POLICY WORKSHOP OF MARCH 4, 2025 IS CALLED TO ORDER. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, CAN YOU START THE WORKSHOP FOR US? >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. SO, BOARD MEMBERS, AS YOU ARE FAMILIAR, THIS IS ONE OF OUR POLICY WORKSHOPS ON OUR POLICY CYCLE. SO WE HAVE SOME BOARD MEMBER POLICIES WE'LL BEGIN POLICIES WE'LL BEGIN WITH. ONE OF THE FIRST ONES, IF YOU REMEMBER THE WORKSHOP ON A.I. WHERE WE SPENT SOME TIME AND REQUEST WAS MADE FROM THE BOARD TO RELOOK AT ALL OF OUR POLICIES REGARDS TO A.I. AND MS. FOSSICK HAS THOSE TO KICK THEM OFF. I'LL THROW TO MR. PORTER IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO
MENTION BEFORE I THROW IT OVER TO KRISTIN OR COLLEEN. >> GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME AND BRING A NEW POLICY TO THE BOARD AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AS THE SUPERINTENDENT STATED, AS A RESULT OF THE WORKSHOP ON JANUARY 21st THAT IS WHERE THE POLICY IS BORN FROM. IF YOU RECALL FROM THAT BOARD WORKSHOP WE TALKED ABOUT SIX PRINCIPLES PRINCIPLES THAT WILL GUIDE
DECISION MAKING AROUND ANY EMERGING TECHNOLOGY. AND MY AND MY BELIEF IS THAT BOARD POLICY IS MEANT TO STAND THE TEST OF TIME, SO WE WOULD WANT SOMETHING THAT CAN SOMETHING THAT CAN BE AN UMBRELLA FOR US AND AT THE END IT DIRECTS THE SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF TO DEVELOP PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTATION. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS POLICY AT THE RECOMMENDATION ALSO OF MR. PORTER AT THE LAST MEETING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TERMS A.I. ARE PRESENT WITHIN THE POLICY SO THAT IF THERE WAS SOMEBODY SEARCHING FOR INFORMATION ABOUT OUR POLICIES, IT'S EASILY OUR POLICIES, IT'S EASILY FOUND.
AND SO WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT AS AN A.I. GOVERNANCE TEAM ABOUT TECHNOLOGY IS STANDING SO FAST IN OUR WORLD TODAY. AND REALLY TO LOOK, TO HAVE A POLICY THAT POLICY THAT ENCOMPASSES WHAT WE CAN'T IMAGINE IS GOING TO BE OUR FUTURE WITH TECHNOLOGY RIGHT NOW AND RECOGNIZING THAT AT ANY TIME WE CAN COME BACK TO THE BOARD AND UPDATE A POLICY. SO THE TITLE OF THIS NEW POLICY IS EMERGING IS EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES. THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNIZES THE TRANSFORMATIVE POTENTIAL OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, FOR EXAMPLE, ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE, TO ENHANCE TEACHING, LEARNING, AND DISTRICT OPERATIONS. THIS POLICY REFLECTS OUR COMMITMENT TO USING COMMITMENT TO USING EMERGING TECHNOLOGY RESPONSIBLY, ENSURING ITS ROLE COMPLEMENTS THE DISTRICT'S VISION OF PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE. THIS POLICY IS GUIDED BY THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES: A HUMAN CENTRIC BELIEF. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES WILL SERVE AS A TOOL TO SUPPORT, NOT REPLACE, HUMAN INTERACTIONS IN EDUCATION AND EDUCATION AND DISTRICT OPERATIONS ENSURING THAT TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND STAFF REMAIN AT THE CENTER OF LEARNING
AND DECISION MAKING. UNIVERSAL ACCESS. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF ACROSS DISTRICT OPERATIONS, EMPOWERING PERSONALIZED LEARNING AND ENHANCING OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY. RESPONSIBLE USE, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IMPLEMENTATION OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES WILL PRIORITIZE TRANSPARENCY, SAFEGUARD DATA PRIVACY AND ALIGN WITH THE PRIVACY AND ALIGN WITH THE HCPS STANDARDS OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY FOR STUDENTS. INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION.
THE DISTRICT WILL REMAIN COMMITTED TO COLLABORATION WITH EXTERNAL PARTNERS ENSURING THAT THE USE OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES REFLECTS INNOVATION THAT ALIGNS WITH EDUCATIONAL AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE. PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, EDUCATORS AND STAFF WILL BE EQUIPPED AND STAFF WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO UNDERSTAND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND IMPLICATIONS, LEVERAGING IT TO ENHANCE TEACHING, LEARNING, AND DISTRICT OPERATIONS THROUGH THOUGHTFUL INTEGRATION. AND FUTURE READY SKILLS, STUDENTS WILL DEVELOP THE
CRITICAL AND CREATIVE SKILLS NEEDED TO NAVIGATE AND SUCCEED IN A WORLD INCREASINGLY SHAPED BY BY EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES WHILE DISTRICT OPERATIONS WILL MODEL THESE COMPETENCIES BY LEVERAGING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES TO ENHANCE EFFICIENCY, INNOVATION, TEACHING, AND LEARNING. THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL DEVELOP PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTATION THAT ALIGN WITH THESE PRINCIPLES AND ENSURE THE RESPONSIBLE INTEGRATION OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGY INTO THE TECHNOLOGY INTO THE DISTRICT'S EDUCATIONAL AND OPERATIONAL PRACTICES. AND THAT IS THE PROPOSED DRAFT
FOR THE NEW POLICY. >>Jessica Vaughn: DID ANY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THAT? MEMBER GRAY. YES, EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES. >>Lynn Gray: [INAUDIBLE] IS IS IT ACCEPTABLE FOR ME TO REMARK INCLUSIVELY WITH ALL THE -- >>Jessica Vaughn: SURE.
WILL IT TAKE MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES, DO YOU THINK? >>Lynn Gray: IT WILL NOT. >>Jessica Vaughn: GO AHEAD, MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: SO ONE OF >>Lynn Gray: SO ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK PREEMPT IS -- AND YOU'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB, MS. FOSSETT. I THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM. WITH ALL THE CALIBERS AND NUANCES OF DIFFERENT POPULATIONS, TEACHER POPULATIONS, TEACHER TRAINING, GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
GUIDANCE COUNSELOR TRAINING, ALL THE THE MUST-HAVES, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD SEE, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE BOARD COMMENTS, AND SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, THE PROCEDURES, REMARKABLY THIS IS A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME IN A LOT OF WAYS AND FOR OUR TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS, APs, GUIDANCE COUNSELORS. I HAVE ABOUT SIX THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE. I LOOK FORWARD I LOOK FORWARD TO BOARD MEMBERS EITHER MAYBE ADDING
EITHER MAYBE ADDING MORE. PROCEDURES WHICH ADDRESS PLAGIARISM. PROCEDURES WHICH ADDRESS CURRICULUM IN THE CURRICULUM IN THE INFUSION OF A.I. PROCEDURES ON HOW PROCEDURES ON HOW YOU'RE GOING TO ADDRESS POPULATIONS SUCH AS ESE, SUCH AS THE ESE, SUCH AS THE ELL, SUCH AS THE VARYING THE VARYING DEMOGRAPHICS OF VARIOUS LANGUAGES, LEAVE IT THERE. CULTURES, BUT LANGUAGES.
THE OTHER PART IS HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADDRESS THE MENTAL HEALTH ASPECT. YES, WE CAN DO IT YES, WE CAN DO IT THROUGH GUIDANCE COUNSELORS. BUT THERE IS BUT THERE IS A LOT BUT THERE IS A LOT OF A.I., TECHY, AND MENTAL HEALTH IS THE OPPOSITE IN MANY CASES. WITHOUT WITHOUT HAVING A COUNSELOR TALKING POINTS, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF THE MENTAL ASPECTS OF A.I. AND WHAT IT CAN DO, PERHAPS BULLYING, ET CETERA. THE OTHER PART IS HOW WE'RE
GOING TO ADDRESS TEACHER TRAINING. I'M GOING TO FLIP BACK TO GUIDANCE COUNSELOR TRAINING. IMPORTANTLY, PARENTAL TRAINING, HOW ARE WE GOING TO HOW ARE WE GOING TO HELP HOW ARE WE GOING TO HELP OUR PARENTS LEARN WHAT THESE POLICIES OR BETTER POLICIES OR BETTER YET, A.I., BECAUSE THEY ARE HEARING IT ALL THE TIME, AND I JUST WONDERING IF AS A PARENT, MY KIDS, MY GRANDKIDS KNOW MORE THAN I DO ALREADY. JUST TEN YEARS OLD. ONE IS 11.
IF WE'RE IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE POLICIES, WHAT IS THE OTHER WHAT IS THE OTHER EQUATIONAL PART IS PARENTAL KNOWLEDGE. OBVIOUSLY, THE PRINCIPAL, ET CETERA. I WOULD LIKE FOR ALL OF US TO HAVE AT LEAST THAT KIND OF REMARKS SO WE CAN REMARKS SO WE CAN GO THROUGH THIS INTELLIGENTLY THIS INTELLIGENTLY AND THIS INTELLIGENTLY AND RESPOND ACCORDINGLY. MADAM CHAIR, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THAT'S GOING TO BE MY REMARKS FOR ALL FIVE. >>Jessica Vaughn: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY.
DR. HAHN, YOU ARE NEXT IN QUEUE. >>Stacy Hahn: YEAH, I THINK THOSE ARE ALL REALLY GOOD POINTS THAT MEMBER GRAY BRINGS UP. THAT SOUNDS MORE LIKE THE IMPLEMENTATION IMPLEMENTATION SIDE OF THIS POLICY. THE POLICY KIND OF DOES THE GUIDANCE AND YOU AND YOUR STAFF WORK ON ALL THOSE ASPECTS THAT MEMBER GRAY SAID IN THE IMPLEMENTATION. HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT DOING THAT, JUST FOR THE RECORD? >>Van Ayres: DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE POLICY TODAY, THIS IS A NEW POLICY.
THE NEXT FIVE ARE THE NEXT FIVE ARE REVISIONS. ONCE THIS POLICY IS BROUGHT FORWARD, ONCE WE SEE CONSENSUS TODAY, WE'LL START DEVELOPING PROCEDURES AROUND THIS PARTICULAR POLICY. THE GUIDANCE THAT WE HEAR FROM TODAY AND HELP US WORK THROUGH THE PROCEDURES, IT HELPS US FOR SURE AS WE DEVELOP PROCEDURES AROUND THIS NEW POLICY AND THE FIVE REVISIONS. ONCE WE SEE CONSENSUS TODAY, THEN THIS TEAM WILL START TO WORK THROUGH WHAT THOSE PROCEDURES THEN LOOK LIKE. AS YOU MENTIONED, DR. AS YOU MENTIONED, DR. HAHN, THAT'S REALLY -- POLICIES ARE WRITTEN, PROCEDURES ARE WHAT OUR
STAFF RELIES ON TO SAY HOW WE'LL WORK THROUGH THIS. >> YOU DIDN'T >> YOU DIDN'T LEAVE ANYTHING OUT. >>Stacy Hahn: I THINK ESPECIALLY AROUND THE PARENT PIECE, AS MEMBER GRAY SAID, THAT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ASPECT. A LOT OF PARENTS ARE NOT IN POSITIONS OR JOBS WHERE THEY ARE USING A.I. SO IT IS REALLY NEW TO THEM. THEY MAY NOT KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN THEIR CHILD IS DOING HOMEWORK OR WORKING ON PROJECTS. SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. IF WE CAN ADDRESS ALL THOSE THINGS SHE MENTIONED IN YOUR PROCEDURES, I THINK THAT WOULD
BE GREAT. >>Van Ayres: YES, WE WILL ABSOLUTELY DO SO. I APPRECIATE THE GUIDANCE ON THAT AND WE'LL INCLUDE IN ALL OF THOSE WITHIN THE PROCEDURES AS WE START TO DEVELOP THEM. >>Jessica Vaughn: DID ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT POLICY? I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT, UNLESS BOARD MEMBERS SAY YOU'RE AGAINST A POLICY, I'M GOING TO ASSUME WE HAVE CONSENSUS TO MOVE FORWARD. I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT HOW IT WAS HARD TO FIND ONE PROGRAM
THAT COULD CATCH ALL ChatGPT OR AS MEMBER GRAY MENTIONED, PLAGIARISM, BUT I WOULD STILL URGE US TO PUT FORTH ONE CONSISTENT CONSISTENT APPLICATION OR PROGRAM THAT DOES CHECK FOR THAT THAT'S CONSISTENT, THAT ALSO WARNS A STUDENT BEFORE THEY SUBMIT THE WORK THAT THEY ARE AGREEING TO THE FACT THAT THEY HAVEN'T USED ANYTHING THAT THEY HAVEN'T CITED. I KNOW THAT IN COLLEGES AND I KNOW THAT IN COLLEGES AND EVEN IN SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES, THEY HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY UTILIZE. IT SEEMS PRETTY GOOD.
AGAIN, I THINK JUST THE STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGING AS THEY SUBMIT THE WORK, CLICKING A BUTTON AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, I AM NOT PLAGIARIZING. I'VE CITED EVERYTHING THAT I'VE USED IS POWERFUL IN ITSELF EVEN IF IT CAN'T CATCH EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF ANYTHING, CROSS-REFERENCING THEY MIGHT HAVE USED. THAT'S SOMETHING I URGE FOR US TO DO AND USE SOMETHING CONSISTENT ACROSS THE BOARD TO OFFER OUR TEACHERS. ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT WHAT THE COLLEGES ARE USING BECAUSE I'VE GOTTEN GOOD FEEDBACK ON THAT. THAT'S THE ONLY COMMENTS I HAVE
IF WE WANT TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT POLICY. >> THAT'S THE NEW ONE. MS. FOSSETT HAS FIVE REVISIONS. >> THE NEXT FIVE ARE ALL TIED TO A REQUEST FROM THE BOARD AT THE BOARD WORKSHOP TO REVISE AND TO INCLUDE THE A.I. LANGUAGE WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE POLICIES. THAT'S WHAT I HAVE DONE IN THESE. 2131, 2131, 2132, 2131, 2132, 2210, 2131, 2132, 2210, 2240 2131, 2132, 2210, 2240 AND 2250 ALL ADD LANGUAGE SPECIFICALLY
RELATED TO THE INCLUSION OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND THEN CITING A.I. CITING A.I. AS THE EXAMPLE. I COULD GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THEM IF NEEDED. YOU'VE HAD THOSE TO REVIEW. >>Jim Porter: YOU'LL RECALL AT YOUR WORKSHOP ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, THIS WAS THE BOARD'S REQUEST THAT YOU HAVE A NEW POLICY WHICH MS. FOSSETT WENT THROUGH. EASE OF SEARCHING, WHEN PEOPLE ARE SEARCHING POLICIES, THE TERM ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WAS ADDED. THE NEXT FIVE ARE NOT REAL SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES. THEY ARE JUST PUTTING THE TERMINOLOGY IN SO THAT SOMEONE
SEARCHING OUR POLICIES CAN FIND THEM. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, MS. FOSSETT CAN ANSWER THEM. >>Jessica Vaughn: I KNOW YOU DID A THOROUGH JOB OF GOING THROUGH ALL OF THEM. SEEING THAT NO BOARD MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT WE CAN MOVE ON ABOUT THAT WE CAN MOVE ON TO 5136. >> THANK YOU, MA'AM. >>Jim Porter: 5136 WAS AN AMENDMENT TO AN EXISTING POLICY REGARDING WIRELESS COMMUNICATION OR CELL PHONES BROUGHT BY
MS. GRAY. IF WE CAN TURN TO THAT, THIS IF WE CAN TURN TO THAT, THIS IS 5136. IF YOU REFER TO LINES 9 AND 10, IN THE CURRENT POLICY WHICH THE BOARD ADOPTED A FEW MONTHS AGO, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE ALLOWED TO USE THEIR PHONE DURING LUNCH. MS. GRAY IS SUGGESTING AS A POLICY AMENDMENT THAT THAT BE TAKEN OUT SO THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE CELL PHONE USAGE ALLOWED AT LUNCH FOR ANY LEVELS OF SCHOOLS. I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH. >>Lynn Gray: WELL,
>>Lynn Gray: WELL, IT MAY BE JUST JUST REPLICATION OF WHAT'S GOING TO BE PRESENTED BY SENATOR BURGESS JULY 1st, BURGESS JULY 1st, 2025. IT STATES IT STATES THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS WILL IMPLEMENT A POLICY FOR SPECIFIED SCHOOL YEAR PROHIBITING THE USE OF CELL PHONES WHILE ON SCHOOL GROUNDS OR ENGAGE IN CERTAIN ACTIVITIES OFF SCHOOL GROUNDS, REQUIRING THE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE A REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE BEFORE A SPECIFIED DATE PROVIDING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE REPORT,
ET CETERA. I SENT THIS POLICY TO SENATOR BURGESS, THE ONE WE HAVE, ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO. HE'S HELL-BENT ON WIRELESS BEING TAKEN OUT OF SCHOOLS. I THINK, KRISTIN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE HERE. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER BILLS THAT WOULD SUGGEST THE SAME? >> I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THIS WOULD BE 1296 WHICH MEMBER GRAY JUST MENTIONED, WOULD BE -- IT'S ACTUALLY FOR A PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE FIRST YEAR FOR 25-26 THAT
WOULD HAVE WOULD HAVE DOE SELECT TWO SMALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, TWO MEDIUM DISTRICTS AND TWO LARGE DISTRICTS TO STUDY. IT ACTUALLY JUST IS IT ACTUALLY JUST IS A PILOT AT THIS POINT, THE ONE THAT MEMBER GRAY MENTIONED. >>Lynn Gray: DR. WHELAN AND I WERE THINKING MAYBE WE COULD BE ONE OF THE PILOTS. AS THE BILLS AS THE BILLS EMERGING, WE MAY NOT HAVE ANY NEGOTIATION. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE THUNDER. RICK GRAVES, DID YOU WANT TO PRESENT ANYTHING TO US?
BECAUSE THERE WERE REMARKS, SCHOOL PRINCIPALS FEEL THEY ARE ALREADY SO BURDENED OF ENFORCEMENT. WHAT WHAT IF YOU ENFORCE THIS SITUATION WITH NO CELL PHONES, AND THAT'S VERY HIGHLY RECOGNIZABLE BECAUSE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS ALREADY HAVE WAY TOO MUCH GOING MUCH GOING ON. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THE SAME -- NOT THE SAME, EXACT SAME, BUT THESE PRINCIPALS, 4,000 PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, APs, THIS WAS A SURVEY DONE LAST YEAR
HAVE REMARKED ABOUT CELL PHONES. I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO READ THEM I DON'T WANT TO READ THEM ALL. BULLYING, BULLYING, INSTIGATING FIGHTS. WE HAD A FIGHT AT DAVIS ISLAND WHERE MOSTLY THEY ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION, BUT THEY USE THEM TO COORDINATE FIGHT TIMES AND LOCATIONS. THEN PEOPLE COME TO FILM THE FIGHT, CHEATING AND DRAMA ON SOCIAL MEDIA. STUDENTS CREATE GROUP CHATS TO SEND EACH OTHER WORK AND ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS IN ALL OF THEIR CLASS WORK. THEY TAKE PHOTOS OF THE SMART
KID'S WORK WHILE THE KID ISN'T PAYING ATTENTION AND THEY COPY THE WORK. A LARGE NUMBER A LARGE NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS ALL SAID ALL OF THIS ABOVE. STUDENTS TAKING PHOTOS OF OTHERS AND POSTING AND POSTING THEM AND POSTING THEM WITH RUDE COMMENTS. IT CAN GO ON AND IT CAN GO ON AND ON. THE BULLYING I THINK SUGGESTS THE FIGHTING ALONE IS THE FIGHTING ALONE IS WORRISOME. PLAGIARISM, ALL OF THAT. MENTAL HEALTH IS DEVASTATING THROUGH THE CELL PHONES. I THINK MEMBER COMBS MENTIONED THAT BEFORE. THE PROBLEM IS THE ENFORCEMENT.
THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN SOLVED BY BROWARD COUNTY AND ORANGE COUNTY AND TWO OTHER COUNTIES IN FLORIDA. SO I SUGGESTED TO DR. GRAYES THIS MORNING THIS MORNING BEFORE WE EVEN GET INTO THIS POLICY THAT WE NEED TO SAY SAY HOW SAY HOW WE WOULD FACE THE ENFORCEMENT PROBLEMS -- I DON'T HAVE TO TALK AND SHAKE YOU KNOW THIS. YOU CAN'T TELL PRINCIPALS, THIS IS THE EDICT, IS THE EDICT, AND YOU HAVE NO HUMAN HELP, SUPPORT STAFF TO
MAKE SURE IT'S DONE WITH FIDELITY. SO WE'RE PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE. WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE IS HOW YOU'RE GOING TO DO -- HOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT BARRIER. AND THAT WOULD GO WITH BURGESS, TOO. YOU CAN PUT A LAW DOWN OUR THROATS, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE PREPARATION. SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, RIGHT NOW, IF WE WERE TO GO TO SAY, YES, TAKE OUT ALL THE CELL PHONES AS THIS PILOT AND OTHER BILLS, BY THE WAY, TWO OTHER BILLS SUGGESTED.
NOT JUST THIS ONE, NOT JUST THIS ONE, IF WE GO AHEAD AND SAY TO PRINCIPALS AND HERE WE ARE IN MARCH, THAT YOU CAN'T -- NO CELL PHONES ARE ALLOWED, THAT WOULD ALLOWED, THAT WOULD BE THE WORST SCENARIO. HOWEVER IF YOU HOWEVER IF YOU PRESENTED SUCH AS ORANGE COUNTY, BROWARD, I HADN'T GOTTEN THE OTHER GOTTEN THE OTHER DIRECTIVES FROM THE TWO OTHER COUNTIES, IF YOU PRESENTED IT AND MAYBE DR. GRAYES, MAYBE YOU WANT TO SHARE YOUR VIEW AS CHIEF OF SCHOOLS. HOW WOULD YOU PRESENT THIS IN THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR
SO PRINCIPALS WOULD NOT FEEL -- IT WOULD IT WOULD MITIGATE IT WOULD MITIGATE THE ENFORCEMENT CONCERNS. >> THANK YOU, MS. GRAY. AS IT'S BEEN MENTIONED, THE BARRIERS AFTER I'VE SPOKEN WITH A FEW A FEW PRINCIPALS AND FEW FORMER HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AS WELL, THE BARRIER WOULD BE THE ENFORCEMENT. FOR RIGHT NOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT DURING A LUNCH PERIOD, YOU COULD HAVE ANYWHERE FROM SIX TO SEVEN HUNDRED, TO A THOUSAND STUDENTS EATING LUNCH AT A TIME. FOR SCHOOLS HAVING THE HUMAN CAPITAL TO BE ABLE TO ENFORCE CELL PHONE -- NO CELL
CELL PHONE -- NO CELL PHONES DURING THAT LUNCH PERIOD, THAT WOULD BE THE BARRIER AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM SEVERAL PRINCIPALS AND FORMER PRINCIPALS. IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD DID DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, THEN I THINK IT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE HAVE TO LEVEL SET GOING INTO THE SUMMER AND FALL WHERE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO OPENLY SHARE WITH PRINCIPALS THE NEW PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES AND POLICIES THAT WOULD BE PUT FORWARD AND GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO ORIENT THEIR FACULTY, ORIENT THEIR STUDENTS, INFORM THE PARENTS OF THE NEW POLICY.
SO I DO THINK IT WOULD SO I DO THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HARD TO IMPLEMENT AT THIS TIME OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, BUT IF THE BOARD DID DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD IT WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO BE A PLAN THAT WE WOULD IMPLEMENT IN THE SUMMER AND THEN THE SUMMER AND THEN MOVING INTO THE FALL. >>Van Ayres: IF I COULD ADD ON, I'M NOT HEARING I'M NOT HEARING FROM HIGH SCHOOLS THAT HAVING CELL PHONES OUT AT LUNCH ARE CAUSING ALL TYPES OF ISSUES. I THINK WE DEVELOPED THIS POLICY 8, 9 MONTHS AGO WHERE WE WENT THROUGH AND ALLOWED THE CELL PHONES -- I'M NOT HEARING FROM SCHOOLS THAT HAVING THEM OUT AT LUNCH IS CAUSING ISSUES.
THE POLICY IN PLACE AS IT IS HAS WORKED PRETTY WELL THIS YEAR. I'M NOT HEARING, LIKE I SAID, THAT HAVING CELL PHONES OUT AT LUNCH LUNCH IS CAUSING OUR ADMINISTRATORS IN SCHOOLS ISSUES HAVING THIS IN OUR POLICY. THAT'S FEEDBACK I'M GETTING. >>Lynn Gray: I WOULD SAY THIS, WHEN YOU DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH OUR CHILDREN WITH CELL CHILDREN WITH CELL PHONE USAGE AND THE ADDICTION THEREOF, PERHAPS IT'S NOT SHOWING ON A PRINCIPAL'S FACE, I CAN GUARANTEE YOU, OUR GUARANTEE YOU, OUR TEENAGERS ARE IN BAD SHAPE FROM CELL PHONE USE.
I'VE BEEN ON THAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING STUDENT SAFETY COMMITTEE SEVEN YEARS. GOT THE FBI, GOT THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, CITY OF POLICE, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO AGREE WITH NOT GOING TO AGREE WITH YOU. THEY ARE SAYING THIS IS A HUGE MENTAL HEALTH CRISES MENTAL HEALTH CRISES LEADING TO SUICIDE. ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS YOU MIGHT WANT TO SAY IS SAFETY. THE FIRST THING PARENTS SAY, YOU TAKE AWAY MY CELL PHONE OR MY SMART WATCH, BUT WE HAVEN'T DONE A GOOD ENOUGH JOB WITH A GOOD ENOUGH JOB WITH CENTEGIX.
CENTEGIX IS AN INSTANT SITUATION ALERTED SHOULD THERE BE ANY DANGER. CHIEF NEWMAN HAS CHOSEN -- WE HAD THIS AT NEWSOME -- TO NOT SPEAK ABOUT ALL THE SAFETY WE HAVE BECAUSE IT GIVES THE BAD GUYS AND GIRLS, WHATEVER. I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB IN SHOWING AND SHARING WITH OUR PARENTS, HEY, WE HAVE PARENTS, HEY, WE HAVE A SECURITY SYSTEM. YOUR CHILD SHOULD BE MORE CONCERNED, IF YOU GET AN EMERGENCY, ABSOLUTE EMERGENCY, ABSOLUTE SURROUNDINGS VERSUS TRYING TO DIAL ME ON THE PHONE. BECAUSE EMERGENCIES, A BECAUSE EMERGENCIES, A SHOOTING, YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME.
BUT WE HAVE CENTEGIX. I THINK THAT ALSO, I THINK THAT ALSO, DR. GRAVES, HAS TO BE PART HAS TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION, HOW ARE PARENTS GOING TO FEEL. IF I WERE RUNNING IF I WERE RUNNING FOR OFFICE AGAIN AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, I WOULD THINK THIS MIGHT BE A HUGE BLOW-BACK. PARENTS WOULD SAY, OH, YOU ARE AGAINST MY SON OR DAUGHTER'S SAFETY. I WAS AT THE BEAUTY PARLOR AND HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION, BUT, BOY, IT WAS RIGOROUS. THAT HAS TO BE ALSO THOUGHT OF.
NONETHELESS, I DO THINK AS THE WAVES OF BILLS COME THROUGH, I THINK WE'LL THINK WE'LL HAVE TO FACE THIS. EITHER HAVE TO BE A PROCEDURE. I THINK BEING PROACTIVE WOULD BE THE BETTER WAY FOR US TO GET IT TOGETHER. SHARE IT WITH SHARE IT WITH THE BOARD BEFORE WE ARE SAYING WHETHER BURGESS OR WHATEVER, SAYING YOU MUST, WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER TO WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER TO SAY HOW WE COULD PROCEDURE-WISE MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL. I'M COUNTYWIDE.
I UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLES. I KNOW MANY, MANY OF THEM. I KNOW HOW THEY FEEL AND ALSO THE SURVEYS, 4,000, THIS IS REMARKS COMING REMARKS COMING FROM THE SURVEY TAKEN LAST YEAR. I CAN'T IGNORE THAT EITHER. BECAUSE THEY REALIZE THE PROBLEM. I'M GLAD TO MAKE COPIES FOR ALL THE BOARD THE BOARD MEMBERS TO SEE THE RESULTS BECAUSE THAT MEANS SOMETHING. WHAT ARE THEY SAYING? WHAT ARE THEY THINKING? THEY ARE SAYING TO THEY ARE SAYING TO YOU ALOUD, GARY BRADY SAYS ALOUD OR
PRINCIPALS KATIE ROCHA -- OH, YEAH, SHE AGREES. >>Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. I APPRECIATE IT, MEMBER I APPRECIATE IT, MEMBER GRAY. CAN WE OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION? >>Lynn Gray: I THINK I SAID ENOUGH. >>Jessica Vaughn: MEMBER COMBS, YOU ARE FIRST IN QUEUE. >>Nadia Combs: I WAS REALLY EXCITED WHEN WE MOVED FORWARD WITH THE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CELL PHONE POLICY. I GO TO MY SCHOOLS VERY OFTEN. I VISIT SCHOOLS. SEEING THE PULSE ON THINGS. SOMETIMES WE CREATE POLICIES
WHEN WE'RE HERE AND THEN WE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT IT IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. I THINK THE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE WAS VERY USEFUL. AS FAR AS WHAT HAPPENS AT THE STATE LEVEL, WHEN A LAW COMES DOWN, THEN THE ENTIRE STATE HAS TO DO IT. I DON'T REALLY FEEL AT THIS TIME WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE. I'LL TELL YOU FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. I SPOKE TO BOTH OUR AREA SUPERINTENDENTS WHO ARE IN HIGH SCHOOLS. GARY BRADY AND NELSON. I TALKED TO THEM THIS MORNING. I ALSO CALLED A LOT OF PRINCIPALS. I FEEL I HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HIGH
SCHOOL PRINCIPALS. ONE OF THE PRINCIPALS I HAVE THE MOST RESPECT FOR, AMAZING, ONE OF OUR LARGER SCHOOLS, THEY SAID, MS. COMBS, WE HAVE SO MUCH TO DEAL WITH, THIS IS A RULE THAT'S NONENFORCEABLE. THERE'S NO WAY I CAN USE MY TIME AND MY RESOURCES TO SIT THERE AND GUIDE THE CAFETERIA, PUT PEOPLE, WE TALK ABOUT HAVING LESS REFERRALS, LESS CONSEQUENCES FOR SOME STUDENTS, MAKING SURE KIDS ARE STAYING IN SCHOOL. WHAT DO YOU DO TAKE THEIR PHONE ONE TIME, TWICE YOU HAVE TO LOCK IT UP. THE LOGISTICS IN A SCHOOL WHEN
THERE ARE 3,000 STUDENTS IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. I THINK WE HAVE TO WALK BEFORE WE RUN. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS IS REALLY THE CORE IS TO TRY TO MAKE KIDS BEING FOCUSED ON ACADEMICS. SO I THINK MAYBE MAKING SURE WE HAVE POCKETS OR CREATING SOMETHING IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS WHERE TEACHERS CAN SAY PUT YOUR CELL PHONES IN HERE AND REALLY FOCUSING ON THE ACADEMICS. FOR LUNCH, SOMETIMES FOR A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT 17, 18 YEARS OLD, THAT'S THEIR ONLY BREAK AND THEY WANT TO GO DOWN, LISTEN TO MUSIC, DO SOMETHING ELSE, HANG OUT. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT KIDS WHO ARE
MUCH OLDER. IF YOU ARE IN A LUNCHROOM AND WALK AROUND, KIDS ARE IN SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES, DIFFERENT CLASSROOMS. THEY ARE OUTSIDE FOR LUNCHROOM. WE GIVE THEM SO MUCH FREEDOM IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? CHILD IN ONE CLASSROOM TALKING TO A TEACHER CAN'T BE ON THE PHONE AND THEN SOMEBODY WHO IS OUT IN THE HALLWAY UNDERNEATH AN UMBRELLA, I MEAN I JUST THINK LOGISTICALLY. SO THE PRINCIPAL SAID THAT'S JUST NOT ENFORCEABLE. THE THING IS WHEN YOU CREATE RULES THAT ARE NOT RULES THAT ARE NOT ENFORCEABLE, IT DIMINISHES OTHER RULES THAT ARE REALLY ENFORCEABLE.
I THINK IT PUTS THE PRINCIPAL IN A BAD POSITION WHERE THEY CAN'T REALLY ENFORCE A RULE. WHY ARE YOU GOING TO SAY I CAN'T WEAR THIS UNIFORM OR THESE SHOES, ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH SO MANY THINGS IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS. OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, YOU CAN TELL IN THE FORUMS, THOSE ARE WHERE OUR TEACHERS HAVE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES. THAT'S JUST ANOTHER CHALLENGE YOU'RE GOING TO ASK A TEACHER TO NOW ENFORCE A CELL PHONE. I THINK LOGISTICALLY, IF YOU MAKE IT A STATE LAW, OKAY, THAT'S DIFFERENT. AS FAR AS CELL PHONES BEING A PROBLEM AT LUNCH, NO, I DON'T THINK SO.
THERE ARE SOME KIDS WHO REALLY HAVE A HARD TIME COMMUNICATING AND REALLY HAVING THE CELL PHONE AND RELEASING THAT CELL PHONE REALLY HELPS THEM. I THINK AT THIS TIME I'M NOT READY TO TAKE CELL PHONES OUT OF HIGH SCHOOLS FOR LUNCH. I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE TOWARDS HAVING POCKETS. MAKING SURE KIDS ARE NOT ON THEIR CELL PHONES. I TALKED TO MS. FOSSETT ABOUT THAT. AS WE MOVE TOWARDS CURRICULUM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE KIDS ARE NOT ALWAYS ONLINE OR ON THE COMPUTER. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE ENGAGING, COMMUNICATING WITH THE
TEACHER. WE'RE USING TECHNOLOGY BUT ALSO MAKE SURE WE LOOK AT THE TRADITIONAL TYPE OF TEACHING. THIS IS A THIS IS A NONENFORCEABLE RULE FOR SCHOOLS THAT HAVE 2500, 3,000 STUDENTS, I THINK WE'RE OPENING UP A CAN OF WORMS. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: MEMBER >>Jessica Vaughn: MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MEMBER GRAY, YOU HAVE A VERY VALID POINT IN THAT THE CELL PHONE USE IS A VERY DANGEROUS THING. HOWEVER, THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT OF OUR HANDS. AS A MOM OF TEENAGERS, AS A MOM WHO WALKS THROUGH THE BULLYING, THAT
THAT WALKS THROUGH THE NAVIGATING OF THAT, I 100% AGREE WITH YOU. MY PERSONAL SELF, WE MONITOR OUR KIDS' TEXTS FROM THE TIME THEY RECEIVE THEIR PHONES. I GET IT. YOU'RE NOT WRONG. THE PROBLEM IS IT DOESN'T STOP IN THE IN THE LUNCHROOM. BULLYING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAPPEN IN THE FAMILY HOME, HAPPEN IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY HAPPEN EVERYWHERE. WE ARE NOT ABLE TO WE ARE NOT ABLE TO POLICE THAT. THE LOGISTICS OF HIGH SCHOOL HAVE COME DOWN TO TECHNOLOGY. EVERY SINGLE DAY, WHETHER IT IS A FOOTBALL PRACTICE, WHETHER IT IS A
IS A CLUB, WHETHER IT'S AN ORGANIZATION, WHETHER IT'S A CHEER PRACTICE, THOSE KIDS ARE BEING NOTIFIED ALL DAY LONG FOR CHANGES OCCURRING FOR AFTER SCHOOL. THEM NOT HAVING ACCESS TO THAT AT LUNCHTIME CHANGES HOW THAT WORKS. THEY MAY HAVE TO GO TO THE OFFICE AND CALL THEIR PARENT. THEY MAY HAVE TO FIND OUT A RIDE OR CHANGE A THING. THOSE LOGISTICS, WE'VE GONE INTO A WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY THAT CHANGES CHANGES THAT, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU THAT CELL WITH YOU THAT CELL PHONES ARE A HUGE PROBLEM WITH TEENAGERS.
I THINK WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE IS VERY GOOD. WE'VE ALSO GIVEN PERMISSION TO PRINCIPALS THAT IF THERE IS A RISE OF USE OF CELL PHONES FOR VIOLENCE, FIGHTING, OTHER THINGS, THAT THEY HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY IN THEIR SCHOOL TO ELIMINATE IT ALL DAY ELIMINATE IT ALL DAY LONG. WE HAVE GIVEN THEM THAT IN THE POLICY. WE HAVE GIVEN PRINCIPALS THAT FEEL THAT WAY THE FLEXIBILITY TO DO THAT IN THEIR OWN SCHOOLS BUT ALSO THE FLEXIBILITY TO NOT ELIMINATE DURING LUNCH I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE GONE TO A WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY. RIGHT NOW, UNTIL WE ARE MANDATED BY LAW, I AGREE TO LEAVE BY LAW, I AGREE TO LEAVE IT AS IT STANDS. WE'RE NOT SEEING A RISE IN FIGHTING DURING LUNCH. WE'RE NOT SEEING A RISE IN SPECIFICALLY DURING LUNCH. DATA DOESN'T SHOW THAT. I JUST PULLED DATA I JUST PULLED DATA FROM MY YOU MENTIONED A FIGHT IN DAVIS
ISLAND. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN SCHOOL. IT HAPPENED ON THE WEEKEND. DIDN'T OCCUR DURING SCHOOL HOURS. THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. I DON'T WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY A FALSE FACTOR THAT IT THAT IT OCCURRED DURING SCHOOL HOURS. YOU SAID THERE WAS A FIGHT THAT JUST HAPPENED. IT DIDN'T OCCUR DURING SCHOOL HOURS AND IT WAS NOT COORDINATED DURING SCHOOL HOURS. I WANT TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR. >>Lynn Gray: THAT YOU DON'T KNOW KNOW. >>Patti Rendon: WE DO KNOW THAT. THE FACTS CAME OUT OF WHEN IT
WAS AND WHO WAS INVOLVED. THERE HAVE BEEN FACTS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OF WHEN THAT OCCURRED. WE DON'T WANT TO WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE FALSE INFORMATION OUT. >>Lynn Gray: NO, WE DON'T. >> MS. GRAY, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? >>Lynn Gray: NO -- >>Patti Rendon: I CAN TELL YOU PERSONALLY FROM MY DAUGHTER THOSE THINGS OCCUR. I'M NOT DISAGREEING THAT THEY DON'T OCCUR. AGAIN, WE DON'T SEE A RISE
DURING LUNCH PERIOD AND WE HAVE FLEXIBILITY WITHIN THIS POLICY THAT GIVES FLEXIBILITY TO OUR PRINCIPALS TO MANDATE AS THEY CHOOSE. I THINK THAT IS THE IMPORTANT PART. SO THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. I THINK SO FAR I THINK SO FAR THAT'S TWO OPPOSED. NEXT WE HAVE MEMBER WASHINGTON. >>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. FIRST, I'M OPPOSED TO IT BECAUSE IT'S A PROBLEM. COULD GO BACK YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE A PRINCIPAL AND TRIED TO TAKE PHONES
TAKE PHONES OUT OF SCHOOLS, AND THE TEACHERS WOULD TAKE THE PHONES OUT, THE KIDS PHONES OUT, THE KIDS WOULD STEAL THE PHONES. KIDS SNEAK AND USE THE PHONES AROUND THE BUILDING BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MANPOWER TO MANAGE CELL PHONES. CELL PHONES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A CONCERN. IT'S NOT NOTHING NEW. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A CONCERN. BUT WE STOPPED THAT BECAUSE WHAT WE DID WITH WE DID WITH DR. LEONARD, WE DID WITH DR. LEONARD, DR. LENNARD SAID WE HAVE TOO MANY
KIDS STEALING CELL KIDS STEALING CELL PHONES. TEACHERS TAKE THE CELL PHONES, STEAL THEM OUT OF LOCKERS. SO WE STARTED BACK LETTING THEM USE CELL PHONES AGAIN WHICH WAS MUCH BETTER BECAUSE LESS CONSEQUENCES WE HAD TO ADD AS ADMINISTRATORS. NUMBER ONE, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? EXPEL A KID OR CHANGE EXPEL A KID OR CHANGE PLACEMENT FOR A KID OR SUSPENDED FOR A KID OR SUSPENDED A KID FOR CELL PHONES? WE DECIDED NOT TO DO THAT.
