001Good evening everyone. Welcome to our regular scheduled schoolboard meeting of March the 23rd. 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. >> Okay, superintendent, are there any changes, amendments, additions, or deletions? >> Yes, we there was an HR addendum earlier in the day. It has since been removed. Item that was item 9.01. 1. Um the board was provided a copy under discussion. Item 11.01 policy 5200 attendance is being pulled for tenative approval. Um we'll be coming back to you at a later date. That is all >> board members. Okay. Is
002there we have a motion to approve? >> Yes. I recommend approval of the minutes from the regular school board meeting February 23rd, 2026. So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? >> I I vote. >> Okay. Then we'll move into public input >> and public input is going to be Mr. Farmer Banks. Farmer Banks Hellfrick. I live in the Clay Road District, South Lake County. Farm tip of the day. It is March and of spring was two days ago, the beginning of spring. Uh and the best crops to put in the ground now are beans and peas, uh cucumbers, watermelons, squashes, and then of course the perennials which are eggplants and peppers to name a few uh madam superintendent uh board uh distinguished guests. um the ways and means of bringing goods and services to
003customers to consumers uh by businesses, organizations, entrepreneurs, solarreneurs is capitalism. Capitalism is what has sparked the American dream. Uh many of us who have grown up here and many of us who came from another country to live here came because of the wealth for which we can build. Uh we can take that wealth and invest it in anything we want to. Uh homes and buildings and cars and land and crypto and gold and silver to name just a few. The one thing that wealth does not give us is happiness. The adage uh h money cannot buy happiness is actually true. Psychologists have found that uh happiness comes from the connections we have with each other, connections we have with the earth and connections we have with our pets. Um so where does happiness come from?
004It begins with service and you all being on the dis of serving our community. Uh even before service it starts with showing up merely showing up. Uh showing up builds connections. These connections form bonds or relationships. These relationships build community. Community therefore builds this trust that we have in the institutions. Uh and then it it it blossoms into happiness. So, you might ask yourself, um, Banks, why do you show up every month and speak at school board meetings? Um, I do it because it's part of showing up. Uh, I also show up at Love Groveland and card out food to the clients and ask them how they're doing. Um, this past November, I ladled gravy for u those for Thanksgiving who could not uh have their own Thanksgiving. Um, I show up at ribbon cutings
005and groundbreaking events at chamber after hours events. Um, not so much because I care. It's more because you all matter. Uh, and when I say you all, I mean Oklahoma. Um, I mean, Yalaha, how in the hills, Astatula, Mont Verde, Minnola, Claremont, Groveland, mascot, all the way down to four corners. South Lake County matters to me. Um, my name is Farmer Banks Hulri, uh, advocate for South Lake County, candidate for state house district 25. May you all be blessed. Thank you for allowing me to speak. >> Thank you, sir. Next, we have Mr. Vance Yokum, longtime advocate. Good to see you again. >> Yeah, I finally decided to cut my beard off so I didn't scare you. Um, I want to talk about my old favorite subject, AI. Uh, I've been spending quite a bit
006of time now developing processes and things to analyze different uh areas whether it's in government or it's uh actually am starting a business using AI. And uh the um what I wanted to do was to comment on an email I sent you all. You probably didn't have a chance to read it because it was long, but maybe I'll encourage you to read it with this little short PowerPoint that I've got. If the uh if David, you can turn on the projector. There we go. Okay. Um, I did a search on the LCSD website on the term AI. Couldn't find anything. I'd been told that there's an AI committee, but I didn't find anything there. I did a search on Lake Tech. Nothing on AI. I did a search in the in the county and got
007one mentioned in their five-year five-year report that they did last year. Um the uh my view is that Lake County needs to get with the program on using AI and encouraging it or all your students are not going to be able to find a job. uh they're not going to be able to cope with the environment the AI there's tremendous number of YouTube videos and people some of them are you know flimflam artists but others are very serious researchers and academics and scientists I was just watching one today scientists and they're talking about using open claw which is the new newest model that has a lot of security weaknesses in it but a guy's running four computers with it and he's building and he has the capability and the knowledge to build a billion-doll company
008with it. Um, and so what I wanted to do is just quickly go over this. Um, that's kind of a summary of what I sent you. And the, uh, read that they are your students graduating without AI literacy? Can they compete for 65% of future jobs that require AI skills? Uh neighbors in Orange, Seol, and Ociella counties already have AI curriculum. Uh they have gotten into a program that's run by UCF. I did ask the superintendent. She was never told about it, but these high schools have been in it for like tw they have funded teachers from UCF and other things like that. So, one of the recommendations I have here is to contact them and see how to get some of our high schools in that program. already. Well, I'll have to send you
009my uh whole four-page PowerPoint and the other things, but just let me quickly read the the recommendations. There's three. One is that I just mentioned, which is to contact the UCF and get into that program. Um the there are examples from Georgia and others where they've been using it for years and they have all their students are learning how to do it so they can get jobs for companies seeking AI skills. U the u their districts that earn Perkins funds and I assume you know that but they're getting it because they have AI programs for those teachers. >> Prepare to wrap it up please. >> And that's I'll leave you with that. Uh, I really encourage you to seriously consider putting together a um a red team to uh start uh moving into the use
010of AI and teaching. And you're going to have to weed some people out >> like when spreadsheets came. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Um Elizabeth Emery Good evening, Chair Matias, board members, and Superintendent Cornnegie. We hope everyone had a wonderful spring break. As we enter the fourth and final quarter of the school year, we encourage all staff to take time for themselves. This season brings many opportunities for celebration, but it is also one of the most stressful times of year. Testing season is upon us and final preparations for next school year are underway and difficult decisions are being made across the district. The outlook for next year's budget remains challenging. Rising costs continue to impact our district and employees. As the district evaluates these impacts, we will continue to offer ideas and work collaboratively towards
011solutions. One example is our ongoing effort to address increased health insurance costs and ensure employees fully understand their benefits. We have added information to our website lca.org/resources so educators have a single place to find benefit information including their member benefits. We are also working with district leadership and the committee members to explore other common sense solutions. Another example of collaboration is our partnership on the district allocation committee. We thank the board for agreeing to contract language that allows our involvement and for the opportunity to engage in these important discussions. This district continues to face hard to fill positions and employee workloads are not decreasing. Like many districts across Florida, Lake County Schools is underst staffed relative to the work that's required and this is an allocation issue. We brought several items forward to the committee
012that were first discussed at the bargaining table, including class size and classroom teacher workload, student services workload such as testing coordinators, ESSE positions, school social workers, and school psychologists, days beyond contract for program specialists and media specialists, and transparency and communication around allocation changes. We appreciate the opportunity to share these concerns before plans are presented and approved. We take our role seriously and will continue to ensure that every single instructional employee, regardless of position or location, is represented and not overlooked. We value the relationship and partnership we have built. We also value the time district leaders have spent meeting with us. Working together is not only the right approach, but it ensures the best outcome for our students, employees, and all Lake County citizens. Thank you for your time and for all you do. And
013I also want to put a plug in for AI. We do offer AI trainings through our affiliates and we just had several members attend recently in Orlando and we've heard great feedback. So, we're always trying to stay ahead of the curve and help support our educators. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Jessica. So, so Wiki, is that right? Wiki, >> good evening board chair and superintendent Cornnegie. We hope everyone enjoyed their spring break and took some time for themselves. During the legislation session, 10 Lake County educators traveled to Tallahassee to speak directly with our representatives about the needs of our schools and our students. The session has now ended and we still do not have a finalized state budget. A special special session has now been scheduled for April. That means the decision that
014will impact our schools are still being made. There is time for our voices to matter. We know that Florida's per pupil funding continues to fall short of what our students and educators need to truly succeed. If we want stronger schools, better resources, and the ability to recruit and retain highquality educators, funding must be a priority. We urge this board to take an active role in encouraging our legislators to prioritize public education funding during the upcoming special session. And just as importantly, ask our families, staff, and community members to do the same. When our entire community speaks with one voice, it sends a message that cannot be ignored. Let's stand together and demand that public education is a priority so we can ensure our students, our schools, and our community get what we deserve. Thank you.
