Karen Perez: THE DECEMBER 16 SCHOOL BOARD WORKSHOP IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER. I'M GOING TO HAVE ATTORNEY PORTER START THE MEETING. Jim Porter: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS. TODAY, WE HAVE OUR POLICY WORKSHOP. AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BOARD TO DISCUSS POLICIES PROPOSED BOTH BY YOU ALL AND BY STAFF. IF THERE'S CONSENSUS ON POLICIES MOVING FORWARD, THEY WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR A PUBLIC HEARING. WE DO HAVE A FEW HOUSEKEEPING MATTERS BEFORE WE START. POLICY 5,517.01, BULLYING AND HARASSMENT HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN. SO THAT WILL NOT BE HEARD TODAY. POLICY 2520 AND POLICY 9130, THE FIRST AND THE LAST, NEED TO BE HEARD TOGETHER. SO WE'LL DO THOSE AT THE VERY END. WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE SUPERINTENDENT TO BEGIN THE POLICIES. FIRST ONE IS 5512, TOBACCO-FREE ENVIRONMENT PROPOSED BY MS. GRAY. Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MR.
PORTER. THIS IS ONE OF THREE POLICY WORKSHOPS. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MS. DAVIS. WE LOOK FORWARD WORKING THROUGH THESE AND GETTING CONSENSUS SO WE CAN SCHEDULE THE PUBLIC HEARING. MS. GRAY, IF YOU ARE READY, WE'LL START WITH 5512, TOBACCO-FREE ENVIRONMENT. THAT YOU BROUGHT FORWARD.
Lynn Gray: THANK YOU BOARD MEMBERS, FOR LISTENING. [MICROPHONE NOT ON] THEIR DISPOSITION. HOW THEY CAN FOCUS FROM THE ACADEMIC SIDE, AND IT DOES REMIND ONE OF PAYING ATTENTION OR NOT PAYING ATTENTION, VERY UNPROVABLE BUT DEFINITELY CITABLE. I THINK ALL OF THOSE REASONS ALONE PROMPTED THAT FLORIDA STATUTE, WHICH WAS FAIRLY RECENT AND THEN THE ONES BEFORE THAT WERE MADE ALSO. THAT'S MY WHY. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT ME TO SAY? NO. OKAY. Karen Perez: BOARD MEMBERS, IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AND GET INTO THE QUEUE, MOTION TO ME. Nadia Combs: WE'LL GO DOWN THE LINE.
WE'LL START WITH MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY, FOR BRINGING THIS. I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. I THINK THIS IS A CRITICAL TIME IN OUR SOCIETY THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THESE CRITICAL ISSUES, ESPECIALLY WITH VAPING WITH OUR STUDENTS. I WOULD ASK THAT IN THE GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE POLICY WE INCLUDE THE THOUSAND FEET -- OR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL PROPERTY BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S NEGLECTFUL NOT PUTTING THAT IN THERE TO MAKE SURE -- BECAUSE IT IS A TOBACCO-FREE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT DOES THAT. THE OTHER THING I WOULD ASK IS ON THE VERY LAST PAGE, 3 OF 3, ON LINE 102 TO 103, WHERE IT SAYS STUDENTS WHO VIOLATE THIS POLICY, I WOULD ELIMINATE "MAY RANGE FROM POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONS UP TO INCLUDING SUSPENSION, EXPULSION" AND I WOULD LEAVE AS OUTLINED BY THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT.
I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE THE PRIORITY, NOT INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSING INDIVIDUAL POLICY AND EACH INDIVIDUAL THING. I THINK THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT NEEDS TO HAVE THE PRIORITY SO WE ELIMINATE THAT ONE PIECE. Nadia Combs: I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST IF WE LISTEN TO ALL THE COMMENTS AND THEN YOU CAN SPEAK AFTER THAT. I THINK IT WILL BE QUICKER. WE HAVE A LOT OF POLICIES.
LET'S GET THE FEEDBACK AND GO FROM THERE, MEMBER GRAY, IF YOU DON'T MIND. MEMBER VAUGHN. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MADAM VICE-CHAIR. AM I ON? CAN YOU HEAR THIS? SHOCKINGLY I ALMOST AGREE WITH EVERYTHING MEMBER RENDON SAID. I THINK IT IS RIGHT ON TIME. IT IS A HUGE EPIDEMIC IN OUR SCHOOLS. EVEN WITH STUDENT FORUMS, THE STUDENTS WHO COME, THEY COME AND SAY ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS IS VAPING AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE BATHROOM. BECAUSE I DON'T SUPPORT THIS POLICY BUT I KNOW WE WERE TESTING OUT SOME SCHOOLS WHERE WE WERE DOING THE VAPING DETECTION IN THE BATHROOMS. SO I WOULD LIKE AN UPDATE ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND HOW EFFECTIVE IT IS AND WHETHER WE HAVE THE FUNDING TO INSTALL THAT IN THE BATHROOMS AND STAIRWELLS WHERE THAT TENDS TO BE AN ISSUE IF KIDS ARE AVOIDING THE BATHROOMS. I AGREE WITH 102 TO 104 THAT WE WORK VERY HARD ON THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT TO OUTLINE THE ENTIRE MATRIX OF ALL THE ISSUES, SO PARENTS AND STUDENTS KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE.
I THINK WE SHOULD REFERENCE THAT AS WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE CONSEQUENCE FOR BEING CAUGHT. THE OTHER LANGUAGE IS A LITTLE BIT SUBJECTIVE TO EACH PERSON. I THINK THAT COULD BRING FORWARD ACCUSATIONS OF INEQUITY. WE NEED AN ACROSS THE BOARD OUTLINE POLICIES WHICH WE HAVE IN OUR STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT FORWARD AND THAT'S MY FEEDBACK. THANK YOU.
Van Ayres: MEMBER COMBS, IF YOU ARE OKAY, IF MR. FARKAS CAN GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE VAPING. Christopher Farkas: WE DID HAVE THREE DIFFERENT VENDORS THAT WE USED FOR VAPING THAT WE USED IN HIGH SCHOOL BATHROOMS. WE GOT FEEDBACK WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL REGIONAL SUPERINTENDENTS AND WE DID GO FORWARD WITH THE HALO SENSOR, PRODUCED BY MOTOROLA. THEY WILL BE INSTALLED IN ALL THE HIGH SCHOOLS THIS SPRING. WE'RE NOT DOING STAIRWELLS. JUST BATHROOMS TO START WITH. CAPITAL FUNDS. YOU'LL SEE THE BOARD ITEM IN JANUARY THAT WILL GO FORWARD WITH THE PART 2. NOW WE CAN START TO COLLECT THE DATA. WE'VE SEEN POSITIVE THINGS. HAPPY TO GIVE YOU MORE UPDATES WITH MS. McCOY AND MR. NELSON. THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS ARE HAPPY THEY HAVE A WAY TO SEE THAT. WE'RE TYING IN THE CAMERAS TO THAT. OBVIOUSLY NOT IN THE BATHROOMS BUT THE HALLWAYS NEAR THE BATHROOMS.
WHO IS GOING IN AND YOU THE OF THE BATHROOM. THAT'S HAPPENING. WE HAVE AUTHENTIC FEEDBACK FROM THREE DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOL SITES. THAT WAS THE LEADING ONE. INSTALLING THOSE THIS SPRING. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MR. FARKAS, IF YOU COULD STAY, I THINK BOARD MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. WE'LL GO THROUGH THE FEEDBACK AND THEN MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS.
MEMBER HAHN. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU. THIS IS VERY STUDENT FOCUSED. AREN'T WE ENFORCING A TOBACCO-FREE ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYBODY IN OUR BUILDINGS? SHOULDN'T IT BE -- I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WOULD WORD THAT, BUT INSTEAD OF STUDENTS ARE PROHIBITED FROM POSSESSING, SHOULDN'T IT BE A LITTLE BROADER? Jim Porter: THE WAY THE POLICY MANUAL IS ORGANIZED, THINGS ARE SEPARATED BY STUDENT, STAFF. IT IS COVERED IN OTHER PLACES. Stacy Hahn: AS LONG AS WE CAN MIRROR THIS IN OTHER PLACES. THE OTHER THING I NOTICED IS THE DEFINITIONS B AND F ARE VERY SIMILAR. SO I WOULD SUGGEST SOMEHOW SYNTHESIZING THAT INTO ONE. BECAUSE IT SAYS ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICES INCLUDES BUT NOT LIMITED TO AND THEN IT IS KIND OF THE SAME IN F. SO I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE -- Jim Porter: WE CAN LOOK AT THAT. Stacy Hahn: IN G, WHERE IT SAYS THE DEVICE HAS FEATURES THAT ARE SIGNIFICANTLY APPEALING TO MINORS, DO WE NEED TO FLESH THAT OUT A LITTLE MORE?
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT FEATURES IT HAS TO BE APPEALING. Jim Porter: THAT'S STATUTORY LANGUAGE. I TOOK THAT FROM THE STATUTE. Stacy Hahn: I DON'T KNOW WHAT FEATURES ARE ON A VAPE THAT WOULD BE MORE APPEALING TO A MINOR THAN NOT. Lynn Gray: WE GOT THIS FROM THE STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND LEGAL AFFAIRS. Jim Porter: HAPPY TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN. IT COMES DIRECTLY FROM THE STATE. Stacy Hahn: SIGNAGE RIGHT NOW IN SCHOOLS IS NO TOBACCO, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. Stacy Hahn: VAPING IS AN ACTION. TOBACCO IS THE ACTUAL -- IS NOT AN ACTION. IT'S KIND OF STRANGE. SHOULD IT BE NO SMOKING OR VAPING. THOSE ARE TWO ACTIONS. [INAUDIBLE] Jim Porter: WE COULD SAY NO USE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS -- Stacy Hahn: I AGREE WITH ALIGNING THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. THAT SHOULD COME FIRST SO WE DON'T HAVE SCHOOL BY SCHOOL, KIND OF LIKE WHAT WE EXPERIENCED WITH THE RULES AROUND WHAT KIDS CAN WEAR TO SCHOOL.
KIDS ARE GETTING FLAGGED AT ONE SCHOOL FOR WEARING SOMETHING THAT ANOTHER CHILD ISN'T AT ANOTHER SCHOOL. THE CODE OF CONDUCT CAN GUIDE IT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT FOR CONTINUITY. THANK YOU.
Nadia Combs: I THINK WE HAVE THREE MEMBER COMMENTS AND MEMBER GRAY, I'LL GIVE IT BACK TO YOU. MEMBER PEREZ AND MEMBER WASHINGTON. Karen Perez: I'M AGREEING WITH MY THREE FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS. YOU'RE CORRECT.
MEMBER GRAY, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT MENTAL HEALTH, A LOT OF STUDENTS CLAIM THAT THEY VAPE INSTEAD OF SMOKING DUE TO STRESS, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY FEEL ANXIOUS SO THEY START VAPING. BUT BETWEEN LINES 103 AND 104, I JUST FEEL THAT THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT IS MORE SPECIFIC AS OPPOSED TO THE GENERALITIES THAT IT TALKS ABOUT, POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONS BECAUSE IT REALLY DOESN'T SPECIFY WHAT THOSE ARE ASIDE FROM INCLUDING SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION. SO I THINK SENDING IT BACK TO THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT, WHICH IS MORE SPECIFIC, WOULD BE BEST AS MENTIONED BY MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS AS WELL.
Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER WASHINGTON. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, VICE-CHAIR. QUICK QUESTION. PATTYI, YOU HAD A GREAT POINT. WE HAVE TO PUT FEET BETWEEN WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO ON A SCHOOL CAMPUS. HOW ABOUT IF A PERSON IS SMOKING SAYING ON THE SIDEWALK, WHICH IS CITY PROPERTY, NOT SCHOOL PROPERTY. HOW WOULD THAT BE DEALT WITH?
Jim Porter: MEMBER RENDON HAD A GOOD POINT WITH THAT. THAT COMES FROM THE STATUTE AS WELL. WE CAN LOOK AT THE NUANCES OF THAT BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING. Henry "Shake" Washington: THAT WAS MY QUESTION. Jim Porter: THANKS. GOOD QUESTION.
Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. I BASICALLY HAD THE SAME EXACT NOTES WHEN I LOOKED AT THIS LAST WEEK AS FAR AS LINES 102 TO 104. I AGREE WITH ALL THE OTHER MEMBERS TO CHANGE THAT VERBIAGE. ALSO, THE SAME THING WITH THE SIGNS. I GUESS THERE ARE TWO QUESTIONS I HAVE FOR YOU, MR. FARKAS. WHEN WE GET THOSE SIGNS, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? THE COST OF THE SIGNS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DO IT ONE TIME AND THAT'S IT, LOOKING AT THE SIGNS. THE OTHER PART IS BECAUSE THERE ARE KIDS WHO ARE VERY ADDICTED TO VAPING, AND THEY ARE VAPING ALL THE TIME, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, THOSE LETTERS NEED TO GO OUT TO THE STUDENTS, THE TEACHERS RIGHT AWAY SO THAT WAY -- I MEAN, LITERALLY, IF SOMEONE IS ADDICTED AND THEY ARE SMOKING EVERY THIRD OR FOURTH PERIOD, IT'S GOING TO BE HARD FOR THE STUDENTS TO QUIT.
THE SOONER THAT THESE KIDS ARE TOLD RIGHT AWAY THAT THIS IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN, THAT THESE ARE GOING TO BE INSTALLED, THAT THERE IS A ZERO TOLERANCE, I THINK THE SOONER WE DO THAT, THE BETTER WE DO THAT. I DON'T WANT TO SEE KIDS SUSPENDED, IN-SCHOOL SUSPENDED OR MISSING ACADEMICS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THIS ADDICTION AND THEN YOU'RE TELLING THEM THE FIRST TIME THEY DO THAT. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THAT OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO THE PARENTS, TO THE STUDENTS, THE PRINCIPALS TALK ABOUT IT, TO THE TEACHERS. WE REALLY WANT TO BE PROACTIVE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THE SCHOOLS TO BE INUNDATED WITH NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR, CONSEQUENCES, THAT WE KNOW ARE GOING TO OCCUR. THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
MEMBER GRAY, IF YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU RECEIVED. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM VICE-CHAIR. SO LET'S START OUT WITH WHAT WE JUST SAID. CHRIS FARKAS HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH METAL SIGNAGE NO VAPING. WE'LL GET A PRICE COST ON IT. DID YOU GET IT YET? Christopher Farkas: I DID. WE DID THE SIGNS WE DID ON BUILDING. THE SAFETY SIGNS, THE BIG ONE, TWO, THREES ON THE BUILDINGS. TO DO ALL THE SCHOOLS THAT MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL, I DID NOT DO ELEMENTARY. WE CAN DO ELEMENTARY. ELEMENTARY IS EASIER. WE CAN DO IT AT ONE POINT. MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL THERE'S MORE THAN ONE ENTRY POINT. FOUR FOR EVERY HIGH SCHOOL, TWO FOR EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL. ALL THE SIGNAGE LESS THAN $20,000. WE WANT THE SIGNAGE TO BE UNIFORM. TO DR. HAHN'S POINT, WHAT THEY SEE AT EVERY SCHOOL IS EXACTLY THE SAME.
WON'T HANG ON EVERY BATHROOM. EVERY ENTRANCE. WHEN YOU ENTER THE CAMPUS, YOU KNOW THAT IS THE POLICY OF THAT CAMPUS. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU. ADDRESSING QUICKLY, MEMBER RENDON, STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT AND ALL THE CONSEQUENCES, WHAT WE DID IS INSTEAD OF JUST SUSPENSION, WE PUT A PBI -- POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INCENTIVE SUPPORTS. IN OTHER WORDS, INITIATING STEPS BEFORE YOU GET INTO THE HIGH DEGREE OF PUNITIVE VALUE, WHICH IS IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSION OR ALTERNATIVE. SO WE PUT THAT INTO THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT IN ALMOST EVERY CITATION BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE KIDS BE SUSPENDED OR BE DETRIMENTAL TO THEIR ACADEMIC RECORD. AND THAT'S TO SAY THE LEAST. SO THAT'S WHY -- AND THIS CAME FROM OUR HILLSBOROUGH HEALTHY SCHOOLS COMMITTEE, WHICH I HAVE ABOUT 14 OF THEM SAYING THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER. THEY ARE EXPERTS INTO WHAT THE MEAT OF THIS PARTICULAR POLICY IS.