I JUST BELIEVE WE'VE GOT TO LET THE LAW COME DOWN FROM THE STATE. I DON'T WANT TO PUT US IN THAT PREDICAMENT ANY MORE. ALL THE PRINCIPALS I SPEAK TO, MARIE, MARIE, YOU WERE WITH US, THAT WAS A PAIN IN THE BUTT. MARIE WAS ASSISTANT MARIE WAS ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL. WE DEALT WITH CELL PHONES ALL THE TIME. TAKING THE PHONES OR WHATEVER WE HAD TO HAD TO DO. WE HAD TO PAY SOME PARENTS BECAUSE THE CELL PHONES WERE STOLEN, SO WE HAD TO GO BACK AND
PAY FOR IT. UNLESS SOMETHING CHANGES FROM THE STATE, LET IT BE JUST LIKE IT IS NOW. THE PRINCIPALS THAT I KNOW WE TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME. MAN, SHAKE, THAT WILL BE A PAIN IN THE BUTT BECAUSE WE CAN'T MANAGE MANAGE THAT. YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE ON TOP OF YOUR GAME WHEN YOU ARE A PRINCIPAL YOU DON'T WANT KIDS TO KNOW YOU CAN'T ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. DR. HAHN. >>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, MEMBER
VAUGHN. WHEN I THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS MEMBER COMBS SAID, I REALLY THINK THEY WERE VERY GOOD POINTS, STRONG POINTS, BECAUSE A LOT OF KIDS AT LUNCH NEED LOT OF KIDS AT LUNCH NEED THAT TIME TO DECOMPRESS AND THEY MAY LISTEN TO MUSIC, LIKE YOU SAID, OR MAYBE IT IS A MENTAL HEALTH APP THEY ARE LISTENING TO OR MAYBE THEY ARE JUST CHECKING IN WITH MOM OR DAD FOR WITH MOM OR DAD FOR SOMETHING. I HATE TO SEE US GO MAKE
POLICIES THAT ARE VERY EXTREME TO ADDRESS A SMALL POPULATION THAT ARE USING CELL PHONES FOR NEFARIOUS REASONS AND THEN IMPACT THE IMPACT THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION WHO ARE RESPONSIBLY USING THEIR CELL PHONES AND USING THEM FOR SOME PERSONAL NEEDS. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. I WOULD SAY IF THIS IS A LAW CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH COMMITTEE RIGHT NOW THAT IS GOING TO PUT SOMETHING
GOING TO PUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS INTO LOOKING TO TAKE PHONES OUT OF SCHOOLS 100 PERCENT, I THINK, SUPERINTENDENT, YOU NEED TO GET ON THE PHONE WITH THESE LEGISLATURES. I THINK HASA NEEDS TO GET ON THE PHONE WITH THE PHONE WITH THE LEGISLATORS. SOMETIMES THINGS LOOK GOOD ON PAPER AND THINK YOU ARE SOLVING A PROBLEM BUT IT'S CREATING MORE OF AN ISSUE. YOU NEED TO REALLY EXPLAIN TO THEM AND WORK WITH THEM AND WORK WITH KRISTIN TO EXPLAIN THE IMPLICATIONS OF GOING THIS FAR. I
I THINK WE'RE SO HYPERFOCUSSED ON ALL THE HORRIBLE THINGS HAPPENING, THE HAPPENING, THE BULLYING, THE FIGHTS, THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, ALL OF THAT, THE COORDINATION, BUT WE FORGET THAT'S NOT THE MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENTS DOING IT. I DON'T WANT TO PUNISH THE MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENTS. THE VIOLENCE AND THE BULLYING ARE NOT HAPPENING BECAUSE OF THE ACCESS TO CELL PHONES. THERE IS A MUCH DEEPER ISSUE AROUND THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
IF LEGISLATORS THINK THAT THIS POLICY IS GOING POLICY IS GOING TO ADDRESS THE VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS, THEY ARE CLEARLY DISCONNECTED FROM THE REALITY OF WHY THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS, AND THEY NEED TO BE EDUCATED. THE MAJORITY OF LEGISLATORS ARE NOT EDUCATORS. THEY ARE LAWYERS. THEY ARE BUSINESS PEOPLE. THEY REALLY PROBABLY ONLY STEP IN THEIR CHILD'S SCHOOL, AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE KIDS, THEIR FRAME OF REFERENCE IS THEIR OWN K-12 EXPERIENCE WHICH IS VERY
OUTDATED. I THINK THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE UP IN TALLAHASSEE AT CERTAIN TIMES, FOR OUR SUPERINTENDENT TO BE THERE. BUT WE ALWAYS CAN'T BE IN TALLAHASSEE. THAT'S WHY YOU CAN JUMP ON A PHONE CALL. I HOPE YOU DO THAT. I'M I'M ENCOURAGING YOU TO DO THAT. I'VE SEEN TOO MUCH OF THIS OVER MY 30 YEARS IN EDUCATION. I REMEMBER WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT TEACHER EVALUATION AND ALL THIS IN STATE LAW ABOUT TEACHER TEACHER EVALUATIONS.
THEY HAD NO IDEA THE IMPLICATIONS OF THAT AND IT WAS A NIGHTMARE TO UNRAVEL ONCE IT WAS PUT INTO STATUTE. THE SURVEY I THINK IS IMPORTANT. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ASKED SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT CELL PHONES AT LUNCHTIME, BUT I THINK THAT SURVEY WAS DONE BEFORE WE UPDATED OUR POLICY. MAYBE THERE NEEDS TO BE ANOTHER PRINCIPAL SURVEY TO SEE HOW THIS POLICY HAS MAYBE, YOU KNOW, MADE
THINGS A LITTLE EASIER OR MORE DIFFICULT, I DON'T KNOW. BUT BEFORE WE MAKE CHANGES TO SOMETHING SO NEW, I'D WANT TO GET A MORE UPDATED SURVEY AS WELL. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, DR. HAHN. MR. PORTER, DID YOU HAVE SOME COMMENTS FOR MEMBER PEREZ. >>Jim Porter: MEMBER PEREZ IS LISTENING ON TEAMS. IT'S A ONE-WAY STREET. SHE SENT ME A TEXT I'LL READ INTO THE RECORD. THIS IS MS. PEREZ SPEAKING. THIS BOARD MEMBER HAS TAKEN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE COMMUNITY AND FOR MANY, MANY PARENTS DO SUPPORT THE NOTION OF IMPLEMENTING A POLICY THAT
MINIMIZES THE USE OF CELL PHONES ON SCHOOL PREMISES IN THE INTEREST OF MAINTAINING SECURITY. HOWEVER PARENTS DO NOT WANT TO REMOVE CELL PHONES FROM SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY ACKNOWLEDGE IT IS IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH PARENTS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. WHEN WE ADDRESS THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES WITH CELL PHONES, PARENTS STATE THAT ENSURING THEIR CHILDREN CAN COMMUNICATE WITH THEM IS PART OF SUPPORTING THEIR CHILDREN WHEN CHILDREN NEED TO REACH PARENTS ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO BRIDGE THE GAP FOR CHILDREN AND MS. PEREZ IS OPPOSED TO THE CHANGE. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MR. PORTER.
I HAVE SOME REMARKS AND I KNOW YOU ARE BACK IN THE YOU ARE BACK IN THE QUEUE, MEMBER MEMBER GRAY. I APPRECIATE YOUR PASSION TOWARDS WANTING TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN, BUT I AGREE WITH A LOT OF MY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE SPOKEN TODAY IN REGARDS TO THE FACT THAT -- I MEAN, CELL PHONES ARE THE WAY OF THE FUTURE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING REALISTIC ABOUT A.I. AND WHAT THAT LOOKS THAT LOOKS LIKE, WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT THE ROLE THAT CELL PHONES ARE GOING TO PLAY IN OUR SOCIETY. I DO THINK THAT BANNING THEM ALTOGETHER IS UNREALISTIC. IT PLACES A HUGE AMOUNT OF
BURDEN ON OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND OUR TEACHERS. HONESTLY, WHILE I HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ORIGINAL POLICY, THE FEEDBACK THAT I'M GETTING IS EVEN THIS POLICY IS HARD TO IMPLEMENT. I AGREE WITH MEMBER COMBS, INSTEAD OF MAKING THIS POLICY MORE DRASTIC NOW, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS SEE MORE SUPPORT FOR THE POLICY THAT WE ALREADY ROLLED OUT. IF THAT MEANS HAVING A KIND OF CUBBY WHERE THERE ARE ACTUAL PROCEDURES WHERE THE KIDS PUT THEIR PHONES IN THERE, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD LOOK AT. I HAD A I HAD A LOT OF FEEDBACK, THOUGH,
FROM STUDENTS WHO SAID THAT WON'T WORK BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS OR WAYS THEY HAVE TO ENGAGE IN CLASS THAT THEY CAN ONLY DO FROM THEIR CELL PHONE. I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT BEING ONE TO ONE SAYING WE HAVE DEVICES IN CLASSROOMS, BUT THEY SAY THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. THE DEVICE CART MIGHT NOT BE IN THERE. THEY MAY NOT ACCESS SOME OF THE THINGS THEY NEED TO FOR THE CURRICULUM OR TEST ON THOSE ONE-TO-ONE DEVICES. AND THERE IS A NEED FOR THE CELL PHONE. I THINK WE HAVE TO BE MORE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT IT AND LOOK AT WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE AND HOW WE
HAVE SUPPORTED OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF AND GET REAL FEEDBACK IN THE WAY OF MAYBE LOOKING LIKE AN UPDATE SURVEY TO SEE HOW REALISTIC IT IS BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD. FROM THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT I'M HEARING FROM SENATOR I'M HEARING FROM SENATOR BURGESS IS DOING A TEST PILOT WHICH MEANS GETTING FEEDBACK TO SEE IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S VIABLE, THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO WORK WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS. I WOULD RATHER BEFORE KIND OF JUMPING IN FRONT OF IT, SEE WHAT THOSE TEST PILOTS LOOK LIKE AND
WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK WE GET. WHILE I APPRECIATE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WANTING TO BE ON THE FOREFRONT OF EVERYTHING, I ALSO THINK THAT SOMETIMES WE CAN SIT BACK AND LET SOME OTHER COUNTIES TEST THINGS OUT SO WE CAN SEE WHAT IS BEST PRACTICES FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FOR OUR TEACHERS. WHILE I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR PASSION BEHIND IT, I ALSO AM NOT SUPPORTING THIS POLICY AT THIS TIME. I BELIEVE YOU ARE THE LAST ONE IN THE QUEUE ABOUT THIS, IN THE QUEUE ABOUT THIS, MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray >>Lynn Gray: LET ME JUST CLARIFY. THE IDEA OF CHANGING THE POLICY
IS NOT ONE OF MINE AT THIS POINT IN TIME. THE IDEA CAME FROM THE BILL THAT WILL BE TRANSPIRING JULY WILL BE TRANSPIRING JULY 1, 2025, FROM SENATOR BURGESS. AND THAT PROMPTED ME TO DISCUSS THIS WITH THE BOARD, THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE WILL HAVE TO BE PREPARED SHOULD THIS COME DOWN TO LAW. NOW, DO I AGREE OR DISAGREE? THE MENTAL HEALTH IN MY MIND IS PARAMOUNT FOR THE CHILD TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL.
I APPRECIATE, MEMBER VAUGHN, YOU RECOGNIZING THAT. I HAVE I HAVE TWO YOUNG CHILDREN -- GRANDCHILDREN, AND SOME OF YOU HAVE CHILDREN KNOW WHAT THE EXPOSURE THEY ARE SEEING. YOU KNOW. YOU KNOW THE MENTAL HEALTH. YOU KNOW THE YOU KNOW THE SEX-TORTION. THE PORNOGRAPHY, THE GROOMING THROUGH PHONES. SHOULD WE HAVE THE
SHOULD WE HAVE THE PRINCIPALS DICTATE AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE DON'T HAVE THE HUMAN RESOURCES NOR RESOURCES NOR THE CAPITAL NOR THE DESIRE. IF THIS IS A CHOICE WE DON'T HAVE, THEN I THINK THIS CONVERSATION, WHICH IS A VERY IMPORTANT ONE, EACH OF YOU, THIS CONVERSATION CONVERSATION NEEDED TO BE HAD BECAUSE BEFORE YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT STEP, BE IT NEXT STEP, BE IT A PILOT OR IF IT BECOMES A LAW, THEN OUR
SUPERINTENDENT MUST NOW HOW WE FEEL AS BOARD MEMBERS AND FEEL AS BOARD MEMBERS AND MUST KNOW AND BE PREPARED IN CASE -- NOT EVEN IN CASE, IT'S JULY 1st. BY THE WAY, I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. IF BROWARD COUNTY CAN DO IF BROWARD COUNTY CAN DO IT, IF ORANGE COUNTY CAN DO IT -- I DON'T HAVE THE OTHER TWO NAMES -- WHAT MAKES US -- WHAT MAKES US LESS? ARE WE LESSER ARE WE LESSER OF
ARE WE LESSER OF OUR ABILITY TO DO WHAT HAS BEEN DONE? IS THAT WHAT WE'RE SAYING? WE DON'T GIVE OURSELVES ENOUGH CREDIT. WE CAN DO THINGS. WE CAN DO A LOT OF THINGS DISTRICTWIDE. OTHER DISTRICTS HAVE DONE IT AND IT WOULD IT WOULD BE TO DR. GRAVES TO PERHAPS LOOK AT THOSE STEPS THAT WERE DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS PREPARATION IN CASE IT IS GOING TO BE A LAW. THE OTHER POINT, TOO, IS I TAUGHT HIGH SCHOOL. I KNOW TECHNOLOGY.
I ALSO KNOW JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL, ACADEMY OF HOLY NAMES AND CHARTER SCHOOL USA, THEY CHARTER SCHOOL USA, THEY DO NOT LET CELL PHONES IN THEIR CLASSES OR IT HAS TO BE LEFT OUT. IF WE TALK ABOUT COMPETITION, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE THE ONLY ONE, THE ONLY DISTRICT. I JUST WANT TO THROW THAT OUT THERE. THIS IS NOT A LYNN SITUATION. THIS IS COMING THIS IS COMING FORTH FROM THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE FOLKS. I THINK AGAIN -- AND I'LL CLOSE
OUT -- I OUT -- I DO THINK THAT WHEN MEMBER COMBS TALKS ABOUT THE HUGE HUGE DISENFRANCHISEMENT AND THE CONCERN FOR OUR PRINCIPALS FOR DOING ALL THE REFERRALS, ET CETERA, AND ET CETERA, AND SHAKE ALSO, I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT'S THAT'S PRAGMATIC. YES. WHAT'S MORE RESOUNDING AND IF YOU ARE STUDENT CENTERED, WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR CHILDREN? ALL RIGHT, SO MAYBE IT'S ONLY
ONE. MAYBE IT'S ONLY TWO THAT COMMIT SUICIDE FROM IT, BUT THAT IS A LIFE LOST. WHEN WE'RE WHEN WE'RE PLAYING AROUND WITH, OH, PRINCIPALS DON'T WANT THIS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T ENFORCE IT, START PLAYING AROUND WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF OUR CHILDREN. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CHILDREN, IN MY MIND, AS BIG AS THEY GET, JESUIT, SOME OF THOSE FOOTBALL PLAYERS LOOK BIG BUT THEY ARE STILL CHILDREN. THOSE 12th GRADERS, 11th GRADERS, 10th GRADERS, THEY
HAVE HEARTS AND HAVE HEARTS AND SOULS. I DON'T WANT THE BOARD TO DIMINISH THE IMPORTANCE DIMINISH THE IMPORTANCE OF A STRONG MENTAL HEALTH PARALLEL THAT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. I JUST DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN. AGAIN, I'M OPEN TO THE PILOT IF THAT COMES TO BEING. BUT I'M ALSO OPEN FOR SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES TO LOOK AT WAYS IN CASE THIS BECOMES -- WELL, IT IS A LAW IN JULY. >>Van Ayres: IT IS A BILL RIGHT NOW.
IT'S NOT A LAW COMING JULY 1st. CAN YOU TALK THROUGH THAT REAL QUICK FOR THE PUBLIC? >> WHAT MEMBER GRAY IS REFERRING TO IS SENATE TO IS SENATE BILL 1296 SPONSORED BY SENATOR BURGESS. THERE IS NO COMPANION BILL. IT HAS NO COMMITTEE IT HAS NO COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS, SO THERE'S NO MOVEMENT ON THAT. THERE IS ANOTHER BILL THAT IS A HOUSE HOUSE BILL 949 THAT WOULD ALIGN A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH WHAT MEMBER GRAY IS TALKING ABOUT BUT AGAIN THAT HAS NO COMPANION
BILL, NOT EVEN BEING HEARD, NOTHING YET. THAT'S CORRECT, MEMBER GRAY. THE BILL, THEY HAVE TO PUT AN EFFECTIVE DATE IN THE BILL. SO IT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE JULY 1 FOR THE DOE TO WORK WITH DISTRICTS TO PUT TOGETHER THE PILOT PROGRAM. THE BILL ALSO INCLUDES LANGUAGE THAT BY DECEMBER OF 2026, THEY WOULD HAVE TO SUBMIT THE REPORT SUMMARIZING THE EFFECT OF STUDENT BEHAVIOR IF IT PASSES.
