05/06/2025 - Regular Meeting

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 PROGRAMS 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 IN 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: THANK YOU. THE BOARD MEETING OF MAY 6, 2025, IS CALLED TO ORDER. MEMBER

003PEREZ WILL NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF REFLECTION FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. SINCE THE MONTH OF MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH MONTH, WE WANT TO REMIND OUR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, STAFF, AND FAMILIES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIORITIZING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS AS WE TRANSITION INTO THE SUMMER SEASON. TAKING CARE OF YOUR MENTAL WELL-BEING IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS CARING FOR YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH. REMEMBER TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE, THAT IS WHY I'M LEAVING RIGHT AFTER, REACH OUT FOR SUPPORT WHEN NEEDED AND PRIORITIZING ACTIVITIES THAT BRING YOU JOY AND RELAXATION. LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE A SUPPORTIVE AND UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY THAT VALUES MENTAL HEALTH. YOUR WELL-BEING MATTERS NOW AND ALWAYS. PLEASE STAND WITH ME FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. MEMBER PEREZ, WILL YOU NOW

004ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STUDENT ENTERTAINMENT? Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. IT WOULD BE MY PLEASURE. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE PIZZO K-8 DRUM LINE, ALONG WITH PRINCIPAL OVETTE WILSON AND DIRECTOR RANDALL GRIFFIN. THESE 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. HI. I AM IN THIRD GRADE AND I PLAY CYMBAL AND BASS DRUM. HI. MY NAME IS JORDAN. I'M IN FOURTH GRADE. I PLAY SNARE. I'M AVA. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE AND I PLAY QUADS AND SNARE. I'M CHLOE IN 7th GRADE. BASS DRUM AND QUADS. HI. I AM IN THE FIFTH GRADE. I PLAY SNARES, QUAD AND BASS. HI. MY NAME IS BISA BELL. I'M IN THE FIFTH GRADE. I PLAY CYMBALS AND BASS. HI. JEFFREY. 4th

005GRADE, PLAY THE SNARE. JAYDEN, FIFTH GRADE, PLAY THE QUAD. MY NAME IS JOSIAH. I'M IN FOURTH GRADE AND PLAY SNARE. SOPHIA. I'M IN FOURTH GRADE AND PLAY QUADS AND BASS DRUM. LEILA. I'M IN FOURTH GRADE. I PLAY QUAD AND BASS. HELLO. RANDALL GRIFFIN. I AM ONE OF THE MUSIC EDUCATORS AT PIZZO K-8. I THANK YOU GUYS FOR HOSTING US AND ALLOWING US TO ENTERTAIN YOU WITH OUR FANTASTIC DRUM LINE. I'M MR. WILSON. PROUD PRINCIPAL. IF I HAVEN'T TOLD YOU LATELY, NEVER FORGET, THERE'S GREATNESS IN YOU. Jessica Vaughn: PARENTS, YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME UP AND TAKE QUICK FIXTURES IF YOU WOULD LIKE. Jessica Vaughn: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. GREAT JOB. FANTASTIC! WHOO! OKAY. WE HAVE NO WITHDRAWN ITEMS TODAY. I DO NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION

006BY MEMBER GRAY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER PEREZ. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. PLEASE LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT. WE HAVE ONE SET OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY, APRIL 22, 2025. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON AND A SECOND BY MEMBER COMBS. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. BOARD MEMBERS, I'LL 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 AND SUCCEED. AND OUR DECISIONS WILL BE MADE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING. TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EFFICIENT AGENDA STATEMENTS AND QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES

007TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARDS, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND, AND 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 WEBCAST, ON CABLE TV AND ON VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM. IT CAN ALSO BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON THE ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVE. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. WE HAVE ONE ITEM THAT IS SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN. 6 P.M. IS EMPLOYEE

008AND STUDENT INPUT. THIS EVENING, I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE WILL BEGIN TO INCORPORATE STUDENT COMMENTS IN ADDITION TO EMPLOYEE COMMENTS DURING THE 6 P.M. DESIGNATED TIME FOR OUR BOARD MEETINGS. BOARD MEMBERS, DURING THE LAST RETREAT, YOU SUPPORTED MY REQUEST TO ACKNOWLEDGE STUDENT VOICES DURING OUR BOARD MEETINGS. I AM VERY THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. I KNOW THAT YOU'LL HELP CHAMPION OUR STUDENT VOICES. TONIGHT, WE HAVE MEMBER FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL IN ATTENDANCE. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THEM TO PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED. SOME OF THEM WILL LATER SPEAK IN OUR MEETING AGENDA AND UTILIZE THE DESIGNATED 6 P.M. TIME CERTAIN. AND THERE YOU ARE. YOU MAY BE SEATED. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND FOR JOINING US ALL YEAR LONG AND BEING SUCH A STRONG SUPPORTER AND VOICE TO OUR SUPERINTENDENT TO

009KEEP HIM TIED TO OUR STUDENT VOICES. A 02, RECOGNITION, TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK, MAY 5th THROUGH THE 9th OF 2025. NATIONAL TEACHER DAY, MAY 6, 2025. MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS RECOGNITION. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. BY THE WAY, BEFORE I START, PUT ON MY TEACHER APPRECIATION CAP. I WILL BE WEARING THIS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE MEETING. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS RECOGNIZES TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK, MAY 5th THROUGH MAY 9. THIS BOARD AND OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY RECOGNIZES AND HONORS THE EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATORS WHO SERVE OUR SCHOOLS WITH UNWAVERING DEDICATION, PASSION, AND HEART. WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE MORE THAN 13,000 TEACHERS IN THIS DISTRICT. OUR TEACHERS ARE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR DISTRICT SUCCESS. THEY INSPIRE CURIOSITY, BUILD CONFIDENCE, AND SHAPE THE FUTURE OF EVERY CHILD WHO WALKS THROUGH THEIR DOORS. THIS TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK, WE EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST

010GRATITUDE TO OUR EDUCATORS FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR LIFE. THANK YOU FOR EVERY LESSON TAUGHT. EVERY STUDENT UPLIFTED AND EVERY MOMENT SPENT IN THE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR STUDENTS. WE LOVE OUR TEACHERS. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE ALSO NOW DO A 101, RECOGNITION OF THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS BEST KREWE AWARD. BRIAN FORD, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER IS HERE. AND EMERY COURTNEY IS HERE. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL UP ANN MARIE OF DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIP, FELLOWSHIP AND OUTREACH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT, CABINET MEMBERS AND GUESTS. THE BUCS BEST KREWE PROGRAM, SUPPORTED BY OUR AMAZING PARTNER, THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, RECOGNIZES STANDOUT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND SUPPORT STAFF FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE, OVERALL IMPACT ON STUDENTS, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

011BEYOND THE CLASSROOM. WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE BRIAN FORD, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, HERE TONIGHT TO ANNOUNCE THIS MONTH'S AWARD RECIPIENTS. WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU, ANNMARIE. GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT, AND EVERYBODY IN ATTENDANCE. I'VE GOT TO GET ME ONE OF THOSE HATS. PROUD TO BE HERE ON TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS PROGRAM, OUR BUCS KREWE AWARD, AS YOU KNOW, IS ALL ABOUT, IS RECOGNIZING THOSE THAT GO OVER AND ABOVE. WE HAVE A TRADITION AT ONE BUC, ANYBODY THAT GOES OVER AND ABOVE GETS A GAME BALL. THE INDIVIDUALS THAT I'M ABOUT TO READ TODAY THAT HAVE JOINED US HAVE DEFINITELY GONE OVER AND ABOVE. SOME OF THEM ARE NEAR AND DEAR AND HAVE SPECIAL MEANING HERE TO ALL OF US. I'D LIKE TO BRING UP PRINCIPAL ALVAREZ AND COACH

012PEREZ. WHY DON'T YOU COME UP AND JOIN ME? WE HAVE A BUCCANEER FAN, A COUPLE OF FANS IN THE HOUSE HERE. AND THIS YOUNG LADY, CONGRATULATIONS. FIRST, AGAIN, GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME. I GOT TO TELL YOU THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE DAYS EVERY MONTH. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND CELEBRATE THE SUCCESS OF SUCH DESERVING INDIVIDUALS. PRINCIPAL ALVAREZ THIS COMES FROM YOUR PEERS THESE TALKING POINTS. WHEN I READ THESE, I KNOW WE'VE MET IN THE PAST AND JUST UNBELIEVABLE THE PASSION THAT YOU HAVE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. BUT OUR FIRST AWARD GOES TO PRINCIPAL ALVAREZ OF PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. AGAIN, THIS IS FROM YOUR PEERS, YOUR TEACHERS, YOUR STUDENT BODY, THEIR PARENTS AND PEOPLE THAT KNOW YOU'VE ADDED TO THIS. YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY GOES FAR BEYOND WHAT'S

013EXPECTED, DEMONSTRATING AN UNWAVERING PASSION FOR THOSE YOU SERVE. YOU'RE CONSTANTLY ARRIVING EARLY AND STAYING LATE. FIRST IN, LAST OUT IS WHAT I'VE HEARD. I KIND OF HAD THAT SAME SCHEDULE. BUT OFFERING YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, WHICH IS VERY MEANINGFUL AND IMPORTANT TO THE STUDENT BODY. ENSURING THAT YOUR STUDENTS ALWAYS HAVE THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED. HOWEVER, IT'S DAY-TO-DAY ACTIONS THAT OFTEN GO UNNOTICED THAT TRULY HIGHLIGHT YOUR DEDICATION. IN A SCHOOL THAT FACES MANY BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES, YOU WORK TIRELESSLY TO FOSTER AN ENVIRONMENT OF GROWTH, RESPECT AND LEARNING. YOUR QUALITY INVESTED IN YOUR COLLEAGUES, WHETHER COVERING A CLASS, OFFERING EXTRA PLANNING TIME OR PROVIDING A LISTENING EAR, YOUR GENUINE CARE FOR THE WELL-BEING OF YOUR PEERS HAS MADE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL'S ENVIRONMENT. IT'S BEEN DESCRIBED AS YOU HAVING A PRESENCE THAT

014IS A BEACON OF LOVE AND SUPPORT. IT SAYS A LOT. CREATING A POSITIVE RIPPLE EFFECT THROUGHOUT PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND FOR THAT YOU KIND OF EMBODY THE WHOLE NATURE OF THIS BUCS KREWE AWARD. WITH THAT, I HAVE A CERTIFICATE. AGAIN, EVERYBODY THAT GOES OVER AND ABOVE GETS A GAME BALL. WHEN I SAW THE NOMINEE FOR THIS MONTH'S TEACHER AWARD, IT KIND OF HIT HOME TO ME BECAUSE THIS YOUNG LADY ACTUALLY TAUGHT BOTH OF MY SONS WHEN THEY WERE AT WALKER MIDDLE SCHOOL, JUST A FEW YEARS AGO. I RECOGNIZE THE NAME, AND I ALSO KNEW HOW BIG A BUC FAN SHE WAS. I NEVER EXPECTED SHE WOULD COME IN FULL JERSEY, BUT UNBELIEVABLE. OUR SECOND AWARD GOES TO P.E. TEACHER SALINA PEREZ AT SMITH MIDDLE SCHOOL. COACH PEREZ IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY

015AND BEYOND. AGAIN, THIS IS COMING FROM YOUR PEERS, YOUR PRINCIPAL, THE STUDENT BODY AND THE FACULTY AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY OF SMITH MIDDLE. YOU ARE NOT ONLY AN INCREDIBLE TEACHER, BUT YOUR DEDICATION EXTENDS TO THOSE FAMILIES AND STAFF IN NEED. OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF YOUR HEART, YOU MANAGE DONATIONS AND PROVIDE A FOOD PANTRY FOR FAMILIES TO ACCESS ON A YEAR-ROUND BASIS, INCLUDING HOLIDAYS AND EVEN THOSE AFFECTED BY THE PAST HURRICANES. I WAS NOT SURPRISED WHEN I HEARD ALL OF THIS. SHE ALSO ORGANIZES A HOOPS FOR HEART. I REMEMBER THIS. BENEFITING THE HEART ASSOCIATION. AS A BOARD MEMBER ON THE CEOs AGAINST CANCER WITH THE HEART ASSOCIATION, IT GOES A LONG WAY. STUDENTS ABSOLUTELY LOVE PARTICIPATING IN THIS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT THROUGHOUT THE DAY. AND BECAUSE OF THE EVENT'S SUCCESS, YOU ARE CONSTANTLY ONE OF

016THE HIGHEST DONORS IN THE STATE. THAT'S PHILANTHROPIC, THROUGH AND THROUGH. ON TOP OF THAT, SHE TAKES ON THE ROLE OF CHEF FOR THE ANNUAL -- I LOVE THIS -- FRIENDS GIVING LUNCH FOR ALL STAFF BEFORE THE THANKSGIVING BREAK. YOUR EFFORTS ENSURE THAT THE SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES AND STAFF SUCCEED AND YOUR LOVE FOR THE COMMUNITY IS EVIDENT IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. AGAIN, YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR ORGANIZATION. ON BEHALF OF THE I SEE GANGLIAER FAMILY AND OUR ENTIRE -- ON BEHALF OF THE GLAZER FAMILY AND OUR ENTIRE ORGANIZATION, IF ANYBODY I KNOW DESERVES A GAME BALL -- I LOVE SURPRISES. WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THIS, I'M LIKE, OH MY, WE'VE GOT TO DO THIS LAST BECAUSE THIS INDIVIDUAL IS AMONG US AND SHE SUPPORTS ALL OF US, BUT ESPECIALLY THAT YOUNG MAN OVER THERE. SPEAKING

017ON BEHALF OF WHO ASSISTS ME ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, I WOULDN'T KNOW WHERE I AM. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES AND I SHARE THAT. SO THE NEXT AWARD GOES FROM MARY TO JOHNSON. 21 YEARS. GETTING READY TO RETIRE. SINCE APRIL OF 2004, MS. JOHNSON HAS BUILT A STRONG LEGACY AT THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MARKED BY PROFESSIONALISM, HUMOR, AND FIERCE LOYALTY. SHE'S BEEN A STEADY AND INSPIRING PRESENCE IN EVERY POSITION THAT SHE'S HELD IN THE DISTRICT OVER HER 21 YEARS. SHE BEGAN HER CAREER AS A SECRETARY ONE AT FREEDOM HIGH SCHOOL, BECOMING DATA PROCESSOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AND IN 2009 PROMOTED TO PRINCIPAL SECRETARY. SHE WAS ELECTED FOR THE POSITION OF EXECUTIVE SECRETARY DUE TO HER VAST KNOWLEDGE OF THE SCHOOL OPERATIONS. AND IN THIS ROLE, SHE SUPPORTED THE PRINCIPAL SECRETARIES FROM DOZENS OF SCHOOLS, MUCH

018LIKE A COACH STRENGTHENS HIS PLAYERS WITH A STRONG PLAYBOOK. I LIKE THAT. HER ABILITY TO ANALYZE SITUATIONS WITH PARENTS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AS WELL AS BEING A STRONG PROBLEM SOLVER IS A GREAT ASSET TO THOSE SHE INTERACTS WITH ON A DAILY BASIS. HER EXTREME ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND HARD WORK ETHIC GOT HER NOTICED BY THE LEADERSHIP AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE, AND SHE, AGAIN, WAS PROMOTED TO THE SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY FOR THE CHIEF OF SCHOOLS. HER UNTUITION IN -- INTUITION IN HANDLING DIFFICULT SITUATIONS IS SPOT ON AND REMAINS COOL UNDER PRESSURE. I'VE HEARD THAT. WHILE WORKING IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT OFFICE, MS. JOHNSON QUICKLY BECAME KNOWN AS THE GO-TO PERSON FOR HER EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF DISTRICT POLICIES, PROCEDURES, GUIDELINES, AND FORMATTING INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS. BASICALLY GENERAL DISTRICT OPERATIONS. IT WAS NO SURPRISE TO MANY WHO

019KNOW AND WORK WITH MS. JOHNSON WHEN SHE WAS CHOSEN TO FILL THE SUPERINTENDENT SECRETARY POSITION FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. AS SHE PREPARES FOR RETIREMENT, MS. JOHNSON CONTINUES TO BE A ROLE MODEL FOR DEDICATION AND DEPENDABILITY THAT INSPIRES OUR ENTIRE TEAM. CONGRATULATIONS. MUCH DESERVED. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF THE GLAZER FAMILY AND OUR ENTIRE ORGANIZATION, CONGRATULATIONS, AND THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: WELL, THAT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF EVERY BOARD MEETING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP. AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WINNERS TONIGHT, FOR YOUR SERVICE TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND TO OUR STUDENTS AND FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT. THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS AND VALUES YOUR INPUT TO THE BOARD. IN ORDER TO

020PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSES TO YOUR COMMENTS, OUR STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP AND KEEP THE BOARD INFORMED ABOUT THE RESPONSES. OUR BOARD RESPECTS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME TO BE HERE. HOWEVER, IT IS REQUESTED THAT WHEN YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD, COMMENTS ARE NOT DIRECTED PERSONALLY AT A BOARD MEMBER OR A STAFF MEMBER, BUT RATHER DIRECTED AT THE ISSUES. ANY BEHAVIOR INTENDED TO INTERRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AS OUR CIVILITY POLICY IS IN PLACE. 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, A

021RED LIGHT AND A CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I'LL CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS. MIKE HERE AGAIN TO TALK ABOUT THE DISASTER THAT WAS CREATED WITH OUR INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. EVERYTHING I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE ISSUE CAME TRUE. PAPERWORK INCREASED A HUNDREDFOLD AND IMPOSSIBLE TO PROCESS. TEACHERS DID NOT PARTICIPATE. TOTAL CERTIFICATIONS TANKED. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF STATE FUNDING, GONE. DIDN'T HAPPEN. NOW TAXPAYERS, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TAXPAYERS GET TO MAKE UP THAT DIFFERENCE. SCHOOL GRADE WILL GO DOWN DUE TO MISSING ACCELERATION POINTS. NOT JUST THIS YEAR, BUT FOR THREE YEARS TO COME. DISTRICT GRADES GOING TO GO DOWN, GRADUATION RATES ARE GOING TO FALL AS STUDENTS DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO GETTING REPLACEMENT COURSES THROUGH INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION FOR THEIR MATH AND SCIENCE CREDITS. THOUSANDS OF DISENFRANCHISED STUDENTS NEVER GOT THE CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE

022BECAUSE CTE LEADERSHIP ENACTED AN ALABAMA POLL TEST TO LIMIT PARTICIPATION. WHY ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS? NEGLIGENCE, MISMANAGEMENT, FRAUDULENT MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS, LIABLE DECISION MAKING. EVEN NOW CTE LEADERSHIP ARE CONVINCED THEMSELVES THAT THEY ARE TOTALLY INCOMPETENT AT DOING THEIR JOBS. TO FIX THE ISSUE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT TEACHERS WITH INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION TESTING VOUCHERS AND TO UNWIND THE CRASH AND BURN INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION POLICY FROM THIS YEAR, THEIR SOLUTION, MAKE EACH SCHOOL RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING IT ON THEIR OWN. EVERYTHING. PURCHASING, INVENTORY, LITERALLY DO NOTHING TO FIX IT, DO NOTHING TO SUPPORT THE MECHANISM TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION, DO NOTHING TO MEET THE GOAL OF TEST ONE, TEST THEM ALL. EVEN WORSE, IT IS FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE. ANY ECONOMY OF SCALE FOR MAKING LARGE DISTRICTWIDE PURCHASES WILL BE LOST WHEN TEACHERS STRUGGLE TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT TEACHING WHILE

023DOING THE WORK THAT CTE LEADERSHIP IS SUPPOSED TO DO. CTE LEADERSHIP IS CERTAIN THAT ANY AND EVERY TEACHER IS MORE COMPETENT THAN THEMSELVES TO PERFORM THE CONTRACTING AND PURCHASING, BUT, AGAIN, WHY DO WE HAVE TO DO IT? MOREOVER, SCHOOLS ARE BEING TOLD TO ADD PERSONNEL AT THE SITE LEVEL OR USE T PAYROLLS TO MAKE UP FOR THE CTE LEADERSHIP THROWING THEIR WORKLOAD OVER THE WALL ONTO THE TEACHERS. ADDING 10 TO 20 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN ADDITIONAL STAFFING COST TO EVERY SCHOOL. EVEN MORE AMAZING, CTE LEADERSHIP INTENDS TO KEEP 20% OF THE STATE FUNDS FROM INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION EVEN WHILE NOT DOING THE WORK. MIDDLETON HIGH SCHOOL HAS OVER A MILLION DOLLARS' WORTH OF FUNDING. WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU. WE'LL BE HOLDING THAT FUNDING PAPERWORK UNTIL THAT OCCURS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR

024YOUR TIME. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HELLO. MY NAME IS CARISSA CASHTON. I'M HERE TO DISCUSS THE CUTTING OF ORCHESTRA AT ROGERS MIDDLE SCHOOL. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A QUICK MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT THE KIND OF STUDENT THAT ORCHESTRA ATTRACTS. THEY TEND TO BE DIFFERENT. THEY TEND TO BE CEREBRAL. THEY TEND TO BE INTROVERTED. THEY TEND TO THINK DEEPLY AND FEEL INTENSELY AND THEY MIGHT NOT ALWAYS SHOW IT ON THE OUTSIDE. THEY LIKELY DON'T PUSH THEIR WAY FORWARD OR DEMAND TO BE SEEN. IF THEY DO, IT'S NOT IN THE SAME WAY AS OTHER KIDS. AND IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE I'M STANDING UP HERE GENERALIZING TO YOU, BUT THERE'S REAL DATA BEHIND WHAT I'M SAYING. IN 2011, A STUDY PUBLISHED IN APPLICATIONS OF RESEARCH AND MUSIC EDUCATION FOUND THAT ORCHESTRA STUDENTS SENT TO

025INTROVERSION SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN STUDENTS IN CHOIR OR BAND AND SIGNIFICANTLY MORE AGAIN RELATIVE TO THE AVERAGE POPULATION OF ALL STUDENTS. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH SHOWS THAT KIDS WHO WANT TO BE IN ORCHESTRA SCORE HIGHER IN TRADES TIED TO SENSITIVITY, INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY AND REFLECTION. IN SHORT, ORCHESTRA TENDS TO DRAW THE CEREBRAL, INWARD FOCUSED STUDENT, ONE WHO THRIVES IN STRUCTURED, THOUGHTFUL, EMOTIONALLY RICH AND SAFE ENVIRONMENTS. HERE'S WHAT'S OFTEN OVERLOOKED WITH THOSE SENSITIVE KIDS. THEY MAY BE MORE VULNERABLE. RESEARCH FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH AND THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION SHOWS THAT STUDENTS WHO TEND TOWARD INTROVERSION, HIGH SENSITIVITY, AND CONSCIENTIOUSNESS LIKE THE ORCHESTRA STUDENTS DO, ARE MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE ANXIETY, ISOLATION, DEPRESSION, ESPECIALLY IN SOCIALLY INTENSE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS WHERE DRAMA AND CHAOS CAN BE CRIPPLING TO THEM. THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE OVERLOOKED, NOT BECAUSE THEY AREN'T

026BRIGHT, BUT BECAUSE THEY AREN'T LOUD. ORCHESTRA MAY BE ONE OF THE ONLY PLACES THAT MEETS THE EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS OF THE QUIET, BRILLIANT RAYS OF LIGHT. IT OFFERS BELONGING WITHOUT PRESSURE TO PERFORM SOCIALLY. IT'S BOTH AN INDIVIDUAL EFFORT AND A TEAM SPORT IN MANY OF THE WAYS THAT THESE KIDS CAN'T EXPERIENCE OTHERWISE. IT GIVES THEM A VOICE EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT THE ONES SHOUTING. IF WE TAKE ORCHESTRA AWAY AT ROGERS, WHERE DO THESE STUDENTS GO? WHAT OTHER SPACE OFFERS THEM THE SAME SENSE OF SAFETY, IDENTITY AND PURPOSE? THERE ISN'T ONE. WE INVEST IN SO MANY PROGRAMS FOR EXTROVERTED, COMPETITIVE, SOCIALLY DRIVEN STUDENTS, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT, THOSE ARE NECESSARY. BUT WE CAN'T FORGET THE QUIET ONES. TO THEM, IT IS NOT EXTRACURRICULAR NICE TO HAVE, IT IS A REFUGE FROM THE STORM. MY DAUGHTER

027PLAYS DOUBLE BASS. I'VE SEEN THEM PUT THEIR ENTIRE HEARTS INTO IT. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS ROGERS GOT FULL SUPERIORS AT MPA. THEY GAVE EVERYTHING THEY HAD. IT WILL BE TAKEN AWAY. PLEASE HELP US AND THOSE CHILDREN BY ADVOCATING FOR IT AT ROGERS. THAT'S WHAT I ASK OF YOU. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HI. I AM ONE OF YOUR SECOND GRADE STUDENTS. THANK YOU FOR SUMMER LANGUAGE PROGRAM. I'M EXCITED TO GO. HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK. MY FAVORITE TEACHER EVER WAS MS. H. SHE TAUGHT ME HOW TO READ. MY SCHOOL HAS A GREAT LIBRARY. MY FAVORITE THING TO READ IS DOG MAN BY DAVE POKEY. MY MOM ALWAYS KNOWS WHAT BOOKS I AM READING. MY FAMILY LOVES BOOKS. OUR FAMILY IS AGAINST BOOK BANS. DID YOU KNOW THAT BOOK

028BANNING IS NOT ONLY WHEN BOOKS ARE AGAINST THE LAW TO HAVE AT HOME? THE CENTER FOR FREE SPEECH AND ENCYCLOPEDIA BOTH SAY THAT BOOK BANNING IS ALSO WHEN YOU TAKE AWAY BOOKS FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR PUBLIC LIBRARIES BECAUSE YOU DID NOT LIKE WHAT THE BOOKS SAY. THIS HAPPENED TO CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS, WHICH IS ALSO WRITTEN BY DAVE POKEY. MY MOM SAYS SOME BOOKS ARE NOT FOR ME. IF MY MOM DOESN'T WANT ME TO READ CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS OR ANOTHER BOOK, SHE WILL TELL MY LIBRARIAN. BOOK BANS DON'T KEEP ME SAFE BUT MY MOM DOES. THANK YOU FOR OUR GREAT LIBRARY, AND THANK YOU TO MS. H FOR TEACHING ME HOW TO READ. I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY. HI. I'M HIS MOM. SOME PEOPLE WOULD PROBABLY SAY THAT ME HAVING HIM SPEAK TODAY IS SOME

029SORT OF LIKE INDOCTRINATION. AT HIS AGE, I WAS RECITING GRUESOME PARTS FROM THE BIBLE IN FRONT OF MY SCHOOL. DOUBLE STANDARDS ARE WHAT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT TODAY AGAIN. I WANT YOU TO KEEP ME IN MIND BEFORE OUR NEXT INEVITABLE BOOK CHALLENGE MEETING. BECAUSE COMMENTS MADE BY SOME OF YOU DO NOT SIT RIGHT WITH ME AS A PARENT. ONE OF YOU CONDESCENDED TO. TWO OF YOU APPEALED TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE MPAA WANTING A BOOK RATING SYSTEM THE SAME FOR MOVIES AS IF THIS WOULD HELP US PARENTS. DO YOU KNOW HOW THE MPAA RATING SYSTEM WAS DECIDED ON? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE STANDARDS ARE FOR RATINGS? DO YOU KNOW WHO WERE ON THE REVIEW BOARDS? DO YOU KNOW THE QUALIFICATIONS? WHAT PROCESS TO PREVENT BIAS? DO YOU KNOW WHO JOAN GRAVES IS? IF

030YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWERS, I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WANT A RATING SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT MIMICS ONE YOU DON'T KNOW THE MECHANICS OF. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY D RATED MOVIES I DON'T LET MY KIDS WATCH? THE RATING SYSTEMS ARE NOT DECIDED TO PARENT FOR ME. THEY DON'T UTILIZE A LIST OF THING THAT MY SPECIFIC KID NEEDS TO AVOID. IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO CHOOSE ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS WHAT MY KIDS CONSUME, NOT RELY ON A SYSTEM I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND. YOU SAID IF IDENTICAL WERE A MOVIE IT WOULD BE RATED R AND THEREFORE NOT OKAY FOR YOUR STUDENTS BUT YOU DON'T APPLY THE STANDARD TO EVERY BOOK. THIS IS BIASED JUST AS THE REVIEW COMMITTEE THAT WAS DOGGED OUT WAS ALLEGED OF BEING. YOU LEAVE BOOKS ON THE SHELVES THAT ARE GRAPHIC. THE

031IF SOMEONE WERE TO CHALLENGE THE BIBLE, YOU WOULDN'T BE MAKING THE SAME ARGUMENT. DOUBLE STANDARDS DO NOT MAKE MY KIDS SAFER. I'M SURE YOU DON'T CARE BUT THE MPAA HAS A TRACK RECORD OF LABELING QUEER MOVIES HIGHER JUST BECAUSE QUEER, BUT CONTENT STRAIGHT LOWER RATING. BIAS AND BIGOTRY WOULD END UP IN A BOOK RATING SYSTEM AND I DON'T WANT THAT IMPLEMENTED IN HILLSBOROUGH FOR MY KIDS. IT'S NOT GOING TO HELP ME. WE SEE THAT LIKE CLAY COUNTY BANNING, LAST QUINN TISTA. THE ESCAMBIA, TANGO MAKES THREE, A BOOK ABOUT PENGUINS. MICHIGAN, SCHOOL BANNED CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS BECAUSE THE CAPTAIN HAS A HUSBAND. WHERE I HAVE TO HEAR BAD-FAITH ARGUMENT THAT MY EIGHT-YEAR-OLD CAN DISMANTLE WE CALL THE BAD-FAITH ARGUMENTS ADVOCATING FOR KIDS AND WE CALL THEM PARENTAL RIGHTS IN EDUCATION BUT I DON'T NEED A BOOK RATING

032SYSTEM. I NEED YOU TO DO THINGS LIKE ALLOW STUDENT COMMENTS. THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. ESY DATES APPROVED FOR MY KID. I DON'T NEED A BOOK RATING SYSTEM AND DON'T KNEE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT PUBLIC SCHOOL PARENTS TO MAKE INSTANCES WHERE WE HAVE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING. Jessica Vaughn: CAN I PLEASE CALL UP SPEAKERS 6 THROUGH 10. PLEASE LINE UP, SPEAKERS 6 THROUGH 10. AND NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. MARK KLUTHO, LARGO. IT'S JUST ENGINES SPEAKER. IT'S NOT AN AND NEXT SPEAKER. YOUR CIVILITY THING IS NOT. HERE IS THE RULING FROM THE 11th CIRCUIT, LAWYER, ARE YOU LISTENING? DON'T YOU PAY ATTENTION? YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT CIVILITY RULE. IT DOES NOT WORK. DID YOU READ THIS? DUH. THERE ISN'T SUCH A THING. HERE'S 50 STATES, 50 FIXES. NOTICE THE COLOR HERE, ALL WHITE. NOT BROWN BRICK. IT MAKES ME

033THINK OF WHEN MY WIFE RETIRED TEACHER TOOK HER PARENTS TO THE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL, RODE PAST BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND HER FATHER SAID, OH, IS THAT A PRISON OVER THERE? THAT'S WHAT THAT APPEARED TO HIM TO BE. OH, YEAH, HERE IS FROM THE US AND A TODAY FROM ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA. THIS MEDICAL CENTER HAS SET A NEW STANDARD WITH THIS RENEWABLE MICROGRID, THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY. SO UNLIKE WHAT TECO DID OVER AT THE AIRPORT, THEY DID SOLAR THERE, BUT THEY FED ALL THAT INTO THE GRID INSTEAD OF USING THAT SOLAR RIGHT THERE AT THE AIRPORT AND YOU HAVE THE LINE LOSSES, NOW LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT GOVERNOR DEFUROR AND THE REPUBLICONS AND WHAT THEY WANT TO DO TAKING US BACK TO THE GILDED AGE AND HAVING THE CHILDREN WORKING IN THE FIELDS, THE MINES, AND YOU'RE

034GOING TO SEE THEM DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. 11th CIRCUIT RULING. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. HELLO. THESE ARE MY GROUP MATES. WE ARE DOING OUR MacFARLANE PARK IB FIFTH GRADE EXHIBITION PROJECT. OUR TOPIC IS GENDER EQUALITY IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. AS PART OF OUR ACTION WE'RE HERE TO PRESENT WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A DIVERSE STAFF. THE TOPIC OF THIS PRESENTATION IS GENDER EQUALITY IN LEADERSHIP ROLES. CENTRAL IDEA IS GENDER EQUALITY EMPOWERS EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY. AS A PART OF OUR PROJECT WE CAME UP WITH THREE LINES OF INQUIRY. THESE ARE THREE DIFFERENT THINGS WE RESEARCHED. THEY ARE ALL EQUALLY IMPORTANT BEING THE EFFECTS OF GENDER INEQUALITY IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, FORMS OF GENDER INEQUALITY AND WAYS TO PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY. ACCORDING TO THE EDUCATION INFORMATION AND

035ACCOUNTABILITY SERVICES, THE PERCENTAGES OF MALE AND FEMALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLTEACHERS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ARE 10.21% BEING MALE TEACHERS AND 89.79% BEING FEMALE. THAT SHOWS THAT THERE ARE A LOT MORE FEMALE TEACHERS THAN MALE. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A DIVERSE STAFF AND TO GIVE EVERYONE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE WOMEN AND MEN SHOULD NOT BE STOPPED FROM PURSUING THEIR DREAM JUST BECAUSE OF THEIR GENDER. WOMEN SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AND MEN SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE TEACHERS. OUR HOPE IS THAT YOU TRY AND FIX THE GENDER BIAS PROBLEMS. IF YOU COULD FIND A WAY TO GET MORE WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP ROLES AND MORE MEN AS TEACHERS, YOU WILL BE TAKING STEPS TOWARD GENDER EQUALITY. SO WE HOPE YOU FOLLOW OUR ADVICE AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.

036GOOD EVENING. JULIA JACKSON, AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN AND 20 YEARS EDUCATOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS AND A SON THAT WAS A SCHOOLTEACHER. OR STILL IS. DUE TO NOT ENFORCING THE MOA THAT HAS CLEARLY BEEN VIOLATED ONCE AGAIN, NOW WE HAVE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE MEETING ON THE PROPERTY AGAIN. WE HAVE MARTHA STEPHENS WHO IS CURRENTLY AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE NAACP WHO HOLDS THE CITY WOMEN UNION MEETING THAT IS NOW CURRENTLY MEETING AT GARY ADULT SCHOOL. ONCE AGAIN, A TAXPAYER EXPENSE WHILE WE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS, WE WISH WE WOULD GET TOGETHER ONCE AGAIN. WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING HOSTED BY MICHELLE B. PATTY, A NONPROFIT GROUP HAD A CALL-IN ON SATURDAY WITH SOMEONE ASKING WITH THEIR GROUP, WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO MEET ON THE CAMPUS WITH THEIR KIDS TO HELP WITH WHAT'S GOING ON IN

037THEIR PROJECTS AS WELL WITHOUT ANY EXPENSES. SO HERE WE ARE WITHOUT THE FEES. THE MOA NEEDS TO BE ENFORCED. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. CAN SPEAKERS 11 THROUGH 15 PLEASE LINE UP? I'LL CALL UP THE NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. THANK YOU. I'M JOHN GREENE. THE NAACP ALLOWS ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE ONE THAT I BELONG TO TO USE ROOMS AT NO COST. WHEN PLANNING FOR SUCH EVENTS OR AS WE GATHER TO PUT TOGETHER THOSE THANKSGIVING BASKETS FOR THOSE KIDS' FAMILIES OR BONDING TOGETHER AS A UNIT DURING OUR PRACTICES, WE NEED A LARGE ENOUGH SPACE TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK THAT WE DO. WE ARE ABLE TO SAVE ON RENTAL FEES FOR LARGE GATHERING SPACES. THAT MONEY THAT WOULD GO TOWARDS RENTAL FEES CAN NOW BE REDISTRIBUTED BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY PROJECTS SO THAT WE

038CAN CONTINUE TO DO OUR WORK. ANOTHER ACTIVITY, BY HAVING PARTNERSHIPS WITH ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE NAACP. THE NAACP ALLOWS ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE ONE THAT I BELONG TO TO USE ROOMS AT NO COST. WHEN PLANNING FOR SUCH EVENTS -- VIOLATION ONE. WHAT YOU LOOKING AT IS MY COMMUNICATION WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD FROM APRIL 14 WITH PUBLIC REQUEST. THEY RESPOND BACK TO ME. I RESPOND BACK TO THEM WITH THE INFORMATION THAT I NEEDED. STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT. I KNOW THE SUNSHINE LAW. I KNOW IT. I HEARD BIAS. I HEARD TRANSPARENCY. GOT SOME YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN GUYS BACK HERE. NAACP IS MEETING FOR FREE ON YOUR PROPERTY, SUPPOSED TO BE DOING PARTNERSHIP. NOT ONE TIME IN THE TWO MONTHS THAT I'VE BEEN DOWN HERE HAVE THEY BROUGHT ANYTHING. I REQUEST FOR THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE MEETING OUT

039THERE, RIGHT, IN ALL THE SCHOOL BOARD CAN TELL ME IS THAT IT'S IN PROCESS. SOMEBODY IS NOT BEING TRANSPARENT. SOMEBODY IS LYING ABOUT SOMETHING BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE EASY BASED UPON ARTICLE 5, RECORD KEEPING, THAT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO PRODUCE THIS WITH NO PROBLEM WHATSOEVER. ALL WE ARE ASKING FOR IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IS FOR A VOICE. NOW, FOR YOU, FOR THIS TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN, NOT HAVING THE VOICE, WE GOT KIDS BACK HERE. YOU HEARD YOUNG KIDS UP HERE TODAY. WHAT CAN THEY DO? THEY CAN'T COME DOWN HERE. THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT YOU HEARD COMING DOWN HERE TALKING ABOUT AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES IS FREE SPACE. HOW MUCH THEY NEED THE FREE SPACE. THEY ARE NOT BRINGING NO KIDS DOWN HERE. YEAH, THE ORGANIZATIONS DO THEIR OWN THING OUTSIDE OF THAT, BUT THERE'S

040NO TRANSPARENCY. SOMEBODY IS LYING AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS HELD RESPONSIBLE. HOW MANY KIDS IS BEING MISTREATED AND THEIR PARENTS GO TO THESE SCHOOLS AND THE STUFF IS THROWN UNDER THE CARPET. IT GOT TO STOP. JUST DO THE RIGHT THING. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M VIRGINIA. I'M A RETIRED EDUCATOR FOR THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR OVER 34 YEARS. I'VE WORKED ALSO WITH THE NAACP AXO ORGANIZATION. AND WHEN MY KIDS WERE SMALLER, I EVEN WORKED WITH AXO THEN, RECRUITING KIDS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL AREA. I STOPPED WHEN THERE WERE SOME ISSUES GOING ON A FEW YEARS AGO, AND THEN I STARTED BACK IN 2023 WHEN I RETIRED, I HAD ALL THIS TIME THAT I WANTED TO GET BUSY DOING STUFF IN THE COMMUNITY. SO I WENT BACK WORKING WITH AXO,

041RECRUITING KIDS FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND VARIOUS AREAS, AND EVEN PRIVATE SECTOR HIGH SCHOOLERS. AND RECRUITED KIDS TO PARTICIPATE IN AXO. WHEN IT WAS TIME TO GO TO AXO, TO NATIONAL, I WAS TOLD THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD WON'T ALLOW YOU TO GO BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT AN EMPLOYEE OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. MY CONCERN IS I'VE WORKED IN PREVIOUS YEARS RECRUITING KIDS, AND WHEN IT WAS TIME TO GO TO AXO, I WENT AS A CHAPERON, MEANING WATCHING THE KIDS THAT I'VE RECRUITED TO PARTICIPATE WITH THEM. AND MY CONCERN IS WHY, AFTER WORKING FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR 34 YEARS I WAS FIT TO BE WITH KIDS AND I'M RETIRED NOW, I'M RECRUITING KIDS, DOING THE SAME THING, BUT I'M NOT ALLOWED TO GO BECAUSE I'M NOT A SCHOOL BOARD EMPLOYEE ANYMORE. SO MY QUESTION TODAY, IF THIS

042WAS TOLD TO THE NAACP PRESIDENT, IF IT WAS, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY IT WAS TOLD. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR, BOARD MEMBERS, AND SUPERINTENDENT. MY NAME IS CHRIS MALONEY. I'M FROM BRANDON, FLORIDA. I'M THE PARENT OF THREE HCPS STUDENTS, INCLUDING THE 7th GRADE STUDENT AT ROGERS MIDDLE MAGNET IN RIVERVIEW NAMED MATTHEW. RECENTLY WE RECEIVED THE DEVASTATING NEWS THAT THE ROGERS ORCHESTRA PROGRAM IS BEING CUT. MY REQUEST HERE TODAY IS SIMPLE. WHATEVER BUDGETARY DIFFICULTIES THE DISTRICT IS FACING, I, AND MANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THIS IMPORTANT COMMUNITY, WE IMPLORE YOU TO SEARCH ELSEWHERE FOR SAVINGS. MUSIC IS AN IMPERATIVE PART OF BOTH EDUCATION AND LIFE. STUDY AFTER STUDY HAS SHOWN THAT STUDENTS WHO STUDY MUSIC PERFORM BETTER BOTH ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY, WHICH SHOULD BE REASON ENOUGH TO ENSURE

043FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM AT OUR SCHOOL. BUT BEYOND THAT, OUR ORCHESTRA IS A PLACE WHERE SELF-ESTEEM AND CONFIDENCE ARE FOSTERED IN STUDENTS WHO MAY NOT HAVE HIGH CONFIDENCE IN OTHER AREAS. MATTHEW IS THE CONCERT MASTER OF THE ORCHESTRA. ALSO AN HONOR STUDENT, MEMBER OF THE CHESS CLUB, TREASURER OF THE NJHS AND ON THE TRACK TEAM THIS YEAR. THOUGH HE HAS MUCH TO BE PROUD OF, HIS HEART IS WITH THE ORCHESTRA. IT IS IN THIS CLASS UNDER MS. KELLY MONTERO'S GUIDANCE THAT HE'S BEEN GIVEN LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES AND AS A RESULT HAS BECOME MORE SELF-DISCIPLINED, MORE SELF-DIRECTED, AND MORE SELF-ASSURED. WHAT A WONDERFUL TRANSFORMATION TO WITNESS AT AN AGE WHEN SO MANY OF HIS PEERS ARE CONSUMED WITH SELF-DOUBT. WHAT MS. MONTERO HAS ACCOMPLISHED IN HER FIRST YEAR AT THE HELM OF THIS PROGRAM IS REMARKABLE

044AND GREAT CREDIT TO HER AS AN EDUCATOR. THE PROGRAM HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED IN SIZE AND CONTINUES TO GROW. THE GROUP OF STUDENTS THAT PERFORMED AT MPA RECEIVED STRAIGHT SUPERIORS, AN ACCOMPLISHMENT SHARED BY FEWER THAN 10 MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN THE ENTIRE DISTRICT AND THE SUCCESS THAT ROGERS ORCHESTRA HAD NOT EXPERIENCED IN MORE THAN 20 YEARS. SHE HAS GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND IN EVERY REGARD, AND HER TANGIBLE SUCCESS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THIS TENACITY. TO LOSE AN EDUCATOR OF THIS CALIBER FROM OUR SCHOOL WOULD BE TRAGIC. I WISH TO IMPRESS UPON YOU AND ADMINISTRATORS AT EVERY LEVEL THAT ORCHESTRA PROGRAMS ARE A VITAL PART OF ANY SCHOOL OUR SIZE AND THAT OUR PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY IS GROWING AND THRIVING ENTITY BRINGING KNOWLEDGE, CONFIDENCE, AND JOY TO OUR STUDENTS. PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW FINANCIAL CHALLENGES TO HAVE

045SUCH AN ADVERSE IMPACT ON THESE CHILDREN. PLEASE, FOLLOW UP ON THIS AND EXERT YOUR INFLUENCE. IF THE ROGERS MIDDLE MAGNET ORCHESTRA IS ELIMINATED, THEN ONE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY'S TREASURES WILL IN ALL LIKELIHOOD BE SILENCED PERMANENTLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS BISHOP MICHELLE B. PATTY. TODAY I STAND HERE KIND OF HAPPY AND A LITTLE SAD. AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING, THERE WAS A YOUNG MAN WHO PARENTS BROUGHT HIM TO THE BOARD MEETING. AND THEY COULDN'T BRING HIM TONIGHT, SO HE CALLED AND ASKED IF HE COULD COME BECAUSE HE WAS SHOCKED TO HEAR MISINFORMATION THAT WAS GIVEN OUT. HE WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THAT DOCUMENTATION WAS GIVEN, AND BECAUSE HE'S BEEN TAUGHT AS A CHILD THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO NOT GO ALONG WITH WRONG. YOU'RE

046SUPPOSED TO SPEAK UP WHEN THINGS IS INCORRECT. HERE HE HAVE GROWN PEOPLE SITTING HERE SAYING THINGS THAT WAS NOT CORRECT, SUCH AS THAT THERE WAS NO VIOLATION OF THE MOA WITH THE NAACP. AND WE KNOW THAT IS NOT TRUE. I'VE GIVEN YOU TIME AND TIME THE INFORMATION. BUT ALSO, I DON'T KNOW IF THE BOARD IS AWARE, BUT THERE WAS A MEETING HERE AT THIS PROPERTY WITH ONE OF YOUR ATTORNEYS. THIS IS MS. NOREENE COPELAND MILLER WHO WAS VIOLATED BECAUSE SHE HAD HANDICAP. WE WERE LOCKED OUT OF THE MEETING AT THE NAACP, AND SO WHAT SHE DID, SHE FILED A COMPLAINT ABOUT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HANDICAP. YOUR ATTORNEY MET WITH US. WE DID NOT ACCEPT WHAT THEY WAS OFFERING. WHY WOULD THEY OFFER SOMETHING IF THEY DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT WAS A VIOLATION? I THINK THAT'S WHEN

047THE LAWYER LET YOU ALL KNOW IT WAS A VIOLATION. PERHAPS THE BOARD DIDN'T KNOW, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THE SUPERINTENDENT KNEW. NOW, I'VE BEEN REQUESTING THE INFORMATION. COULD NOT GET IT UNTIL TODAY, A FEW HOURS BEFORE THIS BOARD MEETING, FINALLY WITH THE HELP OF A BOARD MEMBER. I KEPT ASKING. WE'RE NOT GETTING INFORMATION THAT WE'RE REQUESTING. THIS CAME IN TODAY JUST BEFORE I CAME, AND IT SHOWS THAT OUT OF SCHOOL SUSPENSION. IT SHOWS LAST YEAR, 5,323 AFRICAN AMERICANS WERE SUSPENDED. THEN THIS YEAR, 2,923 THAT WAS SUSPENDED. AND IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT PAGE THAT SAY BLACKS THAT WAS IN ATOX PROGRAM, 192, AND THEN WE GO TO 2005, 97. HOWEVER, WHAT TOOK PLACE YOU ALL PLAYING A SHELL GAME, THE CHILDREN WENT FROM BEING SUSPENDED OUT OF SCHOOL TO GOING

048TO THE ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM. THE ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM, KIDS CANNOT GET THEIR CHILDREN TO THE PROGRAM. HOW MANY ACTUALLY FOLLOW THROUGH. WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THE NAACP IS COSIGNING ON OUR CHILDREN STILL BEING SUSPENDED, STILL BEING PUT OUT OF SCHOOL AND THAT'S WHY YOU ALL ARE ALLOWING THEM TO BE ON THAT PROPERTY FOR FREE SO THAT THE PARENTS DO NOT HAVE A VOICE THAT THIS COMMUNITY, AND THAT IS A CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION. IT'S NOT AN ORGANIZATION DOING THIS AND THAT. IT IS A CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION. IT IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, AND IT NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED THE FIRST TIME, TO START WITH. YOU ALL -- RATHER CHANGE YOUR OWN THING THAN DO WHAT IS RIGHT. PLEASE DO WHAT'S RIGHT. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT

049AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS. AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WITH MEMBER PEREZ NOT BEING HERE. I WILL NOW CALL ON SUPERINTENDENT AYRES TO HIGHLIGHT OUR ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS. Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. BOARD MEMBERS, ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING, WE HAVE TWO PRINCIPAL APPOINTMENTS. I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE AT THIS TIME. OUR FIRST IS THE NEW PRINCIPAL AT DURANT HIGH SCHOOL. THE NEW PRINCIPAL OF DURANT HIGH SCHOOL IS THOMAS SNYDER. THOMAS, IF YOU COULD COME ON UP AND MAKE YOUR WAY UP FRONT HERE, PLEASE. MR. SNYDER, OUR NEW PRINCIPAL OF DURANT, HIS CAREER. IN 2004, MR. SNYDER BEGAN HIS CAREER AS A TEACHER AT RIVERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL. IN 2014 HE WAS NAMED ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT ALONSO. 2015 HE

050TRANSITIONED TO BLOOMINGDALE HIGH SCHOOL. 2022, MR. SNYDER WAS APPOINTED ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR CURRICULUM AT BLOOMINGDALE WHERE HE CURRENTLY SERVES. MR. THOMAS SNYDER, THE NEW PRINCIPAL OF DURANT HIGH SCHOOL. CONGRATULATIONS. ANY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ALSO WITH THOMAS, COME ON AND STAND UP. I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AS WELL, MARCOS RODRIGUEZ, THE PRINCIPAL OF BLOOMINGDALE. I THINK THIS IS YOUR FOURTH THAT'S GONE TO PRINCIPAL. YOU MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT AT BLOOMINGDALE. THANK YOU, MR. RODRIGUEZ, FOR YOUR SERVICE AS WELL. CONGRATULATIONS. ALL RIGHT. OUR SECOND APPOINTMENT AS YOU LOOK ON THE SCREEN IS MS. BRANDI ANDERSON WHO IS THE NEW PRINCIPAL AT SEMINOLE HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY. BRANDI, IF YOU COULD MAKE YOUR WAY UP HERE TO THE FRONT, PLEASE. MS. ANDERSON STARTED HER CAREER WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN 2007 AND TAUGHT AT IPPOLITO, CLARK, HERITAGE, AND

051PIZZO ELEMENTARIES. 2017 APPOINTED ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT CALHOUN ELEMENTARY AND WOODSON K-8. 2019 TRANSITIONED TO AP AT SHORE ELEMENTARY. AND IN 2022, MS. ANDERSON WAS APPOINTED ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT HERITAGE ELEMENTARY WHERE SHE CURRENTLY SERVES. BRANDI ANDERSON, OUR NEW PRINCIPAL AT SEMINOLE HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY. CONGRATULATIONS. ANY FAMILY AND FRIENDS HERE WITH BRANDI AS WELL, STAND UP. IF YOU WANT TO COME UP FOR A PICTURE, COME UP AND GET A PICTURE. PROUD MOMENT HERE. MADAM CHAIR, THOSE ARE OUR TWO PRINCIPAL APPOINTMENTS TODAY. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS, NEW PRINCIPALS. WE'LL NOW PAUSE FOR JUST A MOMENT FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO EXIT THE BOARDROOM. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL NOW BE HEARD. C 2.01, 4.02, 6.01, 7.07, C 1.01. 2.01, PURCHASE OF WORKSTATION ON WHEELS FROM KbPort, LLC. Van Ayres: KbPort, THESE ARE THE WORKSTATIONS ON WHEELS. THEY'LL PROVIDE

052OUR STUDENTS WITH REAL WORLD TRAINING ON MEDICAL EQUIPMENT THAT'S USED IN HOSPITALS AROUND THE TAMPA BAY AREA AND BEYOND. THIS IS A WORKFORCE PURCHASE. THIS IS FOR ERWIN TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOR THE NURSING PROGRAM. MR. BROOKS, MR. FABER ARE HERE AS WELL. MR. MURILLO, ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING 2.01, THE PURCHASE OF THESE WORKSTATION ON WHEELS. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE C 2.01. MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. DR. HAHN AND MEMBER GRAY PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT. DR. HAHN, WE'LL START WITH YOU. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, CHAIR VAUGHN. ACTUALLY, MY QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED. BUT I'LL JUST SAY THEM FOR PUBLIC RECORD. I ASKED ABOUT THE TWO-YEAR WARRANTY. I ASKED ABOUT THE WARRANTY. AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A

053TWO-YEAR WARRANTY, BUT IT COULD BE EXTENDED. I IMAGINE IF IT WAS AT A COST THAT WOULD COME BACK TO THE BOARD IF IT WAS EXTENDED. AND THEN I HAD ALSO ASKED ABOUT THE SUBSCRIPTION BECAUSE THEY HAD SAID IN THE CONTRACT THAT THE FIRST YEAR, THE TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION WAS FREE, BUT I WAS TOLD -- AND I ASKED WHAT THE COST OF THAT WOULD BE MOVING FORWARD, BUT I WAS TOLD THAT WE WOULD NOT BE USING THE SUBSCRIPTION. SO THAT WAS KIND OF MOVING FORWARD WE WOULDN'T HAVE A NEED TO PURCHASE IT, IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY. THOSE WERE MY QUESTIONS AND THEY WERE ANSWERED. I PUT THEM IN THE RECORD. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, DR. HAHN. MEMBER GRAY. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I APPRECIATE THE MORE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FOR HEALTH, SAFETY. I ALSO

054HAVE NOTED THAT THERE ARE A FEW, AND I DON'T KNOW IF MS. DAVIS IS IN THE FIELD HERE, BUT WE HAVE A FEW HOUSE BILLS THAT HAVE REVOLVED AROUND DIABETES MANAGEMENT. WHEN WE HAVE THE STATISTICS OF 50% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE DIABETIC, OBESE -- OR OBESE OR ASTHMATIC, WE DEFINITELY HAVE A LOT OF OUR CHILDREN THAT ARE IN DIRE NEED FOR NURSE CARE. I THINK MY QUESTION WAS, AND I DON'T SEE MS. DAVIS, BUT THE HOUSE BILL, YOU MAY WANT TO ELABORATE ON THE DIABETES BILL, MANAGEMENT BILL. I HAVE 597. Van Ayres: GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY. CAN I ADDRESS MAYBE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS. I THINK SHE'S TRYING TO RESEARCH THAT BILL NUMBER. Lynn Gray: I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE FROM A HEALTH STANDPOINT THAT WE HAVE FLORIDA LEGISLATORS THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY COGNIZANT AND

055ARE DOING -- THEY ARE HELPING. GETTING BACK TO MR. WARREN BROOKS, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? IS IT GOING TO BE A REALLY GOOD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ON TOP OF IT? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE FLORIDA LEGISLATION IMPACTING POSSIBLY THE SAFETY? YES, MA'AM. NOT AN EXPERT ON THE LEGISLATION. I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO -- REALLY SINCE COVID, THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAS HEAVILY INVESTED IN WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND ADULT TECHNICAL EDUCATION. WITH THAT INVESTMENT, WE REALLY HAVE TRIED TO UPGRADE OUR FACILITIES AND WE MADE A REAL COMMITMENT TO TRY TO MAKE SURE WHEN OUR KIDS ARE GOING OUT ON CHILLS, THEY ARE SEEING REAL WORLD EQUIPMENT AND REAL WORLD THINGS. THESE CAME OUT FROM NURSES THAT SAW A GAP OF WHAT WE WERE PROVIDING AS EDUCATION FACILITY

056AND WHAT THEY WERE SEEING IN CLINICAL SPACES. THEY CAME BACK AND SAID THIS IS SOMETHING WE THINK WOULD BENEFIT OUR STUDENTS FOR THEM TO SEE TO KNOW HOW IT WORKS. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE TAKING STUDENT DATA AND DISPENSING REAL PILLS. IT'S REALLY A SIMULATION. BUT FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS AND USE IT ON THE DAY TO DAY I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT WILL REALLY BENEFIT OUR KIDS AND SOMETHING OUR NURSES REALLY CAME TO LEADERSHIP AND REQUESTED. SO THE STATE HAD PUT OUT PIPELINE FUNDS TO UPGRADE EQUIPMENT. THIS WAS A PERFECT EXAMPLE TO TIE INTO THE CURRICULUM THEY WERE USING. Lynn Gray: I KNOW DR. ROSS IS EXTREMELY APPRECIATIVE. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR FUNDING AND FINDING THIS TO BE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR NURSES. WITHOUT FURTHER QUESTIONS, UNLESS WE WANT

057TO LEARN ABOUT THE HOUSE BILL. HERE COMES MS. KRISTIN DAVIS. MS. DAVIS, WE'RE TIED TO MUCH IN CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR FLORIDA LEGISLATURE. IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HEAR WHEN THEY ARE REALLY PROMOTING SAFETY FOR OUR CHILDREN. CAN YOU EXPAND? THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY AND BOARD MEMBERS. REALLY, WHAT MEMBER GRAY IS REFERRING TO IS A BILL THAT EXPANDS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ABILITY TO ACQUIRE SOME OF THE MEDICINES AND TO DISTRIBUTE THEM AND TO TIGHTEN UP LANGUAGE AROUND STORING AND MAINTAINING THE MEDICINES SO THERE'S NOT TOO MANY -- I MEAN THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS, BUT IT JUST EXPANDS THE AUTHORITY OF A SCHOOL AND SCHOOL DISTRICT IN TERMS OF THESE PRESCRIPTIONS. Lynn Gray: DIABETES MANAGEMENT. YES. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. JUST A

058CLARIFICATION. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE CARTS ARE GOING TO BE USED BY OUR STUDENTS WITHIN OUR CERTIFICATE BASED PROGRAMS TO BE UTILIZED GOING OUT INTO OUR HOSPITALS AND THOSE PROGRAMS. THESE ARE NOT GOING TO BE USED BY SCHOOL-BASED NURSES, AM I CORRECT? NO, MA'AM. THESE -- THEY ARE REAL BUT WE WILL USE THEM AS SIMULATORS BECAUSE WE WANT OUR KIDS SIMULATING WHAT WILL HAPPEN. IT WILL NOT BE USED BY SCHOOL NURSES. THESE ARE STUDENTS THAT WANT TO BE NURSES. IF THAT CLARIFIES THAT. Patti Rendon: NURSING ASSISTANTS AND ALL OF OUR CERTIFICATE BASED PROGRAMS. YES, MA'AM. Patti Rendon: ONE CLARIFICATION. I WANT TO GO BACK TO DR. HAHN'S QUESTION ABOUT THE SUBSCRIPTION. I SEE WE HAVE THE TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION AND IT IS AN UNLIMITED LICENSE. ONCE THE SUBSCRIPTION IS PUT IN PLACE INTO THE DEVICE, WE

059DON'T HAVE TO RENEW IT BECAUSE IT IS UNLIMITED. IS THAT CORRECT? WE BASICALLY GET A SIM CARD THAT HAS FAKE PATIENT DATA. THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD USE AS WE GO AROUND TO TEACH. IF WE WERE A REAL HOSPITAL, YES, WE WOULD BUY THAT AND STORE PATIENT DATA AND EVERYTHING IN THERE LIKE THE REAL WORLD. WE'RE NOT DOING THAT. NOT KEEPING PATIENT DATA. WE'RE USING SIMULATION. Patti Rendon: BASICALLY LIKE A SANDBOX. YES, MA'AM. HUNDRED PERCENT. GREAT EXAMPLE. Patti Rendon: I WANT TO CLARIFY WHY WE WOULD HAVE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. SEEING THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE'LL MOVE ON TO 4.02, NEGOTIATED TRANSFORMATION NETWORK MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH HILLSBOROUGH CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION AND EMPLOYEE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES

060FOR THE 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR. Van Ayres: BOARD MEMBERS, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH ITEM. IT'S COME BEFORE YOU IN THE PAST. THIS IS FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. I'LL HIGHLIGHT THIS MOU FOR WHAT IT BRINGS FORWARD FOR 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR. BEFORE I DO, THOUGH, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE MS. McRAE, MR. LEWIS, MS. BROWN, MR. SHOTWELL FROM HR TEAM AND CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION AS WE WORK THROUGH THE MOU TO GET IT TO THIS POINT. THANK YOU TO MY TEAM, ROB, MS. WEGMAN AND GETTING THIS TO THE FINISH LINE HERE TODAY. WHAT THIS MOU DOES IT AWARDS BONUS TO INCENTIVIZE AND RECRUIT TOP TALENT TO IDENTIFIED SCHOOLS FOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS REQUIRED FOR STUDENT SUCCESS AT OUR LOWEST PERFORMING SCHOOLS. ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES WILL BE AWARDED THE FOLLOWING BONUS. INSTRUCTIONAL IS $5,000 ANNUALLY. PARAPROFESSIONAL IS $1,000 ANNUALLY. ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL $5,000

061ANNUALLY AND PRINCIPAL 7500 ANNUALLY. THIS ADDITIONAL PAYMENT WILL BE AT A MAXIMUM OF 5,000 FOR INSTRUCTIONAL OR ANY STATE-AWARDED BONUS PAYMENT, WHICHEVER IS GREATER. ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES ARE ONLY ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE EITHER THE STATE OR DISTRICT BONUS PAYMENT, NOT BOTH. SCHOOLS INCLUDED HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS FRAGILE USING PAST SCHOOL GRADES AS WELL AS OUR PROGRESS MONITORING DATA PROJECTING SCHOOL GRADES FOR THE 24-25 SCHOOL YEAR. MADAM CHAIR, THAT IS 4.02. AGAIN, OUR TRANSFORMATION NETWORK MOU WITH OUR CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION FOR THE 25-26 SCHOOL YEAR. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE C 4.02. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER COMBS, MEMBER GRAY, AND I ALL PULLED THIS ITEM. MEMBER COMBS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, CHAIR VAUGHN. THANK YOU SO MUCH, SUPERINTENDENT AND THE

062CABINET. I THINK MAKING SURE OUR TRANSFORMATION SCHOOLS ARE PAID MORE IS VERY IMPORTANT. MYSELF I WORKED IN TWO TRANSFORMATION SCHOOLS, EVEN ONE WITH MS. McRAE 20 SOME YEARS AGO. I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS. RIGHT NOW FLORIDA IS FUNDED 50th FOR OUR TEACHERS. NEXT YEAR WE'LL REMAIN 50th. I'M SEEING THE BUDGET CUTS, SEEING INCREASED IN SOME AREAS BUT EDUCATION WE CONTINUE TO BE CUT. I SOMETIMES THINK TO MYSELF, IF WE DIDN'T PASS THAT MILLAGE, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHERE WE WOULD BE SITTING TODAY. BUT I HAVE TO ADVOCATE FOR MY SCHOOLS FOR RENAISSANCE PAY. I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT WHEN I LOOK AT LETO, OAK GROVE, ALL THESE SCHOOLS, I'M CONCERNED THAT OUR RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS WILL ONE DAY BECOME TRANSFORMATION SCHOOLS. THE CHALLENGES YOU HAVE WHEN YOU'RE WORKING IN A SCHOOL WITH LOW INCOME AND THE

063CHALLENGES AS FAR AS MAKING SURE THE STUDENTS HAVE THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED, MAKING SURE THAT FAMILIES, I KNOW FOR MYSELF, AS A TEACHER YOU END UP SPENDING A LOT OF YOUR OWN RESOURCES JUST TO SUPPORT THE STUDENTS, THE FAMILIES. IT'S SO CHALLENGING. I THINK ABOUT EVEN LIKE TAMPA BAY BOULEVARD WHERE THERE ARE HUGE, HUGE VACANCIES. WHAT DO WE DO TO ATTRACT THOSE INDIVIDUALS? I URGE YOU AND THE CABINET TO LOOK AT RENAISSANCE PAY. SOMEONE SENT ME A LETTER THE OTHER DAY, MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WORKING, DISTRICT ONE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPACTED SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF RENAISSANCE PAY. IF YOU SEE THE ACHIEVEMENT AND SCORES AND HOW WELL THE SCHOOLS ARE DOING, IT'S BECAUSE OF OUR EDUCATORS. THE BIGGEST IMPACT FOR A CHILD'S LIFE IS THE CLASS SIZE AND THE QUALITY OF THE

064TEACHER IN FRONT OF THEM. IT'S NOT THE BUILDING THEY ARE IN. IT'S NOT THE RESOURCES. IT'S NOT THE TECHNOLOGY. IT'S REALLY THE EDUCATOR. SO I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE LOOKING AT THAT AND LOOKING AT HOW, WHERE CAN WE MAKE OTHER CUTS TO MAKE SURE WE PAY THE SCHOOLS SO NEEDED. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH TRANSFORMATION SCHOOLS BUT WE PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT. I DON'T WANT TO SEE OUR RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS BECOME TRANSFORMATION SCHOOLS AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE TEACHERS WHO THEY HAVE TO PAY THEIR BILLS. YOU GO INTO TEACHING, SOMEONE SAID I NEVER WANTED -- WENT INTO TEACHING THINKING I WOULD BE WEALTHY, WELL, I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE TWO OR THREE JOBS TO SUPPORT MY FAMILY. I HATE TO SEE A PLUS WITH THE MILLAGE AND THEN A MINUS WITH THE RENAISSANCE PAY. THANK

065YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER GRAY. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I CAN'T HELP BUT SAY DITTO, DITTO. I AGREE, MEMBER COMBS. WHEN YOU WORK AT A HIGH-NEEDS, MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY SCHOOL OR SEPARATE SCHOOL, THE TEACHERS FACE TRAUMA. THEY FACE ABSENTEEISM. THEY FACE LOW READING LEVELS. WHEN WE EXPAND IT, IF THAT IS THE RIGHT WORD, TO THE RENAISSANCE, IT TAKES A SPECIAL TEACHER. THEY GET WARN OUT. I WAS WORN OUT AFTER THREE OR FOUR YEARS TEACHING IN THAT ENVIRONMENT. BECAUSE, AS MEMBER COMBS, YOU'RE USING YOUR MONEY, EXTRA TIME, DOING MORE -- CERTAINLY MORE THAN THE 8 TO 5 JOB. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE. BUT I HAVE A QUESTION AND I WANT TO THANK YOU TOO MS. McRAE. YOU HAVE SPENT SUCH WONDERFUL YEARS IN PUTTING TRANSFORMATION SCHOOLS IN A VERY

066HIGH CALIBER, AND YOU HAVE RAISED THOSE SCORES. YOU'VE HIRED THOSE WONDERFUL TEACHERS. BUT NOW WE HAVE THE ABSENCE OF THE RENAISSANCE. HOW DOES THAT INTERFACE? WHAT SHALL WE EXPECT FROM MINUS THE TAMPA BAY BOULEVARD TYPE SCHOOLS INTO THE TRANSFORMATION? HOW IS THAT GOING TO WORK? SO OUR RENAISSANCE PROGRAM, OUR RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS AND TRANSFORMATION SCHOOLS WERE TWO SEPARATE ENTITIES. TRANSFORMATION NETWORK WAS PERFORMANCE BASED. REMEMBER THAT RENAISSANCE WAS POVERTY. THOSE SCHOOLS ARE IN RENAISSANCE WERE NOT IN ACADEMIC LOW STANDING. THOSE SCHOOLS HAD HIGH ACADEMIC STANDING WHICH IS WHY THEY WERE NOT PART OF THE TRANSFORMATION NETWORK. WE DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE BUT THEY WERE TWO SEPARATE GROUPS OF SCHOOLS. Lynn Gray: I THINK THAT CONCLUDES MY REMARKS. BUT TAMPA BAY BOULEVARD, THAT WAS A RENAISSANCE SCHOOL, CORRECT? YES. THE PERFORMANCE

067OF THE SCHOOL WAS A C, SO IT WAS A RENAISSANCE SCHOOL. Lynn Gray: OKAY. THAT EXPLAINS THAT. AT ANY RATE, FOR THE RECORD, I CONCUR WITH MEMBER COMBS. I HOPE TO HECK WE FIND ANOTHER SOURCE OF REVENUE BECAUSE THESE SCHOOLS, THE TENDER LIVES OF THESE CHILDREN, THEY NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF MORE THAN NOT. AND WE HAVE PROBABLY -- I DON'T KNOW THE STATISTICS, BUT MANY, MANY, MANY OF OUR STUDENTS ARE COMING FROM POVERTY LEVEL HOMES, AND THIS WILL ONLY INCREASE, NOT DECREASE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, FOR ALLOWING ME TO MAKE THOSE REMARKS. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND LOOK AT SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE BEING LOST RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THE FACT THAT OUR CHILDREN MAKE UP 20% OF THE POPULATION, YET

068THEY ARE 100% OF OUR FUTURE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE WHATEVER SYSTEMS WE HAVE IN PLACE WITHIN THIS DISTRICT MEANS THAT WE ARE PUTTING EVERY POSSIBLE RESOURCE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE AND THAT'S WITH OUR TEACHERS. AT THE END OF THE DAY, SUPERINTENDENT, IF POSSIBLE, IF YOU CAN WORK WITH DR. WHELAN AS SHE'S WORKING WITH THE TRANSITION FROM SYNERGY TO FOCUS, AS ANYONE IN THIS ROOM AND ACROSS THE DISTRICT KNOWS, I HAVE ZERO FAITH IN SYNERGY. I THINK SYNERGY HAS DONE EXACTLY WHAT WE SAID WAS HAPPENING IN THE FALL AND HAS GIVEN US BAD DATA, GIVING US BAD OUTCOMES AND GIVING US BAD INCOME. THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT WE CANNOT HAVE A RELIABILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO EVEN HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT

069RENAISSANCE PAY. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO VERIFY AND FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET GOOD DATA COMING OUT OF OUR SYSTEMS. SO RIGHT NOW, WE ARE IN A POSITION THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERY SINGLE STUDENT AND EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE REVENUE STREAM IN THIS DISTRICT. I THINK IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S HAPPENED THIS YEAR WITH SYNERGY AND MAKING SURE THAT IF WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND DO A DUE DILIGENCE IN MAKING SURE WE CORRECTED EVERY MISTAKE, CORRECTED EVERY INPUT THAT WAS AN ERROR, THAT WE CAN MAKE THOSE ERRORS AND MAKE THOSE CORRECTIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. WE'VE GOT THIS SUMMER ONE LAST CHANCE TO MAKE SURE WE GET WHATEVER INCOME WE CAN TO GET THAT CORRECTION DATA THAT CAN

070BE SENT UP. THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT. I ALSO THINK, I KNOW THAT I MISSED THE MEDICAID WORKSHOP THAT I UNDERSTOOD WAS QUITE VALUABLE, THAT WE CONTINUE WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, MAKING SURE THAT WE STILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH MAKING SURE ALL OF OUR INDIVIDUALS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY ARE ACCESSING THAT NEEDED SERVICES THEY HAVE SO THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE CORRECTLY CATEGORIZED SO WE CAN LOOK FOR ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WE CAN GET BASED UPON THOSE NEEDS, ESPECIALLY OUR TITLE 1s, TITLE 4s, ET CETERA, SO WE MAKE SURE WE TAKE CARE OF OUR STUDENTS THE BEST WE CAN AND GET THEM THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED. I HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE WITH MEMBER COMBS AND MEMBER GRAY THAT IF WE DON'T MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR TEACHERS GET THE RESOURCES THEY NEED AND, UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN WE

071LOOK AT CERTAIN SCHOOLS, OUR RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS, THEY DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE RESOURCES LIKE CLASSROOM MATERIALS OR SUPPLIES. SO THOSE TEACHERS ARE PICKING UP THAT SLACK AND THAT INCOME, SOME OF THE THINGS WE GIVE THE TEACHERS THE ABILITY TO PUT THOSE THINGS IN THE CLASSROOM. IF WE CAN FIND ANY WAY THAT WE CAN DEEM OUR RESOURCES A PRIORITY, THE RESOURCES MUST STAY IN OUR SCHOOLS. SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE CAN CONSISTENTLY LOOK AT THAT. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER WASHINGTON. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I CONCUR WITH MY BOARD MEMBERS HERE. I KNOW THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE BETWEEN RENAISSANCE AND TRANSFORMATION, BUT WE'RE STILL SERVING UNDERSERVED STUDENTS. IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE. YOU GOT NAMES, DIFFERENT NAMES, BUT WE STILL ARE NOT SERVING OUR STUDENTS

072THE RIGHT WAY. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME KIND OF WAY FOR US TO GET MONEY FOR OUR SCHOOLS, BECAUSE WE HAVE IMPROVED A GREAT DEAL, BUT WE ARE A LONG WAYS AWAY FROM COMING TO OUR GOAL, WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. I CAN GO BACK TO THE DAYS OF THE FOCUS. WE HAD FOCUS SCHOOLS. EVERY KIND OF SCHOOL YOU COULD HAVE. TOUGHER TO MAKE IT TO THE TOP. WE CAN MAKE IT TO THE TOP. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS STAY IN. SOME KIND OF BUDGET TO KEEP THE KIDS IN. I UNDERSTAND TRANSFORMATION. IT'S DIFFICULT. I WAS AREA LEADERSHIP DIRECTOR AT ONE TIME AND I HAD A LOT OF TRANSFORMATION SCHOOLS, FOCUS SCHOOLS THEY WERE CALLED. IT'S HARD TO KEEP TEACHERS IN BOTH SECTORS BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T --

073THEY'LL BE LEAVING. WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE TO WORK HARD TO KEEP THESE TEACHERS IN PLACE SO WE CAN HELP OUR STUDENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. FIRST, SINCE WE ARE -- I'M GLAD WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS, BUT THAT'S NOT THE ITEM IN FRONT OF US. FIRST, FOR THE TRANSFORMATION SCHOOLS, I WANT TO THANK THE CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION FOR WORKING WITH US AND BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND EVERYONE IN THE DISTRICT BECAUSE AT LEAST WE ARE TALKING ABOUT OUR KIDS WHO ARE UNDERPERFORMING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THE TEACHERS AND THE PARAPROFESSIONALS AND THE ADMINISTRATORS WHO ARE WORKING IN THESE SCHOOLS. SO, FIRST, FOR THIS ITEM, SPECIFICALLY, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR THIS. THIS IS QUITE, YOU KNOW, -- WHAT WAS THE AMOUNT OF

074THIS AGENDA ITEM? 11 MILLION? 15 MILLION. IT'S QUITE A BIT OF MONEY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING. WHAT I'M ASSUMING THIS IS ALL PART OF NEGOTIATIONS. Van Ayres: CORRECT. Jessica Vaughn: SO THE OTHER PIECE IS, I KNOW WE HAD TALKED ABOUT RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS IN ANOTHER BOARD MEETING AND WE HAD TALKED ABOUT FROM THE LAST CALCULATIONS, THE RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS FOR THAT DIFFERENTIAL WE WERE PAYING WAS $4 MILLION ON TOP OF THIS. HOW MANY SCHOOLS ARE CONSIDERED RENAISSANCE THAT ARE NOT TRANSFORMATION SCHOOLS? DO YOU KNOW THAT NUMBER BY ANY CHANCE? 25 SCHOOLS. Jessica Vaughn: THOSE ARE 25 SCHOOLS THAT HAVE HIGH POVERTY BUT THEY ARE NOT FALLING IN THE PARAMETERS OF LOW ENOUGH STUDENT PERFORMANCE. HOWEVER, THE RENAISSANCE -- I MEAN THE TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM, IT'S KIND OF FLEXIBLE, RIGHT? EVERY YEAR WE HAVE SCHOOLS THAT

075COME IN. EVERY YEAR SCHOOLS COME OUT. I SAW ONE ON THE LIST I THOUGHT WAS EXITING THAT'S STILL ON THERE. WHAT IS THE CRITERIA TO REMAIN IN BEING IDENTIFIED AS TRANSFORMATION? WE LOOK TO EXIT TRANSFORMATION IS WE WANT THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF A C OR BETTER. BECAUSE OF THE RENAISSANCE, WHAT WE WERE DOING WAS STAIR-STEPPING ANYONE THAT WOULD GO FROM TRANSFORMATION BACK TO TRADITIONAL SCHOOL, THEY WOULD STAIR-STEP TO RENAISSANCE SINCE RENAISSANCE IS GOING AWAY, WE KEPT THEM FOR ONE YEAR BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THAT STAIR-STEP TO CAREFULLY GO BACK TO TRADITIONAL. THIS WOULD BE THE ONLY CAVEAT YEAR THAT YOU WOULD SEE THAT. BUT THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF A C OR BETTER WILL EXIT YOU FROM THE NETWORK, WE CALL IT A GRADUATION BECAUSE WE WANT OUR SCHOOLS TO GRADUATE WHEN THEY HAVE CONSECUTIVE SUCCESSFUL

076YEARS. Jessica Vaughn: EXCEPT THEN THERE IS THE ISSUE OF ALL THE EXTRA SUPPORTS THAT THEY GET BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT GRADE ONCE THOSE SUPPORTS ARE TAKEN AWAY. THAT IS A WHOLE OTHER CONVERSATION. SO MY QUESTION IS, WE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THROUGH FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS IF THAT 4 MILLION MOU COMES BEFORE US AGAIN AS PART OF THE CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, IF THEY BROUGHT THAT FORWARD IN THEIR NEGOTIATION, AS BOARD MEMBERS IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO PRIORITIZE, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO US, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVISIT THAT AS NEGOTIATIONS GO THROUGH, IS THAT RIGHT? Van Ayres: ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. Jessica Vaughn: I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ANSWERING ALL MY QUESTIONS AND THANK YOU FOR THIS ITEM AND ALL THE WORK INVOLVED. BOARD MEMBERS, SEEING NO MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS,

077PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT IS 6.01, PAYROLL SCHEDULES FOR 2025-2026. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. IN ESSENCE 6.01, PAYROLL SCHEDULES, THESE ARE THE PAY DATES FOR '25-26 SCHOOL YEAR. PAYROLL SCHEDULES ASSIST IN ISSUING THE COMPENSATION TO ALL OF OUR DISTRICT EMPLOYEES. PAYROLL SCHEDULES ARE NECESSARY TO BE COMPLIANT WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD POLICY 65-10, WHICH IS PAYROLL AUTHORIZATION. AND POLICY 64-80, WHICH IS ON EXPENDITURES. SO THAT IS OUR PAYROLL SCHEDULES. ATTACHED FOR 25-26. AGAIN, BASICALLY SUMMARIZES THE DATES FOR EMPLOYEES WHEN THEY ARE PAID FOR THE 25-26 SCHOOL YEAR AND HIGHLIGHTS NUMBER OF DAYS ESCROW, ET CETERA, IN THOSE PAYROLL SCHEDULES. THAT'S 6.01. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE 6.01. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON

078AND A SECOND BY MEMBER RENDON. I PULLED THIS ITEM. SO I DID HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT. I'M ASSUMING THAT'S GOING TO YOU, MR. LEWIS. I WAS LOOKING AT THIS ITEM BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME TEACHERS WHO ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEIR EQUALIZED PAY, WHAT THE PAYCHECKS WILL BE OVER THE SUMMER SO THEY CAN BUDGET OVER THE SUMMER. IT'S BEEN SOMEWHAT INCONSISTENT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. I WAS HOPING TO DRIVE THEM TO A DOCUMENT THAT WOULD HELP THEM BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT -- BECAUSE FROM WHAT I SEE HERE IT IS BASED ON DAYS, RIGHT? EACH PAY PERIOD HAS SO MANY DAYS THEY ARE BEING PAID FOR. WHAT I WAS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED ON THE LIST, IT TALKS ABOUT INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF WHO ARE LESS THAN 12 MONTHS, BUT

079IS THAT INCLUDING EQUALIZED PAY OR NOT INCLUDING IT? SHOULD THERE BE TWO DIFFERENT CHARTS OR HOW DOES THE EQUALIZED PAY WORK WITHIN THIS PORTION HERE? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. I HAVE MY GENERAL MANAGER HERE THAT HANDLES PAYROLL SERVICES. I'LL LET HER ANSWER THAT FOR US. Jessica Vaughn: NOT MS. BROWN, BUT THAT'S WHAT YOUR NAME SAYS IN FRONT OF IT. EQUALIZED PAY IS YOU'RE CONTRIBUTING TO THAT TO COVER YOU FOR THE SHORTFALL HOLIDAYS, THAT WOULD INCLUDE THANKSGIVING, THE WINTER BREAK AND THEN SPRING BREAK. THAT IS ACTUALLY PAID OUT TO YOU ON YOUR LAST CHECK. SO THAT DOES NOT COVER YOU FOR SUMMER. EXTENDED YEAR PROGRAM YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE A PORTION OF YOUR PAYCHECK AND THAT WILL ACTUALLY BE PAID TO YOU OVER FOUR PAYCHECKS IN THE SUMMER. WE DID HAVE A DATE CHANGE THIS YEAR.

080IT WAS ACTUALLY TO BENEFIT A COUPLE -- WELL, QUITE A FEW TEACHERS CALLED US AND IN THE PAST, THE FIRST PAYMENT FOR THE SUMMER FOR THE EYP WAS THE SAME DAY AS YOUR LAST CHECK WHICH DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. IT WAS A FIVE-DAY CHECK AND INCLUDED EQUALIZED PAY. WE MOVED IT BACK TWO WEEKS BECAUSE THE REAL BENEFIT IS WHEN THEY RETURN IT IS A REAL HEAVY HIT. IT IS A ONE-DAY PAYCHECK AND THOUGHT IT WOULD BETTER BENEFIT THEM TO HAVE THE LAST CHECK COINCIDE WITH THE SHORTFALL CHECK. Jessica Vaughn: THAT'S GOOD NEWS. THAT WAS SOME OF THE FEEDBACK I HEARD THAT CAUSED ANXIETY. IF THEY WERE TRYING TO CALCULATE FOR THE EXTENDED SUMMER BREAK WHAT THEIR PAYCHECKS WERE GOING TO LOOK LIKE, IS THAT IN THIS AREA HERE OR WHERE CAN THEY FIND THAT INFORMATION? WE

081HAVE IT IN OUR SHARE POINT. PAYROLL [email protected] THEY CAN E-MAIL. IT IS A PERCENT. YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE A FLAT RATE OR A PERCENTAGE OF YOUR CHECK. IT WOULD BE DIVIDED EQUALLY OVER FOUR PAYCHECKS IN THE SUMMER. IT'S COMPLETELY DRIVEN BY THE EMPLOYEE. Jessica Vaughn: AND IF THERE WERE OTHER EMPLOYEES WHO WERE CURIOUS BECAUSE WE DID MAKE THAT CHANGE, AFTER WE APPROVE THIS, IT WILL BE PUBLIC AND THEY CAN FIND THAT EITHER IN THE AGENDA ITEMS OR PUT THIS ON THE WEBSITE? WE'LL PUT IT IN THE PAYROLL SHAREPOINT SITE. ANY EMPLOYEE CAN E-MAIL PAYROLL INFORMATION AND WE'LL DIRECTLY REACH OUT TO THEM. Jessica Vaughn: THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAD. MEMBER RENDON, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION. Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. SORRY. I DIDN'T PULL THIS ITEM, BUT THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WHEN

082THEY ARE ASKING I HAD A QUESTION. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE JUST DON'T ALLOW A 12-MONTH PAY CYCLE AND WE HAVE ALL THE DIFFERENT DAYS. THERE ARE COMPANIES ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT HAVE SALARIES THAT HAVE 12 MONTH PAY SCHEDULE. IF A STAFF LEAVES AT THE NINE MONTHS, THEY LEAVE AT NINE MONTHS. IT'S PART OF THIS. SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE TO HAVE CERTAIN TIMES WHERE WE HAVE CERTAIN DAYS AND CERTAIN TIMES WHERE WE DON'T HAVE DAYS AND THEY ARE ON A SALARY AND WE JUST CAN'T HAVE A SALARY SCHEDULE WITHIN A PAYROLL SCHEDULE. IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME. Van Ayres: JUST TO GET CLARIFICATION, TEACHERS ON A TEN MONTH SCHEDULE, THEY WORK TEN MONTHS. Patti Rendon: I GET THAT. LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF I HAVE A SALARY. AND -- BECAUSE

083THERE ARE PLACES AROUND THIS COUNTRY IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT DO A 12 MONTH PAY SCHEDULE EVEN THOUGH THEY WORK TEN MONTHS BECAUSE THEY ARE HIRED, RIGHT? YOU CAN STILL CREATE A 12 MONTH PAY SCHEDULE IF YOU'RE ON SALARY EVEN IF YOU ARE ONLY CALENDARED TO MAY. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO DO THAT. IF YOU DON'T RENEW THE CONTRACT, YOU PAY THEM OUT FOR THE SUMMER. WE CAN CHOOSE TO DO THAT AS A DISTRICT. WHY WOULD WE NOT GIVE THAT AS AN OPTION AS AN EMPLOYER? Van Ayres: IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. Patti Rendon: COULD WE AT LEAST THINK ABOUT IT? Van Ayres: WE DO THAT, BUT OFFER EXTENDED YEAR PAY. WE KIND OF DO IT BUT DON'T CALL IT THAT WOULD BE MY INTERPRETATION OR UNDERSTANDING. WE WOULD HAVE TO REALLY LOOK AT CONTRACTS IN GENERAL AND

084I CAN'T DIRECT EXACT FLORIDA STATUTE BUT IT GETS INTO PREPAYING EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THE WAY THE HOLIDAYS SCHEDULE IS SET UP AND EMPLOYEE WORK CALENDAR, WHICH IS DIRECTLY DERIVED FROM THE STUDENT CALENDAR. IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT. Patti Rendon: YEAH, I KNOW LEGALLY IT CAN BE DONE BECAUSE WE ALREADY DO THAT NOW. IF YOU'RE TELLING ME WE HAVE THIS HOLIDAY THAT WE PRE-SAVE AND THEN PAY LATER, IT'S ALREADY SCREWED UP AS IT IS. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE COULD JUST MAKE IT EASIER FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO KNOW THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE THAT OVER THE SUMMER. IF WE CHOOSE NOT TO RENEW THEIR CONTRACT, THEN WE GIVE THEM AN EXIT. IT'S POSSIBLE TO DO THIS. THIS IS A POSSIBLE THING TO AT LEAST LOOK AT IT AS AN OPTION. ABSOLUTELY. FINANCE

085CAN LOOK INTO THAT AND PROVIDE MORE FEEDBACK IF THAT HELPS. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER COMBS. Nadia Combs: I WAS GOING TO SAY, I APPRECIATE YOUR SENTIMENTS, MEMBER RENDON. BUT I KNOW AS A FORMER TEACHER, A LOT OF TEACHERS PREFER THAT. THEY PERSONALLY PREFER EITHER GETTING PAID TEN MONTHS THE WAY THEY LIVE THEIR LIFE OR THEY LIKE THE 12 MONTHS, SOME OF MY GOOD FRIENDS GO TO EUROPE ALL SUMMER. THEY DON'T WANT TO GET PAID IN THE SUMMER. I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AS FAR AS THE DAY. ANY KIND OF FLEXIBILITY THAT TEACHERS FEEL THAT THEY CAN HAVE, I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE PROVIDE THOSE FLEXIBLE OPTIONS FOR TEACHERS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PAYING THEM THE SALARIES. I THINK THE WAY PEOPLE ARE GETTING PAID, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE SOMETHING AWAY

086WHEN SOMEBODY HAS A CHOICE NOW AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU ARE LIMITING CHOICES FOR THEM. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. WHY BREAK SOMETHING IF IT'S WORKING AND IT'S WORKED FOR MANY YEARS AND PEOPLE ARE HAPPY AND I'M NOT RECEIVING COMPLAINTS ABOUT THAT. IF WE CHANGE THAT, I FEEL LIKE THERE WOULD BE SOME EDUCATORS BECAUSE SOMETIMES PERSONALLY IT'S HARD FOR PEOPLE TO BALANCE THEIR OWN BUDGET AND THEY LIKE TO DO IT EITHER 10 MONTH OR 12 MONTH AND THEY HAVE CHOSEN THAT FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL LIFE. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: I THINK YOU MISUNDERSTOOD, I WASN'T SAYING TO DO THAT LIKE NOT INCLUDING THIS BUT HAVE IT AS AN OPTION. I WASN'T LOOKING TO ELIMINATE ANYTHING. I WAS LOOKING TO GIVE EMPLOYEES OPTIONS OF WHAT THEY WANT TO DO SO

087THERE WERE MULTIPLE OPTIONS. I SEE WE HAVE A 12 MONTH BUT IT IS THE WAY IN WHICH THEY PLAY WITH THE HOLIDAYS, BIG ONE HERE, SMALL CHECK THERE. I WAS JUST ASKING THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THE EDUCATION OF OPTIONS FOR ANYBODY TO CHOOSE FROM, NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY. Jessica Vaughn: ALL RIGHTY. GOOD CONVERSATION. SEEING THAT THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE GO ON TO 7.07, PROPOSED BELL CHEZ FOR THE 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THIS IS WHERE OUR BELL SCHEDULES. BOARD MEMBERS YOU DO THIS EVERY SINGLE YEAR. BELL SCHEDULES MUST BE BOARD APPROVED BEFORE EACH ACADEMIC YEAR. THESE ARE BELL SCHEDULES FOR EVERY ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS GOING INTO THE

08825-26 SCHOOL YEAR. YOU'LL SEE THE AGENDA ITEM COMES FROM LAURA HILL IN TRANSPORTATION. BUT THIS IS REALLY A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN MR. FARKAS AND OPERATIONS, MS. FOSSETT'S TEAM IN ACADEMIC SERVICES AND, OF COURSE, MR. GRAVES AS CHIEF OF SCHOOLS. MULTIPLE DIVISIONS. WORK THROUGH OUR BELL SCHEDULES TO ENSURE THAT NUMBER ONE THAT WE ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ARRIVE AT SCHOOL ON TIME AND ARE PICKED UP ON TIME. THAT REALLY DRIVES A LOT OF OUR BELL SCHEDULES IS TRANSPORTATION. THAT'S WHY THE ITEM COMES BEFORE YOU FROM TRANSPORTATION. FOR THIS 25-26 SCHOOL YEAR, THERE ARE MINOR CHANGES TO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL TIMES, EXCEPT NOW, OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE ADDITION OF OUR NEW HIGH SCHOOL, MORGAN HIGH SCHOOL, THAT WILL OPEN UP NEXT YEAR. AGAIN, BOARD MEMBERS, YOU'VE SEEN OUR BELL SCHEDULES. THIS JUST

089HAS TO BE APPROVED BEFORE THE '25-26 SCHOOL YEAR. OF COURSE, WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE C 7.07. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER RENDON AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS, MEMBER GRAY AND I ALL PULLED THIS ITEM. MEMBER GRAY, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT? Lynn Gray: FIRST, I WANT TO THANK LAURA HILL FOR DOING SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB AND HER TEAM, MR. FARKAS. YEAH, LAURA HAS JUST REALLY MADE IT MORE EFFICIENT AND COLLECTIVELY. JUST FOR EDIFICATION, THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS -- LAURA, ARE YOU HERE? OH, MR. FARKAS. OKAY. THIS IS LIKE YES OR NO. BUT WHEN WE START CHECKING TO SEE IF OUR BELL SCHEDULE IS THE BEST, THE MOST EFFICIENT, I GO BY

090THESE QUESTIONS: DOES IT ENHANCE SAFETY? Christopher Farkas: SO, YES, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WE HAVE, COMMON PRACTICE, ONE HOUR IN BETWEEN ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TIMES. THAT IS THE MOST EFFICIENT TIME FROM A TRANSPORTATION STANDPOINT MAKE THAT HAPPEN. ALSO ALLOWS US FROM A TRANSPORTATION STANDPOINT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON TIME. YES, FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT, BUSES AREN'T RUSHING TO GET FROM ONE PLACE TO THE OTHER. Lynn Gray: DOES IT REDUCE TRAFFIC? I KNOW THE ALONSO CHARTER SCHOOL THERE, THAT IS A CONUNDRUM, BUT THAT WAS A HARD DECISION OR, LET'S JUST SAY, WHEN YOU HAD TO NOT GIVE THAT EXTRA TIME OR LESS TIME. Christopher Farkas: 100% THIS DOES NOT HELP TRAFFIC AT ALL. NOT SURE THERE IS ANYTHING IN TAMPA THAT DOES. THAT BEING SAID YOU'LL SEE SOME CHANGES. MORGAN HAS AN

0918:40 OR 3:40, EXACTLY THAT REASON. AREAS WE KNOW, BIG BEND ROAD OR BLOOMINGDALE OR BRUCE B. DOWNS OR DALE MABRY, YOU KNOW THERE ARE CERTAIN ROADS WHERE IT IS A STAND-STILL. YOU'LL SEE FIVE AND TEN MINUTE ADJUSTMENTS TO TRY TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE. TRAFFIC WILL STILL BE A STRUGGLE FOR US. HONESTLY, NOT THE DISTANCE IN BETWEEN THE SCHOOL SITES. IT'S SITTING ON ROADS STOPPED AND NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE JUST AS IT IS FOR ALL OF US AND WE TRAVEL IN THE MORNINGS AND AFTERNOON. Lynn Gray: SO WELL SAID. TRAFFIC IS EVERYWHERE AND GETTING MORE AND MORE. THE OTHER QUESTION, WILL IT SAVE US MONEY? Christopher Farkas: MOST ASSUREDLY WILL. EVERY BUS DRIVER CAN DO THREE ROUTES. IF WE DIDN'T, TWO ROUTES, COST MORE MONEY, MORE DRIVERS. HAVING IT AN HOUR APART THEN YOU CAN HAVE

092DRIVERS, WHAT WE CALL EACH OF THE THREE LEVELS. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU FOR THAT RESPONSE. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS REALLY A LOT OF FRICTION, THE KIDS ARE GETTING TO SCHOOL LATE, MISSING FIRST PERIOD, AND WE CAN GO ON AND ON. WILL THIS CORRECT THAT SITUATION? Christopher Farkas: IT'S ALREADY BEGUN TO BE CORRECTED. HAVEN'T HEARD AS MUCH NOISE ABOUT THAT. IN CONJUNCTION WITH -- WE HAVE ALMOST A HUNDRED MORE DRIVERS THAN WE DID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. THEY CONTINUE TO DO THAT. THEY GEARED UP TOWARD SUMMER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. THANK DR. PATTON, WANT TO THANK THE BUSINESS DEPARTMENT FOR MAKING SURE WE RAISE SALARIES FOR DRIVERS. WE STILL HAVE VACANCIES BUT OVER A HUNDRED MORE DRIVERS THAN WE DO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. Lynn Gray: I VERBALLY DO

093WANT TO THANK LAURA HILL FOR WHAT SHE'S DONE AND THANK YOU, MR. FARKAS, FOR ANSWERING ALL THOSE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, CHAIR VAUGHN. I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU. WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE SCHEDULE. I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT IF THE STATE HAD ADJUSTED THE SCHEDULE, WE WOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN COMPLIANCE. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE AS OTHER DISTRICTS AROUN THE STATE WERE SCRAMBLING AND I KNOW THE LEGISLATURE DECIDED NOT TO DO THAT, TO KNOW WE WERE ALREADY IN COMPLIANCE I THINK IS REALLY GREAT. Christopher Farkas: PART OF THE NONCOMPLIANCE IS A LITTLE BIT MISLEADING. YOU HAVE TO JUSTIFY TO THE STATE WHY YOU WON'T MEET THAT. EVEN THOUGH WAIVED, AGAIN, MANY MEMBERS ON THE BOARD

094WENT THROUGH THE FUN EXPERIENCE OF CHANGING THE BELL TIMES A FEW YEARS BACK. 17 FOR 2018 SCHOOL YEAR AND WE'VE ALREADY DONE THAT. WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE AND READY TO MOVE FORWARD. WE APPRECIATE THE BOARD AND THEIR FORESIGHT A FEW YEARS BACK. Nadia Combs: LAURA HILL IS JUST DOING SUCH AN AMAZING JOB WORKING SO HARD WITH TRANSPORTATION. I KNOW IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WE RECEIVED SO MANY E-MAILS. ANYTIME I HAVE A QUESTION OR A PROBLEM, WHEN I RECEIVE SOMETHING FROM A PARENT, SHE'S ALWAYS SO, SO, MAKING SURE THAT SHE CONTACTS THE FAMILY, FOLLOWS UP AND REALLY WORKS SO HARD TO ADJUST THE SCHEDULES. IT'S A BEAR -- WHEN I THINK DRIVING FROM ONE AREA TO ANOTHER AND ALL THE NEEDS AND ALL THE DIFFERENT BUSES, IT IS A HUGE, HUGE CHALLENGE AND I THINK

095SHE'S DOING AN AMAZING JOB. Christopher Farkas: I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT. I'M SURE SHE'S WATCHING AND SMILING AND BEING HUMBLE. IT'S ALMOST 90,000 KIDS WE TAKE EVERY DAY TO AND FROM SCHOOL. MAGNET SCHOOLS START AT THE SAME TIME, TRANSFER RAMPS THAT PICK YOU UP AT HOME AND MOVE, THAT FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL IS CRAZY BUT NOW IT IS A WELL-OILED MACHINE. LAURA HILL HAS DONE A WONDERFUL JOB. HER TEAM HAS DONE A WONDERFUL JOB AND I APPRECIATE YOU RECOGNIZING THAT. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I WASN'T GOING TO SPEAK BUT I WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THIS. THIS BELL SCHEDULE IS NOT NEW. IT'S JUST NOW ADJUSTED BASED UPON OUR HURRICANE ADJUSTED SCHEDULE FROM THE END OF THE YEAR TO THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR.

096Christopher Farkas: YES, MA'AM. THAT'S CORRECT. THIS REPLICATES ALMOST EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF LAST SCHOOL YEAR. Patti Rendon: NEED TO MAKE THIS CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC, IF WE GO INTO A SITUATION LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR WHERE WE HAD EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF DAYS, THIS SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE SO IF WE NEED TO MAKE UP SOME MINUTES, THEN WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT SO WE ARE RETROING BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE 24-25 SCHOOL YEAR AND WHAT THOSE TIMES WERE. Christopher Farkas: YES, MA'AM. THAT'S WHAT MR. AYRES WAS TALKING ABOUT. WE WORKED HARD TO GET MORE MINUTES AND PAD THE MINUTES. A LOT OF PEOPLE SPENT A LOT OF TIME DOING THAT TO END UP WHERE WE ARE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. IF WE HAVE HURRICANE DAYS, WE WILL

097BE MAKING UP TIME. YES, IF WE HAVE HURRICANE DAYS, LET'S HOPE WE DON'T, WE WILL BE MAKING UP THAT TIME. Patti Rendon: THANK YOU. I WANT TO ECHO MEMBER COMBS' SENTIMENT TOO, MS. HILL'S DEPARTMENT, AS IT GOES, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALIZE HOW MUCH TIME AND ENERGY GOES INTO CREATING THE ROUTES, MONITORING THE BUS DRIVERS, ALL YEAR LONG WE HAVE SAFETY TEAMS GOING OUT AND JUST RANDOMLY MONITORING BUSES TO MAKE SURE THE LIGHTS ARE GOING ON AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. YELLOW LIGHTS AND THEN A RED LIGHT, MAKING SURE THEY KNOW THEY WILL BE STOPPING. THE ARM GOES OUT. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT THESE BUS DRIVERS HAVE TO HAVE IN MIND LET ALONE THE BEHAVIOR OF THE STUDENTS, THE SAFETY OF THE DRIVERS AROUND THEM. SO HER ENTIRE TEAM DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF

098KEEPING OUR DRIVERS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE, MAKING SURE THE DRIVERS ARE SAFE AND MAKING SURE THEY ARE CONTINUING TO MAINTAIN OUR LEVEL OF SAFETY THAT WE REQUIRE OF THEM AS WELL, MAKING SURE THEY ARE ACCURATE IN WHAT THEY ARE DOING WITH THEIR DRIVING. I WANT TO THANK NOT ONLY JUST MS. HILL BUT THE ENTIRE TEAM. IT IS AN ENTIRE TEAM. Christopher Farkas: THAT'S WHY SHE'S BEEN ELECTED PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE FLORIDA PEOPLE TRANSPORTATION. THE STATE HAS RECOGNIZED THAT AS WELL. WE TALK ABOUT -- Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER WASHINGTON. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MR. FARKAS, I KNOW WE HAVE RECRUITED AND WORKED REALLY HARD WITH TRANSPORTATION. I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT. HOW MANY DRIVERS ARE WE SHORT NOW? Christopher Farkas: WE'RE ALMOST AT A HUNDRED DRIVERS SHORT. BEGINNING OF LAST YEAR,

099250 DRIVERS SHORT. NARROWED THAT BY 150. WE ALSO OPTIMIZED ROUTES TO MS. RENDON'S POINTS. ABLE TO CONDENSE 40, 50 ROUTES AND HIRE ANOTHER 100 DRIVERS. WE'RE STILL UNDER A HUNDRED DRIVERS SHORT. IF YOU ASK MS. HILL, SHE WOULD TELL YOU, WELL, I HAVE 14 PEOPLE -- WE'VE GONE FROM 250 TO UNDER A HUNDRED WITH THE HELP OF HR AND THE BOARD SUPPORT. Henry "Shake" Washington: GOOD. THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR. I WANTED TO KNOW THAT. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU KIND OF ANSWERED MY QUESTION THROUGH SPEAKING WITH MEMBER RENDON, BUT I KNOW THIS ITEM WAS SUBMITTED AND THEN PULLED. THE OTHER OPTION, WE WERE ACTUALLY CHANGING THOSE SCHEDULES TO TRY TO BUILD IN THAT TIME IN CASE WE DID HAVE ANOTHER HURRICANE SEASON. IS THE REASON WE DECIDED

100NOT TO DO THAT BECAUSE, LIKE YOU SAID, THEN WE'LL END UP BEING LATER ENDING THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LATER AND CONCERNS ABOUT THAT? Christopher Farkas: THERE ARE. TRAFFIC HAS GOTTEN WORSE FOR THOSE OF US HERE. WE TRIED TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. THE FALL IS USUALLY WORSE, BECAUSE WE HAVE ATHLETIC EVENTS, FOOTBALL GAMES ON FRIDAY NIGHTS. WE WORKED PRETTY HARD TO TRY TO MAKE THAT WORK. CAME TO CABINET. BUBBLES UP TO THE CABINET LEVEL AND TO THE SUPERINTENDENT WHO WHEN WE THOUGHT ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS, THE SUPERINTENDENT ACTUALLY MADE THE CALL AND SAID I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS AND PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS HAVING TO STAY WITH THE KIDS AND BE LATE. WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, SAME PEOPLE THE FIRST TIME CAME THROUGH. COLLEEN TEAM, RICK TEAM. THERE ARE

101A FEW ADJUSTMENTS. NOT EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT BEING LATE TO MIDDLE SCHOOLS. Jessica Vaughn: AS A MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENT, I THANK YOU FOR THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL STILL FEEL THAT WAY. GOD FORBID WE HAVE ANOTHER HURRICANE SEASON. RIGHT NOW I APPRECIATE IT. THE ONLY THING THAT CHANGED IS TINKER. IS THAT CORRECT? Christopher Farkas: TINKER DID CHANGE. THAT IS THE ONLY SWITCH IN THAT PART BUT WE ADDED MORGAN. A COUPLE OF SCHOOLS FIVE OR TEN MINUTES HERE TO MAKE SURE, THAT ARE ON BUSY, BUSY STREETS. IT IS MINIMAL MOST ARE EXACTLY THE SAME AS LAST FALL. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. SEEING THAT THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE'LL NOW GO ON TO

10210.01, MANAGED PRINT SERVICES. Van Ayres: THIS AGENDA ITEM IS COPIERS AND PRINTERS. SO THIS AGENDA ITEM SEEKS APPROVAL TO AWARD A COMPETITIVE BID FOR DISTRICTWIDE COPIER LEASES AND EXPAND OFFICE AND CLASSROOM PRINTER COVERAGE MAXIMIZING ECONOMIES OF SCALE, ALLOWS THE DISTRICT TO REPLACE THE AGING COPIERS AND ALSO STANDARDIZING PRINTER MODELS ACROSS SITES TO STREAMLINE PURCHASING AND SUPPORT. FIRST YEAR COSTS ESTIMATED AT 2.5 MILLION, APPROXIMATELY $800,000 LESS THAN LAST YEAR. THIS NEW CONTRACT ALSO INCLUDES FEATURES TO TRACK PRINT VOLUME BY LOCATION AND ENABLES AUTOMATED HARDWARE SECURITY AND PERFORMANCE UPDATES. WANT TO THANK MR. FARKAS TAKING THE LEAD ON THIS ITEM GETTING THIS TO THE FINISH LINE. THIS IS 10.01, OUR COPIERS AND LEASES AS WE MOVE TO A DIFFERENT COMPANY FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. THAT'S 10.01. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND

103TO APPROVE C 10.01. MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS, MEMBER GRAY AND I PULLED THIS ITEM. MEMBER COMBS, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? Nadia Combs: I MOSTLY HAD A COMMENT WITH MR. FARKAS. I THINK OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THERE ARE VERY FEW CONTRACTS THAT I'VE SEEN A DECREASE. I'VE SEEN HUGE INCREASES IN COSTS FOR EVERYTHING ACROSS THE LINE, TO SEE SOMETHING THAT IS SO IMPORTANT, I KNOW AS A FORMER EDUCATOR AND A FORMER TEACHER, A COPIER IS JUST SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF A SCHOOL. I REMEMBER WORKING AT SCHOOLS AND TRYING TO LIKE TALK TO IT, THE COPIER. COPIERS ARE SO IMPORTANT IN SCHOOLS. EVEN WITH TECHNOLOGY I STILL THINK THAT SCHOOLS ARE USING IT READILY. I APPRECIATE A CONTRACT THAT'S ACTUALLY LOWERED. LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT

104THE VENDOR DOES, HOW CONSISTENT AND MAKE SURE THE SCHOOLS ARE HAPPY WITH THE PRODUCT THEY ARE RECEIVING. Christopher Farkas: 100%. I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT. I CANNOT TAKE ANY CREDIT FOR THIS OTHER THAN PUSHING IT TOWARDS THE END. PABLO AND HIS TEAM, THERE WAS A COMMITTEE WENT THROUGH THREE PHASES TO GET THROUGH WITH SOME OF THE END USERS AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT SEE THAT FIRSTHAND. 100% AGREE WITH HIM. I APPRECIATE MS. MURPHY AND THE PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT FOR FINALIZING AND GETTING THE CONTRACT DONE. I WAS IMPATIENT GETTING IT ACROSS THE LINE. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE STARTED IT THIS SUMMER. WE HAVE OVER 450 LARGE COPY MACHINES WHICH MEANS IT WILL TAKE THEM THROUGHOUT THE NEXT YEAR, REPLACING THEM AND GETTING THE NEW SYSTEM HERE. WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE NEW COPY MACHINES AND

105MAKE SURE THE SERVICE MODEL, THAT WAS A BIG PORTION OF THE SCORING. Nadia Combs: IF WE CAN CONTINUE SEEING THAT THE QUALITY AND THAT IT'S WORKING EFFECTIVELY, I'M GLAD WE HAVE A REDUCTION, BUT JUST TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IS REALLY A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE SCHOOL IS THE COPIER MACHINE. PEOPLE ARE LAUGHING, BUT IT'S TRUE. Henry "Shake" Washington: SHAKE AND HIS OLD MIMEOGRAPH MACHINE -- Nadia Combs: COPIERS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. WE'RE TALKING TEACHER APPRECIATION, WHAT IS THE MOST APPRECIATED ELEMENT IN A SCHOOL? IT IS THE COPIER. IT IS THE MOST ESSENTIAL, BEFORE SCHOOL, DURING SCHOOL AND AFTER SCHOOL AND THE ADMINISTRATION FOLKS KNOW AS WELL. I THINK THIS IS A GREAT ASSET AND ASPECT OF TEACHER APPRECIATION. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I'M SURE

106OUR TEACHERS THANK YOU AS WELL. THAT'S ALL OF MY COMMENTS. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: I DO HAVE A QUESTION AND I DIDN'T THINK OF THIS EARLIER. I DON'T KNOW WHY. WITH THE DECREASE IN COST, IS IT GOING TO LIMIT ANY SCHOOL AND THE AMOUNT OF COPIES THEY CAN DO? Christopher Farkas: NOT AT ALL. IT WILL ALLOW US TO TRACK IT. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ANTIQUATED INFORMATION AT A CENTRAL OFFICE, SCHOOL A IS DOING TWICE AS MANY COPIES, WE NEED TO GET THEM A DIFFERENT COPY MACHINE, HIGH VOLUME COPIER OR WHAT IS GOING ON AT THIS SCHOOL, WHY SO MANY COPIES? THIS HAS TRACKING INFORMATION SO WE KNOW IF MS. RENDON IS RUNNING OFF CHURCH FLYERS, WE KNOW HOW MANY ARE GOING TO BE THERE. Patti Rendon: I WANT TO

107MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T SET OURSELVES INTO A POSITION THAT WE HAVE TO LIMIT OUR TEACHERS AND ABILITY TO MAKE COPIES FOR CLASSROOMS. BECAUSE I THINK WE CANNOT DO THAT. THERE WERE YEARS I REMEMBER AS A PARENT BEING ASKED TO GO BUY COPY PAPER BECAUSE THE SCHOOL WOULD RUN OUT OF COPY PAPER AND IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO. I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS IS A GOOD THING BUT WE DON'T PENALIZE OUR SCHOOLS BECAUSE WE HAVE A GOOD THING. Christopher Farkas: COPY PAPER STILL COMES THROUGH STAPLES. WE'LL ENSURE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. IF SOMETHING DID HAPPEN, WE WOULD HEAR IT VERY LOUDLY. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. THAT WAS SIMILAR TO WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK, MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT LIMITING COPIES FOR INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF OR ANYBODY IN THE SCHOOL REALLY. IF SOMEBODY

108NEEDS A REPLACEMENT OF A COPIER AND HOW MANY COPIERS PER SCHOOL? HOW DOES THE ALLOCATION FORMULA WORK? Christopher Farkas: WITH NEW INSTRUCTION, A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T USING COPIES LIKE THEY USED TO 20 YEARS AGO. NEW LINE BOARDS AND SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING, ALMOST THE ONE-TO-ONE DEVICES, WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT. COPIES ARE STILL A BIG PART. WON'T BE NAIVE TO THAT PART. THERE IS A 1-800 NUMBER ON THE FRONT OF THE MACHINE THAT WILL BE THE SAME WHEN WE MOVE TO NEW MACHINES AS WELL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK THAT, HEY, DO YOU NEED MORE COPIES? DIFFERENT TYPE OF MACHINE? THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG PORTIONS IS MAKING SURE WE'RE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT. Jessica Vaughn: DO LARGER SCHOOLS GET MORE COPY MACHINES PLACED THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL? Christopher Farkas: THEY 100% DO. RIGHT

109NOW IT IS A BASIC FORMULA, HOW MUCH TEACHERS, HOW MANY KIDS. IT'S NOT ALWAYS A DIRECT CORRELATION. Jessica Vaughn: ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF SUBS THAT PRINT OUT PACKETS. Christopher Farkas: YES, MA'AM. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I DON'T THINK ANYONE ELSE IS IN THE QUEUE. SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE ARE NOW GOING TO GO ON TO EMPLOYEE AND STUDENT COMMENTS. WE'LL NOW TAKE EMPLOYEE AND STUDENT INPUT. EVEN THOUGH WE HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, IT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND FOR OUR STUDENTS OF THE DISTRICT TO ATTEND MEETINGS AT 4 P.M. THERE ARE MANY WAYS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD, INCLUDING THROUGH UNION REPRESENTATIVES, E-MAILS, PHONE CALLS, ONE-TO-ONE CONVERSATIONS, AND

110PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. BECAUSE THE BOARD WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. WITH THIS SECTION OF OUR AGENDA, WE'RE CREATING YET ANOTHER AVENUE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD. WE'RE SETTING ASIDE 30 MINUTES FOR EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS OF THE DISTRICT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD ABOUT ANY ISSUE THAT'S ON YOUR MIND. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A DISCUSSION ABOUT SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, BUT RATHER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD ABOUT ANY ISSUES RELATED TO YOUR JOB OR THE DISTRICT. EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. I'LL NOW CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS. WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR STUDENTS FIRST BECAUSE I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE TESTING FROM WHAT I HEAR. THANK YOU FOR OUR EMPLOYEES FOR ALLOWING THEM TO COME FIRST.

