001Ladies and gentlemen, we are ready to begin this evening's board meeting. The school board meeting of April 13th, 2021 is now called to order. The time is 6 p.m. We would like to take this opportunity to remind the members of the public of the district mission, which is to ensure that each student achieves his or her highest personal potential and the district vision to be a world-class school system. This evening's agenda includes the moment of silence, the Pledge of Allegiance, two acknowledgements, two recognitions, public comments, consent items, which include one item under Board Office, which is good cause. Dr. Atkins, please provide an explanation for this one item. The reason for this item it's added to request of the board chair to obtain board approval approval for a retainer of a conflict council Thank you
002as presiding officer. I find there is Good cause to add this one item to the agenda five items under academic services two items under business services one item under human Reese resources 16 items under operations, which one is good cause? Dr. Atkins, please provide an explanation for this one item. This is again approval of the Navigate 360 agreement to provide safety and emergency preparedness and threat assessment services. Item is going good cause to obtain board approval prior to the start of the 2021-2022 school year and to implement the software for threat assessment. Thank you as presiding officer I find there is good cause to add this one item to the agenda One item under attorney recommendation, which is good cause miss Dupree Bruno Please provide an explanation for this one item. Thank you madam chair
003This is for the engagement retainer letter with Baker Donaldson Beerman Caldwell in Berkowitz for a very specific FEMA related matter Thank you. As President and Officer, I find there is good cause to add this one item to the agenda. And could we please have everyone silent their phones? Thank you. Four items under other business. Board members, is there a motion to adopt the agenda? I move to adopt the agenda as printed. Thank you, Ms. Fisher. I second it. By Ms. Vaughn. Please record your vote. I'm not getting a vote. Are you having problems? It went down for a second. It's coming back up. I don't know if everyone else is having that same problem. It just came up again. Did everybody's come up yet? No. Can we have a hand vote on that please while
004we're trying to figure it out? There it is. Can we please have a vote by hand then? Please. Thank you. Ms. Giovinelli? Thank you. Okay, vote 7-0. Motion carries. Ms. Vaughn will deliver the moment of silence, after which Ms. Morgan will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Ms. Vaughn, please lead us in a moment of silence. Please stand. Please stand for a moment of silence. Thank you. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please be seated. The character word for April is integrity. Integrity is choosing your thoughts and actions based on values rather than personal gain. The design you see displayed on... on the screen was created by Caitlin Chauncey,
005a 10th grade student at Estero High. Acknowledgements for the month of April, Administrative Professional Week, April 18th through 24th, 2021. Earth Day, April 22nd, 2021. Florida School Volunteer Month, April 1st through the 30th, 2021. National Autism Awareness Month, April 1st through the 30th, 2021. School Library Month, April 1st through the 30th, 2021. We have our recognitions now and we'll begin with Ms. Morgan. The Lee County Teacher of the Year program provides an opportunity to recognize instructional personnel who foster excellence in education, provide school and district leadership, and have a proven record of superior teaching as evidenced by student performance. This recognition celebrates the contributions of teachers who inspire a love of learning in students of all backgrounds and abilities. Alyssa Smith is a self-contained, social functioning, exceptional student education teacher. we call it ESE, for
006grades three through five. Ms. Smith leads the ESE exceptional student team as their grade chair at Tortuga Preserve. She developed a K-5 social functioning curriculum to ensure that all student levels were met. and teachers were on par. This was especially important during a school year within school, Lee Home Connect, and face-to-face learning during the ongoing pandemic. Mrs. Smith also works with other students throughout the school as mentor and motivator. She is fair, compassionate, consistent, and strives to help create a sense of community within the school culture. She makes every effort to be a child advocate and her beliefs and commitments to her students go above and beyond. Ms. Smith is uncompromising in her quest for quality educational opportunities for her students and the students at Tortuga Preserve Elementary. The school board and superintendent are pleased
007to recognize Ms. Alyssa Smith as Lee County School District's 2021 Teacher of the Year. Would she please come forward and congratulations. Are we going? I thought we were. Alyssa? Good evening everyone. They must have been giving something for free in the parking lot. The Lee County School Related Employee of the Year program provides an opportunity to recognize members of the district support staff who contribute to their school or department and builds positive relationships with those he or she encounters daily. Each year, the district chooses one individual whose dedication and attitude exceed the norm. The recipient of this year's award is Miss Teresa Rigdon. Give her a hand. She is the peer mediation coordinator in restorative practices at Lehigh Acres Middle School. Miss Rigdon has been with the district for four years. She now joins an
008elite group of people, the school district's best of the best support personnel. And let me read a few quotes that were submitted on behalf of Miss Rigdon. Terri, like she likes to be called, is our peer mediation coordinator in restorative practices here at Lehigh Acres Middle School. In this role, Terri has become the linchpin of student services. She has become an expert at forging relationships with students, building trust, and inspiring confidence in her abilities to listen and guide regardless of the situation. She manages contentious, impulsive situations. You must work in middle school. Okay. And grace with grace and makes our students a priority every single day. Our students, school and community benefit from her knowledge, skills and talent. Ms. Rigdon is an integral part of our plan to care for the whole child. She volunteers
009and participates in professional learning community focused on child welfare, contributing to our ability to fill gaps, academic, emotional, and physical for our students. Ms. Rigdon is a kind, loving, and patient person. Our students trust her input because they know that she genuinely has their best interest at heart. The school board and superintendent are pleased to recognize Ms. Teresa Terry Rigdon as Lee County's 2021 School Related Employee of the Year. Congratulations. Congratulations to both of you. At this time, we will take a brief recess, so those who wish to leave may do so. So those who came for recognitions, if they chose to leave and their party chooses to leave, then they would have the opportunity to do so. Okay, thank you. We'll go ahead and begin again. And I just wanted to... inform which I
010should have done in the very beginning. Miss Petrica will have to leave so she'll be here until after public comments and then she will be leaving the dais so that we when someone is not sitting there any longer you know why they're not here. At this time, the next item on the agenda is public comments. Ms. DePriest-Bruno, please address the item of public comments. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. School board policy provides the opportunity at this point in the meeting to address the board concerning any matter on this meeting's agenda or any other matter relevant to the operation of the school district. If you completed a blue card, please put it in the basket. The rules concerning public comment are posted in the back of the room. Public comment will be made from the
011central microphone in the back. Please be advised that the board does not respond during public comment to remarks made by speakers. At the end of the public comment period, the board chair, Ms. Jordan, will address concerns or the assignment of any concerns or requests to the superintendent. Board policy 1.181 is in effect and requires everyone to wear a mask when on school board property. In addition, for the benefit of others, speakers, we ask that you use the sanitization supplies which are provided near the microphone after you speak for the benefit of the next speaker. Speakers and those attending the meeting are expected. to act in a respectful manner. The purpose of public comment is to provide feedback on school district issues. Personal attacks on individuals or abusive language are prohibited. In addition, clapping, hissing, and
012booing Unreasonably loud and or offensive language, swearing, cursing, or display of temper are prohibited. Speakers who fail to follow proper decorum in the chambers will be ruled out of order. Any speaker continuing with such remarks will be required to relinquish the microphone per Board Policy 1.11. and they will be removed from the chambers. There will only be one warning. Please govern yourself accordingly. Per board policy 1.11, the time per speaker is three minutes if there's under 20, two if there's under 30, and one minute if there are 31 speakers or more. We have more than 31 speakers, so one minute. The maximum time... The maximum time allowed for public comment is one hour. You will find a countdown on the big screen in the front of the room. Once your time has elapsed, the microphone
013will automatically shut off. We encourage you to address the board as a whole versus an individual board member as they act as a collective body. I will call your names five speakers at a time. When it's the fourth person up, I will start calling names again. Please follow staff's direction when lining up. Madam Chair, we have over 60 speakers that wish to address the board this evening. Again, the maximum time is one hour. Thank you. Ms. DePriest-Bruno, will you go ahead? Ms. Morgan has... I'm sorry? Ms. Morgan? I apologize for the interruption, but I'm wondering if you ought to read your statement. No. No? It might help clarify. Oh, the statement prior. Okay. Thank you. I thought you meant the statement about the blue cards. I have a statement that I was going to share
014after public comments, but I'll go ahead and do this ahead of it. This is based on a lot of the concerns that had come in and the phone calls and the emails that we have received. And if you don't mind, I'll go ahead and just read that now then. The school district of Lee County has been made aware of misinformation being shared on social media and via some local radio outlets in relation to the District Equality Florida Best Practice and Action Step poster. The district created the poster to educate stakeholders on the current national case law trend regarding LGBTQ students in our school setting. This includes providing students with access to restrooms and locker rooms that are consistent with their gender identity. The blanket idea that the district allows boys and girls to shower together
015Share the same locker room or restroom is simply wrong. Indeed, it is a violation of the code of conduct. Sensitive issues regarding LGBTQ matters are addressed and approved on an individual case by case basis. The district works with the students and the guardians and provides gender neutral private restrooms to any students. In addition, the district does not have an LGBTQ curriculum. We followed the Florida Next Generation Sunshine Standards as mandated by the Florida Department of Education, which includes curriculum in high schools, health class that touches on human sexuality and reproduction health. reproductive health, excuse me. These lessons correspond to numerous state standards and students can opt out of this portion of health class. The district follows the Florida High School Athletic Association guidelines as it relates to gender and sports. We do our best to
016provide support to all, all students and listen to our community. The board does not have a new policy. The board will be discussing the code of conduct for the 2021-2022 school year and the poster on April 27th at 9 a.m. during a briefing meeting. Public comments will be allowed at that meeting. So I just wanted to share that with you all and thank you for allowing me to do that. And if we could then go ahead and proceed, please, with public comments. Please line up the following individuals. Danielle Weiberg, Gail Tubbs, Edward Drass, Evianna Marin, and Robert Rauper. How do I get on that list? Sir when you came in there were blue cards in the back if you completed a blue card you were on the list But again, the maximum amount of time
017is 60 minutes You're out of order we are coming This is your first warning everyone had the opportunity to fill out a card out there when we get a certain amount of cards, then we have to, and we have a certain timeframe as well. a better introduction on how you wanted things conducted when we sat here. Somebody should have pointed us to be able to get out and speak publicly with yourself. Okay, so I'm going to say this one more time. We will not tolerate individuals speaking from the audience. There is a list of individuals who are lined up to speak who have completed their cards. After the one hour, that is it. And this is the last warning. At this time, Mr. Daniel Weiberg, please. Thank you. I just want to keep it short
018and sweet. Schools who are reading, writing, arithmetic, science, everything else, sexual identity, gender, whatever it may be, takes place in an individual's home. Their parents should take care of that. Focused on was to get my kid through school, into college, and God willing, a great job and have a great life. I relinquish the rest of my time to everyone else. Thank you. There will be no clapping. Let me say this, guys. We want to get through this, and the board wants to hear everything that you have to say. So I need you to cooperate. There's a lot of people who want to speak. So please, no clapping. Let's get through this process. If the next speaker will just automatically come up and state your name, and then we'll move forward. Yes, thank you. My name
019is Kellen Tubbs. Okay, I don't want to yell. Can you hear me now? Yes, ma'am. All right. My name is Gail Tubbs, and I understand the dilemma that the school board has with the LGBTQ and that identity. Being a person that went through having a transgender. be in the bathroom with me that had more rights than I did on a job previously. I don't want our children to have to go through that. What I'd like to do is maybe recommend that they have a separate bathroom so that our children and our teenagers that are trying to make these decisions can make it without that conflict in their lives. They have enough on their plate without having to deal with this also. So thank you so much. No clapping My name is Edward after SMD. I
020Practiced in this County for 40 years. I was a family physician I have a daughter my wife and I raised her and she was educated in the Lee County schools Received a quality education Went to Wake Forest University and graduated there and is now a productive member of her community and works for that University Over my years in medical practice, I've counseled many children and young adults. I know what hurts and depresses them. When I see what the Lee County school system is doing regarding LGBTQ and transgender issues, it troubles me greatly. Our youth don't need this kind of confusing genderism in the formative years of life. Such teaching is more confusing and harmful than any cruelty that would occur to Transgenders from banning these issues from school property The school system has no business
021teaching ideologies that differ greatly. Your time is up sir. The next The next There will be no clapping please. Alright. Let me explain something. If we continue on this route, I'm gonna recommend to the chair that we take a recess. So I really need you to cooperate, because we have a lot of people who would like to speak tonight, and I know the board wants to hear what you have to say. The next five speakers will be Matt Caldwell, Christian LeBron, Rick Stevens, Mariana Church, Yapram Durvahanyan, and right now it is Evianna Marin to speak. Hello, I think a lot of people gathered today with the same opinions and the same objections to the board. So I'll keep it short and down to the business. So I think the board was elected by the community
022for the benefit of this community. I think you should listen to what community wants to tell you. The meeting on April 27th at 9 o'clock is not going to work for working parents. So I think it probably should be two meetings. 6 p.m.. So more working parents can attend and address their issues My name is Robert Roper I'm asking the board to direct the superintendent of the schools to immediately and without delay stand down and restore policies that are not discriminatory Resend the policies that the board has already adopted such as boys and girls restrooms such as boys and girls sports and safe spaces that are highly objectionable to many students teachers and staff When a parent entrusts the district with the education of their child, they're not giving consent for you to raise that
023child. They do not surrender their rights as a parent. If the schools were an airplane and the pilot was the superintendent and the students were the passengers, I would say it's time to declare an emergency and get this plane on the ground because the emotional, spiritual, and even physical health and safety of the students and faculty are at immediate risk under these current policies. Good evening, Matt Caldwell, parent of a Lee County student and spouse of a Lee County School District teacher. This policy was adopted 7-0 last June. I don't know what happened before that. I just watched the meeting in which this was adopted and incorporated into the code of conduct. So I don't want there to be any misinformation about that question. And every one of us has seen the poster, sees what
024the words say, and know what the policy is that's been adopted. And any characterization that this is somehow a distinction between policies in the manual and some kind of practices outside of it only prove the point that this district is out of control. Look around. In what way are you going to suggest that the public knew about this policy last year? These people weren't here last year to talk about this issue. They're here tonight because it's the first time they ever heard about it in their entire lives and are shocked and amazed. If this board leaves here tonight without taking an action, that is the message every one of these people is going to take back to this community, that at the first opportunity you had to take an action based upon real parental involvement,
025they were ignored. Thank you. Christian LeBron. We have two different definitions of the word integrity. Okay, you already saw it already. You can google the other one What responsibility will Lee County School Board take if a sexual assault transpired during? After this vote, right? Have you thought about the feelings that that young young person will have if there's an issue, right? Will the design of the bathroom be made or changed in order to make biological females and males feel comfortable using them alongside gender non-conforming students? Are you prepared for any and all emotional psychological traumas that will result from an event that transpires? Thank you. You can go ahead. Please state your name. Yep, from there behind in Lehigh Acres, Florida. I love my country, but I fear my government. This board is terrible. That
026this should come up. You are controlled by terrorist groups, by the NAACP, AFTIVA, Black Lives Matter, and LGBTQ. groups. You are not representing us. You represented these terrorist groups. The governor should fire you. You should resign. The governor, I hope, will get you out and appoint people that will honor the public and do the right thing. Thank you. Speakers, please line up. Reverend C.J. McGregor. Crystal Sison, Doug Coutu, Jeffrey Peterman, and Monica Harrison. Could we please restart her time so that way she, thank you. Hello, my name is Marina Church. I'm a mother of two kids and I'm here today to stand up for my kids and for other kids and parents who need the subject. I'm absolutely against bathroom sharing issues just because I can explain that because if a little girl, she will
027be confused. If the boy who thinks that's a she or girl, like she's changing identity, the little girl will be confused. And in the future, it will give to her mind that it's OK that some kind of man can be in the bathroom. The other issue can be rapes. This is a crazy big issue. It's already happening a lot in Lee County schools, as you know. And it's crazy. And we have to take care of our kids. And you put them more into danger of that. And it can increase suicidal thoughts for the kids. Because they can be raped, they can be mentally abused, sexually abused. We have to stand up for our kids. I hope we all agree with that. I'm from Soviet Union, and I know how to be a man. Mr. Derva
028Hanyan? Reverend CJ McGregor? Mr. McGregor? Reverend McGregor? How about Rick Stevens? My name was called before that. Mr. Rick Stevens, go ahead, because you're on the list. Thank you. My time has expired. Please reset the time. We will. Thank you, Mr. Stevens. My name is Rick Stevens, and I have a couple of questions for the board. Do you believe boys are real? Do you believe girls are real, or are they imaginary? You know, it used to be education was the pursuit of truth, that which is real. It seems that in these days, education has become more oriented toward protecting opinions and feelings and imaginations. Thankfully, when our students are in this kind of a situation, the legislature and the governor of Florida have provided relief. All of the parents of the students who find themselves
029in these schools where they're harassed, intimidated, threatened by these policies can find relief and help and hope through the HOPE Scholarship that the state of Florida provides. It's a simple process to apply and you can take your child to the private school of their choice. I encourage all parents to consider their options under the HOPE Scholarship in light of these developments. Hi, I'm the Reverend C.J. McGregor. I'm the minister of the All-Faith Unitarian Congregation in Fort Myers, and I arrive here tonight with two messages, one through the lens of the law and one through the lens of faith. First, I want to thank this board. You have complied with federal law that requires you to ensure protection to students and not discriminate because of their gender, their gender identity, and their sexual orientation. Just as
030you are required by law to offer a free and appropriate education, you are also required by law to meet the requirements of Title IX. And if anyone has arrived here this evening criticizing the policies put in place to meet legal requirements and want change, they should consult their legislators and not the school board. You are required to follow and interpret the law and are not responsible for writing the law. Ms. Sison? Please, no booing. No booing. Good evening, board. I come here tonight to thank you all. I really want to say thank you for passing this non-discrimination policy. Thank you for protecting the socioeconomic status of our students. Thank you for protecting the safety of our LGBTQ students and staff. I understand that what's happening right now is very difficult. I know that you are
031being inundated with things, but this is not about... about caving in to these fear and political tactics. They are politicizing our children and I'm here to say that we support you. We appreciate you. You have a lot of community support. Stay strong through this. You have all passed an incredibly wonderful, inclusive, non-discrimination policy. In fact, it is the most inclusive non-discrimination policy in the- Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me, we are monitoring the time. Mr. Katu. Thank you. I agree with about 90% of what has been said, with notable exceptions. God created us as men and women. He's the creator. When the counterculture comes against it, they're coming against God. That should be considered. There are consequences for doing that. History is a repeat of consequences. So if school boards and other people keep moving
032the way they're moving, this country's going to pay a dear price, and we are already. Thank you. The following speakers, please line up. Heather Boyle, Daryl Slack, Carl Schultz, Jason Butler, Mercedes Price-Harry. Mr. Jeffrey Peterman. I just want to encourage all parents to email the board and ask this question. What is the procedure or actions that the school district will take to identify or accommodate a student who identifies differently than the sex which they were documented at birth and wants eligibility status and accommodations? We were never told that. I never knew about this until five days ago. I think it's ridiculous that this got put up and now we have to comment about it when it's already been voted on. That's all I got to say. I encourage parents, please email that question to them
033so we can get answers on how you choose who gets to decide or who gets accommodations. Thank you. Monica Harrison. With the meeting that will be reviewing the code of conduct policies being held in the daytime where working parents are unable to attend, I would like to voice my concerns that if there is any type of information being shared with a minor regarding sexual orientation, that parents have the ability to opt into their students receiving that information after reviewing material presented. I also feel as though with the height of these issues of which the board is aware of, that they would want the participation of the parents and schedule the meeting at a more convenient time so our voices are able to be heard once we have all information available to us by the school
034board before making decisions on our behalf. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Daryl Slack. I'm here to speak tonight because of your policies with regard to students being allowed in a bathroom or allowed to compete into a sport. that does not match with their biological identity. It's dangerous and it's unfair to the overwhelming majority of students and student athletes who do identify with their biological gender. It appears that political correctness and virtue signaling are being disguised as inclusion and tolerance and common sense is being cast as hate. The fact is the rights of transgender children are important, but they are not mutually exclusive from the rights of cis children. Since children deserve to have their comfort, we made a priority as well. As I look at these seven chairs, I want to remind you
035guys that you work for us. You work for me. Four of those chairs are up for re-election in 574 days. And if you move forward with this, remember my name, Daryl Slack. I'm going to run against you, and I'm going to win. You guys remember my name too. Chair? Madam Chair? Madam Chair? I'm requesting a five-minute recess, please. Fine. Recess. Five minutes. Everybody take your seat. We're really wanting to hear what everybody has to say. We have received numerous, numerous phone calls, emails. You are here to speak, to tell us what you feel. So please give everybody the respect and let them speak on their turn. And in order for us to do that, everybody has to maintain so that way we can get through all this list. Otherwise, we're going to have to, the
036officers who are around the room are going to have to start escorting people out of the room so we can continue on with the business. We've done several warnings and we're just, we need to move on. And sir, thank you. Would you please go ahead and state your name? So Madam Chair, thank you very much. At this time, I would like Mercedes Price-Harry, Carlos Vestrepo, Michelle Butler, Andrea Pinarello, Patty French, and Walter Cooker to please line up. And our next speaker is Jason Butler. Sir, what is your name, please, sir? My name is Carl Schultz. Okay. Sorry, Carl Schultz. My apologies. Thank you. So I am a retired emergency physician, just so you know. As an opening statement, I'd say you certainly stirred up a hornet's nest here. I didn't know anything like this was
037going on in the community. In case you thought we were San Francisco, I guess you've heard differently. A note of caution. We really need to leave sexuality issues to physicians and parents. Leave teaching, the three R's, to the teachers. The first speaker, I think, said it perfectly. That's all I have to say. Hi, my name is Jason Butler. I'm here basically on this whole mask policy and the mandate and everything else. We need to get rid of it. We've talked about this over and over. Our kids hate it. We hate it. It's nothing but a walking bacterial infection waiting to happen constantly over and over. I mean... The mask basically holds back this virus like a handful of sand going, me throwing a handful of sand at a chain link fence. Some parts of the
038grain of sand are going to hit the fence, but come on, let's be honest here. It's all getting through. Everybody's over it. We're done with it. Now, as far as this whole LGBTQ and private bathrooms and this and that, hey, you want to paint a target on another student's back to be bullied? by all means give them their own bathroom and say this is the one that you're allowed to use that's going to paint the biggest target i mean from any bully standpoint and as far as i'm concerned the last i that that i checked each one of you were selected by us sir mercedes price harry Thank you Mercedes price Harry So I just wanted to say focus school board today is a distraction because the guy got on the radio and said you
039did this in the dead of night you and I know that you didn't do this in the dead of night you did this in public on YouTube and Parents like me have been trying to fight it. Where have you been? Anyhow, let's talk about the fact that the poster came out eight months ago, not last week. Let's talk about the fact that several of us have come here, just us, begging for the school board to listen to us, the two of us. Meanwhile, all of you guys and everybody else felt that we were hateful, got our fundraisers canceled, bullied us online, because no one showed up. I will go back to saying what I always say. Please, decentralize. Give power to the principals. You're never going to satisfy this group and that group. That's obvious.
040We go through this every time it becomes a hot subject on the radio, and then it goes radio silent. You're doing the best that you can, given what you hear from the people that actually show up. Decentralize our schools. Power to the principals. Thank you. My name is Carlton Streffel. I got a question for you. How can you guys regulate all these he's and she's bathrooms if you can't even contain the bullying in the school program? Get it right. To the attorney, freedom of speech. We got every right to acknowledge how we feel more. My name is Heather Boyle. I am a parent of four school-aged children, and I would like to request that you guys repeal the mask mandate. It is not beneficial for the children. It is not healthy for the children. There
041have been plenty of studies by the CDC and other people, including the roundtable with doctors and the governor of our state, who has stated that it's not healthy for children. It's just not good. the second time again speak about the overstepping safety guidelines that you put in place a year ago and continue to keep in place you are asking us to abuse our children and You know, you can still offer us parents a choice and none of what's actually occurred over the past year is about science. It's about grief. It's about making money at the expense of our health, well-being, and future. It actually concerns me that the board members don't understand what health actually is, how it's achieved or maintained. If you did, we wouldn't be covering our faces with masks or seeing what
042we've seen take place in schools. Our children are being sent to school every day as if they're walking germ and disease factories. There's absolutely no science evidence that backs up this and unmask our children. It's time. Andrea, the following speakers, Andrea Pinarello, Patty French, Walter Cooker, Christina James, Sharon McGill, Claudia Jones, Dr. Jared Longshore. Again, Andrea Pinarello, Patty French, Walter Cooker, Christina James, Sharon McGill, Claudia Jones, Dr. Jared Longshore. Please go ahead and state your name. Patty French. My concern this evening is regarding the unnecessary policies of contact tracing within the schools. These guidelines are ineffective and cause stress to kids, parents, and faculty. Athletes are the most inconvenienced due to the fact that being traced strips an individual's ability to compete for at least a week despite their hard efforts of practice. My child
043was strongly advised to switch their mode of learning to Lee-Holm Connect in order to protect their eligibility to race and avoid getting traced. This has become a struggle for them as instruction given online does not compare to the treatment given to students in person. Competing on sports teams is something that's granted to every student in the district, should not have to compromise the student's learning mode or even their ability to gain athletic scholarships in the future. A student is not properly traced and removed from school until days after exposure, completely eradicating the usefulness of this policy. Contact tracing in its entirety must be removed for the well-being of the students. Walter Cooker, Christina James, Sharon McGill, Claudia Jones. So my child will not be attending public school, but I do vote. I'm here for my
044community. I can tell that there's a lot of hurt parents and teachers who care so much about their children and attendance here today. I have some questions. Why is it the business of the school system to advocate anything other than necessary education? Why are teachers forced to teach against their beliefs? Why are parents forced to continuously explain to their children what the school is teaching them is untrue to their beliefs when the school should only be teaching factually sound subjects? How is it okay to allow emotional harm to one group in order to protect another? This leads back to the school's role education. That's it If bullying of kids who pose as LGBT or transgender is happening specifically to them, why would allowing them to use a bathroom which is enclosed by walls and doors
045and more difficult to detect issues? Thank you, ma'am. Claudia Jones, Dr. Jared Longshore. My name is Dr. Jared Longshore. I'm a 16-year citizen of Lee County. My wife and I are graduates of FGCU with degrees in education. I speak to address the LGBTQ awareness and competency briefing this board received on January 22, 2021. The PowerPoint of that briefing promoted intersectionality as a method for rectifying oppression and inequity. It also affirmed the goodness of an individual identifying and expressing a gender contrary to his or her biological sex. I request that the Lee County School Board research the soundness of intersectionality as a method for positive social change, as well as the harmful effects which arise from teaching children that they can identify and express a gender contrary to their biological sex. Upon their findings, I request
046that the School Board present their assessment of these two matters to the citizens of Lee County so they might know where the Lee County school system stands on intersectionality. gender identity and expression there is a heavens and an earth there is a land in a sea there are realities education involves coming to an accurate understanding of those realities thank you following individuals please line up please linda milligan ali locke crystal vervate dr ed guttery rich jacobs dan severson can you please step up and state your name please Sharon McGill, and I would like to thank the school board for your efforts in creating a safe zone for all children. For some children, the only safe zone that they have. The growing level of intolerance rather than acceptance and inclusivity throughout the community is staggering. Children
047mimic what they see and hear. Parents projecting their intolerance on any lifestyle they don't agree with perpetuates the problem. Stop focusing on one issue and look at the ramifications long-term of your actions. Forward and state your name. Andrea Paderello, all I have to say is I have a child in school and I refuse to have my child be in fear with anything that goes on with these bathrooms, the change of what a boy or a girl is. My children and other children in this community are being confused by everything that is going on and it's a disgrace. It's an absolute disgrace and it needs to stop. I'm Claudia Jones. I've been here a few times before. I certainly oppose these policies that evidently are being put into place. I feel the best way to alleviate
048these problems is not to renew your superintendent's contract. We need a change of leadership and I think it's time for him to go. There will be no clapping, please. Hi, my name is Linda Milligan. I've lived in Lee County since 1981. I've raised four children here and I have 10 grandchildren in your system. The decision you make here regarding the LGBTQ is important to everyone in this room. You represent us as parents. You represent the political party who helped you gain your position. Your decision matters, and it was the majority of the people who voted for you who are now looking to you to represent us as parents. What you decide will be noticed. What you decide will be told to all the moms and dads in this county. Please represent us and vote with
049your constituents. What we ask is that you allow parents to help decide when their children are old enough to discuss their sexuality. Allow parents to decide their family's value system. The few cannot decide for everyone. They can decide for themselves, but I will decide for myself. Your sign says integrity is choosing. Thank you. Next speaker, please. I'm Dr. Ed Guthrie. I've lived here since 1974. I've had three children go through the public schools, three grandchildren through the schools. I practiced pediatrics here for 40 years. I've seen thousands and thousands of children. The idea that boys and girls should mix in bathrooms, locker rooms. or in competitive sports, for the most part in sports, is ridiculous. I don't care if the American Academy of Pediatrics says it's good or if the NCAA says it's good or
050Delta Airlines or Coke. Enough, please. Thank you. Sir, continue, please. Please continue. I think that common sense has got to be followed here, and things that have been true for eons of ages about boys and girls has to be followed, and you cannot mix them together in situations such as we're talking about here. Thank you. Hello, everybody. My name is Rich Jacobs. I'm a proud Lee County resident, proud taxpayer in Lee County. a business owner in Lee County, and I voted for some of you on that board up there. I do want to remind you that the board does work for the public. I want to remind the public that this issue, this LGBT issue, is monopolizing our society right now. We have to fight it at every level, and it starts at your local
051school board. So I applaud all of you for being here tonight. Thank you for the people that... That we represent There's a lot of them that never knew this meeting was happening never knew these decisions were being made I was one of them until yesterday I decided I don't even have a kid in the school district we homeschool our kid but I'm here for our community a strong school district is vital to the value of our society Will the following individuals please line up Lara Williamson Angela Nichols, Devin Cranford, AJ Cranford, Beth Drew. Will the next speaker please state your name? Dan Severson. I was here on February 22nd when I understood that this was becoming an issue. And there were social distancing going on, so there weren't nearly the amount of people here then
052that there are now. And you can see that this is an issue that is not going away. I didn't understand that this had been voted on last year and had been passed under the guise of some normal policy. And I would encourage each one of you as members of the board to make a public statement as to what your position is on this policy so we know exactly where you stand. Our Declaration of Independence says, when a long train of usurpations and abuses pursuing invariably the same object invinces it to sign to put them under absolute despotism. It is their right, it is their duty to cast off such government and put in place new guards for their future security. And I would strongly encourage, because this will be an issue as we go forward,
053that you make yourself known as to what is your position on this thing so that we know how to vote in this next one. Thank you. Next speaker. No, is it not on? It is on. Yeah, we hear you now. Okay. So I'm Crystal Vervate, been here a number of times. I'm here to speak about what most of the other folks are speaking about. The one thing that gets me is in the Code of Conduct, Conducted States, all faculty, staff, students should feel empowered to be open about their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression at school. I have a six-year-old in first grade. No one in this room has my permission to talk about your sexual orientation with my six-year-old daughter. I don't care. Excuse me. Excuse me. We will have order in this
054room. Me as a parent, I think that's something I should have in private when the time is right, when it comes up, whether you're gay, straight. Binary, I don't know how many things there are now, but that's the discussion I want to have with my kid and The other thing that I'm kind of curious about that poster was put together for the stakeholders our parents included in the definition of stakeholders because that's my question as well because obviously none of us were notified and after going after a YouTube video after YouTube video to see where this crept in Obviously none of us can see where it came up at so we're here and that's what I have to say. Thanks Thank You next speaker My name is Allie Locke. I'm a parent of two school-age
055children, and I've been a teacher in the district for nine years. I'm coming tonight to ask you to please repeal the mask mandate. I teach a population of monolingual students. They only speak Spanish or Creole. They cannot see my mouth. They cannot hear me. They cannot learn English properly with me having a mask on, them having a mask on. It's not good for them. And if we really cared about that population, we would take them away. Second, my husband and I have homeschooled our children for the first three quarters of the school year. And due to circumstances out of our control, we have to put them back in school. And it makes me sick to my stomach to think I have to send them back in masks to people they don't know, a face they
056cannot see, kids they cannot see. How are they going to learn properly when they can't hear a teacher, when they can't learn social cues? from a kid's face so i ask you please repeal the mask mandate thank you next speaker Good evening, my name is Devin Cranford. I am the studi-body president at North Fort Myers High School, and I'm proud to be the only student to speak here tonight. I am terrified, genuinely terrified, because this is what our parents think is happening in our schools. Today, I went to government, I went to theater, and I went to my public service class, and then I went home. I was not in doctrine with any ideology. I was not beaten over the head with liberal lies. I was simply at school. All of my friends agree with
057me on this. They're still at school. There are things you might disagree with in the code of conduct, but trust me, it does not really matter in our experiences. I am passing up on my homework to be here tonight and I would like for all of you to do some homework for me. Go home and actually talk to your kids for once. Don't use them as a scapegoat because they are not here tonight and you are instead. Please let him speak! Do not do that. I am serious about this. I have friends that are crying. Okay, so here's the thing. Are we going to... I'm sorry, did you just let me stop a second? I'm sorry, did you just let me stop a second? I'm sorry, did you just let me stop a second? I'm
058sorry, did you just let me stop a second? Thank you time so folks. Can we please if there's any more out of order like that or attacking or speaking? Can you? Mr. Newland, can you please take care of that for us? We need to we need to keep this meeting going Thank you. Okay. Madam Chair, that young man who just spoke. Yes. I couldn't hear part of what he was saying because of the dissenters. Sorry, what was your name? Devin Cranford. Devin Cranford. Devin. Thank you, hon. And if you could just leave your number with somebody so we can contact you. I apologize for all of that. Can we have some silence please and some respect for the next speaker? If necessary, we will take another recess. So please cooperate so we can have everyone
059speak their truth. At this time, Mr. A.J. Cranford. Good evening. My name is AJ. I am the current president of Pride Cape Coral and a former student at the Lee County School District. I would just like to take a moment to thank you all for your jobs and thank you all for including our LGBTQ and at-risk youth by implementing some policies to help them feel more safe and more at home. Now, as the board already mentioned, they're not educating your children about sexuality or gender identity, and that is not what they're there to do. They're there to look out for the best interests of... LGBTQ youth who you may not know and you may not associate you may not understand but I implore you they have feelings and they hurt and some of these little
060things that they're doing will save their lives even if you don't understand it I have seen it firsthand and it's very evident tonight that some people may have spread some very obvious misinformation about what the school board is actually doing and use it to the political advantage. I have watched two people or one person kick off their political campaign this evening. It's insanity to me. This is about the children and the kids, not about this mess. Thank you. Will the following individuals please line up? Beth Drew, Dr. Thomas Holation, Betty Taylor, Deanne Walker. Yvonne Ritzinger. Jose Roa. Will the next speaker please identify yourself? My name is Beth Drew. I have grandchildren in the public school system. I'm a Lee County taxpayer. I'm asking this board to rescind this rule because I don't really care
061what anybody's sexual orientation is as long as it's not affecting my family. But when it starts affecting my family, then I'm going to have to stand up and say something. You know what you are. You know which bathroom to use. I knew what bathroom to use when I was three. So, you know, and my grandchildren do. My kids did. And as far as gender identity, I think that's something that the parents need to deal with and not the public. Next speaker, please. My name is Lara and I'd like to read a quote from one of the board members, Ms. Giovinelli, today on Facebook. The poster causing the debate is from Equity, Florida. This graphic can be found on page 82 of the student conduct. During the workshop on March 22nd, it was never stated that
062this graphic was adopted as part of the student code of conduct. I now realize that this verbiage, rhetoric, and graphic was added to the student code of conduct that was passed unanimously without a briefing, workshop, or meeting alerting us to the addition. Historically when any change is being made to the code of conduct the board is informed as to what the changes are and how they will affect our district. From one of your board members, it would seem that you guys did not unanimously agree on adding this to the code of conduct, but it was slipped in after the fact. And that's alarming to me as a parent who has a student in the Lee County Public School System. I want to know who slipped it in there. I want to know why we weren't
063informed. And we would like accountability as to who put that in there. Because it was very deceitful and sneaky, and it doesn't look great for you guys. It just honestly doesn't, even if you weren't aware. And that's not an excuse. You're the voice for us, for our children. This needs to be for the parents to teach their children at home. Next speaker, please. Hello, I'm Angie Nichols. I have three school-age children who I pulled out over your ridiculous and poorly thought-out mask mandate. But I'm here tonight because as a realtor, I understand how important our schools are to our local economy and housing values, and you need to be called out. The liberal agenda being pushed by this school district is going to have long-term negative effects. Gender dysmorphia is a medical issue. Sex change
064procedures are a medical issue. The district, Dr. Atkins, the school board continues to play doctor, first forcing us on how to treat our children with medical devices, and now denying us the right to know if our children are struggling with gender dysmorphia issues. If a child is suicidal, being bullied, skipping school, we're told immediately. If our children are suffering with the pain and loneliness of gender identity, we deserve, dare I say, need to know. Thank you. Next speaker. Thomas G. Hollihan. May I say to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer people that to disagree with you is not to hate you. I suggest that this school board be not bullied by a minority that seeks to change everything for a few. The left agenda always comes in as a whisper and ends as a raging
065river. I've watched it for 40 years. I believe I've raised four children, 13 grandchildren. I'm raising my grandson to this day. And I believe it is firmly the responsibility of a parent to discuss with their child sexuality. It has no place in the school. And what we will face here is castigation because we are going to be told that we are haters because we simply disagree. If this is passed, it will be passed, but there will be more coming behind it as a Trojan. Thank you. Next speaker. My name is Elizabeth Taylor, but don't get too excited. I'm the one with small rocks. And one husband for 51 years. I was born and raised in Cuba. I came to this country. I am an American. Notice, I'm not a Cuban-American. I'm an American. Cuba will
066always be in my heart. Always. My brother, I have a brother that's gay. I have a nephew that's gay that's just adopted a baby from a mother that's had four children, a drug mother that's given away four children. He's adopted one. I have compassion for the gay and lesbian community. And maybe it's because I'm 76 or what. I can't keep up with all the different demographics or how they're LGBT. I can't keep up with it. That doesn't mean I don't respect you. I feel that as a mother, as a wife, I'm not a grandmother yet. I doubt that I'm going to be. But I care about the children of this community and the future generations of community I taught English as a second language and next speaker Next speaker, please Thank you, ma'am And I'm
067so sorry even for Elizabeth Taylor. We do have a time limit We have a lot of people who want to speak. So next speaker, please Miss Taylor Miss Taylor Taylor, please Next speaker please. Okay can we if we are not having any yelling in here? My name is Yvonne Retzinger and I'm here tonight to support most of the people that are in this audience. I think that we can all agree that an effective school board is really should concern itself with developing educational criteria and their commitment to a vision of quality education is what drives the school system. If you start social engineering problems, that's where this whole discussion takes us. We should really be, your success, the school board's success, our school success is really about how the students are measured against the standards
068you set, not about bathroom policies and sexual identity. Those are social engineering problems that really should be handled outside of the school district. The school board is concerned with, and you are measured by educational standards, not social standards. And I think that all school boards, not just this one. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you. At this time, will the following individuals please line up? Brenda Clark, Nia Clark, Scott Allen, Catherine Craft, Jada Fleming. Next speaker, please begin. My name is Jose Roa. I'm a lifelong resident of Lee County born and raised here My wife and I have two kids 15 and 11 in public school at the moment I have family and friends that are part of the LGBTQ community and I've been a minister in the area for over 19 years And I'm here because
069to speak about the repeal of the policy that educates our children about the LGBTQ in school settings, the use of pronouns including access to bathrooms, locker rooms, sports that don't correspond to their biological sex. You violate parents' rights when you override the will of the parents and the majority and go with the quote-unquote woke crowd. This also applies to implementing certain literature that values one group of individuals over others. What value is it of the community of parents to you guys? You know, this was passed in the dark of night and we weren't aware of it. And that's what we're here now. Thank you, sir. Next speaker, please. Hello, my name is Deanna Walker. I'm a Lee County citizen and parent. I'm here about the mask mandate being forced on our children. One of my
070children decided to not go back to school because of the mask mandate. And the other one could not wait to go back and didn't care. But my happy, fun-spirited, social butterfly child who loves school chose to go back because she missed her teachers and friends. Her only mask break is at lunch, so she ends up using all her bathroom passes so she can breathe. My child breathes in the bathroom. She comes home with headaches almost daily, and she's been in tears when I picked her up because she had a panic attack because she couldn't catch her breath at school. She didn't want to tell anyone because she was feared she might be quarantined because COVID. The psychological effects this is having on our kids is outrageous. Thank you, ma'am. Next speaker, please. Good evening. My
071name is Scott Allen. In 2017, I sat on the construction advisory committee for its Lee County School District. What I saw was appalling. I was privy to a lot of things that was going on in the school district, including the balance sheet. I agree with 90% of what's been said in here, but I think the problem, the systemic issue here has been ignored. And that's taking care of our teachers, the people who should be caring for our kids. We trust the teachers here, and all you guys sitting in the back, men and women, are there to control the school district and govern accordingly. There's been politically, sexually, and racially charged policies being pushed through without people like us knowing in the community. In 2017... My company made an unsolicited offer to help the systemic crisis
072that was overcoming the school district, which was teacher turnover ratio, which was at an alarming rate of 20 to 25%, and it's still an issue today. That problem's been ignored by the school board and the superintendent for five years now, and the problem is not getting any better. Start with the teachers, and then that helps our kids. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Jada Lankford Fleming. I first and foremost want to thank all of you that showed up today because it means you care about the students of Lee County no matter what position you're standing on, which side of the aisle. So you took time out of your personal day and evening with your families to come here and support those kids. I also want to make a point that there are people here
073of all generations, and I appreciate you. My kids are going to appreciate you. I have looked at... while we said the Pledge of Allegiance in the moment of silence, a school board member do the sign of the cross. I have watched a mom hold her infant throughout this entire school board meeting because she cares that much. So for that, I applaud you for standing up for your belief in front of everyone. I'm a 20-year veteran school teacher who had to leave the public school system because I no longer believed in the product. I am here for my own kids and I'm here for your kids. I'm also here for the teachers who were not made aware that this was added to the code of conduct. Thank you, ma'am. So I am standing up for them
074as well. Thank you. Thank you. Will the following individuals please line up? Steven LaRue, Greg Tomczak, Winnie Harrison, Phillip Schwartz, Daniela Dye. Hi, I'm Catherine Kraft. I've been a Lee County resident since 1989. We've raised both of our children here in Lee County. First, as a side note, I want to thank every sheriff who puts his life on the line every day in this county and across this country. Thank you, officers. You give me peace of mind. Now, I'm having a hard time with all these things that I've heard tonight. I'm actually speechless right now. Beginning of time, science has been the beginning of time. Men and women have all had the same desire since the beginning of time. We've dealt with it up to this point. I don't know what kind of thing has
075changed to bring us to the point where we are now. I just want to raise my kids to be who they are. They are straight white males and they should not feel ashamed of that. Please. Thank you. Oh, and we all do vote when we are watching. Next speaker, please. Hi, my name is Brenda Clark. My daughter Nia was supposed to speak but she was a little intimidated You've heard her story before about how she's not allowed to go to school without a mask Because you will not allow her in with her asthma without a mask So I'm not going to continue to talk about that because there's a bigger issue I don't watch the news because I don't like the word misinformation. And the first thing you guys deal is a misinformation campaign. Knowing
076that you guys had the Equity Florida in the schools last year, in the classrooms with teachers. So this is not anything new. This is something you guys put in place and hid from all of the parents and the staff is what I'm hearing. So I'm disappointed in that. And it's a perfect time to put it in place when you don't allow parents in the schools. That needs to change. Parents should be in the schools. And I've had enough of that. That's all I have to say. Next speaker, please. Good evening. My name is Stephen LaRue. I'd like to preface my statement with drawing attention to the fact that we're all wearing masks. Not that I'm in favor of them, but their recommendations that are derived from science. So I'd like to present some more science
077for you. The prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is responsible for higher level thinking and personality, is not developed until the age of 25. It is unacceptable for schools to become a place that cultivate an environment that creates more identity confusion for our children. There's a fine line between gender and sex. So I struggle with the argument that transgender children should be allowed to use the bathroom in which they identify with. because once again bathrooms correlate to sex not gender and i present the example that urinals in men's bathrooms are placed according to the anatomy of the sex of male not their gender not their gender identity children should use the bathroom that corresponds to their biological sex thank you for my time next speaker please hello i'm greg tomczak i do work in this
078community as far as working with safe families which has changed due affiliations There are failing schools that you guys up here are in charge of. The amount of sexual activities that I hear of from the students that I try to help, the drug activity that's going on that I try to help with these kids, giving testimony and history, and then for new issues to be unloaded on these kids is overwhelming. I don't really understand or maybe you don't have knowledge of what is really happening under your feet of all of your decisions you are making that you are operating under deception of making new guidelines to try to appease a certain group or a loud group or whatever. The amount of fear that's thrown out there, the amount of disinformation, they want to call it,
079it's all a deception or a lie. Thank you very much, sir. Next speaker, please. Good evening. My name is Philip Schwartz. I'm a businessman who's lived here for 43 years. I see there's some good working people here. I like to see that. They're the ones that put you people in place and pay your bills. Earlier it was talked about these children are confused. I think that this policy only adds to that confusion. I've worked with children in ministry for 38 years, and there's a period of time when children are confused. It's strong leadership, parents. guiding their children that will get them through these difficulties, not giving them a bunch of choices. I have a grandson who thinks he's a brontosaurus. Are you going to put a sandbox out back for him to go to the
080bathroom out there? Let's be reasonable, people, and you folks need to be responsive. Look around. Thank you. Will the following people please line up? Corey Dye, Melissa Hatter, Jonathan Martin, Danielle Hangman, Teresa See. My name is Winnie Harrison and I am here to talk about masks again. Governor DeSantis recently had a roundtable discussion on coronavirus policy response with four medical experts from Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford. Here are some quotes. Children should not wear masks. It's developmentally inappropriate. It's not effective, in fact harmful. Mandates themselves create social division. Obvious that it's psychologically deeply damaging. There's no scientific rationale. Other school districts do not mandate masks for students in Florida. It is a travesty that Lee County continues to do so. At the last meeting, a parent was told that the mandate was up to the Department
081of Health. A phone call to them confirmed that it is not. It is up to you. I ask you to put it to a vote and free the students' faces and let them breathe. SPEAKER, PLEASE. MY NAME IS DANIELA AND I WANTED TO COME TODAY TO SAY THANK YOU TO MS. GITTENS FOR TAKING A STAND AS A PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE TODAY THAT SEE THE FRAUD AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THE DISTRICT THAT ARE MISMANAGED. IT BRINGS ME TO THE CARES ACT. THE CARES ACT IS BEING USED AS AN ACT TO GO AHEAD AND Renew a lot of these contracts they've been in place for longer than the coronavirus has existed Which means that the cares Act does not apply which also means you are using
082friends fraudulently again And I believe that we had a three million dollar lawsuit previously that we had to pay back Goes to the abuse that we have in the policy which is led by dr. Atkins, so we'd like to see him gone Collier's called Collier County's mask mandate ends today at midnight. I'd like to see our personal protective equipment Policy removed and leave it back to the choices for the parents. LGBTQ, I would like to know what accommodations are considered reasonable and what is a disproportionate plan. And if they have a 504 available, why haven't the mask 504s been passed? The next speaker. I told y'all you were going to be in trouble. Ms. Giddens, we see you. We see your pain and we see your struggle. We pray for your grace, your support, and
083to those around you all fighting to remove and replace and rewrite a new story for all children. Those who value the worth of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all of those, not just a group pushing identity politics. We support those who are called to fill their role to equip and educate our children to compete in the world today. Those that want a safe place that includes everyone. A place where there are no rules binding children and their creativity and pressing them with others' ideology. A place of discovery of knowledge, not preference. A safe place not just for a rainbow, but for all of the colors of the earth. Thank you. Hi, I'm Melissa Hatter. Well see me before I'm back tonight though, it's about something different I'm not gonna read what I
084had what I'm going to do is because I keep hearing about this being done in darkness What else is being done in darkness is the school board? Performing the superintendent's evaluation and determining whether to renew his contract or not If you're here tonight and you're angry and you're angry about how things are being done in the district Do something about it make those that we elected to perform a job do their job listen to us. You want change? Change your superintendent. Second off, he got a sit he's misspent on unapproved expenditures with the tax proceeds six million dollars between 2016 and 2019. He fires people for DUI after he himself had one and led the police on a high speed chase at 95 miles per hour in his car. Miss Hatter, we're not going to
085have personal attacks. Next speaker, please. Good evening, Jonathan Martin. Mr. Martin, could you, thank you. I'd appreciate some accommodations. You just received it. May I have five seconds added for my accommodations? Thank you. This poster mentions a number of issues. Mostly have been focused on, or most people have focused on the bathroom issue. But on the bottom right side of the poster, it reads, all faculty, staff, and students should feel empowered to be open about their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression at school. Schools are for students. I Work in the private sector. I've worked in the government sector at no time Has anybody had the opportunity to freely? Express their sexual orientation at work I don't know why the school district in Lee County thinks that it can spend its billion dollar budget
086on employees to run around and Freely be open about their sexual orientation. It's not relevant to the students you raised our taxes Fight the federal government if they're the ones giving you these laws, but don't think for a second you're not going to have a fight. Next speaker. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Okay. Hi, I'm Danielle Hagman. I'm going to start off with a list. Grimm, Misfits, Good Girls, Harry Potter, Twilight, Star Wars, Divergent, and every single X-Men movie. All of the aforementioned shows, movies, books all have a main thing in common aside from the money that we throw at them for merchandise and apparel. They're all examples of a real life scenario in which a group of individuals for whatever chosen reason that propels the storyline are ostracized, mistreated, feared, denied basic decency and
087their safety put on the back burner. We champion their cause and we tell our kids to be like the good guys but that's a pretty murky directive because Evil does not take the same form daily that it takes in the movies. So when you're looking back 20 years from now, what side of history are you going to be on is the question. Are you going to be on the side that is inclusive or are you going to be on the side, as everyone else, we've labeled evil? Next speaker, please, and final speaker for the night. Well, I think it's safe to say that this just woke a sleeping giant. I am here on behalf of two little girls that are my own, and I'm here because, like, what I tell them, I am responsible for
088their life until they can take responsibility for their own. And I am here, and I put my kids in the school system to teach them ABCs and 1-2-3s. Nothing about religion, because that's not allowed to be talked about. Nothing about sexuality, that's not allowed to be talked about. So I like to keep it that way. Thank you. Have a good night. Madam Chair, that is the end of public comments. Sir, Mr. Newland. We have 60 speakers for this evening and we are well over the hour. That is allotted for public speaking, which we are over that one hour. Excuse me, we will have decorum in the chambers. Public comment is over. You've already received a warning. Mr. Newland. Your bully. Time, Madam Chair, public comment is finished. Thank you. Guard the bathrooms, guard the bathrooms.
089I'm just going to, I just want to say, you know, we have heard everything that you have all said. We have read everything that you have sent us. We have called and spoke to the people who were called, who, when I spoke to them, they weren't, weren't I really sure who they were speaking to. They, they told me that they didn't call me, but yet I had their number on my phone. And when I asked them, why were they calling? They said they were told to call. And so I had the conversation, and I believe that that happened to some of our other members as well. But we do want to hear what you say. We do hear what you say. And that is why we will be having a meeting on the 27th. And
090we put that in. That was the time that we had available. So we put that time in there. We will take back everything that everyone here has said. Excuse me. We'll take everything back there, what you said. You know, we all have children. I have children. I have grandchildren in the school district. We do care about what is taking place with our children. And I just want to reiterate again, there is not the blanket statement about the district allowing boys and girls in the shower together. We do not do that. We will not do that. I'm sorry. You want people to respect you and you want to be able to speak. Please allow me to speak as well Sir chair, can we please take a five-minute recess? Thank you five-minute recess, please If we finish
091on 60 Starting on now start the meeting again, please Everyone, please take your seat Thank you And I just want to reiterate this one more time. If there's any outbursts, we will have you escorted out. And I'm going to read the statement one more time, just in case it was misunderstood or I just feel like I need to read it again. The School District of Lee County has been made aware of the misinformation being shared on social media and via some local radio outlets in relation to the District Equality Florida Best Practices and Action Steps poster. The district created the poster to educate stakeholders on the current national case law trend regarding LGBTQ students in the school setting. This includes providing students with access to restrooms and locker rooms that are consistent with their gender
092identity. The blanket idea that the district allows Boys and girls to shower together share the same locker room or restroom is simply wrong indeed it does Violate the code of conduct our code of conduct sensitive issues regarding the LGBTQ Matters are addressed and approved on an individual case-by-case basis The district works with students and guardians and provides gender neutral private restrooms to any students. In addition, the district does not, does not have a LGBTQ curriculum. We follow the Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards as mandated by the Florida Department of Education. which includes curriculum in high school, health classes that touches on human sexuality and reproduction health, which is mandated again by the Florida Department of Education. These lessons correspond in numerous state standards and students can opt out of this portion of health class.
093The district follows the Florida High School Athletic Association guidelines as it relates to gender and sports. We do our best to provide support to all students. That's each and every one of your children, our children, the students of Lee County, all students. The board does not have a new policy. We're not voting on a new policy. We do not have a new policy. The board will be discussing the code of conduct for the 2021 school year and the poster on April 27th. We have heard what you all have said. We've listened. As I stated before, we've received your emails. We are going to change that. And this is nice to people up here. This is the briefing to 6 p.m. so that you all are welcome to come. Are you? Okay. I asked that of
094the attorney during the break. Ms. Gittins, may I please just finish this? Thank you. Okay. Oh, I'm sorry. Monday, April 26th. I apologize. Monday, April 26th at 6 p.m. No, it's a Monday. This is Monday. We're changing. This is just about the one situation. Okay? So this is about the code of conduct, and we are moving that to an evening so that parents who do work or people who would like to come and attend or, you know, will be able to be here. So we are changing that. There will be a meeting at 6 p.m. for that meeting and that will be the only meeting. There will not be two meetings. And... May I please make a statement? I'm sorry, Ms. Gittins? Okay. During the break, I did request that change. So I just want
095it known that that was my suggestion. Thank you. And Ms. Gittins evidently has asked for that. However, I have made the decision that we will have it and it will be changed to that Monday. Thank you. Next on the, we had people that also had come and spoke about the mask and superintendent, could you please respond to that? I'll move a little. There we go. I was going to say it's on. I'm just not being picked up. So we continue to work with our health care professionals on this particular issue. Our positivity rate at this point hasn't dipped below 5.88% in the last 14 days. That's something that we certainly monitor. I think everybody in this room would love to get to a point where masks are no longer something that we feel that we
096need to do. The mass topic has been discussed. We are, as has been stated by folks out here, we're not medical professionals. So what we do is we consult with our medical professionals. So our health care partners, including pediatric groups, Colosano Children's Hospital, then the Florida Department of Health in Lee County. Those are the people that we go to to talk about. um what should the school district do because this is this is something that we we certainly felt we needed the support of people that that we could trust that do no more than what an educator would do regarding this issue so they've been wonderful in helping us we also have worked with with other groups such as our employees unions talc teachers association of lee county and spalc the support personnel associate of
097lee county continue to work with our principal leads and we've had our internal and also we had our community pandemic team meeting earlier this year. So at this point, it does appear like we will be. wearing masks until the end of the school year, but we will certainly be continuing to evaluate that over the course of the summer. And I think that we are hoping that we get to a point where we can certainly remove that. The last thing I just want to say to everybody is that despite the challenges of this pandemic, I am proud as a superintendent to be a part of a school district that has been open to face-to-face instruction this entire school year. Most communities across this nation did not open up, but our state and our local government's team
098had the courage to do what, in my opinion and the opinion of many others, is the right thing to do, and that is to offer face-to-face instruction. We tried to do that with protocols to try to keep kids safe. And I'm happy to report that we do not see the spread of this occurring in our buildings. It's typically in other locations. And I think that's a part to the hard work of our staff and our students who have been just doing phenomenal work during all of this. So I just, I think that... despite the challenges that around this issue and i know it's been a very divisive issue but i do want to say i think we as lee county citizens should be proud of the fact that our kids are in school and have
099been learning this particular school year we all hope to move away from this as as soon as we can and we will certainly keep you posted the last thing i do just want to mention is that we did have student a at least a student that came here tonight I know we're going to be talking about this again. It will continue to be in the public. But when we do have particularly students that come to speak, I think it's important for them to be able to finish their words and everybody be respectful of one another. I was bothered by the reaction, and I think there were others were as well. Remember, students have a right to speak as much as anybody else. Next time we come together, I would just ask that you respect that
100when they come forward to speak. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Atkins. The next on the agenda is the approval of the action items. Under the agenda consent. The documents, oh, I'm so sorry. Ms. Patrika is having to leave for a work-related meeting, so she will be leaving us now. Thank you, Ms. Patrika. And she will be joining us by phone, so she will be hearing the whole conversation. Madam Chair, per Board Policy 1.11, she will also be able to vote since she's going out for a work-related event. Thank you. Mr. Prebruno. I think I'm going to take just a moment, so if anybody did want to leave, we can clear there. Okay. We will go ahead and begin again. So we are on the approval of the action items. The documents for the action items
101listed under consent is made available to board members seven business days prior to the board meeting. We are expected to review all of the materials and we have an opportunity to speak with the superintendent with any questions we may have regarding the recommendations. Some of these items have also been briefed or workshopped with the board in advance of appearing on the action agenda. Board members, are there any agenda items you wish to pull for discussion under the unfinished business table items portion of the agenda? Ms. Giovinelli? I have three. Go ahead, please. 7, K9, and K10. Repeat that, please. 7, K9, and K10. K7, 9, and 10. Thank you. Mr. Chica is not here. Ms. Fisher? I have no polls this evening. Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Gittins? This is Prentice. I have no polls.
102Thank you. That was fast. Thank you. Ms. Gittins? I have K5 and K9. I sent an email earlier today. Ms. Vaughn? I have none. Thank you. Ms. Morgan? I have none. And I have none. Is there a motion to approve the agenda consent action items with the exceptions of the pulled items K-5, 7, 9, and 10? I move to accept the consent items with the exception of K-5, K-7, K-9, and K-10. Thank you. May I have a second? Thank you, Ms. Fisher. Please record your vote. Thank you, Ms. Patrika. Okay, 7-0, motion carries. We have four pulled items, and we will do them one at a time. So, Dr. Atkins, could you please read your recommendation for pulled item K-5? Yes, Madam Chair, recommended action approval to increase the previously board-approved estimated expenditure of $250,000
103by $522,800 for a total estimated annual expenditure of $772,800 with animated display systems, Inc. Thank you. Is there a motion to adopt Dr. Atkins' recommendation? Ms. Morgan? I move we approve the superintendent's recommendation to increase the previously board-approved estimated expenditure of $250,000 by 522,800 for a total estimated annual expenditure of $772,800. Thank you. May I have a second? And I'll second that. Thank you, Ms. Fisher. Okay. Discussion? And Ms. Gittins, if you will, you pulled it. Yes, I pulled this because after our discussion yesterday regarding this item, I would like to see, and actually today, Ms. Patrika brought up the fact of the sales tax signs being paid for by the architect or the companies that we're working with. But I pulled it because I feel we should, in these times of not knowing what
104our budget is going to be really, having the sales tax signs to say to people that this is your sales tax at work, I think the money would be better spent doing the work rather than paying for signs to tell them that. I feel that the other signs, the electronic signs and the rest of it that's in there is fine. The sales tax referendum was done in 2018. It's for 10 years. And, you know, if you want to do something else closer to, you know, a. nine years down the road to say this is what we've done or put a sign up temporarily and take a picture of it for posterity but i i just don't see where we need to spend the money for that and secondly i had asked some time ago too
105about we are still a majority minority 60 40 and Like I mentioned before, 40,000 of our students go home and they speak a different language. So I think if nothing else, they are as much taxpayers as everyone else and we should have at least something in Spanish to thank the Spanish taxpayers for their part of the tax bill as well. Thank you. Is there any other comments? Ms. Giovinelli? I am going to agree with Ms. Gittins on this item, mainly because school funded projects at $400,000, there's no real detail of what that actually is. I'd like to see more itemized detail of that. I think at this time we need to hold back on some signs because I think our budget is going to be very tight and we're going to need our money better
106spent elsewhere. So at this time I won't be supporting that tonight. Thank you. Miss Patrika, do you have any comments? Thank you. Are there any other comments? No, sir. No public comments. Thank you. Okay. Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm going to support it. And the reason I'm going to support it is because, you know, alternative. Sources of revenue for the sales tax signs have been brought forward. We are not obligated to spend this money. I simply want to give approval to it. It doesn't mean that it will be expended for everything in here. So that's why I'm supporting it. Thank you. Ms. Gittins? My only concern about that is that if we vote for something and then the money is spent, then it will come back and be said, well, we already voted on it.
107And that has happened before, and I'm very concerned about saying go ahead and vote on it. And if we spend it, we do, and if we don't, we don't. Ms. Fisher? Yeah, I just wanted to mention that in the list of expenditures, the school-signed projects funded with sales tax referendum amounts to $21,000. I understand that. Correct. Thank you. Are there any other comments regarding this? And it does have a list of where the money is to be divided. So if there is no other comments, I will go ahead and take a hand vote on this. Those in favor of this, please raise your hand. Aye. Those against, oppose? 5-2 motion carries. Thank you. Okay, Dr. Atkins, can you please read your recommendation for the pulled item? K-7. Yes, Madam Chair. Approval of the estimated expenditure
108of a bid for Locksmith Installation Services awarded to Big League Builders, Inc. and Integrity Builders Southwest Florida for the amount of $200,000 for the second year of the base contract period of April 13th, 2021 through December 9th, 2021 pursuant to the same terms and conditions as previously approved by the board. Thank you, Dr. Atkins. Is there a motion to adopt Dr. Atkins' recommendation for K-7? I'll move that we adopt Dr. Atkins' recommendation for K-7, approval of the estimated expenditure for Lopsmith Installation Services awarded to Big League Builders Incorporated and Integrity Builders of Southwest Florida in the amount of $200,000 for the second year of the base contract. Thank You miss Fisher could I have a second please miss Morgan thank you Okay, is there any discussion? And that was... Ms. Giovinelli? Yes, okay, so I'm
109not gonna be supporting the locksmith installation because this is additional money that we've been spending a lot of money on locksmith and honestly, the locks have happened to be repaired by our own staff and by building supervisors and I just feel like it's wasteful spending. And until we... hire somebody that is better vetted and more qualified. That's where our mistake has been is we hired vendors that did not have the background of really a long-term locksmith. So therefore, the problems have arose regarding being put in upside down. So they're just not qualified, and I'm just not going to support that this time. I feel like it's wasteful spending. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Giovinelli. Are there any other comments? Ms. Petrica, did you have any comments? No, thank you. Thank you. Are there any other
110comments? Seeing no other comments, I'm going to call for the vote. May I have a hand vote on those who are for it? Those who agree or for this. Please raise your hand. Ms. Vaughn, it's a hand vote. I'm not raising my hand. Thank you. No, thank you. Those who are against it, three to four. Motion passes. Dr. Atkins, could you please read your recommendation for a pulled item K-9? It's K-9 approval to renew the contract with walkway covers awarded to A.M. Southwest Florida, Inc., Architecture Meadows of Southwest Florida, Inc., and Coastal Contracting Florida, LLC, Marco Canvas Upholstery, LLC, for the second renewal period of May 2, 2021, through May 1, 2022, an estimated expenditure of $500,000 pursuant to the same terms and conditions as previously approved by the Board. Thank you, Dr. Atkins. May
111I have a motion to adopt? Ms. Morgan? I move we approve the superintendent's recommendation in K-9 to renew contract number C-177288LN for walkway covers. Thank you. May I have a second, please? I'll second that. Thank you. Ms. Fisher? Thank you. And... discussion and this was miss Giovinelli and miss Gittins. So miss Gittins. Okay, the reason I'm pulling this one is there is a state statute 1013 that I have mentioned before that states we are to have covers from all like portables or relocatables connecting those buildings to the main building. It is clearly in the statute and we do not have that at several schools. I think that we need to, the list does not even have some of the schools that are the most blatant and have been that way for a while. It is
112a state statute, and I can provide the line and number for that, but I think before we approve this amount again, we should revise this list. and make sure that it is accurate and up to date for all the schools in order to follow state statute. Thank you. Ms. Giovinelli? Yes, I actually would have supported this if varsity lakes had been on there. I was told yesterday that they had covers and they were done last June, but I clearly verified that is not the case. There are not covers from the building to the portables for those students, and I was told incorrectly yesterday, and I don't appreciate that. So I would support this if they're going to add varsity lakes to the list, and then I know that those kids and students have coverage so
113that... they can go back and forth to the portables otherwise i won't support it so we can add varsity lakes to the list or and i'll vote for it or we can just i won't vote for it so that's kind of where it's at for me dr atkins i know um first of all rick is up here too you know one thing we did clarify that we're talking we're not talking about uh covers to the building that was something that was stated we're talking about covers the actual portables among the portables so that's that's the distinction So I don't I don't believe you did receive misinformation. Correct. We actually do have covers all the way from the building to the portables I had a project manager go out there today to take pictures and verify
114it. Mr. Savage has a computer I can show it to you on my phone It's per the contract drawings that we issued for the canopies that were completed in December of 2020 for varsity lakes We've been on this mission since cell tax happened doing about six schools per year I'm going to tell you the schools I've had my contract to project managers go to every school property that had portables on it to evaluate canopy and the decision was made when I saw came forward and move forward on all I didn't neglect to put in the lambs facility so there's actually six schools that remain for all the portable campus I did not think of lambs as a not lambs the pace Center Right by the high tech. I didn't realize there were trailers there and
115I didn't think in my mind of that being a school. So I have to go put canopies there. But the schools that remain to be done and we will have our next capital meeting. Mr. Morrissey and her crew will direct me to move forward. Harnes Marsh Elementary School. Gateway Elementary School. Norfolk Myers Academy of the Arts. It's not a school function. It's a Boys and Girls Club trailer. But if you want me to pay to put canopies on that trailer, I certainly will. It's your call as a superintendent of the school board and taxpayers. I need canopies at Tice Elementary School. The canopies, the trailers have canopies, but they do not have a full canopy that goes back to the new building that we built in 13 proper. So that will be on the list.
116Treeline Elementary School, I have to do canopies at. And Villas Elementary School. So those are the six campuses that have to be done, including the Pace Center. All others have been done. We just completed another three, I think last month. So we've been progressively every six months doing about three or four schools. And then Mr. Rickenbacker, that will come to us, you said, in another briefing or meeting, the six. No, we'll go forward with continuing the contracts. I'm just, if you want me to do the Boys and Girls Club at North Fort Myers, just give me a heads up and I'm sure we can do that. If not, then we won't do that particular. My question, and thank you for that input, I do know there are some that, because I was there, but I
117won't even go into that. We discussed in the briefing meeting, an example was Riverdale, that one of the reasons you didn't place the covers over Riverdale is that you had in a five or ten year plan that you were going to make an addition to the school. and therefore not spending that money. I get that. I understand that. So of the schools that you mentioned, what I would like to know is how many portables are at each of those schools that still don't have covers, and what is your five-year plan to remove those? Because if it's in a very clear two- to three-year or close time frame. then of course I don't want to spend money to cover and then you're going to do something different. So that's why we need to know what is
118the process with the portable. I'm sorry, I couldn't be at yesterday's workshop, but I did watch the video of it. So I'm understanding of all the questions you had. So let me start with all the questions. Yes, there is state statute, NASREF, that says if a portable is going to be in place for more than four years, it becomes a permanent structure and you must have protection from the portable to the school. In 2008, when the budget crashed, we had no money for canopy. Several of these schools are $300,000 to $400,000 to install these canopy systems. It's a lot of money. I've done at least 20 schools in the last two years, so you can do the math and figure out what the value of that is. We do not throw that material away. So
119if we decommission a portable campus, we have what we call the bone yard at Canal Street that has all the ramps, the handrails, the stairs. The canvas we always have to redo because that just tears. But the bones and the structure are in the bone yard. And yes, we repurpose that. We take our vendors that go out to do our canopy or our trailer locates. We have them go in our bone yard, pick out all the pieces that they need. They assemble it. They put it together. And we stretch some new canvas over the top. So we do use the material, we do salvage the material, and we repurpose it over and over and over again. Secondly, so when the market crashed in 2008, we had no funding. Yes, it's a violation of state statute
120that we don't have covers, but when you have no funding, you have to decide what are your most important things. So we focused on strictly the cover that comes out of the door and goes down the stair ramps and didn't consider going from that point to the school building. We just couldn't afford it. The minute the ISOC money was brought into play to use to benefit these schools. The capital committee immediately put me on a program with new project managers to go out there and start putting those canopies in place. Now for Riverdale and Franklin Parks Elementary, Riverdale has had their portables for a very, very long time. When we do the rebuild in there about 12 months from now, hopefully we start. Those portables have to move. So if you want me to spend
121three, $400,000 to put a canopy in only to take it down, I won't throw it away, but I'll have expended that money and it goes into the boneyard. Now, I did say earlier that I understand that and I wouldn't request it. So my question is from 2018 when we got the tax to 2021. there are some schools that have had portables a very long time and I guess my question is why weren't they a priority to get them covered but I don't want to take up the time now. We had many other priorities and we've been handling about 20 schools in the last 10 years since I hired Matt Burback as a project manager who oversaw that. So again we went to many other schools that were elementary where the kids were going to get
122wet. We, the capital committee created a priority list for those areas and we attacked them immediately. And like I said, I have six schools left. I'm sure the next capital committee is next week. We'll have that and I'll be directed to put Matt on all of those and go get proposals. And Mr. Ruckmark. Thank you so much. I know you were not here. You were not able to be here the other day because I know you answered something that Ms. Vaughn had brought up to you about reusing certain things. So thank you. And I know that we were told that even though the money was 2018, we did not actually receive money until 2019, I think is what Dr. Desimore said. So I thank you for that. And Ms. Giovinelli had another question. But there
123there two there's two entrances at varsity lakes and only one has canopies. Is that correct? I've got no I've got the map I can show you on my phone and I've got pictures I sent the project manager out to get pictures He's forwarded to myself and Ken first thing this morning And I said I want to make sure from every portable all the way to the building we have coverage and he confirmed that that's in place and it it conforms to what the The map the blueprint of what our work scope was for canopies, which I also sent to Ken after your meeting yesterday, so so i will go out there personally myself if you would like that but i sent a project manager he took pictures i saw the pictures my supervisor saw the
124pictures and i think it's covered and board members i my understanding you just you've just been sent these pictures as well thank you are there any other questions mr steven ellie did you have any other questions no i know there's two entrances and one does not have coverings but i will i will go out there tomorrow to validate it okay okay Although one of the coverings on Varsity Lakes. Are there any other questions? Ms. Patrika, do you have any questions? Thank you. Now there could be and I haven't been out there but I will look tomorrow because I'll have my cup of coffee and drive out there there could be portables that they're using for Equipment or custodial that are out there that I'm not aware of. No, I'm not gonna put a canopy to
125that But I will double check just to make sure you're confident in the discussion. Thank you. Are there do we have any other questions? Okay, see you none We're going to record your vote please by hand. Those in favor, please raise your hand. May I ask when will we get the updated list if this is voted through tonight, which I know it will. I'm sorry, Ms. Gittins. When will we get the updated list of all the ones that will be done and the update of the cost? Because of the buildings that he mentioned, it's going to be an additional cost. Am I correct? Mr. Rickamock, the other six schools that you mentioned, would you please send us the list of that, of when those would, when you approximate when they will be completed? No, I
126asked the cost, not when. You said the list? The list and the cost, please. Thank you so much. That would be wonderful. And maybe you can give it to Ms. Stillweir and she can put that in one of the updates to us. Thank you, Mr. Prebruno, you have a. So is the proposal to revise, Mr. Reckenbacher, please don't leave just yet. Is the proposal to revise these schools? And there will be additional. I just want to make sure there's clarity that the board understands what they're voting on. I am asking to revise this so that we know the cost and the schools. If we add schools, it adds cost. So if right now at this point we're approving a certain amount, you add six other schools, that's an additional amount. And that's all I'm asking
127is what is the total amount? I just want to make sure I have clarity. Well, what you're getting today is you're at. getting a request to increase the previously board amount that we've reached a headline to and they're asking for additional funds to provide more canopy right that's all i'm asking is how much will it be the additional cost for the six schools we don't approve anything then all my canopy work stops everything right so right now thank you Right now, what we are voting on is what we have right here at hand. He will come back to us with whatever else. But at this moment, we are taking a vote on Dr. Atkins' recommendation, which was moved by Ms. Morgan, seconded by Ms. Fisher, and now we're taking a vote. All in favor of
128K-9, please raise your hand. With revision I I don't want to stop the process of the key of the covering so I'm gonna vote for it But can you please because I'm told and I know there's two entrances and I believe one's not covered and I believe that's the discrepancy here So I would I would feel better knowing that kids are gonna be not walking in the rain or getting lightning here's my commitment to you I'm told that there is a point of access from sidewalk to the building to the portables. If there's a second sidewalk, I may not have put a second set there. I'm only required to put high and dry one set. If there's something missing, I will put it on the list and get it done. That's not a question. But
129what I want you to understand is you're approving an increase to the existing bid so we can continue to do work. If I reach that threshold... two months from now and I still have some of those six schools I mentioned to do I'm coming back and asking you for another increase to support that cost So can I just clarify then you're saying with the amount if we approve this that you could possibly even do some of the other six schools that we didn't know about Potentially yes now will it do all of them? I can't say that right now I have to break out my calculator and pen and take all the estimates and the work that was put as backup for this and add it all together and see where we're at well and
130like Miss Giovinelli said I don't want to stop progress of covering the schools. It's necessary We have a motion on the floor. Is that correct? There's a motion on the floor. You did call for the vote, but then the question was asked by Ms. Giovinelli, and then Mr. Rickenbacker was responding to that question. Correct. And I believe that Ms. Gittins then had a question. So there is a motion on the floor. You did call for the vote, but then you allowed Miss Giovinelli to ask the question. Then you allowed Mr. Rickenbacker to answer the question. So now Miss Gittins has a question. I would allow her to get her answer and then after that move forward with the vote. And then redo it. Thank you, Miss Gittins. Thank you. What I'm saying is I don't
131want to stop the progress because the facilities here need to be done. The other six schools need to be done. That's correct. Expeditiously. So all I am saying is with the amount we are approving, can you get back to us to let us know what the additional might be in order to finish all these and the other six schools? Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you. I'm ready to vote. Thank you. And that's what I had asked you to do. And I appreciate the fact that you will be doing that for sending that out to us. My understanding is the capital committee is already on board and we're going to probably attack all of them to get them all done. And if we need another slight increase, we'll get to you as quickly as possible to get
132that approval. So we get them all done before school starts. Thank you so much. So can we please, um, those in favor of. Dr. Atkins recommendation for K-9, please signify by raising your hand. Ms. Petrica, thank you. 7-0 carries. Next, Dr. Atkins, could you please read your recommendation for pulled item K-10? Madam Chair, approval to renew the bid for the ITN for refrigeration repair services awarded to Country Cooling and Heating as the primary vendor. Johnson Controls is the secondary vendor for the second renewal period, May 2, 2021, through May 1, 2022, an estimated expenditure of $700,000. Thank you. Ms. Giovinelli, that was your poll? I have clarification and I just want this to be equitable regarding the water fountains and I feel like the plan was not thought through thoroughly. When you've got one school
133that's wanting 69 water fountains, they've got 45. and that's at Bonita Springs High School when some only have two. So my mom having a hard time for this being equitable with the water fountains. And I just feel like I stated yesterday that there was no real plan put in place to everybody to get X amount and then anybody want an additional that should be received later. We shouldn't even be talking about water fountains that were ordered in August from last year when schools started then. that's where I have the big problem. I just don't feel like this is equitable and I think there should be a better plan in place. And so that's why I pulled this item. Thank you, Mr. Vanelli. Ms. Debrie, Bruno? At this time, Madam Chair, I would recommend that you
134get a motion with regard to the recommendation and then from there we can move forward with the discussion. Thank you. May I have a motion for Dr. Atkins? Recommendation for pulled item K-10. Ms. Morgan. I move, thank you. I move that we approve the superintendent's recommendation to renew ITN number N177292LN for refrigeration repair service. Thank you. May I get a second? I'll second that. Thank you, Ms. Fisher. And now discussion. Thank you. You just said it. I've said it. I don't need to say it again. Thank you, Ms. Giovinelli. Ms. Vaughn? Yeah, I have a question for Ms. Giovinelli. You said something earlier today about, and I think you said a number, but I couldn't hear the number just a couple minutes ago, about Bonita Springs High School. They presently have 45 water fountains. 45?
135Yeah, they want 69. So there's 45 already there, yes, installed. And they're requesting 69. Of these, just to clarify, of these touchless bottle filling stations? Yes, the present contract that we're renewing, yes. Okay, so that doesn't sound like the information that we got yesterday, and I think that makes a huge difference. I'd like clarification on it before I vote. Is that, would you please clarify? It'd be my pleasure. So maintenance has sent me access to their tracking spreadsheet where they monitor all the completion statuses of all the schools, the materials they received, the installations, the progress as they go. So I checked with Ms. Cedeno right before we came up here and asked how many are in place at that particular unit. She had to reach out and verify and she listed in her spreadsheet
136that it's 36. Now it's in real time. I did ask also if I could get access for the board so that you could observe and kind of see the organization of how they're distributing this and how that work is being organized at all sites so that you could have a chance to see at all the schools exactly where they're at status wise it's pretty impressive to see how they've organized it i think it would give you some confidence to see that they are absolutely trying to be very organized in the way that they distribute this piece and it would be a nice way to monitor it other than the statistics we send each week about the completion percentages okay but i i want to understand because uh... yesterday uh... mrs given ellie and i were
137the two people that had lots of questions on this and uh... recall that of the one thousand four hundred and fourteen that were originally uh... ordered if memory serves me i think she said four hundred and two had been installed and so forth thirty six of those We're at Bonita Springs Elementary, but a lot of other schools have Yes, their first objective was to make sure that every school had to to start with then after that they started scaling up So facilities are being deployed in chunks. So they're going alphabetically No Alva has a lot of larger schools They're starting with the largest schools like Benitez B is of course the bigger schools and they're doing chunks at a time to upscale that so the next objective they're looking at to try to get all
138schools at least the largest schools to at least ten of these and they're trying to pick them in the high traffic areas again this doesn't preclude schools from utilizing water fountains with cups using sanitizer so that it's it's not exclusively to it's obviously with with very few amount of plumbers on staff they have to balance this installation with all the other work orders that they have to do relative to other plumbing work that has to occur well i'm to my comment then i'm i'm going to add that This was something I was concerned with when I saw it. After I heard information yesterday, my concern went to, I was quite upset to hear so few from August until now had been installed with over a thousand of these units sitting in a warehouse. These are
139something that we need. I think it's important, not just for the COVID, but as I said yesterday, I think it's important for us as a school district to model the green, you know, getting rid of all the plastic water bottles and so on and so forth. And also it's much more sanitary, even if it's not COVID. But I'm wondering if... it might be appropriate to, I'm not gonna support it right now. And I feel like we did not get full accurate information yesterday. So. Well, just to clarify, to increase the part of the reason this bid came in this format and they specifically called out was to increase their bandwidth so that more installation could occur aside from just in-house maintenance staff. That's part of what they're trying to do is by increasing the expenditure
140amount, that then allows them to contract with additional staff to be able to more rapidly deploy these. As they explained, there's a lot of different trades that are involved. If they have to go through the walls and repair the drywall, they have to do any modifications to facilities, various different agents. there's a lot of things in play the spreadsheet that I do have it's a Google sheets and so it allows us to be able to send access to folks and so we could give the board read access so you could see all of the sites and you could ask any follow-up questions from week to week on specific sites and kind of questioning the various numbers that you'd be perfectly fine if that's something you'd like to do miss sedan you would make that available
141it might have been nice to have it when we're asking the questions i'm sorry that sounds disrespectful but it's it's the truth um and the other thing that was disturbing to me and i believe someone made this comment yesterday um obviously there was a um a big underestimation of the cost of this because you detailed or she did the walls and the plumbing and all of these things. So now it makes me question why we did an initial order of over 1400 of these and having a thousand of them. sitting in a warehouse since April. So what is that like nine, eight, nine months? That's doing nobody any good. Would it have been a better idea to order fewer, pay for them, do the installations and then reassess? So I've kind of lost. in the
142way this whole thing was done. And I think that's a fair comment to make. I'll just go back in history. During the COVID piece or in the summertime when this was occurring, the recommendations were coming forward and folks were trying to speculate on what's the best way to keep folks safe. Our former director of maintenance, Mr. Flock, when he came forward with this recommendation, he had believed he had secured a supplier knowing that everyone's competing for the same pieces, that if we act hastily, they could procure the hardware, the materials. you need to actually do this. When asked specifically how long it would take to get this installed, I think in his belief when he estimated six to seven weeks, his thought process probably was that that's with a lot of contractor assistance. There'd be
143a lot of folks to help so that what's the fastest you could really get it done with a certain level of support. When that initial piece came to the board as far as that particular recommendation, while we were able to get the hardware. what maintenance explained yesterday during the meeting was that there weren't there wasn't help necessarily available to us when that finally that help was available and requested to the board for a significant increase to pay for that additional service work to install that hardware that we now had receipt of that was denied and so it fell on maintenance staff and maintenance staff almost exclusively with the exception of one small cooling bid to to get some additional bandwidth to do that so the the workforce situation may have changed again that was what
144they tried to explain yesterday I mean Mr. Rickmar do you have anything to add to that I confirm with everything you just said it was the right move to order them at once because the entire United States school district in every county was vying for the same materials just like masks and hand sanitizer so I think you're fortunate and to get in the volume and you needed to cover your schools and I can tell you now with what we're seeing on inflation it's probably a good thing that we do have them in a storage container because I'm seeing materials right now double And to give you a rough idea what an outside plumber, take that material, if it's $1,400 a unit, and double it to get it installed by an outside vendor. Okay, and I
145can appreciate all of that, but what I'm saying is my loss of confidence is based on what I just said. And the fact that you mentioned the former director of maintenance does not increase my confidence because he may have been. even out of the state at that time. And... I do have some good news. And it was in August when we were going back to school that month. If we were really being proactive, this would have happened in June. I do have some good news. Construction and all the new schools has already asked and use our contingency to have those water coolers installed. Okay, well, I'm done. You know, I'm going to be honest, and I'm just telling you why I don't feel confident and why there were some things that were, I believe, left
146out when Mrs. Giovinelli and I were asking yesterday for information. So that's... That's all I have to say. Thank you, Ms. Vaughn. Ms. Giovinelli? Dr. Savage, so how many, if there's 36 installed, you're saying, how many does Bonita High School want? So she said 69 yesterday and that is correct the plan is for all of the refrigerated water filling stations that have basically they have the capacity to take these install upgrades to make them bottle filling to make them basically be able to usable they have to be refrigerated so for every single refrigerated unit in the entire district that was the intention to get all of those done now to make it so that folks have access to this water well they already have access to water if they use cups and fill them in
147those pieces. This is more efficient, it's more hygienic. We don't necessarily want folks having to wash their hands to fill up a cup of water or use sanitizer to do so, but it's not as if people can't get access to any water. This is a much more efficient way to go, but it is, as we've seen with six plumbers in the district, to install these, knowing that this can take sometimes half a day to do one of them, and then if you add in any... anything that would involve anything major beyond or plumbing work that has to be done to facilitate to explain the difference in the high lows. It's pretty involved. I would certainly say that the six to seven weeks estimate that was given to us. Point of order, please, I'm sorry. Yes.
