School Board Workshop: January 13, 2026

001Good afternoon everyone. It's Tuesday, January 13th. This is school board workshop and the time now is 1:00. Sergeant-at-arms, has the front lobby been attended to? Yes. Thank you. There are 11 items on the agenda. First, we'll have the safety update office of safe schools OSS quarterly report. Next will be construction change order reports November 2025. Construction projects by monthly update. Fourth will be the budget overview. Five is the policy review briefing first reading. Sixth is the student advisory focus group. Seventh is the inst institutional board member seats. Eighth is the instructional materials textbook adoptions. Ninth is the district strategic priorities academic updates part one. Number 10 will be public comment and 11 good of the order and other business. Per board protocol. Each board member should strive for four minutes for their initial comments for

002a follow-up with a total of 10 minutes during the discussion. Next, we'll go to the agenda items. We'll begin today with the safety update. Office of Safe Schools OSS quarter report presented by Dave Nulan and Lisa Barnes. Good afternoon board members, superintendent Dr. Denise Carlin and our board attorney Kathy Depri Bruno. I have with me executive director Lisa Barnes and she'll be doing the presentation today with the second quarter inspection reports. Good afternoon. so over this past quarter, let me back up a little bit. So, per Florida state statute, we are required to have this meeting. and to let you guys know where we're at with the inspections with both the charter schools and the reg our district schools. This time we had 23 schools inspected, which was about 26% of our schools. And we

003did well. but we did have a few issues. We had five schools with deficiencies. As you can see, two of those schools were charter schools. of those deficiencies, several of them were just not having the safe sticker in the gymnasium, which was corrected immediately. We also had several with either doors propped open and not having a person, a teacher in the doorway or one that got caught on the carpet and was propped open, which was corrected. I reached out to each principal immediately. All responded right away. Everything was corrected right away. We submitted all of that documentation to the state within that time frame and they have accepted all of our corrections. So, the schools will be reinspected at some point, but we did not have any reinspections during this quarter. Are there any questions?

004None for me at this time. Nothing. We look forward to the board's discussion. Thank you. Any comments from the board? Okay, Miss Fischer. Just want to take the opportunity to welcome executive director Barnes to the DAS and thank you for your hard work. Thank you. I appreciate that. Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much. Great report. Thank you. Next, we have the construction change order reports for November 2025 and the construction projects bimonthly update presented by Scott Rigenbacher and Melissa Rivera. Good afternoon board. Good afternoon board members. Superintendent Carlin Esquire Dee Bruno Scott Rickenbacker director construction Melissa Rivera special project coordinator from the construction division. This is your monthly change order report is required by statute for November 2025. If you look at the front cover sheet, you'll see that we have direct material purchases

005in the amount of $2.5 million with returning $103,000 roughly. we have regular change orders in the amount of $514,000 and the amount returned to the district was $514,000 and contingency adjustments totaling five $53,000 590 from the various projects. If you go to the supporting sheet, it breaks it down by project. Six direct material purchases for Hector Caparetta, Cypress Lake Middle School, Cape Tech, and Bay Shore K8. three pure change orders, two of which were return of savings and one time adjustment for substantial and two contingency adjustments for the ESON portable deployment to the five school locations to support school student growth this past year. Are there any questions? Superintendent, any comments? Board members, any com Miss Jordan? Hi. Good afternoon. Happy New Year's. my question is when I was looking at this, Chris Tel had

006I mean that's a good thing that the change order they brought back the reduction of the contract for a savings quite a bit of a savings. Is that because it was so over bidded or No, that could be project contingency that's within the project that usually on roof jobs and things of that nature will have 2 to 5% for unknown conditions. It could be buyout savings in the contract once we go out for materials and save that. But that's the reduction in contracts, not overinflated. That's pretty much a normal return on a small roof project. Okay. Yeah. Because it looked like it was a lot of money. I was like, well, this is nice. It was a nice thing. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. And that could be also part of their labor too if

007they did it faster and quicker. That could be the labor portion being returned to them. Thank you. Next up, bim monthly update. What I'll do is I'll I'll go over each slide briefly, give you any new points from our last reporting. Stop allow you guys to ask questions if you should. So the first one up is Bayshore K8 expansion. currently right now we are up on the concrete tilt panel is up. We're preparing to turn over hopefully the front parking lot in the next week or so for staff to repurpose that front area. You can see we're updoing the tie beams and the steel is going in place. So, we're moving right along on that particular one. and we're working for the development order to final that out. There's one issue with sidewalks left, but

008we're getting pretty close to having that done and that'll be completed. Is there any questions on the Beayshore KA project? Mr. versus they actually are already parking in the parking lot so that they paved. Okay. Well, so I mean the one right by the bus ramp there. Correct. The other one they're using for a temporary parent drop off. So they got it seem to have it all under control and correct. They're ready to tilt those walls up. I can't wait to see it. Yep. And it'll be during a time when the school is empty for safety purposes and we'll Okay. Thank you. Any other questions? Okay, any other questions? Okay, moving right along. BBB preK8, formerly known as the Innovation School. right now we are moving forward. We're working for permitting with the development order

009in Southwest Florida Water Management Permits. We're right on track and the time frame is moving through on there. These are this is one of the projects that we did not need a it's a no permit required with the Army Corps. So, we're pretty much just working with Fish and Wildlife, South Florida Water Management, similar to what we did on NNN High School or Aba High School. Now, are there any questions? Okay. Bonita Springs Elementary Rebuild and Remodel. right now, we've just hit the final stretch with the last comments, the fourth submission to the city of Bonita Spring for our development order. but we submitted the last review check and corrected the asbuilt drawings that they requested. So, we should be receiving that shortly. if you've been out there, it's a big building on a post

010stamp-sized parcel, but it's beautiful. we walked the principal, the vice principal, and my staff went through the building. They're super excited at what they see. So, we're excited to get that done. And we're actually I'm not going to I don't want to speak for the contractor, but it seems like we might be slightly ahead of schedule. So things are good in the world down at Bonita Springs Elementary. Any questions? No. Very good. K Coral Technical College. right now we're working with the city of K Coral both on Hector Caparetta and on the Cape Tech for development orders for those two schools. in addition Southwest Florida water management approvals. We move forward at risk on these sites that were already developed, meaning beayhore, Capeet, and Caparetta. we applied for no permit required from the Army Corps

011of Engineers and everything's moving forward to that. So, hopefully we can resolve the DO requirements for these campuses, get the DO properly put into place for these specific projects only. So, that's ongoing. That's moving forward. the it we're dried in, the roofs on, utilities are in, floors are poured inside. So, interior framework is going on. I don't know if you've been out to that campus, but it's it's coming along pretty quick and be ready for the opening of the school season. Any questions? Cypress Lake Middle School, again, the building's dried in, windows install is continuing, ongoing. 40% of the interior framing which is inclusive of all wiring HVAC electrical outage receptacles is all in place including the sprinkler piping about 40%. Spray fireproofing is ongoing throughout that facility. It's kind of a messy job. You

012can't really do much else in that area while the spray fireproofing is going on and that continues to move forward. We're getting close to finish that up hopefully in the next couple of weeks. Any questions? Okay, Hector Caparetta, Junior, K8. again, right now we just got our LC power turned on out there. So, the transform was placed and we're bugged up. We have power. We've already tied into the water and sewer that we ran up to Embers Parkway and the sidewalks associated with that. So, we have water, sewer, and fire protection out at that site. and going on schedule. Interior finishes, painting is all taking place. I don't know if you've been out there, but if you'd like a tour, most certainly just let us know. checking at the trailer and the construction manager can

013give you a tour of the facility. It's pretty amazing. It's a huge facility. So, any questions? Okay. Elementary school L and O, that's on 82. you know that we're sitting in the middle on that project right now waiting for Army Corps permitting. we've already met and working on a DO. We've met with Lee County DOT as well as the requirements for FDOT for extended turn lanes. There's a major intersection going on at that point. We've got our bypass roads that we've worked with the director of transportation with Lee County. So, and we've officially submitted our permitting in and we just had got yesterday an extension of Federal Fish and Wildlife has not gotten back to us. So, we're still waiting on their review, field review. So, we've got an extension with South Florida Water Management.

014Why that all concurs? We still have time. I've got to make that all come together like NNN. I've got to make it come together by June of 26. So, we'll get our legal staff now once one hurdle's crossed. We'll get our legal staff to work on this and try to push things forward, which they've been a big help on. any questions on LN O? They are the symbiotic elementary and middle prototypes out there. No questions. Elementary M, Army Corps sitewalk is the week of the 23rd. this one's going to be something we haven't experienced. That site actually has bonneted bats. So that's going to be very much involved with fish and wildlife and the army corps. They're an endangered species. So that'll be our first blush at those being on a site and how we

015deal with that. So that's that project's on quue. we have made some arrangements with the storm water utility out in that area. So they're going to be taking a lot of our water. So we're excited. Oh, sorry. Can you hear me now? Yeah. Okay. So on that particular site we have bonneted bats which is something we're going to experience for the first time on how we mitigate that. we did meet with Lampsid. Lamid has already agreed to take all of our storm water into their collection system. So that was a huge agreement with our designers and we still have to do Army Corps and all of our design, but we're on schedule on that project and moving forward. Any questions? Okay. And the big one, we are go. We got our permit from South Florida

016Water Management, which was the last piece of the puzzle that I promised you by the first of the year, we'd be able if we took the took the risk and approved phase two, we'd be mobilizing and hitting it. And we're hitting it. We met out there this morning, and you'll see crews out there tomorrow with silk fence and getting ready to blow and go and get that property developed. So, kudos to the team. It was a big effort. And you got a high school that's going to be coming out of the ground starting tomorrow morning. Any questions? No. Kudos. Good job, Miss Persons. I don't know where NN is. I know where the Alva High School is. Yeah, that one. So maybe next time we can change the name there. Yes, sir. That was my

017only comment. M. No, I was going to ask the same thing for both of the schools actually. So that way when we're referring to it, it we are referring to a named school. And then on here, it says pending. So it's it's no longer pending is what you just stated. That is correct. Remember, this is submitted like a month ago. So now that it's approved on the next one, it'll say received on January 12th of 2026. Thank you. But yeah, we'll change the names. I'm sorry. Thank you. Any more questions? That's it. Okay. VPAA, this will be the last time you see that slide. Right now, that's in closeout. we're going through the auditing process and close out and that job's complete and I believe you guys all went to the grand opening. So, thank

018you for your attendance on that. And any questions on VPAA and Teal and Blackbox? Okay. And then of course in the back is our monthly construction projects. We have just the reporting trfager middle school u we have gone for a redesign so that's why we have extended that duration and for the trafagger middle school we're actually adding canopy the school came up with a concept to work with the engineer it's working so there's not a lot we have to do to the asphalt and so forth but they asked for some canopy and we have that budget so we're going to provide that extended canopy to make their pickup and drop off a little bit better out there. we have total of 52 projects. 34 are on schedule, two are on hold, five are in audit,

019two are in the army cores waiting and nine projects are in closeout this month. So any questions? Okay. I apologize for asking this continuously, but diplomat I don't see them on here for the fencing. Is that on a different slide? No, the diplomat fencing is through maintenance. It's not part of a construction project. Okay. But that's still on schedule. you would have to speak to the director of maintenance or or operation. Miss Jordan, I think we've had a conversation in a one-on-one and we'll we'll follow up on that with you as well. Yes, that would be a completely different Yeah, he's in charge of construction and of course we have folks in charge of maintenance, so we'll be sure to get that information for you. Thank you, Dr. Carlin. Any comments? Any other comments? No,

020sir. Thank you. Okay, any board comments? Okay, thank you very much. Excellent report. Have a great day, everyone. Good job. Okay, next we have the budget overview presented by Kelly Lerser and Sarah Cox. Good afternoon, board members, Superintendent Dr. Carlin, and Attorney Depri Bruno. Mrs. Lecher and I are pleased to join you today to go over our budget overview. Today's presentation is kind of short and sweet, but we are kicking it into high gear with the fiscical year 27 budget. So, we wanted to share a couple of things with you today. First of all, the governor's budget was released prior to winter break. While we know this does not guarantee any funding for us for fiscal year 27, it does provide some insight into our fiscal future. So, we will go over some of those

021insights with you today. And then we'll also go over our district-wide budget timeline. At our last presentation, we talked about the school allocation timeline for fiscal year 27. And today, we'll go through the district-wide timeline, which will encompass schools, departments, as well as our trim timeline that's required for the tenative and annual budget process. So, with that, I will turn it over to Mrs. Lecher. Thank you. so we're going to start with the governor's budget. and just so you know, the governor's budget is as she was saying, it's it's not actuals. It's right now it's just a kind of a an idea of where they might be thinking and heading as we're moving into the legislative session. So for the governor's budget they're proposing an increase in FTE for Lee County at 2,173. Now that

022is an increase based on the second calculation. and it's not the third calculation. We're still waiting to receive that. So it's an earlier it's based basically from the projections that we had for this year not the updated numbers and in that they're assuming that the family empowerment scholarships will grow over a thousand and the district in charter schools at about $1,155. the base student allocation increase is being proposed at $100. I just want to give you some context as to like where the governor's budget usually falls and stuff. Last year, the governor was proposing an increase in the base student allocation of $94. We actually ended up at a $41 increase. So, it's kind of hard to determine from the governor's budget where where we're really going to land. in that the total funding increase

023proposed this year is 39.8 8 million from the governor's budget with family empowerment scholarships going up 13 million in the district and charter schools going up 26. Just so you have an idea. Last year we ended up at 10.7 million in an increase for family empowerment and 24 for district schools and stuff. So just kind of giving you some idea of where we landed last year compared to the governors. One of the things that the governor does appear to be doing in his budget this year is breaking the family empowerment scholarships out from our actual allocation. So for the the FTE, he's baking breaking it out separately and he's not including it in the total calculation. He's putting their money as a one lump sum. So, with doing that, it kind of skews a little

024bit of the things that go on in, within that. When you look at the educational enrichment and the ESC guarantee allocation, they are going down. It appears as if they're going down, but really what that is they're basically pulling the family empowerment scholarship dollars that they used to be intertwined into that out of it. So, that while it's going down, it really is kind of static with where we are in the current year. those items. Transportation is going down 1.1. We're not sure if the allocation itself is going down, if it appears if our writership is going down. So, we're going to kind of keep watching that one. There were some increases in some categoricals as well. Our safe schools went up a little bit as well as the mental health allocation and the academic

025acceleration, which if you remember, the academic acceleration is the AP, the IB, the ACE, and CAPE dollars. overall they're proposing that we would hopefully see a 1.66 1.66% increase for districts in charter schools per FTE. while the FES scholarships are seeing about would be seeing about 3.76% increase in per FTE. So for the timeline of course as you all I'm sure are well aware they're getting ready to start the session and start getting that going. so we're going to be watching as the things are coming out from that. We are, DOA actually just opened up the FTE projections this week and so we're going to, I'm actually meeting with someone this in my office this afternoon. We're going to sit down and go through and do our projections and hopefully have those submitted to Department

026of Education by next week. we hopefully will receive the Florida education finance program first calculation or the conference report in March. that's when we're slotted to get it. We're hoping that we do get it at this time and not have a delay like we saw last year. and then we're going to start working with the capital committee on the capital improvement planning. we're going to start working on the schools allocations. well, we have been working on schools allocations, but we're going to work on doing the projections by school once we get the district projection done and then putting those numbers and the new formulas and stuff place in place for them. oh, I forgot to mention in February, we're also going to start working on the department's allocations with them. we have been meeting with

027the chiefs on the department budgets kind of going through some things and making everybody aware what's out there and having some really indepth discussions that have been really good. And so we're going to then start working with the departments themselves in February. in May and June we should be receiving those files files back from the schools and getting the department files back so we can start compiling the budget so that in June we'll have a preliminary budget to present to you in July the July 1st begins our new fiscal year and we will have our taxable value certified by the property appraiser no no later than July 19th and right after that we'll be pro providing you with a tenative proposed tenative budget in August. actually we're going to do that in August because of

028the way the t the timing falls this year to be the first meeting in August will be our tenative budget for you. School will begin in August and we'll also have our 10day count in August like we have had for the past years. And then in September, we'll have our final budget hearing to adopt the budget and submit all of our documents and trim documents to the state at that point in time. So really that's what we have for you as of today. So we'll open it up for any questions. Thank you very much Miss Cox and Miss Lecher. We really appreciate all of your work in the area of budget. just for our board members benefit, we have been working as Miss Lecher talked about diligently for the last several months with our principles

029with our folks here at the district office to ensure that we are building budget literacy to the point where everybody really understands the budget from soup to nuts. And so I just want to thank them for their leadership. Both both Miss Cox and Miss Lecher have been fantastic. We our goal is to move them into the role of consultants with our executive team and our principles. and they are doing a beautiful job instructing us along the way. So just huge kudos to them. love the timeline, love being able to see budget at a glance. Obviously the governor has, you know, distributed his first blush at the budget and we look forward to session which kicked us off today and look forward to all the good work to come. So just thank you. Okay, board member

030comments. Jada, thank you. and Miss Cox, by the way, did a great job at our ISOC meeting which was right after our FSBA. So, thank you so much for being there. She was quick on the draw with any questions. But, just so that I just want to kind of I mean I think I understand it, but just to break down that what you were talking about with the family empowerment scholarship. I just don't want the public to be fearful that there wouldn't be funds for the formerly known McKay scholarship. Now, students with unique abilities that is still across the board for students that need that. It's it's available. Can you just touch on that just one more time? Yeah, so the family empowerment scholarships are still in place, but what has been happening is they've

031been intertwined with our student population. And so when we're trying to to look at the FTE and figure out dollar-wise what's happening, they're intertwined in there. And so it makes it very hard for us to determine how much is really our traditional dollars in traditional and charter schools versus fees because they are so intertwined. And what the governor is trying to do as it appears in in his his budget this year is to actually pull those numbers out separately, show everything separately so that you know exactly which dollars are family empowerment scholarship dollars and which ones are for district school boards and charter schools. So it's just a separation in that way. But the family empowerment scholarship program is still going strong as it has in the past. Thank you. You're welcome. Any other com

032Miss Fischer? Thank you, sir. thank you, Miss Leer and Chief Cox for your hard work. I appreciate it. Just real quick followup and a little bit off of Miss Langford Fleming's question regards to the ESC allocation you talked about the family empowerment. Outside of that, based on again these projections, there's nothing you would see as significant change you believe in this district. No, I don't see anything that would be significant. just that pulling out of those pieces is ma mainly the biggest piece and now we're just waiting to see what really comes to fruition for us. Okay. Thank you. My next and I will add to that, Mr. Fisher. You know, we do need to keep an eye on our FTE. that's one thing that we'll keep our thumb on as we move forward and

033the scholarships expand. Okay. Thank you both. real quick comment follow up on that. It's not a question. I know the superintendent and her team is on top of this and we've had these discussions obviously, but as we look forward in the future, obviously with state revenues leveling off in the future, we all need to be prepared. And I kind of just for the public, the sky's is not falling, but we just need to be prepared for that. I said, I know the superintendent, her team are doing a great job on that. We just make need to make sure that we're pushing and stretching each dollar the furthest right now as we're, you know, as I know projections likely over the next couple years will kind of level off. So, thank you. Anyone else? Okay, tagging

034on to Mr. Fischer's comment, I do want to give Miss Leer a kudo here. She sits on the insurance task force for the district, and I got to tell you, I'll be reporting on the numbers later on under board member comments, but as any corporation, benefits is a big chunk of our expense. And she's done a great job in holding folks accountable and asking the tough questions. And I'll tell you the sad news later about what the actual numbers look like, but I'll refrain that for board member comments. But thank you for your help on that committee. You do a great job. Okay, moving right along. Next, we have the policy review briefing and reading presented by Kathy De Bruno and Benny Broofphy. If the student is not here for the student advisory, they want

035you to push it to the next item until he shows up. Okay. Which one's that? So, it would be here. Okay. The next item if they're not here, then we're going to All right. You'll let me know if they're here. Yeah. We'll give you a thumbs up. Okay. A thumbs down. How's that? Okay. Okay. Thanks. Okay, Mr. Chairman, I don't know if the board has any questions with regard to the policies before you. Board members, any questions on the policy, Mr. Fischer? Yes, sir. could you bring up policy 866, Madam Chair? Thank you. Thank you. I just want to note this for the record if when it comes up. Yes. I believe it's green. I think just for the record I just want chair persons to recognize the first term that has been added to

036the policy. So I just want to put that in the record. Thank you. Yeah, I was observing that at Mr. Fish. I was observing that at graduation the other night that he had you might have seen the movies that he had posted. Yeah. Any other comments or questions? Mr. person. So, do you want to do rebuttal? Absolutely. How dumb would I be without my smart glasses? That's all. I mean, I think there's some kind of American Disability Act that would protect me on that part. But, but anyway, thank thank you. but it is something that we have to look at for students and everything else with all these new electronic devices from their watches to their glasses to everything else earbuds and translation things. It's just it's amazing to to try to monitor that. But

037I'm glad you're staying on top of it here. M. Yes. So, it's funny that you are discussing the meta or the smart glasses because this afternoon I was able to clear up some things and thank you to Miss Matthews for getting right back to me about something because I had a question actually about our policy. let's see the technology resources and other electronic equipment 5136.01. My question was, what are we teaching? I mean, obvious I was a teacher for many years and I had students with accommodations and things that we had to make sure as teachers we were following through with their 504s and any other IEPs. so my question was what is it that we are teaching that smart glasses would need to be used because obviously that could be abused. and you know,

038we have like we have guest teachers in our classrooms a lot of times that they may not be familiar with giving an assignment and several students pull out smart classes and they just may not they just may not be privy to that. So my question was what are we teaching that these would be necessary or how can these help our students real time and these were the answers. So I just wanted to share with the board. to have a just an open discussion. Real time transcription for students with hearing impairments. visual aid for dyslexic students. it has a look and tell feature in the AI menu and support for visually obviously visually impaired students. it's also serves as a live translator for second language learners and visual visual translation that students can take a look

039at a worksheet should they need accommodations for vision. So, I just am so glad that she was able to clear that up for me because I think that it's an important conversation to have. These tools are great, but if abused it could be, you know, it could essentially be a problem. So, I just wanted to share that. Thank you. Very good. Thank you. Any other comments? Hearing none. Thank you very much. Thank you. So, these policies will be moving forward to your second reading public hearing. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Moving along to number seven. our student isn't here yet for number six. Next, we have the institutional board member seats presented by Dr. Ken Savage. Mhm. [cough] good afternoon board members. superintendent train Berno. I'm here today to just help facilitate

040part of the board conversation related to the various institutional seats and committees that you all have throughout the year. this is the annual time of year where we review that list. it's positioned as the board has their change over in November for different officer roles and whatnot potentially in election years, new members. And so in January, we meet to review the list of committee assignments to determine if any change is needed. board members always have the ability to maintain the seats that they're in unless there's term limits specifically to those committees or practices, but this is your opportunity to have some conversation around that. The one exception to this is that during the summertime the depending on the different months like FSBA and so forth, there are other seats that sometimes come of needing designations

041within the months of May or June. but for the vast majority of the seats, this is just an opportunity for the board to have that conversation to determine whether or not they would like to change over any of those members. so just to kind of quickly before we get started, are there any questions just about the different seats or anything along those lines before we get into the specific committee assignments? Questions? Seeing none. All right. Wonderful. Then we'll go ahead and begin with the DAC seat which the lison on for 2425 was member Jordan. so that's the first seat for discussion if you'd like to have a change in the board member service or if you'd like to maintain that board member service. I thought we did those for two years instead of one year.

042Is that correct? so we have it listed as a single year opportunity, but that you are able to do it for multiple years. There's nothing that would bar you from being able to serve more than once if you'd like to do this continued for the 25 26 year. that's something that the members we usually allow the members to maintain a seat if they'd like to hold on to that institutional seat. however, if you'd prefer to make that available for someone else to have that opportunity, then that's something that the members can discuss. And the only reason I'm asking that is because it's like you have five maybe five meetings with with this particular group and then correct the year is over. Right. So I'm just putting that out there. It's it's fully at the member's

043discretion. and so typically what we do is a first right refusal is typically given to the member who is sitting in the committee if they'd like to give that. Sometimes members would like to give other members a chance to serve in that capacity. In other cases, the member would like to hold on to it. Just depends. so since member Jordan, since you're presently in that, would you just care to voice your current would you like to continue to serve in that capacity? yes, I would like to. Okay. So if the members have any discussion related to that then that would be this would be the time to do that. I'm fine with it with with Miss Jordan staying there. Any other discussion related to that? All right. Then we'll move on to the next committee

044assignment. the next committee assignment is member Giovenelli who serves on the audit committee. so again just like we did member Giovanelli. Obviously, you'd have the ability to continue to serve in that capacity if you'd like or if you'd like someone else to have that opportunity. Certainly, you can voice at this time. If you have any if you'd like to discuss it, if somebody wants it, I'm not I believe in sharing the wealth, but I mean, I would stay if nobody wants it, but so it doesn't matter to me. Any other comment? What do they mean? like depending probably four or five times a year. But it with this audit situ situation, they've met more often. It's just, you know, with the audit wood auditor position thing and so they've met off they've met more than

045they normally do. Jordan, may if I may, whoever we have in these roles, we need to make sure that we are able to be there and share out whatever takes place so that way we can all keep up with whatever is happening within these committees, please. Thank you. Okay, sounds like we're moving on. All right, we'll go ahead and move on. Member Ganelli, I'm going to go ahead and put you to to maintain that seat then as well. Thank you. All right, moving on to the independent sales certex oversight is we have member Langford Fleming who's currently serving in that capacity. Would you like to continue for right for or would you like to make that available for others to have an opportunity? It's up to you. I enjoy the committee especially with this topic

046being so hot and coming to sunset soon, but I've also served on it for two terms. So, if somebody's anxious or dying to get on there, then obviously, but I have no problem continuing my role there and continuing to communicate with the board what we learn at those meetings. I agree with Miss Flleming. This is a hot tamalei committee and it and everyone's talking about it right now and I have been getting phone calls from folks that are going to start writing opt-in letters to the press. So it'll be even more magnified as a concern as we move forward. I just wanted to I agree completely agree with Miss Ling for Flumbing staying there, but to jump back to the audit committee, I was going to offer an alternate if Melissa, if there's ever a

047time that you can't make it, I'm happy to jump in as a secondary. Okay, cool. Wonderful. Okay, go ahead, M. Jordan. Just if I could may follow up with you. I think that's that is our responsibility. If we cannot make any of these meetings, we should always make sure that we can find somebody to take that meeting for us so that there's always one of us there to come back with the information. So, thank you for that, M. Okay. And what I'll plan to do is denote that as an alternate, Miss Javino is recommended as an alternate, we sometimes have formal alternates in cases where there must be a representative to attend, but obviously it's always available to any of the board members as following kind of your normal standard protocols. But thank you all

048so much for that. So I'm going to go ahead and keep Miss Langford Fleming in is what I'm hearing unless there's anything else there. U moving on, we have the Head Start Early Head Start Policy Council which is presently Chairman Persons. So, member persons, do you have any, comments around the Head Start or early Head Start Policy Council seat? Actually, I haven't been invited to any meetings. So, I'll continue. I do, as chair, though, have to approve a lot of documents for Head Start, so probably whoever's chair would be the best person in that particular committee. So, yes. And when they reelected new chair, I'd be happy to turn that over to whoever that will be. Wonderful. All right, seeing no other additional discussion, we'll move on. the value adjustment board, chair, that's one of

049those that occurs obviously can can occur in the August and June timeline. So, if you're comfortable with that, we'll leave that on that schedule just because that's something we typically don't address at this point in the year unless there's any member discussion related to the value adjustment board because we've already communicated on behalf of the district who those members are. That's something we have to formally it's required in statute. So, it's one of those aspects that we're going to go ahead and bypass if that's okay. Oh, if I may, Dr. Savage, that's normally the chair and the vice chair that serves on that. Now, the board doesn't have to change it, but We have not done that. I believe that's how we did in the past. I served on it before you. Yes, you are

050correct. you're correct, Miss Attorney Bruno, that is that's how we've have it listed that it was to as a as a chair role for that. So that's something I don't think the board is bound to do, but if you'd want to revisit that since you did have a change in officers, that's something we could discuss at this time as well. Mashivan Elliot. Just for the record, that's not true because I've been on the value adjustments board and I've never been a chair of anything. No, I meant that's how we have it listed here is that it was the chair that may have been a board decision to allow the chair to do that. But what I'm saying is you're not required to do that. as as you as you said and so basically if we

051want to keep it positional where it is the chair and vice chair as it was in this most recent time, we can. But if you'd like to if you'd like to change it with our change in officers, that's that was what what the board chose to do at the most recent appointment of that office. So yes, the board is full discretion on how you want to approach that if you'd like to change it at this time. Yeah, Jordan, I think this one we had to send that in. So they already have the names. So that would be a process for us if we change it now. We would have to send in change. That's correct. Is correct with the other. We would We'd have to change in Yes. Correct. Yeah. Go ahead, Mr. Person. Yeah.

052I think the chair should definitely be on there as the chair of the county commission is on it. I just think that's gives us a little more credibility. value adjustment board for the public who doesn't know. That's where people can dispute their tax value of their land. It's a whole process they go through and there's very few that actually get to the board. But but when since we have a huge amount of tax from the public, I think, you know, we should be represented there by the by the chair. The alternate could be anybody, vice chair, anyone there. I don't think that's I think vice chair makes sense, but but anyway, that's that's just my two bits on it. Well, Lisa, you're you're on there now, right? Correct. No, Miss Fischer. Thank you, Chair. Yeah,

053I would agree with Mr. Personson's keeping how it is, but generally the structure, as Deputy Superintendent Savage said, is the term doesn't really go it goes till June, it starts over. So the preceding chair like and vice chair in this my in this case it's myself and Miss Langford Fleming until comes up in June like Mr. Persons when he was chair the first time continued it's kind of lagging behind about 6 months usually on it. Okay. So, my recommendation would be that we stay within the structure that we've communicated and but if if the board wishes to us to send for additional clarification because obviously our officer changes are on a different timeline. we're happy to take that direction and kind of move forward with whatever you'd like. I think at this stage though I

054think the recommendation would be to keep this out of our out of the discussion at this time so we can move on to the next meeting unless the board would would decline on that. It's fine. Okay. Very good. We'll go ahead and move on to the horizon council chair ro. So again that is that is institutional related to the chair. So just like the one we just discussed these are on the basis of those officer roles is how that has been done. However, if the board would like to have any discussion about this position at that time, what we have in that in the past was the chair of the board represents in that particular piece because this is obviously related to the horizon council is advisory for the county commissioner the county commission rather.

055And so this I would acknowledge that we kind of keep that same structure forward. However, if the board would like to discuss this and have any other discussion, this would be the time to do that. Any comments, Mr. Jordan? It's always the chair and the vice chair. Correct. So that needs to be Yep. Yeah, I would agree with that. And of course, it's open to the public, so anyone is invited to go at any time. That's correct. And what we could do just for making a clarifying in the future so that we don't have that issue is we would just designate the chair, chairperson, and the vice chair. We'll just leave the names off. Obviously, in the past, we had a lot of different committees. So, this will be a way to make it easier

056and we can move through that faster in the future. Moving on, we're looking at the instructional calendar, which this is one of those operational working groups specifically to help support the calendar committee work that occurs. the member who is currently listed is Miss Chaviano. So, I'll kind of defer to Miss Chaviano at this time if she'd like to talk about the calendar committee and if she'd like to desire to stay in that capacity or share that opportunity with a different board member. Yeah. So, I joined them a few months back and I think we actually got almost three years of calendars done. So, I'd be happy to stay on the committee. I think there was some great work done in a record amount of time. they nailed it. So, no, I'd be happy to serve

057and continue to serve on this committee. Wonderful. Any other board member comments related to the instructional calendar committee? I agree. Wonderful. That sounds like mission accomplished, Miss Chaviano. All right. insurance task force. this one is member Ribble is the board lays on to the insurance task force which again is another one of the specific groups that supports the collective bargaining work with our union partners. it's obviously a non- voting seat so it's really there to really communicate information back and forth to the board. member Ribble, do you have anything you'd like to kind of communicate related to that piece? And no, I'd like I'm very involved in that. I have I've suggested 10 new money savers that we're we're trying to initiate. I think we have six of them already done, but I have a

058little experience in that in my former career. So, I'd like to stay on that committee, make an impact. Wonderful. If there's any other member discussion related to that. Great. Wonderful. All right. The next we have is again one that historically we've also set up as a institutional seat related to the role specific. So this would be another example of the chair vice chair type of structure. We would omit the names. This is our foundation for Lee County Schools board. so similar to these others where they're set up to specifically for those officer roles when you sign up to be the officer of the board. The expectation is that you will also serve in in that capacity in those issues. But at this time, if there's any board member discussion related to that, happy to do

059that or to send wishes back and forth to that institution. All right, then we'll go ahead and proceed. But I will omit the names. We'll just kind of continue to leave chair vice chair on that as well. Moving on to the coalition for a drug free Southwest Florida. this is member Fischer is currently the leazison for this particular committee. so again, this is one of those nonprofit partnerships that has asks a member of our board to sit in that piece. So, member Fischer, if you have anything you'd like to share related to that? it's a good board. I like doing it, but I'm always open if somebody else wants to to take it over. I'm good either way. All right, hearing no discussion, we have a pretty great diverse membership of all of our board

060members so far. Really, you all are spreading these committees out very well. So, just a testament to all of you. we're going to skip over the FSBA advocacy because that's again one that happens off schedule and that's already memorialized here. and the board of directors is a two-year term. So, we'll go ahead and also bypass that as well. The FSBA piece we're going to leave out. and then the next two seats are no longer asked of of the district, which was the Learning for Life and the Uncommon Fred's governing board. they declined to to need that participation. the last two seats that we have are relatively new institutional seats with other educational u nonprofit governmental entities that exist in our in our community. One was the FSW institutional seat related and that is a member

061persons who's aware of that. I believe you were a part of that and so if you'd have anything you just want to share on behalf of that institution. It's it's really interesting. I actually don't mind sharing it with some if someone else would like to. It's good to get to know the president of the university. I got to know President Albrittain there and that was a fun thing. But as chair I've got a lot of other stuff. So, someone would like to and it's not in my district either. So, I don't mind that. I did go there. That's why I enjoyed doing it the first time. And I thought we needed somebody. How often? When do they Yeah. When do they meet? you just schedule a meeting with the president secretary and you go and

062do a tour and then they have different events you get on their mailing list and you just can go to them and observe that kind of thing. But it but they do work a lot with our school district, you know, with the high school they have there and you know, academy. So, it's it's pretty neat. And of course, the dual enrollment. So, it's something that's interesting just to take tours and to know what's going on there. Any other comb? If no one else would want to do that, I would possibly do that because I have one at FSW. There you go. I'm fine with that. That's normal. Has a little skin in the game. That sounds like a good idea. Any other comments? Do you have a comment? miss I was just going to suggest

063the same thing. So, I'd happily step in, but if Miss Jordan would like to, that's fine. Yeah. I was a graduate of both institutions actually. Wow. and the first graduating class at FGCU. So either way. Wonderful. All right. Well, then so it sounds like member Jordan, you're going to be stepping up to help support that seat then. So I'm going to put member Jordan here and then I'll just again member Langford Fleming would like be listed as alternate or just leave that off. Okay, wonderful. Thanks. Alternate for Fleming and thank you Mr. Persons for kind of explaining that to the group. The last but not least we have is with the FGCU institutional seat. Again, this is another relationship with a higher ed institution locally. member Ribble, I believe you were the inaugural owner of

064this seat. So, would you like to maintain that? Yeah, I'd like to maintain it and I'll tell you why. I'm going to talk about it tonight at the board meeting under board comments. But next week, we're going to kick off our prek to second grade reading program. We've worked on this Dr. Cuban McCoy here for nine months. This thing's really involved to to a really good program. Yeah. That we want to get out to all the elementary schools. This is going to be the pilot next week. And believe it or not, we're going to partner with the Lee County libraries. We have one of the directors coming to our first kickoff, our pilot next week. the director, she's going to be there and Dr. McCoyy's got a game plan where we can get this partnered

065with all the elementary schools and then the closest library in the county. So, it's going to be a big piece to really drive the reading program for our folks. These young parents are really afraid of their child's not aggressively capturing the skills with phonics, etc. skills needed to read and I think hopefully this thing will really take off to be a big one. Wonderful. Vaness, did you have a comment? I was going to much like Jada say I graduated from FGCU in undergrad and grad school, so I'm pretty sure I paid for a brick or two. and I would I wouldn't mind being an alternate at that location. So wonderful. That'll be fine. Wonderful. I'll make sure it's designated as such on the in the documents. Now we have reached all of our liazison seats

066for this year and it looks like a great representation across the entire board. But are there any other member comments and superintendent Carl? I believe you have some if I may. Just school health advisory. I think we may have skipped over that one. And I just want to make sure we go back and pick that up and say that. I am so sorry about that. I missed that. My apologies. Thank you for the catch. Advisory, who's on that? School of advisory. this is another one of the statutory requirements. these this meets four times a year. There are always unique kind of laws in this particular one. Member Langford Fleming, obviously this is one that you have done. I just actually note my notes walked right over it. So I'm so sorry about that. Would you

067like to maintain that role or would you like to offer that up to someone to to look at? I do love this group. I really do. But I don't want to you know take up a spot if somebody's willing to sit or or wants to. I mean obviously these are open to everybody. But I don't mind at all staying on as the role of that and continuing to let you all know what great things they are doing in that department. You should. Okay. Thank you. All right. I'm so sorry about that. That's okay. I didn't bring it up because I was afraid somebody would take it from me. Well, it's a good fit because you're off your fit. All right. that said, Dr. Carney, you have anything else that you want to contribute on that?

068All right. Then I'm going to turn it back over to Chairman Ribble if any other comments. Okay. Thank you, Dr. Savage. Thank you. Great. Good job as always. Okay. Next is number eight. We have the instructional materials textbook adoptions presented by Dr. Nathan Shaker, Megan D. Roso and Melissa Zeamer. Good afternoon, chair. good afternoon, board members, superintendent, attorney Dri Bruno Bruno. today, we're pleased to present the curriculum recommendations for the 2025 2026 instructional materials adoption cycle. Our focus for this cycle includes Dr. J, is your mic on? Oh, am I too far away from it? Yeah, it's not. I'm going to cozy over here. Does that sound better? There you go. Excellent. Good afternoon, chair, members of the board, superintendent, attorney Bruno. Today, we are pleased to present the curriculum recommendations for the 2025 2026

069instructional materials adoption cycle. Our focus for this cycle includes K12 English language arts, intensive reading, and the newly required personal financial literacy. These recommendations are the culmination of a rigorous multi-month process designed to ensure our students have access to highquality state tools that foster both academic excellence and real world readiness. In the following presentation, we will walk you through the committee's top recommendations. For elementary ELA, it is benchmark education. For secondary ELA, it is think circa. For intensive reading, it is read 180 and perfection learning. And for personal financial literacy, it is McGra Hill. We will detail the rationale for each selection and provide a clear breakdown of the fiscal impact for the district. Our goal is to receive your guidance today as we move forward the final public hearing and board adoption later this

070spring. I turn it over to our two assistant directors of curriculum, Megan D. Roso and Melissa Zeamer. Good afternoon, board. So, in order to understand how we've reached our current recommendations, we must look back at the state process. This process began in spring of 24. The state allowed for a call for ELA, reading, and personal financial literacy materials. The Florida Department of Education conducted a rigorous review with experts and parents throughout the 2425 school year. In June of 2025, the FL DOE posted the official list of state adopted materials. By August of 2025, the school district of Lee County invited only those state approved publishers to participate in our local adoption process. As you can see, this timeline highlights our process that we've followed. Following a publishers's overview in late August, we opened committee and

071community nominations in midepptember. Public and digital access to these resources was provided on September 29th alongside a publisher showcase. Throughout October and November, our committees underwent training, heard publisher presentations, and conducted final deliberations. So the committee proc Oh, sorry Mike. So the committee process was structured into three phases to ensure a fair evaluation of the materials. First was training. In our training, members established norms. They created a short rubric and the interest list. The interest list is an integral part of this process as it allows the committee to establish their priorities as it relates to the rubric and is referred to throughout the process. Following training, they engaged in presentations. The publishers followed a set agenda while the committee members took notes, asked questions, and finally committed a or committed, I'm sorry, completed a ranking

072activity ranking their top publisher choices. Following that ranking, they engaged in deliberations. This involved first a short rubric to narrow the field to two or three finalists and then the committee engaged in a full rubric comparing how similar lessons were taught throughout the resources. If consensus wasn't reached, the committee would refer back to that interest list that they created back in their training and engaged with that to make sure that they were choosing the materials that best aligned to what they wanted. So, we had four committees. We had our elementary ELA, our secondary ELA covering 6 through 12, secondary intensive reading for grades 6 through 12, personal financial literacy, and our committees were made up of teachers, administrators, and parents. As Dr. Shaker mentioned in our introduction, the committee's recommendations are as follows. Elementary ELA

073chose benchmark in education. Secondary ELA chose Think Circa. Intensive reading chose Read 180 for our students who are scoring a level one on the FAST and Perfection Learning for our students receiving a level two on the FAST. And then for personal financial literacy, the committee chose McGraw Hill. Our committee spent a great deal of time reviewing our resources and utilizing those rubrics. The elementary ELA rationale for selecting benchmark education was that there was a tight alignment with state standards and benchmarks. Vertical alignment was presented in the content for each of the learning modules. The planner tool that was available for instruction appears throughout the instructional cycle for support. The opportunity to provide both remediation and enrichment is available for all learners. And there are also materials included for extended activities. There are a great deal

074of supports available for our ELELLL and ESE students. There are built-in differentiated activities and scaffolds provided for both small and whole group instruction. There are a variety of types of questions. The types of questions that students will see mirror the assessment that students will take at the end of the year. There are also additional progress monitoring tools found throughout the resource. Additionally, the presentations that come with the resource are editable, allowing teachers to own what the instruction looks like for their particular group of students. Assessments include new digital item types, again allowing the students to practice the way that they'll see the assessment. And finally, there are Florida best writing lessons available for students. The rationale provided for secondary ELA selecting think circa is again there's a tight alignment between the standards and benchmarks. The

075vertical alignment of content in modules is found throughout the curriculum. Presentations are also editable. There are researchbased program activity supports built in throughout the program. Extension activities are provided. Both ELLL and ESSE supports are available. One of the features that the team really was excited about is the plagiarism detection for writing. there's also a seamless integration with Google Classroom. Students are allowed to practice units based on topics found within the general course. Integrating with the district's technology ecosystem that already exists is something that the teachers and the team were excited about. Writing is de deeply embedded in the methodology behind things circa and again the assessments that students will experience mirror the assessments that students will see on state items. Our secondary reading students have a variety of needs. The committee has recommended read 180

076for level one students. The rationale behind that decision is that read 180 aligns with state standards and benchmarks. It addresses the learning needs of students all the way at the foundational level. Five pillars of reading are addressed in detail through the curriculum and the amount of content presented is chunked very well for our level one students. There are also supports found within the curriculum for ELELLL and ESSE students. Perfection learning has been identified for our level two students. Again, the alignment with state standards and benchmarks is evident. The content is appropriate for our level two students, giving them more rigorous content that will get them closer to proficiency. The opportunity is provided for teachers to differentiate and lessons and presentations are adaptable. passages are included to create lifetoext connections and classical literature and content is

077provided and that aligns to the fast ELA. our personal financial literacy choice was McGraw Hill and some of the PE features that the committee found to be most beneficial and aligned with their interests was that it closely aligned to the state standards and benchmarks. It did provide a lot of activities that allowed the students to understand those financial literacy terms and really move beyond just like the what but also the why. So they are really truly understanding that those concepts. It can be modified to meet various students needs. It has plenty of embedded resources, videos and articles to help support student learning. accessibility and modifications can be addressed with students in mind. it also provides many assessment materials for them to evaluate student learning throughout the process and the materials can be presented in various

078formats for students needs as well. So our cost for these recommendations for EL elementary ELA and benchmark education it is a 9,772,17.75 secondary ELA and think circa $3,611 in six I'm sorry 3,611,879 our intensive reading with read 180 is 2,649,300. and our perfection learning 1,129,281 and our personal financial literacy choice with McGraw Hill is1,145,257. Excellent. Thank you very much. As we move forward from today's workshop, we have a clear road map toward final implementation public. we will post a notice for a public hearing tomorrow, January 14th. The formal public hearing is scheduled for February 10th, 2026. The board will have the opportunity to make a final decision on these annual instruction materials on March 10th, 2026. Following adoption, the objection form will be posted on March 11th with a final deadline for community and parent

079submissions on April 10th. Dates for the objection hearing meeting and the hearing itself would be TBA depending on need. Our district website contains a detailed overview of the current adoption cycle. It includes a comprehensive timeline and link for processes, public meetings, and presentations, as well as information about maintenance of existing materials. Additionally, the page provides links for public review of the proposed materials and instructions for submitting community objections. We're now happy to take any questions you may have regarding the committee's recommendations, special ration, or the upcoming timeline. Dr. Carlin. Yes. thank you, sir. So, thank you to Dr. Shaker, Miss Seamer, and Mr. Rosa for all of your hard work, as well as to your team and all of the committees for your diligence in this work. As you can see, it is pretty intensive,

080time inensive. this team works very hard to support schools, and this is just one more way that they do that. So, we look forward to your comments and your questions. Thank you. Okay, board comments. Miss Persons, I have total confidence in all the teachers doing the this doing this curriculum as far as the reading and along those lines, but the personal financial literacy. Is there any additional training for teachers? I mean, it's not a normal course that they have been teaching. And the second part is have we reached out to any of the banks to help teach them personal you know like banking accounts, things like that because I know one of the elementary schools Sun Coast actually gave each one of them a savings account with a little bit of money and then they

081were putting a little bit in every week and being able to follow it and that kind of thing which was great. I don't know if the banks are going to give us money, but I just didn't know if that's part of the curriculum at all. Those my two questions. Go. So to address the second part of the question, when reaching out to banks, one of our team members, Robert Lawrence, he's our social studies coordinator. he is organizing and meeting with community partners to help push some of this information and content into our schools to help support teachers as they are planning for this instruction like you said in a new course. and our teachers are also very well-versed in how to read these benchmarks, the clarifications. We've trained them in that process. So they were

082able to complete while they may not be experts in that exact content, we have been provided with plenty of resources from the state to help them make those determinations and those decisions and community members were also able to be a part of that process as well. Thank you. Okay, Miss Jordan. Thank you. I just had a question on page 13 with the cost. Can you tell me is the intensive reading level one level two that is that's the combination for elementary as well as secondary and then you just split that up wherever it's needed. Sure. Intensive reading that is for our secondary students. So our students who are in middle school and high school until grade 10 who have not yet earned their concordant their concordant requirement. so it is for secondary grades six through

08310. Wow, that's a lot of kids, right? Yeah, it is a lot of kids. and what you will notice is that there are two different programs. The rationale behind that is that our students have a variety of needs. So the teams felt really passionately about giving the students exactly what they need so that we're able to help close the gap in a faster manner. Thank you. You're welcome. Any other comments to the board? Miss Fischer. Thank you, Mr. Ribble. on the think circa page 10, you talk about integration of Google classroom. Then also it says integrates with district technology ecosystem. What would that generally mean? I know we have a lot of different systems, but what is that? Sure. So some of the ecosystems that is referring to specifically is integration through focus. It's the

084learning management system. So not only Google classroom but the components of Google classrooms that the teachers interact with. So in terms of like instructional material or presentations in that piece teachers can easily adapt and then share their saved versions with students. Okay. Neat. And then just a quick comment. It was something on personal financial literacy. Miss D. Rosa had mentioned it and I appreciate it. the aspect of the students going after the why, not just the how and the critical thinking. So, I'm glad to see that is incorporated to it, especially after, you know, talking some different students throughout that taken these financial industry courses. So, I appreciate that. Thank you, Miss Flo. So, I've sat on multiple textbook committees throughout my educational career. and it is a long and you have to be incredibly

085committed to sitting on one of these. So, thank you to anybody who's sat on this committee so far thus far. But, as a board, you know, you all are the experts in the classroom and what our students need. my question would be when we look at slide, I think it's 12 or 13. It looks a little off here, but and we look at these cost and cost savings. just a recommendation suggestion to make sure that every material we are purchasing as as a district is getting utilized and not sitting on a bookshelf. or hey you if you're bored this summer here's the workbook that we never worked in right and sending it home. but speaking of summer, is there any C is do you know if they have some sort of a summer program built

086into this particular curriculum that is already being paid for? Like if we are using them, I feel like for our intensive reading students that need to take a four to six week summer course, is there anything within what we're purchasing? Could could that be Could we negotiate with them somehow and say, "Hey, we're we're we love your product. This is what we think is what's best for our students, but you know, can we need a summer program that is something that they're familiar with, you know, leaving in May, picking up and having to take a summer course, they're familiar with the program, they're familiar with the curriculum. just a I mean, have we ever really asked that or cuz our summer programs when I taught summer school were always different than what I taught in

087the classroom throughout the school year and I always felt like a seamless transition would be great for students that they're they're familiar with the talk and the lit the language and the icons and things like that. I mean, Dr. Shaker, you could probably talk about that more. Yeah. Well, I would say it's definitely something to engage our rep and the representatives from the companies in. They are always pretty generous when it comes to supplemental materials. materials above and beyond how we source those, how we direct them, how we source those and how we direct them. summer programs may be a great avenue to to start looking at maintaining that consistency of structure, that consistency of methodology. I agree. Great point. Any other comments? Okay, thank you much. Moving right along to number nine. Next we

088have the district strategic priorities academic updates part one presented by Dr. Nathan Shaker, Dr. Colleen Tim, Megan D. Roso, and Melissa Zeamer. No, it's not our Thank you. Where was Well, good afternoon again, board. Dr. Tim may join us a little bit late. She's with our student rep. She's helped getting them into the building over there. today we are sharing the first part of our academic updates, focused on long-term strategic planning. this information represents a comprehensive effort to unify our district's strategic priorities under a single coherent vision for student success. You'll hear today about the work of the last year and a half. And we'll share the trail ahead for the rest of the year, even going into next. If this year has been all about improving instruction with benchmark alignment training for principles, APs,

