you would please rise and do the invitation in the pledge. Our Father in heaven, be thy name, thy kingdom, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we
forgive those who trespass against us. The power glory forever. Amen. Pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and
justice for all. right about now. So, all right. Well, thank you all for attending the school board meeting on Tuesday, March the 3rd, 2026. We will move right on. Looks like we
have no presentations this evening. Do we have any citizen comment, Mr. Super? >> I have no this time. >> No citizen comment. all these people and nobody wants to say a word. We'll move right on to the consent agenda. Mr. Superintendent, do we have
your recommendation on this consent agenda, sir? >> Um yes, sir. I just want to make sure that you know that we need to pull item H. We have some um edits that we have to do to that. And so I'll be pulling item H and bringing that back to you at a later date in time. Does anyone have anything else they need to pull or any discussion?
>> Just a quick question. >> Yes, sir. on the U King Field. Looks like didn't we did some work on King Field or >> Yes, sir. >> is that that's the football field. Are we deciding? What are we doing?
>> That particular work was concrete work is my understanding. There was a PO on here for Clyde Johnson to pay for extra stuff. And I think that he was doing some where the concrete bleachers are. Yeah, they were having to go in there and shore up some of the a structures and reconrete and clean some stuff up
then make it structurally sound. >> That correct? >> There's a couple videos sir that we've been using for uh we had some concrete sideworth work done cuz we're putting the new track right now and we also have that coming up also for the the bleacher
repairs. >> And how how is the field looking >> right now? the football where the football field >> the track we are just finishing up the track right now we should have it lined by the end of the week >> our rubberized track um the asphalt was put down the first coat of rubber was
put down a week and a half ago maybe um and then they sprayed on the final part top of the track >> um it looks really good like the venue came in today uh cleaned up took all the tape down they had to they had to tape
all the fence up that we put in uh taped up all the concrete, sprayed the top liner down, and I think it has to dry for another maybe day or so, sir. And then we're going to get the lines painted on. So, we are very close to having a rubberized track here that came
running a rubberized track. Well, >> I don't run much, but it was so nice. >> So, that's great. >> So, we're finishing up that project, you know, as soon as we get the lines on. Finished up some gates and some fencing. We have some polishing up to do
>> and the field itself is going to be in pretty good shape. >> Um we have been working on that right now. Um we've been we we fixed all the I mean the sprinklers are all working good. We had to adjust until it hit the track. Um but we are we will work and have that ready to go for the spring
football or the >> Yeah, the spring football. >> Yeah, it is a tough time of year if it's all right. Absolutely. Grass isn't grow. So yeah. >> Well, great. Thank you. >> Who Mr. So, who is um does the district maintain that turf on the cane field?
>> Um I believe the high school code, the high school football team works with that with the athletic director and also I think we have a couple of supplements that help with that also. >> Is that for like sprain or just cutting or
>> um that's pretty much for cutting right now. We have to work on um we started out with some help about four months ago with trying to get that field back to, you know, the shape it needs to be in. Um, and he gave us
some guidance on how to fertilize and how to have a spray in there. I believe our new head football coach, Mr. Coach Sanchez, has a direction on where he's going to go and how he's going to handle everything. Um, but we're working side by side to see how what we need to do to
take care of it. Do we subcontract for like the application for herbicide and fertilizer or is that >> in the past we have not we had hired another consultant for please don't take my word for it maybe two 3 months maybe that we had him in
there um to get us started on the in the right direction but uh we're still working on uh CHS is working with me the the head football coach and the athletic director current athletic director um getting a plan together to make sure we
have some great turf on the table for the fall. >> Okay. I'm looking forward to that. You know that that was a a big concern in the community with the the maintenance of that before would just I don't know who was ever cutting it or supposed to be in charge of it, but it
didn't pass musterwood community standards. So, I'm looking forward to >> all the grass has gotten hammered here in CL in the last two freezes that we had. As you can see when you're driving around, um it in my opinion did take it it got it got
through better than a car did that the house and we you know so we should be you know it just takes time to get every all the weeds out of there again takes time after you get it in you know get it back into shape. >> All right very well.
