>> HI. I'M KAREN 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. A DONDE SERVIMOS MAS DE 200,000 ESTUDIANTES ESTUDIANTES. THAT INCLUDES CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL AND PRESCHOOL AND ADULTS THROUGH OUR WORKFORCE PROGRAM. >> HI. I'M JESSICA VAUGHN, THE SCHOOL BOARD 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 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 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 OF APRIL 16, 2024, IS CALLED TO ORDER. MEMBER VAUGHN WILL NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE 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 [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. WILL YOU PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STUDENT ENTERTAINMENT? >>Jessica Vaughn: YES. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK WEST I WOULD LIKE TO THANK WEST TAMPA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALONG WITH PRINCIPAL KEVIN CASTNER AND MUSIC DIRECTOR ASHLEY MUSIC DIRECTOR ASHLEY GILLESPIE. THESE WONDERFUL STUDENTS ENTERTAINED US PRIOR TO THE START OF OUR BOARD MEETING. AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE OUR STUDENTS UP TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. >> HI. MY NAME IS MY NAME IS JEVON GIDEON. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE. >> HELLO. MY NAME MY NAME IS ANNIE MALDONADO. I'M ONE OF THE ONLY FOURTH GRADERS TODAY. >> HI. JIMMY NORTON. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE. >> HI. MY NAME IS GRETCHEN MY NAME IS GRETCHEN ARDUNES. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE. >> HI. MY NAME IS NAOMI WILLIAMS, FIFTH GRADE. >> HI. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE. >> HI, MY NAME IS ANA LEAH. FIFTH GRADE. >> HEATHER SMITH AND I'M IN FIFTH GRADE. >> ALEX AND I'M IN FIFTH GRADE. >> HI. MY NAME IS HANNA CHARACTER. I'M FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA. I'M THE MUSIC INTERN AT WEST TAMPA ELEMENTARY. >> HI. MY NAME IS ASHLEY GILLESPIE. I AM THE MUSIC TEACHER AT WEST TAMPA. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO COME PLAY HERE. >> HELLO. EMMA MURRAY, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT WEST TAMPA. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M KEVIN CASTNER. I'M THE VERY, VERY PROUD PRINCIPAL OF ALL THESE STUDENTS AND ALL OF THE STUDENTS AT WEST TAMPA ELEMENTARY. I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR LETTING US PERFORM HERE FOR YOU GUYS TODAY. [ APPLAUSE ] >> THANK >> THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: PARENTS, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND TAKE A QUICK PHOTO. GREAT JOB! [ APPLAUSE ] >>Karen Perez: WE HAVE ONE WITHDRAWN ITEM TODAY. ITEM 5.03, APPROVE THE NIKE FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER VAUGHN. ANY ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT. I HAVE THREE SETS OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY. FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 27th, 2024 SCHOOL BOARD WORKSHOP. MARCH MARCH 26, 2024, SCHOOL BOARD WORKSHOP. AND APRIL AND APRIL 2nd, 2024, SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND. TO APPROVE THE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER VAUGHN. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE MOTION PASSES THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TODAY'S MEETING. AS A REMINDER, WE ARE A NONPARTISAN BOARD WHO BELIEVES ALL CHILDREN CAN BE EMPOWERED TO LEARN AND SUCCEED. OUR DECISIONS WILL BE MADE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING. TO PAVE A WAY FOR EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE AGENDA STATEMENTS AND OR QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL HAVE FIVE HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARDS, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOU ARE ASKED TO GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. MEMBER VAUGHN WILL NOW READ THE BOARD GUIDELINES. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. AS WE BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETING, PLEASE ALLOW ME TO QUICKLY REVIEW THE FORMAT OF OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. PLEASE SILENCE ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THERE ARE SPEAKERS IN THE ROOM BEHIND ME THAT ALLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO HEAR THE MEETING UPON STEPPING AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THIS MEETING CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON THE LIVE WEBCAST, ON CABLE TV AND ON VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM. IT CAN ALSO BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING 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 ONE WE HAVE ONE RECOGNITION WE HAVE ONE RECOGNITION FOR TODAY. A-01, RECOGNITION OF THE MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD. MEMBER HAHN WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS RECOGNITION. >>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, CHAIR PEREZ. APRIL IS THE MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD, THE MONTH THAT WE HONOR OUR MILITARY FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY OUR YOUNGEST HEROES, THE CHILDREN OF OUR MILITARY FAMILIES. MILITARY CHILDREN CONTINUE TO ASPIRE US DESPITE THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE DUE TO THEIR UNIQUE SITUATIONS. IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE HAVE MORE SCHOOLS, WE HAVE MORE THAN 4600 MILITARY CHILDREN ACROSS 240 OF OUR SCHOOLS. THESE CHILDREN BRING A SPIRIT OF LEADERSHIP, CARING, AND ACHIEVEMENT TO OUR CAMPUSES. OUR DISTRICT IS GRATEFUL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP WE SHARE PARTNERSHIP WE SHARE WITH MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, AND WE ARE PROUD OF THE WAY OUR SCHOOLS WORK WITH THE BASE AND OUR MILITARY FAMILIES TO PROVIDE THEM THE BEST POSSIBLE SUPPORT. IN HONOR OF THE MILITARY CHILD, EVERYONE IS INVITED TO WEAR PURPLE TOMORROW, APRIL 17, AS A VISIBLE SIGN TO THANK MILITARY CHILDREN FOR THEIR STRENGTH AND SACRIFICES. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER HAHN. AND NOW WE'RE -- >>Stacy Hahn: MEMBER PEREZ, CAN I SAY A FEW WORDS? >>Karen Perez: YES. >>Stacy Hahn: I WANT TO RECOGNIZE SOME PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE HERE JOINING US TODAY IN THE AUDIENCE. CERTAINLY HONORED TO RECOGNIZE THE MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD AND THE INCREDIBLE AND THE INCREDIBLE SACRIFICES MADE BY MILITARY FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE WORLD. SO I WANT TO EXTEND A WARM WELCOME TO THE MacDILL AIR FORCE MEMBERS PRESENT HERE TODAY, INCLUDING COLONEL EDWARD, ZA ZA PANIC, LIEUTENANT ERIN HOLLAND, SANDRA HOLLAND, SANDRA COBILLA. McCLOUD AND SPENCER. I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE MARCUS MOW RILLO, OUR HILLSBOROUGH CHIEF OF INNOVATION AND STRATEGIC PLANNING AND KIM SUECAST, OUR DISTRICT MILITARY LIAISON. ALL OF THESE INDIVIDUALS, IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THEIR OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES JOIN RESPONSIBILITIES JOIN ME EVERY QUARTER ON THE MacDILL COUNCIL FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE. SO THANK YOU ALL SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMITMENT. [ APPLAUSE ] TO THE MacDILL TO THE MacDILL HCPS PARTNERSHIP AND FOR SUPPORTING OUR MILITARY FAMILIES. AS I AS I MENTIONED, 4600 DEPENDENTS OF ACTIVE MILITARY IN OUR DISTRICT. 8700 MILITARY CONNECTED STUDENTS, AND WE ARE PARTICULARLY PROUD OF OUR 21 SCHOOLS THAT HAVE EARNED THE PURPLE STAR DISTINCTION, SYMBOLIZING, AGAIN, OUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR MILITARY CHILDREN. AND THESE CHILDREN, THEY REALLY DO FACE SOME UNIQUE DO FACE SOME UNIQUE CHALLENGES, INCLUDING FREQUENT INCLUDING FREQUENT RELOCATIONS. WITH THE AVERAGE MILITARY FAMILY MOVING THREE TIMES MORE OFTEN THAN THEIR CIVILIAN COUNTERPARTS, THEY ACTUALLY ATTEND AN AVERAGE OF 6 TO 9 SCHOOLS DURING THEIR K-12 YEARS, WHICH IS AN AWFUL LOT OF MOVEMENT. AS WE SPEAK, AS WE SPEAK, ABOUT 200 MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE MEMBERS ARE PREPARING FOR PREPARING FOR DEPLOYMENT, FURTHER EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING OUR MILITARY CHILDREN. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE THE STRESS THAT COMES WITH HAVING YOUR PARENT DEPLOYED OVERSEAS. I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT ALSO TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE INITIATIVES IN OUR DISTRICT THAT SUPPORT MILITARY FAMILIES. ONE, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE GRATITUDE TO THE COGBILL FAMILY WITH THEIR GENEROUS FUNDING, THE STUDENT TO STUDENT PROGRAM AT PLANT, ROBINSON HIGH SCHOOLS. THIS BRINGS TOGETHER MILITARY AND CIVILIAN STUDENTS TO WELCOME NEW STUDENTS AND CREATE A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT. AND EASE THEIR TRANSITION INTO OUR SCHOOLS. I ALSO WANT TO SHARE THAT ON APRIL 10, OUR TEACHERS APRIL 10, OUR TEACHERS WERE INVOLVED IN THE I CIVICS GRANT AND THEY PARTICIPATED IN IMMERSION DAY THAT INCLUDED A PANEL DISCUSSION, A BASE BRIEFING TOUR, AND A LUNCH IN THE BASE CAFETERIA. AND THIS EXPERIENCE PROVIDED OUR TEACHERS WITH TEACHERS WITH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF MILITARY FAMILIES UNIQUE NEEDS. AND I WANT TO EXTEND MY THANKS TO I CIVICS FOR THEIR FUNDING AND TO COLONEL AND TO COLONEL ZAPANIC FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND SUPPORT AROUND THAT PROJECT. LASTLY, I'D JUST LIKE TO ASK EACH OF US TO TAKE A MOMENT TO REMEMBER AND TO HONOR AND SUPPORT THE BRAVE MILITARY CHILDREN WHO SACRIFICE AND ADAPT ALONGSIDE THEIR PARENTS IN SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY. MAY GOD BLESS THEM AND MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ] >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. THANK YOU FOR READING THIS RECOGNITION AND RECOGNITION AND RECOGNIZING OUR MILITARY PERSONNEL IN THE AUDIENCE. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO ON A DAILY BASIS FOR US AND THIS COUNTRY. MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: OUTSTANDING. THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. I ACTUALLY WAS GOING TO ASK THAT WE ALL STAND IN HONOR OF WE ALL STAND IN HONOR OF THOSE WONDERFUL INDIVIDUALS IN ALL OF THE MacDILL SERVICE, EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. MY NEPHEW MY NEPHEW ACTUALLY IS ONE OF THEM RIGHT THEM RIGHT NOW THAT'S GOING TO BE DEPLOYED. THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. IT'S AN HONOR TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU. THANK YOU. >>Van Ayres: IF WE COULD GET A PICTURE, IF WE COULD HAVE SOME OF OF OUR MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE MEMBERS COME UP AND GET A PICTURE ALL TOGETHER, PLEASE. >>Karen Perez: NOW WE'RE GOING TO INVITE KELLY TO INVITE KELLY BRENNAN TO HIGHLIGHT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS OFFICE 2024 SCHOOLS VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION DRIVES AND VOTE HILLSBOROUGH ART CONTEST. >> HI. I WAS HERE I WAS HERE TO INTRODUCE MR. CRAIG LATTIMORE, WHO IS OUR SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS. AND HE WILL PROCEED WITH THE REST OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. SUPERINTENDENT AND, OF COURSE, GEN COUNSEL. IT IS IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY. THIS IS ONE OF THE FUN EVENTS THAT WE HAVE ALL YEAR. WE'RE HERE TODAY TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE TOP SCHOOLS THAT HAD THE MOST REGISTRATION -- PREREGISTRATION, 16 AND 17-YEAR-OLDS AND, OF COURSE, 18-YEAR-OLDS. WE CONSTANTLY HERE ABOUT THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE OUR FUTURE. WELL, ACTUALLY, A LOT OF THEM ARE PRESENT BECAUSE THEY ARE 18 YEARS OLD AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION. WE ENGAGE THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS, WITH THE REGISTERING TO VOTE AND EACH HIGH SCHOOL AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR TO DO THAT AND THEN ALSO WITH ART AND THEN ALSO WITH ART CONTESTS THAT REALLY KIND OF EXPLODED OVER TIME. IT'S BEEN FANTASTIC. I CAN TELL YOU THAT. THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WE REGISTERED OVER 3200 STUDENTS. SINCE I CAME IN OFFICE IN 2013, WE'VE REGISTERED WE'VE REGISTERED OVER 35,000 STUDENTS. SO THIS IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP THAT I CERTAINLY ENJOY WITH THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT FOR SURE. I'M HERE TODAY TO RECOGNIZE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, BUT ONE I WANT TO RECOGNIZE, KELLY BRENNAN, WHO IS YOUR SUPERVISOR OF SOCIAL STUDIES, 9-12, AND LAURA HOBBY, THE VISUAL THEATER ARTS EDUCATION K-12. THESE ARE TWO OF OUR BEST CONTACTS AND REALLY MAKE THINGS HAPPEN FOR US SO THAT WE'RE NOT FLOUNDERING AROUND. I'VE GOT SEVERAL PEOPLE FROM MY OFFICE HERE WHO WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THESE EFFORTS, AND THEY ARE GOING TO START -- THEY ARE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH US TO HAND OUT THE AWARDS. LET'S START WITH THE VOTER REGISTRATION. TODAY WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE SIX HIGH SCHOOLS THAT WE'VE NAMED NAMED OUR 2024 VOTE HILLSBOROUGH CHAMPIONS. AT EACH OF THE SCHOOLS, MORE THAN 150 STUDENTS OR MORE THAN 40% OF THE SENIOR CLASS POPULATION REGISTERED TO VOTE DURING ONE OF THE REGISTRATION DRIVES. SO I'D ASK FOR REPRESENTATIVES TO COME FORWARD IF THEY ARE HERE FROM FROM DURANT HIGH SCHOOL, FROM DURANT HIGH SCHOOL, KING HIGH HIGH SCHOOL, DR. HIGH SCHOOL, DR. PATEL HIGH SCHOOL, NEWSOME HIGH SCHOOL, PLANT CITY HIGH SCHOOL, AND SUMNER HIGH SCHOOL. [ APPLAUSE ] >> THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. [ APPLAUSE ] NOW WE'RE ON TO THE VOTE HILLSBOROUGH ART CONTEST. WE STARTED THIS SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND IT WAS JUST POSTERS BASICALLY. AND WE'VE REALLY ENGAGED THE STUDENTS NOW. YOU MAY RECALL LAST YEAR WE ENGAGED OUR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TO DESIGN THE NEW FUTURE VOTER STICKER, AND THEY CAME UP WITH SOME GREAT ONES. THIS YEAR, WE DECIDED TO DO A NEW "I VOTED" STICKER AND WE HAD MORE THAN 200 ENTRIES FROM AROUND THE DISTRICT. WE'LL BE GIVING OUT THE WE'LL BE GIVING OUT THE STICKERS DURING EARLY VOTING AND FEATURING A LOT OF DESIGNS WE RECEIVED IN THE VOTER EDUCATION EFFORTS. THE SUBMISSIONS THIS YEAR WERE TRULY OUTSTANDING. THREE FINALISTS WERE SELECTED BY STAFF AND SPONSORS. GUESS HOW WE DECIDED WHO THE WINNER WAS. WE VOTED ON IT. [ LAUGHTER ] WE ACTUALLY HAD A RUNOFF IN THIS ONE WITH 200 ENTRIES. IT WAS CRAZY. I WANT TO START BY THANKING OUR ART CONTEST SPONSORS, THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING, THE BAY LIGHTNING, THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, AND BUSCH GARDENS. THEY HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIC PARTNERS AND HAVE BEEN VERY EXCITING PRIZES THAT THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE TO OUR TOP THREE FINALISTS. I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE CAMPBELL AND J.P. TAYLOR FROM BUSCH GARDENS AND GARDENS AND TARA AND LINDSAY FROM THE TAMPA BAY BUCS TO JOIN ME UP HERE TO LET EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT THE PACKAGE THEY WILL BE PRESENTING. [ APPLAUSE ] >> HELLO. I'M NEVAR WITH BUSCH GARDENS. DIRECTOR OF SALES AND EVENTS. FOR THIRD PLACE, WE HAVE FOUR TICKETS TO BUSCH GARDENS WITH A PARKING PASS. SECOND PLACE, WE HAVE FOUR TICKETS, FOUR QUICK USE AND A PARKING PASS. FIRST PLACE, FOUR TICKETS, FOUR QUICK QUEUES AND A SERENGETI SAFARI AS WELL AS A PARKING PASS. EACH GUEST WILL ALSO -- OR EACH PERSON WILL ALSO GET A LITTLE BUSCH BUSCH GARDENS SWAG BAG AS WELL. [ APPLAUSE ] >> HI, EVERYONE. TARA WITH THE BUCCANEERS. SO OUR THIRD PLACE PRIZE IS AN AUTOGRAPHED CHRIS GODWIN AUTOGRAPHED CHRIS GODWIN HELMET. SECOND PLACE PRIZE IS VIP TREATMENT AT OUR TRAINING CAMP. AND FIRST PLACE IS TWO TICKETS AND A PARKING PASS TO A GAME OF YOUR CHOICE FOR THE 2023 SEASON. [ APPLAUSE ] >> I TOLD YOU WE HAVE SUPER PARTNERS. THE LIGHTNING UNFORTUNATELY COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY. THEY ARE IN SOMETHING CALLED THE PLAYOFFS. BUT THEY ARE PROVIDING PRIZES ALSO. SECOND AND THIRD PLACE STUDENTS ARE RECEIVING A LIGHTNING SWAG BAG WITH LOTS OF FUN THINGS IN IT. FIRST PLACE WILL GET THAT ALSO AND A PUCK SIGNED BY STEVEN STAMKOS. SO FANTASTIC. LET'S BRING UP THE WINNERS. I'M GOING TO CALL UP THE STUDENTS. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE ALSO PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND PRINCIPALS HERE SUPPORTING THESE STUDENTS. SO MAKE SURE TO MEET ME IN THE LOBBY AFTERWARDS SO WE CAN GET PLENTY OF PICTURES WITH EVERYBODY. FIRST IS THIRD FIRST IS THIRD PLACE, SCOTT PITLACK, BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL. [ APPLAUSE ] SECOND PLACE, ARIANA JOYETTE, TAMPA BAY TECH. ARIANA COULDN'T BE HERE SO HER MOTHER JENNIFER JOYETTE AND PRINCIPAL ERNESTINE BETHUNE ARE HERE TO ACCEPT ON HER BEHALF. [ APPLAUSE ] NOW WE KNOW WHO FIRST PLACE IS, AURORA GARCIA GOMEZ, KING HIGH SCHOOL. [ APPLAUSE ] AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE THESE OUTSTANDING STUDENTS. THIS WAS JUST AN OVERWHELMING RESPONSE THAT WE HAD. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS THERE CITIZENS AND VALUES THERE CITIZENS AND VALUES YOUR INPUT. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE TO YOUR COMMENTS, OUR STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND WILL KEEP OUR BOARD INFORMED ABOUT YOUR RESPONSES. OUR BOARD RESPECTS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME TO BE HERE. HOWEVER, IT IS REQUESTED WHEN YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD COMMENTS ARE NOT DIRECTED PERSONALLY AGAINST A BOARD MEMBER OR STAFF MEMBER, BUT RATHER MEMBER, BUT RATHER DIRECTED AT THE ISSUES. ANY BEHAVIOR INTENDED TO DISRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED. OUR CIVILITY POLICY IS IN PLACE. WHEN ADDRESSING THE WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE. THIS AFTERNOON, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. REMINDER THAT YOUR THREE MINUTES START WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. WHEN THERE ARE 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOU 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. THE FIRST SPEAKER, PLEASE STEP UP. >> MARK KLUTHO, LARGO. WAR IS WAR IS A WAR IS A RACKET. GENERAL SMEDLEY BUTLER AWARDED TWO MEDALS OF HONOR. YOU'RE YOU'RE WORSHIPING OF THE MILITARY IS MILITARY IS SICK, ABSOLUTELY SICK. HERE IS A HEADLINE. PERFECT STORM RECIPE WITH LA NI.A, HIGH OCEAN TEMPS, EXPERTS SEE A VERY EXPERTS SEE A VERY ACTIVE HURRICANE SEASON. AND THEN THIS AND THEN THIS HEADLINE, MARCH 10. MARCH, TENTH MONTH IN A ROW WITH RECORD HEAT, SCIENTISTS SAY. AND THERE IS THE GRAPH GOING BACK BACK TO 1850. AND THEN WHAT DID I HEAR? OH, WE'RE GOING TO GET OH, WE'RE GOING TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT SOLAR. YEAH, WELL YOUR GUY IN CHARGE OF BUILDING THE SCHOOLS DOESN'T KNOW THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO ORIENT THE BUILDINGS THE RIGHT WAY. THAT'S THE FIRST THAT'S THE FIRST STEP IN SOLAR. SEE. HERE ARE THE HERE ARE THE ANASTASIA INDIANS GOING BACK GOING BACK OVER 1500 YEARS GOING BACK OVER 1500 YEARS AGO, AND THEY KNEW THE FIRST STEP AND THEY KNEW THE FIRST STEP WAS PROPER ORIENTATION. SEE. AND YOU AND YOU IDIOTS DON'T KNOW. OVER 30 YEARS I'VE BEEN OVER 30 YEARS I'VE BEEN SAYING HIGH PERFORMANCE PASSIVE SOLAR BUILDINGS. BEFORE YOU CONSIDER THE SOLAR ON THE ROOF, WHICH IS ACTIVE SOLAR, THE THE BUILDING MUST FIRST BE PASSIVE SOLAR. NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO EDUCATE GOING TO EDUCATE YOURSELF AND UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT CONCEPTS AND CONCEPTS AND WHAT IT MEANS. THIS IS THIS IS INEXCUSABLE. IT'S IT'S MALFEASANCE. BY THE WAY, I HAD A TALK WITH MY ATTORNEY, AND YOU CAN'T ATTORNEY, AND YOU CAN'T MAKE A RULE THAT SAYS YOU PEOPLE AND THE GUY THAT'S IN CHARGE OF BUILDING THE SCHOOLS CAN'T BE MENTIONED BY NAME. YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE, OR BETTER SAID, SAID, IRRESPONSIBLE. THE THE MONEY AND THE LIVES THAT ARE BEING BEING SACRIFICED, BEING SACRIFICED, IT'S BEING SACRIFICED, IT'S NOT RIGHT. JUST NO EXCUSE. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> I'M RACHAEL. A PARENT OF TWO IN YOUR SCHOOLS. WE ARE ONE OF YOUR MILITARY FAMILIES. I WANT TO ASK YOU, DO YOU THINK YOU PRIORITIZE MY PARENTAL RIGHTS IN EDUCATION IN MAKING INDIVIDUAL DECISIONS FOR MY TWO KIDS? RECENTLY I HAD AN IP MEETING FOR BOTH MY KIDS. WE REQUESTED FBA FOR MY YOUNGEST. HOPE YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS BEING THAT YOU ARE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD. THEY USE IT TO GATHER EVIDENCE ON SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND TOGETHER AT THE NEXT MEETING WE USE THE EVIDENCE TO MAKE A PLAN THAT IS ALSO BASED ON WHAT EVIDENCE SAYS WORKS BESS FOR HIS DISABILITY. EVIDENCE BASED PLANS MADE WITH EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS ARE A REASONABLE REQUEST AND THIS IS HOW MY SCHOOL SUPPORTS MY PARENTAL RIGHTS. YET WHEN I COME HERE AND SAY I WANT EVIDENCE BASED MEASURES, THOSE WHO SPEAK OVER ME AND ATTEMPT TO CONTROL MY CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT BY BANNING BOOKS, NONE OF WHICH PROVEN TO BE A SYSTEMATIC PROGRAM, THROW PROGRAM, THROW A PROGRAM, THROW A TANTRUM AT AT. CITING HYPOTHETICAL CHILDREN WHO DON'T EXIST BUT IF ONE DID WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN OUTLIER IN DATA IS THIS SUPPOSED TO INSTILL CONFIDENCE IN ME THAT MY KIDS ARE PRIORITIZED. THE STUDENTS THAT GOT UP HERE ABOUT THE BOOKS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE ON THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE IGNORED IN FAVOR OF HYPOTHETICAL CHILD WHO MIGHT READ A BOOK THEIR PARENTS DON'T LIKE. THOSE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AS TEENS WHO HAVE THE COURAGE TO COME OUT ARE IGNORED IN FAVOR OF A HYPOTHETICAL REALITY THAT SOMEHOW A BOOK WILL CAUSE THE ABUSE THAT HAPPENS. WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS NOT WHAT HAPPENS. BOOKS LIKE IDENTICAL WHO FINALLY FELT THEY WERE ALONE AND FELT THERE WAS HOPE, IGNORED IN THE HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO WHERE VOICE IS VOICE IS IGNORED. NONEVIDENCE BASED MEASURES, PEOPLE WHO I ALSO SEE AT THE HERNANDO COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD THAT I PERSONALLY HAVE TO TELL TO STOP HARASSING TEENAGE GIRLS. THAT'S WHO COMES HERE ADVOCATING TO BAN BOOKS. PERSONAL FEELINGS ABOUT BOOKS ALLOWED TO CULTIVATE. WHAT A SITUATION TO PUT ME IN AND YET I'M EXPECTED TO BELIEVE THIS IS PRIORITIZING MY PARENTAL RIGHTS. SHOULD I BRING MY KIDS AND HAVE THEM EXPLAIN HOW THE NONEVIDENCE BASED DECISIONS ARE HELPING THEM. HOW THEY SHOULD TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT. CAN WE ADMIT THAT THE PRIORITY IS CONTROL AND CENTERING FEELINGS AND EVIDENCE IS IGNORED. I'M SUPPOSED TO TAKE YOUR WORD THAT IT WON'T ALSO HAPPEN. YOU CAN CENTER PARENTAL RIGHTS BY MAKING SURE EVERY PARENT KNOWS THEY CAN MAKE A PLAN INDIVIDUALLY WITH THEIR MEDIA SPECIALIST JUST LIKE I DO WITH IEPs FOR BOTH MY KIDS, TWO DIFFERENT KIDS, TWO DIFFERENT IEPs. IT'S NOT THAT HARD. I CAN'T HELP BUT BE CONCERNED YOU ALL EVENTUALLY LET CITIZENS DICTATE DICTATE IEPs TOO. LET ME DO MY JOB WITHOUT POLICY CHANGE DICTATED BY CHANGE DICTATED BY RANDOM NONPROFESSIONALS WHO LIBELOUS CLAIM MY SCHOOL LIBRARIAN IS SEXUALIZING MY KIDS. THANKS. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS COLLEEN. I I AM A MEMBER OF THE APOLLO BEACH K-8 INITIATIVE. AS CHAIR OF OUR COMMITTEE, I HAVE BEEN LUCKY TO SPEAK WITH MANY DIFFERENT FAMILIES FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES. WHILE WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT IN MANY WAYS, THE CONSISTENT COMMON THREAD HAS BEEN OUR CONCERN OVER THE LACK OF VIABLE PUBLIC MIDDLE SCHOOL OPTIONS AND OUR DESIRE TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION FOR OUR SOUTH HILLSBOROUGH STUDENTS. I RECENTLY ASKED OUR CURRENT FIFTH GRADE FAMILIES IF THEY WOULD KEEP THEIR CHILD AT APOLLO BEACH IF PROVIDED THE BEACH IF PROVIDED THE OPTION. IN ALL BUT TWO SAID YES. ONE OF THE TWO WHO SAID NO ALREADY HAS PLANS TO MOVE OUT OF STATE DUE TO THE LACK OF VIABLE MIDDLE SCHOOLS. THE OVERWHELMING DESIRE TO STAY AT APOLLO BEACH IS THERE. NOW, I AM CONFIDENT THAT EACH OF YOU BEFORE ME SHARE IN OUR GOAL TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS RECEIVE A QUALITY EDUCATION. WHAT WE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, IT IS SAFE TO ASSUME THAT WE ALL BELIEVE THAT THE CHILDREN SHOULD BE ABLE TO ATTEND A SCHOOL FILLED WITH HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHERS, SUPPORTIVE AND STRUCTURED ADMINISTRATION AND A TOP-NOTCH ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITY. ABE'S PARENTS HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE FOR DECADES TO BE ABLE TO BOAST OF ALL THREE. UNFORTUNATELY OUR COMMUNITY SEES A GAP IN OUR AREA, A THREE-YEAR GAP AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL THAT WE DON'T WANT IMPACTING THE FOUNDATION OUR ABE STUDENTS HAVE DUE TO AMAZING K-5 EDUCATION. OUR VALUABLE -- ONE VALUABLE LESSON THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY LEARNED THIS YEAR BY MEETING WITH EACH OF YOU AND ADVOCATING FOR OUR STUDENTS IS THAT IT IS ONE THING TO POINT OUT A PROBLEM BUT ANOTHER TO FIND A SOLUTION. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT WITH THE SUPPORT OF MANY OF YOU BEFORE US, OUR K-8 INITIATIVE COMMITTEE HAS OFFERED SOME FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE SOLUTIONS THAT WILL BETTER SERVE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE SOUTH SHORE REGION. BY TURNING APOLLO BEACH INTO A K-8, WE ARE GOING TO FIND A WAY TO BUILD UPON THE FOUNDATION THAT OUR ABE'S TEACHERS AND FACULTY HAVE ALREADY CREATED. WE ARE EXTENDING THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT OUR ABE'S FAMILY HAS ALREADY CREATED AND WE ARE PROVIDING OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS THE ACADEMIC STUDENTS THAT THEY NEED TO SUCCEED IN HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND. SO I ASK YOU TO PLEASE LOOK AT THE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE IDEA BEFORE YOU THAT WILL NOT ONLY SOLVE THE ALREADY DIRE MIDDLE SCHOOL ISSUE WE FACE IN APOLLO BEACH BUT WILL ALSO SERVE AS AN EXAMPLE OF TAKING A EXAMPLE OF TAKING A GREAT SCHOOL AND CAPITALIZE ON THE -- CAPITALIZING ON THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT BETTER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN MAY. >>Karen Perez: CAN I HAVE SPEAKERS 6 THROUGH 10 PLEASE LINE UP. >> HELLO. MY NAME IS JESSICA McNEIGHBOR. I AM A PROUD PARENT OF TWO BOYS AT APOLLO BEACH ELEMENTARY. TODAY I HAVE LETTERS WRITTEN FROM TWO OF THE FROM TWO OF THE ABE'S FOURTH GRADE CLASSES. I HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO READ THE LETTERS AND MOST OF THE CHILDREN WRITE ABOUT HOW ABE IS A FAMILY TO THEM. THEY SAID ABE HAS CARING STAFF AND THEY FEEL VERY SAFE ATTENDING THE SCHOOL. THIS SHOWS HOW THESE KIDS ARE IMPACTED DAILY BY OUR PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, GUIDANCE COUNSELORS AND THE REST OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS. IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY, WE HAVE THREE FOURTH GRADE TEACHERS, ONE THIRD GRADE TEACHER THAT REPRESENTS OUR SCHOOL. THESE THESE TEACHERS, ALONG WITH OUR OTHER TEACHERS, KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING ABE A IMPORTANCE OF MAKING ABE A K-8. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. HELLO, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. THANKS FOR HAVING US FOR PUBLIC COMMENTARY TODAY. AND ALLOWING ME TO COME TO PUBLIC COMMENTARY. JEN HART AND I AM A PROUD HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER SINCE 2004. I AM ALSO A LOVER OF BOOKS AND LITERACY INSTRUCTION. I'VE BEEN NOTICING A LOT OF SPEAKERS SHOWING UP TO THESE MEETINGS TO URGE YOU GUYS TO BAN BOOKS, SO I THOUGHT I WOULD SPEAK AGAINST BANNING BOOKS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. FIRSTLY, GENERALLY SPEAKING, BOOK BANNING IS CENSORSHIP WHICH IS UN-AMERICAN. IT TAKES AWAY THE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUAL PARENTS TO DECIDE WHAT CONTENT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR OWN CHILD. WHEN YOU LOOK CLOSER AT WHO AND WHAT ARE BEHIND THESE WHAT ARE BEHIND THESE ESCALATING BAN REQUESTS, THE SITUATION, IN MY OPINION, BECOMES EVEN MORE CONCERNING. JUST BECAUSE A SMALL, WELL-ORGANIZED GROUP OF PEOPLE, MOST OF WHOM DO NOT HAVE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SHOW UP TO MEETINGS AND REQUEST BOOK REVIEWS IT DOES NOT MEAN THEY SPEAK FOR THE MAJORITY. STUDIES SHOW THAT A SMALL AMOUNT OF PEOPLE AND GROUPS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DRASTICALLY INCREASING BOOK BANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY CAUSING AN OUTSIZED IMPACT ON WHAT PEOPLE ARE AND AREN'T ALLOWED TO READ WHICH IS KIND OF HEARTBREAKING. TO GIVE A MORE SPECIFIC OPINION, I THOUGHT I WOULD START READING THE BOOKS THAT ARE ACTUALLY UP FOR BAN IN THIS COUNTY SPECIFICALLY SO I COULD KIND OF DETERMINE THEIR APPROPRIATENESS FOR MYSELF, I FOR MYSELF, I STARTED WITH BLANKETS. I HAVE NOT READ THE OTHER BOOK YET. I WOULD SAY I WOULD FULLY ALLOW MY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT TO READ THE BOOK. HE DID GRADUATE TWO YEARS AGO FROM DURANT HIGH SCHOOL. IT IS A COMING-OF-AGE STORY THAT DEPICTS THE AUTHOR'S FIRST RELATIONSHIP IN LOVE. I WANT TO SPEAK ON THIS BUT ALSO VERY APPROPRIATE FOR SMALL EARS BECAUSE I AM AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLTEACHER. ALL SAY THERE ARE GROWN-UP THEMES BUT OVERALL THE CHARACTERS IN THE STORY ARE 17, IN LOVE, THEY DON'T FULLY ENGAGE BECAUSE OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. HONESTLY WITH THE CONTENT THAT'S OUT THERE THESE DAYS, THAT FEELS PRETTY WHOLESOME TO ME. I WOULD ALSO JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT SOME OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS IN QUESTION ARE REALLY COMIC BOOK STYLE. THEY ARE NOT PARTICULARLY DETAILED. I WOULD NOT CONSIDER THEM, THAT ONE WORD I WOULD SAY THAT'S PART OF THE LAW NOW. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT READ THE OTHER BOOK, IDENTICAL, I WOULD SAY BOTH OF THE BOOKS WERE ALREADY APPROVED FOR HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARIES BY THE SCHOOL-BASED REVIEW COMMITTEE AND A DISTRICT BASED REVIEW COMMITTEE MEANING THAT THE PARENTS, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL IN QUESTION OR SCHOOLS IN QUESTION VOTED TO KEEP THESE BOOKS IN THEIR SCHOOLS. SO I ASK WHO REALLY WANTS OR NEEDS THESE BOOKS BANNED AT ALL. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR STANDING UP TO UP TO CENSORSHIP. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> HI. THREE WHOLE MINUTES. THIS IS EXCITING. MY NAME IS AMY MARIE GRANGER WELCH. I AM THE PRESIDENT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COUNCIL HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COUNCIL PTA. OUR COUNCIL PROUDLY SUPPORTS NEARLY 200 LOCAL PTAs ACROSS HILLSBOROUGH. THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COUNCIL OF PTA AND HILLSBOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOL DEPARTMENT, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH FACE PTA FAMILY ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE ARE EXCITED TO LAUNCH A MONTHLY RECOGNITION PROGRAM THAT ALIGNS WITH THE NATIONAL PTA STANDARDS FOR FAMILY SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS. AS PART OF THIS INITIATIVE, WE ARE DEVELOPING A ROBUST RECOGNITION PROGRAM THAT CELEBRATES AND HONORS PTAs ACROSS ALL GRADES FROM ELEMENTARY TO HIGH SCHOOL. WE WERE RECOGNIZED BY THE PTAs THAT ACTIVELY ENHANCE PARENT ENGAGEMENT, FOSTER TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PARENTS AND SCHOOLS AND PROMOTE INCLUSIVE DECISION MAKING PROCESSES LINKED TO LEARNING STARTING TUESDAY, MAY 14, AT THE SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNITION MEETING BY ADHERING TO THE NATIONAL BY ADHERING TO THE NATIONAL PTA STANDARDS AND STANDARDS AND LEVERAGING THE PTA FAMILY ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE WE'RE COMMITTED TO IDENTIFYING AND REMOVING UNIQUE BARRIERS TO SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT, ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY, INCREASING AWARENESS OF PROMOTING SCHOOL SUCCESS AND RESILIENCE AND ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH BEST PRACTICES. ADDITIONALLY, THIS EFFORT WILL SERVE AS A CELEBRATION OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COUNCIL OF PTA'S 100 YEARS OF ADVOCACY, MAKING A CENTURY OF DEDICATION TO SUPPORTING STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND EDUCATORS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THROUGH THIS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WE CELEBRATE THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS OF PTAs THAT STRENGTHEN OUR EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY AND EMPOWER FAMILIES TO PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THEIR CHILDREN'S ACADEMIC JOURNEY. TOGETHER WE SHAPE A FUTURE WHERE EVERY STUDENT THRIVES, EVERY FAMILY IS ENGAGED AND EVERY VOICE IS HEARD DRIVING OVERALL AND CONTINUOUS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT. THANKS VICE PRESIDENT A GOOD DAY, GUYS. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT NEXT SPEAKER. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS NICA MY NAME IS NICA OSUKHUCU. I AM HERE TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF MY OVERVIEW OF MY CONCERNS WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TRANSPORTATION. TO START, I WOULD LIKE TO FIRST START I AM FULLY AWARE OF THE SHORTAGE OF DRIVERS AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE OF THE SHORTAGE SITUATION THAT THERE ARE DAYS THAT MY CHILDREN'S BUS WILL INDEED END UP ARRIVING LATE. OF COURSE, I AM NOT A FAN OF MY CHILDREN ARRIVING TO THEIR STOP LATE, BUT I'M SURE NO PARENT WOULD BE. HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION AT HAND, AS I SAID. WITH THAT BEING SAID, MY REAL ISSUE IN ALL OF THIS IS THE TOTAL LACK OF COMMUNICATION. I DO NOT RECEIVE ANY FORM OF NOTIFICATION STATING WHEN THE BUS WILL ARRIVE LATE. NO PHONE CALL AND NO NOTIFICATION ALERTS FROM THE HERE COMES THE BUS APP, NOR DO I RECEIVE ANY NOTIFICATION OF BUS SUBSTITUTION OR SCHEDULE CHANGES, AND THAT IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE, ESPECIALLY BEING THAT ONE OF MY CHILDREN AND SEVERAL OTHERS ON THIS PARTICULAR ROUTE HAVE DISABILITIES. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO NOT ONLY SUPERVISORS AND UPPER MANAGEMENT, BUT I STILL HAVE NO RESOLVE. MY CHILDREN ARE DISMISSED FROM LAKE MAGDALENE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT AT 1:55 P.M. AT THIS POINT, SOMETIMES THEY DO NOT ARRIVE TO THEIR STOP UNTIL WELL AFTER WELL AFTER 4 P.M. I CALL TRANSPORTATION SEVERAL TIMES AND I RECEIVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT RESPONSES TO THE SITUATION GIVEN THAT THEY ACTUALLY ANSWER THE PHONE. AND THE HERE COMES THE BUS APP IS EITHER NOT LOGGED INTO BY THE DRIVER AT ALL OR AS IT DID JUST YESTERDAY AND SEVERAL OTHER DAYS PRIOR, IS TRACKING A WHOLE OTHER BUS ON A WHOLE OTHER ROUTE GOING IN A WHOLE OTHER DIRECTION. IT IS TRULY TERRIFYING TO HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA THE WHEREABOUTS OF YOUR CHILDREN AND EXTREMELY HORRIFYING TO SEE THAT NO MATTER WHO YOU REACH OUT TO CONCERNING THE MATTER, THERE'S NO RESOLVE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MONTHS AT THIS POINT. IT IS AS SIMPLE AS AN AUTOMATED CALL OR LOGGING IN PROPERLY INTO THE APP SO THAT WE, THE PARENTS, RECEIVE THE NOTIFICATIONS. AS MUCH AS I WOULD LOVE FOR MY CHILDREN TO ARRIVE NO LATER THAN 2:30 P.M., AS THEY DID IN YEARS PRIOR, I'M REALISTIC. AND I UNDERSTAND WHY THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO. HOWEVER, AGAIN, THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION, ESPECIALLY DEALING WITH CHILDREN WITH DIFFERENT DISABILITIES ON THE BUS, I DO NOT AND WILL NOT UNDERSTAND OR FIND ACCEPTABLE. AND BEFORE THIS, THERE WERE SEVERAL INCIDENTS WHERE THE BUS NOT SHOWING UP AT ALL IN THE MORNINGS TO PICK UP MY CHILDREN OR A PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVER. HOWEVER, IF I GOT INTO ALL OF THAT, IT WOULD BE OVER THE THREE MINUTES. I HAVE HOWEVER PROVIDED PRINTOUTS WHICH DETAIL A LOT MORE OF WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT. YOU KNOW ME. I'M BACK. MRS. TINA WILLIAMS MRS. TINA WILLIAMS BREWSTER, A PROUD MOM OF SIX, FOUR OF WHICH HAVE GRADUATED FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, TWO WHICH ARE REMAINING. TODAY I WANT TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATION OR COMMUNICATION OR THE LACK THEREOF. AS I LISTEN TO THESE PARENTS TODAY, I RECOGNIZE THERE'S TODAY, I RECOGNIZE THERE'S ONE COMMON COMMON THREAD. CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN OUR OUR ADMINISTRATORS, OUR GUIDANCE COUNSELORS, PARENTS, AND STUDENTS. WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES, THEY ARE NOT FAST ENOUGH. WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES WHO DO WE REALLY SERVE. IS IT AT OUR CONVENIENCE? I SAW LIKE THE YOUNG LADY WHO REACHED OUT BEFORE HAS SPOKEN TO BOARD MEMBERS, ADMIN, HECK, I EVEN WENT AS FAR AS TALLAHASSEE. WHEN IS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS GOING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS GOING TO STEP UP? PARENTS, YES, WE MAY BE VIEWED AS A PROBLEM, BUT REALLY, WE JUST WANT THE BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS. WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE DEPENDS ON THE STUDENT. BUT DON'T WE AT LEAST DESERVE A PHONE CALL? IF YOU TELL A PARENT YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING, PLEASE FOLLOW UP. EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE ME, I COULD CARE LESS. I'M NOT HERE FOR YOU, YOU'RE NOT HERE FOR ME. WE'RE HERE FOR THE STUDENTS. STUDENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW, ESPECIALLY STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO TAKE DUAL ENROLLMENT, COMMUNICATE. WE ALL SAY WE WANT CHANGE, BUT CHANGE HAPPENS INTERNALLY AND THEN EXTERNALLY. I AM SICK AND I AM SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SIDE BRUSHED WITH THINGS GOING ON IN THE ON IN THE SCHOOL. WHAT DOES A PARENT DO WHEN THEY HAVE DONE EVERYTHING? WE FOLLOW YOUR ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE STEP RULE WITH NO POSITIVE OUTCOME. COMMUNICATION IS COMMUNICATION IS KEY. CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION. IT'S OKAY NOT TO KNOW, BUT IT'S NOT OKAY TO BE NOT OKAY TO BE IGNORED. WE WILL NOT BE WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE. I'VE BEEN I'VE BEEN BRANDED AS THAT PARENT, PASSIONATE, A PROBLEM MAKER. NO, I'M JUST AN ADVOCATE. AN ADVOCATE IF YOU LOOK UP IN THE DICTIONARY MEANS AN AGENT OF CHANGE. GOD GRANTED ME SIX AGENTS OF CHANGE. MY DUTY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY BECOME THE BEST THEY BECOME THE BEST VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES. COMMUNICATION IS KEY. LET'S DO BETTER. OUR KIDS DESERVE IT. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. CAN CAN I HAVE CAN I HAVE SPEAKERS 11 THROUGH 16 LINE UP, PLEASE? NEXT SPEAKER. >> ALAN BREWSTER, GOOD EVENING. I ALSO WANT TO I ALSO WANT TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF THAT AND TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION AND THE PLANNING FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, ESPECIALLY IN ESPECIALLY IN HIGH SCHOOL. WE'VE DEALT WITH SEVERAL HIGH SCHOOLS WITH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, AND ONE OF THE CONCLUSIONS THAT I CONCLUSIONS THAT I CAME CONCLUSIONS THAT I CAME TO IS THAT ALL GUIDANCE SCHOOL COUNSELORS DOES NOT PROVIDE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF INFORMATION WHEN IT WHEN IT COMES TO THE STUDENTS' OPTIONS FOR MATRICULATING THROUGH THE SCHOOL TO GRADUATE. I I HAD A STUDENT I HAD A STUDENT AT JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL AND THE INFORMATION THAT WAS GIVEN IN THE THAT WAS GIVEN IN THE PLANNING WAS POOR. I FOUND THAT OUT LATER ON AFTER SHE GRADUATED. NOW I HAVE A DAUGHTER AT NOW I HAVE A DAUGHTER AT GAITHER HIGH SCHOOL. HER SCHOOL HER SCHOOL COUNSELOR, MR. HER SCHOOL COUNSELOR, MR. MAZUR, HE SHOULD BE PRAISED. WE'VE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM HIM AND IT WAS LIKE, AND IT WAS LIKE, WOW, WE WISH WE WOULD HAVE HAD THE INFORMATION FOR THE FIRST THREE KIDS. AND I KNOW THIS FOR A FACT THAT ALL GUIDANCE COUNSELORS, SCHOOL COUNSELORS ARE NOT DOING THEIR DILIGENCE TO EDUCATE THE STUDENTS ON WHAT'S AVAILABLE, WHAT THAT PLAN LOOKS LIKE STEP BY STEP, WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO GRADUATE IF THEY WANT TO MATRICULATE TO COLLEGE OR IF THEY WANT TO GO ON THEY WANT TO GO ON TO A SKILL TRAINED POSITION, THE INFORMATION IS NOT BEING PUT FORTH. STUDENTS, TEACHERS, STAFF, SOME OF THEM HAVE CHECKED OUT. THEY ARE REALLY CHECKED OUT. AND WE'RE DEALING WITH THAT NOW AT GAITHER HIGH SCHOOL. THEY ARE JUST DOING WHATEVER. THERE'S NO THERE'S NO REPERCUSSIONS. THERE ARE THERE ARE NO CONSEQUENCES TO THEIR BEHAVIOR. TEACHERS ARE NOT ADDRESSING ISSUES IN THE CLASSROOM. AND THE STUDENT COMES HOME AND SAYS THESE KIDS ARE OFF THE HOOK. THEY ARE JUST DOING WHATEVER AND THE TEACHER JUST THE TEACHER JUST SAYS, OH, WELL. AND IT'S LIKE WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHERE IS THE HEAD LEADER? WHERE IS THE ADMINISTRATOR? THEY SAY, OH, HE'S A AWARE OF IT, WHY ISN'T ACTION BEING TAKEN? WHY NOT? WHY SHOULD A STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY HAVE TO SUFFER, ENDURE THAT, THEIR ENDURE THAT, THEIR FOUR YEARS IN HIGH SCHOOL. WHY? PEOPLE JUST SITTING AROUND COLLECTING A CHECK. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS MY NAME IS MANEESH. A FATHER TO A FATHER TO ROCKSHANEE. THEY BOTH STUDY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IN SEMINOLE HIGH SCHOOL. MY FIRST DAUGHTER, SHE MY FIRST DAUGHTER, SHE MOVED FROM THERE. SECOND ONE, SHE IS IN HEAD START RIGHT NOW. PAST TWO YEARS. I CAME TO KNOW FROM THE MANAGEMENT THAT MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN SHIFTED TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL. MY HOUSE IS 477 STEPS AWAY FROM THAT. SO I ASK THE PRINCIPAL HOW. THEY SAID WE SENT OUT THE E-MAIL AND EVERYTHING FOR THE REGISTRATION AND BOARDING AND ZONING AND DIFFERENT THINGS. I SAID FINE. BUT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY MAIL FROM YOU. SHE SAYS, NO, WE HAVE SENT YOU. THEN I SIT DOWN AND SAY, THEN I SIT DOWN AND SAY, CAN YOU SHOW SHOW ME. UNFORTUNATELY, MY SIDE I CAN SAY FORTUNATELY, THEY HAVE NOT SENT ME ANY MEAL. THEY SAID HAVE NOT REGISTERED E-MAIL. THE DAY I REGISTERED MY CHILD IN THE SCHOOL IN THE COMMUNICATION I'VE WRITTEN MY NUMBER AND WIFE'S WIFE'S PHONE NUMBER AND E-MAIL. SHE REGISTER, THE PRINCIPAL, DR. LAZARUS THE SAME DAY. AFTER REGISTERING, SHE SAID YOU WILL RECEIVE E-MAIL. UP TO NOW I HAVE NOT RECEIVED E-MAIL. MY QUESTION, MY DAUGHTER, 477 STEPS, 0.2 MILES AWAY FROM MY HOME, SHE'S BEEN SHIFTED TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL WHICH I'M NOT ACCEPTING BECAUSE I HAD SOLID OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FROM THIS STATE TO A DIFFERENT STATE TO WORK WITH THE PARTNERSHIP BUSINESS WHICH I DID NOT MOVE BECAUSE OF THE HOUSE NEARBY. I AM A WORKING CLASS PERSON. EVEN TO ATTEND THIS MEETING HERE I HAD TO TAKE OFF. MY DAUGHTER SHE GOES TO THE SCHOOL. SHE WAITS OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL 35 MINUTES FOR ME TO PICK HER UP. IF SHE IS SHIFTED OFF TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL, I HAVE TO TAKE TWO TIME OFF WHICH IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WILL WORK FOR ME. I NEED HELP FROM THE BOARD, PLEASE. THIS THING HAS BEEN OPEN, THE APPLICATION OPEN IN JULY BUT APPLICATION OPEN IN JULY BUT I'M NOT A -- >>Karen Perez: WE'RE GOING TO HAVE -- THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL HAVE ONE OF THE CABINET MEMBERS HELP YOU WITH THIS TONIGHT. >> PLEASE. YOU WANT ME TO WAIT HERE? >>Karen Perez: YES, THEY ARE GOING TO HELP YOU WITH IT THIS EVENING. TRACYE BROWN. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: NEXT >>Karen Perez: NEXT SPEAKER. >> WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS BIANCA GOOLSBY WITH TEACHING FOR THE CULTURE. I STAND BEFORE YOU AS A VOICE FOR COUNTLESS EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE ENDURED A TOXIC WORK ENVIRONMENT WITHIN OUR DISTRICT FOR FAR TOO LONG. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE ADDRESS THE CRITICAL ISSUES OF RETENTION AND RETALIATION WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS AND LEADERSHIP. OUR EMPLOYEES DESERVE BETTER. THEY DESERVE TO WORK IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY FEEL VALUED, RESPECTED AND SUPPORTED IN THEIR MISSION TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN. YET THE REALITY IS THAT MANY OF THEM ARE FEELING THEM ARE FEELING DEMORALIZED, OVERWORKED AND OVERWORKED AND UNDERAPPRECIATED. THE ALARMING RATE IN WHICH EMPLOYEES ARE LEAVING OUR DISTRICT SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THE STATE OF OUR WORKPLACE CULTURE. IS PAY A FACTOR? YES, ABSOLUTELY. HOWEVER, HOWEVER, THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE WORKPLACE HAS COMPELLED EMPLOYEES TO SEEK OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OUTSIDE OF THIS ORGANIZATION. CAN YOU BLAME THEM? THE GOALPOST CONTINUES TO MOVE WITHOUT THE FUNDING AND RESOURCES TO MATCH. MANY OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN AND IT IS STILL NOT ENOUGH. DID ANY OF YOU REQUIRE ON WHY THE CHIEF OF SCHOOLS LEFT MID SCHOOL YEAR IN A SUDDEN DEPARTURE OR WHY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR POSITIONS ARE BEING SHIFTED SO MUCH THIS YEAR? GRIEVANCES ARE BEING MISHANDLED, NEGLECTED, OR SWEPT UNDER THE RUG ENTIRELY. THE OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS, THE VERY ENTITY MEANT TO ENSURE THE FAIRNESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY IS FAILING TO PROVIDE THE OVERSIGHT NEEDED TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES WITH FIDELITY. THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN THE SYSTEM IS NOT ONLY DETRIMENTAL TO OUR EMPLOYEE'S WELL-BEING, BUT IS ALSO TO THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION, OUR CHILDREN RECEIVE. WE MUST CONFRONT THESE ISSUES WITH ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND INTEGRITY. BUZZ WORDS FOR YOU ALL. WE MUST HOLD EMPLOYEES ACCOUNTABLE WHEN THEY CAUSE HARM AND PROTECT OUR EMPLOYEES THAT ARE REPORTING ON THE HARM. OUR EMPLOYEES DESERVE AN ENVIRONMENT FREE OF ENVIRONMENT FREE OF RETALIATION, NEPOTISM, AND ABUSE, AND OUR STUDENTS DESERVE NOTHING MORE THAN THE BEST. SO WHILE YOU ALL OWE THE QUALIFIED EDUCATORS MORE MONEY AND THE SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS MORE MONEY, YOU ALSO OWE THEM AN ENVIRONMENT TO WHERE THEY CAN WORK, GROW, COLLABORATE, AND HAVE RESPECT. THEY DESERVE BETTER AND SO DO OUR CHILDREN. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> HI. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. MY NAME IS CARMEN. I AM A LIFELONG CITIZEN OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AS WELL AS A BUSINESS OWNER HERE. TODAY I AM HERE TO DISCUSS BOOKS, BOOK BANS, SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND NATURALLY THE DAY AFTER TAX DAY, MY TAXES. LET'S START WITH THE BORING PART, TAXES. AS A HOMEOWNER I HAPPILY PAY MY PORTION OF THE MILLAGE THAT IS ALLOCATED TO THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT ENRICH CHILDREN'S LIVES EVERY DAY. GRATEFUL FOR LIBRARIANS AND MEDIA SPECIALISTS HIRED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES THEY PROVIDE FOR CHILDREN, DILIGENTLY REPRESENT ALL THE CHILDREN IN THE COUNTY AND THEIR MYRIAD OF EXPERIENCES. PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE CONSTANTLY EDUCATING THEMSELVES TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO DO IT BETTER. PROFESSIONALS WHO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS. I TRUST THE DISTRICT MEDIA SPECIALISTS AND THE CHOICES THEY MAKE FOR STUDENTS. WHAT I QUESTION AS A DISTRICT IS IN THE MIDST OF YET ANOTHER WAVE OF BOOK CHALLENGES, WHAT MY RESOURCES PAID FOR BY TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING TAKEN AWAY FOR STUDENTS' LEARNING FOR SPECIAL MEETINGS TO REVIEW BOOKS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CAREFULLY VETTED. HOW DOES THE BUDGET ACCOMMODATE FOR THE ADDITIONAL EXPENSE? WHAT IS WHAT IS THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT WHOSE SOLE PURPOSE IS TO REMOVE BOOKS FOR SHELVES? YET ANOTHER WAY RESOURCES ARE REMOVED FROM THE LIBRARIES WITH NO RECOMPENSE. READING IS A FOUNDATIONAL SKILL CRITICAL TO FUTURE LEARNING AND TO EXERCISING OUR DEMOCRATIC FREEDOMS. WE CAN TRUST INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE THEIR DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY READ AND READ AND BELIEVE. PARENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO GUIDE THEIR CHILDREN'S READING BUT PARENTS SHOULD NOT BE MAKING THAT DECISION FOR OTHER PARENTS' CHILDREN. SPECIFICALLY A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE, NO MATTER HOW LOUD SHOULD NOT BE DICTATING WHAT BOOKS OTHER PEOPLE'S CHILDREN ARE ALLOWED TO READ. YOUNG PEOPLE DESERVE TO SEE THEMSELVES AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THEIR LIVES REFLECTED IN THE LIBRARY'S BOOKS LIMITING PEOPLE'S ACCESS TO BOOKS DOES NOT PROTECT THEM FROM LIFE'S COMPLEX AND CHALLENGING ISSUES. REMOVING AND BANNING BOOKS FROM LIBRARIES IS A SLIPPERY SLOPE TO GOVERNMENT CENSORSHIP AND THE EROSION OF COUNTRY'S FREEDOM TO EXPRESSION. WE ARE PAYING PROFESSIONALS TO SELECT BOOKS FOR KIDS SO WHY ARE WE DUPLICATING THE EXPENSE OF REVIEWING BOOKS QUESTIONED BY THOSE WHO ARE NOT QUALIFIED AND DON'T HAVE THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILDREN IN THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. AND THEY POSSIBLY DON'T EVEN CONTRIBUTE TO THE TAX BASE THAT I KNOW I DO. SPECIFICALLY IN THE CASE OF THE UPCOMING REVIEW OF IDENTICAL AND BLANKET, BOOKS ARE TOOLS FOR UNDERSTANDING COMPLEX ISSUES. WHEN IT COMES TO OUR STUDENTS WE HAVE A DUTY TO MAKE EVIDENCE-BASED DECISIONS. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT EITHER OF THESE BOOKS HAS EVER CAUSED HARM TO CHILDREN IN THE LAST 20 PLUS YEARS THEY HAVE BEEN ON THE SHELVES. ULTIMATELY, A SMALL GROUP OF LOUD AND UNQUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS SHOULD NOT BE MAKING DECISIONS AFFECTING THE PARENTAL RIGHTS. I ASK THE SCHOOL BOARD TO REJECT ANY EFFORT TO BAN BOOKS AND ALLOW INDIVIDUALS AND PARENTS TO MAKE THE DECISION ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN READ. I APPRECIATE YOUR STANCE I APPRECIATE YOUR STANCE IN STANDING AGAINST. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> THAT WAS PERFECT SEGUE. SO TODAY I JUST WANT TO FIRST READ TO YOU FROM THE STATUTES. THIS IS THIS IS FROM 1,006.28, THE DUTIES OF A SCHOOL BOARD AND DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT. EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT OF ALL MATERIALS MADE AVAILABLE IN A SCHOOL OR CLASSROOM LIBRARY. SO THIS ULTIMATELY FALLS ON YOU. THE BOOKS THAT ARE CHOSEN FOR OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIES RISES AND FALLS ON YOU. AS I READ TO YOU FROM LAST WEEK, INVISIBLE MONSTERS REMIX IS STILL ON SCHOOL SHELVES. YOU MADE A NATIONAL NAME FOR YOURSELVES WITH THE BOOK THAT TALKS ABOUT TALKS ABOUT FELCHING. I WON'T REVIEW THAT TODAY BUT READ TWO OTHER BOOKS THAT ARE STILL IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARIES AS WELL. WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THIS RESEARCH AFTER I CAME TO THE LAST BOARD MEETING AND DISCOVER FOR YOURSELF? HAUNTED. THIS OTHER BOOK BY THIS OTHER BOOK BY POLINECK. HERE WE GO. WITH JUST THE TIP OF ONE FINGER THE KID SNAPS THE LONG RIDGE OF WAX OFF THE CANDLE, ROLLS IT SMOOTH BETWEEN THE PALMS OF HIS HANDS, LONG AND SMOOTH AND THIN, STONED AND HORNY HE SLIPS IT DOWN INSIDE DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO THE PISS SLIT OF HIS BONER. WITH A GOOD HANK OF THE WAX STILL POKING OUT THE TOP HE GETS TO WORK. EVEN NOW HE SAYS THOSE ARAB GUYS ARE PRETTY DAMN SMART. THEY ARE TOTALLY -- THEY'VE TOTALLY REINVENTED JACKING OFF. IS THIS WHAT KIDS DESERVE TO SEE IN BOOKS? IS THIS THEM SEEING THEMSELVES IN BOOKS? IS THAT REALLY THE ARGUMENT WE'RE GOING TO PUT HERE? THESE ARE X-RATED THESE ARE X-RATED BOOKS. THEY SHOULD HAVE EXPLICIT CONTENT WARNINGS ON THEM. I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE THAT WE'RE STILL IN THIS DISCUSSION AND STILL TALKING ABOUT BOOK BANNING. THIS IS CALLED PROTECTING CHILDREN. I THINK ALL OF YOU HAVE COMMON SENSE ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE THAT THESE BOOKS ARE NOT BEING BANNED. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN FROM BEING EXPOSED TO THIS AND KIDS DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY ARE PICKING UP. THAT'S WHY I CALL THEM LAND MINES OF PORNOGRAPHY. THEY MAY PICK UP A BOOK, OH, HAUNTED, LOOKS LIKE A SCARY BOOK, AND THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO READ. THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG, IF I HAD ALL DAY, YOU WOULD HEAR A LOT MORE FROM ME. THERE IS MORE TO COME BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE I NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE I THINK 37 POLINECK BOOKS IN OUR LIBRARIES, I DISCOVERED HE HAS AN INSPIRATIONAL AUTHOR THAT WE ALSO HAVE IN OUR LIBRARIES THAT CONTAIN MORE OF THIS DEVIANCY AND PERVERSE SEXUAL THINGS. HE SAID HE GETS SOME OF HIS INSPIRATION FROM THE TESTICLE FESTIVAL, YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT GOES ON AT THE GOES ON AT THE TESTICLE FESTIVAL. ANYWAY. THAT'S ABOUT IT FOR TODAY. AS A SCHOOL BOARD, YOU REALLY, REALLY NEED TO GET ON THE BALL BECAUSE THIS IS NOT GOING AWAY. I'M NOT GOING AWAY. I HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT THAT MY KIDS ARE GROWING UP IN. THESE ARE STUDENTS THAT ARE SHAPING THE ENVIRONMENT. AND THEY ARE BEING ALLOWED TO READ THIS STUFF IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. MY NAME IS MRS. MY NAME IS MRS. LUCINDA JOHNSON, AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU TODAY REGARDING SOME PRESSING CONCERNS I HAVE REGARDING THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE OF MY CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AT BUCHANAN MIDDLE SCHOOL. FIRSTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE DISPARITIES BETWEEN THE GRADES REFLECTED ON MY CHILDREN'S REPORT CARDS AND THEIR PERFORMANCE ON THE STATE EXAMS. WHILE THEIR REPORT CARDS MAY SHOWCASE A MIX OF As, Bs AND A COUPLE OF Cs, A COUPLE OF Cs, THE RESULTS OF THE PM-1 AND PM-2 EXAMS PAINT A DIFFERENT PICTURE REVEALING SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN BOTH ELA READING AND MATHEMATIC SCORES FOR BOTH MY SON, MR. JOHNSON, AND MY GRANDSON, MR. CAMPBELL. FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE PACKETS I HAVE PROVIDED, THEIR REPORT CARDS FOR ALL THREE QUARTERS ALSO P ENCLOSED IS THEIR PM 1 AND PM 2 SCORES FOR ELA AND MATH. THESE DECLINES ARE ALARMING, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING BEING CLASSIFIED AT LEVEL ONE, WHICH INDICATES A NEED FOR SUBSTANTIAL SUPPORT. HOWEVER, DURING IEP MEETING ON NOVEMBER 9, 2023, I REQUESTED TUTORING, BUT WAS TOLD MY SON DID NOT DID NOT MEET THE CRITERIA BY MR. COOK, THE COOK, THE PRINCIPAL. CONSEQUENTLY BEING DENIED ACCESS TO TIER ONE INTERVENTION. THESE RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TEACHING METHODS AND MEASUREMENT PRACTICES EMPLOYED AT BUCHANAN MIDDLE MIDDLE SCHOOL. FURTHERMORE, I AM DEEPLY TROUBLED BY THE PARENT LACK OF CONSISTENCY AND THOROUGHNESS IN EVALUATING STUDENT'S UNDERSTANDING. ALLOWING STUDENTS TO USE NOTES, TEXTBOOKS, POSTERS, AND OTHER DURING ALL QUIZZES AND TESTS UNDERMINES THE INTEGRITY OF THE EVALUATION PROCESS AND FOSTERS SURFACE-LEVEL LEARNING RATHER THAN GENUINE COMPREHENSION OF THE MATERIAL. FOR EXAMPLE, IN FOR EXAMPLE, IN MATHEMATICS, THE EXAMPLES OF RAPID SCORE INCREASES FOLLOWING TEST CORRECTIONS ONLY HIGHLIGHT THE INADEQUACY OF CURRENT ASSESSMENT PRACTICES AND ACCURATELY MEASURING STUDENTS UNDERSTANDING. HOW CAN TEACHERS ASSESS A STUDENT'S PROFICIENCY STUDENT'S PROFICIENCY WHEN STUDENT'S PROFICIENCY WHEN SUCH SIGNIFICANT DISCREPANCIES EXIST BETWEEN AN ISSUE AND CORRECTED SCORES. IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE CURRENT APPROACH TO EDUCATION AT BUCHANAN MIDDLE SCHOOL IS FALLING -- IS FAILING TO ADEQUATELY PREPARE STUDENTS FOR FUTURE ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND IS IN ESSENCE ALLOWING THEM TO PROGRESS WITHOUT MASTERING ESSENTIAL SKILLS. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND UNDERMINES THE VERY FOUNDATION OF OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM. IN CONCLUSION, I URGE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATE THESE CONCERNS AND TAKE DECISIVE ACTIONS TO ADDRESS THE SYSTEMATIC ISSUES PLAGUING BUCHANAN MIDDLE SCHOOL. OUR CHILDREN DESERVE A QUALITY EDUCATION THAT EQUIPS THEM WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS NECESSARY TO SUCCEED IN AN INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE WORLD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ERIN QUINN. I AM A FORMER HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TEACHER, A PARENT OF TWO CHILDREN IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND ROBINSON HIGH SCHOOL AND ROBINSON HIGH SCHOOL PTSA PRESIDENT. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR VOTING TO PLACE THE MILLAGE ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER. YOUR DEDICATION TO TRANSPARENCY AND IMPROVING OUR SCHOOL CONDITIONS IS NOTABLE. I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF MILITARY FAMILIES AS I AM PART OF ONE WHO IS CURRENTLY IN MONTH 11 OF A DEPLOYMENT. NEXT, I'D LIKE TO BRING THE BOARD A PROPOSAL FOR A COST-FREE BENEFIT THAT WOULD BENEFIT THAT WOULD BOLSTER OUR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES AND HELP WITH RETENTION, WHICH, AS WE KNOW, HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE. LET ME SHARE WITH YOU A SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCE TO ILLUSTRATE THE NECESSITY OF THIS CHANGE. AT ROBINSON, OUR HEAD OF GUIDANCE IS STILL WAITING FOR HER INCOMING KINDERGARTNER DAUGHTER TO BE ACCEPTED INTO A MAGNET CHOICE PROGRAM HERE IN HCPS. SHE ALREADY HAS ONE CHILD AT THE SCHOOL TO WHICH SHE APPLIED BUT SHE HAS BEEN PASSED OVER IN TWO CHOICE WINDOWS. IF HER DAUGHTER IS NOT ACCEPTED, SHE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE ROBINSON IN ORDER TO GET HER OWN CHILDREN TO SCHOOL. EVEN IF SHE IS ACCEPTED OVER THE SUMMER, SHE WILL STRUGGLE TO GET A HOST SPOT THAT WILL ALLOW HER TO CONTINUE ARRIVING AT ROBINSON IN TIME FOR EACH SCHOOL DAY. I THINK EVERYONE WHO HAS WORKED IN SCHOOLS KNOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUITY, NOT TO MENTION THE SHORTAGE OF AVAILABLE SCHOOL COUNSELORS. IF THIS IS HER CIRCUMSTANCE, I AM SURE THAT OTHER HCPS EMPLOYEES ARE IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS. WHY ARE WE TELLING OUR STAFF THAT THEY SHOULD SACRIFICE THEIR FAMILY'S WELL-BEING IN ORDER TO SERVE THEIR STUDENTS. I PROPOSE THAT THE BOARD IMMEDIATELY EXAMINE THE CHOICE LOTTERY POLICIES AND ADOPT A POLICY THAT ALLOWS HCPS EMPLOYEES TO SKIP THE LOTTERY AND MOVE TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE AS A BENEFIT OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT. THIS COSTS NO MONEY BUT IT DOES SHOW INVESTMENT IN OUR MOST VALUED ASSET -- OUR FACULTY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS OF THIS MATTER. LAST, I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK MEMBER PEREZ FOR AGREEING TO PARTICIPATE IN ROBINSON PTSA'S MENTAL HEALTH PRESENTATION ON MAY 2 AND PERSONALLY EXTEND AN INVITATION TO THE ENTIRE BOARD AND TO HCPS FAMILIES TO ATTEND THIS FREE PUBLIC EVENT AT 6:30 ON MAY 2nd AT ROBINSON HIGH SCHOOL. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MORENO. A MOM AND A PERSON EAGER TO FINISH MY DEGREE AS AN EDUCATOR. I KNOW THE HIGH NEED OF TEACHERS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I HAVE BEEN A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS AND EVERY DAY THAT I GO TO THE WEBSITE, I SEE OVER OVER A HUNDRED JOBS, POSITIONS MAKING ME WONDER WHAT ALL THE SCHOOLS ARE DOING WITH THEIR STUDENTS IF A SUBSTITUTE DOESN'T SHOW UP. I KNOW STUDENTS ARE GOING TO IN DIFFERENT CLASSROOMS OR DIFFERENT SUBSTITUTE UNTIL THEY FIND A TEACHER OR A SUB WHO IS WILLING TO TAKE A LONG-TERM POSITION. ONE OF THE ONE OF THE PROMINENT UNIVERSITIES AROUND -- UNIVERSITIES AROUND -- IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, USF OFFERS AN AFFORDABLE DEGREE, BUT IT'S VERY HARD FOR STUDENTS LIKE ME. A MOTHER AND AN IMMIGRANT. USF IS A GREAT UNIVERSITY AND A SCHOOL AND THE SCHOOL AND THE EDUCATION PROGRAM IS WELL DESIGNED TO PREPARE TEACHERS. THIS PROGRAM HELP US TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS AND GUIDE US TO MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS. HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THEIR STUDENTS. THEY ARE THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO LET US PICK UP OUR SCHEDULE OR TO BRING US ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY. THE ONLY OPTION THAT USF IS GIVING TO ME AND TO OTHER STUDENTS IN THE SAME SITUATION IS TO PURSUE A BACHELOR IS TO PURSUE A BACHELOR DEGREE IN ANOTHER SUBJECT AND TAKE THE TEACHING TEST. I KEEP ARGUING WITH USF ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THE KNOWLEDGE TO HELP OUR STUDENTS. I AM HERE TO ASK YOU TO HELP ME TO CONNECT -- TO DO TO CONNECT -- TO DO CONNECTION WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COLLEGE OR TO USF TO MAKE BETTER CHOICES FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. SEEING NO FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT, I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. I HAVE A I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. I NEED A SECOND PLEASE. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER RENDON. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. IT PASSES WITH MEMBER GRAY AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THE CONSENT AGENDA HAS BEEN APPROVED. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL NOW BE HEARD. C 3.01, C 3.01, C 3.02, C 3.01, C 3.02, C 5.04, C 3.01, C 3.02, C 5.04, C 6.01, C 7.14. ITEM 3.01, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS GRANT BUDGET AND COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. FIRST AGENDA FIRST AGENDA ITEM THIS EVENING, TITLE ONE GRANT BUDGET AND COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS IS A SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS FOR THE TRACKING AND MONITORING OF GRANT FUNDING AT BOTH THE SCHOOL AND DISTRICT LEVELS. IT WILL FACILITATE AN EFFICIENT PROCESS FOR SCHOOLS TO ACCESS, UTILIZE AND TRACK GRANT FUNDING SUCH AS TITLE ONE FUNDING AND ALIGNS TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN OF FISCAL AND OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. THIS SOFTWARE FACILITATES THE COLLECTION OF REQUIRED FEDERAL AND STATE COMPLIANCE DOCUMENTATION. THE RFP COMMITTEE WAS COMPRISED OF DISTRICT STAFF AND PRINCIPALS LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION TO MAKE SPENDING AND TRACKING EASIER. THE SOFTWARE CAN TIE MULTIPLE GRANT BALANCES TOGETHER FOR PRINCIPALS SO THEY CAN BETTER UTILIZE ALL GRANT FUNDING AND MAKE STRATEGIC DECISIONS. THAT IS ITEM 3.01. WE HAVE GREG WE HAVE GREG CANNELLA, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FROM OUR PROGRAM IS ALSO HERE IF WE HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM APPROVE ITEM C 3.01. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER VAUGHN AND A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER RENDON, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? >>Patti Rendon: YES. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. I DO APPRECIATE YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO GO THROUGH THE DETAILS OF THIS. I THINK THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WAYS IN WHICH WE NEED TO BETTER LOOK AT OUR SYSTEMS WITHIN THE DISTRICT. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING WITH TITLE ONE DOLLARS THAT WHEN THERE IS A REQUEST THAT COMES IN THROUGH THE SCHOOLS, WE ARE HAND ENTERING ALL OF OUR DATA FOR THIS PROCESS, AND THAT IS JUST COMPLETELY COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. WE ARE IN AN AGE OF TECHNOLOGY. WE SHOULD BE MAKING IT MORE EFFICIENT. SHOULD HAVE BETTER ACCOUNTABILITY ON A REGULAR BASIS, BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE FUNDS AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT IT. WHAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST IS WE JUST SPENT $20 MILLION ON A NEW SYSTEM CALLED N-4 AND WE CAN'T EVEN USE OUR TITLE ONE DOLLARS TO BE MANAGING IT THROUGH THAT SYSTEM. WE'RE HAVING TO BUY ANOTHER SYSTEM BECAUSE IT CAN'T BE MANAGED THROUGH THAT SYSTEM. IT'S JUST ONE WAY IN WHICH WE ARE UTILIZING FUNDS IN A VERY NONSTRATEGIC MANNER. THESE ARE FUNDS THAT CAN BE USED FOR OTHER THINGS, WHETHER IT'S -- IF WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A SYSTEM AND A TECHNOLOGY WITHIN OUR SYSTEM THAT'S GOING TO WORK FOR OUR FINANCE, GOING TO WORK FOR OUR FOR OUR HR, WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE ABLE TO ATTRACT -- TRACK OUR TITLE ONE DOLLARS. KNOWING THAT WE HAVE KNOWING THAT WE HAVE A $20 MILLION SYSTEM THAT CAN'T DO THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE AS A BOARD MEMBER. SO I THINK AS WE'RE GOING OUT TO TAXPAYERS FOR A REFERENDUM, AS WE AS BOARD MEMBERS CONSTANTLY ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MAKE THINGS MORE EFFICIENT, TO DO THINGS BETTER FOR OUR THINGS BETTER FOR OUR SYSTEM, IT HAS TO BE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR THIS GOING TO VOTE FOR THIS BECAUSE IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT WE SHOULD EVEN HAVE IT AT THE TABLE. I WANT TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER VAUGHN. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE MEMBER I APPRECIATE MEMBER RENDON'S PASSION TOWARDS MAKING SURE THAT WE USE OUR MONEY WISELY AND MAKE SURE WE USE OUR SYSTEMS AS WELL AS WE CAN. BUT I WANT TO CLARIFY BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR A LOT OF MY PRINCIPALS WHO ARE TRYING TO ACCESS THEIR TITLE ONE DOLLARS WHO HAVE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT THE TIME FRAME, BECAUSE IT IS SO IS SO LABORIOUS WITH PEOPLE WORKING ON IT. AND I WANT TO CLARIFY ON THE RECORD THAT WITH THE PURCHASE OF THIS SYSTEM, WHICH IS A ONE-TIME PURCHASE, CORRECT? THERE'S NO ANNUAL CONTRACT WITH THIS. THIS IS A THIS IS A ONE-TIME PURCHASE. >> THAT'S CORRECT, YES, MA'AM. >>Jessica Vaughn: IT WILL SPEED UP EFFICIENCY AND ALLOW THE REQUEST TO USE THE TITLE ONE DOLLARS TO FLOW THROUGH MORE QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY WITHOUT A LAG TIME ON THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN. >> THAT'S CORRECT, YES. >>Jessica Vaughn: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION. WILL THIS ALLOW ALL THE TITLE ONE DOLLARS TO BE UTILIZED EFFICIENTLY AND NOT LEAVE ANYTHING ON THE TABLE? >> IT WILL PROVIDE MUCH MORE ACCOUNTING MANAGEMENT FOR THE PRINCIPALS AS THEY CAN SEE UP-TO-DATE BALANCES RIGHT AWAY, YES, MA'AM. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. SEEING NO FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHT APPEARS. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT ITEM, 3.02, INCREASE THE EXPENDITURES FOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL SUPPLEMENTAL NURSING SERVICES. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. BOARD MEMBERS, THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 530 HEALTH SERVICES POSITIONS WITH 158 NURSING VACANCIES ACROSS THE DISTRICT. 143 OF THESE VACANCIES HAVE BEEN FILLED BY VENDORS THROUGH CONTRACTED SERVICES. NURSES HAVE TREATED NURSES HAVE TREATED OVER 451,000 STUDENTS FOR ILLNESSES AND INJURIES AND PROVIDED INJURIES AND PROVIDED OVER 205,000 MEDICATION 205,000 MEDICATION DOSAGES OVER 38,000 PROCEDURES AND PERFORMED OVER 115,000 VISION SCREENINGS. THIS INCREASE IN EXPENDITURES ALLOWS HCPS TO UTILIZE THE SEVEN LOCAL NURSING AGENCIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY PROVIDING NURSING SERVICES TO HCPS STUDENTS IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES TO ADDRESS OUR CRITICAL NURSING OUR CRITICAL NURSING SHORTAGE. CURRENTLY WE HAVE FOLLOWING VACANCIES WITH CONTRACTED NURSING SERVICES, AND THAT'S 31 RNs, 112 RNs, 112 LNNs, TOTAL OF 143 FIELD VACANCIES. FILLING POSITIONS HAS BENEFITED ALL STUDENTS BY HELPING TO ENSURE THEIR HEALTH AND ENSURE THEIR HEALTH AND WELLNESS NEEDS ARE SUPPORTED SO THEY REMAIN IN SCHOOL. THE AMOUNT PROJECTED FOR THE YEAR AND NEEDED FROM THE GENERAL FUND TOTAL 10.5 MILLION WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF 7 MILLION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE REMAINDER OF THE '23-24 SCHOOL YEAR. THAT IS ITEM THAT IS ITEM 3.02. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. I NEED I NEED A I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBERS GRAY, COMBS, AND RENDON PULLED THIS ITEM. IF YOU COULD PLEASE GET IN THE QUEUE. MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. WE'RE IN A RATHER LARGE CONUNDRUM. THE NEED, OF COURSE, IS THERE WHEN WE QUOTE THE STATISTICS AT 50% OF OUR STUDENTS BY THIRD GRADE HAVE CHRONIC ILLNESSES. I KNOW I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE AND DIABETES, ASTHMA, OBESITY. THE NEED IS VERY MUCH REAL. I LOOK BACK, SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES AND BOARD, WHEN WE HAD THE COVID COVID CRISES AND THEN THE NEED -- THE -- THE NURSES WERE SO VALUABLE AND NEEDED, AND WE HAD THEM. WELL, FAST FORWARDS, THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES RAISED THEIR AMOUNT OF MONEY THEIR AMOUNT OF MONEY PER NURSE UP TO 6,000 TO 10,000 IN PASCO. SO A LOVE OF OUR NURSES HAVE LEFT. NOW, ONE OF THE NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS, AND I KNOW SUPERINTENDENT WE'VE KNOW SUPERINTENDENT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, THAT WHY ARE WE NOT PAYING THE SAME, IF NOT MORE THAN THE AGENCIES PAY OUR NURSES. AND THAT'S THE BIG RUB. THE NURSES ARE GETTING LOWER THAN THE AGENCIES. SO WHY WASN'T SO WHY WASN'T THIS CORRECTED WHEN WE STARTED TO SEE OUR NURSES LEAVE IN DROVES? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER. AND YOU WERE NOT SUPERINTENDENT THEN, BUT THEN, BUT THE THEN, BUT THE REALITY IS THERE'S A RUB. THE NURSES ARE GETTING, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL NURSES SCHOOL NURSES ARE GETTING LESS THAN THE THAN THE AGENCIES. NOW WE HAVE A GREATER NOW WE HAVE A GREATER AMOUNT OF NEED WHICH NOW HAS LED US TO MORE AGENCIES. I'M NOT I'M NOT A BIG PROPONENT I'M NOT A BIG PROPONENT OF OUTSOURCING. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS THE CRISES. I WILL SAY THAT I'LL STAND BY THIS BECAUSE THE WELFARE AND THE HEALTH OF THE STUDENT IS A PRIORITY OF ALL OF US AS BOARD MEMBERS AND YOURSELF, BUT I REALLY WILL SAY, I HAVE A HESITANCY TO CONTINUE ON THIS VERSUS GETTING OUR OWN VERSUS GETTING OUR OWN NURSES PAID AT LEAST EQUALLY AND SHOULD THE MILLAGE GET PASSED, OF COURSE, WE CAN PUMP COURSE, WE CAN PUMP THAT UP ACCORDINGLY. I STAND DIVIDED ON THIS. I KNOW THE NEED IS THERE. YES, I'LL VOTE FOR IT, BUT THEN, AGAIN, THERE IS A LEVEL OF UNFAIRNESS. SUPERINTENDENT, WOULD YOU SUPERINTENDENT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO REMARK? >>Van Ayres: MY REMARKS WOULD BE EVERYTHING YOU SAID IS 100% ACCURATE. THAT IS AN AREA OF NEED FOR US AND AN AREA TO KNOW THAT WITH OUR RATES THAT WE CURRENTLY PAY OUR NURSES, WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON, IT WILL BE A FOCUS OF MINE IN THE COMING YEARS THAT WE CAN COMPETE WITH SOME OF THESE CONTRACT AGENCIES BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WE WANT OUR NURSES, RNs, RNs, LPNs IN HOUSE WITH US. I SEE THIS AS A SHORT-TERM SOLUTION TO GET THE PAY WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. I WANT THE BOARD TO KNOW THAT IS A PRIORITY OF MINE. MS. BROWN, MS. BROWN, MS. SAIA AND MS. ROSS AS WELL. >>Lynn Gray: I JUST WANT TO THANK DR. ROSS FOR HER THANK DR. ROSS FOR HER HEARTFELT CARE OF THE NURSES. EVERY NURSE IN EVERY SCHOOL KNOWS YOU, KNOWS YOU, DR. ROSS. THEY APPRECIATE YOU. YOU ARE COMMENSURATE WITH THE SITUATION AND A LOT OF THEM ARE STAYING BECAUSE OF YOU. JUST SO YOU KNOW. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS. >>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. I CONCUR WITH MEMBER I CONCUR WITH MEMBER GRAY. I THINK IT'S A VERY, VERY COMPLEX, VERY DIFFICULT DECISION. I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO SEE IF IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WAS THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WAS IT DECREASING STEADILY? BECAUSE AFTER WE BROUGHT THE AGENCY, DID WE LOSE SO MANY MORE NURSES? THAT'S MY QUESTION OR IS IT PRETTY MUCH A STEADY RATE EITHER WAY? >> IT'S BEEN A PRETTY STEADY RATE OF US LOSING PEOPLE. >>Nadia Combs: THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. YOU'RE SEEING A COUPLE OF AREAS, NURSING AND EDUCATION WHERE THERE ARE REAL HUGE SHORTAGES OF WORKFORCE. BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED IS WE HAVE INCREASED AS A STATE OR HOSPITALS HAVE INCREASED PAYING NURSES WHILE WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT IN EDUCATION. SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS YOU'RE SEEING NURSES WHO WERE IN THE SCHOOLS AND WHO ARE NOW WORKING AT HOSPITALS AND MAKING PROBABLY 30, 40 PERCENT MORE OR IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. SO THAT IS A REALLY BIG ISSUE AND THAT'S WHY IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE EDUCATING PEOPLE ON HOW POORLY THE STATE OF FLORIDA IS PAYING OUR EDUCATORS. I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE SAYING THAT. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THE BREAKDOWN, AND I HAD TALKED TO SUPERINTENDENT AYRES ABOUT THAT, IS THAT THE NURSES, THEY ARE SEEING THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE BREAKDOWN AND WE HAD TALKED ABOUT LOOKING AT THAT. I DON'T NEED IT TODAY, BUT THE COST OF INSURANCE AND BENEFITS AND BEING IN THE STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND HOW ALL OF THOSE DOLLARS, WHAT THAT WOULD TOTAL PER HOUR COMPARED TO OUR NURSES. NO MATTER WHAT, WE'RE LOSING NURSES LEFT AND RIGHT. THERE ARE SOME POCKETS WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LEAVE AND THEY ARE JUST NOT GOING TO COME BACK BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO PAY THEM. THE SAME WITH OUR ESE TEACHERS. WE'RE LOSING A LOT. THOSE ARE TWO AREAS, NURSES, TEACHERS AND BUS TEACHERS AND BUS DRIVERS, WHERE WE'RE ALMOST SUBCONTRACTING BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. FOR ME, OBVIOUSLY IT'S REALLY HARD FOR ME TO SAY I WANT TO SUPPORT A SUBCONTRACTOR MORE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I HAVE TO MAKE MY DECISION BASED ON WHAT'S BEST FOR STUDENTS AND WHAT'S GOING TO MAKE SURE IF A STUDENT FALLS OR HURTS THEMSELVES, THAT WHEN THEY GO TO THE NURSES OFFICE THAT THERE IS SOMEONE THERE. I THINK SHARING THAT BREAKDOWN AND SHARING IT WITH THE NURSES AND FOR THEM TO SEE THAT WOULD LET THEM UNDERSTAND THAT MORE AND THANK YOU FOR THE LEADERSHIP AS WELL. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR TAKING SO MUCH TIME AND LOOKING AT THIS. AS I DELVE INTO THIS, BECAUSE IN MY FIELD ALONE, MY OTHER SIDE OF THE HAT, I DEAL WITH NURSES ALL THE TIME THROUGHOUT ALL OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF FLORIDA. AND ONE OF THE KEY PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE IS OUR REIMBURSEMENT RATE FROM AHCA. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO SERIOUSLY LOOK AT AS A DISTRICT AND PRIORITIZE AS WE LOOK AT OUR NEXT LEGISLATIVE YEAR WORKING WITH OUR LAWMAKERS AND GETTING AHCA TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE NOT PAID THE SAME RATE AS THEY ARE PAYING HOSPITALS. BECAUSE THE AHCA RATE FOR BECAUSE THE AHCA RATE FOR NURSES IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY OR ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS IS NOT THE SAME AS THE NURSING RATE THAT AHCA IS PAYING FOR A NURSING HOME OR FOR A HOSPITAL. AND WE'VE GOT TO BRING US UP TO LINE TO DEAL WITH THAT. THERE ARE MANY TIMES OUR NURSES ARE DEALING JUST LIKE PSYCHIATRIC NURSES DEALING WITH AND GIVING PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATION. THEY HAVE TO KNOW THE SIDE EFFECTS OF PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATIONS. WE HAVE SO MANY STUDENTS TODAY TAKING PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATIONS. THEY HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH BEHAVIORS. THEY HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH MULTIPLE ILLNESSES ON A REGULAR BASIS. THEY HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH MULTIPLE MEDICATIONS, THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT. SO WE'RE DEALING WITH A VERY DIFFERENT FIELD THAN WE WERE 10, 15 YEARS 15 YEARS AGO, SO IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. I URGE THIS BOARD TO MAKE THIS A PRIORITY AS WE MOVE INTO OUR NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN ADVOCATE FOR. WE CAN ADVOCATE FOR THE CHANGE AND THE RATE SCHEDULE AND WHICH WE ARE BEING WE ARE BEING REIMBURSED BY MEDICAID. THAT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO PAY. IT IS AN AHCA BODY AND WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE COMMUNICATING WITH AHCA, THAT THEY ARE NOT PROVIDING A PROPER RATE SCHEDULE TO US. THAT IS THE FIRST THING. THE SECOND THING IS WE ARE ALL SEEING WITHIN THE SEEING WITHIN THE NURSING FIELD A CHANGE, RIGHT? ACROSS THE BOARD, WHETHER HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES, ALL THE FIELDS. MANY OF THEM ARE GOING TO CONTRACTED POSITIONS BECAUSE THEY LIKE THE FLEXIBILITY. THEY LIKE THE HERE, THERE, EVERYWHERE, BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WHEN COVID HIT, THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WERE PUT ON NURSES WERE SO NURSES WERE SO DRAMATIC. THEY WERE ASKED TO DO MORE THAN THEY EVER WERE BEFORE IN THE HISTORY OF NURSING. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, HAVING A CONTRACTED SITUATION TAKES AWAY THAT BURDEN OF REQUIREMENT. AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE SEEING, WHETHER IT'S IN A HOSPITAL, A NURSING HOME, ANY OF OUR FIELDS, I, OUR FIELDS, I, MYSELF, DEAL WITH, WE'RE HAVING TO DO THE SAME EXACT THING WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES IN GROUP HOMES AND IN DAY PROGRAMS. WE'RE HAVING TO WORK THROUGH THE CONTRACTED AGENCIES BECAUSE IT IS A SHIFT IN THE INDUSTRY. BUT, AGAIN, LIKE MEMBER COMBS SAID, WE DO OFFER SOMETHING THAT OTHERS DO NOT, THAT HOSPITALS DO NOT. WE OFFER A DAYTIME SHIFT. WE OFFER BENEFITS. WE OFFER RETIREMENT. WE OFFER LONG-TERM THING. SO I THINK WE AS A DISTRICT HAVE TO LOOK AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THE MAXIMIZE WE CAN BY ADVOCATING FOR ALL OF OUR NURSES BY GETTING THAT HIGHER REIMBURSEMENT RATE SO WE AS A DISTRICT HAVE MORE FUNDS DISTRICT HAVE MORE FUNDS TO WORK WITH, AT THE SAME TIME, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ADVERTISING WHAT THE BENEFIT IS TO WORKING FOR US. I THINK THOSE ARE TWO THINGS THAT ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO MAXIMIZE WHAT WE CAN DO FOR OUR NURSES. AND THE ENVIRONMENT. WE HAVE A PHENOMENAL ENVIRONMENT IN OUR IN OUR SCHOOLS, A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT, AN AREA IN WHICH WE VALUE OUR NURSES, HIGHLY VALUE OUR NURSES AND THEY ARE HIGHLY RESPECTED WITHIN OUR FIELD AS WELL AS YOU ARE, THE THREE WELL AS YOU ARE, THE THREE OF YOU ARE AS WELL. I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT FROM A MULTIPRONGED APPROACH. OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO PASS THIS TODAY BECAUSE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE NURSES IN OUR SCHOOLS. WE CANNOT TAKE THE CHANCE. WE HAVE TO FULFILL WE HAVE TO FULFILL IEPs AND FEDERAL MANDATES THAT WE ARE MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS, WHETHER IT'S FEEDING THEM, WHETHER IT'S GIVING THEM THEIR MEDICATIONS. WE HAVE TO DO THIS, BUT WE DEFINITELY WANT TO CIRCLE BACK AND FIND BETTER WAYS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO FUND IT AND BETTER WAYS THAT WE'LL LOOK AT THIS FROM A GLOBAL STANDPOINT. SO THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER VAUGHN. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN HERE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. AGAIN, WITH OUR AGAIN, WITH OUR ESE PROFESSIONALS AND I KNOW THAT IT'S REALLY DISHEARTENING WHEN OUR EMPLOYEES LOOK AT THAT AND THEY ARE LOOKING THROUGH THE CLASSIFIEDS AND THEY SEE THAT WE ARE OUTSOURCING AND PAYING AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE. IT MAKES THEM FEEL EXTREMELY UNVALUED, NOT UNVALUED, NOT APPRECIATED. AND I AGREE THAT WE'RE JUST IN A HARD SPOT AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THE EMPLOYEES IN OUR SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS. I REALLY I REALLY APPRECIATE THE LEGISLATIVE PIECE AND HOW WE AS A BOARD CAN LOOK AT PRIORITIZING THAT WHEN WE GO FOR OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES NEXT YEAR. WE'VE SEEN SOME MOVEMENT ON OUR PRIORITIES, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY HELPING. WHILE I SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN MY SCHOOL AND A LOT OF TIME NURSES COME UP TO ME AND AS WE KNOW I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR THEM VERY HARD RECENTLY, AS MUCH AS THEY ARE FRUSTRATED ABOUT THE PAY, I THINK THERE ARE OTHER THINGS TO YOUR POINT IN OUR ENVIRONMENT THAT WE CAN LOOK AT. WHAT I'M WONDERING WHAT I'M WONDERING IS, AS I HEAR THAT WE'RE LOSING NURSES, ARE WE DOING EXIT SURVEYS, EXIT INTERVIEWS TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE ARE OTHER THINGS ASIDE FROM JUST THE PAY THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY FOCUS ON. I SEE YOUR SHAKING YOUR HEAD YEAH. WHAT ARE WE LEARNING FROM EXIT SURVEYS ASIDE FROM THE PAY THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP KEEP AND RETAIN OUR NURSES? >> UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS PAY. YOU ALL ECHOED EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE FIELD, SO I'M NOT GOING TO REPEAT NOT GOING TO REPEAT THAT. WE DID INCLUDE, MEMBER WE DID INCLUDE, MEMBER COMBS, OUR BENEFITS WITH THAT, IN THAT RATE THAT YOU HAVE. SO THAT IS ALREADY INCLUDED. AND I DO WANT TO SAY THAT MR. AYRES, OUR SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, OUR SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, MS. BROWN, OUR BUDGET AND HR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ALREADY KIND OF AHEAD OF THIS AND LOOKING AT THIS SINCE THEY TOOK OVER, FOR INSTANCE, WITH THEIR LEADERSHIP. SO THEY DID SEE SO THEY DID SEE THIS RIGHT AWAY AS OPPOSED TO THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. >>Jessica Vaughn: I APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE CAPTURING ANY INFORMATION THAT WE CAN AS THEY LEAVE THE FIELD. I'M SURPRISED IT'S JUST PAY BECAUSE, AGAIN, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY WHAT I'M HEARING WHEN I'M TALKING TO THEM IN THE SCHOOL. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS AN ABILITY TO MAYBE SEND OUT A SURVEY OR GET MORE INFORMATION SPECIFICALLY FROM OUR NURSES OR JUST ENGAGE THEM TO WHERE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE VALUED AND PART OF THE CONVERSATION AS WE DISCUSS ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND MAKING SURE THEY HAVE A LIVABLE WAGE AND THEY ARE SUPPORTED IN OUR DISTRICT. >> THANK YOU. WHAT WE WILL DO IS WORK TOGETHER TO GET TO GET A MORE CONFIDENTIAL ONE BECAUSE CURRENTLY WHAT WE DO IS USE THE FORM, THERE'S LIKE A CHECKOFF BOX ON CHECKOFF BOX ON REASON FOR LEAVING. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING BY. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. I LIKE MEMBER RENDON HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT WINDOW INTO SEEING THE NURSES BECAUSE I'VE BEEN A HOSPITAL SOCIAL WORKER FOR 25 YEARS. I'VE SEEN A VERY I'VE SEEN A VERY DIFFERENT SHIFT IN WHAT'S HAPPENED IN OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. YOU KNOW, WHEN COVID HIT, A LOT OF OF OUR NURSES DECIDED TO TAKE ON THE TRAVELING THE TRAVELING NURSES BIT. BECAUSE THEY COULD WORK FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, GO COUPLE OF WEEKS, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, RELAX, AND ELSE, RELAX, AND IT WASN'T SO FOCUSED FOCUSED ON ONE PLACE, 8 TO 12 HOUR SHIFTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WHAT THEY WHAT THEY KEPT SAYING WAS THAT THEY NEEDED THEY NEEDED THAT MENTAL RESPITE. SO THEY WERE ABLE SO THEY WERE ABLE TO DO THAT FAR AWAY FROM THEIR EVERYDAY SPACE. I'M GOING TO SQUASH THE MYTH OF THE FACT THAT IT WAS THE FACT THAT IT WAS ABOUT JUST PAY. I THINK COVID REALLY DID A NUMBER ON A LOT OF OUR PROVIDERS. OUR OUR NURSES, OUR OUR NURSES, OUR DOCTORS, EVEN THE SOCIAL THE SOCIAL WORKERS, THE MENTAL HEALTH STAFF IN THE HOSPITALS. OUR NURSES, THEY NOT ONLY PROVIDE THE MEDICATION MANAGEMENT FOR OUR STUDENTS, BUT THEY ALSO HELP FAMILIES GET ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE. THEY COORDINATE MAKING SURE THAT THE FAMILIES ARE SPEAKING WITH THEIR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. AND THEY ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THEY REDUCE THE HOSPITAL STAYS FOR OUR STUDENTS. AND THOSE TRIPS TO THE HOSPITALS, BECAUSE THEY ARE MONITORING, AND THEY ARE HELPING OUR STUDENTS, NOT JUST STAY OUT OF THE HOSPITALS, BUT STAY IN SCHOOL. SO HAVE WE TALKED ABOUT THAT RESPITE TIME THAT OUR RNs WOULD HAVE WOULD HAVE OVER THE SUMMER AND THAT BLOCK OF TIME THAT THEY COULD GET COULD GET THAT DOWN TIME BEING HERE IN THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS? >> SO MANY OF OUR NURSES DO >> SO MANY OF OUR NURSES DO TAKE OFF FOR THE OFF FOR THE SUMMER. AGAIN, I'M ONLY GOING BY LIKE THE DATA THAT IS CHECKED OFF IN THE BOXES WHEN THEY LEAVE. SO THAT'S INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GOING BY. >>Karen Perez: DO THEY DO THAT TRAVELING NURSES DURING THE SUMMERTIME BREAK? >> SOME OF THEM DO, SOME GO BACK IN THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE THEY WANT TO KEEP UP THE SKILL SET FROM THE HOSPITAL SPACE. SOME WORK AT THE VA DURING THE SUMMERTIME AND THEN SOME REALLY TAKE A TAKE A BREAK, LIKE OUR TEACHERS. SO THAT PARALLEL BETWEEN TEACHERS AND TEACHERS AND NURSES WAS AWESOME. IT WAS RIGHT ON TARGET. >>Karen Perez: YEAH, WE DO. WE DO WE DO NEED THE SUPPLEMENTAL NURSING STAFF TO HELP NURSING STAFF TO HELP US KEEP OUR STUDENTS AT LEAST HERE IN SCHOOL AND SCHOOL AND OUT OF THE EMERGENCY ROOMS. THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING THIS. SEEING NO FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHT APPEARS. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE NEXT ITEM THE NEXT ITEM IS 5.04, APPROVE THE AGREEMENT WITH PlayOn! SPORTS. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. SINCE 2019, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS USED CAMERAS AT EACH HIGH SCHOOL STADIUM AND GYMNASIUM. CAMERAS AT EACH HIGH SCHOOL STADIUM AND GYMNASIUM ALLOWS SPECTATORS TO VIEW LIVE STREAMING WHEN THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND. LIVE STREAMING GIVES COLLEGES MORE OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH STUDENT ATHLETES PERFORM. COLLEGES THAT VIEW GAMES WILL HELP HCPS STUDENT ATHLETES ATTAIN ATHLETIC AND ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS AS WELL. LIVE STREAMING OFFERS AN ADDITIONAL FORM OF SECURITY AT ATHLETIC CONTESTS. NO COST TO THE AGENDA ITEM. SUBSCRIPTION COST AT THE EXPENSE OF OF SPECTATOR, CAMERA MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS PROVIDED BY PlayOn! SPORTS. THIS AGREEMENT HAS BEEN SINCE 2019. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS, A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER RENDON, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? >>Patti Rendon: YES, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME AND THANK YOU, MR. ROBINSON. SO A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I STILL HAVE, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THE INFORMATION I'VE BEEN GIVEN. I APPRECIATE KNOWING THAT SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE VERY MINIMAL AT $12 A MONTH AND $80 A YEAR. IF YOU DO HAVE AN ATHLETE, JUST EQUIPMENT ALONE COSTS QUITE A BIT MORE THAN THAT. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT. I'M STILL NOT CLEAR ON IF I'M AN ATHLETE AND I DO NOT HAVE A SUBSCRIPTION, DO I HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUT TOGETHER A VIDEO OF MY PERFORMANCE IN ORDER TO USE THAT FOR COLLEGE COACHES? AT THIS POINT, I CAN'T. AM I CORRECT? >> CORRECT. >>Patti Rendon: DOES MY COACH HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT OR NOT? >> YES, THE COACHES HAVE ACCESS TO THE GAMES THAT ARE RECORDED. >>Patti Rendon: BUT THEY DON'T OWN THE FOOTAGE. I'M ASKING, DO THEY STILL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CUT AND PASTE AND MAKE VIDEO OUTSIDE OF THE FOOTAGE THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN? RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO SPORTING EVENTS AND MUSIC AND COPY RIGHT, IT'S AN ISSUE. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR ATHLETES HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET VIDEOS PUT TOGETHER FOR THEM IN ORDER TO ORDER TO GO OUT FOR SCHOLARSHIPS IN THE RIGHT, CORRECT WAY. BECAUSE IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE START, OUR COACHES HAVE ACCESS TO DO THAT. I KNOW COACHES HAVE ACCESS TO THE FOOTAGE, BUT CAN THEY USE IT TO THEN CUT AND PASTE AND USE IT FOR SOMETHING ELSE? DO WE OWN IT OR DO THEY OWN? >> THEY OWN IT BUT THEY ALLOW OUR COACHES TO USE IT. THEY CAN'T DO A FULL VIDEO. THEY CAN'T HAVE A FULL VIDEO, BUT THEY CAN TAKE CLIPS FROM THE VIDEOS. >>Patti Rendon: THERE'S NOTHING IN OUR CONTRACT THAT GIVES THEM THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT THAT I SAW. AM I CORRECT? BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS DOESN'T COME BACK AND BITE US IN THE END. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE -- LIKE, THE ABILITY TO HAVE THOSE VIDEOS. IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. WE'RE TALKING MULTIMILLION DOLLARS NOW WITH COLLEGES WHERE YOU'RE SELLING EQUIPMENT, SELLING YOURSELF. IT'S IMPORTANT. I MEAN WE HAVE ATHLETES THAT ARE GOING IN MANY ASPECTS, WHETHER COLLEGE OR PROFESSIONALS. I DON'T WANT THIS TO COME BACK AND BE A AND BE A LOOPHOLE AND SOMETHING THEY SHOULDN'T NOT HAVE DONE AND SENDING IT OUT TO MULTIPLE COLLEGES. I DON'T SEE WHERE THAT GIVES US PERMISSION TO CUT AND SPLICE ANY OF THEIR FOOTAGE. CAN WE LOOK AT CAN WE LOOK AT THAT? >> ABSOLUTELY. >>Patti Rendon: THAT WOULD BE MY FIRST CONCERN. I WANT TO MAKE SURE, I KNOW IF THEY DON'T HAVE -- BECAUSE IF I TOOK IT AND I'M WATCHING IT, DO I HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CUT AND PASTE IT? IT DOESN'T GIVE US ANY AUTHORITY TO CUT AND PASTE ANY FOOTAGE THAT THEY HAVE GIVEN US. AND THAT TO ME IS A COPY RIGHT POSSIBILITY INFRINGEMENT. AM I AM I MISSING SOMETHING? >>Van Ayres: IF I'M A STUDENT AND, STUDENT ATHLETE, I HAVE NO SUBSCRIPTION, I CANNOT UTILIZE PlayOn! VIDEO TO MAKE MY OWN HIGHLIGHT REELS. HOWEVER COACHES THAT ARE ON OUR CAMPUSES CAN UTILIZE AND CREATE HIGHLIGHT REELS FOR STUDENTS AND THAT IS CURRENTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING. >> YES, SIR. >>Patti Rendon: THERE'S NOTHING IN WRITING. THAT'S WHAT I'M CLARIFYING. BUT THERE'S NOTHING IN WRITING FROM THE CONTRACT, THAT THEY ARE PROVIDING FILM FOR. THEY OWN THE FILM. THAT'S WHERE MY LEGALITY PART CONCERNS ME THAT WE HAVE NOTHING IN THIS CONTRACT THAT GIVES THAT LEGALITY. YOU SEE WHERE MY CONCERN COMES IN? >>Jim Porter: YES. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT'S BEEN THE PRACTICE SINCE 2019. WE'LL GULF COAST ACK AND LOOK AT THE CONTRACT AND SEE IFS SOMETHING WE CAN TIGHTEN UP. >>Patti Rendon: YES, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN TIGHTEN IT UP SO IT DOESN'T HURT OUR ATHLETES. LAWS ARE CHANGING WITH ATHLETES AND COLLEGE ATHLETES NOW CAN SELL MERCHANDISE. HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES CAN NOW SELL MERCHANDISE. WE'VE GOT TO BE VERY CAREFUL -- >> IT'S COMING. BUT NOT YET. >>Patti Rendon: THEY CANNOT SELL AN ATHLETE BASED UPON THEIR SCHOOL, BUT WE DO HAVE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES OUT THERE THAT ARE WORKING FOR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, MODELING AND OTHER THINGS OUT THERE AND IT'S BECAUSE THEY ARE A BASEBALL PLAYER. THEY MAY NOT BE THE THEY MAY NOT BE THE BLOOMINGDALE BASEBALL PLAYER, BUT THEY ARE A BASEBALL PLAYER. IT DOES HAPPEN. THERE IS A LOT GOING ON AND I DON'T WANT IT TO COME BACK AND BITE US. THE OTHER THING IS WHAT I SAW WITHIN THE CONTRACT IS WE HAVE A 20% REVENUE COMING IN. BUT I'VE NOT SEEN ANY NUMBERS OF WHAT THAT HAS LOOKED LIKE OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE YEARS. WE HAVE NO WE HAVE NO DETAIL OF WHAT THAT REVENUE, WHAT IT HAS BEEN. >> WE CAN GO BACK >> WE CAN GO BACK AND GET THOSE NUMBERS. IT'S BEEN NOMINAL. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY HAVE SUBSCRIPTIONS IS NOT VERY HIGH, BUT WE HAVE CONTINUED TO OFFER IT AS AN OPTION FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO WATCH GAMES, OBVIOUSLY. >>Patti Rendon: AS WE LOOK AT THIS AND MOVE FORWARD, I THINK IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT THIS CONTRACT ALSO GIVES US THE AUTHORITY TO PUT IT ON AUTHORITY TO PUT IT ON ALL OF OUR SCOREBOARDS AND ALLOWING PARENTS TO KNOW. I HAVE HAD STUDENT ATHLETES IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR TEN YEARS, AND I DIDN'T KNOW PlayOn! WAS THE VENDOR BECAUSE I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THEM THEY WERE IN THE GYMS. I KNEW THEY WERE ON THE FIELD FOR FOOTBALL. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT BASEBALL. WHY IS THAT NOT A PART OF THE CONTRACT? I KNOW IT'S NOT IN THE STADIUM OR GYM, BUT BASEBALL IS GOING ON WITH MANY DIFFERENT THINGS. AGAIN, ANOTHER ASPECT WE SHOULD BE MAKING SURE IT'S UTILIZED TO ALL OF OUR SPORTS. AGAIN, WE HAVE 20% OF OUR REVENUE COMING IN FROM THIS CONTRACT YET WE DON'T KNOW, A, HOW MUCH THAT LOOKS HOW MUCH THAT LOOKS LIKE. B, WHAT HAVE WE B, WHAT HAVE WE DONE WITH THE MONEY. C, WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO BOLSTER IT BECAUSE THE CONTRACT GIVES US THE RIGHT TO ADVERTISE. SO I THINK WE HAVE A UNIQUE ABILITY TO UTILIZE THIS IN MANY MORE WAYS, IN A SAFE WAY IF WE CAN FIRM UP THE CONTRACT. AND THEN THE LAST THING I WANT TO KNOW FROM THIS, IT ALSO TALKED ABOUT IN HERE IN WHICH WE CAN GET SPONSORSHIPS. HAVE WE GOTTEN ANY SPONSORSHIPS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS FOR THIS THIS PROGRAM OR TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE IT FOR OUR STUDENTS OR ANYTHING? >> SCHOOLS HAVE NOT TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF IT, NO, MA'AM. >>Patti Rendon: THAT'S ON THE SCHOOL. WE AS AN ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT OR DISTRICT HAVE NOT GONE OUT FOR ANY SPONSORSHIPS. I THINK THESE ARE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS OF, A, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND WHERE WE CAN FIND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, ONE. THERE ARE A LOT OF THERE ARE A LOT OF OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS WHICH CONCERN ME FROM A LEGALITY POINT OF VIEW. SO, UNFORTUNATELY, I'M GOING TO SAY NO, NOT THAT I'M NOT FOR THIS PROGRAM OR A PROGRAM, I THINK WE NEED TO FIRM THIS UP MORE BEFORE I CAN APPROVE IT. >>Karen Perez: ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOU SEE YOUR LIGHT APPEAR. AND IT PASSES WITH MEMBER VAUGHN, MYSELF, AND MEMBER RENDON RENDON DESCENDING. DISSENTING. THE NEXT ITEM IS THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM 6.01, BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR PERIOD ENDING FEBRUARY ENDING FEBRUARY 29, 2024 AND MARCH 31, 2024. RO JOHNSON WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Ro Johnson: GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT. WE WILL HAVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION FROM MS. GARCIA ON OUR BUDGET ENDING MARCH 31st, 2024. >>Susan Garcia: GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE DEPICTS THE COLUMN A YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS THE THIS IS THE SEPTEMBER 9 APPROVED BUDGET WHERE WE PREDICTED WE WERE GOING TO HAVE $6.1 MILLION SURPLUS AND OUR FUND BALANCE WAS GOING TO GOING TO BE $336 MILLION PROJECTIONS. COLUMN B SHOWS THE REVISED BUDGET AS OF THE END OF FEBRUARY. THIS KIND OF ENCOMPASSES TWO MONTHS, FEBRUARY AND MARCH, DUE TO TO TIMING. IN FEBRUARY, WE HAVE IN FEBRUARY, WE HAVE A $1.768 BILLION BUDGET $1.768 BILLION BUDGET PREDICTED AND A BUDGET -- EXPENDITURE BUDGET BUDGET OF 1.776 WHICH CAUSED A DEFICIT OF $7.1 MILLION. OUR FUND BALANCE, IF THIS WERE TO COME TRUE WOULD HAVE BEEN $322 MILLION. AND OUR COLUMN B -- COLUMN C, I'M SORRY, THAT IS THE END OF MARCH, SO THE REVENUE PROJECTED IS STILL IS STILL THE 1.768, BUT OUR EXPENDITURE PROJECTIONS ACTUALLY DECREASED DECREASED TO 1.745 AND THIS WAS CAUSED BY CAUSED BY A $30 MILLION DECREASE FROM THE THIRD CALCULATION, WHICH WAS DUE TO THE CHARTER SCHOOLS ENROLLMENT. IT ACTUALLY DECREASED OUR EXPENDITURES. SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE HAD A $23.1 MILLION SURPLUS AND A PROJECTED FUND BALANCE PROJECTED FUND BALANCE OF $353 MILLION. THIS NEXT THIS NEXT SLIDE, IF YOU LOOK THIS NEXT SLIDE, IF YOU LOOK AT COLUMN E, YOU'LL SEE THAT THESE ARE THE ACTUALS. WHAT WE RECEIVED THROUGH THE MONTH OF MARCH, WE MONTH OF MARCH, WE RECEIVED $1.4 BILLION OF OUR REVENUE AND THAT REPRESENTS 80% OF OUR PROJECTIONS. AND WE AND WE EXPENDED 1.236 IN EXPENDITURES, WHICH IS 71% OF OUR EXPENDITURES. IT GAVE US A SURPLUS AT THE END OF MARCH, ONLY AT THE END OF MARCH MARCH OF $173 MILLION WITH AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF $503 MILLION. NOW, REMEMBER THAT AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR OUR FUND BALANCE IS USUALLY PRETTY HIGH. IT STARTS DECREASING AS IT STARTS DECREASING AS OUR EXPENDITURES START INCREASING. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS CHART, THE BLUE IS ACTUALLY THE REVENUES AND THE YELLOWS ARE THE EXPENDITURES. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM JULY THROUGH NOVEMBER, OUR EXPENDITURES EXCEED OUR REVENUE. COME DECEMBER, WE GET OUR COME DECEMBER, WE GET OUR INFLUX OF PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS SO OUR REVENUE REVENUE EXCEEDS OUR EXPENDITURES AND CONTINUES TO EXCEED IT REALLY JUST THROUGH DECEMBER AND JANUARY. COME FEBRUARY, COME FEBRUARY, THE EXPENDITURES START INCREASING AND OUR REVENUE RECEIPTS RECEIPTS START DECREASING. THIS IS THE SAME BELL CURVE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDE OF THE CASH THAT WE WE NORMALLY GO THROUGH. AGAIN, THIS IS JULY THROUGH NOVEMBER, OUR CASH IS DECREASING WITH THE LOWEST ONE AT THE END OF NOVEMBER. IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY, AGAIN, WE RECEIVED OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUES, SO THOSE ARE THE HIGHEST MONTHS OF CASH THAT WE HAVE ON HAND, AND IT STARTS DECREASING AGAIN UNTIL THE PROJECTION FOR THE END OF THE YEAR IS GOING TO BE $374 MILLION. AND THIS NEXT AND THIS NEXT SLIDE WE NORMALLY PRESENT. THE FIRST SLIDE IS ACTUALLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE END OF MARCH, WHICH SHOWS MARCH, WHICH SHOWS THE $503 MILLION FUND BALANCE. THE ONE NEXT TO IT IS WHERE WE PROJECT TO BE AT THE END OF JUNE 30th, WHICH SHOWS 353 MILLION ENDING FUND BALANCE. ANY QUESTIONS? >>Karen Perez: I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 6.01. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER VAUGHN AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER VAUGHN AND MEMBER GRAY, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MEMBER VAUGHN. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THIS. I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY FOR THE REDUCTION THAT WE HAD, WHERE IT WAS WAS OVERESTIMATED, THAT WAS FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS SPECIFICALLY AND NOT US OVERESTIMATING OUR ENROLLMENT. SO WHILE IT ALL GOES INTO THE SAME POT OF MONEY, THAT IS FROM THE CHARTER SCHOOL, THE REDUCTION. >> CORRECT. >>Jessica Vaughn: OVERALL AS A DISTRICT, WE ENDED UP WITH AN INCREASE. >>Susan Garcia: YES. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MS. GARCIA. MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU. I WANTED TO LOOK AT THE FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS FAIRLY HIGH. CAN YOU SHOW CAN YOU SHOW OR SHARE HOW MUCH IS -- AND THIS IS THE PROJECTION, THE JUNE PROJECTION. HOW MUCH IS RESTRICTED AND HOW MUCH IS MUCH IS UNRESTRICTED? >>Susan Garcia: 20% OF THAT BUDGET IS THE TOTAL UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, 17% IS THE UNRESTRICTED PORTION. THESE ARE JUST ESTIMATES. >>Lynn Gray: RIGHT. THOSE ARE THOSE ARE ESTIMATES. WHAT'S INTERESTING IS -- AND MS. ROMANEIR, I DID COMPLEMENT YOU AND MS. GARCIA ABOUT BUILDING IN CERTAIN TYPE OF EXPENDITURES, BUT WHAT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE DONE NOT HAVE DONE IS THE PROPERTY TAX -- EXCUSE ME, NOT THE PROPERTY TAX -- THE INCREASE OF PROPERTY INSURANCE. I KNOW MR. FARKAS WILL BRING THAT UP ON ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM. BUT MAYBE YOU WOULD SHARE OR CAN SHARE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE COSTS, I KNOW MEMBER VAUGHN JUST SHARED THE CHARTER SCHOOL, THE FTE FROM THAT, BUT YOU BUILT FTE FROM THAT, BUT YOU BUILT IN SOME OF THE POSSIBLE LOSSES IN THE PROJECTED FUND BALANCE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE SOME OF THE BUILT-INS THAT YOU HAVE DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE SAY ALOUD THE FUND BALANCE, IT IS WITH THOSE CERTAIN CRITERIA BEING ALREADY BEING ALREADY IMAGINED? >>Susan Garcia: WE BUILT IN THE INCREASE IN COST OF INSURANCE, BOTH HEALTH INSURANCE AND PROPERTY PROPERTY INSURANCE. WE LOOKED AT WE LOOKED AT UTILITIES, WHICH WAS AN INCREASE. WE ACTUALLY INCLUDED VACANCIES AS PART AS PART OF OUR COST. WE ACTUALLY LOOK AT WE ACTUALLY LOOK AT REVENUE TOO. IT'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS BESIDES THE UNWEIGHTED FTE. >>Lynn Gray: JUST FOR TRANSPARENCY, THERE IS STILL THIS MISNOMER THAT WE GAIN LOTTERY FEES. WE GAIN LOTTERY MONIES. PERHAPS YOU'D LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT. I CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH COMING FROM YOU, IT MIGHT SOUND A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. >> SO THE LOTTERY DOES GIVE THE SCHOOLS -- NOT THE SCHOOLS, EDUCATION DOLLARS. A BIG PORTION OF WHAT THEY GIVE IS SCHOOL RECOGNITION DOLLARS WHICH GOES TO THE SCHOOLS AND TO THE TEACHERS. THEY ARE REWARDED IF THEY GET AN A GRADE OR IF THEY INCREASE THEIR GRADE. IT DOES NOT COME TO THE DISTRICT FOR DISCRETIONARY SPENDING AT ALL. IN THE PAST WE USED TO GET A PORTION THAT WAS PORTION THAT WAS DISCRETIONARY. WE NO LONGER GET WE NO LONGER GET THAT. WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. THEY DO GET BRIGHT FUTURES OUT OF THAT TO THE STUDENTS AND THEY GIVE UNIVERSITIES AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES DOLLARS. SO WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT GIVING DOLLARS TO EDUCATION, THIS IS WHERE ALL THE EDUCATION DOLLARS ARE GOING, BUT THE DISTRICT DOES NOT GET DISCRETIONARY SPENDING DOLLARS. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. OKAY. THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS. >>Nadia Combs: I'M SORRY. I THINK THAT WAS FROM BEFORE. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: OKAY. SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHT APPEARS. AND IT AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH MEMBER WASHINGTON AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THE NEXT ITEM IS 7.14, PURCHASE OF QUOTED EXCESS PROPERTY PROPERTY INSURANCE PROGRAM. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. EXCESS LIABILITY INSURANCE IS DESIGNED TO RESPOND WHEN UNDERLYING LIMITS OF OTHER POLICY HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED IN RELATIONSHIP TO A VARIETY OF DISASTERS. EXAMPLES, FIRE, FLOODS, SINKHOLES AND SINKHOLES AND WIND. EXCESSIVE LIABILITY INSURANCE PROVIDES COVERAGE AND PROTECTION TO HCPS FROM CLAIMS THAT EXCEED THE CURRENT PRIMARY COVERAGE. EXCESS LIABILITY INSURANCE COVERS EXCEPTIONAL LARGE EVENTS OR LOSSES WITH LOW PROBABILITIES OF OCCURRENCE. HOWEVER, WHEN THESE EVENTS DO OCCUR, THE COST NORMALLY EXCEEDS THE THE UNDERLYING LIABILITIES COVERAGE POLICY. EXCESS LIABILITY INSURANCE OFFERS HIGH LIMITS OF FINANCIAL PROTECTION TO HCPS FOR UNEXPECTED EVENTS. I DO HAVE -- CULPEPPER AS PART OF OUR TEAM, MAGGIE BOYKIN WITH FIRST FLORIDA INSURANCE BROKER IS ALSO WITH US TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS WE HAVE QUESTIONS WE HAVE REGARDING THIS AGENDA ITEM. DO I WANT TO ADD THAT THE AGENDA ITEM THAT WAS ITEM THAT WAS LISTED, THIS GETS OUT TO YOU WAY AHEAD OF TIME. THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE ON THE AGENDA ITEM WAS 11.8 MILLION. WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON THAT NUMBER. MS. BOYKIN, IF YOU WANT TO GIVE US WHAT THE ACTUAL COST CAME TO. THE 11.8 YOU SEE ON THE AGENDA ITEM WAS, OF COURSE, WEEKS AND WEEKS AHEAD. WE DID GET THE NUMBER BACK. IF YOU WANT TO SHARE WILL QUICK AND WE'LL GET TO ANY QUESTIONS. >> ABSOLUTELY. WE DO A NOT TO EXCEED BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GET THE AGENDA ITEM IN SO FAR IN ADVANCE. SINCE WE PUT THAT IN, THE PREMIUM HAS COME DOWN PREMIUM HAS COME DOWN FROM 11.8 MILLION TO 11.5. IT IS IT IS A $277,000 SAVINGS TO THE DISTRICT. >>Van Ayres: AS WE LOOK AT THAT, IS -- IS -- SO I THINK LAST YEAR -- >> LAST YEAR IT >> LAST YEAR IT WAS 11.4. IT'S ABOUT $150,000 INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR, BUT THE TOTAL INSURED VALUES OF THE DISTRICT INCREASED BY 6.27%. SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IS AN ACTUAL RATE DECREASE THIS YEAR OF 4.6%. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MS. BOYKIN. MADAM CHAIR, THAT IS THE AGENDA ITEM. WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE REGARDING THIS ITEM. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 7.14. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER GRAY AND MEMBER RENDON, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MEMBER MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: THIS IS IN THE SPIRIT OF THE FUTURE BUDGET, THE PROJECTED BUDGET. I JUST WANTED TO SEE ALSO, IF WE PUT THAT INTO OUR PROJECTED BUDGET, IT'S NOT THE BIGGEST INCREASE, BY THE WAY. IN FACT, IN FACT, I'M SHOCKED BECAUSE PROPERTY INSURANCE IS A NIGHTMARE FOR MOST PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW, BUT ANYWAY, IT'S STILL MONEY, RIGHT? MS. JOHNSON, DID YOU PUT THAT IN THE BUDGET ALSO? >>Ro Johnson: YES, WE DO PUT THE PROPERTY VALUE INCREASE IN THE BUDGET AND WE BUDGET FOR IT AND REDUCED BY THE SAVINGS. >>Lynn Gray: ALL RIGHT. SO IT'S BUDGETED. THAT WAS MY QUESTION AND MY CONCERN. VERY GOOD. I DON'T KNOW WHO SHOPPED AROUND FOR THIS. YOU ALL DID? GO AHEAD. >> CORRECT. WE ARE THE INSURANCE BROKER FOR THE DISTRICT PER OUR CONTRACT, SO WE WORK WITH DIFFERENT WHOLESALERS AND THE ENTIRE MARKETPLACE THAT WILL WRITE IN FLORIDA. IT IS A LAYERED PROGRAM WHICH MEANS, LIKE YOUR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE, YOU HAVE ONE CARRIER. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BETWEEN 16 AND 20 CARRIERS THAT ALL PARTICIPATE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS. SO WE HAVE THAT NOT TO EXCEED A MONTH AGO WHEN WE CAME IN AND HAD TO GIVE THE NOT TO EXCEED AND THEN WE WORKED TO KIND OF MOVE THE CARRIERS AROUND TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THE BEST DOLLARS SAVINGS FOR YOU GUYS AND THE BEST PREMIUM DOLLARS WE CAN MAKE MAKE WORK. >>Lynn Gray: JOB WELL DONE. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU FOR THOSE THOSE COMMENTS. INSURANCE IS A BAD WORD TO ME. I'M SO SORRY. I PERSONALLY HAVE SUFFERED THE WRATH OF THE CAR INSURANCE THIS YEAR, MORE THAN DOUBLED. I GET IT. BUT BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND BECOME MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN I EVER WANT TO BE WHEN IT COMES TO INSURANCE. AT THE END OF THE DAY WE ALL KNOW THAT EVERY SINGLE BROKER WE WORK WITH HAS DIFFERENT CARRIERS THAT THEY WORK WITH. ONE BROKER MAY HAVE 20 DIFFERENT CARRIERS. ANOTHER BROKER MAY HAVE SOME OVERLAP. SOME BROKERS WORK WITH THAT IN DIFFERENT WAYS. >> WHEN IT COMES TO THE PROPERTY INSURANCE, BECAUSE FLORIDA IS A TIER ONE STATE, IT'S MORE THAN A HANDFUL, OBVIOUSLY. 20 TO 30 CARRIERS THAT WILL EVEN WRITE. SO THE DIFFERENT BROKERS, THEY ALL UTILIZE THE SAME. THERE MIGHT BE A COUPLE OF SPECIFICS, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, IT IS THE SAME POOL OF INSURANCE CARRIERS NO MATTER WHO THE THE BROKER IS. >>Patti Rendon: CORRECT. ONE OF MY REASONS FOR PULLING THIS IS BECAUSE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP WITH OUR SYSTEMS, RIGHT? WE DO HAVE A DUE DILIGENCE AND WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY WHEN WE WROTE THIS INITIALLY, WE THEN HAVE THE ABILITY TO, I BELIEVE IT IS THREE YEARS, TO DO A YEAR BY YEAR AS WE GAVE THEM THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT. BUT AS WE LOOK AT CHANGING EVENTS AND CHANGING THINGS IN THE DISTRICT, I THINK IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO KNOW THAT WE GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOP AROUND ON A REGULAR BASIS. NOT ANYTHING AGAINST OUR BROKER, AS YOU WOULD KNOW, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO BE CONSCIOUS OF BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO IT IN ONE ARENA AND NOT THE OTHER. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT A SHOP-AROUND CONTRACT. WE DID NOT SHOP AROUND. WE ARE USING THE WE ARE USING THE SAME BROKER IN ORDER TO SHOP THE SAME COVERAGE AND WE'RE CHOOSING TO GO WITH THAT. I THINK WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT ON THE RECORD THAT WE DID NOT SHOP AROUND, THAT WE ARE USING THE SAME BROKER. WE'RE THANKFUL THAT YOU CAME IN WITH THE RATE YOU DID, NOT THAT THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE HERE AT ALL. IT'S A MATTER THAT WE NEED TO BE CONSISTENT IN OUR PRACTICES. SO IT NEEDS TO GO ON THE RECORD THAT WE ARE USING THE SAME BROKER. WE DID NOT SHOP AROUND. WE DID NOT GO FOR WE DID NOT GO FOR RFP. WE JUST EXTENDED OUR CONTRACT ANOTHER YEAR. >>Karen Perez: SUPERINTENDENT. >>Van Ayres: YEAH, MR. CULPEPPER, YOU CAN JUMP IN. I BELIEVE IN OCTOBER OF '23 THERE WAS AN AGENDA ITEM WHERE WE WENT OUT FOR RFP WE WENT OUT FOR RFP AND FIRST FLORIDA WAS CHOSEN. YOU'RE CORRECT. EACH YEAR WE'LL MAKE SURE WE DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND LOOK FOR THE BEST PRICE AND VALUE. >>Patti Rendon: THE RFP IN THE CONTRACT WAS FOR THAT TIME PERIOD. WE'RE JUST EXTENDING THIS WITHOUT AN WITHOUT AN RFP. WE GAVE THEM THE AUTHORITY TO EXTEND IT WITHOUT GOING TO EXTEND IT WITHOUT GOING TO RFP. >> OKAY. >> MYSELF AND MR. FARKAS HAVE TALKED VERY CANDIDLY ABOUT ALWAYS DOING WHAT IS BEST FOR THE DISTRICT TO ENSURE WE ARE BEING FAIR AND HONEST STEWARDS OF THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE RELATED TO RELATED TO ALL OF OUR OPERATIONAL NEEDS. WE ARE MOVING FORWARD NEXT YEAR TO PUT THIS BACK OUT IN AN RFP TO ENSURE WE'RE GETTING THE BEST FOR THE DISTRICT, FOR THE DISTRICT, SAFEGUARDING THE DISTRICT AS WELL AS OUR PROPERTY. SO THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED AND WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FIRST FLORIDA AND THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL. THEY ARE ALWAYS THERE. THEY ARE ALWAYS THERE TO ANSWER THE CALLS. ALWAYS THERE TO ENSURE EVERY PIECE OF OUR PROPERTY IS INSURED EVERY YEAR. WE GO THROUGH A HURRICANE, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING RELATED TO THE HURRICANE IS IN OUR BUNDLE OF THINGS TO BE PREPARED FOR, YES, MA'AM. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>Patti Rendon: IT'S NOT THAT I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP, WE DO. BUT IT IS NOTED THAT WE'RE APPROVING A CONTRACT AS IT IS AND WE EXTENDED IT ANOTHER YEAR. I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S ON THE RECORD. >> YES, MA'AM. AND IT WILL BE UNFAIR TO US IF WE DIDN'T GO OUT AND ALWAYS LOOK TO GET THE BEST FOR OUR DISTRICT AS WELL AS OUR STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHT APPEARS. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE WILL TAKE EMPLOYEE INPUT. EVEN THOUGH WE HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, IT IS 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 BOARD ABOUT ANY ISSUES THAT ARE ON YOUR MIND. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A DISCUSSION ABOUT SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA BUT RATHER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SPEAK TO THE SPEAK TO THE BOARD ABOUT ANY ISSUES RELATED TO YOUR JOB OR THE DISTRICT. EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. I WILL NOW CALL THE FIRST THREE SPEAKERS. >> GOOD EVENING. ROB KRIETE, CTA. THANK YOU, EVERYONE. WE ARE SUPER EXCITED AND ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT GETTING BACK TO THE BARGAINING TABLE. THAT IS ONE OF THE WAYS AND WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS WHEN I SHOW UP AT THESE MEETINGS ABOUT WAYS WE CAN MAKE OUR DISTRICT A LITTLE BIT MORE WELCOMING AND THIS IS ONE OF THE PROGRESSIVE THINGS THAT I AGREE WE COULD DO WITH YOUR COLLABORATION AND COOPERATION. SO WE'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT. WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT NURSES. AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU GUYS ARE HAVING THAT CONVERSATION HERE TONIGHT. WE RECOGNIZE THE ISSUE AS WELL, AND YOU KNOW, MEMBER AND YOU KNOW, MEMBER RENDON, THERE'S A LOT OF THERE'S A LOT OF WISDOM IN WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING AND THE HISTORY YOU HAVE THERE I THINK IS A GREAT LENS WE CAN PUT OVER WE TRY TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT, BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS REAL AND WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. OTHER THAN THAT, THE ONLY OTHER THING I HAVE IS LIKE THE INIMMITTABLE MR. KLUTHO, I BROUGHT AN ARTIFACT TONIGHT. THIS CAME IN THE MAIL. IT SAYS A JOB FAIR FOR IT SAYS A JOB FAIR FOR MANATEE COUNTY. AND THEY ARE INVITING EMPLOYEES TO COME ON DOWN TO MANATEE COUNTY TO GET JOBS THERE WHERE THEY HAVE COMPETITIVE BENEFITS AND SALARY DOWN THERE. NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, YEAH, THEY ARE ACTUALLY SENDING POSTCARDS. NOW, I LIVE IN RIVERVIEW, MAYBE THEY ARE DOING IT IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE DISTRICT, BUT I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT IT WAS SENT TO CAROLYN KRIETE, NOT ROBERT NOT ROBERT KRIETE. SO THEY WEREN'T LOOKING FOR ME. FOR THE RECORD, THEY DON'T REALLY WANT ME, BUT MY WIFE GOT ONE OF THESE AND WE WERE SHOCKED. WE WERE SHOCKED. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE. I THINK WE HAVE A PLAN RIGHT NOW. I'M JUST POINTING THAT OUT AND I'LL MAKE A COPY OF THIS IF YOU EVER WANT TO SEE IT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU LIVE ON THE SOUTH END OF THE DISTRICT, WHERE THEY ARE RECRUITING SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, BUT THEY ARE NOT LOOKING FOR ME EITHER. ANYWAY, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE COLLABORATION AND THE COOPERATION. AND WE'LL TALK TO YOU SOON. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> JENNIFER SHIVER. CURRENTLY IN TRANSITION I GUESS. SO IT WAS -- LIKE, THIS IS JUST FUNNY. IT WAS IN MARCH THAT I STOOD UP HERE AND TALKED ABOUT THIS CULTURE FEAR AND I ALMOST SAID THE WORDS AND I FEAR MY JOB WOULD BE CUT. LAST WEDNESDAY AT 3:30 IT WAS. ABSOLUTELY. NO WARNING. APPARENTLY THERE IS SOME SORT OF THREE-YEAR ELECTIVE ROTATION IN THE ESE CENTERS. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO KNOW WHEN I TOOK THE JOB. THAT FACE. I LOVE THAT. AND HERE'S ANOTHER AND HERE'S ANOTHER CAVEAT FOR YOU, CHAIRMAN PEREZ, I LEFT CAMPUS AT 3:30 THAT AFTERNOON BECAUSE I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO FACE ANYBODY. WENT HOME, TOOK TWO SICK DAYS TO GET MY RESUME TOGETHER TO START CALLING PEOPLE. I HAVE FIVE I HAVE FIVE CERTIFICATIONS. I'M GOING TO BE OKAY. I'M NOT WORRIED. THIS WILL BE A CUT IN PAY AND LOSING MY 12 MONTHS, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT. BUT NOT ONE PERSON FROM MY CAMPUS CALLED TO CHECK ON CAMPUS CALLED TO CHECK ON ME. MY MENTAL HEALTH, MY WELFARE, NONE OF THAT. I LIVE WITH MORE THAN EDUCATORS IN MY HOME. MY HUSBAND OWNS A BUSINESS, AGRICULTURE. HE OWNS ABOUT 50 ACRES IN THIS COUNTY AND YOU DARE ASK HIM FOR A MILLAGE AFTER THIS IS THE SECOND TIME HIS WIFE HAS BEEN TREATED THIS WAY. AND THE FIRST TIME FOR SPEAKING UP ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO STUDENTS AT BRANDON, I KNEW IT AS ALTERNATIVE. BRANDON EPIC, WHATEVER WE ARE CALLING IT NOW, SO BAD WE HAD TO CHANGE THE NAME THREE TIMES. CLEAN UP YOUR DISTRICT. CLEAN IT CLEAN IT UP. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I DON'T KNOW -- MY SON SAID TO ME HE'S ME HE'S GOING INTO AG AND COMMUNICATION. HE SAID LAST WEDNESDAY, MAYBE I'M CHOOSING THE WRONG PROFESSION. I SAID, NO, SON, JUST KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. YEAH. I DON'T KNOW A TEACHER THAT HAS GONE INTO EDUCATION EVER FOR THE MONEY. I MEAN, WE THROW THAT AROUND. I HAVE YET TO MEET AN EDUCATOR THAT HAS GONE INTO THE PROFESSION FOR THE PROFESSION FOR THE MONEY. IT'S BECAUSE THERE IS NO SUPPORT FOR LOYAL EMPLOYEES. NONE. I KNOW IT. I FELT IT FOR FOUR YEARS. IT'S REAL. AND I TOOK THIS JOB. I HAD ONE IN POLK COUNTY. I WAS MOVING. I TOOK THIS JOB BECAUSE I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A NICE PLACE TO HIDE. AND SINCE I'VE BEEN CTA REP, I THINK I MENTIONED THAT, THINK I MENTIONED THAT, TOO, RIGHT IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM ON MY CAMPUS BECAUSE I'VE RAISED MY VOICE. CLEAN UP YOUR CLEAN UP YOUR DISTRICT. ONE MORE, CULTURE OF FEAR, PARAS BEING TOLD NOT TO CALL THE BEING TOLD NOT TO CALL THE ABUSE HOT LINE BY THEIR HOT LINE BY THEIR PRINCIPAL WHO SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. NOW, HOW DO WE EXPECT A NOW, HOW DO WE EXPECT A PARA WHO IS WORKING TWO OR THREE JOBS TO GO AGAINST THAT, TERRIFIED THEY WILL LOSE THEIR WILL LOSE THEIR JOB? BUT THAT IS VERY REALIST -- VERY REAL THING. ABSOLUTELY. IT HAPPENED. CLEAN UP YOUR DISTRICT. >>Karen Perez: WE'RE GOING >>Karen Perez: WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S COMMENTS. ARE THERE ANY MORE SPEAKERS? NO MORE SPEAKERS. SUPERINTENDENT. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON. TO OUR PREVIOUS TEACHER TO OUR PREVIOUS TEACHER SPEAKER, MS. McRAE IS HEADING OUT THERE RIGHT NOW TO TALK WITH HER AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. YEP. SUPERINTENDENT'S SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATES THIS EVENING, LIKE TO START OUT WITH OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE AMAZING. WE HAD MORE WE HAD MORE THAN 60,000 VOLUNTEERS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND MENTORS WHO GENEROUSLY CONTRIBUTE CONTRIBUTE OVER 398,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS TO OUR DISTRICT. SINCE APRIL IS RECOGNIZED AS FLORIDA SCHOOL VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH AND NEXT WEEK, APRIL 21 THROUGH 27 IS NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK, WE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND OUR HEARTFELT GRATITUDE TO EACH OF OUR VOLUNTEERS, YOUR DEDICATION AND SUPPORT ARE AMAZING, AND YOU HELP MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU. THAT IS NEXT WEEK. NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK, APRIL 21st THROUGH 27. JUST WANT TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO THANK ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS. AS I MENTIONED, WE HAD A RECOGNITION EARLIER. APRIL IS MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD. JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT DR. HAHN MENTIONED HAHN MENTIONED EARLIER, TOMORROW IS PURPLE UP DAY. SO HELP US HONOR THE SCHOOLS AND MILITARY FAMILIES JOIN US IN WEARING PURPLE TOMORROW IN RECOGNITION OF MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD. SO ONE OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN PRIORITIES AROUND SUPPORTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF OUR TEACHERS GENUINELY LOOKING OUT FOR STUDENTS. MR. JOSHUA HERMAN IS A FORENSIC SCIENCE TEACHER AS WELL AS THE HEAD TRACK COACH AT EAST BAY HIGH SCHOOL. HE SAW A POST ON Facebook FROM HELPING HANDS IN SOUTH SHORE OF A MOM DONATING HER SON'S POWER WHEELCHAIR. MR. HERMAN CALLED THE ESE DEPARTMENT AT EAST BAY AND ASKED IF THEY KNEW OF A STUDENT WHO COULD USE THE CHAIR. TYLER TYLER SHERMAN IMMEDIATELY KNEW OF A STUDENT WHO NEEDED THE CHAIR. EVERYONE GOT CONNECTED AND THE STUDENT HAS THE POWER WHEELCHAIR HE NEEDS. THANK YOU, MR. SHERMAN, FOR DEMONSTRATING SUPPORTIVE CULTURE AND ALWAYS KEEPING YOUR EYES AND HEART OPEN FOR WAYS TO HELP OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU. IT WAS ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK ON PRIORITY AROUND ECONOMIC EXCELLENCE. I DID WANT TO CONGRATULATE OUR 22-23 SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNER. PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT 38 OF OUR SCHOOLS WERE RECOGNIZED AS SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCE BY THE FLORIDA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCE ARE SCHOOLS WHO SCHOOL GRADE CALCULATION IS IN THE 80th PERCENTILE OR HIGHER FOR AT LEAST TWO OF THE LAST THREE SCHOOL YEARS. THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE ESTABLISHED THIS PROGRAM IN 2017 AS AN INITIATIVE TO RECOGNIZE AND REWARD FLORIDA'S HIGHEST PERFORMING SCHOOLS. I AM INCREDIBLY PROUD OF OUR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND SUPPORT STAFF WHO HAVE ALL CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF THEIR SCHOOLS. CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE 38 SCHOOLS. LAST NIGHT WE HAD OUR AWARDS. CONGRATS TO 23-24 HILLSBOROUGH ASSOCIATION, THE ASSOCIATION, THE HASLEMS, HILLSBOROUGH ASSOCIATION OF LIBRARY SPECIALIST AWARD RECIPIENTS. WE DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE THERE LAST NIGHT AT TAMPA PALMS. THESE FOUR INDIVIDUALS WERE NOMINATED AND RECOGNIZED LAST NIGHT DURING THE ANNUAL HASLEM BANQUET. CEREMONY CAME AT THE PERFECT TIME AS AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF LIBRARIANS DEEMED APRIL AS SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTH. THANK YOU TO MICHELLE, TASHA, CHRISTINA AND YVETTE FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AND SUPPORT TO SCHOOL MEDIA PROGRAMS ACROSS OUR DISTRICT. WE HAVE TWO QUICK UPDATES ON SUSPENDED AGENDA AROUND ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS ON OUR SUSPENDED IS ON OUR SUSPENDED AGENDA LIST. ON TODAY'S CONSENT AGENDA, THREE ITEMS INCLUDED PROJECTS TOTALING APPROXIMATELY 5.3 MILLION FROM THE SALES TAX REFERENDUM. AS YOU ALL REMEMBER FROM OUR RECOGNITION MEETING LAST RECOGNITION MEETING LAST WEEK, ENERGY EFFICIENCY SAVINGS, DISTRICT EFFORTS WERE HIGHLIGHTED DURING LAST WEEK'S BOARD RECOGNITION MEETING. MR. FARKAS RECOGNIZED 23 ENERGY STAR STAR CERTIFIED SCHOOLS. APPRECIATE COMING OUT DURING THE RECOGNITION AND HIGHLIGHTING THE ENERGY SAVINGS WE'VE MADE SO FAR IN OUR DISTRICT. MADAM CHAIR, MADAM CHAIR, THOSE ARE MY SUPERINTENDENT UPDATES FOR THIS EVENING. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT. NOW WE'LL MOVE INTO NOW WE'LL MOVE INTO BOARD COMMENTS. BOARD MEMBERS, JUST AS A REMINDER, YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES EACH TO EACH TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. IF EVERYBODY WANTS TO GET IN THE QUEUE. WE -- NOW WE HAVE SOME FOLKS. MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I JUST WANTED TO ALSO -- WELL, I WAS GOING TO INTRODUCE THE FACT SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, DIDN'T WE HAVE A SLIDE SHOW FOR THE RACE FOR EDUCATION RACE FOR EDUCATION OR NOT? >>Van Ayres: I DON'T HAVE IT. BUT YOU CAN DEFINITELY HAVE THE HONORS, RACE FOR EDUCATION AND WHAT A SUCCESS IT WAS. >>Lynn Gray: IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. THE SEA OF BLUE T-SHIRTS WAS JUST AWESOME. WE HAD A NO EXCUSE WE HAD A NO EXCUSE WEATHER. OVER 1200 OF OUR FOLKS, THANK YOU MEMBER WASHINGTON, MEMBER COMBS, MEMBER RENDON, MEMBER PEREZ FOR COMING OUT. BUT THE BIG THANKS NOT ONLY TO OUR PARTICIPANTS AND OUR WONDERFUL WONDERFUL SUPERVISORS WONDERFUL SUPERVISORS AND TEACHERS FOR PARTICIPATING, BIG ONE GOES TO THE ONE GOES TO THE HEF, HILLSBOROUGH EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AND SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, YOU KNOW, WE START -- HECK, I STARTED IN 2016, THE HILLSBOROUGH HEALTHY SCHOOLS, AND THIS WAS OUR PINNACLE EVENT. BUT YOU'VE BEEN WITH US EVERY STEP OF THE WAY BEFORE YOU WERE EVEN SUPERINTENDENT. EMERY COURTNEY, A TREMENDOUS ASSET, WHEREVER SHE MAY BE. SHE WORKED HER HEAD OFF. OUR SPONSORS WERE SO VERY GRACIOUS AND VERY SUPPORTIVE. BUT THE BIGGEST THING IS WE ALL HAD WHAT IS CALLED, MS. SHIVER, ALSO LOOKING AT YOU, CALLED ALSO LOOKING AT YOU, CALLED THE JOY OF MOVEMENT. IT'S A WAY WHERE CHILDREN, YOUNG ADULTS, OLDER ADULTS JUST CAN GET OUT IN FRESH AIR AND ENJOY CAMARADERIE, TEAM BUILDING, CAMARADERIE, TEAM BUILDING, ALL THE AFFECTIVE WAYS, WORDS THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. AT ANY RATE, YES, VERY, VERY HAPPY. PABLO, PUT THAT SLIDE ON FOR THE ENERGY. WHAT I WANTED TO SAY -- OH, HERE IT IS. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GOING FOR A A MILLAGE, GOING TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES, THAT KIND OF THING, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN TOLD THAT YOU HAVE THAT YOU HAVE TO MANIFEST HOW OUR DISTRICT IS SAVING MONEY. WHAT ARE WE DOING TO SAVE MONE WHAT ARE WE DOING TO SAVE MONEY. NOW, MS. JOHNSON, YOU'VE DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB IN GETTING A VER INCREDIBLE JOB IN GETTING A VERY HEALTHY FUND BALANCE, AND THAT GOES WITHO GOES WITHOUT SAYIN GOES WITHOUT SAYING. BUT ALSO, THE BUT ALSO, THESE SCHOOLS, 2023 ENERGY STAR CERTIFI ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED SCHOOLS, THEY HAVE DONE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SAVINGS I OF SAVINGS IN ENERGY, AND THEY HAVE BEEN -- THIS IS GENERATE ENERGY STAR CERTIFI ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED SCHOOLS, 85 O 85 OF THEM, SAVIN 85 OF THEM, SAVING A LOT O 85 OF THEM, SAVING A LOT OF ELECTRICITY, LED LAMPS, ET CETERA. BUT WE ALS BUT WE ALSO ADDED 29 N BUT WE ALSO ADDED 29 NEW SCHOOLS. SO WE'RE DOING A LOT TO SUPPORT THE ENVIRONMENT, AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE MENTIONED BECAUSE THIS IS -- I MEAN, OUR SCHOOLS ARE VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN THIS. SO CONGRATULATIO SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR NEW ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED SCHOOLS. AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER I WANT TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM RIGHT THIS MOMEN THIS MOMENT. NEXT, BUT I WILL IF WE HAVE TIME. WHOOPS. I'LL RUN O I'LL RUN OUT OF TIME. OH, WE A OH, WE ALL CAME TO THE LAVOY EXCEPTIONAL CENTER. I WANT T I WANT TO THANK PRINCIPAL AND STAFF FOR T STAFF FOR THE DEDICATION AND PASSION. MEMBER RENDON, I DON'T KNOW, SHAKE, IF YOU WER SHAKE, IF YOU WERE THERE. MEMBER COMBS WAS THERE. I BELIEVE MEMBER VAUGHN WAS THERE. I'M NOT POSITIVE. THIS W THIS WAS THE WORLD AUTISM DAY. THE POINT IS, THE FIREFIGHTERS CA CAME OUT, THE CITY OF TAMPA POLICE CAME OUT. WE HAD SO MU WE HAD SO MUCH JUST A LOT O WE HAD SO MUCH JUST A LOT OF BACKING FOR THESE CHILDREN, AND IT W IT WAS HEARTFELT IT WAS HEARTFELT. OTHER THA OTHER THAN THAT, AND HERE -- WELL, I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH. YEAH, I HAVE TIME. PABLO, PUT THE SLIDE UP. LET'S GO THROUGH THOSE SCHOOLS SO THEY CAN BE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR ENERGY SAVINGS THEIR ENERGY SAVINGS. THERE IT IS. CONGRATULATIONS BELLAMY, CONGRATULATIONS BELLAMY, BLAKE, CLAIR-MEL. [READING FROM SCREEN] NEW ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED SCHOOLS. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU ALL. >> THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS. >>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THE RACE FOR EDUCATION WAS JUST A HUGE, HUGE SUCCESS. THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. THIS WAS OUR THIRD ANNUAL, I'VE BEEN TO EVERY ONE, EVERY YEAR, AND IT'S BIGGER AND BIGGER. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT RACING, BUT THEY SAY 93% OF THE RACERS SHOWED UP, WHICH WAS AMAZING. SO THAT WAS REALLY HUGE. AND TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO ADVOCATE AND SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS SHOW UP WAS JUST A REALLY, REALLY WONDERFUL EVENT, AND WE HAD SO MANY DIFFERENT OTHER INDIVIDUALS THERE, AND I WANTED TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT TO AMI KIDS THAT THEY HAD THEIR NEW PORTABLE PORTABLE OUT PORTABLE OUT THERE, THE YOGURT AND PARFAIT FOR EVERYONE. GREAT, GREAT PROGRAM AND TO SUPPORT US WAS WONDERFUL. AS WELL, I JUST WANTED TO THANK PRINCIPAL BASHAM FOR LAVOY EXCEPTIONAL CENTER FOR THE WORLD AUTISM DAY. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS. WE HAVE SO MANY GREAT THEATER PROGRAMS IN OUR DISTRICT, AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE PETER PAN LAST WEEK AT STEINBRENNER, AND IT WAS AMAZING. THEY HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUDENTS FROM McKITRICK ELEMENTARY AS WELL, AND MR. BRADY, THE THEATER DEPARTMENT HEAD, IT WAS INCREDIBLE. AND THEN THURSDAY I'LL BE GOING TO MAMMA MIA AT SICKLES. BUT I THINK IF YOU ARE RETIRED AND DON'T WANT TO SPEND A TON OF MONEY, YOU CAN GO TO OUR HIGH SCHOOL THEATER PROGRAMS. HONESTLY, THEY ARE JUST AMAZING. THE TALENT WAS AMAZING. AND THEN I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, FOR BEING RECOGNIZED AT THE SENIORS IN SERVICE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIP AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. THAT'S SUCH A GREAT PROGRAM. I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO BE RECOGNIZING THEM AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, BUT THAT'S SUCH A GREAT PROGRAM, TO GET SOME ELDERLY PEOPLE OUT INTO OUR SCHOOLS AND WORKING WITH OUR STUDENTS AND VOLUNTEERING, SENIORS IN SERVICE IS SUCH A WONDERFUL PROGRAM. AND JUST A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT I THINGS THAT I WANTED TO MENTION, I WAS ABLE TO GO TO USF. I WAS I WAS UNDERGRAD AND GRADUATE DEGREE FROM USF, WITH DR. STEPHANIE TANNENBAUM. I WAS ABLE TO SPEND TIME OUT THERE AND MEET THE THIRD-LEVEL SCHOOL INTERNS AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT MY PASSION FOR EDUCATION AND HOW MANY OPPORTUNITIES AND WHY COME TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND WORK. AND I JUST -- I REALLY WANTED TO SAY A SAY A SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT TO KEY VON STAY. SHE WORKED SO HARD TO GET HER INTERNS AND TO KEEP HER INTERNS. I THINK OFTEN SO MANY PEOPLE WORK HARD AND THEY ARE NOT RECOGNIZED, BUT SHE HAS JUST TIRELESSLY WORKED TOWARDS THAT AND WORKING SO HARD AND LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF, AND THAT'S REALLY AMAZING. I'M SEEING THAT MORE AND MORE ON MY Facebook WHEN I'M FRIENDS WITH MY PRINCIPALS THAT A LOT OF THEM ARE SITTING THERE ADVERTISING AND LOOKING FOR TEACHERS. IT'S JUST THE IMPORTANCE OF IT'S JUST THE IMPORTANCE OF HOW WE NEED TO CONTINUE AS WE PAID OUR NURSES MORE, THAT WE PAY OUR TEACHERS MORE AS WELL. THAT WAY, IT'S VERY HARD FOR PRINCIPALS BECAUSE I KNOW HR IS WORKING SO HARD, BUT YOU'RE SEEING THE PRINCIPALS ALSO, THAT'S THEIR BIGGEST CONCERN IS GOING INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR AND HAVE SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE OPENINGS, OR EVEN MORE IN SOME SCHOOLS. I JUST WANT TO THANK THEM AND CONTINUE. I KNOW I'M ON THE USF DEAN'S ADVISORY COUNCIL AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT WAYS ON HOW TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN YOUNG PEOPLE OR OLD PEOPLE OR ANYONE INTO THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION. BUT THANK YOU, AND THAT'S IT. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER VAUGHN. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS, FOR BRINGING UP MS. TANNENBAUM'S CLASS. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING ABLE TO GO IN AND SPEAK TO OUR INTERNS. AND HEARING THE CONCERNS COMING FROM THEM FROM THEM WAS SO EXTREMELY ENLIGHTENING TO WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PREPARED, THAT THEY UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE OUR SYSTEMS, UNDERSTAND THE ACRONYMS AND EVEN MANY OF THEM WERE ADVOCATING IF WE CAN LEGISLATIVELY FIND A WAY TO PAY OUR INTERNS FOR THEIR FINAL INTERNSHIP. BECAUSE IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE SOMETIMES FOR THEM TO WORK AND WORK IN OUR SCHOOL FULL-TIME FOR THEIR FINAL INTERNSHIP. SO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO MENTION SOME OF THE CONCERNS FROM OUR INTERNS THAT I WANTED TO SPEAK TO. I HAVEN'T BEEN OUT AS MUCH AS I'D LIKE TO, BUT I STILL HAVE HIT SOME REALLY EXCITING EVENTS. A FEW WEEKS AGO, MEMBER PEREZ AND I, WE WENT TO CLARK ELEMENTARY. THEY HAD THEIR THEY HAD THEIR 25th YEAR CELEBRATION, WHICH WAS AMAZING. THEY ACTUALLY HAD MR. CLARK, WHO THE SCHOOL IS NAMED AFTER THERE, HE'S 95 YEARS OLD. FIRST TIME I HAD EVER -- AND I THINK, PABLO, I THINK YOU HAVE A PICTURE FROM MEMBER PICTURE FROM MEMBER PEREZ. FIRST TIME FIRST TIME I FIRST TIME I EVER MET WHOSE SCHOOL WAS NAMED AFTER. WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT HIM AND HOW HE WAS SUCH AN AMAZING CIVIL RIGHTS PIONEER FOR STUDENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND THE WORK THAT HE'S DONE. AGAIN, WHEN I SPEAK ABOUT THE AMAZING BLACK HISTORY THAT WE HAVE HERE IN TAMPA, ESPECIALLY IN EDUCATION, IT WAS SUCH AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT HIM. THE FIRST PRINCIPAL THERE, THE ENTIRE FIRST INAUGURAL STAFF, ALMOST EVERY PRINCIPAL SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, THE PROGRAM WAS JUST AMAZING. IT HAD TEACHERS SPEAKING. THEY HONORED TEACHERS WHO HAD PASSED. IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I HAD BEEN TO. HATS OFF TO DR. OBERO AND HER ENTIRE STAFF OVER THERE FOR ORGANIZING THAT. YEAH, THE STUDENT WHO SPOKE ABOUT HIS MOM WHO PASSED AWAY WAS AMAZING. ALSO, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO GO TO BOWERS/WHITLEY, WHICH IS A FANTASTIC SCHOOL WE DON'T TALK ENOUGH ABOUT AND I DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR DISTRICT KNOW AND OUR STUDENTS KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A WHOLE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, AUTOMOTIVE PROGRAM THAT YOU CAN START AS EARLY AS NINTH GRADE TO GO TO AND TO LEARN. I SPOKE TO SO MANY OF THE STUDENTS THERE WHO WERE JUST SO EXCITED, COMING FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT SCHOOLS TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN THAT AND SUCH A GOOD FIT FOR THEM. MAGNET SCHOOL AND BUSES AND WE WORK WITH HIGH SCHOOLS SO OUR STUDENTS CAN LEAVE EARLY AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CLASSES. HATS OFF TO BOWERS/WHITLEY. IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT YOU SHOULD. AND THEN FINALLY, I KNOW MEMBER -- MANY OF US ARE GOING TO SPEAK, HIGHLIGHTED THE HASLEMS EVENT LAST NIGHT WHERE MEDIA SPECIALISTS HAVE THE BANQUET. ONE OF MY FAVORITE EVENTS, ALWAYS PHENOMENAL. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR MEDIA SPECIALIST. THEY DO SUCH A FANTASTIC JOB NOT JUST IN OUR SCHOOLS EVERY DAY, BUT ORGANIZING THAT BANK WET AND COLLABORATING AND GOING TO -- BANQUET BUT COLLABORATING AND GOING TO CONFERENCES. I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THAT EVENT. THOSE ARE ALL THE THINGS I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT I AM VERY APPRECIATIVE OF AND GREAT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR DISTRICT. HOWEVER, I DO WANT TO SPEAK TO THE CONTINUED THE CONTINUED ISSUES THAT WE HAVE CONCERNS WITH OUR HAVE CONCERNS WITH OUR ESE PARENTS. I KNOW THAT WE'VE DONE A LOT AND HAD A LOT OF TRANSFORMATION AND TRANSITION IN OUR ESE DEPARTMENT, BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT AS A BOARD WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED REPEATEDLY WE WANT MOVEMENT ON AND HONESTLY I'M NOT REALLY UNDERSTANDING OR SEEING WHERE THAT MOVEMENT IS YET. I'D LOVE FOR US TO HAVE SOME INFORMATION ON SOME CHANGES. ONE OF THE THINGS I'M MOST CONCERNED ABOUT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT ARE SO MANY PARENTS WHO HAVE AN ACTUAL AUTISM DIAGNOSIS, WHERE THE DIAGNOSIS REQUIRES SERVICES THAT ARE BEING DENIED IEPs AND SERVICES IN OUR SERVICES IN OUR DISTRICT. AND THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND, AND I'D LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT. I PUT IN A REQUEST TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION, BUT I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IT HERE, I KNOW SO MANY OF MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS IT'S A CONCERN AND SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY ADVOCATING FOR, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO ACTUALLY HERE'S WHAT BEING DONE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE SOME OF THE STUFF I HEAR IS SO CONCERNING THAT WE NEED TO GET ANSWERS ON ANSWERS ON THAT. I HAVE FULL FAITH THAT I'LL GET THE ANSWERS AND WILL GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SPEAK ON TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT'S ALL. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. PABLO, DO YOU HAVE PICTURES? THANK YOU. SO I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SEVERAL OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING REALLY WELL IN OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR STUDENTS ARE JUST AMAZING. TODAY WE ARE AT METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES WHICH ARE A HUGE PARTNER WITH PARTNER WITH OUR HOMELESS STUDENTS AS WELL AS VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY FOR MANY OF OUR STUDENTS. IT'S A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION THAT IS TRULY HELPING OUR HOMELESS FAMILIES. WE HAVE WE HAVE OVER 460 SOME HOMELESS STUDENTS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RIGHT NOW THAT ARE BEING SUPPORTED BY METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THEM FOR WHAT THEY DO FOR OUR STUDENTS. NEXT. TODAY, I ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO NEWSOME HIGH SCHOOL. NEWSOME IS ONE OF MANY SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT THAT HAVE HONORED THE MILITARY CHILD THIS MONTH. SO ALTHOUGH I AM TALKING ABOUT NEWSOME, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I RECOGNIZE ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS THAT HAVE GONE OUT OF THEIR WAY TO MAKE SURE OUR MILITARY CHILDREN FEEL APPRECIATED, FEEL VALUED, FEEL SUPPORTED IN WHATEVER THEY'RE EXPERIENCING, WHETHER DEPLOYMENT, TRANSITION, ET CETERA. SO I WANTED TO SO I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. NEXT. THIS LAST THIS LAST WEEKEND, MR. WASHINGTON AND I, MR. WASHINGTON AND I WENT TO THE EARLY LEARNING SYMPOSIUM AT MIDDLETON HIGH SCHOOL. AND OUR BUS, DO YOU SEE THIS PHENOMENAL BUS. THAT'S THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. THAT WILL BE OUR MOBILE CLASSROOM. SUPER, SUPER EXCITED TO SEE IT. AND TO HIGHLIGHT IT. ALSO, MR. WASHINGTON AND I, WE PARTICIPATED IN PARTICIPATED IN ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES AS WELL. BUT IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY THAT WE BROUGHT THAT WE BROUGHT TOGETHER, NOT ONLY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY EARLY LEARNING INDIVIDUALS, BUT ALSO OUR PROVIDERS FROM OUTSIDE THAT SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT AS A DISTRICT, EARLY LEARNING IS A CRITICAL PIECE TO MAKING SURE THAT WE GET ON TRACK AND THOSE KINDERGARTNERS ARE READY FOR KINDERGARTEN WHEN THEY GET THERE. SO I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT WE'RE DOING AS A GREAT NEW PROJECT WITHIN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. NEXT. LATINOS IN ACTION. I HAVE NOT POSTED THIS ON MY Facebook YET BECAUSE I JUST HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO IT DUE DILIGENCE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE SO MANY GREAT SCHOOLS THAT ARE REALLY HIGHLIGHTING THE REALLY HIGHLIGHTING THE LATINOS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THESE STUDENTS ARE STEPPING UP. THEY ARE TAKING LEADERSHIP ROLES. THEY ARE ORGANIZING WITHIN THEIR SCHOOLS. THEY ARE GIVING BACK TO THEIR YOUNGER SCHOOLS, TO THE YOUNGER STUDENTS, WHETHER IT'S TUTORING OR OFFERING THEM HELPING WITH READING OR WHATEVER THEY NEED. THIS IS JUST SUCH A PHENOMENAL PROGRAM THAT WE'RE SEEING THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE DISTRICT. AND WE ARE SUCH A LEADER AMONGST THIS PROGRAM, AMONGST THE STATE OF FLORIDA. AND SO OUR LATINOS IN ACTION ARE JUST JUST OUTSTANDING. AND ONE OF OUR NEWEST SCHOOLS, WHICH IS TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE FIRST YEAR IN THERE, THEY EVEN WON THIRD PLACE IN SOME OF THE AWARDS THEY ARE DOING. JUST WAYS IN WHICH WE ARE SHOWING STUDENTS THAT YOU CAN TAKE YOUR CULTURE AND TAKE YOUR HISTORY AND REALLY BE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE AND TAKE IT WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO AND SHINE. SO THAT'S A WONDERFUL PROGRAM. NEXT. ARRIVE ALIVE. I CANNOT THANK MELISSA SNIVELY, MY PREDECESSOR, WHO WORKED WITH US ON THIS AND OFFERED UP. THIS IS A SIMULATOR THAT WHEN YOU'RE IN THE CAR, YOU ARE EITHER IMPAIRED DRINKING, DRUGS, OR ON YOUR CELL PHONE, AND THE STUDENTS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO ALL THREE OF THOSE AND TO BE DRIVING. AND I MYSELF DID ONE AS AND I MYSELF DID ONE AS WELL. BUT IT REALLY SHOWS THE STUDENTS WHAT AN IMPAIRMENT DOES. SO IT REALLY SHOWS THEM HOW SO IT REALLY SHOWS THEM HOW YOU HAVE NO HAVE NO IDEA HOW IMPAIRED YOU ARE UNLESS YOU'RE DOING IT. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH SOME OTHER STATE FORUM AGENCIES. IT IS QUITE COSTLY TO BRING IT TO OUR SCHOOLS, TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND IT TO MORE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS NEXT YEAR. BECAUSE WHAT A PHENOMENAL EVENT THAT WAS THERE FOR TWO DAYS ALLOWING AS MANY STUDENTS AS WE COULD GET IN CARS TO REALLY TEST THAT. THANK YOU THANK YOU AGAIN, MELISSA SNIVELY AND HER STATE FARM AGENCY. IS THAT IT? NO. ONE MORE. THIS WAS OUR THIS WAS OUR LAVOY AWARENESS WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS. AGAIN, MEMBER COMBS, MEMBER GRAY, AND AND MY WERE ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND WORK WITH OUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, REALLY MAKING AWARENESS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST BEING AWARE OF WHAT AUTISM IS, BUT HOW IT AFFECTS THE INDIVIDUAL AND HOW IT AFFECTS THEM WHEN THEY ARE IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS. SO BEING IN DIFFERENT SIMULATIONS AROUND THE CAMPUS, WHETHER IT'S BEING INVOLVED WITH WATER AND SAND, WATER AND SAND, TO BEING ABLE TO LISTEN TO A SIREN OR A POLICE OFFICER AND FAMILIARIZING, REALLY BRINGING REALLY BRINGING AWARENESS. I CANNOT THANK BOTH TAMPA FIRE AND TAMPA POLICE FOR TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY THROUGHOUT THEIR OWN CULTURE AND TRAINING TO REALLY BE AWARE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM, AND THEY DO SPECIFIC TRAINING THROUGHOUT THEIR COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT'S TAKEN CARE OF. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK THAT'S IT. YEAH, THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER WASHINGTON. >>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M GLAD YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE PICTURES AND SO FORTH FOR THE SYMPOSIUM. I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT. IN MEMORY OF MRS. BETTY LEE KINSEY, IT IS MY HONOR TO SHARE THE MEMORY OF A THE MEMORY OF A BELOVED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATOR AND COMMUNITY MEMBER. MRS. BETTY MRS. BETTY LEE KINSEY WORKED FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BEGINNING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BEGINNING IN 1963 AS A TEACHER 1963 AS A TEACHER AT LOMAX ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. SHE CONTINUED SHE CONTINUED UNTIL 2006 AS A TEACHER AT TEACHER AT MEACHAM, MILES, LOCKHART, MITCHELL, AND STEWART MIDDLE SCHOOL. SHE ALSO SERVED AS A MEDIA SPECIALIST AT SPECIALIST AT BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND STEWART MIDDLE SCHOOL. MRS. KINSEY RETIRED AFTER 41 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SHE CAME BACK AND SERVED ANOTHER FOUR YEARS PART-TIME. SO SHE ENDED UP WITH 45 YEARS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. SHE PASSED AWAY. SHE'S VERY WELL SHE'S VERY WELL KNOWN IN THE COMMUNITY. A GREAT HUMAN BEING AND OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. HER HUSBAND IS ALSO A GREAT EDUCATOR IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND HE PASSED AWAY SOME YEARS AGO. SO I SO I HAD THAT KNOWLEDGE BECAUSE WITH HER DEDICATION TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE HARD COMMUNITY AND THE HARD WORK THAT SHE DID SHE DID OVER HER TIME AS A TEACHER, AS A TEACHER, AS A PARENT, AS A FRIEND, SHE IS WELL DESERVED OF THIS THIS MEMORY. I WANTED TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO REMEMBER PEOPLE WHEN THEY DO GOOD. THERE ARE MANY TIMES WE DON'T REMEMBER PEOPLE WHEN THEY DO GOOD. BUT SHE WAS AN EDUCATOR, AND SHE DID A GREAT DID A GREAT JOB. SO I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO SAY. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. I DON'T HAVE ANY PICTURES, BUT ON APRIL 6, I JOINED FAMILY RESOURCES TO RESOURCES TO BRING AWARENESS. FAMILY RESOURCES IS WITH THE HISPANIC POPULATION FOR AUTISM. AND THE CHILDREN IN AND THE CHILDREN IN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY WITH AUTISTIC DIAGNOSIS BUT THE NEEDS THEY HAVE. ALSO, SUNDAY, I -- I -- WELL, THEY VOLUNTEERED TO GO TO FREEDOM TO READ. AND MY GRANDCHILDREN JUST HAD AND MY GRANDCHILDREN JUST HAD A BLAST. I THINK THEY TOOK BUT ALL THE BOOKS OUT OF -- [ LAUGHTER ] AND WE ARE A READING FAMILY. THEY JUST LOVED THE FACT THAT THEY GOT THE THEY GOT THE BOOKS. SO THANK YOU TO OUR UNION SO THANK YOU TO OUR UNION FOR PROVIDING THAT SPACE TO GET THESE BOOKS OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND THEN ALSO, LEADERSHIP DAY. I WENT I WENT ON APRIL 12 FOR LEADERSHIP DAY. THE PRINCIPAL GRADUATION CEREMONY. THAT WAS AWESOME. YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THESE PRINCIPALS CROSS THAT PRINCIPALS CROSS THAT LINE, GRADUATE, THEY ARE IN THEIR SCHOOLS, AND I DIDN'T SEE ANYBODY CRYING COMING OVER THAT LINE. THEY THEY ARE EXCITED TO CONTINUE BEING PRINCIPALS IN OUR SCHOOLS, AND THAT'S INCREDIBLE. THAT WAS THE BEST -- THAT'S JUST THE BEST TIME. I THINK IT WAS MEMBER RENDON, MYSELF, MEMBER WASHINGTON AND MEMBER GRAY. WE WERE ALL THERE. I ALSO WENT TO AMI KIDS AS WELL. SUPERINTENDENT, THEY DO SUCH AMAZING WORK WITH OUR KIDS. ESPECIALLY OUR KIDS THAT NEED THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IN THEIR WORLD AND REDIRECTION TO GET THEM BACK ON THE RIGHT PATH. AND WHEN THEY ARE COMING BACK. AND THEY SENT THEM AND THEY SENT THEM BACK TO US TO BE ABLE TO REFOCUS AND GET ACROSS THAT STAGE TO GRADUATION. I I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM THEM AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THEY DO WITH OUR CHILDREN. BUT AS MEMBER VAUGHN, HER CONCERN, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR OUR CHILDREN THAT ARE -- THAT HAVE THE NEEDS FOR THE HAVE THE NEEDS FOR THE IEP AND THE 504s, THE 504s, SUPERINTENDENT. I HAVE RECENTLY -- THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE, BUT RECENTLY EVEN MORE EVEN MORE SO. I DON'T KNOW WHY, I DON'T KNOW WHY, ESPECIALLY I DON'T KNOW WHY, ESPECIALLY IN OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND OUR LATINO COMMUNITIES. YOU KNOW, WE YOU KNOW, WE TEND TO SUSPEND IN THESE COMMUNITIES AT A THESE COMMUNITIES AT A HIGHER RATE, ACCORDING TO WHAT'S BEEN STATED BECAUSE OF THEIR BEHAVIOR AND BEING AND BEING BAD. BUT ALSO WHAT I'VE RECENTLY FOUND OUT IS THEY ARE ALSO BEING TURNED AWAY BECAUSE THEY ARE ALSO TOO BRILLIANT. HAD HAD A YOUNG MAN, HE'S GETTING READY FOR HIS HIGH SCHOOL -- I MEAN FOR HIS EDUCATIONAL CAREER HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH, AND HE NEEDS THE SUPPORTS THAT WE NEED TO PUT IN PLACE FOR HIM. AND HIS PARENTS WERE TOLD THAT WE CANNOT PROVIDE THOSE SUPPORTS. HE'S AUTISTIC. HE HAS 103 IQ. THE PARENTS WERE TOLD THAT WE CANNOT PROVIDE THE SUPPORTS THEY NEED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THIS FIVE-YEAR-OLD CHILD WITH A CAREER IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. SO, WE HAVE A PROBLEM. WE HAVE A PROBLEM THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS. WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT AND WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT WE'RE TURNING AWAY THAT WE'RE TURNING AWAY FROM OUR SCHOOLS WHOSE PARENTS SCHOOLS WHOSE PARENTS ARE LOOKING TO PLACE THEIR STUDENTS IN OUR IN OUR SCHOOLS. AND CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE AND CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE SWEEPING THESE CHILDREN UP. THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED. AND WE NEED TO DO THIS ASAP BECAUSE IN THE LAST WEEK, I'VE RECEIVED SEVEN PHONE CALLS. AND WITH THAT SAID, NO FURTHER COMMENTS, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ]