Superintendent's Workshop 12 p.m. 10-13-25

001Welcome everyone. Um it this is a call to the workshop. Good afternoon Miss Enville. >> Um the time is 12:03 and we are going to begin our workshop. I wish to welcome everyone to the superintendent's workshop being held in the Joe N. Idollet junior tec I ask out of respect to everyone please silence all electronic devices and also if you have any material you wish to share with our executive assistant please do so she's over there we will take a break every two hours if needed before that all right the purpose of this superintendent's workshop is for the superintendent to provide us with information so I'm going to pass it over to you Dr. Moore >> thank you madam chair um I would like after discussing during close session and then with the chair following

002an item uh entitled North County Charter SL um detox center. And this is an item that I'd like to discuss right now because it's hot and fresh on our on our minds. As you know, probably two or three weeks ago, there was a item that was presented to the county commissioners to reszone that specific area, adding a detox center directly uh neighboring North uh County Charter. We do not govern North County Charter. I do not operate North County Charter. Um, but in our conversations that I've had individually with each of you, uh, I think there is a a strong line of consensus regarding although it's not a school that we govern, it's not a school that I run, um, it is in the best interest of children, and at the end of the day, um,

003you all were elected by the people of this community um, to govern a the public school system, by extension, uh, children, and you've empowered me to run the system. the decision was made um it was approved and I think based on the conversation and I'd be glad to receive board feedback if this is not the appropriate action to take um that I could on behalf of myself as well as the board um encourage the county commissioners to reconsider that approved item just based on the number of problems it would cause for that particular school. And at the end of the day, um, we are all fighting for the right to educate our community's children and the playing field should be level. It should be fair for for everyone. I don't think, um, having a detox

004center next to a school is something that's easy to market around. I just don't. Um we have communicated uh step with the charter school uh own Bieber and has spoken to the principal a number of time and shared that we stand ready to help when when asked. Uh I've had the opportunity to engage with one of their board members saying put me in coach when when you need me. But based on your conversations that we've had, um I I think we all would feel a little bit better if we just took this step sharing y'all's collective concern is and ultimately mine as well. So with that, I'll I'll give it to the chair if there's any additional conversation. I would craft the letter um show it to you if you'all would want to sign it.

005I I don't see any issues with that. I you know, but up to you, Madam Chair. >> Sure. I sit on zoning planning for the county and when there's an issue that comes about like a lack of um sidewalks or a new building being considered, I speak up. I don't have a vote, but I do speak up. However, for that particular one, I couldn't attend that meeting. I asked for um my second to attend, but however, Dr. Pasca could not attend that meeting. So, we didn't have representative at that meeting, unfortunately. Um that board also can speak up. they can come to any hearing and speak up when they see an item like that. So, I want the public to know and and charter schools to know that when there's something that is happening around

006you and they should have been notified, I would think because when there's a change of zoning, usually the properties right adjacent across within so many feet are notified that there's going to be a zoning possibility of change. So when that happens, um hopefully they can send a representative there to speak on their behalf. I'm it was unfortunate that I wasn't there to be able to speak or Dr. Pasca, but that's what happened. So I just wanted that to be said. >> And just in direct resp I I don't know what the line of communication was. It wasn't to me. It wasn't to the school board. Um actually one of Haime staff members found it the night before and brought it to his attention and you would just assume as I did. Okay. Well, I'm sure

007that board, that staff is aware. I think they found out almost the exact same time. I can't validate that. >> Yeah, they should have gotten a letter. Um, according to the county, that's what they're supposed to do. So, if it didn't happen, that would be interesting to find out. >> I I don't know. >> Yeah, because adjacent properties, especially in this situation, are supposed to be notified that there's a possible zoning change. >> And if they weren't notified, that is a that is an issue. >> Yeah. >> M. Rosario. Yeah. So, just a little bit of clarity uh clarification on the notification. Notification is mandated um I I believe I'm going to say 1,500 ft or less or you whatever it is, 1400 ft, whatever it is. Um surrounding areas must be notified within a

008certain number of feet. This school happens to be just outside of that minimum, just outside of that limitation. So, the school is under 1,500 ft doortodoor and they missed very little that threshold for official notification. But I do believe and they did not know about the planning and zoning meeting. They did not know and I know this from speaking to two board members there. They did not know um nor were they advised that this was going to be an item um you know that they would have to be concerned with. They did not know that even the the county commissioners were going to um vote on this when they did in you know for the reasonzoning. Um it was only that I think that morning or the night before when the board members um got

009a hold of the information and just cancelled their board meeting. so that they could attend the county commissioner's meeting that day. Um, so it's just an unfortunate situation. The lack of communication in this case is is just really just wrong um all the way around. And from what I understand, and I couldn't make that county commissioner's meeting either because it I found out last minute, too. But um from what I understand, the county commissioners um did there were community members and their board members present at that meeting um but they voted anyway to reszone. I think as we um address items um we vote on things all the time and there are moments where we can even reconsider items that we've voted on, put it back on an agenda and and just reconsider it. you

010know, let's have a revote. Um I think um asking Dr. Moore to do this on our behalf as a board collective speaking the same language um sends a very strong and good message that we are unified. Doesn't matter whether the school falls under our immediate purview or not. Charters are still a public school within our school system and there is still some level of accountability. um we approve their charter. We just want to be able to do what's right by all kids and keep all kids safe in this particular situation. Um even though I think that it's very important that communities have um detox and rehabilitation centers, I just don't think that this location is um the safest location um as it stands so close to the particular school and where children um use that

011sidewalk uh and would have to walk to school and back um passing that particular facility. Um so I I think this is a great idea. Um I fully support it. Uh I hope that board members do too. I'm glad that we are having the public discussion um so that um there's complete transparency on this issue. Um, I do believe that I want to be kind of nice about I don't know to what level I don't know what level of authority um, their board and the people at the school may think that they do have. Um, I I don't know, but I do know that that Dr. more um and this board um can do something. Will it change? I don't know, but at least we can do something. I think it's very important. Um and

012I fully support it. >> Okay. Any other board members? Mr. Dyer? >> Yeah. I I would say that it's more than a North County Charter issue. I'd say that it sets a precedent. And you know, if they can do that with North County Charter, how many other we've have what our elementary schools, our our middle schools, our high schools, they can do it to to those as well. And I think the issue is bigger than North County Charter. It's about kids and the safety of kids. And uh I I think that we certainly ought to register our uh strong uh dissatisfaction with the vote and and encourage them to reconsider. >> Um Dr. Jones, >> I support Dr. Moore writing the letter for the school board members because overall this is about our children. >>

013Yeah, I'd like to add something. So yeah, I mean I definitely support um this uh item and I'll just say that I obviously take care of people with uh very significant drug addiction every day in the hospital. Some of which who are suicidal and Baker acted or arrested. Um I put them through detox as a medical professional and some of them go on after discharge to go to a detox center. Um so I this is part of my day-to-day activities. Um it definitely does not belong in the same zone as a kid's school. Um you know I don't think the common sense um test was applied during this meeting for this item. So you know one question I do have is is anyone familiar with North County Charter and their fencing? Do do they have

014fences around their whole school? >> They do. And are they of a proper height or we don't know for sure? Okay. Because this is a this is a very big local security threat for that school. So now the security measures that they have in place are likely inadequate now to meet the local security threat that now exists due to this detox center uh which will almost certainly have drug drug dealers coming and going uh trying to sell drugs in and around that area around our children. um and and poses an immediate threat to those kids. So, um you know, I think it was ultimately a mistake by the county commission to do this and I will hope that they will try to revisit it and uh rectify it. >> Yeah, I I agree. I support

015it. We need to protect all children. Great. >> All right. Thank you board for bold really bold leadership. Appreciate that. I will follow up accordingly. Um before we move on to Haime's presentation, we have the matter of of the white hat. Just as a reminder, the white hat is is given on on a monthly basis. The pressure that I have placed on myself to do this um is extreme, but it allows me to acknowledge cabinet members for their ongoing effort. And this month was extremely hard, as is all months. Um, but I I want to acknowledge uh Haimey for his coming in from another place, taking over a a one of the most important, if not the most important bodies of work. Uh, coming into a small town and transitioning in and building trust is

016not easy to do. Um, but from the close session this morning, uh, we all can see he has blended right into our community, holds a high expectation, and is problem solving. So, I'd like for him to give his update to the board with a white hat on. All right. [Applause] >> He's never been in in a session like that before. >> Don't know what to say now. U thank you, Dr. Moore. Um, as you know, by uh Florida legislature requirement, I got to provide the board an update. And um I'm glad to report last week we had our first visit from the office of safe schools. You taking a picture of me? Uh we had an offic um office of safe schools visit and um they visit two of our schools and they were perfect.

017U very pleased to hear um regard all the updates we've implemented in this district. um the schools were resilient and they were able to show that we can do it here. So that everybody was 100% compliant. So I'm very happy about that report. That's all I have. Dr. Moore. >> All right. Thank you, sir. Now items B through D will be presented by Mr. Green. >> Thank you, Dr. Moore. B um under Florida statute 108.22. We have to complete the statewide uniform assessment calendar. Dr. McMahon leads this work. It's six sections. the glossery of all the different assessments. Section two is the purpose and type, whether it's um a diagnostic or an evaluative assessment. Section three are all the statewide assessments that affect all students. Section four, statewide assessments. That's that might affect a select

018group of students. Section five are district required Bruce, >> sorry, microphone. >> And and section six are the estimated times by grade level. um very very little almost no changes from last year other than the um state required dyslexia assessment which is a one minute three times a year assessment in our elementary schools. Um the rest is basically the same. So the assessment calendar will be coming on the October agenda for approval. >> Any questions? Dr. Jones. >> U Mr. Green, how many do we usually test with the NAPE? I remember the numbers from last time, but it was low. >> I do not have that number off the top of my head, but last time it wasn't >> it wasn't very >> We weren't selected the last time, but the last time we did

019administer it, it wasn't very many. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Anyone else? >> Um, I have a question. You mentioned a one minute um test. The dyslexia screener, it's through an I Ready assessment with the teacher and the student is computer, but it's not on your own like you just go off on I Ready. So, it is a um a quick type screener that puts up as you know that's that's a neurobiological issue that it's able to assess through various um >> so we can determine in one minute if a child's dyslexic. Is that what you're saying? >> It's a one minute assessment. I don't know the statistics on the percentage or the accuracy. I wouldn't think so. Is it like a screener and to the point where if there's an indication that there's a

020concern, then we go further in testing. Correct. >> That's all I wanted to know. >> Correct. >> Okay. >> Yeah. When you said it, I thought, oh, wait a minute. >> Okay. We need to touch up base on that a little more. >> And um item C is a roof replacement. As you know, as our building ages, u Mr. Westberger and his team and Mr. Michael, they get up on the roofs and they walk them and they look for bubbling. So, we call it the envelope and the envelope is what protects moisture and things from getting in and damaging the structure. So, we have those in our capital 5-year plan. Last year, we did a school. Um, this is for IRA to have a complete that when it gets down degraded so far, it needs

021to be taken off the flat roof replaced, the sophets, the eaves, the gutters. So, that is um a $2.8 million for IRA. There's a $280,000 contingency which brings the total project to $3 million. That is in the capital 5-year plan. And then, believe it or not, Liberty Magnet is approaching that age of 25 years old. Um, most of their roofs, as you know, are metal, but the central admin building in the Ratunda area have the flat roofs that also have to be replaced. That's a $980,000 project with a $98,000 contingency or $1 million in the capital plan. So those two items will be um on the next board agenda for approval to Garland roofing. >> Anyone? >> I just one question. How often do we replace roofs in general? >> So it is it could

022be 20 25 years, but it just it really depends on how the weather has aged it or if it becomes um an issue of breaking through the the membrane. Item D is your surplus item. I will tell you that um the final copy had two additional refrigerators added um from what you have. But I will tell you the 20 there's 24 total items. Eight of those, if you remember, we upgraded some food service equipment that we heard about that was aging. So that equipment is now being surplused. Um there's a 40year-old refrigerator on there. Several 25 to 30 year old refrigerators. um some 15 10 and 15 year old technology um a few IT items and there is an old a um car on there from it that is no longer it's a Toyota Prius.

023All um everything on there has no value at this time. >> I was going to ask you about what what's a Prius doing on our >> Prius? That was a that was a pilot way back when I was here before for an electric uh hybrid type uh car and it's gotten its life, but it's got a lot a lot of mileage on it and is just basically unrepaiable at the time to try to buy the inside interior. Anything on the dash that goes is super super expensive. >> And that is all for my items. Thank you, Dr. Moore. >> All right. Thank you. Oh, question, Mr. Mr. D. I I did have one going back to your first item on just the the testing. I was I was surprised by the amount of minutes in

024fifth through 8th grade compared to the other grades. What what why is that? >> So in in fifth grade there is an additional assessment science. In eighth grade there's an additional assessment science. So it's the only unique that that sets them aside is they take sixth grade, seventh grade you don't take the science assessment. You take a comprehensive assessment in eighth grade of all three years of science of science. Same thing in fifth grade. >> Okay. It seemed like 30 40 hours of testing throughout the year. >> Well, in other words, they don't test science every year. They only test every three years. >> Okay. Y they >> may be an issue. Wow. >> And just on your question, it was four schools with 50 students last time. So for Nate, >> got it. Thank

025you. >> All right. >> The the next item is a followup from our last um board meeting in my presentation and I would really like for us not to see this as a presentation but a discussion um as we move through a a very important time not only in Indian River County, not only in the state but ultimately in the nation. And I all of the success that we have had regarding uh academic outcomes improvements in the state moving from 38 to 5th uh moving from 46% uh a schools to to 95% uh a a schools has put us in this position uh to move innovation forward. Um, so we're not done with what we've been able to accomplish, but we've garnered a level of respect, a level of trust, a a solid culture within

026the organization in order to facilitate how public education needs to change. So, it is an exciting conversation. It it really really is an exciting conversation uh to have it. It is taking on a significant amount of work, but is the work that we absolutely must do. So, just to kind of go a little bit backwards in regarding where our reality is, these are things that we've done historically. Um, and if you do what you've always done, you get what you've always got. That's no longer the reality because if we continue to do what we've always done, whether it's the staff allocation model, the spring budget conferences, master schedule reviews, uh the protocol process to re receive additional allocations, the district uh budget cuts, the annual reorganizations that has allowed us to continue to shrink the

027system to balance the budget in order to hold true to our end fund balance. those measures based on enrollment will not continue to allow us to have that same kind of outcome. So we got to continue to evaluate what we're doing in years out. So when you look at where we current what we've done drastically reduce executive leadership team uh consolidate responsibilities of district leaders um we shrink the system and individuals that remain get more work uh reduce the number of assistant principles by five. So we reduced five assistant principles in our secondary schools this year. We only lost 400 kids like 430 uh around that didn't generate the reduction of five assistant principles but as we built capacity and the allocation of time and knowing where we're going that was the decision ultimately that

028I recommended the allocation of teachers as you know we've done very very hard week work each year to create a prediction model to fund teachers based on enrollment that we're going to have in October. So October is when we have to get it right, but students show up two months before. So it it is trying to figure out in a new reality with scholarships that are available, what is our enrollment going to be? We celebrated we were one of few districts that actually had a pro a projection that was under we projected we would have less students. We actually had more students. great problem to have uh in terms of going back and balancing and leveling classes, but we were not in a the predicament that so many districts were in like, okay, we got

029to balance this year's budget. It's October. We we've got to reduce. We've got to reconsolidate. We've got to shift things around. We got to freeze this account or that account. That's not the reality that we're in right now. But we need to go through a a deeper analysis of district operations and facility use. And I've challenged ourselves to engage in a conversation that isn't just rightsize it one year in a row. Really look, really listen, really understand the choices and options that should be available. We need to create some things that don't yet exist. Uh in order to have a a broad level broad level of services to meet uh our community's needs as it relates to educating their children. So, I'm going to set some things up. Uh our district as a whole is

030at 72% capacity. Uh when you looked at all of the seats that we have available, you want to hover around 90 95%. So even going back five, six, seven years, we were never at that 90 95%. Our traditional elementary schools, um that's not our K8s, that's not our our magnets, the traditional neighborhood metal elementary schools sit at 65%. Our traditional middle schools sit at 57% right now today. But we all know next year our K8s are adding seventh and the year after that they're adding eighth. That 57 if we did nothing in two years would be mid40s low 40s. So there's something that we need to do there. Now when you look at our K8 and our magnet schools there is a high need. and we did that research and we came to the board

031and we all said yes K8s is something that our community wants. Um we added four of them. We were aggressive and drastic in doing that. But the space and the desire continues to to grow. And you've looked at our traditional middle schools. We turn away about 90 students every year. Meaning 90 students apply their first choice to go into one of our traditional magnets. We don't have enough seats for them currently and of those 90 about 30 to 35 of them end up never coming to us. So there is a immediate opportunity to look at it. How do we maximize the opportunity to expand what we know our community wants and then our traditional high schools are sitting at about 82%. So we need to look at the number of elementary schools within a mile

032radius. And we're going to look at some very specific schools um in a a minute and we need to uh look at boundaries to reconsider boundaries to maximize enrollment. We have not touched our boundaries um with the exception of sit I'm sorry with the exception of Pelican Island now classical and Sebastian Elementary School and that was because of the moving it to a magnet school. outside of that we have not had boundary e examination. So we need to go through a boundary study to come back to the board to say uh this is how we should balance the enrollment within our current used facilities. And then looking at our K8 magnet schools are there opportunities within the uh current structure of schools that we have to increase um that enrollment. So we all know our

033K8's highly successful in school choice uh student experience cost analysis uh in terms of the capacity. So as we move to K8's the initial conversation was we can be able to add additional spaces, add additional portables which now cost a lot more than they did when we had that initial conversation. Um but we still would be turning away uh future kindergarten parents because the seats wouldn't keep up with what the demand would be. So we would like to repurpose and have a conversation regarding uh the numbers clearly say four middle schools even right now with doing nothing different uh isn't something that we can justify. But are there opportunities to repurpose uh middle schools in order to expand offering for K8s? An aggressive way uh to rightsize middle schools while at the same time offering

034something we know parents um want. So, as you look, these are the problems that we're looking to to solve. How might various facilities change align with the district's long-term uh plan for innovation, educational programming, and ultimately optimizing the use of facilities? What is the current projected and total student seat capacity and enrollment at each school site? We look at Vero Beach Senior High School. We're one of the only um districts that has a separate standalone facility for ninth graders. That comes at a cost of about $1.2 million a year. That's when you compare to Sebastian River Senior High School. We're spending a million dollars more at Vero in comparison to Sebastian River Senior High School. Um we can fit them all into the main campus. That's a conversation that we have to have at some

035point in order to determine that $1.2 million. How could we reallocate those funds to be in better service? You look at some of the programming, onethird, one-third of our students in the ninth grade center have to be bust over to take the advanced academic courses because we've done such an intentional job, intentional work at maximizing high school courses in middle schools. Uh we now have to chemistry is is a big one, Kelly. One-third of the kids. Um we can't get those children in four minute passing time from one campus to the other. Our our most advanced children are are missing academics because we have to shuttle them back and forth because it's now one/ird. It's two buses. So we've doubled the cost in the shuttle bus. When you look at some of the vocational programming,

036we do an outstanding job of making sure our kids are exposed to the vocational programming. But on the flip side, we do a significant disservice because they can't start until they get into the 10th grade where most it's a four-year course program. You take the four sequenced courses over the course of your time in high school. You become a program completer. A lot of our students uh have to start or double up in 11th or 12th grade. So there is an opportunity to say let's look at are we getting the best bang out of the use of those particular facilities. Uh going back and looking at the facilities a as a whole the investment in maintaining campuses and we do outstanding work. Uh you look at the current Rosewood right now, you would never know.

037It is our oldest building um our second oldest building that that we have and the investment to maintain it uh with the outdated ACs specifically uh comes at an extended cost. Is there a better use for that facility if we change or if we shift? Um and then engaging with with stakeholders. So we're we're posing questions and barriers and obstacle obstacles right now. uh really looking forward the next step of this is going in and engaging with schools uh to bring back a recommendation that isn't siloed uh that is 100% transparent in regards to what the recommendations would be to do a few things maximize the spaces that we currently have within our school system. So the goal here um board members is to just engage in a conversation, receive your feedback as we go

038and we look to go through what will be a comprehensive analysis to bring back recommendations as early as December, keeping in mind our board member board member our board meeting is December 1st. So it's very very early in December. But we want to look at our elementary spaces and we want to go through a reszoning process. Currently we have three schools that are extremely close to us. Citrus Elementary School sits at around 64% capacity. Glendale sits around 54% capacity and Vero Beach Elementary School sits around 74% capacity. Um and they're all within a mile and a half, two mile radius of each other. uh there is an opportunity to expand programming and choice uh at schools, maximizing it at one school or the other and being more efficient at maximizing the space that we have

039available. Um were opportunities as I glazed over repurposing some of our middle school spaces to maximize K8s. some of the feedback. It was in the presentation, but I didn't cover it. Our K8 middle school students, the students in sixth grade right now, love the experience, were fully aware that I'm not going to have some of the middle school things, the arts, the gym, the programming that comes along with what is typical. Um, so they know it, but they still say we we really would like to have it. Um, so there's an opportunity to to restore some of those services as too. Um, on the north end of county, we have some campuses that that are underenrolled. Um, so maybe co- co-using facilities might be an option. At the end of the day, it allows us

040to engage in a conversation to maximize the resources that we have, the facilities that we have um over the course of of one or two years. We want to do this without impacting employees. That's been our um my stance from the very very beginning. We're not doing this because we're in financial crisis. We're doing this because we want to maximize spa space, innovate programming, and continue to be our community's number one choice in educating its children. There's other programming that does not yet exist in which I would recommend we would use uh some facilities that would become open or portions of facilities that would become open. The homeschool environment, uh, as you all know, has grown drastically over the last five years within the state of Florida. Um, whereas before it may have been directly

041linked to a faith-based church in which they partnered with a particular church, because it has grown so fast, there's a number of pro uh, homeschool programs or folks within the community uh, who aren't connected to a faith-based program, but ultimately advant taking advantage of the the scholarship. So there's opportunities to offer some of our spaces, our playgrounds, our media centers, uh our educational facilities to support um that kind of initiative doesn't currently exist. Um the advanced academic courses, whether it be uh calculus, uh there opportunities to say you could take these courses in some of our open facilities. um the enrichment, the co-ops that taking place. Come in, conduct your co-ops on our particular space. We're also engaging um with our technical college. As you know, we are the only technical college on the Treasure

042Coast. So, just in initial conversations um if we had additional space and thought of using space differently, what things could we offer? This isn't how we would fund them. It's just one question. And right off the bat, um, barbering, um, with the manicures and the pedicures that there's no program, there's no program. It cosmetology, we're turning away people hand over fist because we don't have it and it's not anywhere within our community with the exception of one small program that costs way too much in the mall. Um, and doesn't meet the need. Um, expanding welding. We have a great welding program. Uh, but the opportunity to expand welding, uh, would be a possibility. um some of the um mechanics around air aircraft it would be something that we could explore. So it's just not filling

043the space to fill the space. It's looking at doing an evaluation of how do we use the space um to be first and foremost uh acting in the best interest of our community. So as we have been engaging or getting ready to you know really dig into this work and then come back to the board uh with recommendations on how we going we use our space incomes uh schools of hope as I emailed the board last I think it was Wednesday or Thursday we prematurely received a letter regarding a request for information um from Pelican Island K8 which has been transitioned to a K8 to maximize uh the space and enrollment there to co-occupy that space. So, I'm going to ask our attorney just to give a little explanation as to what Schools of Hope

044is, where the legislation is, uh, because this is also something we're going to have to consider as we engage in this process. >> Thank you, Dr. Moore, Madam Chair. Goes a little closer. We did receive the letter from Mater Academy. It is a building notice. And a building notice is something that could be submitted prior to the submission of a notice of intent. Um, and I'm going to go through a little bit of that. I'm going to try to give you the quickest primer I can. Uh, basically under Florida law, schools of hope are specialized category of charter schools designed to serve students in areas with persistently low performing public schools aiming to provide highquality education options in those areas. The statutory framework is mostly found in section 102.333 of the Florida statutes with additional

045implementation guidance from the Florida administrative code. So I know you're thinking we don't have low performing public schools, right? Um but there's there's a couple things that come into play with the section 102.33. They have a definition of persistently low performing schools, which is basically a school that's owned earned three grades lower than a C in the last three of the previous five years and has not earned a B or higher in most recent two years, was closed under a turnaround plan with two years of notice of intent, and is the bottom 10% in student performance in certain grades. As you go through that in your mind, uh, a hope operator is defined as a nonprofit with taxexempt status under section 501c3 that operates at least three charter schools, uh, has a record of serving

046lowincome students and meets academic and financial performance criteria set by the state board of education. Moving into the school of hope, um, it the the addition to the rule, I believe, Dr. Moore, did you give them copies of the new rule? Okay, the new rule actually adds in, it used to be serve students from persistently low performing schools. Now it adds in or those in a Florida opportunity zone or within a 5m radius of such school, whichever is greater, a school of hope may be located outside of a Florida opportunity zone or persistently low performing school attendance zone. If the school district does not have underused, vacant or surplus property available for the hope operator to use within a Florida opportunity zone or persistently low performing school attendance zone. Um, it has to be located

047within near those zones and it has to be title one eligible. Now, you're wondering what a Florida opportunity zone is. I'm sure that was my next question that I was going to get. Um, it is defined as a population census track that has been designated by the United States Department of the Treasury as a qualified opportunity zone pursuant to section 1400Z-1 B1B of the Internal Revenue Code. So, you're thinking, what is that? What does that mean for us? Um, basically, schools of hope may be may use underused, vacant, or surplus district facilities at no cost. They're exempt from local building fees, impact fees, and certain permitting requirements. They must comply with the Florida Building Code, but not necessarily with the with SREF unless it's agreed upon. Um, we would be required to um there's a

048rule 6A. I know you probably don't want this, but it's a 6A1.0998271 of the Florida Administrative Code. Um and it basically requires us to enter into some sort of agreement with them that would govern all of these responsibilities. Um there are on the website there's a whole um Florida Department of Education has a whole entire website devoted to schools of hope and you can go ahead and Google that. I can send you the link if you want it. It says that they've already um the schools of hope operator hope operator there h they have to be designated under 102.333 and the website says there's six but there actually is a list of seven but they include Mater Academy RCMA democracy prep public schools IDA public schools success academy renaissance wearington preparatory academy and kip New

049Jersey um it's interesting all around but I will tell you that without disclosing Um my personal assessment of the current building notice the the main thing right now is it is untimely because they do not uh the rule has not gone into effect and so they need to send us this November 11th I believe is the date and interesting we've only received it from one of the hope operators. We have not received it for any of the what the Florida website says five others but there really are six others. So it may be that we received more. We are not the only district that received these and we have just one school identified. Many districts have there's hundreds of schools that have been notified throughout the entire state so far that I'm aware of. Anyway,

050>> so my knowing that schools of hope was was coming and this letter came prematurely, it it still came. My recommendation is we we move forward because at the end of the day our our space is something that is a opportunity for us to maximize to provide services for our for our community. Um so I'll stop right there and answer any questions you all may have. >> Mr. Are you >> um this is something that I I think is let me preface preface what I'm going to say with I am probably and maybe with the exception of Dr. PUSCA um the biggest proponents of school choice um than perhaps most board members here because I live it right. I homeschool my son and I advocate for public school at the same time. However, this rule,

051which by the way, board members, you all have the revised um rule on your on your desks. Um I put them there earlier um for the changes. This rule, in my opinion, is an extreme overreach of all overreaches that I think the legislature and the Department of Education has done. I don't think people understand the gravity of the potential issues that this could bring, not just for us, but for schools, public schools everywhere. Um, I have friends in other districts who have received multiple requests from multiple schools of hope operators in multiple districts. In simple form, and I think everybody needs to be really concerned about this, in simple form, what they're asking for is to colllocate within our current public school. Let's think about that for a minute. for a nonprofit 501c3 charter school,

052not a charter school that wants to operate separately like the ones that we have like charter high school and um you know North County Charter School, you know, they have their own function. They work. This is a mandate that if they ask to colllocate within a current school building, they can. Can you imagine having our school school a school any school let's pick Vero Beach Elementary just as an example and within that same school is also a charter school that will have to function according to the rule and according to the statute and Miss Enville please correct me if I get any of this wrong because it says it very plainly here in black and white for free. If you look, board members one, two, three, at the fourth page of the handout in front

053of you, line number five, all the way towards the bottom, yours isn't highlighted, mine is highlighted, it says, pursuant to 10002.339 blah blah blah. Right in the middle it says or uh it says school of hope to have the practical and effective use of all or part of an educational facility at no cost. So they could utilize our building be within in our buildings at no cost to them. We carry the entire cost of a 501c3 charter school within our school buildings. And it does say um which includes at no cost which includes both the ability to occupy the space to operate within the facility to receive facilities related services except as expressly provided in this rule which really there are very few exceptions. Further, students enrolled in School of Hope shall be included in

054the district's total uh capital outlay full-time equivalent membership and for calculating any other maintenance funds for the facility. But in another place, it will say that's not necessarily the case. If they apply for a um LEA uh uh title, I forget what that's called. It's um um an educational what is that, Dr. Moore? The um >> designation. >> It's a it's a title that they need for educational purposes. If they apply for that title, we don't get FTE. We can't even claim them as within our school grades, but they still be colllocating in our schools for free. It also says at the request of the co-located school of hope at their request the school district must provide the school of hope with the same facilities related services as it provides all district operated schools including

055without limitation custodial services, maintenance services, school safety services, food services, nursing services, student transportation services. Here's the kicker. On all days that the School of Hope is open, not on all days that we are open, that our schools are open. So, if they decide they want to open on a Saturday, guess what? We have to cover all of this because it says must like I am so mad about this and I think every board member in every district across the state needs to speak up. I think everybody should be knocking down doors and should be speaking in the two faces of people who have put I don't even know where this came from now. I knew it was out there but the changes we're talking about the changes the recent changes. Thank you Miss Enville.