>> There's no further questions. Mr. Chairman, I recommend approval of the consent. >> All right. All right. >> Questions for everyone, sir. Um, on the Chromebook refresh. So, I see that's coming out of capital money. I know that one-on-one Chromebooks were one of the
state mandates that they at first gave us money, but they're not giving us money for this anymore, right? Am I Am I correct or am I speaking? >> I'll let Miss Emily handles the specifics of that. So, I'll let her fill us in. >> I believe in the past they were erds
were used on Chromebook refresh. We no longer have that. Um, so it does come out of capital. So my next question is um you know I'm sure folks here get I send articles that I'm reading or and and um you know
education aligned articles and one of the things that I'm reading is where they're questioning and it's not going to affect my vote on this but it's just I want to as we're talking about this and we have um a half million dollars on the table in this
decision tonight I where we're questioning if this technology forward education is really producing the dividends and how you know when they talk about in the future when people are making
choices for education that the people are going to start trying to remove their kids from such technology forward environments and go back to regular pen and paper. So, we've uh for the last couple of years, we've been um working toward the
fact that a good teacher in a classroom is the best lever we have for education. There's a place for technology. There's a place for AI. Um but it's supplemental. It's to help is to to make uh research platforms, you know, readily available. um and proper uh use of that
um of those resources as part of what we teach and then allowing them to use them at the at the proper time as part of it as well. And as of recently, we're looking over research where it's not only not helpful, but it's damaging in some ways. And so, Mr. Sanchez has been beating the drum on that for quite some
time. And every time he gets in front of a student panel, you know, with parents there, he begs the parents to limit their screen time, put a book in your kid's hand again. And we've we've been working on that. And that's the classroom too. >> In the classroom when we do our walkthroughs, that's one of the things we want to see. We want to see a teacher
teaching and only using, you know, this Chromebooks for supplemental or for activities or for something that needs to be enhanced along the way, not as a teaching platform to supplement a to take the place of a teacher. So, we agree and we we have been going down that path.
>> It breaks my heart to put those screens in front of the babies. I think it really impedes the development of the fine motor voter and um >> well I mean the point is if you look in front of us every single one of us has at least one electronic device in front of us right >> oh I stand a business no I can't stand
mine >> and I print everything out like an old lady because I literally can't stand staring at those screens for that long and I I don't like to try to make my little notes on it like I'm >> I'm a I'm right there old school paper
I'm doing old lady style. So, um I just think that's very unfortunate that the the state like mandated that one-on-one um devices and then have pulled that those fundings away. So, a half million
dollars from capital to something we may not be using. >> That's just it. >> Okay. >> Whine about that. >> All right. If there are no further questions, Mr. Chairman recommend approval of the consent agenda minus item H. >> So move second.
>> Motion by Mr. Sam, seconded by Miss. I I the only thing I do want to ask is on the reabling project. >> Um do we have the right contracts and languages ready
to go with our lessons we've been learning with other schools with that bill? with regard to >> contracts with these whoever uh that >> for liquidated damages and things like that, >> things like that. >> Yeah, we've learned a lot and uh yes, the short answer is yes, we believe so
and we've learned a lot through this process and we are still editing and fleshing some things out, you know, and what can be and can't be in there and things like that. >> Yes. >> Uh I love the opportunity to chat with you offline about that and what one of the big some of the big lessons we've learned. >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, I know there's been a
lot of them. This is definitely I mean nobody in this district build a new school. So there's a huge learning curve. I just want to make sure that we >> before we enter into anything any agreement that we're looking at that language with that stuff and saying yes we we're we've learned our lesson there.
We're making sure that the proper language is involved in >> before the rec. I know it's necessary to >> to do this to update our school by all means. >> You're talking about the contract itself. >> Yeah. But the contract itself, are we making sure that we're covering ourselves and not having to to go
>> Sure. >> you know, back up and things. So, >> okay. >> That was the only question I had with that. So, any further discussion? >> Hearing no other discussion. All in favor say I. >> I. Opposed. >> Motion carries 5. We'll move on to
action item 5A. Sir, look like we need to appoint one board member for the RFQ selection committee for the new LHS architect. >> Yes, sir. Mr. Chairman, as you're aware, we are working toward a new architect service for the Leavell High School project. Um, part of that selection
criteria is that we have one board member sit on the evaluation committee to to sort through who that new per new company would be. Um, it's totally up to the board. Y'all can handle it just like you would any other committee where someone gets nominated and then y'all can vote to accept the nomination or if
there's more than one then you can vote on who you would want that to be. >> I think that sounds like a good committee to be on. I was thinking Miss Nelson is >> Yeah, I would like to that by myself. >> Oh, then I'll nominate John Basin. I was actually thinking about I was actually
thinking about that um based on like you know there's certain things I take leads from other people on but like as far as um the construction and the contracts and stuff like that then um so >> that's why I would like to sit on >> Okay. >> You have a motion in a second. We have a
motion by Mrs. Men, seconded by Mr. Samike. >> Yep. >> Okay. Any other discussion on that? Hearing no other discussion. All in favor say I. >> I. >> All opposed. Motion carries. I will be on the committee for the school board.
