>> HI. I'M KAREN PEREZ, CHAIR OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THAT INCLUDES CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL AND ADULTS THROUGH OUR WORKFORCE PROGRAM. >> HI. I'M JESSICA VAUGHN, THE SCHOOL BOARD'S VICE-CHAIR. OUR DISTRICT IS THE 7th LARGEST IN AMERICA, AND OUR TEAM IS MADE UP IS MADE UP OF 24,000 PEOPLE WORKING AT CLOSE WORKING AT CLOSE TO 250 SITES ACROSS THE COUNTY. >> OUR DISTRICT IS DIVERSE AND DEDICATED. OUR BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD IN OUR BOARD AUDITORIUM ON SELECT TUESDAYS AT 4 P.M. THE BEST WAY TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY IS TO INVOLVE YOU, THE PUBLIC IN WHAT WE DO. >> YOU ARE WELCOME TO MEET OR E-MAIL ANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND FOLLOW OUR DISTRICT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS ARE COVERED LIVE BY HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOLS TV ON SCHOOLS TV ON SPECTRUM 635 AND FRONTIER CHANNEL 32. >> MEETINGS ARE ALSO STREAMED LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org. CLOSED CAPTIONING IS PROVIDED ON ALL BROADCASTS AND PAST MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN OUR ONLINE ARCHIVE. >> WE ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY. WE'LL INCLUDE TIME FOR AUDIENCE COMMENTS BEFORE WE ADDRESS OUR BUSINESS ITEMS. OUR AGENDA AND ANY SUPPORTING MATERIALS CAN BE VIEWED ONLINE IN ADVANCE. THEY ARE POSTED SEVEN DAYS BEFORE EACH MEETING ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org. >> OUR VISION IS PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE AND THAT MEANS ALL STUDENTS, EVERY DAY. TODOS LOS ESTUDIANTES, TODOS LOS DIAS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN EDUCATION. WITH YOUR HELP, WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ] >>Karen Perez: THE BOARD MEETING FOR MARCH 5th IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER. MEMBER VAUGHN WILL NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE. [MOMENT OF SILENCE] THANK YOU. NOW PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] >>Karen Perez: IT IS SO WONDERFUL TO HEAR THE VOICES OF THE CHILDREN IN THE BACKGROUND. MEMBER MEMBER VAUGHN, WILL YOU PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STUDENT ENTERTAINMENT? >>Jessica Vaughn: ABSOLUTELY. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE ALAFIA ELEMENTARY WORLD DRUMMING ENSEMBLE ALONG WITH PRINCIPAL LISA JACKSON AND INSTRUCTOR JAMES JAMES HENTHEL. THESE WONDERFUL STUDENTS ENTERTAINED US PRIOR TO THE START OF OUR BOARD MEETING. AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE STUDENTS UP TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. >> NATHAN. I'M IN THE FIFTH GRADE. >> LOGAN VAUGHN, FIFTH GRADE. >> KAYLONI, >> KAYLONI, FIFTH >> KAYLONI, FIFTH GRADE. >> FIFTH GRADE. >> CHARLIE, FIFTH GRADE. >> CADENCE, FIFTH GRADE. >> ANSIL, FIFTH GRADE. >> BIANCA, FIFTH GRADE. >> OLIVER, FIFTH GRADE. >> ALEX, FIFTH GRADE. >> LEVI, FIFTH GRADE. >> GAVIN, FIFTH GRADE. >> AUBREY, FIFTH GRADE. >> ITALIA, FIFTH GRADE. >> MARLEY. I'M IN FIFTH I'M IN FIFTH GRADE. >> FIFTH GRADE. >> BRENTLY, FIFTH GRADE. >> ROME, FIFTH GRADE. >> FIFTH >> FIFTH GRADE. >> JAMES, >> JAMES, GRADE 23 MAYBE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE ARTS IN OUR SCHOOLS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. PARENTS, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND TAKE PICTURES. OH, SORRY. MS. JACKSON, DO YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF? >> I'M LISA JACKSON, VERY PROUD PRINCIPAL OF ALAFIA ELEMENTARY. [ APPLAUSE ] >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU! THANK THANK YOU! AWESOME JOB! NICE. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, PARENTS, FOR ALWAYS SUPPORTING YOUR STUDENTS HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHT APPEARS. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT. I HAVE TWO SETS OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY. JANUARY 30th, 2024, SCHOOL BOARD WORKSHOP, AND BOARD WORKSHOP, AND FEBRUARY 20th SCHOOL BOARD WORKSHOP -- EXCUSE ME, SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE ITEMS. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER VAUGHN AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHT APPEARS. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TODAY'S MEETING. AS A REMINDER, WE ARE A NONPARTISAN BOARD WHO BELIEVE ALL CHILDREN CAN BE EMPOWERED TO LEARN AND SUCCEED. OUR DECISIONS WILL BE MADE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING. TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE AND EFFECTIVE AGENDA STATEMENTS AND/OR QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARD, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN CAN RESPOND. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOU ARE ASKED TO YOU ARE ASKED TO GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. MEMBER VAUGHN WILL NOW READ THE BOARD BOARD GUIDELINES. >>Jessica Vaughn: AS WE BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETING, PLEASE ALLOW ME TO QUICKLY REVIEW THE FORMAT OF OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. PLEASE SILENCE ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THERE ARE SPEAKERS IN THE ROOM BEHIND ME THAT ALLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO HEAR THE MEETING UPON STEPPING AWAY FROM THE STEPPING AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THIS MEETING CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTION ON LIVE WEBCAST, ON CABLE TV AND ON THE VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM. IT CAN ALSO BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING IN THE ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVE. >>Karen Perez: WE HAVE ONE ITEM SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN, AND THAT'S AT 6 P.M., EMPLOYEE INPUT. WE HAVE RECOGNITION OF THE TAMPA BAY TIMES BAY TIMES NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION WEEK, MARCH 4-8, 2024. MEMBER VAUGHN WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING THIS RECOGNITION. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, CHAIR CHAIR PEREZ. NEWSPAPER AND -- NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION IS A PROGRAM THAT ENCOURAGES THE USE OF THE DAILY NEWSPAPER AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL CLASSROOM TOOL. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT STUDENTS WHO LEARN BY USING THE NEWSPAPER OR AN ONLINE NEWS FORUM ARE MORE LIKELY TO BECOME LIFELONG READERS. NEWSPAPER AND EDUCATION PROVIDES AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE FOR OUR STUDENTS TO BETTER LEARN ABOUT CURRENT EVENTS AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD AROUND ON IN THE WORLD AROUND THEM. STUDENTS CAN BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE VARIETY OF ISSUES THAT GREATLY BROADEN THEIR MINDS. FOR MORE THAN 50 FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, THE TAMPA BAY TAMPA BAY TIMES NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION PROGRAM HAS SERVED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY EDUCATORS, STUDENTS, AND FAMILIES BY PROVIDING CLASSROOM NEWSPAPERS, COMPANION MATERIALS, AND INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT. NEWSPAPER AND EDUCATION BELIEVES IN HELPING A CHILD LEARN TO LOVE READING, WHICH WILL IMPROVE THEIR CHANCES OF SUCCESS IN SCHOOL AND BEYOND. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS AND VALUES YOUR INPUT TO THE BOARD. IN ORDER TO IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE TO YOUR COMMENTS, OUR STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND KEEP THE BOARD INFORMED ABOUT THE RESPONSES. OUR BOARD RESPECTS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME TO BE TIME TO BE HERE. HOWEVER, IT IS REQUESTED THAT WHEN YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD, COMMENTS ARE NOT DIRECTED PERSONALLY AGAINST A BOARD MEMBER OR A STAFF MEMBER OR A STAFF MEMBER. BUT RATHER DIRECT IT AT THE ISSUES. ANY BEHAVIOR INTENDED TO DISRUPT ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED. OUR CIVILITY POLICY IS IN PLACE. WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE. THIS AFTERNOON, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. THE REMAINDER OF YOUR THREE -- A REMINDER, YOUR THREE MINUTES START WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. WHEN THERE ARE 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOU WILL SEE A YELLOW LIGHT ON THE LECTERN. A RED LIGHT AND A CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I WILL NOW CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS. >> I THINK APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY ELEMENTARY SHOULD GO TO K THROUGH 8 BECAUSE ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SO NICE AND I JUST WANT IT TO GO SO I CAN HAVE FRIENDS FOR A LONGER TIME. I LOVE GOING TO I LOVE GOING TO AFTER-SCHOOL VICTORY AND SOMETIMES I GET TO BE A BE A WALKER AND I LOVE THAT. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> HELLO. MY NAME IS ELIE MY NAME IS ELIE McNEIVE AND I WOULD MAKE APOLLO BEACH A K-8. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> HI. I'M JESSICA I'M JESSICA McMAYBE I'M JESSICA McMAYBE TO. I WILL BE READING A SPEECH BY ALLY BRADLEY. I AM A MOM OF TWO I AM A MOM OF TWO WONDERFUL BOYS AT AND ITS. FIRST GRADER WITH A SOON TO BE KINDERGARTNER NEXT FALL. I'VE BEEN AN EDUCATOR FOR 15 YEARS. I BEGAN MY CAREER TEACHING IN WASHINGTON, D.C. PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WHICH LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR ME AS AN EDUCATOR IN TERMS OF MY PHILOSOPHY ON CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING. THE STUDENTS I TAUGHT THERE CAME FROM EXTREMELY CHALLENGING HOME LIVES AND I WOULD BE LYING IF I SAID THEIR SCHOOL EXPERIENCES WERE MUCH DIFFERENT. THEY WERE PASSED THROUGH GRADES WITHOUT MEETING STANDARDS TRUANT MORE DAYS THAN PRESENT AND LIVED IN A SURVIVAL MINDSET. HOWEVER, WHEN SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF TOOK THE TIME TO GET TO IN ME, BUILD THEIR TRUST AND HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO THEIR POTENTIAL, THE HARD EXTERIOR SHELL STARTED TO FALL AWAY. WHEN I MOVED TO FLORIDA I STARTED TEACHING IN A PRIVATE SCHOOL. WHILE THE LACK OF BEHAVIOR CHALLENGES WAS REFRESHING ON THE FLIP SIDE WAS A BELIEF THAT ALL CHILDREN CHILDREN WERE, QUOTE, A STUDENT. WASN'T MUCH ROOM FOR INDIVIDUALITY OR SUPPORT FOR VARYING LEVELS OF DEVELOPMENT. ODDLY ENOUGH I WAS MISSING THE DEEP PURPOSE I FELT IN D.C. I DECIDED TO STEP BACK INTO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. I WAS FORTUNATE TO LAND A SPOT TEACHING AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL, EISENHOWER. I HAD HEARD ALL THE HORROR STORIES BUT STORIES BUT KNEW WHERE I BEGAN TEACHING MY CAREER I KNEW THERE COULDN'T BE ANYTHING MORE CHALLENGING. WHAT I FOUND WAS NOT THAT THE KIDS WERE MORE CHALLENGING BUT BECAUSE KIDS ARE KIDS BUT THAT ADMINISTRATION DID NOT HOLD THE KIDS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR BEHAVIORS OR TO THEIR ACADEMICS. EISENHOWER ISN'T A BAD SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY HAVE, QUOTE, BAD KIDS. IT STRUGGLES BECAUSE ADMINISTRATORS DON'T STAY THERE LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THE ONES THAT COME THROUGH THERE ARE NOT THE RIGHT LEADERS FOR THAT POPULATION. I KNEW THAT YEAR THAT I DID NOT WANT MY CHILDREN TO ATTEND THAT SCHOOL. I WATCHED DAY AFTER DAY AFTER THE THE A-B STUDENTS SAT COMPLACENT AND STAGNANT IN THEIR LEARNING BECAUSE OF THE BEHAVIORS TOLERATED AT THAT SCHOOL DERAILED LESSONS IN ALMOST EVERY CLASSROOM. THAT IS NOT WHAT I WANT MY CHILD AND PROBABLY NOT MOST PARENTS WANT FOR THEIR CHILDREN. OUR CHILDREN NEED BETTER. OUR CHILDREN DESERVE AN EDUCATION SPACE WHERE THEY ARE SUPPORTED, CHALLENGED, ACCEPTED AND HELD ACCOUNTABLE. I EVENTUALLY MOVED ON TO A LOCAL CHARTER SCHOOL CHARTER SCHOOL WHERE MY OLDEST STARTED KINDERGARTEN IN HOPES OF FINDING AN ACADEMIC SETTING WHERE HE WOULD THRIVE. UNFORTUNATELY, IT WAS RIDDLED WITH BAD EXPERIENCES. LACK OF QUALIFIED EDUCATORS AND INEXPERIENCED LEADERSHIP. WHILE I AM STILL CURRENTLY WORKING AT THE SAME CHARTER SCHOOL, WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY OPENED FOR CHOICE AT APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY I TOOK IT BECAUSE I VALUE MY CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH, THEIR SAFETY AND THEIR GROWTH WHILE ABES HAS BEEN AN ADJUSTMENT FOR MY FOURTH GRADER DUE TO THE YEARS OF NOT-SO-GREAT EDUCATION IN CHARTER SCHOOLS -- >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. WILL SPEAKERS 5 THROUGH 10 LINE UP. >> I'LL FINISH THE LETTER FOR HER. I'M A GRADUATE OF PLANT HIGH SCHOOL A FEW YEARS AGO AND I AM THE GRANDMOTHER OF THE TWO THAT GO TO APOLLO BEACH. I'LL FINISH THE LETTER BECAUSE I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT. HE LOVES SCHOOL. FINALLY UNDERSTANDING HARD WORK IN THE CLASSROOM AND TAKES PRIDE IN THE REWARD OF HIS HARD WORK. HE FEELS SEEN AND APPRECIATED BY HIS TEACHERS AND IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO ENSURING HE DOES HIS PART TO CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFE AND PRODUCTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. HE'S ALWAYS BEEN MORE QUIET AND RESERVED BUT THIS YEAR HE HAS OPENED UP. HE SEES HIS PEERS OUT AT GAMES AND EVENTS AND HE LIGHTS UP. HE HAS FOUND HIS VOICE AND IS USING IT TO STAND UP FOR HIMSELF AND EXPRESS HIS NEED AND IS BECOMING THE BEST VERSION OF HIMSELF. I FEAR THAT IN A YEAR AND A HALF WHEN HE ENTERS MIDDLE SCHOOL, HE WILL FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS OF A SCHOOL LIKE A SCHOOL LIKE EISENHOWER. I AM NOT SURE WHAT OUR OPTION WOULD BE BECAUSE I WOULD NOT BRING HIM BACK TO THE CHARTER I CURRENTLY WORK AT DUE TO THE REVOLVING DOOR OF TEACHERS IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE LACK OF STRUCTURE IN GENERAL. I WOULD LIKE MIDDLE SCHOOL -- I WOULD LIKELY CHOICE HIM TO ANOTHER SCHOOL WHICH MEANS NAVIGATING MY TWO YOUNGER CHILDREN TO APOLLO BEACH, MIDDLE SCHOOLER TO A SCHOOL SOMEWHERE AND TO MY OWN SCHOOL -- NOT EXTENDING ABS TO A K-8 NOT ONLY ENSURES MY KIDS GET TO ATTEND SCHOOL IN ONE PLACE AND FEEL SAFE TOGETHER BUT ALSO PROVIDES THEM CONSISTENCY, STRUCTURE, AND CHALLENGING ACADEMICS THAT THEY WILL NOT RECEIVE FROM LOCAL CHARTER SCHOOLS OR PUBLIC OPTIONS. THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. ALLEY BRADLEY. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY I'VE SEEN MY GRANDKIDS GROW UP IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I GREW UP IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HERE IS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. I WENT ON TO BECOME A REGISTERED NURSE OF 43 YEARS AND I THINK GIVING MY KIDS AND GRANDKIDS THE EDUCATION THAT THEY DESERVE TO GET OUT AND BE REAL SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTY AND STAY IN FLORIDA IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. THANK THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> MY NAME >> MY NAME IS >> MY NAME IS VICTOR, AND I WOULD WOULD LIKE THIS SCHOOL -- APOLLO BEACH TO HAVE AN BEACH TO HAVE AN 8th BEACH TO HAVE AN 8th GRADE BECAUSE IT HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE AND I LIKE HOW THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE. THEY ARE MY FRIENDS. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> MY NAME IS >> MY NAME IS ROMAN, AND I WANT K-8 BECAUSE I HAVE K-8 BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT K-8 BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS FRIENDS AND NICE AND FRIENDS AND NICE AND SHE'S NICE. BE GOOD IN MY CLASSROOM. >>Karen Perez >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. CAN SPEAKERS 7 THROUGH 10 -- I MEAN, 10 THROUGH 15 PLEASE LINE UP? >> GOOD AFTERNOON. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN. COLLEEN COLLEEN BEUNUCCI, PART OF THE APOLLO BEACH K-8 INITIATIVE. I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE NEW PROJECT THAT WAS ANNOUNCED LAST THURSDAY INVOLVING TWO NEW BUILDINGS FOR STUART MAGNET MIDDLE AND JUST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. WHILE I UNDERSTAND IT HASN'T BEEN VOTED ON BY BEEN VOTED ON BY YOU YET, IT WON'T BE PASSED -- STATING THAT WE ARE EMBARKING WE ARE EMBARKING ON A SIGNIFICANT JOURNEY, ONE THAT MARKS A MILESTONE FOR OUR SCHOOL IN THE CITY OF. THE DISTRICT ANNOUNCED PLANS TO BUILD TWO STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES FOR JUST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND STEWART MIDDLE MAGNET SCHOOL, INVESTMENT OF MORE THAN $70 MILLION. I'M NOT HERE TO ASK YOU TO VOTE AGAINST IT. I UNDERSTAND THE AREA OF TAMPA HAS HAS EXPERIENCED INCREDIBLE GROWTH, MAKING IT NECESSARY TO EXPAND. HOWEVER, I AM HERE TO POINT OUT THAT LIKE STUART'S THAT LIKE STUART'S COMMUNITY, APOLLO BEACH HAS EXPERIENCED INCREDIBLE GROWTH IN THE PAST FEW YEARS AND WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE GROWTH FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. EASY TO OVERLOOK US BECAUSE WE'RE NOT LOCATED IN THE HEART OF TAMPA, WE ARE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS. THERE HAVE BEEN CONCERNS ABOUT BUILDING ON APOLLO BEACH'S CAMPUS, BEING THAT IT IS LOCATED IN A FLOOD ZONE. BUT INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, STUART IS ALSO LOCATED ON A FLOOD ZONE. WHAT I FIND MOST INTERESTING OF ALL IS THE PROJECTED COSTS. THE STUART PROJECTED COST IS ESTIMATED TO BE OVER 70 MILLION, WHEREAS APOLLO BEACH'S PROJECT IS ESTIMATED TO COST SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 26 AND 40 MILLION. AS A FORMER ENGLISH TEACHER, I AM DEFINITELY NOT A MATH AM DEFINITELY NOT A MATH EXPERT, BUT I BUT I AM PRETTY SURE THEIR PROJECT IS CONSIDERABLY LESS MONEY. I STATED IN THE PAST AND WOULD LIKE TO REITERATE TODAY THAT OUR COMMUNITY ISN'T LOOKING FOR ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLE. WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO RECEIVE A WORLD-CLASS TRACK OR FANCY AUDITORIUM. IN FACT, I HAVE PARENTS CONSTANTLY ASKING ME, WHY CAN'T WE JUST PUT UP SOME TRAILERS? THE PARENTS IN APOLLO BEACH ARE LOOKING FOR A VIABLE PUBLIC SCHOOL OPTION FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS BECAUSE WE TRULY VALUE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND WE TRULY VALUE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE'RE ASKING THAT WE CAN ALL THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. LET'S EXPLORE OPTIONS LIKE TURNING US INTO A MARINE SCIENCE CENTER OR ANOTHER IDEA. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE FUNDS THAT WILL BE DEDICATED TO A FUTURE UNNAMED FUTURE UNNAMED WATERSET ELEMENTARY IN APOLLO BEACH. HOWEVER WE HAVE A LOT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. SO IS IT POSSIBLE TO ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS TO THE APOLLO BEACH K-8 PROJECT INSTEAD? PLEASE, LIKE I'VE ASKED YOU IN THE PAST, LET'S ALL THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. LET'S WORK TOGETHER AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE LIVING IN APOLLO BEACH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT NEXT SPEAKER. >> HELLO. HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, MY NAME IS RICHARD ZION. I AM A GRANDFATHER OF TWO GIRLS IN APOLLO ELEMENTARY AND A GRANDSON IN EISENHOWER. I'M HERE TO REINFORCE THE ADDING OF THE OF THE K-8 FOR APOLLO BEACH. THERE MAY BE MORE ESSENTIAL TIME IN A CHILD'S EDUCATION IN A CHILD'S EDUCATION THAN THEIR ADOLESCENT YEARS. ALL TOO OFTEN THESE ADOLESCENT YEARS ARE SPENT IN POORLY DESIGNED MIDDLE SCHOOL SETTINGS WHICH WHICH INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE STUDENTS WILL SUCCUMB TO PEER PRESSURE AND FALL OFF THE ACADEMIC TRACK. THE SOLUTION IS TO ADOPT A SYSTEM FOR STUDENTS IN THE MIDDLE GRADES TO MIDDLE GRADES TO BE STRUCTURED AS CONTINUATION OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COMMUNITY. THIS CAN BE BEST ACCOMPLISHED BY STRUCTURING K-8 GRADES WITH SEPARATE BUILDING ON THE SAME CAMPUS OR TRAILERS, WE USED TO CALL THEM MODULE. THE BALANCE APPROACH PROVIDES THE BENEFITS OF A THE BENEFITS OF A SEPARATE MIDDLE SCHOOL STRUCTURE WITH CHALLENGES THAT CAN DERAIL EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS WHEN THE STUDENTS ARE THRUST INTO A LARGER FOREIGN SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AT THE FRAGILE TIME OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT. THIS TRANSITION OF STUDENTS INTO A MIDDLE SCHOOL CAN A MIDDLE SCHOOL CAN OVERWHELMING TO THEM EMOTIONALLY AND ACADEMICALLY. THEY NEED TO BE THEY NEED TO BE NURTURED AS FAR AS THEIR COMFORT LEVEL FOR THEIR WELL-BEING. HAVING THE SAME FAMILIAR FACES AND SURROUNDINGS RELIEVES THAT ANGUISH THAT THEY HAVE WHEN THEY ARE ENTERING A NEW PHASE OF THEIR LIVES. HAVING TO CONTINUE SIXTH GRADE HERE AT APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY REPRESENTS BOTH WORLDS, ALLOWING STUDENTS TO DEVELOP SOCIALLY AMONG THEIR PEERS IN A STABLE AND FAMILIAR SCHOOL SETTING. WHILE ALSO PROVIDING A SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTION NEEDED TO ENSURE STUDENTS HAVE 8th GRADE READY -- LEAVE 8th GRADE READY TO SUCCEED IN HIGH SCHOOL. SOMETHING ELSE I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP, TOO, THAT I DON'T THINK HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP. ONCE THE KIDS HERE, ALL THE WALKERS, THE BIKE RIDERS AND THE CAR RIDERS, THEY ALL WILL STAY THERE, WON'T BE USED BY THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT OR THE SCHOOLS WHICH ALLEVIATES TRANSPORTING A LOT OF KIDS BACK AND FORTH. SO SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND GOOD LUCK. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> HELLO. MY NAME IS PENNY CHILDS. I GO TO APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY. AND HERE ARE MY REASONS WHY APOLLO BEACH SHOULD BE A K-8. MY FIRST REASON WHY APOLLO BEACH SHOULD BE A SHOULD BE A K-8 IS THAT MOST MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ARE GRADED COUNTY ARE GRADED Cs OR BELOW. MY SECOND REASON IS THAT PARENTS WOULD HAVE TO DRIVE AN HOUR OR SO JUST TO GET THEIR KIDS TO A GOOD SCHOOL. MY LAST REASON IS THAT MY BEST FRIEND, ADDISON, SHE MOVED AWAY AT THE END OF LAST SCHOOL YEAR BECAUSE, WELL, THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS, OF REASONS, BUT THE MAIN WAS -- THE MAIN ONE WAS BECAUSE WHAT HER OLDER HER OLDER SISTER, TINSLEY WAS GETTING OUT OF GETTING OUT OF ELEMENTARY. HER MOM COULDN'T FIND A GOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL, SO SHE MOVED TO ALABAMA. IF OUR SCHOOL TURNED TO A MIDDLE SCHOOL, SHE MIGHT MOVE BACK AND I WOULD BE SO HAPPY. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT THE IDEA FOR A MARINE SCIENCE OR A S.T.E.M. MAGNET PROGRAM AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA. I AM SIGNED UP FOR SUNCOAST YOUTH SUMMER CAMP AT THE CONSERVATION CENTER. WE DID A FIELD WE DID A FIELD TRIP WE DID A FIELD TRIP TO THE CT -- THE MANATEE CENTER, AND I BET WE COULD FORM A PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM. THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS. MAYBE EVEN MAYBE EVEN A GREEN ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE BUILDING CAN BE BUILT WITH SOLAR PANELS ON THE ROOF. SO PLEASE, SO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE MAKE OUR SCHOOL APOLLO BEACH A K-8. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD DAY. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. MR. SUPERINTENDENT, AND OUR GUESTS VIEWING AT HOME. HI, MOM. AND THE AUDIENCE. MY NAME IS TJ CHILDS. WE MET LAST MONTH. I AM A KING HIGH SCHOOL CLASS I AM A KING HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2004 GRADUATE AND EIGHT-YEAR HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHER AT ARMWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. AS WE TALKED LAST MONTH, MY DAUGHTER AND I ARE HERE TO SUPPORT THE K-8 INITIATIVE IN APOLLO BEACH. LAST MONTH, I WAS LAST MONTH, I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO HEAR FROM MEMBERS OF LULAC AND HEAR MEMBER GRAY BRING UP THE HISPANIC POPULATION OF SOUTH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. IT'S NO SURPRISE THIS TIME OF YEAR IS BUSY FOR A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THIS POPULATION CELEBRATING OUR STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL AND IT IS PEAK CROP PICKING SEASON. MY OWN CONDO IN THE PAST WE'VE USED TO SEASONALLY USED TO SEASONALLY RENT TO A PACKING PLANT MANAGER WHO TRAVELED WITH HER FAMILY SEVERAL MONTHS OF THE YEAR TO APOLLO BEACH. OH, GUESS WHAT, THEY LOVED APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THE MOM SAYS HER DAUGHTERS DID SO WELL THERE. IN FACT, OF THE IN FACT, OF THE SEVEN SCHOOLS CITED LAST MONTH IN THE SOUTH SHORE AREA SHORE AREA WITH SIGNIFICANT HISPANIC POPULATIONS, APOLLO BEACH HAS SET THE BEACH HAS SET THE BAR. FIVE TIMES SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE. THE ONLY SCHOOL WITH AN "A" RATING. I DON'T SPEAK BAD OF THE OTHER SCHOOLS. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THEIR INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL SITUATIONS, BUT ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTS ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTS ARE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE FOR A PUBLICLY AVAILABLE FOR A REASON. I CAN, HOWEVER, SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE SUCCESS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF AT APOLLO BEACH HAVE CREATED WITH THEIR MODEL. AS AN ECONOMICS TEACHER, I TEACH MY STUDENTS ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES SUCH AS THE RATIONALE FOR INVESTMENTS. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INVESTING IN A PROJECT BECAUSE YOU ANTICIPATE THE MONIES WILL HELP GROW THE PRODUCT COMPARED TO INVESTING IN A PROJECT BECAUSE THE PRODUCT IS GROWING. IT IS SUCCESSFUL, AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO CONTINUE TO GROW. IT'S ALREADY PROVED A SUCCESS, BUT WE NEED MORE CAPITAL TO GROW. OUR COMMUNITY IS WITH YOU. WE ARE RECOGNIZED AS THE COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION FOR FREE MEALS, BUT WE DO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL WITH WHAT WE HAVE. THIS YEAR WE THIS YEAR WE RAISED 40,000 FOR A NEW MUSIC RENOVATION. LAST YEAR LAST YEAR WAS 50,000 FOR A RENOVATED MEDIA CENTER. WILL YOU JOIN US TO MAKE APOLLO BEACH K-8 STRONG? MR. SUPERINTENDENT MADE REMARKS THIS PAST WEEK OF HIS PRIDE STANDING AT BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL WHERE HE WAS WHERE HE WAS HIRED 27 YEARS AGO, SUPPORTING THE JUST STUART PROJECT. CAN I ONLY HOPE THAT I HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO HELP CREATE SOMETHING AND TO BE A TEACHER AT MY DAUGHTER'S NEW K-8 SCHOOL. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> PLEASED TO MEET ALL YOU GUYS. I THINK I MET A FEW OF YOU. IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE. I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT APOLLO BEACH. I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT IT IS. WE'LL TALK ABOUT ECONOMICS. I'M IN THE CORPORATE WORLD. WE FEED OFF A FIVE-YEAR PLAN AS WELL. GUESS WHAT, GUYS, THAT FIVE-YEAR PLAN IS FLUID. YOU TAKE THAT MONEY AND YOU INVEST INVEST WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO TO ACCELERATE YOUR PRODUCT. SOME PRODUCTS ARE NOT DOING THAT WELL, SO YOU MAKE SURE, WHERE IS YOUR GROWTH RIGHT NOW? IT'S DOWN WHERE WE ARE. LET'S ALSO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DID WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOL THAT YOU PUT DOWN THERE. NONE OF OUR STUDENTS CAN GET IN THERE. IT'S BRINGING PEOPLE FROM OUT OF OUR COMMUNITY. THERE ARE NO SPOTS. SO WHEN THEY GET OUT OF FIFTH GRADE, WHAT ARE OUR GRADE, WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS? THERE ARE THREE MIDDLE SCHOOLS THAT ARE CLOSEST TO ME. NONE OF THEM ARE HILLSBOROUGH. THEY ARE ALL CHARTER SCHOOLS. IF WE HAD THAT MANY CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THAT SCHOOLS IN THAT DRIVABLE OF AN AREA BEFORE I HIT YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM. YOU ALREADY HEARD FROM OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER. YOU YOU HEARD FROM OUR CONGRESSMAN. WE HAVE A PROBLEM. WE NEED TO FIND SOLUTIONS HERE. NOW, LOOK, WHEN I MET WITH A FEW OF YOU, THERE WERE THREE THINGS. YOU'RE IN A FLOOD ZONE. NOT IN MY FIVE-YEAR PLAN. WHAT WAS THE OTHER ONE? I'M DRAWING A BLANK. OH, TOO EXPENSIVE. YOU GUYS ARE ABOUT TO VOTE ON SOMETHING. IT'S IN THE FLOODPLAIN. IT'S NOT IN YOUR FIVE-YEAR PLAN, AND IT'S A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN WHAT WE WERE GOING TO BE. YOU'VE HEARD EVERYBODY SAY WE DON'T WANT THE BELLS AND WHISTLE. WE WANT WHAT WE CAN. WE WANT TO CREATE A COMMUNITY. YOU HAVE A GREAT COMMUNITY. I WAS RAISED IN POLITICS. I UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT YOUR JOB IS. I REALLY I REALLY DO. BUT, GUYS, WHAT WE'RE HEARING IS YOU'VE GOT TO BE LOUDER. THEY ARE HERE. THEY ARE BEING LOUD. I ALWAYS LOOKED AT MY FATHER AND SAID SHOULDN'T IT SOMETIMES BE THE RIGHT DARN THING TO DO WITHOUT US BEING LOUD? WE CAN BE LOUD IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT US TO YOU WANT US TO BE. WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THE SYSTEM THE WAY YOU WANT US TO AND WE'RE TRYING NOT TO BE UGLY ABOUT IT. BUT THERE IS A PROBLEM, AND WE NEED YOU TO ADDRESS IT AND YOU'RE NOT. AND THAT'S WHERE I'M A LITTLE FRUSTRATED. WE'VE BEEN ASKED FOR THE DADDY'S TO SHOW UP. I'M THE FIRST ROUND. THERE IS A LOT COMING. WE UNDERSTAND IT. I'VE TAKEN TIME OUT OF WORK. I'M I'M HERE, BUT WE'RE ASKING YOU, PLEASE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, DO THE RIGHT THING. GET OFF YOUR HANDS. MAKE A VOTE FOR THIS. THIS AREA IS SEEING GROWTH. I DON'T WANT MY KID IN ANOTHER CHARTER SCHOOL. I DON'T WANT MY KID IN A PRIVATE SCHOOL. I CAME FROM A SINGLE MOTHER WHO WAS A TEACHER. SHE WOULD ROLL OVER IN HER GRAVE IF I PUT MY KID IN A PRIVATE SCHOOL. SO, PLEASE, TAKE THIS INITIATIVE UP AND BRING IT TO A VOTE. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT NEXT SPEAKER. >> I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FOLLOW THAT, BUT I WILL TRY. MY NAME IS SARAH RUTHERFORD. I AM A MOTHER OF A STUDENT, A THIRD THIRD GRADER AT APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY. I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO APPROVE THE INITIATIVE TO EXPAND APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY INTO A K-8 SCHOOL. I OUTLINED A FEW REASONS WHY I BELIEVE THIS IS SO CRITICAL. THE FIRST REASON IS THE HUGE POPULATION INCREASE IN OUR AREA. YOU CANNOT DRIVE DOWN ANY MAJOR ROAD IN OUR COMMUNITY WITHOUT SEEING HUGE APARTMENTS AND TOWN HOUSES GOING UP EVERYWHERE WHERE YOU LOOK. 41, BIG BEND, THE AREA IS BOOMING. THIS IS BRINGING MORE AND MORE FAMILIES TO OUR AREA, BUT OUR COMMUNITY IS SEVERELY LIMITED ON PUBLIC SCHOOL OPTIONS WITH NO ACTIVE PLANS TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE GROWTH. NUMBER TWO, WE CURRENTLY ONLY HAVE TWO PUBLIC MIDDLE SCHOOL OPTIONS DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU RESIDE IN APOLLO BEACH, WHICH ARE YORK AND ARE YORK AND EISENHOWER. NEITHER OF THESE ARE TRULY VIABLE OPTIONS AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHY. YORK IS A GREAT SCHOOL. HOWEVER, IT IS A CHOICE SCHOOL, WHICH OTHERS HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED, AND OUR PARENTS CAN'T GET A SPOT EVEN FOR YOUNGER SIBLINGS, WHICH RESULTS IN PARENTS TRAVELING TO TWO SEPARATE MIDDLE SCHOOLS TO DROP OFF THEIR CHILDREN. PARENTS ARE NOW PLACING THEIR CHILDREN ON A WAITING LIST AND PULLING THEM OUT OF APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY ELEMENTARY PREMATURELY JUST TO HAVE A GUARANTEED SPOT FOR THEIR CHILD. EISENHOWER, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SUBJECT. THE LAST UPDATE I COULD FIND RATED IT IN THE BOTTOM 50th PERCENTILE IN THE ENTIRE STATE AND IS TRENDING DOWN. I IMAGINE EACH OF YOU PURSUED YOUR POSITIONS ON THE BOARD BECAUSE YOU VALUE CHILDREN'S EDUCATION AND WANTED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. LIKEWISE, THE PARENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY VALUE OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION AND STRUGGLE WITH THE FACT THAT THE ONLY GUARANTEED PUBLIC PUBLIC SCHOOL OPTION WILL REQUIRE OUR CHILDREN TO LEAVE AN A+ SCHOOL RATED IN THE TOP 20% IN THE STATE TO GO TO A LOW-RATED SCHOOL. OUR PARENTS ARE FORCED TO CONSIDER CHARTER AND PRIVATE SCHOOL OPTIONS IN REPLACE OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL OPTIONS. AS YOU KNOW, THIS DIRECTLY IMPACTS FUNDING THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS RECEIVE. LASTLY, WITH APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY, THIS WAS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, BUT A LOT -- WHAT SPEAKS TO A SCHOOL IS THE ADMINISTRATION. AND THE TEACHERS THERE, YOU KNOW IT IS A GOOD SCHOOL WHEN THE TEACHERS WENT TO THE SCHOOL AND COME BACK AS THEIR ALMA MATER. ALSO WHEN A TEACHER HAS BEEN THERE FOR YEARS AND YEARS. THEY ARE GOING TO LEAVE QUICKLY IF THEY ARE NOT HAPPY, IF THEY ARE NOT SUPPORTED BY THEIR ADMINISTRATION. WE SEE THAT AT APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY. THEY ARE SUPPORTED. WE HAVE A GREAT ADMINISTRATION. SO NOT ONLY ARE WE POINTING OUT THE PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES WE ARE FACING BUT WITH THIS INITIATIVE, WE ARE PRESENTING A COMPLETELY VIABLE SOLUTION THAT WILL HELP MEET THE NEEDS OF THE GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ALLOW OUR CHILDREN TO REMAIN IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM ALL WHILE CONTINUING TO RECEIVE AN A+ EDUCATION. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. CAN I GET SPEAKERS 15 THROUGH 19 TO LINE UP, PLEASE? >> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS TROTTER. I AM I AM A CONCERNED PARENT OF A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. TODAY I WANT TO ADDRESS THE LACK OF SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF STUDENTS OF VIOLENCE DURING AN OPEN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION. ON NOVEMBER ON NOVEMBER 28th, 2023, MY DAUGHTER WAS DAUGHTER WAS BRUTALLY ATTACKED BY THREE MALE SCHOOLMATES RESULTING IN A TRIP TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. DESPITE MY IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION TO THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION THE NEXT DAY ADMINISTRATION THE NEXT DAY AND STRESSED THAT STRESSED THAT THERE WOULD BE ONGOING CRIMINAL CHARGES, LITTLE SUPPORT WAS PROVIDED. ON JANUARY ON JANUARY 8th, 2024, ONE OF THE ATTACKERS THE ATTACKERS RETURNED TO SCHOOL WITHOUT NO NOTIFICATION WITHOUT NO NOTIFICATION WHICH RETRAUMATIZED MY DAUGHTER. DESPITE MY EFFORTS TO ENGAGE WITH SCHOOL WITH SCHOOL OFFICIALS, THEY PROPOSED PROPOSED SOLUTIONS PROPOSED SOLUTIONS LIKE HOPE SCHOLARSHIP AND A SAFETY PLAN WHICH WAS INADEQUATE AND PUNITIVE TO MY DAUGHTER. I FOLLOWED ALL THE ONE FIT ALL PROTOCOLS, CONTACTED NUMEROUS OFFICIALS AND OFFICIALS AND FACED POLICY BARRIERS ALL WHILE MY BARRIERS ALL WHILE MY DAUGHTER'S MENTAL HEALTH DETERIORATED. MEANINGFUL ACTIONS WAS ONLY TAKEN TAKEN WHEN I MENTIONED I TAKEN WHEN I MENTIONED I WOULD BE QUESTIONING THE BE QUESTIONING THE PROCESS AT THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING TODAY. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH MUST BE EXTENDED BEYOND BEYOND THE RHETORIC TO PRACTICAL SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS. WHEN WILL WHEN WILL THE SYSTEM PRIORITIZE THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF ALL STUDENTS? HOW CAN WE HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT STUDENTS WON'T FEEL WON'T FEEL UNSUPPORTED WHILE NEVER -- WHILE NEVER -- WHILE NAVIGATING THESE CHALLENGES? AS A AS A LICENSED CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH PERSON, IT IS TIME FOR REAL CHANGE TO PROTECT THE WHOLE CHILD AND CHILD AND FOSTER A CULTURE OF SAFETY AND SUPPORT IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU TODAY. MY NAME MY NAME IS MY NAME IS LINDA WASHAM. I AM A RESIDENT OF APOLLO BEACH. AS A RETIRED TEACHER, I HAVE ALWAYS SUPPORTED PUBLIC EDUCATION. MY NINE-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON IS A THIRD THIRD GRADER AT APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND MY FIVE-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON WILL START THERE IN THE FALL. AFTER 43 YEARS OF TEACHING BOTH ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ACROSS THREE STATES, I FEEL COMPELLED TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MY GRANDSONS AND THE OTHER FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY. PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, NEIGHBORS, AND STUDENTS ARE ALL HERE TO ASK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. OUR AREA IS GROWING SO FAST THAT OUR SCHOOLS CANNOT KEEP UP. THEREFORE, I'D THEREFORE, I'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE K-8 INITIATIVE BY SHARING SOME RESEARCH ON THE BENEFITS OF K-8 SCHOOLS AS PUBLISHED IN THE SEPTEMBER 2017 ISSUE OF THE TAMPA BAY PARENTING NEWSLETTER. FIRST, A K-8 SCHOOL ALLOWS TEACHERS AND STAFF TO COLLABORATE ACROSS THE GRADE LEVELS, FOSTERING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND A COMMUNITY AND A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT THAT INCREASES SELF-ESTEEM. SECOND, PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO A STUDENT'S SUCCESS. WHEN STUDENTS MOVE TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, THIS TENDS TO DROP OFF, BUT NOT IN A BUT NOT IN A K-8 SCHOOL. THIRD, THE THIRD, THE K-8 SCHOOL THIRD, THE K-8 SCHOOL AFFORDS MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS. IT PROVIDES THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO OPPORTUNITIES TO MENTOR YOUNGER STUDENTS. FOURTH, K-8 SCHOOLS DON'T REQUIRE ADJUSTMENT TO A NEW CAMPUS WITH A NEW SET OF RULES. K-8 STUDENTS ALSO REPORT FEELING SAFER AT SCHOOL WITH FEWER DISCIPLINARY INCIDENCES. THIS DECREASES ANXIETY AND FREES UP TIME FOR THE STUDENTS TO DISCOVER THEIR INDIVIDUAL STRENGTHS. AND FIFTH, STUDIES SHOW THAT S.A.T. SCORES IN CORE CLASSES ARE HIGHER IN A K-8 SCHOOL AND STUDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO ENROLL IN ADVANCED STUDIES. STUDENT GPAs ALSO TEND TO BE HIGHER THAN THEIR PEERS IN TRADITIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOLS. THROUGHOUT MY TEACHING CAREER, I HAVE PERSONALLY OBSERVED ALL THESE ADVANTAGES. I URGE YOU TO DRIVE THROUGH THE SOUTH SHORE COMMUNITY. NOTICE THE NUMBER OF NEW HOMES BEING BUILT AND THE BEING BUILT AND THE INCREASING AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC, THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE DESPERATE TO ENSURE THAT ALL OUR KIDS HAVE THE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO EXCEL, A K-8 SCHOOL. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> I'M RACHAEL. I'M A PARENT OF TWO IN YOUR SCHOOLS. I AM HERE TODAY AHEAD OF THE MARCH 26 MEETING BECAUSE I WANTED MY FULL THREE MINUTES TO ASK YOU TO IMPLEMENT CHANGES IN THE BOOK CHALLENGE PROCESS. ONE CITIZEN IN THIS COUNTY IS CONSISTENTLY HERE SPEAKING OVER OTHER PARENTS TO DICTATE OUR KIDS' EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT. THIS PERSON IS THE CAUSE OF THE CHALLENGE OF THE BOOK IDENTICAL FOR WHICH YOU'RE HAVING THE UPCOMING MEETING. WHY DOES THE POLICY ALLOW ONE PERSON TO DRIVE SCHOOL TO SCHOOL WHERE THEIR KIDS DO NOT ATTEND. OUT OF CURIOSITY, I WENT TO THE CHALLENGE MEETING IN THE FALL AT ARMWOOD HIGH WHEN THIS PERSON CHALLENGED THIS BOOK IS GAY. AGAIN, WE WERE THE ONLY PARENTS THERE AND NEITHER OF US HAVE KIDS AT ARMWOOD. THERE WERE NO ARMWOOD PARENTS THERE. HOW IS THIS SET UP PRIORITIZING PARENTAL RIGHTS WHERE A PERSON LIVES 40 MINUTES FROM A SCHOOL CAN EFFECT CHANGE BUT THE WORKING CLASS PARENTS WHO DO HAVE CHILDREN IN ATTENDANCE CAN'T MAKE THE MEETING. SIMILARLY IT IS HARD FOR ME TO GET TO MEETINGS TO SPEAK BECAUSE I CAN'T GET HERE IN TIME UNLESS MY HUSBAND TAKES HOURS OF WORK. BUT THIS ONE PERSON IS HERE EVERY MONTH TO SPEAK OVER ME. THE SYSTEM PRIORITIZES PEOPLE WITH MEANS WHO DESIRE TO MARGINALIZE OTHER PARENTS AND CREATE A PROLONGED AND EXPENSIVE TEMPER TANTRUM. THE SAME WILL HAPPEN AT THE MARCH 26 MEETING ABOUT THE BOOKS. PEOPLE WITH MEANS, SOME OF WHOM FLY IN FROM OUT OF STATE SPEAK AT MY SCHOOL BOARD, WILL COME AND SAY -- ENTITLES THEM TO AN EQUAL SAY IN MY KID'S EDUCATION. DO THEY ALSO GET A SAY IN MY KID'S KID'S IEP PLAN? SOMEONE WHO CONFIDENTLY SAYS THAT SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING ISN'T SOMEONE I FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH HAVING POWER OVER MY KIDS. I DON'T WANT POLICY DICTATED BY PEOPLE WHO DEMONIZE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND SAY THAT CONSENT IS LANGUAGE OF GROOMERS AND DEFINES ILLICIT MATERIAL AS WHATEVER MAKES THEM UNCOMFORTABLE. ONE PERSON WITH THIS MUCH POWER OVER BOOKS IN SCHOOL IS WRONG. HOLDING UP IMAGES FROM THE BOOK BLANKET CALLED FOR THE DOXING OF YOUR POLICE OFFICER. THIS IS NOT PRIORITIZING MY PARENTAL RIGHTS. EVERY PARENT CAN OPT OUT OF WHATEVER MAKES THEM UNCOMFORTABLE. I DO THIS OFTEN. BUT I WANT MY RIGHT TO OPT IN JUST AS MUCH AS MY RIGHT TO OPT PARENT WHO IS NOT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL MAKING THAT CHOICE FOR ME. ONE PERSON'S DISCOMFORT SHOULD NOT DICTATE POLICY. ASK THAT THE BOARD IMPLEMENT NEW POLICIES THAT I AM NOT SPOKEN OVER BY RANDOM PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW MY KIDS. LET ME DO MY JOB. I KNOW HOW TO CONTACT MY KIDS' MEDIA SPECIALIST TO SAY NO THANKS ABOUT BOOKS. SHE IS AN E-MAIL AWAY. OUR MEDIA SPECIALIST IS GREAT. I DON'T NEED I DON'T NEED JULIE GEPHARDT OR -- WE ARE AN ACTIVE DUTY FAMILY. WE HAVE UNIQUE CHALLENGES. I DON'T WANT CIVILIANS WHO DON'T KNOW OUR CIRCUMSTANCES MAKING CALLS ON WHAT'S BEST FOR US. THANKS. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> HI. MY NAME IS COREY MY NAME IS COREY WASHAM. A PARENT AT APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. HERE TO READ FOR ANOTHER LOCAL PARENT WHO COULDN'T ATTEND. MY NAME IS TEAL BROOKS. I AM THE PARENT OF TWO CHILDREN AGES 8 AND 11 BOTH OF WHOM ATTENDED APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL UNTIL THE FALL OF 2023. MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE LIVED HERE SINCE 2013. WE BOTH GREW UP IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WHERE ACCOUNTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND REGULATION ARE EXPECTED. ABS IS AN ABS IS AN A-RATED SCHOOL AND TRUE GEM, ONE OF THE REASONS WE MOVED TO APOLLO BEACH. OUR CHILDREN LOVE OUR CHILDREN LOVE ABS AND WERE HEARTBROKEN WHEN WE HEARTBROKEN WHEN WE PULLED THEM. SIDNEY HAD TO BE ENROLLED IN A LOTTERY SO SHE COULD ATTEND A DECENT MIDDLE SCHOOL. ONLY MADE SENSE TO ENROLL OUR YOUNGER SON AT THE SAME TIME. IT ISN'T RIGHT THAT OUR KIDS ARE SEPARATED AND PULLED AWAY FROM THE FRIENDS THEY HAVE COME TO KNOW AND LOVE ALL BECAUSE THERE ISN'T A CLOSE MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR KIDS IN APOLLO BEACH. ABS STUDENTS END UP SPREAD ACROSS EIGHT DIFFERENT SCHOOLS WHERE THEY OFTEN DON'T KNOW ANYONE. TRANSITIONING FROM ELEMENTARY TO MIDDLE SCHOOL IS ONE THING, QUITE ANOTHER WHEN OUR KIDS STEP FOOT INTO A NEW SCHOOL AT 10 OR 11 YEARS OLD AND SUDDENLY DON'T KNOW ANYONE. ADDITIONALLY, THESE SCHOOLS ALL HAVE DIFFERENT DAYS OFF, DIFFERENT VACATION DAYS, DIFFERENT START AND END TIMES. IT IS A REAL NIGHTMARE HAVING KIDS AT MULTIPLE SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS LACKING A STRONG SUPPORT SYSTEM. THE ISSUE OF TRANSPORTATION MAKES MATTERS WORSE. CHARTER SCHOOLS LACK BUSING WHICH FORCES WORKING PARENTS TO COMPETE AND PAY FOR SPARSE AFTERCARE EVEN IF THEIR KIDS ARE OLD ENOUGH TO COME HOME AFTER SCHOOL. THE POOR KIDS ARE LEFT AT SCHOOL UNTIL 5 OR 6:30 AT NIGHT SOMETIMES, NOT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T BE AT HOME CAN'T BE AT HOME ALONE BUT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A RIDE TO GET THERE. THIS IS A 10.5 HOUR DAY, A LONGER DAY THAN MOST WORKING ADULTS. ADDITIONALLY, THE DISTANCE, TRAFFIC, AND LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN OUR AREA MEANS THAT OUR KIDS ARE NOT SAFE RIDING A BIKE OR WALKING HOME. PARENTS WHO DO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO PICK UP THEIR KIDS OFTEN SPEND OVER AN HOUR IN OUR CAR LINES. IF YOUR KID IS IN SPORT, YOU MUST RUSH STRAIGHT TO THE FIELDS TO MAKE IT ON TIME. THE TRANSPORTATION COST ALONE IS ENOUGH TO WARRANT THE K-8 INITIATIVE. PLEASE HEAR US WHEN WE SAY TURNING ABS INTO A K-8 IS NOT A WANT; IT'S A NEED. KIDS DESERVE A ZONED MIDDLE SCHOOL CLOSE TO HOME THAT THEY CAN ATTEND WITH ALL THEIR FRIENDS. WE ALL KNOW THE ADOLESCENT YEARS ARE TOUGH. LET'S MAKE IT A LITTLE LESS STRESSFUL IN THE FALL OF 2024. LET OUR DOLPHINS COME BACK HOME. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CHRISTY GOTO. I HAVE A FIRST I HAVE A FIRST GRADER, BREIEL AND A THIRD GRADER AND A THIRD GRADER LIAM AT APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY. I AM ALSO AN I AM ALSO AN ALUMNI OF APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY. I HAVE SEEN THE GROWTH IN OUR AREA FOR THE PAST AREA FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS, AND NOT NOT SEEN THE ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS NEEDED TO SUPPORT THE NEEDED TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH. ABS OPENED ABS OPENED IN 1982. CENSUS DATA, APOLLO BEACH CENSUS DATA, APOLLO BEACH AT 6,025 RESIDENTS. WE NOW WE NOW HAVE 26,444, WE NOW HAVE 26,444, A 338% GROWTH. THAT IS A LOT OF ADDITIONAL TAXPAYERS PAYING TOWARDS EDUCATION IN OUR AREA AND I HAVE NOT SEEN THE EQUIVALENT INVESTMENT IN OUR SCHOOLS BASED ON THIS GROWTH. OUR ZONED MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS BUILT IN 1957 WHICH NOT ONLY SERVES APOLLO BEACH BUT GIBSONTON AND RIVERVIEW WHICH HAVE ALL HAD TREMENDOUS GROWTH. THE K-8 SCHOOL THAT WAS BUILT IN OUR AREA IS NOT A ZONED SCHOOL BUT A MAGNET ON A LOTTERY SYSTEM OPEN TO ALL OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I HAVE APPLIED TO THE SCHOOL FOR MY CHILDREN AND NOT RECEIVED A SPOT FOR EITHER SPOT FOR EITHER ONE. IT APPEARS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET INTO AND IF I'M LUCKY, I MIGHT GET A SPOT FOR ONE OF MY KIDS, FORCING MY FAMILY TO MAKE THE DECISION TO SPLIT UP MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLKIDS TO SECURE A SPOT FOR ONE OF THEM IN A GOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL. BASED ON MULTIPLE RESEARCH STUDIES, AS WELL AS BENEFITS FOR THE COMMUNITY, THESE ARE THE BENEFITS I SEE OF THE BENEFITS I SEE OF THE K-8 MODEL FOR ABS. STUDENTS WHO TRANSITION TO SCHOOLS WITHOUT THEIR FRIENDS HAVE INCREASED FEELINGS OF ISOLATION, DISENGAGEMENT AND ALIENATION. THIS WOULD HELP WITH THAT ISSUE. THE KIDS HAVE GREATER SENSE OF SCHOOL COMMUNITY. IT WILL KEEP STUDENTS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS VERSUS LEAVING FOR CHARTER, HOMESCHOOL, OR PRIVATE SCHOOLS. YOUNG ADOLESCENTS CRAVE CONNECTION AND GIVING THEM THE K-8 HELPS THEM WITH THAT, KEEPING THEM WITH THEIR PEERS AND THE STAFF THAT THEY ALREADY KNOW. IT WILL KEEP OTHER SCHOOLS IN OUR GROWING AREA FROM BEING OVER CAPACITY. IT WILL KEEP TRAFFIC AND BUSES FROM TRAVELING FURTHER AWAY PUTTING MORE STRESS ON OUR ROADWAYS. AND STUDIES SHOW THAT KIDS IN K-8 HAVE HIGHER TEST SCORES IN MATH AND READING, BETTER ATTENDANCE, AND MORE SELF-ESTEEM. ABS HAS PROVEN TO BE A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL YEAR AFTER YEAR WITH A STRONG ADMINISTRATION, FACULTY, TEST SCORES AND SENSE OF COMMUNITY. IT IS A PLACE TEACHERS WANT TO BE AND STUDENTS WANT TO LEARN. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR CHILDREN, OUR SCHOOL, AND OUR COMMUNITY AND INVEST IN THEIR EDUCATION. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> I WOULD LIKE TO ISSUE AN EXPLICIT CONTENT WARNING IF ANYONE LEFT IN ANYONE LEFT IN HERE IS SENSITIVE TO THIS CONTENT. WHEN I CAME HERE THREE YEARS AGO, I GRANT YOU, YOU WERE NOT AWARE OF WHAT WAS IN OUR LIBRARIES. DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS PORNOGRAPHY HERE. SHOCKED WHEN I SHOCKED WHEN I READ ABOUT THE PEDOSILE IN THE BLUEST EYE, QUOTE, REST OF LITTLE QUOTE, REST OF LITTLE GIRLS, BUDS ON SOME OF THE SAPLINGS, AS HE CALLED THEM, SPRINGING LIKE RUBBER DARING ME TO TOUCH. I COULDN'T KEEP MY HANDS, MY MOUTH OFF THEM. TALKS ABOUT THEIR STURDY LITTLE TITS. THIS IS WHAT MY DAUGHTER WAS ASKED TO READ IN HIGH SCHOOL. SHE CAME HOME AND ASKED ME TO BUY THIS BOOK FOR HER. STILL, THERE ARE 40 COPIES OF THIS BOOK IN OUR SCHOOLS AND MAYBE TEACHERS STILL HAVING STUDENTS PURCHASE THEM, LIKE MY DAUGHTER, HER SOPHOMORE YEAR. I CAN FIND A LOT OF DIVERSE BOOKS THAT DON'T INCLUDE THIS TYPE OF CONTENT. NOW THREE YEARS LATER I'VE COME AROUND PROBABLY AROUND PROBABLY 25, 30 BOARD MEETINGS AND READ FROM SCORES OF EXPLICIT VILE BOOKS. SENT E-MAILS. GIVEN YOU CONTENT AND BEGGED AND PLEAD WITH TO YOU PROTECT THE STUDENTS. YOU EVEN ASKED ME NOT TO READ. I GET IT. THE BOOKS ARE HUMILIATING. IT'S HUMILIATING TO READ THEM OUT LOUD. YOU'VE TAKEN AWAY THE POSTERS OF THE THE NAKED SEX SCENES, THE CONTENTS OF YOUR BOOKS, AND IT IS IS EMBARRASSING. BUT NOTHING. I STILL KEEP CHECKING AND THE PORNOGRAPHIC BOOKS ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF THEM NOW THAT I HAVE DISCOVERED. YOUR BOOK COMMITTEES ARE DOUBLING DOWN APPROVING THE CONTENT AGAIN AND AGAIN. PRINCIPALS, HEAD MEDIA SPECIALISTS OVER ALL OF SPECIALISTS OVER ALL OF HCPS. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT. ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION. COORDINATOR OF SCHOOL COUNSELING SERVICES, THEY ARE VOTING YES ON THIS BOOK, THIS BOOK, IDENTICAL. ALREADY APPROVED IN BOTH THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND YOUR DISTRICT COMMITTEE. 24 COPIES OF THIS IN OUR DISTRICT INCLUDING AT MY DAUGHTER'S FORMER HIGH SCHOOL. ONE OF HER MILDER BOOKS I MIGHT ADD, YOUR COMMITTEE HAS SAID THIS, IT IS A CAUTIONARY TALE, A TALE OF SURVIVAL. SO IN THE MEANTIME, WHEN YOU GIVE THIS A TALE OF SURVIVAL, YOU'RE SAYING THAT IN ORDER TO CAUTION KIDS YOU HAVE TO DRAG THEM THROUGH THE SEWAGE OF THIS CONTENT, GIVING THEM CONTENT, GIVING THEM GRAPHIC DETAIL OF THE PSYCHOTIC BDS AND RAPE RAPE SCENE, WHERE RAPE SCENE, WHERE HE DRUGS HIS VICTIM AND THEN HE FLIPS ME ON TO THE BELLY, YANKS MY LEGS APART, I KNOW THE RESTRAINTS ARE THERE. SAY IT, HE DEMANDS, LIKE I SHOULD KNOW HE MEANS, PLEASE, SIR, PUNISH ME. HE PUNISHES ME. I WHISPER INTO THE PILLOW, I UNDERSTAND. LEATHER SNAPS, HEIGHTENED PAIN FORCED INSIDE ME, STUFFED INSIDE ME. THEN I CAN READ TO YOU FROM THE RAPE SCENE OF HER FATHER RAPING HER. TRIED TO SIT UP BUT DADDY TRIED TO SIT UP BUT DADDY PUSHED HER DOWN GENTLY AGAINST THE MATTRESS. STAY LIKE THAT. I WANT TO TEACH YOU SOMETHING NEW, LIFTED UP THE NEW, LIFTED UP THE NIGHTGOWN, ROLLED OVER HER BELLY -- >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. >> DO YOUR JOB, PLEASE. >>Karen Perez: NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. >> TERRY CISCO, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBERLAIN HIGH SCHOOL LEGACY ALLIANCE. I WANT TO THANK THE SCHOOL BOARD AND DISTRICT LEADERSHIP FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE TO HELP US IN THE THE CHAMBERLAIN. EACH PERSON SITTING BEHIND ME HAS GIVEN US TIME FROM THEIR BUSY SCHEDULES. THEY HAVE LISTENED AND RESPONDED. WE HAVE A NEW STANDARD OF BEAUTIFYING OUR CAMPUS BASED ON CHRIS FARKAS' CHRIS FARKAS' WORK. JESUIT, WE DON'T WANT IT. WE GOT SPOILED BUT WE'RE SO PROUD OF OUR CAMPUS. THANK YOU, GUYS. HOWEVER, IF THERE WAS A STUDY DONE ON HOW TO CONVERT A HIGH-PERFORMING HIGH SCHOOL INTO A LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOL, CHAMBERLAIN IS THE POSTER CHILD. HERE ARE THREE STEPS. STEP ONE, CHANGE THE BOUNDARIES. IN 1996 I ATTENDED THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING WHEN CHAMBERLAIN BOUNDARIES WERE ADJUSTED SOUTHWARD TO INCLUDE SULPHUR SPRINGS AND PARTS OF SEMINOLE HEIGHTS. RIGHT AFTER THE VOTE, MY DEAR FRIEND WALT SICKLES CAME DOWN OFF THE DAIS AND ASKED WHAT THE BOARD HAD JUST DONE. MY RESPONSE WAS THAT CHAMBERLAIN WOULD NEVER AGAIN BE THE SAME DYNAMIC EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. STEP NUMBER TWO, SURROUND A SCHOOL WITH MAGNET AND ATTRACTOR SCHOOLS. JUST ONE EXAMPLE IS MAKING BUCHANAN A BIOENGINEERING SCHOOL AND DOING NOTHING FOR ADUM. AS AN AS AN ASPIRATIONAL PARENT PREFER TO SAY YOUR CHILD IS IN A BIOENGINEERING PROGRAM OR IS IT ADUM. THE MAGNET AND ATTRACTOR SCHOOLS HAVE POACHED THE FAST THREE, FOUR, FIVES AWAY FROM SCHOOLS LIKE CHAMBERLAIN. TODAY, AS YOU'RE KEENLY AWARE, THE PM 1 FOR NINTH GRADERS AT CHAMBERLAIN PLACED 91% OF THEM AS FAST ONES AND TWOS. 91%. STEP THREE, TAKE AWAY TREASURED MASCOT, SINCE 1956 A SYMBOL OF PRIDE AND CREATED AN EXPECTATION OF HIGH ACHIEVEMENT. I LOVE THE STORM AND UNDERSTAND THE ACTION. BUT THIS SINGLE MOVE DISCONNECTED THE ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY FROM COMMUNITY FROM CHAMBERLAIN. WHAT WAS ONCE A STRENGTH OF CHAMBERLAIN HAS NOW BEEN DIMINISHED. I'M 72 YEARS OLD. DO I THIS BECAUSE I LOVE OUR STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES AND TWOS. WE SO VALUE OUR WE SO VALUE OUR PRINCIPALS, OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND THE STAFF IN OUR SCHOOLS. THEY ARE CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONALS. BUT WE HAVE GOT TO DO SOMETHING PROFOUNDLY DIFFERENT TO FIX THE CHAMBERLAIN ECOSYSTEM FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF. DUE TO MY TIME DUE TO MY TIME CONSTRAINT, I WANT TO JUST PLANT FOUR SEEDS FOR YOU TONIGHT. NUMBER ONE, I WANT TO ESTABLISH A CHAMBERLAIN PATTERN VERTICAL TO TO COMPLEMENT THE HORIZONTAL STRUCTURE OF MANAGEMENT. THERE IS A LACK OF CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN OUR FEEDER PATTERN OF SCHOOLS. NUMBER TWO, I'D LOVE TO SUGGEST WE PLACE IN A SHEERA MITCHELL AT THE HEAD OF THE VERTICAL. UNIQUELY POSITIONED, QUALIFIED AND AVAILABLE FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS. NUMBER THREE, WORK TOWARDS MAKING ADUM AND CHAMBERLAIN WORK TOWARDS 100% TOWARDS 100% 3DE. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: SEEING NO OTHER PUBLIC SPEAKERS, I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHT APPEARS. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE CONSENT AGENDA HAS BEEN APPROVED. I NOW WILL CALL ON SUPERINTENDENT AYRES TO HIGHLIGHT OUR ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, CHAIR PEREZ. BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE TWO PRINCIPAL APPOINTMENTS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING. OUR FIRST APPOINTMENT, PABLO, IF YOU WANT TO GET THE SLIDE UP THERE. WE'LL START WITH ANDREA BREINER. ANDREA, IF YOU COULD PLEASE STAND. YOUR NEW PRINCIPAL AT SUMMERFIELD ELEMENTARY. [ APPLAUSE ] ANDREA IS A PRODUCT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND GRADUATED FROM ARMWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. BEGAN HER TEACHING CAREER AS FIRST GRADE TEACHER AT SEFFNER ELEMENTARY IN ELEMENTARY IN 2005. 2010, ART AT TURNER ELEMENTARY AND 2013 APPOINTED ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR ELEMENTARY INSTRUCTION AT INSTRUCTION AT SHAW. IN 2015, BECAME ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT CYPRESS CREEK. 2021 MOVED 2021 MOVED TO HER CURRENT SITE AS ASSISTANT AS ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT SUMMERFIELD SUMMERFIELD CROSSING. OUR NEW PRINCIPAL AT SUMMERFIELD ELEMENTARY, ANDREA BRNNER. CONGRATULATIONS, ANDREA. BRIAN HARVEY, THE CURRENT PRINCIPAL WHO PRINCIPAL WHO MENTORED ANDREA THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND CARMINE. CARMINE RETIRED FROM SUMMERFIELD ELEMENTARY. CARMINE 26 YEARS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AND SEVEN YEARS THE LAST PRINCIPAL OVER AT PRINCIPAL OVER AT SUMMERFIELD. CONGRATULATIONS, CARMINE, TO YOU AND YOUR RETIREMENT. OUR OTHER OUR OTHER PRINCIPAL APPOINTMENT THIS EVENING, SHE ACTUALLY COULD NOT BE HERE, BUT DAPHNEE FOURQUREAN THE WERE YOU PRINCIPAL AT TWIN LAKES. CONGRATULATIONS TO CONGRATULATIONS TO DAPHNE. ANOTHER HCPS ANOTHER HCPS PRODUCT. GRADUATED HILLSBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL IN '83. TOUCHED AT CRESTWOOD, MENDENHALL. IN 2001 APPOINTED TO AP AND SERVED AT WEST TAMPA AND MORT. APPOINTED APPOINTED PRINCIPAL AT METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES IN 2011. OPENED SULLIVAN PARTNERSHIP IN 2015. PRINCIPAL OF KIMBALL PRINCIPAL OF KIMBALL ELEMENTARY 2018 TO '22. PRINCIPAL OF JUST LAST YEAR. CURRENTLY NOW CURRENTLY NOW PRINCIPAL ON SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT SUPPORTING IPPOLITO AND STUDENTS TRANSITIONING FROM JUST TO TAMPA BAY BOULEVARD BAY BOULEVARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. CONGRATULATIONS TO DAPHNE, THE NEW PRINCIPAL OF TWIN LAKES. [ APPLAUSE ] MADAM CHAIR, THOSE ARE OUR TWO PRINCIPAL APPOINTMENTS. >>Karen Perez: CONGRATULATIONS, PRINCIPALS. NOW WE WILL PAUSE FOR A MOMENT FOR THOSE APPOINTMENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES THAT WOULD LIKE TO EXIT THE BOARDROOM. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL NOW BE HEARD. C 2.01, C 2.01, 5.02, 7.02, C 2.01, 5.02, 7.02, 7.13, C 2.01, 5.02, 7.02, 7.13, 10.01 AND 11.01. THE FIRST ITEM, 2.01, APPLICATION FOR FLORIDA POST SECONDARY COMPREHENSIVE TRANSITION PROGRAM. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Van Ayres: THE FLORIDA POSTSECONDARY COMPREHENSIVE TRANSITION PROGRAM, THE TRANSITION PROGRAM, THE FPCTP, WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ADULT STUDENTS, AGAIN, ADULT STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN TRADITIONAL CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND RECEIVE ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS TO INCREASE THEIR LIKELIHOOD FOR COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM, BEING EMPLOYED, MAINTAINING EMPLOYMENT AND EARNING AN INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION. APPROVAL FOR THIS PROGRAM WOULD OPEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE GRANT TO FUND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO SUPPORT STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF STAFF AS WELL AS SCHOLARSHIPS FOR PROGRAM STUDENTS. FLORIDA CENTER FOR UNIQUE ABILITIES REQUIRES GOVERNING BOARD TO APPROVE THE APPLICATION BEFORE SUBMISSION. THIS IS AN APPLICATION THAT REQUIRES THE GOVERNING BOARD APPROVAL. ONCE THIS IS SUBMITTED, IT WILL THEN BE ABLE TO PROCEED AND BEGIN ASSUMING APPROVED, BEGIN OUR WORK THIS FALL. >>Karen Perez: I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 2.01. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON AND A SECOND BY MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER GRAY AND MEMBER RENDON, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I DO HAVE SOME COMMENTS. FIRST, I'M FIRST, I'M VERY EXCITED THAT KINGSTA IS A PART. THANK YOU FOR YOUR MONUMENTAL SERVICE TO THE DISTRICT. ALSO SCOTT BROOKS AND CAREER-SOURCE. SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, I'VE SAID BEFORE THAT MORE ATTENTION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN FOR OUR NEEDS TO BE TAKEN FOR OUR ESE POPULATION. I'M HAPPY, EVEN THOUGH IT I'M HAPPY, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A SMALL GIVE, IT WILL BE I BELIEVE VERY EFFECTIVE. AND I'M THANKFUL. I JUST HAD A FEW QUESTIONS, AND I SHOULD HAVE ASKED SCOTT. THERE YOU ARE. MR. MR. BROOKS, WHEN THEY ARE CERTIFIED, WILL THEY BE ABLE TO SERVE AS PARAS? JUST SHARE HOW THEY WILL FIT INTO OUR SCHOOL SITE SYSTEM. >>Warren Brooks: YES, MA'AM. ONCE THE STUDENTS GRADUATE FROM ERWIN AND THAT PROGRAM, THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO BE HIRED BY US HOPEFULLY AS LUNCHROOM WORKERS. THAT'S ONE OF THE FIELDS THAT WE'VE HAD SOME SUCCESS WITH OUR CULINARY ART STUDENTS THAT WENT THROUGH, GOT THEIR CERTIFICATION, WORKED WITH US AND WERE HIRED. LUNCH ROOM LADIES, BUT LUNCH ROOM PERSONNEL THROUGHOUT DIFFERENT SCHOOLS IN OUR COMMUNITY. >>Lynn Gray: THAT'S WONDERFUL. HOW DO THEY FIT IN WITH CareerSource? I WAS READING THE CONTRACT. >> CareerSource IS ONE OF THE OTHER FUNDERS OR FOLKS THAT WORKS WITH US. THIS ONE SPECIFICALLY IS THIS ONE SPECIFICALLY IS REALLY WORKING WITH THE PARTNERSHIP WITH UCF IN ORDER TO HELP PAY TUITION. THIS PROGRAM IS REALLY A UNIVERSITY DRIVEN PROGRAM, SO SOME FOLKS MAY BE AWARE OF USF OR UCF OR SOME OF THE PLACES LIKE THAT WHERE THEY ACTUALLY PAY FOR HOUSING AND TUITION AND ALL THESE THINGS. OURS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE OUR COLLEGES DON'T QUITE DO THAT BUT THIS PROGRAM WILL OFFER TUITION ASSISTANCE AND HOPEFULLY FOR THE HIGH FUNCTIONING STUDENTS REALLY BE ABLE TO GET EMPLOYED. OUR GOAL IS TO TRULY BRING THEM ON BOARD, TRY OUR BEST TO GIVE THEM AS MANY SUPPORTS AS WE CAN TO GET THEM HIRED AND IN GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT. >>Lynn Gray: THAT'S FANTASTIC. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. PARHAM, ALSO, FOR LEADING THE CHARGE AS WELL. THAT'S ALL OF MY COMMENTS. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. BROOKS, AND YOUR STAFF FOR MOVING STRONGLY ON THIS PROJECT. THE CENTER FOR UNIQUE ABILITIES IS A VERY UNIQUE ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN THAT HAS BEEN FUNDED FOR SEVERAL YEARS YEARS AND STARTED WITH -- MY MIND WENT BLANK. STARTED OUT IN THE SENATE THAT GAVE A WAY IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS WITH SIGNIFICANT DISABILITIES, ESPECIALLY INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM AND OTHER UNIQUE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH A PROGRAM TO HAVE THEM CERTIFIED IN A JOB SKILL, TO HAVE THEM BECOME EMPLOYED AND BECOME A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF SOCIETY. THIS IS A UNIQUE SITUATION FOR SOME OF OUR INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE UNIQUE ABILITIES THAT ARE IN OUR SCHOOLS CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, AGES 18 TO 22, WHERE WE ARE GOING TO ACTUALLY PREPARE THEM FOR LIFE, PREPARE THEM TO HAVE SOME KIND SOME KIND OF MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT AND BE SKILLED. I THINK IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT WITH THIS GRANT, STUDENTS THEMSELVES WOULD BE GETTING SUBSEQUENT GRANTS TO PAY FOR TRANSPORTATION, PAY FOR SOME OF THEIR NEEDS, WHETHER EQUIPMENT, WHETHER CLOTHING, WHETHER SAFETY EQUIPMENT. IT'S AN ENDLESS OPTION OF POSSIBILITIES. IT IS UP TO THIS DISTRICT TO BECOME BECOME INNOVATIVE, TO BECOME NEW, TO BECOME FAR-REACHING AND LET THIS PUBLIC KNOW THAT INDIVIDUALS WITH UNIQUE ABILITY MATTER JUST AS MUCH AS EVERYBODY ELSE AND WE NEED TO PREPARE THEM FOR LIFE. WE CAN TAKE THIS GRANT AND ADDITIONAL GRANTS AND GO AS FAR AS AS WE WANT TO GO TO BE ABLE TO PREPARE OUR STUDENTS FOR LIFE THAT HAVE UNIQUE ABILITIES. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS 100% UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS 100% A PRIORITY TO ME. AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A QUARTERLY UPDATE ON WHERE THIS GRANT LIES IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE MOVE FORWARD AND WE MOVE FORWARD WITH RIGOR BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS LACKING IN OUR DISTRICT IS TO GIVE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES SUCH A LIFT UP AND AN ABILITY TO BECOME AN ACTIVE MEMBER AND PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF OUR SOCIETY. SO THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. AND TO MEMBER RENDON'S POINT, MANY OF OUR PARENTS WHOSE STUDENTS GO THROUGH OUR SYSTEM UNTIL THE AGE OF UNTIL THE AGE OF 22, 21, THEY FIND THEMSELVES FIND THEMSELVES IN A DIFFICULT PLACE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PLACE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT SURE WHAT TO DO AND THEY FIND WHAT TO DO AND THEY FIND CLOSED DOORS A LOT OF TIMES, NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW TO NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM TO WHICH THEY NEED TO GUIDE THEIR STUDENTS GUIDE THEIR STUDENTS WITH UNIQUE DISABILITIES -- WITH UNIQUE ABILITIES. ASSISTING THEM FROM OUR ASSISTING THEM FROM OUR END TO HELP THEIR STUDENT HELP THEIR STUDENT NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM ALONG WITH THEIR PARENTS IS A GAME CHANGER FOR THEM. SO I SO I APPRECIATE THIS ITEM ALONG WITH WHAT I HEAR FROM MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING THIS ITEM TO US TODAY. WITH NO OTHER COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHT APPEARS. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE THE NEXT ITEM IS THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM 5.02, COLORS, MASCOT, AND COLORS, MASCOT, AND BELL TIMES FOR ADUM FOR ADUM K-8 SCHOOL. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, CHAIR PEREZ. 5.02 IS APPROVAL OF THE COLORS, THE MASCOT AND THE BELL TIMES FOR OUR NEW ADUM K-8. AS OUR BOARD MEMBERS, THIS IS OUR NEW SCHOOL FOR THE 24-25 SCHOOL YEAR AS PER SCHOOL YEAR AS PER BOARD POLICY. PRINCIPAL SCOTT WEAVER, THE PRINCIPAL OF ADUM, IF YOU CAN COME UP. HE'S WORKED WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM TO ENSURE ALL STAKEHOLDERS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON THE MASCOT SELECTION. IT IS PRETTY COOL, AVENUE ATORS. FITTING TRIBUTE TO MILITARY FAMILIES AND MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE JUST FIVE MILES AWAY. PROPOSED SCHOOL COLORS BLEND WELL WITH THE COLORS USED BY THE ARCHITECT AND THE AERONAUTICAL THEME OF THE THEME OF THE MASCOT. BELL TIMES 8 TO 2:50 AND ADHERE TO ALL CURRENT AND FUTURE GUIDELINES. IF YOU CAN GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE MASCOT. I KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF EXCITEMENT AROUND ADUM AND THE OPENING THIS FALL. >> I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE THIS EVENING. I'M SCOTT WEAVER, THE INAUGURAL PRINCIPAL OF KENNETH E. ADUM, K-8 MAGNET SCHOOL IN SOUTH TAMPA. I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF A WAY JUST TO DESCRIBE THE EXCITEMENT IN SOUTH TAMPA RIGHT NOW. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN THE SOCIAL MEDIA. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE MOMS AND DADS THAT AND DADS THAT HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF SUPPORTIVE OF ME AND OF THE SCHOOL. ONE THING I COULD ONE THING I COULD THINK OF IN THE PAST IS BACK THE PAST IS BACK IN 2002, I ATTENDED A LEADERSHIP GROUP OVER AT ECKERD COLLEGE. SHAKE WASHINGTON WAS ALSO IN THAT TRAINING WITH ME. I REMEMBER THE FINAL DAY OF THE TRAINING WHEN SHAKE STOOD ON TOP OF A TABLE AND DID A DANCE IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. IF YOU KNOW SHAKE, THEN YOU'RE NOT SURPRISED BY THAT. HE'S HIGH ENERGY. BUT A GREAT MENTOR FOR MANY PEOPLE. SO WAS WE PREPARE FOR THE GRAND OPENING, I'VE BEEN MEETING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, MOMS, DADS AT RESTAURANTS, IN THE COMMUNITY. WE'VE HAD WE'VE HAD OVER 1600 STUDENTS ALREADY APPLY FOR THE SCHOOL AND WE'RE STILL OPEN FOR ANOTHER TWO WEEKS. I ANTICIPATE I ANTICIPATE GETTING CLOSE TO 2,000. THE PARENTS, I GET CALLS EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM PARENTS WANTING TO BE A PART OF THE NEW SCHOOL. THEY WANT TO KNOW THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO RIGHT NOW. SO WE'RE DEVELOPING A FOUNDATION. WE MET LAST NIGHT FOR THREE HOURS. A PTSA, A DAD'S CLUB, OF COURSE, EVERY SCHOOL I WORK AT, WE HAVE TO HAVE A STRONG DAD'S CLUB. AND THIS YEAR AT ADUM, IT WILL BE THE FIRST TIME BE THE FIRST TIME THAT I'VE EVER BEEN A PART OF A SCHOOL WHERE WE HAD A MOM'S HAD A MOM'S CLUB. WE'VE ALREADY HAD WE'VE ALREADY HAD OVER 60 MOMS AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE ANNOUNCING THE MEETING PLACE THURSDAY EVENING WHEN WE'RE MEETING AT ROBINSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR OUR SECOND COMMUNITY OVERVIEW. THE FIRST COMMUNITY OVERVIEW WAS AT PLANT HIGH SCHOOL, AND WE HAD OVER 700 PARENTS IN ATTENDANCE. SO EVERY SINGLE SEAT WAS SO EVERY SINGLE SEAT WAS TAKEN. THEY WERE STANDING AROUND THE ENTIRE ROOM, OUT IN THE HALLWAY. I THINK WE HAD ANOTHER HUNDRED PARENTS ONLINE WATCHING. I MEAN, IT'S BEEN NOTHING BUT SPECTACULAR. I ASSURE YOU WE'RE GOING TO KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK. IT WILL BE AN OPENING UNLIKE ANYTHING YOU'VE EVER SEEN. I'M VERY EXCITED. SO THE FIRST THING, SO THE FIRST THING, AS WE PREPARE FOR THE GRAND OPENING, THERE ARE A FEW REMAINING DETAILS THAT NEED APPROVAL. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS FIRST, I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS OUR SCHOOL COLORS. I AM PROPOSING THAT OUR OFFICIAL SCHOOL COLORS BE NAVY SCHOOL COLORS BE NAVY BLUE, CAROLINA BLUE, GRAY AND WHITE. THESE COLORS WERE CHOSEN BECAUSE THEY FALL IN LINE WITH THE COLORS BEING USED IN CONSTRUCTION. THE COLOR SCHEMATIC SHOWN ON THE SCREEN FROM THE ARCHITECT LONG AND ASSOCIATES SHOWS HOW THESE COLORS ARE BEING USED THROUGHOUT THE THE SCHOOL. DUE TO THEIR STRONG PHYSICAL PRESENCE AROUND THE CAMPUS, WE ARE PRESENTING THEM FOR APPROVAL AS THE OFFICIAL SCHOOL COLORS. THESE FOUR OPTIONS WILL ALSO HELP US DETERMINE UNIFORM TOP, BOTTOM, AND SPIRIT SHIRT COLORS. I HAVE A I HAVE A FEW SAMPLES THAT I CAN PASS PASS AROUND. >>Karen Perez: ARE WE ALLOWED TO KEEP THE SHIRTS? [ [ LAUGHTER ] >> NEXT, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT OUR PROPOSED SCHOOL MASCOT AND LOGO OPTION. WE RELEASED A SURVEY TO THE COMMUNITY AND PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS, FAMILY AND STAFF BOTH ONLINE AND DURING AN INFORMATION SESSION. OVER A TWO-WEEK PERIOD, WE HAD OVER 1300 RESPONSES. OF THE RESPONSES OF THE RESPONSES SUBMITTED, 64% FELT THAT AVIATORS WOULD BE THE BEST CHOICE TO BE THE MASCOT OF KENNETH E. ADUM MAGNET K-8 SCHOOL. AVIATORS IS ALSO A NOD TO OUR MIDDLE PARTNERS AT MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE AND A STRONG MILITARY CONNECTED CONNECTED PRESENCE WE HAVE THROUGH OUR FAMILIES. ON THE SCREEN YOU WILL FIND A FEW VARIATIONS OF WHAT OUR LOGO WOULD LOOK LIKE. FOR THE MASCOT COSTUME, I AM LOOKING INTO LOOKING INTO OPTIONS FOR AN EAGLE DRESSED IN PILOT'S GEAR. THE LAST ITEM I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS FOR YOUR PROPOSAL IS THE START AND END TIME FOR ADUM START AND END TIME FOR ADUM K-8. I AM PROPOSING AN 8 A.M. START TIME AND A TIME AND A 2:50 P.M. END TIME. I'M ALSO AWARE THERE IS ANOTHER SCHOOL, YORK, THAT IS IN A SIMILAR SITUATION AS OURS, AND I BELIEVE THEY HAVE AN 8:10 START TIME. SO IF YOU WANTED TO KEEP US IN ALIGNMENT WITH THEM I WOULD BE MORE THAN AGREEABLE TO THAT AS WELL. FOLLOWING OUR FIRST INFORMATION SYSTEM, SYSTEM, I HEARD FROM FAMILIES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE AN EARLIER START TIME WITH AN 8 OR 8:10 A.M., WE WOULD FALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH HOUSE ACCORDANCE WITH HOUSE BILL 7333, WHICH WILL GO INTO EFFECT IN JULY 2026 AND WILL REQUIRE MIDDLE SCHOOL INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS TO START NO EARLIER THAN 8 A.M. ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION, SO THIS PROPOSED START TIME WOULD NOT IMPACT BUS ROUTES IN OUR AREA. THANK YOU, BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT, FOR YOUR TIME. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS REGARDING THESE THREE PROPOSED ITEMS. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 5.02. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER HAHN AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER VAUGHN AND MEMBER HAHN, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. MEMBER VAUGHN. >>Jessica Vaughn: I DEFER TO MEMBER HAHN WHOSE DISTRICT THIS IS TO GO AHEAD AND SPEAK FIRST. THANK YOU. >>Stacy Hahn: YOU ARE VERY KIND. I'M VERY EXCITED. I LIVE IN THE HEART OF SOUTH TAMPA AND THE BUZZ IS EVERYWHERE. I GO TO A GROCERY STORE, THE MOVIE THEATER, WALK AROUND THE BLOCK AND EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT. SO KUDOS TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM. YOU'VE GOTTEN THE WORD OUT AND PEOPLE ARE EXCITED. I DEFER I DEFER TO YOUR EXPERTISE AND THE DISTRICT'S EXPERTISE AROUND THE START TIME. IT MAKES SENSE TO ME WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THOUGH. I LOVE THE I LOVE THE MASCOT. IT'S VERY UNIQUE AND I LOVE THE IMAGERY OF AN EAGLE SOARING THROUGH THE AIR, DRESSED AS AN AVIATOR, EVEN A PLANE SOARING THROUGH THE AIR AND HOW THE KIDS WILL GO TO THE SCHOOL AND SOAR TO THE STARS. I LOVE ALL THE IMAGERY AROUND IT. IT'S JUST VERY UNIQUE. I'M EXCITED. I KNOW FAMILY, FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS ARE VERY EXCITED. IT'S GOING TO BE A IT'S GOING TO BE A SUCCESS. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS, SO I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK. I KNOW IT'S GOT TO BE VERY EXCITING. EVERY TIME I TALK TO A PRINCIPAL WHO IS OPENING A NEW SCHOOL LIKE THIS, IT'S THIS, IT'S A VERY EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE FIRST PRINCIPAL OF A NEW SCHOOL, I WOULD IMAGINE. IT'S A LOT OF PRESSURE, RIGHT? BUT I WOULD IMAGINE IT'S VERY EXCITING. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT EVERY PRINCIPAL GETS TO EXPERIENCE IN THEIR CAREER. SO YOU REALLY GET TO SET THE TONE AND REALLY THE TONE AND REALLY THE FOUNDATION FOR A STRONG LEGACY. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE DOING. I'M VERY EXCITED TO SUPPORT THIS TONIGHT. >> THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. MEMBER VAUGHN. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I ECHO A LOT OF DR. I ECHO A LOT OF DR. HAHN'S SENTIMENTS. IT IS A LOT OF HARD WORK. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE TO TAKE ON AN UNDERTAKING OF OPENING A SCHOOL LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE, SO MANY STUDENTS WHO ARE ALREADY LINING UP, YOU SAID, YOU ARE ANTICIPATING 2,000 APPLICATIONS, WHICH SHOWS HOW MUCH EXCITEMENT THERE IS AROUND THIS SCHOOL. I ALSO LOVE THE DESIGN. I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO SEE THE ORANGE INCORPORATED IN THE SCHOOL COLORS, BUT I THINK IT WILL BE GREAT THE WAY IT IS, THE SHIRTS ARE VERY BEAUTIFUL. I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU ALLOWED THE STUDENTS TO HAVE SOME INPUT ON THE MASCOT. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE STUDENT VOICES ARE INCLUDED IN THAT AND THEY ARE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. I LIKE THAT PART OF THE PROCESS OF LETTING THE STUDENTS AGAIN HAVE INPUT ON THAT. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT ENGAGING THEM INTO THE SCHOOL AND FEELING A PART OF IT. I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU DID THAT. AND THAT THE COMMUNITY IS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT. I THINK THIS IS I THINK THIS IS A TESTAMENT TO IF WE'RE PROPERLY FUNDED HOW WE CAN CREATE REALLY GREAT CAN CREATE REALLY GREAT K-8s, WHICH I THINK OUR COMMUNITY WANTS AND I THINK THIS WILL BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE CAN DO IN OTHER PARTS OF OUR DISTRICT AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK AND I'M EXCITED TO SUPPORT THIS TONIGHT AS WELL. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MR. WEAVER, YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE SUCH A GREAT JOB, ROLAND PARK, WITH PARENTS AND THE DYNAMICS OF A LOT OF COMMUNITY AND PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IS YOUR WHEELHOUSE FOR SURE. WELL, BLUE, BY THE WAY, IS MY FAVORITE COLOR, SO THAT'S GREAT. I LOVE I LOVE THE AFFIRMATION -- BLUE IS A VERY STRONG COLOR, NAVY BLUE IS, AND SO IS THE MILITARY. IT SEEMS TO ME JUST REALLY PUTTING THE SAME TYPE -- IN THE SAME TYPE OF ELEMENT AND THEN THE AVIATION. I LIKE THE IMAGERY THAT MEMBER HAHN HAS HAHN HAS SHARED, TOO, SOAR TO FREEDOM, SOAR TO GREATNESS. I KNOW THE FAMILIES WILL BE EXCITED. ALSO, THE START TIME I THINK THAT THAT YOU CAREFULLY THOUGHT ABOUT SO DID THE STAFF. I CONCUR. BUT I'M VERY, BUT I'M VERY, VERY EXCITED FOR YOU. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE AND A LOT OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT, WHICH IS FANTASTIC FOR THE KIDS AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: YES, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. IT IS SUCH A NEAT EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY GIVING BACK TO THE MILITARY AND THE DESIGN IS JUST SO FITTING. I COME FROM A LITTLE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BE APPLYING TO THE SCHOOL ARE MEMBERS OF MY COMMUNITY IN THE EAST SIDE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THAT ARE GOING TO BE WORKING AT THE BASE. WHETHER OUR MILITARY, OUR EX-MILITARY OR CIVILIANS, AND THEY ARE COMING VERY FAR. THEY ARE DRIVING AN HOUR IN. THEY WANT THEIR KIDS CLOSE TO HAVE WE LOOKED AT THAT IN RELATION TO OUR START TIMES? OF THE START TIME AT THE BASE AND RELATING TO THE KIDS THAT WILL BE COMING OVER WITH THOSE CIVILIANS AND MILITARY PEOPLE COMING FROM THE EAST SIDE OF THE COUNTY? DOES THAT COINCIDE WITH BEING ABLE TO BE ACCOMMODATING? THAT MAY BE A QUESTION, MAYBE SOMETHING YOU ALL NEED TO LOOK INTO. I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING WE DEFINITELY WANT TO LOOK INTO BECAUSE THE FACT I KNOW A LARGE PORTION OF PEOPLE THAT ARE APPLYING FOR THAT, THEY WANT THEIR KIDS CLOSER WHILE THEY ARE ON BASE. SO MANY OF THE FAMILIES IN OUR MILITARY AND OUR CIVILIAN WORKERS HAVE TO LEAVE FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME, SO THEY LIKE THE FACT THAT THEIR KIDS ARE CLOSE TO THE BASE WITH OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS TO BE AROUND. THE CONSISTENCY. THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN. GREAT WORK. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER WASHINGTON. >>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. SCOTT, I KNOW YOU ARE EXCITED. IT'S GREAT TO OPEN UP A IT'S GREAT TO OPEN UP A NEW SCHOOL BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUT YOUR OWN TOUCH ON THE SCHOOL AND I SEE YOU'VE ALREADY STARTED DOING IT. I LIKE THE PART ABOUT THE BLUE. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE DO THAT SOMETIMES, BECAUSE KIDS SOMETIMES HAVE A TENDENCY TO MARK ON THE WALL AT THE BOTTOM. WHEN YOU GOT DARK COLORS IT MAKES THE SCHOOL, REALLY KEEPS IT LOOKING REALLY CLEAN. SCOTT I'VE KNOWN YOU A LONG TIME. YOU ALMOST TOLD A SECRET ON ME THERE. I KNOW YOUR HARD WORK, SCOTT, AND YOUR DEDICATION, YOU'VE BEEN AN ADMINISTRATOR FOR A LONG TIME AND REAL GOOD ADMINISTRATOR IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I LOVE I LOVE THAT THE AVIATION PART OF IT, LETTING THE KIDS DO IT BECAUSE THEY GOT BECAUSE THEY GOT BUY-IN FROM THE PARENTS, FROM THE DADS, EVEN THE DADS. BUY-IN FROM THE STUDENTS, DADS AND THE COMMUNITY. SCOTT, I KNOW YOU'LL DO A GREAT JOB AND I HAVE TO COME OVER AND VISIT YOUR SCHOOL SOMETIME. THANK YOU, NATURE. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER COMBS. >>Nadia Combs: I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, MR. WEAVER. YOU WILL BE VERY MISSED AT ROLAND PARK. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP THERE. YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB. I KNOW YOU HAVE LEFT IT IN VERY GOOD HANDS. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND JUST SAY THAT I'M VERY EXCITED. I KEEP HEARING ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS. PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING FROM EVERYWHERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO NOT JUST BECAUSE IT'S A BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL, REALLY IT'S BECAUSE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO GO THERE, NOT BECAUSE IT'S A BRAND-NEW, BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL, IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE LEADING THAT. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. ALSO, JUST THE ADUM FAMILY IS VERY EXCITED. I KNOW THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE REALLY REALLY HOPING WAS FOR THE AVIATORS IN MEMORY OF THEIR FATHER. DID A WHOLE LOT OF DID A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS WITH ESE STUDENTS AND WHAT MR. ADUM DID WITH STARTING THE GAITHER STAMPEDE AND STARTING A LOT OF OUR DIFFERENT EVENTS AROUND OUR ESE STUDENTS. I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT THE FAMILY IS VERY EXCITED AND I KNOW THEY ARE VERY INVOLVED AS WELL. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT YOU DO BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'LL CONTINUE TO DO GREAT THINGS. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. THE START TIME, THE THE START TIME, THE MASCOT, THE COLORS ARE ALL, BUT MY COLORS ARE ALL, BUT MY BUY-IN AND WHAT AND WHAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION IS THE THE MOM AND DAD CLUB, BECAUSE ONCE YOU HAVE PARENT INVOLVEMENT, THERE'S SCHOOL SUCCESS. THE KIDS' INVOLVEMENT IN THAT SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE INCREDIBLE BECAUSE THE PARENTS ARE SUPPORTING THAT SUPPORTING THAT SCHOOL, SO CONGRATULATIONS. THE THE SCHOOL LOOKS INCREDIBLE AND SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. CONGRATULATIONS. >> NOW YOU CAN WEAR YOUR SHIRT AND PUT IT ON OFFICIALLY. >>Karen Perez: NEXT ITEM IS >>Karen Perez: NEXT ITEM IS ITEM 7.02, APPROVE EDUCATIONAL PLANT SPOT SURVEY 5.12 TO ESTABLISH COLLINS K-8. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THIS IS THE PLANT SPOT SURVEY FOR COLLINS K-8. A NEW SPOT SURVEY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHING COLLINS K-8, 10.1331 REQUIRES THAT EACH SCHOOL BOARD CONDUCT AN EDUCATIONAL PLANT SURVEY AT LEAST EVERY FIVE YEARS. BOARD APPROVED THE BOARD APPROVED THE DISTRICT'S CURRENT SURVEY ON CURRENT SURVEY ON MAY 7, 2019. SURVEY RECOMMENDS NEW FACILITIES, REMODELING AND RENOVATIONS AT EXISTING SITES AS EXCEPTION TO THE SURVEY, THE BOARD IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A SPOT SURVEY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR EACH FACILITY. THE SPOT SURVEY IS REQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO COMPLETE COMPLETE THE REQUIRED RECOMMENDATIONS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW COLLINS K-8. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR AS COLLINS K-8. JUST A RECOMMENDED SPOT SURVEY THAT'S DUE BY THE DEPARTMENT -- WE HAVE TO SUBMIT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 7.02. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER COMBS, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT? >>Nadia Combs: I DO HAVE A QUESTION AND COMMENT. I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A GOOD SEGUE TO TALK ABOUT THE GROWTH. WE HAVE APOLLO HERE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GROWTH. I KNOW THAT THIS I KNOW THAT THIS K-8 IS GOING TO BE COVERED THROUGH OUR IMPACT FEES. SO MY SO MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, IS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CIT TAX NOW AND HOW THAT COULD IMPACT FUTURE GROWTH IN SOUTH COUNTY AND OTHER SCHOOLS IN THIS AREA, I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A FEW MINUTES. >>Van Ayres: SURE. YOU'RE CORRECT, THIS AGENDA ITEM, THE COLLINS K-8, THAT WAS FUNDED THROUGH FUNDED THROUGH IMPACT FEES. AS YOU REMEMBER, A LOT OF CAPITAL DOLLARS ARE FUNDED BY 1.5 MILLAGE RATE, WE HAVE A SALES TAX REFERENDUM, WE HAVE IMPACT FEES AND THEN IMPACT FEES AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE -- SO THOSE ARE THE THREE THAT WE HAVE. FOR FUTURE NEEDS OVER THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS, PROJECTED TOTAL COST IS COST IS AROUND 450, $4 MILLION OVER THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS. FROM IMPACT FEE COLLECTION IN ITS OWN, APPROXIMATELY $210 MILLION THAT WE WOULD COLLECT THROUGH THE YEAR 2031, WHICH LEAVES A SHORTFALL OF LEAVES A SHORTFALL OF AROUND $244 MILLION $244 MILLION THAT WE WOULD REQUIRE TO MEET THE PROJECTED GROWTH WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. I WILL ACTUALLY BE AT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TOMORROW TO STATE OUR CASE BECAUSE OUR CURRENT COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TAX, WHICH WE GENERATE FUNDS FOR, WILL EXPIRE IN 2026. I WILL BE AT THE BOARD OF I WILL BE AT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TOMORROW ASKING AND BASICALLY PLEADING OUR CASE TO BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TAX IN OUR COMMUNITY MOVING FORWARD. WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF GROWTH THAT WE'RE GOING TO INCUR OVER THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS, AS I MENTIONED, ABOUT $244 MILLION THAT WE WOULD BE SHORT. SO I'LL BE THERE EXPLAINING THAT CASE AND LEAVING IT TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION TO HOPEFULLY INCLUDE US IN THIS INCLUDE US IN THIS -- IN THE NEXT ITERATION OF THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TAX. >>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, THIS WAS IMPACT FEES, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER SCHOOLS AND THE GROWTH OF SOUTH COUNTY AND OTHER BIG PROJECTS, I JUST DON'T SEE HOW WE'LL BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE GROWTH IF WE'RE NOT INCLUDED WE'RE NOT INCLUDED IN THE CIT TAX. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHT APPEARS. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE NEXT ITEM THE NEXT ITEM IS 7.13, APPROVE ACCEPTANCE OF PROJECT OF ACCEPTANCE OF PROJECT OF THE WATER BOTTLE RETROFIT INSTALLATION PROJECT AT MULTIPLE SCHOOL SITES. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, CHAIR PEREZ. THIS IS THE ACCEPTANCE OF A PROJECT FOR OUR WATER BOTTLE RETROFIT. THIS IS THE ACCEPTANCE THAT THIS IS THE ACCEPTANCE THAT ALL THIS IS COMPLETED. WE UTILIZE A LOT OF OUR ESSER DOLLARS TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT. AS WE LOOK AROUND THE SCHOOLS, EVEN ROSSAC, YOU'LL SEE THE WATER FILLING STATIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. THE SCOPE OF THIS WORK PROVIDES FOR RETROFITTING OF EXISTING WATER FOUNTAINS AS A FOLLOW-UP TO THE REFILLING STATION INSTALLATIONS TO ENSURE DRINKING WATER WAS AVAILABLE ON WATER WAS AVAILABLE ON CAMPUSES. WATER FOUNTAINS WATER FOUNTAINS REMOVED FROM OPERATION FOR DISEASE CONTROL RELATED TO COVID-19. THE DISTRICT HAS WORKED TO INSTALL WATER BOTTLE REFILLING STATIONS AT SCHOOL SITES. SAVINGS AND COST TO DELIVER BOTTLED WATER TO EACH SCHOOL SITE ELIMINATED AT THE END OF THE 21-22 SCHOOL YEAR. BOTTLE FILLER RETROFITTING ALLOWS EVEN GREATER ACCESS TO DRINKING WATER TO BE DRINKING WATER TO BE OBTAINED SAFELY AT SCHOOL SITES. THIS IS A GREAT ACCEPTANCE HERE AS NOW WE HAVE DRINKING WATER. REMEMBER BACK IN THE DAYS, EVEN PRIOR TO COVID BRINGING WATER BOTTLES AND HAVING THOSE SHIPPED TO SCHOOLS. NOW WE HAVE THAT WITH THE USE OF OUR ESSER DOLLARS BACK A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO TO HAVE THIS RETROFIT FOR ALL OF THE WATER BOTTLES, CLEAN DRINKING WATER IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. THAT IS AGENDA ITEM 7.13. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C APPROVE ITEM C 7.13. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER GRAY, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MY QUESTION IS, WELL, FIRST, IT'S GREAT NEWS ITEM AND IT'S FRESHWATER, HOPEFULLY. BUT WATER THAT'S CLEANLY DELIVERED FOR THE STUDENTS TO DRINK. I KNOW DR. I KNOW DR. CHARMANE, YOU ARE VERY MUCH INVOLVED WITH THE ADVOCACY FOR WATER DRINKING. IT'S IMPORTANT. WHAT IS EVEN MORE CRITICAL THAT I FIND IS THE ESSER I FIND IS THE ESSER FUNDS WERE GOING TO BE JUST ABOUT USED UP. PERHAPS FOR CLARIFICATION AND IN THE THE SPIRIT OF THE CONVERSATION THAT MEMBER COMBS HAD CIT TAX IS CRITICAL FOR US, THE UPCOMING MILLAGE WAS CRITICAL MILLAGE WAS CRITICAL FOR US. IMPACT FEES. THESE REVENUE SOURCES. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE -- WE HAD A BENEFIT FROM ESSER IN TERMS OF A LOT OF THE EXPENDITURES. IT'S RUNNING OUT. WITH THE BALANCE DUE WITH THE BALANCE DUE OF 277,000, WILL WE HAVE THE ESSER FUNDS TO PAY FOR IT? >>Van Ayres: YES. ESSER FUNDS EXPIRE SEPTEMBER 2024. BUT AS YOU'VE SEEN THROUGH ALL THE BUDGET UPDATES WITH MS. JOHNSON, WE HAVE -- YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN ESSER EXPENSE THAT ONCE THE ESSER FUNDS ARE EXPIRED, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL LAST AND STAYS WITH US IN TIME, RIGHT? IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE UTILIZING ESSER DOLLARS, SPENDING MONEY ON THINGS AFTER THE FUNDS ARE GONE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO% .SHOW FOR. THIS IS A THIS IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF AN EXPENSE MADE THAT WILL ALLOW CLEAN DRINKING WATER TO ALL OF OUR SITES AND ALLOW US TO ALSO SAVE MONEY ON THE BACKSIDE FROM HAVING TO PRODUCE WATER BOTTLES AND TAKE THOSE OVER TO SCHOO AND TAKE THOSE OVER TO SCHOOL SITES. YEAH, WE ARE -- IN OUR BUDGET UPDATES, ALL OF OUR ESSER FUNDS, WHEN THOSE EXPIRE IN SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR, WE MADE SURE ALL OF THOSE EXPENSES THAT WE SPENT ALL THAT MONEY AND THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE OF THAT. >>Lynn Gray: SO T >>Lynn Gray: SO THE REMAINING COSTS WILL BE COVERED B COSTS WILL BE COVERED BY THE ESSER. IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? >> IT WOULD BE COVERED THROUGH TH THE ESSER, YE THE ESSER, YES. THEY ARE PAYING THE BALANCE - THEY ARE PAYING THE BALANCE -- >>Lynn Gray: OKAY. JUST THE CLARIFICATION IS IMPORTANT. IT IS A LOT OF MONEY. THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. THANK YOU, LAUREN. >>Karen Perez >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. WITH NO OTHER COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHT APPEARS. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE NEXT ITEM THE NEXT ITEM IS 10.01, ANALYTICS STAFF AUGMENTATION. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. IT IS OUR LAST ITEM ON DISCUSSION THIS EVENING. BROADSPIRE SERVICES INC. IS A DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR OF SELF-INSURED PROGRAMS INCLUDING GENERAL LIABILITY, GENERAL LIABILITY, AUTOMOTIVE LIABILITY AND WORKERS' COMPENSATION. 10.01 10.01 AND 11.01. I NEED TO PUT MY GLASSES ON HERE. JUMPING AHEAD. TWO MORE ITEMS TO GO. 10.01, ANALYTICS STAFF AUGMENTATION. THIS ONE IS FROM MR. WEEKS IN OUR I.T. DEPARTMENT. THIS IS THE CONTINUING USE OF EXTERNAL EXPERTISE TO AUGMENT OUR I.T. STAFF TO SUPPORT DATA STORAGE STORAGE AND TRANSFORMATION SYSTEM USED EXTENSIVELY BY THE DISTRICT. MAINTAIN AND UPDATE SUPPORT AND SUPPORT THE UPCOMING SUPPORT THE UPCOMING SYNERGY STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM. THIS WILL BE A GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURE AND, BOARD MEMBERS, THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING EXPENSE THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, SIR, NOW THAT WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT ONE. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE C 10.01. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER COMBS, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. >>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, CHAIR PEREZ. I JUST HAD -- WE SPOKE, DR. WEEKS. I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF REVIEW. WITH SUCH A BIG INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE DOING WITH SYNERGY AND WE'RE DOING WITH SYNERGY AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE AND EVENTUALLY HOW LIKE AND EVENTUALLY HOW WE COULD POSSIBLY BE ABLE TO KEEP THIS INTERNAL, I WANTED TO BRIEFLY DISCUSS THAT AND IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THAT A TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT. >> CERTAINLY. ONE OF THE EFFORTS THAT THE DISTRICT IS CURRENTLY EMBARKING ON, WE JUST STARTED THIS, IS A DATA GOVERNANCE AND MODERNIZATION OF THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OUR DATA IS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. AROUND TWO YEARS AROUND TWO YEARS ROUGHLY, DON'T WANT TO COMPLETELY DO A TIME FRAME, BUT PROBABLY IN ABOUT TWO YEARS, WE SHOULD SEE YEARS, WE SHOULD SEE THE FRUITS OF THAT PROJECT COME TO FRUITION. PART OF THAT WILL BE A NEW DATA REPOSITORY STRATEGY, A NEW REPOSITORY STRATEGY, A NEW ETL TRANSFORMATION AND REPORTING STRATEGY. WITH THAT, THAT WILL BE REPLACING THE EXIST REPLACING THE EXIST ODS AND EDW THAT THE CONTRACT CURRENTLY SUPPORTS. WE'LL BE DOING IT WITH MORE MODERNIZED EFFORTS AND SOMETHING WE CAN MORE READILY SUPPORT INTERNALLY BY OUR STAFF. >>Nadia Combs: ALL OF THE ESE AND ALL OF THE TEACHER EVALUATION STORAGE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT INDEPENDENTLY WITHIN, SAY, TWO WITHIN, SAY, TWO YEARS? >> I ANTICIPATE -- [INAUDIBLE] >>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU SO MUCH. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHT APPEARS. AND IT PASSES WITH MEMBER WASHINGTON AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THE NEXT ITEM THE NEXT ITEM IS 11.01, AUDIT REPORT OF THE DISTRICT'S SELF-INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2022-2023. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. >>Van Ayres: THIS IS OUR LAST DISCUSSION AGENDA DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM. SO BROADSPIRE SERVICES IS OUR DISTRICT'S ADMINISTRATOR OF SELF-INSURED PROGRAMS WHICH INCLUDES GENERAL LIABILITY, AUTOMOTIVE LIABILITY AND WORKERS' COMPENSATION. THE CONTRACT FOR SERVICES INCLUDES CLAIMS PROCESSING, INVESTIGATIONS, AND PAYMENT OF CLAIMS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE DIVISION OF OPERATION. THE AUDITING SERVICE DEPARTMENT PERFORMS AN AUDIT REVIEW OF BROADSPIRE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. 22-23 AUDIT REVIEW INDICATED THAT BROADSPIRE SERVICES PROVIDED OVERALL COMPLIANCE WITH DOCUMENTATION AND FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY. THAT IS THAT IS ITEM 11.01. DR. WHELAN AND PAM LUCIFER ARE HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING 11.01 AND THE AUDIT OF BROADSPIRE. >>Karen Perez: I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 11.01. A MOTION BY MEMBER VAUGHN AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. >>Nadia Combs: YES, AND I APPRECIATE YOU COMING BECAUSE I HAD MY QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND I FEEL SO BAD. I FEEL BAD THAT YOU'RE STILL HERE. BUT AT LEAST IT'S EARLY STILL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THANK YOU, SINCE YOU'RE HERE, THANK YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING VERY, VERY HARD ON THAT, ESPECIALLY PRE-COVID AND POST-COVID. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH. >>Karen Perez: SEEING >>Karen Perez: SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS -- OH, COMMENTS -- OH, PATTI. MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: ONE QUICK QUESTION, WHEN IS OUR QUESTION, WHEN IS OUR CONTRACT WITH BROADSPIRE EXPIRED? >> CURRENTLY, OUR CONTRACT, IT RUNS UP -- ACTUALLY, I HAVE THE DATE. IT'S JULY OF THIS IT'S JULY OF THIS YEAR. BUT WE HAVE UTILIZED BROADSPIRE FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 YEARS, SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PROCUREMENT WILL PUT THROUGH FOR ANOTHER EXTENSION ANOTHER EXTENSION AND THEN, OF COURSE, COURSE, THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS WITH THIS CONTRACT. BUT AS FAR BUT AS FAR AS THE AGENDA, WHAT WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR, IT RUNS THROUGH JULY OF THIS YEAR. >>Patti Rendon: SO WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF DOING AN RFP TO EVEN LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS OR RESOURCES? >> I WOULDN'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION. THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WITH THE PROCUREMENT OFFICE. >>Patti Rendon: BASED UPON THE FACT THAT THIS IS A HUGE LIFT FOR OUR FOR OUR ORGANIZATION. IT'S VITAL. I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE FACT OF SELF-INSURANCE, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE TYPE OF INSURANCES -- INSURANCE IS OUTRAGEOUS THESE DAYS AND CONTINUES TO GO UP. FOR A DISTRICT AS LARGE AS WE ARE, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT. HOWEVER, THERE ARE MULTITUDE OF DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH WE COULD GO ABOUT BEING SELF-INSURED. THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF AGENCIES THAT DO DIFFERENT KIND OF PLANS AND DIFFERENT THINGS. I THINK WE WOULD BE NEGLECT IN AT LEAST NOT PUTTING OUT RFP AND DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL KNOWLEDGE OF ALL OPPORTUNITIES FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DISTRICT. THAT'S MY PERSONAL OPINION AS WE MOVE FORWARD. >>Van Ayres: YES, MA'AM. MEMBER RENDON, I'LL FOLLOW BACK UP AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO YOU AS WELL REGARDING THIS. OKAY? >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. SEEING NO FURTHER COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHT APPEARS. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE WILL MOVE NOW INTO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S COMMENTS. MR. SUPERINTENDENT. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. BOARD, IF YOU REMEMBER LAST BOARD MEETING WE HAD AN EXTENSIVE UPDATE ON OUR READING DATA AND WHERE WE STOOD WITH PM 2. MY UPDATE THIS EVENING IS NOT AS COMPREHENSIVE BUT I WILL IN MY SUSPENDED AGENDA UPDATE WILL HAVE A SUSPENDED UPDATE AROUND ATTENDANCE, WHERE OUR ATTENDANCE RATES ARE FOR THIS PART OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. IF YOU REMEMBER, THAT WAS ADDED TO THE SUSPENDED AGENDA A MONTH BACK OR SO. WE HAVE THE UPDATE THAT MS. BROWN WILL BE PROVIDING WITH OUR ATTENDANCE RATES. THIS MONTH WE RECOGNIZE ARTS IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH. VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS EDUCATION HELP CONTRIBUTE TO POWERFUL EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS FOR FOR ALL ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS. THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS STUDENTS ARE EQUIPPED WITH SKILLS AND QUALITIES NEEDED FOR CAREERS OF TODAY AND THE FUTURE AND THEY HELP REINFORCE AND BRING TO LIFE WHAT STUDENTS LEARN IN OTHER SUBJECTS. SO ARTS IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH AND WE HAD A GREAT EVENT OVER AT GLAZER MUSEUM AS WELL. HERE IS A LITTLE -- ARE THOSE PENCILS REALLY THAT BIG OR JUST THAT SMALL, RIGHT? HERE IS FUTURE CHILES ELEMENTARY. AT THE LEFT, CHILES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAD SOME SPECIAL GUESTS ON CAMPUS LAST WEEK. SCHOOL STAFF AND SCHOOL STAFF AND PTA MEMBERS WELCOMED THEIR FUTURE KINDERGARTNERS AND THEIR FAMILIES DURING THE SCHOOL'S KINDERGARTEN READY EVENT. IN ADDITION TO A SCHOOL TOUR AND MEETING, THE FUTURE FALCONS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN A SIGNING DAY ACTIVITY. I'D NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE. THAT IS PRETTY NEAT OVER AT CHILES. VERY, VERY NEAT. ON THE RIGHT, MIDDLETON HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR AND STUDENT ATHLETE JOSEPH DAUSTON DECIDED TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND READ TO SECOND GRADERS AT POTTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. SHARED THE STORY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON. HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE OVER AT POTTER THAT MORNING AS WELL AND HAD AND HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET JOSEPH. HE WAS VERY EXCITED TO GO OUT AND READ TO OUR STUDENTS AT POTTER. WE HAD AN EXCITING AND SUCCESSFUL SPECIAL OLYMPICS EVENTS AROUND THE DISTRICT THE PAST FEW WEEKS. EAST SIDE OF THE COUNTY STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE INCREDIBLE GAMES JOINTLY HOSTED BY BLOOMINGDALE AND NEWSOME. 570 ATHLETES FROM 18 SCHOOLS SHOWED UP TO COMPETE AND CHEER EACH OTHER ON. THIS PAST FRIDAY, STUDENTS FROM THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH TAMPA REGION PARTICIPATED IN THE INAUGURAL DRAGONS FURY EVENT WHICH WAS HOSTED BY JEFFERSON AND PLANT. OVER 100 STUDENTS FROM FIVE SCHOOLS PARTICIPATED AND SET THE BAR HIGH FOR FUTURE GAMES. I WANT TO THANK ALL THE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN BOTH EVENTS AND PROVIDING OUR STUDENTS WITH AN INCLUSIVE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT AS THEY PREPARE FOR THE REGIONAL AND STATEWIDE SPECIAL OLYMPICS COMPETITIONS. YESTERDAY WE HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME PARTICIPATING IN THE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL GRAND PARADE. IT WAS INCREDIBLE TO SEE SO MANY OF OUR FAMILIES OUT PARTICIPATING IN THIS PLANT CITY TRADITION. GOVERNORS BLACK HISTORY MONTH ART CONTEST. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE JEREMIAH DIXON, THIRD GRADE STUDENT AT LINCOLN ELEMENTARY MAGNET SCHOOL. JEREMIAH WAS ONE OF FOUR WINNERS CHOSEN FOR THE GOVERNOR'S BLACK HISTORY MONTH ART CONTEST. NOT ONLY DID HE GET A CHANCE NOT ONLY DID HE GET A CHANCE TO VISIT GOVERNOR DESANTIS IN TALLAHASSEE, HE RECEIVED TALLAHASSEE, HE RECEIVED A $100 FOR SCHOOL SUPPLIES. CONGRATULATIONS TO JEREMIAH. TWO WEEKENDS AGO AT THE BLACK HISTORY BRAIN BOWL EVENT. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL THE TEAMS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE BLACK HISTORY BRAIN BOWL FINAL. PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS. CHILES MULRENNAN AND CHILES MULRENNAN AND GAITHER. A LOT OF YOU POPPED IN AND OUT, A LOT TOWARDS THE A LOT TOWARDS THE END. THE END COMPETITION BETWEEN CHILES AND CARROLLWOOD IT WAS A BACK AND FORTH. BY THE TIME WE GOT DONE, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHO WON. I I GUESS I GUESS CARROLLWOOD WON.  NOW BACK TO CHILES IN BACK TO CHILES IN ELEMENTARY. MEMBER VAUGHN HAS GOT THE -- HOLDING THE CROWN OVER THERE FOR ELEMENTARY. MULRENNAN MIDDLE, MULRENNAN HAD AN ABSOLUTELY DOMINATING PERFORMANCE IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ROUND. MULRENNAN WAS -- MAYBE THEY ARE CHEERING FOR MULRENNAN. FINALLY, OUR HIGH SCHOOL WINNER WAS GAITHER HIGH SCHOOL. I THINK GAITHER HAS WON NOW I BELIEVE THREE YEARS IN A ROW GAITHER HAS WON THE BLACK HISTORY BRAIN BOWL. DEFINITELY A COOL MORNING. SOME OF SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THEY WERE ASKING WERE NOT EASY AND OUR STUDENTS WERE JUST ONE AFTER ANOTHER ANSWERING ALL OF THEM. CONGRATULATIONS TO CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH OF OUR SCHOOLS. JUST SOME UPDATES I WANTED TO PROVIDE WHAT WAS ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA TODAY. WE DID HAVE 12 ITEMS THAT WERE ON TODAY'S CONSENT AGENDA THAT WERE FUNDED BY OUR HALF PENNY PROMISE. CLOSE TO $24 MILLION. ON THE CONSENT AGENDA YOU WILL SEE SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE LISTED THERE WITHIN OUR HALF PENNY PENNY PROMISE. FINALLY, THE BREAK IS HERE. HARD TO BELIEVE. NEXT WEEK WE'LL BE OFF FOR SPRING BREAK. I WISH ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, ALL OF OUR FAMILIES, ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES A RESTFUL SPRING BREAK NEXT WEEK. WE'LL COME BACK AND FINISH STRONG, FINISH HILLSBOROUGH STRONG THE REMAINDER OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. WELL DESERVED BREAK NEXT WEEK FOR ALL OUR STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND STAFF MEMBERS AS WELL. I WISH THEM ALL A GREAT SPRING BREAK. MOVING ON TO SUSPENDED AGENDA, WE JUST HAVE ONE AGENDA UPDATE AND THAT'S AROUND AND THAT'S AROUND ATTENDANCE. I'LL TOSS THIS OVER TO TRACYE BROWN TO GIVE YOU ALL AN UPDATE ON OUR SUSPENDED AGENDA WITH REGARDS TO ATTENDANCE AND WHERE WE STAND AND SOME OF THE WORK WE'RE DOING AROUND WE'RE DOING AROUND ATTENDANCE. >>Tracye Brown: GREAT. THANK YOU. WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS STUDENT ATTENDANCE RATES BY ATTENDANCE RATES BY SCHOOL LEVEL. THIS IS AS OF THIS IS AS OF FEBRUARY 28 OF THIS YEAR AND YOU CAN SEE THE WAY THIS WAY THIS READS, YOU HAVE DISTRICT AND THEN YOU HAVE ELEMENTARY, K-8, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL. WHAT I WANT TO NOTE IS THAT 100% ATTENDANCE RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE 5%, 5.01% ACROSS THE DISTRICT. THAT'S 9,309 STUDENTS THAT HAVE NOT MISSED A DAY OF SCHOOL YET. AND WE WANT TO CELEBRATE THAT, BECAUSE THE MORE THEY ATTEND SCHOOL, THE MORE THEY GET INSTRUCTION. SO WE'RE EXCITED. BUT WHAT WE NOTICED DOWN BELOW THAT DARK LINE, WHICH IS LESS THAN 90%, THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE AT RISK FOR CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM. AS A DISTRICT, WE ARE AT AS A DISTRICT, WE ARE AT ABOUT 27.54% RIGHT NOW. YOU CAN SEE THAT ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ELEMENTARY BOARD FOR ELEMENTARY AT 25.85%, K-8, 21.49%. MIDDLE MIDDLE AT 28.53%. AND HIGH SCHOOL AT 30.42%. THIS DATA THAT YOU SEE, IF YOU'RE WONDERING IF THE NUMBERS ADD UP TO THE OVER 200,000 STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE, YOU'LL NOTE ON THE FOOTNOTE IN NUMBER TWO THERE, THERE ARE CERTAIN DATA POINTS THAT ARE EXCLUDED. THOSE ARE OUR UNIQUE PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER AS A DISTRICT, ADULT ED SITES, ALTERNATIVE SITES, CAREER CENTERS, CHARTER SCHOOLS, SCHOOLS, ESE SCHOOLS, ESE CENTERS, JUVENILE JUSTICE SITES, SUPPORTIVE SITES, TECHNICAL TRAINING SITES, FULL-TIME VIRTUAL STUDENTS ARE THOSE NUMBERS THAT WERE EXCLUDED FROM THIS DATA. IF WE GO ON IF WE GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT ATTENDANCE FACTS FOR US. WE TALK ABOUT WE TALK ABOUT CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM, WE ACTUALLY KNOW THAT MEANS STUDENTS MISSING 10% OR MORE OF ENROLLED DAYS FOR SCHOOL FOR ANY REASON. THAT INCLUDES OUR EXCUSED ABSENCES AS WELL AS UNEXCUSED ABSENCES OR OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSION. THIS IS ABOUT 18 DAYS IN A TYPICAL SCHOOL YEAR OR TWO DAYS PER MONTH. AND WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM IS THAT STUDENTS ABSENTEEISM IS THAT STUDENTS WHO ARE CHRONICALLY ABSENT SHOW LOWER OUTCOMES ACADEMICALLY, BEHAVIORALLY, AND SOCIALLY. SO WE OFTEN HEAR THE TERM TRUANCY USED. AND THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BETWEEN TRUANCY AND COCAINE ABSENTEEISM. TRUANCY, THE LEGAL DEFINITION FOR IT IS 15 SPECIFICALLY UNEXCUSED ABSENCES IN A 90-DAY PERIOD OF TIME. WHAT YOU WILL NOTICE HERE WHAT YOU WILL NOTICE HERE ON THAT FIRST BULLET, ACTUALLY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM, WE ARE ACTUALLY REALLY FOCUSING ON EARLY INTERVENTION. WHEN WE TAKE ABOUT TRUANCY, THAT IS A WAIT-TO-FAIL APPROACH AND THAT'S NOT THE APPROACH THAT WE WANT TO USE. SO WE ARE REALLY WORKING REALLY HARD TO FOCUS ON KEEPING OUR KIDS IN SCHOOL BECAUSE WE WANT THEM IN SCHOOL AT LEAST 90% OF THE TIME. DURING THE DURING THE 21-22 SCHOOL YEAR, WE WERE AT ABOUT 36% OF OUR STUDENTS WHO WERE CHRONICALLY ABSENT. DURING THE 22-23 SCHOOL YEAR, IT WAS 35%. NOW, THE STATE DOESN'T NOW, THE STATE DOESN'T RELEASE THE NUMBERS UNTIL LATER IN THE SPRING BUT AS OF SPRING BUT AS OF FEBRUARY 28, WE ARE BETTER, WE ARE AT ABOUT 27% OF OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE CHRONICALLY ABSENT. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT SINCE COVID, THAT PANDEMIC, CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM HAS INCREASED ACROSS THE ENTIRE NATION. IT USED TO BE ONE IN FIVE STUDENTS. NOW IT'S ABOUT ONE IN THREE STUDENTS STUDENTS WHO ARE CHRONICALLY ABSENT. WE ALSO KNOW THAT STUDENTS WHO LIVE IN COMMUNITIES WITH HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY ARE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO MISS SCHOOL AND SOMETIMES THAT'S FOR REASONS OUTSIDE OF THEIR CONTROL. IT MAY BE AN UNRELATED OR UNMANAGED, EXCUSE ME, UNMANAGED, EXCUSE ME, ILLNESS. IT COULD BE UNRELIABLE TRANSPORTATION. AND THOSE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF REASONS WHY STUDENTS MIGHT BE MISSING SCHOOL. BUT WE HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS. IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, HERE IS WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE HAVE AN WE HAVE AN ATTENDANCE DASHBOARD THAT ALL INSTRUCTIONAL THAT ALL INSTRUCTIONAL PERSONNEL HAVE ACCESS TO FOR REAL-TIME ATTENDANCE DATA. WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THIS DASHBOARD HAS MULTIPLE FEATURES, INCLUDING A HEAT MAP. AND ACTUALLY REALLY COOL, WHICH SHOWS AREAS WHERE STUDENTS ARE MISSING THE MOST SCHOOL. ALSO, THIS ALLOWS US TO BETTER ALLOCATE RESOURCES AND REALLY TO WORK WITH OUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES AND PARTNER WITH THEM TO SUPPORT THESE AREAS SPECIFICALLY IN THE COMMUNITY. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A NEW ATTENDANCE ATTENDANCE IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS WHICH FACILITIES THEIR DEVELOPMENT OF A A COHESIVE AND COLLABORATIVE SYSTEM OR PROCESS. THE PLAN ASKED SCHOOLS TO IDENTIFY STRATEGIES IN FIVE IDENTIFY STRATEGIES IN FIVE KEY AREAS OF FOCUS. ONE OF THOSE AREAS IS MONITORING DATA. HOW ARE WE MONITORING DATA AT OUR OUR SCHOOLS? EACH SCHOOL HAS TO EXPLAIN EACH SCHOOL HAS TO EXPLAIN THAT. WE RECOGNIZE GOOD AND IMPROVED ATTENDANCE, SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CELEBRATE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS AND THE SUCCESSES. ENGAGING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES, HOW ARE WE ENGAGING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES AROUND THE IMPORTANCE OF OF ATTENDANCE? PROVIDING PERSONALIZED OUTREACH BY MAKING THAT PHONE CALL, BY STOPPING IN AND TALKING TO A PARENT IN THE CAR PICKUP LINE. WHY WAS YOUR CHILD ABSENT FROM SCHOOL SCHOOL YESTERDAY? WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PERSONALIZING OUR OUTREACH. AND ALSO HOW ARE WE WORKING TO ACTIVELY REMOVE BARRIERS? SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING. WE HAVE A VERY FOCUSED, LASER-LIKE APPROACH TO IMPROVING ATTENDANCE FOR OUR KIDS BECAUSE WHAT WE KNOW AS A FACT IS THAT IF THEY ARE MISSING SCHOOL, THEY ARE MISSING INSTRUCTION. AND IF WE EXPECT OUR STUDENT OUTCOMES TO OUTCOMES TO IMPROVE, WE HAVE TO IMPROVE ATTENDANCE AND HAVE THEM IN SCHOOL EVERY DAY. THANK YOU. >>Van Ayres: MADAM CHAIR, THAT'S MY UPDATE. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NOW WE WILL TAKE EMPLOYEE INPUT. EVEN THOUGH WE HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, IT'S SOMETIMES DIFFICULT FOR EMPLOYEES OF OUR DISTRICT TO ATTEND MEETINGS AT 4 P.M. THERE ARE MANY WAYS FOR EMPLOYEES TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD, INCLUDING THROUGH UNION REPRESENTATIVES, E-MAILS, PHONE CALLS, ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS AND PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. THE BOARD WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. WITH THIS SECTION OF OUR AGENDA, WE ARE CREATING ANOTHER AVENUE FOR EMPLOYEES TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD. WE ARE SETTING ASIDE 30 MINUTES FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE DISTRICT TO SPEAK TO THE SPEAK TO THE BOARD ABOUT ANY ISSUES THAT ARE ON YOUR MIND. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A DISCUSSION ABOUT SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS ON TODAY'S AGENDA. BUT RATHER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD ABOUT ANY ISSUES RELATED TO YOUR JOB OR DISTRICT. EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. I NOW CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER. >> GOOD EVENING, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, BOARD AYRES, BOARD MEMBERS. VALERIE CHUCHMAN, CHEM TEACHER SERVING AS SERVING AS SECRETARY-TREASURER FOR THE HILLSBOROUGH CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE RECENT CONVERSATION THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN HAVING PRIORITIZING OUR STAFFING SHORTAGES IN OUR SCHOOLS. MOST OF THE CHALLENGES THAT OUR STUDENTS AND OUR EMPLOYEES FACE ARE DIRECTLY LINKED TO VACANCIES, RIGHT? ONE ONE THING YOU HAVE INCREASED CLASS SIZES WHICH, YOU KNOW, COULD CAUSE SOME BEHAVIOR ISSUES, AND THEN THAT TIES DIRECTLY TO THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS. NOW, ONE AREA THAT IS HISTORICALLY HIGH IN VACANCIES ARE THOSE WHO WORK WITH OUR STUDENTS OF SPECIAL NEEDS, RIGHT? AND YOU GUYS HAVE JUST TALKED ABOUT LIKE LESS THAN AN HOUR AGO HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO PRIORITIZE OUR ESE, THE EMPLOYEES THAT WORK WITH OUR ESE KIDS. OUR INSTRUCTIONAL UNIT WILL BE RECEIVING A SUPPLEMENT FOR THEIR WORK WITH THESE KIDS, AND THAT'S FANTASTIC. HOWEVER, OUR ESE PARAPROFESSIONALS ARE NOT INCLUDED. THEY WILL NOT BE THEY WILL NOT BE RECEIVING A SUPPLEMENT, AND CONSIDERING THE ROBUST FUND BALANCE THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, I THINK IT WOULD NOT -- IT WOULD NOT REALLY MAKE A DENT IN THAT FUND BALANCE, IF YOU COULD GET CREATIVE AND FIND A WAY TO PROVIDE OUR ESE PARAS, THE PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH THESE KIDS EVERY SINGLE DAY, IT'S A NONRECURRING EXPENSE, PROVIDE THEM ALSO THEM ALSO WITH A SUPPLEMENT. THANK YOU. I HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT SPRING BREAK. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> JENNIFER SHIVER. I WORK AT LOPEZ EXCEPTIONAL CENTER. I'M AG TEACHER. THANK YOU, MS. VAUGHN, FOR INVITING ME TO SPEAK AT TIGER BAY CLUB A FEW WEEKS AGO. A A CUSTODIAN WALKS IN IN AN INAPPROPRIATE SITUATION AFTER SCHOOL AND THE SCHOOL AND THE CUSTODIAN GETS MOVED. A TEACHER STANDING NEXT TO AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL WATCHES SOMETHING INAPPROPRIATE HAPPEN WITH ANOTHER TEACHER AND A STUDENT. THE TEACHER WALKS THE TEACHER WALKS UP TO THAT ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL A LITTLE LATER IN THE DAY AND ASKS THEM, ARE YOU GOING TO REPORT ARE YOU GOING TO REPORT IT AND THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL SAYS I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. ME RECENTLY HAD A SITUATION ON THE CAMPUS AND A QUESTION HOW IT WAS HANDLED AND I BROUGHT THAT TO A FEW OF YOU AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS CAME BACK AT MY AREA SUPERINTENDENT, MY PRINCIPAL BECAUSE I BROUGHT IT TO YOU. THERE IS A CULTURE OF FEAR IN THIS DISTRICT. TEACHERS DON'T SPEAK OUT AND WE DON'T SAY THINGS BECAUSE WE GET TARGETED. WE GET LABELED TROUBLEMAKER. WE GET WE GET MOVED. WE SUFFER BAD WE SUFFER BAD EVALUATIONS. I HAD NO INDICATION EVER THAT I WOULD BE AN AG TEACHER BUT THAT CAME AT A SITUATION LIKE THAT AS I WAS MOVED FROM A SCHOOL THAT I THOROUGHLY LOVED AS A SCHOOL COUNSELOR. THE PRESSURE IS TREMENDOUS AND THIS CULTURE OF FEAR IS TREMENDOUS AS WELL. OFTENTIMES IF WE INVOKE CTA WE ARE TARGETED EVEN WORSE BY ARE TARGETED EVEN WORSE BY OUR PRINCIPALS. THE PROBLEM IS TWOFOLD. THERE IS A CULTURE OF FEAR BUT ALSO THERE IS ALSO THERE IS THE CULTURE OF WE DON'T HAVE ANY PLACE TO TAKE OUR COMPLAINTS. YOU GUYS ARE OUR ONLY BUFFER. THAT'S IT. WE DON'T HAVE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS. HR IS NOT ON OUR SIDE WHEN HR IS NOT ON OUR SIDE WHEN THERE IS A POLICY SITUATION AND WE HAVE NO PLACE TO TAKE IT. AGAIN, YOU ARE OUR ONLY BUFFER. IF WE FOLLOW CHAIN OF COMMAND, WE TAKE IT TO THE PRINCIPAL, WE TAKE IT TO THE PRINCIPAL, BUT WHAT IF THE PRINCIPAL IS THE PROBLEM, DON'T CALL MY PRINCIPAL. SHE'S NOT THE PROBLEM TODAY. IF WE TAKE IT TO OUR PRINCIPAL, THEN AGAIN WE'RE TARGETED. IF WE TAKE IT TO THE AREA DIRECTOR, WHICH IS THE NEXT CHAIN OF COMMAND, THEY KICK IT BACK DOWN TO THE PRINCIPAL AND AGAIN WE'RE TARGETED. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT COMPLAINTS. I'M TALKING ABOUT I'M TALKING ABOUT VIOLATIONS. SCHOOL BOARD POLICY VIOLATIONS. IF WE HAVE THE POLICIES, WHY DON'T WE ADHERE TO THEM INSTEAD OF JUST SWEEPING THINGS UNDER THE RUG, MAKING IT ALL GO SMOOTH. I HAVE A COUPLE OF I HAVE A COUPLE OF SOLUTIONS. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE AN ARM OF HR OR AN ARM OF HR OR AN ARM OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR US AND POSSIBLY MAYBE THAT WOULD HELP TO CHANGE THE CULTURE AND THE CLIMATE, BUT, OF COURSE, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE PEOPLE WE TRUST IN. AFTER I SPOKE AT TIGER BAY, I PUT ON THE INTERNET THAT I WOULD LIKE TO START A SUPPORT GROUP FOR ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN IN THE SITUATION. I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE CONTACTED ME, BUT THEY ALSO SAID DON'T USE MY STORY. DON'T USE MY STORY. DON'T USE MY DON'T USE MY STORY. IT IS A PROBLEM FOR US. YOU ARE LOSING GOOD EMPLOYEES NOT BECAUSE OF NOT BECAUSE OF PAY, BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE TIRED OF THIS. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT NEXT SPEAKER. >> GOOD EVENING. KIM ENRIQUEZ, LOWRY ELEMENTARY KINDERGARTEN. IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE GOTTEN TO SPEAK WITH YOU. JUST THOUGHT IN THE SEASON OF LENT I WOULD SHARE MY GRATEFULNESS WITH YOU. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE RAISE THAT WE GOT BECAUSE IT HELPED ME SUPPORT MY CHURCH AND INCREASE MY DONATIONS TO OUR LADY OF LORD DUNEDIN AND ALSO JOY FM IS HAVING THEIR FUND-RAISER SO I'M ABLE TO GIVE SOMETHING TO THEM BECAUSE THEY KEEP ME GROUNDED. BUT I ALSO LEARNED THAT MY HOA FEES ARE GOING UP BECAUSE OF A 39% INCREASE IN 39% INCREASE IN INSURANCE, AND THIS IS JUST LIFE, RIGHT? IT'S STUFF THAT HAPPENS. I'M ALSO GRATEFUL FOR OUR SCHOOL CAFETERIA BECAUSE THEY KEEP ME FROM BEING HANGRY, EVEN THOUGH I'M USUALLY I'M USUALLY EATING MY LUNCH AFTER THE KIDS ARE DISMISSED BECAUSE I GET MAYBE TEN BECAUSE I GET MAYBE TEN MINUTES, IF THAT. THAT'S OKAY. I'M ALL RIGHT WITH THAT. BUT I'M ALSO GRATEFUL FOR OUR REDUCED CLASS SIZES. WE WENT FROM 28, 29 DOWN WE WENT FROM 28, 29 DOWN TO 23 AND NOW WE ARE AND NOW WE ARE AT 18, 19. STILL NOT IDEAL, BUT STILL NOT IDEAL, BUT I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT. THAT EVEN INCLUDES A KINDERGARTEN -- IT'S A CONTAINER INCLUSION CLASS -- KINDERGARTEN INCLUSION CLASS. SHE'S BEEN SITTING WITH 18 KIDS WHEN SHE WAS TOLD IT WOULD ONLY BE 15 WITH AN AIDE AND WE'VE HAD SOME ILLNESSES WITH OUR AIDES, SO THAT'S NOT FORESEEN. BUT HERE BUT HERE IS MY ASK -- WELL, I'VE GOT ONE MORE GRATEFUL BUT I'LL GET INTO IT. HERE IS MY ASK. COULD WE COULD WE BE THE COULD WE BE THE DISTRICT THAT SETS -- KINDERGARTEN REDUCTION WOULD BE AWESOME. IF WE HAD 15, THAT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THIS WONDERFUL PROGRAM -- HERE IS MY LAST GRATEFUL FOR TONIGHT, TWO GRATEFULS. SORRY. YOU FLY. I LOVE YOU FLY. I AM A I AM A SPALDING CERTIFIED LINDA MOOD BELL CERTIFIED TEACHER AND I LOVE THIS PROGRAM. PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT AWAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. I LOVE IT. BUT IF WE HAD 15, IT WOULD BE SO MUCH EASIER TO DO A LOT OF THE STUFF OF JUST WATCHING WHAT THEY ARE DOING, WATCHING THEIR LETTER FORMATION, GIVING THEM QUICK FEEDBACK. TALK FASTER. IF WE CAN'T DO IF WE CAN'T DO THAT, MAYBE BE IF WE CAN'T DO THAT, MAYBE BE -- LET'S BRING BACK THE AIDES, THE KINDERGARTEN AIDES WE USED TO HAVE A LONG TIME AGO IN EACH CLASSROOM IF WE CAN'T HAVE THOSE SMALLER CLASSROOMS. IT WOULD BE SO HELPFUL JUST TO HAVE SOMEBODY HELP KIDS GO TO THE BATHROOM. LITTLE THINGS LIKE LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT. MY LAST GRATEFUL ON MY LIST IS MY AP ANITA MY AP ANITA VENTURA WHO HAS BEEN SO HELPFUL WITH THIS RIDICULOUS COMPUTERIZED TESTING THAT WE'RE DOING IN KINDERGARTEN. 30 MINUTES A KID. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NOW WE'LL MOVE INTO BOARD COMMENTS. BOARD MEMBERS, JUST A REMINDER, YOU WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES EACH TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: I HAVE A >>Lynn Gray: I HAVE A MIXTURE OF CONCERN AND, OF COURSE, GREAT NEWS AS WELL AMONG OUR SCHOOLS. THE CONCERN I HAVE, WHILE I UNDERSTAND AND I APPRECIATE THE JUST AND THE STUART JUST AND THE STUART SHOWING, PRESENTATION ON PRESENTATION ON THURSDAY, MY CONCERN IS CONCERN IS OUR FISCAL STATUS. I'M CONCERNED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS. WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR FINANCIAL LOSS, PROJECTED LOSS LOSS, PROJECTED LOSS FOR 2024-25 AT 80 MILLION, LOSS OF AT 80 MILLION, LOSS OF FTE, AND WHEN WE START CONTRASTING THAT WITH A POSSIBLE EXPENDITURE WITH A POSSIBLE EXPENDITURE OF 70 MILLION FOR JUST AND STUART CONVERSION, I THINK WE -- AND I'LL SPEAK MORE I'LL SPEAK MORE ITSELF AS AN INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBER, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, A TIMELINE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW MUCH WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO EXPEND FOR SALES TAX MONEY THAT WAS MENTIONED, THE CIT MONEY, WHICH WE HOPE TO GET, 2026, AND THE EXISTING NOW, WHY IS THAT NOW, WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? BECAUSE I TAKE, ALL THE CHARTER SCHOOL TIME AND TIME AGAIN, I THINK IT'S EQUALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE THAT WE ARE REVEALING THE FISCAL COSTS OF SUCH A COSTS OF SUCH A PROSPECTIVE YET HISTORICALLY VALUED PROJECT COMING UP. IF YOU WOULD PLEASE GET IF YOU WOULD PLEASE GET THAT PUT TOGETHER AND PERHAPS FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS MIGHT ALSO BOARD MEMBERS MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED AS WELL, I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE ME MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE. ALL ALL RIGHT. BACK TO A LITTLE LIGHTER SUBJECT. WE HAD THE SKYWAY RACE, OKAY, UP AND DOWN THE HILL. THAT'S NO PROBLEM BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO DO IT. WHAT I REALLY WANT TO SAY IS THANK YOU TO OUR BUS DRIVERS. 74 74 BUSES, 74 BUS DRIVERS WOKE UP 3:00 IN THE MORNING TO GIVE 3:00 IN THE MORNING TO GIVE ALL OF THE RUNNERS AND WALKERS TO THE SKYWAY BRIDGE START. WHY IS IT REALLY IMPORTANT? BECAUSE BECAUSE 100% OF THE PROCEEDS, SO IMPORTANT PEOPLE KNOW WHEN YOU GO TO A RACE, LIKE RACE FOR EDUCATION ON APRIL 6, WHERE DOES THAT MONEY GO? MR. PORTER, YOU'RE MR. PORTER, YOU'RE GIVING $15 FOR AN APPLICATION. I DO $15. YOU DO $15, SHAKE. SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T GO RIGHT TO THE FOLKS THAT YOU THINK IT DOES. THERE'S PR COSTS AND WATER COSTS AND ALL KINDS OF AMENITIES. SO BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, THE PROCEEDS PROCEEDS ARE PROCEEDS ARE MINIMAL. HOWEVER 100% OF THE PROCEEDS GO TO THE ARMED TO THE ARMED FORCES FOUNDATION FAMILIES. 100%. THIS IS ALMOST 10,000 RUNNERS. I I PAID $80. YOU DO THE MATH. THAT IS A LOT THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY AND IT'S VERY, VERY ACHIEVABLE BECAUSE THE MILITARY PUTS IT ON AND THEY ARE VERY SWIFT. THANKING AGAIN OUR BUS DRIVERS. THANKING OUR SEVEN FIELD COMPLIANCE INSPECTORS, TWO FIELD SUPERVISORS, TWO MANAGERS, OUR SAFETY MANAGER AND OPERATIONS MANAGER AND ONE FLEET MAINTENANCE MECHANIC AND THANK YOU, LAURA YOU, LAURA HILL, OUR SUPERVISOR OF TRANSPORTATION, WHAT A GREAT JOB. PROUD OF OUR BUS DRIVERS. LET'S PROTECT OUR BUS DRIVERS. LET'S MAKE SURE THAT EVERY ONE OF US KNOW THAT THEY ARE THE FIRST POINT OF SERVICE FOR OUR CHILDREN. SECOND, I WANT TO THANK AGAIN THE BRAIN BOWL, AS THE BRAIN BOWL, AS I KNOW SHAKE WASHINGTON AND WASHINGTON AND NADIA COMBS AND JESSICA VAUGHN WERE THERE JESSICA VAUGHN WERE THERE AND, OF COURSE, SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS EXPANDED THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE BRAIN BOWL.  WE HAD BOWL.  WE HAD AROUND FIVE IN 2016. WHAT HAPPENED IS THE WHAT HAPPENED IS THE ALLOWANCE OF OF ALL, CHRIS JARGO, THE HUMAN RESOURCES, GIVEN TO THAT AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN TASK FORCE, DR. BEVERLY NOW IN CHARGE BEVERLY NOW IN CHARGE OF HAPPENSY GREW HAPPENSY GREW IT FROM -- GREW IT FROM FIVE FROM FIVE TO 143 SCHOOLS. THAT'S A LOT. SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, YOU DESERVE A LOT OF CREDIT BECAUSE GIVING ALL THAT ATTENTION TO THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH, TO THE BRAIN BOWL WILL MANIFEST HOPEFULLY LIKE IT DID LAST TESTING TO UPWARD POINTS FOR OUR BLACK STUDENTS. IT HAS A LOT OF IT HAS A LOT OF POWER. I KNOW THAT, SHAKE, YOU'RE GOING TO COVER A LOT OF THE BLACK HISTORY. MY TIME IS UP. I HAD A LOT MORE, BUT THAT'S ALL, FOLKS. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER HAHN. >>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, CHAIR PEREZ. I ACTUALLY DIDN'T PLAN ON TALKING ABOUT THIS DURING MY BOARD COMMENTS, BUT DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, THERE WAS A COMMENT MADE AROUND THE APOLLO K-8. AND IT STARTED ME THINKING. IT KIND OF IT KIND OF REMINDED ME OF WHAT I BELIEVE WERE SOME BELIEVE WERE SOME MISSTEPS AROUND THE BOUNDARY CHANGES FOR MY DISTRICT IN RELATION TO MONROE AND MONROE AND MADISON, ADDISON DAVIS AND I WENT BACK AND FORTH, BATTLED ON THIS AND BATTLED ON THIS AND OBVIOUSLY I LOST. YOU KNOW, HIS DECISION WAS TO KEEP MADISON OPEN WHICH WAS TWO BLOCKS FROM A BRAND-NEW BLOCKS FROM A BRAND-NEW K-8 AND CLOSE A BEAUTIFUL PROPERTY THAT WAS A FEW MILES AWAY THAT WOULD HAVE SERVED BETTER THE HAVE SERVED BETTER THE SOUTH OF GANDY FOLKS. YOU AND I HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS AROUND THIS. THAT WAS A POOR FINANCIAL ERROR, I BELIEVE. AND WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT. WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE APOLLO BEACH AREA AND SOMEBODY MENTIONED DURING THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT A NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN WATERSET THAT'S IN SCHOOL IN WATERSET THAT'S IN OUR FIVE-YEAR PLAN AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT AREA VERY WELL. MY SISTER LIVES IN WATERSET. HER FAMILY LIVES IN HER FAMILY LIVES IN WATERSET. I'M DOWN THERE ALL THE TIME. I'M WONDERING, I'D LIKE I'M WONDERING, I'D LIKE TO KNOW THE DISTANCE FROM YOUR K-8 TO THAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT'S THAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT'S ON OUR BOOKS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE. AND THAT DOCUMENT IS AND THAT DOCUMENT IS A LIVING DOCUMENT. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY AROUND UNCERTAINTY AROUND CIT. I WOULD NOT WANT TO ADD ANY MORE BURDEN TO BURDEN TO CAPITAL BUDGET AROUND THE FIVE- AND TEN-YEAR PLAN. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW AND HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VERSUS TAKING THE MONEY THAT'S THE MONEY THAT'S EARMARKED FOR THAT SCHOOL AND POSSIBLY ENTERTAINING SOMETHING ENTERTAINING SOMETHING AT APOLLO BEACH BUT ALSO TAKING A CHUNK OF THAT MONEY FOR THAT MONEY FOR EISENHOWER MIDDLE SCHOOL TO MAKE IT SCHOOL TO MAKE IT A MORE COMPETITIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND SO I WOULD JUST -- I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF PUBLIC COMMENT EVERY WEEK. I'M REALLY TRYING TO -- AND IT JUST REMINDS ME OF THAT DECISION IN DISTRICT TWO DURING THE BOUNDARIES THAT STILL KIND OF, YOU KNOW, I FEEL IT WAS STILL REALLY A MISSED OPPORTUNITY AND IS NOT GOING TO SERVE THAT SOUTH OF GANDY PART OF MY DISTRICT WELL MOVING FORWARD. SO I DON'T WANT TO MAKE -- I DON'T LIKE TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE DEVICE. SO I WANT TO TAKE A STRONGER LOOK AT THAT ELEMENTARY IN WATERSET. THE FAMILIES IN WATERSET CURRENTLY GO TO APOLLO BEACH OR YORK FOR THE MAJORITY, SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE ASKING THEM -- I MEAN, YOU KNOW, EITHER WAY I THINK THEY WOULD BE PLEASED. BUT I DO THINK THERE IS A CONVERSATION THERE. BUT I BUT I WILL NOT BURDEN BUT I WILL NOT BURDEN THE BUDGET OF CAPITAL IN THESE DECISIONS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE ESPECIALLY WITH THE CIT AND THE BALANCE. THAT'S BUSINESS. NOW TO PLEASURE. I APPRECIATE A CONVERSATION AROUND THAT. IT WAS A GREAT WEEK. I DID GO TO THE FINE ARTS FESTIVAL AT THE TAMPA MUSEUM OF ART. IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE THE EXCITEMENT. IT WAS SO WELL IT WAS SO WELL ATTENDED. IT WAS PACKED WITH FAMILIES AND THE KIDS WERE SO EXCITED. WE HAD THEIR ART FRAMED PROFESSIONALLY AND MATTED AND DISPLAYED. AND THERE REALLY IS -- THAT HAS BEEN VERY MUCH ELEVATED BY HAVING IT AT THE TAMPA MUSEUM OF ART, SO A BIG SHOUT-OUT TO THEM FOR PROVIDING THE VENUE. WHEN A CHILD'S ART IS HUNG IN A MUSEUM OF THAT STATURE, IT BRINGS A WHOLE NEW ELEVATION TO THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE FAMILY. AND SO THAT WAS AND SO THAT WAS EXCITING. SO I WANT TO THANK LAURA HOBBY WHO IS THE SUPERVISOR OF K-12 ART AND THEATER FOR MAKING THAT EVENT A SUCCESS AND REALLY EACH YEAR TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO ELEVATE THE ARTS AND THE THEATER EVENTS. I'M SURE SOMEONE -- I DIDN'T GET TO GO TO THE THEATER EVENT THE SAME SAME EVENING, WHICH IS BRILLIANT TO HAVE IT AT THE STRAZ SO PARENTS COULD MOVE FROM ONE PART OF THE WALKWAY TO THE NEXT AND NOT MISS A BEAT, BUT I'M SURE SOMEONE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT. THEN YESTERDAY, IT WAS GREAT AT THE THE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL LUNCH. THAT EVENT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF CELEBRATING A COMMUNITY'S HARVEST. AND IT'S JUST NICE THAT THERE'S A PRESERVATION OF THAT HERITAGE AND A CELEBRATION OF THAT AT THAT EVENT. THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN YESTERDAY TO SEE EVERYBODY THERE. THAT IS ABOUT IT FOR ME. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. MEMBER VAUGHN. I'M SORRY, MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: DO YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND PUT THE SCREEN UP? I'M KIND OF DUPLICATING SUPERINTENDENT A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT'S THAT'S OKAY. ON THE FIRST SCREEN IS THE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL PARADE AND WE HAD QUITE A PARTICIPATION FROM OUR DISTRICT. A COUPLE OF PEOPLE DID NOT GET IN THE PHOTO. MEMBER HAHN AND MEMBER HAHN AND MEMBER COMBS WERE BOTH IN WERE BOTH IN ATTENDANCE. JUST HAPPENED TO BE THE TIMING OF EVERYTHING. YOU'RE IN THE PHOTO, LYNN. [ LAUGHTER [ LAUGHTER ] ANYWAYS, YEAH. AND NEXT TO THAT IS THE MEDALS. I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO WE'RE ABLE TO THIS LAST MONTH HIGHLIGHT OVER A LITTLE CLOSE TO 1200 ESE STUDENTS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND THEIR UNIQUE ABILITIES AND ALLOW THEM TO BE ELEVATED. BUT WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME IS NOT ONLY ELEVATING THE UNIQUE ABILITIES OF OUR STUDENTS, BUT ALSO RENDERING WE HAD ALSO RENDERING WE HAD OVER 3,000 TRADITIONAL STUDENTS HONORING OUR UNIQUE ABILITIES. AND THAT IS WHERE CHANGE BEGINS. WHEN THEY ARE ASSISTING THOSE INDIVIDUALS WITH UNIQUE ABILITIES IN THESE GAMES, THAT IS WHERE CHANGE BEGINS. THAT IS WHERE THEY BEGIN TO NOTICE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE DIFFERENT THAN THEY ARE, BUT THEY ARE SUPPORTING THEM BECAUSE THEY WANT TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR SOMEBODY SPECIAL FOR SOMEBODY ELSE. AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE RECOGNIZED THAT RECOGNIZED THAT THOSE 3,000 TRADITIONAL STUDENTS ALL PUT ON THESE THREE GAMES, THE THESE THREE GAMES, THE DRAGON'S FURY, INCREDIBLES AT BLOOMINGDALE AND GAITHER STAMPEDE. IT'S REALLY, REALLY UNIQUE. ALSO, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE THREE THREE GAMES, EVERY SINGLE PRINCIPAL FROM EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING WERE PRESENT. AND WE HAD DISTRICT STAFF THERE FOR ALL THREE GAMES. I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK ALL OF THE PRINCIPALS AND THE DISTRICT STAFF, THE DISTRICT STAFF, THE PARAS, THE INDIVIDUALS FROM EACH OF THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS WERE JUST DIFFERENT SCHOOLS WERE JUST SO HIGHLY REPRESENTATIVE. IT MEANS QUITE A BIT TO ME. AND I KNOW IT MEANS QUITE A BIT TO THIS TO THIS DISTRICT. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU. ALSO, THIS IS A HIGHLIGHT FROM JEFFERSON'S FIRST DRAGON'S FURY WHICH I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT-OUT TO BOTH THE PRINCIPAL OF PLANT AND THE PRINCIPAL OF JEFFERSON BECAUSE THEY CAME TOGETHER AS A TEAM TO PUT THE GAMES ON. SO THAT WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. I ALSO WANT TO THANK EDNA AND THE BRINKS FOUNDATION FOR BEING KEY SPONSORS IN ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN WITHIN OUR DISTRICT. FOR SO MANY YEARS, OUR SCHOOLS HAVE BEARED THE BURDEN OF THIS COST. OUR TEACHERS, OUR PRINCIPALS HAVE BEARED THE BURDEN. BECAUSE OF OUR SPONSORS THIS YEAR, OUR SCHOOLS HAVE NOT HAD TO BEAR THAT BURDEN. I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK THE BRINKS FOUNDATION AND AETNA FOUNDATION FOR HELPING US PUT THAT ON. GO AHEAD. WE'LL KEEP GOING. THIS IS JUST FROM THIS IS JUST FROM JEFFERSON THIS IS JUST FROM JEFFERSON AND FROM INCREDIBLES AND THEN THE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL PARADE. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS ALSO A HUGE HIGHLIGHT, SHOUT-OUT TO, I WANT TO READ TO YOU THE SCHOOLS THAT PARTICIPATED THIS YEAR IN RELAY FOR LIFE AT THE STADIUM. BEVIS ELEMENTARY, RANDALL MIDDLE SCHOOL, NEWSOME, SICKLES, BLOOMINGDALE, ALONSO, MANGO ELEMENTARY, GAITHER, SCIENCE BRENNER, LETO, FREEDOM, PLANT, EAST BAY, RIVERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL, RIVERVIEW ELEMENTARY, AND CORR ELEMENTARY. WHAT A REPRESENTATION THIS LAST WEEKEND. THEY RAISED THEY RAISED OVER $300,000 FOR CANCER, AND WHAT A HUGE HIGHLIGHT. THEY WERE SUCH A HIGHLIGHT TO ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. SO IF YOU COULD FINISH UP, PABLO, WITH THE LAST COUPLE OF SLIDES OF A COUPLE OF OUR SCHOOLS. THEY WERE SUCH A HIGHLIGHT. I ALSO WANT TO THANK DR. I ALSO WANT TO THANK DR. HAHN FOR REPRESENTING AND MENTIONING THE FINE ARTS FESTIVAL, THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MUSIC FESTIVAL. BOTH WERE HUGE ATTENDANCE AND HUGE HIGHLIGHT. SO I WANT TO THANK BOTH OF THEM FOR THAT. I DO WANT TO MAKE A MENTION AND KIND OF PIGGYBACK OFF OF DR. HAHN. I THINK IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AT IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AT OUR FIVE-YEAR FIVE-YEAR PLAN. WE'VE GOT SEVEN SCHOOLS IN THE EAST SIDE OF THE COUNTY ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE WATER GATE AREA BECAUSE WE HAVE OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS. THOSE SCHOOLS ARE NOT BEING PRESENTED WITH THE SAME ABILITIES, I MEAN, THE SAME UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES THAT OTHER SCHOOLS IN OUR COUNTIES ARE. SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE GET THAT ON A TIME FRAME OF HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK. THEY ARE NOT PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPECIFIC ACADEMIC ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES, CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, AND WE HAVE OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS AND THEREFORE WE'RE NOT MEETING THE SAFETY NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS IF WE DO NOT MEET THOSE WE DO NOT MEET THOSE NEEDS. WE HAVE TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS, THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, INCLUDING WATERSET, CAREER AND TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL AND TWO HIGH SCHOOLS THAT NEED TO BE BUILT IN THE NEXT FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS. THOSE ARE CRITICAL NEEDS OF THE DISTRICT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. SO I'M GOING TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF DR. HAHN AND ASK FOR A TIME FRAME ON HOW THAT'S ALL GOING TO HAPPEN, PLEASE. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. MEMBER VAUGHN. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I HAVE A LOT TO COVER. FIRST OF FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON FOR ALWAYS BEING A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR ESE, SPECIAL OLYMPICS AND OUR UNIQUE ABILITY STUDENTS AND HIGHLIGHTING STUDENTS AND HIGHLIGHTING THE GREAT THINGS HAPPENING. DR. HAHN I AGREE WITH MONROE AND MADISON BUT THAT IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT CONVERSATION. TO MOVE ON, THANK YOU, OWEN YOUNG, FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK AROUND BLACK HISTORY MONTH. I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH THIS MONTH FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT EVENTS, SPECIFICALLY AROUND TAMPA'S BLACK HISTORY. WE HAVE SUCH A RICH HISTORY HERE AND SO MANY PEOPLE UNSUNG HEROES THAT I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT AND THEIR STORIES. I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT WENT AROUND. I KNOW YOU SENT OUT AN E-MAIL SAYING WE'VE HAD MORE ENGAGEMENT THIS MONTH THAN WE'VE HAD IN YEARS. THE BLACK BRAIN BOWL WAS AMAZING. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY WHO WORKS AROUND THAT. OF COURSE, DISTRICT 3 WAS VERY WELL REPRESENTED. TO SEE THE CARROLLWOOD KIDS LIKE THREE SECONDS INTO A QUESTION BEFORE IT COULD EVEN BE FINISHED BRINGING IN AND GIVING THE ANSWER WAS JUST AMAZING. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE O ORGANIZED AROUND THAT. AGAIN I LEARNED A TON OF INFORMATION. THE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, THE ALL-COUNTY ELEMENTARY MUSIC PERFORMANCE WAS JUST SPECTACULAR. IF ANYBODY HASN'T SEEN THAT, YOU ARE COMPLETELY MISSING OUT. IT IS BROADWAY WORTHY. THOSE KIDS WERE PHENOMENAL. EVERYBODY IN OUR EVERYBODY IN OUR MUSIC DEPARTMENT. MR. JOHN MR. JOHN SEEBER, MR. MR. JOHN SEEBER, MR. CASSNETA AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT PUT THAT ON AND ALL OF THE MUSIC TEACHERS WHO WORK SO HARD, INCLUDING MY SON'S MUSIC TEACHER AT TAMPA PALMS ELEMENTARY AND ALL OF THE TEACHERS, PHENOMENAL JOB. THAT BLACK LIGHT PERFORMANCE BY THE WORLD DRUMMING WAS JUST AMAZING. THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS -- SEE, YOU'VE GOT ME DOING -- SEE, YOU'VE GOT ME DOING IT, MEMBER GRAY -- MEMBER GRAY -- I'LL GET ONE NAME RIGHT IN THE COMMENTS -- THANK YOU SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES FOR COMING OUT TO GRECO. THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO THEM. I KNOW YOU HAD TO MISS, UNFORTUNATELY, ANOTHER EVENT. BUT I CAN'T SAY HOW MUCH THAT REALLY MEANS. THAT IS ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS THAT IS DOING AMAZING WORK IN LIFTING THEIR GRADES UP WITH, MIGHT I SAY 17 STUDENTS -- SAY 17 STUDENTS -- BUSES THAT OUR STUDENTS OUR STUDENTS ARE IN. THEY REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT THERE. I THINK IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT IN THIS DISTRICT THAT WE TALK ABOUT AS OUR SCHOOLS TRANSITION OUT OF TRANSFORMATION OR ANY OF THE EXTRA SUPPORTS THAT WE DON'T IMMEDIATELY TAKE THOSE SUPPORTS AWAY BECAUSE THAT IS HOW THEY HAVE TRANSITIONED. WHEN WE REMOVE THE SUPPORTS, WE IMMEDIATELY PUT THEM IN A POSITION OF STRUGGLING. SO I THINK THAT CONVERSATION IS IMPORTANT. ALSO THIS WEEK I'M GOING TO BE RELEASING MY STUDENT-LED POLICY THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING SO MUCH ABOUT. GOING TO THE MEETING OF ALL OUR STUDENT BODY GOVERNMENT THIS THURSDAY TO TALK ABOUT THAT. THANKS FOR EVERYBODY WHO WORKED ON THAT. EXCITED TO SEE WHICH POLICIES COME FORWARD. ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO PUT IN A PLUG BECAUSE THE FEEDBACK THAT I'M GETTING IS PLEASE INTRODUCE TYPING SKILLS AS ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN OFFER OUR STUDENTS NOW THAT EVERY SINGLE TEST IS ONLINE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING DOWN TO KINDERGARTEN, AS SOMEBODY MENTIONED EARLIER. I THINK BEING ABLE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF TYPING CURRICULUM A LITTLE MORE MANDATORY AND INCLUDED WOULD BE SO IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TEST SCORES AND SCORES AND KIDS BEING ABLE TO RESPOND TO THAT. I HEARD A LOT OF CONVERSATION AND GONE TO A LOT OF SCHOOLS WHERE THEY ASKED FOR THAT. I WANT TO OFFICIALLY PUT THAT ON THE RECORD ABOUT THAT. I THINK THAT'S IT. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE, TO ALL OUR EMPLOYEES WHO COME OUT AND SPEAK SO SO PASSIONATELY. HOPEFULLY WE ARE WORKING HOPEFULLY WE ARE WORKING ON THAT CULTURE OF FEAR IN OUR SCHOOLS AND MAKING SURE UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP AND OUR BOARD'S LEADERSHIP THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES' VOICES ARE VALUED. THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SPEAKING. JUST TO EVERYONE WHO WORKS SO HARD, I HOPE YOU HAVE A NICE SPRING BREAK, SOME TIME TO RECHARGE AND RELAX AND FEEL FREE TO SAY NO TO THINGS AND JUST ENJOY THAT TIME. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO WORKS SO HARD TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND PREPARE THEM THEM FOR LIFE AND EDUCATION. I HOPE YOU HAVE A NICE SPRING BREAK. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER MEMBER COMBS. >>Nadia Combs: I WAS JUST THINKING, THE OTHER DAY I SAID SOMETHING AT THE WORKSHOP AND I REALLY FELT LIKE IT'S WORTH SAYING AGAIN BECAUSE I KEPT THINKING ABOUT THIS THE OTHER DAY. I SAID, BOY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SESSIONS IS ABOUT TO END AND YOU LOOK AT THE PER PUPIL ALLOCATION OF $220, I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING THAT IF YOU ADDED A ZERO TO THE END YOU WOULD STILL BE BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. SO I WANT PEOPLE TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THAT. IF YOU ADDED ANOTHER ZERO, WE WOULD STILL BE BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. I DON'T THINK THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT YOU CAN SAY YOU CAN ADD A ZERO TO AND STILL WOULDN'T BE CLOSE. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT. ALSO, NOT JUST THE FUNDING AND HOW WE'RE THE 50th IN THE NATION. WHEN WE LOOK AT CLIMATE AND CULTURE, I APPRECIATE JENNIFER SHIVER COMING IN AND REALLY LOOKING AT LOOKING AT EITHER AN ANONYMOUS NUMBER OR SOMEWHERE, OR A PART OF HR THAT CAN HEAR THESE ISSUES AND THESE CHALLENGES BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE -- YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, FUNDING IS NOT GOING TO COME ANYWHERE. WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THAT ZERO ANYWHERE ANY TIME SOON. THE SESSION IS THE SESSION IS OVER. SO LET'S CONTINUE WORKING ON THE CULTURE AND CLIMATE AND CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND CONTINUING TO LET PEOPLE KNOW IN OUR COMMUNITY WHAT IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE. OKAY, YOU ADD A ZERO AND YOU'RE STILL BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AND WE'RE LIVING IN THE CITY WITH THE HIGHEST INFLATION RATE, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND OUR TEACHERS ARE UNABLE TO LIVE HERE. MOST OF THEM HAVE TWO OR THREE JOBS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALLY EDUCATE PEOPLE AND EDUCATE VOTERS ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS. THE CUP OF COMPASSION EVENT FOR THE CRISIS CENTER OF TAMPA BAY, CLAIRE REYNOLDS DOES SUCH A GREAT JOB. I KNOW, I THINK MEMBER RENDON AND I WERE THERE AND -- ALSO MEMBER HAHN WAS THERE AS WELL. THAT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT EVENT TO GO TO. AND TWO OTHER THINGS, FUTURE CAREER ACADEMY, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LOT. I WANT TO PASS OUT THE FLYERS FOR THE HIRING EVENTS. I THINK THEY ARE REALLY WORKING HARD AT MAKING SURE THEY ARE MEASURING THE STUDENTS WHO GET THE JOBS, BUT I DO HAVE SOME FLYERS WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT HIRING EVENTS. THE GREAT THING IS, NOT ONLY ARE OUR STUDENTS BEING HIRED BUT ALSO OPENING IT UP TO THE COMMUNITY SO OTHER PEOPLE, KIDS WHO MAYBE ALREADY GRADUATED OR ADULTS WHO WANT TO LOOK FOR A JOB IN OUR COMMUNITY, THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM. FINALLY, I FINALLY, I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE OUR OLDEST HIGH SCHOOL, HILLSBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. IT'S SUCH AN AMAZING PLACE. I REALLY WANTED TO SHOW A SHORT VIDEO. PABLO, OF WHAT HAPPENED THE OTHER DAY. I'M REALLY, REALLY PROUD OF THIS EVENT, IF YOU LIVE IN THIS AREA, I'M SURE YOU LOVE HEARING IT AS WELL. PABLO, IF YOU CAN CUE THAT. >> HELLO AND WELCOME TO FLORIDA FOCUS. MY NAME IS VICTORIA HARRIS. >> I'M DAWSON CORDOVA. THANKS FOR JOINING US. A PIECE OF HISTORY AT HILLSBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL HAS BEEN IN DISREPAIR FOR YEARS WORK WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM ALUMNI AND A LOT OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT THIS PIECE OF HISTORY HAS BEEN RESTORED. JIMMY EXPLAINS. >> THE LAST TIME HILLSBOROUGH HIGH'S MEMORIAL CLOCK TOWER CHIMED WAS OVER A DECADE AGO. THE GROUP LED THE CHARGE TO RESTORE THE MEMORIAL CLOCK TOWER. RAISED $50,000 FOR THE PROJECT THROUGH A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN. IT ONLY TOOK FIVE WEEKS TO HIT THAT MARK. ONCE THE MONEY WAS RAISED, HILLSBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL HOSTED A REDEDICATION CEREMONY TO UNVEIL THE FIXED CLOCK TOWER. ALUMNI AND VOLUNTEER DARLENE SAYS PEOPLE'S EXCITEMENT FOR THE PROJECT SURPRISED EVEN HER. >> THE MONEY PART WAS THE EASIEST PART OF ALL, HONESTLY, TO RAISE THE MONEY. I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE THE HARDEST AND IT WASN'T. AND PEOPLE WANTED TO CONNECT WITH THAT CLOCK AND THEY WANTED TO BE A PART OF THAT HISTORY TO GO, HEY, I GAVE MONEY TO THAT CLOCK FOR OUR WAR HEROES. >> THE SCHOOL FIRST DEDICATED THE SPIRE IN 1949 TO STUDENTS WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR II. YEARS LATER IT RETURNED TO THE SAME MESSAGE. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER NADIA COMBS HONORED THOSE WHO PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE. >> I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT YOUR TERRIER PRIDE BUT I ALSO WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THESE WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THESE VERY, VERY COURAGEOUS VETERANS WHO FOUGHT FOR OUR NATION. >> THE CROWD TURNED TO THE CLOCK TOWER WHEN IT TOWER WHEN IT STRUCK 12. THE BELLS FOUND THE VOICE AND CHIMED IN MEMORY OF OUR LOST SOLDIERS ONCE AGAIN. [BELLS [BELLS TOLLING] IN TAMPA, REPORTING FOR FLORIDA FOCUS. >>Nadia Combs: I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT THAT WORKED SO HARD TO GET THIS DONE. NOT ONLY DOES IT CHIME, BUT IT ALSO PLAYS MUSIC. SO IT WAS JUST AMAZING. LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THERE IN OUR OLDEST HIGH SCHOOL. SO I'M REALLY, REALLY EXCITED AND PROUD OF THAT. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER WASHINGTON. >>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. FIRST, I WANT TO SAY HAPPY, HAPPY WOMEN HISTORY MONTH. I TOLD MY WIFE THAT THIS MORNING AND SHE SAID, WHAT? I SAID EVERY MONTH IS SOME MONTH. I WANT TO GIVE A BIG THANK-YOU TO KING HIGH SCHOOL FOR HOSTING OUR OUR ESE STUDENTS FOR MARCH MADNESS. ESPECIALLY THANK THE ORGANIZERS, COLINA McQUEEN, ANTOINETTE RATLIFF, REGIONAL 9 SUPERVISOR. THANK YOU FOR DOING A GREAT JOB. AND MOVING ON TO AND MOVING ON TO LET'S AND MOVING ON TO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ANNUAL BLACK ABOUT THE ANNUAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH RECEPTION THAT WE HAD WITH FRED ENHANCER -- WITH FRED HEARNS. IT WAS PHENOMENAL. WE HAD A GREAT TIME. SURPRISING ENOUGH, A THOUSAND DOLLARS WAS GIVEN TO EGYPT DOLLARS WAS GIVEN TO EGYPT LAKE. AND I WANT TO THANK ADDISON EDGECOMB FOR EDGECOMB FOR DOING EDGECOMB FOR DOING A GREAT JOB WITH THE THURGOOD MARSHALL CLUB BECAUSE WE HAVE BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE -- ABOUT 48 -- 44 OF THEM. WE FIRST STARTED OUT WE DIDN'T HAVE MAYBE NINE OR TEN. ALSO, ON FEBRUARY THE 24th, WE HAD THE BRAIN BOWL HAD THE BRAIN BOWL AT BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL. AND I WANT TO THANK MS. GRAY FOR BEING THERE, MS. VAUGHN, MS. COMBS. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT. IT WAS TREMENDOUS. I TELL YOU WHAT, THOSE ELEMENTARY KIDS ARE PHENOMENAL. MAN, THEY ARE MAN, THEY ARE SMART. THEY WERE PRETTY GOOD. THEY REALLY WERE. THEY WERE GOOD. DURING THAT DURING THAT TIME I HAD DURING THAT TIME I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, I GOT TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO HELP ME. AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, GAITHER WON. I THINK THAT IS THE THIRD I THINK THAT IS THE THIRD YEAR WINNING, YEAH. THIRD YEAR. SO EVERY TIME A HIGH SCHOOL WIN I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF GIVING THEM $100 TO EACH MEMBER OF THE CLUB. SO I GAVE AWAY SO I GAVE AWAY $500. AND I'M GOING TO CONTINUE DOING THAT BECAUSE THAT IS A MOTIVATION FACTOR FOR THE HIGH SCHOOLS TO BE INVOLVED. WE JUST HAVE TO GET SOME OTHER PEOPLE TO DONATE, WHICH IS NOT HARD. SHOULD NOT BE HARD TO DO. ALSO, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE ELEMENTARY ARTS, FINE ARTS FESTIVAL AT THE STRAZ. BOY, THAT WAS GREAT. THOSE KIDS ARE PHENOMENAL. PEOPLE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE STUDENTS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. IF THEY NEED TO COME OUT AND SEE THOSE STUDENTS, THEY THOSE STUDENTS, THEY DO A GREAT JOB AND THE DIRECTORS AND THE TEACHERS. IT WAS REALLY GOOD. I ENJOYED IT. I REALLY DID BECAUSE THE STUDENTS WERE WONDERFUL AND THEY DID A GREAT JOB. I ALSO WANT TO THANK MR. OWEN, MR. YOUNG. THANK YOU, MR. YOUNG FOR THURSDAY OVER THURSDAY OVER AT THURSDAY OVER AT BLAKE, THURSDAY OVER AT BLAKE, FOR STUART AND STUART AND JUST. YOU DID A GREAT JOB. HAD QUITE A FEW PEOPLE COME OUT. GOT A CHANCE TO SEE PEOPLE I HADN'T SEEN IN A LONG HADN'T SEEN IN A LONG TIME. MS. REDDICK. ALSO DELA NOR STUART WHO IS THE SON OF GV STUART. HE WAS OUT THERE. JUST SO MANY PEOPLE. I THANK YOU FOR DOING A GREAT JOB. THAT WAS A GREAT SETUP. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A LOT DONE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. MOVING ON, ALSO, I WANT TO THANK JEROME RHYMES, HOUSING AUTHORITY. I WENT TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND GROUND BREAKING THEY HAD. THEY ARE HAVING OVER 2,000 UNITS BUILT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HIGH INCOME. SO THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE SO THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE WE ARE MAKING THAT AREA, THAT AREA IS GOING TO BE A PHENOMENAL AREA TO LIVE IN BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT GOING ON. ALSO, THE ROME YARD IS COMING ABOUT. IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT AREA. ONCE WE GET THE PARK BUILT UP AT BLAKE ABOUT THE WOMEN PROSOCCER TEAM, HAVE A TAXI COME BY AND TAKE THEM ACROSS. I MAY HAVE TO HANG OUT THERE ALL THE TIME. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A GREAT TIME AND DOING THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO IN HILLSBOROUGH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. FIRST, I WANT TO FIRST, I WANT TO START OFF WITH RECOGNIZING MY FELLOW SOCIAL WORKERS. THIS THIS IS SOCIAL THIS IS SOCIAL WORK MONTH. ALL THE SOCIAL WORKERS GET A WHOLE MONTH OF WHOLE MONTH OF RECOGNITION. SOCIAL WORKERS ENTER THE PROFESSION BECAUSE THEY HAVE A STRONG DESIRE TO HELP AND EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES. OUR NATION OVERCOME ISSUES THAT PREVENT THEM FROM REACHING THEIR FULL FULL POTENTIAL. SOCIAL WORKERS PROMOTE AND SUPPORT THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS BY PROVIDING SERVICES INCLUDING CRISIS INTERVENTION, COUNSELING, STRENGTHENING, AND SUPPORTING PARENT AND FAMILY INVOLVEMENT. AND WITH THAT AND WITH THAT SAID, I WANT TO SPEAK TO WHAT TRACYE BROWN SAID EARLIER ABOUT CHRONIC ABSENCES. WHEN WE ARE DEALING WHEN WE ARE DEALING WITH CHECKING ON FAMILIES, MARKING OFF THOSE CHRONIC ABSENCES EARLIER, BUT FINDING OUT IF THEY NEED SUPPORTS BECAUSE A NEED SUPPORTS BECAUSE A LOT OF FAMILIES, THE FAMILIES, THE STUDENTS ARE CHRONICALLY ABSENT NOT BECAUSE OF TRANSPORTATION OR ANYTHING LIKE LIKE THAT, BUT BECAUSE HOUSING OR ISSUES WITH FAMILY MEMBERS OR THE INABILITY THE INABILITY TO GET OVER A DYING OR THE DEATH OF A FAMILY MEMBER. OUR STUDENTS HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THAT. AND SO AND SO WHEN WE COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION IS ALWAYS VITAL. ESPECIALLY WITH FAMILIES WHO ARE NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING. SO NO MATTER WHAT LANGUAGE THEY SPEAK, WHEN THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE SCHOOL OR TO REALLY SPEAK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR FAMILIES, YOU'RE GOING TO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THOSE CHRONIC ABSENCES AS WELL. I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THAT. ALSO, SUPERINTENDENT, I'M GOING TO SPEAK FOR MYSELF AS A BOARD MEMBER. WHEN WHEN I WHEN I CALL WHEN I CALL STAFF AND THEY DON'T RETURN THE CALL, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. I'VE LEFT A MESSAGE WITH THE I'VE LEFT A MESSAGE WITH THE ABA SUPERVISOR SINCE FEBRUARY 16. I'VE RECEIVED NO CALL. IF I'M CALLING, IT'S BECAUSE A PARENT HAS CALLED ME. I'M REACHING OUT IN AN ATTEMPT TO NOT GET IN THE WEEDS. SO IF THEY ARE NOT RETURNING THE CALL TO ME AS A CALL TO ME AS A BOARD CALL TO ME AS A BOARD MEMBER, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WITH THEM NOT RETURNING CALLS TO PARENTS. I JUST NEED BECAUSE IT'S A CONCERN AND I JUST NEED TO SEE IF YOU CAN ADDRESS THAT, PLEASE. OUR STUDENTS WHO NEED THOSE SUPPORTS AS WE SPOKE SUPPORTS AS WE SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT OUR STUDENTS WITH, YOU KNOW, KNOW, THOSE SPECIAL ABILITIES, THAT THEY NEED THOSE SUPPORTS IN THE CLASSROOMS. AND TODAY, I AND TODAY, I HAD AND TODAY, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH MR. TO MEET WITH MR. OWEN. THE LION'S PRIDE IS THE NAME OF A MENTOR GROUP AT OAK PARK ELEMENTARY. THE GROUP IS MADE UP OF DIVERSE GROUP OF FIFTH GRADE BOYS AND THE MISSION AND VISION OF THIS MENTOR GROUP IS TO HAVE A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOMES SUCH AS BETTER GRADES, GREATER ENGAGEMENT IN SCHOOL AND INCREASED RESILIENCY. LET ME SAY THIS. WHEN THEY CAME WHEN THEY CAME TO VISIT, THEY WERE INCREDIBLE. I ASKED THEM HOW MANY OF THOSE YOUNG MEN YOUNG MEN DID NOT HAVE BROTHERS AND A FEW OF THEM SAID I DON'T, BUT NOW I DO. WE'RE A WE'RE A BROTHERHOOD. WE WE SUPPORT EACH OTHER. WE LIFT EACH OTHER'S HEAD UP. IT WAS A GREAT CONVERSATION. THESE MENTORS ARE OFTEN THOUGHT TO BE IMPORTANT SOURCES OF SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS GROUP THROUGH MODELING, GUIDANCE, AND SUPPORT. AND THESE YOUNG MEN WERE ARTICULATE. THEY WERE AMAZING, AND THEY WERE JUST EXCITED TO BE HERE IN OUR DISTRICT VISITING. MR. OWEN BROWN -- I MEAN YOUNG, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THE YOUNG MEN HERE TODAY AND FOR WHAT YOU DO IN SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS ON A DAILY. BEFORE ALL OUR -- FOR ALL OUR STAFF, HAVE A WONDERFUL SPRING BREAK. RELAX. TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELVES, AND WE'LL SEE YOU AFTER SPRING BREAK. THANK YOU. SEEING NO OTHER FURTHER BUSINESS, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ]