Cynthia understands that education is not the responsibility of one person alone. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes that same village to educate one. Today, our educational system is facing
unprecedented challenges. Educators are being asked to do more with less, to solve problems beyond the classroom, and to carry the weight of an everchanging society. Yet, through all these challenges, Cynthia Woods has
remained steadfast in her commitment to excellence. She continues to lead with professionalism, positivity, and perseverance, even when obstacles seem overwhelming. Cynthia Woods is a visionary leader. She
does not run from challenges. She works through them. She does not create division. She fosters unity. She does not lower expectations. She inspires others to rise. 31 years, that is 372
months of dedic dedication, service, and proven leadership. 31 years of measurable impact. cannot fairly be overshadowed by six months of subjective interpretation or limited
perspective. A career built on integrity, results, and commitment should not be reduced to a brief moment in time without careful consideration of the full body of work. There may be challenges at Larkdale
Elementary, but Cynthia Woods is not the problem. Cynthia Woods is part of the solution. Thank you. Next public speaker. >> I am reading this letter on behalf of my mother, Cynthia Woods, who is unable to be here today. In January, I reached out to the district because I believed I was
being targeted by my first year principal, Nadine Fairclaw. I cited inaccurate statements and lies from summary memos I received. In the letter, I stated, "I strive every day to perform my responsibilities with diligence and professionalism. I feel compelled to address the ongoing situation that is
now affecting my reputation, future livelihood, and the sense of well-being at work. A bullying and harassment complaint is still being investigated where even Miss Fairclo's mentor, retired director, Miss Haywood, conveniently showed up at the school hanging out in the hallway outside of the room where witness interviews were
taking place. >> Please, please stop for a moment. under advisement of the general counsel. Um there is an open investigation and I was advised to uh cease the the this conversation. Thank you. So if you you have any other
thoughts to share but um there is an open investigation. >> I could continue >> Mr. P Bruno. >> So you can continue with your comment but we can't talk about anything that deals with an open investigation.
It's not. I mean, this is the letter my mother wrote for you all. She wrote wrote she worked here for 31 years. So, I think you should hear what she has to say. Miss Farico often does not tell the truth, even lying on the director, Miss Beier, saying that the harsh criticisms and concerns she made regarding leadership decisions from the previous
principal and myself were not of her concerns, but that of the director, only to find out in a later meeting with Miss Beavers that she never had those concerns, nor said those things. The lies continued in summary memos and during a due process meeting where Miss Farerico stated that teachers came to her saying that I had changed referrals
without her knowledge or authorization, altering their original content so that they no longer reflected the teachers intended reporting. Even saying said that teachers would be willing to stand before the district and repeat it. All but one statement was verbal. Each teacher stated they never had a conversation with Miss Farclo regarding
behaviors, let alone referrals, and that she was lying on them. Miss Farerico submitted a notice of corrective action recommending my termination and she lied on teachers to do so. I chose to retire rather than put my fate in your hands. Yet at Larkdale, thousands of dollars
are unaccounted for for the sale of t-shirts that never went through the proper bookkeeping procedures. A teacher assistant on several occasions was allowed to bring her son to work while he was suspended from his own high school, freely roaming our campus. IDEIDA students have not been receiving their services since the beginning of
the school year, even when a substitute is sitting in that position. I received a due process letter for failing to complete a BTA for a student with with referral for fire starting. Yet, Miss Farclo knew about the referral and the need for the BTA and intentionally withheld the information from me for 17
days. Though we met five times, and it was never brought up until I received the due process letter. Larkdale, three points away from an A, is now the lowest in the county with more than three times the number of behavior referrals than last school year. Where is Nadine Fairlo's accountability in all of this?
As the leader of the school, it's never been about the students. Her fixation was on me. These are the behaviors of a brand new principal and without completing a full year has written lies again and again and recommended my termination, a 31-year employee with exemplary record. If this is the kind of
leader Broward County Public Schools is grooming to lead our schools, I hate to see the corruption in a few years, we will not only continue to lose students, but staff will flee to districts or other careers where they will be respected and judged fairly for their work. And to Miss Sperlo and her mentors who assisted in fabricating these lies
this year, Proverbs 6:16-19 says, "There are six things that the Lord hate. Yay, seven are an abomination unto him. A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devi wicked imagination, speak that be swift and running mischief, a false witness.
>> Thank you. Any other public speakers on each one? >> Mr. Hill, >> that concludes our public speakers. >> Thank you. Um, Miss Rupert, thank you. Um, my leave is on this item. So, I'd like to move that my uh my leave
I'm sorry. I'd like to move that my name Nora Rupert be separated from the rest so I can uh recuse myself on that vote. >> Second. >> Um, Miss Dupree Bruno, could you provide some adiseisement? So those individuals who are on this item um if you could
just state your name and then explain why you are recusing yourself from the vote and then we'll go ahead and those who are not can go ahead and move forward. >> So I think Miss Rupert what she's saying is we just the three of us instead of separating our names we just recuse oursel from the item and that's great.
>> That'll work. >> Okay. Um so Miss Rupert already stated her name and why she's recusing herself. Miss Hixon. I'm Deborah Hixon and I'm recusing myself because I have additional leave. And I'm Sarah Leonardi and I'm recusing myself because I have
additional leave on this item. Anyone else? Anyone else on the item? All in favor of uh H1 say I. >> I. I. >> All oppose say no. Item passes with three uh recusals. Miss Hixon, Miss
Rupert, and Miss Leonardi. >> Thank you. Could I Oh, go ahead, Miss Sixon. >> Okay. Um, we we passed H1, so I don't know if you want or did you want to speak to >> um just wanted to say congratulations to
the 39 retirements that are on the item of H1. Thank you for your service to the district and good luck in your new journey. Thank you. Can I get a motion to second on H2? >> So move. >> Second. Moved by Dr. Zean, second by Miss Rupert. Public comment on H2. Two
registered speakers. Shereé Anderson, Joy Robinson. >> If you heard your name, please approach the mic. >> Sheree Anderson, Joy Robinson. >> Seeing none, that concludes our public speakers. >> All right. Uh, board member comment, Mr.
Sea. >> Satisfied. >> All in favor of H2 say I. >> I. >> All oppose say no. Item passes unanimously. Okay. Could I get a motion to second on A1? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Moved by Dr. Zeman. Second by Miss Roupert. Public comment on A1. >> No speakers.
>> Board member comment. Miss Rupert. >> Oh, I just went um pulled up for a comment. I I'm 100% for it. So >> any other board discussion. >> All in favor of A1 say I. >> I. >> All oppose say no. >> Item passes unanimously. Could I get a motion to a second on B1?
>> So move. >> Can we move B2 at the same time? >> Sure. Uh, Miss Rupert requested that we move B1 and B2 at the same time. So, could I get a motion or a second on B1 and B2? >> So, moved. >> Moved by Miss Rupert, second by Miss Hixon. Public comment on B1 and B2 or
B2. >> One registered speakers for B2. Dr. Trudy Germanovich. >> My name is Dr. Trudy Geranovich. Um, I actually was pleased to see this uh item. I'm hoping that um you can actually look at how much especially uh
screen time is for kindergarteners, first graders, second graders. Give me a break. That's where the problem is. And you really need to focus on using the screen to do
projects, not to test. Thank you. >> Thank you. Any other speakers? No other speakers. >> Uh board member discussion. Um I'll just briefly, you know, this was these are two board items that I brought. I think they're pretty self-explanatory. Um I was actually able to uh use
Microsoft Copilot to to compile some of my findings. Um so, you know, I I think as we we heard from a public speaker, there is a a way to use these technologies that is safe and responsible and productive. Um I think again you can you can read the findings
in the report. Um I plan on meeting with middle schools in the the coming weeks. Um and I I found the conversations to be really enlightening. Um and I think you know this for me is is the first step in a series of actions that I think we as a
board can take to protect um public education and the way our our children learn in our schools. Um, and for B2, um, this was a request that I heard over and over again from parents, a way to monitor screen time. I did speak with
the superintendent about this. Um, he said that he could work with staff. Um, I don't know if he wants to to speak to that even more, but we do have a lot of technology available to us to help monitor uh, the way students use screens. So, I'd really like to translate that into information for our
parents to to be able to have the the necessary information about what what their children are doing in school. Um, Miss Bowman, >> thanks chair. Thank you for bringing these. Um, I was very happy to see this
pop up on the agenda and um, I fully support uh, B2. I think it'll be very telling to see what the results of that are. And I I just really appreciate um you doing the the leg work to talk to people and
to consolidate, you know, the findings here because there's definitely um a better way for us to be making sure that everybody is fluent in technology while also um
having a holistic education. And so I think this is a first step in the right direction. I think it's our responsibility as a board to make sure that we're doing the best for the kids and I think this is going to be a great starting off point. So, thank you very much. >> Thank you, Mr. Sivera.
>> Thank you, Chair. Um I too like Miss Bowman was uh was happy to see this come before um before this board and uh I will be supporting this both um items both B1 and and B2 uh to touch on
some of the things that that we heard from from the speaker. You know screen times especially with our with our smaller and younger students is is a real issue. Um, you know, I see it when I go into my schools and quite frankly, I I I see it in my house. Uh, what the
effect that these um constant constant computers and iPads can have um on our young kids, especially our K through three kids. Um, you know, sometimes it it turns them um in in into zombies and it just puts them in this in this funk
that uh quite frankly is a little scary. So, um I I urge your superintendent, I urge the district when we're going through these exercises to make sure we're implementing responsible practices for this. Uh I do think we need to pump the brakes on some of the testing as we've as we've been hearing from a lot of our constituents, a lot of our
parents. Um we do test these kids way too much, especially the little ones. And uh that with a combination of the constant screen time, I I I do think um it's is an issue. Um, also I'm happy to see on uh B2 implementing um the
parental rights aspect out of this and and giving our our great parents more access to the information regarding their their kids uh use of screen time during the day and specifically what they're doing. So happy to see this come before the board and uh I'm fully support. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Miss Hixon. Thank you. I'll I'll echo what my colleagues have said already. you know, I pulled it because I wanted to say thank you for doing all of the work and sharing the results with us. Really appreciate that. Um I I too have gone
into the schools across the district and we're actually we actually stop and comment to the principal. We're so glad to see them not on computers when we walk into a classroom and see them doing things that don't require them being on a test or or you know on the computer.
although they have a place, I think it's really important that we balance it. And so I also I I think it's important to share the information with the parents, but I also would like to see this go another step and see what our action
plan will now be on how we reduce the screen time for the students. And really, I would say based on feedback from parents once they see how much time their students are on the screen. But I think we have to, as the speaker said,
delineate how much of that time is actually because they're testing and how much of it is instructional time. Um, and figure out how to how to balance that, just like we're working on how to balance the testing because we know the data is important, but we also know that
we want our students to love learning in the computer. Doesn't necessarily um help them engage like that. So, thank you again for bringing these items forward. >> Thank you, Miss Rupert. >> Thank you. Um I was I pulled B1 and B2 to support them. Thank you so much for
bringing them forward. Um I also um when looking through this uh and I already have I I I have witnessed this and it happens to me all the time. We get spotty Wi-Fi. So, um I'm looking forward to that being also a part of uh making
the AI and our um our students and our teachers make it easier for them and also to um to provide funding hopefully from the state for resources to provide teachers and students with training and infos that need to be successful users
of AI tools. And I think it's extremely important for us to count the time, the screen time that they have at school, but I believe that this item will also kind of highlight how much work they're
getting from schools to doing at home. So that's an important part aspect of it. So it's um it's a big issue. Thank you so much for coming forward with this and I definitely support it. Thanks. >> Thank you. Um, Miss Thompson.
>> Thank you, chair. Um, thank you for going out and collecting this this data and having this town halls. I think it's important to get this feedback. Um, I am supportive of of exploring this issue more. I do have some concerns about
implementation of how we're going to track screen time. Mainly on what potential blowback this might have to our teachers of parents where one parent is okay with the amount of screen time their child has and another
wants no screen time. So, how are we as a district, this is for the superintendent, how are we as a district going to analyze this data? And then also, how are we as a district going to support teachers when there is um a diverse
amount of feedback about screen time with one parent being okay with it and one parent not? >> Thanks for the question, Miss Thompson. The first part is actually collecting the data and analyzing it and making sure we can actually get it to parents in a way that they can understand it. Um
I've talked to Mr. Davis um and his team and they are um looking at mechanisms. We have what we call lime wise a tool that teachers are using in their classrooms um that where they can monitor students while they're on a on a device on a computer. Um, and so that's
most likely going to be our avenue. And there's a parent login for that actual suite too. Um, where parents can actually get certain information. So we're going to uh leverage that tool and come back with better information how we're going to leverage it and implement it to monitor screen time and also communicate with parents about the
screen time and hopefully being able to like u say delineate between if it's instructional, if it's testing, um, things like that so we can provide the best data possible. So we're in the works. We saw the B item um when it uh you know was being developed and we started spinning our wheels and figuring
out how we could um implement this and make it easier for parents and also also students and also um the teachers too. >> So I think I would like to include when you come back with this plan how are we going to support teachers because we're directing them to use a lot of this technology. So it feels counterintuitive
to me if we're buying all this software and encouraging them to use it to then not allow them to or restrict it. Um so I think it's a larger conversation uh once we get that data. >> Absolutely. >> Thank you. And just to to speak to some
of the issues that you raised, Miss Thompson, um this item, the B2 item is not about restricting use of technology. is just giving parents access to the information about how you know screen time is used in in school. Um and so
just the same way we give parents access to the curriculum that we teach and some parents may object to that curriculum. Um so it's you know it's a similar vein in what we already do. Um but this item is not about necessarily restricting. It's just bringing awareness to and
giving parents access to information about what's going on in the classroom. Dr. Zean, >> thank you. Um, so many uh things all packed in one item, but the first is uh one of our colleagues, our chair spent a lot of
time uh not just having town halls and listening, but uh trying to come up with a synthesis of the uh outstanding uses and the risks associated with technology. So to our chair, thank you uh for putting in all those hours and and bringing this uh this item. I will
uh kind of point out something in my work um uh in AI uh which is a little bit alarming to me but there's a lot of cool information available out there about kids and technology. Something that caught my eye in the last week is that a majority of students in public
schools would prefer to have been born before AI. So marinate on that a little bit. They see it, they watch it, they use it, they're given it and they wish they didn't have it. They wish they didn't live in that world. And that tells you kind of a lot about the balance of the
advantages of advanced technology and some of the risks uh that our kids uh wish they had been born in a simpler world. Uh chair, I'm curious though about two things. One, uh what are the anticipated financial implications? Um
including I think something that may be implicit in this, which is the need for age appropriate training. We've talked as a board about this a number of time. There are great uses of computers and AI and other technologies and there are very risky uh uses of the same things.
Seems like there's uh been a a a pretty consistent talk on this board about trying to help teach kids uh about how to have a great relationship with technology, but we haven't seen anything come before us on that uh topic yet. So, kind of a two-part question. What are
the anticipated financial implications of this item including the need for age appropriate training on the best uses and risks of advanced technology? >> Yeah, I mean I think that's something well there's there's two pieces to this. I think the superintendent can give us a
better financial picture of what that would be, but I know that that work has been ongoing um already and I was hoping and to to Miss Hixon's point about wanting an action plan. I know that we did request a workshop that will be coming to us in the summer where we can really delve into these, but I wanted to
start taking action on small things like easy easy uh reachable things that we could take action on right now and have those larger conversations for the workshop in in the summer about you know an action plan and how we're dealing with all of this. But I'll let the superintendent speak to the financial
implications of the age appropriate training and things like that. >> Yep. Um thanks um Dr. Museum and Miss Leonardo for for the um the actual item. I don't see any um real future financial burdens because we have lime wise already. It's something that um we're
leveraging and scaling out uh appropriately throughout this the district um this year. Um so we already have the tool and the resource. Um and also then um segueing that mechanism to parent use for login so they can see the information. It's just u making sure we
go in there to identify what information how we're collecting the data making sure it's easily understood um by our parents, students and teachers. Um as far as um age appropriateness for uh technology resources um I know there's going to be a workshop later but the
team um Dr. Con and academic team and also uh Mr. Davis um with it have been collaborating with a specific task force of educators um and also piloting certain resources um with with uh uh students who are real savvy in our computer science programs and things
like that to you know lack of a better term really beat up on the technology and and see if they can identify anything that's not uh uh appropriate uh for students before we actually scale out across the district. So there's a lot of moving parts and um I'm pretty sure there's going to be a very robust uh presentation and discussion u when
they roll out all the information from doing all this work um during the year. >> And if you don't mind just to follow on to that um that work is aimed toward implementing age appropriate training on the uses good uses and the risks associated with technology by the
beginning of next year. >> Correct. Also um um applicable policies for ethical use things like that. So, a lot of things are coming forward just to make sure we we roll this out and and do it appropriately um with ethical use in in the forefront as well.
>> I appreciate that. Second question then, chair. Um we've also talked extensively about assessments and the amount of time and we uh directed the superintendent to bring us an option that would reduce elementary school assessments by 50%. Do you know when we're getting that back to us?
>> Yeah, that that'll come um later um in spring or early summer before the next school year. so that we can educate all of our parents, all of our students, all of our teachers of what to expect when it comes to our assessment strategies. >> And will that also uh have a planned implementation for next year?
>> Correct. Yes, because we always roll out a assessment calendar or schedule. >> Thank you. And I don't want to miss my first point, chair. This is a lot of work. I really appreciate uh the amount of time that goes into uh planning town halls, doing town halls, collating the even with co-pilot, you know,
summarizing the results and put it together in such a balanced approach because technology is exciting. I mean, it's really exciting. I mean, uh I agree with Silicon Valley that the world needs more technology. It's an amazing thing, but then there's also a lot of inherent risks and we see those every day in our
children. And uh if we can grow a generation of people that understands the balance of those things here in Brower County, uh we'd be doing a great service. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mrs. Alhadev. >> Thank you. My first question, Dr. Heburn, is in regards to so on your your
cell phone, you can go to your settings and you can see how much screen time you've been on your cell phone. Do we have that ability to do that from our district devices, computers? >> Um that is a Mr. Davis question. I'm pretty sure we do can go in there in the
systems and see um the length of time a person's use that computer. >> So Trey Davis, chief information officer. Um so are you specifically referencing uh connected devices to our network that are personal uh which we hope is not happening or are you
speaking of employee devices? >> Student devices that they're using in the classroom. >> Oh, not cellular devices but but laptops. >> Yep. Laptops. >> Okay. Okay. Yeah. And the answer is yes. This is so so we have a series of technologies that we use in part of our
linewise suite. For example, classwise used to manage applications uh in the classroom uh digital use on our laptops. And uh my team and I just discussed uh the aggregate uh data of that that line wise is working with us with on uh to
produce around screen time and application usage and those statistics. So the answer is yes. >> Okay. Okay. So if the answer is yes, then a parent can already go on the computer and find that information. >> No, it would it wouldn't be local to the
computer at this stage. It would be via dashboard on our side. However, um there there is a um a linewise for parent option specifically for use uh outside. But we also are looking at enabling it for internal screen time as well which
is part of our um our application suite that we have which would denote the screen time uh used on our network. Okay. So, where I'm going with this is that if we can enable that, then we're
already answering the requested action is we're allowing parents to see how much screen time their child is using in the classroom during school. You know, my thought process as a parent would be then, okay, well, if they were on the
computer for 4 hours during school, then I'm going to limit their time possibly when they're home with me. I I think that's where we're we're going with this. >> So, yes, um we can enable, but I think there's um making sure it's the right
information that we're providing the parents. So, we just don't want to turn it on and then, you know, you see four hours. What does four hours mean? Is it 3 hours? um instructional work. Was it two hours of that instructional work on a project and then an hour on the test? So, we just want to make sure that we're communicating the right information um
to the parents so they can make the best informed decision for their child when they're home. What I am concerned about, and maybe this is something Miss Thompson was talking about, I am concerned about then it kind of going back to the teacher and the teacher being questioned or pushed
or like why are they on the computer for this amount of time and I don't want to handcuff the teachers to be able to use the technology that we're providing them in their classroom. Um, so I think there needs to be some sensitivity and proper
roll out and communication to parents on it. >> Exactly. >> Thank you. >> And to speak to that, Mrs. Alhadef, as well, one thing I heard over and over again in my conversations with parents was a desire for more information on like how to navigate the apps and the
technology that we are giving our students. Um, a few parents shared some best practices from um, I think it was Bay View Elementary that they have like a parent technology night at the beginning of the school year where they walk the parents through how to sign into everything and what each app is
for. Um, not every school does that. And so I think that's those are the kinds of things that I think are like an easier lift um and and help bridge the communication gap that may exist um with with our parents and what's going on in
the classroom. Um so just you know if B2 does pass um you know which I hope it does not just you know implementing this this access but also educating parents on how to to access that tool and also
how to interpret it um I think will be really important. Um and then I just I had a few questions and I wanted to make an amendment to B2 actually to include a deadline but um Dr. Dr. Heepburn, I know we've we've talked about this and you've talked about uh this with the board and
the student adviserss, but I know you've been the district has been working on a framework for digital and AI use and responsible AI use. Where are we with that and when when can we expect that to be rolled out? >> Yep. I'll have uh Dr. Con um tackle that question. >> Uh so that will be rolled out on June
5th. I believe that's the next board workshop on AI. So it's part two of our workshop that would include um policy considerations, guidelines. Um it's similar to uh what uh was shared to most of the board when we brought forward the the wiener agreement where we I think I
was able to present part of that deck to most of the board members that were able to be part of that. So uh that would be part two uh with an expansive version of that uh around June 5th, June 16th. Thanks. >> Thank you. Um, and to to Miss Rupert's
point, the Wi-Fi rel reliability was something that students regularly flagged in our conversations. Um, so I hope that that can can get addressed as we move forward into the next school year. Um, and I just want to highlight the the the fact that students really um
are hungry for or this is what I heard in in my conversations with them. and they're hungry for like real explicit instruction on how to use AI responsibly in each class. Um, so I hope that that you know again in the coming months we
address that. Um, and ju just to speak to I think this is such a big issue and I think a lot of policy makers are struggling with how to address it and it's so fastm moving. Um, so I I think it's going to be a conversation that we're going to continue to have years in
the years to come, especially as it relates to like how do we prepare students for a workforce that has been altered by um AI. Uh, but I I do encourage, you know, all of my colleagues to have these conversations with parents and with students and with educators um and figure out like little
ways we can take a bite out of the elephant to to make sure that we're using this technology responsibly um and productively in in our schools. And just uh last before I make my amendment to B2, um I would not have
been able to conduct these student roundts without our student adviser. He was very helpful. He attended a few. Um it was just he really walked me through how to how to have those roundts. Um it's something I've been wanting to do for a long time since since I was
elected and he really enabled me to do that. So thank you Mr. Spelberg for that and I didn't know if you had any comments or or questions. >> Nope. >> Nope. Thank you for involving us. >> Cool. Um Dr. Hburn, when would be a reasonable timeline to implement B2?
Um well of the goal would be definitely by the beginning of the next school year. So I would say um probably by that June workshop if we can fold that all into it um with with the whole um AI pathway and and guidance. Go ahead. Go ahead Dr. Con.
>> And that June 5th uh date that came across we are actually having a major teacher convening on June 5th that will also have a parent track. So parents will be facilitated on AI as well as teacher all of the AI leaison on that following week June 8th all
administrators will also be uh in uh ingested with some of the AI in their leadership track we have some new AI leadership standards will be rolling out as well. So that following week and the previous week, we'll be rolling out a massive roll out on AI axr. Uh and then that following week, June
16th, is when we'll bring to the board our culminating uh piece of how we bring it all together to give principles, teachers timing up the plan plan for the summertime and then to roll it out during pre-planning week. >> Go ahead, Mr. Davis. >> So I want to echo in line with what uh
Dr. Cole mentioned. We also have an impending launch of Browardschools.ai AI uh which will complement the effort and be for example a training uh resource as well as uh things like ethical use of AI for parents, students uh as well as our
staff. So what come? >> Yep. So um midsummer around that workshop time um if we can roll it all into that workshop. >> Okay. So we can expect by midsummer, I mean students won't won't be in most students won't be in school, but we can expect by midsummer that parents would
be able to then access that that information about screen time. >> Yep. And we can roll it all out um to parents with the uh welcome back to school information. >> Okay. Do we I mean do we need to include a deadline in the or we're good. Okay, cool. I I feel good about that. All right. Any other board discussion? All
in favor of B1 and B2 say I. I. All oppose say no. items passed unanimously. We will now go to committee reports. Um we will start with BEF >> came in with the whole crew today.
Good morning everybody. Um just want to say thank you for the opportunity again to speak as uh we get an opportunity every single board meeting. Today is a really special day for us uh as Broward Education Foundation, but also a special day for Broward County Public Schools. Um,
today we're going to have the opportunity to highlight a $1.1 million gift from the Helios Education Foundation through Broward Education Foundation to come back to Broward County Public Schools. Unprecedented gift that we were able to actually um foster the relationship over years. Um,
this initiative itself, let me just mention some numbers. It's it's post-secondary success for all. It'll serve over 24,000 students annually across 80 different schools. um directly aligned with the priorities that you as a group have set. So, it's nothing intentional on our side that we're
trying to go outside of the parameters of what you're doing. We're very intentional about doing what it is that you guys are trying to do because you guys are doing the good work up there and we appreciate that. Um it's designed to strengthen college and career readiness, expand access to opportunity
to all schools. um that it that it impacts and we're really really excited about um and grateful for the Helios Education Foundation to be able to partner with us in this initiative and understanding the uh the power of the strategic investment. So you guys get to
hear from me every single time I'm up here. So the exciting part is uh the individual who actually got to fly in from Arizona for this specifically um and and this presentation, which is um Paul Luna. Paul Luna, excited to now call him a friend. we've known each other for over 20 years when I was doing
work when I was at the university level at FIU. Um he's a true titan in the education space. Um due to his continued efforts and impacts in spaces like ours um that under that he understands what comes of that as just having a little
bit more conversation um with him in the back of the intentionality that he has around everything that he decides to fund. Um, coming to Broward County was a really big deal for us to get Helios Education Foundation here in Broward County. Hasn't uh hasn't necessarily been the
easiest road. I think in the past, but I think some of the things that we're doing and where we're headed um and the leadership that we currently have is is a uh is that benchmark that we hopefully can set for others to come and do the same. So, um it is my pleasure to
introduce to you Paul Luna, the president and CEO of the Helios Foundation, and let him say a few words. Good morning. Uh I want to begin by thanking our partners at Broward Education Foundation and Broward uh County Public Schools for the opportunity to join you today. Uh we are honored to be here uh not just to make
an announcement, but to mark the beginning of what we believe will be a meaningful and lasting partnership for students across Broward County. Before I share more, I'd like to briefly introduce who we are and why this work matters so deeply to us. Um, as James said, my name is Paul Luna. I serve as
the president CEO of Helios Education Foundation. I'm joined today by my colleague Stacy Byer, who is our senior vice president for community engagement and oversees our Tampa office. And for more than 20 years, Helios Education Foundation has worked to support post-secary attainment for all students
with a focus on those from lowincome and historically underrepresented communities across Florida and Arizona. To date, we have invested more than $350 million in education and community partnerships because we believe education is one of the most powerful
drivers of individual opportunity and economic prosperity. Everything we do is driven by four fundamental beliefs. We believe in community that education changes lives and makes our communities better. We believe in investment that education is an investment and not an
expense. We believe in equity. equity in terms of every student deserving the opportunity to succeed in post-secary education regardless of where they were born or what zip code they live in. And we believe in partnership because we believe that it's only through partnerships that we're able to
accomplish the student success that we're looking to drive in Arizona and Florida. Our approach is supported by lasting change in education grounded in research and data, supported through strategic community investments, and focused on driving long-term systemic
change through policy and strategic communications and partnerships like one that we're announcing with all of you today. Last year, in an effort to expand our work across the state, we took a deliberate step to open a proposal process to identify new partners in
Florida positioned to drive meaningful, measurable improvements in student success, especially at the collegegoing and attainment levels. Among many strong proposals we received, Broward really stood out. First, this partnership represents what we believe is the right
model for impact at scale. Broward County Public Schools, as you know, is the sixth largest school district in the nation. And paired with Broward Education Foundation, you have a structure that brings together district leadership, community voice, and philanthropic support. That matters
because real change doesn't happen in silos. It happens when partners commit to shared goals, shared learning, and shared accountability over time. Second, this work is intentionally focused on closing equity gaps in education. The reality is that not all
students have equal access to opportunities that lead to college success. We were particularly encouraged by the district's commitment to ensure that all students and especially those from un traditionally underserved backgrounds are supported equally. And
third, this effort is grounded in what the research tells us works. We know that students who engage in accelerated coursework are significantly more likely to enroll and complete post-secary education. Just as important, every student needs a
clear plan for what comes after high school. Through the Bridge to Life local college access network and the Broward Education Foundation, students are getting the support they need to be ready for college and careers. From test prep and FASA completion to
advising, mentoring, and family engagement, students and their families are supported every step of the way. This alignment between data, strategy, and execution is exactly what we look for in a partner. And that's why the partnership we're announcing today is so important. With a shared goal of closing
equity gaps, increasing college enrollment, and strengthening post-secondary outcomes, the post-secondary success for all initiative represents a bold step for Broward County. Helios is proud is proud to support this work with a $ 1.1 million investment to be paid over three
years, and we have a check to prove it. So, I'd like to end by just saying to James, the full Broward Education Foundation team, Superintendent Heepburn, and you, the board, and all the leaders of Broward County Public Schools, we're grateful for your leadership and look forward to seeing
the impact of this partnership and what it will have on students, families, and the entire Broward community. We thank you for the opportunity to be here and to share this great news with all of you. Thank you very much. So, just one more really quick thing. Thank you so much, Paul. I I appreciate
that. And this type of work doesn't get done alone as we all know. um our partnership and um with Bridge to Life and Colleen Lockwood and what she's been able to do um within this grant, but also Gyber Moa and the team here at Broward um County Public Schools has been the uh the exact thing that we
needed to continue to have projects like this not stall out and actually get get through that finish line and continue to get these dollars into the place that they need to get into to affect the students that we all serve every single day. So, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you so much to the entire team because it's not a oneperson thing, but
we uh we couldn't be happier. So, love to get up there and take a photo with this check. No, you cannot cash it. Um but we uh we would love to still take a picture with you guys if that's if that works for you. Thank you guys. >> Thank you. We will briefly recess the meeting for a photo.
>> All right. So, what happens Heat. Hey, Heat. Heat. Heat. Hey, hey, hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Heat. Heat. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey,
Hey dick. Uh this work uh this regular schoolboard meeting is now reconvened. I will continue with our presentations. Broward County Council PT PTAs PTSAs. We received a report but I want to make sure no one's in the audience.
Then we have employee union groups BTU, BPAA, ESMAB, Phobi, Copa, and PBA. So if your union group is here, BTU, BPAA, ESMAB, go ahead. >> Sure,
Phobi, COPA, and PBA. >> Good morning. My name is Pete Tenjum and I'm the executive director of ESMA. Um, first of all, I'd like to just comment on the fact one of our SMAB members actually wrote that grant and secured it for the Broward County Public Schools.
The current financial status of the school board is where we're at. Nothing can change the past. Pay raises and all compensation for all employees needs to be equitable. Some groups have been left behind in the past.
Pay schedules are chaotically organized with multiple calendars and workday variations. I think there's 31 different calendars in the system. I think the support for schools is more
common with the groups than it is not common. And it makes no sense pitting one employee group versus another employee group which causes division, dysfunction, and demoralization.
This is an issue where a lot of times one employee group will be pitted against another concerning a variety of items. There are very important things that are common to the Ber County Public Schools.
One is the policy makers that is the elected school board and I know it's a high priority for mental health and ESSE services to be met. To give you an example, we have 40,000
ESSE students and simple tasks I suppose are not that simple. When the redefining of schools took place, SMAB employees took a heavy role in that. And one of the small tasks or tasks they had to do was identify where approximately
140 or so ESC students would have to be placed with the closing of schools next fall. That function again was performed by ESPAB employees. Another thing is I think it's important for the school district to maintain its A rating. I think all of you want to
continue to have that A rating and the support staff that gives you reports, gives you direction, implements county, state, and federal policies all come from the support staff of the Broward County School System. I mean, it's no
different than a an off-site custodial worker or an off-site cafeteria worker supporting the schools in PO and those other areas as it is to provide you with information and information that you
make policy decisions on. I also know that the school-based people are very important, but also many of the people that support school-based people and do curriculum, I don't know if you realize
they spend up to four days, five days a week out in schools supporting people do again implementing the policies of the county, the state, and the federal government. I think there is a lot more common purpose and we can accomplish a
lot more if we don't divide ourselves into different groups trying to win over more or less pay because of the different groups we belong to. And I encourage the school board to take a look at the pay schedules to notifice
where there are inequities and what has happened in the past and to move forward with a common purpose. so that we can be an A district in the future. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. BTU.
>> Good morning, Anna Fusco Bower, teacher Junior President. Um I know today's a sad day. I was listening in and I just want to send my condolences to everyone up there that no matter how you knew Nancy um I know you some of you were great friends, some of you were amazing
colleagues with her. She was an amazing individual. I was not a friend of hers but I knew her through the world of um helping her. We endorsed her for the city commission of Coral Springs. And not only was she an amazing
commissioner, but she was an amazing human, an amazing woman. And let's just keep mentioning how amazing she is. And the the unfortunat I am. I say how it's real. And I truly
have sent messages out to some of you that I knew the closeness of you. And I truly truly mean the condolences because it's made me sick to my stomach. Um it's the second female that I known that has been shot by their husband. One was a friend of mine a couple months ago. And
um it's just horrible. And we need to stand up for each other, speak out for each other. And everybody, and I don't just mean women on women, I mean everybody as a human. So that's part of my speech today. I just want to make sure you all know that I'm deeply sorry
for your friend's loss. I want to puddle jump into business. Um, we know that it's coming up in a couple weeks for the referendum. We are very serious and committed, Broward Teachers Union, of knowing that there's a lot of things that need to to come into play, but we're asking you to support the
100%. And listen very carefully when I'm trying to have conversations with you. We're not negotiating. This is not that's not negotiating. This is talking about the spread. We know it's 7525 now with the 25 piece goes to mental health and safety and security. We are nowhere
in shape form saying lessen or take away safety and security or mental health. What we're saying is that with this component of 100% going to help with compensation for the largest group in Brower County Public Schools, which all of your educators and
their support staff, which is well close to 20,000 people. that will open up your budget to give what needs to be given and set without any problems for safety and security and mental health. So, I'm asking you to have strong conversations with the staff that be that can help you
get that guidance toward that that piece. Wouldn't it be great to show the community in your budget solid? Look at what we have budgeted for mental health. Look at what we have budgeted for safety and security. and that we know that the the community loves and supports educators, that the referendum dollars
will be airmarked to move compensation for firstear teachers coming in and we can get great quality from the College of Education around the country that come into Broward County Public Schools. These are things that we're asking you to listen and and have proofful
conversations. Um we're also asking you to um we're going we're going negotiations tomorrow to talk about insurance. Um, I'm taking it very seriously. I'm having extreme conversations with our insurance experts and our attorneys and so forth of where
we want to be part of the solution in Broward County Public Schools. But I have to ask you guys again to um somebody up there today talk about giving back the medicine. It is not about a particular health concern. It's
about multiple health concerns of bringing back the medicine of GLP1 for multiple reasons. It helps people get off a lot of other medicines and it helps them fight other addictions and it helps them be happy. And when you're
happy, you're able to perform. You're showing up more to work. I keep hearing that we have some possibly educator um absencing situations. we people are going to be absent if they need to be taking care of themselves because nobody wants to stand in front of their
students and be unhappy or hurt or sick. So, there's multiple reasons why. There's also another avenue that you guys could have been bringing in $78 million. It's the school bus stop arm camera program that is sitting I hear on attorney's desk. Superintendent had said
it. We've got our new um hired attorney for Broward County Public Schools. Let's move that contract and start bringing in 26 to $30 million to the Brower County Public Schools. Obviously, with somebody who donates $1.1 million to get a
lengthy lengthy time to speak, you've got an organization that has proposed money and also a safety concern with people that are driving out there that with the arms that go down, they want to bypass it. It is an very lucrative
possibility of saving lives and bringing money to the Brower County Public Schools. So, there are multiple ways that we have brought solutions and I want you to strongly look at the Office of Academics and bringing academics back into the schools. We can't keep having principles begging to have programs in
their in their schools. $1.1 million is coming. It should be talk talked to in the schools with the principles. You guys all have your own schools. I think you should be having those rich conversations with Lisa Maxwell on bringing academics back into the schools for individual students. That's what
needs to happen. >> Thank you. BPA Bi COPA PBA. Okay. This is the time of the agenda where we have split the general public speakers
to incorporate a morning session. Each registered speaker is reminded to present their agenda comments in accordance with policy 1020. And as a reminder, per our policy, we do not go back and forth with speakers. Uh first we have Trudy Germanovich.
Uh my name is Dr. Trudy Germanovich. And first of all, I'd like to point out I wear these shirts all the time. And and you might wonder what this little symbol is here. It says B A T and that stands for bad A teacher.
I want you to know that everybody in this district that teaches is a BAT. And I want you to know that that's where we have to start focusing where we put our money because that's the only thing that matters at this point, especially
with a referendum. But I'm going to talk about some other things. First, some good news. Sex education is live and well and on the website for parents to peruse. Unfortunately, we are using the same program last year from Ker Kier
County. I urge every board member to look at the curriculum which is posted on the website. Look at it carefully. It does not reflect what this district used to provide which was a comprehensive sexed program. In fact, it is so similar
to what I received in 1960 at Shortidge High School that the only difference was that we studied STDs and this program discusses AIDS. We should start early in the next school
year to find another district's sexed program since we can't seem to get it together to develop our own, which makes a more comprehensive approach to sex education for the good of our students. Next, I'm still
concerned about how the referendum funding will be presented to the public. This is the most important thing we need to do in the next few months. We know that when the public doesn't know what the various people in the organization make, you can't estimate how anybody how
much money anybody's going to get right now. No one should receive far more than the highest paid teacher receives from referendum money. One simple solution is that on that organizational chart you're
going to present, let me see the salary of each of those people. We need to see that right there on each box. I feel strongly that the referenda dollars should only go to supplement salaries
of schoolbased educators and others who work directly with students in a school setting. This was the initial assumption for going to the local voters through the referendum just to fund a living wage many many years ago now.
This is how school districts around the state and in places like North Carolina and my home state of Indiana have provided s salary enhancements since the implementmentation of charter schools and vouchers. We need
to provide a monetary enhancement which will shock everyone with its large monetary benefit. Thank you. >> We have Natalie Lynch Walsh. Good morning. Dr. Natalie Lynch Walsh, Plantation, Florida. I'm not sure where the letters of the alphabet will fall
today. So, real quick, if I'm not here for PP4, PP7. Um, please pay attention to the media ban. It used to say you can't have a media entourage and now it says media period. Um, so think about what that means and why anybody What do you have to hide at a school that you
don't want the media there? Um, if I'm not here for F2, um, I'm just going to put it this way. I'm waiting for a public records request so that I can recalculate where the projected fund balance assigned and unassigned is at year end. I can't do it without the
details. I could maybe try to get AI, but AI gets confused. So, if I don't get it, and I've been waiting, I'm just going to say that until your CFO produces that information, I believe your budget's being cooked. And if you want me to stop saying it, produce the
numbers and let me recalculate. It's not like I don't have an accounting degree. It's not like I haven't passed the CPA exam. It's not like I haven't taught accounting. I need the numbers so that I can verify and then we can all move on on that topic.
So, next up, the last time that I proposed a solution to a superintendent, they took my idea, they took the word accountability off of it, and then they gave they created a chief strategy and innovation officer position, gave it to this annoying blonde chick who then left
for Vermont. Um, all happened. So, I am proposing publicly because if I don't, I fear somebody might steal this idea. I am proposing a chief governance and accountability officer for my next role
to help the district, the board specifically, with the function of control. Per state statute 101.32 and section 4B of the state constitution, district school boards
shall operate, control, and supervise all free public schools. So controlling is a management function. I know that because my PhD is in corporate and organizational management. It's a business related PhD. So controlling is one of the four core
functions of management. and it's rooted in the seminal work of enre fol. The f other functions are like planning, organizing and leading which is also called directing. The purpose of the controlling function is to evaluate an organization's performance to assess and
improve the effectiveness of the planning function and involves four basic steps and these are not happening. I am proposing something that you need, you may not want and nobody but me can do this. If they could it would be done. Step one, establish performance standards. Step two, monitor actual
performance. Step three, compare actual performance with established standards. And step four, take corrective action where necessary. I will be setting requesting meetings with each of you to discuss the particulars of this. And I'll be starting with you, Madam Chair, because you're the leader of the board. Thank you.
Carlos Green. Is Carlos Green in the audience? >> All right, that concludes our morning session of public speakers. Could I get a motion and a second on F2? Moved by Dr. Zean, second by Miss Hixon.
Public comment on F2. >> Two registered speakers, Dr. Natalie Lynch Walsh and Anna Fusco. Oh, good. Dr. Natalie Lynch Walsh, Plantation, Florida. Okay. So, just to review, in my past life, granted I never
did public accounting because those of us who got A's and B's were aiming for um either public accounting firms or private industry. So, I come from private industry where I did financial reporting.
So, I've been trying trying to get to these numbers that you guys have here for revenues, but the thing of interest is the unassigned balance. Assigned, unassigned. And again, I will stop talking about your CFO cooking the
budget if she will just turn over my public records requests. You have a projected ending assigned unassigned balance of 3.08. By the way, Palm Beach is like 18%. For us, for assign Oh, yeah. It's high.
Go look. I just saw something last night. I cannot follow the projected revenue. I cannot follow um assign unassigned your the report format changed all of a sudden. I don't remember you guys saying, "Yeah, let's
have it this way." But there used to be a little reconciliation a couple of months ago. the ending fund balance with was either 144, 164 or 152. I don't know which one. You guys accept reports where the numbers don't the math
doesn't math and you guys accept these reports. I'm sitting here as a a former accounting professional who taught accounting to people who sat on the audit committee for 10 years, but I'm not allowed to ask the questions and I can only feed you guys so many follow-up
questions to ask staff. It could be that she's not doing any shenanigans, but I can't tell you that. I can't tell myself that. Nor can I tell the people that keep asking me what is the actual assign unassigned fund balance, the projected for the end of the year. We are now in
April, folks. At some point, your net position and your projections are going to be the same thing because you'll be at the end of the year. When I was the chair of the audit committee, we spent a year agonizing over how the accounting was being done for the charter school
payments. And then there's of course the referendum carryover, the accounts payable acrruel. Because of how they did it, it did not cause the fund balance to be below 3%. I believe that you went below 3%, you are below 3% and there'll be some creative accounting at year end
to keep you at 3.8 cuz you shouldn't be staying at 3.8 8 monthtomonth. How are the numbers not changing? There's a whole bunch of interesting things happening with those expenditures every month. Not expenditures, but expenditures is what they are around here. So, please
get your superintendent to direct his staff to comply with public records law so that I can come back here and tell you, yes, I reconciled and all is well. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next public speaker. Anna Fusco Broward, teacher Jing and
President um anything that deals with budget. You know, you guys are working your magic to figure out what is it a little over $5 billion in budget and we're looking forward to the referendum that's going to be out for
uh vote with $1.2 billion possibility of helping um with salaries. So take all that in consideration. The powers that be that are your superintendent's most confident people that he has tasked to
get this done with our CFO. I'm going to say that um work in the budget. Lots of things that need to happen in our schools because the number one piece and component in our Brower County
public schools are our schools and our students and the resources. And to continue to hear these past couple months that money's been clawed back from our schools and now principles have to come in and ask a certain way or type
of permission to have a program. When you say you guys want to have the most thriving schools in the state, if you're going to claw back money, you're going to claw back programs and a principal has to come and ask. And
then are they really allowed to ask? And who are they asking? Their deputy superintendants that are so helpful to them? I mean, every school should be thriving to its fullest, but all of the
upper management that we have traveling around Brower County Public School, that's something you should look in your budget about. What is really happening there? We still have overass size that's happening. And then I'm going to puddle jump back to the bus arm
project. We have two attorneys sitting on the board. Maybe you can ask to look at the contract that's been sitting there for over two years and I'm being told we're waiting on a new attorney to get hired. We have one sitting here. I have no
vested interest with that company at all. All I know is that it could have brought in $78 million to this district in the last three years and it's been sitting and people have been feeding you a bunch of BS of why it was sitting.
It's thriving in the certain counties that have it. It's a no-brainer. You arm the buses with cameras, people run through the arm, money gets generated into the school district, and what else does it do? It
helps with safety. I don't know who's all out on the road at 4:00 4:30 in the morning. I am. I see kids starting their day on those ebikes. I see buses out there and I see cars that are reckless. This would be a great safety measure to help with our budget.
So, anybody that wants to jump up, nine board members, ask where we can bring in more revenue. >> That concludes our public speakers. >> Thank you. Board member comment. I have Dr. Zean. Before Before I go to you, Dr. Zan, I just want to make a statement under the
advisement of our general counsel um that we will uh be more um stringent with our enforcement of policy 1020 specifically as it relates to defamatory remarks or personal insults against
individuals um as that is not permitted to policy 1020 and that is not directed to any speaker in general. Um that is just a statement that I wanted to make under the advisement of our general counsel. Thank you Dr. Zeman. >> Imagine that will apply to all speakers.
Chair, thank you for doing that. Um we're on item F2, the monthly budget amendment. And there's some things in here that are really worth thinking about um as we get a lot of information as we move toward budget season. Of course, between now and the end of the year, we'll be spending a lot of time
thinking through the budget. This is those one out of every four years where we have referendum funds to think about uh both in terms of bout language and and uh the policy that we adopt on the allocation of those funds. But this report does something that's really notable which is it points out that we
have collected 82% of the revenue this year. We're twothirds of the way through the year. We've already collected 82% and we've only spent 70. So, I just want to kind of compliment the superintendent and our chief financial officer and all of our department heads uh for keeping an eye on the prize. Um, this does
project that we'll end a year above the 3% uh minimum, which is terrific. I appreciate that. Um, there are urban districts and I went and looked at the top 10 who are going through identical problems as Broward. This is not new here. Tremendous amount of pressure on
getting the infrastructure right. uh tremendous pressure, you know, on dealing with declining enrollment. Um, and Broward County is at least focused laser-like uh on how we're going to allocate these funds in order to to to achieve our strategic goals. And I want to compliment the superintendent and
staff for doing that. Um, I also want to uh ask a few questions. Um, there are departments in this report, Mr. Superintendent, that are exceeding uh this we're twothirds of the way through the year. Some of them are over 90% of their budget already expended
throughout the year. This board has talked to you numerous times about um you know correcting the mistakes of the past you know which included pretty heroic uh overspending by department. Um, are we uh are are we tracking? I
mean, we've talked about this, but I always have to bring it up again because here's a report that says two-thirds of the way through the year, we've spent 90% of the money in IT and 90% of the money in in maintenance of our of our physical structure. Are we at any risk, Mr. Superintendent, of of spending $1 more than is budgeted by department in
Ber County Public Schools this year? >> Not not at this time. there's a lot of tighter controls and many things may have been encumbered for the rest of the year as we're closing out um the the books on April 15th. Um so the team and budget can do all their reconciliation
and all of those other tasks. So you may see some some uh expenditures based on things that have been encumbered for the rest of the year as we close out our books um this month. >> Um if in fact you run into situations where there is going to be a department that spends more than they were budgeted, what how quickly can you
report that to the board? Uh we can report that uh fairly quickly after we do our discovery and see what if that is the case, the reasons why and and um what was the oversight that caused that >> dynamite. And just to connect a couple dots, it's really hard to go to the public in November and ask for their trust and a major referendum that we
fundamentally need in this county to to keep making great progress if we can't prove to the community that we know how to manage the money we already get from federal, state, and local sources. So my view is overspending by $1 is $1 too many. Um, and we'll see what the board
uh thinks about that as a group, but I'm very concerned about making sure that every step that we make is not another self-inflicted wound and that we continue to do great things like collect 82% of the money and only spend 70 across the board. Uh, across all of these budget reports, there is a very
healthy management of funds going on in Broward County Public Schools. Um, and that's demonstrated by our continued projection to exceed 3 point uh 3 point the minimum on on fund balance. And by the way, the the Palm Beach County fund balance numbers you may have heard are
are not accurate. >> Uh Palm Beach County uh is in the end of a Doha hearing. Uh they decided, I think Monday of this week, not to pay 3.5% because they don't have the money. >> That's correct. >> And they're arguing very persuasively they don't have the fund balance to do
it. They have the same kind of enrollment declines, the same pressure to actually close schools, which is shocking in Palm Beach County. Uh we were always used to Palm Beach County being the fund balance at 9% and we were kind of, you know, trying to stay between three three or higher. Uh but that gravy train in Palm Beach County
has ended and they do not have the funds uh to to pay traditional wages uh that they would like to. Um so thank you, Mr. Superintendent, for keeping an eye on these department budgets. We want to make sure that the news that we report every month to this school board is positive news, that it's about about
excellent management of other people's money. Um, and so that's exciting. One other just kind of minor point, but in reconciliation, we made $6 million this year. So, some great news. You never know in reconciliation whether you're going to add a little bit or take a little out. We added $6 million. Uh, so
there is um, you know, clear signs of fiscal health in Broward County and great signs about fiscal management. And so I just want to appreciate and u uh express that appreciation to you, Mr. Superintendent, and to your staff. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Mr. Sea.
