School Board Work Session | February 24, 2026

001Heat. Heat. Do you guys keep the center open during spring break? >> Yeah, they have to I'm waiting for the video to show what the video. There we go. >> Good afternoon and welcome to the Poke County School Board's work session. We will now call the work session for February 24th, 2026 to order. Thank you to our staff who are available and accessible to help and address any questions. As a board, we strive to work with you to ensure our to we achieve our mission to provide a high quality education for all students. I would like to start by reading our who are we statement. We are the Poke County Leadership Governance Team. If we were to pick one phrase to define us, it would be student centered. Because when we come together to work,

002we lean on our diverse backgrounds and experiences to ensure that our decisions are focused on providing a highquality education for all students. The four most important things to our governance team are operating with integrity, respecting our students, staff, family, and each other, establishing a culture where stakeholders feel valued, supported, and have opportunities for personal and professional growth, and supporting an approach of continuous improvement to ensure student outcomes. Collectively, we we need to work on behalf of the children we serve and find avenues of agreement so that we can govern the district in an effective manner. There is no acceptable alternative. We will always collaborate in a respectful manner in order to enhance opportunities for each student and staff member. We will not disparrage others. Our students will thrive because we will remain committed to supporting

003the whole child. We hope to engage and empower our students and stakeholders to create a community of lifelong learners. At this time, I would like to turn our work session over to Superintendent Hyde to lead us today. >> Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, members of the board, members of staff and committee. Thank you for being here. We have a fairly full agenda today for topics for the today's workshop. Um we are going to begin with the Pulk County Public Schools Hall of Fame. This is a program that existed in Pulk County prior to COVID um where it ceased and so there's been some inquiries from board members of late about the possibility of revising um reviving this program. So Mr. Gary and his team have been working on that. So Mr. Gary, I will turn it

004over to you. >> Thank you, board chair and uh board co-chair, superintendent, and school board members. Thank you very much. Um, as Mr. Hyde mentioned, uh, we're, uh, looking into the concept of re revitalizing, revamping, and launching the PK County Public Schools Hall of Fame, but we wanted to gauge your interest in the program and make sure that was in a direction you supported going in. Um, for some history on the PK County Public Schools Hall of Fame, uh, the first Hall of Fame was, uh, hosted in 1985. Over the years, uh, we've have 130, uh, inductees into the Hall of Fame. Our fi our last induction ceremony occurred in 2021, and as Mr. Hyde mentioned, uh, the pandemic was what, uh, sort of created a, um, a stop, a hiatus, if you will, for

005the Hall of Fame. Uh the inductees currently as the Hall of Fame is organized must be alumni with uh P County Public Schools and they have made significant contributions in various areas um that are listed here on this slide. Uh there's some notable um inductees also on this slide and again there's 130 or so folks that are already in the Hall of Fame uh over the years. The current Hall of Fame process again they they must be alumni. Um any member of the community can um submit an application. Uh it goes through a judging committee. A rubric is applied uh on uh several different attributes and the nominees who score the top uh scores are inducted. There's usually no more than four inductees chosen in a given year. There is then also a uh an

006invite only banquet that takes place and we can talk a little bit more about more about that in slides that are later on in this presentation. We mainly wanted to see what your interest level was in in uh relaunching this program. If you did, we had some uh suggested uh proposals or uh options that we could do to maybe update the program and change how it current how it has been run in the past. For instance, instead of just having alumni, there's the possibility of also having other categories like outstanding educator or a community champion. What that would look like is is we have many uh great uh educators in our system who uh maybe uh would be worth uh worthwhile for consideration, but if they're not an alumni, they wouldn't be considered under the

007current uh setup. In addition, there could be community champions, folks who invest heavily in our in our school system, maybe charitable donors or people who have created programs uh for us. Um that could be another um category for consideration if you wanted to expand the categories for inductees. Another option that we thought of was there is was creating a physical hall of fame. And then if we were to re uh launch, we would probably want to rebrand and do a do a new logo and um consider maybe changes to a ceremony if you would like to do a ceremony. Again, a proposed new hall of fame process would would expand the categories. We would then also come up with a different rubric because there would be different u different categories for consideration. Um and then

008in addition to that um the uh nominating process would be very similar. We would we would leave it open so that anybody could nominate for consideration. And again the the Hall of Fame judging process would use a a rubric but we would need to devise a new rubric if we were to expand the categories. Currently, there is no physical hall of fame for P County Public Schools. It exists digitally. So, it it is listed on the website. Um, but there is a as part of this proposal perhaps creating a physical display that could serve as a physical hall of fame that could be visited. One area that we considered and that we would recommend would be the display cabinets that are actually out in the in the current public hallway that we have here that

009folks when they come to our board meetings where they come here to to visit would be able to see uh in those display cabinets right now we have various artifacts that are really on loan from the uh Pulk County Historical Society. So, if we wanted to redesign this area and turn it into a physical hall of fame, we would return those those items back to um the PK County Historical Society. A concept that we considered for the physical hall of fame would be uh there's a display over at the Coleman Bush Building over in Lakeland. Um, it is a uh a combination of acrylic signage and a uh interactive display screen that allows them to go through the history of the uh of that section of of Lakeland. We uh did some research. The interactive

010monitor, the displays cost about a thou $7,000. These are some photos of that display that that exists out there if you haven't seen it. Again, the interactive display in the center allows you to be able to use a touchcreen to go through various uh pieces of history from that area and that neighborhood. The acrylic signage um is affixed to the wall and again you can go through and uh be able to check different folks um who are of sign of historical significance in that area. of particular note. This is a uh this particular slide with uh for Blake which includes Blake Academy. She is actually not a member of our histo public schools hall of fame I believe because she may not be um eligible because she's not maybe not an alumni. So again we

011have a situation where we've named the school after somebody but they wouldn't be eligible for the Hall of Fame as it currently exists. And again these are uh just acrylic frames that are that are here in the display area. the induction ceremony. Um what we would recommend is that if there is an interest in in uh moving forward with this, we would start the nomination process in the summer with new inductees chosen in December and then a a ceremony perhaps in February 2027. This is a an area that we again if you have interest in in uh going forward with this uh we would really like some feedback on what kind of event you would like to have for the members who who are here the last time we had sort of a non-pandemic version

012of this. Um just to give you a general idea it was approximately 300 guests. Uh the cost of the event was about $15,000. It was held over at the Lake Ashton Country Club in Lake Wales. Part of the event uh included inviting valid validictorians and saludiatorans from our high schools to it. Uh but this did hamstring our abilities includ in terms of timing. It had to be at the end of the year when val validictorians and saludiatorans are chosen. And unfortunately at that time those u those students are extremely busy. More than likely they're going to be out of town or they're going to be heading on to the next steps in their lives. So we oftentimes would find that scheduling conflicts would happen and you know we we had we would have some vows

013and s be able to show but not all of them because again it was a uh we were very limited in when we could actually host the event. If we were to uh again with your feedback want to invite or have students take part and participate in the event. What we would recommend is perhaps instead of having validictorians and saludiatorans maybe using student government. So maybe the president and the and the uh the vice president of our high schools. That way you would still have two potential students. Um they are obviously very engaged students. They would maybe benefit from being able to network with various folks at this event and kind of see the event. Uh if you wanted students to take part in it. Um but you know some of the considerations that would

014really help us is how many guests would you like? How large of an event would you if you want to have an a a ceremony? Would you like it to be invite only? would you want tickets to be purchased for such an event and again should students participate in the event and if you have any thoughts on what that what that participation would look like in the past and we had did have some feedback from board members oftentimes the valadictorians and salvatorans would be invited up to say what their future plans are um I don't you know that oftentimes is done at other events um throughout the year and we would probably recommend figuring out a more um a more engaging way to have them take part maybe have them uh introduce the inductees, the

015new inductees, or maybe share a little bit of their bio, figuring out like a better maybe having some of them serves serve as like ushers or being able as greeters. Again, we can work on that, but if you have any interest in in having the students take part in it, we would try to find some way to incorporate them in it as well as have them attend the event. >> Thank you, >> Miss Miller. >> Hi. Um, thank you for bringing this today. We've had the discussion in the past. Um, I attended a few before we stopped having them. Um, mainly my feedback was how lengthy and intricate the application process was. If I knew somebody who may no longer live in state, I'm calling relatives to ask what elementary school they went to. Um,

016I'm hoping we can redo the application with technology that we have to know that kind those that kind of information. Um, I have a lot of thoughts on this. I'm going to try to keep it short. Um, we want when I think of Hall of Fame because our high schools do Hall of Fame. uh the arts school does their own hall of fame. I want to I think about student impact you know how will this impact students and how can we tell the story to these students maybe more than student council and validictorian and saludiatoran you know for the student who for the person I remember like Joe Tedar and there's several people that have had great stories where they come in and they say you know maybe I wasn't top 10 or top five

017of the class and I found this and it was my passion um and I know that story can inspire a student I look at student impact first and I think um bringing it back would be productive. I think having something the students can see, I don't know about investing $7,000, no offense to the this beautiful building we're in, but the amount of students or families that actually would see it in this hallway, I'm not sure would be worth that kind of investment to me personally, um when they come to meetings, usually there's an agenda they have in mind. Security reasons won't I don't know that we allow them to congregate in that hallway. Um, I would look for ways to use it around the district and I know you'll have it online and on YouTube.

018I would love for it to be utilized in the classroom um for teachers to be able to pull it up and maybe fit something with their lesson. I mean, that would be more of a storytelling campaign, which is less money. Um, and the and the reach is much broader. Um, so that's something that's my opinion on what I would be in favor of a traveling exhibit going into the library or places where they already have exhibits to feature. um I think would be even the children's museum. Um you know, places in the county where people are already going so we can attract them. In Hayne City, you're not you're going to get very few people in the east side of the county through the doors to see it here. So, I think making it mobile

019or making it um online for teachers to access would be important. As far as the event held, I was um and I was only there right before CO and it was out at Lake Ashton. It was attended, but it wasn't a grand event that you would think Hall of Fame. It it seemed to drift off from that. Um, and I think maybe we include something we already do. I I just spending dollars to me, I want student impact involved and I know these people and they're glad to receive another trophy. They've received many in their lives usually and I think they would love to impact the students. I would like to see an alumni association um of our hall of fame so there's constant contact with them to you utilize them back in the classroom

020and if we have an event try to fit in an event if we have somewhere we're going to recognize them try to fit it into a recognition that we already have which I know teacher of the year is crammed and too long and which we love but it's such a nice event we we already meet for the suare I I don't know there's got to be some place we can we can celebrate while we're already celebrating and spend that $15,000 back with students. That's my input. Thank you. >> I appreciate it. And uh as far as like incorporating it into another event, we have talked about that again to your point inspired. There are a lot of different categories and things that we do in one night that would that would extend the evening even

021more. We had talked about maybe including in the suare for students. Uh if we were to do that because alcohol is sold at the uh at that event, we wouldn't probably invite students to take part in it. So we would have to um probably forego having students take part in in that but we could um we could put that into this and I've talked with Miss Porter about this as well and she said yeah that would be that is that is an option >> and do you already work with I'm sorry I was not I had one more when we have the hall of fames and the schools like Lake Gibson is this Thursday night if we were to create a database of our all of our people involved with the district and that have

022been in Hall of Fame inductions where teachers could pull from that for lessons or students could access it via whatever online platform. Do you have that? Is it do you catalog those hall of fames or are they just cataloged at the school and you would have to work with them to get that information? >> We would have to work with them to do that. And that's one of the other sort of um if we were to, you know, revitalize this program. We would want to be able to go to those different schools and find out who's in your hall of fame and should they be in the district side in the district hall of fame as well. So yeah, it would be that would be extra work, but I think it would be probably worth

023trying to do that and it would just be a matter of check checking with the schools and finding out who's listed in their hall of fame and cross referencing against what we currently have. >> Thank you. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Miss Wyatt, >> thank you. Um, I have many comments on the same topics as as Miss Miller. I and I we've talked about this over the past probably year, year and a half of as looking at revitalizing it. I love the idea of incorporating students, but much to your point, and I think several of our previous alumni have said, I would have never been a validatoran or saludiatoran. Um, you know, Grady, Joe Teders, I would say 90% of the the the Hall of Fame recognes recog those that were recognizing the Hall of Fame

024get up and say, "Yeah, I would have never been able to to be where you guys are." But those students that are involved in student government and have that heart for service are a lot of times the ones that we are going to recognize down the road because they're still engaged in in the community. Um that I would love to get them an opportunity to be able to sit with these people. Um I think inviting them to the event, not having them speak as we have before it becomes just the student coming to the event, not bringing all of their their family with them, which helps a little bit with um number of people. Um, but also I would love for us to look at having like a networking hour with just the students and

025the inductees maybe before or earlier in the day. Um, I know Winter Haven just started their sports hall of fame and they actually bring each of those athletes in during the day since they're already in town to meet with that team. Um, and do just some coaching and mentoring which I think is a great opportunity when they're here. Um, you know, I think it can it's an event that can be as big as as we want it to be or as small as we want it to be. I would I don't want us to have an event that students aren't allowed at um because we are a school district and we we are students first. Um but I do think it's important to recognize these people. I tend to agree with Miss Miller about having

026a display here. I don't know how many people you have that will come and interact with it here. Um I think having a website that we can have students and and teachers interact with is a great idea. Um, I know city of Winterhaven has recently started recognizing hometown heroes. Um, so having where students can actually pull when they're learning about Black History Month or Women's History Month or um, different local heroes, I think is a great opportunity for us to kind of have it cataloged in one place for them. Um, if there is to be a permanent location, I would encourage us actually to look more at Pulk History Museum and see if that's something we could maybe partner with them on. um just because I think that they have a much broader audience. Um

027the people that are coming to this building are really those of you that have to be here for this meeting today. Um aside from those that actually work here. So I think that it's a good opportunity to to do more digital than than leaning into. But I'm excited to bring it back. Um there's a lot of people that have gone through PK County Public Schools, whether as students or um employees that have done incredible things, and I'm excited for the opportunity to recognize them again. Thank you, ma'am. >> Miss Fields, >> thank you. Um, I have mixed feelings about the concept of the Hall of Fame and I am able to see it from a different perspective because my husband is one of the uh inductees of the Hall of Fame and I don't really

028see any or hear any information about the Hall of Famers. Not really. And so, uh, I think that if we're going to continue to do it, we need to make them feel special. All of them feel special. And I don't know how you do that. The idea of the display that Coleman Bush building is a great idea, but I think it needs to be centered at a at a at a facility where there's a lot of traffic. I I don't know what that would look like, but I don't think it would be here, but I love the idea. And I think that from the the perspective of living in the northwest community and the and the Coleman Bush building display was very well received by the community and I know that it's a popular event.

029I even think they do field trips where they actually takes kid they take kids there to to uh experience that. So I think it's a good idea but I don't think that it would be wise to have it here. Uh, and then the location. I think that we would need to look at a different location in my opinion because where it has currently been is pretty uh pretty far out and so it needs to me needs to be better centrally located. >> All right. Thank you, >> Miss Wallace. >> I just wanted to say I'd be interested in seeing the criteria that we have since I'm wasn't familiar with it from before. And then um cuz what's funny is when I heard of PK County Hall of Fame and I'm for bringing this back and

030in addition to everyone's thoughtful comments about how we structure it moving forward, but part of me also thought about like obviously this is the mission is to recognize alumni who've gone on to be exceptional in their chosen field of work or volunteerism. Um but it made me think about what about individuals who've had lasting impact on Pulk County Public Schools? like what about the people who give so much or have made a transformational difference above and beyond the norm? I wondered how but I don't want to veer from the mission of this like you know we're talking about alumni um and um but it just made me just just thinking out loud about that and uh I feel like going the student focus whether it is the networking from our leaders that are identified by

031our principles or I feel like the the cool thing is if you're a kid growing up in PT County the cool thing about this program is you can learn what's possible and what people just like you and your se grow up to So if anything or do and both and so for any ways we can make sure that whether it's an inductee gets to come back and they do an assembly at their former school and all the kids come in and they get to meet the inductee or you know there's other kind of tangential things that if the inductees would are willing um we could look at you know making sure the students get to meet them and interact with them some way. So thank you. >> Thank you >> Mr. Sharpless. >> Thank you

032Mr. Gary for bringing this item forward. Um I've just got a few thoughts. Um first thought is um I I don't think this needs to be only this is my opinion only digital. I certainly think you know having a website that's fine but I don't think the traffic's going to go there um that we need. So I do do think it needs a physical location. I I'm not sure where that is. Um I will leave that to the experts. Um so that's my first point. Um and my second one um really is on the categories. Um you know I think that uh expanding it past just alumni uh is a good thing. Um, you know, we have teachers and I won't just say teachers, but staff that pour their their whole working lives into this

033uh system that uh even they may not have graduated high school from Poke County Public Schools, but they certainly have given quite a bit of their time. Um, well, technically more if they were here for over 30 years than what they would in the classroom, right? Um, so I don't think that that should be a limiting factor. Um um you know so you have a few different um few different categories here. I think instead of potentially outstanding educator it could be um you know we could think about you know because it may it may not be just an educator. It could be someone else that's working for our district. You know I've got a lot of educators in my family. Love them. But there's but there's other people too that work here too. So that

034impacts students lives right on a day-to-day basis. Um, so that's just a couple things that that, you know, I'm thinking about. Uh, I certainly don't I would prefer to not have it only only be a distinguished alumni. So that's that's my feedback. >> Thank you. >> There are no further questions. Miss Miller, >> can you send out um can you send out what the criteria was in the past so we for people who have not seen that before? Um because when we talk about alumni, we don't most of these people aren't here anymore. These are people who've moved on and done amazing things in the world. So they were only here for a short amount of time and they were influenced by our schools here. And I think that's the heart of this program. Um

035we we do acknowledge other people with um other awards and we have names on buildings and things that people who've worked for our system. But this is this has always inspired me because I would listen to stories of people who sat in one of our classrooms and went on to win a Tony or to be the governor or to be like all of the things. Um, and so I think those stories because we're students. We're here to recognize students and we want students to see what they can be and I don't want to lose sight of that original that original piece. So if you could send that out, I think it would give everybody an opportunity to learn about the program as it was. >> Sure. >> Thank you. >> There are no further questions

036or comments. Thank you, Mr. Gary. Board members, the next item up for discussion um and for staff presentation is charter school renewals for contracts expiring on June or in June of 2026. Miss Amato, >> good afternoon. I need this one next. All right. So before you today we have three charter schools that are up for renewal. Bridge Prep Academy of Pulk, Masquala Monasuri, and Victory Ridge Academy. So as you can see, I'll start with Bridge Prep first. I just did the alphabetical was easier that way. Um they're located in Davenport. They serve K8. They do have a management company, which means they have an education service provider. So they have an outside company that comes in and helps them manage uh their program. Uh they originally were approved in 2020. They did defer their opening

037until 2022, but they did only have a 5-year contract, which is why they are up for renewal at this point. They did request only a 5-year contract. So, that is what we reviewed as the renewal team. As you can see, when they started in 2023, they earned a D and they have progressively improved and uh did earn a B last year, which was a huge um overhaul for the school. As you can see, based on the charter renewal team's recommendations, there were two areas of concern in which they were approaching the standard. One fell under student achievement assessment and the other one was under exceptional student education. Um, as the renewal team reviewed all of the information and the facts, they did vote uh to approve 8 to1 to recommend the approval of a 5-year

038contract uh beginning July 1. Then we move on to MASUA. MASUA is located in South Lakeland. Um they currently on 98, but they are in the process of building a new brand new facility um over behind Charm City. So they are super excited. They do serve a K8 program. It is the monastery philosophy. They did request a 10-year contract. They do not have a mom and they do not have a management company. So, I like to refer to them as kind of like a mom and pop. Um, Mrs. Dela Cruz has grown this program from its infancy and you and she is very passionate about it. Um, we did conduct a site visit on October 1st. Um, as you can see, their school grade is maintaining steady. Uh, they did jump to a B last

039year. They did fall to a C. They also added grade levels and they have really outgrown their program. So looking forward to seeing the great things they do in their new building. The charter review team reviewed all of the artifacts along with the site visit. Uh clearly they have met the standard. So the charter review team or renewal team uh voted unanimously to approve recommend approval of their 10-year contract. And our last school that we reviewed this year is Victory Ridge Academy. We did have two sites that to visit. Um we have their original Lake Whale site. We then boarded a school bus and drove all the way down 27 to their Davenport facility. So their classrooms were open. They had received their CO for their classroom. So they had students in the classrooms. The

040administrative building was not complete. So we did walk through it, but they had not received their CO at that time. Uh lots of great space. They were very creative with what they built. um and to serve those students. They serve students in a K12 program. They did request a 15-year contract. Again, it's another mom and pop operation. They don't have a management company. Um they serve students with exceptional needs since 2006. Um and we did a site visit on November 12th. Um because they are an ASC center school, they receive a school improvement rating. Um last year they received commendable, which is the highest rating that they could receive. So, they are doing lots of great things um in that in that facility. And again, the renewal team reviewed uh clearly meeting the standards on

041all the artifacts and the site visits that we conducted. So again, the charter renewal team um is recommending unanimously to approve their 15-year contract. So we have four reasons why we can non-renew. And that this spelled out in statute, it is very clear. Um none of the schools that we reviewed this year fall into any of these categories. So therefore, cause for non-renewal or termination is currently not an option. Um, as the schools that we reviewed do not fall under any of these categories. Next steps will be we're bringing it to you as our findings. We'll talk to the superintendent for his recommendation and it'll come back to you for a vote at the March board meeting. >> And that is all. >> Miss Miller. >> Thank you, Miss Amato. Um, I appreciate the work

042done on this. I want to first start with um Victory Ridge, which is a great example of local community seeing a need and filling that need. And I've not yet seen the new facility, but I'm looking forward to traveling over to visit. Um we've encouraged them to keep growing. I appreciate the Victory Ridge. Not only does K12, they work through transition and they have some real meaningful transitional programs for students with disabilities out there. um Steven Whitaker is doing an amazing job and so um kudos to that group and I hope to continue to see their growth because that is what they were intended to do is to meet a need that we definitely have in this community. So I'm glad to to vote to renew that as well as the monastery the masquala is

043also growing and into another facility because of the work they're doing out there. I know that they're um the grade had slipped but that happens often happens when you add um new grade levels and continue expansion. So, this has been great for our community. Um, I know that the local community is very invested in both of these schools. Um, I want to congratulate Bridge Prep for going to a B in 2025. I know they have struggled um with turnover out there. How long have they had this their latest principal? >> Um, they they are on their fifth principal currently. She's the longest reigning principal. So, >> in three and a half years. >> Yes. >> It's very difficult to run a school when you turn have high turnover that that school has seen. So for

044the fact that they can go to a B um I'm sure shows success for them. Um but thank you for explaining this and I've always thought that the committee that you have does great work and very in-depth work. Um so I want you to pass along that we appreciate that. Thank you. >> There are no further questions or comments. Miss Amato. >> Thank you >> board members. The next item up before you is alternative education. No sorry Cypress Junction Monasuri contract modification. This item is coming back to back. >> Yes. So, this is just an address change or actually an address addition. Uh the Cypress Junction has two sites. They have their main campus and then they do have a temporary site that they use for instructional of their middle school students. Students do not

045check in and out of that building. They're they literally are just housed there for classroom seat time. However, Cypress Junction just offered just was approved to offer the National School Lunch Program. And because they serve students in this satellite building, uh the National School Lunch Program wants that address on their contract or they will lose their privilege to for the National School Lunch Program for the remainder of the year. So the the school was given a March 1st deadline to meet this requirement, which is why you have a contract modification today just to add that secondary address and it'll come back to you this evening for approval so that we can help Cypress Junction meet that required deadline. There are no questions or comments. Thank you, Miss Amato. Appreciate it. Board members, the next item

046before you will be presented by Miss Denise Santos, senior director for behavioral mental health support, along with Tammy Williams, assistant superintendent for learning support. This is a proposal to bring an alternative education program for grades K through five back to PK County. Um, those of you who have had uh or have a history with PK County Public Schools may recall we used to have a a countywide program. This is in essence would help provide an additional tier of services interventions for students who are being removed from campuses due to a 45day temporary removal or for other students that require ongoing support but may not qualify necessarily to attend a uh center school. They're they're higher functioning than that. So, Miss Santos, I know I stole a lot of it, but if you wouldn't mind. It's

047>> okay. Good afternoon, everybody. Um, we're here today to um propose to look at proposed K5 alternative education program. Um, it's integrated research supported model designed to meet the needs of students with the highest behavioral, academic, and therapeutic needs. My PowerPoint is not up. That's why. Let's see. There it is. Okay. All right. Before starting, I do want to go back and give you a historical uh historical um perspective. We talked about ESC countywide. That was a separate day school for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. It was K12. Um we then moved into um specialized units in classroom in schools. We had the intensive behavior units. Then we partnered with INBO where we brought the impact program same um specialized units into classrooms. And as of late, we have what we call the behavior

048economic clusters which we partner with impact in some of the units. We provide the same type of specialized services within um the traditional schools. We currently have five five unit five K5 units. Now when we talk about best behavior and emotional support team, this is the alternative education program for K5. It's a disciplinary option where your students are reassigned to a setting designed to support those who have violated code of conduct. In the best unit, we have two types of students. We have students who have a one-time incident that they have to be placed in BAS and then we have students who have continuous behavioral support needs. These are the students who would benefit from a more centralized more um behavior focused um environment to help them learn the skill sets to be able to

049become part of the traditional schools. Currently we have four units um throughout foresight to the district. Um and again we are supporting some of the students as far as behavior and mental health team um because they have additional behavior supports within those units. We're going back to the um the back. So we did create a memorandum of understanding for the back unit. This is um we created this to incentivize and retain highly qualified staff. We wanted to ensure stability in the classroom serving our most complex students. We wanted to hire our own staff and sort of you know um not rely so much on contract staff. Um we have gone to the last three years where you see the on and on on the slide. Um currently we only have about 50% of our our

050staff is direct hire. the other 50% is filled in with either info staff or um specialized Kelly subs that we provided. Um we feel that you know we've we've provided quite a bit of money for our teachers um to be able to come um be in those classrooms. Um but unfortunately we haven't been as lucky as we'd like to be. So this proposed program for 2627 school year will operate as a centralized model that enables shared staffing, expedited evaluations, consistent wraparound services and improve access to specialized personnel. Um centralizing services at a single site is going to strengthen our continuity, responsiveness, and overall progility. One of the challenges we have we've had this year is that we're spread out and we're having to send our district support teams to different um areas of the district.

