001our superintendent to lead us in our invocation and pledge. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Dear heavenly father, we come be before you always to ask for your wisdom and discernment as we carry on our school board meetings, as we make our decisions over items that come before us, that we always keep the best interests of our students in mind. We ask that you bless our students on this first week of school, that you bless our district and the teachers, and just show us your grace. Um, we also ask that you give your comfort to families that we know in the district are suffering right now with losses and illnesses. We just ask that you wrap your arms around them, give them comfort, give them healing, and just be with them in a difficult time. We
002know that you never give us anything harder than we can get through, but sometimes we just need some added comfort and peace within our lives. All this we pray in your name. Amen. Amen. Please address the flag. >> 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. >> All right. I will entertain a motion to adopt our agenda. So move. >> Second. >> Have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. Any oppose? Like sign? Motion carries. We'll get right on into it. >> Oops. No superintendent highlights. >> Ma'am, >> sorry. No superintendent highlights. >> No superintendent highlights tonight. So, >> sorry. I didn't realize that was still on.
003>> If it is okay, we will just skip over that tonight. All right. Welcome everybody. We got a long agenda. We're going to get through it as best we can. I'd like to call on Well, he's not here. >> It's going to be Mr. >> Mr. Mlen, come on down, my friend. John Lot has skipped out on it. >> Put a mark against him right there. >> I need a change and I missed that. >> Good evening everybody. Um, so this is our second review of this within the 30 days. U, we have have not had any public uh comments or questions on these policy changes. Um, and we're looking to approve for the next board meeting, I believe. 26. >> Do we need a a motion to advertise or we just keep >> We're
004still It's just a just a review. If you have any questions changes, right? >> Thank you, sir. Excellent job. You're filling his shoes. Well, we now move to our public comments. Anybody here tonight have anything to say? Seeing none, do we have an email? >> Uh yes, sir. We have a public comment. is a concerned parent about the pickup at one of our schools and it is being addressed. >> Thank you, ma'am. >> You're welcome. >> Uh we'll move over to our minutes from the last meeting on July 31st. Has everyone had a chance to read over those minutes? >> Yes, sir. >> And if there are no changes, >> no [snorts] changes. >> I'll accept a motion to approve the minutes. >> So move. >> Second. >> A motion and a second. All those
005in favor say I. >> Any oppose? Like sign. Motion carries. We'll now move into our consent agenda. Has everyone had a chance to read over the consent agenda? >> Yes. >> M. Campbell, do you have any questions? >> I do not. >> Mrs. Bter, >> mine been answered. Thank you. >> You? >> No question. >> How about you, Clemenski? >> No questions. >> And I don't have any questions either. All right. At this point, I'll entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda. So move. >> No further discussion. All those in favor, please say I. >> Any opposed? Like sign. Motion carries. We'll now move into the consent agenda. Are there any questions concerning the finance consent agenda? Everybody's had that answered and understand that? All good. All right. I will entertain a motion to
006accept that. >> Second. Have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. >> Any oppose? Like sign. Motion carries. We now move to our superintendent's comment comments and recommendation. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um board, I passed out what [snorts] you'll see as legal services contract and then a Levy County Commissioner's vendor payment history. And I just it's not something that you have to vote on, but I wanted to make [snorts] you aware of it because there will be a slight change from the VOCC with this. The VAB is the value adjustment board and so we have one of our school board members that yearly get appointed to that board. Um there is an attorney, attorney Stevens, on that board. And if you look on page two, it'll be in paragraph
0074 at the very bottom, it says pursuant to section 194.015 Florida statutes, it states there that the costs of the VAB's attorney gets paid two-fifths by the Levy County School Board and three-fifths by the Levy County Commission. In the past, um, Mr. Stevens the has always had it paid in full by the board of county commissioners. Um, that will change this year. So, they just want us to be aware that they are going to honor this statute contractual agreement. What I did was I called um, Mr. Brooks and said, "Hey, can you give me a print out of his charges just so I can present this to the board and kind of give you an idea of what that two-fifths looks like?" >> So, if you see on that payment history, um I just took
008for example 2024 year and per his services it came to like 161875. So two-fifths of that if they follow through and send us a bill would be around $647. And as some of you that have already been on that board know, sometimes there are appeals that are lengthy and can take a day and that's where these charges build build up. Some there's no appeals at all and you go and you have a little meeting, they say no appeals and it's done. But as you can see since 19 2019 it hasn't been um a large a very large amount pro I mean average it looks about what $1,200 maybe average of all the years. So, I just wanted you to be aware that we will probably see that, but it's statute driven and they are going
009to start following this contractual agreement. >> All right. >> Um, >> they said they would be seeking any reimbursement for pass. >> They're going to let us slide on the path. >> I haven't heard anything about that. >> I've heard they said in the meeting. >> Oh, they said in the meeting. >> Thank goodness. Um on to uh some highlights. The the first day yesterday I heard went very smooth for all our campuses. Mr. Mlelen started at one end. I started at another. We kind of we met in Cedar Key unannounced at the same time, but I was able to um I don't know how many campuses Mr. Mlen made it to. I forgot to ask, but I was able to get to all 11, including the the two charters. So, it was they were
010very very happy just someone [clears throat] to pop in and say, "Hey, how's it going?" Um, open some car doors at Joyce Bulock in the morning and everybody was happy. Only saw one little first grader cry. It was So, I hope I know that this week haven't heard anything um today that was difficult. I think it's going and we'll just move forward and start ramping up the testing and um then Mrs. Lewis can jump into her gap [laughter] and present it to us. But other than that, that's all I have. >> Thank you, ma'am. You're >> welcome. >> We'll start with uh board comments. Uh Mrs. Campbell. >> Um I did go um visit [snorts] Cedar Key School on the first day and it was very rainy, soggy beginning, but it was great. Everything ran
011smoothly. Um and uh yeah, I was I was very happy uh to see that everything was going well. All of our um teachers and staff have returned. We didn't have any new people. It was our old back at it again. >> And um yeah, it was great to see the kids and they were the kids were actually excited. They really were. Even the high school kids. >> Um I was a little shocked to see how small our senior and junior classes are. I felt like I needed to run down the road and try to >> recruit beg for some to [laughter] go our way. I worry about that. Um that was my only concern. Um but [snorts] uh but it's going to be a great year. >> Thank you, ma'am. Mrs. Baxter, >> um I
012too went to both schools yesterday in Chief. All seemed to be going smoothly. At Chief Elementary, though, they did have a Boohoo breakfast and that was for the little prekers and kindergarters and I think there may have been a few tears in there, but um other than that, I think everything went well. Went smoothly. >> Very good. Very good, Mr. White. >> I was able so far hadn't heard anything. Kids, all my kids had went smooth. Couple draft code violations. Other than that, had really heard nothing. Um, and the open house on Thursday went well. You know, we had I got three at the same school now, so it was a lot of running around trying to get syllabuses and stuff, but you know, some of them are veterans now, so they don't need to
013go all that stuff. But >> from my sixth grader, we was trying to make sure we got to see everybody. So, [laughter] it was good. And We have a little prayer thing at all the schools on Sunday and that was nice to see everybody in the community kind of come out for that. So yeah, that was very nice. Yeah, just look forward to a good year. >> Excuse have a couple things. Enrollment is up in Yankee Town by a pretty good chunk which is good news for us as a whole. Um I talked to Ricky and she had a great day, great start, great open house. We had a prayer um gathering last week also which had a a large turnout which was great for >> town. >> And um she wanted me to give
014a shout out to the health department because they came and did sports physicals, seventh grade shots all for free. And she said on top of that they were super pleasant. So it was just a great a great day um for that. And >> I know Willis had I just wanted to give a shout out to Quinnon for donating all of the backpacks and for DC Floyd for everything he does. not to >> Oh, yeah. For sure. >> But, um, super special. >> 400 haircuts is what I heard it is. >> Yeah. And for Quan to give back to the community is just amazing to have him. So, and, um, rest in peace, Mr. Masters. We're on a group thread to all of us. And it was just after the second bad news, I'm like, "Okay,
015things happened in three." I mean, it just kept coming and coming until Devon's birthday. >> So, [laughter] that kind of broke the trend of just bad news that we've had bat to bat. But he he was um I think I saw Kim you put on I think De's he was just such a kind and class act and I'm like gosh he really was. So >> he will be missed. So prayers for his family. >> Thank you for >> General. >> Yeah. His service was wonderful today. >> That's all I have. >> Thank you ma'am. Um everything I got kind of already been said. We started smoothly. This is this is shocking to me. This is the 38th year they've been able to do school without me attending school. [laughter] Do you do you remember being
016in school and the year you graduated? Oh, they can't have this place without me. [laughter] But they did. Uh, and it has gone. It's better now than ever. Uh, and and I would like to say that it's not do anything to me. It's people that actually know what they're doing. Um, but two things I want to want to mention is I'm impressed with Kenyan. All right. And I and this is not disparaging to anybody. Well, it may be a little disparaging because if it steps on you, sometimes when you go to church, and I'm not a preacher. Sometimes when the preacher steps on your toes, it's because he's telling the truth. >> Every year we graduate, couple hundred kids, 300 kids. Every year, every one of them goes on and does something. And we as
017leaders in our community through booster clubs, through FFA alumni, through PTO's, we're always trying to to help these schools through fundraisers, through hey, you did something. Come back and talk to these kids. We get a turnout of maybe 10%. Coming back. >> Now, what I have always said, I always find this hilarious. Not it's hilarious because just got to laugh at it because it's tragic. If you went to the University of Florida. About a day after you graduate, they start hitting you up >> and we start bra and we brag about I went to the University of Florida four years, got me a degree. I pay them suckers back every year. But we have people that go 13 years to our schools. Once they're gone, they're gone. And that bothers me because you know what?
018The number one thing a person can have in this world right now is a high school education. And there's not a better high school education than the one that comes from Levy County. And so I'm impressed when I see somebody that goes on the biggest possible stage is willing to come back and remember where he came from. >> There are folks right here. We are on a fishbowl, but we know where we came from. You'll hear me at these meetings going, "Yeah, you know why that guyy's so good? He's from Bronson. You know why that girl from Bronson?" Because I'm proud of where I'm from and y'all are proud of where y'all from. That's why we're here. >> And so I am impressed with that young man from Willist, Florida. >> You know what makes
019him really good? He's a eagle. [laughter] >> But now that being said, let me also let me tell one more story and then I'm going to leave you. >> Um, I was the one that sent out the text that Mr. Masters was so sick to y'all. And when I did that, I was breaking the law. I was texting driving 80 miles an hour on the turnpike. You shouldn't do that. Just free advice to anybody listening. And within five minutes, y'all, I caught myself crying because in this world that we live in, we go through some principles. We grow through some people. People come and go in our lives. But Mr. Masters had touched me. And I'll tell you why. when he was hired, he wasn't the guy I wanted at Bronson Middle High School. There
020was another person I wanted. I didn't want Gary Masters. I even told the superintendent at the time, "You have made a mistake. This is not the guy." Then I got to know Gary Masters and then I went every other year our FFA chapter goes to Moltry to the A Expo. I got the luxury of riding beside Gary Masters and I got to know a great guy and like you said a gentle giant. This was a wonderful man. But then on another time and and we've talked about this in our expulsion hearings. We'll look at those names and you'll see kids ain't got no daddy. Ain't got no male influence. And it's it's not knocking ladies, but some young people need a male influence. And in Bronson High School, we had this mountain of a man
021who if you never saw it, it was amazing. He could break an apple in half like that. One day when you got nothing better to do, you try it and then we'll talk about it. He could do that. He could have he could just a bear if he wanted to be. But he was so kind and so wonderful and so gentle. And I witnessed something amazing. Was a little boy one day was having a hard time. Couldn't get along with anybody. He was struggling. He was fussing. Every time he turned around, he was in trouble. Most likely anybody else would have gotten frustrated and given up on him. Gary Masters took patience with that young man. And he turned that young man around to where he became a very good student. He finished high in
022his class a few years back. But the bigger thing that Gary Masters did for that young man when he was a senior in high school, and I'm not going to tell you his name because the boy doesn't want it told. Gary Masters told him about Jesus. He grew up in a house nobody went to church. Nobody talks about this because we're not supposed to have school and church together. >> Gary Masters told him about Jesus. Now that boy knows that one day he'll see Gary Masters again because ah if there's anybody made it to heaven, Gary Masters made it to heaven. Sometimes it's not about being a principal and doing the little book stuff and keeping up with the number of kids and oh we got to get a graduation rate and we got to
023do this and we got to make sure of that. Sometimes it's about being able to talk to a kid, tell a kid about something much more important than getting a C in English. And that is what I'll always remember about Gary Masters. And I'm very proud that I did go back to the superintendent and tell him what you will very rarely hear out of school board member is I was wrong. Gary Masters was exactly the person we needed at Bronson Middle High School. And then when he came over here, he was exactly the person we needed. >> And I hate that his retirement was so short that I am sure thankful that I had plenty of time with a man like Gary Masters. That's that's about all I got for tonight. Thanks for sharing this.
024>> Yes. Thank you. >> Hope y'all have a great evening. If there's nothing else, >> executive session. >> We got to have an executive session. I'll also say this 2025 I don't know about how anybody else feels about has been a booger of a year. I'll be glad when January gets here so that we'll be in 2026 and 2026 will be a that's easy year. If there's nothing else means turn.