE COMMITTEE. HE INTERVIEWED US AND TALKED ABOUT WHAT ARE WE DOING, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THERE IS ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY THROUGH THE PROCESS. AS SOMEONE STEEPED IN FLORIDA LEGISLATURE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE HIM HELP US NAVIGATE AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE MR. TOM LEE. AND A LOT OF YOU'LL SEE AND I DON'T WANT TO GIVE MR. LOTT TOO MUCH SINCE WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE THE BUILDING AFTER HIM AND THE RIBBON CUTTING ON FRIDAY. BUT MR. RICK LOTT IS HERE. RICK? A NEWER MEMBER TO THE COMMITTEE, MR. ANDY ROSS, MAYOR OF TEMPLE TERRACE. MR. ROSS. I BELIEVE EDNA WAS HERE AND WALKED IN SOMEWHERE. THERE WE GO. VERY GOOD. WANTED TO STAY IN THE BACK.
EDNA RAIN IS ALSO THERE. AND I DON'T LET JOSE TALK BECAUSE HE SOUNDS SO COOL. YOU DON'T WANT TO FOLLOW HIM. BUT THE NEW CHAIR FOR THE CITIZENS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, JOSE VALIENTE. THANK YOU, BOARD, FOR ALLOWING US A FEW MINUTES. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS AND THEY'RE INSTRUMENTAL IN HOLDING US ACCOUNTABLE TO WHAT WE DO. WE HAVE TWO ACCOUNTANTS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE SHERIFF. WE HAVE TO BE ON THE FOREFRONT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AND SHOWING THE TRANSPARENCY OF WHAT WE DO. I'D LIKE TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MS. CASTOR AND SHERIFF CHRONISTER TO TALK. AS RELUCTANT AS I AM TO GET UP TO THE MICROPHONE, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU, TO EVERY BOARD MEMBER, THE SUPERINTENDENT, AND TO THE STAFF. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY PRINCIPALS ARE US TODAY, BUT I DO RECALL WHEN THIS REFERENDUM WAS PASSED, IT WAS IN LARGE PART DUE TO THE PRINCIPALS THAT GOT OUT IN THE SCHOOLS AND WORKED WITH THEIR PARENTS AND GAVE US A GREAT VICTORY.
THIS IS ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT I'VE HAD THAT I HAVE TOTALLY, TOTALLY ENJOYED. WE HAVE A GOOD GROUP. WE ATTEND MEETINGS. MR. NARANE USUALLY COMES IN. HE IS HERE. WE'RE HAPPY HE'S -- HE USUALLY GETS IN THERE JUST BEFORE THE BELL RINGS. BUT -- ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC REALIZES IS THAT WE HAVE NOW SP SPSP SPENT -- EXPENDED OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO IMPROVE OROUR SCHOOLS. ONE BILLION DOLLARS. THOSE OF US ON THE COMMITTEE HAVE SEEN THE DIRTY PROJECTS. WE'VE SEEN THE ROOFS REPAIRED. WE'VE SEEN NEW LIBRARIES. WE HAVE SEEN SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS IMPROVED. WE'VE SEEN OUR STADIUMS AND THE GROUND COVER IMPROVED. AND ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN DONE WITH 100% TRANSPARENCY AND 100% INTEGRITY. WHEN WE GO BACK TO THE PUBLIC AGAIN, I WANT TO HELP YOU MAKE THAT STATEMENT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. IT HAS BEEN THOSE DOLLARS -- THOSE DOLLARS HAVE BEEN -- WE'VE WATCHED OVER THOSE DOLLARS.
YOU HAVE WATCHED OVER THOSE DOLLARS. YOU HAVE CHECKED ON THE EXPENDITURES. AND WHAT MORE CAN YOU SAY FOR PUBLIC PROJECTS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY. I HAVE LOVED GETTING TO KNOW THE SHERIFF AND HE HAS JUST BEEN A MAIN STAY OF OUR GROUP. SO, SHERIFF CHRONISTER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY HALLELUJAH? YEAH. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. INCREDIBLE BOARD, AMAZING SUPERINTENDENT, AS MUCH AS IT PAINS ME, DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT. BUT THE ENTIRE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, THANK YOU FOR THIS RECOGNITION. IT'S INCREDIBLY HUMBLING. I HAVE TO TELL YOU WHAT I LEARNED SO MUCH, HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK BEHIND THE CURTAINS. TO BE ABLE TO SPEND TIME, ALL OF YOU HAVE TO BE PROUD OF EVERY EMPLOYEE OF YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THEM AND SEE HOW THEY MAXIMIZE THE BUDGET AND THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS. TO SEE HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND CONTRACTORS, WHETHER THEY WERE MINORITY-BASED.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY WHAT THEY DID IS KEEP THE TAX DOLLARS HERE. THEY TOOK THE MONIES AND HIRED CONTRACTORS HERE AS OFTEN AS THEY COULD. IN TWO YEARS FROM NOW WHEN THIS COMES UP, I'LL BE RIGHT THERE WITH BETTY CASTOR TO EXPLAIN WHAT WAS HERE AND WHAT WAS CREATED HERE OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION. TO IMPROVE THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. TO IMPROVE THE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT. AND WHO CAN EVER ARGUE WITH THE FACT THAT YOU'VE HELPED CREATE SAFER SCHOOLS. I WOULD ARGUE THE SAFEST SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE STATE IF NOT THE NATION BECAUSE OF THE MONEY THAT'S BEEN SPENT. THANK YOU. TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH BETTY CASTOR, AN ABSOLUTE LEGEND AND TRAIL BLAZER, IT DIDN'T TAKE MUCH CONVINCING WHEN THEY SAID, HEY, BETTY, AND THE REST -- IT WAS KIND OF BLURRY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY SAID. BUT TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, HOW GRATEFUL ARE WE AND BLESSED ARE WE THAT BETTY CASTOR STILL GIVES BACK AND PAYS IT FORWARD AND CALLS TAMPA HOME.
BETTY, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. DISTINGUISHED BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT, ALL THE STAFF AND COMMITTEE, HUMBLED TO RECEIVE THIS RECOGNITION. THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE A PART OF IT. . Karen Perez: RECOGNITION A02, RECOGNITION OF THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS BEST KREWE AWARD. AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO CALL UP ANN MARIE COURTNEY, DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIP ENGAGEMENT, PHILANTHROPY AND OUTREACH. GOOD AFTERNOON. BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT, CABINET MEMBERS AND GUESTS, THE BUCS BEST KREWE PROGRAM SUPPORTED BY THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS WHO ARE CELEBRATING THEIR 50th SEASON OF PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA, THIS MONTHLY AWARD RECOGNIZES STANDOUT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND SUPPORT STAFF FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE, OVERALL IMPACT ON STUDENTS, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS BEYOND THE CLASSROOM. WE ARE HONORED THIS EVENING TO HAVE BRIAN FORD, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS HERE TONIGHT TO ANNOUNCE THIS MONTH'S AWARD RECIPIENTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ANN MARIE AND MADAM CHAIR, REST OF THE BOARD.
DISTINGUISHED BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU. SO EXCITED TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM. BUT THAT'S A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW, THAT LAST -- THAT'S TREMENDOUS. SO, ALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND THE ACCOMPLACCOMPLUXLISHMENTS, A AS THE SHERIFF MENTIONED, HUMBLED TO BE HERE. THANKS FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING. BEFORE I GET ON TO OUR AWARD WINNERS, I WANTED TO BRING SOMETHING TO LIGHT THAT I THOUGHT ALL OF YOU WOULD REALLY FIND VERY INTERESTING. THERE IS A YOUNG MAN THAT'S ON OUR TEAM, AND HE'S, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE ME EVERY MONTH. BUT THE GENTLEMAN THAT'S BACK IN THE OFFICE THAT ACTUALLY HELPS WITH ALL OUR SCHOOL PROGRAMMING HAS JOINED ME HERE TODAY. HE DOESN'T KNOW I'M ABOUT TO DO THIS. MR. CHAD JENKINS, I'D LIKE TO HAVE HIM COME UP HERE. AND IT'S THE INDIVIDUALS BEHIND THE SCENES THAT HELP US COORDINATE AND THE COLLABORATION AND CHAD HAS GROWN UP HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
BORN AND RAISED. WENT ALL THROUGH SCHOOL THROUGH THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. WENT TO JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR HIS HIGH SCHOOL. AND THEN WENT TO STETSON UNIVERSITY FOR HIS UNDERGRAD AND USF FOR HIS GRADUATE STUDIES. NOW HE'S A BUCCANEER. SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HIM ON OUR TEAM. AND THE INFORMATION THAT I BRING FORTH EACH MONTH IS ON HIS SHOULDERS. SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE JUST TO SAY THANK YOU, CHAD, AND TO INTRODUCE CHAD, THE GUY BEHIND THE SCENES. CONGRATULATIONS. YOU CAN HELP ME WITH THE BALLS NOW. FIRST UP, AND AGAIN, I'D LOVE TO START OFF BOARD MEETINGS ON A POSITIVE NOTE AND THINGS WE CAN ALL AGREE UPON. THERE IS THREE STORIES HERE FOR OUR PRINCIPAL OF THE MONTH, OUR TEACHER OF THE MONTH, AND SUPPORT STAFF OF THE MONTH. WE HAVE A TRADITION AT ONE BUCCANEER PLACE. ANYBODY WHO GOES OVER AND ABOVE AND WE NEED TO GET BACK ON THE WINNING SIDE OF THINGS THURSDAY NIGHT TO DO THIS.