>> Congratulations. >> Yes, sir. >> We'll move on to action item 5B. Looks like we have a hearing, Mr. Superintendent. >> Yes, we do. This hearing um is uh stated and you have the u information in your
packet. Um it's to change a few of the policies around to correct some of the situations that we've been into recently and to accept the changes on the independent sales tax committee. >> All right. So at this moment we will open this hearing. This hearing is now open for the public
to comment, ask questions. Do we have anybody in the public that would like to speak about this hearing? All right. I hear no comments. We'll close this hearing. Hearing is now closed. Public comment is over. So we
will move on. Mr. Superintendent, we have your recommendation to for this hearing. >> Yes, sir. Mr. Chairman, um I recommend your approval um of the information presented for the policy for timing bid protest policy number 9143 and independent sales tax committee oversight committee as presented.
>> So second motion by Mr. Sam, seconded by Mr. Nelson. Do we have any discussion? Hearing no discussion. All in favor say I. >> I. >> All opposed. Motion carries. 5. >> Thank you.
>> We move on to action item 5C. Sir. >> Yep. 5C. Is permission to advertise some more policies for the revisions on a continuum that we've been doing and ensure that we're updated and legal with the state. So therefore, I recommend your approval action on 5C. >> So move second. Motion by Miss Nelson,
seconded by Mr. Samber. Do we have any discussion? Hearing no discussion. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Oppos. Motion carries. We will move on to action 5D. Sir, >> 5D is um we uh in a as you well know, US
Sugar has been a a partner with Henry County and Henry County Schools in Cluon for longer than all of us have been alive. Um they have the um sugar express where they do tourists from uh out of town and some in town that jump on the antique railway and go north or go south
and look at the rail systems and the sugar and the agricultural uh fields. Um they have been parking cars along the side of the railroad and they're running very short of parking spaces with not enough space to park. Um what we're doing uh basically is we're going to partner with them to allow them to use
the field on the north side of Central. Um there's already a gate there. It's already fenced. It's already locked. We would have to just do one small fence in order to keep folks going over into our bus compound. It's only going to be used after hours, uh, which are, um, weekends and late evenings. So, it wouldn't interfere with school times anyway. So,
they wouldn't need to use it or access it when we're using it. And then when we're not, that's perfectly open for them. Um, basically what we would like to do is allow them to use it. Um, they have been over backwards over the last uh, all the years that they've been in business for Hendry County Schools and students. Um, I don't see this as a
money-making venture for us. They're going to be parking on a parking lot. They're going to help us do some improvements there to where we can use it when we need it and then they can use it when they need it as well. So, um, basically what I would like for you to do is to, um, uh, approve the hold harmless agreement and that's the legal leaves about the hold harmless if there
was an accident or someone got hurt or something on the property. So, with that in mind, I ask you to approve action 5D as presented. >> So, move second. Motion by Mr. Samber, seconded by Brown. Do we have any discussion? I just want to clarify that anybody parking in that parking lot
would not have access to any I've never parked in that parking lot so I'm trying to visualize it but they wouldn't have any kind of access to the school >> not the school and playgrounds >> we're going to add couldn't get to the school or playgrounds they couldn't get to the bus compound today we're going to put one small fence in and they won't be
able to get anywhere >> all right perfect cameras monitor that lot >> I don't think so I doubt that lot is monitored because all the cameras are facing back toward buses in the end of school. >> That's all the way out on the end out there. >> I'm not familiar. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> And I'm sorry. I made a map and I had a
nice where y'all could see it and everything and it's sitting on my desk. I apologize, but I can give it to you after the meeting if you don't see it. >> It's right over there. >> Well, yeah. It's it's way on the end of the property. I mean, I don't know if any of you guys have ever been on that excursion train.
That is a uh it's really neat. Taking the grandkids home a few times. It's a is a really a neat experience and I highly recommend if you've never been on it >> and ironically I've never been on it. >> But we're also going to take this opportunity um Mr. B and team is working
with Miss Arata is working with it is working with everyone involved and we're going to get some um uh positive Henry County Public Schools logo stuff and put on the back of the bus barn. thousands and thousands of people a year go up and down that train track on that and we want them to see that we love our teachers and we support, you know, Henry
County in and yada yada yada and we love our bus drivers. So, we're going to rub some love on Henry County schools and our employees. >> Great idea. >> As a result, >> I I I did get a little feedback about that from one gentleman at the railroad. He said that our school actually realized that our district realized
that, you know, what we see from the front isn't what they see from the tracks. He said, and they really have started doing some some cleaning and things like that to make it a lot more presentable. So, thank you, Mr. Houston, to you and your staff for uh to do doing
those things, you know, making that that look a lot better back there. He said it looks much better. But it is a bunch of people getting together, not just me and my staff. It's >> so county school board employees. >> They definitely made a uh a comment
about it and it was a great comment that uh the district has done very good at at you know being aware of that and cleaning it up, making it more presentable from the other side where we never go. So >> okay,
>> that's it. Thank you very much. >> Motion. Did we have a motion on that already? >> Uh, I think we voted already. >> Okay. So, any further discussion? >> We like we vote on that motion. Do we? We did. We did vote on the motion. >> Okay. I want to be sure. Thank you. >> We had a motion. We had a second.
>> Okay. We just got a vote. >> We're done. >> All right. Moving on. >> All right. All right. So, we move on to the uh new LHS updates.
>> Yes. Um Mr. B's going to give tonight's updates. We're going to do the OAK updates when we're in the label meetings. And Mr. B will reiterate this, but um if yesterday Mr. Simike had the pleasure of going out in the site and operating machinery and shovels and just had a great time.
>> If you want to go say nothing. We won't follow. >> He was running bulldozers. That's right. >> If you guys want to go, please set up either through Mr. B or myself. Um, just for safety reasons and for, you know, accountability reasons. They want tours like this to coordinate through us.
Don't just show up there. Please say there. >> Is the track done yet that you were talking about around the perimeter? >> They're still working on it. In fact, I was really going to turn it over to Mr. Muse and let him give y'all the update. I think he's got a handout. You can give them the handout if you want. And just
to clarify, Mr. Samite did not run any equipment. The superintendent of construction feral car, he used to get kicked out of recess cuz he don't want that. So, >> but they gave me a hat. Yes, I was very important. I need one,
you know. >> Um, yes, it's it's an exciting a lot of exciting things going on out on Elvis Road right now. Um, we have two uh two portables or like mobile homes set up. Um, they have, you know, a stone parking
lot out there. That's all taken care of. Um, they it's like has a nice parking lot, wheel stops, parking identified. Um, everything delivered for the inside of those. Uh, um, I think the last delivery will be on Friday for any kind of meetings. We have we have weekly
meetings out there called OAC meetings, owner, architect, contractor meetings. Um, so we get updates every week on campus. We used to have those at Mr. SPL's office over on 300 West Cowboy Way and now we have them on site. Um, and
uh, you know, our civil there, our, you know, the so everybody that needs to get the table is there. Plus, we get the the real in tune up toate real time actual picture of what goes on every day. That's on Wednesday at 10 o'clock. Um, we're still installing some signs. I
think the last sign will probably go up on by this by Friday. Um, we're working on the footings for the central utility plant that will be on the east west side of the property that will house our chiller that will
house some of our electric stuff. We did the footings for that and we also put the um the mechanical electrical plumbing sleeves for the sweeps to go into that bell underneath the concrete before the footers go in and the stem wall should be poured in by the week
this weekend or maybe Thursday and Friday. Uh so the central utility um plant is going to be up at least the pad will be on and all the the sweets will be in um and then the footings the footers will
start at the cafeteria and we'll start working around like we did with the stone coffins. Um the footings will start in the cafeteria work around the gym and go through the rest of the schoolhouse. Um we're working on the casting beds right now which are that just asked about Miss Nelson and the
crane roof. We're working on that now and it should be done uh probably like first week in April I believe. >> Okay. >> Um uh that the casting beds is where we're going to do our tilt wall construction. We're going to, you know, pour the ball on the ground and then we'll tilt it up, lift it, put it in
place after the footers and everything else like that. That that should um the casting beds and the crane road should be done. Like I said, second week of April. Um, we're still working on the building list. Um, we should, you know, those should be complete before we have
the casting beds and the crane road in. Uh, the stone columns I we had completion by 4:22. Uh, little birdie gave me a heads up and they might be done by Friday. Uh, they have been working. I mean, they they worked all
weekend. This is the contraption that they are using. I should not say it's a contraption, but this is a picture Mr. Sam and I was blessed to see at the main line the other day. >> Pretty interesting. >> And what we have here is we have a big crane and on the very west side you'll
see a generator with also a a big air compressor and this that you know that that that it looks it goes into the ground. It blows out the dirt of the hole about 5 6 ft down. Depends on what the what the the civil ass could be 5
ft. could be 7 ft. They blow air down it and then the carriage pulls up. There's a carriage that is on the side right there. Looks like a little box that is filled with gravel and they take it up and they dump it in. They dump it in the little blow gun area, a little pipe into
the ground. It goes right into the hole. And there's been going yell me, but I think there's like over around 200 of those around throughout, >> but I don't remember the exact. >> They go pretty quick, too. They have to move. Um they have to move.
>> They worked all weekend and that's why they I mean they're going to meet the completion they probably buy. >> U this is stone this is stone columns that the platform of the the footprint of the building will sit on. So >> soil stabilization >> it's it's yes absolutely. And then for
the foundation that concrete will have a bunch of them stone columns under it to help support it for cracking or breaking or anything that might happen. So, what we're doing is uh imprinting a school that's going to last for a long time after all of us are gone is the goal, right? And so, um >> well, some of y'all are older than me
now. >> Oh, boy. Along with that, the footers, the building list, you know, we're preparing, we're asked to prepare and design for like the 100year storm just in case it ever floods out there. That's why we're going all the building list
out there and the way the way we're doing it out there. Um, Mr. Swindle briefly touched about uh some tours. Um, please text Swindle and myself and then whoever is available, we can get you out there and check you out,
give you a give you a VIP tour of the site. Um, like I said, Superintendent Ferrell, our construction superintendent, um, you know, it's all business out there. So, you know, cars go up, they get exported off. If they're with us or you're with us, we'll be
Thank you, Mr. >> We have questions, comments, thoughts. >> We still do not have a a solid date on the official groundbreaking. We're waiting for session um to end so that our legislative body from Henry can show up and be a part of that. So, we're sorry not not that we feel horrible not
being able to put a pin in it, but we also don't want to do it without these two lovely individuals that have made this possible. >> Can I change my equipment? I want to run a crane now. I don't >> Mr. Pman. Um, that's probably going to be gone by this weekend. So, tomorrow.
>> All right. All right. >> Stand up on the walls. >> Yeah. >> It's going to be a big crane also, sir. >> Yeah. >> Big boy toys. >> Yes. >> I can maybe give you a front row seat on the Gator. >> But, uh,
>> I'm going to have to deny service. >> Get what we want best, but we might try. If they have like a place they need to keep the equipment, I've got some acred out in Belda and they can bring it out >> and they can take care of it for you to
wash it up for us and everything else like that. We actually have >> we actually have what are they called? ConX uh you know uh boxes out there like you see on the back of semi trucks lock down tighter than >> Yeah.