089and coaches, next year we'll focus on implementing a comprehensive and purposeful progress monitoring system built around daily, weekly, and quarterly touch points, giving our teachers the data they need to respond in a timely fashion. I'm joined by the curriculum leadership team, Megan D. Oros and Melissa Zemer who are going to share the long-term strategy and if she makes it back our executive director Dr. Tim who's going to highlight our trail to the summer summit where we are going to cap off a year of developing incredible instructional practices. At this time I'm going to turn it over to Miss to Miss Zamer and Mr. OS. Thank you. Our three-year strategic architecture is designed to transform immediate momentum into a permanent standard of excellence. We have moved away from fragmented rollouts in favor of a disciplined tiered

090approach. This deliberate pace allowed us to establish a core foundation in year 1 and to drive exc instructional excellence in year two, setting the stage to master datadriven outcomes in year three. Every system we implement today, from core curriculum to our new assessment framework, is engineered for long-term sustainable student success. Year one last year, our objective was to establish core curriculum resources and ensure that all instructional materials were strictly aligned to state standards. This year, we've focused on instructional excellence. Our current focus involves launching rise and climb training series. The goal of this training is to equip instructional leaders and coaches to standardize key classroom practices while thoughtfully implementing tools like artificial intelligence. You'll notice that all of our slides today have been beautified by Google Pro. a key component of this phase has been

091implementation of strategic support from regional teams in schools. Literacy and math coaches have been supporting teachers in planning for benchmark aligned instruction and implementing impactful lessons in the classroom to increase student learning. Our ESSE and ESOL coaches have been provided instructional recommendations to support and scaffold to ensure the success of every type of learner. Next year, year three, FY207 will focus on datadriven assessment. Our focus will transition to developing a comprehensive assessment system built on stakeholder feedback and a deep partnership with business intelligence. While systems and while previous years were about setting the foundation, this year is about the synergy of our systems. We're witnessing a unique alignment where leadership where our leadership series, our curriculum expansions, and our commitment to leave schools unplugged are working in total lock step. This isn't just a series

092of updates. It's a fundamental shift in our district's academic momentum. Some of the things that we've provided are professional learning opportunities. We've implemented monthly rise and climb learning series specifically designed for principles, assistant principles, and coaches. The rise and climb series serves as a district-wide PLC model focusing on benchmark aligned instruction and analysis of our district-wide data trends. With this modeled paired with daily presence in our district curriculum, math and ELA coaches, the school transformation teams, ESOL and behavior coaches, we can alleviate the state of instruction working in our schools with our teachers month over month. I'm sorry. We can elevate it, not alleviate it. That was that was a slip. curriculum expansion. We have expanded science log books for grades three through five and we've integrated I Ready magnetic reading for our elementary school

093students. Both working independently of the Chromebook providing resources and promoting textbased hands-on opportunities in ELA and science. Additionally, we have evolved digitally. We're leveraging EDIA which is a digital digital learning platform for algebra and geometry classrooms while simultaneously launching Lee Schools unplugged. This initiative is vital as it rebalances technology use with traditional learning to ensure that students remain focused. Techfree is something that has been implemented on the 10th of each month. This is now a monthly engagement and many schools have embraced and expanded the effort. Pairing this initiative with our new weekly AI ascent challenge will first rebalance technology and then ensure that it's made to be more efficient and purposeful. We are moving beyond departmental silos to a true systems thinking approach approach. Rise and climb has provided the architecture to align business intelligence

094transformation and sustainability as well as the core curriculum group we like to call them the CIA the curriculum instruction and assessment team in a way our district has really never experienced before. This isn't just a temporary collaboration. It has grown into a permanent shift in how we function. This foundation assures that our move to a comprehensive assessment system next year supported by a robust synchronized district engine. the curriculum instruction and assessment team. This is the engine that develops and delivers our essential instructional content, business intelligence, focusing on the rigorous data analysis and insights required to track progress and create strategy and transformation and sustainability. They are aligning these areas to drive the deep and systematic changes needed in our district. They're the boots on the ground when it comes to instruction. Starting next year, we're

095launching a comprehensive three-year assessment evolution. This isn't a one-time change. It's a cycle of implementation, validation, and continuous revision. As we enter our next three-year strategic cycle, our focus shifts from simply testing to building a robust culture of assessment literacy. We recognize that elementary assessment is a nuanced science. Therefore, our roadmap prioritizes deep teacher training not just on the administration of each assessment but on making datadriven decision instructional decisions. By scaling this roll out over three years, we ensure our educators have the space to integrate new data tools with their professional intuition, ultimately evolving our district's approach to instruction and grading in a way that is both sustainable and effective. In FY27, we will begin with a focus on grades 3 through 5 for math and ELA. This area is our best opportunity we have

096to increase student achievement through detailed and regular progress monitoring systems. In FY28, we'll be using the feedback from our initial roll out. We'll make adjustments and implement for grades 6 through 10 in math and ELA. Our current system of assessments for these areas are already providing useful data and can be tweaked for FY27 to be improved. They don't need a comprehensive rebuild until FY28. The lessons of next year's implementation will reform inform the refinement of our secondary assessments. And in FY29, finally, we will expand to include science and social studies and of course test areas. In each phase of this systematic and comprehensive approach to assessment, the three divisions will be working side by side to provide schools with high quality assessment resources, dashboards to monitor the fidelity and progress, and guidance for taking actionable

097steps toward improving student outcomes. For our upcoming academic year, we have engineered a robust assessment framework designed to provide total visibility into student progress. By integrating daily formatives, weekly skill artifacts, and quarterly benchmarks, we can create a continuous feedback loop. This loop provides the highresolution data necessary to validate our instructional programs and ensure that all stakeholders can identify student needs in real time. This layered approach ensures that we aren't waiting until the end of the year to see if a program is working, but we are measuring impact and adjusting instruction every single week. Our daily formatives provide that real-time feedback on instructional outcomes and monitor that usage through technology to encourage PLC collaboration. Weekly progress monitoring. These artifacts will allow students to reflect on their performance through a 360deree feedback and help PLC's review foundational

098grade level skills. And then quarterly screenings. These ensure that our teachers have sufficient assessment for state assessed areas and include a diagnostic check in quarter three to identify specific student needs before end of year testing. Our new assessment strategy ensures that every student receives the right support at the right time. As you heard Megan reference that our professional development is layered here in the district and we are operating from a perspective that it is ongoing and continuous and we are very excited to roll out our summer summit. We are operating from a philosophy of rise and climb this year with the core learning being matched to benchmarks in the district. The research would indicate that our best lever for improving student achievement is an investment in our teachers and we are very focused on building

099that team capacity. Second semester, as you heard, we will be focused on overcoming obstacles and building highlevel skills in the field. And then this summer, we're going to open our doors to 1,000 educators from all of our schools. and they will have an opportunity to come together in a collaborative manner to plan for the following year and we will utilize those folks as leaders among their peers as we kick off the school year with our pre-ervice work. So the summer summit is our strategic response to our increasingly complex educational landscape. Again, we believe that educator effectiveness is the most important lever that we can invest our resources into and we are going to work to bridge what is sometimes disconnected professional development. So, we're taking this as an opportunity to build a bridge between our

100instructional planning, behavior management, and then using our datadriven support to inform our next steps. So this will create a multiplier effect each opportunity that we have to build on what has happened previously will amplify the teacher learning. So the need for a unified framework historically professional development again with the backward design by learning and the behavior management have operated in silos and when they don't integrate it can lead to student disengagement and behavior challenges. Our work with this framework is designed to connect the planning, the behavior management and the datadriven support to address unmet needs in our students and close gaps. The summit is designed to achieve five strategic objectives. The first one as we have said is foundational planning. Secondly, we are looking to address the needs of all of our learners. We want

101to create a positive learning culture through our PBS framework and trauma-informed practices. We are going to use data assessment assessment data to drive our targeted interventions. And then lastly, collaboration, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and strong family partnerships. We're moving from learning to doing. Every participant will leave the summit with four tangible deliverables. They will all have a peer-reviewed unit planed in our best practices, a schoolwide behavior plan draft, including a behavior matrix and response flowchart based on the PBIS framework. We will have a personal action plan that is designed for their classroom environment. and then a 30 60 90day implementation plan with a structured follow-up deliverable to ensure continued momentum and accountability. So that continuum and that layered approach is to make sure we don't have one and done opportunities, but whatever they

102are getting in the training carries through into their classroom. This strategic vision is designed to equip our educators with the knowledge they need to support all students. next month the regional superintendent and I will join you to give an overview of the current performance metrics as determined by our PM2 data and some highlights of the tactical work that district regional teams and school leadership are doing to intervene for the remainder of FY2 FY26. At this time we welcome the superintendent's comments and any questions from the board. Thank you Dr. Shaker, Dr. Tim, Miss Seamer, Mr. D. Rosa. Once again just wow fantastic. As you can see, this is not a onestep, one month process. When we talk about curriculum, instruction, and assessment, we start with curriculum. Are we teaching the benchmarks? I call it practicing

103soccer for the soccer game, not the tennis match. Tennis is a wonderful, wonderful game as Mr. Persons and I know. but if we are u assessing children on soccer, we surely better be teaching those requisite and foundational skills for soccer. So, it's the curriculum piece, then it's instruction. That's what you heard a lot about in terms of training. You know, it's no secret, we've talked about it in this district that we are now entertaining and having a large number of career changers. folks did not grow up like I did where I went to a college of education, went through University of South Florida, go Bulls, and then came out the other side of that having lots of opportunities to teach before I ever step foot as a graduate into the classroom. Those days are no

104longer. And so we have to make sure that our teachers have instructional strategies, researchbased instructional strategies under their belt so that we can teach the curriculum in an effective way. So children actually learn. And then that very important component that we're going to spend, this will take years to look at our assessment program. It's one thing to give a test, you get an 87, you get a 94. What does that tell you about what a child learned and what they didn't? You get a B. What does that tell you about what a child learned and what they didn't? So that's why this work is intentional. That's why it is over time and what we know will happen as we continue to add each layer of this, we will continue to see improvement in student achievement.

105and so just huge amounts of thank yous to the team for your leadership, to our teachers, to our principles, and to others that are contributing and helping with this very important work. And I forgot to say one thing that's super important. The foundation of all of this is a positive learning environment in the classroom and in the school. We've talked about student behavior. there are certainly some challenges we encounter. but but I know Dr. Shaker is working diligently with Dr. Tim and the team to make sure that we have behavioral specialists and I'm using that word in quote those words in quote somebody that has a high level of expertise with our student behavior to be there as a resource for teachers when they encounter those behaviors that are that feel insurmountable that may even

106drive me from the education world we are making sure that those supports are being put into place over time. So all of that is the bedrock or the foundation of the work that I just described. So again, just thank you very much for the work and we look forward to the comments and questions that you bring to us as board members. Thank you. Okay, board member comments, Vanessa. Dr. Schaefer and thank you for all this information, but I did have a reference at three things actually. So slide six, I know kind of laying out the cycle for fiscal year for 27 in terms of the assessment. I'm super excited that we have real-time feedback and like our dashboards and our benchmarks and kind of be able to see that to give not only our leadership

107teams and our schools but our teachers just a better view of what's happening because there's so many things that are happening in the classroom. So I think understanding and be able to point out anything that's an outlier that needs support I think is awesome. So kudos to that. slide 10 when we're talking about the kind of core program objectives and we're talking about building and PBIS. So, as a parent, I understand what PBIS is. I have it for my kids. our my kids school switched over to it last year. So, I have a two-part question to that because with technology and with our parents, it's it's it's a piece that the parents have to download and engage with, right? So my question is, do we know or are we tracking when we have at least

108one parent that has access to to to that tool? Because if not, then they're not seeing any of the notes or the updates that are coming through that app. So do we are we is there a way to track that when they're obviously open house comes in, they're getting all the paperwork? I know I've talked about this before. They're getting all these documents to scan and upload and make sure your focus is updated and you're doing your emergency card and download this app. Is there some kind of checkpoint after the quarter, whatever, to say, "Hey, we still don't have Sue and Bobby's parents signed up in focus or signed up in PBIS." Is there something that we're tracking to make sure they're seeing that behavior portion? So with focus there is a concerted effort and

109I believe there's a project going on currently right now that's going to focus specifically on getting students involved in or getting parents involved in signing up for their focus accounts. PBIS too. PBIS as as a specific program. We have schools that implement PBIS with different programs. So you may be referring to classroom dojo which is a pretty popular one. What's the P PBI? I have PBIS at my school. We had Class Dojo two years ago, but they switched to PBIS to a specific PBIS program. I think I'd have to look into it and see which schools are using it. we do not have a unified PBIS parent communication portal across the district. So, with the goal here for the building component where it's outlining, you know, understanding school climate, you know, effective deescalation techniques, referencing

110PBIS, how is that used or what does that mean? Well, you actually bring up a really good point because when I'm up here next with the students, that's one of the things that they're going to talk about is I think what we're seeing, if I'm understanding your question correctly, but I think it's pretty typical that you see a stronger PABIS program at the elementary school and it can begin to to wayne through the secondary levels in part because students have a different buyin for the reward part of PBIS, but actually that is something that the students referenced in our student advisory that they like the positive celebration of behavior. And so I'll talk about it more when when we have the students up here, but that's going to be part of what I capture to

111send to the principles on Friday to look at that. And then I'll talk with Francine who is our lead on that as well to look at that. I think I think PBS has a really stronghold in Lee County schools compared to what I've seen in other districts and how it's there is a pretty consistent u implementation of it across the district. I think like anything else it can be different degrees of that implementation within schools. but the students themselves are bringing it up. So I think it's an opportunity for us at this midpoint in the year to take a look at what is happening and how do we want to go forward with that. Yeah. So I mean again from my experience I have elementary and middle so I have both ends. The middle school

112uses more of the rewards like you were saying for behavior highlighting you know on task doing their work. I get that more for middle school and I get a lot more communication in elementary school. Right. So I guess again my question goes back to this technology of making sure our parents are engaged and they know what's happening outside of focus having this tool of saying hey we want to make sure we're using it or that they're at least on the same page that we know at least one person in the household has access to get that communication and see if their children are on task or not and that I'll say more about when we're up here with the students. I don't want to steal all their thunder when when we're here now but that

113came up with the students as well just access to focus. I'll talk more about that then. Thank you. Okay. Any other comments from the board, Miss Persons? I remember when I first got on the board, there was no data to really look at because testing really I mean they tested but it was because of COVID. It just wasn't held as accountable or anything else like that or even tracked closely. And I'd go visit schools and I'd go, "Yeah, this is neat. Look at I got a mural here. I got this. And you know now what a change. You go to the school. I can see that the principal knows every teacher how each class is doing. They have bulletin boards up there like these students here need extra care and they're pulled aside instead of

114maybe going to art one day and get a little extra tutoring in math or reading. and each teacher knows every one of their kids how they're doing. It's just it's an amazing turnaround and difference as a board member just observing and going there. you know I mean the principles involved they have team leaders of each department and then that the teacher I mean it's just it's phenomenal the difference and I'm sure it's going to have a huge difference in the turnout of their grades and everything. So I'm very happy with how this is organized. The last thing is excited because you're looking not what's happening this year, but we got 27, 28, and 29 what the goals are and that's the way to be forward thinking and planning. So, I guess that's why it's called

115strategic. So, excellent. Thank you. Yeah, I'll tack tack on to Mr. P's comment. I was impressed. They really it's a balanced scorecard in every one of the schools and I would even in the high school then we went to an elementary school was the same thing. So everyone's kind of picked up on that and they doing a great job and as we say what gets measured gets gets improved. So that's in place. Miss Fleming, you had a comment? I do. I have a couple of things. Miss Shavana brought up some incredible points as far as the PBIS. I was at a couple of those PBIS schools. to your point Mr. persons you know PLC's are finally being used for what they were the purpose of PLC's were and I have gone to multiple schools they

116all have a different way of obviously showcasing the data and the and the statistics a special room a PLC room I love to see some of our teachers I mean I guess I'm really competitive so I mean most everybody knows that I guess at this point so I love that the grades like are being competitive with each other. I mean in in a positive way because when when you are competing with students performance all those students are winning K through fifth. So that is great. I mean, I've taken several pictures and gone back and been like, man, this is like real world. And then this and then each grade can can also collaborate with each other like, well, what is third grade doing? So, right, you know, and and I love to see like the

117seamless you know, from year to year like when the when this you know that you have this certain group that's moving on, it's it's I think it's been great. so kudos to that entire team that is y'all are all behind the scenes doing all of this. You're the unsung heroes. So, thank you. so I'm going to kind of talk about something that may not be very popular, but I think it's important to bring to light in our PBIS schools and or any schools that are giving some sort of a reward program for outstanding behavior. I think it's really important that we stick with like rewards that are meaningful. and I just I have to say that because I'm on the health advisory committee and it just makes me want to do jumping jacks or something

118when I see like, "Oh my god, you guys did so great and here's a piñata full of candy. now go do this and take a test right afterwards or something. So like meaningful rewards, rewards that go a long way and I our teachers are so creative. I know they can come up with some some awesome things. I'm not I'm not afraid of like pizza parties, but you know like let's let's hone it in there. But and then the other thing is you know we have so many students in the district too. I think it shouldn't be I think it should it's worth talking about. We have so many students in the district that fly under the radar in PBIS because they're always doing the right thing. And I know we have this great program called

119Do the Right Thing, but we have so many kids that are just they're just naturally always doing the right thing. And so sometimes they fly under the radar and they aren't re rewarded maybe because they, you know, they just they're quiet, they're doing what they're supposed to be. So, I just wanted to speak up on that on behalf of those students and making sure that we are, you know, giving them high fives and slap, you know, giving them a pat on the back also. But I love the way that this is headed and the communication with parents is going to be outstanding because there is nothing like getting a phone call from a teacher. You pick up the phone and you're like, why is the school calling me? And then on the other end, you

120hear a teacher say, "Hey, so and so had an awesome day today, and I just wanted to tell you, I could tell they are really trying hard." That goes so far in a in a fam in a family. So, I can tell that's the direction that this is all headed. And so, kudos for you guys just bringing it all in in in one big in one big PowerPoint for us to all understand. But, thank you for the hard work that's being put behind this. I appreciate it. Okay, any other comments? I just want to close with I know what the acronym PBIS means. As many of you might have saw on Facebook, I had a mayor and a vice mayor tour of the success academy on Friday and it's all over the hallways at every

121bulletin board over there is PBIS. So, I didn't want to ask Dr. Estino what that meant in in front of our guests. So, as soon as I got in my car, I gave him the text and he came back with the definition for those at home that are watching. It's positive behavior, interactions, and supports. So, I got that one down on my hard drive. So, any other comments? Okay, moving along. I guess we're going to go back to number six now, the student advisory focus group. Okay, next we'll hear from the student advisory focus group presented by Dr. Nathan Shaker and Colleen, Dr. Colleen Tim and a special student guest representative. So, we have one of our students here. the other one will be coming hopefully and we'll include her when she gets here. So,

122thank you first of all for the opportunity to have representatives from our student advisory come and speak with you. We had our quarter 2 meeting and it was around code of conduct. So, as part of our annual review of the code, we are meeting with a variety of stakeholders and certainly that student voice is an important voice in the process. So, you're going to see Tammy Scott and I come before you as we collect and get some of the initial findings from our stakeholder conversations as well as some of the early recommendations that we have for the code of conduct. But I want to start by saying one of the things that you're going to hear from us is a shift in our philosophy about the code of conduct. And by that I mean we're

123looking to definitely continue to use it as a tool to promote a positive environment for teaching and learning. But what that means is you're going to hear from us that we're going to take a little firmer stand with some of the behaviors that we are seeing in the schools. So first of all, we're doing that because students and teachers deserve that kind of an environment to teach and learn in. And secondly, we know that student behavior is one of the leading indicators for why teachers are leaving the classroom today. And so as part of our effort in Lee County to attract and retain talent, we want to make sure that there is a good environment for everybody in the classroom. So you're not going to see dramatic shifts in the recommendations, at least I don't

124think so on our early indications, but you're going to see a shift as we do take a firmer stand on on behaviors. And again, it's not about throwing the book at students. It's really about supporting their development of the appropriate behaviors so that we can achieve those total student outcomes that we're after in the district. So, I'm going to allow our first student representative to introduce herself, tell you a little bit about her, and then we have a slide that we will work from here. And Dr. Tim, that's what I was going to ask if we could just put the PowerPoint up for this presentation. Thank you. Yep. Go ahead. Hi, my name is Sydney McConnell. I am a freshman at Riverdale High School and this year I was named part of the Save Promise

125Club leadership team. And I share the president the president position with a very close friend of mine. And this year I was on the Riverdale High School swim and dive team which was named district champs. So, she's going to take you through some of the first findings. So, we had about 25 students who had indicated interest both between our first outreach at the beginning of the year and when I sent out another invitation, but we ended up closer to maybe a half dozen students. And some of the kids had indicated they had different holiday commitments and sports and activities and those kinds of things. But they were a small but mighty group of people who shared I think some things that are probably not going to be surprising to any of the adults who hear

126it. But what I am continuously struck by in having these meetings is just how thoughtful and articulate the students are. I'm I what I'm really loving is that they are really focused on this positive environment for all students. So the students do not get into particular stories or examples, you know, into the weeds about their own necessary experience. They're really looking at if these things happened, if these things changed, it would create a better, stronger environment for teaching and learning in our schools. So I've just been so impressed with the leadership of our students in that. So, Cydney's going to take us through the key insights that we have up there. Please start talking. Okay. She just got to grab her. Okay. So on this me in this meeting we spoke to students from all

127around the county on there and we shared perspectives on the code of conduct and there were a lot of different ideas that went around on ways to improve it and make it more accessible and make it easier for us to understand because the code of conduct can contains a lot of very legal terms and some sometimes kids can find that pretty confusing. So one thing that came up pretty frequently over this meeting was consistent enforcement is crucial. Many times in schools one day you will be told not to do this and the next day you can do the same thing and it will not be told not you will not be told not to do this. So consistent enforcement has been not shown very often. Thank you. in our in our schools and we as

128students think that it would we believe that it would be better if everybody was held to the same standards. Students have expressed a desire for consistency and we have advocated for a firm threshold that shows a point where warnings have to end and where consequences have to begin. It can be demoralizing to see a peer receive an unfair consequence. In elementary, middle too far away. In elementary, middle, and high school, I have experienced effective and ineffective usage of the code of conduct. And I believe that this is a shared feeling between many the majority of students in Lee County. Students have also noted that the current code of conduct is long and filled with technical language. While the information is there, it can't it isn't a quick reference guide for students and parents who really

129do need the access to information. Many of our parents do not speak English in Lee County and sometimes they speak Spanish and sometimes they speak French and that can make it really hard for them to understand, hey, and to have a conversation with their kids to say, hey, this is what we need to be doing at school. It makes it really difficult for them to have a parent child communication that is worthwhile. This causes really like a lot of confusion about the rules and consequences for students. I've spoken to many of my peers and they recall the PBIS program that was brought up earlier and they remember when they were younger and they would work towards a goal of earning a pizza party or earning that second recess. Second recess was the best. These students

130were significantly more motivated to be on their best behavior to earn to earn those goals. Positive reinforcement is slowly taken away from us as we get older. In high school, I have noticed a lot less, hey, I'm like, I'm proud of you, and more, okay, you did this. Time to move on to the next thing. This positive reinforcement leads to a more respectful and educational culture. Some of the schools that still participate in the PBIS program aren't enforcing it clearly, which can confuse teachers and students on what the point of this whole program is. Many schools do not participate in it at all, but most of the schools that do do not like expand do not expand upon it and show the students, hey, this is like this is what we're doing. They do not

131have like strict they do not have strict guidelines on what the PBIS program is about. Okay, these were what the student advisory coun committee found to be our key insights in our overall themes of our meeting. Claire will be filling you in on our recommended strategies for engagement. Thank you. So, first of all, you all surprised us with how quickly you went through your agenda. So, our high school students are coming at the end of their day. So, thank you for your patience with that. but but I would say the things that the students gave us are things that I think we can act on just like I talked about with with attendance. So we'll recapture some of that at the end of Claire. So Claire is with us. So she's going to tell you

132a little bit about herself and then she's going to go into the recommended strategies for increasing our engagement with code of conduct. Okay. Hello. My name is Claire. I go to Cypress Lake High School and I am in 11th grade. Some of the things I like to do is I'm very involved in school. I do flag football. I am in the dance program and I do comp and sideline cheer. And I am also involved in the ACE program and I do dual enrollment. Okay. So, starting I think something that will really help with the code of conduct is letting the kids know what it is. cuz I feel like most of the kids at my school, I mean, they knew we had one, but they don't know what's in it. They've never read it. Like,

133cuz it's this long paper. Before I started this, I didn't even know where it was located. Like, I had to try to find it and read it. So, I think it would be very helpful. Kids are always on their phones, not at school, of course, but at home. So, I think I know there's an Instagram for the school district. So, maybe putting like stuff with graphics, maybe like little things throughout like the year to help them see the code of conduct more. I think that would be very helpful. And I also think that we need to talk about it more during the school day or during the school year. I know my school has a school news. I'm guessing yours does, too. Well, a few schools do have like school news or like they post

134stuff and maybe talking about the code of conduct on the school news or whatever the school does will help it be reinforced into the like kids' brains because I think when like for like punishments if they know the rules and they know like the consequences I think it will help them not be upset with the consequences and yeah that's Yeah. Thank you. Any other things that you want to add to that? Okay. So, some of the things that the students had talked about were some of our schools do class meetings and they go over elements of the code of conduct and the students really liked that. So, we heard that some of our schools are doing it quarterly, some are doing it by the semester. But in what Claire was talking about, you keep it

