001Good evening. It is Monday, August 25th, 2025. I'd like to call this regular schoolboard meeting to order. Please stand for a moment of silence followed by the pledge of allegiance. >> Thank you. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Good evening, superintendent, fellow board members, staff, and the community. Thank you for joining us this evening. U moving right along into the agenda. Um board superintendent, do we have any changes, amendments, additions, or deletions to the agenda this evening? >> We have none. All right. No board either. Perfect. U moving on then with the agenda as displayed. Um approval of the minutes. Superintendent. Do you have a recommendation? >> I do
002recommend approval of the minutes from the regular school board meeting August the 11th, 2025. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Got a motion by Mr. Matias, second by Dr. Luke. Any discussion? All those in favor? >> I I passes 5. Um we do have a very special guest this evening. Congressman Daniel Webster is with us as along as his wife Sandy and his uh congressional aid Pam Jones. Uh Congressman Webster, would you like to like say a few words this evening? >> I do. I just want to cheer you on. Congratulations. I uh this is a this is a copy of the Congressional Record. The congressional record was uh instituted with the constitution and it's in the constitution that we have one a record of the occurrences in the congress each day. So this this
003will be in there. Somebody one of your grandchildren want to look up about lakes lake county schools are going to find out you were honored this day. So congratulations. Uh the my first uh sentence was just it is my distinct privilege to recognize Lake County Schools in Lake County, Florida for their outstanding achievement and earning an A rating from the Florida Department of Education for the school year of 2024 2025. So, congratulations to you and uh actually to the chairman and the board and your great superintendent who's done a fantastic job and staff in each of the schools plus the principles, students, they all contributed to what a a great year. It's been uh 17 years I think since you've had that distinction and uh we're proud to say way to go. He just did
004a great job. Awesome. [Applause] >> Oh, two in a row is awesome, too. >> That's always the goal. >> So, anyway, great to see you. We got this. Maybe we'll take a picture here or something. Do something to commemorate the fact that this happened >> because we're really grateful for it. Really thankful for it. And it's right here in Lake County, Florida. It's great. >> Perfectly. We'd love to meet you up front for a picture. Um, Congressman Webster, thank you for your service and being here this evening. Had the opportunity to walk Futland Park with you a couple weeks ago, so appreciate you being involved in the district and all you're doing for us in Tallah or DC. So, thank you very much. Awesome. Wait. All right, let everybody get situated. Thank you again to
005Congressman Webster, his wife Sandy, and Pam Jones for being with us this evening. Uh we appreciate it very much. Um we have no other representation this evening. Um Natalie, did we get any public input cards? All right. Um seeing none, we'll move on to the rest of the agenda. Um attorney report. Mr. Cole, do you have a report this evening? >> No, sir. >> All right, easy enough. Moving on to consent agenda. Superintendent, do you have a recommendation? >> Do I recommend approval of consent agenda items 901 through 11:05? >> So moved. >> Second. Got a motion by Mr. Matias, second by Mr. Dodd. Any discussion? All those in favor? >> I. Passes 50. Moving on to the discussion agenda this evening. Item 12.01, public hearing, final approval of new policy. Mr. Cole. Yes, sir.
006At this time, we open the meeting to a public hearing on final approval of new policy 9271, personalized education programs students. Uh, at this time, is there anyone who would like to have public input on the policy? >> Seeing none, we will close the public hearing. >> All right, superintendent, do you have a recommendation? >> I recommend approval of 12.01, the public hearing for final approval of the new policy 9271. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Got a motion by Mr. from Matias, second by Mrs. Cunningham. Any discussion? All those in favor? I >> I passes 50. Superintendent, your report this evening. >> Just um one quick reminder that um September 3rd, which is Wednesday, that's going to mess up your week next week, but of course, Monday is a holiday. So, Wednesday is a
007workshop where um Miss Randall will presenting our five-year capital plan. Always a fan favorite. And um we'll have a presentation um regarding the updates on Eustace Elementary School. Um so that is Wednesday at a regular time of 9:30. >> Okay. The third. >> The third. >> Okay. There's guardian training, but it starts at 8, so I should be there. >> Sessions throughout the day. I'm going to go to a later one. >> No, I'm going to the eight. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Okay. We're all good. Um just wanted to um of course thank Congressman Webster for being here tonight. Always great to see him. He's visiting some other schools this week as well. So he's very actively um involved in our schools and we're grateful for his ongoing support. Um I just mentioned
008that Monday is a holiday for Labor Day. And also we had the pleasure last week of going to our new Futland Park school where um bless Futland Park. Every year they make a donation um on behalf of the community and that organization to Futland Park. This year they adopted Beverly Shores which was very nice since they're in that that building and provided the schools a check for $26,000 um for whatever purposes they choose. And there was another organization that joined them this year. It's called Project Legacy and it is a new organization very similar to Less Fruitland Park and it's called Bless Rimes and it was um brought to the school by some of the churches in the area and it was intended to support Rimes Early Learning Center and they received a check as
009well and um so we're very excited to have these new organizations and just the continued growth in our community partnerships that is having a tremendous impact on our school. So, thank you to both of those organizations and to all our great business partners. Um, this is week three of an incredible school year. We're already off to a great start and just want to thank everyone for um the great start and um we just know that things will continue to run smoothly. So, that's all I have tonight. >> Thank you, Superintendent Dr. Luke. Um, I only had um obviously thanking the congressman as well for showing up tonight and for recognizing the distinction that we we've earned, but I particularly was pleased about the inclusion of the staff. So, I as often as possible um noticing
010the work and and the people that are behind the scenes in the work is really important and I'm appreciative that he did that. Um, I also wanted to just give two public service announcements. If you haven't filed your financial disclosure, you will begin to be fined on September 1st. And if you don't do that, someone from the ethics commission office will call you and remind you. So do that. Um, and then the second thing is last week I drove to Beverly Shores. And it wasn't until I got to Beverly Shores that I realized I needed to go to Futland Park. So those campuses, as much as we have talked about that, I pulled right up in there and went, "Okay, okay." And that was really weird. So going to Futland Park >> and seeing the
011people from Beverly Shores, it kind of sent me in a I mean, like it took me a minute to kind of get my head wrapped around that space. So, they're doing well. It was nice to be out there and to see how they've adapted to the campus and they're excited for their new campus. So, that's all I have. >> Mrs. Cunningham, >> um the schools that I visited in the last couple of weeks have been really going along well. Uh it has been a pleasure to see the students in the classrooms and seeing them engaged with the learning. I've had an opportunity to be in some classrooms and I have to say it brought back fun memories. I always get a bit sad on the first day of school because I feel like I'm missing
012out on something. But luckily in this position, I get to go and then it doesn't feel like I'm missing out on anything. So, I certainly want to congratulate the students and their parents for being ready to come back and for coming back prepared. And that has been obvious to me that students are very well prepared and so I'm predicting that it's going to be a wonderful year. Uh we are very encouraged and happy to see parents and students in the audience tonight. That's always nice. Uh please know that you're always welcome. Thank you, >> Mr. Dud. >> I would also like to extend my thanks to the congressman and for his support and uh and really just u how strongly we've been able to get this message out uh to the community that we are
013in a district because it I can't go anywhere without some random person congratulating us. And uh as much as I always would love to take the credit for that, really, I know that the the testament of hard work is is that staff right there. You know, as I had a chance to talk with many members of our staff before the meeting, I I'm just always in awe of how talented these people are and and how I learn something every single time I engage. And so um I'm just always thankful for all those conversations and and um hopefully you enjoy them just as much as I do. But um uh you know and just thinking about why why we do what we do or why I do what I do as part of this uh you
014know I always I I'm personally invested as I think many of us are or maybe all of us in some some way shape or form uh but I've got my own kids in our schools and uh and this year I have a senior so on that personal note uh just uh you know help me help me navigate through that. Um, last senior was a couple years ago and I I thought that time would just go so slowly, but here it is again. And in the first couple of weeks have been filled with uh Friday night football games. Uh, thank you Eustus for the hospitality. We enjoyed our visit uh there. And um we've also, you know, done some senior pictures and painted parking spots and it's just been just been a whirlwind. And I know
015like next week we'll be walking across a graduation stage. And so um anyway, it's a lot of fun to see it through the kids' eyes and to experience it and uh and just to know um you know that we are doing it for them and uh that just makes this so much more rewarding. So >> Mr. from a business side um I want to also thank Congressman Webster for being here. for Pam Jones who's always been right at his side and I think it's the first time I ever met his wife Sandy. What an amazing couple, right? I had the first opportunity to get really what it means to be an A district. And of course, if you all remember a few meetings ago, Vance said it was about me that I did it, which
016I did. No, but seeing our staff honored and all of our teachers honored is really important. But I had a new client come to my office and they decided to open their restaurant in Lake County because of our schools and it was the mom that pushed that decision. So they had an opportunity either Okala or Leburg and they actually decided Leburg for the great work that we're doing. So right off the bat you see that economic development is a huge component to why that's important. And it's great to be an A, but it's also to be to give parents the reassurance that their kids are going to get the education for them to succeed moving forward. And that's all I have. >> Thank you, Miss Matias. Yes, kudos to Congressman Webster for being here this
017evening and thank you to Pam for including staff in that picture. Um, we do a little bit up here at the DIS, but what staff um, our teachers and students do every day is really what made that a so I was happy for you guys to get some of that well-deserved recognition. Um, as Dr. Luke made her way over to Leburg. I also made my way over to Eustace last week. So, um, want to give a shout out to Mayor Hawkins and Chief Capri. Um, I got a call from some residents across the street from Eustace Middle with some long overdue challenges on car walkers uh, parking across the street from school to circumvent the car rider line. Um, and Eustace PD was out there um, every day the last two weeks to really try
018to curb that behavior and get folks from a safety perspective using the car rider line or the actual walkers walking home. Um, but that's been a long-standing issue that Eustace PD stepped up and really handled for us. So, I want to give them a a well-deserved shout out for that. Um, and all nine of my schools have been rocking and rolling so far. I think the first two weeks have been smooth across the board and really excited for the next 150 some odd days to keep rolling. Um, and as Congressman, how many days left? >> 169. Thank you. Not that you're counting. I mean, you got what, four more kids after that, so you're not done counting anytime soon. But as Congressman Webster said, year two of that a I'm looking forward to getting that
019done and sustaining the success moving forward. But a huge kudos to everybody who's in this room that made that happen. Um, did we miss anything this evening? Any other comments before we adjourn? >> Any objection to adjourning? >> We are adjourned. Thank you very much.