>> Thank you, Chair. Um I just want to talk about some of the comments that that I heard. I'm not going to do too much of a deep dive into the substance of the report, but um I'm very concerned when I hear people come to these meetings or
reach out uh to us via email or stopping us in the supermarket to hear delays with public records requests. Uh I don't think it's any secret what my position is about transparency. for
everyone in this district, especially the nine of us who sit up here as well as the superintendent. We owe it to the public. We owe it to our constituents to be as transparent as possible. And that's in all facets, in all areas
of what we do for Broward County Public Schools, but perhaps most importantly with issues dealing with budgets and finances. Because one of the great responsibilities we have, obviously, in addition to educating our
students and keeping them safe, is to properly manage the tax dollars that are entrusted to us by every taxpaying citizen in Broward County. And when I hear things from speakers about making public records requests to get
information in regards to budgets and not being given that information in a timely manner, um, I get a little upset. Information like this needs to be disseminated as as quickly as possible when these requests come in so we can
make sure that we maintain the trust of the public so they can see what we are doing. We have to be 100% transparent on all aspects um of this budget. I don't want to ever be in a position where people think that we're hiding the ball
or that we're trying to get cute with numbers. And if the only way to deflect that is by giving them all of the information that we have access to as a district and as a board, then so be it. Mr. Superintendent, when it comes to public records requests on anything
dealing with budgetary items, what is our standard turnaround time to make sure that people are getting the requested information? >> I'll um transfer that question over to Mr. Sullivan, but and also Mr. Sullivan, if you can be uh very specific about um
creating records, which we don't do. Um public records are things that we already have. Go ahead. >> Uh sure. Uh so we try to get it uh within a reasonable time. So reasonable time for us would be between 7 and 14 days. Uh but like the superintendent said, a lot of our public records
requests aren't actually records. If we have to create the record, that is not a public record. >> I appreciate that, Mr. Sullivan, and and certainly I'm not uh suggesting that you make more work for yourself. I'm just very concerned when I hear people come
to this chamber and make comments like we heard from one of the speakers earlier that uh they've make public records requests in regards to the budget and they're just not getting the information that they need. As a followup, Mr. Sullivan, in the in the event that a request is made by a member
of the public in which it actually requires us to create a record, which I understand under the statute, we're not uh specifically mandated to do that as opposed to just turning something over. How does that information get relayed to the individual public, a member of the
public who made the request? >> We email them that there's no record. It's nonresponsive. >> You just tell them that there's no record. Correct. >> Okay. And is there any guidance that's provided to this particular or any
member of the public um when it turns out that they were asking for maybe a record that doesn't exist? Do we explain to them perhaps other areas or other records that we can give to them or we just tell them we don't have this? It's not responsive to >> we stick specifically to the request. We
don't add to it, edit it. If the record doesn't exist that's requested, that's how we respond. Okay. And Mr. Superintendent, I I understand that obviously it's probably not my role to direct how certain departments handle certain things, but um I do think we
need to make sure any public records request that comes into that deals with anything dealing with this budget, we need to make sure we are getting a timely response out to members of the public. We are not playing games or we are not doing anything that makes it
look like we're trying to hide the ball because we know the financial difficulties that we face in this district. And whenever we are preventing the free flow of information out to the public, that's how rumors start. That's how innuendo starts.
And certainly I want every single member of the taxpaying uh constituency in Broward County to know that they are entitled to every single record that we have under our our our records law when it comes to member issues with this budget. Um if I may, I I also want to
jump onto another topic uh that was brought up by uh an additional speaker that we had. I've had this conversation or I've made comments on this in the past. This school bus um camera program with the
arms on the school bus and for people who are trying to go around it illegally um is very lucrative, my understanding for our our our sistering counties. Um, I don't have the stats committed to memory, but last I recall, this had generated for Miami date county millions
of of dollars, and I understand that they've they've hit a a snag in one of the facets of their program, and it may be on pause. I'm not sure if if um, Sheriff Corder Struts has uh, re-implemented that program, but I I know that it was very lucrative for the
county down uh, down south. And I am um a little frustrated to hear that we as a district are potentially losing out on millions of dollars in revenue, not to mention the safety facet of this because a contract is quote unquote sitting on
somebody's desk. Um so perhaps to our our our general counsel, what is the status of this? How long has it been sitting on somebody's desk? and what are we doing to get through this to either make a decision as to whether or not we're going to utilize this program or
not? >> Um, I'll jump in for general counsel because I I know the status of of this um issue. Um, right now it's it's not sitting on the general counsel's desk. It is this isn't just a Broward County Public Schools um uh strategy or or
implementation. And it takes um other entities, law enforcement entities and the particular law enforcement entity um that has jurisdiction to um initiate this program across the county is choosing not to. Uh so we have to
look at other strategies that we possibly can implement but we are very very limited in our ability to do so. Um in addition I do want to give kudos to the general counselor's team um specifically Miss Jock Adams. She she did do a yman's job to make sure that um
she's gone through every sentence in that contract to ensure that uh as a district we avoid the same issues that other counties across the country have uh encountered that have caused many of them to either suspend their um program
or have a lot of issues with the constituents in their county. Um and so uh kudos to them for doing that. But it's it's it's not sitting on the the general counsel's desk. We have to exercise other options if we can, but we're very limited as a school district uh and what we can do because we we just
don't have jurisdiction across the whole entire county. >> Let me let me uh let me ask some follow-ups, Mr. Superintendent, if I can. Um is it the school is it the is it this district's position that the reason that we can't get this contract off the ground because certain law enforcement agencies are not willing to cooperate
with us? >> Uh I wouldn't say cooperate. Um and and and um um Mr. Pri Bruno Bruno I I know this is still um Kona silence so I I don't know what I can and can discuss. Just just um if you can provide some
guidance on that part before I continue. >> So let's not talk about the specifics but I can share with you what the statute requires why we need to have law enforcement because they're the ones who have to make the decision as to the violation itself. So there's a whole process that's outlined in the statute
and we have to have law enforcement as a really they're one of the main um people who are involved in determining whether these violations have occurred. So I I believe that is what the sticking point is without going into the specifics. >> Okay. Well, >> that's correct.
>> I'm I'm going to dance a little delicately here because I'm not I'm not okay with that answer. Um, are there certain departments who have not signed off on this program that have schools within their jurisdiction?
>> Um, go ahead. Uh, Mr. Sullivan, >> just cut me off when I'm crossing the line. So, generally speaking, um, it's citation. So it would have to be a jurisdiction that has the jurisdiction of the whole county.
>> Okay. So is that one law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over the whole county not on board with our proposal yet? And Mr. P Bruno, if I'm stepping over a line, please um let me know.
>> Let me let me give you an example. Um, the Lee County Sheriff's Office has enterured into an agreement with the school board and with bus patrol to be able to monitor uh the citations to um
the UTC's, the notice of violations and there's a whole process that is outlined. Without having the um law enforcement agency responsible, they we would not be able to move forward with that. So, you need to have that law enforcement agency. It is part of the
statutory requirements. >> Understood. And this particular law enforcement agency has not yet approved our proposed contract. Is that where we're at? >> But can I answer? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Um, so they have chosen not to participate. Uh, and I do want to say
that this particular law enforcement agency has been great partners um with Broward County Public Schools, but maybe their priorities are, you know, for are for something else right now because it does take a lot of manpower um to review videos of thousands upon thousands upon citations that could possibly happen.
So, um, but they're choosing not to participate um at this time. >> Okay. Well, first of all, I appreciate the clarification and I will caveat by saying uh I love all of our law enforcement agencies in every city and municipality in in in Broward County. I think all of them do a great job. Uh and
if that's their decision not to participate, um I I I certainly respect it. I I don't know that uh that would have been my first choice for them to take that position, but um certainly uh they know law enforcement a lot better than me. Uh my second question on this
is is this DOA then if we don't have that particular law enforcement agency's um desire to participate is it even possible to do this program? >> So there there is uh a dim glimmer of hope that we're exercising that we're exploring um where the school districts
um police department may be able um to implement this program. But it's a very we're researching that um based on the current legislation and and um the um law enforcement entity um at question would um have to come to an agreement with us for our capabilities to do that.
But we're researching that to see if we have the capabilities of of doing that in partnership um or with uh an agreement from from law enforcement entity to be able to do it. >> Okay. Do we do we know just for the benefit of the public um a proposed
ballpark timeline about how long it's going to take us to figure out whether that our internal B County Public Schools Police Department can take lead on this um with the other agencies perhaps blessing. Um do we have a timeline on this? Is this is something
that we could maybe figure out by the summertime maybe by the end of the year? >> No specific timeline but we're we're hopeful we can figure something out by this summer. Okay. >> Yeah. Either or we come back to the board and let um um let you know why we can't or how we can. But if we can, there's going to be additional
negotiations with the company because it's a lot of um expenses to and manpower to be able to do this. >> Okay. >> Thank you for that uh that information, >> Miss Thompson. >> Thank you, chair. I'll make my comments
quick. Um do our public records process follow all state statutes? Yes. >> Yes. >> Um, have we tried to implement any changes to the public record process to make it quicker or more efficient?
>> Yes. Um, we've implemented a few changes, reporting structures and things like that that actually come to cabinet to ensure that we understand what the request is and and to be able to facilitate um, getting the information to the requester if it is a record.
>> Thank you. I just wanted to clarify that narrative that we do comply with all public records requests and we do not make up records if they are not available and I appreciate staff. >> Thank you, Miss Hixon.
>> Thank you. I um want to thank Mr. Sea for asking all those questions. I think it's been a year that I've been asking the superintendent about this particular contract. Um, I do also want to thank Miss Jacqu Adams because she's fielded a lot of my questions um
about it and I think it's important for the public to know where we stand with that because there is a perception that it's just sitting on someone's desk but we have been actively trying to figure out how to maneuver through and make
sure that we're covered um in the process. It it is a great program. I look forward to when we have it, but I think it's important for the public to know that we we hit some barriers and we're doing our best to move through them, but it's not for lack of trying.
So, I was going to ask all the questions he asked. So, I appreciate the information. >> Thank you, Mrs. Alhadaf. >> Thank you. So, along those lines, I would request if Dr. Dr. Hepern, if you can go back to the law enforcement
agency, maybe there can be some collaboration with our law enforcement staff working at that law enforcement agency to do the work that needs to be done. Therefore, there isn't
um a requirement for that law enforcement agency to fund those staff members. If we're providing the staff members to do the work, then maybe there can be a collaboration to move this forward. Thank you. >> Any other board member discussion? I
just have a quick comment. Um I would I would say, you know, I'm all for collaboration. Um I do my desire as one person is that our law enforcement are
in our schools um doing safety work in our schools um not doing uh paperwork. So I'm not saying that that's what anyone was requesting. I just, you know, I I do support the the ask of the superintendent to see what we can do
collaboratively, but I would not support something that takes our law enforcement out of our schools. Any other Dr. Zean? >> Yeah. Um I This is complicated because there's this board has not even ever opined us whether we would be in favor of the overall program. That's number
one. Number two, um the amount of revenue to be collected is substantial. if it was a handful of law enforcement people we had to hire in order to uh collect these revenues, it's it's 20 or 30 times the cost of five law enforcement officers. So, if in fact to
the chair's point, this isn't taking from current inventory but adding inventory of law enforcement officers in order to do this role. We might even hire people who uh have some experience in this. Uh it would be working, it would be worth exploring. I personally am in favor of this program. Um and Mr.
Superintendent, if you uh come back to us ever with uh an idea, you know, might take four to six months to to staff up and and to do the critical law enforcement work that's required. You know, the revenue that comes from this is substantial. More important to me, the safety in Broward County. Uh um I do
walk to the school bus every morning still for probably few more weeks before I'm told I'm not allowed to go anymore. But uh um it's alarming uh how many people uh fly by the bus while it's sitting there. It's almost once a day and um you know we need to make sure
that our kids are safe and this program does enhance safety quite a bit. It could be that we run it for a year and the tickets go down to a dribble. We just you know that's been the experience in some other districts. Uh but that would actually be a great outcome which means cars aren't passing our kids getting on a bus and if we have to you
know collect some money and they have to pay a fine in order to get that message um that's kind of the general nature of the way we enforce things in Broward County. Uh things that get enforced get done. So, I'd look forward to hearing back, Mr. Superintendent, if there's a way to to add staff uh to take care of that burden on the law enforcement side.
Uh the difference between five full-time law enforcement salaries and what here could be, you know, 20 to$30 million first year revenue u is pretty substantial and and the safety impact uh that they've had in other districts with with this or other vendors is pretty
substantial and I love that one that effect at the end of the day. Thanks, chair. >> Any other board discussion on F2? All in favor of F2 say I. >> All oppose say no. Item passes unanimously. Could I get a motion a second on J1?
>> Moved by Dr. Zean, second by Miss Bulman. Uh public comment on J1. >> One of Prejudice speakers, President Anna Fusco. >> J1 utility easement agreement and bill of sale Srass Elementary. >> She withdrew herself from it.
>> Okay. Uh, board member comment. Miss Hixon, >> thank you. I had asked a question because I'm not um used to seeing that there's a bill of sale for an easement. So, um, I did get the response this
morning. I just since I pulled it, I'll read it out loud so everybody can hear the answer. Um, the city requires a bill of sale to document that the work has been completed so it can maintain the utility lines within the easement. a memorandum of understanding or me I I
asked what the difference was between this and and theus that we traditionally do for um easements. Um but so the MIU by contract is you contrast is used to show intent and is signed before the work is performed. The $10 amount
because the bill of sale is for $10 is simply a nominal legal requirement to make the document valid. So, um, that was the question I had, but I didn't receive the response until this morning. So, thank you very much. Any other board discussion?
All in favor of J1 say I. >> All oppose, say no. Item passes unanimously. Could I get a motion and a second on Oh, wait. Hold on. Sorry. Um, this will be the part of the meeting where we will consider all the open agenda items. The following open items
have been identified for discussion. FF1, JJ1, MM1, MM2, O1, O3, O6, OO10, O11, OO2, O13, double P3, and P7. At
this time, may the chair have a motion and a second to pass the open items that have not been pulled for discussion, which are GG1, JJ2, 3, 4, and 5, MM3, and MM4, O2,
4, 5, 7, 8, 9, P1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8. >> Moved by Dr. Zean, second by Miss Hixon. Are there any registered speakers on the items not pulled for discussion? >> No. No registered speakers.
>> All in favor of approving the open agenda items that have not been pulled for discussion say I. >> I. >> Those opposed say no. >> Items pass unanimously. May I have a motion and a second on item FF1? >> So move. >> Moved by Dr. Zean, second by Miss Hixon.
I mean Miss Rupert. Uh public comment on FF1. >> No comment. >> Uh board member discussion. Miss Hixon, >> thank you. As I like to do every month, just thank the grants department. There were um just three grants this this
month. The first one is from Florida Department of Education for CTE for $46,000. So, that's really exciting for the workforce as we hear that often that we need to increase and do more with the workforce. The second two are going directly to schools, Millennium 6
through 12 and Central Park. And both of those grants are going for something towards hydroponics or gardening. And um that always makes me smile because it's such a great way for our students to learn science and math and and things of that nature when they're
growing their own food and gardens and and learning about all of that. So, thank you to everyone who wrote the grants and thank you to the partners who awarded them. >> Miss Rupert, >> thank you. Um, I also wanted to, um,
highlight that, um, ATC, uh, is receiving a Florida Department of Education of almost a half a million dollars, $46,000. And money from this grant will be used to renovate the lab space at ATC
um, Ash campus to accommodate on Hback Lab. This will include upgrading electrical plumbing, adding a bay door, creating a tool room, and fencing to create an outdoor space. Uh, additionally, a CAP grant will also be used to purchase new HVAC equipment, um,
tools, instructional technology, and computers. Um, this is much needed and also, uh, will benefit the district and the the community as a whole because, uh, we will have more people in those in those fields, um, where we def
desperately need people right now. So, thank you. >> Thank you. Any other board discussion? All in favor of FF1 say I. >> I. >> All oppose say no. Item passes unanimously. I will now turn it over to the superintendent for his report. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, last week I
had the opportunity to participate in parent university where I joined several advisory committee members to discuss our budget realities driven by declining student enrollment. During the session, we engaged directly with parents and community members answering questions and providing greater insight into the
challenges we are facing currently and in the near future. This is part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and ensuring our community is well informed. We've also launched a dedicated website where stakeholders can learn more at browardschools.com/future ready. Here's a video we plan to share
on the website. I think the video is already on the website uh which is available um to us right now. Beacon can actually roll the tape. Broward County Public Schools exists for one reason, to serve our students and our community. Every day, nearly 200,000
students walk into our classrooms with hopes for their future. And because of the dedication of our teachers, staff, and school leaders, our district is delivering. Broward County Public Schools is an A-rated district for the second year in a row. Graduation rates
are at record highs and student achievement continues to improve across our schools. That progress is real and it matters. At the same time, it's my responsibility to talk about the challenges we face. Over the past decade, our district has experienced
significant decline in student enrollment, a loss of more than 38,000 students. Because public school funding is primarily driven by enrollment. Fewer students means fewer dollars. Even as the costs of operating a district this
size have continued to rise. Today, Broward County Public Schools faces an $80 million budget shortfall. We are taking action through Broward County Public Schools Future Ready, a strategic realignment designed to stabilize our
finances while protecting classrooms wherever possible. These changes will happen primarily at the district level, not in schools. Positions for school-based employees and frontline personnel are tied to current and projected enrollment and are not the
focus of this effort. Our goal is to preserve highquality instruction, support frontline employees, and bring our operations back in alignment with today's reality while positioning our district for long-term success. These decisions are difficult. They
affect real people who care deeply about this district and the students we serve. Throughout this process, we are committed to transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of public resources. Future Ready is about more than balancing a
budget. It's about ensuring Broward County Public Schools remains strong, stable, and focused on what matters most, student success, today and in the years ahead. Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and your continued
support of our public schools. It's also been a busy and productive month at BCPS. Beacon, if you can roll the next video. Heat. Heat. Hey, hey, hey. Thank you, Madam Chair. That concludes
my report. Thank you. Could I get a motion and a second on JJ1? >> So moved. >> Moved by Dr. Zean, second by Miss Rupert. Public comment on JJ1. >> No speakers. >> Dr. Zean. >> Thank you so much, Chair. Uh I asked to talk about this just a little bit today. This uh project at Virginia Shelman
Young is according to this item, if we pass it today, is going to be delivered 3.6 years behind schedule uh with an expected substantial completion in January of 2027. I'm uh curious about two things that the
public is reasonably frustrated about, which is this change order was initiated in 2022, and last I checked, this is April of 2026, and we're now getting an item to correct this. That's a long time to wait between a contractor raising their hands
and saying, "There's an issue with this duck work. Uh, can we get it together?" Chair, are you aware of any explanation of why this took so long to get to the board? >> Dr. Hepper? Yes, we can have that explanation given to you right now if you don't mind.
Um, I see uh Mr. Mike McIntyre back there. >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon, Mike McIntyre. AECOM uh through the chair. Um, I don't have the background on when this change order
started. Um, originally, uh, per the documentation I have, it was supposed to come to the board in September of 25, but we couldn't come to an agreement with the contractor because they refused to give a credit back for the original pricing of the work. Uh, we were able
finally to get that resolved. Uh, the pricing for the work went down and we were able to get the full credit back and that's why it's here now. Um, it will not be completed until January due to the the availability of the space. Uh, we can only do it either during
summer or winter break. The original goal was this past winter break. So, now it would be this summer uh where we could do the work because we there's no swing space. So, we can't move students around and we would have to actually close the school to do the work. So, that's why it's out till January. Um,
there there is a mistake in the document. Um the final completion is not June. Um as the document says it the contract is a 30-day from substantial to final. So that is u that is something that was
missed in the writeup. So it would be a final completion in February per contract. >> Terrific. And chair uh are you aware of when substantial completion will be achieved through this after we pass this if we pass this order today? >> Dr.
Mr. McIntyre. >> Um, as of now, it's showing January of 27 to to achieve substantial completion, which would be all work complete, all inspections complete, um, everything finalized. Um, and would we would
achieve the 110. >> Thank you. I appreciate that. Um, chair, do you know if Virginia Schulman Young is uh has students on campus this summer? >> Dr. He >> Dr. Fulton. >> So, it's not a district summer school
site, but please know that some schools offer um camps by the local cities. So, I don't have that information to see whether a camp is being operated out of um that school. >> Right. But um you just kind of spitballing this a little bit from a a guy that's not in this in this fight,
but there is no time between August 10th and Christmas where there's two weeks, you know, to do this work. And so I'm I'm hoping that they're aiming to get it done this summer. Is that the case, Chair? >> Dr. Apron? >> Yes, that's the case. >> Terrific. I I'm always hoping that we
figure out ways for the longest delayed projects to get kind of the highest priority. Um it's really really difficult and and what's frustrating to this board and I'm I'm going to speak for everyone because we get these calls all the time is there's no one left to hold accountable for the decisions from
3.6 year years ago when this change order started and um because of that you know we're going to be way beyond and way at much greater cost uh for what we promised uh the community. This is not a big project, but I am hoping uh chair
that that the prioritization can be to get rid of some of these embarrassingly long projects off the books um so that we can, you know, remind the community how much we care about our students and how much we really want to get these things done. Thanks, chair. >> Thank you. Any other board member comment?
All in favor of JJ1 say I. >> I. >> All oppose say no. Item passes unanimously. Could I get a motion or a second on MM1? >> So moved. >> Moved by Dr. Zean, second by Miss Hixon. Public comment on MM1. >> No comment. >> Board member comment. Miss Thompson.
>> Thank you, chair. Um, I know we had a conversation as a board about graduations and we moving them on to our campuses and then with community push back that that plan changed. I do want to highlight the fact that today in this
board meeting we are going to be approving over $232,000 in leases with the next um set of graduations being over $500,000. I would like to know the superintendent's plan to engage the community in providing opportunities to
move graduations to venues that are both cost-effective and supports the prestige of the event. >> Yes. U thank you for the question, Miss Thompson. So, first we're going to engage with some elected officials that uh may provide a pathway for us to use
some of the larger venues in the county. Um so, we have all the data of, you know, uh past and current graduation classes, the amount of space we would need for graduates and also um attendees. Um so, we're going to start with elected officials first and then um also um some of the private sector
people um specifically siminal tribe for for Hard Rock. um once we exhaust all those avenues and figure out what they're able to support support us with um we can we can bring that information to the board in a in a memo and then
exercise the other options if it's still unaffordable. Um so we're looking for affordability um and um you know the the great amount of greatest amount of time for the largest amount of spaces so we can actually um do more graduations in one or two venues versus being all over the
county. Thank you. And I appreciate that. I do after talking with my community and students, I think the issue of how we rolled it out previously was the lack of notice and community buy in, but giving them an an opportunity of
choice between venues that are affordable. I would also like to point out that all of our um top 10% and our Cambridge celebrations and our sporting event celebrations are all typically held on our campuses. And I was recently
at Dillard for something that I don't remember, but our student adviserss got awards. Um, student leaders and it was beautifully executed and I don't think any family walked away thinking anything negative
about that space. Um, and I also think there is an opportunity to bring this home and district. Um, and I would like to explore that to to exhaustion. Thank you. >> Thank you, Dr. Zean. >> Uh, thanks so much, Chair. I actually
just wanted to uh praise the city of Lauderdale Lakes. Uh, it's wonderful to uh to have a municipality uh that works so clearly uh on behalf of public education, district-run uh public education, and provides discounts when
we ask them to. And so I just want to point out to to uh mayor and city manager in particular of Lardia Lakes, thank you uh for for leaning in with us and to your staff, Mr. Superintendent, for asking for those discounts and and negotiating uh with Lardia Lakes. This is a $4,000 per event.
>> I apologize. What did I say? >> Well, there's so many lauder cities. It's hard, you know. Gosh darn it, Debbie. I don't know how you keep up with all these things. uh Lauder Hill, I apologize, uh for for them leaning in on this cuz this is really great to have a partnership like this. Uh $4,000 per uh
graduation, you know, given the prestige of this event and how excited the parents and the kids are for this stuff is uh really a drop in the bucket compared to what impact that it has on the community. So, thank you very much. >> Thank you, Mrs. Alhadaf.
>> Yes. Thank you. I just was wondering Dr. Haburn if Dr. Dr. Harpin, if you could give an update as with the supplemental graduation sponsor book for this year's graduation >> to bring back money. >> Yes, absolutely. So, Dr. W and her team
are in um um discussion with BEF um to talk about graduation book and also graduation kind of sponsor banners which would be district um so separate from the high school's um graduation uh pamphlet. um so it won't interfere with
their traditions or that they're used to in their communities, but having a separate book. So, she's in discussion with um with BF to see if we can have that come to fruition um and see how we can maximize that to help support future graduations. >> This year's graduation, >> uh I don't know if it's going to happen
for for because it's right around the corner. Um so, but definitely future graduations, but we're we're trying we're trying for for this year, too. But I know definitely for next year. So they're in discussions and um BEF has the connections and and um you know
they've implemented certain certain things similar with past events that they do. So we'll see what we can come to fruition to support for this year and but definitely next year too. >> Okay. Because I I know this has been a a huge conversation. We're trying to offset the cost. So whatever we we can
do this year's graduation I think will be extremely helpful. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Hixon. Um, thank you, Mrs. Alhade for asking about that. And I think it's important in that conversation because I've had a
number of conversations with the superintendent about it. I think some of the issue is because the district covers the cost of graduation, making sure people understand if they're going to do an ad that it's not going
the money is not going to go to like Cooper City or Western. it comes back to the district. So, it was important to keep it separate, if that makes sense, because you know, if you have it on a flyer, they think they're giving money
to Cooper City High School, but Cooper City High School is not funding the cost for graduation. So, I think part of the the issue is being able to to shake all of that out for people to understand that it's not going to their school.
It's for the whole district. Um, in terms of the conversations that we've had, but um, which was why they were going to just do like banners to say thank you for our sponsors and put that up. But, if I'm not mistaken, some of the venues had some concerns with doing
things like that. So, it hasn't been as easy as just going out and asking for sponsorships according to the conversations we've had. >> All right. Um, and I I wanted to jump in because Miss Thompson raised some interesting points. Um, and it reminded
me of the conversation that I had with our CFO. I think it was last week. Um, who she's not at the table, but I I do I wonder if anyone else on staff can clarify. Um, is our food and nutrition department currently oper operating at a
deficit? >> No. Um, unless you're talking about um um the collection of >> That's what I'm talking about. >> Yes. Yes. >> Yes. That part. Yes. >> Dr. Wa, could you speak to that?
>> So, um, thank you. Good morning. I want to make sure. So, you're talking about the student charges, right? That that piece. Yes. And I believe the um the last memo that we provided to the board um did indicate that it's somewhere um and the food and nutrition services
staff is out here for another item, but it's somewhere around four to $500,000 I believe was the number of student charges. I have to look at the exact memo, but that is the um the um charges that students, you know, are eating, but
they cannot afford have not paid for um the price of a lunch. >> Okay. And I recall in a previous workshop uh it was requested of the board to fund that um and we chose not to. Correct. Um so what I believe was
the board did allow for a certain amount to be um allocated for each school. Um and I think it it may have been like $150,000. I have to look to see what the exact number was, but it was a certain amount that that the board did a lot did
um uh approve. And outside of that, the rest of that debt has been allocated to student obligations. >> Um, and that that several hundred,000 that we or 150,000 that we approved, that's been eaten up now. Correct.
>> Yes. >> Okay. All right. Any other board member discussion? Mrs. Alhadaf. Sorry, I just need to circle back to my graduation book, our graduation book, because I feel like I'm being pacified. And um I don't like that. I This
conversation isn't just something that's is happening today. This has been months has we have talked about this and and making this happen for this year's graduation. We are trying drastically to get money back to our district. This is
lowhanging fruit. This is about creating a separate pamphlet to market these companies. We give millions and millions and millions of dollars back to these companies that we approve on our agendas. And so they can give back to us
and sponsor this districtwide. It does not have to necessarily it's not connected directly with each specific school. Every high school, all 32 high schools within this district will get this sponsorship book. It will be the same sponsorship book with the companies
for all 32 high schools. We have the opportunity to bring back money to Broward County Public Schools. I think this is such lowhanging fruit. We do this for the smallest programs in our district and this is graduations and
companies have the opportunity to market districtwide for the sixth largest school district in this country and we are not taking available of this opportunity. >> Dr. Zean. >> Yeah, thank you. I agree with Miss
Alad's uh general comments. you know, we we need, you know, to pay for Broward Center of Performing Arts, for example, we would need 25 sponsors to pay $10,000. That's that's a lift, but it isn't the heaviest lift. We just had a donor walk in today with $1.2 million for or 1.1, sorry, don't want to
exaggerate. Uh, you know, for a really really wonderful program that's going to pay off, but I would encourage uh uh either somebody here to make such a motion that we make it, you know, a real effort to try and do it by the end of the year. Um, because I think it's doable. I think it's entirely feasible
to pay for graduations uh with sports largely because it's such an amazing event which is why we don't want to do it uh sometimes in in venues that don't um kind of comport with that uh excitement. Um so uh
let me just ask if you could chair um what's the chance that we could engage uh our staff and Broward Education Foundation to raise the cost of Broward Center Performing Arts just the $250,000. The biggest actually that's not the biggest cost is it? Uh the biggest cost is seminal Hard Rock.
Right. How about this chair? What is the total cost of graduations for Broward County School Board? >> Dr. Hepern. So the um collectively it's just it's around 800,000 just north just south of that maybe and I got to look specifically the largest contract is
Nova Southeastern um because we have the largest number of um ceremonies there. I think we have 17 there and that contract as well as the contract from Hard Rock will come to the next meeting. But the largest is Nova Southeastern cuz they're
they're at 24 at are about 24,000 a ceremony. >> And if I'm correct, that's one of the venues that has the 8 a.m. in the morning graduation, right? So we can get them all squeezed in. >> Isn't Novo one of the 8 a.m. schools? I think so. But yes, um it'll be interesting. 800,000 is a lot harder to
raise than $250,000. I just feel like this is a real uh tremendous opportunity because of the excitement around it. Uh I don't think that it would diminish the excitement of the of the event to have sponsors. Um but I do think it would be
nice to get some offsite when we can in the future. I'm going to pause on that issue for a minute, chair, if I could, because my information about FNS is a little bit different than what has been shared here. You asked uh whether or not FNS is operating at a deficit. When they came to us six months ago, they
explained that they charge less than they get reimbursed and what the total cost of meals are every day. Now that our chief financial officer is back, I wonder if we can get clarification on whether FNS is operating at a at a re at a a same year revenue deficit. Are they
are they taking in less money than they are earning? >> Dr. forever. >> Miss Johnson, >> currently based on their projections, they operating in the green, which is not a deficit, but overall we only
report monthly. They don't do the projection out. So that's going to have to come from the food service department. >> Um I'm sorry, chair. We have them coming in later today. >> They're here. >> Oh, they're here. Gather them. >> Yes. >> I love the new category, though. We don't have red and black anymore. We
have green. They're upgrading the green. And I think that means we're making money, right? Good. Hello. >> I don't know if I can help you out or all, but Mark Mills, Food Nutrition Services, we are operating at a loss for the last four years and we continue to do so this year. This is our transition
year from C on to the back to the National School Lunch Program where we expect to be able to turn that loss around. Loss has to do with many things like we don't earn enough um per meal for reimbursement. So that pulls down a little of our funding. Um the lack of
enrollment that the de decrease in enrollment the decrease in participation are all factors that come into play with that the rising costs of products and rising cost of you know electricity rising cost of trays all kinds of things play into that as well. Food costs
rising but we're doing what we can to control that on our side. We have noticed what has taken place in our transition year. We're looking to make sure that we look at every avenue, every cost, every um amount of product that we purchase or a school purchases to be
served. We're making sure that the products that we buy are actually being served to the children. Anywhere there's not happening, we cut back on that so we ensure a tight inventory. >> Terrific. And chair, could I just ask uh um what is the expected operating
deficit in FNS accounts for this year? >> So, we budgeted at 19 million So chair, I think that means that the we're going to collect 19 million less than it costs us to run FNS. Their fund balance is important for us to track as well, but it works the opposite way. If
you have too much money, you're in trouble. Uh not if you have too little, but if you go below zero, now you're hitting the general fund. So uh chair, one more question. After that $19 million loss this year, what will the fund balance be in dollars by at roughly
then again projected? Um, we started out at about 33 million, I believe, this year. So, we would take off 19 from that. Um, >> 14 million. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. And just to my board members, this is important. Don't lose track of this one because it's fedally funded and huge subsidies come for for school lunch
programs. Um, if that 14 million is eaten up next year, if we run another deficit of 19, that's 5 million out of the general fund uh to pay for lunches. So, we're now at that that point where FNS, if I'm correct, I don't want to speak just for the for the staff, but
now it's a board issue because I can't imagine having to go find 5 million next year for FNS uh out of general fund and then the next year finding 19 because now we're burned uh through the the funds that are available. So, uh I hope, Mr. Superintendent, we can track this and start start to think a little bit
about all those variables that our great uh treasurer for the program uh talks frequently about. The biggest one I believe is utilization and and it's a way to like with FTEES we can increase revenue to Broward County public schools by doing such a damn great job like
we're doing now and keep doing it so that more people come back and I can see more and more people from Palm Beach and Miami date starting to think about private schools which terribly exciting but the same is true of food nutrition services. The more people that eat the more people the lower the average cost per meal and so you can keep the charges
the same. Uh otherwise the alternative if we don't serve food that attracts people to eat it is we're just going to have to jack up the price and and then that's a bad thing as well because you jack up the price economics kicks in and they buy less anyway. So we're in a real pickle on on how to do that and I hope that we can tackle that uh going
forward. Thanks chair. >> Thank you Mr. Spelberg. >> Thank you Madam Chair and uh good morning everybody. Landon Spielberg, student adviser to the school board. I I don't want to reopen a settled matter. Um but it it has come up again this
morning and I think it's my duty to share it again. Uh the points that were were brought up about fundraising uh are are wellreceived. Uh I said this in January and I will say it again today uh
that in a way it feels like that is missing the point of what the biggest issue is for our students. We continue to do school visits and we are not hearing about graduation. We're hearing about a desperate need for investments in programs uh and a desperate need for
investments in food service. Uh so we you know I just want to you know regground that issue uh you know that it is important to do consistent fundraising uh in a variety of areas. Uh but if those resources are going to be put into fundraising, I don't believe it
should be uh for graduation or nor do many of the students that we represent when there is a beautiful facility that the district can operate graduations at at a low cost uh which has been proven by banquetss and events being held at Dillard over the past few weeks uh with incredible feedback from our community
about those events. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Hixon. Thank you. Well, now I hate to say what I'm going to say after Landon just said that. Um, but I just, you know, to the superintendent because it is it is on
our weekly uh I mean our monthly chats that we have where I ask how are we doing with the fundraising and how is it going? So, you know, kind of concerned that the answer was I didn't get the sense in our conversations that it was not going to
happen for this year and then when asked about it that was the answer today. So, can you because I know we have a department that works on on this and I I guess I if you could just give us an
update how many people like you know what not to Landon's point I don't want this to be their sole job obviously but there are things that I think would be lowhanging fruit that they even in conversations that I had with people
were like yeah we'd be happy to sponsor so and I shared that information with the department. So I'm I'm just a little >> for uh lunches or for >> no for for the graduation. >> So we're in discussion um we're in
discussion with BF. BF has a little bit more expertise because they already have uh partners that print that can print out banners and all those other things. So we'll we'll follow up where we are. Um, and they also have the connections, the the the the better outreach um than
we do. Um, there may be the a start for this year. I don't think it's going to be as robust as we would like. I think uh uh to everybody's point, start somewhere and then as people see how we're engaging and how we're leveraging that, it it should get larger over time.
Um, right. So you start small this year, have have some sponsors that are engaging. They they understand the value to them and and being exposed to, you know, thousands of people that attend our graduations and then that starts resonating with other folks and we should see something larger the the
following year, too. But we're but we're leveraging BEF as one of the main partners because they do this all the time, right? when they have when they are finding sponsors for certain events and fundraising and things like that and they already have some of the mechanisms where they can work with as far as
printing banners and and u working with us to print the booklets as well because we have have our own printing shop too. >> Okay. So then I would say just um well I'll just say it's it's a bit disappointing but I we can't say no. I mean, we have to do something. And if
there's not enough sponsors to make the book printing valuable enough, you could still do those >> a banner, even the board that, you know, as people are walking in say thank you to our sponsors because I originally had
asked about doing a slideshow with it, but that's where the snag came in with some of the vendors. They didn't want it on there. Um, but you know to to Landon's point, this isn't the huge piece, but it was something that we asked about. Um, and there should be
different buckets or different efforts of fundraising where we're still continuing to try to fund raise, especially for the lunches because that's where we started off at. Um, and you know, it's easy to say, well, we we
just we just didn't get any sponsors, but I I don't think the effort is matching the the expectation of the board. I guess that's the best way to put it. Thank you, Mrs. Alhad.
>> I'd like to make a substitute motion. and I move to create a graduation book for all of the graduations for this school year for this graduation. Is there a second? >> Second.
>> Moved by Mrs. Alhadaf, second by Mrs. Bulman. Public comment on the motion. Dr. Natalie Lynch Walsh, Plantation, Florida. Um, I think the reason people aren't thinking about graduation is everybody's focus on whatever is an issue right now. Trust me, the second
they found out that you guys were coming for their graduation venues, you had a huge backlash. Um, it booklets have been used since the beginning of time since printing presses to advertise. So, I think it's a good idea. It sounds like you guys need to figure out the
particulars. I think people that can would pay more for graduations. basically the venues were taken away without giving people the opportunity to figure out how to fundra. So any and all avenues for fundraising should be addressed now. It's not like graduations
aren't around the corner. So you don't want to wait until graduations. We can't expect kids to plan for the future. They're thinking about, you know, what's happening today, not necessarily graduation when they get their gown and they're like, "Wait, we're going where?" So, I think I support the motion and I
hope you guys will continue trying to fund raise. Do not take away the venues. Any other public comment on the motion? Mrs. Alhadf, could you please clarify the motion? The substitute motion is to create
graduation sponsor books for the 2026 graduations districtwide sponsor book. >> Chair, could that could I just make up one order because if that were an amendment, it would add on to it. If
it's a substitute, it does away with the allocation of the funds. >> Okay. Amendment. Mr. Peno. >> So my understanding from the motion is that um the prior motion was to approve
the contract for use of facilities for Lauderdale Performing Arts and then you want to add amend that motion to include the graduation book for this year. >> Sponsorship book. Yes. >> Sponsorship book >> for all gra all graduations.
>> Okay. So we have to do a vote on the amendment >> and board member discussion on the amendment. >> Yeah. I just wanted to clarify because every graduation does have a book because every graduation >> it's separate. It's a separate book.
>> So you clarified that when you amended that. So >> Dr. Zean, >> I'm sorry. Chair, how many days do we have? Like just just for fun, let's say we have a week needed to print these things. How many days left do we have between now and a week before the first
graduation? >> Dr. Ones, when is the first graduation? It's late. May, correct? >> The first graduation is May 28th. >> So by May 21st is uh a month and 14 days. So 44 days or so. I'm just curious about the feasibility.
Chair, is it possible to ramp up uh our staff for what they could do, the superintendent staff uh and uh Broward Education Foundation to raise uh to work toward raising $800,000 in 44 days? >> I So, if I can chime in, Dr. Sean, I
don't think um we're focused on the amount, but we're also focused on right just finding sponsors to start this journey, right? there there's an amount goal that that's wonderful but I think um you know as we go out we have
conversations with folks and be have conversations with folks about sponsorship and what and creating that framework about what the sponsorships look like on the page a full pages whatever amount quarter pages whatever amount right and seeing how much we can bring in it's a start right it it'll supplement the cost you may not be able
to cover the co entire cost the first year but that's always the goal so I I wouldn't tie it to a specific amount I would tie it to the effort of of uh of creation. >> Terrific. And to the maker of the amendment, your cons your your intent is consistent with that. It's to try to
raise 800, but if we raise some, it's great. If we don't raise 800, that's okay. >> Yes. >> All right. I Thank you, chair. >> Any other board member discussion? Miss Thompson. >> Um I will not be supporting this amendment. We heard from our student
advisor that we need sponsorships to go towards lunch and school activities and programs not towards this. This is not the right direction that we are going in. Thank you. >> Any other board member discussion?
>> I have a a question. >> The money raised from this sponsorship book, Dr. And can it be used for other means with lunches or programs or something else?
>> Um, at the will of the board, we can use it for several. Um, I would suggest the um adding to the motion to give us guard rails uh around use if it's uh graduation um uh student lunch debt. Um
>> um could we please silence cell phones? Um or at least share. >> Sorry, Dr. Heburn. >> No problem. Um, so if you want to add some specific guard rails uh around um use of the funds,
>> right? I guess my question is, you know, I know that when money we have certain money can only be used in certain in buckets. So, if we have that ability, I'm open to using it to programs or to the lunches to go to that. I just was
trying to get money back to Broward County Public Schools. So, for my intent is not specifically say that it has to go into graduations. It can go into lunch or it can go into a specific program. I leave that, you know, up to the board to decide. I'm just trying to
find funding to come back to Broward County Public Schools. Dr. Ze oh sorry um Mr. Spelberg and then Dr. Zean, >> thank you. And I I certainly appreciate the intent like absolutely, you know, with you, Miss Alidath. I I just want to
also provide some like operational concerns with this. Uh like was mentioned, we're very close to graduation. Uh there's a considerable printing cost to booklets. Uh that would also take away from the money that can go towards a sponsorship to cover a venue cost. uh plus a considerable
operational cost of getting the booklets to venues, passing out those booklets. Uh you know there is with the budget uh restrictions this year that is causing for uh restrictions in in staff and uh at graduations uh and overtime costs. So
there's a considerable cost that would be associated with this that you know in my eyes I don't think would be matched by the the sponsorships raised uh over the next two three weeks. >> Dr. Zean, >> thanks so much chair. I just wanted to
point out that if we raise these funds um and put them toward anything um it's really up to the board on how to spend the other funds. So even if just just for fun, say we raise half a million dollars and we put it toward graduation, it frees up a half a million dollars in the general fund. And so we can use that
money there to increase the fund balance or to pay uh for some of the pending debts that that students are concerned about. I also think, you know, the data that we have about students concerned is being collected at a time where the stu the graduations have been taken care of.
So uh it it's always interesting to use recent surveys. I think they're wonderful. It's more you know, the better. Uh but it's still the data is gathered based on kind of what they have right now and maybe it's not a concern because it's something that we've said that we're going to address and and do better on. Uh I I just I I feel uh I
appreciate the the idea. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Bulman. >> Thank you. And um thank you for the motion. I I guess in the um with the considerations that Mr. Spelberg brought up. Is there are we bound to a book or
is there are you willing to look at alternative delivery methods that might be more um feasible given our very limited time period for this year that might be more cost effective that we can actually pull off?
>> Mrs. without >> listen I'm I'm flexible and again this isn't the first time that this is being brought up this is we we talked about this months ago it just never was executed >> and and that's upsetting to me because
we are leaving money that can come back to Broward County Public Schools if you want to put a um create different sponsorship packages wonderful you want to create a book I leave that up to the the superintendent
to be able to execute, but it needs to be executed. You need we need to start somewhere. I don't know why this hasn't been done for years. There's so much sponsorship opportunities through graduations. You know, you are are reaching thousands and thousands of people in the sixth largest school
district in the country. So, I believe we start this year and then we just improve year after year moving forward. >> And and I I agree with that, too. It is um whatever vehicle that we can deliver it in I think should be explored
and every dollar that we can get back through this particular um venture can you know be applied to these other places where we have um deficiencies. I think that's really important. So, I I support I support the motion in
terms of um advertising in some format, >> however we're going to do it. >> Thank you, Mrs. Alvida. So, I amend my motion to allow the superintendent to bring back sponsorship opportunities for this year's graduation
and that he rolls it out the best way that he sees fit to bring money back to Brower County Public Schools through the sponsorships. >> Second. >> Um, Mr. Preo, >> let's make this as clean as possible.
Let's make that your substitute of your prior amended motion. >> Substitute of the prior amended motion. Thank you. >> Second. >> Can you restate that, please? >> I give Dr. Heep, we give Dr. He the opportunity to bring back sponsorship opportunities for this year's graduation
as he sees fit to bring these sponsorship dollars back to Broward County Public Schools. And Miss Bulman, do you second that? >> I second that. >> Okay. Um Dr. Holes.
>> Um Madame Chair, since the motion has now changed because my concerns were similar to um London um in terms of the the the funds generating from sponsorship donations being less than the cost to distribute. But I think the
new motion will now give the superintendent latitude um to make uh the best decision for uh for us um as far as bringing back um um funding that would be generated that
would be more than the cost of distributing any any type of um um exposure to these companies. So I'm good. Thank you, >> Miss Hixon. >> Thank you. I I the wording sounds kind
of messy, but I the intent I appreciate because that's what I was going to say. The motion maybe should be that what we shouldn't be spending more obviously than we're taking in. And at the very least to have a board that has sponsors
on it and if there was enough sponsors to make a booklet then to make the booklet. That's the the motion has that intent the wording miss. So Miss Bruno when you read that with that because it says the superintendence.
So what I have madam chair if I may what I have as the amendment is that uh Dr. Hepper seeks sponsorship opportunities as he sees fits to bring back to the board for consideration. >> Yeah. I don't think we need we're not
asking for him to tell us who the sponsors are particularly. We're just saying get sponsors and make a book or a board whichever makes the most sense based on what you have. So I don't think it needs to say to bring back to us. We
are just trying to kickstart and move into motion what we what has been said. As Mrs. ballad mentioned months ago. We want to make a motion because then you can blame us for having to do um what
what we've asked in in a form of a motion as opposed to just a discussion because it doesn't seem it's gone where our expectation was for it. So I don't know if it needs I don't think her intent was for it to necessarily come back to us.
>> No, it's for him to execute it. So you I just want to make sure that I'm clear from the board because I also heard the board say that um we will have a discussion in terms of how those funds are utilized.
So are we just asking Dr. Heppern to move forward with seeking sponsorship opportunities period >> and then bring back the um earnings after graduation? speak in here. >> And bring back the earnings after
graduation so board can decide what to use the funds for. >> Mr. Spelberg, >> thank you. And I think uh this is landing in a better place. The other point to add to this is that we have a considerable audience of graduations that don't attend physically in person.
Uh they attend online. So something with a QR code that can be at the bottom right corner of the live stream, right? That will allow the thousands of people who attend virtually to be able to do uh to be able to go on see the sponsorship booklet. Uh the other point point on
this is I think it's a wonderful opportunity for us to also market our schools, right? We have uh people who will be in the audience whether virtually or in person who are looking for school opportunities. It's a great place to say schedule a tour. Uh it's a great place to have student spotlights.
Uh so we're happy from a student advisor perspective, you know, if the superintendent is is um open to this to be able to help contribute to something that really creates a cohesive uh sponsorship booklet that also allows us to market ourselves. >> Thank you. Any other board member
discussion, Miss Thompson? I think with the super the student advisor's approval I will change my mind but I do have concerns that if we are marketing as a sponsorship that it's the language is carefully written so that people who are donating know that it's not just
going to graduation that it could go to anything. Thank you. >> Any other board member discussion on the amendment or the substitute? All in favor of the substitute Mr. Pri Bruno Bruno. >> Yeah. I I just want to make sure that we
all know what the actual motion is, the amendment to the original. So, it's Dr. Herpurn seek sponsorship opportunities as he sees fits to bring back the earnings after graduation to the board. >> Yes. >> Is there anyone object to that?
>> Okay. All in favor say I. >> I. >> All oppose say no. Amendment passes unanimously. Back to the item. Any other board discussion on the item? All in favor of MM1 say I.
>> All oppose say no or as amended. Um all oppose say no. Item passes unanimously as amended. Could I get a motion in a second on MM2? >> Moved by Dr. Zean, second by uh Miss Rupert. Public comment on MM2.
>> No registered speakers. >> For member comment, Miss Bulman. Thank you, chair. Um, I chose this one instead of MM1 just because my uh my kids are graduating in uh this facility. Um, so I have
uh a question about the increased costs and then I know there's some kind of an offset and I wasn't sure how that works. Are we paying the increase or are we paying the same that we paid last year as long as we follow all the
rules and follow the lease agreement? >> Dr. Heburn, >> I'm going to defer that one to Miss Brown. >> Patty Brown, director of athletics and student activities. And I just want to clarify what you're speaking about. NSU. >> No, this is the Broward Center. >> Broward Center.
>> Broward Center. I'm sorry. Um that is actually from my understanding the same cost from last year. It's 15,300 per ceremony. It was originally going to be higher but working with the CEO Ty Sutton. He was
able to keep us at the same amount from last year. >> Okay. because well because the um the executive summary says that the there's an increase from 15,300 to
$17,8686 per graduation, but that there's this $36,000 sponsorship credit from PACA. So >> which brings it down. >> I'm just wondering back down, >> right? That brings it back down. But there's a >> brings it back down.
>> Okay. But there's a caveat in there. If we have any kind of violation of the agreement, then we don't get the $36,000. >> The violations are typically in terms of time. Each venue would like for us to stick to the 2-hour minimum for graduations. They have a union as well
for their staff and workers and are required a certain amount of breaks. So, if we go beyond the two hours at both Broward Center and NSU, then we would be fined potentially. >> So, potentially >> to our maximum. Yeah. Minimum. Sorry. maximum >> big difference.
>> So, um Okay. Well, thank you for that. And I, you know, I think as we're looking towards the future, uh with the graduations, you know, the the the main takeaway that I had from our prior discussions was the um perceived
inequity of the venues. And so, I will look forward to having a plan for next year that addresses that. um so that everyone is graduating in a
similar venue if that's possible um while we're saving money because I agree I think our facilities we the way that we have been able to put on different ceremonies um in our facilities has been very adequate. It's just a matter of um
making sure that everybody's having a similar experience. So, um, but that will be for next year. So, hopefully sooner rather than later, we'll have a plan for that. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Seivera.
>> Sure. Um, I'm excited to support this item and allow these 14 ceremonies, including uh McVatter Technical High School in uh District 6 to uh to go forward. I think this is a big win for
our students, a big win for our parents, and it's also a reminder of why it's important to listen to parents and to listen to your constituents. when the news initially broke that our seniors would not be graduating uh in
the great venues as some of their prior graduating classes uh over the year. I was proud to take the lead and be one of the more vocal proponents of giving our seniors uh the venues that they deserved and making sure that they were not
shortch changed. While I certainly understand the financial difficulties that face this district on a daily basis, I'm not in favor of trying to dig out of this uh financial hole, if you will, on the backs of our students. Very
excited to support this. I'm also excited for our seniors and that they're going to be able to experience this tremendous venue uh at the Broward Center. uh they've all earned this graduation and I'm thrilled to be able to deliver top-notch facility at the Broward Center to host this very very
special day for our students and their family members and make sure they have adequate tickets I might add to also attend uh and share in on the festivities the festivities um looking forward to the graduations looking forward to the venues uh I will be there
in May 31st uh with McFatterder so I'm very very excited about that and overall big win for our students big win for our community and um going to be a great uh great couple of ceremonies that we have at the phenomenal Broward Center for Performing Arts. Thank you,
>> Dr. Holes. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Dr. Hburn, um we had discussed previously the city of Lau and it ties into what I have to say here. Um so, did Lau um reduce the cost
as it compares to last year, what they're charging this year? Miss Brown or Dr. Wanso, >> if I may. >> Go ahead. >> Lauder Hill Performing Arts Center did not reduce the cost. What you're seeing in terms of a discount is actually only
for Lauder Hill 6 through 12. The cost for each graduation. The other three are 5,92. It's a discount because obviously Lauder Hill 6 through 12 is within their city. So their cost is 2,383.
>> Okay. So the cost we're looking at is the average of >> Yes. Okay. Yes, sir. >> And and that average comes out to be less than the average of what it would have what it was last year. Correct. >> It is I believe >> because last year I believe we had six ceremonies there and this year we only
have four there. >> Understand? So, um, regarding the performing arts center, um, board member Bulman raised, uh, similar concerns, um, that I have and I know, um, that the performing arts center authority is
sponsoring 36,000. Dr. Hebrron, are we was this a part of the negotiation? Are we looking to um have those um credits in subsequent years or is this um just possibly a one-time part of this year's
negotiation? >> Go ahead. >> So, every year is an annual negotiation. Um and Miss Brown, you can correct me if I'm wrong. when we um went back to them because we needed to of course um have
or reach out to last year's entities, they then understanding, you know, what we're going through as as a school district worked with us, but every year it's an annual process. So, um, as the superintendent said, moving forward, trying to work with, um, some of our
elected officials and other municipal leaders to look at maybe can we do, um, long long-term, when I say long-term, two or threeyear type, um, negotiations, uh, for one or two venues across the county, then that is something that we seek to do. But right now, it it's been
an annual process. And Miss Brown, if I misspoke, please correct anything. >> You are correct. >> Okay. So, I'd like to um thank the Broad Center for Performing Arts for um continuing to work with us and um I'd like to encourage uh all of our
municipalities, Broad County um to be to continue to be a partner with us and to um provide amicable um sort of uh agreements with us that that takes into consideration the financial constraints of our school district um as we move
forward. And I'd like to also comment that um when this board uh supported um cost-saving measures regarding graduation, it has always been in the interest of our students um but at the same time simultaneously being fiscally responsible considering our financial
constraints. So the majority of the board who supported and looked at ways in which we could save on graduations, it was in the best interest of our students um while being fiscally responsible as it pertains to the financial concerns that this this
district has. Um so thank you so much Madam Chair. Just want to make that point. >> Thank you Dr. Zean. >> All right. Any other board discussion? All in favor of MM2 say I. >> I. All oppose say no. Item passes unanimously. Could I get a motion and a
second on O1? >> So moved. >> Moved by Dr. Zean, second by Miss Hixon. Public comment on O1. >> No comment. >> Board member comment. Miss Bulman. My questions were answered about this. I actually um
was uh I talked to um Miss Vermosa regarding um whether or not we were having duplicative uh programming and she uh confirmed to me that not only had she already um
addressed this when she first took the position, but that she had eliminated $1.4 $4 million in duplicative platform um in the past two years. So um my questions have been answered. Thank you. >> Thank you. Could we please have decorum
in the audience? I can't hear my colleague. All right. Any other board discussion? >> All in favor of O1 say I. >> I. >> All oppose say no. Item passes unanimously. Did I get a motion and a second on O3? >> So moved.
>> Moved by Dr. Zean, second by Miss Hixon. Public comment on O3. >> No comment. >> Board member comment, Mr. Sea. >> He said no. >> Other board discussion on O3. All in favor of O3 say I. >> I.
>> All oppose say no. Item passes unanimously. Could I get a motion in a second on O6? >> So move. >> Moved by Dr. Zean, second by Miss Rupert. Public comment on 06. >> No comment. >> Did you mean five chair? >> Sorry. >> Did you mean five?
>> No, I I pulled O6. It's not on the list, but I pulled it that we didn't approve it at the beginning of the meeting. Um, public comment on O6. Sorry, >> no comment. >> Board member comment. I had some questions for staff on O6. Um my first question is how long have we
been using this this software for dual language? >> Um Dr. Fulton. Oh, >> go ahead. Miss >> Sal. Yeah, see she's in the back. >> Okay, I'm here. >> Um and I I do want to flag I did pull this late. Um I was reviewing a
follow-up that I had received. So I I did try to I asked my questions ahead of time, but I had some additional questions that came up after I received the followup. Um, so I I wanted to address those concerns right here. Good afternoon. Vicki
Sadala, director for bilingual ESAU. So just to be clear, uh, Amira Learning, which is what we're adopting today for approval, we started using it in November of 2025. Previous to that, we had I Stationation Espanol, but they merged with Amida
Learning. So Amita Learning per se is a new product. >> Okay, got it. Um, and in the executive summary, it doesn't, and maybe I'm missing this, it doesn't identify this as an AI software, but in the followup that we received, um, it says Amira
Learning is an artificial intelligence platform that listens, assesses, and tutors in real time to help every student become a proficient reader. Um so I just wanted to flag that because my other question would be around um like have we thought about what what measures
we've taken to make sure that students can use this safely are do we have any ethical use standards around using this AI platform um that we've implemented for both our our educators using it and our students. >> I think Dr. Cole was gonna
>> so the answer is yes. So just like that in in Magic School, we went through the same safety protocols uh to vet those those resources and on June 5th, we'll also be sharing those guidelines uh as around clear ethical guidelines for both
the students and uh the educators. That'll also be rolled out during pre-planning week uh for all teachers through the AI leaison. And so there have been an intense vetting uh process. Uh so all of our suite of AI XRVR resources uh will go through that
process and on June 16th we'll come back to you not only with the draft of what we consider the policy but all of the suite of resources that really come with both the teacher and the student usage. >> Got it. Um my other I I guess in that
vein I would hope that we like overcommunicate um with parents the the ethical use and and all of that those guidelines that we we are developing or have developed. >> Yeah. So I I I heard clearly when we did the board walk around with the magic
school and uh on June 5th there's a specific parent track that we'll be inviting parents to go through around literacy ethical responsibilities and if you recall even um in the agreement with the wieners they set aside over $100,000
just for parent training. So because there is a commitment to make sure parents are informed about all of the uses and uh what we do uh from a student perspective. >> Got it. Um my other question is around maybe and
maybe this is a question for the general counsel to what extent do we need parental consent uh for the for students using AI an AI platform? >> That's a good question that I'll have to uh research and I'll also have to look
at if we have a policy on it what's our acceptable use policy is as well. >> Okay. I would I would really like uh the a memo on that. >> And then if I can add here um a lot of um previous um edge software that we've used um always had components of AI we
used to call it adaptable software and so I think you see >> uh these companies be merging or enhancing their language. They're now using the term AI instead of adaptable. But it's very closed loop um like it's they can't access it's not pulling
information from the worldwide web. It's it's only pulling information within that software based on the students current capabilities and giving them insights of what they should do next to master a craft. So I think we're seeing more of that um when you talk about this type of solution than uh co-pilot and
things like that. So we're seeing a a name a name change on certain things just to make it more um um desirable by um to purchase. >> Got it. It's just, you know, in the follow-up it says that this is a platform that listens, assesses, and tutors in real time. So, I I would be
interested like offline if I could kind of use the like do a test use um to see what that looks like. But um if I'm a parent reading that like it makes me think that this AI platform is something that is going back and forth communicating with my child. Um so, I
just want to be clear about what that actually looks like. >> Miss Aldala, >> that's not a problem. we can get you a demo license for yourself. >> And again, just the same way you read it, you know, we're using it for our dual language classrooms actually per the request of many parents because we
were um eliminating I Stationation Espanol and that's what we're being what we're using not just the teacher in the classroom, but a lot of our students go home to a monolingual a monolingual home and they have no one to practice the language with. So, just like Dr. Heepard said, they practice through the tutor
program part of it where they will speak in Spanish. It will listen to them only and give them feedback in Spanish around their oral language proficiency and it is aligned to science of reading as well. >> Got it. And just as a side note like in my student roundts I heard over and over
again from our English language learners that they use AI to to to help them. >> Um so I'm not just I'm not opposed to it. I just want to make sure that we're doing it in an ethical and safe way. Um because they have found it very helpful.
Um my other question was related to the followup. You know, I asked for data to support that this is successful in delivering results for students and I saw comparative data like students who didn't use it and students who did from other counties. Um I didn't maybe I
missed it. I didn't see that for our for our school district. I saw that like you know the the performance of our students was increasing but I didn't see that necessarily tied to the use of this platform. So, I'm wondering if we have that information. >> Not yet because it's new to us. >> Got it. Oh, yeah. Because we started in
November of 2025. Okay. Um Okay. All right. Thank you so much. I know Dr. Zean, you had a question. >> Yeah. Just one small point and then maybe a larger point for the board's consideration. Um uh it's so important to have data that kind of justifies this
is $100,000. This isn't anywhere near our most expensive software. Uh but to the extent, Mr. superintendent, when we approve these contracts, I don't want every time to say, "Oh, and by the way, let's gather some data so that when we're done with 6 months or a year, we can come back and and show." And
sometimes it's really hard to do that. Like, you don't want to deny students the right to cool software just so you have a control group, right? Um, so I know that there's implicit difficulties in getting that, but there's just, you know, an incredible need. And your response to Miss Leonard's questions, I had the same questions. you know, she
asked a question and and and it it couldn't be answered because there wasn't sufficient data. >> Uh I suspect that that answer isn't going to be working in 6 months from now when contracts come back when the money gets tighter >> and uh people are looking to, you know, kind of the default will be a no rather
than a yes. Um I just want everybody to know that we're going to need more data to be able to say yes uh going forward. Second point, which is much more global, is there's no software that's being made that doesn't either create itself with AI or have AI components in it. And to the superintendent's point, whether you call it adaptive learning, whether you
call it large language models or neural linguistic programming, um the the time that has it takes to write software over the past 3 months has fallen by 80%. And the reason you can make software in
four weeks instead of four months is because AI is writing the software. And to Mrs. Leonard's very appropriate point that scares the hell out of me because there's no human being anymore writing and coming up with like normal safeguards for tools. And so virtually all the software we make is going to
need some kind of uh review to make sure that the machines that are doing the coding have the same kind of guidelines that we've always assumed that human-based programming would do. And I don't think we can assume that. I think we really have to think hard about putting some guardrails in given it's great that the speed of processing and
the amount of software that comes out is better and faster, cheaper all the time, but it doesn't mean that it's safer and because the human is no longer in the loop of writing code and because there are changes in what the implicit code even
does. So you write code, it's got some AI in it, that's not stable. It changes. And so every time chair we we look at software the test is going to be incredibly difficult to come up with with uh with with making sure that it's
not just ethically appropriate and non-risisky but it stays ethically appropriate and it stays at an acceptable level of risk. So this is a big challenge to school districts in the whole nation because the world changed about six months ago and there's no code
that comes out anymore that doesn't have AI components and there's no code that comes out that wasn't augmented by AI tools to write the code and so uh it's it's a whole new world and I hope that we can figure out you know how to make sure that we're operating safely. Thanks chair. >> Thank you. Any other board member
discussion? All in favor of O6 say I. >> I. All oppose say no. Item passes unanimously. Could I get a motion and a second on O10? >> So move. >> Moved by Dr. Zean, second by Miss Hixon. Public comment on O10.
>> Dr. Natalie Lynch Walsh. >> Good. Oh, just afternoon. Dr. Natalie Lynch Walsh, Plantation, Florida. Madam Chair, you are speeding through the agenda so fast I keep adding items to speak to. Um, so on this item, which I think is the biggest ticket item on
today's agenda at 36 million, I know we get desensitized to some of these numbers. Um, first thing that stands out for me is the word piggyback. That's like a four-letter word and should be to everybody else. Um, we heard earlier that food nutrition is operating at a
loss. Um, one of the things we looked at at DAC for um, and I think actually facilities task force because it started with Stranahan. um is meal participation rates. So in terms of having standards for how information is brought to you, data is
just data. You there's a lot of data dumps. I didn't see any here, but when they say return on investment, it mentions providing meal service, which is not quite the same as increasing meal participation rates. So you're about to
approve 36 million for food that is fed to kids. and I haven't looked at the food in a while. My kids tended to pack a lunch which was kind of telling. What are you feeding them? You've had discussions and at the next workshop you're going to be talking about
um meal benefits. Don't know what it is because there's no backup yet on the item. But it's always interesting to me how sometimes the contracts come to you and then you have a discussion at a workshop that seems to be related. Don't know if that's happening here, but it tends to happen a lot. So, I'm not
saying that it's through any fault of food nutritions that the food may you want to make sure that you're getting food that the kids are eating. And the way you know that they're eating is the meal participation rates, which I did not see mentioned here. Yes, they can they can provide x number of millions of
meals annually, but how many kids are eating it versus the ones that are not? Do are there things that are preventing kids from eating like long lunch lines because you made the cafeteria too small and now there's only two serving lines when you needed three? Do you have two
lunches when you should have three? These are all things that impact whether kids are eating the food or not. So, you could also be spending money on food that's perfectly fine, but people aren't eating it because they don't have time. So, I would like to see these are the types of standards that are missing from
these board items. and what are the meal participation rates for the past few years? It can't just like with the referendum, don't just show what's currently being proposed. Show what you did in the past so you can compare and the board has something to work with. Um, and again, starting with piggyback
and it's 36 million. That's a lot of money and I hope you have some discussion about whether the kids are actually eating it. What are the meal participation rates? Because they did differ. They were very low at Stranahan which had an old cafeteria. So that partially explained it, but there were
other places where the meal participation rates were kind of low and that was surprising. So I hope um we'll see what happens. >> No other speakers. >> Thank you, Dr. Azan. >> Thanks, Chair. Um chair, if we don't act today on this, is there any impact on
our ability to deliver food next year to our students? >> Dr. Heepern. >> Yes, that's a a correct statement. >> Um just to be clear, this contract starts on July 1st. So if we do not act today, is there any impact on the school delivery to students next year
>> for next school year? >> Yes. >> I apologize. Uh today is April >> 7th. If we uh took this up two weeks from now, I think chair we have a schoolboard meeting on the 21st as well. A special >> correct.
>> If we pass this on the 21st instead of the 7th, would that impact our ability to deliver food next year to our students? Well, um let let me have the food and nutrition uh staff uh provide that information. I don't know if this impacts uh the membership or the prices
that we're securing on the on the piggyback which is significantly lower um than uh otherwise going out a different way. >> Good afternoon everybody. My name is Casey Majio. I'm the current coordinator for food nutrition services. So to answer your question for two weeks it's not going to impact whether we deliver on July 1st or not.
>> Thank you very much. >> But I wouldn't like to not wait any further than that if that's possible. Please, >> are you done? >> Yes, sir. >> Thank you. Um, I cannot do this anymore and I hope you guys think hard about this. Uh, you are
saying that you're going to spend $36 million on a contract on a piggyback contract for which there is zero analysis in this package that this is the best plan. So chair, do we have any evidence that this piggyback contract is better than the hundreds of other
piggyback contracts that are available to buy this uh supply? >> Dr. Hepern. >> Yes, I can have the food nutrition staff provide some detail. >> So currently the power buying group is the largest buying group for food for school districts in the state. We have almost 600 uh schools that utilize the
power buying group. Two years ago, we utilized US foods using our own contract and we were 425 a case to be delivered using the power buying group. It's now reduced to 355. We save over $600,000 just in delivery fees using power buying group. In addition to that, I have a lot
of savings about 2 to 3% reduction in the bulk buying utilizing almost 600 schools using the power buying group. So overall, we do see a reduction in our budget utilizing the power buying group. >> Terrific. Um and I'm glad to learn that. Um, have any other pig
>> have any other piggyback contracts been assessed this year to see if that's still the case? >> Um, well, the pirate buying group does a uh market basket every year evaluating our food prices on other manufacturers and distributors. They do that once or twice a year to utilize and make sure that we are getting the um most cost
savings possible. So this uh one extent contract between one school district and the suppliers which is picked up by power as a buying group is the lowest price and highest quality and fastest delivery and
everything else put together that Broward County can get at this time. >> Um to to my knowledge, yes. >> Terrific. Um I appreciate that. It's going to be important. It's going to be very important uh when we use this shortcut called piggyback when we don't compete. Uh we are a big district all by
ourselves and we exist in one place >> and we always have an option to go out and define what we need and go out and get competitive prices and and maybe adjust some things in our statement of of work, you know, so that we can get an even better deal than consortiums can
who get prices for so many people they can't always do the same kind of tailored agreements. Uh I'm really uh glad to hear about this, but every time a piggyback comes before this board, I'm going to ask the same question. We have got to make sure that we're picking the
right piggyback. It's just too easy and everyone's stressed and we're about to lose a thousand staff and and those are the staff, the requirements officers that go out and do this hard work. But um >> as the person that works one-on-one with the power buying group, they actually
add a lot of value for us. They do a lot of reports and um budgeting and um a lot of things that help me out quite a bit to be honest. >> They're phenomenal >> and and I that just kind of makes my point which is it's real easy to use other people and it's real easy to do
piggybacks. That does not mean for $36 million we're getting the greatest value in this case. I'm convinced by what you've shared today uh that that this is a good contract, but we have to be very mindful as a board to spend other people's monies in a way that they are very comfortable with us doing that.
>> And this is not an issue with FNS or with this particular contract, but piggybacks are too easy in some ways. And I've seen piggybacks come through with no analysis and no justification, verbal or otherwise, uh to make sense. And that's just not a good way to spend other people's money. Thank you. So I on
my own did a tri county comparison of Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach to utilize who's using PowerBI group and who's not and the price differences between all three. So we did um do partially of that to make sure that we were getting the most bang for our buck. But thank you so much. Have a great day.
>> Thank you. Um Dr. Zean, are you done? >> I am. >> Miss Thompson, >> thank you chair. And thank you so much staff for for your cander and your um deep research into this issue to make sure that we are providing uh an
important resource for our students which is lunch which we have to purchase. So I would not be in favor of pushing this back. Um, I only pulled this item because we talk a lot um with our constituents about the quality of
food um that our our students are receiving and how we would like to pull in more um local based partnerships and farmers and um or even like urban gardening at our school locations. And I
was wondering if either in this item or at some point we can have a very thorough discussion about how we can make our lunches better at a reasonable cost. >> Yes, absolutely. Um as you were uh Miss uh Moulder is actually retiring. So uh
we'll be hiring a new executive um director of food and nutrition. And so once that person gets on staff, um some of the expectations I have as well um um especially fresh from Florida, we want to we're one of the two largest producers of of um vegetables and and
fruits um in the country. Um so we have a lot of upside to make sure we're utilizing some of our local farmers and vendors. >> Thank you. I just wanted to make sure that that conversation will still be continuing. Um and also I just again really appreciate staff for all your
research on this. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Sea. >> Thank you, Chair. Um, I want to echo some of Dr. Zean's comments, but before I do, I want to be very clear and on the record that I'm very pro school meals, breakfast and
lunch. Um during my entire tenure growing up in Broward County Public Schools, uh I ate breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria at my respective schools um pretty much every day. And every time I do a school visit throughout District
6, I always make it a point to go in and eat in the cafeteria. So I am very pro uh school lunch and school breakfast. Um, that being said, the $36 million price tag obviously uh got my ears to to perk up here. Um, Dr. Heepern, we heard
from one of the speakers about this meal participation rate and there was an insinuation that it seemed to be on the decline over the last several years. Um, I'd like to hear some of the data uh on that to see where we are today as
compared to oh, I don't know, five years ago. um food nutrition if we have that data, but I would expect a decline um because we've lost 40,000 students over the past 10 years. So, we're feeding feeding less students as as well um because they're not in our buildings. But um I don't
know if you guys have that data with you if you can. >> So, I'm not aware of the 5 years ago data, but when we were um no charge for everybody, we actually went up about 7% in our participation, but this year since now we're back to applications, we actually have been reduced by about 10%.
So I'm going to take the when we were feeding everybody comment to mean approximately 2020 when the COVID pandemic struck. >> So no last year when it was free for all we had an increase in participation when there was no charge for any student. We had an increase in participation and since we went back to applications off
of C this year our participation has decreased. >> Okay. But what I what I want to understand respectfully is you said there was when we quote unquote when we started feeding everyone there was a 7% increase. >> Yes sir. From a calendar perspective, when did that start?
>> Um the beginning of the school year >> of last year. So she's referring to um we did not charge students to eat lunch or breakfast uh probably what the past four or five years. >> Well, we've been universal free breakfast for over 10 years. So it would
be lunch. >> And then lunch, free lunch or no charge to lunch started when? >> Um Mark, was that last year? prior to the pandemic. >> Okay. Prior to the pandemic.
>> Okay. So, so if my if I heard you correctly, this year, the 2025 2026 school year, we've experienced a 10% decrease >> approximately >> in school lunch participation. >> Yes, sir. >> Okay.
Um, in regards to the the the piggyback um facet, we heard some of the concerns and and uh I don't think I need to beat a dead horse about what my position on piggybacks are. Um, I guess my question is this, and this is certainly not a a
knock on Highlands County, Florida in any way, shape, or form. I enjoy Highlands County. Sebring International Raceway is a nice venue if anyone ever has a chance to visit. Um, that being said, that is a very small county. I believe the population of Highlands
County is like a 100,000 uh people in the entire county. Um, I mean, I've I've got almost triple that in in in my district. Um, so my my question is first off, why Highlands County? number
one. And number two, what other portions uh in the state or nation did we look at for competitive piggyback bids that we can potentially bring to this board for consideration uh for our students uh meal plans?
>> So, we have not looked nationwide for piggyback. Um Power Buying Group, as I already mentioned, is the largest um in the state of Florida. Um as I already stated, it has almost 600 schools. So yes, we are the largest school district on this piggyback for sure. The second largest district if I believe off the
top of my head is around 60 to 70 schools is the second largest on the power buying group. But >> yeah, so it's not a um a piggyback just solely off of Highlands County. They're actually the lead um on the contract. So that's why you'll see Highlands County. There's uh multiple school districts
across the state that are that are part of this group >> currently 16. >> Okay. Um and and I'll I'll close with this inquiry. I I keep hearing that this power group is is the largest >> in the state of Florida >> in the state. Okay. Uh which is can
maybe be a good thing, right? Um largest doesn't necessarily mean the best. Largest doesn't necessarily mean the best deal, right? Uh I mean large Walmart is probably what the largest retailer in the country and and and I would argue how great Walmart is. They still kind of sell some crappy stuff
there from time to time, right? So, uh, are we solely fixated on this piggyback contract because they're quote unquote the largest with this power group or was this more of a financial consideration that we took in? What made this ultimate determination?