015>> Thank you very much. And here here. Okay. Moving to reports, we have Jasmine Gaines and Avery Post from East Richidge High School with the superintendent student advisory committee report. >> Hello, my name is Jasmine Gaines and I am the student body president at Eastarch High School and with me I have Avery Post and she is the student body vice president at Eastarch High School. We are in the superintendent student advisory committee and we're the representatives for Eastarch High School and we're glad to join you tonight for a few updates. The annual student leadership conference was held on February 28th with about 250 students attending. The student led breakout sessions were wellreceived and highly engaging. Everyone attending enjoyed the day and students left with new ideas and new friends. We want to thank Umatella High
016School for hosting the event and thank you to South Lake High School for already volunteering to host next year's conference. We would also want to thank the education foundation for providing lunch for all students. The superintendent student advisory council met earlier today for a brief recap on their conference. We focused our time on the primary project which is working alongside Miss Celis and the college and career readiness to develop a district hub to help students more easily navigate the confusing college application process. The hub will contain links that provide informations on such things as when and how to start the college application process, scholarship information, bright futures, completion and submission of transcripts, and using sites such as the Common App, Spark, STAR, and FASA. The site will also include FAQs, checklists for students, as well
017as a timeline breaking down by grade level and tips and supporting links to help students write their essay. In addition to the hub, the idea of each school having a senior panel where students in grades 9, 10, and 11 can meet with seniors who have just gone through the college application process and can be advised in the best way on the students do and don'ts, including what to do if you get a rejection letter and the many pathways available for them to still get into their dream school. Before our next meeting, we will send Miss Celis the resources we are currently using at each school and other ideas and resources, things to help build the resource hub. In other news, it is exciting time at Eastridge High School. This week, our students are participating in
018prom spirit week where today's theme was senior citizens. Eastidge is also preparing for graduation in the upcoming school year by hosting a parent informational session this Thursday, followed by class meetings next week. Our school's NHS members have been working on their individual service projects that range from collecting donations for animal shelters to hosting book drives. We are incredibly proud of our Eastridge nights. Thank you guys. >> Thank you very much. Education report, Dr. Elizabeth Johnson. >> Good evening everyone. I hope everyone also enjoyed their spring break. A few highlights for you all. The Education Foundation completed all of our events for the 2526 school year for the New World's Reading Initiative, including our most recent events before spring break spring break at Leburg Elementary School and Minnola Horizon Academy. As for Apple Mart, since the
019start of the school year, we've had 754 teacher visits, equating to more than $110,000 in school supplies going to our classrooms. The take stock and children program is also um they've wrapped up their interviews for the 2627 cohort of students and so we'll continue that process to have those students selected for the next school year. The scholarship um application wrapped up March 1st um and there were 197 students that applied for education foundation scholarships um and that review cycle will end this week um and they'll be notified in the coming months. The Education Foundation board of directors convened at the end of February to participate in a board retreat. The takeaways from this meeting will inform our 2026 2028 priorities and strategic plan which will be finalized before the end of June. As for our
020events, right before spring break, we held the Scott Strong Memorial Clay Shoot. Um that event brought in almost $30,000 for that scholarship and so very successful and looking forward to next year's event on February 5th. Our ladies for golf tournament is scheduled for April 17th and is already sold out. And then we will also have a number of celebrations for the end of April. All of y'all were invited. So just reiterating our volunteer celebration April 28th, our scholarship and scholars um breakfast on April 29th which is presented by Insight Credit Union and the lasting legacy celebration which celebrates our retirees as well as the district's alumni hall of fame is also April 29th in the evening. And then stepping out for education. So the 20th anniversary is this year and this will be July 31st