So it's I mean so but I I will put that out there that you know you have offer to wash them for >> absolutely absolutely I'll even wash them. >> Yes ma'am. >> Wash as I want. >> How will all this be secured
as time goes on and we're getting more and more equipment. >> Obviously have uh about maybe an 8ft fence all the way around walked up. We will we also have um cameras active cameras
in the very very near future on site. I believe we have three on there to keep it's something like uh Mr. P Johnson has one on 27 on a piece of property that he has. Um it has a blue light on it and you know they can come up to it. Hey, what are you doing
here? It's after hours and then we can you know it also takes you know video constant video of the site in the very future but right now we have everything down locking key. >> Thank you. >> I think the swim boys tested that out to work pretty good. >> Constant constant
those cameras. >> All right. Very good. Well, we appreciate the update there. Look forward to uh to seeing it as it comes up. All right, we will move on to board
member business. It looks like we're going to have a special meeting that since we went to our once a month meetings there, Mr. Superintendent, we are going to need that second meeting this month. >> That's actually not even the typical second meeting of the month. This one is another um request from IT where they
are doing some of the cabling projects and this specifically is for some e- rate documents that we have to have turned in by April 1st so that we're eligible to receive the government funding for the reabling piece of it. So our apologies for that and they're doing the RFQ and that RFQ won't open until
earlier that week and so we couldn't meet on a regular Tuesday anyway and so this actually the 27th is the last Friday in March and what we would like to do is a 9:00 a.m. meeting. We've only got a couple things that need to be on that agenda so that we can meet the procurement requirements for that RFQ
and they can get the documents prepared and the documents submitted all by 5:00 or 4:00 on that day to meet those deadlines for the state. So, we apologize. Um, I'm open. We can make it in either any convenient place for the board. So, we can do Clon or Leel and I
do not anticipate that being a very long meeting. So, just a quick, you know, open up approval. Um, and we've only got just a couple of items of business. I'm impartial. Do y'all prefer Lebell or Cloist? >> Oh, I would prefer Leel.
>> I mean, I would prefer Cloon. >> We can vote. We can vote. I bet it's going to be a three to2 vote. >> I I think we probably I think we've got a couple at least one more person than Clovis. So, >> well, wait a second. One of those persons represents people in label.
>> They last name ahead now >> and that's me and it's more convenient for me to be in close on the 20th. >> Well, I'm just clarifying that you do represent >> Mr. Brown. I'm sorry. I could hear. >> Last last meeting we had was here. So,
>> okay, >> that's fine with me. >> Just to keep it just to keep it fair. Just to keep it fair for all parties >> here >> in the middle. Yeah. So, >> so if that's okay, then we'll hold it in label and we'll take care of that. It'll be at Label at 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m.
>> 9:30. >> Well, I'm fine with 6:30. Yeah. >> So, we'll do 9:00 a.m. We will keep that fairly short. It shouldn't take us very long is the anticipated. The other the only other thing I'll say is we will do a little bit of change up when we start when the OAK presentations. we'll move them further up under presentations so
that they can do their piece u of the presentation and show you whatever they need to show you and answer your questions um when they're when they're um present with us. So, thank you for that. Um so, that one's just an FYI. It will make sure they send everything out in advance so that you'll have that to
review and you have everything that you need to to look over that. I want to say I appreciate um uh last month uh Miss Bon and the public the school foundation. Did I say it right? Why Why do I have such a stigma with that? Public school foundation. >> I mean, it is a it's a glitch for you.
It's the Hendry Education Task Force. >> Henry Education Task Force. For some reason, my mind learned that wrong. But the Hinder Education Task Force um and Mr. Brown um have been sponsors of the attendance challenge and we appreciate their support. If any of the rest of you want to join or if anyone from the community wants to join, um we had a
great time and it was very touching to watch some of the students, you know, receive that as as a positive incentive for all students to come to school. we are struggling with attendance. Um, and we could use all the help we could get. So, if you talk to your constituents or if you speak at any community events or
if you are around folks, we've got to make sure that folks and parents and guardians of these students understand the importance of coming to school. Um, it's hard for us to teach them if they don't come and come on a regular basis. We get people are sick. We get unforeseen circumstances happen, but we
have students that's missed 60 days of school this year plus. And so that's very very difficult for us to be successful as a school district with students that don't do that. And so we just ask that and what we're trying to do is something positive to drive people to want to come. We encourage all of our
school sites to make a a welcoming culture. Wherever the students are on campus, they feel loved, protected, fed, and and secure. And so uh we we try to do those things, but at the end of the day, you know, this has turned into an issue that that we're trying everything we can. So any support that we can get
would be great. So, thank you for that. >> Okay, that's all I have. >> Have we ever just So, I feel like we're doing everything we can to like anticipate like making the environment where they want to come to school, but have we just asked the
question before like in like if you have a kid who's not coming to school, well, then why? I mean, maybe there's an answer there that we're not anticipating or there's a certain situations and of course you're not going to get everybody who's going to
respond to that, but I think that, you know, you might like even just with like an anonymous survey just to see, you know, there may be things that we aren't anticipating or we think that we know or they may be having, you know, a hard time at school. I mean, there
there could be just a multitude of different issues that would be driving um kids not showing up. And so I mean when I don't get it and I know that I'm putting all the outputs that I want and I'm still not getting the outputs I want to go back and like just ask the question
>> what's going on like talk to me here. >> We do we do focus groups every year and we're getting ready to do this year's round of focus groups and we've always asked you know what do you like about school? What makes you want to come to school? And it's the darnest things right? Um they want to wear hoodies you know they they want more free time. they
want, you know, just give us 15 minutes in the middle of the day once a week just to be a kid with our friends on the courtyard, um certain foods, you know, and things like that. And so we have tried to make all the accommodations possible using that as incentives as
well and to some degree successfully um you know, as a reward, you know, if all of you score a certain amount on a said test, if you you know, for you, everybody gets to proficiency then then uh then they'll do those type things. But but the uh but the overall we are
struggling with it. And >> what about the kids who don't come to school? Like have we asked them like what's like what's going on? >> Well, we were in a meeting today in at at one of the local schools and and and the the said person that we were dealing with said no. He said I make them come
in, you know, after they get to a certain point. And it's just the darnest excuses, you know. Well, I can't get them. I can't make the kid wake up. Well, um um u my car wouldn't start. >> It's been 3 weeks, you know, and stuff
like that. And and so it it becomes um it it it's truly a parenting issue. If you got a child that hasn't been to school for 30 and 40 to 60 days in a school year, that's a parenting issue, >> you know, and so we're dealing with a deep issue. And I don't think it's localized to Hendry County, but we deal
with Hendry County, and that's where our our focus has to be. And so again, I just say that if y'all have the platform to be able to speak to parents, you know, what supports do they need? If there's something there, we're happy to do it. But at the end of the day, they've got to be parents. They've got to make the kids wake up. They've got to
make sure the kids get to school, whether it be through them or on a bus. There's nowhere that we can't touch with a bus. Um, and >> they're riding it with a bus. Like I always think it's interesting to like hear the adult answers in the room and then hear the kids answers in the room.
And I I think I mean I just I think it's worth an ass. >> Sure. >> I mean we can put anything send it out on that Chromebook and Lord knows we just dropped a half million dollar so everybody can have one. I mean let's utilize that and to to ask them. I mean
we might be finding things that we just didn't anticipate there. You know, the parent might tell you that the the car's not working, but the kid might expand on that and tell you some other stuff that you might need to know. >> But they got to the fair somehow. >> Not all of them.
>> Yeah. You remember back that was an example they used today >> when we had CO when CO >> couldn't make it to school. when when CO struck, when it happened and re remember when everybody the schools organized those parades where they we
rode through the neighborhoods and listen my kids were belly aching about how hard they headed at home and they were you know all this and that and I was like now you're going to get into this um car with us and you're going to ride and spray and you're going to see where everybody lives. We're going to go
through everybody's community because you're living in a little bubble here, buddy. like you're you're in a bubble and just going through their eyes were open. My eyes were I mean I already knew what it was but just to go back through and just say that I think a lot of kids
face struggles that sometimes that it's hard for us as people who do step up who who do believe in parenting. It's hard for us to comprehend and it's it it's just hard for me to hammer down on a kid that, you know, they don't get
to choose their parents and they don't get to choose their environment. And I just if we can just try to like make that connection and I just think that like it's easy to think of what we people should be doing and could be doing,
but sometimes the reality of that is is very humbling. So that's just my two cents on it. >> When you remember, Judge Sloan worked very hard with the community. He had he had truence in court and the parents would have to come in because if a kid's
in second grade, he's he's not packing up and getting ready to go to school. It's the parents and stuff like that. Stone work and worked with the truency court and the board funded part of that material too for for years because
it it is it's not just well the kid doesn't want to go to school. Nobody wants to go to school. So it's parents that have and it was very hard. I mean I think after a while it just we just sort of closed that off. lost funding for it.
>> Some of the funding was ours was from the district. >> Expensive. >> It was a very good It was You worked very hard on it. Was that you see that? I don't know. Some kids when they're in early elementary school and they're not coming to school, so they're not
learning. So suddenly, oh, we force them to go to school now, they're two or three years behind. >> That's right. It's just as sad as it see when they're young. That's a parent issue. That's not a child issue. >> That's right. >> Mom and dad fault. That's >> But if they're older and can't get to a
bus, then talk to me about I mean I want to know what the kids say. What's your reason? >> I said the attendance challenge coming around. >> All right. Um was it called So, I have a couple of questions.
>> So, I know that Mr. Buen, we spoke last week, I believe it was about a slide at Central. Did we get that slide taken down or out so we don't get any kids hurt? >> I can check on tomorrow,
>> please. Cuz uh I saw a picture of that thing and that hole is huge in that slide. Last thing we want to >> I walked in last week. It was supposed to be roped off again, >> right? >> The teachers keep kids off the bus.
>> Yeah. The thing that I saw though um was it was that orange netting and I can see where it was, but I could also see where the kids went and stepped on it, pushed it down, went right down the slide. So, I mean, if we can take that thing and get it down, block, I don't care if
we put a screw a board across there where they can't get there, you know, and cut that slide off where they can't go up it backwards, you know. Um, if we could definitely get on that, please, that would be uh I think preventative
before somebody ends up getting getting a foot hung or something and something bad happened to one of the little babies. Um, and then if I understand it, we have some mold testing going on in the district at different locations. Do we have how many locations did we do that
at? >> Just one school. >> Just one school. How did we get the results? >> Got all the results should be all finalized or presented tomorrow. >> Presented tomorrow. Yes. Okay. >> Yeah. Cuz I know I mean and that's just as bad for a lot of people. You know, we've got teachers that are pregnant. My
daughter's one of them that's pregnant. So talk about not she's pregnant but you not >> okay >> and the baby but uh and the little babies that are already in the school. We definitely don't want them exposed to any mold situations. So um yeah be
anxious to hear the results of those tests to see do we have a plans if we do discover there is mold in there. >> Last thing we want is the envelope of any of our buildings to be a cause of anybody getting sick or remaining sick. And so if whatever the results of this test is, we will mitigate, remediate and
make sure that we keep people safe, whether it be everything from cleaning, disinfecting to whatever we have to do. Yes, that's a short answer. >> Very good. That was it. I appreciate very much, Mr. S. >> I'm good. Thank you very much. All seems
to be well in our district. Moving on. >> Oh my goodness. Right. >> I did. I'm good tonight. >> Those are everything, Val. His music. >> Well, you know, I actually made a deal with Mr. Samike if he didn't speak
tonight. I got his extra time. So, >> clock that at 20 minutes, guys. >> I'm kidding. I didn't make a deal with Mr. Samberg. I'm a comedian. We all know that. Some people just don't agree. Um, so no, two things I thought that are very exciting as we're moving through
the the legislative session. Uh, the first one was, and I sent Mr. Swindle an article about this, but um, schools the the legislation is taking on the school zone cameras. And um what they are
asking to do is put or working to do is put in legislation that requires so I think this is like kind of cool because we're ahead of the the curve on this one. Um thanks to Mr. Swind Swindle's leadership on this but putting in the flashing signs. Remember we talked about
we want the flashing signs. Well, making that mandatory as a part of having the school zone cameras and then backing the cameras out like the view of the cameras out so you can see the signage as well as the tag and everything to like make those um more enforcable or or you have
a better um case for >> where they're at whenever they get the photo taken. Well, they want the So, the issue was that they would get a picture of the tag, but then you wouldn't have the picture of the signs,
>> and they would say, "Well, it wasn't >> during those hours." Yeah, it was before. And in the sign, it doesn't say that. And so, by pulling that camera view back, you're going to be able to get the the sign and um the tag as well. So, I thought, you know, that was something that I like. This is what I
like to read. Um no fiction novels here. And then um also the the school board members bill of rights is progressing um through there and so I'm will be anxious to see what that looks like um if it makes it to the end of session through
the slug throw slugfest and um we see what that finally looks like when that gets all hashed out. And and then just I have one question is now that we're approaching end of session and we've got a lobbyist and uh do we know
anything about uh appropriations for that um the money to finish or yeah funding. >> We're in the governor's budget. We're in the senate's budget. No one's in the house budget. Um but our lobbyist is you
know weekly uh interfacing with me and has said they're aware of it. They know there's a plan there when they go to conferences when that will get worked out that it's supposed to be handled. Our uh our specific rep from Henry is well aware and going to be we believe and know that she'll be a champion for
us. So we expect all the indicators now is that we should be just fine and good to go. >> Okay, that's wonderful news. >> Yep. >> All right. Well, that concludes my questions and comments. >> All right. Very good. Well, thank you all for coming to this meeting.