001Good evening everyone. Welcome to our April 13th regular school board meeting. Before we begin the work of the district, let us stand for a moment of silence followed by the pledge of allegiance. 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. >> Welcome everyone. Superintendent, do we have any changes, amendments, or additions to the >> Just that there were two HR addendems added today to item 901 and the board has been provided copies. >> Board members approval of the minutes. >> I recommend approval of the minutes from the regular school board meeting March 23rd, 2026. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All those in favor? I. >> Any opposed? I vote. Okay. Presentation.
002Mr. Patrick Dodd, athletic director. Good evening. It's certainly a privilege to be before you tonight to recognize some student athletes and their accomplishments. The first group of athletes I want to recognize is from East Ridge High School. And Mr. Dodd, if you want to help me with that. Um, first of all, I'd like to recognize our coach, Brandon Brazwell. He is here. If you would please stand, coach. He is uh he's a he's an asset to our district and changes student athletes experiences exponentially, both in not only in weightlifting, but in other sports as well. And just want to recognize him. He was named coach of the year at East Ridge last year. So, we're we're excited about him and appreciate him. Our first student athlete is Molly O'Hara. Molly, if you come on up.
003Molly is our 129 lb traditional FHSA class 3A state champion. And just to hear some numbers, she had 190 lb clean and jerk, 165 pound bench press for a total of 335 lb total lift. uh really quite an accomplishment and a great athlete and also participates at a high level in CrossFit on a national scale. So congratulations Molly Amamira Newton 154 pound traditional FHSA class 3A state champion. These are incredible numbers. 185 lb cleaning jerk, a 195 lb bench press for a 380 lb total. Those are monster numbers. If you're familiar with Olympic lifts, uh that's quite impressive. Our 3A state champions representing Eastridge High School. Congratulations Mr. Cunningham, if you'd like to assist with this. Our next group is our Tavar's Unified Basketball State Champions. And I want to uh acknowledge three people in
004particular. Uh, Coach Jordan Talmage was our head coach, but he is also our head tennis coach, and tennis districts have carried over a little longer tonight than he anticipated. And with him is two of our student athletes who are also playing tennis, Dayton Rogers and Josiah Stra, who won't be with us. But also want to recognize Matthew Griffin. If you please stand, does a great job with our our kids. And Michelle Matheni. and Michelle spearheads so much in our district with with our um unified teams and and when you talk about changing student athlete experiences, that's what it's all about. And uh and they do that exponentially and couldn't be prouder for them to be Lake County School Board employees. Our student athletes we want to recognize is Kamari Williams. Miss Mathen. So we have
005a couple that are later rivals and I'll read their names quickly. Paul Gil, Zearius Hardy, Elliot Middleton, Isaiah Welch, and Josiah Strat. These are these guys are back-to-back 3A FHSA unified state champions in basketball. It's a really cool thing that's happening and that has been created in large part by our folks at Tavaris and Dr. Kney is our principal there and we're just really proud of what they're doing and when you get a chance to see those kids participate um there's a joy that goes with that that I think is what's cool about education and what's cool about Lake County. So, thank you all so much for recognizing our student athletes. Okay, we'll now enter our public input. We have uh Mrs. Elizabeth Emmery. >> Hi. Good evening, board chair Bill Matias and Superintendent Dian
006Cornnegie. First, I want to say how wonderful it is to see Mr. Felner this evening. You and your family have been in our thoughts and we are so glad you're doing well. LCA is excited to share that we received 11 applicants to our Cynthia Shoemarker Scholarship Award. One of the largest applicant groups we have had. Our committee is reviewing the applications and winners will be announced at the May 11th schoolboard meeting. We are also looking forward to the exceptional student education superintendent teacher advisory committee. This meeting will be Wednesday at Taris High School. We appreciate the superintendent for creating this opportunity for a meaningful dialogue and we thank district leadership especially Francis Celis, Emily Felner, Kendra Abner and their teams for the work that made this collaboration possible. This time of year can also be
007challenging for many district employees. We know administrators are making difficult decisions for staffing and some colleagues may not be reappointed. We want those employees to know that LCA is here to support you. The district also has resources available to help answer questions about benefits and next steps and we encourage educators to reach out. We also appreciate the superintendent for explaining the additional administrative positions included in the board documents tonight. We understand the importance of strengthening support for teachers and instructions and we appreciate that these positions are not coming at the expense of instructional allocations. At the state level, the Florida legislature has not yet passed the budget. Current proposals include a modest increase to teacher pay of about $20 more per paycheck, 4.5 billion in vouchers without clear accountability, and less than 1% increase to
008the base student allocation. These realities continue to place added pressure on districts to meet growing needs with limited resources, but we're continuing to advocate and work towards some more budget solutions. On May 4th, we look forward to joining colleagues to learn more about our local referendum effort and hope it will help educator retention and the budget challenges. On Thursday, April 16th at Leburg Elementary from 5:30 to 7, we are excited to hold our second community school parent university for parents of students from kindergarten to grade 8. And with a focus on growing strong readers, one conversation at a time. We'd love for you to join us and look forward to seeing lots of parents there. We will be providing dinner, child care, and books from all attendees. We value our partnership with the district and
009the continued dialogue we've had. Working together leads to the best outcomes for our students, employees, and the Lake County community. Thank you for your time and for all that you do. >> Great. Okay, Farmer Banks Hellfrick. >> I am Farmer Banks Hellfrick. I live in the Clay Road District, South Lake County. Farm tip of the day. Um, you can take a twig from a malberry tree, cut it off, you can place it into the ground, and a new malberry tree will grow. Um, also right now on the farm, um, the giving farm is actually the name of it. Um, the mulberries are dripping from the malberry tree and one of the hacks is to put a blanket underneath the tree to shake the tree gently. Mulberries will fall down. You can scoop them up with
010your hands, uh, and eat them like a child. Whoever your hands and your mouth will turn purple. Um, madame uh, superintendent board, um, do we point our finger at our president and blame him for the direction of our country? Do we uh blame our governor and our legislators for the high cost of living in Florida? Do we turn towards our county commissioners and say they are the reason why our roads are not maintained? Do we tr look at our mayors of Groveland and Claremont in every single city and say they're the reason why our water bills are so high? Yes, we do. We are a blaming society. We blame every chance we get. Um, my mother used to always say, "When you point your finger at someone, you're actually pointing three back at yourself." 250
011years ago, this July 4th, our forefathers uh were sick and tired of blaming England for not having a country of their own. So, what did they do? They took responsibility. In doing so, they took their own country and formed this great nation of ours. the the one thing you cannot do is you cannot blame and take responsibility at the same time. So we are at a crossroads in our country right now. We can either uh take ownership and take responsibility for this great nation of ours or we can point the finger and be blamers of nothing. I am farmer banks, advocate for South Lake County, candidate for state house district 25. May you all be blessed. Thank you for allowing me to speak. >> And then last, we have Honorable Robin Haynes, Councilwoman from Mascot.
012>> Good evening, superintendent and board members. I am appearing before you tonight in a dual capacity. A mother with a child in our schools and a council woman concerned with fair and consistent application of public policy. I'm here because of structural failure in the policy number 5136. Recently, my eighth grader, my eighth grade daughter had her phone fall out of her pocket. She followed the natural instinct to pick it up and return it to the store location which was her pocket. In that in that small time, a teacher walked in and observed her phone in her hand. Despite the school officially verifying that the phone was never used, her grad venture, her eighth grade grad venture trip was taken away from her due to a cell phone violation. I had to fight and advocate just
013to overturn the punishment for a mechanical in accident accident. The fact that a parent has to go to war with administration to correct an obvious injustice proves that our current policy has evolved into a negligence trap, one that punishes students for the simple act of protecting their own property. I asked the teachers and the principal should she have left her phone on the floor and hope that it was there after finding an administrative to retrieve permission to retrieve it. I I didn't receive an answer to that. Why this matters to me as councilwoman is because not every student has an advocate at home like my daughter does. And I look at this through the lens of good governance. When a policy is written with vague language like as designated by a teacher or an escalating
014scale without a fixed ladder, it invites unconscious bias and selective enforcement. As a public official, I know that inconsistent rules undermine public trust. Currently, our teachers are placed in unethical positions of being property wardens with no objective district-wide standard. This creates a fragmented environment where students disciplinary record depends more on which teacher they have than rather the actual beha their actual behavior. This is a liability for the district and a failure of our duty to provide a predictable fair environment for all families. Proposed solution. In your packet that I've provided, I have outlined three standardized solutions for a future policy workshop. a safe harbor retriever clause to grant a 30-cond window for students to return a dropped device to it stored location. The this restores the students ability to protect their asset and shield the
015district from liability for forced property loss. Does that timer me? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. So, after that, that's it. I I'm almost to the conclusion. Do I get >> Go ahead. Go ahead and finish. >> Okay. Um Sorry. Sorry, let me just put my eyes back on. This removes the burden of selective enforcement from teachers and passive visibility. We must align our local code with true intent of the Florida statute 6.07, stopping digital distractions without criminalizing the act of storing property. My daughter, my daughter, while my daughter's situation was resolved after fighting, not many families have resources or h or like I said, children don't have advocates at home. Um, and I just want you guys to have a moment to just review the language in the policy because it also states in the
016policy that each teacher gets to decide where it's okay for the phone to be stored. So, while in first period it may be okay for it to be in the pocket, in second period she may be a student may be punished for having it in the pocket because the teach that teacher wants it in the book bag and then 40 minutes later when they go to another class that teacher may want it in the locker. So, that's three cell phone violations in three hours. And that's all that I have. I thank you guys for your time. I thank you guys for reviewing this packet and giving me the additional time to speak before you. >> MS, what school does your daughter go to? >> Um, Miss Hughes. And she go >> Oh, Hughes, I'm sorry.
017>> That's fine. That's fine. She goes to um Gray Middle School. >> Thank you. >> Yes. Thank you guys for your time. >> I've responded earlier to your email. So, >> I saw it on my way over here. I did, but I still I had already prepared to come in and I saw it on my way over here. I do thank you for even responding and reaching out. Um I'm not sure if I CCed everybody here in the email, but I do recall you saying you were going to um get it out for me. >> I appreciate you. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Okay. Education report. Dr. Johnson. >> Good evening, superintendent, board chairman, and school board members. We are preparing to celebrate a number of partners, supporters, and students at the
018end of this month. Our volunteer celebration is scheduled for the evening of April 28th where we will recognize the Lake County Schools volunteer of the youth of the year for the youth, adult, and senior categories. We will also recognize the take stock and children mentor of the year as well as the education foundation's business partner of the year and board member of the year. On April 29th, we will celebrate the 2026 scholarship recipients at the scholarship and or scholar and um scholarship and scholar breakfast presented by Insight Credit Union. More than 60 students will be recognized. We'll also be celebrating the evening of April 29th, the district's retirees and alumni hall of fame inductees at our lasting legacy celebration. This week we will host the ladies for education golf tournament. Our presenting sponsor is the
019Marian S. Shuck Scholarship Trust and we are on track to surpass our fundraising goal of $25,000. We have great silent auction lined up as well that will go live on Wednesday. So even if you can't attend to golf, you can support by accessing that silent auction. Our Apple Mart continues to be a popular resource for our educators. Through April 8th, we've had visits from $820 teachers, which equates to 119,670 worth of school supplies distributed to our teachers this year. Take Stock and Children has completed their interview process for the 2627 cohort. Um they'll be hosting their last workshop of the year on Thursday. And I'm excited to share that Parody Financial Group hosted a golf tournament today um to support them which is bringing $15,000 to the Take Stock and Children program. Finally, we've had
020the opportunity to visit a number of schools and teachers this past month who have received teacher impact grants um including Round Lake um showcasing STEM activities. We visited Tar's High School and their incubator program and we'll visit Lake Hills North next week and their art program. So, lots of things to wrap up the school year. Any questions? >> Great work. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Cole. Uh, no report. Superintendent, our consent agenda, >> recommend approval of consent agenda items 8.01 to 10.02. >> So moved. >> Second discussion? >> No. >> All those in favor? >> I opposed. >> 50. Okay, we're in discussion. >> Okay. Uh, thank you. Uh, item 11.01. Uh travel request from Tyler Brandenburgg, school board member district 2, to attend the FSBA annual summer conference June 10th to 12th, 2026 at
021the Grand Hyatt Tampa, Florida. The fiscal uh impact is $8798 from the general fund school board budget. Um this is all in accordance with Florida statute 101.395 uh which states specifically each board member of a district school board shall be allowed from the district funds reimbursement of travel expenses is authorized in 112.061 of the Florida statutes provided that any travel outside the district exceeds $500 requires prior appro prior approval. Um so at this point I will ask if anyone would like to address the travel item for Tyler Brandenburg. Seeing none. The second item. Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead and take a motion on that one. Do I have a motion? >> Some moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> All those in favor? >> I >> We have a identical travel request by Molly Cunningham,
022school board member, District 4, to ascend attend the same conference on the same date, at the same place, and for the same amount. So, I will not read everything I read before. Um, but does anyone have uh any anything they'd like to say regarding this travel item for Molly Cunningham? >> It is a nickel more. >> $13 the way I read it. >> I I live further from Tampa. >> It is a nickel more. >> Only a nickel. >> So moved. Is that Is that >> That's what we're waiting on. >> Any more discussion? All those in favor? >> I I Okay, superintendent. >> All right. Just um a few closing remarks for me tonight. Um first of all, we had two letters of condolences that were sent since our last meeting. Um to the
023family of Ricky Alejandro Martinez. He's the son of Richard Martinez, a bus driver in transportation. Condolences to his family. And also to the family of Timothy Robert Moses. He's the father of Timothy Moses, teacher at Grey Middle School, Tina Moses, teacher at Eastridge High School, and father-in-law to Nicole Moses, the principal at Groveland Elementary. So, condolences to that family. Um, also last week was an exciting time as we learned that Rashonda Scott, the assistant principal at Eastridge High School, was named one of the three finalists for the 2026 Florida Assistant Principal of the Year. So we um celebrate her and congratulate her and we look forward to that announcement that will come on June the 9th. Um also in other exciting news um Ibuild Central Florida and ABC which is the Association of Building and
024Construction of Central Florida named Dan McCauley of Leburg High School their high school construction teacher of the year. So, another great um recognition there for him and Leburg High School. And also super exciting, especially given the the recent um Artemis 2 launch and successful return to Earth is Aurelia M. Cole Academy. They had applied and were chosen by NASA to participate in an in-flight STEM download link event. So, on May the 8th, they haven't given us a time yet. The students have submitted questions to the astronauts in on the um um International Space Station and it'll be a live broadcast between the students and the International Space Station with them responding, answering their questions. A big NASA event as um one of the Space Coast Districts. Um I'm super excited that they were selected and
025and thank them for reaching out and for um um applying for that. So I'll let you know the time when we know more, but that'll be an exciting day at Maru and Cole. And lastly, our annual Steam Bowl kicked off today and continues through Wednesday for elementary and middle school students. So, congratulations to today's winners and we look forward forward to the rest of the event for the remainder of the week. >> Okay, board members. >> Uh, ditto all those items. Um, and also want to add a couple more. Uh, first a shout out to Mr. Joseph Mavery in the back. Um since our last board meeting, he has been the guest speaker on two different panels for the Florida School Board Association and the Central Florida Public School Board Coalition on Safety and Security.
