001I'M JESSICA VAUGHN, CHAIR OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE SERVE MORE THAN 200,000 STUDENTS, INCLUDING CHILDREN STARTING WITH OUR EARLY LEARNING PROGRAM AND CONTINUING WITH ADULTS THROUGH OUR WORKFORCE PROGRAMS. I'M KAREN PEREZ, THE SCHOOL BOARD'S VICE-CHAIR. OUR DISTRICT IS THE 7th LARGEST IN AMERICA AND OUR TEAM IS MADE UP OF 24,000 PEOPLE WORKING AT CLOSE TO 250 SITES ACROSS THE COUNTY. OUR DISTRICT IS DIVERSE AND DEDICATED. OUR BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD IN OUR BOARD AUDITORIUM ON SELECT TUESDAYS AT 4 P.M. THE BEST WAY TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY IS TO INVOLVE YOU, THE PUBLIC, IN WHAT WE DO. YOU ARE WELCOME TO MEET OR E-MAIL ANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND FOLLOW OUR DISTRICT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS ARE COVERED
002LIVE BY HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOLS TV ON SPECTRUM 635 AND FRONTIER CHANNEL 32. MEETINGS ARE ALSO STREAMED LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org. CLOSED CAPTIONING IS PROVIDED ON ALL BROADCASTS AND PAST MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN OUR ONLINE ARCHIVE. WE ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY. WE'LL INCLUDE TIME FOR AUDIENCE COMMENTS BEFORE WE ADDRESS OUR BUSINESS ITEMS. OUR AGENDA AND ANY SUPPORTING MATERIALS CAN BE VIEWED ONLINE IN ADVANCE. THEY ARE POSTED SEVEN DAYS BEFORE EACH MEETING ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org. OUR VISION IS PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE, AND THAT MEANS ALL STUDENTS, EVERY DAY. TODOS LOS ESTUDIANTES, TODOS LOS DIAS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN EDUCATION. WITH YOUR HELP, WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. Jessica Vaughn: THE BOARD MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2025, IS CALLED TO ORDER. MEMBER PEREZ WILL
003NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF REFLECTION FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Karen Perez: I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO REFLECT ON THE CRITICAL ISSUE OF MENTAL HEALTH. IN A WORLD WHERE CHALLENGES ARE CONSTANT COMPANION, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE PRIORITIZE THE WELL-BEING OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF. LET US CONSIDER THE WEIGHT THAT THEY CARRY EACH DAY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING THEM WITH THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO THRIVE. AS LEADERS IN EDUCATION, LET US ALWAYS REMEMBER THE POWER OF KINDNESS, EMPATHY, AND UNDERSTANDING IN NURTURING STRONG MENTAL HEALTH. I INVITE YOU ALL TO TAKE A BRIEF MOMENT OF REFLECTION TO CENTER OUR THOUGHTS ON THE WELL-BEING OF THOSE WE SERVE AND REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO CREATING A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL. TOGETHER, LET US BE A GUIDING LIGHT OF
004HOPE AND COMPASSION FOR EVERY MEMBER OF OUR EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND THIS NOBLE CAUSE, AND MAY OUR SHARED EFFORTS LEAD TO A BRIGHTER TOMORROW FOR EACH AND EVERY STUDENT IN OUR CARE. PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. MEMBER PEREZ, WILL YOU NOW PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STUDENT ENTERTAINMENT? Karen Perez: I WOULD LOVE TO, MADAM CHAIR. I WANT TO THANK THE PLANT CITY HIGH SCHOOL ORCHESTRA, ALONG WITH PRINCIPAL HEATHER HOLLOWAY AND DIRECTOR STEVE FOSSERT. THOSE WONDERFUL STUDENTS ENTERTAINED US PRIOR TO THE START OF OUR BOARD MEETING. AND AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE STUDENTS UP TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. MY NAME IS NICKEL. I AM IN 12th GRADE AND PLAY THE VIOLIN. MY NAME IS KELL. JUNIOR, CELLO. JACKSON, PLAY BASS, 11th
005GRADE. JOSEPH, 10th GRADE, CELLO. COLIN. JUNIOR. CELLO. QUINN, VIOLIN, SENIOR. ESKAY, SENIOR, PLAY THE DOUBLE BASS. FELIX, VIOLIN, SENIOR. CHARLIE, SENIOR, PLAY THE VIOLIN. HENRY SLAUGHTER. SENIOR, PLAY THE VIOLA. JOSEPH, SENIOR, PLAY VIOLIN. SOPHIA. JUNIOR. I PLAY THE VIOLIN. JUNIOR, PLAY THE VIOLIN. EMERY. JUNIOR, PLAY THE DOUBLE BASS. KYLIE. SENIOR. PLAY THE VIOLIN. NINA. SENIOR, PLAY THE VIOLA. SAMANTHA, JUNIOR, PLAY THE VIOLIN. MEGAN. SENIOR, PLAY THE VIOLIN. MY NAME IS MELANIA, JUNIOR, PLAY THE CELLO. I'M A JUNIOR AND I PLAY THE VIOLIN. MY NAME IS AVA. I'M A JUNIOR AND PLAY THE VIOLA. MY NAME IS AMAL IA, SENIOR, VIOLIN. ANA, SENIOR, VIOLIN. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS STEVEN BOSSERT. I SERVE AS THE DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRA AT HB PLANT HIGH SCHOOL. IT IS MY PRIVILEGE TO INTRODUCE THE HB PLANT ORCHESTRA. THIS IS OUR
006TOP STRING ENSEMBLE. THIS GROUP HAS ACHIEVED A HIGH LEVEL OF MUSICAL EXCELLENCE AND PORTIONS WILL BE PERFORMED AT BOSTON SYMPHONY HALL AS PART OF THE BOSTON INSTRUMENTAL FESTIVAL. WE ARE HONORED TO REPRESENT NOT ONLY HB PLANT HIGH SCHOOL, BUT ALSO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ON THIS NATIONAL STAGE. I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT OF MUSIC EDUCATION. OPPORTUNITIES, LIKE THESE, ARE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE ARTS AND TO OUR STUDENTS. WITH YOUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP, I HOPE WE ARE ABLE TO SUSTAIN OUR DISTRICT'S RECOGNITION AS ONE OF THE TOP 100 COMMUNITIES FOR MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES. THANK YOU. Karen Perez: PARENTS, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE PICTURES, PLEASE COME UP. Jessica Vaughn: ALL RIGHT, BOARD MEMBERS. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO ADOPT THE
007AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER COMBS. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT. WE HAVE ONE SET OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2025, SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TODAY'S MEETING. AS A REMINDER, WE ARE A NONPARTISAN BOARD WHO BELIEVE ALL CHILDREN CAN BE EMPOWERED TO LEARN TO SUCCEED AND OUR DECISIONS WILL BE MADE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING. TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EFFICIENT AGENDA
008STATEMENTS AND QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARDS, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOU'RE ASKED TO GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. MEMBER PEREZ WILL NOW READ THE BOARD GUIDELINES. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AS WE BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETING, PLEASE ALLOW ME TO QUICKLY REVIEW THE FORMAT OF OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. PLEASE SILENCE ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THERE ARE SPEAKERS IN THE ROOM BEHIND ME THAT ALLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO HEAR THE MEETING UPON STEPPING AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THIS MEETING CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON LIVE WEBCASTS, ON CABLE TV, AND ON VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM. IT ALSO CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVE. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. WE HAVE TWO ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR TIME
009CERTAIN. AT 5:01, WE HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ADOPTION OF NEW AND REVISED POLICIES. AT 6 P.M., WE HAVE EMPLOYEE AND STUDENT INPUT. WE WILL NOW DO A RECOGNITION A 01, RECOGNITION OF DISABILITY HISTORY AND AWARENESS WEEKS. I'LL HIGHLIGHT THIS RECOGNITION. FLORIDA RECOGNIZES THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF OCTOBER AS DISABILITY HISTORY AND AWARENESS WEEKS. THIS RECOGNITION ENCOURAGES SCHOOLS TO PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISABILITY RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS PROUD TO SERVE MORE THAN 30,000 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, AND WE ARE EQUALLY PROUD AND GRATEFUL OF THE HUNDREDS OF TEACHERS, STAFF, AND AIDES WHO DEDICATE THEIR LIVES TO THESE STUDENTS. INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY FACED SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS TO ACCESS, EQUITY, AND OPPORTUNITY, YET HAVE MADE SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO EVERY FACET OF SOCIETY. INCLUDING EDUCATION,
010SCIENCE, AND THE ART. DISABILITY HISTORY AND AWARENESS WEEKS REMIND US OF THE PROGRESS MADE AND THE WORK STILL AHEAD TO ENSURE ACCESS, OPPORTUNITY, AND DIGNITY FOR EVERYONE. THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT. THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS AND VALUES YOUR INPUT TO THE BOARD. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSES TO YOUR COMMENTS, OUR STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND WILL KEEP BOARD MEMBERS INFORMED ABOUT THE RESPONSES. OUR SCHOOL BOARD RESPECTS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD AND WHICH APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME TO BE HERE. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK ABOUT ANY ISSUE YOU WOULD LIKE, AND YOU WILL NOT BE INTERRUPTED. HOWEVER, ANY BEHAVIOR INTENDED TO INTERRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED, AND WE DO REQUEST THAT YOU FOCUS
011ON THE ISSUES. WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE. THIS AFTERNOON, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. REMINDER THAT YOUR THREE MINUTES START WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. WHEN THERE ARE 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOU'LL SEE A YELLOW LIGHT ON THE LECTERN AND HEAR A CHIME. A RED LIGHT AND CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I WILL NOW CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS. YES, YOU MAY APPROACH AND SPEAK. HI. MY NAME IS MICHAEL.ANN De MAYO. I AM A HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RESIDENT, GRANDMOTHER OF A LOCAL SCHOOL STUDENT, PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT AND ALSO WITH MAGNIFIED VOICES. I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU DO AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT NEW FLORIDA LAW HB 1105, SIGNED BY GOVERNOR DESANTIS IN MAY
012THAT ELIMINATES CERTIFICATES OF COMPLETION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. THROUGHOUT MY LIFE, I HAVE SEEN TOO MANY PEOPLE FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS, INCLUDING MY OWN SON, YEARS AGO WHEN THE RULES OR LAWS WERE SUDDENLY CHANGED. THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES THIS YEAR. THEY HAVE WORKED HARD TO RECEIVE THEIR CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION WHICH NOW HAS BEEN ELIMINATED. BUT THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO GET INTO POSTSECONDARY VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS WHICH STILL REQUIRES A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION, NOT A STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. SINCE THERE WON'T BE ANY GUIDANCE FOR AT LEAST A YEAR, WHY CAN'T THESE STUDENTS BE GRANDFATHERED IN, INSTEAD OF LEFT TO FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS. I HAVE SEVERAL FAMILY MEMBERS THAT THESE CHANGES COULD AFFECT, AND IT WARMS MY HEART TO SEE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES SO PROUD TO BE WORKING AS PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS.
013I ASK THAT THESE STUDENTS BE GRANDFATHERED IN, AND IF FOR SOME REASON YOU CANNOT DO THIS, PLEASE TELL US WHY. AND WHILE I'M HERE, I MUST ALSO SPEAK OUT AGAINST PROPOSED POLICY CHANGE THAT WOULD STRIP OUR ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD OF ITS AUTHORITY OVER BOOK CHALLENGES. THIS IS YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF STATE OVERREACH AND IT THREATENS THE SOVEREIGNTY OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE TRANSPARENCY OF OUR PROGRESS AND THE RIGHT OF EVERY STUDENT AND RESIDENT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I HOPE YOU FEEL THE SAME AS I DO, AND WILL TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACTION. AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THESE MATTERS. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. I'M RACHAEL DOYLE, PARENT OF TWO IN YOUR SCHOOLS. I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT DISABILITY ACCESS, BUT YOU ARE DOING MORE NONSENSE REGARDING BOOKS
014AGAIN. THE CHANGES TO POLICY 9130 ELIMINATE TRANSPARENCY, DEMOCRATIC CHOICES AND STUDENTS' RIGHTS AND THAT WAS INTENTIONAL SO SHAME ON YOU. THE ADDITION OF POLICY 2520 IS UNNECESSARY FOR LIBRARY MATERIALS. THE DISTRICT ALREADY HAS A FRONT FACING CATALOG AND OBJECTION PROCEDURE AND THE BOARD DOCUMENT POLICY 2520 DOES NOT INCLUDE THE OBJECTION FORM AND PROCEDURES. THIS SHOULD BE TABLED UNTIL ALL PARTS ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC OR ADMIT THAT YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT PARENTS AND STUDENTS AND PROCEED I GUESS. IT'S NOT LOST ON ME THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE CHAMPIONED BY THE SAME PERSON WHO CAN'T STOP TALKING ON THE DAIS DURING PARENT COMMENT TIME CONSISTENTLY. IT'S WRONG TO MAKE CHANGES TO OUR LIBRARY MATERIALS POLICY THAT TAKE COMMUNITY DECISIONS AWAY FROM THE COMMUNITY'S ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVES. I HAVE EXPLAINED TO YOU I ALREADY
015HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE CHOICES FOR MY KIDS SO DO NOT TELL ME THIS IS ABOUT AFFORDABLE RIGHTS IN EDUCATION. I WON'T LET YOU LIE TO MY FACE AND SAY OTHERWISE. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS AND THE STATE WHO DO NOT HAVE KIDS IN HCPS. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING NOBODY CARES ABOUT WHICH IS SUMMER PROGRAMMING. GREAT IF THE JOBLESS WEIRDOS, JULIE GEBHARDS COULD TAKE AN INTEREST IN THIS AS IT IS NEGATIVELY AFFECTING STUDENTS. STUDENTS PLACED AT TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS FURTHER AWAY FROM HOME. ONE FOR ESE -- ONE FOR HOST. MY KID WOULD HAVE BEEN IN HOST AT THE SCHOOL WHO EMPLOYED THE TEACHER POSTING POLITICAL PARTICULAR TOPICS FROM THE -- TIKTOKS FROM THE CLASSROOM. MY HUSBAND LEFT LAST MINUTE FOR WORK. NO BUSING WAS OFFERED. ATTEMPTED TO SIGN UP FOR BUSING FOR MY ESY KID
016ONLY TO TELL ME I WOULD HAVE TO PICK UP TWO HOURS, WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE AT THE TIME MY SIX-YEAR-OLD WOULD HAVE TO TAKE HIS TIME-SENSITIVE MEDICATION HE WOULD BE ON A BUS. I DROVE MY ESY KID DAILY WHICH CAME AROUND TO TWO HOURS IN A DAY SO I WOULD ENSURE HE WOULD TAKE HIS MEDS AND STILL ATTEND SO HE DOESN'T FAIL IEP GOALS. MANY OF YOUR PARENTS OF DISABLED STUDENTS DO NOT HAVE THIS PRIVILEGE OR THE ABILITY TO TAKE OFF TWO HOURS OF WORK EVERY DAY. WE ARE THE FAMILIES THAT YOU LEAVE TO FALL THROUGH THE GAPS WHILE YOU WASTE TIME TAKING BOOK BAN ORDERS ON TWITTER, ONLY MAKING TIME FOR PHOTO OPS AND NEVER CALLING THE PARENTS BACK. I AM THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW THAT YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT. I AM TELLING YOU
017THAT YOU DO NOT PASS. YOU OWE MY KIDS MORE THAN YOUR POLITICAL THEATER. IT IS DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH. THANKS, JESSICA. TIME TO GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR DISABLED STUDENTS. YOU ARE NOT BEHOLDEN TO SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS. YOU ARE BEHOLDEN TO ME. HISTORY MAY NOT BE KIND TO YOU. I ASSURE YOU I WILL BE MEANER ON BEHALF OF MY KIDS. IF YOU WANT ME TO STOP TREATING THIS LIKE A CIRCUS, THEN STOP ACTING LIKE HIRED CLOWNS. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HELLO. FINLEY ALLEN. I AM FROM MADISON MIDDLE SCHOOL. I LIVE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I'M HERE TO ADDRESS THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL STUDENT DRESS CODE. THE MAIN PART OF THE DRESS CODE POLICY THAT I WILL BE FOCUSING ON TODAY IS THE SHORTS LENGTH RULE. THE CURRENT LENGTH REQUIREMENT IS THAT SHORTS MUST BE
018NO SHORTER THAN FINGERTIP LENGTH RULE. I AM PROPOSING THAT THIS RULE IS CHANGED TO MEASURE FROM THE TOP OF THE KNEE. WHILE FINGERTIP RULE IS FOR STANDARDS, IT IS NOT. TWO STUDENTS WEARING TWO DIFFERENT SIZES OF SHORTS CAN BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY. ONE PERSON COULD GET DRESS CODE WHILE ANOTHER GETS NO REPERCUSSIONS. THIS CREATES A SENSE OF UNFAIRNESS AND FRUSTRATIONS BETWEEN STUDENTS. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE MY PEERS HAVE SPOKEN TO ME ABOUT IT. EARLIER THIS WEEK I CONSTRUCTED A PETITION FOR PEOPLE TO SIGN. IN TOTAL I COLLECTED 81 SIGNATURES. I BROUGHT IT TODAY TO SHOW YOU. AS I PASS IT AROUND TO PEOPLE, THEY TOLD ME ABOUT HOW THEY FELT ABOUT THE DRESS CODE. SOME PEOPLE SAID THEY HAVE BEEN DRESS CODE THREE TIMES IN THE SAME WEEK BECAUSE OF ARM LENGTH. SOME TOLD ME ABOUT
019FRIENDS DRESS CODED AND OTHERS HAVE TOLD ME ABOUT HOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DRESS CODED BECAUSE THEY HAVE LONG ARMS. MY OWN EXPERIENCE, I'VE BEEN DRESS CODED FOR MY FINGERS BEING LESS THAN AN INCH OVER THE HEM LINE. MY FINGERS WERE FOUR INCHES ABOVE MY KNEE, OTHERWISE COMPLETELY APPROPRIATE. AT THE SAME TIME I'VE SEEN FOLKS WEARING SHORTS SHORTER THAN MINE. I'M NOT ASKING FOR A DRESS CODE TO BE UNTIMELY REMOVED. I UNDERSTAND THAT REASONABLE GUIDELINES ARE IMPORTANT WHICH IS WHY I PROPOSE THAT THE DRESS CODE POLICIES UPDATED AND REQUIRE SHORTS HEM NO SHORTER THAN 7 INCHES ABOVE THE KNEE. MEASURING FROM THE TOP OF THE KNEE MAKES A CLEAR AND MORE CONSISTENT WAY OF MEASURING LENGTH TO SEE IF SHORTS ARE APPROPRIATE OR NOT. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU FOR
020YOUR TIME. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS BETSY BRADEN. MY TWO KIDS GRADUATED FROM HB PLANT HIGH SCHOOL, THE SAME AS THE BEAUTIFUL ORCHESTRA WE HAD TODAY. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK. TODAY, I'M SPEAKING AGAINST THE NEW POLICY 2520, WHERE ONLY THE SUPERINTENDENT CHOOSES WHAT BOOKS AND MATERIALS ARE APPROPRIATE BASED ON STATE RECOMMENDATIONS. I'M ALSO SPEAKING TO KEEP 9130 WHERE THE SCHOOL BOARD DECIDES WHICH BOOKS AND MATERIALS ARE APPROPRIATE. WE VOTED FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, NOT THE STATE. THE STATE SHOULDN'T HAVE PREEMPTION OVER THE SCHOOL BOARD. PREEMPTION BY THE STATE OVER HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOLS BOOKS AND MATERIALS IS UNDEMOCRATIC. WE NEED TO STAND UP FOR OUR STUDENTS AND NOT CAVE TO THE AUTHORITARIANS. BOOK BANS ARE UNPOPULAR. THEY HURT MARGINALIZED STUDENTS WHO CAN'T GET IN THE
021CAR AND GO BUY A BOOK AT A BOOKSTORE. HISTORY SHOWS SOCIETIES WHICH BAN BOOKS WERE BACKWARDS AND REPRESSIVE. IF YOU CAVE TO THIS NEW POLICY, WHAT'S NEXT? WILL WE DROP ENUMERATIONS FOR MARGINALIZED STUDENTS AS THEY DID IN SARASOTA, LETTING THE BULLIES RUN WILD WITH NO BACKLASH. WILL WE HAVE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND TRUMP BIBLES SUCH AS IN OKLAHOMA SCHOOLS? WILL WE ALLOW CHRISTIAN SUNDAY SCHOOL BUSES TEACH SUNDAY SCHOOL DURING SCHOOL HOURS AS THEY DO IN DUVAL COUNTY? WHAT ABOUT PRAGER U, TEACHING THAT SLAVERY WAS GOOD FOR LEARNING WORK SKILLS. YOU MAY THINK THAT THIS NEW POLICY 2520 IS NO BIG DEAL, BUT WE KNOW THE STATE HAS MORE REPRESSION UP THEIR SLEEVES. REMEMBER, FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE BOOKS. THEN THEY CAME FOR THE PEOPLE. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. CAN I GET SPEAKERS 6 THROUGH 10
022TO LINE UP, PLEASE? NEXT SPEAKER. MARK KLUTHO, LARGO. 704, AMENDMENT OF DESIGN FIRMS AGREEMENT FOR ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES ON A CONTINUING BASIS. OH, WHAT COULD GO WRONG THERE? HA HA HA HA. HERE IS THE HEADLINE: THE WORLD IS NOW UNAVOIDABLY TOXIC. AREN'T YOU PLAYING YOUR PART? YEAH. THE LAST MEETING I ATTENDED, AFTER I SPOKE ABOUT YOUR BUDGET, YOU HAD A COUPLE OF APOLOGISTS GET UP TO SPEAK. THAT WAS REALLY BAD. OH, MAN. HERE IS A HEADLINE. TRUMP EPA MOVES TO REPEAL SCIENTIFIC FINDING THAT ALLOWS CLIMATE REGULATION. WELL, WHAT CAN GO WRONG THERE? FOR HOW MANY YEARS MEETINGS HAVE I BROUGHT THIS PUBLICATION. BETTER BUILDINGS BY DESIGN. WINSTON CHURCHILL SAID IN 1960, WE SHAPE OUR BUILDINGS THEREAFTER THEY SHAPE US. WELL, WHAT DID THE HEADLINE JUST SAY? THIS IS WHAT ALL THE BUILDINGS SHOULD LOOK LIKE. NO
023OTHER COLOR. GO OVER TO THE MEDITERRANEAN ALONG THE COAST, YOU WON'T SEE ANY OTHER COLOR, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THE BUILDINGS WON'T GET HOT. AND THEN HERE WE HAVE THE HEADLINE, A RECORD YEAR FOR FLOODS AND HEAT. FIRST GLIMPSES OF FALL FORECAST WARN OF HIGH TEMPERATURES, MORE WILDFIRES. YEAH, THEY STILL HAVE 90 DEGREES UP NORTH. TAMPA BAY WATER WINS 21 MILLION AGAINST FOREVER CHEMICALS. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PROTECT YOUR STUDENTS? THE JARRING CONTRADICTION AT THE HEART OF KENNEDY'S HEALTH AGENDA. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO TEACH YOUR STUDENTS HERE? WHY ARE CONFEDERATE CIVIL WAR LEADERS HONORED WITH HOLIDAYS IN FLORIDA? ARE YOU TEACHING YOUR STUDENTS THE TRUTH? I MEAN, THERE SHOULD BE A REAL EMPHASIS HERE. HISTORY. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HELLO. MY NAME IS ASHLEY MORROW. FIFTH GENERATION TAMPAN AND HISTORY
024LOVER. IN MY JOB, I AM A FULL-TIME PHOTOGRAPHER. HOWARD BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL. GO YELLOW JACKETS. I WANT TO COME UP HERE AND SHARE A BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT HISTORICALLY BLACK SCHOOLS THAT ARE HERE IN TAMPA JUST FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES. I'M -- THERE ARE 11 IN TOTAL THAT I HAVE COUNTED. 10 ARE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ONE BEING A PRIVATE SCHOOL, ST. PETER CLAVER THAT OPENED IN 1894, BURNED DOWN TEN DAYS LATER AFTER IT WAS BUILT ON MORGAN STREET AND THEY WERE TOLD TO BUILD OVER IN THE SCRUB IN THE AREA NEAR WE KNOW AS ENCORE, USED TO BE CENTRAL PARK VILLAGE. THESE ARE SCHOOLS STILL OPEN. DUNBAR ELEMENTARY FOUNDED IN THE EARLY 1900s, OPENED AS WEST TAMPA NEGRO SCHOOL. EVENTUALLY WAS OVERCROWDED AND RENAMED AND EXPANDED IN 1932 AFTER PAUL LAWRENCE DUNBAR. LOMAX ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOUNDED IN
0251913, IT WAS OPENED INITIALLY AS GILCHRIST INSTITUTE. IT WAS A WHITE SCHOOL OVER IN THE EAST TAMPA AREA, HOWEVER, AS BLACK PEOPLE MOVED INTO THE AREA, IT WAS SHUT DOWN AND TURNED INTO A NEGRO SCHOOL AND WAS RENAMED LOW MAX HIGH SCHOOL. PEOPLE LIKE BLANCH ARMWOOD WORKED THERE AS PRINCIPAL. BOOKER T. WASHINGTON SCHOOL. PRINCIPAL WAS HOWARD W. BLAKE. THE EDUCATOR BLANCH ARMWOOD HELP EXPAND THE SCHOOL INTO HAVING SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL COURSES. NEXT GEORGE S. MIDDLETON, FOUNDED 1934 NAMED AFTER LOCAL CIVIC LEADER AND THE FIRST FULLY EQUIPPED BLACK HIGH SCHOOL IN TAMPA. IT WAS BURNED DOWN IN 1940 AND AGAIN IN 1968. GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER SCHOOL, THE NEGRO SCHOOL FOUNDED IN 1943, IT WAS OPENED WHILE GEORGE S. MIDDLETON HIGH SCHOOL WAS BEING REBUILT, THE STUDENTS HAD TO GO SOMEWHERE, SO THEY SENT THEM TO GEORGE
026WASHINGTON CARVER. WHEN STUDENTS WENT BACK TO MIDDLETON, CARVER BECAME A NEGRO SCHOOL. MARSHALL 1949, PLANT CITY. IT OPENED AS MIDWAY ACADEMY. I WILL GO FORWARD JUST FOR TIME SAKE. JOHN W. LOCKHART ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, OPENED 1952. COLLEGE HILL. STUDENTS FROM ROBLES POND ATTENDED THE SCHOOL. BLAKE, 1956. STUDENTS FROM DON THOMPSON TRANSFERRED OVER. OPENED INTO STEWART MIDDLE SCHOOL THAT WE KNOW AS TODAY, MARCELIS POTTER NAMED AFTER A FOUNDER OF TAMPA BULLETIN. NATHAN B. YOUNG MIDDLE SCHOOL. ALL THE SCHOOLS OPENED AS NEGRO SCHOOLS INITIALLY. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JASON FERGER. I AM A STAKEHOLDER. IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HB PLANT AND PLANT CITY HIGH, YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN'T BE UP THERE. I CAME HERE TO SPEAK TO THE EMPLOYEES, THE TAXPAYERS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, ELECTED OFFICIALS LOCALLY, STATEWIDE
027AND NATIONALLY THAT HAVE DIRECT TIES AND INFLUENCE OVER HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WHAT I HAVE HERE IS THE 2026 CONTRACT. IT IS COMPLETE BULL -- ANYBODY READ IT? THE ONLY WAY THIS CAME ACROSS BEFORE THE BOARD TO BE VOTED ON IS PURE INCOMPETENCE, GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR POTENTIALLY SOME SORT OF KICKBACK SCHEME. NO OTHER EXPLANATION. MR. SUPERINTENDENT, I'M ESPECIALLY EMBARRASSED BY YOU BECAUSE WE'VE MET. YOU COULDN'T EVEN READ A SIMPLE BOOK THAT WOULD HELP YOU MAKE BETTER DECISIONS. MS. VAUGHN, WE'VE SPOKEN. DAVIS HIMSELF SAID YOU PROBABLY WERE THE BEST ONE ON THE BOARD TO DRIVE GOOD CHANGE. THIS RESULT IS FAR FROM THAT. YOU, MS. GRAY, DON'T THINK FOR A MOMENT TOP LEADERS IN THIS DISTRICT ARE EXPERTS. THEY ARE FOOLS. LISTEN TO THE NUMBERS CLOSELY. MIGHT WANT TO WRITE THEM DOWN. 31 PER EMPLOYEE PER MONTH IS
028A FEE TO ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN. BROWARD IS 30. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY GOVERNMENT. BROWARD IS 30. PINELLAS 38, MANATEE 19. OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT IS GOING TO BE PAYING NEARLY 50 A MONTH PER EMPLOYEE. DID YOU GO TO AETNA AND BEG FOR LITERALLY THE WORST CONTRACT? NATIONAL ADVANTAGE PROGRAM WHICH I DOUBT ANY OF YOU KNOW, INCLUDING HR AND BENEFITS EVEN UNDERSTANDS THAT, BUT ESSENTIALLY AING STAFF PRE-SIGNED CHECKS FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS MAX. BROWARD MAX OF 50. MANATEE, 30. 50% NUMBER IS UNHEARD OF. PROBABLY THE HIGHEST OF ALL AETNA CONTRACTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. TO THE STAFF AT HILLSBOROUGH, ALL STAFF, TEACHERS, SUPPORT STAFF, WHEN YOU START USING THIS NEXT YEAR, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND START ASKING, WHAT WOULD THE COST BE IF YOU SELF PAID? AN X-RAY IS A $200 COPAYMENT ACCORDING TO THE SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS AND
029THAT COULD BE BOUGHT FOR 40 BUCKS. MRI COPAY, 400. YOU CAN GET THOSE WITHOUT CONTRAST FOR 250, 300 BUCKS, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU GO. DON'T BELIEVE ME, CALL AROUND AND ASK FOR YOURSELVES. CALL A NONHOSPITAL AFFILIATED IMAGING CENTER AND ASK THEM WHAT DOES AN EXTRA COST, CHEST X-RAY, WHATEVER. I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME FOR ALL EMPLOYEES, I WANT YOU TO KNOW I'M VERY SORRY THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO USE THIS. YOU'LL BE FORCED TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS, WHETHER YOU POSTPONE TREATMENT, STRUGGLE, DECIDE TO PAY THE CASH PRICE, DON'T GO TOWARD THE DEDUCTIBLE. THIS BOARD, THEIR INCOMPETENCE AND NEGLIGENCE IS TO BLAME. I'M CONFIDENT THE INSURANCE IS PAID OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND. THE SAME POT OF MONEY THAT RAISES COME OUT OF. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. WE'RE ALSO MISSING ONE OF OUR 6 THROUGH 10 SPEAKERS.
030IF NUMBER 9 NEEDS TO LINE UP. THE NEXT SPEAKER MAY COME AND SPEAK. HOW ARE YOU DOING, BOARD? ALSO, SUPERINTENDENT, STAFF. ELVIS PIGGOT. I COME HERE TO TALK ABOUT SCHOOL SAFETY. THIS WEEK ALONE ON MY PHONE, I HAVE SEVEN VIDEOS OF STUDENTS HAVING SEVERE FIGHTS ON THE SCHOOL BUS. SAD PART, I WANT TO MOST DEFINITELY ACKNOWLEDGE OUR SUPERINTENDENT AS WELL AS OUR CHIEF OF SCHOOLS FOR BEING VERY PROACTIVE, GETTING IN TOUCH WITH IT, AND MAKING THINGS HAPPEN. HOWEVER, OUR BOARD MEMBERS ALSO THAT I'VE REACHED OUT TO. HOWEVER, THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. I'M TALKING ABOUT SO SEVERE WHERE KIDS ARE PULLING EACH OTHER'S HAIR OUT, THROWING IT OUT OF THE WINDOW. BUSES STILL DRIVING. KIDS ARE STANDING UP JUMPING OVER SEATS. ONE SEAT TO THE NEXT. THIS IS HAPPENING. I'VE SENT VIDEOS TO BOARD MEMBERS.
031ALSO SENT THE VIDEOS -- THE PROBLEM IS ALSO GETS REALLY WORRISOME FOR ME IS THAT THE SCHOOL DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE ISSUES BECAUSE NOBODY IS COMMUNICATING IT FROM THE BUS. BY THE TIME THEY GET TO IT, IT'S VIRAL ALL OVER Facebook. THEN WE HAVE THE SCHOOL SAYING THEY DON'T HAVE NO DEALINGS WITH TRANSPORTATION. TRANSPORTATION HAVE NO DEALINGS WITH THE SCHOOL. I'M CONCERNED WITH HOW THIS GETS RESOLVED. I REACHED OUT BECAUSE, CLEARLY, THE DISTRICT IS FAILING OUR STUDENTS DRASTICALLY WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO SAFETY. I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO WAIT UNTIL SOMETHING TRAGIC HAPPENS. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOT TO BE ONE OF OUR KIDS BEFORE WE ACTUALLY TAKE IT SERIOUS. BUT EVERYBODY SHOULD BE DISGUSTED WHEN YOU SEE HOW A SIX-YEAR-OLD ON THE BUS, SO SCARED THAT HE GETS OFF ON
032THE WRONG STOP AND THE DRIVER SAYS NOTHING. LET HIM GET OFF ON THE WRONG STOP AND MOM FINDS HIM. GETS SO BAD THAT HE IS KICKED, PUSHED, SLAPPED IN THE FACE AND HEAD PUSHED AGAINST THE WINDOW AND EVERYBODY IS RECORDING AND LAUGHING. THEN I REACH OUT, OF COURSE, TO THE SCHOOL TO SAY HAVE WE REACHED OUT TO TRANSPORTATION? NO ONE HAS CONTACTED ME, MOM, ALL OF US BEEN WAITING, NO COMMUNICATION. BUT THEN LAUREN HILL REACHED OUT TO CHRIS FARKAS BECAUSE CLEARLY SUPERINTENDENT THEY MUST BE SLEEP DOWN HERE AT THE DISTRICT. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT GOING INTO THE SCHOOLS AND TAKING CARE OF KIDS. NOW IT IS A JOKE. LEADERSHIP HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CONCERN WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR KIDS. THAT IS A PROBLEM. I WANT TO BELIEVE IF IT WAS ANY OF OUR KIDS SHOULD
033BE OUTRAGED. CLEARLY WE CAN WATCH THESE THINGS VIRAL AND EVERYBODY CAN POINT HANDS AND SAY WHO DID THIS AND WHO DID THAT. WE HAVE PROGRAMS IN OUR DISTRICT THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE FOCUSED ON PUBLIC SAFETY, STUDENT SAFETY, GOING TO THE SCHOOLS. WE'RE JUST DOING STUFF JUST TO DO STUFF. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE SAY PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE, I WANT US TO EVEN MAKE SURE PARENTS UNDERSTAND THAT THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR CANNOT BE TOLERATED ON OUR BUSES. SUSPENSIONS NEED TO BE TAKING PLACE. PREPARE FOR LIFE, IF THAT HAPPENED IN THE REAL WORLD, I DON'T THINK WE TURN OUR HEAD. WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I'M TINA. BOARD SUPERINTENDENT. I'M HERE BEFORE YOU AGAIN TO TALK ABOUT BULLYING. BEFORE I TALK ABOUT THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY
034SHOUT-OUT TO GAITHER HIGH SCHOOL. 85%, THE OTHER THINGS ARE TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES. SO I'M GLAD THAT LEADERSHIP IS ACTIVE AND STUDENTS ARE BEGINNING TO HAVE A VOICE. SO I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THE GREAT PROGRESS AND ALSO LIKE TO ENCOURAGE OTHER PRINCIPALS TO MAKE ROOM FOR YOUR STUDENTS WHO HAVE A VOICE AT THEIR SCHOOLS BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, I DON'T GO TO THE SCHOOLS. THE STUDENTS MAKE THE SCHOOLS AND THE CULTURE. NOW I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT ANOTHER ISSUE THAT SEEMS TO BE PIGGY BACKING OFF OF THE GENTLEMAN BEFORE ME. THE BULLYING POLICY. WE SAY WE HAVE A NO BULLYING POLICY, BUT EVERY DAY AT LEAST THREE, FOUR TIMES A WEEK, PEOPLE CALL ME ABOUT THINGS HAPPENING IN THE SCHOOLS THAT THE PRINCIPAL IS NOT AWARE, BUT YOU'RE SUSPENDING STUDENTS. YOU ARE
035ALLOWED THE -- WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE SCHOOLS WITH BULLYING? WE HAVE PRINCIPALS NOT REPORTING THINGS AS THEY HAPPEN, MAKING UP STUFF, PUTTING REPORTS IN THE TRASH. BULLYING ON THE BUS. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS ABOUT SAFETY, BUT IT IS ABOUT PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE. BULLYING, YOU CAN CALL ANONYMOUS HOTLINE. I AGREE WITH THE GENTLEMAN, WE ARE NOT FOLLOWING UP WITH THE BULLYING. I HAVE A FRIEND RIGHT NOW GOING THROUGH SOMETHING. OUR GIRLS, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR GIRLS? WOMEN OF GIRLS, WE NEED TO TEACH OUR YOUNG LADIES, DO NOT PUT YOUR HANDS ON A YOUNG MAN. DO NOT. ME IN MY HOUSE, I TEACH MY SON, HE HAS FIVE SISTERS. YOU DON'T PUT YOUR HANDS ON A GIRL, BUT IF SHE PUT HER HAD AN ON YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO
036TAKE HER OUT OR ONE OF THE SISTERS ARE. I'M SEEING A TREND OF GIRLS PUTTING THEIR HANDS ON YOUNG MEN AND EXPECTING YOUNG MEN NOT TO DO ANYTHING. AT WHAT POINT DOES THE BULLY GET TIRED? WHAT ARE WE TEACHING YOUNG GIRLS AND YOUNG MEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE ANYONE IN THE SCHOOLS TO GO TO. WE'VE GOT TO DO BETTER. STOP SUSPENDING THE PERSON BEING BULLIED AND THEY CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE AND YOU SAY, OH, WE DID NOT KNOW. YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN. HOW DOES SOMETHING HAPPEN IN THE CLASSROOM AND THE TEACHER IS NOT AWARE? WHAT HAPPENED TO GOOD OLD-FASHIONED CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT? WHAT HAPPENED TO CALLING PARENTS IN AND SAYING LOOK, YOUR DAUGHTER PUT HER HANDS ON A YOUNG MAN. PARENTS, I'M TELLING YOU, WE'VE GOT TO GET INVOLVED. THE SCHOOL IS ONLY GOING TO DO
037SO MUCH. PARENTS, I IMPLORE YOU, CHECK IN ON YOUR STUDENT. ASK ABOUT THEIR DAY. WHAT'S GOING ON? Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. ALAN BREWSTER. FIRST, I WANT TO START BY SAYING GAITHER NEEDS A BIKE RACK. THEY NEED A BIKE RACK. SECOND, WE'VE MET WITH THE NEW PRINCIPAL. HE MET WITH MY DAUGHTER. SHE'S ON A STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I REALLY BELIEVE HE'S A GOOD FIT FOR GAITHER AND REALLY WANTS TO MAKE CHANGE AND HE WANTS STUDENTS TO HAVE A VOICE. I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT FOR A WHILE. I TRULY BELIEVE EVERY HIGH SCHOOL SHOULD HAVE A PLATFORM FOR STUDENTS TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS, THEIR ISSUES OR HAVE AN ISSUE WITH A TEACHER OR THE ADMINISTRATOR OR OF ANOTHER STUDENT, THEY REALLY SHOULD HAVE THE PLATFORM AT THEIR SCHOOL. THERE ARE A LOT
038OF ISSUES GOING ON IN THESE HIGH SCHOOLS AND A LOT OF STUDENTS ARE TAKING IT FOR TWO, THREE, FOUR YEARS. IT'S STUNTING THEIR GROWTH. PSYCHOLOGICALLY. THAT'S MY THING FOR THE STUDENTS SECONDLY, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT GAITHER. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT THE PARENTS WANTED TO HAVE A MEETING WITH THE COACHES ABOUT SOME QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS. THREE WEEKS LATER, TODAY, NO REPLY BACK. MY WIFE DID TALK TO THE PRINCIPAL AT GAITHER. THEN YOU SEE US AT THE GAME AND YOU GREET SOME OTHER PARENTS, I WAS THREE FEET AWAY FROM US AND THEN YOU ACT LIKE WE'RE NOT THERE. THAT IS A CONCERN. MY SON TALKS ABOUT -- I'M SICK AND TIRED OF DRESSING UP AND NOT PLAYING, NOT STARTING, BUT JUST NOT PLAYING. I REALLY THINK IT'S A BIG ISSUE BECAUSE
039YOU HAVE A LOT OF TRANSFERS THAT'S JUMPING OVER KIDS WHO ARE ALREADY THERE AT THEIR HOMESCHOOL. WHY IS THAT? NOBODY WANTS TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE. I WILL SAY THIS, WHEN I PLAY FOOTBALL, WHEN I WENT TO SCHOOL IN DETROIT, YOU COULD ONLY GO TO THE SCHOOL IN YOUR ZIP CODE. YOU COULD NOT TRANSFER TO -- YOU COULD NOT TRANSFER TO ANOTHER SCHOOL UNLESS YOU HAD A MAILING ADDRESS AT THAT SCHOOL. SO THIS LITTLE SNOWBALL IS GOING TO GET BIGGER WHEN STUDENTS FINALLY START HAVING THE COURAGE TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT IT. THEY DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY KNOW IF I SAY SOMETHING, MOM, DAD, DON'T SAY NOTHING BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO RETALIATE. A LOT OF PARENTS ARE SAYING WE'RE NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT THE STUDENTS TO BE RETALIATED
040AGAINST. THIS IS THE MINDSET. DON'T PARENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO REQUEST A MEETING ABOUT CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE? Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. MY NAME IS RACHAEL HORN. I CURRENTLY RESIDE IN PASCO COUNTY AND FORMERLY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MEMBER. I AM ALSO A MEMBER OF MAGNIFIED VOICES, A COMMUNITY ADVOCACY GROUP. I'M HERE SPEAKING ABOUT TODAY ABOUT THE DISCERNING POLICY ABOUT TAKING AWAY OUR CHECKS AND BALANCES AND MY VOICE AS A PARENT OF WHAT OUR KIDS GET ACCESS TO OUR SCHOOL WHEN IT COMES TO BOOKS. MY MOST IMPORTANT GOAL OF BEING A PARENT IS TO EXPOSE MY CHILDREN TO DIVERSITY AND STORIES THAT EXPERIENCE DIVERSITY FROM DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW AND THOSE ARE BEING WHITE WASHED. I WAS RAISED WITH WHITE WASH AMERICAN HISTORY. I DO NOT WANT THAT FOR OUR STUDENTS. I
041SEE THIS HAPPENING RIGHT HERE IN SUCH A BEAUTIFUL COUNTY WITH SO MUCH DIVERSITY AROUND US. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OUR KIDS NO LONGER SEE KIDS WHO LOOK LIKE THEM AND THE STORIES THEY GET TO READ AT SCHOOL. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY NO LONGER IDENTIFY. MY MOM WAS A SEXUAL ABUSE SURVIVOR. WHAT IF SHE GOT TO READ ONE OF THE BOOKS, MAYBE SHE WAS ABLE TO TELL SOMEBODY. THIS IS HEARTBREAKING. THE OTHER CONCERN I HAVE TODAY IS THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION. AS A MOTHER OF TWO SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS, THE FACT THAT OUR STATE LEVEL, THIS IMAGING AND WHAT THIS SAYS IS THAT, HEY, WE DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU. WE DON'T CARE THAT TO GET YOU EDUCATED, WE DON'T CARE, THEY ARE SAYING WE DON'T ADD VALUE. OUR CHILDREN ADD VALUE. WHETHER OR NOT THEY
042CAN DO MATH AT A HIGH LEVEL. EVERYBODY HAS A PLACE IN OUR SOCIETY, AND THIS TENDENCY RIGHT NOW OF JUST THAT DISAPPEARING, THAT PEOPLE DON'T HAVE VALUE BECAUSE THEY DON'T LOOK RIGHT OR THINK RIGHT OR BELIEVE RIGHT. IT IS HEARTBREAKING, AND THIS IS NOT THE AMERICA THAT I WANT TO BE A PART OF. PLEASE, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, DO YOUR PART AND USE YOUR VOICE AS OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO RAISE THESE ISSUES. WE LIVE IN A COUNTRY WHERE WE HAVE OUR -- OUR VOICES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HEARD. PLEASE, HEAR MY VOICE. HEAR THE VOICE OF MY CHILDREN. HEAR THE VOICE OF THE MARGINALIZED THAT YOU REPRESENT AND DO YOUR PART. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. I'M SIN DOUGH RICHARDS. -- CINDY RICHARDS. MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY GROUP MAGNIFIED VOICES.
043PARENT AND PROUD ADVOCATE FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. LET ME BE CLEAR, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO TALK ABOUT TEACHER PAY, STUDENT LITERACY, THE VERY REAL -- AND VERY REAL CONSEQUENCES OF ELIMINATING THE CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION. THESE ISSUES MATTER DEEPLY TO ALL OF US AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU'RE DOING HERE. BUT WHEN ATTACKS TO OUR FREEDOM ARE PLANTED IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE CANNOT STAY SILENT. THIS PROPOSED POLICY CHANGE, STRIPPING OUR ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD OF ITS AUTHORITY OVER BOOK CHALLENGES, THIS COMMUNITY ELECTED THIS BOARD. THIS IS A DIRECT THREAT TO THE SOVEREIGNTY OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT BOOKS. IT'S ABOUT POWER. IT'S WHY WE CANNOT CAPITULATE. IT'S ABOUT WHETHER THE PEOPLE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, STUDENTS, PARENTS, EDUCATORS, AND VOTERS STILL HAVE A VOICE IN SHAPING OUR CLASSROOMS. WHEN YOU SILENCE THE
044BOARD, YOU SILENCE THE COMMUNITY. WHEN YOU REMOVE TRANSPARENCY, YOU REMOVE PUBLIC TRUST. AND WHEN YOU CENTRALIZE CONTROL UNDER A STATE PRESCRIBED TEMPLATE, YOU RISK TURNING OUR SCHOOLS INTO POLITICAL BATTLEGROUNDS INSTEAD OF SAFE PLACES TO LEARN. WE URGE YOU TO PLEASE REJECT THIS PROPOSAL. PLEASE PROTECT OUR LOCAL CONTROL. PLEASE PROTECT OUR STUDENTS. PLEASE PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. PLEASE. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD MEMBERS. I'M SUSAN VALDES, YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 64. I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT WERE BROUGHT ABOUT TODAY DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, WHICH IS HOUSE BILL 1105 AND WHAT ORIGINALLY WAS HOUSE BILL 1111 WHICH WAS THE REMOVAL OF THE CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION, WHICH WAS MY BILL. AS YOU ALL KNOW, I'VE SERVED
045WITH A FEW OF YOU IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WAS MY DEPUTY. MEMBER WASHINGTON WAS AN AREA DIRECTOR. AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE WITH MEMBER GRAY. AND DURING THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND GRADUATIONS, THE TOPIC THAT I WOULD TALK ABOUT -- AND MR. PORTER, YOU WERE THERE, TOO, AS MY SCHOOL BOARD ATTORNEY -- WE WOULD TALK ABOUT HOW MANY CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETIONS WE WERE GIVING OUR STUDENTS, WHICH IS A PATHWAY TO NOWHERE. NOW, MIND YOU, THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY, MY HEART GOES OUT TO THEM. BECAUSE THE RHETORIC AROUND THIS BILL AND HOW IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THEM IS TOTALLY FALSE. TOTALLY FALSE. I'LL TELL YOU WHY. I'LL GIVE YOU SOME DATA THAT CAME DIRECTLY FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, FROM THE COHORT OF 23-24 SCHOOL YEAR BECAUSE THE DATA FOR 24-25 IS NOT READY YET UNTIL
046JANUARY. BUT I'LL BE BACK IN JANUARY. WELL, I'LL BE IN COMMITTEES BUT I'LL FORWARD YOU THE INFORMATION. IN THE YEAR 23-24, IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, 4,602 STUDENTS RECEIVED A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION. OF WHICH THE BREAKDOWN OF THESE STUDENTS -- FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, THERE ARE DIFFERENT CODES THAT DESCRIBE A STUDENT AND THE TYPE OF STUDENT THAT'S GRADUATED. SO WE HAVE W 08, 631 STUDENTS IN THE STATE EARN THAT. AND THIS IS ANY STUDENT WHO RECEIVED A 24 CREDIT OPTION CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION. THE STUDENT MET THE MINIMUM CREDENTIALS AND LOCAL REQUIREMENTS BUT DID NOT PASS THE STATE-APPROVED GRADUATION TEST OR CONCORDANCE SCORE. W 8 A, 2,782 STUDENTS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA RECEIVED THAT DESIGNATION. MADAM CHAIR, IF I MAY, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DATA TO SHARE WITH YOU IF
047WE COULD SUSPEND THE TIME. Jessica Vaughn: IS IT OKAY IF WE ADD A COUPLE MORE MINUTES? BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT. Jessica Vaughn: WE'RE GOING TO STAY AT THREE MINUTES. BASICALLY, PARENTS, BEING THAT I HAVE 14 SECONDS LEFT, 82 STUDENTS OUT OF 4,602 STUDENTS RECEIVED A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION WHO WERE SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS, WHICH, BY THE WAY, IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, OUT OF THOSE STUDENTS -- Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. OUT OF THOSE STUDENTS, FIVE STUDENTS RECEIVED THAT DESIGNATION WHO HAD WAIVERS. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. WHO HAD WAIVERS, SUPERINTENDENT. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, REPRESENTATIVE VALDES. THANK YOU. NOT ONE OF YOU CALLED WHEN THIS POLICY WAS BEING IN EFFECT AND BROUGHT IT UP. NOT ONE OF YOU HAD A CONVERSATION WITH ME TO TALK ABOUT -- YOU ALL KNEW IT. Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK
048YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. Van Ayres: MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT ALL ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA HAVE BEEN REVIEWED WITH EACH BOARD MEMBER BY STAFF AND ALL QUESTIONS RAISED WERE ADDRESSED. AND ANY REQUESTED CLARIFICATION HAVE BEEN PROVIDED. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER COMBS. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. I WILL NOW CALL ON SUPERINTENDENT AYRES TO HIGHLIGHT OUR ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS. Van Ayres: I WAS SKIPPING AHEAD. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE ONE PRINCIPAL APPOINTMENT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. THAT IS JOCELYN MAROON, NEW PRINCIPAL AT CHAMBERLAIN HIGH SCHOOL. IF YOU COULD STAND UP
049AND COME DOWN THE MIDDLE AISLE. BOARD MEMBERS, JOCELYN MAROON BEGAN HER CAREER IN 2008 AS SUBSTITUTE TEACHER AND PARENT LIAISON AT WEBB MIDDLE SCHOOL. SHE THEN TRANSFERRED TO THE AREA SEVEN OFFICE AS ESE STAFFING SPECIALIST IN 2014 AND ESE DISTRICT RESOURCE TEACHER FROM 2017 THROUGH 2021. 2021 APPOINTED AP OF STUDENT AFFAIRS AT JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL AND IN 2022, MS. MAROON WAS APPOINTED APC, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR CURRICULUM AT JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL, CURRENTLY SERVING. HOWEVER NOW, VERY PROUD TO SAY A GREAT CAREER IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NOW THE NEW PRINCIPAL AT CHAMBERLAIN HIGH SCHOOL. CONGRATULATIONS, JOCELYN. ANY FAMILY AND FRIENDS HERE AS WELL? IF YOU WANT TO STAND AS WELL AND BE RECOGNIZED. JOCELYN, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK OVER AT CHAMBERLAIN. Jim Porter: YOU DO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AT 5:01. YOU PROBABLY
050HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE AGENDA ITEM BEFORE THAT OR TAKE A RECESS. EITHER ONE IS FINE. Jessica Vaughn: I THINK WE CAN DO C 4.04. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL NOW BE HEARD. C 4.04, C 4.03, 4.02, 11.02. FIRST UP, .04, NEGOTIATED ECONOMIC SALARY PROPOSAL WITH HILLSBOROUGH CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION FOR INSTRUCTIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES FOR THE 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. Van Ayres: THIS IS AN EXCITING AGENDA ITEM. A LOT OF HARD WORK WENT INTO THIS. A LOT OF TIME SPENT AS A BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF TO GET TO THIS POINT. I'LL HAVE DR. PATEN HIGHLIGHT. SCHOOL BOARD OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND HILLSBOROUGH CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION REACHED A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT FOR INSTRUCTIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT EMPLOYEES FOR THE 25-26 SCHOOL YEAR. FOR THE RECORD, HCTA REPRESENTS APPROXIMATELY 13,300 STRUCTIONAL EMPLOYEES
051AND 3,700 EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT EMPLOYEES. HCTA RATIFIED CONTRACT BY 96.7% AND ESPs BY 96.5%. ALL ELIGIBLE HCTA INSTRUCTIONAL AND ESP EMPLOYEES WILL MOVE ONE STEP ON NEWLY AGREED UPON SALARY SCHEDULES EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2025 RESULTING IN STARTING TEACHER PAY INCREASED TO 48,350. SEVERAL ESP POSITIONS INCLUDING SECRETARY ONE, DATA PROCESSORS, REGISTRARS, REGISTERED NURSES, LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES, BILINGUAL AIDES AND KINDERGARTEN ASSISTANCE WILL ALSO BE RE-GRADED. ALL ELIGIBLE HCTA AND ESP EMPLOYEES AT THE TOP OF THE RESPECTIVE SALARY SCHEDULES RECEIVE A ONE-TIME $2,000 ADDITIONAL PAYMENT. DR. PATTON, IF YOU COULD OUTLINE SOME OF THE TIMELINE MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT. I WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE BARGAINING TEAM FROM HR AND FINANCE AS WELL AS OUR PRINCIPALS ON THE TEAM. CASSIE SMALLEN, JAKE RUSSELL, TAMITHIA SIMMONS AND HENRY BARRY. TOMORROW A COMPREHENSIVE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS DOCUMENT WILL
052BE SHARED WITH ALL EMPLOYEES VIA E-MAIL. THE BEST NEWS IS THE PAY RATES ARE ELIGIBLE TO EMPLOYEES SCHEDULED TO REFLECT ON OCTOBER 17 PAYCHECK. ALSO THANK MR. LEWIS TEAM AND MY TEAM. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO DISSEMINATING THE INFORMATION TO EMPLOYEES GIVING THEM A COMPREHENSIVE WAY OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT WILL HAPPEN AND HOW IT WILL IMPACT THEM. WE WANT TO THANK THE BOARD ALSO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. Jessica Vaughn: I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE C 4.04. MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS. A SECOND BY MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER COMBS, MEMBER GRAY AND I PULLED THIS ITEM. MEMBER COMBS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, DR. PATTON. I WANT TO THANK THE BARGAINING UNIT, HR, OF COURSE, THE CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION HAS WORKED REALLY HARD
053AS WELL. SUPERINTENDENT AND THIS BOARD FOR MAKING SURE. TEACHERS DESERVE MORE THAN PRAISE. THEY DESERVE A PAYCHECK THAT REFLECTS THEIR IMPACT. I WILL SAY THIS, ANYTIME I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, OUR STATE NEEDS TO PAY TEACHERS MORE. I SEE BONUSES GOING OUT TO A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS BUT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PAY OUR TEACHERS. THEY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. I'M SO GLAD WE GOT TO THAT POINT, BUT WE STILL HAVE A VERY LONG WAY TO GO. OUR TEACHERS DESERVE A LIVABLE WAGE. THEY DON'T DESERVE TO WORK TWO OR THREE JOBS. IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB IN OUR SOCIETY IS TO MAKE SURE TEACHERS ARE THERE DAY IN, DAY OUT. THEY DEAL WITH SO MANY CHALLENGES EVERY SINGLE DAY. OUR TEACHERS SHOW UP NO MATTER WHAT. WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR HIGHER
054PAY AND CONTINUE TO PUSH THAT. THANK YOU FOR THIS BOARD AND EVERYONE FOR WORKING SO HARD, BECAUSE I KNOW IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT. IT'S VERY CHALLENGING. I THINK WHEN YOU HEAR INFORMATION COMING FROM THE STATE LEVEL WHEN THEY HAVE THESE NUMBERS, WHEN YOU BREAK IT DOWN, IT'S LIKE $50. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WORKING HARD, ESPECIALLY THE CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION WORKING TOGETHER. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER GRAY. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, ROB KRIETE AND ALSO RICK WEGMAN. THANK YOU. I KNOW IT WAS A LOT OF COMPROMISE, A LOT OF COLLABORATION, BUT I ALSO WANT TO THANK MR. LEWIS, MS. KING, DR. PATTON AND MS. SHOTWELL WHICH ALTOGETHER WAS SUCCESSFUL. IN LIGHT OF WHAT MEMBER COMBS SAID, 50% -- MORE THAN 50% OF OUR TEACHERS, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
055SALARIES, WE'RE SO LOW, THIS IS ACCORDING TO FEEDING TAMPA BAY. OVER 50% OF OUR TEACHERS HAVE TO GO TO THE FOOD PANTRY AND HAVE FOOD. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RELATIVITY OF PAY, WE ARE NOT WHERE WE NEED TO BE. WE DID THE BEST WE COULD, BUT THERE'S STILL A LONG WAY TO GO. THE NUMBER ONE INGREDIENT FOR A SUCCESSFUL CLASSROOM, AND WE ALL KNOW THIS, IS AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK FOR BETTER WAGES, EQUITY AND WHAT IS NEEDED IN THAT CLASSROOM FOR OUR CHILDREN TO SUCCEED AND ASPIRE FOR HIGHER GOALS. BUT, AGAIN, THE BARGAINING TEAM, YOU REALLY, REALLY WORKLOAD HARD AND CAME -- WORKED HARD AND CAME UP WITH WHAT IS CALLED A RAISE. THIS BOARD IS VERY SUPPORTIVE FOR ALL THE WORK YOU HAVE DONE TO OUR HARDWORKING TEACHERS, THANK
056YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER PEREZ. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M JUST EXCITED THAT WE GOT HERE FOR THESE TEACHERS. I KNOW THAT IT WAS A LOT OF WORK. DR. PATEN, BUT ALSO -- ROB JUST CAME IN. ROB AND VAL. EVERYBODY WHO GOT TOGETHER. BUT MOST OF ALL, E-MAIL REALLY EXCITED FOR THE TEACHERS. 99.9% EXCEPT WHEN THE KIDS ARE AT LUNCH IN FRONT OF OUR KIDS. AND THEY ARE THE ONES, YOU KNOW, BATTLING IT OUT WITH THE KIDS FOR THE EDUCATION. I'M REALLY, REALLY EXCITED. THAT'S IT. I'M PUMPED FOR THEM RIGHT NOW. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER WASHINGTON. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU. THAT'S A GOOD TERM. I'M PUMPED FOR THIS ONE. BUT I WANT TO THANK THE HR AND BARGAINING TEAM FOR DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB WITH HCTA.
057BEING A TEACHER FOR, I THINK I TAUGHT 18 YEARS AND I'VE ALWAYS HAD TWO JOBS. WE DIDN'T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY IN ORDER TO HAVE ONE JOB. ONE TEACHER I KNOW THAT WORKS AT WINN DIXIE, SHE STILL WORKS AT WINN DIXIE. SHE WORKS AT ONE OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND WORKS AT WINN DIXIE IN THE AFTERNOON. IT IS A SHAME TO SAY THAT BECAUSE EDUCATORS, TEACHERS HAVE TO HAVE TWO JOBS IN ORDER TO SURVIVE. SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK HARD. WE SUPPORTED THE TEACHERS. WE SUPPORTED YOU 100% BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND. WE UNDERSTAND HOW TOUGH TIMES ARE NOW. WE HAVE TO SUPPORT YOU GUYS SO YOU CAN MAKE A LIVING. I'M VERY HAPPY. I'M ELATED. MAYBE WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR NEXT YEAR NOW. I LIKE TO SEE THE HEADS SHAKE YES. LOOKING FOR NEXT
058YEAR. CONGRATULATIONS AND KEEP DOING A GREAT JOB. HEY, YOU KNOW, MISSING BY ONE PERCENTAGE POINT, THAT IS A HELL OF A JOB. THAT IS A GREAT JOB, TEACHERS. GREAT JOB YOU HAVE DONE. SO WE APPRECIATE YOU. WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK HARD SO WE GET TO THAT POINT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. DR. HAHN. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, CHAIR VAUGHN. TEACHERS, THEY GIVE SO MUCH OF THEMSELVES TO OUR STUDENTS. AND OUR TEACHERS AND OUR SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS REALLY THE BACKBONE OF OUR STUDENT LEARNING. I AGREE WITH ALL THE SENTIMENTS THAT MY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE SAID. WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS TODAY AND SUPPORT THIS. WE ALSO KNOW THERE IS A LONG WAY TO GO. I THINK THIS BOARD AS A WHOLE IS COMMITTED TO WORKING TOWARD DOING MORE
059FOR ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES. MY BROTHER-IN-LAW IS A TEACHER IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND HE ALSO HAS A SECOND JOB. I HAD ONE AS A TEACHER. I HOPE WE CAN GET TO A PLACE WHERE THAT IS NO LONGER NECESSARY, THAT WE CAN, AS ONE OF MY BOARD MEMBERS MENTIONED, PROVIDE A LIVABLE WAGE. BUT I AM VERY THANKFUL TO HCTA, OUR BARGAINING UNIT, HR, AND ALL OF OUR STAFF WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS. I KNOW IT'S LONG HOURS AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS. I JUST APPRECIATE AT THE END OF THE DAY THE COLLABORATION. THAT'S WHAT MAKES EVERYTHING WORK REALLY WHEN ALL OF US COLLABORATE TOGETHER. I THINK WE ALL HAVE THE SAME GOAL AND JUST SOMETIMES CHALLENGING TO GET THERE, BUT I APPRECIATE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. I KNOW WE'RE ALL COMMITTED TO KEEP HAVING
060THESE CONVERSATIONS AND TO DO BETTER. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, DR. HAHN. MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. YOU KNOW, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS SITTING UP HERE WANT TO DO EVERY SINGLE THING WE CAN FOR ANYBODY THAT IS WORKING WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ESPECIALLY THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE WORKING IN OUR SCHOOLS. THOSE INDIVIDUALS DIRECTLY IMPACTING OUR STUDENTS EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM BUS DRIVERS, ESPs, TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOMS, PARAS, AIDES, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM HAS A LASTING IMPRESSION ON EVERY SINGLE STUDENT IN OUR DISTRICT. ALTHOUGH WE DON'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FACE TO FACE, WE ARE SO THANKFUL TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR DOING SUCH AN AMAZING JOB. WE GET TO HAVE THE ACCOLADES
061WHEN WE GO SOMEWHERE AND GET TO SAY THAT WE ARE A PHENOMENAL SCHOOL DISTRICT AND WE GET TO STAND UP AND SAY THAT PUBLICLY, BUT SO THANKFUL TODAY TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU. THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE STAFF FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU DO EVERY SINGLE DAY. IT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE JOBS THAT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH FOR THE IMPACTS YOU MAKE ON STUDENTS. ALL WE CAN SAY IS THANK YOU. WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO BETTER. I FOR ONE WILL PROMISE TO FIGHT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY TO MAKE SURE AS MUCH AS I CAN FUNDING GOES INTO TEACHER SALARIES, PARASALARIES, EVERYONE THAT IMPACTS OUR STUDENTS DIRECTLY. I THINK IT IS A PRIORITY TO ME. I THINK IT IS A PRIORITY TO THIS BOARD,
062THAT YOU KNOW EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT YOU ARE VALUED AND WE APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE THING YOU DO. I'M SO VERY THANKFUL THAT WE CAN BE AN EXAMPLE TO OTHER DISTRICTS TO HAVE THIS SALARY SCHEDULE DONE AND APPROVED ON TIME BECAUSE IT'S NOT HAPPENING EVERYWHERE IN THE STATE. IT IS NOT HAPPENING EVERYWHERE. I AM VERY THANKFUL FOR OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM AND OUR BARGAINING TEAMS ON BOTH SIDES, THAT THEY RECOGNIZE WHAT A PRIORITY OUR STAFF IS AND WHAT A PRIORITY OUR STUDENTS ARE. SO THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH FOR PUTTING US IN A POSITION FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING TODAY. SO THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. THERE'S NOT MUCH THAT I CAN SAY THAT I FEEL LIKE HASN'T ALREADY BEEN SAID. ALL OF MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HAVE DONE SUCH AN AMAZING JOB
063OF SPEAKING TO HOW MUCH HARD WORK HAS COME TO MAKE SURE WE CAN HAVE THESE AGREEMENTS, HOW MANY LATE NIGHTS. WE THANKED EVERYONE. AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK OUR UNIONS, OUR BARGAINING TEAM, OUR SUPERINTENDENT WHO IS ALWAYS DEDICATED TO MAKING SURE THIS GETS DONE. MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO ECHO MEMBER RENDON, OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE THE ONES SHOWING UP EVERY DAY DOING THE HARD WORK. WHETHER IT'S CHALLENGES THAT THEY HAVE BECAUSE OF OUTSIDE INFLUENCES, INSIDE INFLUENCES, THEY ARE THE REAL HEROES OF THE WORK. AND WE ALWAYS JOKE AND SAY NOBODY GOT INTO EDUCATION TO BE RICH BUT 20 DR. HAHN'S POINT, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORK TWO JOBS, SHOULD HAVE A LIVABLE WAGE AND BENEFITS YOU CAN COUNT ON AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO PAY YOUR ELECTRIC BILL. I THINK
064THAT IT DEMONSTRATES THAT THROUGH ALL OF OUR HARD WORK AND COLLABORATION, WHEN TIMES ARE SO DIVISIVE THAT WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND AGREE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES DESERVE THAT LIVABLE WAGE AND FOR EVERY BOARD MEMBER TO REALLY ANCHOR AND SAY IT'S NOT ENOUGH WHEN WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CAN PUSH AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND REALLY MAKE SURE OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE THEY DESERVE REALLY SPEAKS TO THIS BOARD, TO YOUR LEADERSHIP, TO MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS. I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THAT WE GOT HERE. I'LL KEEP MY COMMENTS SHORT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SEGUE TO THE NEXT PUBLIC HEARING TIME CERTAIN AT 5. WITH NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE ARE GOING TO GO TO E 01, PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ADOPTION OF NEW AND
065REVISED POLICIES. I WILL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE NEW AND REVISED POLICY ADOPTION PROCESS. THIS IS A REQUIREMENT PURSUANT TO STATE LAW AND BOARD POLICY. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK ABOUT THE POLICIES THAT ARE RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION BY THE BOARD AND TO PROVIDE INPUT TO THE BOARD. THE POLICIES WERE ADVERTISED AND HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW. MR. JIM PORTER, SCHOOL BOARD ATTORNEY, WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. Jim Porter: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS. AS THE CHAIR SAID, THIS HEARING HAS BEEN PROPERLY ADVERTISED. THE POLICY CYCLE IS CONCLUDING WITH THIS PUBLIC HEARING. YOU ALL HAVE HAD WORKSHOP ON IT AND DISCUSSED THE POLICIES AT LENGTH. SO IT'S APPROPRIATE TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC AND HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE POLICIES. YOU SHOULD ASK FOR
066PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN I'LL PROCEED. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. DOES ANYONE WANT TO SPEAK FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ADOPTION OF THE NEW AND REVISED POLICIES? IF NOT, I WILL NOW CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. Jim Porter: BOARD MEMBERS, THERE'S BEEN A REQUEST TO VOTE ON TWO POLICIES SEPARATELY. POLICIES 2520 AND 9130. SO THAT WOULD REQUIRE A MOTION. THE CHAIR WOULD NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE ALL THE POLICIES EXCEPT FOR POLICY 2520 AND POLICY 9130. Jessica Vaughn: I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO ADOPT ALL POLICIES EXCEPT FOR POLICIES 2520 AND 9130. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER PEREZ. ANY DISCUSSION? MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER COMBS. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THESE POLICIES? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THOSE POLICIES PASS UNANIMOUSLY. Jim Porter: 6-1. Jessica Vaughn:
067THOSE POLICIES PASS -- Jim Porter: EVERY POLICY EXCEPT -- IF WE COULD CLEAR THE BOARD AND VOTE AGAIN, PLEASE. Jessica Vaughn: PLEASE VOTE -- ALL POLICIES EXCEPT FOR 2520 AND 1930. -- 9130. THOSE POLICIES PASS UNANIMOUSLY. NOW I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO ADOPT POLICY 2025 -- 2520. MY BRAIN -- I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE POLICY 2520. MOTION BY MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: TO ADOPT THE POLICY. Jessica Vaughn: A SECOND BY DR. HAHN. ANY DISCUSSION? IS THAT LINE UP FOR DISCUSSION? MEMBER COMBS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. I THINK THAT WE NEED MORE TIME TO WORK ON THESE POLICIES. I FELT LIKE THE POLICY CYCLE THAT WE HAD, I DID NOT FEEL LIKE I HAD ENOUGH AMPLE TIME TO LOOK AT THESE TWO
068POLICIES. I FEEL LIKE WE NEED MORE WORK AND I'M NOT READY TO APPROVE THEM TONIGHT. THEREFORE I MOVE THAT THE POLICIES 2520 AND 9130 BE MOVED TO THE NEXT POLICY CYCLE. Jessica Vaughn: NOW I HAVE TO -- Jim Porter: CLEAR THE BOARDS PLEASE. A MOTION HAS BEEN MADE TO CONTINUE POLICY 2520 AND 9130 TO THE FUTURE. THAT WOULD NEED A SECOND BEFORE YOU CAN DISCUSS IT. KAREN PEREZ HAS SECONDED IT. YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE SUBSTANCE OF THESE POLICIES. YOU'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT WHETHER TO CONTINUE THEM OR NOT. THAT IS THE ONLY THING APPROPRIATE ON THE FLOOR. Jessica Vaughn: MEMBER PEREZ, ARE YOU IN THE QUEUE? MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: I THINK EVERY BOARD MEMBER HAS THE RIGHT TO HAVE TIME TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE POLICIES. THIS CAME BEFORE THE BOARD IN JULY IN
069ORDER FOR IT TO BE REVIEWED DURING THE WORKSHOP. CAME BEFORE THE BOARD 30 DAYS AGO FOR PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT AND REVIEW. WE'RE REALLY 60 DAYS OUT AND THIS POLICY ITSELF ONLY QUOTE THE FACT THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A POLICY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE FOLLOWING THE LAW WHEN IT COMES TO INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL, LIBRARY MATERIAL, ANY MATERIALS AND THEN IT REQUIRES A SUPERINTENDENT TO HAVE A PROCEDURE TO DO THAT WHICH INCLUDES THE COMMUNITY, WHICH INCLUDES THE BOARD, WHICH FOLLOWS THE LAW. AND THEN IT SAYS THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE A FORM THAT INCLUDES THE DISTRICT, THE COMMUNITY TO FOLLOW THE LAW. SO THERE'S JUST NOTHING TO LEARN ABOUT WHEN THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE LAW STATES AND IT INCLUDES COMMUNITY. IT INCLUDES DISTRICT STAFF. IT INCLUDES THE BOARD AND IT INCLUDES ANY MATERIALS. SO AFTER
07060 DAYS OF REVIEW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE TIME WE NEED. SO THAT'S JUST MY PERSONAL VIEW ON THAT. Jim Porter: REMEMBER, BOARD MEMBERS, THIS IS JUST ABOUT THE CONTINUANCE, WHETHER YOU WANT TO HEAR IT TONIGHT OR IN THE FUTURE. NOT WHETHER IT IS A GOOD POLICY OR BAD POLICY. JUST WHETHER YOU WANT TO HEAR IT TONIGHT OR TONIGHT. THAT IS THE ONLY THING THAT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW. Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. THANK YOU. MEMBER GRAY. Lynn Gray: I RECOGNIZE THE APPROACH OF GETTING THIS FINISHED, POLISHED OFF WITHIN THIS TIME OF THE BOARD MEETING. HOWEVER, I FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IF WE HAD A BETTER HANDLE ON, FOR EXAMPLE, VAN AYRES, SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, DO YOU HAVE A PROCEDURE THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH US AT A LATER TIME FOR THE EDIFICATION. IT SAYS THE
071SUPERINTENDENT SHALL DEVELOP A PROCEDURE TO HANDLE ALL OBJECTIONS. YOU CAN ANSWER THAT, BUT IN LIGHT OF RIGHT NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MIGHT BE. FOR ME TO -- I'LL SPEAK AS AN INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBER, FOR ME TO JUST SAY YES WITHOUT KNOWING THE FULL CIRCUMSTANCES, THEN I DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO APPROACH A POLICY. Van Ayres: ON OUR WEBSITE RIGHT NOW, UNDER LIBRARY MATERIALS, THERE IS A CURRENT PROCEDURE THAT WE HAVE. IF THIS POLICY WERE TO BE PASSED TODAY, THEN IT IS STAFF'S RESPONSIBILITY TO THEN DEVELOP PROCEDURES AROUND THE POLICY THAT THE BOARD APPROVES. SO AS POLICY GETS PASSED, WE THEN DEVELOP PROCEDURES BEHIND THAT POLICY. SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. SO THAT WE HAVE PROCEDURES THAT WE'RE READY TO ROLL OUT ONCE THIS BOARD PASSES THE POLICY, IF
072THIS GETS PASSED TONIGHT. Lynn Gray: THERE IS A MARRIAGE BETWEEN POLICY AND PROCEDURE AS THERE SHOULD ALWAYS BE. I WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO THAT DURING OUR NEXT POLICY CYCLE THAT WE HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF US AS WELL. THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER PEREZ. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. THE CALLS THAT I RECEIVED, SUPERINTENDENT, IS THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTED CLARIFICATION. THERE WAS A BIT OF SURPRISE WHEN THEY SAW THIS. I GET THAT THEY HAD THE 60 DAIS TO LOOK IT OVER, BUT THERE WAS THE CLARIFICATION OF WHAT THE PROCEDURE WAS GOING TO BE GOING FORWARD AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT PROCEDURE IS GOING TO BE COMPLETED AFTER -- Van Ayres: ONCE THE BOARD CREATES POLICIES, PROCEDURES, BASED ON BOARD POLICY. I DON'T KNOW HOW
073MUCH YOU WANT TO GET INTO SUBSTANCE, MR. PORTER. Jim Porter: THE BOARD DOESN'T APPROVE PROCEDURES. TYPICALLY PROCEDURES ARE ADOPTED AFTER THE POLICIES ARE DONE. THESE POLICIES SPECIFICALLY INTEND TO LINK THE PROCEDURES TO THE POLICY. THE BOARD IS CERTAINLY ENTITLED TO SEE THEM BUT YOU DON'T VOTE ON THE PROCEDURES. Karen Perez: BUT I THINK THE COMMUNITY WANTS SOME CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT WILL HAPPEN. Van Ayres: FOR CLARITY, TWO SPOTS HERE. THERE IS A STATE FORMAL OBJECTION PROCESS. IT IS ON OUR WEBSITE CURRENTLY THAT OUTLINES IN DETAIL THAT THE BOARD IS ALWAYS INVOLVED AND THAT WOULD NOT CHANGE MOVING FORWARD, IN A FORMAL OBJECTION PROCESS, THE BOARD HAS BEEN THROUGH IT, THROUGH THE SCHOOL, THE DISTRICT AND ULTIMATELY COMES TO THE BOARD WHERE YOU -- THE BOARD REACTS TO THE DISTRICT COMMITTEE'S DECISION AND ULTIMATELY MAKE THAT DECISION.
074THAT WOULD NOT CHANGE IN THE FORMAL OBJECTION PROCESS. PER THE STATUTE 1,006.28, IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DEVELOP POLICY AND PROCEDURES BEHIND THAT. SO OVER THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE FORMAL OBJECTION PROCESS. WHAT HAS HAPPENED OVER THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS, LAST TWO YEARS, TWO BOOKS OBJECTED TO THROUGH THE STATE OBJECTION PROCESS. ONLY TWO. LAST YEAR WE HAD NONE OBJECTED TO. HOWEVER, THERE WERE SITUATIONS TO WHERE BOOKS WERE BROUGHT UP THAT WERE NOT FORMALLY OBJECTED TO. SO I WANT THE BOARD TO BE CLEAR, THE BOARD IS 100% INVOLVED IN DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE THAT GO THROUGH THE STATE FORMAL OBJECTION PROCESS AND THAT WOULD NOT CHANGE WITH THE NEWLY DEVELOPED PROCEDURES. THE BOARD IS INVOLVED. HAS TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS ON THE FORMAL OBJECTION PROCESS THAT'S BROUGHT FORWARD BY A CONSTITUENT IN OUR
075DISTRICT. Karen Perez: CAN WE PROVIDE, LIKE MEMBER COMBS SAID, THE TIME FOR THE COMMUNITY TO GO IN AND READ THAT PROCESS AND THEN COME BACK AND TAKE A VOTE ON THIS? Van Ayres: YES. TO MEET FLORIDA STATUTE, YEAH, TO MEET FLORIDA STATUTE, WE HAVE A POLICY THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE -- Jim Porter: YOU CAN DO WHAT ASKING. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER COMBS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. I DON'T WANT TO SPEND THE NEXT THREE YEARS DISCUSSING THIS. HOWEVER, I THINK THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT POLICY THAT I'M NOT GOING TO PASS IT THROUGH AND THINGS HAVE CHANGED FOR ME SINCE JULY. I HAVE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY ON THIS BOARD. AND WITH YOU, SUPERINTENDENT. FOR ME, IT HAS CHANGED. I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE I HAVE TIME.
076I RECEIVED A LOT OF COMMUNICATION FROM MY CONSTITUENTS THAT NEED MORE TIME AND I AM LISTENING TO THEM. THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR. FOR ME, THERE IS NO RUSH. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR FIVE YEARS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS REALLY CLEAR AND THIS DONE IN A PROPER MANNER. I DON'T SEE THE RUSH. I REALLY AM IN SUPPORT OF THIS. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER WASHINGTON. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. QUICK QUESTION. IF WE DO IT NOW OR DO IT TWO WEEKS FROM NOW OR DO IT A MONTH FROM NOW, NOTHING CHANGES. RIGHT? Van Ayres: TO MEET FLORIDA STATUTE, WE HAVE A POLICY CURRENTLY IN PLACE THAT MEETS FLORIDA STATUTE THAT SAYS EVERY SCHOOL BOARD MUST HAVE A POLICY TO MEET
077THE STATUTE TOWARD THE OBJECTION PROCESS. IN THAT, THE LANGUAGE SAYS NO CHALLENGED MATERIAL MAY BE REMOVED EXCEPT BY ACTION OF THE BOARD. THAT SATISFIES THE FLORIDA STATUTE CURRENTLY AND WE'VE BEEN OPERATING UNDER THAT. Henry "Shake" Washington: NO CHANGE. DO IT TWO WEEKS, MONTH FROM NOW. STILL THE SAME. NO CHANGE. WE JUST DELAY IT. Jim Porter: THIS NEEDS TO ALL BE ON THE RECORD. MEMBER WASHINGTON HAS THE FLOOR. Henry "Shake" Washington: I WAS TRYING TO CLEAR IT UP HERE SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND AS A WHOLE NO MATTER HOW LONG WE WAIT, WE WANT TO CLEAR IT UP. EVEN IF WE CLEAR IT UP, STILL REMAIN THE SAME. I DON'T SEE THE DELAY IN IT, ME AS A PERSON. AS A BOARD MEMBER. THE ONLY THING WE DON'T HAVE ARE PROCEDURES IN PLACE. AM I RIGHT OR
078WRONG? Van Ayres: CORRECT. STAFF WILL -- WE HAVE PROCEDURES THAT WILL BE DEVELOPED. STAFF IS WORKING ON THEM. I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT IT IS THE BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITY TO PASS POLICY. THE STAFF REACTS TO POLICY AND DEVELOPS PROCEDURES AROUND WHAT THE BOARD PASSES THROUGH POLICY. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU. THAT CLEARS IT UP FOR ME. Jessica Vaughn: DR. HAHN. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, CHAIR VAUGHN. I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO ALL OF THIS. ONE THING I WANT TO BE CLEAR ON. I DON'T LIKE THE LANGUAGE OF WE'RE BEING RUSHED. YOU ARE NOT BEING RUSHED. YOU'VE HAD SINCE THE WORKSHOP TWO WEEKS AGO YOU GOT YOUR AGENDA PACKET. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TIME. IF YOU NEED MORE TIME, THAT'S FINE, BUT NOBODY IS RUSHING ANYBODY INTO A DECISION. WE HAVE BEEN VERY THOUGHTFUL DURING OUR
079POLICY CYCLE. YOU HAVE HAD AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT, HIS STAFF TO GET QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ANSWERED. SO I REALLY DON'T LIKE THE PERCEPTION OUT THERE THAT WE'RE RUSHING PEOPLE. YOU'VE CHANGED YOUR MIND AROUND SOMETHING THAT WE CAME TO A CONSENSUS ON. CERTAINLY MEANS YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR NAME. YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH IT ANYMORE. I JUST WANT TO CLEAR THAT UP. NOBODY IS RUSHING ANYBODY. I ALSO WANT TO MAKE CLEAR POLICY COMES BEFORE PROCEDURE. OUR PROCEDURES AROUND BOOK REMOVAL, I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE CHANGED IN MORE THAN A YEAR OR MAYBE TWO YEARS. SO THEY HAVE BEEN OUT THERE FOR REVIEW BY THIS BOARD AND THE PUBLIC. SO IT SEEMS LIKE AT THE 11th HOUR THERE'S BEEN ALL THIS FLURRY HAPPENING IN THE LAST DAY ALL OF A SUDDEN, WHICH IS CONCERNING
080TO ME BECAUSE WE HAVE REALLY BEEN THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THIS. I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE'S MINDS OR EXPERIENCES MAY NEED THEM TO PAUSE AROUND THIS. BUT WE HAVE FOLLOWED OUR POLICY CYCLE. WE'VE HAD A LONG WORKSHOP ON THIS. SO THE ONLY THING I REALLY WANT TO GET ON THE RECORD IS WE'RE NOT RUSHING -- NONE OF US ARE BEING RUSHED INTO THIS, BUT YOU CAN CERTAINLY REQUEST MORE TIME TO REVIEW THIS AND MEET WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS, BUT THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN BEING RUSHED. THAT'S JUST ASKING FOR AN EXTENSION SO YOU CAN HAVE EXPLORATORY OPPORTUNITY AROUND THE POLICY AND YOUR CONSTITUENCY. I THINK THAT'S FAIR TO ASK FOR. THAT'S THE END OF MY COMMENTS. I RESPECT YOUR WANTING THIS. I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK WE'RE BEING RUSHED INTO THIS. YOU NEED MORE TIME TO EXPLORE THIS, I UNDERSTAND
081THAT. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, DR. HAHN. MEMBER COMBS. Nadia Combs: I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MEMBER HAHN, FOR SAYING THAT. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. I WANT TO RECALL THAT DAY WHEN WE DID MEET FOR POLICY, THERE WERE ONLY FOUR MEMBERS THERE. THREE MEMBERS WERE NOT THERE AT THE TIME. I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT. AND MEMBER WASHINGTON, WE CAN CHANGE THE VERBIAGE AND THERE COULD BE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THAT. IF WE WANTED TO ADD AND MAKE SURE THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS HAVE REVIEWED THAT OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. SO THERE CAN BE SOME ADDITIONAL WORDS. WE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO ABIDE BY THE LAW. WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THE LAW. GOING TO DO THAT. THERE CAN BE SOME LANGUAGE THAT CAN BE CHANGED ON THAT TO MAKE SURE
082THAT THINGS ARE NOT OCCURRING. FOR ME, WHEN THAT OCCURRED, WHEN THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE 600 BOOKS WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE THINGS HAPPENING WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE. AS I SPOKE LAST TIME, I DO NOT WANT INAPPROPRIATE BOOKS IN OUR SCHOOLS, BUT I NEED TO HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE. I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH SUPERINTENDENT AYRES MAKING DECISIONS WITHOUT MY INFORMATION AND I DON'T THINK MY CONSTITUENTS WOULD EITHER. SO THOSE WHY I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT WE DO NEED MORE TIME AND WITH ONLY FOUR BOARD MEMBERS AT THAT POLICY WORKSHOP, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT POLICY. I SPENT THE LAST FIVE YEARS TALKING ABOUT THIS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S VERY CLEAR BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO SPEND THREE MORE YEARS TALKING ABOUT THIS AND I'M NOT -- RUSHING IT IS
083JUST NOT IMPORTANT. I APPRECIATE YOU, MEMBER HAHN, SAYING THAT. Henry "Shake" Washington: I DON'T THINK WE'RE RUSHING IT. I REALLY DON'T THINK WE'RE RUSHING IT. MY CONCERN IS, WE MAY CHANGE SOME WORDS AROUND BUT IT IS STILL GOING TO BE THE SAME -- Jim Porter: WE'RE GOING TO BE CONSISTENT. STATE LAW. THE POLICY IS UP TO THE BOARD TO DECIDE. IF WE NEED TO TWEAK, WE'LL TWEAK IT BUT CONSISTENT WITH STATE LAW. THE LAW IS NOT CHANGING. Henry "Shake" Washington: THE LAW IS NOT CHANGING. MAYBE WE CAN TWEAK IT. THE POLICY IS GOING TO BE THE SAME NO MATTER WHAT. Van Ayres: WE CURRENTLY HAVE PROCEDURES IN PLACE THAT COMPLY WITH FLORIDA STATE LAW IN PLACE SINCE 2023 AND OUR PROCEDURES THAT COMPLY WITH THE LAW IN FLORIDA STATUTE. Henry "Shake" Washington: THAT'S WHAT I
084WANT TO MAKE CLEAR. WE CAN TWEAK WHATEVER WE WANT TO DO, BUT THE POLICY WILL REMAIN THE SAME. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. I FEEL LIKE I WAITED A VERY LONG TIME TO TALK. I WANT TO BE CLEAR IN MY CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THESE POLICIES. WE MET FOR A POLICY CYCLE. WE TALKED ABOUT THEM. I ADDRESSED CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS AT THE TIME. I WAS TOLD AT THE TIME THAT IT DIDN'T MATTER THAT THESE WERE STATUTORILY ALREADY DECIDED AND WE WERE JUST ADOPTING WHAT WAS IN STATUTE AT THE TIME. I IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT MEETING ASKED FOR YOU TO SEND ME ANY OF THE STATUTES THAT YOU WERE REFERENCING. I ASKED MANY CABINET MEMBERS. I GOT NO RESPONSE TO THAT. NO ONE EVER SENT ME THE SPECIFIC STATUTE. FOR THE ONE
085FOR 2520, I SEE THE STATUTE HERE. THE 1,006.28, I WENT AND I LOOKED AT THAT STATUTE, BUT I SEE VERY -- TO ME IT LOOKS LIKE PARTS FROM THE STATUTE HAVE BEEN KIND OF CHERRY PICKED. IT IS A VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY LONG STATUTE. HAS PROBABLY 18 DIFFERENT PARAGRAPHS AND SUBHEADINGS. I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE THIS FULL SNIPPET WAS PICKED FROM THE STATUTE SPECIFICALLY. ALSO, THAT STATUTE REFERENCES THE BOARD BEING ABLE TO BE A PART OF THE POLICY MAKING AND THE BOARD COMING UP WITH THE PROCEDURES AND POLICY. SO I HAVE CONCERNS, WHICH I ADDRESSED AT THE WORKSHOP. I WANT TO BE CLEAR, I HAVE NEVER CHANGED MY MIND ON THIS. I HAD CONCERNS AT THE WORKSHOP. I ASKED REPEATEDLY FOR ENGAGEMENT AROUND THIS. I HAVE ASKED FOR YOU TO GIVE US YOUR PROCEDURES AROUND
086WHAT YOU INTEND TO DO AROUND BOOKS SINCE JUNE 30th, THE VERY FIRST MEETING, I ASKED FOR WHAT THOSE PROCEDURES WOULD BE FOR THE ENTIRE DISTRICT STAFF AND FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT. WE DID TALK ABOUT AT THE POLICY MEETING WHETHER OR NOT YOU WOULD HAVE PROCEDURES THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO EVALUATE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IT AT A BOARD MEETING. WE'RE TOLD WE HAVE LIMITED TIME AT A WORKSHOP TO TALK ABOUT POLICIES. THEY ARE ALWAYS RUSHED THROUGH. I ASKED FOR MORE TIME SO WE AREN'T RUSHED DURING THAT POLICY CYCLE, WHICH WE'RE ADDRESSING. WE'RE ALSO TOLD THAT THE POLICY CYCLE IS JUST A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT IT AND WHERE THE REAL MEAT OF THE SITUATION WILL HAPPEN IS WHEN IT COMES BEFORE US TO VOTE, WHICH WE'RE DOING NOW TO HAVE
087THE OPPORTUNITY, WE'VE HAD NO TIME AS A BOARD SINCE THE ENDING OF THE POLICY CYCLE, SINCE I HAD CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS TO TALK ABOUT IT AS A BOARD FOR ME TO BE TRANSPARENT. I ASKED FOR PROCEDURES. I ASKED FOR THE STATUTE SO I CAN UNDERSTAND THE REFERENCING BEHIND IT. I'VE GOTTEN NO RESPONSE TO EITHER OF THOSE FOR ANY THAT I ASKED FOR. SO I DON'T THINK THAT EVEN IF IT IS TYPICAL FOR PROCEDURES TO COME BEFORE POLICIES ON SOMETHING THIS BIG WHERE THERE ARE CONCERNS THAT THERE'S STATE OVERREACH OR THAT THERE'S ANYTHING DOING TO TAKE THE ABILITY AWAY FROM BOARD MEMBERS TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY, THAT WE ASK FOR WHAT THOSE PROCEDURES ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE. I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE TALKED TODAY ABOUT OBJECTIONS VERSUS COMPLAINTS. AND NEITHER OF US
088HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REALLY DIFFERENTIATE WHAT THOSE DIFFERENCES ARE AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE TO BE EVEN ABLE TO GO FORWARD ABOUT THE PROCEDURES BECAUSE I'M VERY CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT A COMPLAINT IS VERSUS AN OBJECTION. ARE THE ONLY THINGS GOING TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD, THINGS THAT ARE FORMAL OBJECTION? DOES THAT MEAN AT ANY POINT SOMEONE CAN COME IN HERE AND SPEAK ABOUT SOMETHING THEY DON'T LIKE IN THE SCHOOLS AND YOU HAVE THE ABILITY THEN TO TAKE THAT OUT WITHOUT ANY FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD. THAT'S WHAT I'VE ASKED AND GOTTEN NO CLARIFICATION ABOUT. THERE IS NO TRANSPARENCY AROUND WHO THOSE PROCEDURES LOOK LIKE. BY THIS, YOU'VE TAKEN THE ABILITY FROM THE BOARD TO HAVE ANY CONCERNS UNLESS WE GO BACK AND CHANGE THE POLICY TO REUNDO WHAT WE JUST DID. I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
089Van Ayres: I WOULD JUST ADD THAT IN OUR PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN ON OUR LIBRARY MEDIA MATERIALS WEBSITE FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, OUR PROCEDURES. WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS THROUGH THE FORMAL OBJECTION PROCESS. WE'VE GONE THROUGH THAT. I THINK WITH THE POLICY THAT YOU'RE REFERENCING AROUND THE NO CHALLENGED MATERIAL, NOWHERE IN FLORIDA STATUTE DOES IT TALK ABOUT CHALLENGES. IT'S A FORMAL OBJECTION. THAT'S JUST -- I WANTED TO BRING SOME CLARITY THERE. Jessica Vaughn: WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHAT YOU REFERENCE IS YOUR ABILITY TO HANDLE CHALLENGES. Van Ayres: IF I COULD GET SOME FEEDBACK HERE, THERE ARE DECISIONS MADE EVERY DAY IN OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS THAT GO THROUGH THE TRAINING BY THE DOE, THERE ARE IN THAT CIRCULATION, THERE ARE BOOKS THAT COME IN AND OUT OF CIRCULATION ALL THE TIME, THAT THE BOARD DOES
090NOT GET INVOLVED IN. DON'T. BECAUSE THEY GO THROUGH A STATE TRAINING. OVER THEIR CIRCULATION, THERE WILL BE BOOKS THAT COME IN AND OUT OF CIRCULATION ALL THE TIME WITHOUT BOARD APPROVAL. SO WE JUST HAVE TO TALK THROUGH THIS, BECAUSE KNOW THAT THE BOARD IS NOT GOING TO APPROVE EVERY BOOK HERE AND THERE BECAUSE OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS ARE OVER THEIR CIRCULATIONS. Jessica Vaughn: I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK. WE HAD THE CONVERSATION EARLIER. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, NOT A MEDIA SPECIALIST, DON'T HAVE THE CERTIFICATION. YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TRAINED. YOU HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH THE STATE CERTIFICATION. MY CONCERN, WHICH, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT IS A VERY TRANSPARENT PROCESS WHICH IS ON OUR WEBSITE, WOULD THE CHANGES ALLOW YOU TO DO AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FROM YOU. THAT'S WHAT I'VE ASKED FROM JUNE, JULY, AUGUST. EVERY SINGLE BOARD MEETING
091AND I'VE ASKED FOR THOSE PROCEDURES TO BE SHARED WITH US THAT ALLOWS YOU TO SUPERSEDE THE BOARD IF THE STATE MANDATES IT AND REMOVE BOOKS AND WHAT THAT CRITERIA IS BASED ON. TRANSMISSION WAS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT CRITERIA THAN THE FIRST SET OF 55 WE REMOVED. HOWEVER, MY CONCERN IS WITH THAT POLICY IN GENERAL, THE 9130. I'LL GET BACK IN THE QUEUE -- Jim Porter: I WANT TO REITERATE, YOU ARE ONLY TALKING ABOUT WHETHER TO HEAR THE ITEM OR NOT. I WOULD CAUTION YOU TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT GETTING INTO THE SUBSTANCE BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR. YOU'LL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT EITHER TONIGHT OR IN THE FUTURE. PLEASE, BOARD MEMBERS, TALK ABOUT THE CONTINUANCE. IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING, LEGAL PROCEEDING, YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES. ONLY ABOUT
092THE CONTINUANCE, PLEASE. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MR. PORTER. MEMBER GRAY. OH, YOU ARE OUT NOW. Jessica Vaughn: WE'LL LISTEN TO YOU, MR. PORTER. Jim Porter: IF YOU WANT TO HAVE THESE POLICIES BROUGHT BACK AT A FUTURE DATE, VOTE YES. IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT THEM TONIGHT, VOTE NO. THAT IS THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR. Patti Rendon: I DO HAVE A QUESTION. IF WE VOTE YES, THAT PUSHES THEM BACK TO ANOTHER BOARD MEETING. Jim Porter: YES. Patti Rendon: IF WE VOTE NO, THAT WOULD STAY ON. Jim Porter: IT'S CONFUSING. IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE VOTE YES. IF YOU WANT TO TALK TONIGHT, VOTE NO. Jessica Vaughn: PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE MOTIONS PASSES. Jim Porter: 5-2. THESE WILL BE BROUGHT BACK AT A FUTURE BOARD MEETING WITH ALL YOUR COMMENTS HEARD AND
093PROCESSED AND ADDRESSED AT THE TIME. IF -- I DON'T THINK WE NEED ANOTHER WORKSHOP. IF WE DETERMINE OR STAFF OR SUPERINTENDENT DETERMINES AS STAFF YOU WANT MORE TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT, WE CAN DO THAT. THE POINT IS, THEY ARE COMING BACK AND HAVE YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND THEN YOU CAN VOTE YES OR NO AT THAT TIME. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MR. PORTER. THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US ON TRACK. THAT WAS FOR BOTH. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO 4.03, ECONOMIC SALARY PROPOSAL FOR NON-REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES FOR 25-26 SCHOOL YEAR. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. Van Ayres: THIS IS OUR NON-REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES WHICH INCLUDE APPROXIMATELY 1,270 EMPLOYEES SUCH AS HEAD CUSTODIAN, SECRETARY s, ACCOUNTANTS, ANALYSTS, AMONG OTHER JOB TYPES ALL ELIGIBLE NON-REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES MOVED ONE STEP ON NEWLY AGREED UPON INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT SALARY SCHEDULE. ONE TIME
094$2,000 NONRECURRING PAYMENT. THAT IS 4.03. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 4.03. MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. A SECOND BY MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER COMBS, MEMBER GRAY AND I PULLED THIS ITEM. MEMBER GRAY, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? Lynn Gray: YOU LOOK OUT THE DAIS AND LOOK AT THE SUPERVISORS AND OUR CABINET WHO MANY OF THEM WERE ONCE PRINCIPALS. I DON'T HAVE TO SAY TOO MUCH ABOUT THEIR WORKLOAD. IT'S JUST HORRENDOUS. ALSO, WE TALK ABOUT -- WE'RE LUCKY WE DON'T HAVE ANY HURRICANES YET. BUT OUR PRINCIPALS HELD THE FORT AND THAT IS A LOT OF EXTRA LAYERS OF WORK AND COORDINATION AND ARTICULATION WITH CITY AND CITY GOVERNMENT AND ALL THE OTHER LOCALITIES. AGAIN, WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE PRINCIPALS AS BEST WE CAN PAY-WISE,
095EVEN THOUGH, AND WE KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE, THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN, SAY, SARASOTA AND HILLSBOROUGH HAS STILL SUBTRACTED SOME OF OUR GREAT PRINCIPALS BECAUSE THE PAY IS MUCH HIGHER THERE. WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO FOR THE SERVICE THEY DO. AND JUST A FINAL REMARK, WE ALL KNOW THAT TEACHERS, THEY FOLLOW PRINCIPALS, NOT SCHOOLS. THE PRINCIPALS MAKE THAT WHOLE COMMUNITY INTO A POSITIVE AREA TO LIVE IN AND HAS SO MANY RAMIFICATIONS. I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THIS. I KNOW WE'RE CELEBRATING. AGAIN, I'M JUST GOING TO SAY WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. AND I WANT TO THANK OUR PRINCIPALS, TOO, FOR ALL THAT THEY DO AND JUST SUCH A SUCCESSFUL GROUP OF FOLKS. THANK YOU. MADAM CHAIR, THAT'S ALL MY REMARKS. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. YEAH,
096I AGREE. THANK YOU FOR JUST MAKING SURE THAT OUR NON-REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES ALSO HAVE SOMEONE AT THE TABLE BARGAINING FOR THEM LITERALLY AND THAT WE'RE NOT JUST, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT REPRESENTED, MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE NOT INCLUDED IN OUR FAMILY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LIVABLE WAGES AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. MEMBER COMBS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRINCIPALS. Jim Porter: WHICH ITEM IS THIS. Van Ayres: THIS IS NON-REPRESENTED. THESE ARE OUR HEAD CUSTODIANS. THE NEXT ITEM IS THE PRINCIPALS. Jim Porter: THIS ITEM IS 4.03, NON-REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES. Jessica Vaughn: IT WAS CONFUSING BECAUSE IT WAS GIVEN TO BOARD MEMBERS ON THE PAPER DIFFERENTLY THAN THE ORDER OF THE AGENDA. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THE ITEMS THAT WILL GUARANTEE SALARY INCREASES. Nadia Combs: I WANT TO SPEAK ON ESPs. I WANT TO THANK
097THE CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, THE BARGAINING TEAM, HR, SUPERINTENDENT, AND OUR ENTIRE DISTRICT FOR GETTING A 96.5 RATIFICATION ON THIS. I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR ESPs, OUR SECURITY GUARDS WHO ARE HERE TODAY, OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS, OUR OFFICE ASSISTANTS, THE MAINTENANCE, NUTRITION, BUS DRIVERS. I THINK THEY ARE THE HEART OF THE DISTRICT. I CAN SAY PERSONALLY WHEN I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, PROBABLY THE BIGGEST PERSON WHO HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON ME WAS MY BUS DRIVER. SUCH A BIG IMPACT. FIRST PERSON I SAW, MR. BROWN, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY LAST PERSON. SUCH A CHALLENGING JOB. I THINK THE ESPs ARE SO, SO COMPLETELY UNDERPAID. I REALLY HOPE AND I'M GLAD WE GOT TO BARGAINING, BUT I REALLY HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE TO PUSH AND WORK SO HARD BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN
098YOU WALK INTO THE SCHOOL, THE FIRST PERSON YOU SEE IS THE SECURITY GUARD. YOU SEE THE PRINCIPAL, SECRETARY OR THE SECRETARY, THEY ARE REALLY, PARAPROFESSIONALS. I THINK OF ONE PARAPROFESSIONAL, MR. FUENTES WHO STILL WORKS IN OUR DISTRICT AND WAS BY FAR PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST EDUCATORS I WORKED WITH AND WAS A PARAPROFESSIONAL. I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF THEM AND JUST SAY WE CONTINUE, NEED TO WORK HARD AND CONTINUE PAYING THESE INDIVIDUALS A LIVABLE WAGE. I REALLY APPRECIATE. I'M GLAD WE WERE ABLE TO BARGAIN THIS. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: WE'RE GOING TO COMMENT ON EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM SO OUR STAFF -- ALL OF OUR STAFF THAT WORK WITH ALL OF OUR STUDENTS RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT WE VALUE AND APPRECIATE THE WORK THEY DO
099EVERY SINGLE DAY. JUST FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN. WE KNOW IT'S NOT ENOUGH BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WE VALUE THE WORK YOU DO AND WE APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU DO. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. WE'RE SO THANKFUL TO GET THIS DONE IN A VERY TIMELY MANNER FOR OUR STAFF. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. DR. HAHN. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, CHAIR VAUGHN. I AGREE WITH ALL OF MY BOARD MEMBERS. MEMBER VAUGHN MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY HOW OUR NON-REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES ARE A PART OF OUR DISTRICT FAMILY. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH HER. A LOT OF THE WORK AND CONTRIBUTIONS THEY MAKE ARE BEHIND THE SCENES IN OUR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY, BUT THEY ARE VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR SCHOOLS. I'M VERY
100HAPPY THAT WE'RE APPROVING THIS PROPOSAL TODAY. IT'S ABOUT SHOWING EVERY MEMBER OF OUR TEAM THAT THEY ARE VALUED. SO THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, DR. HAHN. MEMBER GRAY. SHE'S AWAY FROM THE DAIS REAL QUICK. MEMBER WASHINGTON. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I JUST WANT TO -- I TELL YOU, THE ESPs ARE SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHEN YOU WALK IN THE SCHOOL, YOU SEE THE SECRETARY SITTING THERE. THEY MAKE THE TONE OF THE DAY. BECAUSE IF A PARENT COME IN THERE UPSET AND THE SECRETARY IS NOT A PLEASANT PERSON, IT MAKES IT WORSE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY WITH A GREAT PERSONALITY AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB. YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE THAT COME INTO A SCHOOL EACH DAY, THE SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND SCHOOL SECURITY, SOMEBODY IS
101ALWAYS THERE TO GRATEFULLY ACCEPT THEM COMING INTO THE SCHOOL. I TELL YOU NOW AS A FORMER PRINCIPAL, MY SECRETARY WAS A -- THEY PRETTY MUCH RAN THE SCHOOL. KNEW A LOT MORE THAN I KNEW. SOMEBODY ALWAYS GAVE THEM INFORMATION TO TELL ME. AND THEY ALWAYS DID A GREAT JOB. ALWAYS. SO, HEY, LOOK, I WISH I COULD GIVE YOU MORE MONEY. IF I BECOME RICH ONE DAY, I'LL DONATE MONEY TO THE ESPs, REALLY. ANYWAY, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK HARD AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A GOOD LIVING IN LIFE. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER GRAY. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THE FOUNDATION OF OUR SCHOOL SITES BEGINS AND ENDS WITH OUR ESP AND I KNOW THAT IS CLEAR AS DAY AND THE BOARD REMARKS ARE SO EMBLEMATIC OF WHAT GOES ON.