>> IT MAY NOT PASS. >>Lynn Gray: IT CAN PASS. >> IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A LAW. >>Van Ayres: JUST IN PERSPECTIVE, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF BILLS THAT COME OUT OF BILLS THAT COME OUT THIS TIME OF YEAR, AND THE ONES THAT ULTIMATELY MAKE IT TO THE END, A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THOSE, CORRECT? >> USUALLY LESS THAN 300 OUT OF 3,000. >>Van Ayres: I WANT TO BRING CLARITY. THANK YOU,
THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. >>Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>Jessica Vaughn: IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE WHAT WE NEED. WE HAVE SOMEONE NECESSARILY QUEUE FOR THIS ALREADY. I'LL SAY IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE WHAT WE NEEDED. TWO MORE BOARD MEMBER TWO MORE BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS ON THIS. WE HAVE SOME MORE POLICIES TO GO THROUGH. MEMBER MEMBER COMBS, YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING AND MEMBER WASHINGTON IF YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING. >>Nadia Combs: REALLY QUICKLY. FIRST OF ALL, I THINK AS A BOARD WE'RE BEING PRETTY CLEAR THAT WE DON'T WANT TO BE ONE OF THE
PILOT PROGRAMS FOR THE HIGH SCHOOLS. LIKE THE LARGE ONES, I THINK WE CAN SAY WE DON'T WANT TO BE A PILOT. I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. AND THEN THE OTHER PART IS I THINK WE NEED TO GO AND DIG IN AND CONTACT THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AND THE ADMINISTRATORS AND DO A SURVEY WITHIN AND SEE HOW THEY ARE FEELING. BECAUSE THE FEEDBACK I RECEIVE FROM ALL MY PRINCIPALS, ALMOST ALL THE ONES I SPOKE TO, THEY DID NOT THINK -- IT'S NOT THAT -- OF COURSE, THEY COULD IMPLEMENT IT. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. NOT THAT WE CAN'T DO IT LIKE BROWARD OR ORANGE COUNTY, IT'S
THAT THE PRINCIPALS, THAT'S NOT THEIR PRIORITY RIGHT NOW. THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE IT WAS AN ISSUE. I THINK IF THE PRINCIPALS SAW THAT IT WAS AN ISSUE, THEN IT WOULD BECOME AN ISSUE AND THEY WOULD BE LEADING THIS POLICY. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WE CAN DO IT IF WE WANTED TO. WE CAN DO ANYTHING WE WANTED TO. ALL MY PRINCIPALS ARE SO AMAZING, THEY COULD IMPLEMENT THAT IF THEY WANT TO. THEY CHOOSE IT'S NOT A PRIORITY TO THEM. OFTEN, BEING ON-SITE, WE FORGET WHAT IT'S LIKE EVERY DAY, DAY TO
DAY. THEY KNOW THE NEEDS FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND THE COUNSELORS ARE TALKING TO THEM. THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS THERE. PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED. THEY JUST DON'T THINK IT IS A BIG PRIORITY FOR THEM RIGHT NOW. >>Van Ayres: THIS IS A BRAND-NEW POLICY THAT OUR PRINCIPALS AND ADMINISTRATION HAVE DRIVEN THE POLICY. WE HAD A GOOD YEAR WITH THIS POLICY. VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH THE CHANGES TO ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE AND CHANGES WITH HIGH SCHOOL. WHATEVER POLICY THIS BOARD BRINGS DOWN, OUR STAFF AND TEAM WILL DRIVE THAT WILL DRIVE THAT POLICY. SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS ON THAT SURVEY, DR. GRAVES, IF WE COULD
DO THE SURVEY WE HEARD WITH THIS NEW POLICY AND OUTLINE THE CELL PHONE POLICY TO GET THEIR FEELINGS ON THIS POLICY AND WE'LL BRING THAT BACK TO THE BOARD AT A LATER DATE. >>Nadia Combs: LASTLY, I APPRECIATE MEMBER APPRECIATE MEMBER GRAY'S PASSION FOR IT. THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH. BUT THAT LUNCH BREAK THAT KIDS HAVE, SOMETIMES THOSE KIDS WHO ARE LIKE REALLY STRUGGLING, THAT'S KIND OF THEIR RELEASE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC OR WATCH A NETFLIX THING OR COMMUNICATE
WITH A PARENT OR COMMUNICATE WITH A PSYCHOLOGIST. SOMETIMES THAT IS THE ONLY TIME KIDS CAN RELEASE A LITTLE BIT. SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK MORE INTO THAT TO SEE IF THAT IS REALLY SOMETHING POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE BECAUSE IT MIGHT NOT BE SOMETHING THAT'S ACTUALLY THE NEGATIVE. JUST A THOUGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYBODY'S FEEDBACK. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER WASHINGTON. >>Henry "Shake" Washington: REAL BRIEFLY. I HAVE A COUPLE OF FRIENDS THAT WORK AT A SCHOOL DOWN IN THE MIAMI AREA. IT SOUNDS GOOD ON PAPER, HE SAID
BUT THEY ARE RUNNING THEM TO DEATH BECAUSE THEY SPEND A LOT OF THEIR TIME CHASING CELL PHONES. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'VE GOTTEN FEEDBACK ABOUT THAT ONE. 6210, FISCAL PLANNING. >>Jim Porter: BOARD MEMBERS, YOU'LL RECALL YOU WRESTLED WITH THIS ISSUE AT DR. HAHN'S REQUEST A WHILE BACK. THIS IS BEING BROUGHT FORWARD. IT HAD TO BE FINE TUNED. PROCEDURAL THINGS THAT NEEDED TO
BE ADDRESSED. JAMIE HAS DONE THAT AND HE'LL BE PRESENTING THAT TO YOU. YOU'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE. THIS IS SORT OF PUTTING IT IN THE CORRECT FORM AND ADDRESSING WHAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. IT'S NOT NEW. JUST A DIFFERENT JUST A DIFFERENT FORMAT. >> GOOD MORNING. THIS IS A REVISION, I BELIEVE, FROM THE FALL WORKSHOP THAT THE BOARD HAD. IF YOU RECALL, THERE WAS SOME DUPLICATE LANGUAGE THAT WAS INSERTED INTO THAT WHICH LED TO A 16% FUND RESERVE.
TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT AND CLEANING THAT UP, YOU'LL SEE BEFORE YOU A BEFORE YOU A REVISION OF THAT. AFTER TALKING TO SEVERAL MEMBERS, WE WERE ABLE TO ALSO CONSOLIDATE IT. IT WAS VERY CONFUSING HAVING TWO DIFFERENT FUND BALANCES INSIDE ONE. THE REVISION IS A SIMPLIFIED VERSION WHERE WE HAVE ONE RESERVE AT 8%. THAT IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN OUR NEIGHBORS. WE DID RESEARCH OUR LARGER DISTRICTS IN FLORIDA. THIS WOULD PUT US ABOVE THEM FOR
THE MOST PART. WE BELIEVE 8% RESERVE IS A HEALTHY BALANCE. YOU'LL NOTICE A LOT OF THE LANGUAGE HAS BEEN REDUCED, BUT LINE 24 AND LINE 41 IS PRIMARILY WHERE YOU SEE THAT LANGUAGE. LINE 24 IT SAYS TO ACCOMPLISH THE RESPONSIBILITIES, THERE WOULD BE A RESERVE MAINTAINED IN UNRESERVED FUND BALANCE, 101 THE GENERAL FUND OF THE OPERATING BUDGET. IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS OUR UNASSIGNED FUNDS, UNRESTRICTED FUNDS ANOTHER WAY TO SAY THAT, WHICH MEANS THAT THESE ARE FUNDS NOT ENCUMBERED AND WE'RE ALLOWED TO
DIRECT THEM AS NEEDED, WHICH ALLOWS IT TO BE ALLOWS IT TO BE A TRUE RESERVE OR CONTINGENCY OR CONTINGENCY FUND IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT THAT. LINE 41, SAYS THE BUDGET SHALL INCLUDE A RESERVE IN THE UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, AMOUNT EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN 8% OF THE PROJECTED GENERAL FUND OPERATING REVENUES FOR EACH YEAR. THAT IS A REVISION. >>Jim Porter: BOARD MEMBERS THIS IMPLEMENTS WHAT YOU DIRECTED US TO DO AT YOUR LAST TO DO AT YOUR LAST WORKSHOP WITH DR. HAHN BROUGHT THIS FORWARD. IT CLARIFIES THE LANGUAGE AND IMPLEMENTS WHAT THE BOARD'S
INTENT WAS. >>Jessica Vaughn: MS. DAVIS, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? >> I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I DO REFERENCE THAT BOARD MEMBERS ARE LOOKING AT THE NEW LOOKING AT THE NEW ONE, THE NEW COPY. THANK YOU. YES, BECAUSE THE NUMBERS WOULD BE OFF. >>Jim Porter: WHAT'S IN YOUR BINDER, IT GETS YOU TO THE SAME PLACE BUT IT WAS A LITTLE MORE CONFUSING. JAMIE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF CLARIFYING THIS WITH THE INSERT YOU HAVE TODAY. >>Jessica Vaughn: DOES EVERYONE HAVE THE NEW ONE? DOES ANYBODY NEED A COPY? MR. LOUIS, WERE YOU FINISHED OR DID YOU HAVE MORE TO ADD? OKAY.
DR. HAHN, I KNOW YOU BROUGHT THIS POLICY FORWARD. >>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. I I WANT TO THANK MR. LOUIS FOR GETTING UP TO SPEED SO QUICKLY ON THIS AND REALLY UPDATING IT BECAUSE WE DID LOOK AT BECAUSE WE DID LOOK AT IT. SOME OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS CAME TO THE TABLE AND THE TABLE AND SAID, HEY, YOU ARE REALLY AT A 16%. I THINK WE WOULD ALL AGREE THAT'S ROBUST. [ LAUGHTER ] AND THAT'S NOT WHAT OUR GOAL WAS
WHEN WE WHEN WE TALKED LAST TIME, WE AGREED ON 8% WAS KIND OF WHERE WE ALL KIND OF FELL IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT I REQUESTED. WE KIND OF COMPROMISED AND GOT TO THIS POINT. IT'S NOT IT'S NOT REDUNDANT. IT IS SIMPLIFIED IN THE LANGUAGE, TOO, BECAUSE IT WAS CONFUSING WITH THE UNRESTRICTED AND RESTRICTED AND WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT. I THINK THIS REALLY SIMPLIFIES IT BUT PUTS US IN A GOOD PLACE
AND GETS EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE. I WANTED TO TAKE TIME TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WORKING ON THIS. I DON'T THINK I DON'T THINK IT'S EVER BEEN SO CLEAR, WHICH CLEAR, WHICH IS REALLY NICE, TOO. WHEN YOU READ THROUGH IT IT REALLY MAKES EVERYTHING CLEAR. >>Jessica Vaughn: DID ANY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS? I GUESS I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. I APPRECIATE THIS.
I UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC BEHIND IT. WE WORKED REALLY HARD AND MADE HARD DECISIONS AND WE WANT TO SAFEGUARD OUR SAVINGS COMING DOWN THE ROAD. HOWEVER, SINCE WE'VE HAD THIS WORKSHOP, I BELIEVE, THEN WE DID THE SELF-INSURED WHICH MADE ME HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT OUR FUND BALANCE AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. HONESTLY RIGHT NOW WITH THE TEMPERATURE OF WHAT OUR FINANCES MIGHT LOOK LIKE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, I KNOW IT'S LEVEL, I KNOW IT'S SPECULATORY WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE, AND JUST WHAT'S COMING IN FROM
TALLAHASSEE, I'M HESITANT RIGHT NOW IF WE'LL MOVE TOWARD SELF-FUNDING TO PLACE A HIGH CAP ON IT BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED THAT, AGAIN, DEPENDING ON WHAT OUR FINANCES LOOK LIKE, IF THERE IS MONEY TAKEN AWAY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, MAY HAVE TO PROVIDE MORE SUPPORT TO OUR SCHOOLS OR ANYTHING THAT COMES THROUGH, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A MANDATE I BELIEVE FROM DESANTIS THAT DOGE IS THAT DOGE IS NOW GOING TO BE AUDITING AT THE STATE LEVEL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE. JUST WITH ALL OF THAT RIGHT NOW, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD ON THIS IF WE REALLY AS
A BOARD FEEL LIKE WE'LL MOVE FORWARD SELF-FUNDING. WE ORIGINALLY IDENTIFIED WHAT WAS AT THE $48 MILLION FOR THE RESERVES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, BUT THAT WAS BASED ON ONE YEAR OF YEAR OF CLAIMS. THAT COULD GO SUBSTANTIALLY UP DEPENDING ON WHAT THE HEALTH LOOKS LIKE OF OUR EMPLOYEES. FOR ME, KEEPING OUR FUND BALANCE AT 8% AND PRIORITIZING SELF-INSURED JUST FEELS UNREALISTIC. >>Stacy Hahn: CAN HE SPEAK TO THAT?
CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW THIS WOULD IMPACT OR VICE IMPACT OR VICE VERSA? >> STILL WRAPPING MY HEAD OVER A LOT. LOOK AT OUR FELLOW DISTRICTS, MAYBE ONE OF THE REASONS THEY HAVE A LOWER FUND BALANCE TO YOUR COMMENTS, MASS VAUGHN, THEY DO DO HAVE TO DEAL WITH CLAIM HISTORY. THAT COULD BE A FACTOR. I DON'T KNOW. I'M NOT CONNECTED WITH THOSE FOLKS YET. BUT 8%, I THINK THE KEY PART, THAT IS 8% THE END OF YOUR FISCAL YEAR, NOT THROUGHOUT. WE WILL DIP THROUGH THE YEAR
THROUGH LEAN MONTHS WHEN REVENUE IS THICK. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THE BALANCE IN THE SUMMERTIME. AS WE CONSIDER THAT, IT SEEMS IF OUR PROJECTIONS OF OUR PROJECTIONS OF SELF-FUNDING ARE CORRECT, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN A BALANCE IN EXCESS OF THIS, OBVIOUSLY THROUGH THE DECISIONS OF THIS GROUP. BUT THAT'S TO BE DETERMINED. I THINK SELF-FUNDING IS SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF. I DO THINK ONE OF THE THINGS OPTION FOR OPTION FOR SELF-FUNDING, 48 MILLION IS AN OPTION TO RESERVE.
WE CAN ALSO SPLIT THAT UP OVER THREE YEARS AT $16 MILLION A YEAR. THERE ARE OPTIONS IF WE FEEL LIKE WE LIKE WE RESTRICTED OR RESERVED TOO MUCH FOR TOO MUCH FOR SELF-FUNDING, THAT WOULD NOT HURT OUR ABILITY TO MOVE TO THAT. CONFIRMED THAT THROUGH HR AND VENDOR. THAT IS A PREFERENCE FOR US AND HOW WE FEEL ABOUT THE FINANCIAL IMPACT. REALLY, IT IS A PREFERENCE FOR THIS GROUP. >>Jessica Vaughn: DR. HAHN, YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE.
>>Stacy Hahn: I APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A LOT OF UNKNOWNS OUT THERE, WHETHER SELF-FUNDING OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT COMES DOWN THE PIPELINE IN THE FUTURE. THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THAT WE DISCUSSED AROUND WHY IT MIGHT BE A MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO INCREASE.
PASS THIS OUT TO MY BOARD MEMBERS. SHOWING OUR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH OUR DECISION MAKING AT OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS IS CERTAINLY ONE WAY THAT WE DEMONSTRATE THAT WE ARE BEING REALLY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW WE'RE SPENDING. BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S -- THIS IS JUST ANOTHER THIS IS JUST ANOTHER LAYER IN HOW WE'RE DEMONSTRATING GOING A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THE
LITTLE DEEPER INTO THE BUDGET THAN JUST AN AGENDA ITEM. THIS DEMONSTRATES THAT AS A BOARD WE'RE REALLY EXAMINING OUR BUDGET AND WE'RE MAKING REALLY THOUGHTFUL DECISIONS AROUND THE BIG PICTURE OF OUR FINANCES, JUST NOT JUST NOT IN THOSE MOMENTS. I THINK WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT THE COMMUNITY IS BEGINNING TO GAIN TRUST IN OUR DECISION MAKING AROUND FINANCES AND THE FACT THAT THEY DID SUPPORT THAT THEY DID SUPPORT THE
REFERENDUM. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO KEEP CONTINUE TO KEEP BUILDING THAT TRUST. I KNOW THAT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, WE MAY OF YEARS, WE MAY BE PROBABLY LOOKING AT GETTING THE HALF PENNY SALES PENNY SALES TAX REAUTHORIZED. I THINK THAT YOU NEED SOMETHING REALLY HARD REALLY HARD TO POINT TO, TO SAY, LOOK, NOT ONLY ARE WE MAKING REALLY GOOD FINANCIAL
REALLY GOOD FINANCIAL DECISIONS EVERY OTHER TUESDAY AT EVERY OTHER TUESDAY AT 4:00 TO WHENEVER, WE'RE ALSO TAKING A REAL DEEP DIVE IN LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE SAFEGUARDING OUR FINANCES. AND THESE ARE JUST SOME EXAMPLES ON HOW WE'RE DOING THAT, SO THAT WHEN WE'RE ASKING THEM TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT HALF PENNY OR IN FOUR YEARS CONTINUING TO ASK OUR COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT -- TO CONTINUE THEIR TEACHER
REFERENDUM, I REFERENDUM, I THINK REFERENDUM, I THINK WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO POINT TO SOME REALLY GOOD DECISIONS THAT AS A BOARD WE'RE MAKING AROUND FINANCES. YOU COULD ALWAYS FIND REASONS NOT TO DO THIS, RIGHT? AND CERTAINLY -- I STARTED MY CAREER IN BROWARD COUNTY. I'VE TALKED TO COLLEAGUES IN THE DISTRICT DOWN THERE. THEY ARE THEY ARE EVEN THEY ARE EVEN THINKING ABOUT INCREASING -- DOING A NEW POLICY AROUND FUND BALANCE.