026Um so Joseph, as we all know, is a multi-time award-winning real-time crime center recipient among many other things, but no, he he is very well thought of across the state um and a true expert when it comes to safety and security and gave a great presentation today uh for all the school districts in Central Florida. So, Joseph, thank you for always stepping up to the plate and doing those things. Um, also want to give a shout out to Leburg Police Department for hosting the um annual junior chief junior athletic games or JAG at Leburg High School again this Saturday or past Saturday. Um, all six of our Leburg area elementary schools participated and uh not shockingly, Futland Park Elementary won once again. Uh, Coach Ramos, the PE teacher there, treats this like the Olympics. I
027swear they train year round. Um, and they won once again. So, congrats to Fruit Park Elementary and thank you again to Leisburg Police Department. Um, and last but certainly not least, I want to give a shout out to Miss Natalie Challenger, um, who earned the recognition of the Florida School Board Association Certified Support Professional. Um, I understand she's one of only 43 in the state to earn this title and I think we can all agree that she is certainly the most deserving of those 43. Natalie, thank you for what you do for us uh, for many, many years and for that achievement. That's all I've got this evening. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Mr. Vandenberg. >> Way to go. >> So, while Mr. Brandenburgg has already announced it, uh, Mrs. Challenger, I'm c
028I certainly would like to congratulate you and tell you that I am sure we all very much appreciate you and we appreciate the extra effort that it took for you to do that. So, congratulations and thank you again. And that's all I have. >> All right. Well, I'd like to extend uh some appreciation from the Lake Sumpter world. And maybe I'm stealing your so you can start ripping up papers there, but you know, over the last couple weeks, uh the Lake Sumpter uh students in the bachelor's program have had a chance to go visit Lake Hills and Grassy Lake. And today we were at Lost Lake Elementary. And just a big thanks to those staffs, especially the teachers who open up their classrooms for these students to be able to to walk in and observe
029uh some outstanding teaching practices. But you know, here's another one. How about those students? because despite the crowds of visitors crowds small groups of visitors coming in, these students seem unfazed, which is remarkable that they can just stay laser focused on their learning and uh you know, use the great opportunity to, you know, they're eager to share what they what they've learned with the with the the Lake Sumpter students. So anyway, big thanks to that. Also looking forward to Steam Bolt. And I don't know about any of you, but I learned a new fact tonight. I always remember the monkey chasing the weasel around a malberry bush. I didn't realize they grew trees. So, um, anyway, new information for me, right? Wasn't it a bush? I'm the nurse. >> I feel like I learned that
030rhyme as >> all around the mberry bush. >> Thank you. I'm with you. >> Right. All right. Maybe it's Maybe it's a younger generation thing. >> It's a It's a bush before it becomes a tree. >> I don't want to go anymore. Are we good? Are you done? >> I heard bush, too. Um, Natalie, you are a wonderful that everyone has said, I have really enjoyed the opportunity to work with you and even just to know you as a person. So, thank you for all you do for us. Um, I would like to say ditto. Yes, I actually had it written down. I'm like, nope, I'm sure that will be covered. So, that was good. Um, it's amazing the the learning that takes place and the willingness of our educators to open their doors and
031be be watched um to that magnitude. So, it's a wonderful wonderful thing. Um, I also wanted to shout out to Mr. Mabberry and Mr. Zamora for always answering random text messages for me. So I really appreciate it um more than you guys know and I ever get to tell you. So I think that was all I had. Oh, Stemball Steam Bowl. That was me. >> I went to the seam bowl today and it is amazing. So the CIA team outstanding worked your entire team. There were people there from every every stretch of your department. I know it's time and um the students really enjoyed. It was amazing to see their building tasks and the work that they did and listening to them collaborating. But I know it wouldn't be without the fruits of the of
032your team, Dr. Felner and even Mrs. Foster was there. So many principles were there supporting students, teachers were there, parents were there. It was outstanding event. So it was a pleasure to be a part of it today. That's it. Thank you. >> How are you doing with Dancing with the Source? >> Dancing starts May 1st, >> right? But I have I have my song picked. I'm not going to say it out here. >> Okay. So now I know to go first when there's something really special. Natalie, Natalie, you you have been amazing. My years of service and without you I would be totally lost and you know that. So I'm grateful to you. I'm also you set the bar when you we all strive to be lifelong learners and this is just another example of
033you really applying because of your passion and it is much appreciated. So thank you. Okay, without any objection, meeting a journ.