102YOU GO TO A SCHOOL, YOU LOOK AT THE FLOORS, YOU LOOK AT THE CLASSROOM CONDITIONS. THE CUSTODIANS DO SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB, AND THEN YOU LOOK AT THE POINT OF SERVICE. THE BUS DRIVERS, WHO DO YOU THINK -- THE STUDENTS GET THEIR MOOD AND THEIR VISION OF THE DAY MANY TIMES FROM THE BUS DRIVER WHO, GENERALLY SPEAKING, A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR STUDENTS ON THE BUS. AND THEN YOU LOOK AT THE SAFETY ELEMENT, WHICH IS HUGE, CRITICAL. AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR RESOURCE OFFICERS. BUT, BY THE WAY, THE CUSTODIANS ALSO WORK TO KEEP OUR STUDENTS SAFE AS DO THE SECRETARIES. IT'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK BEHIND THE SCENES. THEY DON'T OFTEN GET THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT THEY ARE SO DESERVING OF. WE KEEP SAYING WE NEED TO DO MORE. OF COURSE, WE NEED TO DO
103MORE FOR THEM TO HAVE A LIVABLE WAGE AND A BUDGET THAT THEY CAN MANAGE. SO WE WILL CONTINUE AND I'LL SPEAK FOR THE BOARD BECAUSE I HEAR EVERY ONE OF YOU, WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THE BETTER WAGES, THE HIGHER WAGES THE BEST WE CAN. AND THANK YOU ALL, ESP. I KNOW, ROB KRIETE, YOU ARE VERY MUCH REMIND US TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE ESP BECAUSE SO MANY TIMES -- YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING. IT GOES AROUND TO SOMEONE, ANOTHER GROUP. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THAT'S MY REMARKS. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER PEREZ. Karen Perez: SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND SEE SOMEBODY WEARING ONE OF OUR SHIRTS THAT SAYS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND I ASK THEM, OH, MY GOODNESS, WHERE DO YOU WORK AND THEY GET ALL EXCITED?
104YEAH, THEY DO. THEY GET REALLY EXCITED TO TELL ME THEY ARE PROUD. THEY ARE REALLY PROUD OF WHERE THEY WORK AND WHO THEY REPRESENT. I ALWAYS JUST SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR STUDENTS AND WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR SCHOOLS. EVEN WHEN I SEE OUR SECURITY GUARDS, I ALWAYS THANK THEM FOR WHAT THEY DO FOR US BECAUSE THEIR WORK DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED, AT LEAST NOT BY THIS BOARD MEMBER AND I NOTICE IT DOES THE GO UNNOTICED BY OTHER FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS. I'M JUST EXCITED. I'M PUMPED UP, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, FOR THIS, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. I REALLY AM. I'M EXCITED FOR THEM. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ AND ALL MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS. SEEING THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
105WE'LL NOW GO ON TO 4.02. I KNOW THIS IS BACKWARDS. 4.02, ECONOMIC SALARY PROPOSAL FOR ADMINISTRATORS FOR 25-26 SCHOOL YEAR. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. ADMINISTRATIVE EMPLOYEES INCLUDE OUR PRINCIPALS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS AND OTHER SITE AND DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS. ALL ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES WILL BE MOVED ONE STEP ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SALARY SCHEDULE EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2025. AS THE OTHER EMPLOYEE GROUPS ALL ELIGIBLE ADMINISTRATIVE EMPLOYEES AT THE TOP OF THE RESPECTIVE SALARY SCHEDULE RECEIVE A ONE-TIME, $2,000 NONRECURRING PAYMENT. THAT IS 4.02. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE C 4.02. MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS, MEMBER GRAY AND I PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MEMBER COMBS? Nadia Combs: I SHOULD GET ON JEOPARDY. I'M KIDDING. I WOULD
106BUZZ, DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD ANSWER. I WANT TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS AND I SAY THIS VERY OFTEN, PRINCIPALS ARE THE HEART OF EVERY SCHOOL. THEIR LEADERSHIP PULSES THROUGH EVERY HALLWAY, EVERY CLASSROOM AND EVERY STUDENT SUCCESS. A STRONG DISTRICT STANDS WITH STRONG PRINCIPALS. I DO BELIEVE THAT IS THE HEART OF THE SCHOOL. I SAY THIS OFTEN WHEN I GO OUT TO SCHOOLS, PEOPLE MIGHT NOT KNOW ME. THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW THE AREA SUPERINTENDENT, BUT THEY KNOW THEIR PRINCIPAL. SUPERINTENDENT, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS FOR QUITE A BIT. THAT IS THE BIGGEST IMPACT THAT PRINCIPALS HAVE IN A COMMUNITY. TEACHERS, I WOULD FOLLOW A GOOD PRINCIPAL. DR. KOPESKY, I WOULD FOLLOW HER. NO MATTER WHAT SCHOOL, EVEN IF I WENT ACROSS TOWN, I WOULD WORK WITH HER BECAUSE SHE WAS SUCH AN AMAZING LEADER. THE
107ONE THING I WANT TO SAY AND TALKED ABOUT THIS AND ENGAGED WITH YOU FOR A LONG TIME, THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENTIAL, RIGHT? THERE ARE PRINCIPALS THAT HAVE 200 STUDENTS AND THEN PRINCIPALS AT THE SAME SCHOOL WHO HAVE 900 AT THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL. WE HAVE TO START THINKING ABOUT THINGS, NOT JUST AS A DISTRICT, BUT ALSO ALMOST AS A BUSINESS. BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE THAT MANY STUDENTS, THAT MEANS YOU HAVE THAT MANY MORE PARENTS. YOU HAVE THAT MANY MORE EVALUATIONS. I KNOW THERE CAN BE A DIFFERENCE WITH TITLE ONE OR NONTITLE ONE. A LOT OF TITLE ONE YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING. YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. I WOULD REALLY REQUEST TO HAVE A COMMITTEE LOOK AT THIS. TO LOOK AT CAN WE PAY A BONUS IF A PRINCIPAL IS
108WORKING WITH SO MANY MORE STUDENTS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. I'D LIKE TO ENGAGE IN THAT AND LOOK AT THAT. ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, LIKE A PRINCIPAL LIKE DR. GORDON AT HILLSBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL, HE CAME IN WITH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE. HE HAS NOT RECEIVED ALL THOSE YEARS BECAUSE THERE'S POLICY OR PROCEDURE WHERE WE ONLY ALLOW SO MUCH. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT THE BEST PRINCIPALS. NOWADAYS, SOMETIMES WHEN WE HAVE OPENINGS, THERE CAN SOMETIMES BE TWO OR THREE PEOPLE APPLYING. YEARS AGO, THERE WERE 20 OR 25. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PRINCIPAL IS THE MOST COVETED JOB, THAT IT IS COMPETITIVE AND THAT WAY WE ALSO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO STAY SOMEWHERE. IF I'M AT A SCHOOL AND 20 PEOPLE TO OBSERVE AND AT A SCHOOL WHERE I'M OBSERVING 80
109PEOPLE AND DEALING WITH SO MANY MORE IEPs, THERE HAS TO BE A DIFFERENTIAL. WE HAVE TO MOTIVATE PEOPLE TO WANT TO WORK IN THE LARGER SCHOOLS. I LOOK AT A SCHOOL LIKE ALONSO OR NEWSOME, SOME OF THE HUGE SCHOOLS HIGH SCHOOLS. LOOKING AT THE ELEMENTARY AND THE DIFFERENCE -- I HAVE PULLED THE ENROLLMENT FROM HIGHEST TO LOWEST IN EACH OF THE CATEGORIES. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST TO CREATE A COMMITTEE. ENGAGE IN THAT, LOOK AT THAT, GET FEEDBACK FROM ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS AND MOVE WITH THAT. I KNOW THAT TIMES ARE TOUGH AND THERE'S FINANCIAL CHALLENGES BUT THERE'S NO MORE IMPORTANT POSITION THAN THE PRINCIPAL AT THE SCHOOL. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE PRINCIPALS. ONE PRINCIPAL WHO LEFT TO GO TO PINELLAS COUNTY SO THAT WAY THEY COULD TAP OUT AT THE TOP AND BACK
110IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WE DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN. WE WANT THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST TO STAY HERE. ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS TO GROW AND MOTIVATE TO HAVE THE BEST PRINCIPALS IN OUR SCHOOL. I WOULD LIKE TO FORMALLY REQUEST THAT. Lynn Gray: I ALREADY SAID THE GREAT ATTRIBUTES OF PRINCIPALS AND STAND BY THAT. TO MEMBER COMBS' POINT, INTERESTING, WHEN YOU LOOK AT COLLINS, EXAMPLE, POPULATION OF 1400. THAT IS K THROUGH 8. THEN A HIGH SCHOOL THAT HAS EVEN LESS, THEN YOU WONDER HOW MANY APs GET ASSIGNED TO K THROUGH 8 THAT HAS THAT HIGH POPULATION VERSUS A HIGH SCHOOL WHO HAS MORE UNITS ASSIGNED. WHEN YOU MENTION A COMMITTEE, WHATEVER IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE, THERE HAS TO BE MORE EQUITY BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE HEAVY LIFT SCHOOLS. A LOT OF MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES THAT CAN'T ALWAYS HAVE THE
111MOST VIBRANT PTAs FINANCIALLY. PRINCIPALITIES ARE BEING ASKED TO CHANGE THOSE SCHOOLS FROM A LOW GRADE TO A HIGH. IT TAKES ABOUT THREE YEARS. IT TAKES EVERY BIT OF WORK. TEACHERS ARE THE SAME. MANY OF YOU, I LOOK AT THE AUDIENCE. I KNOW YOU WORKED IN HIGH NEEDS SCHOOLS. ALL OF THIS IS TO SAY WE HAVE TO START LOOKING -- SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO START LOOKING AT BETTER MANAGEMENT EQUIVOCATING NOT ONLY THE ACADEMIC LIFT BUT THE HUMAN RESOURCES THAT ARE ALLOCATED TO THE K-8 HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE IT'S TIME FOR US TO CHECK UP ON THAT. IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME. WE'VE HAD NEW K-8s AND A LOT OF MOVEMENT IN DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, DIFFERENT AREAS. SO I WOULD SUBMIT, MEMBER COMBS, TO YOU THAT PARTICULAR ASK BE DONE. BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LOOK FORWARD
112TO WHAT YOU THINK AS WELL. THANK YOU AGAIN, PRINCIPALS, AND THANK YOU AGAIN OUR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CTA AND OUR BARGAINING TEAM FOR GETTING THIS, THE PAY RAISE SO MUCH NEEDED AND DESERVED. Jessica Vaughn: MEMBER PEREZ. Karen Perez: TO MEMBER COMBS AND MEMBER GRAY'S POINT, THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE I'VE BEEN AT A HIGH POPULATED SCHOOL IN THE MORNING, AT LUNCH, AND AT RELEASE TIME. I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN DURING THE OLYMPICS WHEN THEY ARE HOLDING UP SCORE. I'M LIKE, OH MY GOD, THAT DESERVES A TEN. HOW YOU HANDLE THAT. I FEEL LIKE SOME OF US NEED TO GO OVER THERE DURING THOSE TIMES. THE WAY THEY HANDLE THAT, IT WAS AMAZING. LIKE SUMNER, DON'T EVER FALL DOWN DURING RELEASE TIME AT SUMNER BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER GET FOUND. IT'S CRAZY THE
113AMOUNT OF STUDENTS THAT SOME OF THESE PRINCIPALS HAVE TO MANAGE. THE CHAOS THAT COMES ALONG WITH IT. TO MEMBER COMBS' POINT, HOW DO WE NEGOTIATE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A SCHOOL THAT'S VERY OVERPOPULATED AS OPPOSED TO A SCHOOL THAT IS, OF COURSE, HIGH NEEDS BUT THE POPULATION IS RATHER LOW. ALL IN ALL I SAY THAT OUR PRINCIPALS ARE MAYORS OF SMALL CITIES. AND THEY KEEP THEIR CIVILIANS IN A SPACE. I AM VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS ON THE BOARD AGENDA TONIGHT. I'M EXCITED FOR THEM. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES. I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT ALL DIFFERENT OPTIONS, WHETHER IT'S TEACHERS COMING TO THIS DISTRICT FROM OUT OF OTHER DISTRICT, WHETHER IT'S PRINCIPALS AND WHERE THEY ARE AT AND THE NUMBER
114OF STUDENTS THEY ARE SERVING, THERE'S GOT TO BE A LOOK AT ALL OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WE LOOK AT ALL OF OUR STAFF. FROM A SOLID RESPECTFUL POINT OF VIEW, I THINK THEY NEED TO BE RESPECTFUL FOR THE JOB THAT THEY ARE DOING AND SHOWING THAT IT'S NOT AN EQUAL JOB. IT'S NOT AN EQUAL JOB. THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT VARIETIES IN THAT. SO WE DO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRE THING. AND THE ENTIRE PROCESS, HOW DO WE ASSIGN YEARS OF SERVICE IF THEY ARE COMING FROM ANOTHER DISTRICT. HOW DO WE ASSIGN PRINCIPALS WHEN THEY MOVE THIS WAY AND THAT WAY. HOW DO WE LOOK AT THE PRINCIPALS THAT LOOK ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. IT DOES HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT. IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING AS A COLLECTIVE BOARD
115WE'VE ASKED OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT WE WANT TO PUT A PRIORITY ON OUR STAFF, WHETHER IT'S FROM THE PRINCIPAL TO THE CUSTODIAN TO THE PARAS, TO THE TEACHERS, WE WANT THIS DISTRICT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STAFF ARE THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT WE PRIORITIZE AT ALL TIMES, WITH THE WAY THEY ARE TREATED, THE WAY WE OFFER THEM BENEFITS, THE WAY WE MAKE SURE THEY ARE PRIORITIZED AND THAT WAY THEY KNOW THEY ARE VALUED. I THINK THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT AND WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THIS FROM A COLLECTIVE POINT OF VIEW. I HOPE THAT HR DOES TAKE THESE COMMENTS TO HEART TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRE COLLECTIVE WAY IN WHICH WE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STAFF OVER TIME. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THAT. AS FAR AS THE INDIVIDUAL PRINCIPALS GO, WE'VE
116GOT OUTSTANDING LEADERS IN THIS DISTRICT. I WOULD PUT THEM UP AGAINST ANY DISTRICT IN THIS ENTIRE COUNTY. I AM SO THANKFUL THAT WHEN I GO TO OTHER COUNTIES FOR SCHOOL BOARD ISSUES OR TALKING WITH LEGISLATORS THAT I CAN SAY WITHOUT A DOUBT, WE HAVE THE MOST OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP HERE IN THIS DISTRICT AND THEY ARE 100% FOCUSED ON THE NEEDS OF THEIR STAFF AND THEIR STUDENTS. THAT IS WHAT THEY PRIORITIZE EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM GETTING UP AT 5 A.M. IN THE MORNING STAYING TO 11:00, MIDNIGHT. THERE ON SATURDAYS. SOMETIMES THERE ON SUNDAYS. THERE IS NOTHING THAT OUR ADMINISTRATION WOULD DO FOR ANY OF THEIR STAFF AND ANY OF THEIR STUDENTS. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS, WHAT YOU DO EVERY SINGLE DAY AND YOUR ROLE IS JUST INVALUABLE. WE'RE SO THANKFUL THAT YOU ARE
117THERE BEING AN ACTIVE VOICE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF EVERY SINGLE DAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ONE OTHER THING, WITH THE OTHER AGENDA ITEMS, YOU ATTACHED THE SALARY SCHEDULE AND THE BUMPS. THIS PARTICULAR ONE YOU DID NOT. WE DON'T HAVE THE STEPS. THANK YOU AND PUBLIC ON THE AGENDA REVIEW. IT'S ATTACHED TO EVERY OTHER ONE BUT THAT. I THINK FOR TRANSPARENCY IT SHOULD BE ATTACHED. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER WASHINGTON. Henry "Shake" Washington: A PRINCIPALSHIP IS A VERY DIFFICULT JOB. YOU SHOULD BE PAID BY -- IF YOU ARE A LARGE SCHOOL. WE LOOK AT LARGE SCHOOLS AND SAY VERY DIFFICULT. FIRST BECAME A PRINCIPAL AT CHAMBERLAIN, ABOUT 2600 STUDENTS. LARGE SCHOOL. PREPARATION IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN A SMALLER SCHOOL. THEN MIDDLETON HIGH SCHOOL, IT WAS SMALLER BUT MORE LIKE TRANSFORMATION.
118THE WORKLOAD WAS VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE TRANSFORMATION IN SMALL SCHOOLS BACK IN THE DAY, IT WASN'T TRANSFORMATION. THE WORKLOAD IS VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE YOU'RE WORKING WITH A DIFFICULT TYPE OF PEOPLE OR IT'S QUITE DIFFERENT. IT'S QUITE DIFFERENT. THEY WORKED HARD. THE PARENTS CAME IN AND THEY LOVE THEIR KIDS, TOO, NOW, BUT IT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT WAS MORE STUDENTS THERE THAT NEEDED HELP, THAT DID NOT NEED HELP AND IT WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT AT CHAMBERLAIN HIGH SCHOOL. WE NEED TO PAY OUR PRINCIPALS. THEY NEED TO BE PAID. LEADERSHIP ROLE IS IMPORTANT. YOU ARE PUT IN SITUATIONS VERY DIFFICULT. TODAY'S PRINCIPAL IS WAY DIFFERENT FROM WHEN I WAS A PRINCIPAL. LIKE NIGHT AND DAY. I HAVE A FORMER STUDENT OUT THERE WHO WAS AT MY SCHOOL. IT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT. LIKE NIGHT AND DAY. TOTALLY DIFFERENT NOW. I THINK
119THEY SHOULD BE PAID. ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE PAID BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO WORK REALLY HARD. MORE GAMES, MORE SPORTS INVOLVED NOW. YOU HAVE MORE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES NOW THAN YOU HAD BEFORE. AND THEY ARE THERE. CHRIS, YOU WERE THERE. MARIE WAS THERE. SHAY, YOU WERE THERE. RICK WAS THERE. GARY WAS THERE. I CAN'T FOR THERE ABOUT POTTER, MS. BROWN. BECAUSE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT. MARCUS, YOU WERE THERE. WE TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF BEING AN ADMINISTRATOR. I THINK YOU SHOULD BE PAID AND WE SHOULD HAVE QUALITY PEOPLE IN THOSE SCHOOLS. I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. ANY ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE PAID BECAUSE THE WORKLOAD IS PHENOMENAL. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. Stacy Hahn: I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH MY BOARD MEMBERS REGARDING ALL OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACE AND THE CHALLENGES THAT WE NEED TO OVERCOME. TONIGHT IS REALLY ABOUT COMING
120TOGETHER TO SUPPORT OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND RECOGNIZE THEM AS THE LEADERS THEY ARE. ALWAYS GUIDING AND KEEPING OUR SCHOOLS MOVING FORWARD. ONCE AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK THE STAFF INVOLVED IN PUTTING THIS PROPOSAL TOGETHER. I DO THINK IS RECOGNIZES THEIR DEDICATION. PROBABLY THE HARDEST, MOST CHALLENGING JOB IN OUR DISTRICT FOR MANY OF THE REASONS MY BOARD MEMBERS MENTIONED. BUT I AM PROUD TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS TONIGHT. I'M SO THANKFUL FOR THE WONDERFUL LEADERS WE HAVE IN OUR DISTRICT. WE WOULDN'T SEE THE OUTCOMES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, ESPECIALLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS IF IT WASN'T FOR, OBVIOUSLY, OUR ADMINISTRATORS. I'M REALLY THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE SUCH ROCK STARS LEADING OUR SCHOOLS. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, DR. HAHN. I ALSO JUST WANT TO SAY, MEMBER COMBS, YOU ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE
121OF PRINCIPALS AND LEADERSHIP IN OUR SCHOOL AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. I CAN'T SAY -- I SEE IT EVERY DAY THAT JUST A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP AT ONE SCHOOL CAN COMPLETELY CHANGE THE CLIMATE, CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENT. I'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN FIRSTHAND, IF THE WRONG LEADERS PUT IN THE WRONG SCHOOL, WHEN THE RIGHT LEADER IS PUT IN THE RIGHT SCHOOL, IT IS AMAZING THE IMPACT ONE LEADER CAN HAVE ON SO MANY DIFFERENT LIVES. I APPRECIATE YOU BEING A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR THEM AND THAT OUR DISTRICT CONTINUES TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP IN OUR SCHOOLS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. THE THINGS THAT PRINCIPALS HAVE TO DO EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM MANAGING INSTRUCTION, MAKING SURE DISCIPLINE IS GOING OUT, MANAGING TALKING TO PARENTS, DEALING WITH WHAT'S COMING DOWN FROM THE DISTRICT, MAKING SURE WE HAVE QUALITY
122INSTRUCTION, HONESTLY, I DON'T THINK I COULD DO IT. NOW, I DO WANT TO SAY I WOULD BE OPEN TO HAVING A WORKSHOP ABOUT IT. I WOULD NOT BE OPEN TO A COMMITTEE EXPLORING THIS. THIS IS SOMETHING AS BOARD MEMBERS I'M ANXIOUS TO TALK ABOUT. ARE WE ABLE TO HAVE MORE OF A WORKSHOP SINCE WE'RE NOT IN NEGOTIATION AND TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS? Jim Porter: WE HAVE TO FOLLOW BARGAINING LAWS. YOU SHOULD SUBMIT THE REQUEST FOR A WORKSHOP AND WORK AROUND THAT AND ONLY TALK ABOUT APPROPRIATE THINGS. Jessica Vaughn: I WOULD HAVE QUESTIONS LIKE WHAT IS THE ALLOCATION FOR APs IF THE SCHOOL HAS A BIGGER POPULATION. I WOULD LOVE IF YOU WOULD PUT IN A WORKSHOP REQUEST AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT IT MORE. AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK OF ALL
123OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND THE WORK THEY DO EVERY DAY. AGAIN, I THANK MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS FOR PRIORITIZING. WITH THAT, NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. BOARD MEMBERS, WE'LL GO ON TO EMPLOYEE AND STUDENT COMMENT. WE'LL NOW TAKE EMPLOYEE AND STUDENT INPUT. EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, IT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT FOR EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS OF OUR DISTRICT TO ATTEND MEETINGS AT 4 P.M. MANY WAYS FOR EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD INCLUDING THROUGH UNION REPRESENTATIVES, E-MAILS, PHONE CALLS, ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS AND PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. THE BOARD WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. WITH THIS SECTION OF OUR AGENDA, WE'RE CREATING ANOTHER AVENUE FOR EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD. WE'RE SETTING ASIDE 30 MINUTES FOR
124EMPLOYEES OF THE DISTRICT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD ABOUT ANY ISSUES ON YOUR MIND. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A DISCUSSION ABOUT SPECIFIC ITEMS ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA BUT RATHER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD ABOUT ANY ISSUES RELATED TO YOUR JOB IN THE DISTRICT. EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. I'LL CALL UP THE FIRST SPEAKER. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. ROB KRIETE, HERE TO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE AGREEMENTS. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING. THANK YOU FOR STRETCHING A LITTLE BIT WHEN WE NEEDED YOU TO. THANK YOU TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE BARGAINING TEAM, DR. WHELAN, DISTRICT BARGAINING TEAM. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO REACH AGREEMENT WHEN THE STATE IS OFFERING US LESS THAN WHAT WE THINK WE'RE WORTH. IN IN DISTRICT, IN THIS STATE, WE'RE ALL PUBLIC SERVANTS. AND I HEAR
125MEMBER WASHINGTON TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT JOBS THAT HE HAD AS A CLASSROOM TEACHER. I WORKED AT A VIDEO STORE MANY YEARS. I WAS A LIFEGUARD. I WAS PUPPET, POET, PIRATE, KING, UP AND DOWN. I GET IT. I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL WE GET A LIVABLE WAGE FOR THE TEACHERS AND SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS DOING THIS GREAT WORK. LET ME TALK AGAIN A LITTLE BIT, NOT ONLY DO I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING, BUT ALL THE HCTA MEMBERS OUT THERE. THEY ARE THE LEADERS AT THEIR SITES. THEY ARE SAYING THEY BELIEVE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. LET ME WRAP WITH THIS, WHAT WE DO AS PUBLIC SERVANTS AND DOING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS A HUGE DISCOUNT TO THE TAXPAYERS OF THIS TOWN. WE DO AMAZING WORK. DR. HAHN TALKED ABOUT THE OUTCOMES WHICH ARE
126AMAZING AND THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO COLLECTIVELY BECAUSE WE GET TO COLLABORATE AND SPEAK OPENLY ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO. UNTIL THE STATE UNDERSTANDS THEY ARE GETTING THAT DISCOUNT, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE AND THAT IS STRONG PUBLIC SCHOOLS. BECAUSE NO ONE GIVES THE QUALITY EDUCATION THAT WE DO. CHARTER SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, WE DO EVERYTHING BETTER THAN THEY CAN DO IT. WE DON'T TEACH TO THE TEST. WE TEACH TO THE STANDARDS. WE PREPARE EVERY KID. WE TRY TO MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE AT AND DO THAT WHILE SOCIALIZING AND EVERY POSSIBLE THING TO MAKE THEM SUCCESSFUL. PROUD TO BE HERE. THANK YOU FOR THE HCTA MEMBERS OUT THERE FOR BEING MEMBERS AND BEING PART OF THE FIGHT. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HI. KIM ENRIQUEZ,
127LOWRY ELEMENTARY, KINDERGARTEN. THIS IS A TOUGH YEAR IN KINDERGARTEN. HAVE YOU HEARD THAT? I'M NOT ALONE. BECAUSE IT'S REALLY, REALLY HARD. WE LOST A UNIT. I GET IT. I THINK I'VE GOT THE EASIEST CLASS. IT'S JUST REALLY HARD THIS YEAR. I'M ASKING FOR HELP. IT'S TOUGH. THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO ALL OUR EMPLOYEES WHO COME AND SPEAK. WE'RE NOW GOING TO MOVE ON TO 11.02, APPROVE THE 2026 HCPS STATE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. BOARD MEMBERS, AS YOU'RE AWARE, HCPS ADOPTS A LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM EACH YEAR. HAVING AN HCPS SPECIFIC PLATFORM FOCUSES OUR ADVOCACY ON EFFORTS WHERE IT CAN HAVE THE GREAT IMPACT FOR THE DISTRICT. PLATFORM SUMMARIZES POSITION ON PRIORITY ISSUES, FUNDING REQUEST AND POLICY. ITEMS ASSIGNED TO CONTRACTED
128LOBBYIST. MS. KRISTIN DAVIS WILL FOLLOW UP A LITTLE MORE ON 11.20202. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: DID YOU WANT TO FOLLOW UP NOW OR WHEN WE ARE IN THE DISCUSSION? NOT UNTIL DISCUSSION -- Jessica Vaughn: I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE C 11.02. MOTION BY MEMBER RENDON AND SECOND BY MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER COMBS, MEMBER GRAY AND I PULLED THE ITEM. DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? MEMBER COMBS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. I TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM WHEN WE SAT DOWN AND WENT OVER THINGS. I THINK OUGHT TO BE LAW IS VERY IMPORTANT. I HAVE NOT MISSED THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE. EVERY SINGLE YEAR I GO TO THE OUGHT TO BE LAW. I JUST DON'T SEE HOW IT FITS IN THE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN ASK. IT'S SOMETHING GOING
129TO HAPPEN. IF THE STUDENTS DO A GREAT JOB, THEN THEY ARE ASKING FOR SOMETHING. I DON'T SEE IT IN THE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM. PERSONALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THAT OFF BECAUSE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN WE MET, I LOVE OUGHT TO BE LAW. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. RECEIVED SO MUCH SPOTLIGHTING FROM THE STATE LEVEL. NEWSPAPER ARTICLES. IT'S AMAZING. IT'S GREAT FOR KIDS. I'M ALWAYS GOING TO WANT TO DO THINGS GREAT FOR KIDS, BUT IT DOESN'T BELONG ON THE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM. ONE OF THE THINGS I SEE THAT I KNOW IS NEAR AND DEAR TO ALL OF US ON THE BOARD, ESPECIALLY MEMBER HAHN, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING HERE FOR EARLY LEARNING. RIGHT NOW, 88% OF OUR STUDENTS DID VERY WELL. I'D LOVE TO HAVE FULL-TIME EARLY LEARNING BUT I KNOW THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
130I MOVE WE AMEND THE MOTION TO INCLUDE INCREASE IN EARLY FUNDING BY 10% TO FOCUS ON STUDENT ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL SKILLS IN PREPARATION FOR KINDERGARTEN. OBVIOUSLY, WE KNOW THAT IS A BIG ISSUE. WHEN YOU SEE SOMEONE COMING UP HERE CRAIG BECAUSE KINDERGARTEN -- CRYING BECAUSE KINDERGARTEN, A LOT OF STUDENTS ARE NOT READY. NOT PREPARED. A LOT OF STUDENTS IMPACTED BY COVID. I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT INTO OUR LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM AND STRIKE OUT OUGHT TO BE A LAW. SO I'M GOING TO MAKE THAT MOTION. Jim Porter: IF WE COULD CLEAR THE BOARD, PLEASE. I THINK THEY NEED TO BE TWO SEPARATE MOTION. MEMBER COMBS MADE A MOTION TO -- Nadia Combs: INCREASE EARLY LEARNING FUNDING BY 10%. Jim Porter: THAT WOULD REQUIRE A SECOND BEFORE YOU CAN DISCUSS IT. MS. PEREZ SECONDED THAT. YOU NEED
131TO DISPOSE OF IT FIRST. TALKING ABOUT WHETHER TO INCREASE THE FUNDING AS MS. COMBS. THAT IS THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DISCUSS. IF YOU AGREE, YOU WOULD VOTE YES AND GO INTO THE PLATFORM AND THEN ADDRESS YOUR OTHER ISSUE. THIS IS ONLY TO DISCUSS MS. COMBS' MOTION TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR EARLY LEARNING. Patti Rendon: EARLY LEARNING IS NOT ON THIS PLATFORM AT ALL. WHEN SHE'S TALKING ABOUT PUTTING IT ON HERE AND I'M HUNDRED PERCENT AGREEMENT PUTTING IT ON HERE, I THINK THE LANGUAGE IS DIFFERENT. I HEAR THE 10%. WHERE MY THING IS COMING IN, THE REASON WE'VE GOT THEM AND I DON'T CARE ABOUT MAKING THAT ON THERE, BUT THE REASON WE'RE IN THE POSITION WE'RE IN WITH KINDERGARTNERS IS BECAUSE EARLY LEARNING CENTERS OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE THE
132SAME LEVEL OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS AS WE ARE . I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND YOUR MOTION AND ALLOW FOR THE INCREASE OF 10% AND TO REQUIRE ALL PEOPLE RECEIVING EARLY LEARNING FUNDING TO BE REQUIRED TO HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF STANDARD -- WE TALK ABOUT PHONICS SPACE LEARNING AND ALL OF THAT. I THINK IT IS A COMBINATION. WE NEED MORE FUNDING, DON'T DISAGREE, BUT I THINK THEY NEED LEGISLATORS TO UNDERSTAND THAT MANY AREAS OUTSIDE OF OUR DISTRICT'S SCHOOLS ARE PROVIDING THAT EARLY LEARNING WITHOUT AN ACTUAL PHONICS SPACE CURRICULUM. NO REQUIREMENT FOR SPECIFIC CURRICULUM. I THINK I'VE GOT TO AMEND THE MOTION AND VOTE ON THAT. Jim Porter: IS THAT ACCEPTABLE TO MS. COMBS AS THE MAKER OF THE MOTION? Nadia Combs: YES. Jim Porter: YOU DON'T NEED ANOTHER MOTION. THE MAKER OF THE MOTION HAS ACCEPTED
133IT. BOARD MEMBERS, TRUST ME, BEFORE YOU VOTE, WE'LL GO THROUGH ALL THIS. YOU'RE DISCUSSING NOW EARLY LEARNING AND INCREASE IN FUNDING. Patti Rendon: I DON'T NEED TO AMEND THE MOTION. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE MOTION ON THE TABLE, I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT, I HAVE NO PROBLEM PUTTING EARLY LEARNING BECAUSE THAT IS THE HEART AND SOUL, IF THEY DON'T COME IN KINDERGARTEN READY, CHANCES OF THIRD GRADE READINESS IS NOT EVEN CLOSE. I THINK WE NEED TO GO A STEP FURTHER AND MAKE SURE WE'RE ACCOUNTABLE. 10% FOR US AIN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING. WE GIVE MORE PEOPLE 10%, IF THEY ARE NOT DOING THE RIGHT THING -- Nadia Combs: I WANTED OVERALL 10% INCREASE FOR ALL THE -- RIGHT NOW IT'S $2300. I WANTED OVERALL 10% INCREASE ALL THE WAY ACROSS, THE DAY
134CARES, ANYBODY, OVERALL THE STATE FUNDING TO INCREASE BY 10%. Patti Rendon: I HEAR YOU. THAT'S SEPARATE. Jim Porter: DOES THIS HAVE TO GO TONIGHT? THIS IS GOING TO POTENTIALLY BE VERY CONFUSING. YES. Jim Porter: IT NEEDS TO GO TONIGHT. WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH THIS. Patti Rendon: THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL LEARNING, ANYBODY RECEIVING THAT FUNDING IS GOING TO BE A PHONICS BASED CURRICULUM. WE ARE THE ONLY ONES REQUIRED TO HAVE IT RIGHT NOW. COMES COMES I'VE HAD AN EARLY LEARNING TASK FORCE PRESIDENT DR. HICKS IS WORKING THERE. THEY ARE GOING INTO THE DAY CARES. CHILDREN BOARD. SEVERAL KEY FIGURES. WE HAVE EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER. IT'S CLEARING THAT LANGUAGE. THE MORE SUPPORT, HOWEVER WE NEED TO ADD IT, I'M OPEN TO THAT. JUST SO CRITICAL THAT WE SPEND -- 30,000 INCARCERATING AND LESS THAN 2500 EARLY
135LEARNING. DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME. DR. HICKS IS WORKING DIRECTLY AND THEY ARE WORKING WITH U FLY, SO THAT WAY THE CURRICULUM IS THE SAME AS THEY ENTER. YOU REALLY CAN'T FORCE DAY CARES OR PRIVATE ENTITIES TO DO ANYTHING. AM I RIGHT OR WRONG? Patti Rendon: NO, NO. IF WE ADD THAT INTO THE PLATFORM. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, CURRENTLY THE EARLY LEARNING COALITION IS DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE THE CHOICE ON WHAT KIND OF CURRICULUM TO USE. IF WE AMEND THIS TO SAY WE WANT 10% ACROSS THE BOARD BUT ALSO THE LEGISLATIVE TO LOOK AT THEIR LANGUAGE TO INCLUDE THE REQUIREMENT JUST LIKE WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE THAT PHONICS BASED CURRICULUM. COMES COMES I AGREE. Patti Rendon: IF WE DO BOTH, IN YOUR MOTION, HITTING IT FROM
136TWOFOLD. MAY GET 5%, MAY GET NOTHING, MAY GET THE CHANGE IN CURRICULUM. IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE IN SOME FORM OR FASHION AND MAKING THE LEGISLATURE RECOGNIZE BECAUSE MANY DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT EARLY MONEY GOES, THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED. THEY JUST ASSUME THEY ARE. I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU. I THINK THIS IS GREAT TO ADD IN WITH 10% BUT ALSO ADD TO THE MOTION THE LANGUAGE WHERE THEY HAVE A PHONICS BASED CURRICULUM. Jim Porter: WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT BOARD MEMBERS, MS. COMBS AND MS. RENDON'S MOTION. Jessica Vaughn: ARE YOU DONE, MEMBER RENDON? DR. HAHN. Stacy Hahn: FIRST OF ALL, WE ARE REALLY LATE ON THIS, BECAUSE THEY ARE ALREADY ASSIGNING BILLS, AM I CORRECT? AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THIS NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED OVER THE SUMMER, NOT HEADING INTO OCTOBER. I'D LIKE TO
137GO BACK TO SCORING, LIKE DOING -- EVERYONE SCORES 1 THROUGH 10. NO MORE THAN 10. THAT'S FOR RETREAT, BUT WE NEED TO GET BACK THERE AND GET ON A TRACK THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN DOING THIS IN OCTOBER ON THE HEELS -- I DO APPRECIATE WANTING TO INCLUDE EARLY CHILDHOOD IN THIS PLATFORM. I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE TWO SEPARATE ASKS. MY FEAR IS ALWAYS WHEN YOU COMBINED TWO OR THREE IN AN ASK I GET CONCERN THAT THEY'LL SAY, WE CAN'T DO EITHER ONE OF THOSE AND IT'S OUT. IF THEY WERE SEPARATE, IT MIGHT GET ONE -- ONE OR THE OTHER MIGHT GET SOME TRACTION. I DON'T THINK THE STATE IS GOING TO DICTATE CURRICULUM. THEY MAY SAY SOMETHING WITHIN THE SCIENCE OF READING, WHICH I THOUGHT THEY ALREADY DID, BUT I COULD BE WRONG. THE
138STAR TEST IS THE ASSESSMENT FOR VPK IS REQUIRED FOR PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PROVIDERS. SO THAT WAS I THINK LAST YEAR THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE. I THINK IF WE DIG DEEPER ON THIS, HATE TO SAY THE WORD WORKSHOP, SO EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE REAL ISSUE IS, ONE, WE ONLY EDUCATE, WHAT, 12% OF THE VPK STUDENTS. I'M NOT SAYING WE NEED TO -- I LIKE THAT TO OBVIOUSLY BE EXTENDED. BUT THE KEY TO THIS IS REALLY DOING -- I'LL KEEP REPEATING THIS UNTIL WE DO IT MORE, COMMUNITY PRACTICE WITH OUR PRIVATE PROVIDERS SO THEY ARE PROVIDED RESOURCES AND THEY UNDERSTAND THE EXPECTATIONS CLEARLY OF WHAT WE EXPECT IN REGARD TO KINDERGARTEN READINESS AND WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AROUND THIS. I ALSO THINK, TOO, THAT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING A PIECE OF LEGISLATION -- GOING
139AFTER LEGISLATION IN THIS AREA, SOMEBODY HAS TO WRITE THIS SO THAT WE CAN ALL LOOK AT IT AND SEE IT. IT HAS TO BE SOMEBODY LIKE TRACYE BROWN NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED AND KRISTIN NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED AND LOBBYIST NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED. IT'S CONCERNING THAT WE'RE ADDING THINGS AT THE LAST MINUTE, EVEN THOUGH I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU BOTH WANT TO ADD, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN WRITING. I KNOW THIS IS ALREADY LATE. I REALLY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT AN IMPACT THIS IS GOING TO HAVE AT THIS POINT. I DON'T WANT TO HOLD THIS FOR ANOTHER TWO WEEKS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME LANGUAGE. IS IT GOING TO BE IN ONE? I WOULD LIKE TO ASK OUR LOBBYIST, IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO BUNDLE THESE TWO IDEAS TOGETHER OR NOT? THIS IS
140A LITTLE CHAOTIC. I FEEL VERY CAUGHT OFF GUARD FOR THE SECOND TIME TONIGHT. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, DR. HAHN. MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER GRAY. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MR. PORTER, CAN YOU CLARIFY WHAT WE ARE VOTING ON? Jim Porter: SURE. THE MAIN MOTION, WHICH IS SET ASIDE FOR THE MOMENT, IS YOUR LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM. MEMBER COMBS MADE A MOTION TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR EARLY LEARNING. THAT'S NUMBER ONE. MS. RENDON ADDED ON TO THAT TO INCREASE -- I THINK IT'S BETTER IF YOU REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID, MS. RENDON. Patti Rendon: INCREASE 10% AND I SAID ALSO TO ADD LANGUAGE TO THAT WOULD BE REQUIRING ANYONE THAT WOULD BE -- ANYBODY THAT WOULD BE PROVIDING EARLY LEARNING -- RECEIVING EARLY LEARNING FUNDING WOULD HAVE TO USE SCIENCE OF READING CURRICULUM. Jim Porter: THAT'S WHAT YOU
141WOULD BE VOTING ON. Lynn Gray: THE QUESTION IS THE TIMELINESS. I'M CONCURRING WITH MEMBER HAHN. IT NEEDS TO HAVE A WRITTEN TYPE OF EDIFICATION BEFORE WHEN? ARE WE TALKING TONIGHT, TOMORROW? I KNOW THE DRAFT PROPERLY BEFORE YOU IS FOR APPROVAL. WE COULD COME BACK AND ADD SOMETHING AT ANOTHER DATE. I'LL GO WITH THE WISHES OF THE BOARD. I CAN THINK OF PARTNERS WHO I KNOW WOULD ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT SOMETHING LIKE THIS. UNITED WAY SUNCOAST, EARLY LEARNING COALITION BUT OTHER FOLKS THAT I COULD WORK WITH TO ACTUALLY WRITE LANGUAGE WITH TRACYE BROWN AND THE BOARD AND WORK ON THIS. I'M DOING THIS AT THE BILL -- Lynn Gray: I UNDERSTAND, BUT IT CAN BE DONE. WHATEVER YOU WANT. I WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN. Lynn Gray: WHEN YOU LOOK THROUGH THE PLATFORM AND TO MEMBER HAHN'S POINT, THERE
142ARE MORE THAN 10. SO I DON'T MIND TAKING OUT THE OUGHT TO BE A LAW, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH SOMETHING REASONABLE IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT. BUT THAT'S AN INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBER'S REMARK. THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS CERTAINLY HAVE TO CONCUR OR AT LEAST FOUR OF THEM. SO THE OTHER THING IS, NOTHING REALLY MATTERS IN THE LONG RUN -- SORRY, LITTLE TIRED -- UNLESS WE HAVE OUR KIDS EARLY LEARNING READING READY AND SOCIAL SKILLS READY, NOTHING REALLY MATTERS IF WE DON'T HAVE KIDS READY TO ENTER GRADES AND CERTAINLY BY THIRD GRADE, THAT DETERMINES IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL OR NOT SUCCESSFUL. SO THERE IS A PRIORITY. IT MIGHT BE A PHILOSOPHICAL PRIORITY IN THE BOARD'S MINDS OR IT MAY BE THEIR EXPERIENCE, ACTUAL EXPERIENCE, AND THAT WOULD BE A PRIORITY. BUT
143IN MY MIND, AS AN EDUCATOR, I THINK THAT -- AND WE GO FOR THE HIGH 10%. I THINK IT'S VERY REASONABLE TO TAKE OUT THE BILL, LET'S HAVE A BILL TO MAKE A BILL, OUGHT TO BE A LAW. I WAS A CIVICS TEACHER. BUT I THINK IN MY MIND, IF IT CAN BE DONE, THEN THAT PARTICULAR ASK THAT MEMBER COMBS AND, THANK YOU, MR. PORTER STATED, IF IT CAN BE DONE, I THINK THAT IS A PRIORITY. SO THAT'S FROM AN INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBER'S CONCLUSION. SO YOU CAN PUT DOWN A CONSENSUS. I THINK YOU'VE GOT TWO FOLKS THAT AGREED SO FAR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON THIS. YOU DON'T NEED TO KEEP TRACK OF CONSENSUS. WE'LL DO A FORMAL VOTE. THANK YOU. DR. HAHN. Stacy Hahn: IS IT
144POSSIBLE TO APPROVE THIS TONIGHT, STAFF WORK ON WHAT MEMBER COMBS AND MEMBER RENDON ARE WANTING TO ADD, AND THEN YOU BRING THOSE TWO BACK AND WE CAN APPROVE THAT IN TWO WEEKS TO THEN BE ADDED TO THIS? ABSOLUTELY. Stacy Hahn: WE CAN AT LEAST GET THIS ACROSS THE LINE TONIGHT. Jim Porter: I THINK THAT IS A VERY WISE SUGGESTION. IF YOU'RE IN AGREEMENT ON THE CONCEPT, I THINK DR. HAHN HAS A VERY GOOD POINT, IT'S HARD TO DRAFT SOMETHING AT THE DAIS. NOT TO BRING UP PAST WORDS, BUT IT IS RUSHED. IF YOU APPROVE THE CONCEPT TONIGHT AND ALLOW STAFF TO WORK WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS ON SPECIFIC LANGUAGE AND THEN BRING IT BACK, I THINK THAT IS A VERY GOOD SUGGESTION. Stacy Hahn: VERY WISE. [INAUDIBLE] Jim Porter: YOU'RE GOING TO VOTE ON THE
145MOTION. THAT WOULD GENERATE AND TRIGGER STAFF TO DO THE WORK. SO THE CONCEPT WOULD BE APPROVED AND THEN THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE WOULD BE APPROVED IN THE FUTURE. Patti Rendon: ISN'T THAT LIKE AN ADDENDUM TO THE MOTION? Jim Porter: NO, I DON'T THINK SO. I THINK IT'S CLARIFYING -- [INAUDIBLE] Jessica Vaughn: WE'RE STILL DOING DISCUSSION. Jim Porter: YOU CAN KEEP DISCUSSING OR VOTE. Jessica Vaughn: I DO WANT TO TALK. MEMBER RENDON, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT? Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND, THIS LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM IS VERY IMPORTANT. THE FACT THAT IT ALLOWS OUR LOBBYING TEAM TO DISCUSS ISSUES WITH OUR LEGISLATORS AS A STATE WHOLE. IT SAYS THAT THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US. IT'S OKAY IF SOMETHING IS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT
146THING THAT SITS ON IT, BUT IT GIVES THEM THE FLEXIBILITY TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. WE HAVE THE ABILITY EVEN IF WE LEAVE ONE ON AND TAKE ONE OFF, WE'RE GIVING THEM THE INSIGHT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR DISTRICT. WE'RE GIVING THEM THE INSIGHT. THEY CAN ONLY TALK ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE ON HERE. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE BY REMOVING SOMETHING, IT'S A WHOLE CONTRADICTORY THING, PUTTING IT ON HERE AND THE LANGUAGE, I AGREE HAVING SOMEONE LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE, BUT THE LANGUAGE THAT WOULD GO INTO BILLS OR CONFORMING BILL AND THINGS LIKE THAT WOULD ALL BE DONE BY THE LEGISLATORS THEMSELVES. IT WOULD BE THE LANGUAGE MAKING SURE THEY KNOW WHAT OUR PRIORITY IS. THIS IS WHAT GIVES THE PERMISSION FOR OUR LOBBYIST TO MOVE FORWARD AND TELL OUR LEGISLATORS WHAT IS IMPORTANT
147TO US. IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE WRITING LEGISLATION. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE. Stacy Hahn: INITIALLY I SHARED A LOT OF THE SAME CONCERNS AS OTHER BOARD MEMBERS. WE'RE NOT COMING FOR LEGISLATION. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR APPROPRIATIONS. SO I DID NOT BRING UP REMOVING IT TONIGHT BECAUSE I DID FEEL LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING I SHOULD HAVE SPOKEN TO STAFF ABOUT BEFORE TODAY. I ALSO DON'T -- I'M WILLING TO LET IT STAY ON THERE BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE GIVING THIS KIND OF PERMISSION SLIP TO LOBBYISTS LOBBYISTS TO SAY, YES YOU'LL ASK FOR LEGISLATION FOR SOME OF THE ITEMS, YES SOME ARE APPROPRIATIONS. BUT SOME OF THIS SAY JUST TO HIGHLIGHT. I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO A HABIT. MAYBE A HIGHLIGHT SHEET AND HIGHLIGHT OTHER THINGS, BUT I'M NOT REALLY WILLING TO FIGHT THAT
148BATTLE TONIGHT. SUMNER, ONE OF MY SCHOOLS DID GET A BILL PASSED THAT SUPPORTED MILITARY FAMILIES. I THINK EIGHTH PHENOMENAL -- I THINK IT'S A PHENOMENAL PROGRAM. I'M LOOKING AT IT LIKE THIS IS A PERMISSION SLIP THESE ARE THE THINGS WE WANT YOU TO TALK ABOUT. MAYBE DURING OUR RETREAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, WE CAN TALK ABOUT APPROPRIATIONS AND LEGISLATION ON THE PLATFORM VERSUS HIGHLIGHT. WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE IT OFF TONIGHT WITHOUT HAVING A BETTER CONVERSATION. THAT'S HOW I LOOKED AT IT AND KIND OF BALANCED IT IN MY MIND. I THINK IT DOES HAVE EVERYTHING TO DO WITH LEGISLATION. IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING SOMETHING THAT'S DISJOINTED. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, DR. HAHN. MY COMMENTS COME MORE AROUND
149THE PROCESS AROUND THIS. I DID EXPRESS CONCERNS ABOUT OUGHT TO BE A LAW ON THE PLATFORM AND ASKED THAT IT BE REMOVED AND THOUGHT I WAS IN THE MINORITY WHEN IT CAME TO THAT AND WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAD CONCERNS ABOUT THAT. THE PROCESS WE'VE COME TO EXPECT, THERE IS A VERY CLEAR TIMELINE FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO SUBMIT THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDED TO OUR PLATFORM. THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN CLEAR, SORT OF LIKE OUR POLICY CYCLE. THEN WE HAD A CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS WHERE WE VOTED ON THOSE AND RANKED THAT. I THINK ALL OF THIS CONVERSATION WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED TONIGHT IF WE HAD MORE OF A COLLABORATIVE PIECE. I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WAS PRESENTED TO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS. TO ME, HERE IS THE PLATFORM LOBBYISTS HAVE COME
150UP WITH. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? I GAVE MY FEEDBACK. I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER FEEDBACK YOU GOT FROM BOARD MEMBERS. IT'S CHALLENGING TO MAKE THE DECISIONS NOW. I FEEL FRUSTRATED THAT WE DIDN'T HONOR WHAT WE HAD DONE PREVIOUSLY. I AGREE WITH MEMBER RENDON, TALKING ABOUT THE CONSISTENCY ACROSS EARLY LEARNING PROVIDERS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND THEIR STANDARDS AND OURS WHEN WE TALK JUST ABOUT READING LITERACY RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE HOW THERE ARE INCONSISTENCIES IN THE STANDARDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PRIVATE PROVIDERS. I THINK THAT NEEDED TO BE A FURTHER CONVERSATION. IN FACT, I THINK WE'VE EVEN HAD IT AT A WORKSHOP BEFORE WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT THOSE THINGS. I THINK THE FRUSTRATION IS WITH THE PROCESS AND HOW LITTLE ENGAGEMENT HAD FOR US ALL TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT. NOT ONLY
151IS IT OUR LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM NOW, BUT ALSO JOINED ANOTHER ORGANIZATION THAT ADVOCATES. THEY ARE GOING TO COMPARE OUR PLATFORM BECAUSE IF THERE'S SOMETHING ON IT THAT VIOLATE THEIR PLATFORM, THAT CHANGES THEIR PLATFORM. NOW THAT WE'RE COLLABORATING -- I WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT THE PROCESS. EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED WITH IT. EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED THAT ONCE AGAIN WE'RE IN A POSITION WHERE WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THIS TONIGHT BECAUSE WE HAVE NO FLEXIBILITY AROUND IT. I FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN THAT POSITION ALL THE TIME. THAT PUTS BOARD MEMBERS IN A BAD PLACE WHERE WE DO HAVE TO BE RUSHED TO MAKE A DECISION WITHOUT A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT. SO I WILL SUPPORT THE MOTION BECAUSE DR. HAHN VERY GRACIOUSLY CAME UP, NOT TO TOOT HER OWN HORN, WITH THE IDEA OF GO EGG THIS PASSED TONIGHT. I'M GLAD THAT WE
152CAN GO BACK AND AMEND. Jim Porter: YOU ARE ONLY PASSING THE AMENDMENT, NOT THE ENTIRE PLATFORM. THIS IS TO AMEND THE PLATFORM TO INCLUDE THE ITEMS DISCUSSED BY MEMBER COMBS AND MEMBER RENDON AND THEN VOTE ON THE MAIN MOTION. IF YOU ARE IN FAVOR OF ADDING EARLY LEARNING AND EXTRA FUNDING VOTE YES. IF OPPOSED, VOTE NO. Jim Porter: NOW YOU ARE BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION, WHICH IS TO PASS THE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM. WHILE THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW, THERE'S BEEN NO MOTION MADE ON THAT. YOU'RE LEAVING IT. THEN YOU NEED TO VOTE ON THE MAIN MOTION OR DISCUSS IT FURTHER. BUT THE MAIN MOTION IS YOUR LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM AS RECOMMENDED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT. Jessica Vaughn: ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT? MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. YEAH, OKAY.
153Jessica Vaughn: SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE PLATFORM PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS. MR. SUPERINTENDENT. Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MY SUPERINTENDENT UPDATES THIS EVENING. NUMBER ONE, WANTED TO THANK THE BOARD AGAIN. BIG NIGHT TONIGHT TO HAVE SETTLED OUR CONTRACT NEGOTIATION WITH HCTA, NON-REPRESENTED, ADMINISTRATORS, TO HAVE ALL OF OUR GROUPS NOW SETTLED IS A BIG STEP FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT MOVING FORWARD. AS MS. RENDON MENTIONED, OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE NOT AT THAT POINT. JUST, AGAIN, SHOUT-OUT TO OUR TEAM, ROB, HIS TEAM AROUND GETTING THIS SETTLED AND THEN ALSO OUR NON-REP AND ADMINISTRATORS. BIG STEP FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TONIGHT SO WE CAN START FOCUSING ON THE WORK AHEAD. I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT AND RECOGNIZE SCHOOL CUSTODIAL WORKERS RECOGNITION DAY IS THIS THURSDAY,
154OCTOBER 2. THESE HARDWORKING INDIVIDUALS ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR SCHOOLS ENSURING EVERY CLASSROOM, HALLWAY, FACILITY IS SAFE, CLEAN, WELCOMING FOR STUDENTS, STAFF, FAMILIES. CUSTODIANS PLAY A KEY ROLE IN CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE LEARNING CAN THRIVE. ONCE AGAIN, CUSTODIAL WORKERS RECOGNITION DAY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2nd. BOARD MEMBERS, WE WERE ALL AT THE EMPOWER ED LUNCHEON ALONG WITH MEMBERS OF OUR CABINET AND STAFF AT THE LUNCHEON LAST WEEK. OVER 300 ATTENDED THE EVENT. WE THANK HEFF FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP ALL YEAR LONG. ALL SEVEN OF YOU WERE IN ATTENDANCE. GREAT LUNCH AND VERY INFORMATIVE. ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, ONE UPDATE. OCTOBER 14th BOARD MEETING, OUR PROGRESS MONITORING DATA WE WILL BE PRESENTING DURING SUSPENDED AGENDA. MR. BRADY PRESENTING PM 1 DATA. ALL PROGRESS MONITORING IS COMPLETED FOR PM 1. MR. BRADY WILL BE PRESENTING THAT DATA TO YOU AT THE OCTOBER
15514, OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING. THIS IS A BIG ONE. WE TALK ABOUT ADVANCE PLACEMENT. PST SCORES. THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST WE'VE HAD IN A LONG TIME. IF I COULD PUT YOUR ATTENTION TOWARD THE SCREEN. STRAWBERRY CREST HAD THE MOST SEMIFINALISTS IN THE STATE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH 28. SAY THAT AGAIN. STRAWBERRY CREST HAD THE MOST SEMIFINALISTS IN THE STATE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH 28. YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN, SO MANY OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS REPRESENTED IN THAT NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALISTS. QUITE THE ACCOMPLISHMENT. FOR US TO HAVE 80 OF OUR STUDENTS NAMED SEMIFINALISTS IN THE 2026 NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. 80 OF OUR STUDENTS RECOGNIZED BY NATIONAL MERIT AND, BOARD, I KNOW YOU REALIZE WHAT AN ACHIEVEMENT THAT IS. CONGRATULATIONS TO STRAWBERRY CREST FOR 28. I DON'T THINK I REMEMBER A SCHOOL
156THAT'S HAD THAT MANY NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALISTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE DISTRICT HAVING THAT MANY. GREAT REPRESENTATION ACROSS THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT. JUST SOME CREATIVE WRITING AWARDS. CONGRATULATIONS TO LINA ZIMLE FROM FREEDOM HIGH SCHOOL. RENA AND ABIGAIL FROM STRAWBERRY CREST FOR BEING HONORED FOR THEIR CREATIVE WRITING IN THE 24-25 TAMPA BAY TIMES NEWSPAPER AND EDUCATION SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY WRITING CONTEST. STUDENTS HONORED AT AWARD RECEPTION OCTOBER 8 IN ST. PETERSBURG. JUST ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT, I THINK EVERY BOARD MEMBER TALKED ABOUT THE GREAT LEADERS IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. ONCE AGAIN, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE CONGRATULATIONS TO BLOOMINGDALE PRINCIPAL DR. MARCOS RODRIGUEZ AND NEWSOME PRINCIPAL KATIE ROCHA. 2 OUT OF 60 PRINCIPALS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. SELECTED AS DISTINGUISHED PRINCIPALS IN THE CAHN FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. CONGRATULATIONS FOR THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. 60 PRINCIPALS IN THE ENTIRE NATION. WE HAVE
157TWO RIGHT HERE. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM. A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, CAHN PROVIDES ADVANCE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND CURRICULUM, HIGH PERFORMING PRINCIPALS WITH THE GOAL OF IMPROVING PUBLIC EDUCATION. THE SELECTION PROCESS IS EXTREMELY RIGOROUS. PRINCIPAL MUST HAVE FIVE YEARS EXPERIENCE AND HIGH RATING. APPLICATION PROCESS IS LENGTHY AND INCLUDES A MULTITUDE OF ESSAYS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND ON-SITE VISITS WHERE THERE ARE INTERVIEWS. CONGRATULATIONS TO DR. RODRIGUEZ AND MS. ROCHA OVER AT BLOOMINGDALE AND NEWSOME. A LOT OF PRINCIPALS THIS WEEK. OCTOBER IS ALSO NATIONAL PRINCIPALS MONTH. SHOUT-OUT TO ALL THE AMAZING PRINCIPALS OUT THERE. HAPPY NATIONAL PRINCIPALS MONTH. YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION MAKE A HUGE IMPACT ON SCHOOLS. THANK YOU FOR LEADING THE WAY WITH INSPIRING LEADERSHIP, SUPPORTING TEACHERS AND STAFF AND SHOWING UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO OUR STUDENT SUCCESS. PRINCIPALS OUT THERE LISTENING KNOW MYSELF AND THIS ENTIRE SCHOOL
158BOARD REALIZES THE TREMENDOUS IMPACT. WE HAVE GREAT SCHOOLS BECAUSE WE HAVE GREAT TEACHERS NUMBER ONE. BUT BEHIND ARE GREAT LEADERS LEADING THE EFFORT. THANK YOU TO THE PRINCIPALS AND HAPPY NATIONAL PRINCIPALS MONTH. HARD TO BELIEVE OCTOBER 10 IS THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER. HARD TO BELIEVE QUARTER ONE IS COMPLETE. FINALLY, I WAS ACTUALLY A GUEST ON MEMBER PEREZ'S UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. SHE JUST STARTED THIS UP. SHE INVITED ME OUT. FORTUNATE TO SPEND AN HOUR A FEW SATURDAYS AGO WITH AMAZING STUDENTS FROM PRE-K TO MIDDLE SCHOOLERS. FAVORITE SCHOOL LUNCH TO WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO ATTEND SCHOOL EVERY DAY. DID IT ON A SATURDAY IN THE MEDIA ROOM. MS. PEREZ FIRST UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. I THINK MS. BELANTE WAS THERE, CHAD WAS THERE. CREATED SHORT CLIPS. SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT. MY NAME
159IS CAMILLA. I'M IN FIRST GRADE. MY NAME IS MELANIE. I GO TO WALKER MIDDLE MAGNET. 7th GRADE. LIAM. I GO TO -- I'M IN THIRD GRADE AND I GO TO CARROLLWOOD K THROUGH 8. I THINK READING IS IMPORTANT SO IT CAN GET SMARTER AND SMARTER. I THINK READING IS IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE YOU NEED TO READ AND COMPREHEND THROUGHOUT YOUR WHOLE LIFE. IF YOU ARE TRYING TO READ A CONTRACT, YOU DON'T KNOW IF THEY COULD TRY TO TAKE ALL YOUR MONEY. I LIKE THEIR BREAD. VERY GOOD AND CHICKEN NUGGETS IN THE BOWL. AND BROWN THINGS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE CALLED. ONCE THEY ARE ABSENT, LIKE ONE DAY A WEEK, THERE IS A LOT THAT YOU CAN MISS, ESPECIALLY LIKE WHEN YOU'RE GETTING OLDER. THERE'S SO MUCH. YOU NEED TO BE HERE IN ORDER TO
160LIKE UNDERSTAND. MY FAVORITE TEACHER IS MR. D BECAUSE HE JUST HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT. IT JUST MAKES THE LEARNING, WHATEVER WE'RE LEARNING MORE SIMPLER AND HELPS US UNDERSTAND IT WAY BETTER. I WANT TO BE AN ARTIST BECAUSE I LOVE PAINTING. I WANT TO BE A TPD OFFICER WHEN I GROW UP. WHY IS YOUR HAIR GRAY? OH, IS IT GRAY? Van Ayres: I'M LOOKING AT HIM. Jessica Vaughn: ON THAT NOTE, I ASSUME YOUR COMMENTS ARE OVER. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO BOARD COMMENTS. BOARD MEMBERS, A REMINDER, YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES EACH TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. ERWIN THE NUMBER ONE VOCATIONAL SCHOOL IN THE NATION ACCORDING TO THE USA REPORT. THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE EXTREMELY PROUD OF. ONE OF OUR OWN. JULIUS COHEN IS THE RECIPIENT
161OF THE 2025 TAMPA BAY DISTINGUISHED EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARDS. THESE AWARDS GO TO THOSE HISPANIC LEADERS THAT GO BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY. ALSO, ON BEHALF OF OUR HILLSBOROUGH HEALTHY SCHOOLS, WE HAVE AWARDED LIZ TANNER, SUPERVISOR OF EMOTIONAL WELLNESS. SHE WILL NOW RECEIVE THE SECOND QUARTER TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL, TAMPA WELLNESS SPOTLIGHT AWARD, WHICH MEANS SHE GETS A STAY-CATION. ANYWAY, SHE'S ONE OF THE WONDERFUL MENTAL HEALTH FOLKS ON OUR STAFF THAT SO MUCH DESERVES TO BE RECOGNIZED. ORIGINALLY, I WAS GOING TO HAVE THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING SLIDE SHOW BUT I GOT TO MOVE ON TO SOMETHING I FEEL IS VERY IMPORTANT. MEMBER RENDON, SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES AND MYSELF, WE ATTENDED THE JCC ANTI-SEMITISM SPONSORED BY ADL, PAST PRESIDENT JOE PROVASCO AND STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT. WE HAD MANY LOWER OFFICIALS, CITY OF, JANE CASTOR. THE
162SITUATION IS THIS. THE SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES WHO HAVE RELIGION ORIGINS ARE ON HEIGHTENED SECURITY DUE TO ACTUAL ATTACKS ON ATTENDEES. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO OUR SURPRISE AND SHOCK AND COLLEGES NOW ARE THE SECOND IN FLORIDA FOR ACTS OF ANTI-SEMITISM. MIAMI-DADE REMAINS NUMBER ONE. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAD A 30% INCREASE FROM 2023 TO NOW, 2025 WITH OVER 9,354 INCIDENTS OF WORDS, WRITTEN SYMBOLS AND EXPRESSIONS OF ANTI-SEMITIC PHRASES. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY OVER 70% ARE WORDS OF ANTI-SEMITIC HARASSMENT, BULLYING TO STUDENTS TO STUDENT AND IT IS GETTING ALMOST OUT OF HAND. SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, I WROTE COMMENTS, SHARED IT WITH YOU. WE NEED TO SHOW ZERO TOLERANCE FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THIS DOMAIN. THESE INCIDENTS CANNOT REACH NORMALCY. I ASK MICROAND I PUT ALL THIS INTO THE E-MAIL, TO PUT STRONG CONSEQUENCES INTO OUR STUDENT CODE OF
163CONDUCT. ATHLETIC EVENTS AND OTHER SCHOOLWIDE EVENTS, WE MUST HAVE EXPERIENCED OFFICERS AS WE LEARNED RETIRED OR OTHERWISE WHO CAN HANDLE THIS TYPE OF TERRORISM. IT IS WORTH THE INVESTMENT VERSUS BUDGET CONSTRAINTS, MEANING SAVING OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF LIVES. THIS IS ALL TOLD TO US DURING THIS MEETING. DOES OUR ATHLETIC DIRECTOR ROBINSON KNOW OF A PROCESS OR IS HE DIRECTIVE OF A PROCESS OF ACTUAL GUN THREAT. ARE WE ALLOWING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TO NORMALIZE ANTI-SEMITIC WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS. IN OTHER WORDS WE NEED TO GET TO WORK AND ZERO TOLERANCE. DO WE HAVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT IS OUR PD ACTIVITIES NOW REGARDING ANTI-SEMITIC SPEECHES AND WITHIN OUR CODE OF CONDUCT REGARDING HATE SPEECH. CHECK WITH KRISTIN DAVIS FOR POLICY LANGUAGE IF WE HAVE THAT IN THERE. DO WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE IN OUR
164SCHOOL SITES FOR GATHERINGS AND SCHOOL SAFETY FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF? EASY ANSWER IS YES BUT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT, AGAIN, HEIGHTENED SECURITY AT VARIOUS SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES WHO HAVE RELIGIOUS ORIGIN. SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LASER FOCUSED. PROACTIVE EDUCATION. I TAUGHT THE HOLOCAUST, BUT DO WE HAVE LESSONS ON THE HOLOCAUST. DO TEACHERS GET TRAINING TO TEACH THE HOLOCAUST? I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD TO MAKE THIS ANTI-SEMITIC HATE SPEECH, LOWER THE TEMPERATURE. LOWERING THE TEMPERATURE OF ANY HATE SPEECH MEANS GETTING APPRECIATED AND DIFFERENT APPRECIATION OF DIFFERENT CULTURES, NATIONALITIES. ACCORDING TO OUR PROTECT STUDENTS ACT, DO OUR STUDENTS KNOW OF THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS IF BEING HARASSED OR BULLIED ABOUT BEING JEWISH OR OTHER RELIGIONS? IN OTHER WORDS, DO OUR STUDENTS KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A PROTECT STUDENTS ACT TO PROTECT THEM AND
165THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS? THOSE ARE COMMENTS THAT I PUT INTO E-MAIL. SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, YOU AND I WILL CHAT. DO YOU HAVE REMARKS? Van Ayres: THE BRIEFING THEY WENT OVER, STATE OF FLORIDA DATA, THERE WAS A MENTION OF THE 9,000 INCIDENTS. THAT WAS NOT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. FOR THE RECORD, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAD ZERO REPORTED INCIDENTS TO THE ADL LAST YEAR. WE HAD ONE IN THIS PAST YEAR. THE NUMBER PRESENTING STATEWIDE DATA. NONETHELESS, WE WORK WITH OUR SCHOOLS AND PRINCIPALS. DR. GRAVES AND I MEET CONSTANTLY WITH MEMBERS OF THE ADL AND EMILY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING OUR STUDENTS. I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT DATA. THE 9,000 I BELIEVE WAS STATE OF FLORIDA DATA BUT NO REPORTED CASES -- Lynn Gray: WE STILL HAD A 30% INCREASE. Van Ayres: NOT SURE WHAT THAT
166DATA, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY NOT K-12 HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Lynn Gray: WELL, OKAY. Van Ayres: YES, MA'AM. WE'RE ON IT. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. DR. HAHN. Stacy Hahn: MEMBER GRAY, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP THE RISE IN ANTI-SEMITISM AND ANTI-CHRISTIAN VIOLENCE THAT WE'VE SEEN IN OUR COUNTRY. MY FAMILY IS A BLENDED FAMILY OF BOTH FAITHS, CATHOLIC AND JEWISH. IT'S ALWAYS AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. SO I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS. IT'S BEEN A BUSY FEW WEEKS. AS THE SUPERINTENDENT MENTIONED, REALLY ENJOYED ATTENDING THE HEFF PENCILS TO POSSIBILITIES LUNCH.3/I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE STRONG PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HEFF AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. TOGETHER, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING OUR BUSINESS LEADERS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS INTO OUR DISTRICT TO HELP SUPPORT EVERY STUDENT AND EVERY SCHOOL. I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR HEFF
167AND WHAT THEY DO FOR SCHOOLS. ALSO A BIG WEEK IN EARLY LEARNING AND EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY. I WANT TO THANKS FOX 13 NEWS, TAMPA BAY, AND LINDA HURTADO FOR INVITING US TO SHOWCASE OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY BUS ON THE 12:30 NEWS LAST WEEK. I ALSO WANT TO THANK TARA WHO DIRECTS THE BUS AND JULIE AT myON FOR JOINING ME THAT DAY TO SHOW THE AMAZING WORK IN THE COMMUNITY AROUND EARLY LEARNING AND LITERACY. WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT THE YA BY THE BAY, STORY WARRIORS FESTIVAL THAT TOOK PLACE ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY OF LAST WEEK. EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY BUS WAS THERE THURSDAY EVENING FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND FAMILY NIGHT. SO KIDS GOT TO CLIMB ABOARD THE BUS AND EXPLORE AND PLAY. THAT WAS REALLY EXCITING. ON FRIDAY, WE ALSO HAD I THINK ANYWHERE
168BETWEEN 750 AND A THOUSAND OF OUR HILLSBOROUGH STUDENTS ATTEND THE STORY TIME WARRIOR FESTIVAL. THEY GOT TO ENGAGE WITH MANY LIKE JUST FAMOUS AUTHORS ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN WRITING WORKSHOPS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS. SO IT WAS JUST A PHENOMENAL EVENT FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. I WANT TO THANK TANYA ARJA, KIMBERLY DeFUSCO, TRACIEE BERGMAN, DEBBIE PEPE, JULIE FROM myON AND RENAISSANCE PUBLISHING FOR ALL OF THEIR SUPPORT TO LIFT THIS OFF THE GROUND AND GET OUR STUDENTS THERE. I JUST WANT TO THANK Y BY THE BAY, LINDA HURTADO AND CERBONE -- PROBABLY BUTCHERING YOUR LAST NAME. SORRY. YOU HAVE BEAUTIFUL HEARTS FOR OUR STUDENTS. ALSO AMAZING AUTHOR. YOU SPEARHEADED THAT STORY WARRIOR EVENT AND YOU WORKED SO HARD TO GET OUR STUDENTS THERE AS WELL AS STUDENTS FROM PINELLAS HIGH SCHOOLS. IT WAS A JOINT EVENT. WE LOOK
169FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED COLLABORATION WITH THEM SO THAT OUR STUDENTS CAN CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN EVENTS LIKE THIS THAT A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS, THEY HAVE A PASSION FOR WRITING. THEY HAVE A PASSION. THEY WANT TO WRITE THEIR OWN BOOKS OR THEY REALLY ENJOY THE AUTHOR AND OPENS UP WORLDS FOR THEM. IT WAS A PHENOMENAL EVENT. I CAN'T THANK EVERYONE ENOUGH. IT REALLY MEANT THE WORLD TO ME THAT YOU ALL SUPPORTED IT. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, DR. HAHN. MEMBER WASHINGTON. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. QUICK NOTE TO PRINCIPALS, ALWAYS AT FOOTBALL GAMES AND WE'VE LEARNED THIS, ALWAYS KNOW YOUR HOT SPOTS. THAT MEANS WHERE THE MAJORITY OF TROUBLE WOULD BE STARTED, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A LOT OF CONCENTRATION ON THOSE AREAS. I'M QUITE SURE THE PRINCIPALS KNOW THE HOT SPOTS.
170I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE AMBASSADORS, MR. YOUNG, GREAT JOB SEPTEMBER 15. WE HAVE THEM UP THERE. GREAT JOB ON SEPTEMBER 15. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO REALLY WANT TO DO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. AND THEY DID A GREAT JOB. IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE. YOU COULD SEE THE FRIENDSHIP. YOU COULD SEE THEY WERE EXCITED TO BE THERE. WE GOT SOME GOOD KNOWLEDGE. WE ALSO HAD MEMBER GRAY, YOU AND YOUR HUMAN TRAFFICKING. LEARNED A LOT. I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THEY WERE TALKING. IN PERSON, REALLY, REALLY GOOD. MR. YOUNG, THEY DID A GREAT JOB. THEY REALLY DID A GREAT JOB. EVERYBODY WAS PROFESSIONAL. THE DEVELOPMENT, WORKING, AND THOSE FACE AMBASSADORS, THEY LEARNED A LOT AND THEY SHARED A LOT WHEN YOU ASKED THEM QUESTIONS. SO I APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH. IT WAS
171GREAT. IT WAS GREAT BEING THERE. THEN WE MOVED TO SEPTEMBER THE 20th. WE HAVE THE ANNUAL PLAN FOR FUTURE CONFERENCE AT THE ISC WHERE WE HAD QUITE A FEW PEOPLE THERE. YOU KNOW, WE DO A LOT FOR STUDENTS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR ESE STUDENTS. WE TALK ABOUT ESE STUDENTS AND SO FORTH. SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST NEED TO COME OUT AND SEE, CREATING A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE, ESE KIDS, HAVE JOBS, AFTER THEY FINISH HIGH SCHOOL. THEY CAN WORK. WE HAD ALL THESE VENDORS OUT THERE SHARING INFORMATION, WHICH WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE STUDENTS. WE NEED TO DO MORE OF IT AND WE DO A LOT OF IT. ONE OF MY QUESTIONS, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS, THOUGH, HOW DO WE GET THE COMMUNICATION OUT? BAD COMMUNICATION TRAVEL LIKE HELL. GOOD COMMUNICATION
172DON'T TRAVEL THAT FAST. SO WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY HOW WE CAN GET GOOD COMMUNICATION SO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I THINK THAT'S SO IMPORTANT. I'M BIG ON COMMUNICATION. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATION WHEN WE HAVE EVENTS LIKE THIS, BECAUSE WE -- THESE KIDS HAVE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE. SO WE HAVE TO SHARE THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION. LASTLY, MOVING ON TO SEPTEMBER THE 26th, BT WASHINGTON. BT WASHINGTON HUNDRED-YEAR ANNIVERSARY. IT WAS FANTASTIC. MRS. KITCHEN AND I, THEY HAD A SPEAKER BUT THEY SHOULDN'T COME. GARY, RICK, WHO ELSE WAS THERE? SO WE HAD TO SPEAK. MRS. KITCHEN AND I. SHE WENT THERE, I WAS THERE 63 YEARS AGO. SHE WAS THERE ABOUT 70 SOME YEARS AGO. AND WE
173SPOKE ABOUT THE TIMES AT BT WASHINGTON THAT WE HAD AS STUDENTS. THE STUDENTS, THEY PREPARE THEIR OWN LITTLE MENU. IT WAS PHENOMENAL. THEY HAD LAMB CHOPS. AMAZING, THEY MADE A SCHEDULE AND PASSED THEM OUT. EVERYBODY WAS EXCITED. THEY PLAYED MUSIC. TAKING PICTURES. IT WAS JUST TOUCHING. 63 YEARS AGO I ENTERED BT WASHINGTON AS A 7th GRADER. THE SCHOOLS HAVE CHANGED A LOT DURING THOSE 60 SOME YEARS, WHICH THEY SHOULD HAVE. IT WAS SO TOUCHING FOR ME TOON THERE BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE MY CAREER STARTED AT BT WASHINGTON. THAT'S WHERE IT STARTED. EXCELLED IN ATHLETICS AND WENT ON THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. I JUST WANT TO SAY, MRS. BARBER, YOU DID A GREAT JOB. IT WAS A GREAT JOB. REALLY WAS. JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE AT BT WASHINGTON MRS. BARBARA
174AND CONTINUE DOING A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER PEREZ. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. FIRST, I WANT TO THANK ANN MARIE COURTNEY FOR PROVIDING LUNCH FOR THE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO DO A SESSION WITH THE UP CLOSE. IT WAS JUST A LOT OF FUN TO SIT THERE AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. I KNOW WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR STUDENTS WHEN WE SEE THEM AT SCHOOLS, BUT TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS ONE ON ONE WITH THE STUDENTS WAS REALLY, REALLY AMAZING. I KNOW SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, DR. GRAVES AND MARCUS MURILLO, THEY NEED RAISES JUST BECAUSE OF ME. AND CHRIS FARKAS. I CALL THESE FOLKS LIKE MAYBE 15 TIMES A DAY BECAUSE THE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE ALWAYS REACHING
175OUT TO ME. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN HAVING SOME STRUGGLES LATELY. I THINK DR. GRAVES AND I HAD JUST THIS WEEK -- IT'S ONLY TUESDAY HAVE HAD SEVERAL PHONE CALLS ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS' LIGHTS BEING OUT. AND HAVING TO RECONNECT THEIR ELECTRICITY AND THEIR BILLS. AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE INQUIRING, WHY OUR STUDENTS ARE FIGHTING AND ACTING UP. WHEN OUR STUDENTS ARE SEEING THEIR UNSETTLEDNESS IN THEIR HOMES AND SEEING THE ANGST THAT THEIR PARENTS ARE GOING THROUGH, THAT GOES OUT TO THEM. AND THEN THEY GET TO SCHOOL AND REALIZE THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE BREAKFAST OR COULDN'T TAKE A SHOWER BECAUSE THERE WAS NO HOT WATER DUE TO THEIR ELECTRICITY. I WAS AT A HOME, AS MY BOARD MEMBERS KNOW, I GO TO COMMUNITY HOMES OVER THE WEEKENDS. INTERGENERATIONAL COUPLE WHERE THE GRANDPARENTS ARE RAISING THE
176GRANDCHILDREN, THEY WERE TELLING ME THAT THEIR FOOD STAMPS, THE GRANDPARENTS ARE IN THEIR 80s, HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO $75 EACH. THEY WERE WONDERING, WITH A $600 LIGHT BILL, HOW THEY WERE GOING TO MAKE IT WITH ONLY $150 TO FEED THEIR GRANDCHILDREN. I WANT OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES TO KNOW THAT OUR SCHOOL BASED STUDENT SERVICES TEAM MEMBERS WHO INCLUDE OUR SCHOOL COUNSELORS, SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS AND OUR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS ARE AVAILABLE. JUST REACH OUT TO THEM. I KNOW TODAY THERE WAS A PARENT WHO WAS SO STRESSED OUT SHE WAS CALLING THE WRONG SCHOOL. BUT JUST REACH OUT TO ONE OF THESE IF YOU NEED SUPPORT. OR IF YOU JUST NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO. I KNOW THESE ARE TRYING TIMES. CALL ME IF YOU NEED TO. IF YOU'RE AWARE THAT A FIGHT MIGHT HAPPEN, LET AN ADULT
177ON THE CAMPUS KNOW OR GO TO AN ADMINISTRATOR. THERE ARE MANY TRUSTED ADULTS ON THIS CAMPUS, BUT UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU. WE ALSO HAVE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU NOT ONLY EMOTIONAL BUT FINANCIALLY. JUST LET US KNOW WHAT HELP YOU NEED. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. WE'RE INVESTED IN YOUR CHILDREN AND WE'RE INVESTED IN YOU. JUST GIVE US A CALL. WE'RE A SAFE SPACE FOR YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS TO EXPRESS YOUR CONCERNS AND NO WORRIES. WE'RE GOING TO OFFER THAT GUIDANCE TO NAVIGATE THIS DIFFICULT SITUATION EFFECTIVELY. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER COMBS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ BEING A FIERCE ADVOCATE FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND EVERYTHING YOU DO. WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US AS A BOARD SOMETIMES. I FEEL BECAUSE OF SUNSHINE LAWS
178I CAN'T TALK ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS. I SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE WE DON'T HAVE TIME AND I NEVER KNOW WHEN THE RIGHT TIME IS TO BRING THINGS UP. I HAVE TALKED TO YOU SUPERINTENDENT AYRES FOR A LONG TIME ABOUT OVERALL, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I SAID WE'RE NEVER GOING TO HAVE THE ENROLLMENT THAT WE HAVE TODAY. REMEMBER I TOLD YOU THAT. I SAID OUR ENROLLMENT WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE AND I WAS CORRECT BECAUSE WE ARE DOWN 8,000 STUDENTS. SO WHEN I LOOK AT PAYING ADMINISTRATORS MORE, TRYING TO PAY TEACHERS MORE, I HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME FACILITIES AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT REPURPOSING SOME SCHOOLS. I REALLY STRONGLY BELIEVE WE HAVE TO MAKE FISCALLY VERY TOUGH DECISIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS AND I PULLED SOME OF THE
179LAWMAKERS AND SMALLEST SCHOOLS, ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, HIGH SCHOOL, IN CHARTER SCHOOL, THERE IS A SCHOOL WITH 18 STUDENTS AND 20 STUDENTS AND 33 STUDENTS, BUT WE DO HAVE STUDENTS WELL BELOW 300. WE HAVE A SCHOOL THAT HAS 116 STUDENTS. WE REALLY HAVE TO MAKE SOME VERY TOUGH DECISIONS. WHEN PEOPLE SAY, HEY, THERE'S NOT A COST TO THAT. WHEN YOU LOOK AT A FACILITY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COST OF AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, SECURITY, CUSTODIANS, LUNCHROOM, DATA PROCESSOR, PRINCIPAL, SECRETARY, LIBRARIAN, RESOURCES, THERE'S NO QUESTION, MUCH LESS EVERYTHING ELSE. THERE IS A COST TO THAT AND MAKING SURE. WHEN WE ASK FOR MILLAGE AND WHEN WE ASK INDIVIDUALS, OUR CONSTITUENTS, WE HAVE TO SHOW THEM WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE ON OUR END TO WORK ON THAT. I ASKED FOR SEVERAL WORKSHOPS. WE LOOKED AT REPURPOSING. THERE IS
180NO POSSIBILITY THAT MR. FARKAS, HE IS AMAZING, HAS THE ABILITY TO DO ALL OF THAT. I MADE A REQUEST. I TALKED TO ALL OF YOU. I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO ENGAGE WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS AND DISCUSS HAVING AN IN-HOUSE COMMERCIAL LEASING. SOMEBODY WHO IS GOING TO DEAL WITH THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO. WE NEED TO TAKE AN RFP OUT AND FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN DO THAT, WHO CAN MANAGE SOME OF THE PROPERTY AND UTILIZE THE PROPERTIES PROPERLY. BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF A STUDENT IS AT A SCHOOL LIKE -- I DON'T KNOW, A SCHOOL AND FIVE NONCERTIFIED TEACHERS IS THAT CHILD GOING TO DO BETTER OFF THAN BEING IN A SCHOOL WITH A CERTIFIED TEACHER? I SAY THIS OFTEN. YOU CAN HAVE A PHYSICIAN IN A TENT, YOU COULD BE IN THE
181TAJ MAHAL, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON AND RIGHT CURRICULUM THEN YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MOVE FORWARD. THE BIGGEST IMPACT FOR STUDENTS IS THE QUALITY OF THE TEACHER AND THE CLASS SIZE. THOSE ARE THE BIGGEST IMPACTS FOR STUDENTS. SO WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT THAT. I JUST DON'T THINK -- I LOOK AT ALL THE DIFFERENT WORKSHOPS I'VE REQUESTED AND SO HARD TO MOVE THINGS HERE. I'M USED TO MOVING FAST, COMING FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR, LIKE YEARS AND TAKES A LONG TIME. I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO ENGAGE WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS AND DISCUSS THAT AND LOOK AT THAT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. I SAID FOR YEARS I SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE STATE. THEY WANT TO CO-LOCATE THE SCHOOLS OF HOPE. WHAT KIND OF HOPE IS THAT FOR A CHILD?
182THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A CERTIFIED TEACHER. OUR SCHOOL OF WHO EP IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WAS A D SCHOOL AND C. IS THAT HOPE FOR A CHILD? NO, THAT'S NOT HOPE FOR A CHILD. TO ME, A PARENT, NO MATTER IF THEY CHOOSE PRIVATE, CHARTER, HOMESCHOOL, I WANT THERE TO BE OVERSIGHT. LOVE TO SEE A SCHOOL CENTERED SOMEWHERE WHERE A HOMESCHOOL PARENT CAN CHECK IN TO SEE IF THE CHILD IS MAKING PROGRESS. THAT THEY ARE SAFE. AT THE END OF THE DAY WE HAVE TO DO WHAT IS BURST FOR THE COMMUNITY. THINGS ARE RAPIDLY CHANGING IN THE STATE. THAT'S FINE. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE PROVIDING THE BEST EDUCATION. IF IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE THE SMALL SCHOOLS, EVEN THE ALL BOYS AND ALL GIRL SCHOOL, WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING A DIFFERENT SCHEDULE, HAVING THEM
183ON THE SAME CAMPUS. WE'VE GOT TO START THINKING REALLY, REALLY AS AN EDUCATIONAL SERVICE BUT AS A BUSINESS THAT IS BEING UNDERFUNDED EVERY YEAR. $50 INCREASE, THAT'S A JOKE. WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE CAN DO TO LOOK AT THAT AND NOT TAKE TWO YEARS. WE DON'T HAVE THAT TIME. I DON'T HAVE ANY TIME LEFT. LET'S LOOK AT THE ONE SLIDE. I WANT TO SAY ONE THING, THE SECOND SLIDE. MID AUTUMN HARVEST MOON. HILLSBOROUGH EDUCATION, THE NEXT ONE. THANK YOU TO PRINCIPAL HARRIS, SANDRA, DR. WHELAN. THIS WAS SUCH AN AMAZING THING AT ALONSO HIGH SCHOOL. THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON FOR SOMETHING. FINALLY, OCTOBER 9, OUR HUGE HISPANIC HERITAGE CELEBRATION ON OCTOBER 9. SEE YOU THERE. THANK YOU. Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I DO APPRECIATE MEMBER COMBS BRINGING THAT UP. I WANT TO THANK
184BOOKER T. WASHINGTON. DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB ON THEIR CENTENNIAL. NOT ONLY DID THEY PRESENT JUST HONORING THE VERY FIRST BLACK SCHOOL IN OUR DISTRICT BY BLANCH ARMWOOD, HB BLAKE WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE PRINCIPALS THERE, PAID $112 A MONTH. THE RECORD -- ALL THE YEAR BOOKS. PHENOMENAL. STUDENTS TOOK US ON TOURS AND WALKED US THROUGH THE HISTORY OF THEIR SCHOOL. THE HISTORY AND WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT. I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE SO HONORED TO -- OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD KNOW THAT THROUGHOUT OUR SCHOOLS, THE HISTORY OF TAMPA BAY IS ALIVE AND WELL BECAUSE WE ARE HIGHLIGHTING THAT WITH OUR STUDENTS OVER AND OVER AGAIN THROUGH OUR CLASSES. THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. I WANT TO THANK HEFF FOR OUTSTANDING LUNCHEON. THEY PROVIDE SUCH RESOURCES TO OUR TEACHERS AND ACADEMIC SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE
185YEAR. WHAT A PARTNER THEY ARE AND CANNOT THANK THEM ENOUGH. TRANSITION FAIR. OUR ESE STUDENTS -- OUR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, THANK YOU CHAIR VAUGHN FOR HIGHLIGHTING ESE IN THIS DISTRICT. NOT A DAY GOES BY -- NOT A WEEK THAT GOES BY THAT THERE'S NOT A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE, HOW WE CAN BE A BETTER ADVOCATE FOR OUR STUDENTS, HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE PEOPLE AND TEACHERS ARE UNDERSTANDING WHERE OUR DISABLED STUDENTS ARE COMING FROM BASED UPON THEIR TIME AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THE THINGS WE DO IN THIS DISTRICT ARE SO VITALLY IMPORTANT AND PARTNERS WITH OUR COMMUNITY ARE SO VITALLY IMPORTANT. THANK YOU SO EVERY SINGLE ONE. CAN'T HIGHLIGHT EVERYTHING WE DO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. MEMBER COMBS, YOU ARE HUNDRED PERCENT CORRECT THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE
186OF THIS DISTRICT. WE HAVE TO COME IN WITH A LOOK AND WE HAVE TO STOP LOOKING AT SILOS AND PRIORITIZING OF EACH INDIVIDUAL SILO AND LOOK AT THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. THAT IS OUR STAFF AND OUR STUDENTS. EVERYTHING ELSE HAS TO COME SECOND. WHEN WE DO THAT, WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS ABOUT BUILDING AND WHAT WE DO NEXT. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, I SAID THIS AND SAY IT AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO STOP GOING TO THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR OPINION BEFORE YOU GET THIS BOARD APPROVAL. IF YOU WANT US TO MOVE ON SOMETHING, BRING IT TO THE BOARD. DON'T GO TO THE PUBLIC AND TRY TO GET THEM TO WANT TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE YOU GET BOARD APPROVAL. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON THE LINE AND WE HAVE THOUSAND OF STUDENTS THAT THEY ARE OUR PRIORITY AND WE
187HAVE TO DO THAT. AT THE END OF THE DAY, I AM WILLING TO MAKE THOSE HARD DECISIONS. I AM WILLING TO ALWAYS PUT STUDENTS AND TEACHERS FIRST. IF THAT MEANS PAYING OUR TEACHERS MORE AND PAYING OUR ADMINISTRATORS MORE, I AM ALL IN AND I'M SORRY WILLING TO CUT OTHER THINGS BECAUSE THAT'S GOT TO BE THERE IT IS. WE AS A DISTRICT HAVE TO PRIORITIZE GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT THERE EACH AND EVERY DAY WHAT OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING RIGHT. THOSE 28 -- ACTUALLY MORE. 28 JUST AT STRAWBERRY CREST. THE NUMBER OF NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS DIDN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. HAPPENED BECAUSE OF DEDICATION AND EXCELLENCE IN OUR TEACHERS. DEDICATION AND EXCELLENCE OF OUR PRINCIPALS. THEY ALONG WITH FAMILIES AND STUDENTS DESERVE ALL THE CREDIT. EVERY DECISION WE HAVE TO MAKE ON THIS DAIS SHOULD PRIORITIZE OUR STAFF AND
188OUR STUDENTS FIRST. AND THE STAFF AND THE STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOLS AND THE STUDENTS THEY HAVE TO COME FIRST. WE OCCASIONALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW WE DO UNITS. THAT'S HORRIBLE. THAT DOES NOT PUT STUDENTS FIRST. THAT PUTS NUMBERS FIRST. WHAT DO OUR TEACHERS NEED, WHAT DO OUR SCHOOLS NEED. HOW MANY STUDENTS AND WHAT WE DO FOR OUR STUDENTS AND EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT HAS TO COME SECOND. WHEN I HAVE TEACHERS THAT ARE LOOKING AT STUDENTS THAT ARE DISABLED BECAUSE OF FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME OR BECAUSE THEY HAD LIMITED ACCESS WHEN THEY HAD PRETERM DURING PREGNANCIES OR WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM OR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GIFTED STUDENTS, THEY HAVE TO COME FIRST AND MAKING SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE PROVIDING IN OUR SCHOOLS ARE WHAT OUR STUDENTS NEED. I'M 100% BEHIND YOU MEMBER COMBS. I WILL LOOK
189UNDER EVERY SINGLE PLACE TO FIND THE MONEY AND WE CAN'T MAKE BAD DECISIONS ABOUT OTHER THINGS OR RUSH THINGS THROUGH. EVERYTHING HAS TO COME DOWN TO OUR SCHOOLS, OUR TEACHERS, OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND OUR STUDENTS, EVERY SINGLE TIME. THANK YOU. Van Ayres: MS. VAUGHN, CAN I MAKE A COMMENT? I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE, WE WENT THROUGH A DISTRICT REBOUNDARY PROCESS. CLOSED FIVE SCHOOLS. LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR OF THE BOUNDARY IMPLEMENTATION. WHEN I TOOK OVER SUPERINTENDENT, IT HAD JUST BE APPROVED FOR THE 24-25. WE WENT THROUGH -- THE LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR WHICH WE CLOSED FIVE SCHOOLS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND THAT TIMELINE. THAT WAS OUR FIRST STEP IN THE PROCESS AND WE'LL, OF COURSE, CONTINUE TO LOOK. I DON'T WANT THE OPINION TO BE THAT WE'RE DOING NOTHING WHEN
190WE CLOSED FIVE SCHOOLS LAST YEAR. WENT THROUGH REBOUNDRY OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR WHICH WE WENT THROUGH. LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE HAD THE REBOUNDRY. VOTED ON IN 23, WAIT A YEAR TO DO IT. WENT THROUGH THAT IN 24-25 WITH NOT MUCH TURMOIL THROUGH 24-25. HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT AS WE CLOSED FIVE SCHOOLS. FOR THE RECORD JUST LAST YEAR, FIRST YEAR OF DISTRICTWIDE BOUNDARY IMPLEMENTATION WHICH WE CLOSED FIVE SCHOOLS. WE ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. THAT'S WHAT THE TEAM IS ABOUT AND WE'LL MAKE SURE HEARING FROM YOU THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO, WE'LL MAKE SURE WE ENGAGE THE BOARD. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I HAVE MY LAST COMMENTS, TRY TO SPEED
191THROUGH THEM. I HAVE A LOT TO COVER. I THINK WE NEED ANOTHER GROWTH MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP REQUEST THAT I'LL PUT IN THAT GOT DERAILED. SOUNDS LIKE WE NEED A LOT OF CONVERSATION I WAS IN A MEETING WHERE THEY TALKED ABOUT CLOSING SCHOOLS AND REOPENING SCHOOLS BECAUSE THE POPULATION CHANGED. I WANT TO THANK MEMBER GRAY FOR BRINGING FORWARD THE ANTI-SEMITISM CONVERSATION. IMDISAPPOINTED WITH THE ONE INSTANCE WE HAD RECENTLY WITH THE COMMUNICATION AROUND THAT AND HAD TO HEAR ABOUT IT FROM THE COMMUNITY BEFORE I WAS NOTIFIED BY THE SCHOOL. I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE OUTCOMES ARE AS WE SEE MORE HATE SPEECH RISE WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO ADDRESS. DIFFERENTIATE -- HEARD A LOT OF XENOPHOBIA, ANTI-MUSLIM RHETORIC COMING OUT OF SCHOOLS IN MY DISTRICT. PALM BEACH COUNCILMAN YESTERDAY WHO GAVE THE
192MOST HATEFUL RHETORIC AROUND THE AMERICAN INDIAN, INDIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY THAT WAS HATE SPEECH. WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT RISE CONSISTENTLY WITH THE RHETORIC AT OUR NATIONAL LEVEL THAT FILTERS DOWN TO STATEWIDE LEVEL. I THINK WE NEED TO BE PREPARED DEALING WITH HATE SPEECH, XENOPHOBIA AND ANTI-SEMITISM IN OUR SCHOOL ALL AROUND. I APPRECIATE MEMBER GRAY GIVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THAT. BUSES, WE HAD COMMENTS AND I HAVE SEEN FOOTAGE OF REALLY DISTURBING BEHAVIOR ON BUSES. I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND MORE HOLISTICALLY HOW THAT WORKS. IF THERE IS AN INFRACTION ON THE BUS IF THE SCHOOL IS NOTIFIED AND TAKES ACTION. I'M CONFUSED AROUND THE DISCONNECT OF WHAT HAPPENS ON A BUS DRIVER -- BUS DRIVERS ARE SUPPORTED. WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THEM OUT HANGING. SOME OF THE STUFF I'VE SEEN IS JUST STUFF I'LL NOT
193RECOVER FROM. I WOULD LIKE AN UPDATE ON THAT AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE HEFF LUNCHEON. I APPRECIATE THAT ORGANIZATION SO MUCH AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH SO MANY PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO CARE ABOUT EDUCATION AND RE-CENTER IT AND FOCUS IT. I LOVE THE HEFF LUNCHEON. THANK YOU TO EVERY BOARD MEMBER WHO ATTENDED. TALK ABOUT ATTENDING FREEDOM FUND DINNER WHICH WAS AMAZING. I BROUGHT MY SON. WHAT A POWERFUL EVENT THAT WAS. I APPRECIATE THAT WORK AND THAT CONTINUES AND THEY CONTINUE TO BE A PARTNER FOR OUR STUDENTS. I DO WANT TO ALSO HIGHLIGHT THAT LAST WEEK I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO WITH GAITHER'S PTSA AND NEW PRINCIPAL DR. KLEIN AND LOOK AND LEARN ABOUT THE COMMUNITY PANTRY IN CARROLLWOOD. THAT'S AN AMAZING ORGANIZATION. IT SERVES NOT ONLY
194THREE OF OUR SCHOOLS BUT 1500 OF OUR FAMILIES AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO IT SO THAT EACH FAMILY FEELS THAT THEY ARE RESPECTED, VALUED, GOOD QUALITY SERVICE, THAT THEY MAKE SURE THERE'S DIGNITY IN SERVING OUR FAMILIES IN NEED. I THINK THAT AS WE SEE, THE RISING COST OF FOOD, FOCUS MORE AND MORE ON FOOD PANTRIES AND PARTNERING WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE SUPPORTING OUR FAMILIES TO MEMBER PEREZ'S POINT. ALSO WANT TO TALK PRESIDENT OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO MILES ELEMENTARY AND GO TO MS. DESTINY MALDONADO'S KINDERGARTEN CLASS AND DO A READ ALOUD WHERE I READ BILINGUAL SUPER POWER. I'VE BEEN IN A TON OF KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS AND NEVER SEEN A GROUP SO WELL BEHAVED, SO SWEET, SO PATIENT ON THE CARPET WHILE I READ AND ASKED ABOUT CONTEXT CLUES THAT THEY COULD CARE
195LESS ABOUT. THANK YOU, MILES, FOR LETTING ME IN. HALLWAY WAS AMAZING. LIBRARY LOOKS GREAT. EVERYBODY IN THE SCHOOL IS DOING A FANTASTIC JOB. I APPRECIATE THAT. IN CLOSING, MR. FARKAS, THANK YOU TO YOU. THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF ISSUES AND TO MR. VALDES WHERE ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS NEEDED WASHER AND DRYER VENT HOOKUP SO THEY CAN WASH STUDENT CLOTHES OR OTHER THINGS THAT AFFECT STUDENT'S EVERYDAY LIFE. THANK YOU FOR BEING RESPONSIVE TO MAKE SURE WE CAN TAKE CARE OF BASIC NEEDS FOR STUDENTS. I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE KUDOS WHEN YOU RISE UP AND MAKE SURE WE GET THINGS TAKEN CARE OF. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY FOR NOW. I ANTICIPATE A LOT MORE CONVERSATION IN UPCOMING MEETINGS BUT WITH THIS ONE, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.