148You said all this earlier, so you're really just talking and it's getting late. Okay. So how many are they asking to have there? it's it's 68 on their on their set it's a 68 delivered stations for a total of 70 uh protect uh actual water stations and what does fort myers high school have fort myers and these are just ordered these aren't installed at this point but fort myers well how much are they requesting yeah fort myers high uh 26 stations ordered incomplete 24 needed so they have 26 uh at fort myers high okay and how many are uh east lee East Lee 11 number stations ordered Yep, 11 stations ordered for East Lee. Right. So that's inequitable. Okay, and that's my point. So I And we're gonna give somebody, we're gonna get one school
14970, that's a half, that's not even a full school. You were talking about students, but they're not even, that's underutilized school. Time out, it's based on plumbing code. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Mr. Pre, Bruno. Just a couple of things, Chair. One, the ruling needs to be made on the point of order. Two, per Robert's rules, each board member has 10 minutes and you wanna make sure that every board member has an opportunity to speak. So I just wanted to remind you of that. Thank you. Corrected plumbing code mandates how many water coolers and X number of hundreds of feet from people in their furthest travel distance So it just may happen Fort Myers is an older school They could have had a water cooler every 20 feet down the hallways in the various fingers of
150that building What they're doing here at East Lee which would be similar to your prototype So East Lee County High School should have the same quantity as Ida Baker same quantity as South Fort Myers And I don't believe they're putting one on the high and low. They're probably picking one of that double unit to have the water cooler and then probably turning the valve off on the other one if I was a betting man. So you should have Baker, East Lee County, and South Fort Myers should all have the same quantity. And I'm going to go ahead and... Call for the vote. Well, what a long moment, please because I'm okay. I just went but I even had ten minutes But I don't want to tell I'm not gonna take ten minutes But my point
151is the information that we received yesterday and today is not the same yet I believe that she was correct in her 69 water coolers that she mentioned and we were getting the exact accurate information and it was kind of backtracked and and so That is a big deal when clarification, and I mean, I'm just trying to get the understanding of who has what and how much and why are we having more? So I mean, it's a big deal. This is not a cheap thing. We've got 1,000 sitting in storage and school, we have two and a half months left of school, period. And then nobody's going to be drinking water for a while. So we just need to get our act together. That's all I care about. To clarify this bid is not just about
152water coolers. I mean that's I understand that's the part that's getting a lot of tension What it really is is on a refrigeration. This is the only refrigeration bid we have so let's say for example a walk-in freezer breaks down and we allow this this renewal bid to expire We don't have any vendor to work with to repair that walk-in freezer. We lose all that product potentially So while the cooler piece and we already bought the product and we are already installing with our own in-house staff if we don't if we if we don't approve this bid then that's a natural consequence of this piece of it so i just want to make sure that's raised because i know we're focused on that but there are other walk-in freezers walk-in coolers all of this is
153covered through that refrigeration ice makers any of those repairs these are the vendors that have that so if we don't if we deny this on the basis of what you're saying part of the reason why i want to give you that direct why what i was hearing was you really want a lot more specific information Typically 10,000 foot view, that isn't the case. If you want all the specific schools and all those breakdowns that the staff is using in order to direct and schedule their work, we're happy to give you that access. So I'm hoping that's coming through so you can have that confidence. And then we can have as many follow-up questions. We've been providing summary updates on this every week since January. So you're getting routine completion. So anytime you've had questions about
154these, we're happy to provide more answers. But this specific thing, hopefully will allow you to access it at any time. And I'm sorry. But you were provided the information as best we could as we knew it at the time. And I think that the question that, as I understood that you had was. 69 installed at that school and that simply was not the case and that's what we said yesterday. As the team said here today, you start out with two per school and then for efficiency's sake, you're gonna do it in chunks. He's providing an additional piece of information that he didn't have available to him at the time of the presentation but there was no effort at all to try to... mislead or misinform. I really take exception to that. The other thing that
155was stated again is that This was during a pandemic. There is a lot of construction that has been taking place in Lee County, and getting contractors available to do this work is extremely difficult. I said that yesterday. The other thing that he indicated, like a lot of things that we've been able to be, we're proactive, like with our technology as an example. I think what we did here, we went out and secured this equipment, and then... we're working on getting it stalled because of the lack of workforce that's out there. We're relying a lot on our staff. We have a limited number of staff members and it takes time. I think again, I'm going to stand by what I said yesterday. I think that we should be proud of the work of our maintenance department
156and our whole team, including the capital committee who does the planning to this. I mean, they take a lot of time and effort to make really good, high quality decisions. These people have a lot of expertise in their It's really easy to second guess some decisions when you're not the one involved in the decision making process. And so therefore, I really, again, I stand behind the work of staff. I think they're working as hard as they can to get this project done. And we will provide you whatever information that you want. Thank you, Dr. Atkins. And I'm sorry, Ms. Giovinelli? Yeah, I didn't get to finish. I need you, okay, it's 10 minutes total time. I didn't even get five minutes. It's total time. I understand. Ms. DePriest-Bruno? I will just say this. call for
157the vote which i will treat as a motion for a previous question at this time you need a second for that and you also need a super majority to be able to do have that vote passed so at this time i would recommend madam chair see if there is a second if there is no second the motion will die if there is a second you need a super majority vote is there a second for to call for the vote the vote on dr etkin's um recommendation I'm sorry. Is there a vote? Is there a second for me calling the vote? Let me clarify. Me call for the vote. Thank you. So there is a second for the vote to be called. Because this is a procedural issue. Roberts rules a procedure. So there was a
158call, which we will treat as a motion for the previous question. There is now a second. You require a supermajority. If that vote fails, then the discussion and the debate continues. Thank you. May I have a hand vote on who would like to call for the votes? Just to clarify, as is? No, this is just a call for the vote and then we will vote. Correct? Yes. The conversation is over and we will vote. And it's... Very confused. Who is against? I got interrupted by Dr. Atkins. Would you allow it? If you would have just ran the meeting correctly, I just had a simple question that was never answered. Thank you, Ms. Giovinelli. It is 5 to 2, so I will go ahead and call for the vote. And I did let people have the
159opportunity to, um, 10 minutes. I don't understand how you got five to zero. I don't know. I'm not sure what we're voting on at this point. Thank you. Right now we have called, we had called for the question for the question. So conversation is over. Now I will go ahead and call for the vote on Dr. Atkins recommendation again, which was. Moved by Ms. Morgan, seconded by Ms. Fisher. And so if I could please have a vote on the motion to accept Dr. Atkins' recommendation. Please raise your hand. Ms. Jordan, I'm concerned about the last vote. I'm sorry. I'm very sorry about that, but I want to make sure that it's clear. You call for the vote which is going to be treated as a motion for the previous question that requires a supermajority to
160close the debate. Yes. So how many people voted for that? That's what I need to understand. Supermajority is five. Supermajority is five. So were there five people that voted to close the debate to move to the previous? I'm sorry, five to two. Yes, ma'am. So there were five. No, no, no. That's what I wanted to clarify. Okay could we please have another super we please have another hand vote on to end the discussion. Please raise your hand. Ms. Patrika? Aye. Thank you. Those who are against it motion carries five to two. Thank you. Now we will go ahead and go back to the original motion on the item of K-10, as recommended by Dr. Atkins. So all in favor, please raise. Say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Ms. Petrica, thank you. Those against K-9? K-10. K-10,
161I apologize. K-10. K-10, I repeated. Thank you, Ms. Kittens. And the vote is 4-3. Motion carries. All the items have been, we have finished with all the items. So now Dr. Atkins to the great part that we have all been waiting for. Dr. Atkins, please introduce any administrators in attendance with a new assignment that were approved under the consent item. And again, I apologize if you've been here so long, but thank you for sharing with us today. Dr. Atkins. All right. It brings me great pleasure to make these two introductions. The first one, Ms. Karen Blaze, Easley County High School Assistant Principal, from Assistant Principal to Associate Principal. Is it Dr. Blaze? Yes. Dr. Blaze. And this also another one we're thrilled to make this announcement as well. Forrest Walker, Dunbar High, Assistant Principal, Fort
162Myers Middle, Academy of the Arts. Thank you. Congratulations. And I'm going to give you a minute. So if you want to, you can stay with us all night if you'd like. And if anybody earned it, they did. They did. Okay. Thank you. So next on the agenda is the attorney's recommendation approval of the retainer engagement letter with Baker, Dolson, Bierman, Caldwell, Berwinski, PC. Madam Chair, did you do the other good cause item? What's that? I'm just asking, did you do the other K-16 good cause item? Is that just included in the vote? I've completed all of the items. Yes, ma'am, I have. Thank you. Mr. Prebruno, will you please do your recommendation? Yes, madam chair. This is the approval of the retainer engagement letter with Baker Donaldson Behrman Caldwell and Berkowitz for a specific FEMA
163related matter Thank you. You have heard the attorneys recommendation that the board approved the retainer engagement letter with Baker Dawson Behrman Caldwell and Berkowitz Berkowitz PC For a specific FEMA-related matter at the estimate not to exceed the amount of $175,000. Is there a motion to approve? I'll move that we approve the retainer engagement letter with Baker, Donaldson, Bierman, Caldwell, and Berkowitz, PC for specific FEMA-related matter at the estimated. cost not to exceed the amount of 175,000. Thank you. May I have a second? Thank you, Ms. Morgan. Is there any discussion? Ms. Patrika? Thank you. Seeing no conversation, discussion, please cast your vote. Thank you. 7-0, motion carries. Next on the agenda is board comments and I will start with Miss Giovinelli, please. Okay. I actually have a couple things. I had sent you something for
164good of the order. I... Giovinelli, could you please speak into it? I don't know if it is working. Yeah, there you go. I sent you a good of the order. also but i have a couple i have a couple things i'm going to get to do to go to the order first um in light of dr savage's assessment of an ex-employee of the district i am making a motion for an outside investigation at no cost to the district by the oeg their fdle as per his recommendations there have been a lot of concerns and complaints over the several of several years and his and this finally needs to be addressed. I've requested an investigation into the complaint as per Dr. Savage's recommendations and also to investigate any employee that could have assisted on covering up
165any violations or crime. And this has to do with the recent assessment that Dr. Savage sent to the OIG. And I think that we need to, they're not investigating, so we need to direct them to investigate that based on Dr. Savage's assessment. And that's where I would like to say. Do I need to say the motion again? Well, we're not, yes, please. I sent you an email earlier today regarding it. I would like to motion for an outside investigation at no cost to the district by OIG or FDLE as per his recommendations. Okay, do we have a second? I second it. Thank you. Discussion? Ms. Patrika? Oh, I'm sorry, Ms. Warner. Ms. Patrika? Any notice from the board? I don't understand what she said. She said what? Ms. Patrika, did you say what are the
166motion items during the action meeting? What is the protocol for a motion at our action meeting? Is that correct, what I just said? Yes. Thank you. Well, if we follow Robert's rules of order and a board member is able to formulate a motion, you should notify the board members prior to the motion so that they are aware of the motion that is going to be submitted. Ms. Patrika, did you hear that? Afternoon. And I have not had sufficient time to vet the quality or the information associated with what's requested. So I would ask that Ms. Giovinelli bring this back when I've had time to properly vet the situation. Thank you. Ms. Giovinelli? Dr. Savage's assessment was probably about two weeks ago, no over a week ago. So I'm sure I know Ms. Patrika's read the
167whole thing, and it was his recommendation. That's where I took it from was his own recommendation. So I think everybody is aware of his recommendation. So there's been plenty of time. I'm surprised I'm the only one that's actually bringing this up, actually. Thank you, miss Morgan. Well, no, I was going to ask the same question that miss Patrika asked but I'm sorry, dr. Savage. What was your I know I read it, but please refresh my mind about what this your final recommendations uh thank you good evening i'm happy to clarify uh i believe it's actually being taken out of context so uh as a part of an oig response which we did respond to so we received an oig notice i helped prepare a written response complete with numerous artifacts and evidentiary samples all compiled
168to address four specific oig questions that were not oig questions but rather questions that had been issued from a complainant that in due process to kind of respond to those pieces they gave us every opportunity within 30 days to compile information that speaks to this and then they in turn after they receive that response they evaluate what we've provided as part of evidence what's being brought up today and quoted in the email that i received this evening is specifically a quote lifted from an internal memoranda that was not it was a big artifact as an artifact within a larger response it wasn't so in that particular piece the specific piece being referred to was a referral for our own internal professional standards as a normal employee measure doesn't necessarily i would say in some ways
169it mischaracterizes what the conclusions of the analysis was which are represented very early in the oig response which clearly outlines what the conclusions were and then provides substantial artifacts to why you reach that conclusion as well as legal analysis to kind of uh parse those pieces out so i hope that clarifies the the piece thank you very much i appreciate it thank you uh miss vaughn Okay, I support what Mrs. Giovinelli said because when I read that whole piece, I thought that there was good cause to do a further, deeper dive. That said... I do not want to see this issue die. So I would like, I think I'm doing this right, to move that we postpone this vote till the next action meeting to table it till the next action meeting. and bring it
170back then, which will give everybody a chance to reread because probably most of us. had a chance to read that, but to reread it and refresh our minds. And again, I'm doing, asking for that because I think this is a very legitimate concern and we need a deeper dive, especially with some of the things we've brought up about a dearth of... leadership and a hole in the maintenance department that I believe has existed for a really long time and I would like to see us examine this. Thank you. Any other? I'm sorry, Dr. Atkins? I just have a question of Attorney Dupree-Bruno. My understanding all this was... part of the response that was sent to the OIG and at this point I don't recall receiving a response back from the OIG. So to me, if
171that's the case, then this is something that they would be looking at and considering and that would be an external. So you you I was just about to say something very similar So there's a couple of things the first thing is we don't have a response yet to the information that was provided So we don't know the status of what that investigation is right now from the OIG All of the materials and the artifacts that were provided to them they have so I think they need to have an opportunity to review that the second thing We can't really direct the oig to conduct an investigation we can provide them information which has been provided but we have no power to really direct them to do that and then the third thing i would say with
172regards to ms vaughn's motion it's a motion to table miss giovinelli's motion that will require a second i'll second it and i'll wait we do we have everybody at the table and i'm confident that the oig is going to kick it back Based on that was the response and it'll be over with and I think that we have a duty to make sure that Especially after the recommendation and I didn't take it out of context text. I'd read it to you But in lieu of time right now we can discuss this and that's why I'll be glad to table it When we're all here at the table So I'll second. I would like to make a recommendation to the board that we wait, we table this discussion until such time as we have some clarity
173from the OIG in terms of what they're going to do, if they need any information, if they do kick it back to the district, and then at that point the board can decide how it wants to proceed. Okay. So may I have, I'm sorry. I'm going to rescind that motion then that I just made and go with the Attorney Dupree-Bruno's recommendation, which is to come back to this matter when we see the OIG response. But I don't want... just as an editorial comment, I don't want to see this drop. I think this is something that we need to look at carefully as a board. Okay, so we still need a second now. Well, she's withdrawn her motion to table. And Ms. Giovinelli's motion is now on the floor. And I believe there was a... I
174made a new motion. Yes, but you've withdrawn. Your motion was to table. Ms. Giovinelli's motion. You're withdrawing that motion. But I withdrew it. She just withdrew her motion. I withdrew my motion. I withdrew the table and made a new motion to go with what you said to wait. until we get the the OIG response to what was recently sent to them. So let me let me try to make this a little bit cleaner. Ms. Giovinelli, would you agree to withdraw your motion and go forward with Ms. Vaughn's motion? I'm just going to read verbatim now, verbatim what he said, verbatim. As per Dr. Sedgwick's direct statements, it is unclear whether to fully attribute his lack of professional responsiveness to some of these extenuating circumstances as a result. I recommend referring this matter out to our...