THEY ARE KIND OF LOOKING AT THIS TO SEE HOW WE'RE TO SEE HOW WE'RE DOING IT. SOMETIMES IT'S GREAT TO LOOK AT OTHER BIG DISTRICTS AND SAY WHAT ARE THEY DOING, BUT MAYBE THEIR BOARDS AREN'T AS FOCUSED AS THEIR FINANCES AS WE ARE. I DON'T KNOW THEIR BOARD MEMBERS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES ARE. I KNOW THIS BOARD HAS CONSISTENTLY MADE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY A PRIORITY IN EVERYTHING WE DO. AND THIS IS JUST TO ME ANOTHER LAYER IN THAT. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY NOTES
FROM LAST FROM LAST TIME ON THIS. THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, DR. HAHN. MEMBER GRAY, DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK? >>Lynn Gray: WORRISOME THAT I'M A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED. THANK YOU, MEMBER THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN, FOR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE DONE AN WE'VE DONE AN ASTOUNDINGLY GOOD JOB SINCE WE HAD AN JOB SINCE WE HAD AN ASTOUNDINGLY LOW
LOW FUND BALANCE IN 2018. WE NEEDED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT FUND BALANCE EVEN MORE. ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT BEING SAID, LET ME ASK YOU, JAMIE, IS THIS -- I HAD THE OLD ONE, YET IT'S OLD ONE, YET IT'S REVISED. I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M GETTING THE NEW ONE. ON LINE 24, TO ACCOMPLISH -- THIS IS THE NEW ONE. >>Jim Porter: LOOK AT LINES 41 THROUGH 43. THAT IS THE CRITICAL PIECE. >>Lynn Gray: I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, MEMBER VAUGHN,
BECAUSE IN MY MIND WHEN WE HAVE A HIGHER FUND BALANCE IN OUR GENERAL FUND, GENERAL FUND, THAT'S A GOOD THING, BUT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE THE SELF-INSURED. I'M PROBABLY ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT THE ABOUT THE SELF-INSURED, NOT TOTALLY TOTALLY CONVINCED. HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR FEELINGS, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT BEING OPPOSED.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. I HAD TWO POLICIES. THIS IS THE WRONG ONE, AND NOW I'M STARING DOWN AT THE RIGHT ONE. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. I WAS ALSO FRUSTRATED THAT WE'RE JUST NOW GETTING THE NEW WORDING FOR THIS POLICY AS OF TODAY. I KNOW, DR. HAHN, YOU'VE HAD FRUSTRATIONS WITH THAT FRUSTRATIONS WITH THAT BEFORE. I APPRECIATE THAT. FROM WHAT I WAS HEARING, IT WAS STREAMLINED AND IT WAS TO GET US TO THE SAME PLACE. BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THE WORLD, NOT RIGHT WHEN I WALK IN, SO WE COULD TALK ABOUT THIS. I WANTED TO EXPRESS THAT
FRUSTRATION. I DON'T DISAGREE WITH MANY OF THE POINTS THAT DR. HAHN THE POINTS THAT DR. HAHN MADE. I THINK IT DOES DEMONSTRATE THAT WE WANT TO BE COMMITTED TO A HEALTHY SAVINGS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE BEING AS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AS POSSIBLE. HOWEVER, WE'VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR FUND TO OUR FUND BALANCE. TO BE QUITE HONEST, IF YOU'RE ASKING ME HONESTLY, AS MUCH AS I BELIEVE OUR FUND BALANCE CAME FROM A LOT OF HARD DECISIONS WE MADE AS A BOARD, I THINK A BIG PORTION CAME FROM ESSER INFUSION AND THAT WILL SLOWLY DWINDLE AWAY. I DON'T FEEL CONFIDENT ENOUGH
WITH ALL THE FLUCTUATION HAPPENING AT BOTH THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'LL HAVE COMING IN, WHETHER PER PUPIL, WHETHER FOR GRANTS, RIGHT NOW, I FEEL LIKE THERE IS A LOT OF CHAOS AROUND THE MONEY WE MIGHT BE RECEIVING. I'M WORRIED THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE ADDING TO OUR FUND BALANCE EVERY SINGLE YEAR AT THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR. FOR ME, TO KEEP IT AT 8%, IF WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OUT 48, WHICH YOU SAID WE COULD PAY IN MULTIPLE YEARS. THAT'S AN OPTION, AGAIN, THAT MONEY COULD SUBSTANTIALLY GO UP DEPENDING ON WHAT OUR CLAIMS
ARE, REGARDLESS WHETHER IT IS ONE OR THREE YEARS, IF WE USE OUR FUND BALANCE AS A GUARANTEE FOR SELF-FUNDING, FOR ME, IF WE'RE NOT GUARANTEED THAT WE'LL HAVE ENOUGH IN OUR BUDGET TO ADD TO THAT EACH YEAR, IT JUST LOOKS LIKE WE'LL HAVE TO SLOWLY DETRACT FROM IT AND KEEPING IT 8% RIGHT NOW WITH ALL THE FLUCTUATION IS JUST SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS REALISTIC, AND I DON'T WANT TO CREATE A POLICY THAT I FEEL LIKE WE CAN'T NECESSARILY HOLD OURSELVES TO. MAYBE I'M WRONG ABOUT MAYBE I'M WRONG ABOUT THAT. BUT YOU'RE ASKING ME FOR CLARITY AROUND WHAT MY CONCERNS ARE.
AND I'M SHARING THAT WITH AND I'M SHARING THAT WITH YOU. FROM WHAT IT FEELS LIKE, WE MIGHT BE THE ONLY ONES. LOOKS LIKE LOOKS LIKE THE POLICY WOULD PASS -- I'M BEING HONEST ABOUT MY CONCERNS. DOES THAT PROVIDE THE EXPLANATION YOU WERE ASKING FOR? >>Lynn Gray: I APPRECIATE IT. I FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WHEN WE GO INTO THE GREATER 8%, THE MORE WE HAVE IN THE FUND BALANCE, THE INCREASED BUFFERS, HURRICANES, EMERGENCIES, AND DOGE, ALL THESE
-- THE CLIMATE RIGHT NOW IS SO FLUCTUATING. TO YOUR POINT, MEMBER TO YOUR POINT, MEMBER VAUGHN, WHEN YOU HAVE A POLICY. KRISTIN, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB, MR. PORTER ALSO. HE WANT TO MAKE IT BROAD ENOUGH SO WE SO WE HAVE THESE VARIABLES TAKEN CARE OF OVER A YEAR, TWO YEARS. IF WE MAKE IT TOO SPECIFIC, THEN WE'LL BE HAVING TO CHANGE IT. I THINK WHEN WE GET INTO SPECIFICS LIKE HOW IT WILL BE CHANGED, SELF-INSURANCE
CHANGED, SELF-INSURANCE WILL NO DOUBT FORM A CHANGE. DOGE WE JUST DON'T KNOW. I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I DEFINITELY LIKE WHERE IT SAYS EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN 8%. THAT RELIEVES ME VERSUS THE 3% WHICH IS KIND OF LIKE ON THE CUSP OF NO RETURN, WHICH WE'VE BEEN THROUGH BEFORE. THOSE ARE MY THOSE ARE MY REMARKS. I'M FINE WITH THIS, BUT I'M FINE WITH THIS, BUT NOTABLY THOSE REMARKS
THOSE REMARKS MEMBER HAHN MADE ARE NOT GOING TO BE MISSED BY ME AT ALL. WHETHER THAT MEANS ANYTHING OR NOT, I DON'T KNOW. ANYTHING, THAT'S JUST WHAT I'M SAYING. >>Jessica Vaughn: I APPRECIATE IT. I KNOW YOU'RE ANXIOUS TO RESPOND, MEMBER HAHN. MEMBER RENDON IS IN THE QUEUE BEFORE YOU. >>Patti Rendon: I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THIS IS A POLICY WE ALREADY DISCUSSED AND GOT TO 8%. DR. HAHN BROUGHT IT AT 15%, AND WE'RE JUST BRINGING IT BACK WE'RE JUST BRINGING IT BACK WITH THE CORRECT WORDING OF WHAT WE
ALREADY DISCUSSED. THIS IS NOT NEW TO THIS BOARD. WE'VE ALREADY SEEN IT. WE'VE ALREADY DONE IT. I THINK A LOT OF THIS HAS BEEN HASHED OUT. I DO WANT TO MAKE CLARIFICATION AS WE TALK ABOUT SELF-INSURANCE. I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'VE CLARIFIED THAT. THE WAY IN WHICH WE COME UP TO THE -- 48 MILLION IS BECAUSE OF THE REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS CLAIMS. THE ONLY WAY THAT IF WE LOOK OVER THE COURSE OF MULTIPLE PEOPLE AND MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS, WHETHER IT'S COUNTY, WHETHER IT'S STATE,
WHETHER IT'S COMPANIES AT OUR SIZE GOING INTO A SELF-INSURANCE MODEL, IT ACTUALLY HAS ALWAYS INCREASED OUR CASH FLOW AND GIVEN FLEXIBILITY IN THAT CASH FLOW, WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. ALL WE'RE DOING IS GIVING AWAY THE MONEY TO AETNA. AETNA IS CERTAINLY NOT FILING BANKRUPTCY TOMORROW. THEY ARE DOING QUITE WELL. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GIVE FALSE INFORMATION OUT ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE COULD LOSE IT. IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO HAVE FLEXIBILITY IN THAT AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS POLICY IS IN THE END OF THE YEAR WE WANT TO BE AT 8%.
THERE IS FLEXIBILITY IN THAT THROUGHOUT THE COURSE. THIS IS A POLICY WE HAD ALREADY TALKED LONG AND HARD ABOUT. I THINK THIS IS A CLARIFICATION BRINGING IT BACK TO THE 8%. IT IT IS THE COMBINATION OF ASSIGNED AND UNASSIGNED FUNDS WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE'RE NOT TAKING THAT, PREVIOUSLY IT WAS 3% OF UNASSIGNED. NOW WE'RE COMBINING IT, NOT JUST LIKE ALL OF OUR MONEY. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. DR. HAHN. >>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU.
JUST SOME CLOSING COMMENTS FOR ME. I APPRECIATE THAT, LOOK, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A WHILE AGO AND A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENED BETWEEN THEN AND NOW AND IT CAN CHANGE PEOPLE'S OPINION. I RESPECT THAT. I JUST THINK I JUST THINK THAT, I DON'T THINK WE'VE REALLY EVER ENDED A YEAR WITH LESS THAN 8% IN OUR FUND BALANCE, AND EVEN WHEN YOU TAKE ESSERS OUT, STILL A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE, MUCH MORE THAN 8%. I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THAT AS MUCH. I THINK THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN HOW WE, MEMBER VAUGHN AND I WANT
TO SAFEGUARD THE DISTRICT FROM SOME OF THE UNKNOWNS. FOR ME, FOR ME, SAFEGUARDING THE DISTRICT FROM ALL OF THESE EIGHT THINGS, AND I WOULD ADD NUMBER NINE, YOU COULD ADD DOGE AND NUMBERS 10, YOU COULD ADD SELF-INSURANCE. MY WAY, MY PHILOSOPHY OF SAFEGUARDING US SAFEGUARDING US IS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE FORCING OURSELVES TO HAVE THAT SAVINGS SO IF ANY OF THOSE THINGS COME UP, WE WILL HAVE THE MONEY TO ADDRESS IT.
AND IF IT WAS THAT DIRE AND CATASTROPHIC, WE WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE TO GO BACK AND MAYBE HAVE TO GO BACK AND MAYBE REVISE THE POLICY TO LESS THAN 8%. THAT WOULD THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE SOMETHING PRETTY CATASTROPHIC TO PUT US IN THAT POSITION. BUT YOUR WAY OF SAFEGUARDING US AGAINST THESE AGAINST THESE THINGS AGAINST THESE THINGS IS TO DECREASE THAT SAVINGS AND HAVE THAT CASH FLOW ALL THE TIME, WHICH IS JUST ANOTHER STRATEGY.
I'M NOT SAYING I'M NOT SAYING IT'S BETTER OR WORSE. I WANT TO HAVE THAT I WANT TO HAVE THAT MONEY AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S FREE ENOUGH TO WHERE I FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT BEING CASH FLOW FOR US. WE CAN USE THAT MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS. I DON'T WANT TO LIKE BELABOR THIS, BUT I JUST THINK IT'S PHILOSOPHICALLY A LITTLE DIFFERENT ON HOW YOU MANAGE MONEY. I DON'T THINK ONE WAY IS WRONG
OR THE OTHER, BUT OR THE OTHER, BUT I THINK, MEMBER GRAY AND I HAVE BEEN THROUGH SOME PRETTY DIRE. LIKE, WE ALMOST GOT TAKEN OVER BY THE STATE. IF YOU LOOK THROUGH THIS LIST AND I DON'T THINK 8% IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S REASONABLE. I THINK THAT WE'RE ALWAYS MORE THAN THAT WHEN WE END THE YEAR. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO EVEN WITH SELF-FUNDED, GOING TO PUT US IN A PLACE WHERE WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME OF THESE PROJECTS AND EXPENSES.
THAT'S ALL I REALLY HAVE TO SAY. I I CAN'T DEFEND IT ANY MORE. I'M DONE. >>Jessica Vaughn: I APPRECIATE THAT. JUST TO BE CLEAR, THERE ARE NO ATTACKS. JUST FUNDAMENTAL TALKINGS. >>Nadia Combs: VERY QUICKLY, JUST THAT I SUPPORT THIS POLICY. I THINK IT IS A REALLY GOOD, STRONG, CLEAN POLICY. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IF SOMETHING MAJOR HAPPENED LIKE A HURRICANE, WE WOULD BE DEALING WITH SO MANY THINGS. DOESN'T MATTER IF WE HAVE 8% OR
20%, NOTHING COULD REALLY, IF WE HAD A CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE DEPENDING ON WHERE WE ARE. SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. I THINK THIS IS A REALLY CLEAN POLICY. I THINK IT SHOWS THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERY SINGLE AGENDA IS SINGLE AGENDA IS ITEM, EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR. I ALSO THINK IT SENDS A STRONG MESSAGE FOR VOTERS WHO 67% SUPPORTED THE MILLAGE. WE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE SUPPORT THE SALES TAX. IT'S SHOWING THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE FISCALLY STRONG DECISIONS AND THAT INCLUDES THE SELF-INSURANCE. LIKE LOOKING AT THAT.
MAKING SURE WE GO DOWN TO SEE IF WE CAN SAVE MONEY WITH THE FLEXIBILITY. WE CAN ALWAYS GO BACK. WE CAN ALWAYS CHANGE IF THINGS AREN'T WORKING AND DO SELF POLICY, SELF INSURANCE AFTER TWO OR THREE YEARS AND THINK THIS IS NOT EFFECTIVE OR HOW CAN WE BE MORE EFFECTIVE, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. I THINK IT SHOWS OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE BEING SERIOUS ABOUT IT AND EVERY SINGLE AGENDA ITEM THAT COMES THROUGH, EVERY SINGLE MOMENT THAT SOMEONE ASKS FOR SOMETHING AND WE LOOK DEEPLY INTO IT, THE IDEA INTO IT, THE IDEA THAT WE'RE INCREASING THAT IS GREAT.
ALSO, A LOT OF THE INCREASES ARE HONESTLY ON THE BACKS OF OUR TEACHERS. A LOT OF THE FUND BALANCE AS WE CONTINUE TO INCREASE IS BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL THESE VACANCIES. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE CONTINUE THE FUND BALANCE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CONTINUE LOOKING AT THINGS, HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THOSE TEACHERS IN SCHOOLS WHERE THERE ARE FOUR OR FIVE VACANCIES, WHERE THERE IS A PRINCIPAL COVERING A CLASS OR A MATH RESOURCE TEACHER THAT HAS BEEN WORKING ON THAT THIRD GRADE CLASS ALL YEAR LONG. I WANT TO MAKE SURE AS WE INCREASE THE FUND BALANCE, WE ALSO LOOK AT HOW SOME OF THAT
MONEY CAN GO BACK INTO OUR SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT THE TEACHERS, WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT CHILDREN HAVE GREAT, GREAT ACCESS TO A GREAT EDUCATION REGARDLESS. I THINK FOR ME ONE OF MY BIGGEST WORRIES IS WHEN I GO TO SCHOOLS AND I SEE THE VACANCIES. I KNOW WE'VE DONE BETTER. I KNOW WE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE BETTER. HOW DO WE ATTRACT AND RETAIN THOSE TEACHERS? AS WE LOOK AT THAT POLICY, WE ALSO NEED TO SEE IF WE DECREASE IN FUND BALANCE, ARE WE DOING THAT TO MAINTAIN THAT WE HAVE THE BEST
THE BEST RESOURCES, THE BEST LUNCHROOM STAFF, THE BEST SECURITY IN OUR SCHOOLS? I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THAT BALANCE AND HOW WE GOT TO IT AND HOW WE CAN KIND OF DECREASE TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. I DON'T NEED YOU TO CLARIFY. I'M JUST CONFUSED TALKING ABOUT SAFEGUARDING OUR FUND BALANCE BUT THEN USING THE MONEY TO TALK ABOUT PAYING OUR EMPLOYEES OR USING OUR MONEY IN SCHOOLS BECAUSE THAT'S THE ANTITHESIS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IF WE'RE PUTTING THIS POLICY IN PLACE TO
SAFEGUARD A FUND BALANCE. >>Nadia Combs: RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE MUCH HIGHER THAN 8%. WHAT I'M SAYING, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PERCENTAGE THAT IT WOULD BE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. >> AROUND 12 -- >>Nadia Combs: WHAT I'M SAYING, WHEN YOU HAVE THE EXTRA PERCENTAGE FROM 8 TO 12 PERCENT THAT EXTRA AMOUNT OF MONEY, WE MAY END UP SUPPORTING THE SCHOOLS AT THE SAME TIME. I THINK IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO BOTH BECAUSE THE FUND BALANCE IS MUCH HIGHER THAN THE 8% THAT'S REQUIRED ON HERE. >>Jessica Vaughn: I APPRECIATE THE CLARITY. PERSONALLY, I DON'T THINK 4% IS MUCH HIGHER. THAT STILL LEAVES ME ROOM FOR
CONCERN. AGAIN, I'M IN THE MINORITY. IT'S OBVIOUS THAT MY BOARD MEMBERS FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THIS. THEY WANT TO BRING IT FORWARD. I APPRECIATE DR. HAHN POINTING OUT THAT JUST BECAUSE WE DISAGREE ABOUT IT, IT DOESN'T MEAN EITHER OF US IS LESS INTERESTED IN THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. I DO WANT TO CLARIFY, I HOPE BY ALL MEANS WE HAVE HIGHER THAN 8%. IF IT'S TRUE WE CLOSED AT 8% IN THE YEARS PREVIOUS TO ME BEING HERE THEN I'M GLAD ABOUT THAT. WHAT I HEARD AND WHAT I SAW AND WHAT MEMBER GRAY TALKS ABOUT A LOT IS THE FACT THAT OUR FUND BALANCE FELL SO LOW WE WERE
ALMOST TAKEN OVER BY THE STATE. I DON'T KNOW WITHIN THE SIX MONTHS THAT THAT HAPPENED WHEN THE YEAR CLOSED IF THERE WERE MASSIVE DIFFERENCES. BUT FOR ME, IT'S NOT A MATTER THAT I WANT TO SPEND IT NOW OR DON'T WANT TO PROTECT IT. I DON'T WANT TO PUT LIMITATIONS ON US BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE. WHEN WE DO TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT VACANCIES, IF THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO DIP INTO OUR FUND BALANCE TO MAKE SURE WE CAN GUARANTEE A STEP, PAY OUR TEACHERS AND TEACHERS AND IT DROPS US LOWER
THAN 8%, EVEN 7%, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO RE-CREATE A NEW POLICY FOR. I'M WORRIED A POLICY LIKE THIS WILL CHANGE THE CONVERSATION AS WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THE NEEDS AND PRIORITIES ARE IN OUR SCHOOLS. AGAIN, THAT'S JUST A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE, AND I DR. HAHN'S PERSPECTIVE ON THIS. I DON'T DISAGREE THAT WE WANT TO MAKE MAKE SURE THAT WE THE VOTER'S TRUST WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ROLLING INTO NEXT YEAR OR YEARS AFTER THAT WHEN TALKING ABOUT REFERENDUMS. HOPEFULLY WE'VE DONE THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT OUR FUND BALANCE IS BECAUSE WE DO LOOK AT ALL OF OUR ITEMS VERY CRITICALLY
WHEN THEY COME BEFORE US AND HAVE A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT WHERE WE'RE SPENDING OUR CONTRACT. I APPRECIATE THE TIME TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT. I THINK WE HAVE WHAT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD, IS THAT CORRECT? >> YES. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. 7250, COMMEMORATION OF SCHOOL FACILITIES. >>Jim Porter: BOARD MEMBERS, THIS IS AN EXISTING POLICY. MEMBER RENDON AND MEMBER GRAY SUGGESTED A SMALL CHANGE TO IT. IF YOU'LL TURN TO THAT, YOU CAN SEE THE CHANGE. THIS IS THIS IS POLICY 72-50.
THIS IS FOR THE NAMING OF SCHOOL FACILITIES. THE REQUEST IS TO CHANGE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT AN ELECTED OFFICIAL MUST BE OUT OF OFFICE TO BE -- TO HAVE A SCHOOL NAMED AFTER THAT PERSON FROM AFTER THAT PERSON FROM FIVE YEARS TO THREE YEARS TO THREE YEARS. THAT IS THE CHANGE BEFORE YOU. >>Lynn Gray: I GUESS WE'RE MAKING THINGS DICEY HERE. FIVE TO THREE, WHY FIVE VERSUS THREE.
WE HAD WE HAD MANY OCCASIONS -- YOU'LL PROBABLY WONDER HOW MANY OCCASIONS. WE'VE HAD OCCASIONS WE'VE HAD OCCASIONS WHERE THE PERSON TO BE PERSON TO BE NAMED AFTER CAME A LITTLE LESS THAN THE FIVE LITTLE LESS THAN THE FIVE YEARS. WE HAVE GREAT WE HAVE GREAT LEADERS, INCLUDING THE MAYORS AND THE CITY COUNCIL AND OTHERS. THE REALITY OF PUBLIC OFFICE, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE CHOOSING TO NAME A BUILDING AFTER, THE REALITY IS IT'S VERY TRANSIENT
AND IT MAY EXTEND TO AND IT MAY EXTEND TO -- I MEAN IT MAY NOT -- IT IT MAY NOT -- IT MAY BE IRRELEVANT TO IRRELEVANT TO SAY THIS PERSON WILL BE THERE FIVE YEARS IN THAT POSITION IN SERVICE. I THINK IT'S MORE RELEVANT, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY, THAT YOU GO THREE YEARS AND THAT GO THREE YEARS AND THAT WAY YOU INCLUDE MORE -- MORE INCLUDE MORE -- MORE APPLICANTS, MORE POSSIBILITIES AND STILL IT COMES DOWN, COMES DOWN, AGAIN, TO COMES DOWN, AGAIN, TO US CHOOSING THE COMMEMORATION.
WE STILL GET TO CHOOSE WHO. WE GET TO VOTE ON IT, BUT YOU'LL HAVE MORE CHOICES. THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING AT. IF YOU HAVE LESS YEARS, YOU HAVE MORE CHOICES TO CHOOSE FROM. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>Lynn Gray: IT'S OUT OF OFFICE. SO NO CANDIDATE FOR PUBLIC OFFICE SHALL BE CONSIDERED.
THIS IS OUT OF OFFICE. >>Jim Porter: THIS IS SOMEONE WHO ALREADY SERVED IN OFFICE AND HAS BEEN OUT. A CANDIDATE A CANDIDATE IS A CANDIDATE IS NOT ELIGIBLE OR -- [INAUDIBLE] >>Lynn Gray: MEMBER RENDON, MR. FARKAS, OR DR. GRAVES, YOU'RE SITTING UP THERE. IS THERE IS THERE A REASON? >>Christopher Farkas: THERE IS NO REASON WE ARE SITTING HERE. WE ARE JUST HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. >>Van Ayres: FROM THE STAFF SIDE, THIS IS A BOARD DRIVEN POLICY.
YOU ARE ALL AWARE, THE BOARD NAMES FACILITIES. STAFF HAS NO OPINION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. THIS IS TRULY BOARD DRIVEN. >>Lynn Gray: I THINK IT WAS WHEN MEMBER STEWART, SHE PUT IT UP TO FIVE YEARS. YEAH, IT WAS BEFORE YOU. I WONDERED I WONDERED WHY IT WAS FIVE YEARS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
MEMBER RENDON, MAYBE YOU CAN MEMBER RENDON, MAYBE YOU CAN DO A BETTER JOB THAN I. I NEVER AGREED TO FIVE YEARS IN THE FIRST PLACE. >>Jessica Vaughn: MEMBER RENDON, YOU ALSO BROUGHT THIS FORWARD. DID YOU WANT TO DID YOU WANT TO REMARK ON IT? >>Patti Rendon: ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED TO BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD, I WANT TO BRING IT MORE IN LINE WITH OTHER THINGS THINGS REQUIRED OF AN ELECTED PERSON. YOU HAVE CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS, WHETHER LOBBYING RESTRICTIONS AND I WOULD LIKE TO BRING IT MORE IN LINE. IT WOULD BRING IT MORE TO A
TWO- OR THREE-YEAR MARK. I RECOGNIZE THAT UNLIKE A POSITION OR A JOB THAT THEY COULD DO, THIS IS A PERMANENT THING. I WENT WITH THREE YEARS OVER TWO. THE MAJORITY OF RULES GOVERNING SOMEONE WHO LEAVES ELECTED OFFICE REALLY FALLS IN LINE WITH TWO YEARS. THEY CAN'T LOBBY, CAN'T WORK FOR CERTAIN PLACES -- IT'S ACTUALLY WRITTEN IN STATUTE RIGHT NOW. IT IS TWO. I THOUGHT IT WAS I THOUGHT IT WAS THREE AS WELL. WHEN I PULLED IT WHEN I PULLED IT UP TO
WHEN I PULLED IT UP TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT -- TWO OR THREE IS WHERE IT WHERE IT ALIGNED. TWO YEARS BEFORE THEY COULD DO CERTAIN THINGS. I WANTED TO BRING IT IN LINE BASED ON THE FACT OF ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL. A BUILDING IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD GO ON FOR MANY MORE YEARS. I FELT THE THREE YEARS WAS A LITTLE MORE THAN A JOB. THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT IN THREE, BUT I'M OPEN TO TWO OR THREE DEPENDING ON THE BOARD'S FEEL. >>Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER COMBS YOU WERE IN QUEUE. ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO GET IN THE QUEUE?
>>Nadia Combs: I LOVE THAT MEMBER RENDON AND MEMBER GRAY BROUGHT A POLICY TOGETHER. I WANT TO COMMENT. I THINK THAT'S I THINK THAT'S GREAT. FOR ME I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THAT. I THINK FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS, DOESN'T MATTER. I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE, I KNOW THE POLICY WE HAD FOR SUPERINTENDENT OR ANYTHING, WASN'T THAT TWO YEARS, TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE I WOULD LIKE TO DO TWO BECAUSE IT'S CONSISTENT WITH ALL OF THAT, IF YOU DON'T MIND. IF NOT, THREE. TWO SOUNDS CONSISTENT WITH EVERYTHING EVERYTHING ELSE. >>Patti Rendon: ANYONE WHO --
ANYONE THAT IS LEAVING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT'S WORKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE OR WOULD BRING SOMETHING TO THE DISTRICT HAD TO BE REMOVED FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS. >>Jim Porter: HEARING THERE MIGHT BE A MOVEMENT TO HAVE TWO YEARS? THAT'S VERY EASY. OKAY. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. >>Jessica Vaughn: WAS ANYONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE? NO. I KNOW MEMBER PEREZ SAID THAT SHE HAD COMMENTS ON THE LAST ONE SHE DIDN'T RECEIVE. ANY COMMENTS FOR THIS ONE? >>Jim Porter: [INAUDIBLE]
>>Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. I JUST HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. YOU DO HAVE TO SPEAK, MR. FARKAS. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE REVISED THIS SPECIFIC POLICY WITHIN THE TEN YEARS? >>Jim Porter: SO LET ME SPEAK TO THAT. >>Christopher Farkas: TOO MANY IS THE ANSWER. >>Jim Porter: I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HERE IS A HARRY POTTER FAN. I EQUATE IT TO THE DEFENSE OF DARK ARTS TEACHER IN THE HARRY POTTER SERIES BECAUSE IT CHANGES ON A REGULAR BASIS. IT REALLY DOES. THIS THIS POLICY HAS BEEN IN EFFECT
-- IT'S A CONSTANTLY CHANGING POLICY. IT'S EVOLVED A LOT THROUGH THE YEARS. FIVE YEARS WAS PUT IN AS MS. GRAY SAID A MS. GRAY SAID A WHILE BACK. IT JUST CHANGES A LOT. THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR IT TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD WITH REVISIONS. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT. >>Jessica Vaughn: I APPRECIATE THAT. I'M ASSUMING, AND I COULD BE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS THAT THE REASON THE PROVISION WAS PUT IN THERE AT ALL, ONCE SOMEBODY LEAVES OFFICE, SOMETIMES THERE ARE THINGS REVEALED ABOUT THEM
THAT MAYBE AREN'T IN GOOD STANDING OR WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY WANT TO HAVE SOMEONE NAMED AFTER A SCHOOL WHERE TWO OR THREE YEARS AFTER THEY LEAVE OFFICE SOMETHING MIGHT COME UP WHICH IS THE REASON THAT I THINK IT WAS PUT INTO PLACE. I DON'T LOVE CONSTANTLY CHANGING THIS POLICY. I THINK THAT THREE YEARS IS LESS THAN I WOULD LIKE TO SEE. BECAUSE I'VE ALREADY COME OUT AGAINST ONE POLICY, I'M MORE THAN WILLING TO CHANGE MY STANCE ON THAT TO BE AMENABLE ON THAT TO BE AMENABLE WITH MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS. I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO GO DOWN TO DOWN TO TWO.
I'M ASKING WITH THIS CHANGE WE LEAVE THIS POLICY IN PLACE FOR A WHILE IF I AGREE TO SUPPORT IT. THAT WOULD BE MY REQUEST. >>Jim Porter: WE NEED TO GET SOME CONSENSUS THEN. WE DRAFTED THE POLICY AT THREE. THERE SEEMED TO BE MOVEMENT TO TWO. I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO GO AROUND THE ROOM AND TELL ME YOUR PREFERENCE SO WE CAN HAVE CLARITY GOING FORWARD WHEN WE ADVERTISE. >>Nadia Combs: TWO >>Nadia Combs: TWO YEARS. >> TWO YEARS. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>Jessica Vaughn: IN ORDER TO SUPPORT IT, I'LL SAY THREE.
>>Jim Porter: YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN. >>Jessica Vaughn: I'M ON MY OWN ONCE AGAIN. [INAUDIBLE] I'LL HAVE TO SAY THAT AGAIN. NOW WE CAN MOVE ON NOW WE CAN MOVE ON TO 33602, ANTI-HARASSMENT COMPLAINT PROCEDURES. I BELIEVE DR. PATTON WILL LEAD US IN THAT. >> GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
THIS WAS AN UPDATE TO A POLICY TO BE IN TO BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH POLICY STUDENT ABUSE AND NEGLECT. AFTER CONFERRING WITH LEGAL COUNSEL, WE WOULD LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. PORTER TO GIVE FEEDBACK ON THE REVISION RECOMMENDED FOR THIS PARTICULAR POLICY. >>Jim Porter: YEAH, I THINK THE INTENT WAS AFTER A REQUEST FROM THE UNION TO MAKE THIS MORE IN LINE WITH STATE LAW. I THINK IT DOES THAT. AND I THINK -- I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE BOARD COMMENTS BEFORE WE GO FURTHER. PART OF THE CHANGES NEEDED TO COMPLY WITH STATE LAW AND THE OTHER PART I THINK NEEDS A
LITTLE MORE LITTLE MORE DISCUSSION. I THINK MS. COMBS HAD HER HAND UP. >>Van Ayres: COULD YOU TALK THROUGH THIS REAL QUICK BEFORE WE GET TO DISCUSSION TO CATCH US UP? >>Jim Porter: THE CURRENT POLICY IS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING. UNDER STATE LAW, IF ANY EMPLOYEE OF A SCHOOL SUSPECTS OR HAS INFORMATION THAT THERE'S CHILD ABUSE HAPPENING, THEY HAVE AN AFFIRMATIVE LEGAL DUTY TO REPORT TO DCF. THE WAY THE POLICY IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN, THAT'S NOT CRYSTAL
CLEAR. THE INTENT WAS TO MAKE THAT IN LINE WITH STATE LAW SO THAT WHOEVER IS AWARE OF CHILD ABUSE OR SUSPECTS CHILD ABUSE IS A REPORTING -- REPORTS THAT REPORTING -- REPORTS THAT DCF. THE REVISION MAKES THAT CLEAR. THERE'S JUST A QUESTION OF WHY THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS TAKEN OUT OF THAT. I THINK THAT'S THE PART THAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED. >> JUST TO ADD ON TO THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AROUND THIS LAW IS THE MEDIACY OF THE REPORTING.
THERE WAS A CONCERN THAT THE IMMEDIACY OF THE REPORTING MAY NOT BE IN LINE IF, FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEONE SAYS, I CALLED THE SUPERINTENDENT. I SENT THE SUPERINTENDENT AN E-MAIL, THE SUPERINTENDENT MAY NOT GET THAT E-MAIL TIMELY, THEREFORE WE ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE IMMEDIACY OF THE REPORTING. SO THAT'S WHY THERE WAS THE REMOVAL OF THE SUPERINTENDENT AND HAVING THE PRINCIPAL BE THE FIRST LINE THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL WOULD GO TO AS WELL AS THEM THEMSELVES HAVING TO REPORT. IT HELPED US BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT IMMEDIACY.
>>Jessica Vaughn: MEMBER COMBS, YOU ARE FIRST IN THE QUEUE. >>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU SO MUCH. I READ THIS. I THINK THIS IS GREAT, THIS POLICY. THE ONLY THING, AND I'VE TALKED TO MR. PORTER ABOUT THIS, IS AMENDING LINE 206 AND IT SHOULD SAY THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND SUPERINTENDENT. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT STAYS INVOLVED AND THAT HE'S AWARE THAT I HEAR FROM HIM DIRECTLY. ALSO, JUST LIKE A PRINCIPAL, AS I MENTIONED, IF YOU TAUGHT IN A SCHOOL, SOMETIMES YOU DON'T HAVE
CONTROL OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM AS TEACHERS. SO THE SO THE PRINCIPAL IS GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE AS WELL AS THE SUPERINTENDENT IS NOT GOING TO ALWAYS KNOW, BUT THEY SHOULD BE AWARE BUT SHOULD BE INCLUDED. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE SUPERINTENDENT DOES HAVE ATTORNEY, THE PRINCIPALS DON'T. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE SUPERINTENDENT'S NAME IN THERE. THAT WAY YOU ARE MADE AWARE BECAUSE IT'S JUST THE SAME RESPONSIBILITY. AROUND THE OTHER DISTRICTS, MR. PORTER, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, IT STILL STAYS CONSISTENT BY ADDING THE SUPERINTENDENT. STILL STAYS CONSISTENT WITH OTHER NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS,
CORRECT? WE TALKED ABOUT THIS QUITE A BIT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. >>Jim Porter: YEAH, >>Jim Porter: YEAH, BASICALLY, THIS WOULD JUST THIS WOULD JUST MAKE THE REPORTING OF THE PERSON WHO KNOWS TO DCF AND ALSO KEEP THE SUPERINTENDENT IN THE LOOP. THAT IS THE INTENT OF KEEPING THE SUPERINTENDENT IN HERE SO YOU'RE AWARE OF IT. >>Van Ayres: MEMBER COMBS RECOMMENDATION TO CHANGE FROM OR TO AND? >>Jim Porter: IT WOULD SAY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND SUPERINTENDENT AND THEN TAKE OUT WHO AND JUST LEAVE AND. YOU ARE NOT THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPORTING TO DCF. THE PRINCIPAL IS NOT RESPONSIBLE
FOR REPORTING TO DCF. THE PERSON WHO KNOWS ABOUT IT IS, BUT THE PRINCIPAL AND IS, BUT THE PRINCIPAL AND YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT. >>Van Ayres: CLARITY HERE. AN EMPLOYEE IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, A TEACHER, TO FOLLOW THIS BOARD POLICY THE WAY IT IS WRITTEN WOULD HAVE TO REPORT TO DCF AND SEND ME AN E-MAIL AND SEND THE PRINCIPAL AN E-MAIL? I HAVE ISSUE WITH THAT. >> THE CHALLENGES AROUND THE IMMEDIACY OF IT. IF IT GOES TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, THEN SUPERINTENDENT, THEN THE SUPERINTENDENT NOW KNOWS ABOUT IT AND MAY BECOME A MANDATORY
REPORTER. SUPERINTENDENT HAS TO REPORT IT, PRINCIPAL HAS TO REPORT IT. >>Jim Porter: NO, NO. THAT'S NOT CORRECT. WHICHEVER EMPLOYEE IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE OR SUSPECTS IT HAS A LEGAL DUTY TO REPORT THAT TO DCF. THAT GOES UP TO THAT GOES UP TO DCF. THIS POLICY WOULD ALSO REQUIRE THEM TO LET THE THEM TO LET THE PRINCIPAL AND SUPERINTENDENT KNOW THAT IT HAPPENED. >>Jessica Vaughn: MEMBER COMBS, ARE YOU FINISHED WITH YOUR COMMENTS?
>>Nadia Combs: YES. WE TALKED ABOUT IT AS A BOARD. I WENT TO OUR SCHOOL BOARD ATTORNEY. HE'S WORKING HE'S WORKING FOR US. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COVERED LEGALLY IN EVERY WAY AND ALSO THAT INFORMATION, IT GOES DOWN TO US SOMETIMES THROUGH THAT. THAT'S HOW WE FIND OUT BECAUSE THEN I'M NOT FINDING OUT ABOUT THINGS THROUGH THE NEWS. IT DOESN'T PUT THE SUPERINTENDENT RESPONSIBLE FOR REPORTING IT. IT JUST MAKES SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS EVERYBODY IS AWARE OF THE SITUATION. >>Van Ayres: WHAT WE DO HERE, ADDING ANOTHER LAYER FOR EMPLOYEES.
>>Nadia Combs: THE LAYER HAS BEEN THERE. >>Van Ayres: IT WAS AN OR. IF CHANGING IT TO AN AND, ADDING ANOTHER LAYER TO THE EMPLOYEE REPORTING THAT THEY HAVE TO REPORT IT NOT ONLY TO THE PRINCIPAL BUT ALSO THE SUPERINTENDENT. WE'RE ADDING A LAYER OF WORK FOR THAT EMPLOYEE. >>Nadia Combs: YOU CAN EVEN KEEP IT OR. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM KEEPING IT OR. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THE SUPERINTENDENT STAYS IN THERE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE FOR THAT. MY WHOLE THING, IF YOU WANT TO PUT OR, AND, IT DOESN'T MATTER. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT IS INCLUDED IN THAT POLICY.