>> So, it was a financial decision. We were able to reduce the case count um for delivery. And so, as you can imagine with how large we are serving almost 27 million meals a school year, we have a lot of cases that come into our district. And so pri prior to the power buying group, we were paying um 425 a
case to have it delivered to each school. With the power buying group, we were able to reduce that to 355 a case. So just right off the bat, we were able to save um almost $600,000 according to my calculations right off the bat. >> Who else besides the power group did you give consideration to for this contract?
>> Well, with the power buying group, um they use Cisco. So that's how we were able to use the mainline distributor Cisco. before we were US foods. >> Did we consider US food in this analysis of making this determination? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, you used um
>> Cisco and US foods. Anybody else? >> So, there's only certain large enough companies, mainline distributors, that can actually deliver to all of our approximately 238 schools and centers. Um there's other mainline distributors that are out there, but obviously, as you know more than I do, they have to bid on us.
Was there no other mainline distributors that could have been considered for a piggyback other than the one we're using now with the power group? >> Not to my knowledge. Okay. >> Thank you, chair. >> Thank you, Miss Bulman. >> Thank you. Um I just wanted to
compliment the work that you're doing here. you're answering these questions um very well and holding up to a lot of >> tough questioning which I think we could probably um put on some other items uh with this kind of vigorousness that um
because clearly this has been well researched and very supported by the evidence. So I just wanted to tell you appreciate your work and um keep up the good work. You're doing a great job. >> We work very hard at food nutrition services. We really find nutrition as our passion and to feed our kids the
healthiest, best quality food that we possibly can with what we have. So, thank you for that >> and it shows. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. All in favor of O10 say I. >> All oppose say no. Item passes. >> Thank you everybody. Good afternoon. >> Thank you. Did I get a motion and a
second on O1? >> Moved by uh Miss Reer, second by Miss Hixon. Public comment on O1. >> No comment. >> Board member comment. Uh Dr. Hoes. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um yes, uh I
think we are back on to this item. Okay. Um Dr. Hepern, >> regarding um O11 um um the amount that's mentioned here, has this amount already been allocated
or is this additional funding just >> No, this has already been allocated and encumbered. our our uh mission was to continue to work with schools and staff to see if we can continue to decline the amount of uh funds that we need and u we told the board initially I think early
spring when we came came to to the board uh with a request for substitutes that we were going to come back we would didn't want to ask for everything right up front we wanted to work with the team but we nonetheless also already encumbered the amount that we expected that we would need to finish out the year and this is what this is right now.
>> All right that's it for me madam chair. Thank you. And just so everyone's aware, we do have uh an attorney client session scheduled for 12:45. So, if you could just keep that in mind when we're giving our comments. Miss Rupert, >> is that meant for me? >> No, it's meant for everyone.
>> I was joking. I was joking. Um, thank you. I actually um I had some questions when looking at the uh I guess the executive summary on the third page um toward the bottom. Fiscal year
projected funds and spending authority requested and then it says budgeted and current fiscal year it says no. And then total requested spending authority. Um you look under budgeted and current year it says yes and no. Um
same thing as the the bottom part fiscal year 23 to 26. Uh budgeted and current fiscal year it says yes and no. So how can it be both? >> What page you miss? >> Um it's the chart. The first chart. I
want to say it's page three for me. It's page four on the online. >> I'm sorry. >> Executive >> I can't hear you. We stop >> the executive summary. >> It should be I think that's a misprint.
Should be. Yes, >> that's >> you're talking about the the bottom. If you if you're starting at the bottom, the second line up. >> Is that what you're referring to, Mr. Rert? >> I'm well actually third line. Uh, budgeted and current school year. Um,
no. And then underneath that, total requested, it says yes, no. And then the bottom one says yes, no. So if the chart, it's my questions earlier about the bottom one. The next one, >> I'm going to come over because I see something different just to take a look.
>> Okay. There you go. >> We will do a twominut recess. Heat. Heat. Black All right, Miss Rupert. >> Thank you. Um I my question has been answered. Thank
you. Um but I do want to make one statement and it's not about me receiving something else. It was um we're we all talk about budgeting and we do the the actual uh amounts when they
come to us for original approval spending authority and then they come back. Um, however, when they keep going over what we've talked about and what we've agreed upon, that just is like, and I think Miss Thompson or one of my
colleagues that said this before, um, could have been you, Dr. um, Zean, right? Could have been you. But anyways, it was, hey, you know exactly how much you're going to do for your utilities and you don't go over, you know, and and when I grew up, it was my daddy ran
around the house and went through and made sure we had the lights turned off uh and the air conditioning not so cold, so you you knew what your budget was for that month. Same thing about this. Um, I won't be supporting it, not because I don't uh appreciate this, but I won't be
supporting it because it's just over budget. I think um I would prefer that if we gave our um our teachers an adequate amount of of money, there would be less subs. So, for that reason, I'm going to decline to vote for this.
Thank you. >> All right. Yeah, >> Dr. Zean. >> Thanks, Chair. Um when we look at these data, we see that the need for substitutes over the past 2 years is up 36%. That is a big jump. Um I'm curious,
chair, if the superintendent has any uh wisdom he'd like to share with us about why the need for substitutes is up 36% in the last two years, because that is what drives this need for $5.2 million. if we hadn't had that substantial increase and the need for substitutes,
uh, we wouldn't need the extra spend authority. So, I'm curious if the superintendent has any explanation about why we're up 36% in two years. >> Um, no, no real insight on that. Every district I've been in has been for spe. I've been in districts where people take
off on payday Friday. Um, I've been in uh uh districts where um you know uh religiously taken off a couple of days per month. So, no real specific insight. Um uh I've been in several large school
districts and it's the the same kind of pattern um that you see um for most of the large school districts and probably some of the the small ones too. But is there anything different in 25 26 than there was in 23 24 that would suggest such a big increase in teachers
calling out from uh their instructional days? Right now >> they have 180 instructional days and the average teacher is missing 18 days. >> Not that I'm aware of. >> So no no no particular insights into that and I'm very uh leaning toward Miss Rupert's uh position on this. You know
we we as a board need to understand why we need this money. Not just that we need this money. I mean I get it. we need this money, but there needs to be a why behind this when you see such a big amount. I would love to query parents and say, "Hey, what do you think about your teacher missing one day every two
weeks in Broward County Public Schools?" I believe that there is a some underlying drivers to this. I think we need to understand them. I think we need to explain them to the community. I think we need to address them and change whatever is causing this massive amount uh of of increase. um one because it's
expensive, but two uh substitutes generally don't provide the same level of educational uh delivery that you get out of traditional uh you know full-time teacher that's aware of the syllabus, aware of students needs, more aware of of things like that. So, um I'm worried
about this. We are a double A district. We're doing great job in in so many different regards. This seems to be an Achilles heel to us though. Um and and I would like to learn more. Would it be okay uh chair then to ask the superintendent just as a follow on maybe to look into this and give us an answer
about um any kind of good theories about this increase over the past two years? >> Dr. Aurn. >> Oh yes, >> I appreciate that. >> Yeah, we can have the team do some research. >> I I would just like to learn again um to Miss Rouper's point, it's a lot of money and it's just an unforeseen need. This
is not a utility increase of 3.2% that everybody in the county pays. uh this is this is a substantial increase over the past two years. Uh I don't want to blame the vendor. This is not a comment about the vendor or it's it's about wow I'm glad the vendor could could kind of meet
the dramatic increase. But I do worry about as our substitute load grows, not only is instructional time with the full-time teacher going down, but we're dipping further and further into the talent pool of Broward County to get more and more substitutes. Uh something else that just uh doesn't
sit well with me. Thank you, chair. >> Thank you, Miss Hixon. >> Thank you. Um, Dr. Hepper, can you tell us um if this wasn't to pass, what would be the consequences of that? >> Um, I think, um, everybody and every
volunteer that we can pull out of the county would have to go cover classes upon the teacher being absent. So it's it's very I mean as we've mentioned it's an unforeseen issue and you know we get change orders that are
unforeseen and we pay them without asking a whole lot of questions because we say it's unforeseen. I actually wanted to ask the union president but I don't is she still here? if she could maybe give us a little insight as to um
I mean I'm sure that they they collect some information to find out as a teacher I could give you some thoughts as to you know why that possibly could be true and you know we hear it a lot over and over so Mrs. Fusco, if you
could come up. Anna, if you could come the >> I missed a question. >> Yes. So, the the discussion here is why are we seeing such an increase of needs of substitutes this year? So, I'm just wondering if as BTU
>> what you've heard from teachers or are you doing any kind of study that >> Absolutely we are, but Mrs. Rockolman would like to say something and then I will chime in. >> Okay, great. Thank you. I would just like to point out Susan Rocklman talent management. Um that remember that we provide not only substitute teachers for
our instructional classroom teachers, we also provide substitutes for our ESPs, our teacher assistants and classroom assistants while they're absent as well. So this is a combination of both. Our ESP vacancies have increased as well as our um teacher vacancies for ES because
we have been um our ESSE population has been going up. So those are the ones that those vacancies take us a little bit longer to try to find and fill. So hence that could be the reason part of the wine Dr. Zean but we'll definitely research more in depth. Miss Fusco
even though you know I support Susan Rockman her and her department I believe the Kelly subs is very costly but there's multiple ration of why our educators are taking more time off which I started
At the beginning of the school year when I told you the impact that has grown in the schools of the pressures of these walkthroughs and the testing and the downbeat of the data instead of letting
them take their planning time to plan, it's data chats. It's meeting after meeting. you're doing it to the principles and then the principles have to do it to them because you want to keep an A-rated district on the by any means necessary. So people are feeling
stressed and anxiety and they want to be there full and full of energy and and like me Anna Fusco I never miss a beat cuz I don't let people beat me down and I try to get it through to the nine of you to stop it while all of them sit
here creating their ways on how to walk through schools and in classrooms and make the teacher feel like they're just not doing it good enough. And that's a fact. So they need to take time. I deal with sick leave bank. I deal with FMLA.
I deal with the leaves department. I deal with benefits. I deal with early retirement with multiple educators and our support staff of the rationale on making sure that they're taking their time off properly and if they realize that they're in PLV status, how to get
out of it. And it's it's a big weight on them to where they just want to come in and teach. They don't need an entourage of this type of group walking through their classrooms all the time. And then you're doing it to our coaches.
And then you're doing these this group here has their people going and doing it. They're teachers that are facilitators that are going into the classrooms doing this. It's it's just it's just a big big big pressure on them. Imagine an
anifus on their backs all day every day. You think they're not going to take time off? Of course they are. This is teachers and educators getting it with a group of people walking in. When you guys walk in, they're pretty much happy
to see you because they know that you're here for the good of them and you're not here on I gotchas. Even though some of our admin are pressured that the schoolboard members are coming need to do this, you need and you better not I I told you this. You're not seeing the testing when you're
walking in. You think it's not planned? Of course, it's planned. Those are things that's pressures. I had this now I've got to change my my planning and my schedule because we're getting these walkthroughs because we're getting this pressure. And what do they need to do? They need to take time off.
And then let's talk about medicines that are taken away. Medicines are important to people. It keeps them sane. It helps them. That's why we have great people out there creating medicines and great doctors that decide on what we need to
do to keep us healthy. Again, I'm not a person that has medicines, but comes the day that I may need it. If my doctor says take it, I'm going to listen to the doctor and not board members that decide that it's not important enough. So,
that's the rationale of why. And we're always trying to work with our um members of preventative measures that we worked hard to keep in our insurance. And God, I pray you guys don't take that away to help preventiveness to not have
to need meds with through acupuncture and different techniques of meditation and mindfulness that also helps with cutting down >> um absences. So here's where we sit with that. Those are the truths. This is not the first time you've heard me say it.
We're going with 6 weeks left of school and they're still walking through our schools pressuring them. So, usually towards the end of the year when we're out of um holidays and you're going to see you're going to see absences go up, but I'll give them this. They are very
conscious to not be absent during testing because they care about our students and they want them to succeed. I would like you guys to take that in consideration. Let's not consider that you're not giving them a raise. They have to work two and three jobs. So sometimes they might take a position that I need to take some rest so I can
go make more money so I can support my family. Those are the rationale. Thank you for letting me speak. >> Yes, thank you so much. And just, you know, based based on that, I had a feeling that was going to be the answer. I would hope that we look into how we
can support teachers in a way that doesn't require them. So, I don't think you have to vote no on this to get us to to study that and be able to do better in that respect because at this point, if we don't give the extra money, um,
students are going to have nobody. They're going to put them in in an auditorium. Sarah, Norah, and I, we've seen that before. There's no subs. Five classes go in auditorium with one teacher because they don't have subs. So, I understand why you might want to
not support this in terms of other things, but you really have to understand what the consequences are if we don't have funding for substitutes to to go out the rest of this year. Thank you. >> All right, we're going to pause the conversation because we do have to go into attorney client session. So, we'll
come back to this item. I know I have several board members who would like to still speak. So, board members, I am advised that the general counsel would like to request an attorney client session. General counsel. Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to request the school board convene an attorney Klein
session in order to discuss litigation pending before the circuit court of the 17th judicial circuit. >> Could we please have decorum in the audience? We need to read this into the record in and for Broward County, Florida and the following matter. Florida International Consulting
Engineers Design versus the School Board of Broward County, Florida. AOM Technical Services, Inc. and Kathleen Langan, the school board of Broward County, Florida versus Hary International, case number 2320213. The following persons will attend this
attorney client session. School board members Sarah Leorardi, chair, Dr. Jeff Holmes, our vice chair, Lorie Aldah, Mora McCarthy Bowman, Adam Sea, >> Deborah Hixon, Nora Rupert, Rebecca
Thompson, Dr. Alan Zean, Dr. Howard Heburn, superintendent of schools and outside counsel, Edward Lowour of the law firm of Becker and Polikoff. Uh Thomas Cooney, assistant general counsel, and myself, Kathy Duprey Bruno, general counsel.
In anticipation of this request, the attorney client session was properly advertised for today, April 7th, 2026 at 12:45 p.m. in accordance with section 286.011 subsection 8 of the Florida statute. The purpose of the attorney client session is to discuss settlement negotiations
and/or strategy relative to the pending litigation. A certified court reporter will record the session and only those persons noted in the advertisement will be permitted to attend. At this time, the school board of Broward County, Florida will recess the regular schoolboard meeting for an attorney client session. The attorney client
session will be held in the 10th floor conference room at the Kathleen Cright Administration Center, 600 Southeast 3rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 3331. The attorney client session will take approximately 30 minutes. At the conclusion of the business of the attorney client session, the rule the
regular schoolboard meeting will reconvene. Hey, hey, hey. Heat. Heat. Hey, hey, hey. Heat. Heat. Hey, hey, hey. Hey,
hey, hey. Okay. Baby, pick up. Heat. Hey, Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Hey, hey, hey. Heat. Heat. Down. Down. Heat. Heat. N. time. Heat. Heat. Do you want me? Hey,
hey, hey. I want to do. Heat. Heat. Hey, hey, hey. Down down down down down. Heat. Heat. N.
Heat. Heat. Hey. This regular school board meeting is now reconvened. Miss Hixon, we are uh still on O1. >> Yeah, thank you. I just wanted to make the point that we need to make an action plan moving
forward as the district to see how we can better support our teachers so that we decrease the absences. But saying no to this item doesn't accomplish that. So, I think it's important we understand that
as much as we don't like spending the additional money, if we do not cover the cost of this, it's going to come at a consequence to to teachers and staff in a school because if there are no substitutes there, there's going to be no adult in front of those or one adult
for a very large number of students at a time. So, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Civera. >> Thank you, chair. Um, I want to thank Miss Rupert for her comments, which I tend to agree with uh on this particular matter. Um, I think if we did a better
job of paying and funding our our teachers as a district, we wouldn't um find the need for as many substitute teachers as we currently uh are looking at. Um, Mr. Superintendent, I did have a question. you did make reference to the fact that there are certain district
level employees that could potentially fill the need for these substitutes if in fact um this agenda item did not pass. Um first off, sir, do we do we actually have enough apples to apples
district level staff to fill that? Um, and if not, how close are we to being able to fill the uh exact number if they were to be replaced by district level staff? >> Um, that's a no. And that will be uh very far off of the number covering um
uh schools. Um, you would literally need every central office staff um in the district to cover that. So there would be an expectation that other work across the system um would not be would not be done if if that was the the the case.
>> So in your professional opinion that would not be feasible. >> No, that that wouldn't be feasible. >> Thank you sir. >> Mrs. Alada. >> All right. So on uh page two, so I haven't really worked this all out,
but it's in my head and just kind of bring this idea out there. The spending authority of the $5,200,000 that we would be giving to support subsue teachers.
What if there was a way, and I don't know how this all works, Dr. Heburn, if if I'm a teacher, and instead of me taking the day off and then requiring a substitute teacher, I was to then get
the funding that that substitute teacher would be paid to for me as the teacher to actually teach and not take the day off. And then it would increase the teachers staying and teaching their
class. And I think this would help paying teachers more money and then there would be less substitute teachers. I know I mean still that 5,200,000 would be we would be uh allocating it
but it would in turn increase student uh learning engagement and teachers possibly staying and then also getting paid more um money. Now I I like the theory um but you got to remember
there's a large portion of teachers that don't take off, right? So, you're rewarding the teacher that did that is taking off to stay, but what about the teachers who are already in the building who never take off? Um, and then there's an and we're providing an incentive for teachers to to not take off. I think you
will blow through your the $5.2 million in probably a week, >> right? Because if I'm a teacher that doesn't ever take off, I'm going to take off now, >> right? And with the incentive of staying and then >> and then the money is just done in in short order. Um, so it's
Then now I'm concerned about the teachers who never take off. That's that's the first thing that comes to mind. If we're going to provide incentives for teachers that are taking off. >> Okay. What if we flipped it and reward it from this? So, say we don't
say we take half of this money, we put it to substitute teachers, but then we reward the teachers that are not taking off and give them the other, you know, millions of dollars. >> No, I like the idea. I just don't think
it's enough money. So, you have a you have a uh expected amount of teachers that are going to take off for the rest of the year, and that's how they're budgeting based on the trend. Um, and so this is what the dollar amount is for. Um, and so it wouldn't be enough to give what I uh specifically saying attendance
attendance uh incentives um to the rest of the teachers. You would eat through your money real quick. So you got about about 135 13,000 or or so um teachers um and so you would eat through that money um at rapid pace probably in in one week
for attendance incentives. If you were to give every teacher an incentive for um for an attendance rate, >> how much um for the five million $200,000 if we were to
divide that by the number of teachers, how much money would that be per teacher? >> Let me take out my abacus. $384 $384. >> $384 per teacher. >> Correct.
>> All right. Well, maybe some of my colleagues can jump in. This is where my thought is going. I'm just trying to figure out if there was a way that we could incentivize teachers to continue working, not take the days off
and then but also giving money back to them. So, I'll hand it off someone else. >> Dr. Holes. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. So, um Madame Chair, I I can comment on board member Alhidev's um and then my comments as
well. Okay. So, Dr. He burnern I and I hear you board member Alhade but my concern is would would that be considered um a double dipping sort of like >> an employee who is working and then
substituting at the same time and getting >> pay for both wouldn't that be double dipping? um technically unless you do an attendance incentive. It's it's um back lack of better term back in the day when we had actually a little bit more robust
budget and and um you know matched inflation a lot of school districts did give attendance um incentives for teachers um if they took off you know only a certain amount of days um there would be incentive at the end of the year monetary incentive for them um at the end of the year. It's just um we're
not in that um realm of that type of budget that we were used to about 20 years ago. >> Okay. So, Madame Chair, maybe this is also a legal question. If an employee is scheduled for a particular day and they're good employee, they show up for work all the
time and we decided to have that employee uh take some of the substitute hours. Uh, is that legal or is that double dipping? >> That's something I can't answer on the
day. So, I'd have to look into that a little bit more. Dr. Hoess. >> Okay. Um, all right. So, um, yeah, I'd like if you could give us a followup. Um, it just sounds like there is some
kind of gray area to that that's concerning. Although I like the idea, I just it just doesn't sound like um it would be um uh legal or even um I don't even know if it would be
ethical, you know. I I'm not sure. So, I'll wait for your response. Okay. So, I have um some comments. I I do not suggest as board member Hixon mentioned not supporting this item because I think if we don't support this item it it will
be significantly consequential to teach not only to teachers and staff but to students. Um I mean I can't imagine Dr. Heburn if this item doesn't pass the kind of chaotic situations we would have in scrambling for staff to
educate our children and then at the same time the consequence on students in terms of not receiving appropriate instructional um from uh certified teachers on a frequent basis I think it would be significantly consequential um and at this time where we're winding
down to fast PM3 and and these sort of high stake um testing and so on. I I I would be very very um opposed to not supporting this because of the consequence of it. But at the same time, I understand board member Rupert's
concern. 36% is very high. That's a high increase in in in subs. And so, um, you know, uh, our, uh, teachers union, um, president mentioned that, uh, she
believes part of this might be, uh, as a result of the walkthroughs or, um, uh, you know, um, testing and so on and so forth. So, Dr. Heern, I know board member Zemen mentioned to do some research, but here's my question, right?
Um the teachers know why they are absent. They they they take off for many different reasons. So I know we have a company that does surveys, right? So why can't we simply send out a survey to all
of our teachers who are absent as to the reasons they're absent and we can provide a list of possible reasons and other and so it can come back to us so we can understand why do we have this significant increase in absences right
uh 36% is is very high over is that over a two-year period Dr. even >> the uh >> the increase >> from two years ago to to this year. Yeah. 36% >> 36%. That's very high. So I I would like in instead of just research and and coming back with possibly subjective
data, I want to hear from the teachers directly. So if we have some sort of objective way to gather that information through a survey so we know for sure these are the top reasons teachers are being absent over the last couple of years. and then we can look at that and
probably have a plan of action in place or we can direct you to have a plan of action in place based upon that data uh so we don't continue to have this large uh increase in absences. >> Yeah, I see uh M uh Dr. Lozano back there raising his hand and give
opportunity to speak. >> Yeah. So, anytime one of our staff calls in an absence, they also code the reason for the absence. So, we have that data Dr. wholeness. And in our January 21st executive summary, we included that
historical data from 2223 to the first half of this school year. So, we will drill down um further for you and update it to include spring of 2026. I do want to remind the board
that, you know, on the current hiring freeze, we are utilizing substitutes to support our teachers with the substitutes in the special needs classrooms and also um some of the classroom teaching
positions as well are being now serviced by our long-term substitutes. So, this is the money that's covering um our current actual staff, substitute staff that's currently working in the
classrooms from now through the remainder of this school year. >> Okay. So, Dr. Lozano, let me ask a a couple of questions. So the when a teacher is absent and they um indicate the reason for being absent, are they
choosing from a list of already established reasons to be absent or they're um basically stating a reason that they're absent, if you know what I mean? Do they have sort of a a list that they check off or do they
>> So we have acceptable reasons that teachers and ESPs are allowed to take a substitute day and ask for a substitute. So they have to choose from the agreed upon reasons which we allow as a school
district for an employee to um get a substitute. >> Okay. So, so that's going to create skewed data based upon what we're trying to do here as a board, right? Because you have a list of already established reasons. Many teachers may not want to say the reason they're absent, but if we
do a survey um that is anonymous, then maybe they will give us much more data. Um but what we what you have in place is establish acceptable reasons to be absent. What we're trying to find out as a board is what's the real reason you're
being absent because I'm sure one of them is not walkthroughs as part of your acceptable reasons. Right. >> Correct. >> So So that wouldn't help us. Um Dr. Heburn, so do you understand where >> I know what you So instead of a
predetermined list that they have to choose from, you want to get a little bit granular about specific reasons that may not adhere to that predetermined list. >> Right. And in that survey um so teachers can be forthcoming um there should be uh it it should be
done in a manner where the teachers um are anonymous they we it can't be traced back to anyone so we can really understand what's going on you know um and I don't know how you would put together that survey um you know I hear
walkthroughs I hear testing I hear data chats it could be many reasons so maybe we could list some of the um possible reasons and also have a section for other so they can be free to say what it is. Then we can compile that data and
come back with the top reasons outside of our acceptable reasons so we can get to the bottom of it. >> No, we we'll come up with the best reasonable um process possible to gather the information. >> Okay. But but for me as a board member, I I want to hear from teachers, you
know, I want to know what they're saying. I don't want to pick a small random sample um and then it comes back to us. This is what we think. I think we really need to know what it is. And to me, one of the
best way to do it is through a survey because then we get everyone um or or we get a great a large sample that can provide us with conclusive data that is that would be more objective. So is that possible?
Yeah, we just note it. >> Okay. Thank you, >> Miss Thompson. >> Thank you, Dr. Holmes. Kind of read my mind with the anonymous surveys. I do think well, one, it's important for them to know it's anonymous because I did a round table with students on their
student survey and they didn't know it was was anonymous even though it put multiple times that it was. But I think getting to the true reason because when you're calling out, you're going to say I'm sick probably 90% of the time and that doesn't actually encompass like what we're trying to get at because they
know that there are approved reasons to take off and probably I don't feel like it today is not on that list. Um so I do think that would be fruitful uh information so we can actually address teacher concerns. Um and then I just
wanted to go back to Mrs. Alv's incentives idea. I think if we could explore that a little bit more about rewarding attendance for our teachers, even if it is um a smaller amount than it previously was, I think um I would like a follow up on the the history that
you said we used to have or other districts used to have and what the cost would be to implement something like that in our district. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Rupert. Thank you. I wanted to apologize to the
office of schoolboard records because going through my stuff, I I see that I pulled my item after the workshop was cancelled or the item didn't go to the workshop prior to and I popped it in the box as soon as the box got to my house.
So, I wanted to offer my apologies, sincerest, and uh say that it's not your fault. It's mine. So, thank you, Miss Hixon. Thank you. Um, first I just wanted to ask the superintendent because if I I
thought we were still giving incentives like teachers or I'm not sure if it's just teachers or if it's paras. If you have perfect attendance, do we not still give some kind of monetary incentive for that? >> Not at this time.
>> I'm aware of that. >> Do you know when we stop doing that? I don't recall us doing an attendance bonus for the traditional school year for teachers. At one time for summer term, we did it for a few years. Okay. But there is some kind of recognition
for 100% because I remember us at the end of the year there we always had one teacher, Mr. Rodriguez, who got the 100% um attendance. So there was some and it was from the district. It wasn't just the principal. >> Let me go back and I can look at some of
the old contracts. I don't recall. >> I think they got like a I don't know what it was. >> Did he get a certificate or a or a monetary? >> There was some I mean he did it because he was Yeah, there was some money. >> Let me look. We can go back and look. >> Okay. Yeah. Cuz I think um you know to the point that's been made here to
better to incentivize those that are are making sure and you know towards that 100%. Um, and I I would also just mention that, you know, according to what we heard from the BTU president, she didn't even mention money. It was
about how they feel in the classroom. And I think that that's something we can do that doesn't cost us any extra money to do. Um, not that teachers don't want to or parents and everybody wants to be paid more, but I hear that a lot also.
It's sometimes it's more about how they feel and whatever we can do to make sure we're lessening that burden I think would go a long way in helping the attendance problem. Thank you, >> Dr. Zean. >> Thank you, Chair. The the um I think the
framework that the board is talking about is really more of a root cause analysis. If the root cause of of 18 days being missed per year is uh there's no incentive, like there's nobody yelling up and down, hey, it'd be great if you came in 180 days. An incentive
would make sense. Uh I 100% support incentives for doing good things. It's way too easy to punish everybody that is, you know, not walking a perfectly straight line. Um but um I I if we have 12,000 teachers next year and we offer
an incentive, you know, way less than half are going to get it. But it does send a signal from this board directly to the teachers that we really value you guys that show up every day. And maybe it's 3 days. If you miss 3 days or less, you get a bonus. Um, but the root cause analysis would really get into this and
it would direct us for where we would spend more money or make changes so they feel respected and cared for. Or, you know, if it's data chats that are killing them, maybe we have a look at data chats in the same way we looked at assessments, you know, for students. If it's killing students and parents are
reporting that to us on the on an overbearing amount of assessments, maybe the teachers involvement in data chats, if it does take up their planning periods, is a a legitimate concern. But if we don't know the root causes of this 36% jump over two years, we're not going
to get the di if we don't get the diagnosis right, we're not going to get the prescription right. And so, Mr. Superintendent, if you could uh think a little bit about that as a framework for for what you bring to us, it'd be helpful. I would uh think that the survey of teachers is important. I think
the survey of principles is important. I think principles know a lot more than than uh about some of the, you know, trends that they've seen over a long period of time. They're the ones that have to deal with the substitute showing up. They're the ones that have to deal with the parents are upset about the substitute yet. They're the ones that
have the one-on-one conversations with teachers about uh all kinds of work uh related things. And I I think that they would add a lot of value as well, like you said, Dr. Holes, uh about the teachers. Um but I look forward to learning more about this so we can get
the diagnosis right and so that we can get the prescription right. the bonus that you're talking about, Miss Aldev, if even if it was a thousand dollars and we did a three-day window and half took it, six million, like considering, you know, what we're going to be trying to do with referendum money and things like that, uh, 6 million is very affordable
and it would it would send a signal, I think, that this board really really values what they do. And if you come in maybe everything except three days a year, we just make a a nice the m we'll call it the Mr. Rodriguez award, you know, for uh for the the teacher that year after year uh did that. And it's a
it's it's a real valuable thing in the HR space to both reward positive and to counsel uh against things that aren't u aren't perfect. Thanks, chair. >> Any other board member discussion? Mrs. Alhadaf, >> I just need clarification with this
money that the 5 million that you're asking for. It's just for now until the end of the school year, >> right? >> Wow. What h what would happen if the board approved half this amount and I don't
know if >> we'll be coming back to you asking for the other half soon >> but if I'm just think wondering if there would be anything that we could put in place to incentivize teachers to
not be absent >> I don't I think due at the juncture of the school year we uh in the month of May you you have people um pretty much um going back over all the concepts and standards they've learned throughout the year. We have testing season right around the corner in May. The the the
for the most part all of May is is uh state testing um and and and um AP testing and all of that. So I don't think this is the juncture to really uh tackle it through this item but have us
bring back and and build upon the concepts that the board is talking about so we can initiate something for the upcoming school year. There's literally u um two months of this of the school year left and mo and one of those month is mostly dedicated
to uh state assessments and and um national assessments. Okay, Dr. Hoes, uh, actually I have a question from the general counsel. If you could clarify your question to legal so that they can better capture that.
>> I'm sorry, which question was that? >> Mr. Supri Bruno, >> you had asked a question about um, leave and substitute time and so we were trying to find the answer, but I don't think anybody captured the question properly.
>> Okay. I I it was uh in reference to board member Al-Hadv's um question regarding a uh teacher or teachers who are working and they have grade attendance um that those teachers can be provided a
part of the um substitute teaching um um income uh during the course of their workday um so that they can get additional pay as opposed to use in substitute teachers. So I my question was is that
can would that be double dipping and is that legal? >> Thank you >> Dr. Heer. >> Go ahead Dr. Lozono. So when a substitute is called in contractually um for a teacher, usually three teachers
will take so you take a class of 18 um three teachers would take six of those students each and per contract the elementary teachers currently get an additional $55 a day to take those additional students. So we do have a
current practice now that was negotiated through collective bargaining where teachers who pick up students from a classroom where the district wasn't able to secure a substitute they do receive additional funding now as was bargain
through collective bargaining. >> Madam chair I may go continue. Okay. So um um Dr. Hepern, well Madame Chair, I I hear the concerns regarding the absences and I'm not sure um and I hear Dr.
Heppern's comments uh in terms of it may not be uh sort of um possible for the remainder of this year to reduce the number of substitute teachers and determine if those funding can be can go over to teachers or whatever the plan is. it seems like, you know, we're in
April, next month we're going into fast testing. So, I think that there there is a time uh constraint issue. So, my concern is in the future because we're we have 36% increase in absence over the last couple of years since 2023. Um so
going into the next school year um I would more um like to um recommend or direct the superintendent to through research slashs survey um to come back with an
action plan to reduce the um absent rate of teachers and staff in Broward County schools. Um, so is that should I make that through a motion, Madam Chair, or does that need to be just a direction?
>> That's up to you. >> Okay. So, um, hearing the concerns, I'd like to this would be a substitute motion to the item or is this >> Mr. Dri Bruno? I believe that would be amendment, right?
>> To direct the superintendent. So, we can add it as an amendment. Um I know we talked about last time that we could direct the superintendent by consensus as well. So it's how you want to move forward. >> Okay. So, um, I'd like to make an
amended motion to direct the superintendent through survey or research data uh to bring back an action plan to reduce the percentage of absent absent teachers and staff in Brock County schools for the
upcoming school year. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Seconded by motion made by Dr. Holes, second made by Miss Hixon. public comment on the amendment. Could you repeat the amendment, please, Dr. Holes? >> Okay. The motion is to direct the
superintendent to um utilize research or survey data um and come up with an action plan to reduce the percentage of absent teachers and staff in Brock County schools for the upcoming school year.
>> There's a motion made by Dr. Holes. Amendment. Um seconded by Miss Pixon, Mrs. Alvadef, >> I would also like to see added to that to give an attendance incentive
>> and um I accept that as well as part of the motion. So board member Hickson seconded. I don't know if she >> Okay. Um any other board member comment? Just >> have a concern about the incentive part right now. Mhm.
>> without the bigger I don't want I wouldn't want to put the incentive part as a requirement. Um, right now, >> Miss Bulman, >> um, I think
I don't know if it's a two-part a twostep process, but we can at least have a plan or a proposal for how we could um, incentivize uh, employee attendance based on the
based on the information that's collected. I um I I appreciate that motion and the and um I think this is a good idea and I and I also appreciate the survey idea. I think that's really important both of principles and of uh
teachers and staff. So I I support this. >> Any other board member comment on the motion? >> Can you repeat the motion? >> Okay. So >> with the addition part to it? >> Okay. So um well I I am thinking about
board member Alhadev's suggestion and I believe directing the superintendent to come up with an action plan would be inclusive of um incentives as well as any other measure that he wants to take. So um I I I am going to exclude that word aladev because I think that he
understands that an action plan would be inclusive of that plus anything else he can come up with. Um, so my motion is to uh direct the superintendent um to utilize a uh research or survey data uh
to come up with an action plan to reduce the percentage of absent teachers and staff in Brock County schools for the upcoming school year. >> And it was seconded by Miss Bulman. Miss Thompson, >> I just had a question because I asked for a followup on how an incentive
program would be utilized. So, is that in addition to this motion that's being made or Dr. Huff, how do you view it? >> I recorded the followup about the it was more about uh providing history around
um attendance incentives for teachers in this district or if there's um any neighboring districts that um could provide us some information and what would that cost be to the district if we were to try to implement that type of incentive. So it would be in addition to this motion.
>> So the motion is the we will give you the followup, right? We have a twoe turnaround of follow us, but um it'll also be included in the motion as far as building on the action plan, right? What's the feasibility of certain things in that action plan? >> Thank you, Dr. Zeman.
>> Did you get the part about the surveys? >> Yes. >> You just didn't share that back with us. So I just want to make sure that you got that as well. >> She was asking about her followup. he the the survey pieces to his >> Could I ask could I just ask for all of the follow-ups that you have for this item? So, because I'm not
>> uh uh followup of of research and what is what is the cause of the increase in teacher absences that that leads to uh increased use of substitute teachers? Um use anonymous survey to collect data from teachers and principles about reasons for teacher absences. Um then
also the action plan to reduce teacher absences. >> Terrific. Is there anything on your list that didn't include what Dr. Dr. Holles has mentioned it sounds like his motion might be already included in the in the takeaways you have. >> Um the well the motion would include all of the information that we're collecting
from the based on the on the follow-ups as well. >> Y >> any other comment on the amendment? All in favor of the amendment say I. >> I. >> All oppose say no. >> No. >> Amendment passes with one dissenting
vote. Uh back to the item. I believe we are still with you, Dr. Holes. >> Um Madame Chair, I am through commenting on the item. Thank you. >> Any other board member comment on the item? >> Madam Chair. >> Oh, >> through the chair. >> Thank you. Yes. Sorry, just here.
>> Um I just wanted to say I know Mr. Rodriguez, he's a really amazing teacher. He's always on time. He's always there. So I would love to see the Rodriguez award actually happen. But mainly I really want to speak about the how we treat teachers. It's not what we
do, it's how we do it that matters. A lot of times teachers would express that it's not that they don't like the walkthroughs. It's how they're taken upon. So a lot of times some students will create different initiatives to actually help teachers feel that they are recognized. So I think it's more of
just recognizing that they are human and recognizing that they are people and recognizing that they're not just employees that really matters. It's about actually being there for them and actually providing them the necessary support, not just being there to say, "Hey, data check, check next." So, it's more of just sitting there and actually
being a part of them. And staff has been doing a great job of improving that this year, I would say, from my standpoint of being on the board as a student adviser. So, thank you. >> Beautifully said. Any other comments on the item? >> All in favor of O1 as amended, say I.
>> I. >> All oppose say no. >> No. Roll call, please. >> Roll call. School board members Alhade, >> no. >> Bowman, >> yes. >> Sea, >> Hixon, >> yes. >> Holus, >> yes.
>> Leonardi, >> yes. >> Rupert, >> no. >> Thompson, >> yes. >> Zean, >> yes. >> Passes 63. >> Could I get a motion in a second on O2? >> So move. >> Moved by Dr. Zean, second by Miss Hixon.
Public comment on O2. >> No, ma'am. >> Board member comment. Miss Bulman. >> Thank you, Chair. Um I I pulled this and I already um had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Davis uh regarding this. The the only and my questions were
answered. Um but the only the only thing I just wanted to bring to the attention the the confusing part of this and the way the executive summary is set up now um because the request is from May to May which gets into another budget
year into another um into another fiscal year was just um suggesting that we clarify that in the future so that we see what's actually budgeted for this year and then show
what will need to be budgeted for next year if we are approving it because it's not actually allocated for next year yet. >> Gotcha. >> Just Okay. Thank you. >> Any other board member comment? All in
favor of O2 say I. >> I. >> All oppose say no. Item you passes unanimously. Could I get a motion and second on O3? So moved. >> Second. >> Moved by Dr. Zean, second by Miss Thompson. Public comment. >> No, ma'am. >> Board member comment, Mr. Seivera.
>> Thank you, chair. Um, in going through this and my preparation efforts for the meeting um today, this morning slash afternoon now. Um, I need this better explained.
What exactly um did we do to secure this near $25 million uh policy, if you will? What avenues were explored by the district to ensure that we are getting a quote unquote good deal? And uh
incidentally, if we are saving uh money with this premium payment as compared to this time last year, uh I'd like the uh the benefit for the benefit of the public. I'd like them to know what is going on before we improve. Excuse me. Approve potentially a $25 million
insurance premium. >> Go ahead. >> Okay. Good afternoon. My name is Aston Henry, director of risk management. Um, we did go out for a bid, a new bid in regards to getting a new broker. In regards to getting the new broker, we
saved $1.2 million off the brokerage fee. Uh with regards to the insurance, we currently purchase 55% of our coverage internationally.
We also purchase uh 45% domestically. Um you're such a large organization that we have to go to the Lloyds of London market in order to get insurance. When
we do, we have to negotiate pricing. Um, there is a price or an estimate rather of 24,446,000. We anticipate we will save a million dollars off that premium this year. Uh, with regards to
what we spent last year, the the premium will be cheaper this year as opposed to last year. In addition to that, what we've done is we've re-evaluated our insurance program and we've been we've been able to reduce
cost by $3 million last year. So, if you take into consideration what we're paying this year, which will be less than the 24 million, right? It's going to be a million dollar savings there. We saved $3 million last year, so that's a
total of a $4 million. We also took uh a reduction or we reduced the um brokerage fee by $1.2 million. So if you look at it overall, there's a savings of about $5.2 million. >> And just to be clear, $5.2 million from
what this time last year. >> Um last year we we took off three million. So, if you take into consideration what we're not paying for this year, that $3 million has been eliminated, it's uh it's really $2.2
million from last year. Hold on. I I want to make sure I understood. We paid x amount of dollars last year and now we're being asked to approve $25 million. How much more or less are we paying this year than we did
last year? >> Okay, let me let me clarify something. This is an estimate because we haven't gotten in our premium dollars or our premium billing as of yet. That will come in on May in May because we renew the property insurance May 15th. We
anticipate that we will save a million dollar off of this number this year. We've also reduced the brokerage fee by $1.2 million. So that's a savings of $2.2 million.
What I was talking about is the elimination of the obtain and maintain insurance policy that we used to have, the elimination of the excess policy, the elimination of the excess workers compensation policy. With the
elimination of those policies, that's a savings of $3 million. >> Okay. So, let me make let me let's rewind for a second to make sure I understand >> because uh I don't ever proclaim to be an insurance expert by any stretch of the imagination. >> Okay.
>> But that being said, from what I'm hearing, this $25 million number is a cost estimate that we are receiving from these various carriers. >> Correct. >> From this cost estimate, you are saying that you're going to be able to shave roughly $3 million off of this $25
million number. I'm going to save a million dollars off of the $24,446,000. And what I'm going what we've already done is we've reduced the brokerage fee, both the retail and wholesale brokerage
fee by $1.2 million. So that's a savings of roughly $2.2 million. >> Okay. So the $25 million give or take estimate is really closer to $23 million in your approximation. That's correct. >> Okay. So, we're at $23 million for this
year on the estimation. >> Correct. >> What was the estimation that we were talking about last year at this time? >> Last year at this time, the estimation, if I'm not mistaken, was uh $26 million,
but we reduced that premium right by $3 million last year. So, we were at 23 last year and now we're 23 this year. >> No.
>> Yeah, you'll be at 23 this year. >> Okay. So, we've done nothing to to potentially save anything from the insurance in this 365day period. >> Uh, yes, we have. >> What What am I missing? >> We reduced the brokerage fee by $1.2
million. So, that's an additional savings. So, we saved a million dollars in a year on a $25 million estimate policy. >> Correct. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Any other board member comment? >> Mrs. Alhadaf, >> does this policy include active shooter
insurance? >> Uh, we are currently trying to get a quote for active shooter insurance right now. >> So, this current policy does not include it. >> Correct. >> Thank you. >> Any other board member discussion?
All in favor of O13 say I. I. >> All oppose say no. No. >> Item passes with one dissenting vote from Mr. Sea. Can I get a motion and a second on double P3? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Moved by Dr. Zean, second by Miss Hixon. Public comment on WP P3.
>> No, ma'am. >> Board member comment. Dr. Zean. >> Thank you, Chair. Uh, I'm just wanted to ask about the entourage of media in paragraph 7. Um, I'm sorry. >> PP3, >> WP3.
>> This is action on audit recommendations. >> That's not what I want to comment on. I apologize. Thank you. >> I will add you to Oh, you're already on that list. Okay, Miss Thompson. >> Uh, I got my questions answered. Thank you, >> Miss Bulman. Um, I had my questions
answered as well. >> All right. Any other board discussion on WP P3? All in favor of WP3, say I. I. >> All oppose say no. Item passes unanimously. Could I get a motion or a second on double P7? >> So move. >> Moved by Dr. Zeman, second by Miss
Bulman. Public comment on double P7. >> Dr. Lynch Wash, but I don't see her in the audience. >> Four member comment. Dr. Zean. >> Thanks so much. Um, and I want to just if you can give me one second. Cherry, you move so fast I'm not on the right uh
right item. Would you like me to go to Miss Thompson? >> Yes, please. >> Go ahead, Miss Thompson. >> Thank you, chair. I just um mainly wanted to focus on the campaigning aspect of this policy. It came to my attention that there was a candidate
that came into one of our schools um who basically was recording himself talking to our students um talking about his run, their run uh for office. And I wanted to see how this policy is
communicated with staff and teachers at the school and also what is being done once this policy is broken. >> Mr. Sullivan, >> uh thank you. So I'm aware of the incident that you're referring to. Um
that absolutely should not have happened. Um, in this time where it's uh when folks are running for office, we'll I'll work with the deputy to send out to our school leaders the expectations of following this policy. >> So, I want to go a step further because
this candidate now has our students on their social media. Is there outreach to candidates that violate our policies? Is there a request to take our students down? I'm going to work with general counsel to see what kind of communications we can provide to um the individual in question about um the
usage of our uh likeness. >> Is it our likeness if it's our students? >> Likeness students logo school. >> Okay. >> Huh. Days. Somebody got here my name.
>> Um, I also wanted clarification because this has happened at a few events that I have attended. Are candidates allowed to wear their t-shirt when they attend school district events? >> My understanding is um there's no campaigning on schoolboard property. So,
if they're wearing any material that is um that could be construed as campaigning for their office, no, that would not be allowed. Are candidates allowed to be in this room wearing a name badge saying they're running for office? >> No. >> Are candidates allowed to have magnets
on their car and park on schoolboard property? >> Not for their individual um office that they're running for. But if I wanted to have one for someone who was running for office, I'm not sure I know the answer to that question. But I could
not be wearing one for my candidacy for an office. Okay. Um, and then I think I'm gonna >> answer that right >> jump over Dr. Zean around the media request. Um, I approve of how we've written it in the policy, but can um,
Dr. Heeper, you explain why it might be important that the superintendent sign off on media in the building? >> Um, yes, it's important for us to know why media is about to enter our school, what the specific purpose is. Um, even when we visit schools and if there's a
media presence, it's it's uh very orchestrated to make sure the right students have uh press releases um have permission to uh be recorded and included in our in our media information. Um there there's a lot of nuances when entering a school build
school building with media that we need to be aware of and concerned about so we can ensure we give them the right direction of what they can and can't do, i.e. the situation you're just talking about. And is there any time that you would say no to media presence or
infringe on a media's right to be there and record, etc.? >> Uh, yes. There will be times where we will tell the media um what they can and can't do for the protection of our students. >> Can you walk us through some of those parameters? >> Um, Mr. Sullivan, can you walk us through some of those uh type of
parameters? >> I'm sorry. Um, parameters about >> of why we would um >> say no to media. say say no to media uh for for a school visit. >> I I just think it depends on um the event. Um I hate to use this one as an
example, but for we would not let media on uh MSD for a couple a couple years. So that there was there's some reasoning behind that. Um so it just depends. Uh we rarely exclude media. We try to include
media because we believe it's a venue for to inform the public. they come um to our campuses probably I don't want to say weekly but quite often uh first day of school they're there um I allowed even if it's not so much a positive story we still let them on um the more
recent one was records we gave them complete access to the new building they were in there um they use those photos and their stories so it's very rarely that we deny media I think it's more important that we have control because where they're going right if it's during
the school day we want to ensure each of the students have media releases. We're not sure um you know some parents don't want their students on on on that type of media. Uh so it's not more it's more about controlling um who has access to our campuses than denying we rarely deny
media and I appreciate that. Like I said I am supportive of having superintendent oversight on that. There was just a comment made um earlier today addressing that. And then one more thing for our media releases. If there's an elected official who is visiting our schools um
on official business or are their allowable visit and they take pictures with our students, do our media releases cover their socials and their use of those photos? >> Our media releases would cover social, but it would not cover um for them to be
on any kind of campaign or campaign material. And are they made aware of that when they visit? So like if I'm a congresswoman and I have a newsletter and I say, "I visited Silver Palms Elementary. Here's a picture of kids as I was reading to them."
>> That would be fine as long as the students and the photos were um had media releases and it was uh an official newsletter from her office, >> but not on mailers. >> It should not be on mailers. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Dr. Zean. Thank you. Um, I believe we run a government organization and I believe that the people pay for this institution. I also believe that ever trying to control the media is inappropriate. Not to try and get them to write good
news, not to write them to avoid bad news, not to avoid what they don't want to see. uh this nation was built on free media access and this is a government operation that the people pay for and so
uh I think that this policy is too strict uh about media. I actually think we want media to come on our schools and tell stories. Uh if uh you know a world if an astronaut comes to visit a school we'd love to have media there. If a scientist comes to talk to a science
center we'd love to be there. if uh um I want to go and show uh local media, you know, something that's going on in a school, I don't want to ask a superintendent's uh permission. And so I don't agree with this because because I just believe deeply in the rights of the
media to be able to see what we're doing and I want them, you know, to believe what we tell them. Just recently, we told them we want to be the most transparent district in the world. And then we say, "Yeah, but not media on our campus." And I I just am going to call
that out uh for a contradiction. We should either stop saying we want to be perfectly transparent um and we'll keep this policy uh or we change this policy and we uh think very clearly about the amazing power that comes from a free and unfettered access
to government property uh for the media. Uh I think that there are appropriate measures you know like planning ahead and principles uh who know how to do uh media releases. Um but you know what I have seen and what this policy represents is a step too far in terms of
controlling the media and I would not uh support this as it's written. Um I just I don't think that this gives the uh public access or confidence in what we're doing in our schools. Um and it sounds to me very very defensive about
what we're doing and I'm not defensive about anything going on in our schools. I think there are u media releases and there are good protocols and I think our principles are fully qualified to deal with uh people coming on. Uh and I want the media to understand that they can come on any one of our schools with the
appropriate protocols but not um you know being cleared to go to certain sites that tell you know specific news uh on that. I mean, we have volunteers on campus. We have parents on campus. We have employees on campus. We have students on campus. We have high schools
full of kids with cell phones that are going to take videos and pictures of what's going on. Uh, if we only want that information to get out, then this policy is fine. If we want, you know, local news and Miami Herald and Sun Sentinels and Orlando Sentinels and, you
know, Chronicle Higher Education to come on our campus, we should write a policy that encourages them to do that and then has some kind of local rules about how to do that appropriately uh on these campuses. But this is a very heavy-handed policy in my mind, and I just um I can't support it the way it's
written. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Bulman. >> Thank you. Um, so I, you know, I I think that we could um find a way to protect the students while
also um not being as restrictive in the language. I the the concern that I have with this um the way that it's written right now is it gives absolute discretion to the superintendent and it
doesn't provide for um making sure that there's a consistent application of how you're going to determine what media can come in, who can come in, how that how that happens. So, do we have actual like written procedures or guidelines that we
use to ensure that we're being fair to all the out the outlets or >> Mr. >> Um, so I should have clarified this when Miss Thompson was asking the questions. I think we've gone a little bit beyond what this policy is about. This policy
is about visits to schools and all we're saying is we're letting any elected official come to our schools and they're not allowed to bring media with them unless it's um approved by the superintendent. Uh again, since I've been uh responsible for communications,
I I can't recall a time where I've denied media inside uh one of our schools as long as we ensured that the kids the students had media releases. Um, so I think we're going a little bit beyond what this policy is. This is just
visits to our schools and we're just we're just saying from guest and we're just saying the guests can't bring media with them. >> So it has nothing to do with access of media on our campuses. >> So do we have another policy that addresses the media access issue?
>> Uh, no. So they make the request. Uh most of the time it's us inviting media. It's very rare that media is asking to come on uh on campus. Um but the more recent ones we have not denied. >> Is this something that um other school
districts have or a policy that's just dedicated to media access? because I I see the I see the distinction that you're making about visitors. Um, but it does raise a question of who's the gatekeeper here on this and
how >> Well, I think the gatekeeper for all intents and purposes would be as it relates to media, it would be myself, >> right, >> as the chief communication officer, >> which is typically how this is typically how it's been in every school district
I've worked in. the um when media uh media usually requests through the communications team access to a school for whatever specific story or communications is calling media to come in for a specific story and and um the communication team these guys that we
work with here in in the local market. They know the routine because they've you know been in been doing the job for so long. They know hey you can't uh uh videotape all kids. You can show them from afar and make it look blurry so you can't identify the face or or from the knees down because you don't know if a
kid has a media release or not. If it's a story such as um uh what's the recent one? Um uh Broward Reads. Um the principles are very strategic in ensuring that the kids who are going to be in front of the media while we're reading to them have media releases so they don't have to worry about blurring
faces and all. >> Yeah. And I and I totally support that. It's just uh I guess the question is if you were really looking into the way it's written, if you have the absolute power to determine who comes in and out, then you could, you know, pick and choose who you allow and um instead of
having a broad I mean a broad ability for different viewpoints to come in to report. On the other hand, there's also the issue of who really constitutes the media and who's coming in because anybody >> anybody's the media >> can, you know, be a media person at this
point. So I I mean I think it it might it bears a little bit more um attention perhaps especially in the changing uh environment that we have and to the point of you know that uh Miss Thompson
made about the social media posts and those kinds of things I think you know maybe we need to have a more robust polic that isn't necessarily well I mean it might be in this one too but just that addresses some of these other things that are coming up and what you're allowed to publish because that
is a qu it's even a question when I go into a school I don't um I don't really feel comfortable taking pictures of kids necessarily and doing that because I don't want to violate any of their privacy rights or so I I think
we should all be very aware of what the rules are and what the guy like we should have guidelines so that we can all operate accordingly that are more robust than what's just in this policy. It's a good start point. Can we do that? >> Yes.
>> Okay. Thank you, Mr. Seivera. >> Thank you, chair. Um, and just for the record, Miss Thompson was not talking about me uh in her uh her comments earlier. I was I was not the he in the uh who was visiting the
schools. Just so we're 100% clear on the record. That was not Although I visit my schools, I make sure I follow uh follow all the rules. So, if anybody wondering out there, it was not uh this uh district 6 board member. Just want to clear that up. >> I listen, I get it. But, uh not many of
them go to our schools. So, I just want to make sure that everyone is is 100% clear that that was not me. Um that being said, uh and in all seriousness, uh looking at this, I I too have some issues with this language uh about the media. Um, I think being transparent
with uh all facets of of our business and what happens, uh, how we manage from the top to the bottom, what goes on in schools, the media should be able to participate in that process and and and spread the the word of what is going on
at BCPS. I think it can be used um, certainly to get a lot of our messaging out there, all the good that we are doing in the community. And listen, let's face it. Uh if if every now and then we need a kick in the butt because we're not doing the best things, the media should call us
out and do their jobs and put that out there. Um haven't been to school in a while, but I'm pretty sure the right to a free press still exists in the US Constitution, that beautiful document that was written in 1787. So, uh I will always be pro media uh as far as access
is concerned. Um, and I would encourage them to to cover us and certainly um amplify our our our messaging from a district uh standpoint. Thank you, chair. >> Thank you. Um, I have a few questions
and then we can go to another round. Um, did do we do rule making with this policy? >> This is rulem, >> right? So, did we workshop this policy multiple times? >> Yes. >> Okay.
Um, I was just looking, you know, I just searched uh Broward County media access policy and I'm on the Fort Lauderdale uh Hollywood International Airport website and there's all sorts of um you know
obviously they provide for media access but uh there are restrictions and I think about like my time in the classroom um and you know people we We we've been talking about walkthroughs all day today and how disruptive
walkthroughs are um just from district staff. And I think about like a guest visiting with the whole with media cameras. I mean, we've all been to those events at schools. It's very disruptive. Um so, while I am certainly in support of giving media access and and you know,
the the strong pillar of our society that is um our media. Uh I think you know we have to also be cognizant of keeping our students safe and protecting that learning environment and you know there's lots of public entities that
allow media access but also restrict it to some extent for safety purposes and for functioning functioning purposes. Um so I I support the way the policy is written. Um I think having uh you know public guidelines about media access
like Miss Bulman suggested would be helpful. you know, I I'm again I'm looking at the Fort Lauderdale uh airport website um and they have that and so so just so we all are on the same page. Um because again it it might not even be someone campaigning but it could
be an elected official who is up for election that year that year and they are you know at visiting a school with cameras um not in their campaign capacity but in their elected official capacity and it is still you know disruptive and it is still
self-promoting. Um so I I support the language as it as it stands. There's lots of government agencies that again restrict media access when it comes to to safety and security and um you know being able to
run their their organization. Dr. Hoes. Thank you, Madam Chair. So, John uh I'm sorry, Mr. Sullivan uh through the superintendent. Um could you clarify again or reiterate
um the current process for media to visit schools? >> Sure. So they would email um myself or my office. We will uh consider the request, reach out to um the the site leader to ensure it doesn't conflict with anything going on such as testing.
And then we want to make sure wherever they go in the school if uh students are on campus that the kids have media releases. If there's no media releases then they can't be filmed. >> Okay. So if an elected official
plans to visit a school and that elected official whatever the reasons may be cuz there are many different reasons that they come right um decides that I want media to be a part of my visit based on the reason that I'm visiting um based
upon the way the policy is written um media would not be able to accompany that elected official. Is that correct? Yes or no? Uh that is correct unless the um superintendent approves it. And I think it's important to consider what the policy is saying as well. It's saying that any elected official can
visit our schools without any sort of notification. >> So if you factor that in, then add the ability to bring media with them. I think that would be highly problematic. >> Right. I understand, John. I'm I mean Mr. Sullivan, I'm just going through a series of questions that I have in my
thought process. So um so then if if an elected official decided that uh I am visiting this particular school because of a particular reason whatever it may be um um like I believe there is an
event coming up for Dillard with um in terms of voters and so on um and that elected official or maybe many elected officials two or three of them believe it's newsworthy and they want to bring the media this language currently would prevent
them from doing so. So the question is can this be written in a way that media follows the same process with elected officials as they do without elected officials? >> Has any >> Well, so the the way the policy is
written, they they can do it if the superintendent allows for it. >> Okay. So it it puts then the control in the superintendent. In other words, if media wants to go to any school, they would go
through the process you mentioned. But now if they want to accompany an elected official who said look I'm inviting you because this important issue that affects the state um we believe that you know your presence would be um needed in
order to gain attention to whatever it is. Um if the superintendent says no to the media then nothing can happen. So, I'm not sure. It It seems to me that we
could accomplish the same issue of having the media there with elected officials if we just follow the same process as as we do when there's no elected official. If media wants to visit, can't can't the language be written in that way?
>> If if I may, Mr. Sullivan, I I think um you it's the same process, >> right? I think the key word there is process. And I don't think um I I don't think you want to bake a process into a policy, but it it would be the same process. They will if the if
elected official um wanted to bring media with them, they would still contact um uh Mr. Sullivan's office or um Miss Nose as well, which would get to Mr. Sullivan and then he will ask the series of questions that he just
mentioned. It's the same process. >> Okay. So if media if it's the opposite, media wants to accompany the elected officials as opposed to elected officials want to bring media. >> It's the same process. We've had we've been in events where uh media has
accompanied um elected officials. And it's the same process. We we or we ensure that the kids that are in the space have the um the the uh media releases and things like that so they can have a a good recording for whatever purpose that they're using it for.
>> Understand? But I think the way that it's written, it gives the impression that an elected official cannot bring media and there's no option to do so except the superintendent given a yes or no. >> So, Dr. Holes, do you have an amendment
you'd like to propose around that language? >> Um, well, I'm just trying to have them interpret the language for me so I can understand if I need to if I need to vote on it. So, John, Mr. Svin, is that what it's saying? That an elected
official cannot bring media um and this unless the superintendent says yes or no. And if the superintendent says no, then that's it. >> Correct. >> Okay. So, um um Miss Bruno, I have a
couple of questions. Um the the media in this country has certain rights and it appears that restricting the media and having the
permission of media to be in any school with or without elected officials um is that in opposition to any state or federal law? There is obviously freedom of the press, but there's also the responsibility of
the school board and school district to protect children and to also make sure that there's no disruption in the school. So, my experience has been that there's either a process document or something that's very clear with regards to media access because obviously they
do um and can have access but not a free-for-all that whenever you want to go into a school you can go into. there's some parameters that is set. >> Okay. So, Mr. Mr. Sullivan, the language that exists in in I guess in a different policy regarding media um just so that
this can be clear, can that language be incorporated within that item number under um uh I'm sorry, I don't know what line it is, but can that language be included in there indicating clearly
what process we already have in place for media? even I know it sounds redundant but I think it would bring clarity to elected officials reading this policy uh how they would be able to bring media or how media could accompany them.
>> Um so I don't believe we have a a media policy but I'm happy to not do a policy per se but outline a very specific um rules of engagement for the media that way there's no misunderstanding. Also, I know this language, this language appears like it's new. Uh, but this is
actually from the previous um policies before uh d I'm sorry, double P4 that the board appealed earlier today. So, this is although it's it's underlined because it's a new policy because we appealed the old policy. This is not new language.
>> Okay. So, Mr. Sullivan in um for items I for line I that indicated I think this is line I. Yes. Are you able to suggest a language as to
the within I as to how media could be included? >> Um sure we can make it clearer. So um we can say after um shall not be accompanied by media personnel after personnel we can put without prior
approval from the superintendent. >> Okay. So madame chair I'd like to make a motion that we included that additional language. >> Second >> motion made by Dr. Hoes seconded by Dr. Zean. Mr. Sullivan could you please clarify that language?
>> Sure. So under I it under it's that first sentence. So at the end of that first sentence after personnel it would say uh shall not be accompanied by media without prior approval from the superintendent.
>> Okay. Public comment on the amendment for member discussion. Miss Bulman. >> Thanks. I did see that it was in the in the last one and that we're not um adding anything. I I think um to Miss
Leonard's point of doing a little Googling that this um I I appreciate the motion and language. I support that. And then I I see like an our marketing and communications page. I think we could probably just add like on the Broward
College page, they have a page that says working with the media guidelines and procedures. Um so that we're covered in terms of what our policy is. So people can't accuse us of choosing or, you know, picking and choosing who we're allowing in or
whatever. So we have something there. Um, and that would be my suggestion for that. I don't think there's a whole lot of extra work because we actually do have a a page which is really prominently displaying my colleagues. I haven't seen myself pop pop up on this
video yet that's been playing for the past 10 years. Sarah's out there. So, if we just add I think it's just like a matter of putting a procedure in there so that we're covered and that people can check it and then they know what our procedure is.
>> We're happy to do it. >> Yeah. >> If if I can add with the additional language um that was just mentioned u from Dr. wholeness. Wouldn't that have to change the rest of um I where it says um >> yeah, you have to
>> Okay. So, we would have to delete the the next sentence the school or district drive or portion of that sentence about uh photo opportunities or press briefings associated with the visit must occur off campus and outside the school day because we're talking about allowing
um in campus on campus. Yeah. Any other board member discussion? Mr. Dr. Zean, Mr. Alan's fine. Um, I I appreciate this amendment uh very much, Dr.
Holdness. um uh it is always dangerous to put limits in and I don't think um you know the media would look at asking permission uh in the way that had been written uh was really
encouraging them to visit. Um but I do want to encourage them to visit. I want them to visit all the time. I want them to tell the stories of what we're doing. I want the public to see what we're doing because I think what we're doing is amazing and the more that they see the the better off we are. So this change is better. I just um uh
appreciate that very much and I just want clarity chair that um this amendment includes striking the sentence starting with school or district staff ending with school day. >> Dr. Hoes >> strike I'm sorry >> I'm sorry Dr. has he been striking weir?
>> Um if the first sentence says guests visiting schools during the regular instruction hour shall not be accompanied by immediate personnel without prior approval from the superintendent that contradicts the second sentence which says it has to occur off campus. It also the second sentence is really full of process steps
you know school district coordinating the staff must enfor you know to tell people in a meeting guide. >> So I think that whole sentence could be struck if it's consistent with your intent of the motion. >> It is. It is. Yes. >> Any other board discussion?
All in favor of the amendment say I. >> I. >> I. >> All oppose say no. >> Amendment passes unanimously. We're back to >> the item. Dr. Holes, are you done? >> Yes, Madam Chair. >> Um, Miss Bulman, I have you up next.
>> That was easy. >> I support the rest of it, so I'm good. >> Any other board discussion on this item? All in favor of double P7 as amended say I. >> I. >> All oppose say no. Item passes as
amended unanimously. Um this is the time of the agenda when school board members will hear from our evening speakers. >> Do we have any evening speakers? >> No ma'am.
>> Okay. At this time, do any of my colleagues have any uh update or student successes to bring forth to the super for the superintendent's consideration? Dr. Zeman, >> thank you so much. Um wanted to make you all aware of uh fascinating news. If you're a econometrician,
um the National Bureau of Economic Research has done a brand new study on cell phone use. Um I will send a link to my colleagues and the superintendent to share with the staff if you would like. Uh but it it um is a fabulous uh article
that follows a top 10 school district that in 2023 implemented a bell-to-bell school full school uh cell phone ban and and allowed students to put their phone in airplane mode. So I don't know who that could possibly be. Uh but it is a
really really well done paper. Um the results are what they are. uh but I'm happy to share that uh paper with my colleagues just for their own uh reading if they have time. Um second point is I don't want to um uh uh kind of create um
uh uh a lot of distractions around this paper. This is a paper that uh is great for academic research. It's it's great for people that really care deeply about how do you sus out uh the effect of cell phone use. Um, and I look forward to uh
uh people reading it if they have time. Thank you, Chair. >> Thank you, Mr. Seivera. >> Thank you, Chair. Um, just a a comment question from me. We've heard multiple times in this meeting from public speakers regarding the desire to revisit
this GLP1 um issue. Um, this is currently in arbitration, Miss um or Madame General Counsel. Yes, it's going through that process. >> Okay. And I and I hope for a a quick and and swift resolution. Um I would ask the
superintendent to keep us informed of this process. This seems to be a topic of uh great public uh importance and I want all of my colleagues and myself included to be kept fully a breast of what's going on with this. Sir,
>> right, Miss Hixon, >> did you just Thank you. Before I I do my student things, just to that point, um to to Miss Johnson through the superintendent, can you tell us because we we had this discussion the other day.
So, we hired someone we paid for someone who's looking at carveouts and part of that carveout was to look at the GLP1s and see how we could reduce the cost and bring that back under coverage. Is that correct?
>> Yes, that's correct. >> Thank you. And is that something that um the union is aware of? >> Should they be aware of that? Is that something that's been part of discussions that you've had um in negotiations with the
>> that Bruno before Oh, sorry. >> No, I was going to say that' be a Dr. Lozano question. >> Oh, >> I know you're distracted. They're asking if the union is aware of the consultant that we've hired to work on carveouts with the current healthc care contract
that we have about GOP ones. >> She is aware that we are doing some work. I'm not sure how deep >> she's aware. >> We can give them a brief update tomorrow, sir, because we're meeting with the union leaders tomorrow on the referendum. So, we can include this in
that update. And when do we expect to have information back from the consultant that we hired? Um that would include an update on the GLP1. >> The RFPs are ready. Um two of them, the um critical disease management and the
GLP1 weight loss. Um he's working with the district down. We're going to get them out on street as soon as possible. we have a process that the new vendors, people who are going to apply for the RFP have to go through the process of registering with the district. >> Okay. Thank you so much for that update.
Um, on a different note, I would like to say congratulations to all of the scholar athletes that were recognized last night at the North Area Scholar Athlete Awards ceremony, which um was
hosted at Dillard High School and it was very beautiful. the south area will occur next Monday. But congratulation and and they also won some scholarships there. So congratulations to all of them. Special congratulations to the coach of the year from Blanch Elie High
School. That was coach James Green. Um he is the coach of the state runnerup girls basketball team. So that was awesome. Then the athlete of the year was from Fort Lauderdale High School. He played track football and track and
field. He um holds the Cambridge diploma. He was recognized as the state scholar of distinction, Florida seal of biiteracy and had over 300 service hours. And that was Legarius Tyler Jr.
So congratulations to all of them. Um if you have time, come see the South area one just to see the students. And here there was two students that had over a thousand volunteer hours. Dr. Fulton's daughter had over 900 volunteer hours
and she was recognized and won a scholarship last night. So, um it's just great to see our students and all of the amazing thing. They're not just scholars, they're scholar athletes, many of them playing more than one sport and to see them have a thousand hours of
volunteer service, 900 hours of volunteer service shows that our students are the whole package. So, that's very exciting. Um, we also congratulations goes out to Maya Cauldron who is a senior at Western High
School. She just became a published author and her yes, very excited for that. Her parents sent us an email to share that. And finally, I'd like to say congratulations to the MSD Winter Guard. They won silver and they advanced to the
nationals. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Thompson. Thank you, chair. Uh, piggybacking off of what Mrs. Hixon said, so both West Broward and Flanigan place for the color guard with Flanigan being number one and
West Broward being number three. Um, but there are five of our schools competing, which is Cooper City, West Broward, Somerset, which is a charter, but that's okay, and um, MSD. I also wanted to say happy
assistant principles week to all of our APS throughout the district. Um, without you, I'm sure our principles would go nuts. So, we appreciate you guys. I also wanted to give a shout out for the outstanding student awards ceremony that Miss Bowman and I attended at some point
last week, which I think was Thursday, Tuesday. >> Case, >> I don't know where I was. No, we did the Case. I'm getting there. by our own student adviserss got um recognized for outstanding students with um Jere and
Landon both walking away with some money for college. So congratulations. Um I also went to the CT CTE awards I don't know where it was with Miss Bowman >> in district one at Margaritavville >> in district one on Thursday when we
went. Um, also that we are having high school voter drives throughout the county. So, if you have a high schooler, please encourage them to attend. Um, West Broward is having a Chicago Teen Edition performance April 9th and 10th. And if you guys haven't gone out to West
Broward, they're probably up there in the best um, drama group, I think, in the county. And then I also attended Myar's Bag and Beyond. Um, and I really want to give a shout out to Mr. reporter and all of his staff that put that on
because they're able to utilize the I can't remember what it's called when kids don't have to go to school, but they're able to utilize that time period in a way that's beneficial and actually encourages their students to come. So, they had speakers that are myar graduates come and kind of talk about
different careers and expertise. There was a famous football guy there. >> Football guy. >> Gino Smith. >> Wow. I don't know what that means, but he was there and it was great. Everyone was super >> I don't know what that means either. Um,
so that's my my student shout outs. I also wanted to give a shout out to Miss Johnson for all the work you do for our district. I think sometimes because you're a the money person, you get disparaged by some by some speakers. Um,
and I think without your help, we would be in a much much worse position. So, I just wanted to say thank you for the ideas you bring to this board. Um, for getting us out of some some rough times and for continuing to make us a stronger
district. >> Thank you, Mrs. Alada. Thank you. So, first I'd like to just make a statement that it's a thousand% unacceptable if anybody is downgrading a behavioral threat assessment.
Okay. And Dr. Heppern, I'd like if you could give an update on vape detectors being implemented in our high schools. >> Sure. Chief Gregory. >> Good afternoon. Mike Gregory, chief
safety and security officer. Uh that RFP has been released from procurement and the last update I received uh yesterday was that it was with the risk manager. So uh my understanding is once that is approved and released, it will be open for uh all vendors to submit proposals
and then we'll once the uh it's closed, we'll start the review process. >> Okay. And is the goal to get them implemented at the start of next school year? >> Go ahead, Chief Ker. want to >> Yes. Our goal is that soon as we have the uh uh selected vendor in hand to
start a scope uh scoping out the schools walkthroughs, implementation will begin immediately this summer. >> Okay. Wonderful. And I just like to give a shout out to Miss Leonardi and Dr. Heburn for doing a wonderful job with expediting our meetings because we are
done three o'clock. Good job. >> And our new GC. >> Our new GC as well. Yes. and on all of us all of us together as a team. >> Um, Miss Hixon wanted to speak again. >> Yeah, I'm sorry. When I did my list, I forgot to write one down. I I had the,
as did Dr. Fton, the opportunity, Sheridan Hills Elementary School does an ortorial contest, which was why we didn't make it to CTE. But I just have to say if you haven't had an opportunity to do that, there were three preschool
students who memorized a poem and performed it in front of a whole cafeteria full of adults. I mean, I was just floored. They It started with preschool. So, oral contest is they each
have to memorize a poem, but they can't just stand and say the poem. have to do the the sky and and and dress up. And that first little boy stood up there in his little suit and he just projected and he was so phenomenal as a
preschooler. I just when people say that thing great things are not happening in Broward County public schools. you just need to walk into an elementary school or walk into something like the CTE or the outstanding senior awards, but especially when you're looking at
preschoolers memorizing a poem and having the wherewithal to speak in front of people and not be afraid and so proud of themselves. That's because of the great work our teachers do. And so I just wanted to give a shout out to Sheridan
Hills, their teachers, their parents, the principal, the administration, because those students from preschool to fifth grade were phenomenal, and I was really, really blessed to be there um on Thursday night. So, thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Rupert.
>> Thank you. Um I wanted to give a little update. Um, I met with a small group of AFL CIO um, people this past week and they had some pretty good ideas about saving the district money. So, one of them I wanted to bring up here at the
meeting is um, we have, and I didn't even know this, we have three tow trucks that are available for for for use for our our white fleet. And um right now currently cuz you know we have the auto
auto techs at several schools and um those students could be working on our white fleet instead. The white fleet goes back to the dealership for um tuneups for just fixing stuff. And they could actually it was their idea. They
said we could save a ton of money because we all know if you go to a mechanic that you know it's going to be a little bit cheaper, maybe a lot cheaper than if you go to a dealership. So, just an idea like that. And I really want to say thank you to um these several people that had reached out
because it just shows that we're all working very hard trying to save money and these are things that we haven't really thought of. And um I know that our employees have great ideas on how to do so. And I don't know how to engage
them in a way that would be effective, but that's more of a superintendent uh deal. But um I really thought that was and that's just minimal uh with with the this group. I mean, it was just a
handful of guys and they took time out of their out of their day at the end of the day and sat there and just really said what was great about our district and how to have these ideas to to r, you know, bring some more money back. Plus,
it beefs up our own students education. So, I think it would be a win-win. Um, and I would ask the superintendent to look into it. I have their phone numbers I could pass on to you or whoever you you want to do, but uh I think it's a really uh great idea.
>> Thank you. Thank you. Any other board member discussion? Right. The scheduled order of business for this regular school board meeting of the school board of Broward County, Florida has been complete. Seeing no objection, I now adjourn the meeting. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.
Heat. Hey, Heat.