111GOOD AFTERNOON, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS LILIANA ANTHONY OF HILLSBOROUGH VIRTUAL SCHOOL K-12. I BRING THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF A.I. ON THE COUNTRY AND BRIEF SOLUTION ON HOW THE COUNTY CAN BE A ROLE MODEL FOR BOTH STUDENTS IN OTHER COUNTIES ALIKE. APRIL 11 THIS YEAR, THE HILLSBOROUGH MARKETING ACCOUNT POSTED AN A.I. IMAGE OF SCHOOL ACTION FIGURES SHOWCASING A WONDERFUL MESSAGE ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATION, AND STUDENTS. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS POSITIVE SENTIMENT WAS DROWNED OUT BY THE DISMAY OF THE USAGE OF A.I. AND HOW THE SIMPLE POST UNINTENTIONALLY UNDERMINED THE GOALS OF THE COUNTY. AS THE 7th BIGGEST COUNTY OF AMERICA, WE HAVE THE INFLUENCE AND THE RESOURCES TO COMBAT THE DAMAGING USES OF A.I. IN SCHOOLS. OUR STUDENTS, THE FUTURE DOCTORS, ENGINEERS, AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, FOLLOW THE FOOTSTEPS OF

112THE ROLE MODELS IN FRONT OF THEM. IT IS IMPORTANT TO MODEL THE BEHAVIOR OF HARD WORK RATHER THAN RELYING ON THE EASE OF GENRETIVE MODELS. THE LACK OF CREATIVITY BEHIND A.I. NOT ONLY STEALS FROM OTHER ARTISTS BUT ALSO ENCOURAGES KIDS AWAY FROM CREATIVITY AND INTO THE HANDS OF MACHINES. IT IS HARD TO DETER KIDS FROM USING A.I. TO BYPASS THE CRUCIAL LEARNING IN SCHOOLS BY PORTRAYING THE SAME BEHAVIOR. A.I. USES ENERGY THAT DESTROYS THE ENVIRONMENT AND SOURCES FROM IT FOLLOW UP WITH EXAMPLES, ELECTRICAL, CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER USAGE. ENDANGERS THE CAREERS OF FUTURE STUDENTS AT BLAKE WHO DEVOTE THEIR STUDIES TO THE ARTS, DUAL ENROLLED STUDENTS GETTING O AHEAD IN COLLEGE ONLY BLOCKED BY ARTIFICIAL BARRIERS. THIS GOES AGAINST THE POLICIES THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY STANDS FOR. SUPERINTENDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL, ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT WE

113STUDIED WAS THE USAGE OF A.I. IN SCHOOLS. AND THE COMMONLY AGREED SENTIMENT IS THAT A.I. IS BEST USED AS A TOOL, NOT A CRUTCH. JUST AS I DO NOT HAVE TIME TO TOUCH ON ALL THE HARMFUL IMPACTS OF A.I., I DON'T HAVE TIME TO COVER ALL THE BENEFITS OF A.I. AS A TOOL. AS SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT SUPPORT A.I., PLENTY OF WONDERFUL AND POSITIVE IMPACTS OF USING IT. HOWEVER, UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. FROM SOMEONE WHO HAD SUCH FAITH IN THE COUNTY AS ART MAJOR MYSELF, TRULY DISHEARTENING TO SEE A COUNTY USE A.I. I KNOW FELLOW STUDENTS SHARE THE SENTIMENT. THIS IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM BUT RATHER THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. IT IS EASY TO HOP ON THE BANDWAGON. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS LEARNED FROM THE

114PAST AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MAKE IT RIGHT IN THE FUTURE BY SUPPORTING THE CAREERS OF GROWING STUDENTS. ONE SAYING BY A.I. SUPPORTERS IS THAT A.I. MAKES ACCESSIBLE. BOTH A CONTROVERSIAL TAKE. EITHER CIRCUMSTANCE, ART IS ACCESSIBLE FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WITH TALENTED MUSICIANS AT BLAKE AND BUDDING GRAPHIC DESIGNERS AT MIDDLETON, THERE ARE PLENTY OF STUDENTS WHO WOULD LOVE TO HELP COMBAT A.I. WHILE SUPPLYING REAL HUMAN-MADE ART. BY EMPLOYING THE ARTISTS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, POSSIBLY THROUGH A STUDENT CONTEST OR SUBMISSIONS NOT ONLY CAN THE COUNTY AVOID HARMING THE FUTURES WITH A.I. BUT ALSO JUMP START THE YOUNG ARTISTS' CAREERS. BY EMPLOYING, THE MAIN GOAL OF THE COUNTY IS HELP KIDS GRADUATE. IN MY TIME WORKING WITH THE COUNCIL I CAN TELL THE FUTURE OF STUDENTS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO THE COUNTY TOO. BY ENCOURAGING CREATIVES AND

115PROVIDING AN ENVIRONMENT NOURISHING TO ARTISTS AND ANY JOB AT RISK TO A.I., HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CAN CONTINUE TO BE A ROLE MODEL FOR THE COUNTY AND THE COUNTRY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. HAVE A WONDERFUL NIGHT. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. MY NAME IS NATE CLEMENT. SENIOR AT ROBINSON HIGH SCHOOL. GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE SUPERINTENDENT STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL HERE TODAY. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS WE CAN DO AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM IS LISTEN TO STUDENTS AND MORE IMPORTANTLY TO ACT ON WHAT WE HEAR. THROUGH THE ADVISORY COUNCIL WE'VE SEEN IMPACT OF STUDENT VOICE IN SHAPING POLICY, SPARKING IDEAS AND BUILDING A STRONGER DISTRICT. STUDENTS NEED OPPORTUNITIES. WE'RE INVITED TO JOIN CLUBS, TRY SPORTS, TAKE ON LEADERSHIP ROLES OR EXPLORE INTERESTS OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

116IT GIVES US A REASON TO SHOW UP AND DISCOVER WHO WE ARE. LUCKY TO BE A PART OF A DISTRICT WITH SO MANY GREAT PROGRAMS IN PLACE, CONTINUING TO EXPAND ACCESS IS HOW WE MOVE FORWARD. 30 YEARS AGO, A GIRL COULD NOT COME TO SCHOOL EXCITED TO PLAY FLAG FOOTBALL BECAUSE IT DIDN'T EXIST. TODAY SHE CAN. THAT'S REAL PROGRESS AND MORE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THAT WAITING TO BE PUT IN PLACE. EVERY NEW OPPORTUNITY IS A STEP TOWARD A MORE INCLUSIVE, ENGAGED AND INSPIRED STUDENT BODY. I THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT STUDENT VOICE AND FOR MAKING SPACE FOR US TO HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, CHAIR, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. MY NAME IS MALACHI BROWN. I AM A PROUD MEMBER OF THE SSAC,

117SUPERINTENDENT STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL AND SENIOR FOR MIDDLETON'S REPRESENTATIVE. IN MY TIME HERE IN THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, I SAY ABOUT 20 YEARS THROUGH OSMOSIS ME AND MY MOTHER, ABOUT 13 YEARS HERE PHYSICALLY, THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS DONE MORE THAN JUST PREPARE ME FOR LIFE. IT'S PREPARED ME TO LEAD. IT'S PREPARED ME TO LEAD OTHER SCHOOLS, OTHER CHILDREN FROM OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT I'VE MET WHEN I WENT TO NORTH CAROLINA FOR HONORS WEEKEND. SEEING THOSE STUDENTS AND SEEING HOW MUCH I STOOD OUT IS NOT ONLY A TESTAMENT TO ALL OF YOU IN THIS ROOM AS OUR LEADERS OF OUR DISTRICT, BUT A TESTAMENT TO OUR TEACHERS, OUR COUNSELORS, ALL THE INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF THAT WE HAVE IN THE 7th LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ON THAT NOTE, HAPPY TEACHERS DAY OR HAPPY

118TEACHERS APPRECIATION WEEK. MOM, HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK. HAPPY EMANCIPATION DAY TO ALL THOSE THAT CELEBRATE. I JUST WISH THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO CULTIVATE AND BUILD UP OUR LEADERS WHEREVER WE CAN FIND THEM. I THINK THAT IS THE MAIN POINT. USUALLY, STUDENTS THAT ARE IN THESE POSITIONS AND SERVE AS SENIOR CLASS PRESIDENTS, AS I DO, SERVE AS THURGOOD MARSHALL HISTORY CLUB PRESIDENT AS I DO, CAPTAIN OF THE BRAIN BOWL TEAM, WE USUALLY SADDLE THESE STUDENTS WITH A LOT AND IT BECOMES A LOT. WORKING ON BUILDING AND FINDING AND SEARCHING FOR MORE STUDENTS TO TAKE ON NOT ONLY THE BURDEN BUT THE PRIVILEGE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND GROW WHEREVER WE CAN FIND THEM IS VERY INCUMBENT ON US AS WE GO ON TO OUR FUTURE, ESPECIALLY AT THE ILLUSTRIOUS SCHOOL LED BY PRINCIPAL BURTON.

119WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT OUR STAFF THAT ALLOWS FOR THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO HAPPEN. I DON'T GET TO MR. AYRES AND MR. NELSON AND MR. SHAKE IF I DON'T HAVE MY TEACHER, MR. KENNEDY, TO FIND ME WHERE I DIDN'T NECESSARILY SEE MYSELF AS A LEADER AND TO CULTIVATE ME TO BEING ONE, ALONG WITH MS. BEAUDOIN, TYLER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. PLEASE CONTINUE TO DO SO. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY THE BEST. TIGER PRIDE, TIGER PROUD. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS. AND MR. AYRES. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. MY NAME IS MARGARET. I AM A JUNIOR AT THE JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL. GO DRAGONS! I'VE HAD THE HONOR OF SERVING ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL THIS YEAR. BEING A PART OF

120THIS COUNCIL HAS BEEN AN EYE-OPENING AND EMPOWERING EXPERIENCE. IT GAVE STUDENTS LIKE ME A CHANCE TO SPEAK UP, SHARE OUR PERSPECTIVES, AND FEEL TRULY HEARD BY DISTRICT LEADERS. I'VE LEARNED HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, I'VE LEARNED THAT STUDENT VOICES MATTER IN THOSE DECISIONS. THROUGH OUR MEETINGS, I'VE GAINED MORE CONFIDENCE IN SPEAKING UP AND COLLABORATING WITH OTHER STUDENTS FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOLS AND BACKGROUNDS. WE DISCUSSED REAL ISSUES FROM MENTAL HEALTH TO SCHOOL SAFETY TO STUDENT ENGAGEMENT. IT MEANT A LOT KNOWING OUR IDEAS WERE CONSIDERED THOUGHTFULLY BY THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE TEAM. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT I'VE TAKEN AWAY FROM BEING A PART OF THIS COUNCIL IS THAT WE NOT ONLY HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO SPEAK FOR OURSELVES BUT AS A LEADER, WE ARE IN THE POSITION TO SPEAK ON BEHALF

121OF OTHERS AND OUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS BEING HEARD. THIS COUNCIL HELPED ME GROW AS A LEADER AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE EXPERIENCE. THANK YOU TO MR. AYRES FOR LISTENING TO US AND SHOWING US THAT LEADERSHIP INCLUDES LISTENING, LEARNING, AND INCLUDING STUDENT VOICES IN THE CONVERSATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. THAT WAS A GREAT FIRST STUDENT COMMENTS. YOU HAVE A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW. YOU JUST STOLE MY LINE. I WAS LIKE, WOW. THAT IS A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW. I WANT TO SAY, WOW, OUR STUDENTS, JUST DID AN AMAZING JOB. THE FOUR OF YOU WHO CAME UP HERE, THIS CAN BE INTIMIDATING TO TALK IN FRONT OF THEM. AMAZING JOB. AND THAT'S WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO. THE WHOLE TIME THOSE FOUR WERE TALKING, MY

122HEART WAS JUST FILLED. I'M GETTING A LITTLE VERKLEMPT. THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ME, KNOW THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS ADVISORY COUNCIL. I THINK IT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND A WAY TO RAISE STUDENT VOICES. SHAMELESS HCTA PLUG SINCE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT COPY PAPER. ANY EDUCATOR OUT THERE WATCHING AT THE END OF EVERY REP COUNCIL OUR HILLSBOROUGH EDUCATORS RETIRED GROUP RAFFLES COPY PAPER BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW VALUABLE IT IS. BE A MEMBER OF HCTA IF YOU AREN'T. ALSO, I'LL GO OFF SCRIPT ON EQUALIZED WAY AND EYP. FIRST, OFF, ONE OF THE COMMON QUESTIONS WE GET AT HCTA IS WHAT THE HECK IS EQUALIZED PAY? WHY DO WE NEED TO DO IT? ARE WE HOURLY, SALARY EMPLOYEES? WHY DO THIS TO THAT? I AGREE, MEMBER RENDON, IF WE'RE TEN MONTH EMPLOYEES, WHY

123CAN'T WE JUST TAKE TEN MONTHS SALARIED, WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE, DIVIDE IT BY HOWEVER MANY PAYCHECKS WE GET AND THAT SHOULD BE GOOD. EYP IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF EDUCATORS APPRECIATE THE FLEXIBILITY OF BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAVE ALL YEAR LONG. JUST TO TALK ABOUT THAT. IT IS THE END OF THE YEAR. WHILE WE'RE WRAPPING UP, LAST YEAR WE STARTED A NEW TREND. AND THAT WAS COMING TO THE BARGAINING TABLE EARLY BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR STARTED OR BEFORE THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AND WE'RE DOING THAT AGAIN, LEGISLATURE WILLING. I'VE HEARD FROM ALMOST ALL OF YOU UP HERE ABOUT PRIORITIZING OUR EMPLOYEE SALARIES WHEN CREATING THE BUDGET, AND WE TRULY APPRECIATE THAT. WE LOVE HEARING THAT. THAT REALLY HASN'T BEEN DONE IN THE PAST. WE'RE

124HOPING THAT WE CAN START A NEW TREND. THIS YEAR, WE REALLY ARE PRIORITIZING OUR EMPLOYEE SALARIES WHEN WE ARE CREATING THAT BUDGET BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE INVESTING IN OUR EDUCATORS, WE ARE SHOWING THAT WE REALLY DO PRIORITIZE OUR STUDENTS. AS WE KNOW, THEY ARE ALL AMAZING. SO ENJOY. I KNOW YOU HAVE GRADUATION PALOOZA COMING UP. SO ENJOY THAT. HAVE A GREAT END OF THE YEAR. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HELLO. LIZ BAKER, TAMPA BAY BOULEVARD, BRT THERE, BEHAVIOR RESOURCE TEACHER. I HAD TO CHANGE MY SPEECH A LITTLE BECAUSE I WANT TO EXTEND MY SINCERE THANKS FOR RECONSIDERING MOVING FORWARD WITH RENAISSANCE PAY ON TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY. THIS DECISION FEELS ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL. IT WAS MORE THAN A GESTURE. IT'S A MESSAGE THAT THE DISTRICT VALUES OUR DEDICATION, GROWTH AND CHALLENGES WE FACE IN THIS PROFESSION.

125WE DON'T DO THIS WORK FOR BONUSES OR RECOGNITION. WE DO THIS BECAUSE WE LOVE OUR STUDENTS. BUT LOVING THEM DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE WORK IS EASY. AS A NONVIOLENT CRISIS INTERVENTION NCI CERTIFIED EMPLOYEE AND NCI INSTRUCTOR FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, I'VE EXPERIENCED FIRSTHAND PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL TOLL TO THIS JOB THAT IT TAKES. I SEE IT WITH OUR TEACHERS AS WELL. WE MANAGE STUDENTS' CRISES, SOMETIMES INVOLVING PHYSICAL AGGRESSION WITH CARE AND PROFESSIONALISM, BUT IT IS WEARING. THAT IS WHY THE RENAISSANCE PAY MEANS SO MUCH. NOT JUST ABOUT MONEY, IT'S ABOUT MORALE. IT'S ABOUT RECOGNIZING THE EFFORTS WE PUT IN, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE JOB ASKS MORE THAN IT HAS EVER BEFORE. THE STEP FORWARD SAYS THAT TO THE TEACHERS WE SEE YOU. WE SUPPORT YOU, WE VALUE YOU. THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING TO TAKE THIS ACTION ON THE

126DAY MEANT TO APPRECIATE EDUCATORS. IT SENDS A POWERFUL MESSAGE AND IT TRULY MAKES US FEEL SEEN. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. KIM ENRIQUEZ FROM LOWRY ELEMENTARY. KINDERGARTEN TEACHER. IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR THE STUDENTS SPEAK BECAUSE MAYBE I'VE GOT ONE OF THOSE FUTURE STUDENTS IN MY ROOM RIGHT NOW. I'M GOING TO START CULTIVATING THEM. I DIDN'T REALLY PREPARE ANYTHING OTHER THAN I AM APPRECIATIVE OF THIS BADGE THAT GETS ME IN THE GATE EARLY SO THAT I CAN GO USE THE COPY MACHINE BEFORE ANYBODY GETS THERE. SO THAT'S NICE. BUT I DON'T REALLY HAVE TO USE A LOT OF COPIES BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR MATERIALS, THE CONSUMEABLES ARE VERY APPRECIATED. SOME COULD USE A LITTLE MORE PRACTICE MATERIAL. I'M HAVING TO SUPPLEMENT THAT. MY MAIN CONCERN IS FOR NEXT

127YEAR BECAUSE WE'RE ENDING THIS YEAR. IT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT WE ARE NO LONGER HAVING THE KINDERGARTEN INCLUSION CLASSROOMS, THE KIC CLASSROOMS, I GUESS WE'RE NOT USING THEM ANYMORE. FORMER ESE TEACHER, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT MEANS SOME KIDS THAT HAVE SOME NEEDS ARE GOING TO BE IN OUR GEN ED CLASSROOMS IN KINDERGARTEN BECAUSE THEY ARE COMING FROM THE PEEPS PROGRAM AND THE PRE-K PROGRAM, THE ONES THAT HAVE DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS AND WHATNOT. AND THEN WHEN YOU HAVE KIDS COMING INTO KINDERGARTEN, SOMETIMES YOU'RE GETTING KIDS THAT HAVE NEEDS THAT YOU HAVE NO IDEA THAT HAVE NEEDS. THIS IS AN ASK. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S EVEN POSSIBLE. I KNOW MONEY IS WHAT IT IS. BUT I'M NOT SURE IF WE COULD LOOK AT THE KINDERGARTEN ASSISTANT TEACHER RATIO AND MAYBE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE

128SUPPORT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I GET KINDERGARTEN AIDE FOR LIKE 40 MINUTES FOR THE WHOLE DAY AND I'VE GOT HER AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE DAY. IT WOULD JUST BE NICE TO HAVE ANOTHER PAIR OF HANDS, ANOTHER PAIR OF EYES, JUST FOR SAFETY REASONS, IF ANYTHING AND FOR LIABILITY ISSUES, THAT IF YOU'VE GOT -- BECAUSE LET'S BE REALISTIC HERE, WE HAVE THE RISE -- THE KIDS ON THE SPECTRUM IS RISING. WE'RE NEEDING A LITTLE BIT MORE ASSISTANCE IN THE ROOM. AND IT IS THE RIGOR OF KINDERGARTEN NOW IS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS YEARS AGO. THAT'S JUST MY ASK IS MAYBE WE COULD LOOK AT THAT FORMULA. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE. ALSO THANK YOU ERICKSON FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO TO ASSIST SUPERINTENDENT AYRES

129WITH THAT. I KNOW YOU DO A LOT OF WORK, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SENIORS. THANK YOU FOR THAT TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN BE A PART OF THIS AND PARTICIPATE. GREAT FIRST COMMENTS. THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE EMPLOYEES. NOW, WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S COMMENTS. IT'S YOUR TURN. Van Ayres: I DO WANT TO OPEN WITH COMMENTS AROUND OUR STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL. THIS IS THE YEAR I CAME ON BOARD AS SUPERINTENDENT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS IN COORDINATING WITH MS. ERICKSON WAS TO DEVELOP THIS ADVISORY COUNCIL. SO THESE ARE ALL JUNIORS AND SENIORS IN ALL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS. THAT'S 56 STUDENTS. WE HAD MOST OF THEM TODAY, SOME BECAUSE OF AP TESTS AND ALL THE THINGS HAPPENING COULDN'T BE HERE. IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO WORK ALONGSIDE THEM. I WANT TO THANK

130DR. , GARY BRADY, NELSON, THERE EVERY SINGLE TIME ALONG WITH ME, THOSE THREE ARE UNBELIEVABLE AND WORKING THROUGH IDEAS OF OUR COUNCIL AND MYSELF. YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING. I DO HAVE A SHORT VIDEO THAT KIND OF SUMMARIZES THAT WAS DEVELOPED. BEN, IF YOU COULD STAND UP. BEN TILLIE IS SENIOR OVER AT RIVERVIEW. YOU'LL SEE HIM ON ESPN ONE DAY. THE VIDEO THAT SUMMARIZES THE ADVISORY COUNCIL AND OUR 56 STUDENTS. THANK YOU. MR. AYRES HAS ORGANIZED A SUPERINTENDENT'S STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL ALONG WITH MS. ERICKSON WHERE WE WORK ON PROBLEMS AT PRACTICE. WE TALK ABOUT PERTINENT ISSUES, CURRENT ISSUES, BUT WE ALSO TALK ABOUT THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, EVERYTHING FROM OPERATIONS TO AS WE'RE TALKING TODAY, TALKING ABOUT LEADERSHIP. PATHWAYS INTO EDUCATION AND ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT TOPICS THAT THE KIDS, WHETHER THEY GET

131INTO EDUCATION OR WHETHER THEY DON'T, IT WILL HELP THEM IN ALL FACETS OF THEIR LIFE. THEY ALSO HELP US BY DEVELOPING SOLUTIONS. YOU WANT TO GET STUDENT OWNERSHIP. YOU WANT TO GET OWNERSHIP FROM THAT GROUP SO THEY ARE A COVETED GROUP OF WHAT STARTED AS SENIORS, WHICH IS NOW JUNIORS AND SENIORS BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO BUILD FROM WITHIN. THAT'S HOW MR. AYRES WANTS TO DO IT. EVEN AS A HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND EVEN AS A REGION SUPERINTENDENT YOU HAVE TO GET A STUDENT'S PERSPECTIVE. YOU HAVE TO GET A KID'S PERSPECTIVE. MUCH DIFFERENT FROM WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP. THE GOAL IS TO HELP US WORK THROUGH SOME PROBLEMS AND PRACTICE. FIND SOME SOLUTIONS. MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR KIDS, FOR THE FUTURE KIDS COMING THROUGH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. COLLECTIVE STUDENT LEADERS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTY,

132JUNIORS AND SENIORS, REPRESENTATIVES OF EACH SCHOOL. AND WE COME TOGETHER ON A MONTHLY BASIS TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES BEING FACED ON THE SCHOOL LEVEL. BE THERE, BE WILLING TO STAFF YOUR SCHOOL FOR AN EVENT IF I NEEDED TO SPEAK OR JUST HELP RUN THE EVENT AND REALLY DEDICATE MYSELF TO THE SCHOOL AND THAT SPOKE FOR ITSELF. IT IS A WAY FOR US TO BE A VOICE OF THE MANY, EVEN THOUGH A FEW OF US, WE TAKE WHAT WE LEARNED BACK TO THE SCHOOLS, GET THEIR INPUT AND BRING THE INPUT HERE. REALLY LIKE A TWO-WAY STREET. I DEFINITELY LEARNED A LOT ABOUT HOW BIG OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT IS AND A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT JOBS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. I'M MAJORING IN EDUCATION IN COLLEGE, I HOPE TO BE A TEACHER AND DEFINITELY THROUGH

133THIS PROGRAM I LEARNED THAT THERE IS A LOT MORE FOR ME THAN JUST BEING A TEACHER. I KIND OF WANT TO BE A PRINCIPAL AND THEN WORK IN THE DISTRICT. IT'S VERY, VERY INTERESTING TO LEARN ALL ABOUT HOW YOU RUN A SCHOOL DISTRICT AND HOW CERTAIN DECISIONS COME ABOUT AND STUFF. THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE SUPERINTENDENT, SUCH A COOL IDEA TO HAVE THE CONTACTS TO SPREAD MY OPINION. AND GETTING THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT IS GREAT. MANY OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE JUST DONE GREAT THINGS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE, THEY REALLY STAND OUT AS LEADERS IN THEIR SCHOOLS, IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THEY HAVE HELPED SOLVE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT YOU REALLY FACE IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT THIS YEAR. Van Ayres:

134ALL RIGHT. I'LL CONTINUE MY COMMENTS. BEN, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER. I WISH NATE WOULD HAVE COMBED HIS HAIR IN THAT ONE -- COMING FROM TENNIS PRACTICE. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE THROUGH MY SUPERINTENDENT'S COMMENTS. IT'S BEEN A BUSY LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. I DO HAVE SOME HIGHLIGHTS I WANT TO MOVE THROUGH. OF COURSE, THIS WEEK WE ARE PROUD TO RECOGNIZE TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK. TEACHERS GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO ENSURE OUR STUDENTS RECEIVE THE BEST EDUCATION POSSIBLE. WE ARE INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE TALENTED AND CARING PROFESSIONALS IN OUR SCHOOLS. I STARTED YESTERDAY AND EXCITED TO BE VISITING OUR TEACHERS ALL THIS WEEK AT SCHOOLS TO THANK THEM FOR ALL THAT THEY DO, NOT JUST THIS WEEK, BUT EVERY SINGLE DAY. SO THAT WAS THIS MORNING. TODAY, I JOINED SOME OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS TO SURPRISE

135A FEW TEACHERS IN THEIR CLASSROOM WITH APPRECIATION GIFTS. OUR FIRST STOP WAS AT ANDERSON ELEMENTARY. SEEMED LIKE TWO DAYS AGO, BUT IT WAS JUST THIS MORNING THAT WE WERE THERE. ANDERSON ELEMENTARY WHERE WE GAVE OUT A FEW PUBLIX GIFT CARDS AND ONE LUCKY FIRST GRADE TEACHER COVINGTON WON THE RAFFLE. SENT THE E-MAIL OUT, WITHIN AN HOUR AND A HALF WE HAD 5,000 TEACHERS THAT HAD ENTERED TO WIN THIS. SADIE COVINGTON OVER AT ANDERSON WON FOUR TICKETS TO BUSCH GARDENS. SHE WAS THE BIG WINNER. I'LL BE VISITING SCHOOLS ALL WEEK WITH OUR BOARD MEMBERS TO SURPRISE OUR TEACHERS. TOMORROW, E-MAIL I SENT OUT TODAY, WE'LL BE GIVING OUT LIGHTNING TICKETS. WE HAVE 20 TEACHERS WILL WIN TOMORROW. EACH TEACHER WILL WIN A FOUR PACK TO LIGHTNING GAMES. TREMENDOUS PARTNERS WITH THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING. 20 WINNERS

136TOMORROW. I'LL BE VISITING ONE BIG WINNER FIRST THING IN THE MORNING WHO WINS. SCHOOL CHOICE AND MAGNET APPLICATION, WE PRIDE OURSELVES BEING A CHOICE SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFERING MANY OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS. AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVE THREE CHOICE PERIODS. SECOND SCHOOL CHOICE AND MAGNET APPLICATION WINDOW CLOSED IN LATE MARCH. OVER 9,000 APPLICANTS APPLY FOR A SCHOOL WITHIN OUR DISTRICT THAT FITS THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS. OF THAT WE MADE 7,000 OFFERS. TO DATE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND APPLICATION PERIODS HAD OVER 20,000 APPLICANTS AND OVER 16,000 OFFERS DURING OUR APPLICATION WINDOW. BOARD MEMBERS, REMEMBER BACK IN APRIL WE HIGHLIGHTED THE MIDDLETON ROBOTICS TEAM AND THEY WERE ON I THINK CHANNEL 10. WE PLAYED THAT. TODAY IS THE UPDATE. CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM. THEY WENT TO THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ON APRIL 15 WHERE THEY WON FIVE OUT OF THE

137TEN MATCHES THEY WERE IN. CONGRATS TO THEM, MIDDLETON. MALACHI. AMAZING FOR SUCH A YOUNG TEAM. MIDDLETON ROBOT I HAD THE HIGHEST SCORING OVERALL. THEY WON THE RISING ALL-STAR AWARD. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TIGERS, MALACHI, MR. WASHINGTON, CONGRATULATIONS. AND THEN ON SATURDAY, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER DR. HAHN HELD HER EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY FAIR THIS WEEKEND. THAT WAS AT BELMONT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. INCREDIBLE MORNING WHERE FAMILIES JOINED US FOR GAMES, GIVEAWAYS AND FREE BOOKS TO TAKE HOME. FUN AND WELL-ATTENDED EVENT. HAVING A HOME LIBRARY SO IMPORTANT TO FOSTER A STUDENT'S LOVE OF READING. THANK YOU TO MEMBER HAHN AND OUR PARTNERS AT SUNCOAST CREDIT UNION, myON. DR. HAHN, SURE YOU WILL BE SHARING MORE DETAILS DURING YOUR COMMENTS THIS EVENING. INCREDIBLE EVENT. THANK CANDICE OVER AT BELMONT. GREAT, GREAT MORNING. SPRING ASSESSMENT TIME. HARD TO BELIEVE THAT WE'RE AT THIS

138POINT. I WON'T GET INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL BUT I KNOW BOARD MEMBERS AS YOU'RE OUT AT SCHOOLS, WE TALK ABOUT TESTING. WE'RE IN THE TESTING SEASON, EVEN THE SCHOOLS WE'RE AT THIS MORNING, GETTING THE FAST TESTING GOING. AP TESTING. SPRING ASSESSMENTS ARE GOING STRONG AS WE CONCLUDE OUR SCHOOL YEAR. I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE CASE, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR SENIORS -- NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THAT HAPPY. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS THIS YEAR. IT REALLY, REALLY FLEW BY. HERE WE ARE GRADUATION TIME AGAIN. GRADUATIONS START NEXT WEEK. FIRST UP ARE GRADUATES EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT EDUCATION CENTERS. THE FOLLOWING WEEK WE BEGIN TRADITIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS AT THE FAIRGROUNDS WHICH WILL RUN THROUGH MAY 29. THAT'S 36 CEREMONIES AND OVER 15,600 STUDENTS GRADUATING THIS YEAR. IF YOU HAVE A STUDENT GRADUATING THIS YEAR, PLEASE MAKE SURE

139YOU CHECK YOUR E-MAIL FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING CEREMONY DETAILS, TICKETS AND MORE FROM YOUR SCHOOL AND ADMINISTRATORS. TO VIEW THE FULL LIST OF CEREMONIES, YOU CAN VISIT OUR DISTRICT WEBSITE. ALSO TODAY, WE HAD OUR UNIQUE SENIORS. I'LL HIGHLIGHT THESE PRETTY QUICKLY. BUT WE WERE AT HILLSBOROUGH VIRTUAL THIS MORNING. WE SAW NICOLE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING AND THEN SIMONA AT BLOOMINGDALE, ALEXI AT CHAMBERLAIN AND RYAN OVER AT ALONSO. BOARD MEMBERS, YOU ALL ARE PART OF OUR UNIQUE SENIORS. IT WAS A REQUEST OF THE BOARD TO HAVE THE UNIQUE SENIORS, AND THAT'S WHERE EACH HIGH SCHOOL SELECTS A MAGNIFICENT SENIOR. FROM THERE, WE WERE ABLE TO GO THROUGH AN APPLICATION PROCESS AND PICK FOUR WINNERS. THESE FOUR WINNERS WIN A FULL TWO-YEAR PREPAID, 60 CREDIT HOURS FULL SCHOLARSHIP THROUGH FLORIDA PREPAID. AND THESE ARE OUR FOUR

140WINNERS. JUST AN AMAZING MORNING. BLOOMINGDALE, CHAMBERLAIN AND FINALLY OVER AT ALONSO. STARTED 8 THIS MORNING. GOT BACK TO THE OFFICE AROUND 2:00. BETWEEN THE TEACHER APPRECIATION GIFTS AND GOING TO SEE OUR UNIQUE SENIORS YOU REALIZE ALL THE GREAT THINGS WE HAVE GOING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND MAKES ME A VERY, VERY PROUD SUPERINTENDENT. LAST NIGHT, WE HAD OUR EXCEPTIONAL AND EDUCATION AWARDS. MEMBER RENDON JOINED ME AT CHAMBERLAIN HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE 26th ANNUAL EXCELLENCE IN ACTION AWARD CEREMONY. THIS EIA WERE ESTABLISHED FOR PARENTS TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THEIR CHILD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS WHO RECEIVE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT EDUCATION SERVICES. OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND STUDENTS HAVE BEEN INSPIRED TO SUBMIT HUNDREDS OF NOMINATIONS FOR ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHER SUPPORT STAFF, TRANSPORTATION STAFF, THERAPISTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS

141AND VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE TOUCHED THEIR LIVES. IT WAS TRULY AN INCREDIBLE EVENT LAST NIGHT. MORE EXCEPTIONAL TALENT. ARMWOOD, JENNIFER FROM ARMWOOD WAS SELECTED AS A FINALIST FOR SECONDARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR IN THE AVID GLOBAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. THIS PLACES JENNIFER AMONG THE TOP FOUR NOMINEES IN THAT CATEGORY. MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTIONS TO HER SCHOOL, HER COMMUNITY AND HER AVID MISSION. FINALLY, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF OUR HIRING PUSH. YOU HEARD MR. FARKAS TALK AROUND OUR PUSH IN SOME OF THE VACANCIES WITHIN OUR BUS DRIVERS. HARD AT WORK RECRUITING THE BEST TO COME WORK FOR THE DISTRICT. THEY ARE CONTINUING WITH MORE THAN A JOB CAMPAIGN WHICH HIGHLY HOW INSTRUMENTAL VARIOUS POSITIONS ACROSS OUR DISTRICT ARE TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR STUDENTS. AS WE WERE DRIVING IN, ONE OF OUR BUSES, THESE ARE OUR BILLBOARDS. SOME OF

142THE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS. WE HAVE 20 OF THEM ROTATING THROUGH THE COUNTY AT HIGHLY TRAVELED ROADS AND AREAS. WE SAW ONE OF THESE TODAY. BETWEEN BLOOMINGDALE AND CHAMBERLAIN I THINK ON THE INTERSTATE, SOME OF THE WRAPPING AROUND US SO WE PARTNERED WITH HART TO SHOWCASE THROUGH INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR ADVERTISEMENTS. YOU START TO SEE A LOT OF THAT NOW THAT'S OUT THERE. FINALLY, VIDEO TESTIMONIALS, WE CREATED 30 VIDEO EMPLOYEE TESTIMONIALS SHARED ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE, ON SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS AND NEXT DOOR AND LinkedIn. WE PROVIDED MARKETING MATERIALS TO SCHOOL SITES AND THEY WILL SHARE ON THEIR WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND NEWSLETTERS TO THEIR FAMILIES. AN EXAMPLE, BOARD MEMBERS, JONATHAN OVER AT ADUM, EVERYBODY KNOWS JONATHAN. HE WAS ONE THAT WE DID MORE THAN A TEACHER CAMPAIGN. I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT AND SHARE JONATHAN'S VIDEO

143OF MORE THAN A TEACHER. THIS SURPASSES ANY KIND OF JOB I THINK YOU COULD HAVE IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE OF THE WORKFORCE BECAUSE WHAT WE DO AS TEACHERS IS TRULY A PASSION. IT IS A PASSION OF THE HEART BUT ALSO A PASSION OF THE MIND. I CONSIDER MYSELF A CREATIVE PERSON THAT LIKES TO BE AUTONOMOUS, DESIGN LESSONS ENGAGED AND REALLY CAPTIVATE MY AUDIENCE. WHAT WE SEE THE STUDENTS ABLE TO DO WHEN THE TEACHER IS ABLE TO MAKE THE CREATIVE DECISIONS IN THE CLASSROOM AND ENGAGE EVERY LEARNER MAKES IT MORE OF A CALLING. ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING EXPERIENCES I'VE HAD WORKING WITH KIDS AT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS, I DON'T THINK I COULD LIMIT IT TO JUST ONE. THERE ARE SO MANY CHANCES FOR ME TO PUSH WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE CLASSROOM OUTSIDE OF THE

144CLASSROOM WALLS AND TO ME THAT IS THE BIGGEST THING, MAKING LEARNING, NOT STOP AT THE CLASSROOM BUT EXCEED THE CLASSROOM -- Van Ayres: THAT'S PART. I WANTED TO SHOW A CLIP. YOU'LL SEE OUR MORE THAN A TEACHER CAMPAIGN. IT'S ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA. BIG MARKETING PUSH AS WE LOOK, AS WE HEAD INTO THE SUMMER AND INTO THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES, MAKING SURE WE HAVE A HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHER IN EVERY CLASSROOM BEGINNING NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. YOU CAN SEE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, AS I MENTIONED. WE DO HAVE A COMMERCIAL SPOT ON THE RAYS FRIDAY NIGHT GAME AROUND MORE THAN A TEACHER. SUSPENDED AGENDA, TALK ABOUT TRANSFORMATION NETWORK, MOU, I DO WANT TO OFFER A MOMENT TO DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT McRAE TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF OUR TRANSFORMATION NETWORK UPDATES. JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE AN

145UPDATE. WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED OUR CONGRESSIONALLY FUNDED COMMUNITY ARTS PROJECT. THIS WAS A GRANT THAT WAS SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF CONGRESS WOMAN KATHY CASTOR TO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FOR $1.9 MILLION. THIS AWARD SUPPORTED ARTS AND MUSIC FIELD TRIPS TO ALL 39 OF OUR TRANSFORMATION NETWORK SCHOOLS WHICH AFFORDED 28,000 STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE TAMPA MUSEUM OF ART AND/OR THE STRAZ MUSEUM. WE SURVEYED THE STUDENTS JUST TO GET A FEEL FOR THEIR EXPERIENCE. 90% OF STUDENTS WERE FIRST-TIME VISITORS TO THE STRAZ AND 79% OF STUDENTS WHO ATTENDED TAMPA MUSEUM OF ARTS, THEY WERE FIRST-TIME VISITORS TO THAT MUSEUM. SO THIS WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR OUR STUDENTS. WE ARE GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. WE WANT TO THANK CONGRESS WOMAN KATHY CASTOR FOR PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY. ALSO, MICHAEL TOMER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TAMPA MUSEUM

146OF ART, GREG HOLLAND, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF STRAZ CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS AND A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR VERY OWN TRACY LESSEE, SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC. LAURA, SUPERVISOR OF HEART AND LAURA HILL, GENERAL MANAGER OF TRANSPORTATION FOR ALL OF THEIR WORK AND COORDINATION OF ALL OF THESE FIELD TRIPS. THANK YOU. Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MS. McRAE. SO THOSE ARE MY SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS. MADAM CHAIR, ONE ADDITIONAL REQUEST. THE COUNCIL REALLY WANTS A PICTURE. IF WE COULD DO A PICTURE REAL QUICK. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU! THERE'S ANOTHER ONE. Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. Jessica Vaughn: WELL, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. BOARD MEMBERS, WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS. BOARD MEMBERS, JUST A REMINDER, YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES EACH TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. FIRST, WE HAVE MEMBER GRAY. Lynn Gray:

147THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I WANT TO SAY ALSO TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK IS JUST, AS WAS MENTIONED, A TEACHER HAS SUCH A PASSION, AND IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE POSITIONS THAT WE NEED THE TEACHERS, THE CHILDREN NEED THE TEACHERS, ACADEMICALLY, SOCIALLY, EMOTIONALLY. MORE THAN EVER. SO THANK YOU EVERY TEACHER FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE THIS YEAR AND FOLLOWING MANY, MANY MORE YEARS OF SERVICE. THANK YOU. AGAIN, WE ACTUALLY, THE SUPERINTENDENT AND STUDENTS ADVISORY COUNCIL MENTIONED, ONE OF THE STUDENTS TOOK PART IN A THURGOOD MARSHALL CLUB. I JUST WANT TO SAY AND RECOGNIZE ALLISON EDGECOMB, THREE YEARS AGO WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY. RIGHT NOW, SHE HAS SHARED THAT WE HAVE 72 CLUBS, 19 HIGH SCHOOLS, 29 MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND 24 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. AND THAT IS REALLY A PHENOMENA. OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN TASK FORCE, WHICH HAS HAD WONDERFUL

148SUCCESS AND SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, YOU'LL BE VERY HAPPY TO HEAR AGAIN THAT MARTHA FORD, KELLY BRENNAN AND MARIE ROGERS, WE HAVE REACHED EXEMPLARY STATUS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY. SO THIS DISTRICT, WE ARE DEFINITELY INVOLVED IN THE STUDY OF VARIOUS CULTURAL GROUPS. THANK YOU FOR BEING IN THE THURGOOD MARSHALL CLUB. YES, I BELIEVE YOU'RE IN THERE, YES. PBIS, WE HAVE TO MOVE FAST. TRYING TO MOVE FAST. WE INITIATED THIS AFTER DORETHA EDGECOMB IN 2016, POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INCENTIVE SUPPORT SYSTEM. I'VE BEEN HAMMERING THIS TO GO FULL FIDELITY, FULL DISTRICT. BUT RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE ABOUT 100, 101 SCHOOLS. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE PROGRESS. I WANT TO THANK DR. GRAYES AND MS. McRAE FOR ALLOWING THIS TO GROW. 73% HAVE COMPLETED THEIR COMPLETE WALK-THROUGH. 71%, THIS IS 22 OUT OF 31 PBIS SCHOOLS HAVE IMPROVED THEIR SCORE.

14980% IS THE AVERAGE SCORE. 65% OF THE SCHOOLS WITH WALK-THROUGHS HAVE MET THE HRS LEVEL ONE LAGGING INDICATOR OF 80%. SOME OF THESE ARE DETAILS. BUT I WON'T GO ANY FURTHER. ALL THE FOLKS AND THE WONDERFUL TEACHERS THAT HAVE PURSUED THE PBIS CERTIFICATION GETS A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION. THANK YOU, STACY WRENN FOR MAKING THEM FEEL VERY SPECIAL. IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE FIND STRATEGIES TO KEEP OUR STUDENTS IN SCHOOL VERSUS OSS OR OTHER NEGATIVE LEARNING FORUM. I AM VERY, VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE PROGRESS. ALSO, JUMPING TO, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THE ELECTRIC BUSES FROM -- I KNOW JESSICA VAUGHN HAS ALSO PARTICIPATED, BUT WE DON'T HAVE -- DID YOU SEND PABLO A SLIDE? AT ANY RATE, 40 SOMETHING BUSES ARE ELECTRIC, AND WE ARE JUST SO MARVELED. THEY ARE SILENT AND YET

150THEY ARE EVERYWHERE. MR. FARKAS, WE HAVE 20 IN 20 AND THEN 10 THAT GOES ALL THROUGH THE DISTRICT? Christopher Farkas: 40 IS IT. 40 TOTAL. Lynn Gray: BUT IT'S KING AND ALL AROUND THAT FAIR. RIGHT. THEN LOIS OVER BY THE AIRPORT AND SOUTH COUNTY. Lynn Gray: SO, YEAH. VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE. THAT GRANT WAS MUCH USED. I WANT TO THANK OUR HUMAN TRAFFICKING COMMITTEE FOR ALL THEIR WORK ON THEIR PANEL THAT THEY HAD, THAT WE HAD IN APRIL. BETSY CONLEY, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION TOOK PART, AMANDA SANCHEZ, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. WE HAD VALERIE BEDFORD, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. HEATHER, GAGGLES, ONE OF OUR OWN FILTERING SYSTEM FOR STUDENT SAFETY. RAY FROM BARK. AMY GRANGER, VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVOCACY, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PTA. THE KNOW MORE FOUNDATION. ASHLEY WAS THERE. SUPERVISOR OF PHYSICAL

151ED AND CONNIE ROSE, VICTIMS TO SURVIVORS. AT ANY RATE, TRYING TO GET THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THE CELL PHONE NEFARIOUS CHARACTERS MAKING OUR PARENTS AWARE AND OUR STUDENTS AWARE, THERE ARE SOME GROOMING TECHNIQUES THAT ARE VERY EFFECTIVE, SADLY, IN THE -- AND THE HUMAN TRAFFICKERS KNOW IT AND USING IT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M DONE. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. DR. HAHN. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU SO MUCH. AS SUPERINTENDENT AYRES MENTIONED, THIS PAST SATURDAY WE HAD AN EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY FAIR AT BELMONT ELEMENTARY. WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF OUR MAIN SPONSOR, SUNCOAST CREDIT UNION. THEY, LIKE MYSELF AND THE DISTRICT VALUE EARLY LITERACY. I WANT TO THANK QUITE A FEW PEOPLE BEFORE WE SHOW A VIDEO FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE EVENT. CERTAINLY THE SUPERINTENDENT WHO CAME OUT ON A SATURDAY

152MORNING, THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANN MARIE COURTNEY. SHERRY, COLLEEN, TRACYE BROWN, KIM. RICK GRAYES, DEBBIE PEPE. LAURA HOBBY AND HER TEAM. FRANKY, CANDACE, TRACY, JOHN, CHRIS FARKAS AND THE OPERATIONS TEAM. CHIEF NEWMAN AND SECURITY TEAM. SHARON O'CONNOR. JEAN TAVARES, LAURA CROSS FOR CREATING THE VIDEO FOR TODAY AND JULIE COLE. I WANT TO ESPECIALLY THANK OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT PARTICIPATED. THE EARLY LEARNING COALITION, THE CHILDREN'S BOARD, GLAZER CHILDREN MUSEUM. MY ON, EASTER SEALS, NAACP, THE LION'S EYE INSTITUTE, SENIORS IN SERVICE, HOST OUR OWN HILLSBOROUGH HUMAN RESOURCES WHO ARE GETTING INCREASE INTO JOB OPPORTUNITIES. VPK TEAM, DUAL LANGUAGE TEAM, FIDDLERS, ROLLING REED YOUTH FLAG TEAM. KIDS ENJOYED THAT. EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY BUS, A HUGE HIT. WE HAD AN AMAZING PROFESSIONAL STORYTELLER, PHINNEAUS SLATON. SHE WAS PHENOMENAL. I COULD HAVE LISTENED TO HER STORYTELLING ALL DAY LONG. SOCIAL

153STUDIES WAS OUT THERE. S.T.E.M., KELLY, UNITED WAY, FACE TEAM, ART DEPARTMENT. BIG THANK YOU TO SUMNER HIGH SCHOOL AND KING HIGH SCHOOL. THEY SENT THEIR ROTC STUDENTS. THEY WERE WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS THROUGHOUT THE MORNING. AND THEIR THEATER STUDENTS WHO DRESSED UP AS FAIRY TALE CHARACTERISTICS ENGAGING WITH CHILDREN AND ENRICHING STORY TIME SESSIONS. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR MAKING THAT A MEMORABLE, IMPACTFUL EVENT. PABLO. HIT IT. ♪ Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PUTTING THAT VIDEO TOGETHER. ON FRIDAY, THE DAY BEFORE THE LITERACY FAIR, PARTNERED WITH SECOND CYCLE. I DONATED BOOKS TO THEM AND THEY ARE GOING TO DISTRIBUTE THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR DISTRIBUTION CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. THEY WERE NICE ENOUGH TO COME. THANK YOU TO MR. FARKAS' TEAM FOR HELPING ME GET THE BOOKS OFF THE FOURTH FLOOR INTO THE SECOND CYCLE TRUCK. THERE

154WERE HUNDREDS OF BOOKS. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK TO ALL THE TEACHERS WHO INSPIRE AND CHALLENGE AND CARE FOR OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. YOU ARE TRULY APPRECIATED. IT WAS A WONDERFUL MORNING VISITING ANDERSON AND BLOOMINGDALE SCHOOLS TO CELEBRATE SOME WONDERFUL TEACHERS AND SURPRISE A WONDERFUL STUDENT WITH A $2500 SCHOLARSHIP AT BLOOMINGDALE. SHE HAS A BEAUTIFUL STORY THAT WE'LL HIGHLIGHT DURING GRADUATION. AND WHILE AT ANDERSON I ENJOYED WATCHING MS. COVINGTON'S KINDERGARTEN CLASS PARTICIPATE IN A LESSON. THE STUDENTS WERE SO ENGAGED AND VERY EXCITED TO SHOW OFF THEIR READING SKILLS AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY LOVED TO READ. THAT IT WAS NOT WORK, THAT IT WAS FUN. I JUST WANT TO ASK JUST SINCE THE BLUEBIRD BUSES WERE BROUGHT UP AND LAUNCHING THAT. I KNOW THERE WAS A

155RECALL ON THE BLUEBIRD ELECTRIC BUSES BECAUSE OF THE SOFTWARE NOT DETECTING OR WARNING DRIVERS OF BRAKE ASSIST FAILURE, IT CAUSES A POTENTIAL LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. HOW IS THAT IF AT ALL GOING TO IMPACT US, MR. FARKAS? WE'RE CHECKING OUR VEHICLE NUMBERS. THEY DID COME FROM THE FACTORY THAT HAD THE RECALL. I CAN GIVE YOU A BETTER INDICATION ONCE WE CROSS REFERENCE THE NUMBERS WE SENT TO THEM TO SEE IF OURS ARE AFFECTED AND SEND THEM BACK, FIX IT, AND SEND BACK TO US. Stacy Hahn: I WOULD APPRECIATE AN UPDATE ON THAT SINCE WE SPLIT THE CONTRACT WHICH IS NOT NECESSARILY WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENT WANTED. I WOULD LIKE TO GET AN UPDATE ON HOW THE BLUEBIRD RECALLS ARE GOING TO AFFECT THAT. Christopher Farkas: YES, MA'AM. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, DR. HAHN. MEMBER

156COMBS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, CHAIR VAUGHN. LAST WEEK WAS PRINCIPAL APPRECIATION WEEK. SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE A BOARD MEMBER, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR PRINCIPALS. THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. WE WENT OUT TO SICKLES HIGH SCHOOL AND WE HAD THIS AMAZING LUNCH, THE CULINARY CREATED THAT AND WE SAT WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. IT'S BEEN GREAT VISITING SCHOOLS. THIS IS TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK. I THINK EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR SHOULD BE TEACHER APPRECIATION BECAUSE THEY ARE REALLY THE BACKBONE OF THE SOCIETY. AND I WAS TRYING TO LOOK FOR A GREAT QUOTE. ONE OF THE ONES I FOUND, TEACHERS ENCOURAGE MINDS TO THINK, HANDS TO CREATE AND HEARTS TO GROW. I REALLY THINK THAT IS SO TRUE BECAUSE OUR TEACHERS DO SO MUCH MORE THAN ACADEMIC. THEY REALLY BUILD THE PERSON. YOU SPEND SO MUCH TIME AT

157SCHOOL AND IT REALLY DOES BUILD A LOT OF CHARACTER. JUST THE OTHER DAY, THERE ARE STUDENTS WHO MAJORITY OF THEIR LIFE IS SPENT AT SCHOOL AND MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE THAT STABILITY AT HOME AND THEIR TEACHERS AND BUS DRIVERS MAKE SUCH A BIG IMPACT. MAY IS ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC HERITAGE MONTH. SO I WANTED TO SAY, LET'S THANK YOU, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, FOR RECOGNIZING THAT. ON SATURDAY, I WAS WITH ANN MING TRONG. I JUDGED THE MS. ASIA PACIFIC SCHOLARSHIP PAGEANT. REALLY AMAZING, ALONG WITH A COUNTY COMMISSIONER AS WELL AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. I'VE DONE THAT, THIS IS MY SECOND YEAR. THAT WAS REALLY EXCITING. JUST A GREAT, GREAT COMMUNITY. I REALLY LOVE TO BE AROUND THAT. THANK THEM FOR EVERYTHING WE DO. AND THEN, PABLO, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF GREAT EVENTS.

158MR. WASHINGTON AND I, WE WENT TO SEE THE WE SEE YOU, TONYA AND GEORGE KIMBELL, THEY DO SO MANY AMAZING THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY. THIS WAS SUCH A GREAT EVENT. AS YOU GRADUATE AND GO TO COLLEGE, A LOT OF THE STUDENTS ARE FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS. YOU FORGET LIKE THE DORM AND WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE DORMS, WHAT THEY DO, THEY FOUND 23 STUDENTS AND THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT CHILD'S WISH LIST WAS THERE. IF IT WAS AN iPAD OR FRIDGE OR JUST DORMITORY THINGS THAT COST HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS, SO THAT WAS SUCH A GREAT EVENT. CARROLLWOOD DAY SCHOOL. THERE WERE STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER OUR DISTRICT. QUITE A FEW MEN OF VISION THERE AND IT WAS JUST SUCH AN AMAZING EVENT. ALL THROUGH THE DISTRICT, PUBLIC SCHOOLS MOSTLY, BUT ALSO PRIVATE

159SCHOOLS AND SOME HOME SCHOOLS. THAT WAS REALLY AMAZING. I WANT TO THANK THEM. THEN ALSO THE SENIORS IN SERVICE. I VISITED THEM QUITE A BIT. THIS LAST TIME I WAS ABLE TO GO TO BEN HILL MIDDLE SCHOOL. JUST SO AMAZING. A GROUP OF MEN FROM THE JCC A FEW YEARS AGO STARTED GOING TO BEN HILL AND REALLY WORKING WITH THESE YOUNG MEN AND THEN A GROUP OF LADIES TOO THAT WORK WITH THE YOUNG LADIES TO REALLY TALK ABOUT HOW DO YOU MAKE GOOD DECISIONS? INDIVIDUALS WHO MAYBE NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE SUPPORT. IT'S SUCH A WIN-WIN BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE THE STUDENTS BENEFITING BUT ALSO TALKING TO SOME OF THE SENIORS, HOW MUCH IT'S GIVING THEM PURPOSE AND MEANING IN THEIR LIFE TO CONNECT WITH THESE YOUNG PEOPLE. SO I THINK THAT'S JUST AMAZING. I

160JUST WANT TO THANK, THAT'S SUCH A GREAT PROGRAM, SENIORS IN SERVICE. THEY DO SO MUCH FOR OUR DISTRICT AND I WANT TO THANK THEM. I KNOW THEY HAVE BEEN A PARTNER FOR A VERY LONG TIME. FINALLY, GRADUATION SEASON IS UPON US. PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK ME, ARE YOU WORN OUT? NO, SO EXCITED WITH GRADUATION. THE DRIVE THERE IS TOUGH, BECAUSE I LIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN, BUT IT IS SUCH AN EXCITING TIME TO SEE OUR SENIORS. WE WERE I'M OUT IN MY COMMUNITY, ARE YOU A SENIOR, WHAT IS YOUR NAME? I LOVE TO SEE KIDS I CAN CONNECT WITH. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE SENIORS. AND THANK YOU TO THE PARENTS, THE TEACHERS, THE COMMUNITY WHO HAS REALLY HELPED EACH AND EVERY CHILD. I KNOW THE OTHER DAY I WAS AT A SCHOOL AND EVERY

161SINGLE PRINCIPAL IS WORKING SO HARD TO GET THAT CHILD ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. IF IT'S A BENCHMARK OR A GPA ISSUE OR WHATEVER IT IS, EVERYBODY IS WORKING SO HARD FOR STUDENTS TO GET THAT FULL HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I HOPE EVERYBODY ENJOYS -- I GUESS WE WON'T SEE YOU FOR A FEW WEEKS. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER WASHINGTON. Henry "Shake" Washington: AGAIN, EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHERS. TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR STUDENTS BECAUSE YOU ARE AT THE FRONT LINE ALL THE TIME. PABLO, YOU WANT TO START. WE HAD THE ANNUAL HEALTH FAIR AT SLIGH MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT WAS PHENOMENAL. AS I LOOKED AROUND, I SAID, YOU KNOW, I MIGHT HAVE SOME PROBLEMS WITH MENTAL HEALTH. SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, MR. WASHINGTON, YOU

162MAY NEED TO GO TO A DOCTOR. I SAID YOU MIGHT BE RIGHT. SHE IS VERY SMART. HER NAME IS -- SHE IS A 7th GRADER. THE NATIONAL GUARD GUY, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT DRUGS AND SO FORTH. ONE OF MY FORMER SOLDIERS THERE. THEN MAY 1st, LYNN AND I WENT TO, WE WENT TO FRANKLIN. FRANKLIN BOARD PREPARATORY SCHOOL, AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME THERE. I CAN GO ON THAT AND GO BACK. WE HAD A GREAT TIME ON MAY THE 4th. NADIA, THANK YOU FOR COMING. YOU CAN SEE THOSE GIFTS, MY WIFE AND I, WE DONATE EACH YEAR TO A STUDENT. THIS YEAR, OUR STUDENT WAS SHAVON, A STUDENT AT JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL. HE'S GOING TO FAMU, FLORIDA A AND M. WE GAVE HIM GIFTS. IT'S JUST AMAZING. BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE KIDS IS VERY UNDERSERVED.

163THEY ARE UNDERSERVED STUDENTS. MY WIFE AND I, GOD BLESS US, WE TRY TO HELP STUDENTS AS MUCH AS WE CAN. WE GIVE AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO STUDENTS BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS WHEN WE WERE BEING REARED UP. THIS YOUNG MAN, I'M QUITE SURE HE'S GOING TO HAVE A GREAT FUTURE IN LIFE. HE IS A HARD WORKER. VERY DEDICATED, IN FACT, HE HAD A 5.0 GPA. UNWEIGHTED. I WAS SO ELATED ABOUT HIM BECAUSE DIFFERENT. FROM ALL THE YEARS THAT MY WIFE AND I HAVE DONE THINGS, DIFFERENT WORKING WITH THIS YOUNG MAN. HE WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE. GUIDANCE COUNSELORS, I REALLY APPRECIATE THEM BRINGING HIM BECAUSE HE DIDN'T HAVE A RIDE OR NONE OF HIS FAMILY SHOWED UP. THAT'S KIND OF BAD, BUT WE MADE IT ANYWAY BECAUSE WE GAVE HIM WHAT HE WANTED

164AND MORE. WE GAVE HIM EXTRA. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE. OH, PRINCIPALS. THANK YOU, PRINCIPALS, FOR ALWAYS DOING A GREAT JOB. YOUR JOB IS VERY HARD. THAT IS THE JOB VERY FEW PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE TO PRAISE YOU ABOUT, BUT BEING A PRINCIPAL IS A VERY DIFFICULT JOB. TEACHERS, I LOVE YA. KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, WE'LL BE AT THE TOP. APPRECIATE YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: SHOUT-OUT TO A FEW OF OUR SPORTS TEAMS CURRENTLY MOVING THEIR WAY TOWARD THE STATE FINALS. WE HAVE BASEBALL TEAMS FROM BLOOMINGDALE, ALONSO, SICKLES AND WHARTON. THEY ARE MOVING INTO THE SEMIFINALS AND THEY ARE PLAYING TOMORROW NIGHT. LET'S KEEP AN EYE ON THEM AS THEIR ROAD TO FORT MYERS AND THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. OUR GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL TEAMS, ROBINSON, ALONSO,

165EAST BAY, ALL MOVING INTO THE STATE SEMIFINALS THIS WEEKEND FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES. SOFTBALL, WE'VE GOT BLOOMINGDALE, DURANT, STEINBRENNER, PLANT, NEWSOME, ALL MOVING INTO THE REGIONAL QUARTER FINALS. THE NEXT WEEK WE COULD HAVE STATE CHAMPIONS, PRETTY EXCITING. I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK THE BRANDON CHAMBER FOR HOLDING THE EDUCATIONAL FORUM. IT'S VERY INFORMING TO MAKE SURE OUR COMMUNITY KNOWS WHAT WE'RE DOING IN EDUCATION AROUND THE COMMUNITY. I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THAT. I WANT TO THANK CONGRESS WOMAN LAURA LEE FOR BRINGING GOOGLE TO MARSHAL MIDDLE SCHOOL WHERE SHE -- WHERE GOOGLE GAVE A FULL PRESENTATION ON ONLINE SAFETY FOR CHILDREN. SO THAT WAS A HUGE EVENT. I ALSO WANT TO THANK SEVENTH CYCLE THAT CAME OUT TO YATES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT WE WERE ABLE TO COLLECT NEW AND USED GOODS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE

166TO -- THEY RESELL THEM FOR THE NONPROFITS, BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY. CURRENTLY WORKING ON A CLEAN WATER PROJECT FOR SOME OF OUR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. I WANT TO SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR SPECIAL OLYMPICS FOR OUR ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT FOR MAKING SURE WE ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF OUR SPECIAL OLYMPIANS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND THE AWARD CEREMONY. SHOUT-OUT TO LATINOS IN ACTION. WONDERFUL EVENT AT USF THAT CONTINUES TO SHOW THE HIGHLIGHT OF SO MANY DIFFERENT CULTURES IN OUR COMMUNITY. SHOUT-OUT TO CONGRESSMAN VERN BUCHANAN AND HIS EDUCATIONAL AWARDS. WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE -- SORRY, HE WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE AWARDS TO THE PRINCIPAL, THE HEAD CUSTODIAN AND THE HEAD FOOD SERVICE WORKER IN ORDER FOR ANYONE THAT WAS IN ONE OF OUR SHELTERS IN HIS AREA. RIVERVIEW -- SORRY, REDDICK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, COLLINS K-8, RIVERVIEW, MULRENNAN. SO

167THEY WERE ABLE TO BE HONORED. ALSO, ABLE TO HONOR AP AND PRINCIPAL AS WELL AS SEVERAL TEACHERS THROUGHOUT OUR DISTRICT. WE WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT-OUT TO THAT. BEFORE I CONCLUDE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE AS BOARD MEMBERS CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE BENEFITS TO OUR STAFF AND MAKING SURE THAT IS A PRIORITY, AS WE CELEBRATE OUR TEACHERS, AS WE CELEBRATE OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND CELEBRATE ALL OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS THROUGHOUT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE AS WE MOVE LOOKING AT BENEFITS FOR OUR STAFF. I KNOW THAT WHEN WE MET IN THE FALL AND TALKED ABOUT SELF-INSURANCE, THE BOARD MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT WE WANT TO LOOK AND ENGAGE INTO WHAT SELF-INSURANCE MEANS AND WHAT THOSE OPTIONS ARE FOR OUR STAFF. I WANT TO MAKE SURE

168THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO BRING SOMETHING TO THIS BOARD, THAT IT WILL BE A BENEFIT TO NOT ONLY THE DISTRICT BUT TO THE STAFFS IN GENERAL. WHAT I'M SEEING IS A NEGATIVE IMPACT TO BOTH THE STAFF AND THE DISTRICT, IF IT'S GOING TO BE A NEGATIVE BALANCE AND WE'LL HAVE TO COST MORE MONEY. IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY MORE MONEY, THEN WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE INVESTIGATED ALL OPTIONS AND WHAT SELF-INSURANCE LOOKS LIKE. SO I EXPECT OUR DISTRICT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO BRING ALL OPTIONS TO THE TABLE SO THIS BOARD CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION AND MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING THE BEST FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND IN NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM IF WE ARE LOSING THE MONEY, DOING THE BEST

169THING FOR OUR BOARD AND OUR STAFF. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE GO OUT FOR BID, THAT WE GO OUT FOR PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO AN OVERALL VIEW OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FROM A VARIETY OF COMPANIES AND THEY CAN CREATE PACKAGES THAT WILL MAKE SURE THAT MEET THE SATISFACTION OF OUR EMPLOYEES TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN STILL USE THEIR VENDORS, THEY CAN STILL GO TO THEIR DOCTORS, BUT WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF US BEFORE A DECISION IS MADE, THAT WE ARE FULLY INFORMED OF THE OPTIONS IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE OWE IT TO OUR EMPLOYEES. WE OWE IT TO OUR DISTRICT AND WE OWE IT TO OUR TAXPAYERS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING THE BEST THING FOR OUR COUNTY. I SAID IT EARLIER TONIGHT. I THINK WE NEED TO ALWAYS

170MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND OUR CHILDREN IN THIS COMMUNITY ARE 25% OF OUR POPULATION BUT THEY ARE 100% OF OUR FUTURE AND IT IS OUR TEACHERS AND IT'S OUR ADMINISTRATORS THAT ARE ALLOWING THEM TO HAVE THE BRIGHTEST FUTURE THEY CAN HAVE. THEY DESERVE US TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PROVIDING EVERY GOOD OPPORTUNITY AND WE MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS EVERY DAY. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. JUST A FEW MINUTES, I NEED TO GET ON MY PICTURE GAME. EVERYBODY HAD PICTURES TONIGHT EXCEPT FOR ME. TO SPEAK TO THE ELECTRIC BUSES, MEMBER GRAY AND I ATTENDED THE KICKOFF AND GOT TO SEE THE ELECTRIC BUSES IN ACTION, WHICH WAS VERY INTERESTING. AS I MENTIONED TO MR. FARKAS, I WISH WE COULD HAVE HAD THE BUSES WHEN TRYING TO MAKE THE DECISION BECAUSE SEEING

171THEM IN PERSON AND ALL THE LITTLE DETAILS REALLY HELPS SET APART THE DIFFERENT BUSES. I GOT TO RIDE IN THAT LITTLE GOLF CART THAT WE MADE INTO AN ELECTRIC BUS. THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING. THEY LET ME DRIVE THAT. ANYONE WHO HAS SEEN ME PARK KNOWS THAT WAS A BRAVE MOVE BUT I DID JUST GREAT. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT. I ALSO WANT TO REITERATE THAT WAS A GRANT, WASN'T SOMETHING OUT OF GENERAL FUNDS. I'VE SEEN COMMENTS ON SOME OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND PEOPLE ARE MISINFORMED ABOUT THAT. IF WE CAN OFFER ANY CLARITY AROUND THAT. I NEVER KNEW ELECTRIC BUSES WAS SO CONTROVERSIAL FOR PEOPLE. MOVING ON, HAD A GREAT TIME AT THE ELECTRIC -- ELECTRIC -- ELEMENTARY MUSIC AWARDS BANQUET. THEY PUT ON A FANTASTIC EVENT. DR. HAHN, IT WAS NICE

172TO SEE YOU, MEMBER RENDON -- WE MISSED YOU. WE MISSED YOU. WE JUST HAD A GREAT TIME. IT'S ALWAYS A LOT OF FUN, AND TO SEE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS AND HOW MUCH THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT REALLY HELPS KIND OF CEMENT ALL THE ACADEMIC PIECES, THE CREATIVE AND THE ART AND THE MUSIC IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE ACADEMIC JOURNEY, WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE ORCHESTRA QUESTION. A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA BEING REMOVED FROM THEIR SCHOOL. UNFORTUNATELY, I SEE THAT HAPPENING IN QUITE A LOT OF SCHOOLS. I HAVE A HARD TIME BELIEVING LIKE OUR STUDENTS AREN'T INTERESTED IN ORCHESTRA. I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW WE'RE GOING ABOUT GETTING A GOOD IDEA AND KIND OF POOLING WHETHER THERE IS ENOUGH INTEREST. I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN SEND A SURVEY OUT OR

173WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE TO PARENTS. I'M SEEING ORCHESTRA CLASSES ACROSS THE DISTRICT BEING SLASHED. I THINK THAT IS A HUGE DISSERVICE AND A REAL PROBLEM. I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S REALLY APPLICABLE TO STUDENTS' INTERESTS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO GAUGE THE TEMPERATURE OF THAT BUT I WOULD LIKE TO DIG IN FURTHER INTO THAT. ALSO, IT WAS GREAT TO GO TO THE CHAMBERLAIN TODAY WHEN WE WENT TO HONOR ALL -- NOT ALL OF THEM BUT THE FOUR EXCEPTIONAL SENIORS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HONOR WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GRADUATION. ALEXA'S STORY WAS SO MOVING AND SO BEAUTIFUL, TO SEE SO MANY OF OUR SENIORS OVERCOME SUCH CHALLENGES AND JUST REALLY THRIVE AND THANK YOU TO FLORIDA PREPAID FOR GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY AND GIVING OUT THE TEACHER APPRECIATION. HAPPY TEACHERS APPRECIATION WEEK. THANK YOU,

174MEMBER COMBS, FOR ALSO TALKING ABOUT PRINCIPALS APPRECIATION WEEK. AND TO ALL OF THE MEMBERS WHO WORK IN OUR SCHOOLS. AS YOU MENTIONED, WHETHER BUS DRIVERS, CAFETERIA WORKERS, I CALL EVERYONE WHO WORKS IN OUR SCHOOL EDUCATORS. SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR EDUCATORS. I HOPE YOU FEEL CELEBRATED NOT JUST BY US BY OUR BOARD COMMENTS BUT BY OUR COMMUNITIES. I HOPE YOU'RE GETTING NICE NOTES OR LITTLE GIFTS OR AT LEAST A NICE MEAL THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. ALSO, I DID WANT TO ASK ABOUT THE KICs PROGRAM. SEND US A FOLLOW-UP E-MAIL. WE DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT NOW. I WANTED TO SAY I HADN'T HEARD ABOUT THAT AND I THINK THAT GOES ONLINE OF GETTING AHEAD OF SOME OF THESE THINGS. ANY INFORMATION ON THAT I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE. WITH THAT, SEEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS

175-- OH, OKAY. MR. WASHINGTON WANTED TO SAY WELCOME MS. WATKINS TO YOUR FIRST MEETING. YOU SURVIVED THE FIRST MEETING. WELCOME AND THANK YOU. YOU HAVE BIG SHOES TO FILL, AS WE SAID. WITH THAT, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.