056The recent changes are what has everyone worried and the fact that there are rumors because a lot of people don't really understand and I mean a lot of people a lot of school board members across the state whom are friends of mine are being told different things and I think that's also an issue. We have to be very careful not to listen to all the things that are out there, but follow what is in black and white. And we have the best attorney the entire state um has to offer who is so on point with, you know, her legal advice and her legal services. I actually would love to be able to have you um share. I know you're you've got the mic in hand, but I think that this is such an overreach and

057it is an incredible uh imposition for us to carry all of the costs and be at their beck and call essentially is beyond reason. Beyond reason I can't imagine how this even passed the muster We don't even get to choose their curriculum, you know? I mean, we get we get they get this is a free service and we're going to wind up paying the cost for it. Lastly, I promise lastly, the three things that we have to pay attention to that I think are our saving grace. Number one is that their request has to be within for a a school with um low performing students. Schools with low that's one option, right? Low performing students. Thank God we don't have any of those schools. Thank God. There is something in their legislation uh in the

058in the rule, not in the rule, in the statute that says that in order to be a low performing school, you have to have below a C, but you have to have above a B. I forget the C. The C wasn't even considered in there the way the language is in the statute. Like, I'm not I'm not You can't make this stuff up. you can >> so low performing. So you talk about pressure among superintendents. I told my friends who are board members across the state like you got better get your stuff get get your superintendent on on the line with making sure that their schools are not low performing schools. Number one. Number two, the other option is um uh oper uh uh opportunity zones, right? We Dr. more talked about opportunity zones and

059there's a third one. I think there's a third or and I I forget what it is right now. It's probably right in front of me. So, our saving grace. Oh, if there's a may and an if in there, I promise. First page, Miss Enville, and then I'll hand it over. First page, number three. On the first page, it says um an entity that has been uh designated as hope operator, which we know may establish a school of hope. Doesn't mean that they must. It means they may establish a school of hope within an attendance zone or that was the third one. attendance zone or within five mile radius of the school um of low performing public schools. A school of hope may be located outside of the Florida opportunity zone. Um and I want to

060stop right there for a second because we have another um opportunity here. What I'm hearing from other board members that they have been told, which I know is not true, is that some of these schools of hope, if there is no location within their school district or within a current school for them, they can actually be outside of the county and still service a particular school building. And that is not true. And we have to that's why we need to be able to stick with the black and white. That is not true. This says on a on on the very next line, it says the school of hope must be located in the same school district as the notice of intent. So we have to be careful that we don't get bamboozled or bullied into

061saying, well, you know, we can be anywhere that we want and still service. No, no, no. You have to be located within the county that you're serving and you can only be outside of the five mile radius if we don't have a facility to give them. And I Madam Chair, I'll stop right there because I can go on about. >> Do you want to say something, Miss Anvil? >> Go ahead. >> Well, why don't you speak to what she was bringing up about the three options? >> So, so those those options are are correct. There's there's either low performing or there's the Florida opportunity zone. Um, interestingly, they can be, like she said, they can be designated as a local education agency, an LEA. >> That's it. >> Um, and that way they get to

062receive their federal funds directly. Um, and they're exempt from most chapters of the education code expressly in the statute except for student assessments and grading, civil rights and anti-discrimination laws, and health safety and public records laws. They do have to comply with those. Um, interestingly, there is a uh we would enter into, like I said, a performance-based agreement which would include academic and financial plans, enrollment preferences for targeted students, student achievement goals, transportation and facilities use, and grounds for termination. Um, and the statute specifically says that if a district fails to enter into a performance-based agreement within 60 days, and this is once we get our notice of intent, we go on. Right now we just have a building notice which is premature but anyway just so you know we have 60 days within um

063which to enter into the performance-based agreement or we have to if we don't do it within those 60 days we are required to reduce our administrative fees for all charters in the school district to 1%. So there's a little bit of a penalty in there if we don't. >> So u Mr. for Dying West. >> Well, I mean, it's it's coming at a great time uh really with everything that that we're doing. Uh you know, I'm going to talk on several levels and then circle back to this. But on the first level, Dr. Posa has been talking about the the efficiency and I think that the plan that uh Dr. Moore and his team are presenting is certainly part of that efficiency. uh when you've got one of one of four you get 72% capacity

064and basically says one one of uh four of your facilities or certainly capacity of those facilities is not necessary it certainly tells you that we're we are we have cost that uh that we need to do something about. So from the efficiency point of view, I've always agreed with you. From the way we verbalized it, maybe a little differently, but I think we're certainly honing in on your suggestion. The other thing that I said is I have been talking about probably for the last several years anyway, is the defunding of public schools and what's happening. This is another example. >> Yep. They're going to get what they want because they are any way they can they are taking away funding and taking away the ability of public schools to properly function. Thank goodness we're in

065a district where 95% of our schools are a schools. Thank goodness. I mean it it is unbelievable what's going on. Whether it is the categoricals that have been put into our base allocation, whether it is the 70% of the kids who are never never in public schools that are taking public school money to fund them. It's not a question of them having a right to the money. It's a question of the way the state funds it. But they have a plan to defund and minimize public schools and to privatize them. And this this is the entry, the end run to do it, to do away with public schools. Public schools are going to be left with the parents that don't care and the kids that have special needs that have nowhere else to go. Is

066that really what we want? to take a high-erforming a school district that gives opportunity vision and a chance for all kids in the community to be successful and to take it down to where we have now schools with no accountability. That was the other thing that you had in there. No accountability. We have no accountability for homeschooling. We have no accountability for private schooling. And now we're going to have no accountability for a charter school, which by the way, the charter schools that we have uh in the county now are accountable to state test. We're going to dumb down the entire education in the state of Florida at this rate. We're going to do it through financial financially and we're going to do it through undermining the ability of the schools to have the common

067I guess uh uh mass of people to educate it. It it it is it is unbelievable what's going on from Florida. And I know Miss Bernborg was at a meeting last week where she heard more of this >> and I think it's something that's going on in Florida that we've got to stop. I don't know if it is a huge marketing campaign. I can't believe that the legislature, it is intentional because they can't be that stupid. >> The legislators can't be as stupid as they appear from everything that's going on. come out and say what you're going to do and come up with a better plan, but don't chip away at it bit by bit. I mean, it this this infuriates me. It's infuriated me for a while because of what they've done financially. And

068it's all the, as I say, the magic tricks. Don't look over here while we do something over here. >> Yes, >> it it's all bull and they are going to destroy public schools in Florida. And look, we've shown what a district can do when you get behind educating kids and make it about the kids rather than the adults. When you hold people accountable in the schools to educational outcomes, all the staff, all the teachers, all the administrators are head held to educational outcomes. It can be done. When you see in Vero Beach Elementary classes where we have two classes that 90% of the kids are reading at third grade level and third grade, the state of Florida, what 52 53% achieving at third grade and third grade level. Is that where we want to go

069as a county, as a community? That's where we're heading unless we can do something about it. I mean, I don't know what else we can do other than outcome and really getting mad at everybody who represents us. Somehow, people need to know what's going on with education in Florida because it is not going the direction it should. Peace. >> Dr. Jones, >> thank you. I'm going to begin my little talk with I've been in this 50 years and as a public school advocate, you know, when I read that letter that Dr. Moore sent to us from Matter Academy, I'm thinking to myself, what else can we do? We're an a school district three years in a row, one from 38th to 5th. The accountability, if someone would just look at our testing schedule, look how

070accountable we are. But that's just one of the 100 things that we are accountable for. Um, I agree with Mr. Dyer. Um, you know, we have been fighting the fight and we're in a good arena because of our superintendent, our teachers, and our district staff because people here care about kids. I veered from my last um discussion topic at the last meeting because after what Dr. Moore said, I I I know what's coming. We all know what's coming. And I thought to myself, the one thing we have to do is work with our community, make sure they are aware. And I can kind of see where some of this is going, but as soon as we know it, as soon as we know it, if we have an empty building or if we're going to

071do K8 somewhere else, um I've been to all the K8 schools and they're all looking at me and saying, "Doc, we're good with sixth grade. It's going to be tight in seventh and eighth." Yeah. What are we going to do? I said, "Well, I know Dr. Moore is working on a plan." I've shared before, I've met with Senator Gro and Mr. bracket and the one thing I keep hitting is accountability and they did agree. So hopefully hopefully something will happen. I mean um with taxpayers money how are they accountable? Now when I look at the school of hope I don't know I agree with Mr. Dyer. I think we should do our best to fight it. I know it's a state statute but those things can change too but um we're not low performing. We're

072not out there not doing the work. and once in a while just getting some credit for that as a um school district to make sure you know let hopefully they know what's happening but um we we really just have to get that across and I think that a lot of our parents because so many are working one and two jobs and just you know making sure their kids are doing well in school so forth may they may not they may not see this coming but this is coming and it's here I think in that letter from matter academy. They're talking about 2627. Is that right? >> Yeah, it was 26. >> Okay. 2627. And Dr. Moore, I don't know what um we're going to do by December. We'll know what's happening um with some of

073our obviously our enrollment. Um it declined, but not as much as we thought it would. You know, how can we make sure our parents are aware? But, you know, it's just something that I'm thinking to myself. I think what will happen is that we will create a system of have and have nots and I don't want to go there with this district school. I don't want to go there um because I think our schools are doing so very well and I know with not having the capacity that we need to have to keep these buildings running and so forth. But what Mizario said and Mr. Dyer said, they come in here and don't pay us a dang penny. Am I right? >> Yep. >> Okay. They don't pay us a dang penny. They don't have,

074you know, there I got about 50 questions on hope. Who's in charge of the building where the principal that other are we going to have the same school resource officer? Are they going to follow the same safety plans? What if they're doing something that we don't like? What happens then? You know, as a principal, I'm thinking, if your kids doing this and shouldn't be, I'm that's my building. I'm going after that. So, I'm thinking to myself, have they thought this through that the school district continues to pay for electricity custodians, school resource officer? What about ESC, special requirements? What about our IEPs, our 504s? Hundreds of questions. Hundreds. So, we need to really look at that. And thank you, Miss for looking at it. And I just think it's something we need to We've got

075to fight harder. That's how I feel. We've just got to fight harder. Our parents have to fight harder. You know, I know the voucher system is there to stay. How do we know what they're doing in testing, math, reading, and so forth? Those are the things that taxpayers want to know. So, I'm going to follow this very carefully. I guess one question for Dr. Moore, talking about what we were going to do anyway before this came, how soon is it going to happen? It's on. I I think the train's left the station to to be and it's it's chugging >> right ass. I think it's November 11th, Amy, is when these letters will will come out. I think it's, you know, it's interesting to me like my whole work is transformation. That's that's the work

076they did that got me the opportunity to be here. Um and I think the intent was turnaround schools that were um failing. But when you have an opportunity zone in which the school within the opportunity school is an A and has been an A um and is probably a model um from K all the way which well be eth. There's no need. There's zero need in this community for these kinds of schools. we've earned the right to say, I get it. You know, okay, there's some schools that aren't serving the community, then if they're not serving the community, then let's do something about it. That's not the case here. That's not the case at all. So, the addition of the opportunity zones um opens the game. So, you know, we're, you know, like I said,

077we had schools that were probably 80% five years ago. So, >> correct. if the rules don't change, all of those concerns that you have, how we balance this, how we manage that, uh, how we continue to stay afloat, I I do not have a solid answer for. >> And my other question was, how soon are we, forget hope for now, how soon are we going to move on what we need to do? >> I think we have to do what's in the best interest of children and coming. This is an opinion. You have to earn trust in this county. They just don't give it out. >> Correct. >> You They do not give it out. And that's great about this community. I had to earn it. Uh and it didn't come immediately. It didn't come

078um without blood, sweat, and tears. >> I I just don't think there's the kids are here for them to educate. They're not going to flock back to our schools. We don't have 30% of our children not in our schools. So, it becomes a battle for the kids that we currently have. Sure. >> Okay. >> And what they'll be able what they'll be selling versus what we were required to do um makes it extremely hard. And as Mr. Rosario pointed out, um they wouldn't even be part of our accountability. So I'm going to go after the good kids. Some of our high performing kids may go to a different accountability system or not count towards our district grade. Um there's just too many balls in the air. So but in terms of what we need to

079do um we make a recommendation to maximize the space that that we have been given uh to provide comprehensive services from college all the way down and and that's what I want to come back with is saying okay great schools of hope but this is how we're using every single piece of our facilities and the fact that we started this work before this happened was an acknowledgement we can't have empty space we got to fill it up and because y'all um I just said y'all um made the move to Pelican Island. There's no way they can go to Pelican Island because we have it's adding seventh grade and adding eighth grade next year. It will be a small K8. It always will be. And then we have to go back and and play this game.

080And I'll be very honest with you, the laws we're on the wrong side of legality of what we can do. But this team moves fast. uh is aggressive uh and is willing to be extremely creative uh and transparent on how we want to use the space to serve the community that we have to you know it's not a fight there's not a game like it's not us versus charter I mean I mean what board basically says we're going to stick up for a charter school even though they they really didn't ask us to but we don't think it's in the best interest of children what y'all just did that's not normal that's not it's always charter versus public. That's not this community. And I'm cool with it because we have good charter schools. >> Um

081so there's a lot of moving parts. >> Okay. I just one last thing. Um if if a school is going to close or we're going to combine some schools just so our parents and families know as soon as possible. >> And part part of this work is for me to have face-to-face conversations. Hey, what schools of hope is, what the realities would be. Um, I've done closures way too many times in in Miami. They're fluctuating. There's like waves of closures. Um, that's not the intent of this conversation. The intent is to to expand offerings, build innovative programming while at the same time protect our people uh, over the course of the next two years so we could take care of our own and also take care of our children. >> Thank you, >> Dr. Pasco.

082>> So I think this is a very good high value conversation we're having. Um and I'll start with uh the initial discussion not the hope school of hope discussion. Um very happy we have gone from a discussion about efficiency and the future and projections to actionable ideas and contemplation of those ideas and planning of them because um as you are well aware at this point we have to protect what we have in a way that makes sense for the future. And if we don't and if we are laxidasical and uh hand ringing and just kind of letting things happen, we will we will set the district up for um financial problems in the future. We don't necessarily have financial problems right now, but if we plan things out, we can remain like that. We can

083continue offering um a myriad of programs that are not offered in other places at a high level that other counties don't have. Um, and the hope is that we will continue to do all that stuff even better. Um, so I really appreciate that we are going through and trying to find ways to cut costs and save money uh for the future. Um, I think that has been paramount and it's definitely the right time to really kind of create an action plan over the next few months and talk to stakeholders, do needs assessments, um, do all these things that I know you're starting to look at and and come up with an actionable plan that protects our um, finances for the future and allows for high quality education, allows for growth, allows for innovation. Um, so

084I'm happy we're doing that. Um, in regards to schools of hope, I mean, I object to the letter of an intent to build a school of hope in our county. I think that based on the legislation, um, I don't think that you can build a school of hope here. Um, in my opinion, I just don't think that, um, it would be successful. And I I mean, Mrs. Enville, do you think that there is a high probability that a school of hope could be built in this county? >> They don't have to build it, >> right? No, but that's the terminology. >> So, they would they would ask to co I mean, essentially for us to colllocate, we have to really look I think there's some uh legal deficiencies and the notice has been sent. >>

085Okay. >> Um and so we're working with a number of other districts who feel the same way. >> Um so we can work on that. Um but as far as low performing probably not but the Florida opportunity zone maybe. So we're just looking at some of it. >> Okay. I mean so one thing about this legislation is if you take it at face value the idea that I think that they were intending was it says it in the title schools of hope in an area where there is really bad public schools. And to be honest, there's places where this makes sense, like in Illinois and Michigan and Maryland and a lot of other places. This might actually be a good thing for the community. In most of Florida, I I don't see this being a

086benefit. I don't think in Indian River County there's going to be any benefit to this. Um, and that's just the 5,000 foot view of it. Obviously, when you go down to the granular detail of how it's enacted, it's unfortunately done in a way where it's going to cause anarchy and make it very difficult to manage your school. Um, it it's almost unreasonable to try to manage this where you're intermingling them. I think it has to probably be a facility that's no longer needed in order for a school of hope to really make sense to me. Um, and it and it would have to be in a place where you have bad public schools, which we really we apparently are one of the better ones. So, I I don't think that this makes any sense in

087Indian River County. Um, and then some of the some of the ways that this was written, it looks like it was written very poorly um without really thought process of downstream consequences to how it would play out over time. So hopefully this legislation will be revisited. >> So I'm I'm going to speak because I haven't had an opportunity to speak yet. Um yeah, so I went to the Florida School Boards Association leadership training and committee meetings. I'm the committee chair for advocacy for the state and advocacy means that when we get the legislative platform, you know, we help our membership advocate and you're going to hear a lot of calls to action this year specifically on this. Within the first hour that I was there, I heard about all these letters that were going to

088the superintendent. So, what did I do? I think I called you I don't know how many times I called. >> You were >> I was on it. So, I called him several times. Every time they said something, I pulled out and I hobbled outside and I called him because I said, "Is this happening? What do we have?" And he said, "Yep, got a letter. Told me the school." I laughed out loud when I heard the school they were choosing. >> But it's frustrating, but I'm glad to hear that all the board members are on board and then we're drawing a line in the sand. >> Um, >> like this >> FSBA is going to have their their opening speaker this year at the conference is a demographer. A demographer's job is to look at demographics.

089um and look at birth rates and things like that. Shocking information is going to come at you about the the birth rate and how it's going way down across the nation, across the world. And so it's not just here in Florida that we're dealing with this, but we happen to be in a retirement community area, so we're dealing with it a little bit more. Um so it's going to be interesting. The um biggest thing you can do as board members is meet with your legislators. Call them, meet with them, tell them how bad this would hurt um our community. And I say our community because I look at it as a whole concept. I've been a principal of um really tough school and I sat there and thought a lot of my kids, their parents

090had no idea where they were going after school. They had no idea if they were getting dinner, but the only refuge they had was school. And if they can make it and get a diploma, they can get themselves out of poverty and the crime rate would lower and the poverty rate would lower and the burden on taxpayers lowers. I don't understand how people can't understand this that you educate your population. All those things go in a great direction, but yet it just seems like people want to keep attacking the chance and opportunity for kids that don't have two parents in the house that are watching for them. I I don't get it. It's not It's just not right. um the boundary changes and you know when we've been talking about what we're going to do

091to because of our demographics and what's happening and you've brought up all these ideas and you've been kind of talking to me individually I'm sure you are with all the board members individually for months now about what we're doing um and I can't wait for it all to be exposed you know because it's hard to sit on this information I'm going to tell you um but what's interesting is in a normal situation you would take this very careful carefully. You would go to your community and you'd be very careful with boundary changes because boundary changes are very personal to people. >> I was a fighting Indian. I want my kid to be a fighting Indian. I don't want the fighting Indians to change. Heard that over and over again. >> We're not changing high school.

092>> No, I know. >> But okay, little Indians. But my point, Little Dodgers, there you go. So, my kids were Little Dodgers. You know, when somebody talked about changing the name, they actually came to me and said, "We're changing the name from Little Dodgers." I said, "Well, the Dodgers are gone." D. So, people need to relax on that and they need to say, "Where are our kids? Where's their future going to be?" And what can we provide for them that's going to be innovative and awesome? And that's why I love the fact that you're looking at all these innovative and awesome things. I just think that we're going to have to because of all this, we're going to have to move faster on it. >> Correct. and we're going to have to put it out

093to our community how important it is that these things change. Hold on, I'm not done. So, school school choice. I'm a huge advocate for school choice, Mrs. Rosario. Back in the 90s when I was an assistant principal in this district, kids had one school they could go to unless they were lucky enough to get on a lottery when they were born to get into a magnet school. And thank goodness that has all changed because it was frustrating to me to watch parents get frustrated with a school that their kids had to go to and didn't have an opportunity to go somewhere else because they couldn't afford it. So I actually helped Imagine Charter open because of that reason. Now their charter was a little different than it is now. Um, so I was a little

094dismayed at how that changed, but the opportunity was supposed to be there for all children to be able to attend a school. If their parent wasn't happy with their school, okay, that's choice. That's letting parents choose when they're not happy with something, they can choose something different. And I think we all embrace that. We want parents to be happy. We want kids to be happy with their choice. Not every child in my family, my extended family, goes to our public schools. you know, there's better options for them depending on their needs. You know, I have kids at charters and and all over the place. But my point is this, when it starts to impede and takes away from other kids opportunities, that's when it gets real personal. And that's what's happening here is they're asking

095us to fund them for free. And yet they're taking away everything. It's taking away from our schools. It can't be extra money that's coming in because we're having to pay for it all. So, it's very frustrating. You're going to hear big time from FSBA a lot of stuff coming down to get us all pushing against this. It's It's coming. But I think we need to do our part, too, and we need to specifically speak about our community and with our legislators and let them know how important it is that we push back. >> Okay. >> Mr. Rosary, >> you Mr. I just had a couple of more things on it just from from your presentation which I kind of missed going through, but one of the things that I would ask is prek. Uh I

096didn't see anything on there in prek. I mean, isn't that an entry point and isn't that something that we should be looking uh a little bit more strongly on? And then secondly, I heard that we're going going to take a look at the elementary school boundaries in December. It seems that we need to look at the whole McGill in December December and not just elementary schools. I mean, I think that with what we're basically a little bit under siege with these letters and we need to really figure out what we want to do. >> So, I don't know why I didn't mention prek just to respond. We we have to get in the pre prek game whether it's half day. Um we've had a number of meetings just to discuss that. that could be use

097of of some of these facilities north, central, south. Um what we do in prek now is very limited in terms of the work that this board myself are responsible for. So that is one of the ideas that we would float in terms of expanding prek, expanding the availability um that we could run wi within our community in looking at the the districts the the reasonzoning the elementary schools that I mentioned would be the the first step to balance the traditional K8s but also the middle schools as as a whole. So the middle schools as a whole going at 54%. We have to look at those in order to to to figure that out. So it would be um elementary schools, the three schools that I mentioned. There is a a segment in Sebastian Elementary School

098in which we zone we bus kids who live right next to uh Dodgertown uh and take them over to Sebastian to have a equal distribution of of black students. Um I am 100% going to say they need to be zoned to the school closest to their house and put put them give them that choice. And if they want to continue at a school, choice is choice is great, but it it makes no sense to move a student uh based on the color of their skin to have a certain percent at at a school. Ridiculous. Um that would be a a change. And then the middle schools as a whole looking at what is the best option to continue um the solid choice of middle school while at the same time having opportunity to expand the

099K8. So the middle school boundary we would look at uh those three specific elementary school boundaries we would look at um and then work with the communities to come back with a recommendation. >> That's great. And and finally to Miss Inville if I could the the question that I have is there anything I I would assume that you're going to fight it but is there any legal action that we need to take? Uh is there any legal action that we can take? Is there any legal action that school districts or superintendent association or FSBA can take? I mean, there's got to be something that is going to bring this to a head and let them know that they're doing the wrong thing because this is really bad. >> Bad. >> Do Do you want to

100bring it up? >> I I can just say we have to presume that the law is valid as written. >> You have what? >> We have to presume the law is valid as written and we do not have standing to challenge the rule. So, it goes back to I'm sure Chair Baronborg is going to jump in there a little bit, too. >> Well, there there always is a challenge when somebody brings up a lawsuit and it's going to cost money whichever district does it. >> Or you can say no. You can say no, too. >> And then they can sue and then there you go. We're testing the law >> and that's how laws get tested. >> Yeah. Unfortunately, uh you mentioned VPK. That is definitely a huge um discussion item that's going to be

101on the platform for FSBA. is expanding uh BPK options and and opportunities for sure. Mr. Rosary, >> um yes, I I'm gonna um first start with saying Mr. Dyer, I use McGill all the time and I think I'm aging myself the word McGill you use, so I'm just Good word. Love that word. >> No, great minds think alike. Yeah. >> Um, >> right. >> The I mentioned earlier before that there was a saving grace. There was another saving grace that I didn't mention. I think I'm this is a good opportunity for me to bring it up. In this rule, it says that the facility in which the school of hope would seek within our school buildings would have to be underused, vacant or surplus facility. So then the question is legally what is defined as

102underused, vacant or surplus facility? Yes, great minds think alike. >> There is a whole definition if you look there. They actually have defined um under used vacant or surplus facilities on page two in subsection five. Um, and so they're going off of the district's report to the Department of Education about our underused, vacant, or surplus facilities, which includes the number of classrooms, student stations, administrative spaces, full-time equivalent students, those kind of things. So, they're going to be going off of that. Um, and so that's that helps a little bit. >> Yeah, it does. I I missed that completely. Thank you for bringing that up. Um, but even still, it says an entire facility or a portion thereof. Now, in their uh, and I still see this as a saving grace because in their request for

103um, the building notice, it says that essentially they're looking for space for 344 students, right? So, if we don't have space for 344 students, which would be a full K through five in their first year, by the way, >> that's what it says. It says it on here. First year K through five, 344 students. >> Those are the some of the things members are that we're looking at for as far as legality, whether or not the notice is sufficient. >> Well, but still, let's say it is. It doesn't really matter. 344 a a a building space that would be unused to accommodate 344 students not including staff or maybe that's including staff I don't know vacant for that amount which we don't have and surplus facility which we don't have. So you consider all those

104things in there and we'd have to decline the request because we do not have a facility that fits any of these categories according to their request in my non-legal jargon. That would be my view, right? We got to look for some of these hidden um I guess words and verbiage you know that that they provide within the law to be able to say sorry you know we can't help you in that particular case then Mater would have to look for their own facility within or outside of the five mile radius. They would have to look for their own facility. If they look for their own facility, then they would have to pay their own way. They would have to use their own funds, wherever those funds come from, to fund their own building, to fund

105their own schools, to fund their own transportation, their own everything. Am I correct? Because the according to this, it's only what's free essentially is what is used within our building. >> Right. and I would love to talk to you individually about our the legal strategy and don't want to discuss that in public if that's okay. >> Okay, this >> Okay, so the other the other thing so I'm glad that this is I'm so glad this is I I've been losing sleep over this because this is just insane and I think Mr. Dyer I think um because that was the other thing that I was going to bring up to Dr. Moore, who um are you still or are you going to be the president of FADS this year, next year or something? Weren't you nominated

106to be the president of something? >> President of No, no. I I am I am just on their executive board. >> Okay, that's okay. I got a little something. I got it a little wrong. Um because this I think let superintendent speak up loud. I mean, you all need to have a big pow-wow uh tremendously. And if board members across the state need to have a big pow-wow too, I think collectively all we need to do is >> just speak up and say we need just need to put a pause on this for a minute because this is going to be an incredible uh hardship financially, you know, uh for us to be able to cover all of this and and so on and there there's so many unknowns. Okay. The other thing that I

107was going to suggest is we have an upcoming legislative delegation session with uh Robbie Brackett and Eron Gro. Um even though this is not one of our legislative priorities, um I would say that this is a great opportunity for us to be able to mention this publicly, make a big stink about it. >> Um >> do whatever we need to do to make sure that they understand that this I mean we've got to throw it on our legislative priority platform board members. I would be happy to support an amendment. >> I think we should >> I think it should be the first thing we talk about, >> right? >> As soon as pos, you know, as soon as possible. I mean, it's coming up. We don't we're not going to have a board meeting by

108then, but honestly, I would be happy to have a special meeting just to update, you know, do an an addendum. >> Um, >> we have consensus. We don't need a meeting. We we all agree for our legislative priorities. >> Yeah. Okay. Consensus. All right, >> we're all agreed here. >> All right, done. So then the other thing is um going to bring it back to um Mr. Dyer mentioned something about homeschooling. I take offense to homeschooling. Homeschooling works. What I'm what I'm I'm totally okay with charter schools and homeschool. I'm okay with school choice. I'm okay with the competition, healthy, good competition. What I'm not okay with is a complete and utter takeover. That's what this seems like. That's what it appears and that's what it is. It's you must do this and you must

109fund this other program in this way even though they are going to receive federal funding. Like it's just it's ridicul. It is a total takeover. And that's what I do not agree with. I think a lot of this Dr. uh Mr. Dyer has happened um in very short quick form uh as a result of all of the things that occurred uh during and after COVID, right? All the parents saw the things that the the the the students were learning across the across the nation. um you know things like CRT, things like all of these other polit social political um items are reasons why parents said I'm not leaving my kid in public schools and this is the result. So I'm okay with a parent's choice to choose. I'm not okay with a total and complete

110takeover. I want to come back to some of the suggestions. Dr. more. I'm going to bring it back to your original request of what are some of our ideas um with regard to you know what we could do with our public schools and locations and efficiencies and all that kind of stuff. Um, I think a really good idea, uh, something to consider since Classical has, um, uh, Pelican Island Classical has had an incredible, um, interest, the community has had an incredible interest in it. Um, is to have one on the south side of the county. Uh, classical on the north side, classical on the south side. Um, it's something to consider in in the it is certainly an interest in our county. Obviously, every county is going to be different. Uh, but I think in

111this county, it is um it has proven to be um a want. So, that might be a a suggestion. another suggestion. And then of course if you go further south you might be able to pull from um that border St. Lucy County border um where Indian River Academy is forget what the name of that little no going into Fort Pierce. There's a Lakewood Park. We might be able to pull from Lakewood Park. you know, if they want to come into um Indian River, we can um we can certainly do that. The other thing with regard to Treasure Coast Technical College, um and this is a good thing, I will say. Um I'll share an anecdote. uh a student, a current Vero Beach High School student went to uh the open house at Vero Beach High

112School and um sweet girl, super sweet and she didn't know at all that Treasure Coast Technical College was part of was even here in our neighborhood um and part of the school district. And it comes out turns out that she is very interested in um the culinary program there. So of course I spoke to her and her mom. I'm like sure go on a tour blah blah blah. They went on a tour. Loved it. So now her daughter is very very excited about joining TCTC and the um um culinary program next year. So, I say that because I would really love it if we can have more exposure for our students, our current students who have not who have been here four years and she had no idea Treasure Coast Technical College was in our

113backyard. I think it is a hidden gem and I don't know if we're doing enough. I know we're not doing enough to bolster, you know, to share these opportunities with students. Um, that said, I love the idea of cosmetology. U, just keep in mind that we do have a beauty school um, located a huge beauty school located right next to uh, Five Guys community where Publix is 12th Street and US1. >> The competition is good. >> There is absolutely there is a beauty school that is right there. Um, so I I don't know like you know what I don't know where they come from or what I just know that there is a beauty school there. Um, so that's something to keep in mind when you do your um your research. The other thing um

114that I think is a big plus which a lot of people love and is never never goes old. I don't even know how and why we got rid of it is Construction is always huge. No matter where you go, construction will be needed. traditional old school construction. Um obviously planning, building, all that that stuff, woodwork, um all those things that everything that comes with um with uh construction could certainly be something to look into um with regard to vocational and technical training and uh education. Love preK. I think preK is a very very big idea, a big thing for preK though. I I mean, if we're not if we're going to have like one prek facility, I don't know what the plan is moving forward, but I would s I would suggest that that be

115as centrally located as possible because parents with little ones don't want to travel across, you know, uh um uh the county if they're working, you know, they you you want to make it at least um centrally located for them so it's not such an a hardship, travel hardship. Um, and lastly, there was a comment, Dr. Moore, about um, some conversations that you're having with individual board members moving forward on all of these plans. Um, and I hope that these conversations will be had in the public um, transparently before any decisions are made. Uh, because obviously that's the way it should be. um we don't want to move forward with any plans um without having the due process of that um happening first. Um and that is that's all that I have on my list here.

116>> All right. So, I got a lot of work to do. >> Okay. Um thank you board members. I think it was a really good meeting and we're out of here at 1:42. [Applause]