135in front of them. What is the expectation? and you take the surprise out of the fact that there can be a consequence and the degree of consequence if you choose to engage in behavior that is outside of the expected behaviors. So we talked about that. We also talked about whether it's using messages that go home to help our parents. one of the things that the some of the students did bring up and I heard talked about up here earlier is that not all of our student our parents are accessing focus and that is a really important line of communication between home and family and I know the district is engaged in work to increase the number of our parents who are set up with an account and I just want to say Lee County is

136not alone in that struggle. but I think you know sometimes we bring them in the office we'll show you how to get set up on your phone or whatever it is. we'll we'll take those steps to continue to increase that. That's an important line of communication helping people know where the code of conduct is. But then also one of the things that Clare had mentioned again was kind of a quick graphic. It is a thick book. There's a lot of information in there, but whether it's using AI to give us some kind of a cover page that says here are the key points you need to be aware of. And then if you want to dig into it more, you know, I mean, you have your index, but we want something that highlights it a

137little bit more, maybe like what you see up there. So that was an important one for and that really came from the students to say students and parents need to just kind of have this quick and dirty access to what's in that book and then know where to turn and how to use it as a reference. So again, when I tell you these things, it's probably not a surprise and these aren't things that are going to be hard or they're going to cost us a lot of money to do in order to increase it. But ultimately that awareness on the part of students and then making sure that in our schools we're enforcing it consistently. I was the one thing I probably was surprised to hear was the kids say enough with warnings. At some

138point we have to have consequences. So I think you know that'll be a message that I'll be able to share with the principles and for our principles and our classroom teachers to know that they will be supported at the district office level and at the board level to take this firmer stance with behavior so we are creating this positive culture for teaching and learning in our schools. And at this point we'll turn it over for any questions and comments. Thank you very much for the presentation. Thank you ladies for coming quickly over to our district office after school. We know that traffic's a little challenging this time of year and just really appreciate you stepping out. You have many things you could be doing right now and you chose to be with us. So we

139appreciate that and thank you to all of your fellow colleagues on the student advisory group for this great feedback. We look forward to your comments as well. Okay board I want to say thank you for being here. Good seeing you, Sydney. And I guess my this has been a struggle for many years as far as getting the signatures on from parents and students for the code of conduct because it's required supposedly that the parents sign off after they've read it and the student actually signs off. And but I think when we went to digital versus giving them out, it's before your time as superintendent, but what took place was the concern of how many parents are not going to see that? How how do we keep track of who has not something similar to what

140Miss Shvanu had spoke about earlier. How do we know who has and who has not? And that was a concern. And I know they were supposed to come back, gosh, when Dr. B was here come back to us and say how many parents did not fill that out which we never did receive that actually to see what what does that look like in any of the schools. So but we they are held responsible for this. So I love all the little pictures and I think that brings it draws your attention, right? For sure. But thank you so much. It's funny. So, you have a great point, Miss Jordan, and me being a former parent myself and the school district, you know, the we have thankfully like condensed the code of conduct over the years. but

141let's be honest, I mean, just because you're signing it doesn't mean you're reading it. So, parent or teacher, it's a it's a I mean, they've got to get on homework, you know. that would take a month to read the code of conduct probably for some some some parents, I will say. but it sounds like the two of you, what you're saying is, you know, you just want to know. You want to know where it's at. You want to know what your expectations are. that's what I'm hearing the two young ladies talk about. and then you want to know what are the consequences and what is the followup with those consequences and how are we going to correct the behavior. Like I feel like you are like, let's attack the situation. So, I'm wondering if perhaps

142in that first week of school and then maybe revisit it throughout the year, some sort of interactive something with families and with students. Maybe in elementary school it looks like a bingo card. Maybe it looks like, you know, find these 16 things and check them off and tell us where and because then you're actually having to pick that code of conduct up and maybe they're the hot topics, the what you have to wear, can you have a cell phone, are what kind of snacks are you allowed to bring? And then maybe or a scavenger hunt or some kind of a maybe it's a dojo quiz that the that the family has to take together. But I feel like that's what I'm hearing you two ladies say. So please correct me if I'm wrong, but it

143you kind you want to know you want to know where it's at, what's expected and then what's going to happen if you don't. And then you want to see followup. So maybe that's something that we introduce in the first week of school and make it more interactive not just with the students but with their parents too because at the end of the day the parents are held accountable as well. Those that's all I have. That's something you're spot on. We had the conference call the one the teams call right before you folks went on vacation. In fact, you were going up, I believe, to Wisconsin and we I was really impressed with the comments of the students. But that's exactly what they said. The students that were on there, in fact, some of the parents

144were sitting in their room listening to the conversation and you're right about parent engagement is really the key. And I totally agree with you. I think I think the committee would agree with you that some kind of game like that or some kind of drill that could be brought to the attention because if you go through that you could spend forever. The old booklet was forever. I mean that was like old Sears catalog for but but anyway Miss Shiovano you had a comment. Yeah. So one thank you guys for again coming here and one participating and then spending your time to share the feedback with us. greatly appreciate it. And I would say the consistent piece, I loved hearing that cuz I hear it from a lot of my other athletes that I coached of

145so and so got in trouble and this is what happened here and everyone's at different school. So I think again it sets precedence and a tone again for you might feel bad for someone that got in trouble for something when the day before that didn't happen, right? So that consistency and that message I think is important and kind of piggybacking on what Miss Linker Filming says. I was writing interactive quiz based on top issues and referrals, right? And you think about your groups in elementary and middle and high school. You have you have issues that come up quite often and they're different by by group. And I think there's gay for AI and this is like my marketing component where you can literally give it all your top issues and say, "Hey, create a quiz

146for me for my kids, my parents to do, right? These are the top things that are happening." And it's, "Hey, is this true? Will you get in trouble for this?" Personally, as a parent, I love the code of conduct because I use it to my advantage as a parent. And I'm like, look, you can't dye your hair all crazy. It says so here in the code of conduct and I use it as a parent on that end. and on dress code, that's it's not allowed. so I leverage it that way as my piece. but yes, I would say it is heavy and if you're not, again, I am signing it, but I'm reading it through it again, leveraging with my kids, but it is a lot. And again, that first week of school, the open

147houses, there's so much documentation and you're just like getting through it to continue. And as kids, I don't see you guys breaking that open to to read any of that. that's just I'm going to take a guess on that. again, I love the recommendations for the social media because again, that's what relates and what you guys interact with. And again, if in an active quiz with your parents or whatever, even for yourselves, if that's what makes sense for it to click and then to your point, I know, hey, this is actually an issue. I didn't know this was something I can get in trouble for, it's a couple minutes. So, you can kind of learn that. And the other piece I wrote, with the feedback, with that regular dialogue, with your peers, you don't know

148what you don't know, but if we're talking about it and it's something top of mind, maybe quarterly or what have you at each school, again, there's top issues that happen in high school that are referrals all the time. There's top issues that happen in middle school, and maybe those are topics that come back for you guys to have a point of discussion. and say hey maybe it's it's not being communicated clearly or we just have our group that we just really have to focus on and have conversations with but I think it's important I'm glad you guys participate in that but my last thing and I kind of do like the carrot piece I think if you incentivize your kids and was like hey if you got your parents to sign up on focus you

149could get this when you come back to school first week of school here's your assignment make sure your parent signs up because I know my kid wants something like for me to sign a refer like a permission slip and they want me to okay their their AR our party and I have to sign something because they want it cuz they get something, they're quick to share it with me, so I sign it. so I think if maybe you guys are incentivized to get your parents engaged with the technology on the other end of like, "Hey mom, I need you to sign this. I'm going to show you how to put it on your phone and log in and do the things." I think that'll help out. A homework pass or a dress down day goes

150a long pass. My kids save those. So, yes, I would I'm not going to tell them what to do, but I think if you incentivize the kids and have the kids part of that process of, hey, here's this thing. I need you to sign up. I'll do it for you. I'll sign you in, Mom, and I'll remember your password, I guess, maybe. I think we'll get more engagement on that end, but thank you so much for doing this. It's greatly appreciated. Okay, Miss Fischer. Thank you, Mr. First off, thank you to Dr. Shaker and Dr. Tim for making this a reality. It's been a few years in the making, so I appreciate that. ladies and the rest of the group, thank you for stepping up to do this. So, and one of the things we've

151talked about is you know, active participation, active feedback, and I love this. So, I've I wasn't able to attend the meeting, unfortunately. But I want to ask both of you ladies, what are your thoughts on was there something either you or your group looked at what was the most surprising thing in the code of conduct or what in the world? Why do you have that in there? I love your sleep. it's all right. Did you have any surprises about particular behaviors or the strength or the lack of strength of a of an outcome? Oh, really? Not really. Take take, guys. And if there's not anything, it's all right. I was just curious. I hear it from my own kids a lot. So, I would say sometimes the consequences range from being too light or too

152hard. So sometimes like if I were to shove a peer that sometimes that could turn into a referral when you know maybe we were just playing and maybe that could just be a minor infraction. And another thing would be is sometimes teachers show bias towards certain students. So if let's say Claire was a straight A student, no referrals, no minor, which of course she is. let's say she threw a dart into the ceiling. That's been really big in schools right now. Let's say she were to do that. For her, that would be a minor infraction. Now, if I were I had 800 referrals, I straight C's, D's, and Fs, that could turn into a minor infraction or like a really worse punishment than Claire would receive. And I think that's bias from the teachers and

153that can be really frustrating. Okay. Thank you, Carly. Yes, sir. Thank you. so just a couple of comments. our staff was as usual, trying to help out with some additional information. So, to I think it was Miss Jordan brought up like how are we tracking in business intelligence, there is a tracker for for teachers and for schools. So, if a parent has signed off, there is the ability to track that. now in business intelligence in addition to our student achievement data that teachers are being provided with. So as BI continues to grow in this district and the use of data continues to grow that becomes an accompanying tool. So that's fantastic. I do want to share with you as a former principal and leading schools for 18 years. I'm I'm excited to hear the conversation

154here today. I think and maybe Dr. Shaker and Dr. Tim and other folks that have been principles or currently our principles out there will probably think about their own school and the types of things they do during week one. so I know at schools I led that was exactly what the expectation was that the papers for parents including the code of conduct were distributed. we had activities based around the code of conduct so that children knew what a good one looked like, what a bad one looked like. Is this an example, a non-example? We would go through that and that was an expectation at schools that I led. and then that would be followed up with the kiddo signing the paper back then in the stone ages, right, when I was principal. They'd sign it

155and then the homework assignment was to take it home, homework pass or something and then we had pizza parties and all kinds of competition. So, but that was just, you know, the four schools I led here in the district. We have many more than four schools. I think if we brought all our principles in, they probably would share with you a wide variety of of expectations or not. based on school by school. So I think the takeaway for me today sitting here listening is maybe some consistency along with how we are deploying the code of conduct, the expectations around how parents are to sign those and what we do to encourage or incentivize that. That's what I'm hearing. And then I love the point about the consistency. So that kind of reminds me of at

156home, right? So we have two parents at home raised two boys. sometimes things that were acceptable to my better half were not okay with me and vice versa. So, now we have 6,000 teachers out there reading from the same playbook and everybody interprets discipline a little differently. You may have found that in your own home. I don't know. We could be the exception. Maybe we're not. so anytime you have common expectations around what is a disciplinary action, what isn't, just use your own home for raising your own children and understand why we have 6,000 teachers where there could be some uneven application of that. U, that's kind of the reality of how the rubber hits the road. Can we do better? Yes. In the Carlin home, could we have more conversations about coming to agreement

157about what is acceptable, what's not, and what are those positive and negative consequences? Absolutely. That's kind of a an indication of of what the great challenge is out there with identical consequences both positive and negative based on student behavior. And that's why I use our home as the example. not that it was a bad home, it was a wonderful home and our boys are doing very well, but there was sometimes some inconsistency and that was just two of us, not 6,000. So I just give you that lens to use. Not that we can't do better. We can certainly do better. We can look at those consequences. I think every single year our code gets better. And I would argue it's about the best it's been, at least in my 34 years in this district. but

158can we deploy it better? Can we make sure there's more consistency? I think we talked about behavior modification, training, and all of that is going to go into the summer institute. It will not cure the problem 100% because we have 6,000 teachers out there. But will we get closer to adhering to a common set of expectations and deployment around that? I would argue yes. Anytime we can do training in that regard, we will do that. So, just again, thank you for all the wonderful feedback today and I'm writing copious notes over here of things we can do to be more consistent in the deployment of the code and making sure that parents are appropriately engaged. So, thank you, Minelli. Thank you. First of all, thank you for your honesty and thank you for being here

159today. I think it's important that we hear what you have to say. So, know that we value that. because I think that was we were excited to hear you speak today. So, welcome. one of my questions that I was curious that one of the Claire mentioned about the date the school news does so and I guess Riverdale doesn't have a news is kind of what I got. Right. So, there's there's some inconsistency right there. How about that? But that happens. But students have been talking about inconsistency right down to dress code. you know, one school's different from the other and students, that's one thing I've learned and heard. They want consistency. So, thank you for putting that to paper actually for us and and advocating for that. So, I was curious because I think with

160the utilizing the news is what something that Claire mentioned would be a great tool to talk about one of the code of conducts that day and kind of sharing that and giving that educating us. We're an educating education system. How can we educate our students on the code of conduct? I mean, that's kind of what we're the experts here. We're supposed to be anyway. So, I challenge the I challenge admin for that. and really that's just all I have is just thank you and thank you for your honesty. Honesty. Thank you. Do you have something? Go ahead. The code of conduct sort of ever evolving and I was just thinking back when someone had a big they got suspended from school expelled because they the boy had long hair. Simple as that, you know, and

161or your sideburns. You had sideburns down past the middle of your ear type thing or hair just even over your ears a little bit. I mean, it was amazing how over the years it's involved as far as the dress code, but other things also. But what I was going to mention is maybe the consequences of some of the things that kids don't think about that are severe that we know are severe. I mean, for instance, we know you bring a loaded gun, you're going to get expelled. I mean, there's no doubt about that. I mean, that's going to happen. I think even a first grader knows that or kindergarten almost. You don't normally do that. might not have been the best example. Yeah. Sorry about that. But what I'm trying to say is what if

162you make a threat on social media? What if you write something on a bathroom wall? You know, I don't think they think there's any consequence to that. And maybe those kind of things we need to maybe make known a little bit better because they are taken seriously. we've had students arrested for things along those lines and they may not have meant any real ill, you know, content other than just to try to scare somebody, but you just can't do that. And I don't know how you go about publicizing those sort of severe things. You know, it's one thing about talking about you can't vape, you can't, you know, use your cell phone. All those are also important, but the real severe ones I think we need to make maybe a little more effort to get

163out there so they know and start off early. I don't know. Again, I don't know how to do that. I just comes to mind. From my experience, Mr. Persons, it's a lot of it has to do with the social media and I don't know if the kids are always aware of how how what they do even after hours on social media can can come back into school. and I just had to share when you were when you were sharing your example of of students with long hair getting expelled, very quietly Cindy leaned over to me here and said, "You don't have to worry about that." Well, I'll give you one, Mr. Persons. We need to attack the adult behavior on social media because some of the stuff people say and write, they're just not making

164making a very good they're not being good mentors for our younger younger folks. That's for sure. But the challenge of our society. Yeah. Along with that, I would say while that's where some of our troubles are starting, it's also where people are at. So, I think we can use it to push out the positive messages. And that's really what we heard the students say. And I was going to say in listening to the comments today, it goes back to our CVY training, right? We have to focus on what what we can do. So I think looking at parents and how do we remove barriers so they sign the form is going to be important. Ultimately, we can't force them to sign it. But what we can do is break down that handbook and keep it

165in front of them throughout the year through social media messages, through our parent communication systems that they might look at or the majority of our folks are going to look at. So that's what I want to look at when we go back is taking the ideas we heard today as well as the things the students suggested and really being intentional about what we can do to break it down and keep the important components in front of them throughout this school year. So that'll be part of our work that we'll take back from the we have our assignments from the student advisory group. Okay, Miss Fleming, you have another question. I'll make this really quick. I'm sorry, but I can't go without saying this because it kind of has to do with what you were just

166talking about. ladies, I cannot tell you how I don't even know you, but I'm very proud of you for being a part of your learning environment and your and your school. But I think too a conversation that maybe would help when I was a teacher, my students, if we if I had a rule and I taught upper elementary mostly, they really wanted to know the why behind the what. Why do you have that rule? So maybe when you do your social media blasts, why do we have this rule? And I know that upper grades will really grasp that. It's going to be hard for elementary, but I don't know about you. I've got a high schooler and a college kid and we have a rule. They're like, "But why?" I'm like, "Well, let me tell

167you why you shouldn't drive after midnight. This is what could happen." So I feel like if if you knew the why behind the what with some of these rules, I feel like maybe they would even buy in. Ah, that kind of makes sense. I mean, you're two smart, very intelligent lees and you're surrounded by probably very intelligent peers. So, that's just something I just needed to tag on to what what you were just saying. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Any other comments from the board? Okay. Thank you very much. Excellent session. Next, we have public comment. Attorney Dri Bruno Bruno, please address public comment. Mr. Chairman, we do not have anyone signed up for public comment. Okay, moving right along for good of the order. We'll start with Mr. Fischer. Thank you, Mr. Chair. real

168quick, just going over any committee and meeting updates. drug free coalition. Just want to remind everyone schoolboard members and staff if they haven't had a chance. Drug drug house odyssey is occurring now. It's today, tomorrow, and Thursday. So, if you have an opportunity to see one, it's a it's a really interesting experience and monumental for students. So, Outside of that, oh, okay. wanted the board, let y'all know in the board, I had an opportunity to go out to the island school in Boca Grand. So, very fantastic school. It's a charter school, student enrollment around 60 kids. So, I thought it was an interesting model. I wanted to share that. It is, whole pretty much wholly supported by the community obviously outside of the state dollars as well as most of the kids are off island

169that come on that school. very well supported, very interesting. I think it's a good model perhaps for some other schools to look at. one of the things that really just struck me is said how involved the staff were and how they were able to navigate the different grades with that. I was going to say if there's anything else off of that. So, just a really good experience. if you want to go visit, give yourself about 4 hours though I'd say just between the driving. But, it was really good model out there and I think it's it's a good example from others. So that's all I have for now. The rest will be for tonight. Thank you. Okay, Miss Jelli, I'll be short, too. it's Edison Festival time and there's the Stytastics is on February 14th.

170and sign up is still going on for applications for that and you can do that on the foundation website. Also, the junior parade is the 15th and the grand parade is the 21st. And you can sign up for that at some festival.org. And Marshall is doing well. I just wanted to pass that word along. I got to see him yesterday. And he's doing well back in the back in the office and working diligently for the foundation. And so we have all the Apple stuff coming up. And I'm sorry, but I put a cough drop in my mouth, so I can't I didn't want to chew on it. But anyways, that's it. Thank you. Okay, Mr. Jordan, I have nothing for now. Thank you, Miss Persons. I have a question for Melissa. Did Marshall still have

171his little caterpillar or did he shave it? It's gone. Good. It looked funny. I told him that. And you have more hair above your lip than you have on the rest of your whole head. I mean, that's where I just want to mention I went on the with a bus driver yesterday. We went I left at got there at 4:30 in the morning when the rest of the bus drivers show up and I should have partaked in the little I don't what do the Cubans call it? Little teeny cups of pure caffeine, I'm sure. Yeah, cappuccino or whatever. I did have coffee though, so that was good. But it was it was very interesting. The kids were extremely well behaved. elementary kids were loud. Can't help that. But they s they stayed in their seats

172and it was very impressive there. And we were on time to all three drop offs. high school in the morning and then the elementary school. We went all the way almost into Fort Meyers to pick up kids that went all the way back to Lehigh Senior. And it just shows you why we need a little more proximity zones for the high school that we passed. I think that's it's a little crazy. that were so much closer to maybe Dumbar High School and Fort Myers High School and go from there. And then I went to let me see which oh then I went to elementary school Manatee and then I went to Okamik Middle. So, it was very interesting and it turned out well. And we only had one car pass us with our lights out

173and that'll add to the 700 plus,000 we took in last month. So, it's amazing. Of course, we don't get all that, but that's that's how much the fines added up to for last month. So, it's they will learn, but it's worries me that's still going on so much, even with the publicity we gave it. That's all I have for now. I'll save the rest till later. just a quick ISO date update because, that was right after our meeting. it was a really productive meeting. Lots of great questions. Miss Cox served in that seat for the fir I think for the first time. and had an answer for every question. the you know the topic is obviously you know how are we getting this message out to the community because of the sun setting going to

174occur soon. lots of questions on when schools are built, remodeled reconstructed or any kind of maintenance is done. they really do like to know is that coming from capital or is it coming from the tax the half cent sales tax. So I don't know if staff wants to go ahead and just break that down for the next meeting because I feel like it's it's like a it's two times that's really been their kind of what they've hit on. other than that I will save the rest of my comments for later this evening. Thank you, Michelle. just to answer the Cuban coffee, it's Kotarito. That's a little one. but I'm going to share mine for for this action meeting tonight. So, I'm good. Okay. Then I'm last. I just have a couple things. I mentioned earlier

175the insurance task force, and again, this is not good news, but it's reality. the good news is we're increas in increasing our employee ranks, particularly teachers, and we're almost down to I think under under 30 now. Is that correct, Jana? Yeah. So, that's a that's great improvement. we went from an average of 10,277 folks that are getting benefits. Now, these aren't total employees. Again, these are just folks that collect benefits. Not everyone's in the benefit plan. Some have a spouse that provides benefits. Others are younger folks that don't engage the benefit plan. but going into 2026, we're up 285 folks in the plan for 10,562. The bad news is pad paid claims average average per month for 2425 was 10.3 million and right now we're averaging 12.5 million. We're up $2.2 million. So again, healthc

176care expense just continues to climb. So, we need to take a look at our health issues at home and our diet as Miss Fleming always points out, exercise, which I'm not a good example of that, but we ought to take a hard look at ourselves in that area. And under or over $250,000 in paid claims, we had 33 employees that ran healthc care bills of over under 250,000 last year. So people are getting older, people are getting injured, and we had a real serious burn, which was over a million dollars. So we continue to talk about safety in the workplace, safety at home, wearing our seat belt in our car, and on and on. We can't talk about safety enough. Okay, moving right along. next up is pay Bruno, our attorney. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

177I don't have any comments. Okay, Dr. Crawl. Thank you sir. So once again just I know we had a wide variety of topics we talked about today. Thank you to our board for focusing on the work. Thank you for your enthusiasm. Thank you for being so complimentary of our students. Again they have like I said so many things they could be doing and they chose to give us feedback which I think is a really big deal. So thank you for acknowledging that. I do have some hot off the press information or data I want to share with you. the graduation rates for the state of Florida schools have been announced and so wanted to share with you that this year our graduation rate is 89.8% 8% that is up four points. the state average is

178up 2.5 points percentage points. So we have beaten the state in terms of improvement. However, we are still behind where we should be. the state is 92.2 and again we are 89.8%. So that 4 percentage point jump is the largest we've had in four years. So, I just want to quickly and very efficiently thank our staff, our principles that are working hard, our teachers that are working diligently, our school district level staff that have been working closely with our schools. I really appreciate that work. just to give you a perspective. So we are still number nine out of 10 when it comes to graduation rates. But again if we keep closing that gap with a four-point jump. I mean that is much higher than we've had again in four years. is the second highest jump

179of the Big 10. Pulk beat us. they are still behind us. They're their graduation rates 87.7% but they had a 5.7% jump. So, we want to acknowledge when when other districts do well, but we had the second highest jump out of the top 10. So, that's really something to celebrate. Again, we're still behind the state average, but I I do want to recognize that. Also, we have a couple of schools that have done an absolutely fantastic job, and I'd just like to publicly recognize them. so we had Lehigh Senior High School had a 7.3 percentage jump jump this year. So 7.3 percentage points. That's a enormous jump. So way to go lightning out there. right behind them were increases at Dunar High School and Island Coast. They had 5 .5% jump at Dunar and a

1805.1% jump percentage points jump at Island Coast. So, that's a really big deal. And then just, you know, obviously other schools doing a great job. I do want to also give a shout out to our non-traditional schools, our schools that you know, really work with our challenging populations. you know, our center schools and folks like that. They continue to make improvements. It just doesn't show as as much of a jump. so, just acknowledging all the work that they continue to do to increase their graduation rates. while they might not be at the 89 or 90% it's important to look at the incremental growth that they are making because their population is 100% are strugglers. So, we'll get that data. This is kind of hot off the press this afternoon. I'm getting some information real time

181information. So, thank you to our staff. But we'll get that written up in a nice report for you and hopefully get a little press release out either later this afternoon or this evening so we can acknowledge the great work of our schools, our teachers, our principles, and most importantly our students who are making sure that they are studying, that they're getting their work turned in, and that they are achieving. So just a little update on that and the rest of the comments will be deferred for tonight. So thank you. Okay. Thank you. Just want to remind everybody that tonight we have a schoolboard action meeting that'll start at 6:00. At this point, having no other business come before this body and seeing no objection, the meeting is adjourned. The time is 3:35 p.m.