>> ON BEHALF OF OUR EMPLOYEES, KEEPING IN MIND THAT EMPLOYEES AT ALL LEVEL. IT COULD BE A BUS DRIVER. IT COULD BE A CLASSROOM TEACHER, ADMINISTRATOR AT THE SCHOOL. IF WE WERE TO CHANGE THAT TO AND, CERTAINLY DOES ADD ANOTHER LAYER FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES AS WELL. RIGHT NOW IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WE HAVE WE HAVE REPORTS OF CHILD ABUSE THAT OCCURS FREQUENTLY. IT'S IT'S SUSPECTED. SOMEBODY'S OBSERVATION. DOESN'T MEAN IT IS SUBSTANTIATED. ADDING THAT LAYER I THINK WOULD PUT A BURDEN ON THE EMPLOYEE AS THEY ARE ALREADY BEING REQUIRED
TO REPORT IT TO THEIR PRINCIPAL AND TO DCF, KEEPING IN MIND THAT SOMETIMES DCF DOES NOT ACCEPT A CASE BUT ADMINISTRATIVELY WE STILL HAVE TO INVESTIGATE THAT. SO THAT'S WHY THE PRINCIPAL HAVING KNOWLEDGE OF THAT WOULD THEN WORK WITH OUR OFFICE. >>Nadia Combs: I'M FINE WITH KEEPING OR. I JUST DON'T WANT TO NOT INCLUDE THE SUPERINTENDENT. TO ME THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT. FOR LIABILITY -- NOT LIABILITY, I WANT TO KEEP THE SUPERINTENDENT NAME IN THERE NO MATTER WHAT. I'M FINE WITH OR. I JUST WANT TO KEEP YOU IN THERE. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MS. COMBS. MR. PORTER, DID YOU HAVE A
COMMENT? >>Jim Porter: MS. PEREZ WANTS TO MAKE A STATEMENT. I CAN DO THAT NOW OR AFTER MS. RENDON. FROM FROM MS. PEREZ, NOT ME SPEAKING. REPORTING IS ON REPORTING IS ON PERSONNEL WHO SUSPECTS CHILD ABUSE GIVEN THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS TO BE KEPT UP TO DATE ON WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE DISTRICT JUST IN CASE ANY DISPUTE AFTER INCIDENT REPORT. THIS BOARD MEMBER FEELS THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT IS IN THE KNOW OF WHAT IS TAKING PLACE IN THE DISTRICT. THE PRINCIPAL CAN KEEP THE SUPERINTENDENT IN THE LOOP. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU,
MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU. I WILL SAY BEING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN AS A MANDATORY REPORTER FOR YEARS AND WHEN AS A SUPERVISOR AND OWNER OF A COMPANY. IF MY STAFF TOLD ME ABOUT THE INCIDENT, DID I INCIDENT, DID I NOT REPORT IT AND I KNEW ABOUT AND I KNEW ABOUT IT, I HAD CHARGES FILED AGAINST ME. I'VE HAD THE SITUATION HAPPEN. I DID NOT HAVE CHARGES FILED AGAINST ME, BUT THEY DID COME
AND MADE SURE I REPORTED IT. I DO KNOW THAT FALLS IN LINE. IS THERE A WAY WE CAN DO TWO THINGS? CAN WE CHANGE THE SENTENCE STRUCTURE? THIS IS A PROCEDURE, NOT A POLICY. WE'RE TALKING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PROCEDURE WITHOUT BEING A WITHOUT BEING A POLICY. IT DOESN'T REALLY GIVE US THE PROCEDURE OF HOW THIS HAPPENS, AND THAT'S A CONCERN OF MINE. IF THERE WAS A IF THERE WAS A FORM THAT WHEN ABUSE, NEGLECT FORM, IN OUR
SYSTEM, IF I PATTI RENDON REPORTED ABUSE, I FILE IT AND IT AUTOMATICALLY GOES TO THE PRINCIPAL AND TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AT THE SAME TIME, AND YOU KEEP AND YOU KEEP A RECORD IN YOUR STAFF, WE WOULD HAVE IDENTIFIED MEMBER COMBS' CONCERN THAT YOU WERE WERE NOTIFIED. BUT RIGHT HERE DOESN'T TELL ME HOW ANY OF THAT IS GOING TO OCCUR. MY FIRST CONCERN IS THIS PROCEDURE DOESN'T REALLY TELL ME THE PROCEDURES. HOW IS THE CONTACT BEING HOW IS THE CONTACT BEING MADE? BECAUSE WE COULD REALLY BE GIVING GOOD CLARIFICATION IF WE KNOW HOW THAT KNOW HOW THAT NOTIFICATION IS
BEING DONE. HOW IS THAT BEING DONE HOW IS THAT BEING DONE NOW? BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SAY. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>Patti Rendon: HOW DOES THE PRINCIPAL FIND OUT ABOUT IT? >> IF THE EMPLOYEE IS THE ONE MAKING THE REPORT BASED OFF OF POLICY AND PROCEDURE, THEY REPORT THAT TO THEIR PRINCIPAL AND PART AND PART OF THE ANNUAL TRAINING WE DO WITH EMPLOYEES ANNUALLY. SO THE PRINCIPAL THEN SO THE PRINCIPAL THEN NOTIFIES OUR OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS THAT AN EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN REPORTED AND THEN DCF ALSO CONTACTS OUR OFFICE TO LET US KNOW THAT A REPORT HAS BEEN
RECEIVED BECAUSE WE ALSO GET REPORTS THAT MIGHT NOT COME FROM AN EMPLOYEE AS WELL BUT INVOLVE AN ALLEGATION AGAINST THE EMPLOYEE. >>Patti Rendon: HOW IS THAT BEING BEING DONE? YOU SAID THEY DO YOU SAID THEY DO IT, BUT WHAT DO THEY DO? IS IT A FORM? IS IT A PHONE CALL, E-MAIL, WHERE IS THE WHERE IS THE TRACKING? >> INTERNALLY THE TRACKING IS A CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE EMPLOYEE AND THE PRINCIPAL AND THEN MEETING WITH THE PRINCIPAL TO ENSURE THAT REPORT IS MADE TO DCF EITHER THROUGH THE HOTLINE
OR ONLINE REPORTING FORM. >>Patti Rendon: I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I'M VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS PROCEDURE BECAUSE I THINK WE THINK WE HAVE NO BACKUP FOR EMPLOYEES, SUPERINTENDENT, PRINCIPAL, THAT ANYTHING WAS DONE. HEARSAY IS ALL IT HEARSAY IS ALL IT IS. I WOULD SAY THAT I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH ANY OF THIS UNTIL WE ACTUALLY UNTIL WE ACTUALLY HAVE A PROCEDURE THAT BACKS UP THE EMPLOYEE, THE PRINCIPAL, AND THE SUPERINTENDENT THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY DONE. BECAUSE THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING IN WRITING THAT WHEN THE CALL WAS MADE, WE KNOW WHO TOOK THE CALL, THE NUMBER OF THE
EMPLOYEE WHO TOOK THE CALL AND SHOULD BE ON RECORD TO BACK UP THE EMPLOYEE THAT THEY MADE THE CALL. PRINCIPALS ARE PRINCIPALS ARE DOING 14 DIFFERENT THINGS RIGHT NOW AND IT COULD BE A VERY SIMPLE, BY THE WAY, I CALLED ABUSE. I DON'T THINK IT WAS OKAY BUT DID DOUBLE CHECKING. THAT'S NOT A REPORT. THERE'S NO WAY TO PROTECT THAT EMPLOYEE RIGHT NOW THAT THEY MADE THAT REPORT. UNTIL WE HAVE SOMETHING IN WRITING THAT BACKS UP THE EMPLOYEE'S REPORTING OR THE PRINCIPAL'S REPORTING, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE PROCEDURE AT ALL BECAUSE THERE IS -- WHEN
YOU CALL THE ABUSE YOU CALL THE ABUSE HOTLINE, YOU'RE GIVEN A NUMBER THAT THE REPORT WAS MADE AND NOWHERE IN THIS PROCEDURE THAT THAT NUMBER IS ANYWHERE TO BACK UP OUR STAFF. >> PART OF THE PROCEDURE IN OUR OFFICE IS WHEN THE PRINCIPAL NOTIFIES US THAT THEY WERE INFORMED FROM AN EMPLOYEE THAT THEY MADE A REPORT TO THEY MADE A REPORT TO DCF. WE IMMEDIATELY HAVE AN INVESTIGATOR THAT WORKS WITH DCF TO SAY WE GOT A CALL FROM THIS SITE. YOU SHOULD BE GETTING THIS INFORMATION. IT WAS ACCEPTED OR IT WAS NOT. WE ASK THAT INFORMATION FROM THE PRINCIPAL AT THE TIME THEY ARE
MEETING WITH THE EMPLOYEE TO MAKE THE REPORT. IF THEY DO IT ONLINE, THEY GET AN E-MAIL RIGHT BACK AND WE HAVE THEM FORWARD THAT E-MAIL TO US. SOMETIMES FOR PRACTICALITY REASONS, IT MIGHT NOT BE AS CONVENIENT FOR THEM TO DO THE ONLINE FORM. IT MAY BE A PHONE CALL THAT OCCURS, BUT WE DO ENCOURAGE TO YOUR POINT TO DO THE ONLINE FORM SO THAT WE DO GET AN E-MAIL BACK. >>Patti Rendon: IF THEY DON'T DO THE ONLINE FORM, THEY STILL GET NUMBERS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WE SHOULD REQUIRE SOMETHING IN WRITING. WHEN IT'S ABUSE, NEGLECT, EXPLOITATION, THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME, NO COURT OF LAW IS GOING
TO SAY, WELL, I TOLD HER. >> I THINK ONE OF THE KEY THINGS IS IN POLICY IS IN POLICY 84-62, IS IN POLICY 84-62, IT DOES OUTLINE MORE OF WHAT HAPPENS. THAT'S THE POLICY THAT COMES AFTER WE HAVE THE ONE THAT WILL GIVE MORE DETAIL ON THAT. BUT IF IT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD, WE CAN CERTAINLY SIT DOWN AND REVIEW THIS LANGUAGE AND THE FLOW OF IT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CLEAR AND ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE IN THERE WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT TO BE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH A REPORT OR WHATEVER THE METHODOLOGY IS, IN THE EVENT THERE IS A QUESTION THAT COMES
UP OR SOMEONE ASKS ABOUT IT, WE COULD CERTAINLY ADD THAT INTO THIS POLICY. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT POLICY 84-62, THERE MAY BE MORE INFORMATION THERE AROUND THE PROTOCOLS AROUND THE REPORTING AND HOW THAT HAPPENS. BUT THERE'S OPPORTUNITY, AS YOU SAID, TO DEFINITELY IMPROVE OR UPDATE THIS POLICY MORE. >>Patti Rendon: SOMETHING IN WRITING IS PROTECTING EVERYONE. >>Jessica Vaughn: I'M GOING TO LET MR. PORTER SPEAK, BUT I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION. IS IT POSSIBLE FOR THIS TO COME FORWARD? DOES THIS HAVE TO BE CHANGED RIGHT NOW OR POSSIBLE IF WE DECIDE AND MR. PORTER SUGGESTS THAT WE REWORK THIS, IS IT OKAY
FOR IT TO COME FORWARD AT THE NEXT POLICY CYCLE? >>Jim Porter: I WAS GOING TO SPEAK TO THAT ISSUE. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THIS GOES FORWARD IN THIS POLICY CYCLE BECAUSE AS IT'S WRITTEN, IT'S CONFUSING ABOUT WHERE THE RESPONSIBILITY LIES. I THINK UNDER STATE LAW WE WOULD BE BETTER OFF BRINGING IT FORWARD NOW. BUT -- LET ME EXPLAIN I THINK WHAT THE INTENT OF THE POLICY IS. ONE, TO MAKE CLEAR WHO HAS AFFIRMATIVE LEGAL DUTY TO REPORT TO DCF. WE NEED TO CLARIFY THAT. AND THEN THE GOAL WAS ALSO TO
MAKE SURE THAT BOTH THE PRINCIPAL AND SOMEONE IN ADMINISTRATION KNOWS ABOUT IT. THAT'S THE THAT'S THE INTENT OF THIS POLICY. TO MS. COMBS POINT AND MS. RENDON'S POINT, I THINK WE CAN REWRITE IT, BUT I THINK IT NEEDS TO COME FORWARD. IF THAT IS THE CONSENSUS OF THE BOARD THAT THOSE TWO THINGS ARE ACCEPTABLE, ONE, THAT IT'S CLEAR WHO THE REPORTING INDIVIDUAL IS. TWO, THAT BOTH THE PRINCIPAL AND ADMINISTRATION NEED TO ADMINISTRATION NEED TO BE AWARE OF IT WE CAN CRAFT THE LANGUAGE TO SATISFY THAT, IF THAT IS THE CONSENSUS OF THE BOARD. MS. PEREZ SAYS SHE AGREES WITH
MS. RENDON. I ADDED THAT AS WELL. >>Jessica Vaughn: I WAS NEXT IN THE QUEUE. I WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO ON. IS IT POSSIBLE, BECAUSE WHAT I'M HEARING FROM MEMBER COMBS HEARING FROM MEMBER COMBS IS, SHE JUST WANTS TO MAKE SURE IN OUR POLICY IT STATES THE SUPERINTENDENT IS KEPT IN THE LOOP AND NOTIFIED. WHAT I'M HEARING SOME OF THE PUSH-BACK AND CONCERN IS PUTTING THE BURDEN ON THE EMPLOYEE TO BE THE ONE TO NOTIFY THE SUPERINTENDENT ABOUT THAT. IF WE'RE IF WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE POLICY AND IRONING OUT -- AND I DO WANT CLARITY WHETHER THIS IS
A PROCEDURE OR POLICY BECAUSE MEMBER MEMBER RENDON KEEPS SAYING PROCEDURE, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY TO AMEND THE LANGUAGE WHERE THE PRINCIPAL THEN HAS TO KEEP THE SUPERINTENDENT IN THE LOOP OR NOTIFY IT SO THAT BURDEN ISN'T PLACED NECESSARILY ON THE EMPLOYEE BUT STILL STATES IN OUR POLICY, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE IS NOTIFIED SO IT KIND OF MEETS BOTH CONCERNS ABOUT MAKING SURE THE SUPERINTENDENT STAYS IN THE LOOP BUT NOT PUTTING THE BURDEN ON THE EMPLOYEE. IS REALLY MY QUESTION. >>Jim Porter: THE ANSWER TO THAT IS, YES, WE CAN CRAFT IT THAT
WAY. >>Jessica Vaughn: IS THIS A POLICY OR PROCEDURE? BECAUSE WE'RE APPROVING POLICIES, BUT MEMBER RENDON KEEPS SAYING PROCEDURE. IS THIS A POLICY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? >> JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS PAGE, PAGE 5 OF 5 IS A PART OF OUR ANTI-HARASSMENT COMPLAINT PROCEDURES. SO THIS COMPLAINT PROCEDURE REALLY TALK ABOUT OUR ANTI-HARASSMENT. THIS LAST PAGE IS ON HERE BECAUSE AS YOU'RE TALKING WITH AN AN EMPLOYEE, THERE ARE TIMES THAT THIS COMES UP. THIS MAY COME UP.
THIS IS ADDED ON AS SORT OF AN ADDENDUM TO THIS ANTI-HARASSMENT. SO THE ANTI-HARASSMENT, IF YOU READ IT, HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO PAGE 505, THAT'S WHY IT SAYS THIS IS JUST A GENTLE REMINDER LETTING INDIVIDUALS KNOW IF THIS COMES UP, THERE IS A REQUIREMENT AND IT LEADS YOU TO WHERE IT SAYS, IT'S PUSHING YOU BACK TO POLICY 84-62, WHICH IS THE ONE WE'RE BRINGING UP NEXT, AND THAT ONE GOES THROUGH THE POLICIES ON THE STUDENT ABUSE AND NEGLECT. >>Jessica Vaughn: BUT IT HAS A POLICY NUMBER AND IT SAYS POLICY. EVEN THOUGH IT OUTLINES
PROCEDURES, WE'RE APPROVING THIS AS A BOARD, IS THIS A POLICY? >>Jim Porter: YES, IT'S A POLICY. I THINK MS. RENDON I THINK MS. RENDON ALSO I THINK MS. RENDON ALSO TALKED ABOUT PROCEDURES TO BACK UP THE POLICY, HOW IT IS DONE. WHETHER THERE IS A FORM. >>Jessica Vaughn: BUT IT IS A POLICY. >>Jim Porter: IT IS CURRENTLY A POLICY, YES. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>Jim Porter: IT'S BOTH. THIS IS PART OF OUR EXISTING. THIS IS AN EXISTING POLICY. >>Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. NEXT IN QUEUE IS DR. HAHN.
>>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU. ON PAGE 4, ON PAGE 4, LINE 162, ON PAGE 4, LINE 162, ACTUALLY, 151 IT'S 151 IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES. AND ON 162 IT SAYS THAT THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER WILL PROVIDE A WRITTEN REPORT PREPARED AND DELIVERED TO THE SUPERINTENDENT WHICH SUMMARIZES THE EVIDENCE GATHERED DURING THE INVESTIGATION. SO THERE IS SOMETHING SO THERE IS SOMETHING IN HERE THAT SAYS HOW THE SUPERINTENDENT
IS GOING TO GET NOTIFIED. IT'S GOING TO BE THROUGH THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER. BUT THAT'S FOR HARASSMENT. SO NOW SO NOW WE GO TO SO NOW WE GO TO PAGE 5 OF 5 WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CHILD WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CHILD ABUSE AND SEXUAL MISCONDUCT, I DO AGREE THAT AGREE THAT BETWEEN 204 AND 211, THAT NEEDS TO THAT NEEDS TO BE REWRITTEN. I THINK I THINK THAT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, WHERE IT SAYS STATE LAW REQUIRES ANY SCHOOL TEACHER OR SCHOOL EMPLOYEE WHO KNOWS OR
SUSPECTS THAT A CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF 18 IS A VICTIM OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT, TO IMMEDIATELY IMMEDIATELY AND THEN IT NEEDS TO GO NOTE THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES. THEN IT SHOULD SAY, THEN IT SHOULD SAY, COMMA, REPORT REPORT THAT KNOWLEDGE OR SUSPICION TO THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, COMMA. >>Jim Porter: THAT IS A GOOD POINT. >>Stacy Hahn: I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO ABOUT THE SUPERINTENDENT. SAY THAT THE PRINCIPAL CAN THEN REPORT IT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OR IF THERE IS A COMPLIANCE
OFFICER THAT'S ASSIGNED TO THIS, THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER SHOULD SEND THE REPORT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, JUST LIKE UNDER HARASSMENT. IS THERE A IS THERE A COMPLIANCE OFFICER WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS, ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ON A CHILD. >> YES. YES, SO THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER, IF IT WAS INVOLVING IF IT WAS INVOLVING AN IF IT WAS INVOLVING AN ADULT WOULD BE GENERAL MANAGER FOR EMPLOYEE RELATIONS. FELL UNDER THE POLICY, INVESTIGATING THE
ANTI-HARASSMENT. >>Stacy Hahn: WHAT IF IT IS CHILD ABUSE AND SEXUAL MISCONDUCT? >> IF DURING THE INVESTIGATION THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER WERE TO GET INFORMATION FROM THE EMPLOYEE THAT LED TO A EMPLOYEE THAT LED TO A SUSPICION OF SUSPECTED CHILD OF SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE, THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER WOULD ENSURE THE EMPLOYEE REPORTED IT AND ALSO REPORT IT TO OUR OFFICE BECAUSE THAT WOULD ALSO LAUNCH AN INVESTIGATION. >>Stacy Hahn: THAT PERSON SHOULD REPORT REPORT TO THE
REPORT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT. FIRST IT -- FIRST WE NEED TO SAY THAT YOU IMMEDIATELY REPORT IT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES. >>Jim Porter: WE'LL MAKE THAT -- >>Stacy Hahn: THEN YOU GO TO THE PRINCIPAL AND THEN THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER, WHOEVER THAT PERSON IS, WILL SEND THE REPORT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT. THAT WAY EVERYBODY IS THAT WAY EVERYBODY IS GETTING THE INFORMATION BUT IT'S NOT ALL FALLING ON THE TEACHER TO MAKE SURE THAT INFORMATION IS DISSEMINATED TO THREE DIFFERENT PEOPLE. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, DR. HAHN. MEMBER GRAY.