051And you guys know how big we are. Um and so we have been able to we have them all in one space so we can provide some of the support in one centralized location. And it also provides for um uniformity across for our students. So who's our kiddo? Um our student frequently demonstrates high risk or disruptive behaviors and dysregulation. They require integrated behavioral, therapeutic, and instructional support. Um our goal is to stabilize the behaviors while ensuring meaning meaningful academic, social and emotional progress. This model will offer intensive whole child support that prevents escalation, reduces removals and it keeps students in academic trajectory. So those are the kids that we currently have as well in some of our in some of our units. Um but we see more and more of these kiddos and we want

052to make sure that we're providing them with that support and the centralized in one place so we can provide them um what they need to be successful. So currently we have existence partnerships um and we want to talk about how who we're going to partner with um going forward with this program. Um a consistent partnership ensures continuity and eliminates program fragmentation. Um our vendor partner plays a critical role. So we are going to be partnering with IMBO healthcare. Um IBO um has a longstanding partnership with P County schools. They provide operational consistency, leadership and researchbased practices valid validated through Clemson University. Um we've worked with them for um about five years and and we've we've really worked together well and and and we after looking at different um options and bids we we decided that

053this was the best connection for our kids and for our families. Um unifying services under a single operational structure strengthens fidelity, promotes consistency and enhances student outcomes. This is some of their multi-year outcomes with um impact. Um they have demonstrated sustained safety and stability in daily instruction. The classrooms show significant reduction in absences, suspensions, and referrals along with increased positive behaviors. They also did a a a research in January of this year where they looked at the kids who left the program and have seen decreases in referrals, absences, and suspensions for students who have left the program. And they also looked at only about 8% of the kids who left came back to our program to the program. So some of the key features of this partnership um is going to bring together four classrooms

054in a single campus integrating academic instruction, mental health services and behavioral intervention. Instruction is aligned to grade level standards within a therapeutic framework and is monitored through real-time fidelity um tools. Um INBA provides operational oversight to ensure consistency and high quality implementation. The difference would be that INB would be running this program completely. We would be partnering them as a as a district partner and we would be collaborating with them as we do now, but they would be running all the daily um operations within the program. They would have certified BE teachers delivering instruction using structured routines, high frequency engagement strategies, and embedded regulation supports. Um they're going to be using tools as Insight, which is their proprietary electronic health record, and ABLE, which allows them to monitor environmental and fidelity um within the program.

055Oh, whoops. Sorry. All right. So, campus structure. The program includes four specialized classroom, early, lower, upper, elementary, and a flex stabiliz stabilization room. Um the class size ranges from 10 to 13 which is an increase to what we currently have in our contract. Um students based on age and need with a total of program capacity going from 42 to 48 with the um would scalable to 60 to 68 depending on student needs and staffing. Um the structure promotes safety, smooth transitions and consistent therapeutic intervention. Now the staffing model to ensure stability and high quality. The staffing includes a dedicated on-site principal, an ESC compliance lead, four ESC teachers who are also certified elementary ed, 10 instructional behavior support specialists, two BCBAs, and two qualified mental health providers. This structure ensures rapid responsiveness, strong accountability, and

056fully integrated um academic and therapeutic services. The other thing it also provides, it allows our district behavior team to be able to go out to the traditional schools and provide that support. Um currently we're spending we're having we're supporting a lot of our students within um the the back units and so this is going to allow us to take a step back and be able to help our traditional schools to help the school the students within their zone schools. Um obviously there's going to be district oversight. We're going to have continuous um collaboration. My assistant director um will be continued, you know, talking to with meeting with them on a weekly basis if not more. Um she has done a lot this year. So, she's got she's vested in these kiddos and she will be

057able to um she will continue that with with um info. Um stability and staffing also leads directly to more predictable routines. Again, we've struggled with having different people in the classrooms. This is going to provide consistency for our kiddos who are going to provide who's going to help them sort of get feel safe. A lot of the kids that we work with don't feel safe and this is going to provide that safe environment for them. Each administrative, clinical and instructional role is clearly defined to support high fidelity implementation. The structure reduces services service inconsistencies and ensure seamless coordinated support um for students and families. So how we're going to do this? We have um implementation will occur in a collaboration with through a phase approach beginning with spring planning. We've already started um having discussions

058um within our our our department team to figure out what that looks like. Um we're going to follow it by student assignments. We're going to look at different students. Um staff training, structured support during school opening, and then ongoing fidelity monitoring will ensure that the program remains high quality and safe and effective long term. In closing, this model ensures more consistent support, safer, more structured environments um leading to stronger long-term academic and behavioral outcomes. Um this is where our our students are that are having a difficult time being part of their current traditional schools. This is where they're going to fit in. This is where we're going to give them those skills that they need to be able to go back to their schools and be part of those communities that they um they should

059really be in. So, this is our our our proposal. Um, thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Santos. Miss Miller. >> Hi, Miss Santos. >> Hi, Miss Miller. >> Listen, I have a lot of questions and you've answered most of them already. I You are the only one right now in this position who has historic knowledge of what was and what should happen again. Um, and I think we owe it to the public to be transparent in this process. This school was closed. It was under investigation, multiple investigations from DCF. we couldn't get staff to go there and we had um and the statement the district made which no one's here that made the statement and I think they were doing the best this is a very difficult population this is where you do the best

060you can with what you have if you live in my world it was what happened to Willoughbrook in New Jersey great place till it wasn't and so what I'm trying to avoid with my my very cautious approach is that we are doing this um in the most effective way What happens when you do not have supports in school for a lot of reasons including monetary? The school's only option is to send these kids out. And our center schools are becoming a a place where they go where those schools were never designed. So you're talking about not doing a K12, which was the previous facility, doing a K5. When the K12 closed, the what the statement was from the district was that it was one location. It was difficult. The students were on the bus for

061a long time to get there. we are going to divide this up, put it back into their community zone schools with supports. Well, that last part is very difficult. It's very hard to fund supports across this district as needed and we can be very honest about that from how the funding model works. So, my my questions of caution were to you and thank thankfully you returned them quickly. I still have caution on how do we when you have a manifestation meeting meaning the kids just do not go here by placement. Are they showing that the disability the behavior in the classroom is beyond the registered disability that they need this intensive support? the in and out, who makes that decision and who and what is the the trajectory, the plan within 45 days or whatever,

062short-term, long-term to get them back out and wherever they go, how will they be supported? Because if they are triggered andor difficult in a classroom, what will change when they return? Like how will we support the teachers when they when they return? That's a big concern I have. So, I want to uh give you some of my historical because I was actually in that um once that last nine weeks I was at that school, right? >> And I saw that and you're right, it was a lot of kids. It was a lot going on. Um and so I I was there. So, I don't want it to be that. We we want to we want to learn from that and we want to make make it where kids are actually they're learning and are able

063to success to go back to their schools. Um so, please know that that's back here and I'm I'm I'm I'm moving forward, right? Okay. Um, as far as, you know, the determination of who who needs to be there and how long they're there, you know, when you're looking at an IEP team, when you're looking at an MDR, you know, what is the best place? How could we keep the kids safe? This year, we've had some difficulties keeping some kids safe. So, what do we have to provide them with additional supports? And that's what this is about providing keeping in a place that they're safe with the right people and the right specialized staff to provide them that support. But ultimately the IEP team, MDR, you know, if it's a if it's something that, you know,

064a manifestation, but based on on behavior, um, we're looking at giving them the skill sets to be able to be reintegrated into their schools and how long they stay is based on how long are they learning the skills, how long are they able to apply the skills, and are they able to find enough, you know, be safe enough to be able to say, "Hey, I need help." And we've seen that. We've seen that some kids are are are put in there and they're only there for a month, two months because you know what? They say, "Hey, this I can do this and we've been able to support them." The plan is once they leave this program is that the district behavior team is going to be able to help transition them back. And because back

065then we had five academic behavior support teachers, I now have about 15. So, we have more staff than we did back in in those countywide days. And I think we'll be able to and we have more resources that will be able to provide more support to the schools as they transition back to the schools. And that's ideal. >> The missing piece to to contribute. There are two student groups that will be served here. One is the initial group which are really just there for re-evaluation. Um and that's the 45day removal group. By statute, there are allowances for us to remove a student for up to 45 days. Um that will typically be done. There's a procedure and a process in place that's already been outlined. has been shared with principles. We've had a handful of

066schools that have had to follow that procedure. Um what the 45day removal does is it's not intended to be a punitive, but it allows us to place them into this setting where they'll continue to provide supports. However, the importance is they be re-evaluated because in many instances, school districts will use a catchall term to get a student identified for an IEP, which is not truly indicative of the students needs. So to Miss Miller's question, there there are two populations, right? There's that population plus a population that may have to persist there slightly longer. For the 45day removal students, they have to go back to their home school, but they will go back to the home school after having received intensive therapeutic supports for conflict resolution, deescalation strategies, anger management, self-regulation. They'll also have received a

067more appropriate IEP, a behavior intervention plan, or a behavior action plan um for them to return back to the school. So, to Miss Miller's question, what will the teachers receive or what will schools receive? Schools won't receive any more staff, but they will receive the tools and the information they need to be able to better address that student's needs. What are the students triggers? What helps them deescalate? What are the strategies and best practices that should be used? And then what would happen is before that student transitions back to their school, there's a transition meeting. The student and who the team from the site um that's conducted the new evaluation, new assessments, puts these things in place along with the families then meets with the staff that where the student will be returning and they

068review the entirety of that proposal with the classroom teacher. We're not leaving it in the folder where we're going to hope that somebody reads it. It's going to be reviewed so that we can ensure that the right practices are in place. This is not a staffing issue. This is a practice issue. It's an efficacy issue. And so we want to make sure we give them the right resources. As Miss Santos pointed out, there will be regular check-ins with those students to ensure. So the school counselor will have a requirement just like we do with threat assessments and other students. They will have a requirement, a required timeline in which they have to touch base with that student and the teacher on a regular basis. It typically will start at least twice a week and then

069we may see it extend out to every two weeks, every 3 weeks, every month as the student continues to demonstrate success and they will. I've done similar programs like this um elsewhere and is just a basis for my dissertation. The other group of students are the group of students who may need to persist in a program slightly longer, but as Miss Santos pointed out, there is no middle place for those students right now. And so what typically may happen is behaviors or other issues escalate to the point where the school feels that that student can't be best served at the school. Well, the only other option for that student is a is a center school. And that's these students far exceed the cognitive and behavioral abilities of you know that they're far more they're much

070higher performing students than the students that we typically find in our center schools academically. And so they were not appropriately served there. And that was never intended to be a location for behavioral issues. So what this does is gives us that intermediary where we can intervene, provide supports, and then hopefully return that student back to school once they've hit certain benchmarks or thresholds. But the important part is returning them back to school with the appropriate tools and resources to be successful. Um and we may find um basically this program I have a feeling it will be it will be successful and the next conversation ultimately will be how do we expand it um but right now for our student population elementary is the location where there's the greatest need hands down the greatest need for

071us to provide this level of intervention because at secondary we have alternative ed centers we have some other alternatives for those students but at elementary we do not thank you Miss Miller >> thank you're welcome for borrowing my time I have I do have a couple of more questions So you've just described a student that's not a student with a cognitive disability. This is not a student with autism who cannot deescalate and control. We have to support the classrooms with those students because those are the ones that last time I had a kindergartener on this, you know, we'd have kindergarteners who couldn't sit still long enough, so they needed to go. And I and I kept saying, "This isn't why that building was designed. This is more of a mental health piece." Um, and I

072did watch that we it's a very we need professionals like Miss Santos and others because this is a very gray area when you start mixing mental health with cognitive. It's it's problematic and it can be dangerous. Um, and so K5 is the place you're doing this and and I want I need this program to work desperately for the for our staff and for families. My question is invo I I have yet to be sold that invo is the answer because I we have a hard time filling those positions. They have a hard time. So I I know the oversight will be with the district. Superintendent High would never hand off oversight to a vendor. Um but I would like to see the reports on their staff and how and how they're staffing that this center

073I'm going to call it. Um, and how are we going to get you have trouble recruiting staff, our own teachers, when you offer them substantial amounts of money to go to these back units? They're not going. So, how are you going to how are you going to encourage staff to go to this whole model? Like, what is the plan for that? >> I can tell you this year we've partnered with Info for Secondary and they've been filled the whole entire time. All their positions have been filled. So, they have not had any vacancies this year. Last year, we also we were able the last two years we haven't seen the issues that we've had in the past. Okay. So, we we we have seen them they're able to have different incentives. They're able to, you

074know, they they are able to recruit staff um to stay within their their program. As far as our staff and our teachers, I think sometimes the challenge is that we go in there and and it's a lot higher level needed, a lot higher level skills because really our teachers should be almost at a BCBA, a board certified behavior analyst level to be able to do both behavior and instruction within those environments, which is why we had to it's a high on a stipen. Um I spent time in those units this year and and it's it's it's high energy, high, you know, pace and and not everybody's made for that. And so, you know, INVO has been successful for us and in the last couple years and that's why we we partner with them. >> Thank

075you. I look forward to reviewing the data on this. >> Absolutely. >> And I think the board should be updated. I think what happens is we have a great program and then it and then the the eye is removed and things start falling off because I know the people had good intentions that started countywide. They thought it would be helpful. Um, and it didn't end up that way. And so I want to see this program successful. I I think that your historic con knowledge and experience as an autism specialist who started out I'm always going to tell your story of wrapping yourself in in pool noodles and walking in to get on a bus because a kid couldn't stop from breaking windows that you do have that kind of experience to know what works with

076students. Um this is just a very fragile area. I do not want to see kids with cognitive disabilities mixed with kids who have anger management problems and that's what we were h was happening. So I'll look forward to your updates. Um, can do we know the location of this or is that going to be for a later date? >> Later date. >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> Thank you, >> Miss Wallace. >> Just wanted to say God bless you and your colleagues and I am not near the expert that Miss Miller is on this lane, but I just wanted kind of for the public's awareness and something that I'm thinking about is I've had teachers in um secondary grades tell me that, hey, I've got kids that know exactly what they need to do, but

077because they're labeled ESC, I can't discipline them. And I don't know that that's what our policies say, but that's at least, you know, that's just anecdotal things I've been told before. And I know that like what she was speaking to Miss Miller about distinguishing between cognitive versus anger management or it could be I just don't feel like it or not today or you know or just like like just this idea of getting this worked out in earlier grades so that our students who are capable of rising to those expectations know that we're expecting them to and that they'll be um supported appropriately but beyond that just held accountable. Um, and like we want to we don't ever want or if if someone does have an ESE diagnosis, that's a mild cognitive disability, but it doesn't

078have to do with their ability to manage their behavior that those don't ever get conflated and and yeah, because we believe that all students are capable. So, thank you. Oh, I did have one clarification question. I meant to ask this on slide nine. When we call them impact classrooms, does that word impact, is that itself an acronym? Yes, it is invol multi-disiplinary uh interventions to address trauma. >> Okay. >> Or wait, >> hang on. I can't see. Hang on. Let me glasses. >> But I get what the classroom is. It's the classroom of all these supports, but just wanted to understand what exactly it meant. >> So basically, um they go in there, they have mental health, they available to them all day. So they're in there during deescalation. They're in there for sessions. Then

079they also have a board-certified behavior analyst who does the behavior um interventions, the behavior intervention plans if the functional behavior assessment is needed and then they have a teacher and then they have the PAR specialist. The behavior specialist what they call them pairs um and all of them are trained together on behavior but then they also looking at the trauma piece and they take both in together and that's what the program does. >> Love it. Thank you. >> Impact stands for integrated multiddisciplinary program to address childhood trauma. >> That's it. That was the foundation stemming from their Kaiser Permanente studies initially early on that students with three or more traumatic experiences during childhood are predisposed to issues um including behavioral disorders. So >> great. Thank you, Superintendent. And >> you're welcome, Miss Fields. >> Thank

080you. I just had a couple of questions similar to Miss Miller about the oversight uh the data uh evaluation of the success of the program. Superintendent High, I don't know if you can >> give me some insight on that. >> Yeah. So, and Miss Santos touched a little bit about the success that we've had within though to date. Um my prior my primary concern initially um other than the price point at times has been the the lack of their ability to maintain their positions um or staffing. Um the last two years including this year we've not had any issues in that regard. So we're very happy about that and their outcomes. There was a slide in particular, Miss Santos noted, where only 8% of students who participated have had to go back to a unit

081after they've been returned back to their school campus. So, I think that speaks volumes of the fact that over 90% of students who go through the program and receive those supports are successful back at their regular schools. And some of that success ultimately will attribute to academic success because if they can behave in school and stay in school, then learning will be able to take place. So for us on an ongoing basis, the evaluation and and I was with this conversation started probably a little over a year we've been at this conversation and give Miss Santos a lot of credit um because she and her team have actually visited other locations. We selected INVO based off of our review of multiple other service providers that had reputable backgrounds and had done what good work in

082other districts but we found that INVO actually exceeded what they were going to provide especially on the academic part. Um so for us that progress monitoring will be a big piece for us. Um most of those students will receive an individualized academic plan intervention plan. um beyond just their IP, they'll receive an academic plan so we can track and monitor. That will also include their behavioral goals. Um so many times in our IEPs, we write goals. They're not always aligned um to what the students dis disability has been identified or or or or area of conflict or concern is. And so this will ensure complete alignment. And then if the board we can come back to the board next um in March um to have further discussion and then ask the board to vote to

083approve the program. At that time we will identify the location but we can also come back to the board with a proposal for how frequently you'll see data on students. Um minimally you'll see it twice a year. I can pro I can definitely tell you that you'd see that at the end of semester 1, end of semester 2. Um because we can track those 45day return placement students returning back to their campus to see how they're performing post intervention. Um and then for those students who were there and invos process, we've already seen a reduction, a significant reduction in absenteeism, disciplinary referrals, and an improvement in overall academic performance. So we can continue to track and monitor that. But I think that's worthy of additional conversation with the board to make sure that what we

084propose to use to monitor those outcomes aligns with the board's interests as well. >> And thank you for that cuz that's important uh I think for all of us making sure that we are able to look at the data and to see that progress is being made and if it's not then what do we need to do to to flip the script and then also send a timeline. >> Yes ma'am. >> Dr. Allen. Thank you, superintendent. Uh I was inquisitive on your research as well connected to this. So, thanks for sharing that. Um so, but I appreciate your your knowledge around this uh area as well. So, um invo on our you know consent tonight. So, I was curious if that's directly correlated because there is an addendum to that. So, there's not a direct

085correlation to this initiative. Just wanted to clarify. >> Invo Invo provides a multitude of services. We've had a long-standing relationship with them. >> Yep. um which I was happy to see because before I got here I'd had a a great working relationship with Invo elsewhere. Um and so the fact that they already here well established providing everything from therapeutic services, BCBAS, um a multitude of positions that we struggle to fill because there aren't enough licensed individuals in the state. It's not even that school districts at times struggle to hire these people because we're competing with other districts per se, but if you just look at the number of licensed BCBAs in the state of Florida, there aren't enough to fill our positions, let alone to fill an entire state. So it it it definitely works

086to our advantage to have companies like that that can bring the right people with the right philosophy cuz that's the other part about it that that I have had a great deal of success with them in the past with is their people have the same passion for student outcomes that we do. It's not just a contract and and we take that relationship with all of our vendor providers very seriously that we're not looking for that armlength relationship. We're looking for somebody who's going to take ownership and is just as passionate as we are. >> Mhm. Thank you. >> All right. Very good. Uh Miss Santos, thanks. I think very comprehensive uh in your structure and vision. Um I think I heard and again, Miss Miller, thanks for your um your words and your understanding on

087this area as well. Um and I think I heard you ask this and maybe maybe not, but just seeking clarification. So the academic and this is specifically related to the reintegration and I appreciate the Clemson data that you shared in that research. Um you know we definitely would love to see that type of uh success for sure. Um so when we're doing and considering the reintegration process um you know what is the that social emotional you know growth indicator that we're looking for as it relates also to that you know I think the most important is that ac academic proficiency uh benchmark in a sense where we're saying okay it's time for reintegration. So, um, and I'm not needing it right now, but I'm just I'm curious what that looks like. So, when that reintegration

088happens, um, it's clear, right, for principles and our instructors to know that this has been, um, the evaluative process has been very thorough. Um, so I don't know. I'm just curious >> and I can give you um we do have the EMB reports and that they send us but what they do is they look at the five the big five which are the maladaptive behaviors and then they look at the positive behaviors and what happens is if we can go 90% of the intervals throughout the day without the maladaptive and 90% with or within 70 to 80 that's how we know hey we're going we're heading in the right direction. So that's data that we use. We also use data from our behavior intervention plans. Are they meeting are they looking they're doing the replacement

089behaviors? how often, how consist, so all of that is together within that that meeting and shared and talked about the strategy. So we we do have that data. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Great. Thank you so much. >> You're welcome. >> Miss Miller, >> I just had one last question. I'm thinking about recruitment into this facility once you decide where you're going to locate it. Um do because teachers, you know, are concerned with how they score and how their grade because that's, you know, ultimately how you keep your job. um how will those teachers be affected by the performance of the students academically? >> So everybody in this program is going to work for EMBO. So they're hiring, they're evaluating their staff, they're it's a it's all going to be contracted staff, >> but our

090principles and others will be us or >> principal will also be them. They will provide the ones. >> Very interesting. And I don't you're going to convince me to think that's okay only because I would like us and I when I am the vendor and I'm controlling all of the reporting because all of my employees are reporting. I need to make sure that PK County is involved in the >> so right. So like I said >> hang on hang on >> because I it's a good point but no different than a charter school. >> Right. >> And we turn over the re >> about them too but I'm just >> we turn over the reigns to every charter school in the district. we don't have perview into their management. >> So I I think so

091long as they continue to demonstrate that level of success. Now what is also in the plan is a site coordinator that will be there every single day that will be our employee because that's the level of oversight that we want is I I was insistent that I wanted somebody there full-time and I don't believe it has to be at a principal level based off the enrollment. Now obviously if the enrollment grows and we end up at multiple sites and because it's successful then at that point I think it makes a lot more sense to elevate that position because then they'll satellite monitor those those particular locations but I think that's the best answer right now is we do intend on having a full-time coordinator. I think I don't know if that's the final level that

092or of the position that we've talked about, but that would give us day-to-day eyes on everything that's taking place at that location. It's not a remote person, >> but they're P County Public School students. >> Yes. >> Okay. And what will the families of students that attend that school, what is their outlet for communication? Is it with the invo staff or will be the site coordinator? So currently they do communicate a lot with the info staff but we sort of partner with them and we do it together. So like if they reach out to a teacher, one of the invo teachers, they'll reach out to us. We we talk to them through we've again we we've had this partnership for a long time. One of the reasons why we went in, it's those relationships that

093the parents have made with with staff, especially their program manager. And I think, you know, and and they do a really good job, you know, putting us together, say, "Hey, this parent reached out. We're going to go ahead and meet them or we're going to call them." and they always come back to us. So I think that's part of the the why it's going to work the collaboration is that we are in tune I mean I talk to them almost every day right now because of what we're we're doing. So they would probably reach out to a teacher because that's your teacher but they will come out to us and say hey let's work on this together because they understand that these are PK County school students and we are still owning them and we're

094just working with them together. So when they return back to our school, the collaboration with that sitebased teacher is the same with PK County and Envo. Yes. >> So they feel supported because what we don't want is what happened where we just put them back in their public schools with no support with minimal supports >> and it failed them and it failed the teachers that were trying to understand who didn't have the background. >> Correct. And so that's the plan. The plan is that reintegration we're going to go with them. It's going to be a warm handoff. Hey, we're going to come together. We're going to we're going to be in here. We're going to help you. We're going to build capacity within the school and really talk about and model if we have to

095do additional training depending on the school. Um what we have to do as our district, our department, our behavior team. Um that's going to be our role. My ABBIS, my city managers, that's what's going to be our role. Majority of that will take place during the transition meeting as well because again any revision to the or anything for example that might be new for that student as far as resources and supports that was identified during their time at this site will now have to be included at the school level. So that that transition meeting will require the classroom teacher any paras administration everyone will have to be present and then we have that handoff but then that site coordinator can maintain the connection and contact and then Miss Santos's additional staff will also have those

096resources and information so they can continue to support the teacher. If we find for example that a student's reintegration plan includes strategies that the teacher hasn't been trained on then obviously we would have to assume that responsibility to provide those supports. Um that will probably be have to be a depending on the timeline for students reintegration that will probably have to be a combination of both job embedded professional development and pull out training. Um that will have to happen. So >> thank you. Welcome. >> Welcome. >> Thank you Miss Santos. There's no further questions or comments. >> Thank you everybody. Mr. Chair, um I'm going to state this um simply because I know we're probably getting close to a time when the board would like to take a short break. I'd like to go ahead

097and get through the next item. I think that gives um our technology team enough time, our communications team enough time to prepare for a break. Um Mr. Chair, I'll defer to you as far as the length of the break, 10 or 15 minutes, but um just wanted to go ahead and seek your approval to do that. >> Sounds good. And because of the length of today, I would say a 10-minute break. >> 10 minute. Thank you, sir. >> After this next item. >> All right. The next item we have is being presented by the IT team. Mr. Darren Williams is here. Miss Pasco is not with us today. She's celebrating um the birth of a grandchild. Um so, Mr. Williams, >> board sharp, chairless, and vice chair Keys board and Mr. Hyde. I'm here to

098share with you guys an overview of the IBM data warehouse and the projects and some items that have happened. So, um I work with a team of four. So, Miss Riley Hawkins, Laura Sawyer, and Eric uh Salsman are part of the team that have been working on this with me. I'd like to start off with just kind of sharing what a data warehouse is. It's a central place where information uh from here we go. Yep. where information from different district systems are brought together and organized so it can easily be used for reports and analysis. So unlike a day-to-day system where data is consistently entered or changed, a data warehouse uses the same definitions and rules for everyone and keeps historical information so trends can be reviewed over time. For Poke County schools, the data

099warehouse acts as a single reliable source of information. It allows leaders and departments uh to use the same accurate data for reporting, planning, and decision-m without having to pull information from multiple systems and trying to make it all match. And that happens sometimes. Uh the goal of the data warehouse is not just to combine the data but help the district make better, more informed decisions. It supports long-term analysis, improves efficiency, and helps decisions that affect student success. All departments, including our schools, the transportation, human resources, and facilities will use a shared system, creating consistency, transparency, and trust across the district. For example, an administrator will be able to look at attendance, discipline, schedules, and assessments together using the same district standards. At the same time, human resources will be able to review staffing levels, uh,

100open positions, certifications, hiring timelines, and employee retention over time without manually comparing data from different systems. To make sure the data warehouse is dependable, the the team first focused on data quality. Simply put, if data going in is wrong and inconsistent, the reports coming out will be too. Uh no dashboard can fix bad data after the fact. So with that in mind, team interview 40 business process owners to understand how data was created, updated, and used throughout this organization. These decisions or discussions that we had uncovered differences in how the data was defined, workarounds that were happening for uh being used with the data, unclear data ownership and risk related to accuracy and audits. Uh this confirmed that data governance was needed before expanding reporting and and um analytics. So as a result, the team

101developed some data governance rules to to clearly define how our data standards define uh define how who owns our data. So sorry about that. Standardize definitions and set expectations for quality to ensure that data is used consistently. Um high quality data is especially important for audits, ensuring reports are accurate, repeatable, and trustworthy. The data warehouse will be owned by our district and built within the district's existing Microsoft environment using tools supported by the district. IBM will help design and build the solutions while Poke staff will work alongside them to gain the skills to manage maintain it long term. Uh this will strengthen our expertise and reduce long-term deficient uh dependencies on vendors. Um with the got data governance and data quality established, the next steps in engaging our stakeholders is delivering trusted data through our

102visual dashboards that users will rely on. And this is a a component that uh Superintendent Hyde has emphasized very very strongly that is important for us to take on. So the data warehouse is Poke's single trusted source of information owned governed by our district and designed to improve accuracy, consistency, insight, and long-term sustainability. So that's kind of an overview of where our data warehouse is, um where we've come from in the beginning of where we're working and where we're trying to go with it to to um upon where we're able to kind of share this out with the staff. Thank you, Mr. Williams. Board members, um, you know, as I had a conversation the other day. I met with Dr. Allen for our monthly check-ins, and you know, I shared related to this topic in

103particular. Our district, like every other school district in the nation, is data rich. We've got tons of data. Everybody owns data somehow. Our issue is being able to be data savvy. And because we don't have the right mechanisms that allow us to pull all that information into one centralized location, we often time end up with reports that are in conflict with each other or they don't validate one report doesn't validate the findings or the numbers in another one. We met just yesterday to talk about some staffing things um with our unions, our collective bargaining units and the numbers that I had for total number of employees in those areas were far higher than what they had reported. So the the data and we both pulled it from a similar source. So at times the data

104is obviously in conflict with each other depending on how you define it. Um and one of the easiest ways to get there, you know, especially through Excel, is to learn how to do TA tables. But if you've ever had to do that, it is not the simplest thing in the world to have to. It's great once you know it, right? But for people who are trying to figure out how to use information without having to spend an inordinate amount of time to filter through it and then at times and the likelihood of for error is very high, we wanted to have this centralized database and location and and as Mr. Williams pointed out, one of our key emphasis will be what the dashboard looks like for different users, end users. Um, so for teachers, they'll

105be surveyed and asked what data is most important to you. We're going to make some suggestions obviously and then what does the format and the flow need to look like? What's how do the visuals need to present themselves? And we'll do that for school-based administrators, district administrators, for schoolboard members, you'll have access to the same thing. So you'll be able to search, have a high level of functionality and search features at your disposal. Um, so if we want to talk about how do we compare in salaries against other districts that are reporting in FEN, that'll be at your fingertips instead of you having to go and search for that report elsewhere. So those are some examples and and IBM's been a great partner through this um and really has helped us because as we're upgrading

106SAP, it just made sense for us this to go hand in hand. Um, so I will see what questions and comments there are. Miss Miller, >> I just have a question. um in the consistency of the cost of this and so is this something that we're going to need I see that falls right under um the amount where the board votes is this is this something that we're going to need to continuously invest in um because like many systems you know there'll be an update next year in 6 months I'm just the long-term cost I'm just asking >> I think long term we will this will be it's phasing right now and um what happens is because we're learning this process it will it will be owned by the district and so the goal is

107to ultimately decrease costs as we go. We can I think my concern is even in owning it. You can own it but if if the utilization of how it's how they're hosting and they can immediately change that it's just going to cost us more money to access you know to really >> from a server standpoint or where data is held >> data. Okay. Um >> let me address two questions you asked Miss Miller just so everybody hears the same response. So as it relates to functionality, our teams are embedded with the IBM team and they meet regularly so that IBM is not developing the processes or the flow outside of our team because the goal as I've shared publicly before that while it's an incredible workload on the team, we now have the confidence that

108we're not relying on a provider to constantly provide that level of service because our team members have been trained and know the process. throughout. The second part of that is the data warehouse. We've already ordered servers so that we will host that data. So, we will not incur long-term fees for being able to maintain that data. So, we are going not we are not going to be on the hook for this for an extended period of time, possibly no more than a year, um maybe two depending on what the team finds as we continue to refine the process. But no, we will own all of that and our team will be able to function and do any programming tweaks that are required so that we're not again over reliant on a a a partner >>

109and I don't know the lifetime of these kinds of services I mean or servers but that's good for the public to know and my my second question is the data is only good is how is there a process written now on how the data will go into it because if we're if people are adding things to it It it depends what it what you get out is what you put in. And so I'm so I'm wondering if there is a written process for how that will work for the different departments that will be using it. >> There absolutely is. And so that's there's a heavy emphasis again on data governance and data quality. And the data governance controls how data is entered and by whom. So to your point, people will be able to manipulate

110the data on their end, but they will not be able to manipulate the data in the system. Um and so we've when he talked about meeting with over 40 different departments or data owners I I forgot the term you used business >> business uh process >> they're developing that master list of this is the one data source that we find reliable for this and that's what we're going to reuse and this is the process to bring it either in from the state or from local data but everything else beyond that user functionality you can tweak and refine and play with the data as we do now um on your own but you won't be able to impact or influence the data there and the data governance piece again is so important because that's going to

111control what goes in who has as access to that and what the expectations are for that data too. So that that will allow us to continue to evolve as a district as new data sets or data points become available in the future. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Keys. >> Yeah, that's what happens when you're slow to the draw. Three of my questions were answered. I think mine revolved around ownership. We've already answered that. um hardware as far as that and we've answered that and then Miss Miller thank you for that the question about the validity of the data that's there so kind of give you a scenario as far as as as I understand it there's two different groups we've got student data and employee data is that correct >> you do have that yes

112sir >> okay so when I think about you know those district staff or teachers educators and maybe updating some critical things like I attended this training or I got this certification And you know currently my employer I can go into my profile and say hey I I attended this course and got this you know training. Um the one is the validity of that data right who who reviews it who's able to input it and then who reviews it for to make sure it's valid. I think we answered some of that. We've got some good data governance policies it sounds like in place. I just want to make sure that as we that there is access to to that to be able to input that. say, so if I am a teacher who got a different

113certification or training or maybe I finished my master's degree and I wanted to update that that that's being put in there that I'm showing that I've had that professional, you know, development. Um, but also that we go behind and we say, "Okay, we we we see that you have the ability to give that to us, but that we're validating that somehow." Um, but I think I think Superintendent hit the nail on the head. We've got a ton of data. It's all about how we use it and how how how we structure that. So, I'm pleased to see this happening. I think it's um long overdue, especially in the digital world we live in. It's going to be a good tool for us. >> And board members, Mr. Keys, to your question and for the rest

114of the board, you may recall that Miss um Pasco and the team presented recently um as we start to migrate data over for SAP, there is a validation process where people have to say, "Yes, this is my name, this is my address, this is my phone number, those types of things." And so, yes, as it relates to any certifications, um, endorsements or trainings, they'll have an opportunity to go through their list and if there's a if there's an issue where something's missing or there's something extra there that doesn't belong there, they'll be able to notify us and we'll rectify that. And then that creates that one solid position that we grow from moving forward. But that's more on the SAP side. But in this regard, I think we'd have the same. >> Well, that's awesome.

115and and and why the way the reason I think about it that way too is so important to know that that data is fluid and real especially is you know I'm a fan of promoting and advancing from within. So, if you can show that you've excelled in your PD, right, you're you're growing yourself and you know, the intent is to we want to keep you here, right? We're investing the time, energy into you. We want to see you grow within the district. So, being able to have accurate data there to show a pathway to um to increase oneself, I think is important. So, >> Mr. Sharpless, >> I just have a couple comments because my questions were answered as well. Um I appreciate uh superintendent uh the plan for building capacity um so where we

116do not have uh long-term reliance on this vendor. I appreciate that. Um that's something that I'm glad I heard I heard you say. Um and then also the other comment um is uh student uh data is very um how can I say this? it's governed by our statutes and laws on access to different things and I appreciate the fact that you mentioned that um student through this where you know these different dashboards and everything student data is going to be um kept confidential and only to those who need access to it um because we want to make sure that those that kind of data doesn't get out of our system. So I appreciate those two things. Thank you >> Dr. Allen. >> Yeah. Thanks, Superintendent. Yeah, brief comments as well. No uh questions at this

117point. I mean, obviously, this is early on phase one. Um and you know, I do I appreciate this. This is this is very important for a large organization like this, right, Mr. Williams, to um give us industry based standards. And I know from our conversation I was talking with my it was the conversation about my daughter and what she's doing what she currently had done with Publix and with uh Power Apps and then now with a logistics company with PowerBI and the ability to extract that data. Well, first of all collecting the data through the Power App development process um and then from the business insight standpoint. So I I see the vision and you know this is definitely industry standard and u I appreciate the work around this. So, um, yeah, thanks for sharing,

118>> Mr. Williams and Miss Pasco and, um, >> Riley Hawkins and the team have really done a good job. We just recently, Miss Collins, myself, Mr. um, Mr. Mcnotton had an opportunity to get the recent update and we were very pleased with the proposal and the next steps that they've outlined. So, they're on track. um you know, we were able to add what little bit we were able to contribute to the conversation because they were so well thought out. Um we're in a good place. So, I'm excited to see this because data is a frustration point of mine. >> Um if I I'll give you a simple example. If I want to know how many kids are sitting in class today, I have to go through multiple people to get that data. And I I've

119learned to skip those people and I go straight to Darren. But Darren then has to drop everything he's doing to do a data request, an ad hoc data request for me. And that should not something as simple as that I should be able to find. Um, and it should be readily available. And it it's unfortunate that this just how we function right now, but we are not going to be that way for long. So, thank you, sir. >> All right, Mr. Chair. Um, I think we agreed to a 10-minute recess at this time. >> Since it's 158, we'll do a 12minut recess to >> Okay. Thank you. >> Running low beverages. >> Congratulations. Heat. At this time, I would like to call this meeting back to order and turn it over to Superintendent Hyde to

120finish leading off our work session today. >> The floor is yours, Superintendent Hyde. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. At this time, the next item we have up review for the board, uh, Mr. Fix. I'll bring him to the podium as well as Mr. Warren. And I guess it's not Mr. Fix. It looks like it's gonna be Doug Harwell. Um the item that we have before you is contract reviews and rebid process. Gentlemen, if you want to go ahead and come forward. Um board members, a little bit of background. This is has a little bit of a mixed title. Um and you'll understand why, but this is the culmination of a couple years of doing a deep dive on our contracts. You oftentimes you've heard me refer to them as legacy contracts. These are the contracts

121that we entered into years ago. they always have a provision for renewal and we've typically just renewed and so I know the board had shared with me a concern with hey listen if that's the best possible contract for us fantastic but how do we know if we're not going out to the market so what you're going to hear today are the steps that we're recommending to take moving forward for two of our largest primary contracts so Mr. Warren >> and to segue right from there we've had a collaborative team approach to this because it's not just facilities or u labor and employee relations we also engage with purchasing. So what we're going to do is start off talking about some of the terms of RFI RFP ITBs and Mr. Craig who oversees that component is

122going to walk us through that and then specifically Doug will speak to the facilities piece with respect to custodial and I'll speak to the subpiece with respect to uh Kelly services. Thank you. >> All right. Good afternoon. >> My name is Michael Craig. I'm the senior director of purchasing and the print services. Um I will spend the next few minutes to kind of uh go over the objectives as well as um give explanations as a little bit of the alphabet soup that these acronyms can be uh prior to these gentlemen discussing their current uh opportunities and challenges in their department. So the objectives today is kind of to discuss the demand, what got us here, the reasons why we're reviewing these contracts. We're going to define RFI, RFP, and an ITN as our options. Moving

123forward, we'll provide a discussion as to how these processes will be applied to these uh functional components of our business and then timelines and next steps. So, as Mr. Hyde said, legacy contracts, right? So, anything over 5 years, we consider a legacy contract. When we initially go out to solicitation, uh, we will put in a timeline of five years. It's initially a one year with four optional renewals or depending on what it could be, maybe three years with an optional two-year renewal. At the end of those five years, then we can sit back and collaborate with the subject matter expert departments to say what's in the district's best interest to move forward. So, if there's a lot of infrastructure involved, it's going to cost a lot to turn over. we can get a maybe a

124a mild increase out of the deal and go around again. If it's in best interest, then let's do that. Um, are there new players on the market since the last time we went? Uh, we were just clowning a little bit about legacy contracts and the length of Mr. Harwell's hair and mine at the time we entered into maybe some of these and uh, pictures are available later. Uh but uh we will use these tools now to go into the market with um the RFI. The RFP will help us go into the market and evaluate what's out there and make our moves forward. So in an RFI, it's a request for information. It's preliminary. It does not offer an award when you get done with it. So the times we would use an RFI request for

125information is when the scope of work is not clearly defined or the specifications are not clearly defined or there's multiple opportunities in which we may consider going to a market. So what we do is put out the request and say hey if you were going to um return a solicitation to us on these things what would it look like? What would you want us to consider? and budgetarily about what would it cost us. So that way we can take that back in, take the information and filter it through and say these are the things we'd like to go out to market with now uh with a better understanding of what's going on or is there something that we can now do in house because we see uh differentiation out there in the market. Uh but

126what's important is that it does again not result in a recommendation of any kind. Uh but it helps us define that scope of work and the specifications. Um, and again, it's used when we're unsure as an organization exactly what opportunities are out there for us. An RFP, a request for proposal, is when your scope of work is defined, when your specifications are clear to the subject matter experts as to what you desire. As a result, the important piece to the RFP is that price is not the sole consideration. So, if you think of um perhaps you're in some legal trouble and you need a lawyer, do you necessarily want the cheapest one available to you or do you want one that's had experience in what you need and and has a uh track record of

127success in defense, that kind of thing. So we we weigh things like technical proposals, the implementmentation plans, uh how are you going to help us with the infrastructure, what other large districts have you been successful with in the past, things of that nature that will um consider in a scoring mechanism with price being a component of it. So one that we have recently gone to market on with an RFP like this is the milk and dairy. Um, so just to kind of give you an example, when the uh solicitations came back in, we took milk and dairy and we had an evaluation team of school nutrition experts as well as um, Miss Esther from the accounting department that does the invoicing and they become the evaluation team. It's not done by the uh, purchasing department

128in any way, shape or form. We bring the subject matter experts in and then they review the proposals and they use their expertise to score. Um, of the components in milk, pricing was one component. It was 20% of the awarded points. Other things they considered were experience, qualifications and references, but also services available in the project approach, ordering and delivery procedures, um, and the reporting services. can we get the data we need from you so that we're reporting to the federal government appropriately. Each evaluation member went through and scored them holistically and then highest score wins, not just the lowest price. So sometimes people do ask when pricing's considered, how do you award the points on that? So 20 points were available in pricing. Whoever has the lowest price gets all 20 points. And then

129however far you are from a percentage away from that price is how far you are from the total 20 points. So it's how are you to the to the lowest bidder. Um RFP in a nutshell. Here's a timeline for you. Uh you know people sometimes will say we just need to do an RFP for that. Well there's really no no just to doing an RFP. It's about a 6 to 8 week process to make sure that we're gathering enough information from the SMB departments to make sure that the scope is right, that the deliverables are right, that we have time to get it out on the street, have vendors and proposers review it, and then also ask us questions. So, at that time, all the questions get funneled into a single uh repository, and everyone

130that's bidding can see them, and everyone can bid, everyone that's bidding can see the answers. So that way there's no um there's no uh notion that somebody's getting information that somebody else isn't. Equity of opportunity, if you will. Uh then we want to answer those questions. We want to have another couple weeks to get it in and then we have to have time for the evaluation process and of course to make it to the next board meeting. So if you couple one of these with an RFI, you can see that you know now you're at a 10 to 12 week out process before you can recommend an award. One last tool, and not one that we use very frequently, is called the ITN. It's an invitation to negotiate. It's um much like an RFP where

131maybe the scope is not clearly defined, maybe the deliverables aren't clearly defined, and there's a multitude of ways a vendor might bring that to you. In the RFP, those terms and conditions, both general and specific, are clearly defined in the solicitation. In more of an ITN, it's a back and forth. These are the terms and conditions as well as service level expectations and scope definitions. Um, we've used them there. Again, we don't use these very often. Uh, but in the IT world and the facilities world, these are becoming a more prevalent option. Um, let's see. There's a quick comparison of the RFI to RFP. Sometimes they get, you know, being that acronym, they can be interchanged and they are two different things. You can see what is important to note is that the RFP and

132IT or that um RFI is justformational. There's no award and it leads you into an RFP. So now I'm going to let Doug come up talk about why we're going to use those for those. Good afternoon. Uh the reason we're going with the RFI is this contract, we've had this contract for so many years that we don't really know what's out there and who the like you said who the who the uh players are. So we want to gather this information and then decide what direction we want to go with. Um some of the other districts we've talked to um handle it in a very different way. Some handle it in-house. many of them have the contractor handle the entire um uh management as well as owning the uh employees and that kind of um

133so there's just so many different aspects we can go with this we thought we'd go with the uh RFI to get that information um we do have a we have um developed our scope of work we kind of took that based off of the original scope of work and we've added to it a little bit so we have a scope of work that we're going to share with these these folks and it's a quite a lengthy document Um but we just want to learn what they what these there's so many options. We want to learn what the specific vendors can provide and explore div um diverse options that they can give us. Um and as he said, it's going to take about four weeks from start to finish. The uh contract we're under right now

134expires July 2027. Um of course, one of the things Mr. Hid and I have talked about is that's also in the middle of the summer during our busiest busiest time of the year with custodial services and the transition is going to be an uh chaotic. So we might want to look at possibly figuring out another time to have that contract start and the transition. Give it over to Brian Warren. And I'm going to speak specifically to the substitute services piece where I will be the one where Doug had the RFI. This would be an RFP. And this would be an RFP for the following reasons. And that would be because of the fact that we know what our needs are for substitute services. They're clearly defined. We know we have a threshold of operation with

135our schools, our building principles. We know what services those are being provided. Um some of them being specialized services for specialized programs. Um, we have groups that are pushed in for our ESSE, uh, center pairs. Uh, we have, uh, subs that we've specifically trained and work to be available for our back units. Um, we have subs that we've trained with specificity for long-term assignments. So, we kind of already know what that scope is to define it, to go out to the marketplace, and to request those bids to come back with service. Um, upon the award of a contract, uh, as I worked with Mike, I learned that it does not preclude us from having secondary or tertiary vendors as well as we go through that process. So, that would be why we would be going

136with an RFP with respect to substitute services. That would conclude our presentations and now we would be at a Q&A time for anybody that was here should you have any questions. >> Miss Miller, >> thank you. Um, I just have a couple of things. One, I remember I had to look it up, but it was 2014. We had a work session. Obviously, I wasn't on the board. The work session was in the old room and Kelly Services was adopted without bids at all. Um, and when I questioned it as a community member, I was told that there wasn't a lot of people in the business. This is a large contract. And I'm and I'm sure that was partially the case. Um, they had approached us. Um, but now this many years later, there's a lot

137there are a lot more vendors available. um and we can talk about what works best for us instead of just going with what's you know the only thing that's on the market or in the in town at the time and it might still be Kelly I I don't know I'm not in the substitute services or the contracted services um arena but I know it's we've grown and so there are more options and I appreciate explaining this you kind of triggered something when you were talking about as we as you've explained this for the public what the RFP and the different processes are sitebased you know there is something about having sitebased level for the principles to make decision isions based on site based work but then I you know sometimes I receive the phone calls

138from vendors who say you have three or four people serving servicing this you know these people are getting free tickets to stuff is why they choose them like what is the pro what is the process or oversight of the contracts that are held for school related services whether it's food service you mentioned milk services like what is the process I want to give I want to give the principles that autonomy and choosing what best works for them because I think we can get a rate sometimes using local people. Um, but who's who does the oversight of those of those contracts? >> Well, that is an a difficult question to answer because we are over anything that's commodities and services. >> So, anything that's directly negotiated or done in con uh construction or facilities is outside

139of, you know, our area of expertise. Um, so we have strategic language in our solicitations that say we can't accept gifts. Um, we have cone of silence where you can't even ask other people in the district questions about the solicitation while it's out. All of those should come back in to us. So, you know, even if we receive something from a vendor that comes into the front door and drops off donuts or something, we don't even take the donuts back into our, you know, procurement department. give them to the the cafe down here, do something different with them. So, I can tell you that's how we approach it. Um, the most flexibility I've seen for principles is in those internal accounts ones, but um, you know, the RFP for substitutes having that secondary and tertiary

140option. So, when you have a main awardee, but you can say, "Hey, these folks are in the mix, too." and it gives you a second or third person to call. But then we're not limited to the contract as well. So in any contract we do, we have a provision that states we use this contract but when it's in our best interest, but it doesn't make you the only person that we can go to market with or do business with. So if there's state contract out there that's available, we can grab it and use it. We can quote if it's under $15,000. You know, we we never want to paint oursel into the corner where we have to do something because this has been awarded. It should be this is in our best interest now that

141we've awarded it, but if that changes, we need the flexibility to be able to make that decision. >> I appreciate that's included and you've shared that with us today. >> Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. >> I'd be glad to send you a document if you'd like to look it over. >> That would be great. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Absolutely, >> Mr. Sharpless. >> I want start with a comment then got some questions. Um, first I think it's um very wise of us to do an RFI specifically for the uh custodial services. I was in middle school when Aramark was that contract was uh initiated in 1996. A lot of things have changed since 1996. Um and so I think it's really smart for us to to learn first before we just, you know, put out

142an RFP. Um so I think RFI is definitely the way to go. So my hats off to the to the department uh for for doing that. Um so my my question is um what incentivizes a a vendor to participate in the RFI if no contracts being awarded? Um will that RFI obviously is shaping the RFP? So is that the incentive itself uh for them to do to them to participate? I would if I were a vendor, that's what would motivate me. Uh the opportunity to set have input and set scope and specifications of a pending uh solicitation. That's really the only time you're going to get any leverage in that regard. So, it it does put an onus on them. They got to put somebody on it for a week or so. They've got to

143evaluate what they would do knowing they're not going to get any business out of it. But um if they can then do that, they can have input at our level and then other districts look at what we do and copy what works. So you know for a week's efforts, you might have something decent come out of it. But >> and I'm in and I'm asking that question for the public so that for them to understand the process. So um thank you. Um and so my next question is but both of these are going to eventually become an RFP. One starts out in RFI, then goes to an RFP, and the other one is straight into RFP. And so, uh, what is the timeline? Uh, I know you you you have a timeline here, uh, as

144far as the you discussed with us. Um, when does that actually when will that be for both of these, uh, services? Like when will it come for the board for us to vote? um the facilities want to be closer, but it really depends if they if we take that RFI approach and then we come back with something that really kind of reshapes the avenue forward. There's just something that wasn't considered. Uh and like we can maybe we pull something in house that we don't need a vendor for anymore or maybe we need to add more. those considerations will kind of they'll take longer to discuss. So, we need to start further, but that contract is good till the end of next year. So, 27 in that summer period. >> And what about for the uh

145con uh for the Kelly Services current contract? When is that good through? >> It's an it's an annual evergreen. So, until such time that we would go to the place to have review and have another >> Okay. >> Should that be where the process takes month? I do not know. >> The the reason why I asked that is because, you know, you know, I'm thinking from a substitute uh services provider standpoint, I'd want to start recruiting as soon as possible, especially while the subs are still on campuses. And now, obviously, if if Kelly were reawwarded that through the RFP, then that wouldn't be an issue. But if a different company is awarded that, then they're going to want to recruit people that know our schools, that are in there every day. And so I would

146hope that would be approved prior to school being done. That's that would be my concern. >> We usually have these things standard operating procedure. We usually have them sewed up 6 weeks, 8 weeks before a meeting. Um with these, we might want to get ahead of that schedule. Um but yeah, it's that that infrastructure component when you have something that's in place and you really run a risk of how much is it going to cost you and what's the uh you know the human capital that has to go into turning these things over. So it's Yep. But >> so I I'm going to address part of that question. We will not be adopting this and implementing it close to the start of the school year. the board. If a decision is made and we bring

147a recommendation other than our current contract provider, I will require a minimum of one full year to make that transition. And I think Mr. Sharpless, that speaks to your question, which is ultimately how are you going to transition that entire workforce over to a new employer? >> Absolutely. That's >> and they're going to have to recruit. They're going to have to do their initiatives. And so we would have to basically look for a more appropriate timeline. There is no way, I don't care what you do, that we could do that in less than 6 or 8 months. And so I want to make sure the team has more than enough time. This is definitely a beginning of the year implementation. So that means anything that happens after the start of the year obviously pushes it

148to the next school year. So I just want to provide that >> level of comfort that that was that was a concern of mine is >> and valid because I know Mr. Warren and I have talked about that at length and and it's the same for Doug in many instances with the with the custodial contracts and things. You know, we have to make sure that we have equipment in place to replace what that provider may currently be offering to us. And we've discussed that >> well and and with Mr. Harwell mentioned that the air market through the summer of of 2027. So that's why I wasn't as concerned about that contract as I was more with the RFP for the substitute services just because of that timeline. So, thank you for providing that assurance. Um,

149I've got a few more questions. So, you uh want to make sure. Um, so actually this will be more of a comment than a question. I just want to make sure that we're whenever we're um doing the RFPs, what you know, either one. Um I want to make sure that we have endusers in mind um on these committees evaluating only because um you know I think of you know my time as a teacher in this district um I had to input you know when I wanted a substitute teacher um I think personally there should be some representation from teachers on a committee that's selecting uh you know RFP for substitutes. I would also say administration because they're the enduser as well. They're having to put in that you know the information in too. Um and

150I would specifically say hard to fill uh you know some some of our schools that are hard harder to fill vacancies because they're the ones that are going to have to use this a lot, right? Um and so that's just some I guess uh my opinion on it and my board members can certainly agree or disagree with that, but I would definitely want to have some endusers in place on both of those RFPs on the committees that are evaluating Um I I do have a question about the secondary and tertiary specifically for the substitutes. Um okay. So if we do award a primary, secondary, tertiary even like all the way to three um that I think that can start getting confusing. Uh if it depends on how how you how you want to implement that.

151If we have three different companies that have substitutes in our school system and also what's stopping an employee from being employed in all three by all three of those companies, where's if a if a school ad based administrator has an issue, you know, how do they well today, let's say if they're if the if they're banned from uh Kelly, let's let's say for example, the one that's there, then what's stopping them going to another company and then going back to that school even though the even though the principal didn't doesn't want that substitute back. So, I I guess I'm from a from a logistics standpoint, I'm concerned a little bit about having unless we say I don't want to get into too much, but I I just I'm wondering how that's going to work out

152having multiple providers for substitutes. >> It works out how we write it in the solicitation. So, if we say up front that we want to have uh a single awardee, then that's what we'll have. If we say we want to have secondary and tertiaries, then we can say we want it to be triaged. If we go to that first um vendor and they cannot uh make the deal happen, then we can go to second or third. We can say you have to get a quote from all three to start with. Um so we've done all of those in various solicitations. So the thing the thing to remember is you know at this point we're the customer >> and we define what the terms and conditions we'd like to see are and then we put that

153task on the vendor to meet them. >> Gotcha. Okay. Um, and I've just got two more questions, so uh bear with me here. Um, so and I'll do the last question I'll do for the for the airark, but this is my my last question about the um sorry the custodial services versus the um substitute. So, in the presentation that we you gave us, it says it mentioned that uh other districts um approach Well, no, sorry, that's the that's the RFP. >> That's custodial. >> Yeah, it's a custodial. I'll get to that one in a second. Um what criteria um actually you know what both of these will be for the custodial. I'll just I'll go there. So what criteria are going to be used when we compare the like the feasibility, the cost effectiveness of

154returning to an in-house model versus continuing with an outside vendor? Like how do we make that decision when we go through the RFI? I think we're going to have to look at I I'm thinking what would the price be for this uh services and then what services are are they going to provide and um we will have to for us we're going to have to provide six new staff members for the administration of the custodial services. We're going to have to come back and ask for six new positions as well as how much is it going to cost to buy all that equipment and replace all that equipment. Um, a lot of times the other well, if if we go out on a contract, we'll have them purchase and provide that equipment as well. So,

155those would be some of the things we're going to be looking at is >> Yeah. And we got benefits and other things else that go with having our own employees. Okay, fair enough. And my last question, I know I've had a lot. I just this has really piqued my interest. Um, so the presentation mentioned other districts approaching custodial needs in a myriad of different ways, right? So, I'm curious which specific districts or models will we look at for inspiration during this RFI phase because we're looking at other districts as well, right? Other than just what we're doing. >> Yeah. Um I think I saw uh Deval has this has one where they're hand where they're handled by a contractor. Um Penalis, I think I spoke with them Friday. Their maintenance department and custodial services is

156together. So, they oversee it as as a as a district, not a without contractors. Um, and some of and then I think there's a few others that Denise researched that she has more information on as well that and some of them take over like I said the entire employees all the employees would be theirs and and um then there's the ones where they just there's not as many administrative contracts like we do in the state and that's what I've had a hard time finding is someone who has an administrative most of the time these contracts companies come in they want the entire division as their own. >> Okay. I appreciate you answering all my questions. Thank you, Superintendent. That'll be all. >> Miss Fields, >> thank you. I had a couple of things. I wanted

157to know what stage will the existing vendors be able to update their information if anything has changed. Is that RFI or is that RFP? Are you understanding my question? >> Update their information. if they if there's something that they have decided to change from the existing uh services that that they're providing, >> they want to alter or sweeten their current >> their current deal. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, Miss Fields, they would get that when the notifications are posted for the RFP or the RFI, they'll receive an automatic notification that that's out there, and then it outlines for them basically the same timeline as every other submission uh submitting entity that here's what's expected. Here's the deadline, and that's their opportunity to do that. They will not be able to preempt the process. That's an unfair

158advantage, and we would not support that. >> I didn't think they would, but I wasn't sure exactly when they were having an opportunity, but thanks for answering that. as it relates to Aramark. Uh Aramark um has had some revisions on the contract and Superintendent Hyde is spot on about the time that the transition would have to occur because of the fact that uh all of the equipment is owned by Aramark and so the process is not going to be overnight things. I wanted to make sure that it's understood that many years ago, Aramark might have come on board, but there had been some adjustments and some modifications since they initially started with us. >> They would certainly be able to bid or put any input on, but we also use a um a website called

159Vendor Link. So, when customers want to do business with us, we direct them to vendor link and they register and then they pick out codes for the services that they provide. So, anybody in that space will get any solicitation or notifications that come out without getting one about we need a new school bus or we need green beans in the kitchen, you know, that kind of stuff, we can narrow down the specific market. Uh, but we can also put in specific vendors. So, if there's somebody we want to we want that solicitation to go to, we can add those emails as well. So, it's people that registered said we'd like to do business with the district on these things, they'll get it. Plus anybody, the incumbent will always be included. Um, but we can get

160anyone else that says, "Hey, please include this." If the subject matter expert department gives us somebody, we'll slide them in there, too, to make sure everybody gets, you know, equity of opportunity at the bid. You're welcome, >> Dr. Allen. Thank you, Superintendent. Great uh conversation for sure. Um, so I heard that air is July 20th, right? 2027. Is that what I heard in the contract uh expiration and and that one we just recently extended it by one year because um and you know in that I mean I I did it because um the incentives and so forth but I think what I was missing in that decision was like performance reviews from a you know from a vendor standpoint and that's one thing superintendent I think is important to me as we consider these things

161moving forward. Yes, I appreciate it's, you know, timely. Let's do this from a legacy standpoint. We've been talking about it for a long time. So, I appreciate that that we're moving that direction, but um annually of some sort, giving us some vendor performance review that's being conducted, you know, so and I give you an example from a performance metric standpoint. Um, you know, as it relates to say custodial cleanlin, you know, cleanliness. Um, and I know, you know, and this is just data from, you know, walking campuses with my principles, right? These are issues, but I don't think I've ever seen like a performance review at the board level. Not to say that's not being done, but it would be something that I would love to be able to get my hands on and see

162um on an annual basis as it relates to our our vendors and you know, I guess maybe the substitute fill rates and and all those things, right? That sort of have to pry for data uh in a sense. I I think it'd be nice that it was conducted annually, it was brought to the board for review. Um would be much appreciated. Um, and I don't have a memory of that type of, you know, of a performance review. I don't know, Miss Fields, if you've got some history with that, maybe that you could speak to that. But, um, I don't know. I think what I was trying to understand too with the Kelly Services, Mr. Warren, what there's no actual end date to that contract. Did I hear that? >> To Mr. For Hyde's point, we

163if if we go through the R when we go through the RFP and should there be a change of vendor, we would be able to drive the timeline with specificity in the contract that I've reviewed, there's a specific timeline of notification and then services are stopped. We would have to we would have to work through that transition and that formal notice knowing that there is a transition coming down down the pike at a timeline that we would determine. Yeah, that that's concerning. Um that there's no end in in mind. Um so I appreciate you clarifying on that. Um I don't know a couple other thoughts here too. Do we have any information on like our current pricing that we have from these two vendors comparative to like-iz districts? That was where I was struggling because

164I said there was ours is a de custodial is an administrative contract and that's why I couldn't find anybody in the state that had that. The closest I found was a small county in Georgia >> and it didn't really >> pertain they had three or four schools that they were supervising. Y >> now as as to reviewing the cleanliness of the schools we heard you over we heard that conver that last time and so we have started having the teams do what call what's called missions and they each um manager has to do about eight a day eight missions a day and they go to every school within a month we'll get every school covered and we look we we we follow the APA standards APA standards I I being new to this I typed

165in APA a standards and found out how to write papers. So, if you're going to research it, it's a a um so we're we're doing missions on that and any deficiencies we find, we're going back and retraining that staff at that school on their on how to clean that area better. And so, we're working on that. We heard that the last time we're we just started doing the same thing with the grounds facilities as well, the grounds the grounds crews. >> Yeah. Yeah. Appreciate that update. >> We're also launching a recognition program for custodians called the White Glove Award. We pro brought that idea forward and I'm I'm pleased that they've seized on it and so those custodians will be recognized for meeting or exceeding all of those criteria. So that's a good way for

166us to incentivize as well. >> Superintendent, can you speak more to the year process and that transition that you're thinking? So for example, with the airark, we're looking at the 2027 date, right? And then I put that in um comparison to your uh 10 to 12 week timeline in regards to RFI through the RFP process. Technically, we're looking at about a one to one and a half almost two-month period right from now and then just thinking through like our meeting schedule and so forth in the summer. >> Yeah, >> that's so today'sformational. There's no vote required. So the team is already prepared to launch and initiate the requests. >> Yeah. and publish those within the next two weeks. Um everything will be out there and then I think we have more than an adequate timeline

167to get everything accomplished before the end of summer which then gives us the remainder of that calendar year um traditional school calendar year to begin and finalize all the transition planning that needs to take place. Um so I I think we'll have more than adequate timeline if we can meet the goal by end of summer by July by the end of July which I think we can absolutely do. The question from there is going to be contract negotiations and finalizing it. Um although I we'll talk again as a team because my approach I really don't want a lot of back and forth quite frankly either they can do it or they can't and they need to submit a baffo like we've done in the past cuz I the bargaining back and forth and negotiating of

168terms and conditions in a contract is what takes up an order amount of time and I've got better things for staff to be doing quite frankly than have to review those documents over and over and over again. I think Mr. Green would agree there are far better things for him to spend his time on as well. So, at the end of the day, our approach will help refine and define that process for us to keep that timeline fairly tight. Um, I think we have more flexibility in certain areas with certain contracts than we do with others, but staffing in particular, um, and the Aramark contract, there's a lot that applies there. Those are our employees, thank goodness. But um the equipment and things like that, we need to make sure that we bring that back

169to the board because that purchasing that will have to take place is something you'll have to approve. Um so we'll talk about more about that here in the very near future. But this was really justformational for the board. They're moving forward with the process. This has been something we've discussed. Um, and I appreciate the fact that as as aggressively as I've pushed to get this done, they really have taken their time to make sure we do it right. And and that I appreciate because that then we won't end up with a bid challenge or those types of things in the near future. So, I think again our process and the strategies and the procedures they've put in place will help us meet those deadlines. Dr. Allen, >> I appreciate it. And for me personally, I

170would like to see what our strategy is with Kelly Services. like similarly to Aramark from a timeline standpoint. >> I think that's all I have. Thank you, >> Miss Wallace. >> Thank you, Superintendent. Um, I had like a question and a comment kind of building off of what Dr. Allen said with about performance as I had written before he commented, how do we incorporate KPIs or key performance indicators? Um, so not only incorporating those, but memorializing them in our contracts. um I think would be important. Um I'm starting to see a pattern. I think we're in our adolescence as a district of transitioning from a rural small town to a big urban, you know, but we're in between. And um I think we probably have a history of doing business with a lot of people

171we know and we run into in the grocery store. So there's a lot that's not contemplated in our contracts. But now we're we're big boys. We're doing big business. Um, we're doing things with people from all over the country. We're not going to run into them at the grocery store. So, that kind of personal accountability isn't in there. And I would like to see things that we feel really comfortable are going to happen, but just in case, we got to memorialize them. So, um, I would love to know not only how and why other districts do things, but I would love to see our contract language be very commensurate with what we're seeing in the peer districts we're seeking to emulate. um all the you know all the specificities and really protecting ourselves. That's what

172I'm seeing a lot of missing protections like you know if they don't deliver based on those KPIs or they you know don't follow protocols being very very specific. It's almost like the contract can't be too long or too specific. Um, and I'll tell you something. I think to Kelly's credit that they've improved, but during COVID, I endeavored to try out substitute teaching when my hours were cut in half and I wanted to serve in the schools and give back. And they asked me for a certified copy of my uh transcript from the University of Florida in order to earn $9 an hour. So, um, I promptly ended up denying them that opportunity because I had an unofficial one and that was sufficient for the White House when I interned there my senior year of college.

173So anyway, that was just an interesting experience that I had and I hope that we've we've um revisited those protocols to make sure that we're not, you know, having people who want to come serve or or try out teaching on a substitute basis before pursuing the profession full-time that we're not doing anything like that to discourage people from uh serving and joining the profession. So uh last thing is and I'm not totally clear on the practices but I have a desire that when the team comes and says this is who we want you to approve even if it's not all posted on board docs is I personally have a desire to understand who else applied and why did we go with this one like I know sometimes we discuss that but I it's I'm noticing

174that like it to your point when you were saying hey sometimes we need the more experienced one that might not be the cheapest or sometimes times we need um or in this instance it's very transactional. We're just looking for the best value. Um it's nice to for us to know contextually well who else applied? How did how did each of them score on our rubrics? Why did this one get the highest score? we don't have to go into it, you know, but that I think that context will be really helpful to us when particularly on the larger um decisions both in monetary and because of the the the real, you know, nose to the grind uh importance of some of these vital vital services like custodians. So, thank you. Just wanted to share that feedback.

175>> Miss Miller, >> I just have a quick question. You referenced the website or some kind of service people can go to. Is that for consumables only or is that for all of our contracts? Uh certainly not all of our contracts because we have uh things that are directly negotiated in other departments but uh anything that's commodities services as well as facilities and construction. We used to have two different vendor links. Uh we've recently merged those so we reduce the costs and can see everything at once. But commodity services and facilities and construction all of those come out of vendor link. >> Can you send out what that looks like? So when vendors ask me, I say this is what you will get when you sign up to be a vendor. >> Thanks so much.

176>> Of course, >> there are no further questions or comments. Thank you, gentlemen. >> Board members, next item up is Miss Anne Everett, and she will be providing you with an overview of the student progression plan, which you've already approved. >> Good afternoon. And I think you have in front of you the two documents, correct? >> Okay. wanted to make sure that you had those. Um, so we were asked to go through some of the changes. Some of these I know were done at the board retreat in the fall. Um, and then we can go through and talk about any of them that you wish to speak about. Um, and answer any questions that you have. So, um, I can just run through them. We can go to questions. I'm not sure what your preference

177is. That's a question to the board. >> I'll speak on it as chair. I mean um if we could do a brief uh overview and then run into questions. >> Sure. Absolutely. So >> hang on. I also have Miss Fields and Miss Wyatt. Miss Fields. >> Okay. That's basically what I was going to say. >> Okay. Miss Wyatt, same thing. >> That's fine. >> Okay. >> All right. So um we'll start with page one as we go through. So there's a um the proposal was to change the acceleration for midyear and fullear promotion that was done looking at student experiences. So we ran the data um and we looked at how we could correlate. We're using the SAT 10 currently for midyear and fullear promotion. And so those student students sit for a lengthy test

178and then um based on their performance which has to be at the 93rd percentile they can either qualify for single subject area promotion or for full year skip. And when we were looking at that we are getting feedback from parents that students tend to get very stressed um that is causing an issue with their performance. So we looked at correlating the data and the results from their SAT 10 to their PM performance to kind of make it equivalent across the board and not have one more additional assessment. And so that was done um for that purpose right there. Um it's a process that probably needs to be looked at overall in comparison to what are we what opportunities are we providing for our students in acceleration in the secondary world. We can really do that

179through courses and through other opportunities. Elementary, it's just not as clear-cut. And we are also looking at other issues that impact students, that social emotional piece. Are they ready to be promoted um across their peers? Just to give you a little bit of background with the midyear and fullear acceleration. We've had um this past year in December, we had five students request to test for that acceleration. of those five students, one parent um one student met it based on those change in scores using the PM. That parent did withdraw that request feeling that their student really wasn't ready for the other reason to be promoted aside from academics. From the four students that tested, none of them qualified for the full year skip, but we did have one student um app qualify for a subject

180area acceleration. um to give you some reference for last summer, we had 52 students that requested to test for acceleration in elementary last summer. Of those 50 um of those 52 students, we had 12 that met ELA acceleration only, nine that met math acceleration only, and four that met a fullear skip. So, we're not seeing a lot of students that are qualifying for those scores, but that's something the team has talked about really reviewing to see, do we need to make those adjustments? Do we need to find multiple pathways to that? Yes. But for this purpose, it was really trying to minimize the test but keep the same standards while those other issues are explored. The next section changes to language to the third grade, promotion to fourth grade. This is statute uh updates um

181all based on statute. So you can see the red line that all comes out at the bottom of page 12 and then the replacement language on 13 and 14. That is strictly a statute change and it continues on to page 15. At the end of that, we also added the section that summer school um third grade can now test in summer. That was also a new and recent change. Page 17 walks through the change that we are no longer a hope district. So, for the last many years, we've been a hope district. In order for students to meet their PE requirement for graduation, they had to take the year-long hope course that satisfied that life management personal fitness or PE if you will. We are now back to a PE and personal fitness district. And

182so that language has been updated to show that that change in our um progression. On page 18, you see the change with the completion of two years of marching band and how that waiver will satisfy the PE um requirement. And so that also is statute language and that statute is referenced there. On page 19, it's including the information on the IQ ticket pathway um for closing or adding an additional CTE program to a campus. The language on page 20 is um removing the language or reference to certificate of completion. That's done in several different places now that the statute deleted the certificate of completion that has been removed from the um student progression plan. On page 20, this is a little bit different. in the middle of page 20. We've always had a policy that

183if a student participates as an early admission student, which means during their senior year, they are taking all of their courses through dual enrollment. They're not taking any courses on their high school campus. They are not eligible for the honorary title of Val or SAL. It doesn't impact their class rank on their transcripts, but they're not they're not eligible for that title. So just to clarify that for parents um before that student engages in an early admissions program that is shared with the student it is shared with the parent. But just to ensure the clarification um and acknowledgement we created a form that families and students signed acknowledging that policy and that they are not eligible for that. Um, on the bottom of page 20, we added um non-traditional schools that add or that um

184participate in the superintendent scholars program. That goes on to the top of page 21. Um, on page 21 in the middle. So, um, this started with our technicalmies, Travis and Ridge. for students, our high school students that go to Ridge Academy or RI Ridge Technical Academy or Travis Technical Academy and finish their high school career there. If they earn their diploma, their diploma reverts back to the high school. However, if they don't finish that diploma, their final withdrawal code does stay attached to Travis and Ridge. And then they of course have their option to come back as that their fifth year um to finish any issues or any credits or GPA issues they have that prevented that diploma from being awarded, including the assessment requirement. Page 21, we added a section for military boot camp

185and how we um work with students who enlist in the military prior to graduation. This is something we've always done in practice, but we've never had it written in policy. Um and we want to make sure that those students that are participating in a military boot camp aren't penalized for their absences if they're returning back to their senior year after school begins. Again, on page 22, we have the daggering of any um language that speaks to the certificate of completion. Page 23 is an update. Really, we're just updating the names. So, you can see there's really outdated language where it refers to careermies for Ridge and Travis. Those are being updated to refer to their new name, um the technicalmies. And so, that's just a language change. on page 24. This was something um Davenport

186School of the Arts. It was never written into the school uh student progression plan, but there's a request to add it. When Davenport opened, there was an agreement that a hundred seats from Davenport School of the Arts, I'm not saying this right, that a 100 seats at Davenport High School would be reserved for students currently attending Davenport School of the Arts, but aren't zoned to attend Davenport. And so those students apply for those seats. They're randomly selected. Now there were 100 seats set aside, but we've not ever really exceeded in the last four years 35 to 40 seats. And so we put um one the practice in the policy because we've not had it before. But at the same time, we wanted to say those seats could be re revisited each year depending on demand.

187And so that's been a practice that's occurred since Davenport opened, but it's actually written in there at this point. Um, we also added the 3D programs um, just to have that language to add Lake Region High School and Tenarch High School. We didn't have any reference to 3D in the student progression plan, so we added that. The bottom of page 24 is updating that fine arts seal of excellence um to to specify exactly what the students need to do to earn that fine seal of excellence. Fine arts seal of excellence, excuse me. Q is careermies updating their application process. Again, making sure the language in the SP actually mirrors the practices that are happening. So, you see the daggered language at the bottom and the new um updated language at the top. The top of

188page 27 provides teeth to something um that the CTE department has always requested and expected of schools, which is if a student has transferred to a different high school to attend a specific career academy, if they choose to leave that career academy, they are expected to return back to their zone school. So again, it's something that we've had in practice. Um wanted to codify that in the student progression plan. Then we have language that's um specific to private school students for uh FHSAA and inter uh inter scholastic extracurricular activities. Um and it's just an update to language based on the statute and again that statute is referenced there. The top of 20 uh 28 is daggering language um that refers to closed programs that are no longer in existence. And so that has been updated

189to reflect what's already occurred as well. Bottom of 28 again updated district policy for sports. Um and you can see the daggered language and then the additional language regarding physical exams um for the upcoming school year. That was a very quick run through, >> Miss Wyatt. >> Thank you. Um, I first want to give a huge shout out to Dan Talbet for getting rid of the hope requirement because I think that is by far what's best for students and being able to give a lot more leeway and options in our how they get that um those credits. So, thank you. Um, I have a couple questions. Who is the target audience for reading this document? >> So, it's a great question. It's a public-f facing document. It is most used probably by our school staff.

190So when they call um or they have a question on their campus about a procedural thing, a rule, a statute, this is the usually the quickest way to get that information. Um I refer to it quite a bit, especially where we have former students that have left our system. They may have had a diploma, they may not have had a diploma. what can we do to solve, you know, whatever issue that they have as far as obtaining a a diploma. Um, sometimes we'll get calls from a parent that has a question about the validictorian could be a great example asking about why can't my student I don't I don't really understand if they're uh in the early admissions program why they can't be validictorian. So, we sometimes refer to this document. Um, it can be

191absolutely be used by the public. So, it's really probably for everyone is the easiest answer. Um, to different and varying degrees. >> Okay. And I asked that because one of the changes on and it's p it's it says it's page 19, but it's page 20 if you're looking at the top in the executive um change summary >> adds a new way to get to a document as IIQ, which obviously the general public does not have access to IIQ. Um, so then I started clicking through some of the other links we have listed and there's a couple other places where either >> the link is something that's the link is broken or the link is something that's we is behind it's on staff portal things like that that the public can't access. Um, so I don't

192know what the answer is to that as far as do we need to make those where they can be publicly available or and that may be a question for Superintendent Hyde. I just that's why I was curious about who the target audience is. I think it's a great discussion and I definitely think it needs to be had. So, we've gone through lots of variations of this document. There was a time when it was almost 300 pages and I actually have them 30 plus years back in my office because I do pull them and it has to be based on the year. >> Um, there was a time when we put appendices in there. We put forms in there. We put you can anything you can imagine was attached and added and and and then there

193was a time where we were removing everything because the updates were coming so fast. It's hard to keep up with and we really wanted to refer everyone to the state documents and the state statute and kind of get it from the source. I would say we're kind of in the in between if you will. I think we have a lot in here. Um, it's also only as updated, right, as we actually look at each page and update and different people, I say different people own different sections. Um, so sometimes things don't get updated if they just haven't been reviewed. Um, but I think it it is a conversation we need to undertake and really talk about what we want. One, we have to meet statute. Like we have to have the document by statute, but

194what is it that we have to have and then how does it best work for our community and for our staff. And I think it's a conversation that is timely and probably needs to be had personally. >> Thank you. Um and there are you mentioned it, but there are still a couple broken links. So if we can make sure that those get updated for in case anybody's looking at it. Um and then my last thing was we and this is on um page um in the executive change summary when it talks about um the programs that aren't include for this I think it's specifically for the superintendent scholars um the programs that aren't included. Why are IBNA separate? Because they're like they are Winter Haven students. So it's Why do we include those separately? >>

195Some places they are and some places they aren't. It's not I would say it's probably not consistent and it's just historical from left over for when like Barto IB had its actual own school number. >> Yeah. >> I I would and you know I've think we've had this conversation many times. if they're not their own school and it's something that's talking about that that needs to come out because that's >> okay >> they are Winter Haven students they are BTO students they are Hane City students they are Tener Rock students >> there's no they just because if not we get into do we have every academy needs to be listed on here because they're all >> so that's just for what it's worth that would be my preference moving forward >> that's all I have

196>> Miss Fields >> thank you there were a lot of updates and that was one of the reasons why as a superintendent could we have you to come and do a presentation. Um and my question is kind of similar to Miss Wyatt but mine is more for parenting purposes. Some of these updates and changes will impact students immensely. So how how will we ensure or how can we ensure that if it uh relates to their child that someone on our team will be able to readily identify and help them. A good example and I give Superintendent Hyde tremendous credit for that. uh on page five um requirements for promotion to grade four. Uh Superintendent Hyde helped with the situation this past summer and I'm sure that that might occur with more than just this particular

197child and the parents had no idea of the process but he was able to help to uh to work through the process with the parents. I hope you understand my question. >> Yes ma'am I do. Um, so that area belongs under the ELA umbrella. And so when these statute changes happen and the rules change as well, any administrative code changes, it really comes from the department directly to administration and then out to the staff that supports students. And so while the SP gets updated at different times based on timing of legislation, timing of other decisions, immediately upon statute changes, those those changes are noticed to the schools, to the, you know, the community and I would think communicated to the family as well to make sure any student impacted by that statute change. Um, much

198like the certificate of completion being daggered by the state, that's been noticed the hot second that was passed. Right. So, while it's noted here and we're doing this now, it's been the students and the parents have been receiving phone calls from the very beginning of school about that change. So, um while there can be a delay in this piece of it, there's no delay in action when that statute language actually occurs. >> Thank you. >> Yes, ma'am. We can always additionally to Miss Fields and and Miss Wyatt's earlier question or comment um we can include this document in the next newsletter and then we can link we can provide the link to this video portion of today's meeting. Um so parents would have that as well and you know with respect to the uh student

199progression plan or pupil progression plan whichever terminology we're using it is readily available on the website. It is a searchable feature and it is there. It is accurate. It's not been updated because the board wanted a summary for today, but after today, we will update it with the newly approved version. Um, and that could be changed. Um, Miss Everett and I exchanged communication again yesterday um about this document. I I personally believe the document should be as long as it needs to be. I don't think people should have to look in 15 different places to get information about academics and so whatever we need to do to make this a complete document and we're doing that now with websites we're doing that now with departments we're doing that now with a variety of other areas

200um with the employee handbook with the administrative procedures guide then whatever enhancements need to be put in place need to be put in place um and that'll be done before the start of the next school here. At the end of the day, we have all this information. This we're not creating anything new. What's different, I think, what's a struggle for Miss Everett at times and and I appreciate her willingness to take ownership of of the document as well as Miss Collins and and Mr. McNotton. The reality of it is the information lives with so many different people and so they just simply need to be empowered to say, "Here's what I need. Here's your deadline. Get it to me so we can get it into the document." and it'll be that simple. So, I I

201know that sounds like it's oversimplified, but quite frankly, I don't know what comp I don't know what could stand in the way and complicate it any further than that. But, we do need to make sure that everything we want is in here, including, you know, information. Parents will only typically rely on this document when they find themselves in a situation that they're concerned about retention or my child's being removed from a program or my child's being expelled or those kinds of things. they'll start looking for the documents. Um, but we need to make sure it does have all that information cuz there are sections where it's incomplete, I I would say. And then that the information they may be looking for actually lives someplace else. We just need to make it one comprehensive document. Um,

202and it'll be on our website. It it can also be a knowledge base for staff, which is fine, but to Miss Wyatt's point, knowledge base is not something accessible to all, and that is not the end all beall of our repository for information. So, we will make sure it's readily available to all stakeholders. And Miss Fields, when this goes out, at the same time it goes on the website, it goes in the de districtly communication so that all staff are notice that there's updates and they get the executive change summary as well as the new document. >> Good. Thank you. >> Yes, ma'am. >> And Miss Wallace, >> thank you, Superintendent Miss Everett. I had a question. I was um really pleased to see all the detail that the document contemplates around third grade and

203promotion to fourth grade. all the um I happen to be a wildly familiar with that K Florida Florida's K3 policy at the statutory level and I was curious if um going to what Superintendent Hy just said about more detail we could add. I noticed that we don't I'm under the impression still that we screen all kindergarteners and then if kindergarteners aren't showing signs of readiness that that flags a lot of the same things that we're contemplating for grade three. So is there a specific reason we don't talk through like what a parent who has a kid in kindergarten is flagged as not being ready for example? Would we is this an appropriate place where we would contemplate what happens? >> It can and there are pieces in here that talk about when we identify students

204who are underperforming in reading and math but certainly they can be added to and add that language in. And so I'll make a note that that team can look at it and review and add some additional information. Yes. >> Yeah. Yeah. Because I think um and Superintendent Hyde this may be an exercise worthy of being on our next retreat. Nope. Okay. Um >> there's there's no space in the current agenda. >> Fair. Fair. Okay. Um maybe we'll we'll continue to um stay on the dance floor here. But yeah, like I I feel like especially because reading by third grade is probably the most paramount academic skill we can impart on our students that we cannot be overly obsessive about. Okay, here's what a parent should know about here's how we're going to screen and if

205your child lands in this cortile, here's what we're going to do. here's what we're going to offer and then uh here's how we decide if a kindergarten gets to go to first grade because I know those are a lot of things we balance like do we retain right now do we wait you know and and I would love to know how our district in detail so a parent understands this thank you >> yes ma'am >> oh I did have one other question sorry oh were you saying something excuse me >> no I just made a note so we can take that back >> thank you thank you um I wanted to understand the difference between so the excel process looks like if a student is skipping a grade or you know or catching back up

206or right um like if they were behind and catching back up. >> So Excel is meant for acceleration. >> Okay. >> So excelling either subject area acceleration. So I'm in fourth grade but I need to have fifth grade, you know, be working on fifth grade ELA standards or I'm skipping a grade. So I finish fourth grade, I test in the summer and I'm skipping fifth and going to sixth. And how does that specifically differ from where we refer to gifted education later in the document? >> Repeat that question for me. >> So there's a paragraph toward the bottom of the document that just says that just discusses gifted education and there's a paragraph about it and it's kind of like an overbrad 30,000 foot level description of it. But how does that differ specifically from

207Excel? >> It doesn't necessarily, but they're not mutually exclusive, right? Because you can be accelerated. You can participate in the Excel options that we've outlined whether you're in the gifted program or not. Okay. >> And then you have gifted. So gifted students can take advantage of acceleration. Non-gifted students can take advantage of acceleration. But just because you're accelerated doesn't necessarily make you gifted. >> Gotcha. >> Or identified as gifted, I should say. So, just one while we're sitting here talking, one thing I noticed is the document doesn't really contemplate how does someone become eligible for gifted or what it you know like what um cuz I'm going off of >> for gifted services. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like I'm going off of my lived experience, but it was like I was bored and I

208asked my teacher how could I get this and then I got screened and then I ended up getting what uh used to be known as alpha advanced learning program for higher achievers. And I would get pulled out for specific times of day, right? But I was still in my grade. Um, so that's what I was just trying to understand is the differences. >> Miss Everett. >> Oh, >> because we're starting to blur lines now because when you start talking about qualifications for gifted, that's an exceptional student education component. >> Okay. >> That's not going to be captured here other than to say students will be evaluated. And you know keep in mind too that at the secondary level gifted services is is consultation only because students will be enriched through acceleration and other opportunities. There

209is no explicit gifted program at secondary. Okay. >> Um so that's probably why there's a little bit less there but we should explain at the elementary level what parents can expect. I know this is a conversation I've had with Mr. Sharpless previously as well um about how do we make sure that we're clarifying these things. Um, but it should not be I I want to make sure that we're we don't if we need to, we can link that back to the ESC document. And then the question you asked earlier about third grade reading, that's actually already addressed and principles and others already have information about placement decisions and um based off student assessment scores, based off other things that they can take into consideration for placement. Um, so some of those documents might be better

210linked to here. Okay. >> But they won't necessarily live here. Um, >> okay. >> But I do agree, you know, Miss Wallace, with your point that can we can we present it in a way that parents will understand my child's a level one reader generically. What does the district do in that situation? And that can be spelled out here to a certain extent or again linked to that document so that parents understand that that information does exist. >> Thank you, superintendent. >> Yes, ma'am. Thank you. >> There are no further questions or comments. >> Thank you, ma'am. >> Next, we have Meritane Health. We have Miss King. >> Good afternoon. I have with me um Keith Maritain Keith with Maritain Health, Keith Wilson. He's the vice president. He's my direct account manager that I've been

211working with. Just so that you know who he is. I wanted to um I've given you like some timeline. and I met with the superintendent and I've given you some timeline on the on the time it took us to get the contract fully executed. Um but first off I wanted to assure you that during this time that the contract was not in place. There was legal direction to maritane provided before contract services began that said thou shalt follow your proposal basically and provide everything and that was done. um so that no one was impacted and if we did find some differences as we went through I don't know if you all remember we was blue cross like 20 years okay so there were a number of things and I talked about this a little bit

212later in the slide but there were a number of things that blue cross interpreted one way and said in our world this means x and so we'd have to discuss is that really the intent of the plan okay so and we did find any areas of conflict they were immediately addressed and um what I would do is I worked with Keith to say okay that means any claims submitted since January 1 must be reprocessed um so our employees weren't harmed and and that did take place with anything we found along the way this is kind of a timeline of the services as you know we did have an extensive longtime a great committee that worked on the RFP just for background um for Miss Wallace and for Mr. keys that weren't here at the time.

213Um we did have um three companies respond for the health services. Mayoritain Health responded as with Quantum as our medical management and navigation service and then we also had Sigma and um Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina respond as well. So over all of that program, Meritane Health and Quantum Health were the ones that were unilaterally recommended by the committee and Miss Fields also served on that committee so she could inform you if there was questions. Um, I wanted to remind you too that once the award was announced, we had a protest from Blue Cross Blue Shield. So that should hold us up at least two months if I remember correctly. And it was going to be a tight turnaround anyway, even with even with um those two months not being involved. At that

214time during the bid protest, the school board had to stop all action. We could not meet. We could not do anything as far as implementing the new program. So it did hold us up. Um we began implementation meetings August 6th. Um there is a board action in July that Blue Cross rescended their protest and so that was noticed to the board and then we moved forward August 6 with group implementation meetings and that continued through December and then we moved from implementation to active management which meant we were meeting every two weeks and we continued to do that. All right. um your timeline overview here. You're going to have see a lot of things that I've kind of already referred to. The Blue Cross Blue Shield summary document was what we relied on as far

215as past practice. We also had an extensive discovery form. I've been through several implementations and I can tell you this was probably the most thorough one and most thorough vendor that I have done implementation with. Um legal review, there were multiple rounds of markups needed. One concern we immediately had was uh Mayor Tain is owned by CVS Healthcare which is also you know pharmacy. Most of your larger um health health administrators are owned by PBMs nowadays. So um one thing that they had in there was didn't align with Florida statutes meaning what happened with the health plan data from members when it was submitted. So that was an immediate concern we had to go back and forth several times on because we have to follow Florida statutes and ensure the privacy of everybody's personal information.

216Um staff coordination. One program that we had in here was in bold and we still have that which is the quality network that we use. And in the past Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida that we were with in Alabama didn't permit this to be in a part of their medical agreement. They saw that as an internal conflict with negotiating directly with doctors themselves for pricing. Um so we had hoped to move it under meine. Meritane also determined it was a networking conflict for them. So it was added to quantum health contract and actually I don't know if you remember but quantum health was actually acquired by embolden in summer of 2025. >> quantum bottom bold. Thank you for clarifying that for me. I had it turned around in my head. Um, additional amendment requirements.

217One thing that I thought was surprising, and this was silent in the Blue Cross document, is that from uh CMS's term, if you are born on July 1, you can actually enroll for Medicare June 1. Well, that doesn't match any other termination rules. Ameritane didn't have that in their normal process as well either and had to have that defined. and we verified that with CMS and that was correct. So, and that's what we do. We allow people to go on early because they want to take out an advantage of the full month of Medicare. So, that required coordination and approval. Um, vendor coordination. Um, this is more to do with maybe a future state. One thing that I have in here is the JCO drugs. Um, they were drugs administered through the medical plan that

218aren't part of the pharmacy purchase. And believe it or not, totally different pricing associated with those things. So, one thing we had to sign was just um a letter of direction to allow that information to be exchanged between the vendors. One thing we want to explore for future state perhaps is if we can do any savings on those things. And again that's future state nothing we would do now but that time and research does take time to do that. So that was one thing that we had in there. Also the international the voluntary international purchasing program we have with RX valet that's a prescription assistance program. Uh Maritine saw that as a conflict to have that in their summary plan description. So we actually have two summary plan descriptions. one posted for the health plan

219that we own that says we will allow that. This is how it works because under state law the voluntary international purchasing is permitted. Uh we had ongoing red line and review cycles. We have a lot of vendors that you see there. We had to coordinate between all of those. We also had external attorneys at the time. We were working with Boswell Dunlap between Wes leaving and then coming on board as well as in-house counsel when Wes was brought back on and Mr. Green as well when he came on board. And then I mentioned the employee data again because we went back and forth many months on that as far as that language. We also have things like venue um on things we typically that I usually give comment on initially but that had to be

220discussed and negotiated between attorneys um outstanding plan document inconsistencies. I mentioned this about the Medicare rules crossed language um required um translation into mayain practice. This was a site of care provisions. One example I will give you is outpatient facility is used so much nowadays, right? Everything from chemotherapy to, you know, my knee replacement was done outpatient. Who would think that you would be in there at 5:00 a.m. and home by two, but you are, but a totally different change in how that is paid, right, as far as the cost of the health plan. So what we had to do was look very closely at that because we found that the benefits did not align in many cases with the intent. So those were very detailed examples and took time over many meetings to discuss

221and review. And again we went to plan intent. The idea being if you're just consulting with a doctor but it's an outpatient he as outpatient. He's trying to get more money but ideally to the employee it looks like it should be a $50 cost. and that's our intent. So those are the things we've had to work through to ensure that the employees um get what they're entitled to as far as that's concerned because that is an evolving process. Um we also had the um I mentioned the transition and postlegal council that was just time consuming as far as validating latest versions, bringing new council, returning council up to speed. That was just a lot of work exchanging documents back and forth. Um, we also had a hiring gap with the benefits consultant as most of

222you remember. We were without one for six months until we got one under contract and um, we do have a thin staff. At the time I didn't have the director on board yet until I think um, July or August that I was allocated. So that took time to get all that in in place as well as I had to negotiate several of the renewals myself um because we didn't have Alliant or a veil under contract yet. So that had to be negotiated to prepare for open enrollment. So I'm here to take any questions you have related to any of those. Um >> Mr. Sharpless. >> Yes sir. I was read reviewing uh there's a lot of attachments. Yes. This and I was reviewing one of them and I noticed that the uh talking about Teddoc

223>> uh utilization uh went down um in 2025 from 57.2 to 43.6%. >> Um so >> it does it does vary quite a bit. I noticed I looked at the last report and it's gone up again considerably. So >> So I just we pay I remember reading we pay $155 per employee per month regardless of use. So I was just curious um if you know if you if if you might know why why that uh utilization's declining and then also do we have a break even point where this becomes a net loss for us you know when we're we're doing TED talk >> it's been pretty popular and well known out there so I would say a lot of that does depend on several things being you know cold season flu season other things um

224you know we do try to make sure the employees are aware of the benefit as far as the benefit package is concerned. We continue to struggle with that because of the orientation and how we're doing that but we try to make sure they're aware that it's available for them. So, but as far as a break even, um, probably over the entire year, I would say it's worthwhile, but we could certainly take a look at that and provide more information. >> And actually, tomorrow in our meeting, we'll be we have a little piece of that where there is savings um for TEDoc even though you're paying $155. There's an overall cost savings, return on investment from them. savings by keeping them out of the emergency room, keeping them out of urgent care because the cost of

225the consultant fee is very low compared to those services. So I think if I remember off the top of my head just for 2025 the TEDoc savings overall even though it was only 46% usage but still over $2 million. >> So and you're definitely not paying $2 million in access fee. >> I appreciate that. Yeah, >> I just wanted to know where we were at there. >> And usually at the beginning of the year, people are going through they had so much going on, not understanding everything. Now they have quantum, they have to get understanding. They might not have realized because when I did a couple of the meetings, they didn't realize they still had Teddoc and not understanding that. So I think it was an educational piece which has been addressed and I think

226people are starting to utilize it again more often. It's a if more people utilize that and let's go actually it's a savings on our health plan and we're trying to pinch every penny we can in we are absolutely >> sure 100%. >> Yes. >> Um that's that's all my that's my only question. So, >> Miss Miller, >> hi. In the past, we've talked about how to get messaging to our employees um for them to understand everything from um the mental health services we provide to TEDoc and we've made some we've made some um improvement on that with the QR code and things that we've considered putting on the badge. What have we done with the TEDoc? We talked about making a video at one time. What have we done to keep the message going? because

227I know when new teachers come on there, we have added back a segment where you guys can actually speak to in front of them and it's not all digital, but I think this needs to be a reminder that's set throughout the year, whether it's um part of the newsletter, whether it's part of something your office does. I'm not sure how our marketing comes out from you guys, but I know that all of our employees are not familiar with the service. >> Oh, I I can speak to that a little bit. We did an um during the time I was home I remembered seeing it but we did an ER not to go to ER to go to ER and it talked about the most efficient way to get services and that mailer came home. So

228we do have allowances through quantum to do all of that education. So since that's a part of the fee that we pay them we try to utilize those services and do direct mail at home because the idea is not just to get the employee but to get the spouse spouse and the family members as well. So, we pay I would like more information on what they're doing for that fee because um mailers aren't the best way to communicate with people. They get millions of those, especially political seasons. I would like to see more effective communication. >> I think we've also done, you know, posters as well for the for the schools, but we can certainly do that as well. And we're going to you're going to see something soon. We're working on our wellness program

229and getting that reinstituted. Um, so we do have plans to get people aligned in the schools to help us with all of those things. >> You have something? >> Oh, yeah. And I think Teddoc does have videos that are already created that you don't have to go and recreate the wheel. So, we could supply those links to the YouTube videos for TEDoc that explain the general practice benefit that you guys have in place, which could be put down on a place easily for members to find. And when they go to Quantum, they have access to all those that information as well. And Quantum does educate them, you know, an offering saying if you have an issue, you can use TEDoc. It's available. So, they do educate them over the phone when somebody calls as well.

230>> Thank you. I'd like to see those videos and how we can use them. Thank you. >> Yeah, >> Miss King, do me a favor. Um, work with your team to develop a calendar for the remainder of this year and then through July um to get to Miss Rouse on key topics. We did a great job messaging EAP um and remarketing that and keeping it very much in front of our employees. So, I think to Miss Miller's point, this is just one of many areas we probably need to keep messaging so we can include those in the newsletter. Um, but you'll need to provide a list of topics and Miss Rouse will then provide you with deadlines for the information and content and pictures or anything that needs links that need to be submitted so

231she can make sure it makes it into the monthly newsletter. And then what we'll do that lives on in our district website as well, so it serves as an archive for people to go back to as needed. So, thank you. >> Yes, sir. >> Miss Wallace, >> superintendent. I also um I know the chair is not sitting here but I know a savings surely that employees realize when they have TEDoc is the time that they save >> which is money and um just peace of mind or and I'm assuming they get to access those services beyond traditional inerson office hours. >> So that yeah like you know we're all juggling a lot and being able to get that service at 8:00 at night or as soon as you're sick and get well immediately have that

232prescription in hand. Especially sometimes it's just a simple antibiotic or >> kind of already know what the issue is, but >> it's, you know, trying to get out to an urgent care or like you said, god forbid an ER. Nobody wants to be in an ER, >> right? Or when you feel cruddy and having to sit in a waiting room, you know, when you can wait at home. >> Um, that's that's a huge benefit that I would I'm glad that we afford our employees. And Miss King, you and I talked about this, but something I hope we get to contemplate moving forward is there's a share of people who come to work for us that don't need our health insurance because they're blessed to have another. But I've learned as a new employee that we

233actually put the onus on the person to go out of their way to communicate that they don't need it. And um every other job I've ever had, they um all the employers say, "Do you need health insurance or not?" And it's a very simple process where the where the the new person can on board. And so that's something I'd love to see um implemented where possible and allowable. Um and then also of course that all employees would have the annual opportunity to change the answer to that question during annual enrollment every year if their circumstances should change. >> Yes ma'am. I made a note of our conversation. >> Yep. Thank you. >> No further questions or comments. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you >> board members. The next item is wonder here. For the

234sake of the remaining agenda items, I'm going to go relatively quickly. There really is nothing else to bring before the board other than the board had requested some information about student enrollment timelines. I have that document. It's in a draft form. I will share that with the board and I'd be happy to summarize very briefly this evening if need be related to wonder here. But essentially 60% of the seats would be reserved for students currently attending Philip O'Brien. 40% would be reserved for students who'd like to apply. Obviously, if that amount is not met on either side and there's a waiting list, we will fill it from those students who are on the waiting list. Um and then as far as staffing is concerned, there's a timeline in the document starting in March pending the

235board's approval for the contract. Um, these terms that are outlined in this document do not require board approval at this time and I can always bring back items for additional conversation. Um, however, this is fairly consistent. This document is based off of our current process for student selection and placement in programs. It simply just allows us to readvertise this program in particular since the COE will have been closed as was promised. And so we could send that out to all families who submitted a COE so that they know there's an additional choice for them. And then obviously we would message this to Philip O'Brien families who would qualify in the respective grade levels, incoming kindergarteners, first graders, and second graders. Um staffing is ours. They do have a site coordinator that will provide ongoing daily

236support coaching in along their instructional model while we employ the staff. They will be a part of the staff interviews because again philosophically we want to make sure someone's aligned with the program and the micro school approach. So that being said, the benefits to the district, we retain the students, we retain the staff, and it becomes I think I was able to clarify this last time thanks to Miss Wyatt. It becomes a strategy not only to retain Philip O'Brien students, but more with more intentionality to recruit parents back who are currently choosing other options outside of PK County Public Schools. As if these are high interest, high needs programs, why are we not seeking to replicate those and bring them back into the fold? So, having said that, I'll open up to any questions, but

237I wanted to keep it brief because we have several topics left on the agenda for today. Miss Wyatt. >> So, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but what I'm hearing is if there are 30 seats available and 80% of those seats could be filled by students currently zoned to Philip O'Brien, we would deny students at Philip O'Brien the opportunity to participate in this program to bring students from another school zone in. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> If students had applied for that program, >> okay, I am not supportive of that. Um, I think that this program, the reason that we targeted this school was to target this school and these students demographics. Um, you know, we had the same conversations about, you know, when IDEIDA came in and what are who are they really

238targeting? It's easy to put a school of hope within five miles of a school that's really struggling and bring in kids that live 5 miles away from that and you're in a totally different demographic of students that the kids that are in that neighborhood need a program like this. And I really struggle with putting something at a school that needs it and not giving those kids true access to it for any student that wants to participate. >> I I would disagree with your use of the term need versus want because it is simply pedagogically different than a traditional instructional model. the goal and I I went back and did watch my presentation was very clear that this was intended to be a program to recruit families back to the school not just solely for students

239currently in attendance. I tried to be respectful in developing a 60/40 split across the three classrooms. I felt that that was quite honestly quite equitable for families and as I mentioned if there aren't so we'll use the opposite. If there aren't enough students from Philip O'Brien that takes the seats, I am going to open it up to other students. But you from my perspective, we have to establish that on the front end. And so again, if there aren't students that apply and solely we see interest from Philip O'Brien parents, then we'll maximize and fill every seat. Now that subsequently in subsequent years caps additional grade levels. So the only class then that become can become available to choice would be kindergarten. And that's the issue. This was not intended to be solely for students at

240that school. Um, that's not how I presented it. I understand that may have been how people interpreted it, but I'm going to continue to advocate and the board ultimately decides, but from the management perspective, I'm going to continue to advocate that our students deserve opportunities beyond their current school boundaries and they should not be denied access to the program simply because of what school they're currently zoned for. Now again, I think the overwhelming majority of student seats are being given to Philip O'Brien students. If the board would like to see that number tweaked, again, we can continue to have conversation because this doesn't affect the contract approval. The contract approval is simply based off the stipulations you've already seen and we've already discussed programmatically from the operation. How I operationalize this, I'm happy to continue

241to have discussion with the board. Yeah, I I mean personally I'd like to see at least 75% for the students that are there. Um but again, just how you said it again was to attract students back to the school, not back to Pulk County Public Schools, back to the school. And if we look at the number of students that opt out of Philip O'Brien to go to a Lincoln, a Rochelle, a Cumby, any of those other schools, those are the students that I think we're hoping will stay at Philip O'Brien because that's their zone school and we're not having to transport them outside of the the zone. So that's my two cents for what it's >> miss Miller. >> So a question for families or staff that may be um listening and have questions. Will

242they be applying to wonder here or we're this is going to be operational. They'll be Philip O'Brien students >> in the wonder here program at Philip O'Brien. They're still PK County students and many of our programs including some of our magnets um we have we are working to be inclusive. When I visit Wonder here it's a very inclusive model. So, I'm assuming there are no barriers for students who want to enter this program in kindergarten to try this model. Is that right? >> No, ma'am. >> Okay, >> that is correct. There are no barriers. >> Thank you. >> Yes, ma'am. >> I see no further questions or comments. New high school update. Mr. McLemore. >> Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, members of the board. Superintendent. Um, how's everybody doing this afternoon? It's been a long afternoon,

243so I will try to be uh brief in our remarks this afternoon. Uh this next item before you is really something that uh sparked uh internally to staff. We were pitching around an idea of how best to properly communicate uh these key events as it relates to 23 tripleb, the district's newest high school uh initiative. And so we came about and arrived at uh an idea or a concept of providing monthly updates to the board on key initiatives, what um what accomplishments and key events have transpired uh in between uh updates to the board as well as what is up on the horizon and what to expect next. So I will briefly uh capture some of those are key accomplishments that have uh transpired since we were last before you in January. And those include

244uh district staff. We are actively in negotiations, not negotiations, communication um with the land owner to actually start coordinating a closing date. Uh just making sure everyone's schedules are aligned, making sure we have the account numbers uh ready. Uh we have funding liquid, it is available uh to actually make the closing go as smooth as possible. Uh next on February 4th, our partner with Fortress Secured LLC had a uh preliminary meeting with the county engineer and the county flood plane manager specifically as it related to uh the flood area that is currently mapped on the ground itself to at least go ahead and start reviewing what they have to do preliminary before they transmit the official FEMA application. uh pretty much it gives them a once over from a county engineer's perspective and the county

245flood plane manager perspective of hey yes you have all your ducks in a row you have all your documents you're going to need before you transmit this to FEMA February 6th uh district received the 90% drawings and as you can see in the picture that is what three sets of 90% drawings look like I would say it's probably closer to 70 or 80 pounds worth of paper um but district staff is currently in the process of reviewing every sheet going line by line and the purpose of that is to ensure that anything that was identified in the 60% design review process got captured. Make sure it did get incorporated into these 90% drawings as well as making sure we continue to fine-tune exactly what this new high school needs to be in terms of how

246it's designed and what it contains. Moving on, um on February 11th, uh staff and Fortress LLC completed um a Department of Education form uh that we transmit the designs to the Department of Education for them to officially review these plans and review uh drawings, if you will, uh based off the board's uh direction and wanting to make sure we share these up to the DOE level. February 12th, uh, the applicant actually submitted an application to the Pulk County because this is within their jurisdiction for utility connections and driveway permits to go ahead and start getting that ball rolling. On again on February 12th, uh, district staff met internally uh, as a working group that we meet internally to continue uh, drafting and refining the draft comprehensive agreement uh, which again, district staff hopes to bring

247that back before the board. uh Aprilish time frame. Uh we actually have more meetings scheduled. Uh we're about 60 to 70% done making sure we have a good comprehensive draft agreement set up. Um but we're almost there. So we're going to continue to work and fine-tune that and start um going back and forth between Fortress Secure and the district. Make sure we get those that negotiating period hammered out and we arrived at an agreement that we are all amunable to and then bring it back before uh the board for actual uh action on. And one other update, um, it's not listed, but February 23rd, yesterday, uh, the applicant did actually successfully transmit to FEMA our letter of map amendment. We actually have the case number, so we can actually watch it as it, um, progresses

248through the FEMA review process. And lastly, some of the future key events and milestones that we'll be working towards um are closing on the property uh um schedule dependent obviously uh and then Fortress LLC to review the staff markups from our 90% drawings uh finalize the pricing and start finalizing project schedule or a Gant chart of hey these are the key events when the property or project starts going vertical. And lastly, our tenative next uh update to the board would be during the March 24th board work session. So with that, I stand by for questions. >> Mr. Sharpless. >> Um exciting about yesterday's uh LOMA uh submission to FEMA. U my question is surrounding that. Um uh what is the plan B if FEMA doesn't approve the LOMA? like what like what are you know

249what are we looking at? So in the in the event or likelihood that FEMA would not approve ALMA, it would have to go back to redesigning and may possibly repositioning structures on site andor reooking how the storm water is overall designed. >> And do you Okay. Um my other question I had um looking at the future key events and milestones we're talking about finalizing pricing right uh which is which is huge um we have we had a baffo with this um and so the finalizing the pricing would not exceed that baffo correct >> correct so that would the finalizing the p price is obviously we want to stay stick under that baffo so that finalized pricing means After we got the 100% drawings and we know exactly what's going to get built, that allows our

250partner to actually go out and accurately bid and get numbers back as to exactly how how much is this going to cost turnkey at the end of the day. So that's we'll actually get the accurate number at that point. >> Those are my questions. Thank you, sir. >> Mr. Keys. Yeah, I just want want to clarify one statement that you just made um as far as wanting to stay within that pricing and actually saying they have to stay within that pricing. Would that be correct? I'm just my own words. I just want to make sure I understand correctly. Okay. >> Our goal is to stay at BAFO or less. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Less goal is to stay. >> Yes, >> Miss Wallace. >> Uh thank you, Superintendent Mr. Keys. I think if I

251recall from our previous conversations that the reasons the price would change would be if there's change orders that we initiate. >> Exactly. >> Correct. However, if we don't make the product more expensive through our change orders, then they are obligated to stay. Is that right? >> Correct. >> Cool. Just wanted to clarify. What is the Again, this is because I'm not from the northeast corner of the county, but what is the distance as the crow flies from this um and the Lake Marian Creek property? the Lake Marian Creek property. I would say travel distance. >> Yeah. >> Um I would say probably you're looking at a 1.7 miles. >> Okay. Pretty close together. >> Thank you. >> There are no further questions or comments. Thank you, sir. >> Board members, I know we've got four

252items left, but I want to give you the opportunity. Do we need to take another break after this item? I'm seeing push through. Okay. Next item we have is proposed rule development for schoolboard policies. I believe there's only two policies be Oh, three policies before you. >> There's there's just two. >> Just two. Okay. >> Just two. Um I did want to give you guys a little bit Good afternoon. First of all, sorry about that. Um I wanted to give you guys a little bit of a heads up on um where we are. I have two policies for you today. Um but coming soon, probably in starting in April, um Neiola just released their latest update and there's about 60 policy revisions that will need to go through. Um there's a good number of those

253that are technical that will just show up on a consent agenda. Um but there are some that will have to come through the rulem process. So you'll start seeing those soon. So just want to give you a heads up on that. Today we just have um two policies. The first one is policy 5223 absences for rel religious instruction and this is a staff initiated revision which is just a part of a proactive review to clarify policy with practice. So just to continue what what we've been doing make sure it's clear in the policy. Um the way the policy was written it um gave the impression that principles have the authority to deny a parents request for absences for religious instruction based on subjective reasons. So, we literally are just taking out, you'll see there's just

254a portion of a sentence that's being struck through and then the form that parents fill um complete to request the absence will also be updated accordingly. Any questions on that policy? >> Seeing none. >> Okay. And then our bylaw 0147.1 is our travel and expenses bylaw. um that is specific to schoolboard members and the main revision to this is a technical revision that just change changes professional development to professional learning. You're going to see a lot of those on a future consent agenda that I was saying that comes from Niola. That's just part of making the language consistent with Florida statute. Um, so normally this would just be a technical change, but we did want to go ahead and put it on this agenda because I know there was some discussion that um, one or

255more board members wanted to have regarding this policy. You'll also see beyond just changing the professional development to professional um, learning, there's a change in the way mileage is calculated and it just says that it'll be determined as permitted by law. So, those are the only changes to that policy at this time. Any questions on bylaw 147.1? >> Miss Wyatt, >> thank you. I we've had overwhelming conversation about this over the past four or five months. Um, specifically with the outofcount travel and what is required. Um, a concern was brought to us when Mr. Green came on that because of the way that it's written, it appears that approval is needed before any outofcount travel, which when you're in P County, that could mean going up to four corners, which is sometimes closer than going

256to Frost Proof or Malberry. Um, so I would like for us to still consider taking out the when approved the first, so it's out of county, the second paragraph. If such financial condition does not exist, when approved in advance, expenses um will be paid at the rate state law allows. If it is not over the $500, that's the only time state requires us to approve it in advance. Um, and I think Mr. Green brought up a great point that it is confusing clearly to even attorneys um when that is in there. Um my other question would be when we leave it in who is approving it because there's not a process and we often times finding out that we need to go to something that's just outside of county lines is not between board meeting

257is not with the board meeting. >> Okay. Um I know that Mr. Green has had quite a bit of conversation with um with Niola and the attorneys at Niola surrounding some of this language. So, I'm going to let him respond to that. >> Mr. Green, attorney, >> thanks. I'll give um as quick a summary as I can about how we got here. So approximately in Novemberish um it was revealed that um a temporary duty form was being um used by board members when they don't technically go on temporary duty. So a new form was created and that was meant to align with the policy and the statute. That form is being tweaked. It was it was not rushed out, but it was put out quickly just to get a proper form that didn't require temporary

258duty. Um, since then, there's been some updates to kind of make it clearer, that sort of thing. Um, as far as this particular policy, what we're trying to do, it's it's bit like an onion. Um, every time I see something that is brought up, the great points that have been brought up about this, um, I've gone to Niola to figure out, you know, why is it written this way or is there something in statute that requires that? What I learned very quickly is that prior to 2019 when this policy was adopted, the previous policy was 6550 and that was a policy that applied to the entire district including board members. In 2019, um there was a new statute uh well the the policy was written to conform to,139 and the issue is the policy never

259the never incorporated some of those um some of that language in 10139. So that's what that's what I'm trying to do right now through rulemaking. Um the particular change here that is is mentioned the moving odometer reading out um and changing to as permitted by law that's a technical change. It's not a substantive change. It requires uh rulem. So there's no substantive change that comes with it. that that term odometer reading doesn't appear in either of the statutes that control 11261 or 10139. The word adometer doesn't appear anywhere. So what is allowed whether you're looking at 11261 or 10139 there's a couple different options for how to compute mileage distance. And that's where I think the term as permitted by law is basically just technically taking out odometer which isn't really used. It's not practical

260and and we're just saying reimbursement can happen as permitted by law. So that's the technical change today. As far as the other changes that were mentioned, the the clarity of that approval, you're right, that's not required. That's something that Nola has said um that was that was a legacy carryover from 6550 that uh will be changed in a future update. Um and I think the the best way to do that because um that that I think is more of a substantive and not a technical change that's best to um handle in a in the rulem process going forward. Um, so that's that's my suggestion going forward as far as kind of what's before you now. Um, this is something that's before us. We're going to we're going to improve it and make it better and

261and more in line with the statute um throughout today and also through the rulem process. So I hope that answers the questions. >> So today is not that's why we're here making process on it today because the pedometer is not a technical change. >> Yeah. So because that specific language if if the uh we're in a we're in a work session right now. So to make that other change to >> take out the language when approved in advance, we'd have to help me out. Isn't that something that would have to be um brought at the next um >> So what we could do and um Mr. Davis if I'm incorrect correct me please. But um what we could do if it was I know we can't take an official like consensus or like a vote

262in a work session, but if that is a change that um the majority of the board wants to make and a change that you feel comfortable with as their attorney that it's not going to conflict with any laws, I can make that change before it comes to you for public hearing. Um which would be in April. So that's just what we kind of would need to decide today. That would that would be my preference is that we align with state law and that we're not doing anything above because if there is no approval process. >> So yeah that I mean the when approved in advance after talking with Nola they said that that was in fact uh language that carried over from 6550 which doesn't apply here. um and taking it out doesn't it doesn't

263right now if you did nothing the approval is only required for 500 or over. So the fact that that is in there isn't really applicable. So if if you'd like the um staff to strike that out. I would consider that also to be a technical change we can we can add to the the current language. >> Mr. keys >> and I think is and and correct me if I'm wrong on this is some of that also confusion revolving around that form that was put out and the bottom section saying approval signature when there we were saying there was no approval required >> yeah form >> no and and then maybe perhaps instead of that being the case because we have to keep some good record to showing we're doing what we're doing instead of saying

264approval signature received by date received instead of approval that way it's on an official approval. I think we still need to have an a form saying that we're we've done our due diligence to saying, "Hey, we are taking this out of county travel or whatever it is. And if it is over that course of 500, obviously we need to do something on the board level. But if it does not, and I think that's probably what some of this centered around as well. I could be wrong on that, but I think we're just the semantics of words." >> Mr. Green, >> no. The the form, as you mentioned, it's it's for auditing purposes. the the the word approval was uh not as artful as it could have been. Basically, that was it was in an official

265useon sort of section of it so that the person receiving it it's really received by like you said that's already been changed by the way. Um I just haven't circulated it because I don't want to keep inundating you with every little change that's being h happening. But there is no approval for um travel under 500 required by the board. Um the form could have it's been it's been changed. So that's that. Um with respect to the form um that's that's something you know for travel outside the county that uh is over $500 that requires prior approval. That form is submitted with receipts on those occasions. Um that form is also submitted for in county you know basically anytime you're looking for reimbursement. So the form will be submitted uh with your you know and then

266the receipts will be attached and that just helps with the accounting and auditing of the of the folks that are processing those. Um but again with approval the only time that's required is for out of county out of state that's over $500. >> Thank you. >> Sure. >> Miss Miller this process has been long and and complicated when it really isn't. Um, and I'm not sure where the form came from where we had a chair or any staff in this building approving elected officials travel, but I'm glad that's been taken care of. I if if it is not applicable where it's written, it needs I think it needs to be removed because unfortunately we do not have um it needs to be as clear as possible and transparent. So if you're saying if so if

267we need to change that for the next time and we have an attorney here obviously and plus we have a very qualified policy person to help us. Um, I think that we it needs to state explicitly what is allowable and if it's not then if it's not applicable it needs to be removed. There's too much confusion. Um, and I think it's a turnover of staff. It's an admin um that doesn't understand travel procedures of elected officials. This went on a long time. So, thank you for continuing the conversation. But, Mr. Davis, if you could give input on from your side as well policy-wise to clean that up, what you would suggest? Sure. Um, well, first, if I can offer a little bit of insight from both working for an elected official and now being one,

268I'm not aware of any elected official who doesn't have any form of approval when it comes to travel. Um, the Senate, they had to have approval. They had to submit everything into admin to DMS controlled a lot of that. They had a lot of rules controlling that, a lot of ethics rules involved with that. Um, the city, I've asked, I've been told if I get invited to go, I get to go. but I don't get to just tell them I'm going to Tallahassee to speak with people. So, there is an element of, you know, you're leaving the county for official business. That's great, but there's going to be some controls on that. These are tax dollars you're spending. The taxpayers are going to want to know how are you spending their money. So, I think

269that's part of where this comes from. Now, the policy, we were following the policy. It complied with the law. The prior approval under $500, that's not against the law. That's the policy that we had. Now, we had one board member, maybe two, who started asking questions and we received those. But I do believe your bylaw says when you're asking for information, it needs to be a majority of the board asking for that. Otherwise, we get into a situation where individual board members are telling us what they want. And we can't just take that kind of direction and bring it to you because we need to know what the will of the board is. We need to get more direction from that. What we're bringing to you are suggestions based on changes in the law. this

270is, you know, this is kind of separate from what you do in your policym. So, I do believe that you have some concerns, you voice them. There's probably ways if you want to formulate some language, bring it up in the public hearing as a proposed amendment, that's probably a possibility. You could do it that way. But I think the the the struggle on our end has been we've received a lot of information from the minority or for a couple people, but we don't know what the majority is. And to just keep bringing every suggestion you have, I mean, what's to stop someone from saying they want a private jet? I mean with honestly I'm I'm being hyperbolic but that's where we have a a a struggle on our end on what is it that we

271are actually bringing to the board. Is it an individual's recommendation or is it something that the will of the board wants? So we've got to figure out the process for how do we take that I don't know that we can do consensus during a work session. Um I don't know if during public hearing is the right time to bring up amendments uh from individual board members but it has been very frustrating. It's been a lot of tension going on because we don't know how to navigate this, but we know that it's really not appropriate for us to bring one board member's request to the rest of you as if that's our recommendation. We're bringing you what we have from from changes in the law, you know, we're looking at that, but if it's something that's

272within the confines of the law, that's your policy. So, we're not I mean, that's not we can't say that's our recommendation. We hear you, but we can't say that's our recommendation. I appreciate your input and I've stayed out of a lot of this because I thought we just didn't start traveling. This has been around for 25 years. Why in new interforms were introduced that I've never seen before. I don't know. But that's fine. You had somebody who thought that was appropriate. I just need a written procedure that everyone can follow. I don't I'm not concerned with other people's travel. I want to follow I asked Mr. Green to find what other districts were doing when this first came up. I just want to follow what we should be following. But this isn't new to us.

273It should be in the manual that we still don't have for our staff to be able to follow. And it should be a procedure that we just use regularly. This is a common This practice is common. It's never I've done this for eight years almost. I've never had an issue until recently. So, I need to know that we're just following what the law says and we have a written procedure. And I think that's what's lacking. Forms to be introduced that are new were questioned. I didn't I don't know where the forms came from, but I think Miss Fields and people that have done this longer than I have may have input. I just don't know why it all of a sudden became a I'm not going to call it a three- ring circus. It all

274of a sudden became multi-le layers that never should have been when we have other things to do that are quite more important than how I travel or you travel. I try I don't travel nearly as much. Maybe I should on a jet. I don't know. Um but thank you Miss Wyatt, >> thank you. My concern and I I think to Miss Miller's point, I've been on the board almost 10 years. The first time I was asked to fill out a TDA was about a year ago. Um, prior to that, I've been to Tallahassee at least once every session, usually two to three times a session, depending on FSBA and PK County Day. So, I think that's where the confusion came up. We have a new attorney who had a different reading of the policy we

275currently had and brought up great points that it's duplicative and tends to to ask for more than what state laws required. That's why at our I believe it was either the last work session in January, so two work sessions ago, at the end of the meeting, I said, "Hey, I talked to um Mr. Green about this. I've asked that we can bring this forward to get clarity." At that point, there was no dissension on that. There was lots of headnodding if that makes sense. That's what we've been arguing about for months and why are we doing this. Um but if it's the fixes in board policy then that's what we can do. So that's what we have control over. So I apologize if there's there's not consensus but at any point when we've been talking

276about it somebody needs to say we don't need to do that. Miss Fields, >> I'm trying to figure out the whole gamut of things. Uh I um I hear uh Mr. Davis and your point is well taken that taxpayers expect us to use our monies wisely uh in any form of fashion. I think in the past whenever a board member has wanted to change uh the way a policy is written they uh they uh draft it and then they bring it when it's appropriate. So that's what I would say if something needs to be changed when it's appropriate. Bring it to the entire body in writing because I don't do well when you all start talking about verbally this this this but in writing and then we can either vote it up or we can

277vote it down. That's that's my take on it. And I think that we spent quite a bit of time on this, >> Mr. Sharpless. >> Yeah, there's been times in the past where I've offered up amendments um during uh well, I said I was going to bring up an amendment during public hearing and I pretty much got my hand slapped for that um by multiple members of the board. Um, and so I would like to have some sort of process for this because I get frustrated. Um, you know, I'm been a part of many boards and we, you know, you make amendments, do that kind of stuff, um, all the time. Um I understand we have have a responsibility uh to our the citizens to um allow public comment on any kind of change um

278going forth uh on our policies uh during our hearings. Um and certainly with giving them the opportunity to review such changes and I understand last minute amendments can can certainly um hinder that ability. So I I I I um fully understand that but there there needs to be some sort of uh vehicle for board members when they want to make a change to policy to bring that forward. Even if listen, you might be the only one that brings it forward and you might have a 1 to6 vote and that's okay. Um, but there needs to be some sort of way that we process that we have to do that. Um, if not then you'll get more board members being frustrated and staff being frustrated. I understand um because they don't feel that they're being heard

279or um on the staff end it's u you know it's a it's a frustration because you're trying to play a guessing game. what board members what you know is this consensus it's not it's not consensus to bring this forward so we need to have a process in place period on that um and that's something that uh I think Mr. green. Me and you could sit down and certainly discuss um because I I I have I am I am passionate about that as well. Um regarding the the change, we want to follow what's in statute. If there's no requirement in statute, I don't think we need that. This is me me personally speaking as a board member, not as you know uh the consensus of this board, but if it's not in statute, we don't need

280to necessarily have it in in policy. So, I wouldn't be against uh a strike a striking of uh of that requirement. Um but I I think we're I think we're doing the best we can do to follow statute. There's other issues that that come up and we try to address it. Um, but I think we need to just we need to move forward with this. And I wouldn't be, like I said, I wouldn't be in in um opposition, board member Wyatt, to what you what your recommendation was. >> That's all I have, >> Miss Wyatt. >> Thank you. I, Miss Fields, I appreciate your comments of bringing it in writing, and I that's what I thought we were getting today in writing. I have an email from 126 stating that's what we were getting, which

281is why I did not propose anything in writing. Um, but that if that's what needs to happen, I'm happy to bring something back in writing to to take that line out at the next meeting. I just am not really sure why if it's if we're not going to do what we're told, then if in the sense like if I get an email saying yes, we're taking care of this. This is what it will be, then that's what I expect to happen. And if not, I need a response saying this is why we're not doing it. um because it is really frustrating to find out when the agenda comes out that it's something different than what you've been told is going to happen. So that's let let me know if I need to bring something back

282in the next work session. >> Mr. green. >> Um, so I think the the fact that the your request on the last board meeting, the 26th or whenever it was, didn't happen, I'll I'll take that on. It's my fault. I think the the deadline to get it on this particular document was the next day, and I I didn't get it in in time, so that's my fault. Um, but we'll get it in in the future. we know what the change is that you'd like. Nola has already said that they plan on changing it, too. Um, and as far as how does this affect anything, it it doesn't affect anything. It's not a it's not anything that's requiring an approval. So, the language is in there. Um, we'll bring it through the process um so that

283there's no issues with uh an objection on it being a non-technical change, but I think there's an argument that it could be. So I think the proper way to do this is to um take the changes that are currently drafted. Those are technical changes and then the future changes that are have been requested can um go through their normal course in f in a future update. So the only thing I want to add is a clarification for a comment that was made earlier about the handbook. Um, to be clear, the handbook has nothing to do with your travel policies as a board. The handbook is to provide technical assistance and guidance to the board's executive secretary solely, and that has not been adopted. The board's had it for months. In fact, we've been working on

284that document for over a year. Same thing could be true for the board's handbook. So, with all due respect to those two topics, that has nothing to do with staff and has nothing to do with the topic before the board right now. The board adopted a policy in 2019 about how you're going to handle travel and if it exceeds what the state requires, so be it. That's what the board at the time required and and thought was important to for transparency for whatever reason they had. The board wants a change, recommend the change to Mr. Green, put it in writing, bring it back to the board for consensus because as was pointed out, he can't act nor can I act on the behest of a single board member with a singular interest. And then it

285does have to go through from my opinion and Mr. Greens, the attorney, but then it does have to go through the rigorous process of public hearing, public comment, and then adoption. So, you're not going to get a quick solution from my perspective to this issue at least for two months, but I would recommend that those are the next steps. >> Um, can I just talk process really? >> Hang on because there's one more comment, Miss Miller. Yeah, referring to that what was mentioned was the form that was given to us that changed if we had the if our staff had a book that talked about travel and how they have to the paperwork completed to get travel through they would have a better understanding the form was just implemented the first time I'd ever seen

286it probably the first time our staff had ever seen it so I think if there was if when that book which I've given my input I don't know what we're waiting on maybe the chair can help at at the end with when this we can have discussion on it but If our staff had these are travel procedures, this is how you fill out a form. This is the form. This is who it goes to. It would be helpful when new things are brought up, they could go back to the procedure manual that we're still working on. Um, that's what that was. I understand what we're talking about. I understand policy. Um, but the issue here, I think, is procedural, not just policy. So, hopefully we can get an update on that. >> Miss Griffin. >>

287Okay. Um, I just wanted to say that if that is the change that we got want to make, um, Mr. Green, that we can since this is it would be more of like a substantial change and it needs to go through the public hearing process. We are on the agenda tonight. Um, you're asking for authority to advertise for public hearing for um, for both of the policies that we talked about today. So, if we're going to already bring this to public hearing, if we wanted to make that change, I could make it. I just need to make it before we advertise because the language needs to be finalized before we advertise. So, there's still an opportunity to do that if that's the will of the board. Um, with the support of um the attorney, I

288just need to know what language is going to come for public hearing before we advertise. >> Well, I believe I mean, >> go ahead, Mr. Green. I >> I need the I need a board member to to say what that is. I I have an idea, but I don't know exactly um exactly what that is, so I don't want to speak for the board. Could you say that again, Mr. Green? I'm sorry. I just want to make sure I'm fine. >> Yeah. So, as far as the the besides the technical changes that are um listed in the in the policy on board docs, if there's any further changes, um the question is, you know, whether whether that can be brought forward now or at a future meeting. And >> I if I may, >> I

289would suggest that we amend this evening's meeting under new business and allow the board member to make a motion at that time for consideration for revision. And if the board then agrees, you re they reach consensus amongst the board, I believe that would be the smoothest, cleanest way to do it. But if you and I need to confer between meetings, that's fine. I I I'm assuming that's the most appropriate strategy for us at this moment. >> Yeah. >> Yes, >> Miss Wyatt. >> If that's the plan, then >> is that sufficient? >> Yeah. I was just going to make what then? >> I'm worried. Well, because you can't really vote here at times. We reach consensus, but I think this one probably requires more of a formalized approach. So, I'll I'll amend this evening's agenda

290to add a new business item for board travel and then Miss Wyatt can make her nomination um her motion, excuse her nomination, her motion for because it does unfortunately does go beyond a scrier's error, right? It's going to it's a it's going to arguably a substantive change. So, if she makes that motion this evening, the board reaches consensus around that item, I think we're fine. Okay. Any further discussion before I transition to the next item? Seeing none, >> what is the motion going to be tonight, please? >> Miss Miss Wyatt will have to speak to that. >> Can I speak to it? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Um my recommendation would be to for the out the second paragraph of out of county. It says if such financial condition does not exist and then scrap um

291strike when approved in advance. Again the so that's it would just be striking the when approved in advance. It's later in the policy where when it talks about 500 over $500 has to be approved in advance. Again the reading since it was adopted in 2019 was always that both of those meant if it was over $500. Our new attorney brought up a great point that that's not very clear. Um, so it would just be striking the part that is not clear to make sure that we have state statute in there. Um, but not the additional sentence. So it would just be striking in paragraph 2 when approved in advance. >> Anything else, Miss Griffin? >> That's it. >> Okay. I see no further questions or comments from the board. Thank you very much. >> Thank

292you, >> board members. The next item up is an update to the draft of the middle school resoning update. You were provided copies of several maps. Please let me explain. The maps unfortunately don't look like a bullseye target. Um we that was our initial intent but then when the team started working on this the number of instances where they found um lakes, ponds, things of that nature would not allow us to simply use a radius approach to this pro to solve this issue of how to allow students living in proximity to attend that school. So that's why the maps look a little bit different. They look more serpentine um and centipedeish than they do um if you remember the old video game than they do again um the target, but I'll turn it over to

293staff. >> Jennifer. >> Okay, good afternoon. Um yeah, to explain what he's saying, I know they look like Amibas. Um we don't do >> pr flies. So, you know, if this is my house and this is a school and I'm a mile away, great, right? But if there's a giant lake in between and my daughter's got to go like this, it's way more than a mile now. So when we ran the network analysis for each of these maps, they come out looking all squiggly and everything, but that's why because we can't just keep doing concentric circles. So the maps you're looking at on paper um have the dots on them. Those represent the students homes. So when I show you up here, we did not put the dots on them because you've got it there,

294but it's not on this data. So, the maps are the same that are going to be on the screen. Yours just look different because of those dots. The first um information that we have right here though is just the current enrollment, if the magnet school has a portable, um the capacity with and without the portables, and how many available seats currently that each of those schools have. This information is also in the packet that you have. It's just on the last page and what you've got. And on the page that you have, I did also run the elementary magnet numbers. I have not made maps for those yet. We just started elementary schools with the ABC. So, I haven't gotten to the uh magnet network analysis yet. So, what we're looking at right now, we're

295going to see the middle schools and the K8s. Um, so here's our first one. They're just in order. Jan Jenkins. Again, it looks crazy, but it goes out as we started. So, you've got your/4 mile, your half mile, 3/4 mile, mile, mile and a/4, mile and a half, mile and 3/4, 2 miles. So, that each one of those colors that you're seeing, that's what that represents as it grows bigger and bigger on your charts with the data, those colors are matching in these columns if you see them. The top line is the total number of students in each of those areas. So like if it says a/4 mile, there are four students in there. If it says 0.5 miles, there's 11 students in there or there's 15 if you want to say you were including

296both, if that makes sense. So along the bottom is where it's totaling and along the top line is each individual piece. So that's where you've got and then the middle across is how many kids attend. And of course, the reason the first uh set of numbers doesn't have is I have fifth grade in here because we were looking at fifth, sixth, and seventh when we were looking at the middle schools. So, they're not attending the zone school yet, but as you look down, you'll see how many kids are attending the zone already in those growing areas. You've got um several schools. We have Davenport School of the Arts. Also, um I should have clarified on this. This is the uh 2-m etc. zones. Some of these students though because as you know um they may

297be in a dangerous area. It may they still may be closer but still get transportation. I mean I was looking at it from that transportation network analysis but I did not analyze safety. So the numbers that you're seeing we might say there's 17 kids in this area that are walkers. They may not be walkers. If it turns out that they're right along like say 60 or something along those numbers. Um, again, you've got all of this data. I don't know how I'm going to stop for a second. Do y'all want me to go through each school or do you want to look at because I would like to jump to the end. I know it's been a long day and there is something I wanted to show you. Woo. Okay. One of the things that

298is going to be for us to consider if we want to implement these zones is we can't do a um we can't just go oh we're going to do a/4 mile for all of them or oh we're going to do a mile for all of them because some of them overlap the first set or the two do schools. So if I was just to say every kid that lives within a mile of X school is going to be in that preference zone they're going to be within the same mile for the other school as well if that makes sense. And the same thing with Lenchild's Rochelle and Blake. If you look at this, it looks like craziness. But it's just because the schools are so close together. So if we wanted to uh come up

299with a policy, we're going to have to kind of look at these schools individually. We're not going to be able to just go, "Oh, as long as they're within X, we're going to take across the board." Does that make sense? Sorry. I just wanted to make sure that y'all understood. Some of them do overlap. Now, some of them like Davenport School of the Arts, that's out there. There's no overlap. I hit the microphone again. Um, but some of them are really, really close. So, we would have to look at that as well. Um, and again, I know we've been here all day. And so, if you guys want to ask, if you've got questions about this, the numbers are all in there just to look at so you can make a decision on how you

300want to go forward with this. Miss Wyatt, >> thank you. Thank you all for this. This really is um incredible and was a lot of work. Um and it was very helpful to just the way that it was. This is probably one of the most beautiful documents I think I've ever received from. um it just is so well articulated in even with showing us this is how many students currently attend. Um and I think makes a great point as to what we all knew was happening when we have 322 students that could be attending Davenport School of the Arts within 1.25 25 miles and only 71 actually are that there's 200 students that could be walking to this school and they're not able to um not able to have access to it is is concerning.

301It was interesting to look at each of them and I so for several of them when you look at within that one point between depending on the the school between one mile and 1.5 miles a lot of them that would make up the rest of up from their current capacity up to their fish capacity if all of those students were decide to decide to go to that school. Um it just I mean this is just beautifully presented. >> Well and it's it's a lot to um another reason that I would say look at each individual school even though that makes more is you you look some of them within a quarter mile there's 40 kids and then all of a sudden within a half mile there's two and it's just geographics. It's just where the

302neighborhoods are. There's you know so again I wouldn't blanket a set distance and say we're going to apply it across the board. it would be let's look at how this helps the school. >> And my my biggest comment because you I I really appreciated the um overlap because for example in my area we have JW and JSA that quite literally share a property line. So all of their numbers are almost identical because >> they're all the same distance. Um but I would encourage us because I believe the Lakeland zone 2 at least one of those schools was a K8. um that we may need to because obviously we want to make sure that those the K8 stays the same. Um so how does it play with elementary school? Um I think the plan, Superintendent Hyde,

303correct me if I'm wrong, was to bring elementary and middle at the same adoption timeline. Is that >> Yeah, they're working on that. They are working on that. So we'll see how the ABC committee I'll get another update at next week's >> Yeah, meeting we have a meeting on the 3. Um that's going to be the beginning of us doing them the elementary schools. This is our first round of elementary school boundaries. Um will be next Tuesday. >> Okay. Um and I guess my my question is just so with you know making sure obviously you if they're at two schools that are right next to each other, they'll have to have a zone that may be they're 0.1 miles from one and 0.15 miles from the other. And that's but looking at what the feeder

304pattern is as far as they're going to be there >> from kindergarten to fifth grade already. We want to make sure it's continuity and where are the students going if they're they're not there. Um but if we're looking at doing them all together, I don't know if it makes sense to to look at that as one whole piece. Um but then my other question is how does this how will this affect at each level the middle school because you brought the zone that what you were looking at for middle schools before these obviously in areas like both of the the great overlap areas. Um it will I would think affect the schools that currently have those zones. Um so what does that process look like? Um that is that is what we're coming to ask

305you. >> Okay. >> Um you know we we did have the boundaries without this. >> So it's what do you want to do next as far as that goes? >> I'm good to see my remaining questions and let other talk. >> Go ahead Miss White. Oh, I wasaving. I can save mine and let others. >> Miss Wallace, >> thanks. Real quick, and I feel like I should understand this, but I'm picking on Union Academy because that's what I know the best of all the schools, but I noticed this that like if we're looking at a school like that that's grades six through eight, but the data says grades 5 through seven, are we looking at this grades that are going to metriculate up? >> Yes. So, when I was pulling the because obviously this would

306not roll into effect this year, right? So I'm looking you're you're you're literally you're looking at I pulled the student data like last week or was it you were looking at the current fifth, sixth, and seventh graders because they would roll up to be the sixth, seventh, and eighth graders before we were even looking at this. >> Uh right then and we're looking at possible students and that's why there's no attend data. Makes sense. Thanks. And then just my first reaction about magnet zones is I was thinking about or all the communities outside of Barto again I'm picking on Union Academy um cuz like what I'm does how does how do these changes what does that mean for the families in Fort me and Malberry and Lake Wales that go to Union Academy if at

307all? >> Um no this wouldn't be changing their zones. This was this was trying to make sure that the kids that there were seats for kids if they were right across the street from the school or very close to the school. >> But um if you look at the back at the your last page where you have the chart with available seats, there are available seats, >> right? >> Um and and if a child's already in the school, we aren't moving them out. >> So um this would be more longterm anyway. The same as what with all our other resoning, you know what happens further down. And then one random question, although um do do we I know we don't have like the federal desegregation orders in place, but like if we prioritize students who

308are closest to a school and let's say that population isn't um it may be be primarily from one demographic one way or the other. Does that are there any implications we have to consider? >> We do. I don't know if Mr. Hyde wants to answer that about the >> what was the question again? >> It's the the demographics that how it would affect with if we change it and the desegregation. >> So there is no impact to unitary status with this. In fact um this process would make the schools more diverse not less diverse. >> Yeah. >> However I I say that meaning just strictly from the standpoint of unitary status. That does not mean that a plaintiff could not file a complaint and but we are already proactively addressing that topic so that everyone's

309looped in and well informed. >> Thank you. >> No further questions, >> Dr. Allen. >> Yeah, I I don't have a lot of questions at this point um because I'm still trying to process um the I would like to see percentages, you know, when we see the enrollment, what the availability is. So when I'm considering these just um for sake of I know just reflecting on the ruling from the state board of education recently I know 75% is that threshold that they're um using as far as the school of hope um initiative. So I just am wanting to see those metrics in a percentage wise as as we move forward. That was just a comment and that's all I have right now. Miss White, are we coming back to >> No, ma'am. >> Um, yes.

310>> What are you looking superintendent hide for from us as far as >> Nothing. I was simply wanting to address the concern that was raised before so that the committee can continue to move forward. They will still bring the recommendation for middle school resoning before the board with the understanding that we the board will approve that so that process can keep moving. At the same time, you will see a recommendation for elementary school in the very near future. And because the goal is to have both run simultaneously, but that should not preclude or stop us from beginning the messaging and the parent feedback portion for middle schools at this time. Um so, um that's the intent for today, which simply to address the questions and concerns that were raised previously. I believe that we've done

311that today and the board will ultimately vote to approve the proposals so that we can begin going out to the community for feedback. >> So, if I may superend >> what we what we could do as the superintendent said is continue to move forward. However, that would not preclude that we might if the board would like come back and establish based on each school and based on whatever criteria a preference priority zone. In other words, we still have the attendance zone, but either underlaying or overlaying that a preference priority zone that students within that zone have a preference to get into that school. And whether that's based on a percentage, which it might be because of your uh point that the variability of it um that X percentage can attend this school that can walk

312to the school and then we can come back. So the zoning process can move forward, but then we come back with these zones um that would overlay or underlay each of those schools. That may be a way for this to proceed forward. >> Okay. I >> and we did that in question for example. >> Go ahead, Miss White. >> Um I have concerns with continuing to move forward on parallel paths because I think for certain areas, North Winter Haven being one of them, if you were to give every magnet school a preferential zone, you're totally going to change how many students are actually available in the other areas. Um I my understanding when we started talking about this originally with it was that we would look to incorporate it in the zoning um so that

313students that move across the street from into the Florence Villas neighborhood move across the street from Jew School of the Arts can have access to that school and aren't going to be shipped to Lake Alfred where we're getting ready to have to close that school at capacity to then send those students to Auburnale that we can actually have seats available for them. So, I'm a believer that you have to walk to run. And if we need to in to have this conversation first, which is what I thought we were doing before it was presented to us in January, um then I think that's that we need to this conversation needs to come before starting promoting reszoning to families because we're not giving them all of the information, which is when confusion starts to bubble up.