175PS department to determine whether a criminal complaint is justified for the formal employee. It is my, the former, excuse me, employee. It is my recommendation that the summary and all related evidence be reviewed, analyzed, and reconciled against all pertinent statutory duties and laws. The potential collection of additional evidence may be needed in order to respond, to be responsive to any legal or fiduciary requirements pertaining to the former employee. So. I say this is very important. I'm having a hard time postponing it because we have several investigations going on and this needs to fall under that as well. But we are a board and a team and if this is the will of the board at the moment, then I will do that. So you would withdraw your motion and so at this point Ms. Vaughn's
176motion is pending to just basically wait until we have some more information from the OIG and then the board can make a determination on how to move forward. Correct. So do we have a second on Ms. Vaughn's? Ms. Patrika? Why do we need a motion to take no action? We don't necessarily need a motion to take no action, but I think that for the record, Ms. Vaughn wanted to make sure that the board was going to agree that at some point this would come back. She does not want it to fall by the wayside. So she wanted some type of commitment from the board. And you're exactly right, Ms. DeBrie-Bruno, in that, because in effect it is an action that I want to see us take, but I'm going with your recommendation that makes sense.
177Let's see what they come back with, but I don't want this to die. Okay, thank you. So do I have a second on Ms. Vaughn's motion? I'll second. Thank you. Second by Ms. Gittins. And can I please have a show of hands who is in favor of the motion? Ms. Petrica? Do we have an option? Oh, I am so sorry. Yes, I apologize. I'm looking up to the heavens to you. Go ahead. May I proceed? Yes, please. I don't think that a motion is necessary here. When we hear back from the OIG, any one of us can make a motion to take actual action now. time so i'll be the first to do that if the oig comes back with information that's concerning to me i just don't understand really what we're doing here and
178so i can't support it thank you thank you is there any other discussion miss morgan i just agree with patricka i think we need to wait for the oig report to come back and then the board has to make a decision about how they want to proceed okay is there any other discussion My understanding is, in listening to Attorney Dupree-Bruno, that that's what this motion is saying. And it is more in good faith than anything else to have it. as a motion that we will do this in the future as opposed to just letting it hang out in the air and say if it does we'll bring it back. So all I think they're asking for is confirmation at this point at this time that we will revisit it when we hear from OIG. Thank
179you. Is there any other conversation, discussion? CNN, I'm going to go ahead and close it and we will take the vote. All in favor of Ms. Vaughn's motion, please raise your hand. Ms. Giovinelli? Ms. Giovinelli? I am not going to vote. I'm not going to table it. I'm going to put my motion back on the table then. I'm not going to do it. So we can turn it down. That's what we'll do. I'm going to, no, I'm not going to vote for it. But we only have one motion on the floor at this time, and that's the motion that we're voting. No, I'm going to bring my motion back up. Well, depending on how this vote goes. Okay. So I'll oppose of Ms. Vaughn's motion. Ms. Petrica, you said yes. And Ms. Giovinelli? I'm opposed.
180You're opposed to it? Okay. So it is five to two. Motion. This fails. Now, Ms. Giovinelli? Yeah, so my motion, again, I motion for an outside investigation at no cost to the district to direct the OIG or the FDLE as per Dr. Savage's recommendations, which I read earlier. If you want me to go read them again, I will do that. You can't participate in these discussions, sir. I'm sorry. No, you can't speak. Thank you. I recommend referring this matter to the professional standards department to determine whether a criminal complaint is justified for the formal former employee. It is my recommendation that this summary and all related evidence be reviewed, analyzed, reconciled against all pertinent statutory duties in law. The potential collection of the additional evidence may be needed in order to be responsive to any
181legal or fiduciary requirements pertaining to the now former employee. This is a former employee. This is information that was sent to the OIG, but as a response. from another party of the district. So this was his recommendation to the response to the OIG. So this is very different because it's not offering the OIG or it's just, it's not even answering, it's just information. It's not answering the actual OIG and the response that was needed. In fact, this is what's needed to happen. Ms. Giovinelli, what is your motion? My motion is to investigate the former employee of the maintenance department. So one the district can't investigate a former employee. So that's the first thing Second the district can't instruct a state agency or federal agency and direct them to investigate you can provide information to them
182and see if they're going to investigate but we can't direct them to do that and Right now there is an open. I mean, we don't know the status of this investigation I just we oh you do you do I cuz I don't know what the status So I don't know the status. And we sit back to us to investigate and then we won't do it like every other investigation that doesn't happen, that should happen. So at this point, Board, I don't have any additional information on this matter. So if there is something that has happened with the OIG, I need an opportunity to be able to talk to them and find out what the status is. I mean, we can request the FDLE to look into this. Okay, Ms. Givinelli, could you please state your
183motion? So if you have a motion, could you please state it so that we have the capability of voting on it? If there is a second. I am making a motion for an outside investigation to the FDLE or the OIG at no cost to the district per the recommendations that Dr. Savage in his response. Do we have a second? I'll second it. Seconded by Ms. Vaughn. Now there's discussion. I personally, I'm sorry, Ms. Gittins. No, go ahead. I've been crazy busy today trying to read everyone else's emails. I did not have an opportunity to read what you're doing and to research it, so I would definitely appreciate having that time to do that because I cannot vote on something that I have not read. Ms. Gittins? My question is just for clarity, and this is
184probably to the Attorney Brunner. So there was a letter of request sent to OIG originally, is that correct? Okay, number one. Number two, it was sent back and they said they were giving it back to us as... Normally what they do they either take it or they send it back and say if you want to do further Then you can do further have we received that letter and we've responded to it in our hands to do something about and it's been Responded to now what we don't have is anything closing it out So I don't know what the status is because I don't know what they have Determined we don't know we just know that they have the information the request went to Tallahassee They gave us a response, and now it's in our hands.
185Is that correct? We've responded. So we responded back. Now we don't know what they're doing with it. What's their next step? We don't know. So basically it's up to them to tell us something next. Yes. Okay. Well, I'm... I understand and I can empathize with what Ms. Giovinelli is saying, that we just don't let it pass or go away. But I think we're kind of hands tied right now to wait to hear what OIG is going to tell us. If we submitted it to them, they gave us an answer, we responded. I don't understand how we cannot wait for their response to us. Thank you. Are there any other comments or discussion? I concur that we need to wait for the results from the OIG. Thank you, Ms. Fisher. Are there any other discussion? See
186you. Further discussion I will then call for the vote. Please clarify the vote. Okay, we are voting on Ms. Giovinelli's motion to investigate and to have OIG or Ms. Giovinelli? Ms. Giovinelli? Could you please clarify what the vote will be on, please? I motion for an outside investigation at no cost to the district by the OIG or by the FDLE as per Dr. Savage's recommendations. Thank you. That is what we will be voting on. So all in favor of Ms. Giovinelli's motion, please. I'm sorry, and I hate to, if we cannot direct OIG. I know, that's why we're taking a vote. Yes, but it's kind of a moot point if the attorney is saying we cannot direct OIG. There's still a motion on the floor. Ms. Giovinelli, granted, I have made my recommendation. Ms. Giovinelli
187wants to move forward with her motion. She's entitled to move forward with her motion and get a vote. All right, so I'm taking the vote based on that. So all in favor of Ms. Giovinelli's motion, please raise your hand. All those, I mean, yeah. Mean I are you for it or you're not I'm in the investigation. However, we can't do that We've explained that yes, we do not have the power to Direct the OIG or the FDLE to do anything second this Investigation is now in their hands and they will decide what they want to do next that has been explained Miss Giovinelli will like to have a vote on her motion and she's entitled to have a vote on her motion. You're saying we don't have the power, but we do. We can direct.
188We can request the FDLE to look into something. You can always the OAG. That's not true You can always request somebody to look into something doesn't mean they're going because your motion is to conduct an investigation They may decide not to conduct the investigation But but again there is something that is pending and my recommendation is to wait to see what happens with the thing that is pending now if you want to move forward with the vote we can move forward with the vote, but I would suggest that we go ahead. Ms. Giovinelli has a motion on the floor. And at this time, I am taking who is in favor of Ms. Giovinelli's motion. Please raise your hand. Ms. Giovinelli. Who is opposed to Ms. Giovinelli's motion? Opposed. Thank you. Motion fails. Thank you, Ms.
189Giovinelli. Do you have anything else too? I do. Thank you. I just want to thank everybody that came out tonight and spoke. I would have liked everyone to have been able to speak. I think the 27th can't come soon enough. I think that we will address these issues head on instead of the way they've been since June. I mean, the first time that I knew of that poster was in October. the very first time. So I'm not gonna make excuses for me, but I am just gonna clearly state that, make that statement. I think it's important that I've spoken to many parents, looked at the Code of Conduct, they weren't aware of that poster as well. I find it interesting that all of a sudden everybody knows about the poster. In June, if they had
190seen that poster, I can assure you that people would have been here sooner than March or April, whatever month we're in, excuse me, April 13th. So I apologize to the community for not knowing about that poster until October. That's when I first became aware of it. And even at that point, no one said that we had voted on it in June. No one at this table said that. So I think that we can do better and we should do better and we will do better in getting this information out to the community prior to. I think that we need to re-look at that poster and pull out what's important. All kids need to be safe. Everyone needs to be safe in schools. And that's the priority for me. And when someone's not safe, they're not
191learning. So it's vital that we make a difference and do what's right. the word of the day was integrity. That is for us to actually show that. And this last, this poster does not give us very, we have not, our integrity went out the window with that poster. So, but I want everybody to feel safe and all students need to be safe. And that's going to be my goal on the 27th. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Trivenale. Ms. Patrika? Thank you. that's read at the beginning of each meeting where either the chair or the superintendent will respond to public comments. So I will not respond to the public comment that was made tonight because I am neither the chair nor the superintendent. But I do look forward to a very rigorous discussion surrounding this issue
192on April 26 now. And as you're all aware, I did give my board report this afternoon. So those are my comments for this evening's meeting. Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Morgan? Okay, yeah, I also would like to thank members of the public for coming to express their point of view and concern in some cases about the code of conduct. I am going again to say to fellow board members that the board chair reads a statement at the beginning of the meeting saying that all members are expected to read all materials presented for board vote. The code of conduct. is presented for board vote. It was voted on. We have a pre-briefing on the code of conduct. We have a briefing. We have public comment on it. We did in June. You cannot say I didn't
193know. Either you didn't do your job or, well, what can I say? Okay, so moving on. I'm gonna start off with a negative. I apologize, but I gotta do this. I respectfully ask Ms. Gittins, in the interest of transparency, to share her letter to the governor, the one alleging waste, fraud, and abuse by this governance team. We in the public are entitled to learn its contents. It's been out there for two weeks. We haven't seen it. We don't know what the contents are. I don't want her response at this moment. I have other comments to make. So positive things. For members of the public who are interested in how the district is using creative ways to introduce innovation in school development, facilities and curriculum, I suggest you view the briefing this afternoon. on Veterans Park
194Academy for the Arts and on the Franklin Park Community School concept. I think both were very exciting examples of the kind of thinking that focus on the strategic plan, having a strong leadership team in all different areas of our organization makes for exciting opportunities to increase children's opportunities to learn and grow. I also want for any member of the public who's still watching, I do want to mention that early childhood summer BPK is offered for current enrollees. 730 to 540. That's a long day for kids to be in pre-k. That is an option that parents have this summer who have kids already in VPK and who will be five by September 1st. Sales tax report. I am excited by the first report on the sales tax spending and I encourage everyone to go to the
195sales tax dashboard. I won't go into the details, but there's plenty of information there for the public on what's been spent on maintenance, safety and security, technology, construction to date. I also want to comment on my visits to schools. First of all, it was great to be back in schools. It is so great to be back in schools. People... I say to everyone, I know it has been a challenging year and I know we have asked a lot of you. We know how hard you work and they come back with, we're here for the kids, we love the kids, we are so excited to be in school. We really wanna be here, this is our life. And so the spirit in every school, I mean, yes, there are people who say, yeah, it's been a
196challenge, but they also say, but I wouldn't be anywhere else. They are extremely grateful for the work of the central office in providing all kinds of resources and supports for them during the face-to-face Lee Home Connect. They're just. They're so grateful for the support they felt in getting the job done. And that's what gave them the confidence to keep plugging away at this. They are grateful for the early access to the vaccine. People spoke to me about that. It made them feel more comfortable in the schools. And they were really grateful that staff went to bat for them with Lee Health. They're grateful for the school culture and teamwork that's lifting them all. They get grateful for transportation. Every school I went to said, transportation is great. And I said, no, wait a minute. We
197keep talking about how short we are on staff and they're saying, no, no, transportation has been great. And then at the last school I went to, a couple of teachers commented on Dr. Atkins' message and the business gifts through the foundation that have been made available to members of staff. So just all in all, it is great to be back in schools. It is great to see that. A year of this, people are still positive. They're still engaged and motivated. So that's my comment there. Just quickly, state science and engineering fair results. 15 of 19 finalists received place awards. Three students won first place category awards. Two at Lawrence Dunbar Middle. We know where that science program got a big lift. and one at Trafalgar Middle, all middle schools. I think that's awesome. And my
198last comment is, I'm gonna put it out there. It is bittersweet for me to share that Dominic D'Mele's last day will be April 9th, or was April 9th. We have lost another valuable employee who is choosing employment where technical expertise and job competence is valued. The question for you is, is this board creating a hostile work environment for employees and should we be surveying staff? And that is my question for you. And those are my comments. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Morgan. Ms. Vaughn, please. Well, I too am very happy to be back in the schools because as all of you know, That is my 38 year career. And even though, well, very definitely with what the teachers have had to rise to the challenges this year, especially in the high schools, which I taught.
199I don't know that I would have the stamina at my advanced age, but at any rate, I think when you compare the, especially the elementary schools to the high school, but that it's the high school because of the nature of the coursework where I have seen a lot of burnout from very competent teachers and that really really saddens me. The good news on that is teachers that have been teaching for 10, 15, 20 years or more at that point. It is a calling and it is something that they want to do. And even when they go home and they're bone tired and just kind of sink into a chair, they still do it. So I just... Love our teachers. They've worked so hard. I went out to Lexington Middle School, had a great visit there,
200did a tour. They are, and I love this. I wish we had more schools that were, it's an international baccalaureate world school where the whole school uses the concepts of. of IB and I really wish that we had more middle schools that were using the techniques of our advanced classes that we have in our high schools. But it was a great visit. I went out to San Carlos Park and That is a Title I school, it's also a center for the arts. When I first went in the school and Ms. Principal Kurtz started taking me around, she had said it's an older school and I said, Was this school built in the 70s? And yeah, because those were the days of the movable walls and a lot more open concept, but they have really done
201a great job for security purposes of being able to lock off certain portions of the building. And I was particularly interested. and seeing the um what what they were doing in their with the arts and um I think many of us here at this table, we're such advocates for the arts and I always like to see STEAM as opposed to just STEM. So that was another great visit. Went also to the school that I consider my home school, which is Astero High School. I was invited to a GSA. meeting and that is a diversity group and I was extremely impressed with the kids there. The club is student directed. It started with a young lady in the club actually doing a PowerPoint presentation. And apparently they do that all the time. They student direct it.
202They come up with information that they feel would be beneficial to the rest of the members. And then they do a circle. And I don't remember exactly how they call what they called it, but I'm going to call it a circle of care. And again, it was diverse students, members of the LGBTQ. community, but a diversity among or supporter of the community. And they're an example to what all of us, I'm including myself, and I'm also including the people that come here, all of us, they're an example to all of us because they are so gracious to each other. They're so accepting and concerned and they listen to each other. And I just thought, wow, what a super group of kids. And whenever I have. I'll have to go out to a school, maybe not
203tomorrow, but the next day, because that always just gives me, when I'm feeling a little challenged by some of the issues that we have here on the board, it's like a miraculous shot in the arm and it just really lifts my spirit to go see them. So that's all I'm gonna contribute. Thank you for sharing that. Ms. Gittins? I love this part of the meeting because it is the only time that I'm not cut off by someone. So I just wanted to put that out there. I need you all to know I'm just as much an elected official as the rest of you. I cannot be sanctioned or shut up or... You know told what to do any more than any of the rest of you can Except by the governor and the Attorney General
204I Said before that I was not sharing anything. It is an official case. I have case numbers if you care to Ask the governor or the OIG or anyone else that has it at this point. I am NOT at liberty to discuss it Don't think that technology, I know technology, so I'm pretty sure that you understand and know what it says. But when you talk about a hostile work environment, I'm your poster child. The disrespect, the condescending behaviors, even to the point of going to a school and a principal will not even come out to speak to me. Okay, because they choose not to. And I was told, well, when I finish with my rounds, I will come out. Don't worry, I'm not naming names. When staff is told, if you're going into a meeting
205with her, make sure you control the conversation. Yes, I do hear all of it. When I keep track of how many times I'm cut off, and so does the public. And I'm constantly getting messages and said, why do they keep cutting you off? I'm cut off and the next person is allowed to speak for 15 minutes off topic. And being a godly person, I have gone to the individuals and said, why is this happening? What do we need to do to fix it? And nothing happens. Regarding my letter to the governor. I and and Miss Jordan you said on the news in rebuttal to what I did that there was no meeting because you had no idea what we were going to talk about and that is not true. So let me say for the
206record I came to you. I also went to the superintendent on more than one occasion and I asked I begged Can we please have a special meeting to sit down and discuss issues? Well, what issues? And I said, Rome is burning around you. There are investigations on top of investigations, people leaving, all these types of things. You know that there are issues. And at first I was told, no, we can't do it. Then that changed and a meeting was set. And I have it on my phone where after that it was canceled. So your statement that you did not meet was because you didn't know what I wanted is incorrect. There are no surprises in the letter that I sent. I've sat here for two and a half going on three years. And the same
207things that I've talked to you about, I talked to him about. I said, please let's sit down and discuss it. And I said, or I will go public. And you know that that is true. I said it to you. I said it to the attorney. I said it to the superintendent. And I asked, like I said, on several occasions. And I was told no. And I said, okay, then I'm going to go public. And that is exactly what I did. The information I put out about portables, anybody that has watched any meeting from November of 2018 when I first sat here, I have talked about it. And you all know that I have because you have reprimanded me many times about ad nauseum and how many times am I going to ask the same thing
208over and over again. Well, hopefully the pictures that were out there showed why I keep asking. And as recently as yesterday, the superintendent said, well, it's easy to sit there and criticize when you don't know all the details. Then tell us the details. Answer the questions. There's all types of reports that used to come out that we don't get anymore. I asked for a report about the portables, and we get a list of... dates and portable numbers and school code by code and I had to go and look up the codes to figure out which schools were which. I just don't think that that's transparent. This afternoon when we had the briefing And I really felt some kind of way to sit there and listen to people talk about the projects in their area that
209they're working with district staff on. And to sit there and listen to them talk about the projects in five minutes from my house, ten minutes from my house, and I am the elected representative. But, you know, you said you spoke to community members and parents, and they're all excited. Did it ever occur to you that if you included me that perhaps I could get on the bandwagon and help you? I think not. I think that basically what you all thought is if you include her, she's just going to put a damper on. You never asked me. You never included me. A school went up except for the walls 10 minutes from my house, and I knew nothing about it. And you're going to say it was on the agenda. You already voted for it. That's
210fine. How was I included? I'm not campaigning right now, folks. Next year is an election, but I'm not campaigning yet, if I do at all, because the way I feel today, I really just want to get my personal walkout and say, you all have it. Don't worry. Do what you're going to do. I have not decided that yet, even though some of my colleagues are very actively recruiting people to run against me. And that's fine. That's fine. When you talk about the letter that the chair read, when I was chair, if I had stood up here and read a letter that the rest of you hadn't seen, oh, I would have had hell to pay for it. We received that letter that you read after 5 o'clock today. So I'm just saying. The reports and
211the things that I talked about with the statutes and the portables are things that didn't just start. They've been going on five, six, seven, eight, nine years. Mr. Spichter said in his rebuttal to me that there was no danger to children. That's up to you. Just look at the pictures. I'm about done. I've said everything. I'm not hiding anything. There's nothing hidden in the letter to the governor. There was nothing hidden in my report to the news. I have a right and an ability to speak to the public whenever I choose to do so. And the threats of telling me I must do something are falling on deaf ears. I have begged and begged and begged for certain things to be done. I have asked for reports. I have asked for meetings. I have asked
212for whatever. And it seems as though it's, well, if you just leave it, she'll forget. Because I have a litany of things that in two and a half years I've asked for that I have not received. And finally, I think it was the last meeting. I continue to have to have these talks, and I really don't like to. I like to talk about the happy things and going to schools like everybody else. I did, and I talked about those this afternoon. But I keep telling you, until you see things through someone else's eyes, nothing will change. And hopefully... One day you'll see things through the eyes of our children and what they see and what they learn. I just, if you want to, and those of you that are thinking about running for school board,
213talk to me first. Make sure you talk to me first because I will give you the whole skinny of it. It is not an easy thing. And in this situation, it's a very lonely thing to do. But I know that I'm doing what's best for children. I speak and work and act from my heart in everything I do. I am not comparing myself to anyone else, and I have no intentions to. I am me, and I'm doing things the way I feel in my heart that I should do them. So all the cutting me off and the comparing as to what I'm doing and the snide remarks and the, you know, passing by in the hallway and not saying anything, I'm not even going to waste my breath to say, is that what's best for
214children? Because it's a cliche right now that it falls on deaf ears. I want to be a part of my community and do some of the things that the rest of you are doing in yours. working on committees and working with schools, but I am not privy to that. I don't know if it's you. Are you afraid of my comments or my input? I don't know what it is. But anyway, I hope that I don't have to do this again. But I have fought for community involvement, community engagement. Just go back and watch the meetings. I'm the one that asked, where's the site committee? Where was the community involved in these decisions? Who made the decisions? And yet this afternoon, Ms. Ebaugh made the comment that community engagement is very hard to do after the
215design phase. And I'm just quoting what she said. I've said that before. And yet a school was built in my community before I even knew about it at all. when I walked around and toured the school and saw a concrete area in the back of the school. And I was told, well, this is for volleyball and basketball courts. And as we walked further along, a worker said, oh, yes, we're almost done with the area for the portables. And then I quickly, I was told, no, no, no, that's not true. Well, I went back to the plans. from a meeting in 2018 of the same school and that same concrete area and you want to know what it says? Future Portables. Why do I continue ad nauseum, ad infinitum to ask the questions? Because you're not
216answering the questions at best for children yet. And if staff leaves Ms. Morgan, I'm not putting it on my back that I'm causing all these departments and people to leave just because I ask questions. I doubt that. Some of them have a conscience and feel that they really need to move on. I hate to lose them as well. If you recall, I spent a summer interning with Mr. Mora and Dawn and with Dominic, three of the best department I had ever worked in. Smart people, know the community, know the district, know kids. And it is a loss to lose anybody. So anyway, I hope I have answered your question as to why I have not handed over a document to you. It is an investigation, and aren't we always told we can't talk about it?
217It's an investigation. Teachers and administrators, keep doing all that you do. Parents, I understand your frustration. Ms. Giovinelli said earlier that I was not aware of the Equity Florida group and all of that until October when it came up in discussion and Ms. Fisher gave us samples of posters. I really wasn't, okay? And I apologize if something went over my head. And yes, it was my suggestion yesterday to rescind the vote and discuss it all. And I was voted down. Well, if you've been here tonight, you know I'm always voted down, but that's okay. It was my suggestion after talking to parents that we have switched the meeting to 6 o'clock. And I did speak up about it because, yes, that was my thought. That's all I have to say right now. Thank you for
218the opportunity. I hope when you voted me in here that I would do something to make change. I've got a year and a half to do that, and I hope something that I leave behind is an epitaph for children. Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Fisher? So it is very good to be able to be back in schools and see the staff coming in in the morning. Wearing to go, smiling, happy, ready to work with kids. It is a little bit sad seeing the little kids walking around with the masks on, with those big eyes hanging out, but they are very resilient and they're doing a very good job. We did not have this on our recognitions, but April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. And this year's theme is Thriving Children and Families, Prevention with
219a Purpose. National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to strengthen families to prevent child abuse and neglect. which has had an increase in the past year with the pandemic. Through this collaboration, prevention services and supports do help to protect children and produce thriving families. We can all play a role in supporting families in order to prevent child abuse and neglect. I want to thank all the people who came this evening to share. their opinions with us. It is really important that we do look at everyone's ideas and respect everybody's rights to their own opinions. I have continued gratitude to our students, parents, and community members for their efforts and support, especially over this last year and a half. Of course, our hardworking and dedicated school staff members who
220keep things going, even in the face of these challenges. And I want to throw out a special thank you this evening to our district staff for ongoing informative briefings and updates, information and answers to questions that we do pose in our one-on-ones and in our... notes to the superintendent if we do that. You know, education is the economic driver for this community and this is our community. We all have a responsibility to work together to make it the best it can be. Although there is some disagreement sometimes about how best to combat discrimination in our society, one common suggestion is opening the lines of communication to help people better understand how similar we really are. I do want to thank Dr. Atkins for his efforts in visiting schools and thanking staff there. That has been
221very well received and has really made people feel like they are noticed and appreciated. Tonight I'm going to close with one quote by Thomas Jefferson. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal. that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Thank you, and home safe, everyone. Thank you, Ms. Fisher. And I just have a few things to... to speak on. First of all, I would like to thank staff who has been here all day and night with us. So thank you very much for that and being away from your families. Also, I have been able to visit many schools within the last two weeks. And as my colleagues have stated, when you're in
222the schools, They're really happy and excited to see you and they really appreciate the goodies that you bring them or they appreciate just just being there and thanking them and I have had the opportunity to had some visits actually with dr. Atkins and the They love it. They love the fact that he's out there. I'm out there. They love the fact that we're all out there and they speak about that, you know, thanking us, you know, for thanking them and realizing who they are. And I'll tell you, I. Sometimes I start at 6 o'clock in the morning and I don't stop until 5 o'clock that day because somebody likes to put things on my calendar, but I just go. And it's worth it because that's what it's about. It's about appreciating the people who are
223taking care of our children, and that's what we are here for is to make sure that our kids have what they need. Also, I wanted to make sure that... Everybody seeing that we did send out the letter for the bright future scholarship regarded the impact it would have for the student and family. So that was sent out. This week we also had an opportunity with the last two weeks, two and a half weeks, we've had prom actually took place and I had the opportunity to visit some of those and just seeing the children there, they were just beautiful. And every aspect of that occasion for them was great because they did not. have it last year, so this year was really, really special. Even the rain, the rain did not even stop it this weekend.
224They didn't care about getting their dresses wet, but their hair could not get wet, but they all made it through it. It was great. Also, let's see. I met some students, and they had asked me to please mention their name. I met a young lady, 7th. a young lady from Gulf Middle, Olivia Hamm, who created and won first place in the state for statewide competition on the National Bill of Rights from the Colusa chapter of, well, it's the Sons of the American Revolutions. And they were so excited. And then there was a senior there that I met, Bryce Sweely. She was so excited about it, she couldn't even eat. drink anything, she couldn't eat because she was so nervous because she was going to read her essay. And she took first place in the chapter
225and second place in the state. Also, I had a mother sent me something, and it was something that Ms. Morgan had spoke on, Ms. Fernando, who is a seventh grader at Dunbar Middle School, and her mother wanted her to come tonight, and I asked her not to have her come tonight, and perhaps she could come to another meeting. But she has taken first place in the state science fair and first place in the, sorry, I'm sorry, I know I have her information right here. I guess not. First place in a women history contest for the state as well. So she was really excited and she thought she really wanted her daughter mentioned and felt that that would really uplift her. So I'm hoping that that it does. I've been meeting with some members of the
226community who are in golf clubs. And what they're trying to do is mentor programs with our schools in the area. And they're fifth graders, actually. And they're trying to do this throughout the county and trying to get the other communities engaged and doing the same thing. So right now they are. Partner in with Harns Marsh and the villas at this time. And they're trying to get through to all the schools that are needed. And this is a good thing for us. So let's see. I'm trying to get through this fast. We went to the Finance Academy this past weekend. Ms. Gittins and Ms. Morgan attended with me as well as Finance Academy 2.0. They will be sending us information, so we'll be sharing that information throughout the board so you all will have the same
227information that we had. I thought it was very helpful. Again, they asked us to come and hug our CFO. So Amy, here's a hug to you. to you, Dr. Desimore, for all the work that you're doing. And then while I was up there on my way back, I had an opportunity and I stopped by the Sandler Memorial Elementary, which is the innovation school that they spoke about here. So I stopped by there and they gave me a tour and the kids are just excited. And Ms. Vaughn, I have to tell you, I thought about you because when I seen the kids there, they were doing all kinds of different seating, sitting, standing. I was like, this would drive Ms. Vaughn crazy because they were like everywhere, all over the place. But it was fun. I
228did think about you though, but those kids were just having a great time and they were just walked up to you and they just shared so much information. It was really great to do to hear that. We also entered the Easter parade and I just wanted to give a shout out and thanks to Ariana and Deborah who were the bus drivers and they gave up their Easter to be there and they had a great time. A lot of the community recognized them and knew them so they were kind of a big hit in the parade. The early childhood also had a vehicle there with us and So they were handing out information pertaining to here. You too can have your child here. So that was received very well. And also, I just want to say.
229I know, Ms. Gittins, you mentioned some things about being in the community, working in the community. I have always worked in the community, and so these things that I am part of within the community, it is because I've known these people for many, many years, and they come and they ask me to sit in on their cabinet or be a part of this, and I will always be a part of anyone who asks me to be a part of. anything dealing in our community. Lee County is our community, so I don't care where it's at, but if someone asks for me to be a part of it, to help in any way, whatever that is that's going to make it better for us, the citizens of Lee County, I will definitely be there. I don't
230care. I don't need to sleep. I'll sleep when I'm dead. But I just wanted to put that out there because that to me is the most important thing of who I am. And that's being out there in the community, being a part of the community and helping. And what else? And I think that's, oh, and the news. The news took, you can, well, you know, everybody knows how it is with the news press. You can speak to the news press all night long and they're going to take a clip of whatever they want and put that into. To make it more interesting. I'm going to say it that way. So we cannot always believe every single thing that we hear without having the beginning or the end of that. And then, yes, and I do
231want to comment on the fact that, yes, there was a question about a special meeting. Yes, I was. You either do this or else I will do that. Yes, that did take place. And I did not have enough information to warranty or to have a special meeting. So yes, I said no, we would not have that without having what that agenda would be because we have to have an agenda. And I did not have that information. Also, I wanted to make sure that we understood too that our... conflict attorney sent out an email to all the members to see if they would want to have this meeting. At first, it was in favor of that meeting. However, one board member had to be out of town, so they rescinded that vote, which took that meeting
232away. So I just want to be a clarification on that and make sure that I could tell my side of the story. Anyways, I apologize for that because that really doesn't have any business here. And I thank everybody for being here tonight. We look forward to people coming and sharing their information with us for the 26th. And I just say thank you so much. Moving on, Ms. Dupree-Bruno, do you have any comments? I do not, thank you. Thank you. Dr. Atkins? No comment at this time. Thank you. Thank you with no other business to take place. I this meeting is adjourned Thank you so very much