>>Lynn Gray: JUST AS A >>Lynn Gray: JUST AS A REVIEW, DR. PATTON, THE DR. PATTON, THE RATIONALE DR. PATTON, THE RATIONALE BEHIND YOU ADDING -- OR DELETING THE SUPERINTENDENT, WAS THAT BECAUSE OF THE STATE LAW? WHAT WAS THE WHAT WAS THE RATIONALE BEHIND THIS CHANGE THAT'S ON THIS CHANGE THAT'S ON LINE THIS CHANGE THAT'S ON LINE 206? >> IT WAS AROUND THE IMMEDIACY SO AGAIN WE DON'T HAVE SO MANY LAYERS THAT THE INFORMATION COULD POTENTIALLY BE COULD POTENTIALLY BE DELAYED.
IT SAID PRINCIPAL OR SUPERINTENDENT, THAT INDIVIDUAL MAY CHOOSE THE SUPERINTENDENT VERSUS THE PRINCIPAL AND THEREFORE THE SUPERINTENDENT MAY NOT GET IT TIMELY. AND I THINK TO MEMBER RENDON'S POINT, THEN THE LIABILITY FALLS ON THE SUPERINTENDENT BECAUSE THE SUPERINTENDENT SHOULD HAVE RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY BUT MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN IT UNTIL A LATER DATE OR TIME. >>Lynn Gray: GOT IT. ONCE UPON A TIME, ONCE UPON A TIME, DR. HAHN, YOU AND I ARE OF AGE, WHEN WE HAD ANY RECOGNITION
ANY RECOGNITION OF CHILD ABUSE, WE WERE IMMEDIATELY -- YOU KNOW THIS, MEMBER RENDON, I HAD A BUSINESS TOO -- IMMEDIATELY REPORT IT TO REPORT IT TO CHILD SERVICES. MAYBE IT HAS MAYBE IT HAS CHANGED. ALL RIGHT, HAS NOT ALL RIGHT, HAS NOT CHANGED. ALL RIGHT. THAT IS THE WAY IT USED TO BE. THAT'S WHAT MEMBER HAHN IS SAYING TO PUT THEM FIRST ON THE FIRST, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. ALL RIGHT. THE OTHER PART, AND THIS IS A
MONKEY, WHATEVER THE SAYING IS, A WRENCH, WE FORGOT THE GUIDANCE COUNSELORS BECAUSE THAT IS CRITICAL THAT THE COUNSELORS ALSO SHOULD BE THERE WHEN YOU HAVE AN HAVE AN "OR," OR COUNSELORS. WHY ARE WE LEAVING THEM OUT OF THE LIST OF WHO SHOULD REPORT OR ADDED TO, EXCUSE ME, FOR THE INFORMATION. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU GO TO THE CHILD SERVICES, BUT SHOULDN'T THE COUNSELORS ALSO HAVE RECORD OF IT AS THE SUPERINTENDENT DOES, THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER, ET CETERA?
>> THIS IS RELATING SPECIFICALLY TO THE RESPONSIBILITIES AS A MANDATORY REPORTER. BY STATUTE, NEEDING TO REPORT IT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND THEN ALSO TO THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND AT THE TIME IT SAID OR SUPERINTENDENT. AGAIN, IF WE WERE TO ADD IN ANOTHER LAYER OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPORTING IT, THAT'S PUTTING ANOTHER BURDEN ON THE PERSON WHO IS REPORTING IT, AND IS REALLY OUTSIDE THE MANDATORY REPORTING REQUIREMENT. >>Lynn Gray: DIDN'T WE USED TO HAVE THE COUNSELOR IN THE MIX?
>> SERVICES OFFERED TO A STUDENT, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENT ARE, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAPPEN INTERNALLY AT THE SCHOOL SITE. >>Lynn Gray: OKAY, OKAY. THAT'S MY ONLY REMARK OTHER THAN PUTTING IT IN MEMBER HAHN'S WAY OF WORDING. MR. PORTER, I'M SURE MR. PORTER, I'M SURE YOU WROTE IT DOWN. BASICALLY, YOU'RE TRYING TO GET THE LOW-HANGING FRUIT HIT FIRST WITH THE STATE WITH THE STATE LAW, THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILD
DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SERVICES. THAT'S CRITICAL AND THE COMMUNICATION HAS TO BE. I'LL GET INTO THE COUNSELOR THING, BUT FOR SOME REASON, I HAVE A MEMORY ON THAT, THAT THE COUNSELORS HAVE COUNSELORS HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT CHILD CHILD ABUSE -- I MEAN. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER RENDON WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT AND I BELIEVE YOU'LL READ A COMMENT FROM MEMBER PEREZ AND I THINK THAT FINISHES IT FOR THE QUEUE. WE'LL GO AFTER THIS TO YOUR NEXT POLICY SO WE CAN GET THIS DONE. MEMBER RENDON.
>>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MEMBER GRAY, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT WHERE YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CHILD ABUSE. I THINK YOU ARE 100% I THINK YOU ARE 100% RIGHT, THE COUNSELORS KNOW. THE WHOLE PREMISE OF THE PROCEDURE IS IT'S A SUSPECTED, RIGHT? THE PART OF ZERO TOLERANCE THAT WE ARE ALL LIVING AND WE ARE ALL MANDATORY REPORTERS AND ALL OF OUR STAFF ARE MANDATORY REPORTERS AND ALL OF OUR ADMINISTRATION AND SO FORTH IS FOR THE PROTECTION OF A CHILD. WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T TAKE THIS TO A LEVEL
THAT WE'RE NOTIFYING THAT WE'RE NOTIFYING THOSE PERPETRATORS BEFORE AND WHICH WE HAVE PROPER INVESTIGATIONS. THAT IS THAT IS PART OF THE DCF ROLE IS TO DO THE PROPER INVESTIGATION BEFORE TOO MANY PEOPLE GET INVOLVED AND THAT WE DO THINGS HERE THAT HINDER THOSE INVESTIGATIONS. IT'S A VERY EASY THING TO DO WITH WITH GOOD INTENTIONS WHERE WE COULD ASK TOO MANY QUESTIONS OR EVEN ASK A QUESTION BEFORE A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER GETS INVOLVED AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T OVERLAP THAT. IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FOR
THE PROTECTION OF THE CHILD THAT WE WE ALLOW WE ALLOW THE INVESTIGATORS TO DO THEIR JOB. I'M OKAY WITH WHAT DR. HAHN IS PROPOSING, AS A PROPOSAL TO WALK THIS THROUGH. I'M GOING TO ASK THAT YOU GUYS REVAMP THE ENTIRE PROCEDURES, BECAUSE WE'RE CALLING IT A POLICY, BUT NOT A POLICY, IT IS A PROCEDURE TO A POLICY OF 3362 WHICH IS A WHOLE OTHER ONE THAT WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS, AND THAT'S VERY CONFUSING TO MYSELF AND ANY OTHER EMPLOYEE. I AM A TRAINER OF ZERO TOLERANCE AND I'M TELLING YOU IT'S CONFUSING.
WE TALK ABOUT WE TALK ABOUT HARASSMENT, THEN WE GO INTO ABUSE AND NEGLECT, THIS SHOULD BE MUCH CLEARER FOR AN EMPLOYEE, MUCH CLEARER FOR A FAMILY, MUCH CLEARER FOR ANY OF THE BOARD TO RECOGNIZE WHERE WE ARE AT AND WHAT OUR PROCEDURES ARE. WE CALL IT WE CALL IT POLICY 3362 YET WE'LL REVIEW THE POLICY ABOUT ABUSE AND NEGLECT. WE CAN MOVE FORWARD FOR YOUR REQUIREMENT OF THE LAW, WE CHANGE THE WORDING CHANGE THE WORDING OF THAT, I WOULD ASK FOR IT TO SAY WHEN
REPORTING ABUSE AND NEGLECT, THIS IS WHAT WE DO. AND WE ADD AND WE ADD EXPLOITATION. EXPLOITATION IS PART OF THE LAW. WE DON'T HAVE THAT ANYWHERE IN ANY OF THESE POLICIES. ABUSE, NEGLECT, EXPLOITATION AS PART OF ZERO TOLERANCE THROUGH DCF. SO I WOULD REQUEST THAT AND I WOULD REQUEST THAT WORDING. BUT I WILL SAY ONCE WE GET THIS PASSED, I WOULD ASK THAT HR, MR. PORTER, YOU COME BACK AND PORTER, YOU COME BACK AND LOOK AT THE AT THE PROCEDURES SO THAT IT'S CLEAR. IT'S TOO BIG.
IF YOU NEED TO DIVIDE INTO TWO SEPARATE PROCEDURES ONE FOR ABUSE, NEGLECT, EXPLOITATION, ONE FOR STUDENT ONE FOR STUDENT HARASSMENT, ONE FOR EMPLOYEE FOR EMPLOYEE HARASSMENT, IT GETS CONFUSING, OVERLAPPING, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT IS NOT FAIR. NOT FAIR TO STAFF AND NOT FAIR TO EMPLOYEES AND, I MEAN, IT'S NOT FAIR TO OUR STUDENTS TO MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR ON WHAT'S DONE. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT TOO MANY PEOPLE KNOWING CAN INTERFERE IN AN INVESTIGATION BECAUSE WE HAVE ZEALOUS PRINCIPALS THAT WANT TO PROTECT CHILDREN THAT WANT TO TAKE ACTION BEFORE AN
INVESTIGATION STARTS AND THAT CAN ACTUALLY DAMAGE AN INVESTIGATION. I THINK OUR PROCEDURES NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR STAFF AND OUR PRINCIPALS BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. DID YOU NEED TO READ FOR MEMBER PEREZ? >>Jim Porter: AND MAKE A COMMENT. THIS IS MEMBER PEREZ SPEAKING. THE PROCESS NEEDS TO BE CLEAR AND CONCISE HOW TO REPORT AND CONCISE HOW TO REPORT TO, ALSO WHO TO SPEND A ALSO WHO TO SPEND A COPY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT. NOW MR. PORTER SPEAKING, TO MS. RENDON'S POINT, I THINK YOU
HAVE AN EXCELLENT POINT. I APPRECIATE BOARD SUPPORT OF MOVING THIS FORWARD TODAY. LOOKS LIKE THE POLICY WAS LAST TOUCHED IN 2014. I THINK IT'S TIME WE LOOK AT IT AND I THINK YOUR AND I THINK YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELL TAKEN. IF WE COULD DO BOTH, WE'LL GET THIS MOVING FORWARD AND ALSO TAKE A HOLISTIC LOOK AT THE POLICY AND THE PROCEDURES. >>Jessica Vaughn: YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED TO MOVE YOU NEED TO MOVE FORWARD? >>Jim Porter: I DO. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. >>Jessica Vaughn: 84-62, STUDENT ABUSE. WE HAVE SIX MINUTES, FELLOW
BOARD MEMBERS. 84-62, STUDENT ABUSE AND NEGLECT. >> I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK WITH SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS AROUND THIS. THIS BASICALLY IS UPDATING THE LANGUAGE TO REFLECT THE CORRECT LEVEL OF CRIMINAL OFFENSE FOR FAILURE TO REPORT SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE. PERHAPS THIS INFORMATION, IT IS THE LAST PAGE OF THE PRIOR POLICY WOULD NEED TO BE ON THIS POLICY SO THEN THAT WAY IT IS PRETTY CLEAR. ON THIS ONE, LINE NUMBER 18, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SEEING THAT
THERE IS A CHANGE. THE ACTUAL NEW LAW REQUIRES THAT INSTEAD OF IT BEING A MISDEMEANOR OF THE FIRST DEGREE, THAT IT IS A FELONY OF THE THIRD DEGREE. THAT'S ONE OF THE CHANGES. THEN IF WE GO TO PAGE 2 OF 2, LINE 64 ON G, FAILURE LINE 64 ON G, FAILURE TO REPORT AS REQUIRED BY LAW, STRICKEN AS SECOND DEGREE MISDEMEANOR TO FELONY OF THE THIRD DEGREE. AND THEN AN INCREASE FROM 60 DAYS IN JAIL TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON AND FIVE YEARS PROBATION AND FROM A FINE OF 500 TO A FINE
OF 5,000. SO THOSE ARE THE CHANGES THAT ARE MADE TO THIS POLICY JUST TO BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CURRENT LAW. >>Jessica Vaughn: DO BOARD MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THAT? MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: FIRST OF ALL, I THINK WE'RE NEGLECTING NOT INCLUDING EXPLOITATION. WE HAVE ABUSE, ABANDONMENT AND NEGLECT, BUT WE DEFINITELY NEED EXPLOITATION. MEMBER GRAY IS NOT HERE BUT I'M SURE SHE WOULD AGREE THAT MANY OF OUR ISSUES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING START OFF BY EXPLOITING OUR STUDENTS.
THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE NEED. IT IS PART OF WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER ABUSE, NEGLECT, EXPLOITATION WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ABUSE HOTLINE AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF TAKING A CALL. I THINK THAT IS THE FIRST THING. THE SECOND THING IS, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A COPY OF THE TRAINING THAT WE PROVIDE TO OUR EMPLOYEES AND THE FREQUENCY IN WHICH WE DO. I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A ZERO TOLERANCE LAW, WHICH WE DO, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT OUR EMPLOYEES WHAT OUR EMPLOYEES GET. I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO GET THAT TRAINING.
I THINK IN ANY OTHER FIELD, WHETHER IT'S IN WHETHER IT'S IN COUNSELING OR GROUP HOMES, CHILD WELFARE, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO REDO THAT EVERY THREE TO FIVE YEARS. I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW OFTEN OUR STAFF ARE OFTEN OUR STAFF ARE TRAINED ON ZERO TOLERANCE. LIKE I SAID, EVEN AS A BOARD MEMBER, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT THAT TRAINING LOOKS LIKE FOR THE STAFF. I THINK THAT THIS POLICY PUTS A LOT OF LAYERS OF BUREAUCRATIC IN HERE, I THINK WE NEED TO BE CLEAR ON WHAT OUR POLICY IS.
I DON'T SEE ANYWHERE IN HERE WHERE IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS THIS DISTRICT HAS A ZERO TOLERANCE FOR NOT REPORTING ABUSE, NEGLECT, EXPLOITATION, ABANDONMENT. I THINK THAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID HERE, WE AS A DISTRICT, THIS IS OUR POLICY. WE HAVE A ZERO TOLERANCE FOR NOT TRAINING THAT. AND THEN TO GO INTO TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE, WE ARE NOT TELLING STAFF WHAT'S REQUIRED OF THEM TO DO THAT, THAT THEY ARE TO TAKE THE TRAINING, HOW OFTEN THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO TAKE IT. THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND AND REPORT IT BACK.
WE GO INTO A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER IT IS A LAW, NOT A LAW, I GET THAT, FELONY, THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THEY WILL LOSE THEIR TEACHING LICENSE POSSIBLY FOREVER. THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO WORK IN CHILD WELFARE. THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO BE A COUNSELOR. YOU LOSE YOUR ABILITY TO BE A PROVIDER WITH CHILDREN IF YOU DON'T REPORT THIS. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO INTO THAT. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE DEFINITELY DO THAT AND MAKE SURE BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES WE GET OUR POLICIES SO WORDY
THAT WE FORGET WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THE POLICY IS. THE PURPOSE OF THE POLICY IS WE HAVE A ZERO TOLERANCE FOR SOMEONE NOT TO REPORT ABUSE, NEGLECT, EXPLOITATION OR ABANDONMENT. AND THEN ADD IN WHAT ANY OF THOSE OTHER THINGS ARE. THAT'S MY TWO CENTS. I WOULD REWRITE ALMOST THE WHOLE POLICY TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT REALLY SAYS WHAT OUR POLICY IS. I DON'T THINK IT CITIES THAT WE HAVE A ZERO TOLERANCE FOR NOT DOING IT. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE TRUTH OF THAT. MEMBER GRAY, I DID ASK THAT WE
ADD IN ADD IN EXPLOITATION AS SOMEONE -- THAT IS ONE OF THE KEY ELEMENTS TO STARTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING. I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW I DID REQUEST THAT. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. DID ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS? >>Jim Porter: TO MS. RENDON'S POINT ABOUT BOTH OF THE POLICIES, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD. WE'RE CHANGING SOME THINGS BUT LOOKING AT ALL THE POLICIES IN TANDEM IS IMPORTANT AS WELL. >>Patti Rendon: CAN WE HAVE A TIME TIME FRAME? >>Jim Porter: I THINK THE NEXT
POLICY CYCLE. IT'S VERY DOABLE AND I THINK THEY ARE GOOD POINTS. IT'S IMPORTANT BOTH OF THESE GO FORWARD. >>Jessica Vaughn: MEMBER COMBS, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? >>Nadia Combs: I APPRECIATED MEMBER RENDON MENTIONING TO SEE THE VIDEO AND TO FIND OUT WHAT TEACHERS ARE SEEING BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT TOO AND SEE EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE SEEING AND WHAT THEY ARE HEARING BECAUSE IT IS SO IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR CHILDREN. I THINK THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW UP WITH THAT AND SEE THE VIDEOS AND SEE THE CONTENT. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: IT LOOKS LIKE
YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED TO MOVE FORWARD, WE'LL ALSO TALK ABOUT FURTHER REVISIONS IN ANOTHER POLICY CYCLE. I KNOW WE HAD ONE MORE POLICY. IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO BRING THAT BACK AT THE NEXT POLICY CYCLE? AMENABLE TO THAT SO WE CAN WRAP UP ON TIME? YES, OKAY. SUPERINTENDENT IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU? >>Van Ayres: YES, MA'AM. >>Jessica Vaughn: FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, OKAY WITH YOU? ARE YOU GOING TO TALK -- >>Nadia Combs: I WANT TO SAY ONE THING, AS LONG AS NOTHING HAS CHANGED BECAUSE I WANT TO CHANGED BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE -- THE ANIMALS ARE
STILL STAYING NO MATTER WHAT UNTIL WE -- >>Jessica Vaughn: OKAY, WE'LL >>Jessica Vaughn: OKAY, WE'LL GO INTO THIS POLICY. >>Nadia Combs: AS LONG AS I KNOW IT WON'T CHANGE FROM THAT. WE STAY AS WE ARE RIGHT NOW, THERAPY DOGS ARE THERAPY DOGS ARE ALLOWED. I'M HAVING CONCERNS AT I'M HAVING CONCERNS AT SCHOOLS. I DON'T I DON'T WANT TOMORROW -- >> YES, STILL A PROVISION. OVERLAP IN THE POLICY, THE POLICY, AS IT EXISTS NOW, IF WE WAIT UNTIL NEXT CYCLE ALLOWS WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. PRINCIPAL DISCRETION AND PRINCIPAL APPROVAL PRINCIPAL APPROVAL FOR ANIMALS IN SCHOOLS.
>>Nadia Combs: THAT'S ALL I NEEDED. >>Jessica Vaughn: WE ARE BRINGING THE POLICY BACK. WITH THAT, THIS WORKSHOP IS ADJOURNED.