04/22/2025 - Regular Meeting

001Jessica Vaughn: I'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 SEVENTH LARGEST IN AMERICA AND OUR TEAM IS MADE UP OF 24,000 PEOPLE WORKING AT CLOSE TO 250 SITES ACROSS THE COUNTY. (SPEAKING NON-ENGLISH) OUR DISTRICT IS DIVERSE AND DEDICATED. OUR BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD IN OUR BOARD AUDITORIUM ON SELECT TUESDAYS AT 4:00 P.M. THE BEST WAY TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY IS TO INVOLVE YOU, THE PUBLIC, IN WHAT WE DO. Henry "Shake" Washington: YOU ARE WELCOME TO MEET OR E-MAIL ANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND FOLLOW OUR DISTRICT

002ON SOCIAL MEDIA. SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS ARE COVERED LIVE BY HILLSBOROUGHSCHOOLS 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'RE 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 LIVE 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. (SOUNDING GAVEL) Jessica Vaughn: THE BOARD MEETING OF AUGUST 22,

0032025, IS CALLED TO ORDER. MEMBER PEREZ WILL NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF REFLECTION FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I WANT TO START WITH A QUOTE FROM POPE FRANCIS. MAY HE ALWAYS REST IN PEACE. "OUR TIME HAS A GREAT NEED FOR HOPE. THE YOUNG CAN NO LONGER BE ROBBED OF HOPE." I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT OF REFLECTION FOR THE TRAGEDY THAT HAPPENED ON THE FSU CAMPUS THIS LAST WEEK. THE SHOOTING HITS CLOSE TO HOME FOR SO MANY OF US. WE ALL KNOW STUDENTS ON THAT CAMPUS. AND WE SHARED IN THE FEAR AND PANIC THEIR FAMILIES FELT AS THEY WAITED FOR WORD. OUR HEARTS ARE WITH THE VICTIMS OF THE SHOOTING AND NOT JUST THOSE WHOSE LIVES WERE TAKEN, BUT ALSO THE STUDENTS WHO WITNESSED THE TERROR AND

004THOSE WHO WERE PLACED IN LOCKDOWN FOR HOURS. OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH THE FAMILIES OF THOSE STUDENTS WHO HAD TO DEAL WITH THE MENTAL ANGUISH OF NOT KNOWING IF YOUR CHILDREN WERE OKAY. PLEASE, LET'S TAKE A MOMENT TO HONOR EVERYONE AFFECTED BY THIS TRAGEDY. NOW PLEASE STAND WITH ME FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. (PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE) Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU SO MUCH, VICE CHAIR PEREZ. WILL YOU PLEASE NOW ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STUDENT ENTERTAINMENT. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'D LIKE TO THANK THE TURNER BARTELS K-8 HANDBELLS CHOIR ALONG WITH ROBERT BUGGS AND DIRECTOR -- THANK YOU. 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. MY NAME IS LAYLA. I'M A FOURTH GRADER AT TURNER BARTELS K-8.

005MY NAME IS LOGAN CAREROS AND I'M AT TBK8 AND A FOURTH GRADER. MY NAME IS ARI AND TURNER BARTELS FOURTH GRADER. ALLEN GOUT AND I'M A SIXTH GRADE ALUMNI ASSISTANT AT TURNER BARTELS. LIAM AND I'M A SIXTH GRADE ALUMNI ASSISTANT AT TURNER BARTELS. MONET JOHNSON AND I'M A FIFTH GRADER. HARLEY SMILING AND I'M A FIFTH GRADER. MY NAME IS LACY THOMPSON AND I'M A FOURTH GRADER. I'M A FIFTH GRADER AT TURNER BARTELS. ERIC AND I'M A FOURTH GRADER AT TURNER BARTELS. LEGEND AND I'M A FIFTH GRADER. MY NAME IS LOGAN AND I'M A FIFTH GRADER. MY NAME IS MIRA AND I'M A SEVEN GRADER AND I'M THE ALUMNI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MENTOR. MY NAME IS ABIGAIL. I'M A SEVENTH GRADER. I'M AN ALUMNI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MENTOR. AND I'M REBECCA TRANKNOR. I GET TO BE THEIR TEACHER

006AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF BANGLE RINGERS. SOMETIMES. MOST OF THE TIME, IT'S THEM. Jessica Vaughn: PARENTS, IF YOU WANT TO COME UP AND TAKE A PICTURE, YOU CAN FOR A MOMENT. Jessica Vaughn: FANTASTIC JOB. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. BYE. (LAUGHTER) ALL RIGHT. BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE ONE WITHDRAWN ITEM TODAY. 7.19, PROPOSED BELL SCHEDULES FOR THE 25-26 SCHOOL YEAR. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER PEREZ. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH MEMBER HAHN NOT BEING PRESENT. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MEMBER HAHN. WE HAVE TWO SETS OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY. APRIL 8, 2025, SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.

007APRIL 15, 2025, SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNITION MEETING. I NEED A MOTION AND 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. MEMBER GRAY? AND THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLYLY WITH ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS BEING PRESENT EXCEPT FOR DR. HAHN. BOARD MEMBERS, I'D LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TODAY'S MEETING. AS A REMINDER WE ARE A NON-PARTISAN BOARD WHO BELIEVE ALL CHILDREN CAN BE EMPOWERED TO LEARN TO SUCCEED AND OUR DECISIONS WILL BE MADE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING. TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE AGENDA STATEMENTS, AND ANY QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARD THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS YOU'RE ASKED TO GET BACK

008IN THE QUEUE. MEMBER PEREZ WILL NOW READ OUR BOARD GUIDELINES. Karen Perez: 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 THE LIVE WEBCAST, ON CABLE TV, AND ON VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM. IT CAN ALSO BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVE. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. WE HAVE ONE ITEM SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN. THAT'S AT 6:00 P.M. WE TAKE EMPLOYEE COMMENT AND INPUT. NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR RECOGNITIONS. A101, RECOGNITION OF THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING. AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO CALL ANN MARIE COURTNEY,

009DIRECTOR OF PARTNER ENGAGEMENT AND PHILANTHROPY AND OUTREACH. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT, CABINET MEMBERS, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO RECOGNIZE OUR PARTNER, THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING AND LIGHTNING FOUNDATION. NOT FOR WHAT THE IMPACT THEY'VE HAD WITH OUR STUDENTS, ALTHOUGH THEY DEFINITELY HAVE HAD THAT. NOT FOR THEIR VOLUNTEERISM, IN CLASSROOMS AND AROUND SCHOOL CAMPUSES, ALTHOUGH THEY DO THAT TOO. TODAY WE RECOGNIZE THE SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT THAT THEY PROVIDED TO OUR EMPLOYEES AND SCHOOLS DURING A VERY UNSETTLING TIME WHEN WE WERE FACED WITH BACK TO BACK HURRICANES THIS PAST FALL. THE FAMILY THROUGH THE LIGHTNING FOUNDATION PROVIDED A GENEROUS DONATION OF $560,000 IN FINANCIAL HURRICANE RELIEF TO OUR EMPLOYEES. THIS FUNDING PROVIDED 112 EMPLOYEES WITH $5,000 EACH. THESE EMPLOYEES EXPERIENCED THE MOST SEVERE DAMAGE TO THEIR HOMES, PERSONAL PROPERTY, AND VEHICLES. BUT WAIT. THERE'S MORE. THE GENEROSITY OF THE

010FOUNDATION CONTINUED IN JANUARY WHEN THEY PROVIDED AN ADDITIONAL $250,000 FOR CONTINUED HURRICANE RELIEF TO OUR SCHOOLS. MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS NEEDED TO SERVE AS SHELTERS TO OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH TWO HURRICANES WHICH MEANT OUR SCHOOLS' CUSTODIAL SUPPLIES WERE UTILIZED FOR COMMUNITY GUESTS. FUNDS TOTALING $233,000 ARE REPLENISHING THOSE SUPPLIES AT OUR SCHOOLS WHICH WERE DESIGNATED AS SHELTERS. IN ADDITION, $17,000 IN FUNDING HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO SEVEN OF OUR HARDEST HIT SCHOOLS FOR NEEDS ASSOCIATED WITH LOSS OR DAMAGE FROM THE HURRICANES THEMSELVES OR POST-STORM CLEANUP RECOVERY CHALLENGES. IN LIFE, WHEN SOMETHING OF VALUE IS MEASURED, WE OFTEN SAY IT MEETS A GOLD STANDARD. OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING AND LIGHTNING FOUNDATION TRULY MEETS A GOLD STANDARD. AND WE TREASURE IT GREATLY. THIS AFTERNOON, WE PRESENT THE GOLDEN APPLE RECOGNITION AWARD IN APPRECIATION OF THE SIGNIFICANT ACTIONS

011TOWARDS HURRICANE RELIEF TAKEN BY THE LIGHTNING TO SUPPORT HCPS EMPLOYEES AND SCHOOLS THIS YEAR. PLEASE WELCOME TO THE PODIUM ELIZABETH FRASIER, VP OF PHILANTHROPY AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS FOR THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING. THANK YOU, ANN MARIE FOR THOSE VERY KIND WORDS AND INTRODUCTION. I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE TWO COLLEAGUES WHO HELP WITH THE TAMPA BAY STRONG INITIATIVE. KATIE AND KATHERINE. THEY WERE A KEY PART OF THE WORK SO THANK YOU. AS YOU MAY KNOW, WE EMBARK ON A PLAYOFF RUN THIS EVENING AT 8:30 AGAINST THE FLORIDA PANTHERS. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL DRESSED IN BLUE. BUT REALLY WE USE THE GREAT SPORT OF HOCKEY TO DO GREAT THINGS ON THE ICE AND JUST AS IMPORTANTLY FOR US AND PART OF THE CORE VALUES IS TO DO GREAT THINGS OFF THE ICE. IT WAS TRULY OUR HONOR TO

012HELP YOUR EDUCATING OUR NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS FOR WHICH WE'RE IMMENSELY GRATEFUL. ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP YOUR ROLE AND POSITION AND THOSE WITH THE KIDS, HELP THEM, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. IT WAS TRULY OUR HONOR TO MAKE THE DONATIONS AND OUR OWNERSHIP GROUP STEPPED UP. MR. VINNICK DONATED $2 MILLION TO FIRST RESPONDERS AND TEACHERS THAT LOST THEIR HOMES AND THEN WE ANNOUNCED AN EXPANSION OF THE GROUP AND THEY DONATED ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS FOR HURRICANE RELIEF AND WE FUNDRAISED ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS WE WERE ABLE TO DONATE. WE ALL THOUGHT THESE STORMS FELT DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW SOMEBODY THAT WAS IMPACTED AND TO HELP THOSE SUFFERING AND IN NEED WAS TRULY OUR HONOR AND GRATEFUL FOR OUR OWNERSHIP AND OUR EMPLOYEES FOR WHAT WE DO TO HELP AND HELP OUR

013KIDS IN EVERYTHING WE CAN DO. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. WE VALUE AND APPRECIATE YOUR PARTNERSHIP SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO A02, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS 2025 HIGH SCHOOL VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES AND WINNERS OF THE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL FUTURE VOTER ART CONTEST. AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO CALL UP MARIE ROGERS, SUPERINTENDENT OF K-5 SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION AND DR. MARTHA FORD, SUPERVISOR OF K-8 SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION. GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE BOARD MEMBERS, BOARD CHAIR VAUGHN AND SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. IT IS MY PLEASURE -- IT'S OUR PLEASURE. OUR PLEASURE. TO INTRODUCE MR. CRAIG LATTERMORE, SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, DISTINGUISHED BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT AND OF COURSE THE ALSO DISTINGUISHED

014GENERAL COUNCIL. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE EVENTS AND I THINK Y'ALL KNOW THAT. WE HAD A LONG PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND I'M VERY PROUD OF IT. I CAN JUST TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DID THIS TIME IS WE HAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL DESIGNING A NEW FUTURE VOTER STICKER THAT WE PASS OUT AT EVENTS AND ALSO PASSED OUT TO CHILDREN THAT COME WITH THEIR PARENTS TO VOTE, TO TRY AND ENGAGE THEM. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE'RE TRYING TO CIVICLY ENGAGE THESE STUDENTS TOO. THE OTHER BIG THING WE DO IS REGISTER AND PRE-REGISTER STUDENTS FOR VOTING. IN FLORIDA, YOU CAN REREGISTER AT 16 YEARS OLD. WE'RE IN ALL THE HIGH SCHOOLS AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR, AND I'M PROUD TO TELL YOU

015SINCE I TOOK OFFICE IN 2013, WE HAVE REGISTERED OVER 38,000 STUDENTS, WHICH I THINK IS A GREAT MILESTONE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO START PEOPLE AT A YOUNG AGE AND THAT'S THE KEY TO IT. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PEOPLE THAT WERE JUST UP HERE, KELLY BRENNAN AND LAURA HOBBY VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US GET INTO THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS AND ARRANGING AND MAKING SURE WE HAD ACCESS AND WHAT WE COULD DO. THEY ALSO WORK -- OUR STAFF WORKED HARD WITH THE ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY STAFF I HAVE HERE WITH ME TODAY TOO. LET'S GET TO HAD AWARDS. I WANT TO START WITH THE VOTER REGISTRATION CHAMPIONS FIRST. WE'RE RECOGNIZING FIVE HIGH SCHOOLS. AT EACH SCHOOLS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO REGISTERED TO VOTE DURING THE VOTER

016REGISTRATION DRIVES EXCEEDED 200 STUDENTS OR MORE THAN 33% OF THE SENIOR CLASS. WHEN I CALL YOUR SCHOOL, IF YOU COULD HAVE REPRESENTATIVE COME UP, I'D APPRECIATE IT. ONE OF OUR FIRST CHAMPIONS IS EAST BAY HIGH SCHOOL. GAITHER HIGH SCHOOL. NEWSOME. DURANT HIGH SCHOOL. AND FINALLY, WE'VE NAMED A GRAND CHAMPION BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO REGISTERED TO VOTE AT THIS SCHOOL WAS THE HIGHEST AS A PERCENTAGE OF THEIR VERY LARGE SENIOR CLASS, 37% OF THEIR SENIOR CLASS. THEY ALSO HAD THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF STUDENTS REGISTERED OVERALL WITH 326 STUDENTS AND THAT WOULD BE SUMNER HIGH SCHOOL. BUT LET'S MOVE ON TO SOME MORE EXCITEMENT HERE. THE FUTURE VOTER STICKER FOR THE VOTE HILLSBOROUGH ART CONTEST. THIS YEAR AS I MENTIONED WE HAD ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL TO DESIGN THE STICKERS AND WE RECEIVED MORE THAN

017130 ENTRIES. THIS IS HUGE. EVERY YEAR IT SEEMS WE GET MORE AND MORE WHICH IS GREAT. WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE THE TOP THREE WINNERS IN BOTH AGE GROUPS THIS AFTERNOON, AND WE'LL BE USING THIS ART IN OUR VOTER EDUCATION EFFORTS AND WE'VE MADE THE TWO FIRST PLACE DESIGNS INTO STICKERS THAT WE'LL BE HANDING OUT AS I MENTIONED EARLIER. 130 OF THESE ENTRIES, AND WE WORKED WITH OUR SPONSORS AND OUR STAFF TO BE ABLE TO PICK THE WINNER. YOU KNOW HOW WE DID IT? WE VOTED ON IT. SO BEFORE I CALL THE STUDENTS, I WANT TO THANK THE SPONSORS FOR THIS CONTEST. ZOO TAMPA, THE FLORIDA AQUARIUM AND GLASER CHILDREN'S MUSEUM. THEY'VE BEEN WONDERFUL PARTNERS NOT ONLY THIS YEAR BUT PAST YEARS AND THEY HAVE VERY EXCITING PRIZES FOR OUR FINALISTS. HERE WITH US TODAY IS

018SARAH COLE FROM GLASER'S CHILDREN MUSIC, ANTONIO FROM THE FLORIDA AQUARIUM, MARK HANEY FROM ZOO TAMPA WASN'T ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY. I'D LIKE THEM TO COME UP AND BRIEFLY TELL THE KIDS WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE GETTING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M SARAH COLE FROM THE GLASER CHILDREN'S MUSEUM. WE'RE SO EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS AMAZING EFFORT, CREATIVITY AND HELPING KIDS LEARN TO CARE ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY AND BECOME GREAT CITIZENS EARLY. WE THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT. ALL OUR WINNERS TODAY ARE GOING TO GET FOUR TICKETS SO THEY CAN BRING THEIR FAMILY TO THE MUSEUM AND COME HAVE A GREAT PLAYFUL DAY TOGETHER. HI. I'M FROM THE FLORIDA AQUARIUM. WE'RE VERY EXCITED. EVERY TIME CRAIG CALLS WE'RE EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS AND COLLABORATE TOGETHER ON THIS EXCITING RIGHT OF BEING AN AMERICAN

019THAT YOU GET TO DO THIS AND CONNECT SO EARLY IN LIFE. WE'RE ALSO PROUD -- I THINK WE MIGHT BE ONE OF THE ONLY AQUARIUMS IN THE COUNTRY THAT'S ACTUALLY A POLLING PLACE AS WELL. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT TOO AND PARTNER WITH CRAIG ON THAT AS WELL. SO EVERY -- WE WANT THE FAMILY TO ENJOY THIS BECAUSE OF THE GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT OF ALL THE WINNERS. WE'RE GOING TO GIVE EIGHT TICKETS TO EACH WINNER SO THEY CAN COME TO THE FLORIDA AQUARIUM. SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS CALL UP THE WINNERS NOW. I'M GOING TO APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR ANY MISPRONOUNCED NAMES. SAHANA FROM PRIDE ELEMENTARY. IAN FROM CHILES ELEMENTARY. GABRIEL FROM LOWRY ELEMENTARY. Jessica Vaughn: DO WE WANT TO TAKE A PICTURE? OKAY. NOW A MIDDLE SCHOOL FINALIST. GABRIELLA FROM RANDALL MIDDLE,

020THIRD PLACE. SECOND PLACE, MAHI FROM LIBERTY. AND FIRST PLACE, LAUREN FROM RANDALL MIDDLE. Jessica Vaughn: CAN WE SEE IT TOO? OH, I LOVE THAT! Jessica Vaughn: GREAT JOB! LOVE THOSE! THAT'S THE END OF OUR PRESENTATION. I'D ASK THE WINNERS TOO IF YOU COULD MEET US OUT FRONT SO WE CAN TAKE SOME MORE PICTURES AND MAKE SURE YOU GET EVERYTHING FROM THE SPONSORS TOO. ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE ACCESS THAT WE'RE ALLOWED AND TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS, SO IT'S JUST A PLEASURE AND I'M PROUD TO CONTINUE TO DO IT. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. WE LOVE -- I LOVE THOSE STICKERS. EVERY YEAR MY SON GETS ONE AND HE WEARS IT PROUDLY. THEY LOOK GREAT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND ALL THAT YOU DO. I'M

021GOING TO GIVE A MOMENT FOR ANYONE WHO IS HERE FOR THE RECOGNITIONS TO EXIT THE BOARD ROOM IF YOU NEED TO AND TAKE PICTURES BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL RIGHT. THE BOARD WELCOMES PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS IS AND VALUES YOUR INPUT TO THE BOARD. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSES TO YOUR COMMENTS, OUR STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND KEEP OUR BOARD MEMBERS INFORMED ABOUT THE RESPONSES. OUR SCHOOL BOARD RESPECTS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME TO BE HERE. HOWEVER, IT'S REQUESTED THAT WHEN YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD, COMMENTS ARE NOT DIRECTED PERSONALLY AGAINST A BOARD MEMBER OR STAFF MEMBER BUT RATHER DIRECTED AT THE ISSUES. ANY BEHAVIOR INTENDED TO INTERRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED.

022OUR 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 RED LIGHT AND CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I'LL CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS. MARK KLUTHO LARGO. THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT SAID YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT CIVILITY RULE. ARE YOU LISTENING? YOU PEOPLE ARE STUPID. HERE IS THE HEADLINE. CHILD LABOR PROTECTIONS COULD SOON BE ROLLED BACK IN FLORIDA. DEFURE SAID A YOUNGER WORKFORCE COULD BE PART OF THE SOLUTION TO REPLACE DIRT CHEAP MIGRANT LABOR BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL CRIMINALS. AND HERE IS WHAT IT SAYS. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT WHEN ADOLESCENTS WORK MORE THAN

02320 HOURS A WEEK, THEY'RE AT A GREATER RISK OF DROPPING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL OR HAVING A POOR PERFORMANCE IN SCHOOL. EVEN IF TEENAGERS -- A TEENAGER ISN'T WORKING IN A HAZARDOUS JOB, WORKING LONGER HOURS PUTS THEM MORE AT RISK OF ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT YOUR GOVERNOR DEFURE AND THE REPUBLICANS WILL BRING. A WORKFORCE, YOU KNOW, OF YOUNGSTERS IN THE MINES. THE GILDED AGE ON STEROIDS. AND SEE HERE? THIS IS WHAT YOUR BUILDINGS SHOULD LOOK LIKE. NONE OF THE OTHER COLORS THAT YOU THINK YOU SHOULD DO, YOU KNOW? NONE OF THAT FARM BEFORE FUNCTION. SEE, THIS IS AN ARTICLE ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY. YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHAT SUS SINABILITY -- SUSTAINABILITY IS. NOT. YEAH. HERE IS THIS APPOINTMENT OF ADDITIONAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND DESIGN PROPORTIONAL FIRMS FOR CONTINUING SERVICE CONTRACTS. WELL, SEE IT'S MORE

024OF THE SAME BULL. MORE OF THE SAME THAT GIVES US THIS. THE DIE-OFF. THE MANATEES DEAD. AND THE HURRICANES BLOWING. GLACIERS ARE MELTING FASTER THAN EVER. THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING. WHAT A LEGACY. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. HI, GUYS. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS AMANDA CRANE AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF MY WONDERFUL STUDENTS AT YORK INNOVATION ACADEMY. WE'RE JUST HERE TO KIND OF RAISE SOME AWARENESS FOR STEM SCHOOLS IN OUR AREA. AND I WOULD LOVE IT FOR -- I WANTED MY STUDENTS TO SPEAK TONIGHT BUT SADLY WE HAVE ONE THAT WAS SUPER SICK, SO I'M GOING TO READ WHAT SHE WROTE, SO I DO HAVE A PICTURE OF HER BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO IMAGINE HER SAYING IT AND NOT ME. OKAY? I GOT PERMISSION FROM HER MOM. SHE SENT ME

025THE PHOTO TO PRINT OUT. SHE IS PROBABLY GOING TO KILL ME FOR THIS BECAUSE SHE IS WATCHING IT RIGHT NOW, BUT I DO WANT YOU TO ENVISION HER READING THIS. OKAY? IS "ROBOTICS. THE FUTURE OF OUR WORLD, RIGHT? ENGINEERS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T PANIC WHEN THE WORLD BREAKS. THEY DESIGN THE SOLUTION. SORRY. I'M -- I'M JUST REALLY PROUD OF THEM TONIGHT. "WE ALL KNOW THAT STEM IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST PARTS OF THE FUTURE, AND IF STEM IS IN FACT OUR FUTURE, THEN WHY AREN'T THERE MORE STEM SCHOOLS IN OUR AREA? I, JAYLA MOSES, A BLACK AMERICAN FEMALE ATTEND ONE OF THE FEW MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY YET AM IN MY FINAL YEARS HERE. ONCE THE SCHOOL YEAR ENDS, I'LL BE HEADED TO HIGH SCHOOL. A HIGH SCHOOL WITH NO

026ROBOTICS PROGRAM OR CLUB TO JOIN. I'M CURRENTLY WORKING WITH MY FUTURE HIGH SCHOOL TO ESTABLISH A ROBOTICS PROGRAM SO I CAN CONTINUE DOING WHAT I LOVE. BUT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO. THERE ARE SO MANY CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH BEING BOTH FEMALE AND BLACK IN THE ROBOTICS STEM SPACE. THIS IS A PROBLEM WE NEED TO SOLVE, NOT JUST FOR ME, BUT FOR THE FUTURES OF OTHERS TOO. THEY SAY THE SYSTEM ISN'T BUILT FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME. THAT'S FINE. I'LL BUILD A NEW ONE BECAUSE TRUST ME, I DON'T JUST BUILD ROBOTS." I WISH SHE WAS HERE TO SAY THIS. "I BUILD POSSIBILITYS AND PROMISE YOU THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. I'M FIGHTING FOR THE FUTURE. WILL YOU JOIN ME?" THAT'S FROM HER. SO I'M JUST A REALLY PROUD ROBOTICS MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER, AND THIS IS ONLY MY

027SECOND YEAR WITH THESE KIDS AND I HAVE LEARNED WAY MORE FROM THEM THAN I THINK I'VE EVER TAUGHT THEM. THEY'VE TAUGHT ME SO MUCH. I HAVE THREE MORE HERE AND WE'RE JUST SPEAKING JUST TO TRY TO RAISE AWARENESS AND HOPEFULLY GAIN SOME SUPPORT AND MOMENTUM. WE ARE IN APOLLO BEACH AND IT'S VERY FAR FOR THEM TO GET TO A STEM SCHOOL. THEY'LL TALK ABOUT MORE STATISTICS AND HOPEFULLY RAISE MORE AWARENESS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. COME ON UP. NEXT SPEAKER. HI. MY NAME IS ISABELLA RICHARDS. I'M ANOTHER STUDENT THERE. I'M -- THIS IS ME AND JAYLA. WE'RE REALLY CLOSE. THIS IS OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT BECAUSE WE WANTED THE STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT EDUCATION THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO US. SO DO YOU GUYS KNOW HOW MANY

028WOMEN WORK IN STEM FIELDS? ONLY ABOUT 30% OF THE STEM WORKFORCE IS FEMALE WHILE MEN MAKE UP THE OTHER 70%. WHY AREN'T THERE MORE WOMEN IN STEM? M.I.T., THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SAYS MANY INDIVIDUALS STILL ASSOCIATE STEM FIELDS WITH MASCULINE QUALITIES LEADING TO STEREOTYPES THAT CAN DISCOURAGE GIRLS AND WOMEN FROM PURSUING CAREERS. LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS AND THE NUMBERS THE STEREOTYPES ARE REAL. MOST OF THE ROBOTICS COMPETITIONS AND SEE WAY MORE MALES THAN FEMALES. WHY SHOULD FEMALES HAVE TO QUIT ON THEIR DREAMS JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY SAID THEY WERE A GIRL. ONLY 9% OF BLACK AMERICANS ARE REPRESENTED IN STEM FIELDS. THERE IS 9% OF PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE MY FRIEND JAYLA. I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE HAD DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS AND KNEW HOW BROKEN THE SYSTEM WAS AND DECIDED TO TAKE ANOTHER PATH. JUST

029AS SMART AND AMAZING AS SHE IS THAT FELT DISCOURAGED BY THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN. Jessica Vaughn: ARE YOU DONE? YEAH. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. LASTLY, LET'S LOOK AT HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK IN THE STEM WORK FIELDS IN GENERAL. ONLY 24% OF THE TOTAL WORKFORCE HAS STEM OCCUPATIONS. SEEING THESE NUMBERS SHOWS THAT MAYBE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OPPORTUNITIES OR EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE TO GET INTO STEM. THESE NUMBERS ARE SMALL AND THEY LIKELY WON'T GROW UNLESS WE MAKE SERIOUS CHANGES. PEOPLE, GIRL TO BOY, PINK TO BLUE, CAN'T BE INTERESTED IN WHAT THEY'RE NOT EXPOSED TO. THIS BRINGS ME TO OUR TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION STUDENT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. DURING OUR YEAR WORKING ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WE REALIZED THERE ARE NO STEM PROGRAMS ASSOCIATED WITH ANY NEARBY HIGH SCHOOLS. THE ONLY HIGH SCHOOLS THAT OFFER

030A VARIETY OF STEM PROGRAMS INCLUDING ROBOTICS SUCH AS VEX AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS SUCH AS TSA ARE OVER 45 MINUTES AWAY BY CAR AND TWO HOURS BY BUS FROM APOLLO BEACH. WE REALIZEIZE THAT WE'RE IN DESPERATE NEED OF STEM HIGH SCHOOLS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT POSSIBLE AT THIS TIME TO BUILD BRAND NEW HIGH SCHOOL, BUT THEN WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT AND DISCUSS BRINGING MORE PROGRAMS TO CURRENT HIGH SCHOOLS IN OUR AREA SO WE CAN CONTINUE BRINGING MORE PEOPLE INTO THE STEM FIELDS. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. CAN I HAVE SPEAKERS 5 THROUGH 10 LINE UP AS WELL? HELLO. I'M SARINA AND IF WE CREATE MORE STEM SCHOOLS AND INTRODUCE KIDS TO STEM EDUCATION EARLY ON, WE CAN CHANGE THESE NUMBERS. WE CAN BRING IN MORE VOICES, MORE PERSPECTIVES, MORE SOLUTIONS, AND MORE IDEAS

031TO THE STEM COMMUNITY. WE CAN GROW NOT JUST THE STEM FIELD BUT INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND JOB CREATION. WE HAVE ALREADY TRIED TO REACH OUT AND DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF STEM PROGRAMS AT LEONARD WITH VERY LITTLE SUCCESS. THE CTE DEPARTMENT SAID THEY'RE READY TO GO WITH FUNDING. WE JUST NEED MORE SUPPORT TO PUT IN -- PUT IT IN MOTION. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR, BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT. BRITNEY WEIGHINGMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HILLSBOROUGH CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION. I'M HERE TO URGE YOU TO RECONSIDER A POLICY THAT MAY APPEAR FISCALLY CAUTIOUS BUT IN PRACTICE LIMITS YOUR FLEXIBILITY AND HAMPERS YOUR ABILITY TO RESPOND TO THE VERY REAL CHALLENGES OUR SCHOOL AND STAFF ARE FACING. YOUR PROPOSED CHANGE TO THE POLICY READS THE BUDGET SHALL INCLUDE A RESERVE IN THE UNASSIGNED

032FUND BALANCE EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN 8% OF GENERAL FUND OPERATING REVENUES. THIS WILL BE IDENTIFIED AS THE GENERAL FUND RESERVE. AT FACE VALUE THIS MAY SOUND REASONABLE BUT I ASK THE BOARD TO PAUSE AND CONSIDER. IS THIS THE BEST WAY TO ENSURE FINANCIAL STABILITY OR ARE YOU CREATING A SELF-IMPOSED RESTRICTION THAT CAN TIE YOUR HANDS WHEN FLEXIBILITY IS MOST NEEDED. THE IMPACTS ARE CONCERNING. IT WILL LIMIT YOUR ABILITY TO RESPOND WHEN QUICK ACTION IS NEEDED AND A PATTERN FOR CARRYING FORWARD RECONSIDERING UNSPENT DOLLARS LIKE THE $154 MILLION OVER BUDGETED FOR INSTRUCTIONAL SALARIES ALONE THIS YEAR THAT SHOULD BE USED TO ADDRESS VACANCIES AND OVER CROWDED CLASSROOMS. AND IT RISKS SETTING A PRECEDENT FOR FUTURE BOARDS TO SAY WE CAN'T TOUCH THE MONEY EVEN WHEN URGENT NEEDS ARISE. IN WORKSHOP IT WAS SAID THE DISTRICT

033FUND BALANCE NEVER DROPPED BELOW 8% BUT YOUR OWN FINANCIAL RECORDS SHOW OTHERWISE. FROM 2015 TO 2022 THE RATIO DIPPED TO 6% AND THE COMBINED UNASSIGNED AND ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE CATEGORIES EVERY YEAR. HCTA BELIEVES THE RECENT SURPLUS EXISTS BECAUSE OF REPEATED UNDERINVESTMENT IN WORKFORCE. WHAT IS CRITICAL TO CONSIDER IS THIS. BY INTENTIONALLY DESIGNATING A GENERAL FUND RESERVE WITHIN THE UNASSIGNED CATEGORY THAT REQUIRES BOARD APPROVAL TO ACCESS IT, DOES THIS STILL MEET THE DEFINITION OF THE UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE OR IS IT A DESIGNATION THAT UNDERSTATE ACCOUNTING STANDARDS INCORPORATED IN THE FLORIDA STATUTES SHOULD PROPERLY BE CLASSIFIED AS COMMITTED OR RESTRICTED. HAS THE BOARD CONSIDERED THAT CONTROLLING ACCESS TO THE UNASSIGNED FUNDS THAT THIS AFFECTS THE ACCURACY REPORTED TO THE STATE AND PUBLIC. YOU HAVE FOLLOWED REGULATIONS STRICTLY THAT IMPACT YOUR WORKFORCE. LIKE REMOVING EQUALIZED PAY FOR A

034LOWEST PAID EMPLOYEES AND DENYING ATHLETIC SUPPLEMENTS TO ESPs WHO COACH BUT IS THAT THE SAME STANDARD OF COMPLIANCE HERE? IF YOU TRULY BELIEVE IN SAVING FOR A RAINY DAY DO SO THE RIGHT WAY. RECLASSIFY THE FUNDS PROPERLY. DON'T HIDE THE INTENT BEHIND A LABEL OF UNASSIGNED. I ASKED THIS THE LAST TIME. WHAT CAN POSSIBLY BE MORE URGENT THAN ADDRESSING OVER CROWDED CLASSROOMS, HUNDREDS OF VACANCIES IN A WORKFORCE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET. ON BEHALF OF HCTA I URGE THAT YOU REMOVE THIS CHANGE TO THE POLICY FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND TAKE TIME TO REALIGN YOUR POLICY AND PRACTICE WITH BOTH FINANCIAL INTEGRITY AND EDUCATIONAL PRIORITIES. NOT IMPLEMENTING A POLICY FOR THE SAKE OF A POLICY. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. THERE IS NO VIOLATIONS SO I DON'T WHAT IS GOING ON

035HERE. I'M NOT GOING TO SIT UP HERE ON THE DAIS AND HAVE A DISAGREEMENT WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE AN ATTORNEY. THAT'S WHAT YOU DO AS A PERSON. AND PEOPLE NEED -- WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND. WE DON'T MAKE NO DECISION PERTAINING TO -- PERTAINING TO CONTRACTS OR MOAs, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, WITHOUT THE PROPER PROCEDURE BECAUSE IF WE'RE NOT DOING IT RIGHT, THEN WE NEED TO SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES. SO I DON'T SEE WHERE WE'RE DOING ANYTHING WRONG AS OF NOW. I DON'T. IF WE WERE -- OR THE SUPERINTENDENT IS WRONG, AND I DON'T HAVE ANY MEANS BECAUSE I DON'T READ CONTRACTS. THAT'S NOT WHAT I DO. THAT'S NOT WHAT SHAKE DOES." I DON'T READ CONTRACTS. WE DON'T READ CONTRACTS. WE HAVE ALL OUR KIDS OUT HERE. I'M READING FROM YOUR MOU THAT

036YOU HAVE WITH THE NAACP AND THE SCHOOL BOARD. HERE IT SAYS FROM PRESCHOOL TO ADULT SCHOOL, RIGHT? I WALK IN THIS BUILDING. I GOT SECURITY ON MY RIGHT. SECURITY ON MY LEFT. AND IN THE FRONT. NAACP HAS NO SECURITY ON YOUR PROPERTY. OUR KIDS ARE AT JEOPARDY AND Y'ALL DON'T READ CONTRACTS? SO WHEN Y'ALL TAKING VOTES, ARE YOU JUST PUSHING THE BUTTON? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING TO THE PARENTS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY? IN THE CITY? AND YOU DON'T -- HOW ARE YOU VOTING ON THIS? I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC OF THIS COUNCIL WHO DOESN'T READ CONTRACTS, AND THAT'S NOT FROM MY MOUTH. I'M USING EVIDENCE. THEN YOU GO ON TO SAY THAT THE OFFICE OF SCHOOL SUPPLIER DIVERSITY ACTIVITIES INCLUDING SEEKING PARTICIPATION OF NEW BUSINESS OWNERS, NEW BUSINESS OWNERS -- WHERE ARE THEY FROM?

037WHAT ARE THEY INTO? WHAT THEIR PAST? OUR KIDS, RIGHT? AND IT GOES ON -- YOU KEEP SAYING, KIDS, KIDS, KIDS. ANOTHER THING. RIGHT? I APPLAUD THE YOUNG KIDS THAT CAME UP HERE. THE VOTING, I DIDN'T HEAR MIDDLE SCHOOL. I DIDN'T HEAR MIDDLETON. I DIDN'T HEAR BLAKE. I DIDN'T HEAR KING. I DIDN'T HEAR ARMWOOD. I DIDN'T HEAR ANY OF THAT, RIGHT? OUR BLACK KIDS ARE BEING LEFT BEHIND. RIGHT? BUT WHERE IS THE NAACP AT THAT Y'ALL GOT A CONTRACT IN PARTNERSHIP? Y'ALL HAD A SLEW OF THEM UP HERE SAYING WHAT THEY DID BUT I DIDN'T HEAR ONE THING ABOUT THE NAACP. BUT Y'ALL HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THEM FOR PARTNERSHIP. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MAKE IT RIGHT. Jessica Vaughn: NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. PLEASE STAND UP. MY NAME IS BISHOP MICHELLE B. PATTI AND IT'S

038SAD TO HAVE HEARD THAT YOU ALL DON'T READ CONTRACTS, NOR DO YOU CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU SAY YOU REPRESENT. THERE IS A FEW THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON, AND IT'S BECAUSE THERE IS A CONFLICT THAT THE NAACP IS OVER ON PROPERTY THAT WE THE TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING FOR AND THEY PAY ZERO DOLLARS. IF YOU HAD TAKEN THE TIME TO LOOK AT THE CONTRACT, YOU WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE ATTORNEY WAS NOT FORTHRIGHT WITH THE BOARD, NOR WITH THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. THE CONTRACT READS VERY CLEARLY, SUBLEASE, THE ORGANIZATION DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO SUBLEASE TO OR ALLOW ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION OR PERSON TO USE ANY PORTION OF THE SITE DURING THE TERM OF THIS AGREEMENT. ON THE LAST MEETING, YOU HAD A SLEW OF DIVIDE NINES THAT CAME

039IN HERE AND CONFESSED AND TESTIFIED THAT THEY'RE OUT THERE BREAKING THE CONTRACT. YOU HAD AN ATTORNEY, MIKE FERGUSON AND MIKE -- WHO FOUND THE NAACP IN 2022 OF THE ORGANIZATION OR PERSON WERE GRANTED USE OF THE GARY ADULT PORTABLE. THIS CANNOT HAPPEN AGAIN. THEY CLEARLY SAID THEY WERE IN VIOLATION BUT BECAUSE YOU DON'T READ, YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO FIND OUT, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. FURTHERMORE, NOW YOU WANT TO REWARD THOSE DIVINE NINE TELLING THEM THEY HAVE TO GET INSURANCE. THESE ARE THE VIOLATORS OF THE CONTRACT, HOWEVER THOSE YOUNG MEN UP HERE IN THE PURPLE JACKETS AND DOING WHATEVER THEY WERE DOING, THEIR CHAPTER IN LOUISIANA IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. FOR HAZING. A YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE WAS MURDERED BECAUSE OF HAZING. THESE ORGANIZATIONS, THE DIVINE NINE, IF THEY'R MEETING, THEY MEET IN SEEKERANCY. THIS

040-- SECRECY. THIS COMMUNITY PAYING FOR THAT BUILDING NOT THERE, WE CANNOT GO INTO THAT MEETING. AND YOU ALL -- ARE YOU GOING TO STAND AND TAKE A VOUCH THAT YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THOSE MEETINGS? THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE MEMBERS OF THE FRAT, SORORITY, YOU KNOW THE PUBLIC CANNOT JUST COME OUT THERE AND GO INTO ANY OF THEIR SACRED MEETINGS. AND IN THIS MOA THAT YOU ALL PUT TOGETHER, IT SAID THAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO BE ALLOWED TO COME INTO THESE FACILITIES. SO WE WANT TO KNOW WHY IT APPEARS TO BE A CONSPIRACY, THE HUSH THE MOUTH OF ITS COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHY THESE FOLKS SAID COME OUT BECAUSE THEY'RE APPALLED THAT PEOPLE CAN SIT HERE AND SAY NOTHING BUT GO ALONG WITH THINGS BECAUSE YOUR BOARD MEMBERS AND THOSE THAT HAVE PEOPLE OUT

041THERE USING THAT PROPERTY. IT'S TIME FOR JUST GOING ALONG BECAUSE YOU WANT TO COVER YOUR FRIENDS. LET'S DO WHAT'S RIGHT. AND HERE TO THE CONTRITE, HERE IT IS, Y'ALL DIDN'T READ IT, I HEAR Y'ALL DON'T READ, BUT PLEASE READ IT. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT, AND PEOPLE BEHIND ME. TODAY I WANT TO TALK ABOUT MIAs OR MISSING IN ACTION. OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS. WE KNOW THAT MISSED OPPORTUNITIES, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW SCHOOLS PERPETRATE AND ENCOURAGE MISSED OPPORTUNITIES AND PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT. NOW ACCORDING TO THE GAITHER WEBSITE, IT SAYS FOR STUDENT SUCCESS, ENGAGE PARENTS INVESTED IN A CHILD'S EDUCATION AND INVOLVED WITH PARENT TEACHER CON CONFERENCE, CHECK CANVAS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET WITH TEACHERS, SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND OTHER CAMPUS RESOURCES AS NECESSARY. I DID

042A LITTLE DIGGER BECAUSE I'M A RESEARCHER. INVOLVED. INTEREST. ATTENTION. AS I'VE STATED TO THIS BOARD BEFORE, I HAD SIX CHILDREN EDUCATED WITHIN THE TEN YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE. WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED. WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED. . IF MY KIDS CALL, I ANSWER. I'VE BEEN LABELED AS A HOVER/HELICOPTER. WHATEVER. I SAY IT'S LOVE BECAUSE I'M INVESTED AND I'M ENGAGED. SO WHY AM I ALLOWED CONTINUOUSLY SCHOOL AFTER SCHOOL BEING ALLOWED TO MISS OPPORTUNITIES? MY E-MAILS HAVE BEEN ERASED. I GET E-MAILS FOR THINGS FOR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES LATE. OH, IT'S ALWAYS A MISUNDERSTANDING. I HAD TO CHANGE -- I HAVE TWO SEPARATE PHONE NUMBERS JUST SO IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO MY CHILDREN, I CAN GET INVOLVED. I CAN BE CALLED. MY KIDS ARE TARGETED BECAUSE WHY? BECAUSE I'M AN INVOLVED ENGAGED PARENT THAT YOUR SCHOOL SYSTEM SAYS YOU NEED. YOU

043SAY YOU'RE PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE. WHAT KIND OF LIFE ARE YOU PREPARING THEM FOR? TO NOT QUESTION AUTHORITY? TO GO ALONG TO GET ALONG? AND OUR STATISTICS KEEP SAYING, WHEN PARENTS ARE NOT INVOLVED, THERE IS LOWER ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, REDUCED ATTENDANCE RATES, INCREASED DROPOUT RATES. STUDENTS STRUGGLING WITH MOTI MOTIVATING BEHAVIOR AND SUCCESS IN SCHOOL. SCHOOL SHOULD BE A SCHOOL/PARENT PARTNERSHIP. PRINCIPALS IN THE BUILDING, YOU ARE THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT GOES ON IN YOUR BUILDING. WE CAN NO LONGER KEEP SITTING BY AND SAYING IT'S A MISUNDERSTANDING. TIME-OUT. IT'S TIME TO GET INVOLVED. I'M 52 YEARS YOUNG. THESE AREN'T THE SAME KIDS THAT YOU AND I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH. WE CAN'T KEEP DOING THE SAME OUTDATED THINGS TO REACH THEM. IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, THAT'S YOUR FAULT.

044PARENTS CAN'T DO IT ALL BECAUSE I'M INVOLVED. I'M THERE. AND I'M BEING KEPT OUT. WHY? I'M TIRED OF GOING TO MEETINGS. I FOLLOW YOUR PROCESS. TEN YEARS STRAIGHT. I'M STILL KEPT OUT. YOU THINK MY KIDS DON'T UNDERSTAND? THEY DO. SO I HAVE TO NOW COACH MY KIDS HOW TO GO TO SCHOOL WITH A TARGET ON THEIR BACK. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. ALLEN BRUSTER. BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT PARENTS HAVE RIGHTS. AND PARENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO QUESTION THE ADMINISTRATORS IN THE BUILDING. THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO FILE A COMPLAINT IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO. STATE COMPLAINT. BUT WHY SHOULD THEY BE MET WITH HOSTILITY WHEN THEY DO? WHY SHOULD THEY BE MET WITH HOSTILITY WHEN THE PRINCIPAL DOES NOT DO HIS JOB OR THEY IGNORE IF? LIKE THE

045ISSUE IS NOT THERE. WHY? NOW WE'VE BEEN HERE TEN YEARS. WE'VE BEEN AT EIGHT SCHOOLS IN TEN YEARS. WE'VE HAD PEOPLE WHO NO LONGER WORK FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TELL US THE TEACHER -- THE PRINCIPAL PREVENTED THEM FROM COMING TO IEP MEETINGS. THEY NEVER KNEW THEY WERE ALLOWED TO COME TO THE IEP MEETINGS. THIS ALL STEMS FROM THE LEADERSHIP IN THE BUILDING. THEY BREAK TRUST. THE LEADERSHIP DOES. EACH AND EVERY TIME GAITHER HIGH SCHOOL, YOUNG MIDDLE SCHOOL. WHEN MY KIDS WAS THAT YOUNG, JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL, CHAMBERLAIN, ADAMS, BEN HILL. WE CAN KEEP GOING ON AND ON ABOUT THE TRUST THAT THEY BREAK WITH THE PARENTS. NOW ANY ONE OF Y'ALL IN THIS ROOM PUTS YOUR MONEY IN A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION FOR THEM TO GROW YOUR MONEY, YOU'RE GOING TO NOT QUESTION THEM IF YOUR

046MONEY IS NOT GROWING? OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR INVESTMENTS IN THESE SCHOOLS. EACH AND EVERY TIME WE QUESTION SOMETHING IN THE SCHOOL, WE'RE MET WITH RESISTANCE. EACH AND EVERY TIME. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. WE ARE NOW GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS. AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LOTION LIGHTS APPEAR. -- WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND THE CONSENT AGENDA HAS BEEN APPROVED. I WILL NOW CALL ON SUPERINTENDENT AYRES TO HIGHLIGHT OUR ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS. Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. SO BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE TWO PRINCIPAL APPOINTMENTS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. WE'LL START WITH THE NEW PRINCIPAL OF THE PLANT CITY TECHNICAL COLLEGE AND HE IS NOT HERE, SO I'LL GO OVER

047HIS RESUME BECAUSE HE IS CURRENTLY AT DURANT FINISHING THE SCHOOL DAY. SO THE NEW PRINCIPAL OF PLANT CITY TECH COLLEGE WILL BE GARY GRAHAM. HE BEGAN HIS TEACHING CAREER AT DURANT AS A MEMBER OF THE INAUGURAL STAFF IN 1995. HE TRANSITIONED INTO ADMINISTRATION AS AP IN 2004 AND SERVED AT BLOOMINGDALE AND NEWSOM. 2014 HE RETURNED AS AP FOR CURRICULUM AT DURNT AND APPOINTED PRINCIPAL IN 2019. SO BOARD MEMBERS, HE'LL CONTINUE TO BE THE PRINCIPAL OF DURANT THROUGH THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AND THEN TRANSITION TO PLANT CITY TECH COLLEGE ON JUNE 2. SO THE NEW PRINCIPAL OF THE PLANT CITY TECHNICAL COLLEGE IS GARY GRAHAM. CONGRATULATIONS, GARY. AND OUR SECOND APPOINTMENT IS THE NEW PRINCIPAL OF JACKSON ELEMENTARY. AND THAT IS JENNIFER EDELBLUTE-CAGGIA. IF YOU COULD STAND UP AND COME DOWN THE MIDDLE. SO

048JENNIFER IS THE NEW PRINCIPAL AT JACKSON. KNOWN BY HER STUDENT AND STAFF AS MS. E, SHE BEGAN HER CAREER IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AT RIVERVIEW ELEMENTARY IN 2000. IN 2005, SHE MOVED TO CORK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SERVING AS A MUSIC TEACHER FOR MANY YEARS BEFORE TRANSITIONING TO COLLINS AND ROLAND PARK IN THAT SAME CAPACITY. SHE ALSO IS AN INSTRUCTIONAL MENTOR, TEACHER LEADER, SITE-BASED MATH COACH AND DISTRICT RESOURCE TEACHER AND IN 2022 TRANSITIONED TO ASSISTANT PRANCE PRINCIPAL AT JACKSON ELEMENTARY AND IS EXCITED TO TAKE OVER AS THE NEW PRINCIPAL OF JACKSON ELEMENTARY. SO CONGRATULATIONS, JENNIFER. % HOLD ON, JENNIFER. ANY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, I KNOW THE JACKSON FACULTY IS THERE IF YOU WANT TO STAND UP. BE RECOGNIZED AS WELL. JENNIFER, YOU'RE GOING TO DO FANTASTIC. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. WITH THE NEW PRINCIPAL COMING IN, I

049WANT TO RECOGNIZE MELODY MURPHY. IF YOU CAN MAKE YOUR WAY. GOT TO GET UP. COME ON DOWN. SO MELODY IS RETIRING AS THE PRINCIPAL OF JACKSON. SO MELODY SERVED AS AN EDUCATOR IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR 35 YEARS SINCE 1990. SHE STARTED HER CAREER AT RIVERVIEW AND TRANSFERRED IN 1992. SHE MOVED INTO AN ADMINISTRATIVE ROLE AT CORK ELEMENTARY AND KNIGHTS ELEMENTARY AND PRINCIPAL AT BRYANT CORK AND RIVERVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRIOR TO BEING APPOINTED THE PRINCIPAL OF JACKSON IN 2021 WHERE SHE'LL BE FINISHING HER CAREER THERE. CONGRATULATIONS, MELODY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. 35 YEARS. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOUR RETIREMENT. CONGRATS. I LOVE ALL THE JACKSON FACULTY. THANKS FOR COMING OUT. Jessica Vaughn: CONGRATULATIONS, PRINCIPALS, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH OUR DISTRICT THIS WHOLE TIME. WE'LL PAUSE FOR A MINUTE FOR ANYONE

050WHO WANTS TO EXIT THE BOARDROOM. ALL RIGHT. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL BE HEARD. C602, 7.03, 7.09, 7.14, AND 7.19. WE'LL START WITH BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDING FEBRUARY 28, 2025 AND MARCH 31, 2025. FINANCE WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE THE BOARD AND PUBLIC ON BOTH FEBRUARY AND MARCH'S UPDATES. WE'RE DOING BOTH MONTHS BECAUSE OF THE SCHEDULING OVER THE LAST COUPLE DAYS OR COUPLE MONTHS, SO WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT BOTH. AS WE LOOK AT IT, WE'LL FOCUS MOSTLY TONIGHT ON MARCH'S UPDATE BECAUSE IT HAS THE MOST IMPACT WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT BOTH MONTHS. WE WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT OUR ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR THE ADOPTED BUDGET SO THE BUDGET WE SET FORTH WAS PROJECTED TO BE 283 MILLION WHICH IS ALSO 15.5%. SO AS WE

051-- THAT'S AN IMPORTANT NUMBER AS WE GO THROUGH THIS EVENING AND WHY A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE IS NEEDED AS WE FACE CHALLENGES OR CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO WE WANT TO REMEMBER THAT AND WE'LL HIGHLIGHT THAT AGAIN IN A FEW MINUTES. FOR FEBRUARY WE SAW MINIMUM CHANGES IN FEBRUARY. REALLY NO CHANGES AT ALL. SO WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT BUT IN MARCH, WE DID SEE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE AND WE WANT TO TAKE NOTE OF THAT. THE THIRD CALCULATION FROM THE STATE WAS DELAYED MOST NOTABLY FOR THE HURRICANES IN THE FALL. ONCE THAT WAS REPORTED TO US, WE DID SEE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FOR HILLSBOROUGH. FROM THE THIRD CALCULATION WE SEE THE MARCH BUDGET WAS DECREASED IF HILLSBOROUGH, OUR BUDGET, BY $18.3 MILLION. WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THERE IS FOUR PRIMARY REASONS OF WHY THAT

052CHANGE DID OCCUR. THE FIRST ONE IS A CHANGE IN FTE. AS YOU'RE AWARE, WE UTILIZE A STATE MODELING FORECAST IN THE SPRING OF EACH YEAR. SO THE DISTRICT SELECTS A MODEL OUT OF NINE DIFFERENT OPTIONS. WE TRY TO VET THAT THE BEST WE CAN AND OBVIOUSLY CHANGES HAPPEN DURING THE YEAR. BUT ONE OF THE CHANGES OF A DECREASE OF $9.3 MILLION IS RELATED TO JUST OUR FTE KIND OF INTERWOVEN CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. REMEMBER THAT THIS SURVEY WAS BACK IN THE FALL. SO AS WE LOOK AT WHERE OUR TRUE COUNTS ARE, WE'LL SEE THAT AND ANOTHER CALCULATION WILL COME OUT AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, EARLY NEXT MONTH. THEY'RE DELAYED BECAUSE OF ALL THE THINGS HAPPENING IN THE STATE THIS YEAR. WE FULLY ANTICIPATE OUR FTE TO REBOUND SOMEWHAT BECAUSE OF TIMING AND OF

053COURSE EVERYONE DISRUPTED IN THE FALL AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON, SO WE BELIEVE THAT WILL REBOUND SOME. WE'LL HAVE THAT IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS FROM WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD BY THE STATE. AGAIN, PART OF THAT IS RELATED TO HOW OUR FTE CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. A SECOND THING THAT OCCURRED WAS AT THIS POINT IN THE YEAR FOR OUR THIRD CALCULATION, THEY KIND OF FINALIZED A PREVIOUS YEARS SO ANOTHER DECREASE OF $2 MILLION IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO HOW THE LAST YEAR ENDED FROM AN FTE STANDPOINT. SO THE STATE ASSESSED THAT TO US AND THAT'S PART OF THIS YEAR'S THIRD CALCULATION. THE FINAL TWO WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT AND THAT'S A STATE READJUSTED SOME OF THE ALLOCATIONS TO US AND WE'LL EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT. THE FIRST ONE IS A 2.8 MILLION DOLLAR

054DECREASE FROM THE MILLAGE COMPRESSION. THAT IS A -- THOSE ARE FUNDING THAT'S PROVIDED TO US THAT'S RELATED TO PROPERTY TAXES AND THE STATE ASSESSES THAT BASED ON WHAT THE COUNTY GETS. AND THEN THEY READJUST. THAT'S AN ADJUSTMENT BASED ON THE ACTIVITY FOR HILLSBOROUGH. SO AGAIN, ANOTHER 2.8 MILLION DOLLAR DECREASE. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ONE, A 4.1 MILLION DOLLAR DECREASE FROM THE STATE ALLOCATION PROCESS. WE CONFIRMED WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION EXACTLY WHAT THIS WAS, AND WE HAVE THAT IN WRITING WHICH I PROVIDED TO ALL Y'ALL PRIOR TO THE MEETING. JUST TO HIGHLIGHT, WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE STATE OF FLORIDA WAS OVER AN FTE. SO AT THE STATE LEVEL, THAT MEANT THAT THERE WERE $231 MILLION OVER BUDGET FOR THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. WHEN THAT HAPPENS AND THEIR ALLOCATION IS OVER, THEY ASSESS ALL DISTRICTS

055AND SPLIT THAT OUT IN A METHOD OVER ALL OUR DISTRICTS. OUR PORTION OF THAT WAS $4.1 MILLION AND THAT'S JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT IS -- THE FUNDING NEEDS FOR THE WHOLE STATE IN GENERAL AND KIND OF DISPERSE IT. THAT'S UNAVOIDABLE. WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO STOP THAT. AND ALL DISTRICTS WERE IMPACTED. WE CONFIRMED THAT ALSO. TOTAL THAT'S 1$18.3 MILLION. AGAIN TO REASSURE YOU THAT WE BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THE MONEY CAN RETURN BECAUSE OF FTE COUNTS AND THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO DO. I ALSO WANTED TO NOTE THIS, AND JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR. THIS WILL NOT IMPACT OUR BUDGET BUT TWO SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS WE BELIEVE ARE IMPACTFUL AS WE THINK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN HILLSBOROUGH. NOT OUR DISTRICT BUT HILLSBOROUGH. CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THE THIRD CAL WERE DECREASED $21 MILLION. DOESN'T IMPACT US BUT

056SHOWS THEY ALSO WERE SEVERELY IMPACTED BY THE THIRD CALCULATION FOR A LOT OF THE VARIOUS REASONS I JUST SPOKE ABOUT. THE OTHER IS THE FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP. WE SAW A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN HILLSBOROUGH OF $19.2 MILLION. SO AS WE SEE DECREASES, WE SAW THAT PORTION INCREASE. AGAIN, HAS NO IMPACT TO US. WE WANT TO BRING THAT SIGNIFICANCE TO YOU ALL TO NOTE KIND OF WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE LANDSCAPE BE IMPACTED IN HILLSBOROUGH AS A COUNTY, BUT AGAIN, DIDN'T IMPACT OUR BUDGET. THIS REALLY LEADS TO HOW DO WE OVERCOME THIS CHALLENGE OF $18 MILLION DECREASE. AS YOU KNOW THAT OUR FUND BALANCE GOES UP AND DOWN LIKE A ROLLER COASTER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND THAT'S MOSTLY BECAUSE OF HOW REVENUE STREAMS COME IN. WE JUST CAME OFF THE HIGHEST PART OF THE YEAR AND WE'LL DWINDLE

057DOWN. WE WANT TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE $283 MILLION ADOPTED BUDGET FUND RESERVE WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER TODAY. THAT IS 15.5%. OUR ESTIMATES NOW BASED ON THE THIRD CALCULATION, THAT WILL DROP TO 266 MILLION OR 14.5%. SO A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. AGAIN, ANOTHER REASON WHY A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE IS NEEDED BECAUSE OF THINGS THAT CAN OCCUR THAT -- OCCUR THAT WE NEED TO OVERCOME WHETHER IT'S A HURRICANE OR SOMETHING WITH THE STATE. AGAIN, THE IMPORTANCE OF A FUND RESERVE AND WE'RE THANKFUL WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THIS. AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS, SURVEY THREE WHICH WILL HAPPEN IN FEBRUARY WILL LEAD TO CALCULATION NUMBER FOUR THAT WILL COME OUT. AS I MENTIONED, WE BELIEVE WE'LL BE ABLE TO REBOUND SOME OF THE NUMBERS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE CABINET IS FOCUSING

058ON BUDGET MANAGEMENT AND HOPING WE CAN FINISH THE YEAR STRONG AND OVERCOME SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OR AT LEAST REGROUP AS BEST WE CAN. ON A POSITIVE NOTE, I'LL SAY THAT OUR COLLECTIONS ARE GOING WELL FROM REVENUE ESTIMATES AND WE'RE AT 78% YEAR TO DATE COLLECTIONS. AGAIN, THE THINGS WE KNEW AND CAN CONTROL FOR THE MOST PART ARE EXACTLY WHERE WE THOUGHT THEY'D BE. WE HAD MENTIONED BACK, I BELIEVE IN JANUARY, THAT OUR COLLECTIONS FOR PROPERTY TAXES WERE A LITTLE BEHIND. WE HAVE FULLY RECOVERED FROM THAT AND WE'RE EXACTLY WHERE WE THOUGHT WE'D BE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. THAT'S EXCITING AND WE WANT TO GIVE THANKS AND APPRECIATION TO THE CITY FOR THEIR GOOD WORK AND PARTNERING WITH US AND HELPING US GET TO THAT POINT. AND FINALLY, AS WE HAVE SEEN BEFORE, THIS

059IS JUST THE CHANGE IN THE FUND BALANCE AND AGAIN, THAT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE THE HIGHEST POINT OF REVENUE DURING THE YEAR. AND THAT WILL CONTINUE TO GO DOWN BUT THAT, BOARD MEMBERS, IS OUR REPORT FOR FEBRUARY AND. MARCH. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE C602. MOTION BY MEMBER PEREZ AND A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER GRAY AND I PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT? Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU, MR. LEWIS. MY QUESTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS. JUST FOR CLARIFICATION. WHAT'S THE CURRENT AMOUNT OF GENERAL FUNDS BEING DEDUCTED FROM THE STATE RIGHT NOW? THAT IS THE 4. -- YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ADJUSTMENT THEY MADE TO THE ALLOCATION? $4,172,000 IS WHAT THEY ADJUSTED THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FTE. THAT'S THE

060ADJUSTMENT OF THEIR PRORATION TO OUR DISTRICT. Lynn Gray: SO ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT -- WELL, THERE ARE MANY. AND I WROTE A LITTLE BIT OF A SENTENCE ON IT BECAUSE I STARTED ADDING UP THE LACK OF REVENUE RESOURCES AS OPPOSED TO THE INCOMING REVENUE. IF WE'RE LOOKING AT ABSENTEEISM, THE DECREASE OF FTE, COMPETITION FROM THE FLORIDA EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP WITH ALMOST 19,000 STUDENTS INVOLVED IN GOING PERHAPS NOT DIRECTLY IN FTE BUT GOING TO USE THAT SCHOLARSHIP TO OTHER SCHOOLS, IT'S A POSSIBILITY, COMBINED WITH THE COMPETITION FROM FLORIDA VIRTUAL VERSUS HILLSBOROUGH VIRTUAL, THE SHARING OF CAPITAL FUNDS. HOW MUCH NOW THIS YEAR ARE WE SHARING OF CAPITAL FUNDS WITH THE CHARTER SCHOOLS? I KNOW MR. FARKAS MAY KNOW THE ANSWER. Christopher Farkas: I DO. IT'S 40% OF THEIR 15% IF THAT MAKES SENSE. SO $4 MILLION

061IS WHAT IT IS. THEY WILL GET THE FULL VALUE. THEY HAVE 15% OF THE STUDENTS SO 15% OF THE CAPITAL FUNDS. WE'RE PAYING 40% OF THAT NOW WHICH IS JUST UNDER $4 MILLION. Lynn Gray: SO THE OTHER PART OF THE REVENUE DETERIORATION, THE BASE STUDENT ALLOCATION, ALTHOUGH IF WE PAIR IT UP WITH THE INFLATION, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN MEASURE HOW MUCH MORE WE'RE GETTING PER STUDENT IF IT COMES THROUGH IN MAY. YOU WANT TO REMARK ON THAT, MR. LEWIS? I THINK THAT'S A CHALLENGING QUESTION BASED ON HOW THE STATE GIVES US THEIR INFORMATION OR KIND OF DIVVIES IT UP. I THINK OUR BIGGEST POINT THAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON NOW IS MAKING SURE OUR FTE COUNTS ARE CORRECT AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE GOTTEN ALL OF THE STUDENTS ACCOUNTED FOR IN OUR

062SURVEY THREE WHICH ALREADY OCCURRED. AND THAT WAS A FOCUS THE DISTRICT HAD WHEN THAT OCCURRED IN FEBRUARY. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT TRANSLATES INTO A POSITIVE CALCULATION FOUR FOR US WHICH WILL BE ADDITIONAL REVENUE. Lynn Gray: OKAY. HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE THE -- A SOURCE OF REVENUE. SO WHEN WE HAVE THIS SENTENCE THAT YOU SHARED, IT SAYS -- EXCUSE ME. SENTENCES YOU SHARED WITH THE BOARD, IT SAYS BOTH CHARTER AND DJJ ALSO REPORTED DECREASES WHILE THE FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP REPORTED AN INCREASE IN OUR CASE, 19,000 TO 20. EVEN THOUGH FLORIDA EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP ENROLLMENT DOESN'T IMPACT DIRECTLY OUR BUDGET, WE WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THE CONTINUAL GROWTH OF THE FES PROGRAM IN HILLSBOROUGH. SO ARE YOU ALLUDING TO THE FACT THAT THIS GROWTH IS PERHAPS GOING TO DETERIORATE EVEN FURTHER OUR ENROLLMENT OR FTE ENROLLMENT. I

063KNOW IT'S NOT DIRECT, BUT -- THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW IF I'M ALLUDING TO THAT. I'M JUST POINTING OUT THAT WE'RE SEEING THAT ON THE NUMBERS COMING OUT, BUT WE SEE A TREND IN THE FES PROGRAM AND WILL CONTINUE TO SEE A LARGER ENROLLMENT INVOLVED IN THAT. Van Ayres: AND I'D ADD, WHAT THE STATE PROJECTED US AT AS FAR AS WHAT THE MODELS ARE FOR THE FTE WAS AROUND 174,000. WE ENDED UP ON THE TRADITIONAL SIDE OF AROUND 175,000. AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, GOING ABOVE WHAT THE STATE IS PROJECTING WHICH IS A GOOD THING, RIGHT? SO WE'RE IN A BETTER POSITION AND SOME OF THE SURROUNDING SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE SEEING A DRAMATIC DECLINE IN ENROLLMENT, WE ARE NOT. OUR TRADITIONAL POPULATION IS GOING ABOVE WHAT THE STATE IS

064PROJECTING WHICH IS A POSITIVE THING. IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ALWAYS MINDFUL OF, TRYING TO KEEP ON TOP OF THAT. BUT WE'RE IN A BETTER POSITION IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BECAUSE WE'RE GROWING AND THE STUDENT NUMBERS, THE F TEACHINGS TE CONTINUES TO EXCEED THE -- FTE CONTINUES TO EXCEED THE STATE PROJECTION. WE'RE CONTINUING TO MONITOR THAT AND GO FROM THERE. Lynn Gray: 19,000 STUDENTS, THAT'S A LOT. Van Ayres: THE QUESTION IS WHICH OF THE 19,000 -- WERE NEVER PART OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO BEGIN WITH. THAT'S WHERE MR. LEWIS TALKS ABOUT NOT IMPACTING THE BUDGET BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T IN THE DISTRICT AND LEAVING. THEY WERE NEVER PART OF OUR BUDGET TO BEGIN WITH. POSITIVE THING. I REALLYMENTED EVERYONE TO HEAR THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, WE ARE EXCEEDING THE PROJECTED THIS PAST YEAR ON THE

065NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT THE STATE PROJECTED FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AROUND 174,000. WE ENDED UP AROUND 175,000 OR 176,000 CLAIMED FTEs. YOU'LL START TO HEAR FROM OTHER DISTRICTS SEEING NOT ONLY THE BUDGET THAT IS BEING WORKED ON NOW FOR NEXT YEAR. YOU HAVE THAT GOING ON AND THEN A SEVERE DECLINE IN ENROLLMENT. FEEL GOOD THAT WE'RE IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT OUR FAMILIES FEEL COMFORTABLE IN SENDING THEIR STUDENTS TO. BUT WE'RE ALWAYS ON TOP OF AND ALWAYS TRYING TO RUN THIS DISTRICT AS THE BEST WE CAN WITH THE MOST EFFICIENCY. Lynn Gray: I MEAN, 67% OF OUR POPULATION VOTED FOR AN INCREASE SALARY SO THEY WERE VERY MUCH FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THAT'S A GOOD THING. THAT'S A GREAT NUMBER. THE LAST QUESTION OR LAST CONCERN I HAVE, VISIONARY, MR. LEWIS, AS WE LOOK AT DEFICITS

066AND I'M AN OPTIMIST BUT IF WE LOOKED AT THE DEFICITS THAT ARE PERHAPS COMING FORTH, WITH RESPECT TO SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES' ROHRICH REMARK OF THE HIGHER FTE, WHAT ARE SOME SOLUTIONS? YOU MENTIONED HOW WE CAN MAYBE CHALLENGE OR GET MORE OF OUR STUDENTS TO GO TO HILLSBOROUGH VIRTUAL SCHOOLS VERSUS FLORIDA VIRTUAL. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT POSSIBILITY? WE HAVE SOME OF THAT TEAM HERE WITH US TONIGHT IF WE NEED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. I THINK THERE IS OPPORTUNITIES AND I THINK THAT HILLSBOROUGH VIRTUAL SCHOOL IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED ALREADY AND WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE IT THE BEST WE CAN AND IMPROVE IT. I THINK THAT'S A GROWTH OPPORTUNITY FOR US. I CAN ASSURE YOU THE CABINET AND THAT TEAM IS ALREADY WORKING ON IT AND WE'RE EXCITED FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT LIE

067WITH THESE RESULTS. Van Ayres: THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM TO GROW AND GET BETTER. THE BOARD APPROVED, WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH HILLSBOROUGH VIRTUAL -- WITH FLORIDA VIRTUAL. WE USE IT. IT'S THE SAME EXACT COURSE WORK FROM FLORIDA VIRTUAL TO HILLSBOROUGH VIRTUAL TO BE CLEAN AND CLEAR ABOUT IT. IF A STUDENT IS ENROLLED HALF THE DAY AND TAKES THREE ONLINE CLASSES, IF THE THREE ONLINE CLASSES ARE NOT PART OF HILLSBOROUGH VIRTUAL AND THAT STUDENT CHOOSES FLORIDA VIRTUAL, THAT'S FTE THAT IS OUT THE DOOR. THAT'S MONEY NO LONGER CLAIMED BY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. SO MOVING FORWARD FOR US IT'S -- THE HILLSBOROUGH VIRTUAL WE HAVE AN OUTSTANDING PROGRAM THAT IS WITH HILLSBOROUGH VIRTUAL AND IT'S GETTING THE WORD OUT. YOU'LL SEE A LOT MORE FROM US MAKING SURE OUR STUDENTS AND COUNSELORS AND STAFF REALIZE HOW GREAT OUR

068HILLSBOROUGH VIRTUAL PROGRAM IS AND MAKING SURE THE FTE STAYS IN THE DISTRICT. Lynn Gray: I'M SO SORRY. WHAT'S YOUR NAME? I'M DEANY UPSHAW. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION PROGRAMS. Lynn Gray: WOULD YOU LIKE TO ALLUDE HOW YOU'RE TRYING TO GET MORE OF US INVOLVED OR STUDENTS IN HILLSBOROUGH? SURE. AND IT'S GOING TO START THIS YEAR. I WAS JUST APPOINTED A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. BUT IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT COMMUNICATION. WE'VE ALREADY STARTED. WE MET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT'S CABINET. WE'RE MEETING WITH THE PRINCIPALS AND WE'LL MAKE OUR WAY DOWN SO THAT WE CAN CLARIFY ANY MISCONCEPTIONS BECAUSE THERE ARE MISCONCEPTIONS THAT WE HAVE LIMITATIONS IN OUR ENROLLMENT. THERE IS DELAYS IN ENROLLMENTS OR GRADES AND THAT'S JUST NOT THE CASE. THE PART-TIME ENROLLMENT IS YEAR ROUND AND STUDENTS CAN ENROLL ANY TIME EXCEPT FOR

069THE FULL-TIME PROGRAM WHICH OF COURSE FOLLOWS THE SCHOOL CALENDAR. IT'S LIMITED TO ENROLLMENT IN AUGUST. WE WANT TO BE HERE. WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY STUDENTS. WE'RE HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY COMPLETE THEIR COURSES. ESPECIALLY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THEY NEED THEM FOR GRADUATION. THAT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE HERE AND BE AVAILABLE. WE'RE NOT A 1-800 NUMBER WITH LFVS. THEY HAVE LOCAL SUPPORT, LOCAL TEACHERS, LOCAL EVERYTHING SO WE'RE HERE TO INVEST IN OUR STUDENTS. Lynn Gray: AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT AND YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR SUCCESS. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXPERTISE. Van Ayres: THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION. MR. LEWIS BEING IN THE POSITION FOR -- HOW MANY MONTHS? THREE MONTHS? SEEMS LIKE LONGER. BUT IT'S ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO INCREASE REVENUE INTO THE

070SCHOOL DISTRICT. MR. LEWIS KEEPS SAYING THAT OUR FINDING WAYS TO INCREASE REVENUE INTO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THAT'S JUST ONE AREA IN WHICH HE IS WORKING WITH THE TEAM TO INCREASE REVENUE INTO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. Lynn Gray: IT'S QUITE EXCITING ACTUALLY WHAT MR. LEWIS IS SHARING WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS. Nadia Combs: JUST SOME COMMENTS. RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN RECEIVING SO MANY COMMENTS ABOUT THE RENAISSANCE PAY AND PAYING COACHES AND ABOUT SUCCESS CENTERS AND OUR ESE CENTERS. WE HAD SOMEONE COME AND THE BIGGEST THING IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THINGS, IT ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO REVENUE AND GENERATING REV REVENUE. FOR ME IT'S HARD FOR ME AS SOMEONE WHO OWNS A BUSINESS TO UNDERSTAND SOMEONE JUST TAKING MONEY WITHOUT US EVEN SEEING IT. IT'S JUST HARD TO IMAGINE AND CONTINUING TO PLAN FOR YEARS AHEAD WHEN WE

071DON'T KNOW WHAT AMOUNT CAN COME FOR NO REASON. IT'S -- I WOULD HAVE NEVER GUESSED IT UNTIL I WAS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD OCCUR. JUST A COUPLE THINGS. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, ONE THING WE SAY OFTEN IS THAT ENROLLMENT IS GROWING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BUT I DISAGREE WITH THAT. THE NUMBERS MIGHT BE SHOWING A LITTLE BIT BUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING INTO TAMPA. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LOT. WE SHOULD BE SEEING MANY MORE STUDENTS. UNLIKE PINELLAS COUNTY WHERE PEOPLE ARE MOVING AWAY. I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING TO TALK ABOUT IS PARENTS ARE GOING TO CHOOSE CHOICE BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FLORIDA EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP, 80% OF THE STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE THAT SCHOLARSHIP DID NOT MOVE SCHOOLS. THE GOAL OF THAT WAS FOR STUDENTS TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY,

072YOU KNOW, I THINK FOR MY UNDERSTANDING, FROM THE FLORIDA EMPOWERMENT, IS IF YOU WANTED TO GO TO THE PRIVATE CATHOLIC SCHOOL THAT NOW YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY. BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED IS FIND ME A SCHOOL THAT'S LESS THAN $18,000. SO THE SCHOLARSHIP YOU'RE RECEIVING IS NOT GOING TO GET YOU TO THAT PRIVATE SCHOOL. SO INSTEAD YOU'RE ONLY LOOKING AT 20%. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THAT AND SEE TO GET INTO BERKELEY I THINK IS 34,000. CAROLWOOD DAY SCHOOL FOR SENIORS, 30,000. TAMPA CATHOLIC IS 18,000. WHEN YOU GET THAT EMPOWERMENT, THAT'S ONLY IMPACTING 20% OF THE STUDENTS. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PROJECTION, I GUESS THAT'S MY QUESTION TO YOU. IF EVERY YEAR I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE $4 MILLION. NEXT

073YEAR COULD BE 20 MILLION. COULD BE 50 MILLION. I HAVE NO IDEA. WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THE PROJECTIONS. SHOULD WE COME OUT STRONGER WITH THE PROJECTIONS? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO AT LEAST KIND OF GUARANTEE US GETTING PAID FOR THE STUDENTS THAT WE'RE PROVIDING AN EDUCATION FOR? Van Ayres: SO YOU CAN MAKE A PROJECTION BUT ULTIMATELY WHEN THE CALCULATION COMES, IT'S THE TRUE UP TIME. WE HAVE BEEN PRETTY CONSERVATIVE ON THE ESTIMATED NUMBER FROM THE MODELS THAT MR. LEWIS AND THE TEAM PICKED FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA. BUT KNOW THAT IN THE END IN THE CALC3 AND 4, IT'S THE TRUE UP TIME SO IT'S GOING TO BE THAT NUMBER -- THAT NUMBER WILL BE MADE UP EITHER WAY. I'LL TELL YOU OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS, THE PROJECTION FROM

074THE STATE JUST THIS PAST YEAR FOR 24-25 WAS 174,000. WE CAME IN AT 175,000. IT'S BEEN PRETTY CLOSE ON OUR MODELING AND PROJECTIONS OF WHERE WE HAVE BEEN. WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT THAT, BUT THAT'S JUST HISTORICAL WHERE WE'VE LANDED. ANYTHING ELSE, MR. LEWIS, ON THAT? THAT'S RIGHT. I THINK WE'RE SEEING AN UPWARD TREND. WE'RE LOOKING AT THE HISTORY AND WE CAN LEARN A LOT FROM THAT. WE'RE TRYING TO SEE WHERE THAT GOES AS WE MOVE FORWARD. Nadia Combs: I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO JUST REMEMBER THAT CHILD THAT YOU HOPE IS GOING TO THAT SCHOOL, VERY FEW CHILDREN THAT'S HAPPENING TO. AND THE OVERSIGHT AND AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE LESS ACCOUNTABILITY FOR TESTING, LESS OVERSIGHT, THERE IS A REASON FOR THAT. OKAY? BECAUSE YOU CAN GET THAT EMPOWERMENT AND GO ANYWHERE, STAY AT HOME

075AND NEVER BE EDUCATED. YOU CAN GET THAT SCHOLARSHIP AND NOBODY CAN CHECK ON YOU FOR FIVE YEARS. YOU CAN SIT AT HOME AND BE THE CHILD LOCKED DOWN FOR 30 YEARS AND NO ONE IS CHECKING ON YOU AND NO ONE IS CHECKING IF YOU'RE GETTING AN EDUCATION OR MAKING GAINS OR CHECKING IF YOUR FAMILY IS TRAFFICKING YOU AND YOU'RE BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, 50th IN FUNDING AND THERE IS NO OVERSIGHT. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER WASHINGTON? Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU. SUPERINTENDENT, I KNOW YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS PRINCIPAL, WE USED TO DO PROJECTIONS. 5%, 10%. ARE WE USING THOSE CERTAIN PERCENTAGES NOW? Van Ayres: YEAH. IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT -- Henry "Shake" Washington: EXPLAIN. Van Ayres: SAME PROCESS WHERE THE 40-DAY

076COUNT. HOW MANY STUDENTS YOU PROJECT TO BE IN THE SCHOOL. THAT'S HOW THE UNITS ARE THEN PROJECTED. BUT YEAH. IT'S THE SAME PROCESS WE UTILIZE ON HOW MANY BASED ON THE ENROLLMENT CALC FROM PREVIOUS YEARS AND ANY CHANGE OF BOUNDARY, THERE IS A PROJECTION WE DO. AND IT'S A PROJECTION WE MAKE IN THE SPRINGTIME AND IN THE FALL IS THE TRUE-UP. Henry "Shake" Washington: SO WE'RE WITHIN THE BALLPARK THEN. YES, SIR. ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, WE'RE LOOKING INTO IT, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, SHOW THAT FOR THIS YEAR, WE'RE LESS THAN 1% DIFFERENTIAL THAN OUR PROJECTIONS TO WHAT THEY ARE RIGHT NOW. I THINK THAT SPEAKS WELL TO WE'RE BEING CONSERVATIVE IN OUR COUNTS. AND OUR FTE, THE ONLY REASON THERE IS A DIFFERENTIAL NOW IS BECAUSE THE VIRTUAL STUDENTS, WE CANNOT RECEIVE

077FUNDING AND THEY CANNOT BE COUNTED AS AN FTE UNTIL THEY COMPLETE AND PASS THE COURSE. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, SOME OF THAT HAPPENS AT THE TAIL END OF THE SEMESTER. I THINK NATURALLY IS WHAT HAPPENS AND SO WE'LL SEE A STRONG PUSH AT THE END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR WHERE WE START TO SEE THE FTE JUMP BACK UP BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN MOST KIDS ARE FINISHING THE COURSES FOR THE YEAR. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER PEREZ? Karen Perez: I'LL PROBABLY HIT SOME NERVE WITH MY QUESTION. SO WITH OUR SUSPENSIONS, HOW MANY COUNTS DO WE HAVE IN A YEAR? Van Ayres: SO SUSPENSIONS OR DISCIPLINE DATA --. Karen Perez: I'M GOING TO GET THERE. WE HAVE TWO COUNTS. THE ONE IN THE FALL AND THEN THE

078ONE IN THE SPRING WHERE WE BASICALLY CHECK ATTENDANCE FOR THAT TWO-WEEK PERIOD AND IF THEY'RE IN ATTENDANCE, THEY COUNT IT AS IN OUR SURVEY PERIOD. Karen Perez: SO IF WE HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE SUSPENDED, ARE THE PRINCIPALS AWARE? ARE THEY MAKING SURE NOT TO SUSPEND CHILDREN DURING THAT TIME? WHAT ARE WE DOING DURING THAT TIME? I HAVE A FEELING THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR BABIES HAVE TO HAVE -- OUR STUDENTS HAVE TO HAVE THEIR CHEEKS IN THE SEATS DURING THAT COUNT, RIGHT? WHAT ARE WE DOING WHEN IT COMES TO THAT SUSPENSION TIME WITH OUR STUDENTS. Van Ayres: THE WAY THE SURVEY PERIOD WORKS, IT'S A TWO-WEEK PERIOD SO TEN DAYS WHERE STUDENTS HAVE TO BE IN ATTENDANCE FOR ONE TIME DURING THE 10-DAY PERIOD AND THEY COUNTED AS BEING PRESENT AND WE GET FUNDING FOR THAT

079PARTICULAR CHILD. Karen Perez: WE HAVE A LOT --. Van Ayres: AND WORK WITH OUR PRINCIPALS WITH MR. GRAVES TO ENSURE THAT DURING THAT TIME PERIOD THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE THERE IF THERE WAS IN FACT SOMEBODY THAT WAS SUSPENDED DURING THE TIME. THEY HAVE TO PHYSICALLY BE IN SCHOOL AT LEAST ONCE DURING THE 10-DAY PERIOD IN ORDER TO BE COUNTED. Karen Perez: BECAUSE TEN DAYS IS TWO WEEKS. Van Ayres: YES, MA'AM. Karen Perez: ARE WE LOOKING AT THAT TO SEE HOW THAT'S AFFECTING AND HOW CHILDREN ARE BEING AFFECTED? AND WHAT'S HAPPENING AT WHAT SCHOOLS AS WELL? Van Ayres: WE CAN DEFINITELY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. WE HAD VARIFEW -- I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER OF 10-DAY SUSPENSIONS. WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION OF BOARD. THE NUMBER OF TEN DAYS WE HAD THIS ENTIRE YEAR BUT

080WE CAN LOOK TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY CASES WHERE WE HAD A 10-DAY SUSPENSION THAT A CHILD MISSED BUT I CAN ALMOST WITH 100% CERTAINTY TELL YOU THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE AWARE OF HOW THEY'RE FUNDED ENSURING THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE IN A SEAT DURING THAT SURVEY PERIOD. THEY'RE AWARE. RIGHT, MS. McRAE? YOU AGREE WITH THAT? Karen Perez: I KNOW WE LOST THE FUNDING BUT I'M -- I'M JUST PERPLEXED HOW WE CAME -- YOU KNOW, WE WERE HIT WITH THE NUMBER. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE STATE. BUT HOW WE WERE HIT WITH THIS NUMBER BECAUSE THIS IS AN ENORMOUS NUMBER FOR US. AND I'M JUST CURIOUS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THERE IS A CORRELATION, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST THIS BOARD MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW. Van

081Ayres: THAT'S A VALID POINT. VALID CONCERNS AND WE'LL BRING THAT INFORMATION TO YOU. YES, MA'AM. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. OKAY. I DON'T KNOW THAT I'LL BE ABLE TO COVER THIS IN MY ALLOTTED TIME. I MIGHT HAVE TO COME BACK FOR BOARD COMMENTS. FIRST OF ALL, MR. LEWIS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JUST CLARITY ON THIS AND THE WAY YOU PRESENT THINGS. THE INFORMATION YOU SEND ME HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THIS PROCESS. I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE VERY TRANSPARENT AND FOLLOW UP ON EVERYTHING AND I APPRECIATE YOU WORKING THROUGH A LOT OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THIS COMPLEXITY. I THINK THAT THERE IS A LOT OF PIECES HERE BECAUSE IT IS SEGMENTED INTO DIFFERENT THINGS AND WAYS WE LOST MONEY THAT EQUALS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TRADITIONAL PUBLIC

082SCHOOLS, OUR DISTRICT, NOT COUNTING CHARTER SCHOOLS LOSING A PROJECTED $18 MILLION FOR THIS YEAR WHICH I THINK WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF MAKING CLEAR TO OUR INEMPLOYEES -- OUR EMPLOYEES, SPECIFICALLY THAT WE'RE LOSING THAT AND MORE MONEY IS PROJECTED TO BE LOST NEXT YEAR WITH THE TRENDING LEGISLATION AND WHAT THAT IMPACT IS. IF YOU LOOK AT ORANGE COUNTY, JUST SENT A MEMO OUT TALKING ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT THE PROJECTED LOSSES ARE GOING TO BE AND WHAT THE SCHOOLS AND EACH EMPLOYEES SHOULD EXPECT BECAUSE OF THOSE PROJECTED LOSSES. $18 MILLION FOR OUR DISTRICT IS HUGE. AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO TALK ABOUT IT MORE IN LENGTH OVER EACH ITEM BUT THE PART I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE PART THAT SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS HAVE BROUGHT UP THAT $4 MILLION AND CORRECT ME IF I'M

083WRONG, BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M GETTING THIS CORRECT. IS MONEY THAT WE EARNED. IS MONEY WHERE WE HAD STUDENTS IN THE SEATS THAT WE PROVIDED THE SERVICES THAT OUR TEACHERS INSTRUCTED THOSE STUDENTS, THAT OUR EMPLOYEES SHOWED UP AND WE TOOK CARE OF THOSE STUDENTS AND BECAUSE THERE IS A FUNDING ISSUE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ON THEIR END, THEY LITERALLY CAME BACK INTO OUR DISTRICT AND TOOK $4 MILLION THAT WE'VE EARNED AWAY. AM I EXPLAINING THAT CORRECTLY? PER THE INSTRUCTIONS WE GOT FROM THE STATE WHICH THAT QUOTE THAT I SENT YOU EARLIER WAS DIRECTLY FROM THEM, YES, MA'AM. Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. SO THAT'S A PROBLEM. THAT'S AN ISSUE BECAUSE WE'RE CONITANTSTANTLY BEING TOLD LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS. LIVE WITHIN THE BUDGET YOU HAVE. YOU HAVE LOTS OF MONEY. BUT WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO

084DO THAT AND TALKING ABOUT UNITS, PEOPLE IN OUR SCHOOLS THAT WE'RE PROVIDING JOBS FOR TO TAKE CARE OF OUR KIDS AND GOING THROUGH THE CONVERSATIONS, AND THEN AT ANY TIME THE STATE CAN COME BACK AND BE LIKE, OH, WE OVERSPENT, SORRY, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE BACK 4 MILLION AND TO MEMBER COMBS' POINT IT COULD BE 6 MILLION, 10 MILLION. FOR US TO TRY TO MANAGE A BUDGET AND ALLOCATE WHAT THE SCHOOLS NEED AND RESOURCES ARE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME. IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN GET CLARIFICATION IF WE'RE SUPPOSED TO ANTICIPATE THAT NEXT YEAR IN THE UPCOMING YEARS WHAT THE RULES AND LAWS ARE SO WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION. Van Ayres: YEAH. MS. DAVIS, I KNOW THEY ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS

085THAT IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION NOW TO BRING MORE CLARITY AROUND THE SCHOLARSHIPS THAT ARE OUT THERE TO MAKE OUR BUDGET SEPARATE SO WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHAT WE HAVE. I KNOW THAT IS A MAJOR CONVERSATION IN TALLAHASSEE RIGHT NOW. RIGHT NOW WE ARE OPERATING IN A SYSTEM THAT IT'S HARD FOR US TO SEE CLEARLY. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE WORKING THROUGH NOW. Jessica Vaughn: ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS CONSTANT MESSAGING THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY AND DON'T NEED ANY MORE MONEY. SO THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHAT OUR BUDGET ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE WHEN THE STATE COMES IN AND TAKES BACK MONEY THAT WE EARNED FOR NO REASON AND THE DISCONNECT THAT WE DON'T NEED ANY MONEY IS CONFUSING TO OUR CONSTITUENTS AND AUNTS AND EMPLOYEES AND WE NEED CLARITY AND MAKE SURE WE COMMUNICATE IT TO THE PEOPLE

086WHO SHOW UP EVERY DAY AND WORK FOR US SO THEY UNDERSTAND WHO IS MAKING THE DECISIONS AND WHERE THEY NEED TO ADVOCATE IF THEY DON'T AGREE WITH THEM, NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, I THINK THAT THE NARRATIVE AND I AGREE WITH MEMBER COMBS THAT WE'RE GROWING AS A DISTRICT IS CONFUSING. SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS MAYBE WE'RE BRINGING IN MORE STUDENTS THAN THE STATE IS PROJECTING. AS I DIG DEEPER, WE'RE ALLOTTING THE TEACHERS TO EACH SCHOOL, ALMOST EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY SCHOOLS IS PROJECTING LESS STUDENTS AND I'M LOSING 89 TO 90 EMPLOYEES OUT OF MY SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIFICALLY IN THIS TERM. SO TO SAY WE'RE GROWING AND WE'RE DOING GREAT AND WE'RE OVER SEATING PROJECTIONS WHEN I HAVE 80 EMPLOYEES OUT OF MY DISTRICT WHO ARE NOW HAVING TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE IS A DISCONNECT

087AND CHALLENGING. SO AGAIN, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MESSAGING, WE NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. WHEN WE SIT UP HERE AND SAY, "WE'RE GROWING" BUT WE'RE CUTTING SCHOOLS EACH AND EVERY DAY AND THEY'RE LOSING SUPPORT TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTIONAL, THAT'S CONFUSING AS WELL. WE HAVE GOT TO AS WE'RE NAVIGATING WHAT WHAT'S GOING ON, WE HAVE TO BE CLEAR IN THE MESSAGING TO OUR EMPLOYEES AND CONSTITUENTS AND FAMILIES BECAUSE THEY DESERVE THAT. SO THAT'S -- I KNOW THAT THIS WASN'T NECESSARILY THE PLACE FOR THAT. BUT I WANT TO HAVE CLARITY AROUND THAT. AND I ONLY HAVE 30 SECONDS. I'LL SAVE IT FOR CLOSING COMMENTS. I APPRECIATE IT. I KNOW WE WANT TO MOVE ON. I'LL SAVE IT FOR CLOSING COMMENTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS. ALL RIGHT. SEEING THAT THERE ARE MORE

088COMMENTS THAT ARE BEING SAVED FOR THE END, CAN YOU PLEASE VOTE ON THIS WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR? ALL RIGHT. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE'LL GO ON TO 7.03, REQUEST FOR PROPOSED HVAC SERVICE REPAIR, INSTALL AND MAINTENANCE. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, WILL YOU PLEASE HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM? Van Ayres: YES, MA'AM. THIS IS TO PROVIDE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF THE DISTRICT'S VARIOUS AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING UNITS ON AN AS-NEEDED BASIS. THE DISTRICT WILL PROLONG AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING UNITS BY HAVING TRAINED AND CERTIFIED VENDORS TO MAINTAIN AND REPAIR AS NEEDED DISTRICT WIDE. THIS IS THE ABILITY TO REPAIR, REBUILD OR MAINTAIN IN PLACE OF TOTAL REPLACEMENT SAVING BOTH TIME AND FUNDS FOR THE DISTRICT. TO PROVIDE PROPER MAINTENANCE FOR VARIOUS AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATON UNITS WHICH IN TURN EXPANDS THE LIFE AND LOWERS COST AND ENSURES BETTER AIR

089QUALITY FOR STUDENTS, STAFF AND VISITORS TO CAMPUS. MR. FARKAS? GOOD ENOUGH THERE? MADAM CHAIR, THAT IS 7.03. Jessica Vaughn: I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS, YOU PULLED THE ITEM. DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? Nadia Combs: YES. LITTLE BIT OF A QUESTION AND MOSTLY A COMMENT. SO THANK YOU, MR. FARKAS AND MR. ORTERO. A/C, I NEVER KNEE HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS UNTIL I GOT ELECTED HERE. IT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OPERATIONAL, IT DOES REALLY IMPACT ACADEMICS BECAUSE KIDS ARE NOT ABLE TO STUDY, CONCENTRATE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO SINCE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET AND I WAS GOING TO BRING THAT UP ANYWAYS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT

090THE BUDGET, EVEN THOUGH IT'S DIFFERENT WHAT'S COMING DOWN, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE MASSIVE INCREASE WHEN YOU LOOK AT 2022-2023 AND SEE A TREND OF GOING UP AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A 300% INCREASE OVERALL. IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THE OVERALL INCREASE AND COST THAT WE'RE RECEIVING. Christopher Farkas: I'D BE HAPPY TO. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTIONS AND I ENJOYED THE CONVERSATIONS WITH EACH OF YOU ABOUT THE COST INCREASE. ONE IS THE INCREASE WE SAW AFTER COVID. WE SAW TWO THINGS. EQUIPMENT THAT CAME IN THAT WASN'T QUITE UP TO PAR. IT'S UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY'LL FIX IT BUT IT DOESN'T STOP YOU FROM GETTING CALLS. THE OTHER PART IS THE COST THAT'S GONE UP. THERE IS SUCH A LONG TIME ON THINGS. THINGS ARE TAKING MONTHS THAT USED TO

091TAKE WEEKS. GEAR IS NOW TAKING A YEAR. THE LEAD TIME IS A LITTLE CRAZY. THE 2023 DATA, WE USED TO HANDLE ALL OF THAT IN CONSTRUCTION. THERE IS SO MUCH NOW THAT NOW KENNY OTRO AND BEN MOORE ARE IN THE SHOP HANDLING THAT ON AS AN-NEEDED BASIS. WE HAVE DAYS THAT WE HAVE THAT -- HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE US TO FIX THE AIR. THAT'S WHAT WE MEASURE IT BY. IT'S GOTTEN MORE EXPENSIVE TO DO THAT AND ALSO REQUIRED US TO DO THIS. THIS CONTRACT, IT'S AN RFP IN FRONT OF YOU BUT THE ACTUAL RFP IS DIFFERENT THAN THE ONES IN THE PAST. MEANING THAT WE'RE HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR MAKING SURE IF THEY HAVE TO GO BACK OUT, THEY ACTUALLY DON'T -- THEY CAN'T CHARGE US FOR THE FEE. THINGS LIKE THAT. YOU WOULD

092THINK IT WOULD BE PART OF THE STANDARD PRACTICE. BECAUSE WE'RE SUCH A DISADVANTAGE TRYING TO GET BACK TO WORK FOR US. LILLIAN GARCIA, SHE IS OUR PROCUREMENT PERSON. SHE'S DONE A GREAT JOB OF WRITING A CONTRACT WHERE WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE QUALIFIED CANDIDATES AND NOT JUST WHO IS WILLING TO WORK ON THE STUFF AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART. YOU'RE RIGHT. IF I KNEW THAT AIR WOULD BE SUCH AN PART OF OF MY LIFE -- WE HAVE GOTTEN BETTER BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF ROOM TO IMPROVE. WE'RE HOPING THIS WILL HELP US DO THAT. WE'RE 70% THROUGH WITH THE HALF PENNY SALES TAX AND STILL HAVE 30% OF THE SCHOOLS TO REDO. BY THE END, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THE ONES THAT WERE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 10 YEARS. THINGS HAVE

093GOTTEN MORE EXPENSIVE AND COMPLICATED TOO. WE TALK ABOUT CONTROLS. IT'S LIKE A CAR. YOU USED TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE OIL. NOW YOU PLUG IT IN. AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMERIZE THE SAME WAY. THAT COMES WITH DOLLAR FIGURES AND QUALIFIED MECHANICS TO HELP WORK ON IT. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. FARKAS. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. SEEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO 7.09, APPROVE ACCEPTANCE OF PROJECT FOR THE SYNTHETIC TURF FIELD AND RUBBER TRACK PROJECT AT JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THE ITEM. Van Ayres: THIS IS THE EXCEPTION TO THE COMPLETED PROJECT AT JEFFERSON. THE FUNDING SOURCE OF COURSE IS THE HALF PENNY SALES TAX. I THINK NOW WE HAVE ALL OUR HIGH SCHOOLS COMPLETED TRACK, RUBBER

094TRACK AND OUR TURF FIELDS SO THIS IS I BELIEVE THE LAST ONE. BUT THE -- THIS IS JUST THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE PROJECT OVER AT JEFFERSON FOR THE TRACK AND FIELD. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE C7.09. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER COMBS, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DID YOU HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? Nadia Combs: I DID HAVE QUESTIONS BUT MR. FARKAS ANSWERED THEM AND SUPERINTENDENT SO I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. Jessica Vaughn: SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO 7.14, PIGGYBACK WITH AUDIO ENHANCEMENT FOR THE PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF CLASSROOM EQUIPMENT. Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. OUR LAST ITEM THIS EVENING. THIS

095IS ITEM 7.14 WHICH IS AUDIO ENHANCEMENT. YOU HAD TWO. THIS IS THE THIRD. YOU HAD TWO ALREADY WITH REGARDS TO AUDIO ENHANCEMENT. WE'LL START THE REVIEWING THIS ITEM AND THEN TURN IT OVER TO MR. FARKAS TO ADD ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. SO OUR CURRENT AUDIO ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM AMPLIFICATION SYSTEM INCLUDES TRANSLATION SERVICES AND OVER 170 LANGUAGE AND WILL OFFER DISCOUNTED INTERCOM SYSTEMS FOR CAMPUSES THAT REQUIRE UPGRADES. THESE FEATURES SUPPORT DIVERSE LEARNER NEEDS AND LOWER COST. WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE BOARD TO REMEMBER IS THAT ESSER FUNDS INITIALLY ENABLED US TO HAVE NEARLY 75% OF OUR SPACES TO RECEIVE THE AUDIO ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM. THIS FINAL PURCHASE THROUGH CAPITAL DOLLARS WILL ENSURE THAT EVERY CLASSROOM IS EQUIPPED WITH ENHANCED SYSTEMS. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. FARKAS TO ADD MORE OF WHAT THE AUDIO ENHANCEMENT IS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

096I THINK WE HAVE A VIDEO AS WELL. Christopher Farkas: WE ACTUALLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT WITH MS. FAUCET'S TEAM AND MS. McRAE AND THE ADMINISTRATION AS WELL TO GO AND LOOK AT WHAT ONE OF THE GREAT PARTS OF AUDIO ENHANCEMENT WHICH IS NEW. SO AUDIO ENHANCEMENT WITH OUR CURRENT SYSTEM WE HAVE AND ALREADY IN 75% OF THE CLASSROOMS HAS A TRANSLATION COMPONENT. WE GOT TO GO TO MCFARLAND PARK AND WANTED TO GO TO A SCHOOL WHERE THEY WERE FLUENT IN BOTH LANGUAGES. SOMETIMES IF THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TEACHER SAID, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG. SO WE WERE IN A CLASSROOM THAT YOU CAN SEE RIGHT HERE. ♪ AS WE GO THROUGH IT. THAT IS SPENCER ANDERSON. ONE OF THE SONS THAT STARTED THE FAMILY COMPANY. YOU CAN SEE THE KIDS PUTTING

097IN THE HEADPHONES. AS THE TEACHER IS SPEAKING IN ENGLISH, THERE IS HINDI. THEY HEAR THE HINDI TRANSLATION IN THEIR EARS AND SEE IT IN FRONT OF THEM. THEY CAN TOGGLE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN ENGLISH AND HINDI. IN THIS CLASSROOM ALONE WE HAD SPANISH, RUSSIAN, HUNGARIAN, HINDI. THERE WAS -- I MEAN, THIS ONE CLASSROOM. THE KIDS COULD SPEAK IT. IT'S SUCH AN -- SUCH AN AMAZING RATE I SHOULD SAY. IT'S ALSO MATCHED WITH AI. BECAUSE SOMETIMES MANY ARE BILINGUAL. I'M NOT BUT I'M SURE MS. PEREZ CAN HELP WITH THAT. ACTUAL TRANSLATIONS DON'T ALWAYS WORK THAT WAY. IF YOU DO IT WORD FOR WORD. SO THE AI AS HAA TWO OR THREE SECOND DELAY AND SHOWS UP IN FRONT OF THE KIDS AND THEY CAN DO THE BEST. WE SAW IT. IT WAS SUCH AN AMAZING THING

098TO SEE THE KIDS' EYES LIGHT UP. AND MS. FAUCET WAS LIKE, DID IT WORK? AND THE KIDS WERE DEPENDING ON THE LANGUAGE, IT WAS PRETTY CLOSE. THEY DEFINITELY UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT WAS. SO THAT'S ALREADY THERE. THAT'S GOING TO BE IN PLACE. THE 25 CLASSROOMS WILL HAVE IT WHEN WE ROLL OUT IN THE FALL. IT'S GREAT AT A SCHOOL LIKE MCFARLAND PARK WHERE THE KIDS SPEAK BOTH LANGUAGES AND CAN FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE. BUT I THINK SOME OF THE OTHER SCHOOLS WHERE THEY'RE SINGLE LANGUAGE AND MONOLINGUAL, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO HEAR IT DIRECTLY AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO WORK IN GROUPS AND UNDERSTAND INSTRUCTIONS. WE'RE SO EXCITED. THERE IS NO COST FOR THIS. THE LAPTOPS WE ALREADY HAVE. THE HEADPHONES WE ALREADY HAVE. IT WILL TRANSLATE IN FRONT OF THEM. IT DOESN'T KEEP IT RECORDED FOR THE

099TEACHERS FROM CTA. THAT'S NOT THE POINT OF IT. BUT IF THE TEACHERS WANT TO TAKE IT AND CUT AND PASTE IT, THEY CAN TAKE THEIR LESSON AND MAKE IT INTO AN AI GROUP AND SOMETHING WHERE THEY CAN REMEMBER WHAT IT SAID AND KEEP IT AND KEEP THEIR LECTURES IF THEY WANT TO TO BE PART OF THE LESSONS. WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. ONE OTHER ASPECT IS BECAUSE THERE IS FOUR SPEAKERS IN EVERY CLASSROOM, WHEN WE UPGRADE, WE'LL HAVE AN INTERCOM SYSTEM. THE OLD INTERCOM SYSTEM THAT MR. WASHINGTON USED TO GO IN AND BOTHER THE KIDS TO GIVE THE MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS. NOW ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS THE UPFRONT HEAD UNIT IN THE MAIN OFFICE. IT CUTS DOWN ABOUT 60% OF THE COST OF DOING THE INTERCOM. WE ALREADY HAVE THE SPEAKERS THERE.

100SO WE'RE HAPPY THAT ESSER WAS ABLE TO DO THE FIRST TWO THIRDS. PROBABLY NOT ABLE TO FUND IT ON OUR OWN. CAPITAL IS HAPPY TO DO THAT. THE NEXT THING WE'LL WORK ON IS INCREASED ENGAGEMENT. THE TEACHERS THAT USE IT LOVE IT. THEY NEVER TAKE IT OFF. THE KIDS PASS AROUND THE MICROPHONE. THE NEXT PHASE IS GETTING PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T DONE IT OR ARE AFRAID TO WEAR SOMETHING AROUND THEIR NECK TO USE IT. ONCE THEY USE IT, THEY LOVE IT. THAT'S THE NEXT PHASE. TO MAKE SURE THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE. THE TRANSLATION WILL BE A BIG PART OF THAT. I KNOW I'M A LITTLE EAGER BUT IT WAS SUCH A COOL OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE KIDS AND THEIR EYES LIT UP BECAUSE THEY ONLY SEE THE LANGUAGE AT HOME. I KNOW I TALKED A LOT. ANYTHING

101TO ADD? YOU COVERED IT. IT WAS SUPER EXCITING. I SPOKE WITH CAO IN KENTUCKY WHO HAS JUST STARTED THE PROGRAM USING THIS TECHNOLOGY WITH THE KIDS. SO THEY'RE ABOUT THREE WEEKS MAYBE AHEAD OF US WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. BUT IT WAS SO AMAZING TO BE WITH THE KIDS AT MCFARLAND AND WATCH THE INTERACTION. I ASKED ONE OF THEM, COULD YOU HAVE USED THIS WHEN YOU WERE FIRST LEARNING ENGLISH BECAUSE SHE WAS MONOLINGUAL. JUST A GREAT REPLY. SHE GOES, WELL, I WOULD HAVE USED IT BUT I WOULDN'T HAVE WANTED TO USE IT BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE WANTED TO LEARN ENGLISH, BUT IT WOULD HAVE HELPED ME ALONG THE JOURNEY. IT WAS SUCH A GREAT TECHNOLOGY. I'M GLAD YOU WERE ABLE TO SEE IT AND BRING IT BACK TO US IN THE DISTRICT. WE ALREADY HAVE

102TRAININGS THAT THE TEAM HAS PLANNED FOR THE SUMMER TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS UNDERSTANDING HOW TO USE THE TECHNOLOGY AND JUST MAKE SURE CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO THE OPPORTUNITY. Jessica Vaughn: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE C7.14. A MOTION BY MEMBER PEREZ AND A SECOND BY MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER COMBS AND MEMBER GRAY PULLED THE ITEM. MEMBER COMBS? GAY THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND THE TESTIMONIAL -- Lynn Gray: FROM MR. FARKAS. IT'S VERY EXCITING. 10% TO 15% INCREASE OF ACADEMICS AS A RESULT. AND THEN IF WE LOOK AT THE TOTALITY OF ELL LEARNERS UP TO 36,000 GIVEN 10 OR NOT -- RIGHT? DIRECTLY. BUT LET'S SAY 26,000 AND NOW HAVING A NEW SUPERVISOR, JESSICA DE LA PRIDA IN CHARGE OF THE ELL, I THINK WE THE

103LOOK FORWARD TO SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, WE SHOULD LOOK FORWARD TO MUCH MORE SUCCESS ACADEMICLY. BUT, YOU KNOW, FURTHER THAN THAT, IT'S HOW THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE STUDENT, HOW THEY FEEL WITHIN THE CLASSROOM. THE CONFIDENCE. THEY'RE PART OF THE OPERATION. NOT -- THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE, LIKE, OH, I CAN'T -- TRYING TO PLAY CATCHUP, BEING NERVOUS, HAVING ANXIETY. NOW IT'S A MORE INCLUSIVE TYPE OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. I THINK THERE IS SO MUCH GOOD IN THIS THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF ALL THE OTHER DISTRICTS EVEN HAVE THIS, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO STAND OUT AS EMB EMBLEMATIC OF INNOVATION. MR. LEWIS, YOU TALKED ABOUT INNOVATIVE FISCAL DISCOVERIES WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT. BUT I THINK SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, WE HAVE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INCREASE THAT INNOVATIVE BELL IN OUR SCHOOLS AND

104THIS IS -- IT'S JUST MAGNIFICENT. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DATA FOR THE INCREASED SCORES. I ALSO WILL LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE KIDS MORE ENGAGED AND OUR TEACHERS. I HOPE THAT OUR CTA FOLKS AND EVERYONE ELSE IS HAPPY WITH THAT. WITH OUR TEACHERS USING IT AND SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR COMMITMENT, MR. FARKAS, FOR THE ORIGINAL INVESTMENT WITH ESSER MONIES AND THANK YOU ALSO FOR ADDING AT YOUR CAPITAL FUNDS OR AT OURS AND THAT'S ALL MY REMARKS. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS? Nadia Combs: CHAIR THANK YOU. I PULLED IT BECAUSE IT'S A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN IT'S SUCH A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO BE REALLY TRANSPARENT. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH ESSER FUNDING. IANTED TO LOOK DOWN -- I WANTED

105TO LOOK DOWN THE ROAD AND SEE THINGS IN THE BUILDINGS AND SCHOOLS AND SAY THIS WAS ESSER FUNDING. WE -- OF COURSE WE END UP HELPING WITH RENAISSANCE. THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS WE DID WITH THAT MONEY OVER THE YEARS WHEN WE RECEIVED THE ESSER MONEY BUT I THINK THIS IS A GREAT STUDENT-CENTERED TYPE OF PROGRAM THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WAY KIDS LEARN, I THINK AUDITORY IS ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS TO LEARN. ESPECIALLY NOWADAYS WITH CHILDREN BECAUSE THERE IS SO MANY DISTRACTIONS. SO AUDITORY LEARNING IS -- I KNOW FOR ME, I DON'T LEARN VERY WELL AUDITORY SO WHEN I CAN ACTUALLY HEAR IT BETTER AND IT'S MORE CLEAR, I DO SEE HOW IT COULD INCREASE A LOT. THE OTHER THING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT I THINK IS REALLY

106IMPORTANT IS THAT WE MADE SURE WE HAD A WARRANTY FOR 10 YEARS. I THINK THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL. WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON AND TWO YEARS, THREE YEARS LATER, IT'S NOT USED. I LOVE TO HEAR MS. FAUCET THAT YOU'RE THINKING OF WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT TEACHERS ARE USING IT AND THEY'RE UTILIZING IT. I THINK ONCE THEY SEE IT AND USE IT, I KNOW I TAKE A PRIVATE CLASS AND THEY USE IT ALL THE TIME. IT'S SO MUCH BETTER AND SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED, EVEN THOUGH I'D BE ABLE TO HEAR IT, WHEN SOMEONE DOESN'T USE THE MICROPHONE, IT'S LIKE MIGHT AND DAY. -- NIGHT AND DAY. I THINK MAKING SURE WITH OUR CAPITAL MONEY THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SCHOOL HAS IT AND UTILIZE IT AND

107I APPRECIATE THE WARRANTY AND FOLLOW-UP WITH IT. Christopher Farkas: IT ALSO INTEGRATES WITH OUR NEW LINE BOARDS AND TV. SO WHEN THEY SHOW A MOVIE OR ANYTHING ELSE, IT AUTOMATICALLY SEAMLESSLY MOVES FROM THE TEACHER OR KID TALKING TO THE NEW LINE AND IT'S THE SAME SPEAKERS AND VOLUME. IF YOU CAN REMEMBER BACK IN SCHOOL AND YOU COULD KIND OF HEAR SOMETHING, SOUNDED LIKE A DRIVE-THROUGH WINDOW, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT. THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE. Nadia Combs: I THINK IT'S GREAT. I THINK IT'S A GREAT PART OF ESSER. I THINK WE USED OUR MONEY VERY WISELY WHEN WE LOOKED AT ESSER. I THINK ALL OF US IT WAS VERY HARD AND WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON TECHNOLOGY, COMPUTERS, NEW LINE BOARDS AND MAKING SURE THEY'LL DO WELL FOR YEARS TO COME. THANK YOU. Jessica

108Vaughn: MEMBER PEREZ? Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AS SOMEONE WHO -- I CAN GREATLY APPRECIATE THIS SYSTEM. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE IN A CLASSROOM AND SOMEONE ENGAGES OR YOU GET ENGAGED IN YOUR NATIVE TONGUE, YOU PAY MORE ATTENTION. YOU'RE ENGAGED. AND YOU BE FOR OUR STUDENTS WHO WE'RE LOSING A LOT OF EDUCATION BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T -- THEY COULDN'T UNDERSTAND AND THEREFORE WERE NOT ENGAGED. THIS AUTOMATICALLY, YOU KNOW, WILL CAPTURE THEM. I KNOW WHEN -- I GO TO MY DOCTOR'S OFFICE OR I'M ENGAGED WITH SOMEBODY AND THEY START SPEAKING SPANISH, RIGHT AWAY TURNS MY HEAD. EVEN THOUGH I'M BILINGUAL AT THIS POINT. IT'S SOMETHING ABOUT ENGAGING IN YOUR NATIVE TONGUE. AND, YOU KNOW, IT JUST -- IT JUST ATTRACTS AND ENGAGES, YOU KNOW, THESE KIDS. I KNOW THAT WE WENT TO A CLASSROOM A COUPLE

109YEARS AGO AND THEY STARTED, AND THESE KIDS WERE JUST FOCUSED. AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. WE NEED FOR THESE BABIES TO BE FOCUSED FOR THEIR FUTURE. SO I'M EXCITED. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS FOR THEM. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR KIND OF COVERING THE THINGS I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT. NUMBER ONE, HIGHLIGHTING HOW MUCH OF THIS WE USED THROUGH OUR ESSER FUNDS. I THINK IT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS WHEN WE GET GOOD FUNDING AND PUBLIC EDUCATION IS A PRIORITY, THE AMAZING THINGS THAT WE CAN DO FOR OUR STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF OUR STUDENTS THAT WE FILL IN THE GAPS WITH, ESPECIALLY TALKING ABOUT STANDARDIZED TESTING. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DATA, OUR ELL STUDENTS ARE PERFORMING SOME OF THE LOWEST ON SOME OF THE

110STANDARDIZED TESTING. IF WE HAVE TOOLS WE CAN USE TO HELP THEM BE ACADEMICALLY SUCCESSFUL, LIKE THAT'S WHAT EDUCATION IS ALL ABOUT. SO I APPRECIATE HIGHLIGHTING THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE USING SOME OF OUR MONEY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL SCHOOLS HAVE IT, A BIG BULK CAME FROM THE ESSER INVESTMENT. ALSO, ADDRESSING TALKING ABOUT TRAINING BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW GREAT THE TOOLS ARE. IF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE THEM AND THEY'RE NOT USING THEM AND DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE, THAT'S AN ISSUE. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKING SURE EVERYBODY IS TRAINED, THAT'S COMING FROM A DISTRICT SUPPORTIVE LAYER AND NOT EXPECTING JUST TO PASS THAT OFF TO I.T. AT THE SCHOOL OR PRINCIPAL WHO ALREADY HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING SUPPORTIVE AND MAKING SURE

111TEACHERS HAVE THE TRAINING THAT'S COMING FROM THE DISTRICT LEVEL. Christopher Farkas: 100% WILL AND I'LL ALSO TELL YOU, YOU HAVE CHAMPIONS AT SCHOOLS AND TEACHER OF THE YEAR, MS. CUREL WHO WENT IN THE KINDERGARTEN CLASS AND WE WERE TRYING TO GET THE CLASS QUIET. AS SOON AS THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER TALKS SHE HAD ON THE AUDIO ENHANCEMENT AND YOU COULD HEAR HER OVER ALL THE PEOPLE TALKING. WE'LL TRAIN FROM THE DISTRICT LEVEL. AUDIO ENHANCEMENT IS NOT NECESSARILY HOW TO USE IT. IT'S MORE TAKING THE STEP ASK USING IT. SOMETIMES THE PEERS ARE THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT. TRAINING STANDPOINT, WE'LL OFFER THOSE BUT ALSO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PRINCIPALS, IT'S ALSO THE IDEA OF WATCH SOMEONE TEACH WITH IT AND THE WAY THEY ENGAGE. I'LL TELL YOU FROM AN ELEMENTARY STANDPOINT WHEN WE WENT TO

112LANEER AND SOME OF THE SCHOOLS, WHEN THE KIDS GOT THE MICROPHONE PASSED TO THEM AND GOT TO TALK INTO A MICROPHONE AND HEARD THEIR VOICE TOO, THE SHIEST KID, THE KID THAT WAS LEAST WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IT FELT THEIR VOICE AND FELT EMPOWERMENT TOO. IT'S DISTRICT TRAINING AND ALSO BEING EXPOSED TO SEE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S POSITIVE FOR YOU AND ACTUALLY GOING TO MAKE YOU LESS TIRED FROM HAVING TO SHOUT ALL DAY LONG AND THE TEACHER VOICE PART OF IT TOO. BUT LONG ANSWER TO A SHORT QUESTION, YES, THERE WILL BE DISTRICT TRAINING BUT I THINK WE'LL HAVE CHAMPIONS AT THE SCHOOL SITES THAT WILL HELP. Jessica Vaughn: MAYBE WE CAN HELP TAKE SOME OF THE VIDEOS TO SHOW AT THE BOARD MEETING AND MAKING SURE EVERYONE IN THE SCHOOL GETS TO SEE THAT AND

113THE IMPACT AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. GETTING THAT THROUGH TO THEM MIGHT BE HELPFUL AS WELL. MS. FAUCET, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT EMBEDDING IN LESSONS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GUYS FROM THE DISTRICT, MAKING SURE IT'S EMBEDDED IN THE -- TALKING ABOUT USING IT, WHAT'S YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON MAKING SURE THIS IS USED IN AN ACADEMIC STANDPOINT FROM ACADEMIC SERVICES. SO THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SO FIRST OF ALL, IT'S ABOUT ACCESS FOR STUDENTS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IF THEY'RE A MONOLINGUAL STUDENT OR EVEN JUST MOVING INTO BEING BILINGUAL, THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS ALL THE TIME TO WHAT THE TEACHER IS TEACHING AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE REMOVE THAT OBSTACLE. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW IT'S USED WITH STUDENTS, THAT'S WHERE THE ELL TEAM, THE MULTILINGUAL PROGRAM TEAM COMES IN TO SAY, OKAY, AUDIO ENHANCEMENT COMES

114IN AND TEACHES YOU HOW TO USE THE EQUIPMENT. BUT IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TEACH YOU HOW TO USE IT IN AN INSTRUCTIONAL WAY BECAUSE IF A STUDENT IS ONLY LISTENING TO THE LITTLE STUDENT YOU SHOW UP HERE, THE LITTLE FIRST GRADER SPOKE HINDEE JUST AS CUTE AS SHE COULD BE. IF SHE IS ONLY LISTENING TO HINDI ALL DAY LONG SHE'LL NEVER SPEAK ENGLISH. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE CHILDREN KEEP THE NATIVE TONGUE BUT BECOME THE TRUE BILINGUAL STUDENT. IT WILL COME THROUGH THE TRAINING FROM THE MULTILINGUAL TEAM AND ELL TEAM TO MAKE SURE HOW WE USE THIS APPROPRIATELY AND HOW TO FADE IT AWAY FOR INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS. Christopher Farkas: AND IF I CAN FOLLOW-UP, BECAUSE MM MS. FAUCETT BROUGHT UP A GREAT POINT. THE TEACHER CONTROLS THAT. IF THE TEACHER SAYS I WANT TO MAKE

115SURE YOU HEAR THIS IN ENGLISH. THEY CAN CONTROL EXACTLY WHAT THEY SAID TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A LANGUAGE EMERSION OR OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THE KIDS ARE LEARNING THE LANGUAGE. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. Jessica Vaughn: FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THEY CAN TOGGLE BACK AND FORTH FROM BOTH TRANSLATIONS AND VIEW IT IN THE NATIVE LANGUAGE AND THEN TOGGLE AS WELL TO SEE THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION WHICH HAS A BIGGER IMPACT ON LANGUAGE ACQUISITION BEING ABLE TO SEE IT IN BOTH LANGUAGES. Christopher Farkas: WE SAW IT IN THE 10 MINUTES WE WERE IN THE CLASSROOM. I WAS LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING. I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS A SWITCH. THE KIDS WERE DOING IT REGULARLY. THEY SAW IT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, KIDS ARE ALWAYS BETTER AT TECHNOLOGY THAT WE ARE. WE SAW THE KIDS RIGHT THERE

116MOVING IN ENGLISH AND WHAT IT WAS IN SPANISH. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WERE COMPARING BUT TRYING TO MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE TEACHER SAID. IT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE. THEY TOGGLED BACK AND FORTHRIGHT THERE. Jessica Vaughn: THAT'S ANOTHER PIECE DOING SUPPORTIVE AND EMBEDDING AND TALKING ABOUT USING IT ACADEMICALLY. AND EVEN THOUGH WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ELL, THIS IS ALSO FOR ESE AND NONVERBAL STUDENTS AND STUDENTS WHO ARE CHALLENGED WITH DIFFERENT MODALITIES. WE'RE NOT JUST TARGETING THE ELL STUDENTS. WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL MODALITIES AND HOW TO ENHANCE ACADEMICS ACROSS THE BOARD, CORRECT? Christopher Farkas: 100%. THE STUDIES THEY HAVE DONE, THE 10% THAT MS. GRAY REFERENCED, THAT WAS NOT ELL STUDENTS. THAT WAS TRADITIONAL STUDENTS. THERE ARE OTHER STUDIES THAT HAVE 20% AND 30%. 100% IT'S FOR ALL KIDS AND THAT PART OF IT TOO. THERE

117ARE COMPONEABOUTSANTS FOR THE -- COMPONENTS FOR THE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING KIDS. IT TIES INTO THE HEARING AIDS AND IT TIES DIRECTLY INTO IT. THEY DON'T HAVE TO WEAR HEADPHONES. THE COMPANY WAS PARTED BY MS. ANDERSON'S MOTHER AND HIS TWO BROTHER ARE DEAF. THEY LITERALLY DIDN'T WANT THEIR KID IN A DIFFERENT CLASSROOM. SHE BROUGHT A SPEAKER BOX AND THEY SLOWLY -- IT'S A FAMILY-OWNED COMPANY AND THEY'RE IN 1.8 MILLION CLASSROOMS. IT'S DEFINITELY A POSITIVE THING. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, IT'S FOR ALL STUDENTS. WE BOUGHT THIS AND DID A MAJORITY OF IT BEFORE THE LANGUAGE WAS IN PLACE. Jessica Vaughn: LOOK AT THE AMAZING THINGS WE CAN PROVIDE WHEN WE HAVE THE FUNDING TO DO SO. Lynn Gray: KIND OF A SILLY COMMENT BUT THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. YOU KNOW, MR. FARKAS, I HAVE

118NOT EVER SEEN YOU SO EXCITED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, -- BOYS LIKE THEIR TOYS AND YOU DEFINITELY ARE EXCITED BUT, YOU KNOW, MEMBER VAUGHN'S QUESTION AND COMMENT IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE NOW IF WE DELIBERATELY LOOK AT CERTAIN POPULATIONS OR MODALITIES, FOR INSTANCE, THE ESE AND ELL, WOULDN'T IT BE VERY, VERY SMART OF US TO SHOW THOSE TYPES OF VALUES THAT THOSE ACADEMIC INCREASES, BECAUSE WE DO IT WITH TEST SCORES. YOU KNOW, CERTAIN CATEGORIES OF OUR DEMOGRAPHICS. HOW IS THIS CURRICULUM OR THIS RESOURCE SUPPORTING INCREASED ACADEMICS. SO I'D SAY LET'S LASER FOCUS. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT AT THE BOARD MEETING, BUT THAT WOULD BE VERY EXCITING. SO THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: SURE. THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS? Nadia Combs: I HAD ONE LAST QUESTION/COMMENT AND I ONLY SAY THIS BECAUSE I REMEMBER A YEAR AGO

119AT SLY WE SAW SOME ISSUES, RIGHT? SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, WHO IS GOING TO OVERSEE WHEN THERE IS PROBLEMS, IF IT'S NOT WORKING, OR THE MICROPHONE IS NOT WORKING. Christopher Farkas: WE ALREADY SPENT THREE TECHNICIANS TO AUDIO ENHANCEMENT FACTORY. THEY HAVE ONE IN ORLANDO TO GET TRAINED ON THAT. THERE IS THREE PEOPLE THAT HANDLE THAT. WE MET WITH MR. LEWIS TO TALK ABOUT, IS THAT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO IT. RIGHT NOW IT IS. WE'LL SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. ANY BIG FIXES WILL BE WARRANTY ITEMS BUT LITTLE FIXES LIKE A MICROPHONE GOING OUT CAN BE DONE BY OUR PEOPLE TRAINED BY AUDIO ENHANCEMENT FROM ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATIONS. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU SO MUCH. SEEING THERE IS NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. I THINK HE IS RESETTING IT.

120OKAY. AND THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE EIGHT MINUTES UNTIL EMPLOYEE COMMENT. DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DO YOUR -- YOUR POWERPOINT IN EIGHT MINUTES OR DO WE WANT TO MOVE ON AND MAKE SURE WE DO EMPLOYEE COMMENT ON TIME? Van Ayres: I CAN DO IT IN EIGHT MINUTES. SURE. Jessica Vaughn: IT'S A PROMISE THEN. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS. TAKE IT AWAY, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. Van Ayres: THANK YOU. SO MY SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS THIS EVENING. FIRST OFF, IT'S OFFICIAL. OUR FOURTH ANNUAL RACE FOR EDUCATION WAS A BIG SUCCESS WITH 1200 REGISTRATIONS IT WAS THE BIGGEST RACE YET. THE WEATHER WAS INCREDIBLE. MS. GRAY, YOU WERE THE IDEA BEHIND THIS 5K. WE HAD FOUR NOW AND TRULY INCREDIBLE AND TO ALL OUR BOARD MEMBERS WHO SHOWED UP TO HELP GREET

121OUR RUNNERS AS THEY CROSS THE FINISH LINE AND WORE THE MEDALS, IT WON'T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT OUR PARTNERS AT EDUCATION FOUNDATION, BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND THANK YOU TO THE FACILITIES TEAM AND PHILANTHROPY AND OUTREACH FOR ALL THEY DID DURING THE EVENT AND TO ALL THE RUNNERS. LIKE I SAID, IT WAS OUR BIGGEST RACE YET. WHO PARTICIPATED, THANK FOR YOU SUPPORTING OUR EDUCATION IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. IT WAS A GREAT DAY. ALL RIGHT. SO ACTUALLY SHE WAS HERE EARLIER TODAY. YEAH. MAHI PATEL. SO SHE RECEIVED AN HONOR FROM THE MAYOR, THE TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT RECOGNIZES OUTSTANDING STEM FAIR PROJECTS AT THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS WITH THE DRINKING WATER AWARD. OUR VERY OWN MAHI PATEL FROM LIBERTY WAS THE FIRST PLACE WINNER IN THE CATEGORY. SHE AND HER FAMILY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN

122WITH MAYOR CASTOR TO BE RECOGNIZED. THE WINNING PROJECT NEEDED TO PROMOTE WATER CONCENTRATION AND/OR DESIGN A REAL WORLD SOLUTION INVOLVING WATER RESOURCES. HER PROJECT, HERE IS THE TITLE: OPTIMIZATION FOR TARGETED MICRO PLASTIC EXTRACTION IN WATER FILTRATION. CONGRATULATIONS. ALSO, CONGRATULATIONS TO SHANE MOORE FROM NEWSOM HIGH SCHOOL FOR WINNING THE INCUBATE DEBATE CHAMPIONSHIPS AND MOVING ON TO THE 2025 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSSHIPS AT NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA IN MAY HOSTING AN EDUCATIONAL DEBATE TOURNAMENTS FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. SO PROUD OF SHANE AND WE'LL BE ROOTING FOR HIM IN MAY SO ONCE AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO SHANE FROM NEWSOM HIGH SCHOOL. ALSO, CONGRATULATIONS ALSO GOES OUT TO THREE OF THE 11th GRADE STUDENTS FOR BEING RECOGNIZED AT THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AT THE SCHOLARS CONFERENCE IN ORLANDO SELECTED BY FLORIDA SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS THE TOP 11TH GRADE STEM

123STUDENTS, THE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES PARTICIPATED IN AN EXCITING PROGRAM TO CONNECT THEM WITH POST SECONDARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AND STEM-FOCUSED EMPLOYERS. 43 WERE PRESENTED WITH ONE-YEAR SCHOLARSHIPS TO ATTEND FLORIDA'S TOP-RANKED HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS. CASEY AYRES MADE THE LIST FROM NEWSOM, ROHAN MORGAN AND LUIS ENRIQUE LOPEZ FROM LETO HIGH SCHOOL. SO CONGRATULATIONS. GREAT AWARD. Jessica Vaughn: YOUR RELATIVE? Van Ayres: NO RELATION TO CASEY. I'D HAVE TO MEET CASEY. BOARD MEMBERS, AS YOU REALIZE, A PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS AN AREA AROUND EXCEPTIONAL TALENT. AND WE HAVE SOMEBODY HERE TONIGHT WHO RECEIVED A SPECIAL AWARD. SHE THINKS SHE IS HERE FOR ANOTHER REASON, BUT SHE IS ACTUALLY HERE BECAUSE SHANEY HALL WAS NAMED THE DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR. BY THE FLORIDA SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION. CONGRATULATIONS, SHANEY. I KNOW MR. -- YOU TRICKED HER GOOD. Christopher Farkas: I

124THOUGHT THE BOARD WAS GOING TO YELL AT HER ABOUT ITEMS. SHANI IS A FORMER AIR FORCE MEMBER AND SERVICEMAN AND TAUGHT IN GEORGIA FOR GEORGIA DIETICIAN. NOW SHE IS HERE WITH US FOR WHAT, FIVE YEARS? SIX NOW. IN SIX YEARS, SIX SHORT YEARS HERE, SHE IS NOMINATED BY HER COLLEAGUES. THESE ARE OTHER PEOPLE, OTHER STUDENT NUTRITION DIRECTORS. SHE TRAINS THE COUNCIL OF GREAT CITY SCHOOLS AND TRAINS IN FLORIDA AND IS A LEADER. WHEN THEY NEED TO GO AND TALK ABOUT TAKING AWAY FUNDING, WHO DO THEY GO TO PICK TO GO TO WASHINGTON, D.C.? IT'S MS. HALL. COULDN'T BE PROUDER OF THE WORK SHE HAS DONE. SHE TOOK OVER IN A VERY CHALLENGING SITUATION AND I CAN'T UNDERSTATE THAT ENOUGH. THE FIRST YEAR SHE MAY HAVE REGRETTED TAKING THE JOB BUT SINCE THEN SHE BUILT AN

125INCREDIBLE TEAM AND DONE EVERYTHING FROM CENTRALIZING HER TEAM TO MAKING SURE THAT HER TEAM HAS TRAINING AND YOUR BOARD APPROVED THE ITEMS OF TRAINING MEMBERS AND STUDENT NUTRITION THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN TRAINED TO THAT LEVEL BEFORE. I COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD OF HER AND MORE DESERVING OF WHO SHE IS. SHANI HALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR OUR KIDS EVERY SINGLE DAY. THANK YOU.. Van Ayres: CONGRATS, SHANI. CAN SHE GO HOME NOW, MR. FARKAS? PROBABLY HAS TO GET UP PRETTY EARLY TOMORROW. YOU CAN GET OUT OF HERE. SO Van Ayres: WE DID HAVE OUR HAS LEM'S AWARD. HONORED TO JOIN HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS. I WANT TO TALK TO SOME OF THE AWARDS. ALYSSA McCOY, RECOGNIZED AS ADMINISTRATOR ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR. AND CONGRATULATIONS TO SUSIE KASICH FROM

126PRIDE ELEMENTARY FOR RECEIVING MEDIA SPECIALIST OF THE YEAR FOR THE ELEMENTARY. SHANNON CHAMBERLAIN FROM ROBINSON FOR RECEIVING THE AWARD FOR THE SECONDARY DIVISION AND MELISSA IVY FROM BRYANT ELEMENTARY FOR RECEIVING THE -- BRYAN ELEMENTARY FOR RECEIVING THE RISING STAR AWARD. THANK YOU FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS THERE, MYSELF AND MS. FOSSETT WERE THERE AS WELL TO RECOGNIZE ALL OF OUR GREAT MEDIA SPECIALISTS ACROSS THIS DISTRICT. GREAT EVENING TO CELEBRATE THEM AND ALL THEIR WORK AS KIND OF THE YEAR ENDS. WE HAVE ONE SUSPENDED AGENDA UPDATE. BOARD MEMBERS, WE'LL MOVE THIS PRETTY QUICKLY. THIS IS JUST AROUND OUR FOCUS IMPLEMENTATION. SO WE'VE GOT THE FOCUS -- IMPLEMENTATION THAT'S HAPPENING AND AT THE SAME TIME THE SYNERGY RAMP-DOWN. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. OUR LAST SUSPENDED AGENDA UPDATE ON OUR STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM PROGRESS WAS THE FEBRUARY 25th BOARD

127MEETING. AND THE TEAMS HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS WITH OUR FOCUS IMPLEMENTATION AND OUR SYNERGY RAMP-DOWN. HERE YOU SEE THE SLIDE FOR OUR MILESTONES MET FOR FOCUS AND OUR UPCOMING PRIORITIES TAKING US THROUGH APRIL TO JULY. THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS WHERE WE ARE AT ON THE SINNER JOE RAMP--- SYNERGY RAMPDOWN AND THOSE MILESTONES MET AND UPCOMING PRIORITIES AS REQUESTED AT A PREVIOUS BOARD MEETING. THE NEXT SLIDE TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR FOCUS TRAINING PLAN THAT IS COMING FORWARD. I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE THAT FOCUS LEADERSHIP ALSO ATTENDED THE APRIL 10 HCTA REP COUNCIL MEETING TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL STATUS UPDATES AND RECEIVE AT IN OUR IMPLEMENTATION PLANS. I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ROB AND BRITT AND REGINA FOR ALLOWING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO THOSE MEETINGS TO PROVIDE THE UPDATES TO OUR INSTRUCTIONAL AND SUPPORT

128STAFF THERE. FINALLY, OUR LAST SLIDE SHOW ALL OF OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR SPECIALTY GROUPS THAT YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE. THIS HAS BEEN OUR CONTINUED SLIDE WHEN WE STARTED THIS BACK IN JANUARY. SO NOW YOU HAVE SEEN WHERE WE ARE COMING UP WITH OUR FINAL COMPLETION HERE ON THE WEEK OF MAY 5th FOR OUR FINAL REVIEW MEETINGS. AND THEN OUR LAST SLIDE AS WAS LISTED ON THE THIRD SLIDE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO ADMINISTER OUR TRAINING SURVEYS TO ENSURE USER CONFIDENCE AS WE'RE MOVING THROUGHOUT, AND THIS SLIDE DEMONSTRATES OUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO OUR THEME WITH THIS PROJECT OF CREATING ENERGY, CLARITY, AND EXCELLENCE WITH OUR SIS IMPLEMENTATION. THANK YOU TO MR. AYRES AND THE BOARD FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THE SUSPENDED AGENDA UPDATE. Van Ayres: THANK YOU, DR. WHELAN. BOARD MEMBERS, I HAVE ONE

129ADDITIONAL REMARK AND ANNOUNCEMENT. SO MA RITA JOHNSON, THIS IS HER LAST BOARD MEETING. MERITA IS RETIRING FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. HER LAST DAY IS MAY 16. IT WILL BE HER LAST DAY WITH US IN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE. SHE WILL BE REPLACED BY KIM WATKINS, THE LAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS SHADOWING MS. JOHNSON. ASSUMING THE SEAT AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING MAY 6. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. 21 YEARS, STARTED AT SECRETARY ONE AT FREEDOM, DATA PROSSER AND HAS BEEN THE SUPERINTENDENT SECRETARY SINCE JULY 1, 2020. MERITA WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. YOU ARE INCREDIBLE AND WE'LL MISS YOU TREMENDOUSLY. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. WE'LL HAVE MORE FOR YOU, MS. JOHNSON, IN CLOSING COMMENTS. RIGHT

130NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO EMPLOYEE COMMENTS. WE WILL NOW TAKE EMPLOYEE INPUT. EVEN THOUGH WE HEAR FROM PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, IT'S SOMETIMES DIFFICULT FOR EMPLOYEES OF OUR DISTRICT TO ATTEND MEETINGS AT 4 P.M. THERE ARE MANY WAYS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD, INCLUDING THROUGH UNION REPRESENTATIVES, E-MAILS, PHONE CALLS, ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS, AND PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. BUT THE BOARD WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. WITH THIS SECTION OF OUR AGENDA, WE'RE CREATING ANOTHER AVENUE FOR EMPLOYEES TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD. WE'RE SETTING ASIDE 30 MINUTES FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE DISTRICT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD ABOUT ISSUES THAT ARE ON YOUR MIND. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A DISCUSSION ABOUT SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS, BUT ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, BUT RATHER AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO

131THE BOARD ABOUT ANY ISSUE RELATED TO YOUR JOB IN THE DISTRICT. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. ROD KRIETE, CTA. FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO SAY WE'RE EXCITED TO GET BACK TO THE BARGAINING TABLE TOMORROW. WE'LL BEGIN WITH SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS WHERE WE LOOK AT CONTRACT LANGUAGE AND THEN WE ARE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT HEARING ABOUT THE BUDGET FROM TALLAHASSEE BEFORE WE GET INTO DOLLARS FOR OUR INSTRUCTIONAL UNITS AS WELL AS OUR ESPs. AND WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN DO SO EFFICIENTLY AND QUICKLY TO GET AS MUCH MONEY AS WE CAN TO THE EMPLOYEES WE KNOW ARE DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB IN OUR DISTRICT. AROUND THAT, WE TALK ABOUT EXCEPTIONAL EMPLOYEES, I'M HERE HELPING REPRESENT SOME GREAT AND EXCEPTIONAL EMPLOYEES THAT WORK AT OUR CURRENT RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS. WE HAVE A FEW THAT WILL SPEAK TO IT TONIGHT AND A

132FEW IN THE BACK SUPPORTING IT. JUST FOR HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, OUR CURRENT TRANSFORMATION NETWORK REALLY IS BORN OUT OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING FOR OUR RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS, WHEREAS WE WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT SUPPLEMENTING EMPLOYEES TO GO TO THESE SCHOOLS THAT HAD THE HIGHEST RATES OF FREE AND REDUCED BUNCH, WE ARE NOW FORCED TO LOOK AT, SAY, METRICS LIKE SCHOOL GRADES. SO I WOULD ARGUE AS AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WE'RE STILL MEASURING THE SAME THING. SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACT THAT WE'RE HAVING ON STUDENTS. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DATA OF OUR RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS, WE'LL SEE, AND YOU WILL SEE, HOW EFFECTIVE THESE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN AS WE'VE HAD THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR THESE EMPLOYEES. WE HAVE CONSISTENCY, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT THESE STUDENTS WILL LACK AND MISS, HAVING THAT SAME TEACHER THERE EVERY YEAR TO GREET THEM AND DO

133THE WORK THEY ARE DOING FOR THEM AND THE GRADES AND THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT WE SEE AND THE LACK OF VACANCIES AT THESE SITES ARE EXTRAORDINARILY UNIQUE IN OUR DISTRICT. AND WHEN WE REMOVE THE SUPPLEMENT, WE DO HAVE LEGITIMATE FEARS ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN TO THESE STUDENTS THAT HAVE HAD THE CONSISTENCY ALL THESE YEARS. WE ASK FOR YOUR RECONSIDERATION AND AT LEAST TAKE A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS OF HOW THE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THAT SUPPLEMENT AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TO POSITIVELY AFFECT THESE KIDS. THESE EMPLOYEES ARE KICKING BUTT AND DOING A GREAT JOB WITH IT. LET'S HEAR FROM A FEW OF THEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND RECONSIDERATION ON THIS TOPIC. HELLO. I'M LIZ BAKER. I AM A BEHAVIOR RESOURCE TEACHER AT TAMPA BAY BOULEVARD, A RENAISSANCE SCHOOL. THERE WERE SOME

134OTHER EDUCATORS THERE THAT DID WANT TO COME TONIGHT BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY ARE AT A SECOND JOB OR SIMPLY EXHAUSTED. I WILL E-MAIL THEIR STATEMENTS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TONIGHT. I STAND BEFORE NOT JUST AS AN ADVOCATE FOR EDUCATORS BUT AS SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES FACED BY THE TEACHERS WORKING IN A TITLE ONE SCHOOL. TAMPA BAY BOULEVARD ENDED THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR WITH 35 VACANCIES, AND THAT WAS WITH THE RENAISSANCE PAY. I'M HERE TO URGE YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER THE VITAL IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING RENAISSANCE STIPEND TO THESE DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS WORKING AT THE RENAISSANCE SCHOOL. RENAISSANCE SCHOOL SERVES SOME OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE STUDENT POPULATION, CHILDREN WHO OFTEN FACE POVERTY, INSTABILITY AND LIMITED ACCESS TO RESOURCES. WHILE OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE ALL THE STUDENTS WITH EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES, THE REALITY

135IS THAT THE WORK REQUIRED IS TO CLOSE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP AND THESE SCHOOLS DEMAND MORE TIME, ENERGY AND EMOTIONAL LABOR FROM OUR TEACHERS. TEACHERS IN RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS WEAR MANY HATS. WE ARE NOT ONLY EDUCATORS BUT MENTORS, COUNSELORS, TRANSLATORS AND OFTEN STUDENT'S MOST CONSISTENT SUPPORT AND SAFETY. ARRIVE EARLY, STAY LATE, BUY SUPPLIES OUT OF POCKET, WORK SECOND JOBS AND MANGE OVERCROWDED CLASSROOMS AND HIGH STUDENT NEEDS. MANY OF US TAKE THE ADDITIONAL TRAINING, RUN AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND SPEND OUR TIME UNPAID HOURS PREPARING MATERIALS TAILORED TO OUR UNIQUE NEEDS TO OUR STUDENTS. THE RENAISSANCE STIPEND IS NOT JUST FINANCIAL COMPENSATION, IT IS A RECOGNITION. IT ACKNOWLEDGES THE ADDED COMMITMENT THE PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE AND TEACH IN THESE ENVIRONMENTS. IT HELPS RETAIN TALENT AND EDUCATORS IN SCHOOLS WHERE TEACHERS TURNOVER IS NOTORIOUSLY HIGH. IT SAYS TO US WE SEE YOUR

136WORK AND VALUE YOUR SACRIFICE. INVESTING IN RENAISSANCE SCHOOL STIPEND IS INVESTING IN STUDENT SUCCESS. WHEN YOU SUPPORT YOUR TEACHERS, YOU IMPROVE YOUR STUDENTS' OUTCOMES, SCHOOL CULTURE AND COMMUNITY TRUST. THE RENAISSANCE STIPEND ISN'T A HANDOUT. IT IS A TOOL FOR EQUITY, ATTENTION AND RESPECT. STAND WITH YOUR TEACHERS, STAND WITH YOUR STUDENTS, LET'S SHOW THAT YOU VALUE NOT JUST EDUCATION BUT THE PEOPLE MAKING IT POSSIBLE EVERY SINGLE DAY. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. ERIC HAGEN, OAK GROVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. MUSIC TEACHER. I'M HERE BEFORE YOU TONIGHT AS A CONCERNED TEACHER AND MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY, ONE WHO'S ALWAYS HAD A DEEP RESPECT FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO. YOUR EFFORTS DO TRULY SHAPE THE FUTURE AND OUR CHILDREN. HOWEVER, I COME TO YOU WITH A HEAVY HEART TONIGHT REGARDING THE RECENT DECISION TO

137CUT THE RENAISSANCE SUPPLEMENT. A VITAL PROGRAM THAT SERVED AS A BEACON OF SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND FAMILIES ALIKE. AS MANY OF US KNOW, THE SUPPLEMENT HAS PROVIDED CRUCIAL RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH, ESPECIALLY IN OUR MOST VULNERABLE LEARNERS. WITHOUT IT, I FEAR THE CONSEQUENCES WILL REVERBERATE THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY IN WAYS THAT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO OVERCOME. THE RENAISSANCE SUPPLEMENT HAS BEEN MORE THAN JUST ACADEMIC RESOURCE, BUT A SYMBOL OF COMMITMENT TO EQUITABLE EDUCATION. I KNOW WE DON'T LIKE THAT WORD MUCH ANYMORE, BUT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY STICK TO IT. FOR MANY STUDENTS, IT HAS OFFERED THE CHANCE TO PURSUE LEARNING AT A PACE THAT MEETS THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS. HELPING THEM TO BRIDGE GAPS AND BUILD CONFIDENCE BY PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY TEACHERS. WITHOUT THIS SUPPLEMENT, THESE OPPORTUNITIES WILL BECOME SIGNIFICANTLY HARDER TO COME BY

138AS TEACHERS ARE FORCED TO MAKE THAT TOUGH DECISION. IN ADDITION TO THE IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR SCHOOLS AND FOR OUR DISTRICT AS A WHOLE. WITHOUT THE RENAISSANCE SUPPLEMENT WE RISK SEEING A DROP IN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. AS PERFORMANCE METRICS BEGIN TO DECLINE, OUR SCHOOLS WILL EVENTUALLY END UP ON THE TRANSFORMATION NETWORK. WHICH, AS WE KNOW, REQUIRES MORE MONEY THAN A RENAISSANCE SUPPLEMENT DOES. I THINK WE'LL BE LOSING MONEY IN THE LONG RUN. I RECOGNIZE THAT THIS DECISION IS DIFFICULT. IT IS. AND I KNOW THAT YOU DON'T TAKE IT LIGHTLY. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT RESOURCES ARE FINITE. BUT I URGE YOU TO CONSIDER BOTH THE IMPACT OF THIS CHOICE -- THE IMPACT OF THIS CHOICE. EDUCATION IS MORE THAN JUST THE MATERIALS WE PROVIDE. IT'S ABOUT FOSTERING AN

139ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH A CHILD CAN THRIVE, NO MATTER THEIR STARTING POINT. THE LOSS OF THIS SUPPLEMENT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY HINDER THAT MISSION. I HAVE ALREADY HEARD THE WHISPERS AND RUMORS OF TEACHERS WHO ARE POISED TO LEAVE OUR RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS. OUR SCHOOLS HAVE MORE CHALLENGES AND MORE BARRIERS THAN OTHERS AS WE CLEARLY RECOGNIZE. IN THE PAST YEARS ALONE, I'VE HEARD FROM FORMER COLLEAGUES HOW MUCH EASIER A JOB IS AT ONE OF OUR MORE AFFLUENT SCHOOLS, SAYING THINGS LIKE IT'S NOT WORTH IT. YOU WOULD BE LESS STRESSED IF YOU TRANSFERRED. IMAGINE NOW THAT THERE IS NO SUPPLEMENT. THE MASS EXODUS FROM OUR RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS, I COULD GO TO A TRANSFORMATION SCHOOL AND GET PAID BETTER WITH BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS AND EXTRA PLANNING TIME. COULD GO TO AN AFFLUENT SCHOOL WHERE A-PLUS MONEY IS -- Jessica Vaughn: YOUR TIME

140IS UP. IF YOU COULD JUST FINISH UP. SO SORRY ABOUT THAT. SO WHO SUFFERS IN THE LONG RUN? STUDENTS. STUDENTS WHO COME FROM OUR POOREST, MOST DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. STUDENTS WHO COME FROM OTHER COUNTRIES LOOKING FOR A CHANCE TO REACH THEIR OWN AMERICAN DREAM, STUDENTS WHO DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH AS WE TALKED ABOUT AND WORKED TWICE AS HARD TO SIMULTANEOUSLY LEARN CURRICULUM AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE. STUDENTS WHO GO HOME TO UNIMAGINABLE SITUATIONS AND STUDENTS WHO GO HOME TO EMPTY HOUSES BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS ARE WORKING. STUDENTS WHO KNOW THEIR TEACHER GENUINELY LOVE AND SUPPORT THEM. I ASK YOU ALL TO RECONSIDER AND PUT YOUR HEADS TOGETHER AND LET'S GET CREATIVE. LET'S COME UP WITH A METRIC FOR GAUGING SCHOOL NEED THAT DOESN'T SOLELY RELY ON SCHOOL GRADE. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS?

141ANY OTHER EMPLOYEE COMMENT? OKAY. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, WE'RE NOW GOING TO MOVE ON TO BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS. I KNOW THERE ARE SOME GUIDELINES ON THAT. BOARD MEMBERS, REMINDER, YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES EACH TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. MEMBER GRAY, YOU ARE FIRST IN THE QUEUE. Lynn Gray: YES, I HAVE TO HURRY UP ON THIS ONE. FIRST, USF HAS RECOGNIZED ONE OF OUR OWN, NADIA COMBS, WITH THE SPIRIT OF PARTNERSHIP ALUMNI AWARD. LET'S GIVE HER A BIG HAND. SHE NEVER MISSES A MEETING. THAT I KNOW. HILLSBOROUGH HEALTHY SCHOOL AWARDS, WE HAD 204 SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING. THANK YOU, DR. GRAYES, THANK YOU DR. KIMBERLY SCHWARTZ, OUR CHAIR, DR. ROSS, OUR COMMITTEE, WONDERFUL HILLSBOROUGH HEALTHY SCHOOLS COMMITTEE AND ALL OF THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS FOR HELPING WITH THIS COMPLETION

142OF THE SURVEY. THE SURVEY INCLUDES MENTAL, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL WELL-BEING OF OUR STUDENTS, A MEASUREMENT GUIDE FOR HEALTHY SCHOOLS. 116 GOLD WERE AWARDED THIS YEAR. 65 SILVER AND 22 BRONZE AND ALSO A SHOUT-OUT THAT 13 OF OUR SCHOOLS WERE IDENTIFIED TOP SITES WITH THE HIGHEST POINTS EARNED AND SUPPORTED WITH A GIFT FROM THE TEACHERS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION. SO I WANT TO THANK THEM. NEXT -- AND WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO THIS DURING THE AWARD CEREMONY A LITTLE BIT MORE. BUT OUR SCHOOLS HAVE PUT FORTH A LOT OF EFFORTS IN KEEPING THEMSELVES AND THEIR SCHOOL SITES HEALTHY. AND THIS GOES WITH THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, THEIR COMMUNITY, STUDENTS, AND THEIR LEADERSHIP TEAM AND TEACHERS AS WELL. SO, GOOD. NEXT, RACE FOR EDUCATION. I THINK THERE IS A FUNNY LOOKING GUY IN THIS VIDEO. PABLO, DO YOU HAVE

143THE VIDEO? BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE IT, I DON'T SEE IT. WE HAVE IT. THERE IT IS. AND HEF, HILLSBOROUGH EDUCATION FOUNDATION, DESERVES SO MANY ACCOLADES. THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE HILLSBOROUGH HEALTHY SCHOOLS EMBRACING THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL WELLNESS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. BIG SHOUT-OUT TO ALL OF OUR TEACHERS, EVERYONE WHO REALLY HAS DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO THE YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY AND AGAIN MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE GETS A SOLID EDUCATION. [SCHOOL BELL RINGS] ♪ JUST NOTE, THE MAYOR GAVE US THIS COURSE WHICH IS VERY, VERY HARD TO GET IN A DOWNTOWN AREA. WE THANK ANN MARIE AS WELL, ANA COLEMAN FROM HEF. WHAT THIS IS REALLY ABOUT, IT BRINGS OUT EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY. SHOWS ALL THE SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION IN TAMPA. GREAT EVENT, IF YOU MISS IT THIS YEAR, YOU'VE GOT TO COME OUT NEXT

144YEAR AND CHECK IT OUT. HE GOT LIKE 29 MINUTES OR SOMETHING. HE DID WELL. GREAT WEATHER TO GO OUT AND RUN. EVERYONE ENJOYED IT. Lynn Gray: SO A BIG THANKS, OF COURSE, GOES TO OUR SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES WHO HAS SUPPORTED THE HILLSBOROUGH HEALTHY SCHOOLS SINCE 2016 AND OUR WONDERFUL MAYOR, MAYOR CASTOR, ANN MARIE COURTNEY, CITY OF, CITY OF POLICE, FIRST RESPONDERS, ANA COLEMAN, PABLO, THANK YOU. I'M SORRY ABOUT THE MISPRONUNCIATION, BEN MOORE, BRANDON COURTNEY, TAMMY, JENSEN. SHANEY HALL, ALSO A HILLSBOROUGH HEALTHY SCHOOL AWARD NOMINEE OF THE SECOND QUARTER. ALEXIS. LAURA HILL. SCHOOL SECURITY. BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL. VALERIE NEWTON IS THE PRINCIPAL. STUDENT VOLUNTEERS FROM BLAKE, DESOTO, KING, PLANT, FREEDOM HIGH SCHOOL, PROBABLY OVER A HUNDRED STUDENT VOLUNTEERS. STUDENT PERFORMANCES FROM BALLAST POINT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, BLAKE, LANIER, PLANT AND WHARTON HIGH SCHOOL. BOARD MEMBERS, OH, NADIA

145COMBS, THTHANK YOU, NADIA AND THANK YOU SHAKE WASHINGTON AND PATTI RENDON FOR ATTENDING. THANKS TO THE SUNCOAST CREDIT UNION, AETNA, BAY CARE, TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL, DUNKIN' DONUTS. SCOUTING AMERICA, TAMPA AY BUCCANEERS, THE JEEP DEPOT, GULF COAST PLASTICS, TAMPA BAY SUN. SPROUTS, FARMER MARKET. I HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO SAY BUT I'M OUT OF TIME. Van Ayres: YOU HAD TWO OF YOUR REGION THAT WON THEIR AGE GROUPS. GARE GARE WOULD THAT BE A -- Lynn Gray: WOULD THAT BE A GARY -- AND REGINA. Van Ayres: REGINA WON HER AGE GROUP AND MR. BRADY. MR. NELSON NEEDS TO TRAIN NEXT YEAR. Lynn Gray: I THINK SO. MEMBER GRAY WON FIRST PLACE. Jim Porter: [INAUDIBLE] Lynn Gray: ACTUALLY, I THINK IT WAS 27 OR 29 MINUTES, RIGHT. DID HE STOP? Jim Porter: FOR THE RECORD, I WOULD HAVE

146PLACED BUT A STRANGE MAN IN A FROG SUIT STOPPED ME FOR DIRECTIONS. I WAS BEATEN BY SIX SECONDS. Jessica Vaughn: VERY COMPETITIVE. Lynn Gray: I'LL FINISH MY COMMENTS SOME OTHER TIME. BYE. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER WASHINGTON. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THE FROG MAN, YOU'RE IN GREAT SHAPE TO RUN THAT LONG A RACE WITH THE SUIT ON. IT WAS HOT OUT THERE, TOO. MS. JOHNSON, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR DEDICATION FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SHE WAS OUR SECRETARY WHEN WE WERE AREA SUPERINTENDENTS. WE'RE GOING TO MISS YOU. MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU. MR. LEWIS, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB AS CFO. GIVING OUT IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT WE NEED, EVEN THOUGH WE NEED MORE MONEY OUT OF YOUR HANDS, BUT

147WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. MR. YOUNG, CONGRATULATIONS. MR. YOUNG'S DAUGHTER GOT MARRIED. YES, CONGRATULATIONS. SO THAT'S GREAT. HE MAY NEED SOME MONEY AFTER THAT NIGHT. MOVING ALONG HERE, I WANT TO SAY FOR COACH MACK LOOSA AND THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT, FOR COMING OUT, COACH MacLOOSA RETIRED FROM DOING 50 YEARS OF COACHING IN BASEBALL IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE UMPIRE WHEN THE SUPERINTENDENT THREW OUT THE FIRST PITCH. IT WAS A STRIKE. HE HIT THE OUTSIDE CORNER OF THE PLATE. BUT I KNOW THE PEOPLE, NO, NO, HE DIDN'T, BUT HE DID. RACE FOR EDUCATION WAS GREAT, MRS. GRAY. I ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. THAT'S ONE OF THE ONLY TIMES YOU GET A CHANCE TO SEE PEOPLE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IN A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. WE REALLY HAD A

148GREAT TIME AND MORE PEOPLE PARTICIPATED. YES, MA'AM. ALSO, THE TURNAROUND STUDENT BREAKFAST, IT WAS REALLY TOUCHING. I CAN RECALL WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I HAD A TEACHER, NEVER FORGET HER NAME, MY THIRD GRADE TEACHER. SHE KIND OF LIKE TURNED MY LIFE AROUND. ALWAYS SOMEBODY IN YOUR LIFE THAT'S GOING TO TURN YOU AROUND. MOST OF THE TIME IT'S TEACHERS BECAUSE THAT'S THE PEOPLE YOU SEE THE MOST. ONE KID HAD ME IN TEARS. WHAT I FOUND OUT JUST LISTENING TO THE KIDS, ONCE THEY TURN AROUND, THEY ARE GUNG HO. ONCE THEY TURN AROUND THEY ARE REALLY ON TOP OF IT AND DOING A GREAT JOB. ALSO, THE LUNCHEON WAS VERY GOD. APPRECIATE ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR COMING OUT. IT WAS REALLY NICE. WE GOT A LONG WAYS TO GO. I SPOKE EARLIER -- I DIDN'T SPEAK

149EARLIER. I WAS TALKING TO MR. MORALES ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR DOING A GREAT JOB, WORKING HARD, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY HARD. THE GRADUATION RATE, WE'RE WORKING ON IT. LAST YEAR IT WAS AT 88%. HIGHER THAN 88% THIS YEAR COMING UP. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION, MR. ROSS IS WORKING REALLY HARD. WE'RE NOW DOWN TO SINGLE DIGITS. WHEN I COME BACK TO THE BOARD IN THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, I'LL BE GIVING YOU SOME SPECIAL NUMBERS ON IT. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE COME A LONG WAYS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WITH THE DISTRICT. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SUSPENSIONS, BUT WE REALLY HAVE WHAT 10, 15, 20 YEARS AGO, PROBABLY HAD MORE SUSPENSIONS THAN WE HAVE NOW, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO TRACK THEM BECAUSE WE USED PAPERWORK TO TRACK SUSPENSIONS BACK

150IN THE DAY WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, SO IT WASN'T ACCURATE. NOW IT IS MORE ACCURATE AND PEOPLE CAN SEE THAT SUSPENSIONS ARE HIGH, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON IT. PARENTS AND COMMUNITY PEOPLE, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THE BOARD AND EVERYBODY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, WE ARE WORKING ON DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR STUDENTS, AND ESPECIALLY WORKING ON THE PART ABOUT THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT. WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP KIDS IN SCHOOLS, BUT WE GOT TO REALIZE, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP KIDS IN SCHOOL, BUT WE CAN'T LET THEM RUN THE SCHOOL. WE GOT TO MAKE THAT SPECIFIC SO PARENTS AND EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THAT KIDS, WE LOVE OUR KIDS. WE WANT THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL, BUT THEY CAN'T RUN THE SCHOOL. THEY CAN'T TAKE OVER THE SCHOOL BECAUSE WE HAVE PEOPLE TO DO THAT. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT

151WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK HARD AND DOT THINGS IT TAKES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I APPRECIATE IT. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER COMBS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, CHAIR VAUGHN. THANK YOU, MR. WASHINGTON, MENTIONING ALL THAT. I THINK IT'S SO TRUE. I THINK OUR DISTRICT WORKS SO HARD WITH THE ACADEMICS, DISCIPLINE, THE FACILITIES, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING EARLY LEARNING AND THEN PROVIDING SUPPORT AFTERWARDS, MAKING SURE WITH THE FACE TEAM THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING FAMILIES. I THINK THERE'S SO MUCH THAT WE DO WITH SUCH A LIMITED BUDGET, IT'S AMAZING. AND EVERY TIME YOU COME IN CONTACT WITH PEOPLE AND YOU SEE THE TEACHERS, LIKE THE ONE COMING UP, TEACHERS WHO ARE SO EMOTIONAL FOR THEIR KIDS, READING A SPEECH OR TEACHERS SO EMOTIONAL WHO REALLY CARE ABOUT THE BELL RINGING AND EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY DOES IN

152THIS DISTRICT, IT'S SO HARD. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE PUSHING HARD, LOOKING AT OUR BUDGET, SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO, HOW WE CAN PUT MONEY BACK INTO OUR STAFF, OUR TEACHERS, OUR ADMINISTRATORS, OUR SECURITY, EVERYBODY. I THINK WE HAVE TO KEEP LOOKING AT THAT EVERY MOMENT AND OBVIOUSLY KEEPING A GOOD FUND BALANCE BUT MAKING SURE AS MUCH MONEY WE CAN GO BACK AND TO SUPPORT PEOPLE AT THE SCHOOLS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. I AGREE, WE TALK SO MUCH ABOUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND DISCIPLINE HAS GONE DOWN, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT KIDS ARE MAKING SOME BAD DECISIONS THESE DAYS, AND WE ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE ENTIRE CLASS. I SOMETIMES THINK AS A TEACHER, SOMETIMES THERE'S ONE CHILD THAT'S DISRUPTIVE AND IT RUINS

153THE ENTIRE CLASS AND THERE'S NO LEARNING GOING ON. I DON'T WANT OUR TEACHERS TO HAVE FEAR ABOUT WORRYING ABOUT DISCIPLINE OR WRITING DISCIPLINE. SOMETIMES THOSE KIDS, I THINK ABOUT THE TURNAROUND STUDENTS, SOME OF THE KIDS WERE DOUBLE DIGIT DISCIPLINED AND SOMETIMES IT TOOK SOMETHING REALLY HARD FOR THEM TO LEARN TO TURN THEIR LIFE AROUND. I DON'T WANT OUR PRINCIPALS AND ADMINISTRATORS TO BE NERVOUS ABOUT WRITING A REFERRAL OR DOING SOMETHING OR DISCIPLINING A CHILD BECAUSE THEY ARE MAKING BAD DECISIONS. THAT'S HOW THEY ARE LEARNING AS THEY GO THROUGH LIFE. I APPRECIATE YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT, MR. WASHINGTON. COUPLE OF THINGS, RACE FOR EDUCATION, IT WAS JUST AMAZING. HOW MANY PEOPLE, THE STUDENTS, THE EXCITEMENT, THE TEACHER TEAMS THAT CAME OUT. JUST ONE OF THE BEST EVENTS. I REALLY THINK IT'S SO AMAZING. I CAN'T BELIEVE

154IT IS THE FIFTH ONE NEXT YEAR. I'M SO EXCITED. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS. THERE ARE SO MANY EVENTS GOING ON RIGHT NOW I COULD GO TO SOMETHING EVERY NIGHT. SPOTLIGHT A COUPLE OF GREAT THINGS FROM A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AT ALONSO, CHICAGO TEEN ADDITION, AMAZING. OUR TEACHERS ARE AMAZING. THE TYPE OF ACTING AND SINGING THAT CAME OUT OF THERE, I WAS AMAZED. I'M HARDLY EVER ABLE TO TAKE MY HUSBAND. AND HE JUST KEPT TALKING ABOUT WHAT A GREAT SHOW IT WAS AND WHAT'S THE SHOW NEXT YEAR. IT'S GREAT GOING TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLAYS. HILLSBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL HAS BEETLE JUICE THIS WEEKEND. I CAN'T GO. SO MANY EVENTS. PLEASE COME OUT TO YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS, HIGH SCHOOLS AND ATTEND SOME OF THE EVENTS. ALSO, THANK YOU TO PIN CHASERS FOR THE

155TURNAROUND EVENT. HONESTLY, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BEST EVENTS. I REMEMBER HAVING IT AS A TEACHER AND NOW GOING AS A BOARD MEMBER, I KNOW THEY DIDN'T HAVE IT FOR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS. I WAS SO TOUCHED BY THE STORIES, THE IMPACT AND HOW THE CHILDREN ARE TURNING THEIR LIVES AND HOW THEY WANT TO TURN OTHER KIDS' LIVES. IT WAS HONESTLY ONE OF THE BEST EVENTS OF THE YEAR. LASTLY, I WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT OUR LEADERS IN ACTION. SICKLES HIGH SCHOOL, THIS YOUNG LADY STARTED AN ORGANIZATION, ALMOST ALL SOPHOMORES. WE PAIRED UP WITH THE EXCEPTIONAL CENTER. WE HAVE DALE ROGER WHO STARTED THE AGRICULTURAL PROGRAM. HE IS DOING SO MANY AMAZING THINGS. WE PARTNERED UP WITH LEADERS IN ACTION, WHICH IS A GROUP THAT STARTED AT SICKLES HIGH SCHOOL WITH GABRIELLA, HER WHOLE TEAM AND WE

156WERE ABLE TO SPEND SUNDAY CLEANING UP THE SCHOOL AND BEAUTIFYING IT AND MAKING SURE OUR EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO LIKE ENJOY ALL THE ANIMALS AND EVERYTHING. BIG SHOUT-OUT TO THE YOUNG GROUP. THEY ARE DOING SO MANY AMAZING THINGS AND ALSO FOR CAMINITI EXCEPTIONAL CENTER. TO SEE A TEACHER SO PASSIONATE COMING OUT THERE, IT WAS JUST AMAZING. THANK YOU EVERYONE. I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT EASTER. THIS IS THE LAST BIG PUSH OF THE YEAR. I HOPE EVERYONE STAYS POSITIVE AND HAS A GREAT YEAR. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER PEREZ. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. I'M SORRY, BUT I HAVE TO SAY THIS. I'M HOPING THAT ALL OUR STUDENTS ARE GOING TO HAVE TEACHERS IN FRONT OF THEM THAT ARE GOING TO CARE ABOUT THEIR EDUCATION NO MATTER WHAT SCHOOL THEY ATTEND.

157SOME COMMENTS TONIGHT REALLY HAD ME A LITTLE DISTURBED ABOUT OUR STUDENTS AND WHETHER THEY ARE LOW INCOME OR AFFLUENT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE KNOW THAT OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR SCHOOLS WILL ALWAYS HAVE TEACHERS IN FRONT OF THEM ARE GOING TO PROVIDE THEM THE EDUCATION THEY NEED TO SUCCEED IN LIFE. JUST THINGS THAT WERE SAID TONIGHT, WHICH IS A LITTLE DISTURBING TO ME. I UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE SUPPORTS, THAT FUNDING HELPS, BUT OUR CHILDREN NEED THOSE EDUCATORS IN FRONT OF THEM. IT WAS NOT THEIR FAULT THAT THEY WERE BORN TO A CERTAIN ECONOMIC SPACE, BUT THAT OUR CHILDREN DO NEED THAT SUPPORT IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. MY BRAIN JUST GOT STUCK THERE WITH THIS RENAISSANCE ISSUE, SUPERINTENDENT. I WENT -- ON APRIL 10, I WENT WITH MEMBER RENDON AND MEMBER GRAY TO THE MIGRANT SCHOLARSHIPS. AND THESE ARE STUDENTS

158THAT COME FROM NOTHING AND WERE ABLE TO MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF THEMSELVES AND SUCCEED IN BEING ABLE TO GRADUATE AND RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS TO GO ON. SOME OF THE STUDENTS THAT WERE WALKING ACROSS THAT STAGE WERE GOING TO GO TO HARVARD. THEY TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF FLORIDA TO THE UNIVERSITIES THAT THEY WERE GOING TO AND WE DID THAT FOR THEM. WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT EDUCATION, THAT FOUNDATION FOR THESE STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THEM FORWARD, TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO, WHEN THEY WALKED ACROSS THAT STAGE, TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE UNIVERSITIES THEY WERE GOING TO GO TO. AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE TEACHERS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PUT IN FRONT OF THEM. THIS IS A CRITICAL CONVERSATION THAT WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE WHEN

159IT COMES TO OUR RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS. AND THOSE TEACHERS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN FRONT OF THEM BECAUSE IT AFFECTS MORE OUR CHILDREN THAT REALLY NEED THAT LIFT UP. I CAN'T EVEN AFTER THIS. THANK YOU. Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT SOME GOOD THINGS AND THEN ASK SOME QUESTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO NANCY MILAN OUR TAX COLLECTOR AS OFFICE. MEMBER RENDON AND I ATTENDED, THEY DO AN ART COMPETITION EVERY SINGLE YEAR FOR VANITY PLATES. THEY INVITE ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS TO PARTICIPATE. WE HAD 60 SCHOOLS PARTICIPATE. EVERY SCHOOL THAT PARTICIPATES, THEY ALLOT $800 PER ART TEACHER TO SPEND EXTRA MONEY IN THEIR CLASSROOM WHICH GENERATES A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY. SEEING SO MANY FAMILIES COME AND HIGHLIGHT THEIR KIDS' ARTWORK. YOU CAN BUY THE

160VANITY PLATES ONLINE. GREAT. AQUARIUM. SUNCOAST GIVES A LOT OF MONEY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. THAT WAS GREAT. THANK YOU FOR HEIGHTING THE HASLEM BANQUET. WE'RE THERE FOR HOURS BECAUSE THEY RAFFLE OFF SO MANY GIFT CARDS. IT'S REALLY FUN. YEAH, MEMBER COMBS WON QUITE A FEW. JUST IN GENERAL TO SEE THE DEDICATION TO LITERACY, FREEDOM AND SUPPORTING OUR KIDS AND THEIR PASSION AROUND READING AND HOW MANY DOORS IT OPENS AND SEEING OURSELVES REFLECTED IN READING IS SO REFRESHING TO HEAR AND THEY REALLY APPRECIATE OUR DISTRICT'S COMMITMENT TO MAKING SURE WE SUPPORT THEM. SO THAT WAS GREAT. THANK YOU. DR. WHELAN, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO BUT THE ROLLOUT WITH A FOCUS AND MORE ALSO FROM THE FAMILY SIDE BECAUSE I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THAT. WHEN I'VE ASKED QUESTIONS, I SEE IT FROM THE EMPLOYEE

161SIDE, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S ALSO A ROLLOUT ON THE FAMILY SIDE THAT DOESN'T CAUSE CONCERNS. IF WE CAN GET TOGETHER ON THAT. MS. JOHNSON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE. YOU ARE ALWAYS A SMILING FACE, CALMING PRESENCE. YOU SAT UP HERE AND WATCHED SOME PRETTY INTENSE COMMENTS. YOU'VE DONE IT WITH SO MUCH GRACE AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE GIVEN TO THE DISTRICT AND I KNOW I'LL SEE YOUR DAUGHTER WHEN I GO TO LUTZ. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR US. WE WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR RETIREMENT. AS FAR AS THE RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS IS CONCERNED, FOR MY UNDERSTANDING, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS ALL TOGETHER AND CLEARLY, THE REASON THAT'S GOING AWAY IS BECAUSE AT SOME POINT THE

162STATE ALLOCATED THAT MONEY TO US, BUT THE LEGISLATIVE BODY CHANGED THAT AND THEY ARE NOT GIVING US MONEY TO SUPPLEMENT STUDENTS BASED ON INCOME LEVEL. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT, YES. SO THAT MONEY FOR RENAISSANCE PAY HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN PAID OUT OF TITLE ONE FUNDS. TITLE ONE FUNDS CANNOT SUPPORT ANY TYPE OF RECRUITMENT INCENTIVE BASED ON POVERTY INDEX ALONE. SO THAT MONEY HAS FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS BEEN HITTING OUR GENERAL FUND IN THE AMOUNT OF OVER $4.5 MILLION. Jessica Vaughn: I DID WANT TO BE CLEAR BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS A MISCOMMUNICATION THAT WE'RE JUST DECIDING NOT TO PAY THAT MONEY ANYMORE. THAT IS A DECISION THAT WE'VE MADE. SO THE REASON WHY WE'RE EVEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION IS BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THE STATE LEGISLATION IS SLOWLY TAKING OUT

163OF OUR BUDGET, WHETHER $4 MILLION WE CAN'T ACCOUNT FOR OR SCHOOL RECOGNITION MONEY OR TAKE CATEGORICALS AWAY, THAT'S ONE THING WE WERE FUNDING THAT THEY TOOK AWAY FROM US. WE USE ESSER MONIES TO PAY FOR THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS. YOU'RE SAYING IT'S ABOUT $4 MILLION A YEAR. IF WE AS A DISTRICT WANTED TO PRIORITIZE THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO DECIDE IN BARGAINING TO EITHER GO AGAINST THE GENERAL FUND OR OUR FUND BALANCE IN ORDER TO PRIORITIZE THAT, CORRECT? YES. IT WOULD HAVE TO COME OUT OF GENERAL FUND OR FUND BALANCE. Jessica Vaughn: I WANT CLARITY AROUND THAT FOR EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND. MR. LEWIS, I KNOW SOUTH FLORIDA PAYS A LARGER SUPPLEMENT FOR THEIR RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS IN SOME WAY. CAN YOU GET AN IDEA WHEN WE GO TO TALK ABOUT THAT, HOW MUCH THAT

164IS, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, WHERE IT COMES OUT OF SO WE CAN GET AN IDEA AND COMPARE TO OTHER DISTRICTS IF THEY ARE ABLE TO OFFER SOMETHING LARGER AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. Jamie Lewis: YES, WE'LL DO RESEARCH. Jessica Vaughn: HOW MUCH TIME? A MINUTE 36. BACK TO THE BUDGET AND TRANSPARENCY AROUND EVERYTHING, I REALLY WANT TO DIVE DEEPER INTO SOME OF THE MONEY THE STATE TOOK BACK. WE TALKED ABOUT THE 4 MILLION. I'M STILL UNCLEAR ABOUT THE TAX MILLAGE ALLOCATION AND HOW THAT WORKS. I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT OUR COUNTS VERSUS THE STATE COUNT. I KNOW WHEN WE LOBBY LEGISLATION, ONE OF THE THINGS WE LOBBIED FOR IS MORE COUNTS TO BE MORE ACCURATE. ONLY TWO COUNTS A YEAR THAT CAUSES A PROBLEM ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE SAYING THIS IS HOW MUCH ENROLLMENT WE HAVE

165AND THE STATE IS COMING BACK AND SAYING NO. WE TALKED ABOUT ISSUES WITH MEMBER PEREZ POSSIBLY TALKING ABOUT SUSPENSIONS, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE TALKED ABOUT SINCE GETTING ON THE BOARD IS THE MIGRANT POPULATION AND HOW WE HAVE A LARGE ONE AND HOW THEIR SEASON LINES UP PERFECTLY WHERE THEY ARE NOT HERE DURING OUR COUNT BUT COME BACK MIDYEAR. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT BEFORE, HOW MUCH MONEY THAT IS. I'D LIKE A REMINDER OF THAT AND KEEP THAT IN OUR VERNACULAR. I THINK BETWEEN ALL THE PIECES WE ARE BRINGING UP, WE CAN COUNT FOR A LOT OF STUDENTS WE NEED TO HAVE IN FRONT OF THE CONVERSATION. ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WORKSHOP, OUR UNIT ALLOCATION PROCESS. I THINK THAT REGARDLESS OF WHERE WE END UP, ONE THING

166WE NEED TO DO AS A DISTRICT IS BE MORE CLEAR ABOUT IT, SO OUR EMPLOYEES UNDERSTAND. I KNOW THAT AS A BOARD MEMBER, IT'S TAKEN ME MULTIPLE DAYS, HOUR-LONG CONVERSATIONS WITH MULTIPLE PEOPLE JUST TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, THE PROJECTED NUMBERS, HOW IT WORKS, THE FORMULA. IF IT IS THAT CHALLENGING FOR ME TO GET THAT INFORMATION, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE STRUGGLING WITH. I'D LIKE MORE CLARITY AROUND THAT AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT. BUT THAT'S ALL MY TIME. SEEING THAT THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.