021and August 1st. Um and with it being the 20th anniversary, this competition will have a fun twist. Um where we will be bringing four returners or all stars and four new dancers or rising stars. They include Tyler Barowski of the Lakes Lake County Tax Collector's Office, Frank Rimson of Rimson Law, Sharon Nobles of Nobles Marine, Elise Morris of Lifstream, Fred Griffin Jr. of Touching Hearts Group Home, Christy Micinger of the Sheriff's Office, Kase Stornorn of United Southern Bank, and your very own Dr. Stephanie Luke of the Lake County School Board. >> Last year's Mirrorball winner, Marlene, um, will be back in action with her encore performance. We're finalizing our marketing materials and we'll have sponsorship information in the coming weeks. Any questions? >> Thank you. >> Okay. Attorney's report. >> No report. >> Okay. Moving
022on to our new business, which is the consent agenda. Superintendent, do you have a recommendation? >> I do. I recommend approval of the consent agenda items 8.01 to 10.03. Board. >> So moved. >> Second. Any discussion? All those in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? >> I vote. Okay. All the way down to new business. >> Are you ready for me? >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. At this time, we're going to move into a public hearing. Open a public hearing for tenative approval of policies 2111. Parent and family engagement in the school program 2215 Program of Instruction 2261 Title One Services 2261.02 Title One Parents Right to Know 2410 School Health Services 2417 Comprehensive Health Education 2450 Adult and Community Education 5223 Absences for Religious Instruction 5330.01 01 self-administered medication and epinephrine use 533.03 the
023administration of epine epipenephrine by trained school personnel rescended 55 5350 student suicide prevention awareness and screening uh and 5780 student student uh parent rights and that is it at this time. Is there anyone who would like to speak to any of these policies? Seeing one fake and no others, um, uh, we will close the public hearing. >> Superintendent, do you have a recommendation? >> I recommend tenative approval of the policies as presented with policy 5200 pulled for a later date. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All All those in favor? >> I opposed by vote. Superintendent, >> just a few quick updates. First of all, there were no letters of condolence sent since our last meeting. I hope that everyone did have a great spring break. Um, I want to remind families that
024the VPK application window opens on this Wednesday and the details are available on the district website. And also, this is the time of year where eighth and nth grade students who want to transfer to another school for a selected CTE program or one of our acceleration pathways can do so. Um, and that information is also on our website, but that application process is now open. Um, also I want to congratulate the Eustace High jazz band ensemble one. For the sixth consecutive year, they earned straight superior ratings on the state music performance assessment, its equivalent of straight A's by all of the judges. And so kudos to band director Matthew Flinter for his leadership and to our student musicians. Very proud of them. That's all I have tonight. >> Okay, members. Uh, not much to add.
025Uh, just want to give a shout out to Leburg High School and the chorus program. Um, Mr. Floyd took a group of students up to Carnegie Hall in New York City over spring break to perform and I hear that went extremely well. Miss Patt went up for the trip as well as another one of the teachers, Mr. Pass. So, from what I understand, a good time was had by all and a wonderful performance uh by those students. Hope everyone had a wonderful spring break. Thank you, Vance, for coming back. You look great with the haircut and the beard shave. I hear AI did that for you, so appreciate that. Um, Elizabeth and Jessica, thank you for always being here. Dr. Jay, what you do at the Ed Foundation and our student advisory council was wonderful
026tonight as always. So, looking forward to a great last push before the end of the school year. >> No comment. >> Well, before spring break, I took advantage of a very intriguing invitation by Umatella Elementary to go check out the Rocket Day. You know, for the entire duration I've been on this board, I've always had some random conflict on it, so I never got a chance to see it. And, uh, it lived up to the hype. Yeah, it was it was very exciting. Uh, so I'm really grateful for the invitation. It's what a kind of a ceremonial right of passage for the fifth graders. So, uh, pretty exciting to to watch and see. So, thanks to them for that invitation. >> I have nothing either. Thank you. >> And I'm really glad everyone had a
027wonderful spring break. Some of us had to work, so we held down the port. Anyway, as always, looking forward to going through this last quarter graduation just signing up for It's hard to believe that we're already doing that. Anyway, and that's all I have. So, meeting adjourned.