314I'm >> I'm sorry, I'm not following so I don't know. I'm I'm trying to understand what the reluctant to hesitancy is because all the board would need to do when they approve this from our perspective would be identify the distance from the school that you're comfortable with based off the current enrollment, current capacity and the numbers that you were provided and then that would allow us to move forward with the middle school and parents and community members would have all the information they need in order to make a choice. So if there's something else beyond that I'm not following. I'm sorry. So I think what so for example JW Middle Academy if we were to approve the two miles there's 332 students that would then be in this JW Academy zone. >> So the where

315were those 332 students currently zoned? Were they zoned to Denison? So now Denison would be zoned less 330. So if Denison was zoned 800 including those 332 then aren't they now zoned for 500 students zoned there? But we can't come up with that right now until the board makes a decision as to what radius they feel is sufficient to address the concerns. >> I think we might be saying the same thing. I just am saying that we my recommendation and preference would be that we figure out what radius >> correct >> before we move forward with taking the um middle school zoning to families. >> But we're bringing them hand in hand. We're not separating the two. So when the board votes on this topic at the next meeting, correct? >> Well, it's going to

316depend. If we're doing preference zones, they kind of lie on top of the map. If we are doing hard zones, the map has to be withdraw redrawn, >> right? But preference zones was the strategy that we came up with that we're recommend that I'm recommending to the board. >> Yes. And so then the board then from there will decide what radius and then they would subsequently approve the middle school resoning because once the radius is identified for each school, we would be able to move that forward. Um if you're asking that we break it out into two separate discussions and votes, then if if that's what I'm hearing, then I just need that clarification. >> No, my my preference would be I I prefer the hard zones and this is why. If a student moves

317across the street from the school in February, where are you going to send them? >> It depends on capacity because we talked about this previously as well that and Dr. Allen brought up a point about part of our resoning needs to be focused on eliminating portables and additional expenses. Well, you can't do that and continue to have rolling enrollment at schools regardless of location. And and I think the the example I gave and it's not uncommon for school districts to do is to say once the school hits capacity, you must go to the next school because there's no space. And and the district shouldn't have to continue to purchase or lease portables because then we never really get to address the attendance boundaries and zones the way they were intended. and and I understand how

318that sounds, but these are the hard choices we're going to have to make and the hard recommendations that I'm bringing that I will be bringing to the board as far as and and the board can tell me yes or no, but our obligation is to explore every option. And that's what we're trying to do here. And to your point, if it's impacting other schools, but at some point the student can't get access because that grade level is full. That's the other thing we have to keep in mind. a student moving in regardless of whatever scenario we create doesn't mean there's going to be room at that school. Um because we would then exceed class size. We would exceed exceed capacity at that campus because even if we wanted to add additional students that moved in

319after the start date once all this is decided that could trigger an additional class split based off state requirements for class size and based off our contract and ourus that at the end of the day I may have to add another third grade teacher. But where do I put them if I don't have space? That's I think >> that's the concern. >> Yeah. I think my concern is currently if I move across the street from Westwood in February, I'm going to Westwood. If I move across the street from JW Academy, I'm going to Westwood because there's no process for a magnet school to apply mid school year >> currently. So if it's a preference zone, then it it would stay status quo. If it is a hard zone and I move across the street from

320any school, if it's full, that's a different that is a totally different conversation than if there's no application process correct. >> And I think what I'm trying to explain now I'm following you. I think the reason we're recommending a preference zone rather than a hard zone is it gives us the flexibility to put that student at a school where we can ensure that there's a seat. And I I completely understand the situation you're describing, which is a hard zone would guarantee that seat. I just if we go that route, if ultimately that's where we land, I just need the board to understand that that could trigger a series of dominoes at a school or a campus that are going to that are going to be impactful. We may have to add facilities. We may have

321to add staff. We may have to do those things and and I get that, but this is what we're trying to address through resoning. And it's it is complicated and there are a lot of scenarios like this that we have to talk through and that's why we're having this discussion. But ultimately I'm going to lean my recommendation is the preference zones because I think we get the most recommendation or most flexibility. But if the board wants hard zones I we will make that work. >> So and and if at any point other people have questions just let me know and I'm I'm happy to stop. Um so I think we did that though already with hard zones. I mean we we closed Teen City High School a few years ago because it was totally at

322capacity that I think that that would be the route to go. My concern with preference zone is that you have kids across the street that's parents don't know that that's an option >> and so they don't apply to go there. >> Um whereas and in the where we put magnet schools that's a lot of those demographics. >> Maybe that's the clarification. We weren't going to require these students to apply to that school. If we pick a zone a radius they're guaranteed a seat at that school. Correct. >> Well that's the preferred yes. they but they don't have to go to that school and correct if their parent does not go through school choice then they don't get a seat. >> So assuming that the student the parent wasn't aware that they have an option to

323attend their neighborhood school that would be on us to make sure that we communicate that thoroughly. Um, and we can do that a variety of ways similar to what we just did with high school resoning where we can we can enable the assistance or request the assistance of our school administrators and staff because they made personal phone calls to many families just to make sure that students were aware of their choice um based off the number. We'd have to look at that. So, I hear what you're saying. I I think we would communicate it through traditional means and then a community meeting at the school if we need to. Um, >> so are we creating more work in needing to communicate it than if we were to just do a hard zone and have to

324reszone right now? >> I I just I'm just going to urging a little bit of caution with the hard zone as I've I think I've explained why and I think those are legitimate concerns because I I just think that when you do the hard boundaries and I completely understand the why, are we not then eroding why we're doing this in the first place? And and I don't mean for these schools, I mean for all schools. And and that's my that's my concern here. Um >> well, and I think we have an asterk that at any point a hard zone if the school's at capacity, we have the right to close that school or to close certain grades at that school. But that's true if it's Davenport High School just as much as it's true if

325it's Davenport School of the Arts. But that would mean for some families that live within the zone that we approve, ultimately they may not get access. >> Why would they not get access? >> Because they're at capacity and have to close it. So a student who maybe lives in proximity who moves in late >> may have to be told, I'm sorry, the school's full. >> But when you're zoning those, I mean, so the the flip side of that is right now we have kids living across the street from JSA that are zoned to Lake Alfred. >> Lake Alfred's full. We talked earlier this year about do we close Lake Alfred. So now my kid across from JSA is going to Lake Alfred and being bus there every day, >> right? >> My kid from Lake

326Alfred that just moved across the street is being busted to Auburnale because Lake Alfred's closed. But if we had just let the kid in Winter Haven go to their school, the kid in Lake Alfred could have gone to their school and then wouldn't be full. You >> you are not wrong. Hence the reason we're trying to do this. >> Um >> we drive two and a half times around the circumference of the Earth and buses every >> We are not up for a vote tonight. Correct. I no >> there's no vote on the middle school reason zoning. >> No, no, no, no. It was it was just a directional >> and and one of the things we could do even in the preference priority zone is in the in the attendance boundary lookup that we

327do. It could be said to the parent, oh, you live within the preference priority zone. You do have a right to this school. Should you not want to go to this? >> That's how we did the high schools. We communicated that to them and then required followup from the school to ensure that everybody had their voice heard. Um, all right. So, based off that, we can we can meet again and come up with some responses to the board. We'll we'll provide follow-up to the board because it because really there's three things that have to be addressed. The board's going to have to agree on a radius. Then the board's going to have to agree on whether or not it's going to be a priority or uh a dedicated attendance boundary. And then we're going to

328have to get board approval for me then to have authority as I've done in the past. I just want it on the record that if a school reaches capacity, I have the authority to act and say that school is closed to any new enrollment. So those are the three things that we'll be bringing back to the board based off the conversation thus far. I know we still have two miss fields. Um, and then I'll make sure I go back and rewatch this portion just to make sure I didn't miss any other piece there. And then to Dr. Allen, I know that that's been a priority and you asked for us to give you that report. How many portables will the process help us eliminate? So, I'll include that as well in the analysis. I think

329that's important for you all to have that. >> Thank you. >> Did we get there? Okay. Thank you. I'm sorry. I just wasn't following you for a moment. I appreciate >> I apologize. All right, Miss Fields. I was just going to say that it is a lot to chew on >> is that >> and I think that we need more time for discussion and I have some questions but I don't want to ask them today concerning some of the available seats at several of the magnet schools. >> Yes, ma'am. uh because I don't want to cause any confusion uh publicly, but I do have some concerns and I want to understand it better. Um and I think as it relates to the the hard zone and the preference zone, it would be nice to see

330what it would look like if you did one over the other. Uh what that would look like. >> We can try and model that. >> We can >> with new enrollment. We can we can model some new enrollment. Okay. >> Yes, ma'am. >> And and that's all for now. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Thank you. Seeing no further questions or comments, thank you all very much. And I'm going to acknowledge as Miss Wyatt did thank you because I know that was an undertaking um to create those maps and to do so in a way that would be would help lead people to an understanding, you know, cuz when you had to first explain it to me about why we couldn't use the radius approach, you know, it made complete sense, but when I was initially thinking

331about I was like, why can't they just do it that way? So, thank you very much. I know how hard you worked on that. >> Thank you. Board members, the next item, we have two remaining items. We're going to bring Mr. Warren and Miss Kendrick, maybe Miss Kendrick, um to the front um and they're going to review three school year calendars and I will turn it over to Mr. Warren. >> In the interest of time, I have provided to Miss Winchester a handout that I'll be using in the second presentation. So you'll already have it. The first item that I want to discuss with you will be the calendars uh which comprises three school years. >> And if you will bear with me in the interest of time, I'm just going to uh jump in

332and begin with a summary of each of the years individually and I'll ask for questions and answers after each of those and we'll go from there. I I would love to have time to tell you about what great work the superintendent's calendar committee did, what a collaboration that is, and who's on the committee. I do want to recognize them and say thank you. Um they're the ones who have provided input that bring us here today. If you're looking at your executive summaries that are probably on your screens, I'll start with the 2627 school year and provide a summary um of that specific year. We did have a revision that we're bringing back to you. In a nutshell, the committee reviewed multiple options and what you're going to see before you is a change to the

333first week of school for the 26 27 school year that then aligns with the basic I'll say template or model for the 27 28 and the 28 29 school years. So if you're in your executive summary, uh we're talking about Monday, August 3rd will be the first teacher contracted day for 10 month staff. That day will be a split day for staff development and teacher planning. August 4th will be a split day for staff development in the morning and teacher planning in the afternoon. August 5th will be Wednesday. That'll be a split day I'm sorry, that'll be a planning day with orientation for K8 and middle and high schools. Thursday, August 6th will be a planning day for teachers and that will be elementary orientation. Friday, August 7th will be a teacher contact day. Monday,

334August 10th, will be a split day for staff development and teacher planning. And then Tuesday, August 11th, will be our first day for students. So that the rest of the 2627 calendar remain unchanged. And I have to give accolades to some of the board members that provided input to me getting here today. Those revisions have been made and corrected on our summaries and uh in your in your what we call the fridge copies as well uh of the calendars. So, I'll pause for a moment, see if there's any questions for 2627. >> Seeing none, Mr. Warren. >> Yes, sir. Uh, highlights of the 2728. You will notice that Monday, August 7th, is the first teacher contract day for 10-month folks. You'll notice that the first day for paras is August 6th. The first day for

335students would be August 10th. The last day for students in that school year will be Thursday, May 25th. There will be a 5-day Thanksgiving break November 22nd through the 26th. There will be winter break that will be December the 20th through Wednesday, January the 5th. It is a 12week day break. Teachers return from the break on January 3rd. Students and parents return on January 5th. Spring break will be March 13 through 17. Graduation ceremonies will begin May 1 through 26. The last day for students would be May 25th and the last day for our teachers being May 26th. So, are there any questions for 2728? >> Seeing none. >> Thank you. Moving to the final presentation for 2829. We'll follow the same flow. Our first teacher workday for that school year will be August 2nd,

336Wednesday, August 2nd. We will then have elementary school orientation Tuesday, August 8th. The first day for pairs will be August 8th. The first day for our students will be August 10th, Thursday. Our last day for that school year will be Wednesday, May 30th with our students. The 5-day uh Thanksgiving break would be November 20th through the 24th. Our winter break will be Monday, December 18th through Thursday, January the 4th, a 13week day break. Teachers return from winter break on January the 2nd. Our students would return from winter break with the parents on Thursday, January the 4th. Our spring break would be March 12th through the 16th. Our graduation ceremonies would begin May 5th. And our last day for students would be May 30th with our teachers finishing up May 31st for 10-month folks. Any questions

337on 2829? >> Mr. Sharpless, >> just want to say first, thank you to the calendar committee and everyone that worked on this. Um, I appreciate the first two that we we uh we went over. Uh, last day for teachers was prior to Memorial Day. this one. It's after um it's not enough for me to vote against it. I just I really like that when teachers are are done before uh Memorial Day, they can go and that's that's the beginning of their summer. So, I appreciate that in the 2627 and the 2728. Wish it was that way in 2829. >> Yes, sir. The remark was made on committee that 26 27 27 and 28 were pretty, but the way we ended 2829 with those remarks uh didn't go so well and it was kind of ugly.

338But the the dates fall as they are. >> Yes, sir. >> There are no further questions or comments. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Board members, the only thing I'll point out about the calendars. Um I know some of you pay attention to the hurricane days. The calendars vary between four and 3 days uh for hurricane makeup. If I recall correctly, I think it's only the 27 28 year that had fewer days. But we be based off our instructional delivery model, we actually bank time with the state. So we have additional days that could be used um should we ever have a storm that exceeds that 3-day closure timeline. >> That's correct. Thank you. >> We're good. Thank you, sir. Did you have >> We've now advanced to the >> Oh, sorry. PA. Yes, sir. Sorry.

339PA ratification >> again. you uh in the essence of time I was asking for a handout to be distributed. Um what that does is takes what I want to summarize and go over um the hundreds of pages you have uh so we can just jump right in. On the on the first page front and back you'll see a summary just a cliffnote version of what happens for each of those articles. If you will go along with me, I'm going to try to do this quickly as I know sometimes we need to slow down, but I am going to go through kind of article by article. So, if you'll look on on what would be the physical page two where it says teacher article 4, para article 4, ESP article 5, that is a survey opportunity.

340And when you look on the back side of that paper, you'll notice that this is a survey opportunity where staff are able to provide feedback uh on various components of operations, policies, administrative practices during the first and the third quarters of each school year. um the development the content of those surveys uh rests with uh the district and um as to when those are administered uh that rest with the superintendent and discussions with the head of schools. You will notice at the bottom of that page an article uh title 4.15-1. That is a section that is specific to the teacher contract because that is a kind of a reverse facing um evaluation feedback survey piece as well where uh stakeholders get to provide feedback on the instructional supports and the operations and how uh things

341are going in the classrooms um at our schools. Next, I will go to teacher article 5, para article 5, ESP4, and you can just see the language. The reason you're not seeing all the different contracts because the language lays across the same in all of the contracts. This is specifically about onboarding. It talks about the fact that we agree to uh go in a room with pea and address our new folks so they have an understanding um with respect of their contracts and the grievances and the evaluation processes. Um and we had agreed to do that that and it that it had to be done within 75 calendar days. We believe it had a value for employees and if it didn't get done um it was going to be disciplinary up to and including termination

342because we felt you need to understand um the components of what is in the contract with your rights your evaluations and the grievance processes. The next would be teacher article six recording PLC points. This is a simple one. When teachers go and they have trainings, PLC's uh inservice points for PLC work will be loaded into the online district PD systemuler for those who have earned them within 30 days of the end of the semester. It just ensures for certification updating and otherwise those points are in the system accordingly. If you'll turn to the next page, it's teacher article 10 threshold for temporary student removal. This was a big discussion this year at the table. We could spend a lot of time here. Um, what I will say in essence is we're we're establishing thresholds for

343removal of students from classrooms. If you look on the opposing page, there are six behaviors. Those being physical aggression or assault, the second being use of attempted uh dangerous objects, threats of acts of of violence, bodily fluid assault, destruction of property, abusive, profane, or threatening language towards staff. When that conduct occurs, the teacher can remove that student from class. The student is removed and uh the administrator does a review. Um and items three and four, the principal reviews the referral. They provide notice back and the student who engaged in the conduct um shall not be returned to the referring teacher classroom for the remainder of the instructional day. I did have a discussion, we had a discussion at the table as well. Please be mindful when it says for the duration of the day. That

344depends on the scheduling model of the school. If it if if they're departmentalized, um if they're a straight uh schedule without any block or otherwise. Uh teacher article well I'm going so fast we can go back for questions in a moment. Uh teacher article 14 para article 8 ESP article 8 is change of assignment. What this basically says is if an employee is being um offered a change of assignment and they disagree with that, it just offers that we can engage um the employee can offer questions and there's an appeal process. Um it engages the uh principal to have the opportunity to provide reasons. It doesn't say they must, but it says they may. And if it continues to escalate to the next level, the regional engages and it has to go back. um it

345still provides um latitude for the administrator while also providing a voice for the employee um and an opportunity for the regional to be engaged in some of those movement of positions. You'll go to the next one, teacher article 15, no observations during first five student contact days. It's just as it says. Um they believe that there was a merit a lot of merit with teach student movement uh assignments changes or otherwise that no evaluation should be documented until the completion of that fifth student contact day. Um para article 5 ESP4 connects to the student removal. All this basically says is it's codifying that they can present a paper referral in triplicate to document behaviors and they will receive information back on one of those forms as to um what what happened with administration as they

346reviewed that discipline. I have gone super fast over a lot of stuff that took hours at the table. My introduction would say that I think we spent six different sessions at the table as we work through these items. But we're very happy to bring these tentative agreements to you for consideration. And I'm open for any questions you may have. >> Seeing none, >> thank you very much. >> Thank you, Mr. Warren. >> Oh, excuse me, Dr. Allen. >> Superintendent, I you know, I I know we put this at the very end of the agenda. I mean, I wish we had more time to discuss it. It's a little disappointing. Um, but I mean I think the one question I had was as it relates to the salary schedule, the initial placement. I think I posed

347a question on this one. The initial placement for new hires based on years of verified experience. Um, we've changed it where it's now 0-1. Uh, and the pay level is a AA. So I was just curious, you know, what was the rationale around that? I know I had you know strong opinions that we move the zeroyear experience. So when I think about new teacher retention um you know this is an area that we're working on right and I just wanted to know the rationale. So somebody comes in with zero years experience and now then proceeding from here on out um based on this compression there. Um the one year would not receive a salary bump at 2% as well. So I just wanted to know what the rationale was on that and just wanted to

348draw attention to that. It's something we haven't done. I'm not sure if we've done this in the past. Just wanted to hear some rationale on it. Thank you. you have an initial placement schedule in those attachments that that's been tenatively agreed to that that gets us into providing the raises for the 2526 school year. I don't think I'm out of order to say that we've had conversations in HR in our conference room about article 22 with respect to it's a holding back a year of experience until those that are already in the system get their year of experience. That's language that kind of hails back to when we were on a system that was based on years of experience. And then it's complicated by the fact that we don't always present level movements. We we

349enhance the schedules. So we are uh both of both both parties have committed that when we go to open book that we want to evaluate that language again and also uh address that placement schedule again because it would not be I can say I can speak for for for me myself and our team we wouldn't want to continue to exacerbate the 0ero to one and continue to create a margin of u of distance there uh because we we've worked hard to get away from the compression piece there and not create additional exposures. Okay. Thank you. >> Any followup, Dr. Allen? Make sure >> that's it for now. Thank you, >> Mr. Warren. That concludes there are no further questions or comments. >> Thank you very much, >> Mr. Chair. We're for the sake of time,

350we are going to pull the budget and staffing item presentation. We will bring that back at a subsequent meeting. >> Thank you, Superintendent Hyde. Um we are now going to transition to our um our agenda study for tonight's meeting. Um so if we could please transition in board docs over to that meeting that was supposed to start eight minutes ago. I appreciate it. So, uh, are there any questions on items A through E? Seeing none, any any questions on items F through K? F through K. How about L through N? L through N, O through U. The action agenda, uh, V. Then we have our superintendent report. Superintendent, you'll have a report tonight. Yes, sir. >> Excellent. Um, then we will have uh our attorney's report. Uh, attorney Green will have an uh a report

351tonight. >> That's correct. Yes. And I just to make sure it's on the agenda. I think we were going to add a discussion about the I don't know where that fits or if it's already been >> it's V4 now. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> That'll be included in my summary of changes to the >> Very good. >> Right, Miss Matthews. I do not have an auditor report for you. Good. Okay. Excellent. Then we'll have our um our board member comments tonight. Uh and then also uh public comment. So that being said, let's transition back to our work session. >> Work session second if it'll pop up. There we go. All right. Um, so now that we've done our agenda review, we do have an unfinished business item, Northeast Pulk County growth discussion. Superintendent Hyde.

352>> Yes, sir. Board members, as requested, we've received and have compiled a list of uh land owners and developers from the northeast quadrant. Um, we will be finalizing our phone calls to see and determine their availability for our April scheduled board retreat. an hour and a half has been dedicated to that topic to allow the board plenty of time to get information. We will we will however be providing them with a list of prequests for them to address. I'll be vetting those through the chair um and then obviously share those with the board to see if there's anything else. But for the sake of time, even with an hour and a half, if we bring them, if we're able to get three, four, or five different providers to come in and speak to you about

353what they're seeing and anticipate as far as growth in Northeast, I think it's important to make sure that we are managing that conversation and getting out the questions that you feel are most pertinent to your needs and concerns. And then, so that's the update for that. >> Excellent. I'm going to ask um in in addition to that update, if you do have any questions that you would like to be addressed that you know of uh to please um send those uh to uh Evette or to Superintendent Superintendent Hyde we will will handle that. So please board members send your questions to Superintendent Hyde on that topic. >> All right. Is there any other discussion on that topic? >> No. Okay. Um now we're going to go into board member comments. Do any board members have

354comments? I'm going to recognize uh Vice Chair Keys. >> Okay. Not to muddy up the waters here and take up a lot of time, but because we're going to have that meeting, we have an action agenda item B1 that directly correlates to that area. Do we still need to be having that on the action agenda tonight without that information? Or do we need to make a motion to table that item? I don't I don't know because it's very pertinent information before making an action agenda item. If we're discussing that area, I'm just asking a question. >> I I believe you. So, it's it's a difficult question to answer because that's your purview as a board uh as a board member. So, if you'd want to make a motion to table it until that April meeting,

355that's within the board's purview and then the motion could be upheld or or voted down. Um Mr. Green, >> I'm I'm sorry I c I didn't catch the first part that was asked. So, as we're going to have a discussion on in our April um retreat discussing the growth in the northeast area, we have an action agenda item V1 that directly correlates to that discussion. I'm suggesting that there needs to be a motion to may need to be a motion to table that item until after that discussion is had because if we've got pertinent information from community stakeholders about development in that area that could a potentially affect the decision that we have on the action agenda item. >> So, so my re my response was board member would want to make a motion to

356table that. >> Sure. >> Um and then it would have to be supported by the board. But um >> I make a motion to table agenda item B1. >> Can we do that now? >> During the agenda, the action agenda, >> right? >> During Okay, never mind. Sorry. >> Actual board meeting. >> Yep. Good. >> I should have been more clear, sir. >> Yeah. Um I didn't know if we were addressing that in the work session because we talked about those agenda items. Sorry. >> That's okay. >> Is that all? >> All right. I'm going recognize board member Miller. to make sure staff is here to answer questions um tonight about that if there's going to be a motion to table it. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Thank you. >> Well, to answer questions about tableabling

357it or answer >> Well, answer questions if any anything that could come from tableabling it or if there's questions about the actual This has been discussed 15 times. Um if there's any disc more discussion on that action item, if they're here to answer that, >> we'll we'll ensure staff are here. >> Thank you. I see no other board members. I do have one uh comment myself. Um I there was a comment made earlier in the work session about the board office operations manual. Um and I know back in looking back at the emails in on ju July 24th of last year, uh you sent out the draft version, Superintendent Hyde. Uh I think plenty of time has passed on that. So I think uh I'm going to ask that we add that to the next

358appropriate work session for discussion. >> Yes, sir. >> All right, >> board member Miller, you're now recognized. >> I'll get I'll beat you with that. It goes back to January I December of 20 January of 2025 is when we we started this. So I appreciate you bringing this up, but also the board manual that Mr. uh or Dr. Allen had mentioned, that's also never been brought. So, I don't know if you want to bring them separately probably because they're they're long, but they both need to be scheduled because this is I've never heard of anything this long, but we're going to fix it. So, can you please schedule both of those? Thank you, Board Member Miller. Um, Superintendent Hyde, uh, that has been also been given plenty of time for comment. So, let's add both

359of those separate items to a >> That's not for me. Okay. Respectfully, I think that's something Mr. Green has to do because that's the board's handbook. >> I I don't have any perview or involvement. So, I think respectfully, >> yes, we will try and bring them simultaneously. Obviously, that makes a great deal of sense, but as far as the action of it, that's really to default, >> but he needs to coordinate with you because you're setting the agenda for our work session. Correct. That's what I want to make sure. >> We'll make we're going to try and make sure they coincide. >> All right. Thank you, sir. >> Board member Fields, you're now recognized. I would just say that when we bring both of those items to the board that we'll allow enough time and

360not uh just cram it in. Um and at some point in time it might need to be a separate meeting just to focus on those two items. I don't know. But I'm just saying I think that we need to make sure that we allow enough time to get it done. >> Thank you board member Fields for your comments. Board member Miller, you're recognized. Um, I agree. Even if it it was a retreat, which we had talked about, but there the retreats are packed. So, whenever it fits into the schedule will be great. I know I've sent at least twice um input, but that probably all needs to be gathered again. I do want because we've done something that we had not done before. We had moved our staff under the office of the superintendent or

361whatever that was. I think it need we need a clear explanation from Mr. green because I don't want to presume that I have input on something that he may have input on now that we shared we share employees. I I don't know. So before we have that discussion, I would like a written explanation. Thank you. >> All right. Seeing no other board member comments, uh this work session is adjourned. Um how long of a break do we want to our board meeting? >> It's up to you, sir. Uh, we got to have time for them to set up and transition. Um, do you want to say >> Yes. >> 12 minutes. Okay. A 12m minute break. 5:30 we will start our board meeting. >> Got a lot of stuff to do.