>> I'M JESSICA VAUGHN, CHAIR OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE SERVE MORE WE SERVE MORE THAN 200,000 STUDENTS, INCLUDING CHILDREN STARTING WITH OUR EARLY LEARNING PROGRAM AND PROGRAM AND CONTINUING WITH ADULTS THROUGH OUR WORKFORCE PROGRAMS. >> I'M KAREN PEREZ, THE SCHOOL BOARD'S VICE-CHAIR. OUR DISTRICT IS THE 7th LARGEST IN AMERICA AND OUR TEAM IS MADE UP IS MADE UP OF 24,000 PEOPLE WORKING AT CLOSE TO 250 SITES ACROSS THE COUNTY.
>> OUR DISTRICT IS DIVERSE AND DEDICATED. OUR BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD IN OUR BOARD AUDITORIUM ON SELECT TUESDAYS AT 4 P.M. THE BEST WAY TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY IS TO INVOLVE YOU, THE PUBLIC, IN WHAT WE DO. >> YOU ARE WELCOME TO MEET OR E-MAIL ANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND FOLLOW OUR DISTRICT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS ARE COVERED LIVE BY HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOLS TV ON SCHOOLS TV ON SPECTRUM 635 AND FRONTIER CHANNEL 32.
>> MEETINGS ARE ALSO STREAMED LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org. CLOSED CAPTIONING IS PROVIDED ON ALL BROADCASTS AND PAST MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN OUR ONLINE ARCHIVE. >> WE ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY. WE'LL INCLUDE TIME FOR AUDIENCE COMMENTS BEFORE WE ADDRESS OUR BUSINESS ITEMS. OUR AGENDA AND ANY OUR AGENDA AND ANY SUPPORTING MATERIAL CAN BE VIEWED ONLINE IN ADVANCE. THEY ARE POSTED SEVEN DAYS BEFORE EACH MEETING AT OUR WEBSITE, HillsboroughSchools.org. >> OUR VISION IS PREPARING
STUDENTS FOR LIFE, AND THAT MEANS ALL STUDENTS, EVERY DAY. TODOS LOS ESTUDIANTES, TODOS LOS DIAS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN EDUCATION. WITH YOUR HELP, WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ] >>Jessica Vaughn: THE BOARD MEETING OF FEBRUARY 25, 2025, IS CALLED TO ORDER. MEMBER PEREZ WILL LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF REFLECTION FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, CHAIRWOMAN.
IN THESE TURBULENT IN THESE TURBULENT TIMES, IT IS EVIDENT THAT MANY OF US ARE FEELING OVERWHELMED AND STRESSED. THE CHALLENGES WE FACE CAN TAKE A TOLL NOT JUST ON OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH BUT ALSO OUR MENTAL WELL-BEING. IT IS CRUCIAL FOR US ALL TO PRIORITIZE OUR MENTAL HEALTH AND TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES DURING SUCH STRESSFUL PERIODS. MAKE TIME FOR ACTIVITIES THAT BRING YOU JOY AND BRING YOU JOY AND RELAXATION SUCH AS EXERCISE, MINDFULNESS OR SPENDING TIME WITH LOVED ONES. REMEMBER, YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS. WE ARE ALL HERE TO SUPPORT EACH
OTHER AND NAVIGATE THROUGH THESE DIFFICULT TIMES TOGETHER. LET US TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES AND EACH OTHER AND REMEMBER THAT SEEKING HELP IS A SIGN OF STRENGTH, NOT WEAKNESS. CAN WE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] >>Jessica Vaughn: MEMBER PEREZ, WILL YOU PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STUDENT ENTERTAINMENT? >>Karen Perez: YES, MADAM CHAIR.
I WOULD LIKE TO I WOULD LIKE TO THANK I WOULD LIKE TO THANK TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL JAZZ BAND ALONG WITH THE PRINCIPAL AND THE DIRECTOR BRIAN OL'STON. THE WONDERFUL STUDENTS ENTERTAINED US PRIOR TO THE START OF THE BOARD MEETING. AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE STUDENTS UP TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. >> MY NAME IS JESUS GUTIERREZ. I'M AN I'M AN 8th GRADER AND I PLAY THE TROMBONE. >> MY NAME IS KEVIN.
I'M AN EIGHTH GRADER AND I PLAY THE BARITONE SAX. >> MY NAME IS ANTHONY MARTINEZ. I'M AN 8th I'M AN 8th GRADER. I PLAY ALTO SAX. >> MY NAME IS MARCELLO. I PLAY I PLAY THE TROMBONE AND I AM AN EIGHTH GRADER. >> BLAKE DAVIS. I'M A 7th GRADER AT TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL. I PLAY THE DRUMS. >> GAVIN JOHNSON. I'M AT TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL IN EIGHTH GRADE AND PLAY THE BASS GUITAR. >> HELLO. I PLAY THE TROMBONE AT TOMLIN
MIDDLE SCHOOL AND I'M IN 8th GRADE. >> I'M A >> I'M A 7th GRADE AT TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL. >> ABIGAIL. 8th GRADER AT TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND PLAY THE TENOR SAX. >> LOUIS. I'M IN 8th GRADE. I GO TO TOMLIN. I PLAY THE TROMBONE. >> I'M 7th GRADE. I PLAY SAXOPHONE. >> ANTHONY GONZALEZ. 7th GRADE 37 I PLAY THE TRUMPET. >> JOSHUA MASON.
I'M IN 7th GRADE. I GO TO I GO TO TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL. >> I'M IN 7th GRADE. TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL. I PLAY I PLAY THE PIANO. >> I'M IN 8th GRADE. I PLAY TRUMPET. >> MY NAME IS ARIANA. 8th GRADE AND PLAY THE TROMBONE. >> LIANA WILLIAMS. TRUMPET AND TRUMPET AND 8th TRUMPET AND 8th GRADE. >> EIGHTH GRADER AT TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL AND TENOR SAX.
>> I'M IN 7th GRADE. I PLAY THE SAXOPHONE. >> BRIAN. I AM THE TEACHER OF THESE WONDERFUL STUDENTS AT TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL. I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THIS SECOND TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF MUSIC SUPPORT OF MUSIC AND FINE ARTS EDUCATION IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. YOU HAVE MY SINCERE GRATITUDE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ] >> PARENTS, IF YOU WANT TO COME UP AND TAKE PICTURES.
>>Jessica Vaughn: PLEASE LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT WE HAVE NO WITHDRAWN ITEMS WITHDRAWN ITEMS TODAY. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER COMBS. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. PLEASE LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT. WE HAVE ONE SET OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY, FEBRUARY 11,
2025, SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. I NEED A MOTION AND A I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON AND A SECOND BY MEMBER COMBS. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. BOARD MEMBERS, I'D LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TODAY'S MEETING. AS A REMINDER, WE ARE A NONPARTISAN BOARD WHO BELIEVES THAT ALL CHILDREN CAN BE EMPOWERED TO LEARN TO SUCCEED
AND OUR DECISIONS WILL BE MADE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING. TO PAVE THE WAY FOR TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE AGENDA STATEMENTS AND/OR QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARDS, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOU'RE ASKED TO GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. MEMBER PEREZ WILL NOW MEMBER PEREZ WILL NOW READ THE BOARD GUIDELINES. >>Karen Perez: AS WE BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETING, PLEASE ALLOW ME TO QUICKLY REVIEW THE FORMAT OF OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS.
PLEASE SILENCE ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THERE ARE SPEAKERS IN THE ROOM BEHIND ME THAT ALLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO HEAR THE MEETING UPON STEPPING AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THIS MEETING CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CLOSED CAPTIONING ON LIVE WEBCASTS ON CABLE TV AND ON VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM. IT CAN ALSO BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON CLOSED CAPTIONING ON ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVES. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. WE HAVE ONE ITEM SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN. THAT IS AT THAT IS AT 6 P.M., EMPLOYEE INPUT. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO
RECOGNITIONS. A 1.01, RECOGNITION OF TAMPA BAY TIMES NEWSPAPER AND EDUCATION WEEK WHICH IS CELEBRATED FOR MARCH 3rd THROUGH THE 7th OF 2025. MEMBER COMBS, PLEASE HIGHLIGHT THIS RECOGNITION. MOTHER THAN 50 YEARS, THE TAMPA BAY TIMES NEWSPAPER AND EDUCATION PROGRAM HAS SERVED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS. THE PROGRAM ENCOURAGES THE USE OF THE NEWSPAPER AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL CLASSROOM TOOL. DURING THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR, NIE PROVIDED MORE THAN 70,000 PRINT COPIES AND MORE
THAN 6 MILLION E-NEWSPAPER LICENSES TO 2 LICENSES TO 2 -- 394 TEACHERS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. NEWSPAPER AND EDUCATION IS A VALUABLE WAY FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN ABOUT CURRENT EVENTS AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT STUDENTS WHO READ THE NEWSPAPER IN AN ONLINE FORM ARE MORE LIKELY TO BECOME LIFELONG LEADERS. FOUR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY EDUCATORS WERE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR TEACHING IN LAST THEIR TEACHING IN LAST YEAR'S NIS EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR CONTEST. MICHELLE FROM WORK UNIVERSITY. KAYLEN FROM OAK PARK.
REAGAN FROM RANDALL MIDDLE SCHOOL. LISA LAWSON FROM CLAYWELL ELEMENTARY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. YOU READ THOSE NAMES GREAT. JODY PUSHKIN, NEWSPAPER AND EDUCATION MANAGER IS HERE IN THE BOARDROOM. CAN YOU PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED. YAY. [ APPLAUSE ] THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT. THE COMMENT -- THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS AND VALUES YOUR INPUT TO THE BOARD.
IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSES TO YOUR COMMENTS, OUR STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND KEEP OUR BOARD INFORMED ABOUT THE RESPONSES. OUR SCHOOL BOARD RESPECTS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO SPEAK AT THE BOARD AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME TO BE HERE. HOWEVER, IT IS REQUESTED THAT WHEN YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD, COMMENTS ARE NOT DIRECTED PERSONALLY AGAINST A BOARD MEMBER OR A STAFF MEMBER BUT RATHER DIRECTED AT THE ISSUES. ANY BEHAVIOR INTENDED TO INTERRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED.
OUR CIVILITY POLICY IS IN PLACE. WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE SPEAK YOUR NAME AND SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE. THIS AFTERNOON, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. A REMINDER THAT YOUR THREE MINUTES START WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. WHEN THERE ARE 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOU'LL SEE A YELLOW LIGHT ON THE LECTERN. A RED LIGHT AND A CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I'LL NOW I'LL NOW CALL UP OUR FOUR SPEAKERS.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS LOUIS MY NAME IS LOUIS AUBE. I AM A RESIDENT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I HAVE TWO CHILDREN CURRENTLY ATTENDING THE ADUM MAGNET SCHOOL, WITH UP IN THIRD GRADE AND ONE IN AND ONE IN VPK. MY QUESTION FOR ALL OF YOU IS THIS: CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME AND ALL THE OTHER CHOICE AND MAGNET VPK PARENTS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS A REQUIREMENT TO REAPPLY FOR KINDERGARTEN? MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW CAN I EXPLAIN TO MY FIVE-YEAR-OLD THAT HIS BIG BROTHER GETS TO STAY AT ADUM NEXT YEAR WHILE HE HAS TO
START OVER AT A DIFFERENT SCHOOL. I'M NOT ALONE IN THIS CONCERN, WHETHER THEY RECEIVED AN ACCEPTANCE LETTER OR NOT, EVERY VPK PARENT AT ADUM HAS VOICED AN OPPOSITION TO THIS POLICY. AS AS PARENTS, WE CAREFULLY SELECTED A SCHOOL WHERE WE WANTED OUR CHILDREN TO THRIVE NOT FOR ONE NOT FOR ONE YEAR, BUT FOR MANY. THESE YOUNG CHILDREN HAVE JUST TRANSITIONED FROM FOUR YEARS IN PRESCHOOL AND JUST AS THEY ARE BEGINNING TO FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THEIR NEW ENVIRONMENT, SOME ARE NOW BEING FORCED TO UPROOT AGAIN. MANY ALSO HAVE OLDER SIBLINGS
MAKING THIS TRANSITION EVEN MORE DISRUPTIVE. WHAT BENEFITS DOES THIS POLICY PROVIDE THAT OUTWEIGHS THE STABILITY, SECURITY, AND CONSISTENT RELATIONSHIPS ESSENTIAL TO A YOUNG ESSENTIAL TO A YOUNG CHILD'S EMOTIONAL AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT. EVEN IF THERE IS A REASONABLE EXPLANATION FOR THIS REQUIREMENT, WOULDN'T IT BE IN EVERYONE'S BEST INTEREST TO LET THE PARENTS KNOW BEFORE THE APPLICATION WINDOW OPENS. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN AT ADUM. AMONG THE HUNDREDS OF TEXT MESSAGES, E-MAILS, CALLS, APP
NOTIFICATIONS AND NOTES AND BINDERS, NOT ONE MENTION OF THIS POLICY WAS MADE THIS SCHOOL YEAR. I URGE THE SCHOOL BOARD TO RECONSIDER AND CHANGE THIS POLICY TO ALLOW VPK STUDENTS AT CHOICE AND MAGNET SCHOOLS TO CONTINUE SEAMLESSLY INTO KINDERGARTEN WITHOUT HAVING TO REAPPLY. FORCING OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS TO START OVER DISRUPTS THEIR DEVELOPMENT, CREATES UNNECESSARY STRESS FOR FAMILIES, AND CONTRADICTS THE VERY PRINCIPLES OF STABILITY OF STABILITY AND CONTINUITY IN THE STRONG EDUCATION SYSTEM THAT
SHOULD SHOULD UPHELD. PARENTS CAREFULLY CHOOSE THESE SCHOOLS WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT THEIR CHILDREN WILL HAVE CONSISTENT EDUCATION PATH, NOT A ONE-YEAR STOPGAP. I ASK THAT YOU LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF CONCERNED FAMILIES AND TAKE ACTION PRIORITIZING WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT TO OUR CHILDREN. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M HONORED AND GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOU TODAY. MY NAME IS TIM
MY NAME IS TIM DAROCHE. I AM THE PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF AVAILABLE TO ALL. WE ARE A WE ARE A NONPARTISAN WATCHDOG GROUP THAT DEFENDS EQUAL ACCESS TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE'RE BASED IN LOS ANGELES, BUT WE REALLY HAVE A NATIONAL FOCUS. I'M HERE TO TESTIFY TODAY I'M HERE TO TESTIFY TODAY ABOUT SOME PROBLEMS AND REALLY INJUSTICES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN THE ATTENDANCE ZONES IN THE AREA OF WEST AREA OF WEST TAMPA. SO THIS PROBLEM, THESE ISSUES
WERE FIRST BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY SOME CONCERNED TAMPA CITIZENS. A COUPLE OF THEM ARE HERE WITH ME TODAY. THIS WAS AROUND THE CLOSURE OF JUST ELEMENTARY. AND THESE CITIZENS WERE TROUBLED THAT THE STUDENTS WHO USED TO ATTEND JUST WHO WERE ZONED TO JUST, ONCE JUST JUST, ONCE JUST WAS JUST, ONCE JUST WAS CLOSED, SOME OF THEIR CLOSEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WERE THESE A-RATED SCHOOLS TO THE SOUTH, SCHOOLS LIKE GORRIE ELEMENTARY AND MITCHELL ELEMENTARY. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THOSE KIDS FROM
JUST WAS ALLOW TO GO TO THE A-RATED SCHOOLS SO CLOSE TO THEIR HOME. AND THEN LATER I BECAME AWARE THIS WAS A MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM. IN THE HANDOUT THAT YOU ALL HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, I HAVE A MAP. BLAKE IS HOLDING IT UP HERE. THE GRAY AREA ON THE MAP IS A LARGE, ABOUT A LARGE, ABOUT A TEN SQUARE MILE AREA. AND EVERYONE IN THAT AREA, THEIR CLOSEST SCHOOL IS ONE OF THE A-RATED ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, BUT THEY ARE BEING BUSED TO STRUGGLING SCHOOLS, STRUGGLING SCHOOLS, NON-A-RATED
SCHOOLS THAT ARE MUCH FURTHER AWAY. SO WE REALLY MAKE THE POINT WITH MY ORGANIZATION, THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE RED-LINING SIMILAR TO THE RED-LINING ERA OF AMERICAN HISTORY, THESE STRICT ATTENDANCE ZONES. IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT MAP THAT YOU'VE GOT IN YOUR PACKET, IT SHOWS THAT THE GORRIE ELEMENTARY ZONE, THE ELEMENTARY ZONE FOR A-RATED GORRIE IS VERY SIMILAR. IT MIRRORS THE RED-LINING MAP FROM THE 1930s. IT WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO THINK ABOUT POLICIES THAT WOULD END THIS STRICT RESIDENTIAL ASSIGNMENT AND THAT
WOULD OPEN UP THESE A-RATED SCHOOLS TO MORE TAMPA FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY LOWER INCOME FAMILIES, PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO DESERVE ACCESS TO A HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MY NAME IS JOHN GREENE. TODAY I STAND BEFORE YOU WITH YOUR CONTRACT THAT YOU HAVE MADE WITH THE NAACP. SINCE THE LAST TIME I'VE BEEN HERE, IT'S
HERE, IT'S BEEN CYBERBULLYING. I WAS A VOLUNTEER FOR I WAS A VOLUNTEER FOR PTSA AT ARMWOOD HIGH SCHOOL FOR THREE YEARS. I TOOK THE CONCESSION STAND, REVAMPED IT FOR THE REVAMPED IT FOR THE KIDS TO GET CREDIT SO THEY COULD GRADUATE AND TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE PTSA. NOW, SINCE THIS AGREEMENT BEEN IN PLCE AND SINCE I CAME HERE THE LAST TIME, AND THIS IS YOUR POLICY, ARTICLE 8 WITH THE NAACP, THEY HAVE TO PROTECT YOU, RIGHT? AND YOU HAVE TO PROTECT THEM. THIS IS WHY THIS POLICY IS BAD
BECAUSE NOW MY MENTAL STATE BECAUSE NOW MY MENTAL STATE IS I HAVE TO PROTECT MYSELF BECAUSE OF CYBERBULLYING. AND THIS IS NOT FAIR. IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT ON YOUR HANDS? BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO DEFEND YOU AND THIS IS YOUR CONTRACT. AND YOU ALL SIGNED IT. YOU ALL APPROVED IT. NOT ONLY THAT, I PUT IN FOR A PUBLIC REQUEST, REQUESTING SOME DOCUMENTS. I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY. RIGHT. I'M STILL WAITING ON IT. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THIS IS YOUR DOCUMENT. McFARLAND, FERGUSON, AND
McMILLAN, SIGNED McMILLAN, SIGNED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD, TO HOLD THE HANDS OF THE NAACP. AND ANOTHER THING, IF YOU ARE PAYING THEM, WHICH YOU ARE, BECAUSE YOU ASKED FOR THE RECEIPTS AND THE CHECKS, IF YOU ARE PAYING THEM, WHY NOT HAVE THEM IN THE SCHOOLS DOING ACTIVITIES IN THE SCHOOLS ACTIVITIES IN THE SCHOOLS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, BECAUSE YOU ARE PAYING THEM. NOW, ARE YOU PAYING THEM TO DO CYBERBULLYING OR ARE YOU PAYING THEM TO HELP BETTER THIS COMMUNITY? I I WILL
I WILL NOT TOLERATE CYBERBULLYING. YOU JUST SAID MENTAL HEALTH IN THIS CLIMATE IS SERIOUS, AND IT'S VERY SERIOUS. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? RELEASE THE NAACP FROM THIS CONTRACT OR YOU WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE CYBERBULLYING BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY WANT TO COME AND SPEAK ABOUT THIS? IT'S NOT IT'S NOT ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL. IT'S ABOUT THE COMMUNITY WHEN THEY NEED HELP TO THEY NEED HELP TO GO TO THIS ORGANIZATION, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SPEAK AND FILE THEIR SPEAK AND FILE THEIR GRIEVANCES, BUT YOU ALL GOT THEIR HANDS TIED
SO THEY CAN DEFEND YOU. IN RETURN, MY PERCEPTION IN READING THIS, ARTICLE 8, IF YOU ARE PAYING THEM, THEN YOU ARE ALLOWING THEM TO DO CYBERBULLYING. MAKE UP YOUR MIND. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS BISHOP MICHELLE B. PATTY. MANY FAMILIES HAVE SPOKEN TO ME AFTER THE CLOSURE
AFTER THE CLOSURE OF JUST ELEMENTARY THAT THEY FEEL THEY WERE BETRAYED WERE BETRAYED BY THE NAACP BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT TOLD ABOUT THE SCHOOL THAT WAS CLOSEST TO THEM, SUCH AS THEM, SUCH AS GORRIE, MITCHELL AND MABRY. BUT THEY WERE PUSHING THE SCHOOL BOARD AGENDA TO SEND THEM OUT OF THEIR COMFORT THEIR COMFORT ZONE. MANY OF THESE FAMILIES HAVE NO TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO THEIR CHILDREN AND THEY ARE BEING SENT WAY TO TAMPA BAY. THE NAACP HAS DONE THESE FAMILIES A DISSERVICE.
THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS DONE THIS COMMUNITY A DISSERVICE BY NOT ALLOWING CHILDREN TO GET AN EDUCATION. GORRIE ELEMENTARY IS A A SCHOOL. I KNOW. MY CHILDREN ATTENDED THERE. SO HERE IN THIS DAY AND TIME, FOR YOU ALL TO SIT HERE FOR YOU ALL TO SIT HERE AND CONTINUE TO ALLOW THIS DIVISION IN THIS COMMUNITY AND I GUESS IT IS BECAUSE WE ARE BLACK AND IT'S A BLACK THING, BUT IT'S NOT. I'M TALKING ABOUT HISPANIC CHILDREN, TALKING ABOUT WHITE CHILDREN, I'M TALKING ABOUT ALL CHILDREN SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO TO
A SCHOOL IN THEIR A SCHOOL IN THEIR DISTRICT, IN THEIR -- THEIR -- WHERE THEY ARE ABLE TO GET THERE, A SCHOOL. THEY SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO HAVE RED LINES. AND IT AND IT REMIND ME OF SEGREGATION. YOU ALL DO REMEMBER YOU ALL DO REMEMBER SEGREGATION. WHERE PEOPLE WE COULDN'T ALLOW TO GO TO CERTAIN SCHOOL. THAT'S WHAT IS TAKING PLACE NOW HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. YOU ARE DOING IT WITH THE YOU ARE DOING IT WITH THE HEPOF THE NAACP BY CONTINUING TO ALLOW THEM TO BE ON THAT PROPERTY,
ALLOW THEM TO BE A THORN IN PEOPLE SIDE, ALLOWING THEM TO CYBER BULLY THESE FOLKS THAT COME HERE AND SPEAK TO YOU SCHOOL BOARD. I'M STILL WAITING FOR RETURN PHONE CALLS. HAVE NOT RECEIVED THEM. I'M STILL WAITING FOR SOMEONE ON THIS BOARD TO TELL ME WHY YOU FEEL THAT IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION WHO SHOULD BE FIGHTING, WHO SHOULD BE FIGHTING, FIGHTING ON BEHALF OF THIS COMMUNITY TO BE OUT THERE RECEIVING FREE RENT. IT'S A SHAME THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE COME ALL THE WAY
FROM CALIFORNIA, CROSS-COUNTRY, TO FIGHT FOR OUR CHILDREN WHEN WE DON'T HAVE -- AND WE HAVE A CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION THAT YOU ALL ARE CALLING AND YOU-ALL ARE ARE PROMOTING AND PERPETUATING THESE TYPE OF THINGS THEY ARE DOING IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE'RE ASKING TODAY THAT THOSE RED LINES, THAT THEY BE TAKEN OFF. THAT THEY BE DONE AWAY WITH AND ALLOW PARENTS, YOU SAY CHOICE, ALLOW THEM TO HAVE THE CHOICE TO TAKE THEIR CHILDREN TO TAKE THEIR CHILDREN TO A-RATED SCHOOL WHERE CHILDREN CAN HAVE A GREAT EDUCATION BECAUSE TRUST
ME, IF THEY HAVE AN EDUCATION, THEY WILL BE PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS INSTEAD OF ALL THE MURDERING AND THE KILLINGS THAT WE SEE THAT IS GOING ON HERE IN THE GOING ON HERE IN THE CITY OF. SO LET'S WASH THE BLOOD OFF OUR HANDS TODAY. LET'S DO THE RIGHT THING AND MOVE FORWARD BY MOVING THEM AND GETTING THIS RED LINE WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO TO SCHOOL. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS
AND A SECOND BY MEMBER PEREZ. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE CONSENT AGENDA HAS BEEN APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY. I WILL NOW CALL ON SUPERINTENDENT AYRES TO HIGHLIGHT OUR ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENT. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. BOARD MEMBERS, WE DO HAVE ONE PRINCIPAL APPOINTMENT THAT WAS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS AFTERNOON. IT IS THE PRINCIPAL OF LAKE MAGDALENE ELEMENTARY.
THAT IS DR. MANDY SIERRA. IF YOU COULD PLEASE STAND UP. AND IF YOU COULD COME ON DOWN HERE TO THE CENTER. [ APPLAUSE ] COME ON DOWN HERE. DR. DR. SIERRA BEGAN HER CAREER WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IN 2012 AS ESE AND GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHER AT TEMPLE TERRACE ELEMENTARY. 2019 SHE 2019 SHE TRANSITIONED TO LAKE MAG UNTIL 2021 WHEN SHE WAS APPOINTED AS ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL. DR. DR. SIERRA IS COMMITTED TO THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF HER STUDENTS
AND VALUES THE IMPORTANCE OF A POSITIVE AND SUPPORTIVE SCHOOL CULTURE. BOARD MEMBERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, DR. AMANDA SIERRA, THE NEW PRINCIPAL OF LAKE MAGDALENE ELEMENTARY. CONGRATULATIONS. [ APPLAUSE ] I WOULD ALSO LIKE THE FORMER PRINCIPAL OF LAKE MAGDALENE IS HERE, ANN PEREZ, ACKNOWLEDGE HER AND HER SIX YEARS OF LEADERSHIP OVER AT LAKE MAGDALENE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AT LAKE MAG. TRANSITION TO FORMER
TRANSITION TO FORMER ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL DR. SIERRA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND AND CONGRATULATIONS. WE'LL NOW PAUSE FOR A MOMENT FOR ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO EXIT THE BOARDROOM. ALL RIGHT, THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL NOW BE HEARD. C 1.01, C 1.01, 1.02, C 1.01, 1.02, 2.03, C 1.01, 1.02, 2.03, 4.02, C 1.01, 1.02, 2.03, 4.02, 6.01,
7.01, 7.04. STARTING WITH 1.01, ADOPTION AND PURCHASE OF RECOMMENDED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR K-12 SCIENCE. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Van Ayres: THIS K-12 ADOPTION FOR SCIENCE AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS MARKS THE FIRST MATERIALS MARKS THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2018 THAT A FULL REVIEW AND TEACHER VOTE HAS BEEN COMPLETED DUE TO CHANGES IN THE ADOPTION CYCLE. GAP YEAR PURCHASES COMPLETED FOR SUBJECTS DURING THE LAST TWO YEARS, PER FLORIDA STATUTE AND SCHOOL BOARD POLICY 25-10.
DISTRICT MUST PROVIDE A 20 DAY PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD AND CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE BOARD CAN APPROVE THE PURCHASE OF NEWLY ADOPTED MATERIALS. THE PUBLIC THE PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD WAS FROM JANUARY 22, 2025, TO FEBRUARY 11, 2025, WITH A PUBLIC HEARING CONDUCTED AT THE FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 11, 2025, BOARD MEETING. MADAM CHAIR, THAT IS MADAM CHAIR, THAT IS 1.01. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE C 1.01. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON AND A SECOND BY MEMBER PEREZ.
MEMBER COMBS, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT? >>Nadia Combs: YES. I JUST HAD A COMMENT. IT'S SUCH A LARGE ITEM LIKE THAT AND WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL ADOPTION, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO PULL SUCH A LARGE ITEM. AND ALSO JUST AND ALSO JUST REVIEWING THAT THERE WERE FOUR MEETINGS, SIX MEETINGS FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, SEVEN MEETINGS FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL AND ALSO WITH THE SCIENCE CURRICULUM, NOT ONLY ARE TEACHERS INVOLVED, BUT PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. I THINK SCIENCE IS ONE AREA OF LEVEL, ESPECIALLY IN THE ELEMENTARY, WHERE WE'RE REALLY
TRYING HARD TO MAKE GAINS IN. I'M REALLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE NEW CURRICULUM AND THE NEW WAY THAT WE'RE GOING THAT WE'RE GOING TOWARDS MAKING SURE THOSE GUIDES ARE INDIVIDUALIZED, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SCIENCE CURRICULUM AND OUR SCIENCE SCORES CONTINUE GOING UP. I PULLED THAT FOR THAT. AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I DO WANT TO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE'VE GONE INTO THIS ADOPTION PERIOD AS WE LOOK AT THE NEW TECHNOLOGY WITH THE NEW TECHNOLOGY WITH S.T.E.M. AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING ALL SCIENCE THINGS
ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. THAT IS AN ELEMENT OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM THAT NEEDS TO BE BOLSTERED, SEE A CHANGE IN OUR ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THAT. ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC IS THAT THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE USING WE'RE ACTUALLY TARGETING ALL OF OUR CURRICULUM DIRECTLY TO EACH OF THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS. WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE PILEUP OF BOOKS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING MUCH MORE EFFICIENTLY AND MAKING SURE WE SEE WHERE THE BOOKS ARE GOING THAT ARE NEEDED BASED ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS AND TYPE OF STUDENTS THAT WE'RE SERVING. THAT'S WHY OUR NUMBERS VARY FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
WITH THIS ADOPTION PERIOD WE'RE BEING MUCH MORE SPECIFIC IN HOW WE'RE PURCHASING AND WHERE WE'RE PURCHASING THEM FOR. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC THAT WE IDENTIFY THAT. WE ARE RECOGNIZING THE WE ARE RECOGNIZING THE CHANGES IN THE LEGISLATURE THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY TO SPECIFICALLY PURCHASE PER SCHOOL AND PER NEED OF AN AREA. THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. SEEING THAT THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR.
THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE'LL GO ON TO 1.02, ADDENDUM TO QUOTE BETWEEN THE SCHOOL BOARD OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND RENAISSANCE LEARNING, INC., HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Van Ayres: BOARD MEMBERS, THIS IS AN AGENDA ITEM I'M SURE YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH. THIS IS THIS IS MY THIS IS MY ON- myON PROVIDES ACCESS TO DIGITAL BOOKS TO PROMOTE READING THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY. 24-25 SCHOOL YEAR HAS BEEN A
TREMENDOUS YEAR FOR READING IN myON. THIS OPPORTUNITY WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE DEDICATED SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO CONTINUE TO SEE THE VALUE IN INVESTING IN OUR STUDENTS' FUTURE. THIS IS A 13-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH myON UNLIKE ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY. PROUD OF PROUD OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH myON, 13 YEARS NOW. MADAM CHAIR THAT IS MADAM CHAIR THAT IS 1.02. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE C 1.02. I HAVE A MOTION BY DR. HAHN AND A SECOND BY MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER COMBS AND MEMBER GRAY
PULLED THIS ITEM. DR. HAHN, YOU WERE IN THE QUEUE FIRST. NO WORRIES. MEMBER COMBS, YOU ARE IN THE QUEUE. >>Nadia Combs: JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS. MS. PEPE, LAST TIME WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF VENDOR QUESTIONS THAT WERE BEING ASKED, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE VENDOR QUESTIONS THAT I PROVIDED LAST TIME WERE PROVIDED TO THIS VENDOR AS WELL. >> YES, THEY WERE. >>Nadia Combs: I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE. I JUST WANT TO SAY I THINK THIS
IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP. myON HAS DONE WONDERFUL THINGS. I KNOW MS. COLE HERE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB. I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GREAT PARTNERSHIP. WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE THE IMPORTANCE OF READING AND ONLINE, NOT ONLY JUST THE ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES BUT ALSO ENGAGING WITH OUR SUMMER LEARNING AND ENGAGING WITH OUR STUDENTS AND ALSO STUDENTS AND ALSO SUPPORTING OUR ANNUAL S.T.E.M. ANNUAL S.T.E.M. TODDLER INITIATIVE AND JUST A FUN FACT, IN JANUARY, IN JANUARY, OVER 478,000 BOOKS WERE READ THROUGH myON. I THINK IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL.
I REALLY THINK THIS IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP. WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO READ BECAUSE THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. AND TO ALSO CONTINUE MAKING SURE. WE ALSO HAVE BOOKS, I KNOW WE DO THAT AS WELL AS LIBRARY BOOKS. ONE OF THE THINGS I READ THE OTHER DAY IS THAT STUDENTS ARE SPENDING ALMOST HALF THE TIME ON THEIR DIGITAL DEVICES EVEN AT SCHOOL. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, AS WE DO AI AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT AND DOING ONLINE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS ARE STILL USING A LOT OF THOSE PAPER COPIES. I KNOW myON IS USED A LOT AT HOME AND AT SCHOOL. A LOT OF TIMES STUDENTS DON'T
HAVE ACCESS TO BOOKS OR ACCESS TO GOING TO THE LIBRARY. SO THAT'S WHY myON IS SO, SO IMPORTANT. GREAT JOB. I REALLY SUPPORT THIS AND THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MS. COLE, YOU'VE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB. YOUR RELATIONSHIPS INCLUDE JUST, AS YOU CAN SEE, OR MAYBE YOU CAN'T SEE BUT I CAN'T SEE BUT I CAN SEE, BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, HEAD START, THANK YOU WITH THE CHILDREN'S BOARD. NOW, MEMBER WASHINGTON, YOU ARE
ON THE CHILDREN'S BOARD NOW. YOU KNOW THERE IS AN ALLIANCE THERE. EARLY LEARNING COALITION. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY COOPERATIVE. TAMPA HOUSING TAMPA HOUSING AUTHORITY. TAMPA METROPOLITAN YMCA AND UNITED WAY SUNCOAST. YOU KNOW, IT TAKES YEARS TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS AND TRUSTS IN THE BROKERAGE OF GETTING MORE AND MORE LITERACY OUT THERE AND MORE LITERACY OUT THERE TO ALL OF THESE ALL OF THESE ENTITIES. YOU'VE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB. I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION, AND THIS WILL GO TO MS. PEPE.
WHEN WE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A PROJECT MANAGER FULL-TIME, CAN WE KNOW WHO THAT PERSON IS? I DON'T THINK IF IT IS A HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STAFF MEMBER AND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THIS PERSON GETS. I DON'T SEE IT ON HERE. >> SHE IS NOT A HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY STAFF MEMBER, ALTHOUGH SHE FEELS LIKE ONE BECAUSE SHE'S IN OUR SCHOOLS WORKING WITH THEM DAILY. HER SALARY IS HER SALARY IS $104,000. >>Lynn Gray: DO WE HAVE A NAME?
>> I'M SORRY. MICHELLE. MICHELLE TANNER. >>Lynn Gray: WONDERFUL WORK AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO DEALING MORE AND MORE WITH YOU, MS. COLE. THANK YOU, MS. PEPE. >>Jessica Vaughn: DR. HAHN. >>Stacy Hahn: I'M ALWAYS A BIG CHAMPION OF BOOKS GETTING IN THE HANDS OF KIDS. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS, CHILDREN'S BOARD, HILLSBOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY, UNITED WAY SUNCOAST, THE COUNTY COMMISSION, HEAD START, TAMPA HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE EARLY LEARNING COALITION AND
THE METROPOLITAN YMCA. THIS THIS STARTED IN 2021 AS A REALLY HOLISTIC STRATEGY TO ADDRESS THE LITERACY NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND IT WAS REALLY THE AND IT WAS REALLY THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THIS AREA AND MAYBE IN THE IN THE STATE. THEY DO PROVIDE 24 ACCESS THEY DO PROVIDE 24 ACCESS TO BOOKS IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH. IT'S REALLY AROUND EQUITY, MAKING SURE ALL MAKING SURE ALL KIDS HAVE ACCESS TO BOOKS. SINCE 2012 TO 2024, SINCE 2012 TO 2024, ALMOST 63
MILLION BOOKS HAVE BEEN BROWSED. 25 MILLION HAVE BEEN READ AND TOTAL BOOKS ACCESSED OF ALMOST 90 MILLION BOOKS. THAT'S AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT AND OVER 7 MILLION HOURS READ IN THE TIME THEY HAVE BEEN IN OUR COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION TO JUST PROVIDING ACCESS TO ACCESS TO BOOKS, THOUGH, THEY ARE VERY INVOLVED WITH TRACIEE BERGMAN'S TEAM BERGMAN'S TEAM AROUND HILLSBOROUGH READS INITIATIVE, ALIGNING A LOT ALIGNING A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DO
THAT THEY DO WITH HILLSBOROUGH READS GOALS. STUDENTS ACTUALLY HAVE AN ABILITY TO CREATE A READING RECORD. TEACHERS CAN ASSIGN THIS THROUGH myON. SO THEY CAN RECORD THEMSELVES READING A BOOK READING A BOOK OR A PASSAGE AND THE TEACHER CAN THE TEACHER CAN ASSIGN THE TEACHER CAN ASSIGN THIS, PULL AND PRINT OUT THE READING RECORD AND USE IT TO MEET WITH THE STUDENT AND TALK ABOUT STRATEGIES MOVING FORWARD. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON STUDENT
FLUENCY AND ACCURACY AND COMPREHENSION OVERTIME. THAT IS A REALLY NICE TOOL TO HAVE AT THE HAVE AT THE TEACHER'S FINGERTIPS. BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE AND THE LONGEVITY OF THIS PROJECT, AMONGST MULTIPLE PARTNERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR SUCH A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, THE WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR CAME HERE TO FINAL FOUR CAME HERE TO TAMPA. AND THEY AND THEY SPECIFICALLY CHOSE TAMPA BECAUSE OF THIS myON SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ALL SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ALL THE
OTHER PARTNERSHIPS INVOLVED TO BRING THE FINAL FOUR FOR THE WOMEN HERE TO TAMPA. IT WAS IT WAS BECAUSE OF THIS PROJECT. AND THEY ARE WORKING WITH myON AND OUR SCHOOLS AROUND DIFFERENT COMPETITIONS IN READING AND PROVIDING PRIZES. AND ONE OF THE BIG PRIZES FOR THE THIRD GRADERS IS TO THE THIRD GRADERS IS TO ACTUALLY GO TO TOURNEY TOWN AT NO COST. THIS HAS GOTTEN US NATIONAL RECOGNITION THIS PARTNERSHIP. I'M REALLY
I'M REALLY PROUD TO HAVE -- TO BE A PART OF A DISTRICT THAT HAS REALLY REALLY GALVANIZED AND SPEARHEADED THIS ISSUE AND FOUND A WAY TO ADDRESS A WAY TO ADDRESS OUR A WAY TO ADDRESS OUR LITERACY ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY. BECAUSE THIS PROJECT SERVES BIRTH THROUGH MIDDLE BIRTH THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO IT'S REALLY PROVIDING BOOKS TO TO FAMILIES WHOSE STUDENTS HAVEN'T EVEN STEPPED FOOT IN OUR SCHOOLS YET. IT'S A REALLY UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP.
AND SINCE WE'VE SIGNED ON TO THIS IN 2012, NOW YOU HAVE IT IN PINELLAS COUNTY AND PINELLAS COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES. IT EVEN HELPS PARENTS LEARN HOW TO READ THAT ARE BILINGUAL. THEY ACTUALLY USE myON BECAUSE YOU CAN CHOOSE TO HAVE THE BOOKS READ TO YOU, WHICH IS GREAT FOR EVEN PARENTS WHO NOT ARE JUST BILINGUAL BUT STRUGGLING READERS THEMSELVES WHO MAY NOT BE ALL THAT COMFORTABLE EVEN READING TO THEIR OWN CHILD, BUT THEY AS A
PARENT, A CHILD CAN SIT TOGETHER AND LISTEN AND LISTEN TO THE BOOKS AND LEARN SKILLS TOGETHER. IT'S HAD REALLY UNEXPECTED IMPACTS THAT WE DIDN'T REALIZE WERE GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN WE SIGNED ON TO THIS. IT'S BEEN GREAT AND THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER WITH THIS DISTRICT BOTH IN AND OUTSIDE THE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM. I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT. EXCITED ABOUT SUPPORTING THIS TONIGHT. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, DR. HAHN. SEEING THERE ARE NO FURTHER
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTES WHEN YOUR LIGHTS VOTES WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. 2.03, TERMINATE THE CONTRACT WITH THE VILLAGE OF EXCELLENCE ACADEMY. >>Van Ayres: THE VILLAGE OF EXCELLENCE ACADEMY'S BOARD VOTED TO VOLUNTARILY CLOSE THE SCHOOL
ON JANUARY 23rd OF THIS YEAR. I DO WANT THIS BOARD TO KNOW THAT ALL FAMILIES WERE CONTACTED TO PROVIDE ENROLLMENT OPTIONS. I DID HAVE STAFF COMMUNICATE WITH ALL 78 OF THE STUDENTS FAMILIES TO GO OVER ENROLLMENT OPTIONS. THE 78 STUDENTS ENROLLED AT VILLAGE OF EXCELLENCE ARE NOW AT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, EITHER ANOTHER CHARTER SCHOOL, HOME ED OR A PRIVATE SCHOOL. MADAM CHAIR THAT IS 2.03, WHICH IS THE CLOSURE OF VILLAGE OF EXCELLENCE ACADEMY. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE C 2.03. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON AND A SECOND BY
MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER COMBS AND I PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT, MEMBER COMMENT, MEMBER COMBS? >>Nadia Combs: YES, I DO. THANK YOU, CHAIR VAUGHN. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHARTER SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PARENTS ARE GOING TO CHOOSE MULTIPLE SCHOOLS. AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M ALWAYS GOING TO WANT WHAT IS BEST FOR KIDS. I THINK IT'S VERY DIFFICULT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR WHEN STUDENTS ARE MOVED FROM ONE SCHOOL TO ANOTHER. THAT'S WHAT WAS REALLY
CONCERNING TO ME IS I CONCERNING TO ME IS I DID THAT CHARTER SCHOOL -- DID THAT CHARTER SCHOOL KNOW THEY WERE FINANCIALLY BEING FINANCIALLY BEING CHALLENGED AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING. PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS FOR ME AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER IS OBVIOUSLY ALWAYS DOING WHAT IS RIGHT FOR STUDENTS BUT ALSO BEING A REALLY GOOD FINANCIAL STEWARD AND SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ON EACH AGENDA ITEM. I SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS LOOKING AT ALL THE CONTRACTS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WAS THE 2023 AND TALK ABOUT WAS THE 2023 AND THE 2024 FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS. I DID SPEAK TO YOU, ANGELA.
WE DID TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE I NEVER TRY TO SURPRISE ANYBODY IN THE CABINET OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT 2024 AND I LOOKED AT BOTH FISCAL YEARS, I CAN SEE THAT THE INSTRUCTIONAL SALARIES ACTUALLY WENT SALARIES ACTUALLY WENT FROM 633,000 TO 396,000. BECAUSE THE ENROLLMENT OBVIOUSLY WAS LOWER. IS IS THAT CORRECT? >> YES, THAT'S CORRECT. >>Nadia Combs: AND THEN SOME OF MY -- THEN I SAW THAT THE
SUPPORT WENT FROM 60,000 SUPPORT WENT FROM 60,000 TO $300. BUT SOME OF THE CONCERNS I MENTIONED TODAY WAS LAST MENTIONED TODAY WAS LAST YEAR, THE ADMINISTRATIVE SALARIES THE ADMINISTRATIVE SALARIES WERE 266,274. AND THIS YEAR AND THIS YEAR WAS $266,910. SO THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEES, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CLOSEOUT, ARE EXACTLY THE EXACTLY THE SAME, BUT THEY WERE ONLY OPEN FOR SIX MONTHS. SO THAT WAS ONE SO THAT WAS ONE CONCERN. AND THEN I HAD A COUPLE OF OTHER CONCERNS. I ALSO HAD CONCERN WITH THE FISCAL SERVICES, THE
FISCAL SERVICES, THE CONTRACT, SVC FISCAL WHICH I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT STANDS FOR. LAST YEAR WAS $3,000. THIS YEAR WAS $11,000. SO THAT WAS ANOTHER CONCERN. AS I LOOKED CLOSER, I SAW THAT LAST YEAR AND I KNOW THE BUILDING WAS ONE OF THE ISSUES WHY THEY WHY THEY CLOSED, THEY WHY THEY CLOSED, THEY SPENT $270,000 ON THE FLETCHER LOCATION LOCATION AND $99,000 ON THEIR CURRENT LOCATION. THIS YEAR, THEY THIS YEAR, THEY SPENT $134,000 ON A LOCATION. SO THAT MEANS THEY SPENT A TOTAL
OF $404,000 FOR THAT LOCATION AS WELL. THAT WAS SOMETHING I SAW AFTER WE SPOKE. SO I'M NOT SAYING THAT ANYTHING IS GOING ON NEFARIOUS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I WAS JUST VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE NUMBERS. WHEN I LOOKED AT JUST THE FISCAL FROM LAST YEAR, THE OPERATING BUDGET FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR AND REALLY COMPARING LINE BY LINE ITEM, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW, AND IT LOOKED LIKE, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE END, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY OWE THE STATE. THEY SHOULD OWE THE STATE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THEIR SURPLUS IS ONLY
$407. SO THAT WAS SO THAT WAS JUST MY CONCERNS. >> YES, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THOSE TO MY ATTENTION. WE'RE LOOKING INTO THAT. WE ALSO ARE CONSULTING WITH OUR LEGAL COUNSEL ON THOSE AREAS. I REACHED OUT TO I REACHED OUT TO OUR ACCOUNTANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET DETAILS ON WHAT THOSE LINE ITEMS EXACTLY ARE. ONCE THEY FINISH THEIR FINAL AUDIT, WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION AND I'LL SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE BOARD. BUT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONDUCTING THAT FINAL AUDIT WHICH WE'RE CURRENTLY UNDERGOING RIGHT NOW.
>>Nadia Combs: YEAH, WE DID TALK ABOUT THE ABOUT THE SVS AND ADMINISTRATIVE FEES. I LOOKED A LITTLE CLOSER AT THIS AFTERNOON, WAS THE TOTAL AMOUNT. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY SPENT MONEY FIXING THE BUILDING AND THEN PAYING FOR PART OF IT, BUT THAT'S ALMOST LIKE HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR SIX MONTHS. THAT'S CONCERNING. I THINK WHEN YOU'RE GOING INTO THE YEAR AND YOU KNOW YOU HAVE FINANCIAL CONCERNS AND HALFWAY THROUGH, THESE STUDENTS ARE BEING RELOCATED. WHERE DID WHERE DID MOST OF THE STUDENTS GO? >> 40 OF THEM WENT TO OTHER CHARTER SCHOOLS.
27 I BELIEVE WENT TO TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS AND 11 OF THEM WENT TO PRIVATE PRIVATE SCHOOLS. >>Nadia Combs: DID THOSE STUDENTS KNOW GOING INTO AUGUST THAT WAS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE SCHOOL WAS GOING TO SCHOOL WAS GOING TO CLOSE? >> NO, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S TRUE. I THINK I THINK THEY FELT LIKE THEY COULD RECRUIT COULD RECRUIT NUMBERS, BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE THEY WERE SURROUNDED BY OTHER SURROUNDED BY OTHER CHARTER SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS. SO THAT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO GET THEIR NUMBERS UP. >>Nadia Combs: IF YOU SPENT HALF THE YEAR, THE ADMINISTRATIVE
SALARY SHOULD BE HALF THAT AMOUNT IF THEY DIDN'T DO THE FULL YEAR. IT'S EXACTLY AS IT WAS THE PREVIOUS YEAR. SO THAT IS CONCERNING TO ME. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MY QUESTION WAS SIMILAR. I KNOW THAT YOU SAID WE HAD CALLED EVERYONE, ALL THE PARENTS, WHICH THANK YOU FOR THAT. THAT'S WHAT'S DOING BEST FOR KIDS. ALSO YOU JUST GAVE THE RUN-DOWN OF WHAT CHOICE, WHERE THE FAMILIES ENDED UP LANDING. DID YOU ALREADY SEND THAT TO US IN E-MAIL? >> I HAVE IT RIGHT >> I HAVE IT RIGHT HERE. >>Jessica Vaughn: BUT CAN YOU
SEND IT TO US IN AN E-MAIL? 40 WENT TO OTHER CHARTER SCHOOLS. >> I'LL SEND IT TO YOU IN E-MAIL AS WELL. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. THAT WAS MY ONLY THAT WAS MY ONLY REQUEST. MEMBER COMBS. >>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW THIS IS YOUR FIRST PLEASE, FIRST CLOSING THAT WE'VE HAD SINCE WE'VE BEEN HERE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, AT LEAST MYSELF PERSONALLY. I WANT TO SAY YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB AND THANK YOU FOR BEING SO RESPONSIVE IN ANSWERING ALL MY QUESTIONS AND PROVIDING ME MORE OF THE FINANCIALS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. >> ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. SEEING THAT THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO 7.01 -- I'M SORRY. WRONG PAGE. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO 4.02, REQUESTING FUNDS FOR THE COSTS INCURRED FOR REFINGERPRINTING OF ALL EMPLOYEES FOR THE CONVERSION
TO THE FLORIDA CLEARINGHOUSE ADMINISTERED BY THE AGENCY OF HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THE CLEARINGHOUSE IS A DATABASE, BEING USED BY THE AGENCY FOR HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION, AHCA, FOR BACKGROUND SCREENING. JUST TO KIND OF GIVE THE BACKGROUND ON THIS, IN 2023, THERE WAS SENATE BILL 676, WHICH WAS LEVEL 2 BACKGROUND SCREENINGS WHICH MODIFIED THE BACKGROUND SCREENING STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH CHILDREN AND OTHER VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS. AND THIS INCLUDED PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS. PREVIOUSLY, STATE AGENCY MAY
HAVE USED DIFFERENT SCREENING SYSTEMS, SYSTEMS, FDLE SYSTEMS, FDLE THROUGH THE VOLUNTEER HISTORY SYSTEM, THE FLORIDA SHARED SCHOOL RESULT SYSTEM OR AHCA CLEARINGHOUSE. UNDER SB 676 IT REQUIRED AHCA TO REVIEW AND DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY FOR ALL CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECKS SUBMITTED TO THE CLEARINGHOUSE FOR DOE. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE FOLLOWING. THIS REQUIRES ALL THIS REQUIRES ALL HCPS EMPLOYEES MUST BE REFINGERPRINTED BETWEEN APRIL OF 2025 AND JUNE APRIL OF 2025 AND JUNE 30th APRIL OF 2025 AND JUNE 30th OF 2027
2027 WITH NEW PRINTS ENTERED INTO THAT STATEWIDE SCREENING DATABASE WHICH IS THE CLEARINGHOUSE. MADAM CHAIR, THAT MADAM CHAIR, THAT IS 4.02. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE C 4.02. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS AND I PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, MEMBER COMMENTS, MEMBER COMBS? >>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, CHAIR VAUGHN. YOU KNOW, PROBABLY MY BIGGEST CONCERN OUT CONCERN OUT OF ALL OF THIS IS IT IS AN IS AN UNFUNDED MANDATE.
TO ASK THE DISTRICTS TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL $2.6 MILLION FOR US TO CREATE, EVEN TODAY I TO CREATE, EVEN TODAY I SAW A NEW RULE THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT MAKING. IT'S INTERESTING WHEN LEGISLATURES MAKE LAWS AND THEY ARE REALLY UNFUNDING THOSE MANDATES. TO SEE THAT IT IS $2.6 MILLION AND TO HAVE NO FINANCIAL SUPPORT IS THAT CORRECT? ARE WE NOT GOING TO GET ANY SUPPORT FOR THAT FROM THE STATE? >> THAT IS CORRECT. >>Nadia Combs: LOOKING AT, FUNDED 50th IN THE NATION AND
ANOTHER $2.6 MILLION TAKEN ANOTHER $2.6 MILLION TAKEN AWAY IS REALLY CONCERNING. MY OTHER CONCERN OR MY OTHER COMMENT, SOMETHING I HAVE SAID SINCE I GOT HERE FROM DAY ONE AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, ONE OF MY GOALS IS THE VISION FOR THE DISTRICT AND WHAT HAPPENS. I SAID THIS FROM THE MOMENT I CAME IN THAT IT IS SO TIME-CONSUMING FOR THE FINGERPRINTING HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR THE PROCESSING, TO SEE THAT WE ARE THE 7th LARGEST DISTRICT AND TO SEE THAT WE HAVE ONE LOCATION, THE ISC, LOCATION, THE ISC, TO FINGERPRINT AND PROCESS
INDIVIDUALS IS VERY CONCERNING. I FEEL LIKE IF WE LISTEN TO EVEN A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT I SAID FOUR YEARS AGO, WE WOULDN'T BE IN A SITUATION WHERE NOW WE HAVE TO FINGERPRINT THIS ENTIRE DISTRICT AGAIN AND WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPABILITIES OR WE'RE GOING TO, I'M SURE WE'RE GOING TO USE A BUS OR WHATEVER, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE LOCATIONS WHERE WE'RE FINGERPRINTING AND PROCESSING. RIGHT OUT THERE IN TOWN N' COUNTRY, PARENT COMMUNITY CENTER, SOMEPLACE IN WEST TAMPA. WE HAVE SOMEWHERE IN SOUTH COUNTY.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS BECAUSE WE ARE COMPETING WITH OTHER DISTRICTS. AND I'VE TALKED TO EMPLOYEES WHO WORKED IN PASCO OR POLK COUNTY BECAUSE IT'S FASTER TO PROCESS THEM AND START WORKING AND THEY GO TO NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS. SO NOT ONLY ARE WE COMPETING WITH SALARIES, WE'RE ALSO COMPETING WITH THE EFFICIENCY OF THE DISTRICT. I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PLAN OR A MOVE TOWARDS DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I THINK IT'S I THINK IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT IN THE FUTURE IMPORTANT IN THE FUTURE FOR OUR DISTRICT. AS I SAID, I SAID THIS TO MR. FARKAS, I REMEMBER 20 YEARS AGO
WHEN I HAD PROGRAMS IN AFTER-SCHOOL TUTORING, I WOULD PROCESS PEOPLE WHO WORKED IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, PASCO AND PINELLAS, BECAUSE IT WAS FASTER AND THAT STILL EXISTS TODAY. AND THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM. WITH THIS ISSUE, WITH THIS ISSUE, SPENDING $2.6 MILLION, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE MOVING TOWARDS THAT. DR. PATEN, IF YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT. >> YES, SO I APPRECIATE >> YES, SO I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE FEEDBACK ON THAT. AS YOU SAID, YOU AND I HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS AROUND THIS. I THINK THIS PROVIDES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN STREAMLINE WHAT WE DO.
IT WOULD REQUIRE RESEARCH BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY ON WHAT'S REQUIRED IN TERMS OF IF WE HAVE MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, THE STAFFING OF THAT, THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S REQUIRED FOR IT, THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH OUR DUE DILIGENCE. SO IF YOU WOULD ALLOW FOR US TO HAVE TIME HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, I CERTAINLY THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT RIGHT NOW. >>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. I'VE BEEN WAITING. THIS IS ON MY YEAR FIVE AND THERE WERE LIKE 15 OR 20 THINGS THAT I REALLY WANTED TO WORK TOWARDS AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM BECAUSE I FELT LIKE IT IMPACTED ME, MYSELF AS A VENDOR.
I THINK RIGHT NOW WITH THE SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS THAT WE HAVE, ANYTHING HAVE, ANYTHING WHERE WE CAN FACILITATE SOMETHING FASTER, IF YOU ARE LIVING IN PLANT CITY AND YOU HAVE TO COME DOWN FOR A MEETING AT ISC AND THAT MEETING DOESN'T HAPPEN OR YOU HAVE TO TAKE AN UBER, IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM VERY -- IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM REASONABLE. I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO MOVE TOWARDS THAT. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. TWO QUESTIONS. DOES THIS INCLUDE KELLY
SERVICES? THE FINGERPRINTING? >> NO, MA'AM, IT DOES NOT. THEY PRINT THEIR OWN EMPLOYEES. >>Lynn Gray: THEY DO FINGERPRINT THEIR OWN EMPLOYEES? >> KELLY SERVICES PRINTS THEIR OWN EMPLOYEES, YES, MA'AM. >>Lynn Gray: THE SECOND QUESTION, AND THIS GOES BACK TO WHAT MEMBER COMBS HAS SAID AND WHAT WE GOT INVOLVED WITH LAST TIME TIME THIS FINGERPRINTING ITEM CAME UP CAME UP IN A DIFFERENT FORUM. WHAT HAPPENS IS, THE WHAT HAPPENS IS, THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT
TIME IT TAKES, THE BUS DRIVERS, FOR EXAMPLE, BETWEEN THEM GETTING FINGERPRINTED AND GETTING THEIR FIRST PAYCHECK, AND I THINK YOU ALL REMEMBER THIS IT WAS ABOUT TWO WEEKS, SO MANY OF THE EMPLOYEES CANNOT AFFORD TO WAIT THAT LONG TO RECEIVE THEIR PAYCHECK. SO THEY DO GO TO OTHER DISTRICTS THAT ARE FASTER. SO NOW WE HAVE THIS BIG APPARATUS, CLEARINGHOUSE. LET'S ASK THE QUESTION, LET'S ASK THE QUESTION, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE MORE EFFICIENT, MORE SPEEDY
MORE SPEEDY WAY OF GETTING THE FINGERPRINT SO THE BUS DRIVERS AND THE FOOD SERVICE AND ANYONE ELSE THAT WANTS A POSITION ELSE THAT WANTS A POSITION CAN GET THEIR CHECK QUICKER VERSUS WAITING A LONG TIME, MAYBE A MONTH? >> THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. SO WHEN I CAME ON BOARD, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, AND WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH BOTH OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS SO THAT WE COULD BRING EMPLOYEES ON MUCH QUICKER AND MUCH FASTER. THE GOAL IS ALWAYS TO HAVE EFFICIENCIES FOR ANYONE THAT'S
APPLYING FOR A POSITION. WE DO WANT CANDIDATES TO STAY IN THE DISTRICT WHEN THEY COME AND APPLY. SO AS PART OF THIS, IT'S GOING TO ALLOW FOR US TO LOOK AT OUR PROCESS AND DETERMINE WHAT ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES AND SOME GAPS WE MAY HAVE TO ADDRESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BEING EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE. HOWEVER, WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE OF ENSURING THAT WE GO THROUGH ALL THE STEPS AND DON'T LEAVE ANY GAPS. SO MOVING FAST DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN THAT WE'RE BEING EFFICIENT. IT JUST MEANS THAT WE'RE GETTING IT DONE FASTER. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE TIME TO DO THAT. AND MR.
AND MR. HORSTMAN SPENT QUITE A FEW TIME WITH HIS TEAM GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS. THEY ARE PART OF THE COMMITTEE THAT'S LOOKING AT THAT'S LOOKING AT IT, AND WE ARE PART OF THE FIRST GROUP THAT WILL GO THROUGH TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE STAYING ON TOP OF THE TIME THAT IT TAKES FOR SOMEONE TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS SO WE DON'T END UP LOSING CANDIDATES AS A RESULT. ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD, MR. HORSEMAN? >> NO, I THINK YOU HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS. I TAKE THAT BACK. ONE THING I WILL ADD, OUR DISTRICT HAS VOLUNTEERED, WE VOLUNTEERED TO BE A PART OF THE BETA GROUP THAT WILL GO BETA GROUP THAT WILL GO THROUGH THE ORIGINAL SESSIONS OR
SECTIONS OF GETTING PEOPLE PROCESSED THROUGH THE NEW SYSTEM. OUR FIRST TRAINING IS TOMORROW AFTERNOON. IN THE IN THE FUTURE, THERE WILL BE GUIDES, VIDEOS, SUPPORT FROM THE STATE AS FAR AS PERSONNEL AT THEIR OFFICES, OF COURSE, TO ASSIST IN GETTING THIS TO BE A STREAMLINED PROCESS. >>Lynn Gray: YOU KNOW, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF FRUSTRATION BECAUSE THIS WAS MENTIONED ABOUT, I'D SAY ABOUT, I'D SAY A YEAR ABOUT, I'D SAY A YEAR AGO, THE SLOW PROCESS.
AND NOW WE'RE WORKING AND NOW WE'RE WORKING ON IT, WHICH CAN MEAN WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH TIME. WE SHOULD HAVE WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT SINCE THE LAST AGENDA ITEM BECAUSE IT'S A BIG PROBLEM FINDING ENOUGH STAFF AND BUS DRIVERS, ET CETERA. I'M NOT REAL HAPPY TO HEAR THAT NOW WE'RE WORKING ON IT A YEAR LATER, BUT I WOULD LOVE LATER, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A REPORT OF THE TIMELINE THAT
YOU'RE LOOKING AT NOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT NOW FOR PROCESSING. OBVIOUSLY NOT RIGHT THIS OBVIOUSLY NOT RIGHT THIS SECOND, BUT IT WOULD MAKE, AS AN INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, IT WOULD MAKE ME FEEL BETTER IT WOULD MAKE ME FEEL BETTER TO KNOW THAT WE ARE SHORTENING THAT TIME SO WE CAN GET THESE HIREES IN OUR DISTRICT VERSUS OTHER DISTRICTS. SO IF SO IF YOU COULD GET THAT TO SO IF YOU COULD GET THAT TO ME, MR. HORSEMAN AND SHARE IT WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS, THEY ARE CURIOUS. I'M SURE MEMBER COMBS IS. >> IF I MAY BE ALLOWED TO
CLARIFY, THE PROCESS HAPPENING NOW WITH AHCA GOING THROUGH THIS REFINGERPRINTING, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAME AS PART OF THE STATUTE THAT WAS REQUIRED. OUR STREAMLINING OF OUR PROCESS TO HIRE THOSE THAT TO HIRE THOSE THAT WERE IN OUR TRANSPORTATION AND IN OUR S AND S TEAM, THAT'S ALREADY OCCURRED. AND WE DID BRING ON ROUGHLY 120 BUS DRIVERS, WHICH I THINK MR. FARKAS SHARED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BRING THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN BECAUSE WE DID CHANGE OUR PROCESS. SO WE HAVE ADDRESSED THAT PROCESS OF STREAMLINING PEOPLE TO BRING THEM IN SO THEY CAN START WORKING AND GET PAID
QUICKER. THIS HERE IS SOMETHING THAT FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM IS SORT OF OUT OF OUR CONTROL BECAUSE WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THEY ALLOW FOR US TO UPLOAD INFORMATION AND MOVE INDIVIDUALS THROUGH. HOWEVER, WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT MS. DAVIS AND MR. HORSTMAN ARE PART OF THE GROUP ON THE COMMITTEE TALKING WITH AHCA ON A REGULAR BASIS AND THE CLEARINGHOUSE TO SAY WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE TO THE DISTRICT IF WE AREN'T MOVING QUICKLY THAT IT DOES AFFECT US HIRING CANDIDATES AND GETTING THEM THROUGH. WE ARE CONSTANTLY HAVING OUR VOICE HEARD AROUND THAT. BUT WE'LL PROVIDE WITH YOU THAT DATA THAT YOU ARE ASKING FOR
ALSO. >>Lynn Gray: >>Lynn Gray: YEAH, AND THE CLARIFICATION YOU JUST MADE IS APPRECIATED. NOW IT'S KIND OF NOT IN OUR HANDS. BUT THE QUESTION REMAINS, AGAIN, HOW QUICK CAN WE DO IT? WE'LL GET THAT FEEDBACK TO MYSELF AND OTHER BOARD MEMBERS. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: WELL, I AM ACTUALLY VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROCESS. I HAVE ACTUALLY USED THE CLEARINGHOUSE FOR OVER TEN YEARS. I CAN TELL YOU THAT FROM THE TIME FINGERPRINTS GO, IN YOU CAN HAVE RESULTS WITHIN 24 TO 48
HOURS MAX AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. THE FACT THAT THE COST THAT WE'RE HAVING TO PUT OUT FOR MONEY IS A COMBINATION OF EQUIPMENT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THE PRINTS OURSELVES AND THE COST OF REPRINTING. ALL OF OUR STAFF THAT WILL BE REPRINTED, WOULD HAVE HAD TO BE REPRINTED ANYWAYS. ONCE THEY ARE IN THE SYSTEM, THE REPRINTING COST IS ONLY ABOUT $12. OVER TIME OUR COST WILL GO WAY DOWN AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT IF WE DO HAVE AN ISSUE WITH A STAFF, WE WILL KNOW ABOUT IT BEFORE WE EVEN WAKE UP IN THE MORNING.
IT IS THAT QUICK. IT IS THAT EFFICIENT, AND YOU CAN SEND AN E-MAIL. THEY'LL SEND YOU A PHONE MESSAGE, THEY'LL SEND YOU ANYTHING. SO THIS SYSTEM IS A NATIONWIDE DATABASE. IT PICKS UP THINGS FROM 30 YEARS AGO WHEN YOU WERE 17 YEARS OLD AND SHOP AND SHOP LIFTING. IT PICKS UP EVERYTHING. I'M EXCITED THAT WE'LL HAVE THIS LEVEL OF SECURITY AND SAFETY FOR OUR STUDENTS. I UNDERSTAND I UNDERSTAND TRANSITION CAN BE DIFFICULT. BUT I WILL TELL YOU IN USING THE PRODUCT, THE COST IS NOT THE PRODUCT. THE COST IS ACTUALLY DOING THE FINGERPRINTS. AND THE VOLUME OF STAFF WE HAVE.
SO ONCE THEY ARE IN THE SYSTEM, THEN WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A REGULAR ATTENDEE AND REGULAR ATTENDEE AND WE CAN REFINGERPRINT THEM WITHOUT THEM HAVING TO COME TO AN OFFICE. YOU CAN GO IN THERE AND IT WILL RUN THEIR PRINTS AGAIN. THIS SYSTEM IS THIS SYSTEM IS SAFER. IT IS MORE EFFICIENT IN THE LONG RUN. IT'S JUST THE PROCESS OF CHANGING IT OVER. BUT THIS IS NOT A NEW SYSTEM WITHIN THE COUNTRY. IT IS IT IS NATIONWIDE, AND IT'S BEING USED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS ACROSS THE BOARD. I'M SURE MEMBER PEREZ HAS HAD MANY TIMES WHERE SHE IS IN THE DATABASE HERSELF AS I AM
ALREADY. YOU CAN PUT MY NAME AND MY DATE OF BIRTH AND PULL MY PRINTS UP RIGHT THEN AND THERE. NO PROBLEM. DON'T HAVE TO FINGERPRINT ME. IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY EXCITING SYSTEM. I KNOW THERE'S SOME I KNOW THERE'S SOME FRUSTRATION BECAUSE IT IS MANDATED AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY FUNDING FOR IT. IT'S BEEN MANDATED ACROSS THE BOARD IN OTHER SECTORS OF THE ENVIRONMENT, WHETHER IT WAS SOCIAL WORKERS, CHILD WELFARE, MANY OTHER FACETS AND WE'RE JUST GETTING TO SCHOOL. I'M ACTUALLY EXCITED FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND OF ALL OF OUR
FACULTY, MAKING SURE WE'VE GOT THE SAFEST ENVIRONMENT POSSIBLE. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE FRUSTRATION OF THE CHANGE, BUT ONCE WE GET ROLLING, YOU GUYS WILL COME BACK AND SAY, GOD, THAT WAS EASY. I PROMISE YOU IT'S SO MUCH BETTER. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. I KNOW NEW IS HARD, BUT THIS IS REALLY GOING TO BE A LONG-TERM BETTER SYSTEM AND OUR OVERALL COST OF OUR REPRINTING WILL ACTUALLY GO DOWN. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. DR. HAHN. >>Stacy Hahn: I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE
REFINGERPRINT ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND SOME THINGS POP UP THAT WERE NOT THERE WHEN THEY WERE ORIGINALLY FINGERPRINTED. >> SO THAT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP THAT WE ASKED THAT QUESTION AS WELL. AT THIS TIME, THEY HAVE NOT COMPLETED THEIR EXEMPTION PROCESS, SO SOMEONE WOULD GO THROUGH THE PROCESS TO ASK FOR AN EXEMPTION ONCE THEY REVIEW THAT. HOWEVER, WE'RE CONTINUING TO ASK THE QUESTION AROUND WHAT HAPPENS. IT'S A DISCUSSION WE'RE HAVING TO SAY THAT WE WANT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION GRANDFATHERING INDIVIDUALS AND LOOKING AT CASE
BY CASE WHAT OCCURRED. TO YOUR POINT, SOMETHING MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED YEARS AGO WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER. NOTHING HAS HAPPENED SINCE, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT? AT THIS TIME THEY HAVEN'T YET COME BACK AND GIVEN US A DETERMINATION AS TO THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO. THEY SAY DISTRICTS CAN MAKE THEIR OWN DECISION, BUT WE WANT TO ALSO HEAR FROM THEM WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HAPPEN SIMPLY BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT OUTSIDE OF WHAT THE GENERAL POPULATION IS DOING. >>Stacy Hahn: THE LIST OF WHAT'S BEEN EXEMPTED IN THE PAST HAS CHANGED, CORRECT? >> THAT'S CORRECT.
THERE'S ROUGHLY ABOUT 23 MORE THAT HAVE BEEN THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED. WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THAT LIST. IT'S QUITE EXTENSIVE. >>Stacy Hahn: IS EXEMPT OR IS NOT EXEMPT? >> THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE LIST. >>Stacy Hahn: CAN YOU JUST WALK US THROUGH WHEN A NEW EMPLOYEE IS ON BOARDED AND THEY COME TO YOUR OFFICE ON 40th STREET, WHAT THE PROCESS IS FOR WHEN THEY ARE THEY ARE THERE BEYOND THE FINGERPRINTING? >> DEPENDING IF THEY ARE INSTRUCTIONAL OR SUPPORT
EMPLOYEE CHANGES JUST A LITTLE BIT. I'LL GO WITH INSTRUCTIONAL BECAUSE IT IS THE MAJORITY OF OUR OUR EMPLOYEES. SO THEY'LL HAVE A DATE AND TIME SCHEDULED FOR THEM AFTER THEY COMPLETE THEIR PROCESSING PACKET. AN E-MAIL IS SENT TO THEM, OKAY, CRAIG, YOU'LL SHOW UP ON TUESDAY, THE 25th AT 3 P.M. I SHOW UP. I HAVE ALL MY DOCUMENTATION. I MIGHT HAVE TO PROVIDE SOME MORE INFORMATION, FOR EXAMPLE. I MIGHT NEED MY SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, DRIVER'S LICENSE, PASSPORT, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. ONCE THAT IS SQUARED AWAY AND
I'VE SIGNED OFF ON THOSE DOCUMENTS, MY ONBOARDING PACKET IS REVIEWED TO MAKE SURE I CROSSED EVERY T AND EVERY I HAS BEEN DOTTED. FROM THERE, AN ONBOARDER WILL MEET WITH ME AS WELL AND GIVE ME A FEW MORE DOCUMENTS THAT I NEED TO COMPLETE, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW AM I GOING TO GET PAID? I HAVE TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION OF MY BANK ACCOUNT, OF MY BANK ACCOUNT, YES, MA'AM. AFTER THAT, IF EVERYTHING IS IN ORDER, IF ORDER, IF I'VE DONE MY HOMEWORK PROPERLY, I'M WITH THE ON
BOARDER 15 MINUTES OR LESS AND THEN WALKED OVER TO THE FINGERPRINT OFFICE, WHICH IS TEN YARDS AWAY. THEY ROLL MY PRINTS. AGAIN, 10 TO 15 MINUTES OR LESS I'M I'M COMPLETED WITH EVERYTHING. >>Stacy Hahn: THEY ARE ALSO KIND OF GOING OF GOING OVER THEIR BENEFITS PACKAGE, CORRECT? LIKE THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE AND ALL THAT -- YEAH. >> VERY HIGH-LEVEL, YES, MA'AM. >>Stacy Hahn: IT'S MORE THAN GETTING FINGERPRINTED. YOU REALLY HAVE TO GO THROUGH AN ONBOARDING APPROPRIATES I DO UNDERSTAND IT IS PROBABLY A
HARDSHIP FOR FOLKS WHO ARE DRIVING. OUR DISTRICT IS SO LARGE FROM ONE DISTRICT TO COME TOWARD US ON 40th ON 40th STREET. I'M SURE THERE ARE ALSO HIGH SEASONS OF ON SEASONS OF ON BOARDING AND LOW SEASONS. SOME DAYS YOU MAY NOT HAVE ANYBODY COMING IN TO ON BOARD. I IMAGINE OVER THE SUMMER, VERY HIGH. MAYBE START OF THE NEW YEAR MIGHT BE HIGH. YOU KNOW YOUR HIGH AND LOW SEASONS. I WOULD IMAGINE IT WOULD BE VERY COSTLY TO OPEN A WHOLE SECOND
OFFICE IN MULTIPLE PLACES OR THIRD OR FOURTH OFFICE, BUT MAYBE DURING THE HIGH TIMES OF ON ON BOARDING, YOU COULD HAVE SITES, LIKE MEMBER COMBS TALKED ABOUT OR THESE OPTIONAL SITES WHERE THEY CAN GET COMPLETELY WHERE THEY CAN GET COMPLETELY ON BOARDED AND MAYBE DURING THOSE HIGH TIMES WHERE YOU'RE HAVING HIGH NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ON BOARDED, YOU COULD HAVE TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS DOWN IN AND THURSDAYS DOWN IN -- OVER IN PLANT CITY.
MONDAYS AND FRIDAYS YOU HAVE A TEAM, MAYBE UP IN, I DON'T KNOW, SOMEWHERE UP IN NORTH TAMPA. IT'S IT'S THE, WHEREVER IT'S THE, WHEREVER IT IS. TEMPLE TERRACE, WHEREVER IT IS. TO DUPLICATE THE EFFORTS, THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES YOU HAVE TO HAVE IN THOSE POCKETS AND SOMETIMES YOU ARE NOT ON BOARDING ANYBODY IN PLANT CITY MAYBE FOR A WEEK OR TWO OR THREE AND PEOPLE ARE SITTING -- YOU KNOW, I THINK HAVING -- I THINK THERE ARE WAYS TO THERE ARE WAYS TO ADDRESS THAT
NEED WITHOUT HIRING FIVE NEED WITHOUT HIRING FIVE OR SIX OR FOUR OR THREE TEAMS OF PEOPLE TO BE THERE FULL-TIME. BUT I THINK WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS SO WE DON'T LOSE EMPLOYEES LIKE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE MENTIONED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, DR. HAHN. MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: YES, THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, WITH THIS NEW SYSTEM, THE NEW EQUIPMENT IS PORTABLE. YOU NEED A COMPUTER. THE FINGERPRINT MACHINE AND WIFI. IT MAKES IT MUCH EASIER. THERE'S NO INK. NO OTHER THINGS. THIS WILL BE A MUCH EASIER SYSTEM TO BE PORTABLE IN THOSE
HIGH TIMES AROUND OUR DISTRICT. SO I THINK THAT IS THE EXCITING PART. I WANT TO MAKE SURE I GET CLARIFICATION ON DR. HAHN'S REQUEST BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO THESE FINGERPRINTS, WHETHER IT'S A RENEWAL NOW OR IT'S A RENEWAL OF SOMEONE YOU JUST OF SOMEONE YOU JUST HIRED AND FOUR YEARS FROM NOW. THERE CAN BE VARIOUS SCREENINGS BECAUSE THIS IS A NATIONWIDE THING WHERE IT WILL FLAG A SCREEN. DO WE NOT HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE THAT IF YOUR SCREEN COMES BACK FLAGGED, YOU ARE HELD UNTIL IT IS CLEARED. AND THERE IS -- SO THAT IS THE
ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, CORRECT? >> YES, MA'AM. >>Patti Rendon: IF YOU ARE FLAGGED, NO MATTER WHAT IT IS, YOU ARE HELD UNTIL IT HAS BEEN RENEWED. WHEN YOU GET YOUR RESULTS, YOU WILL FIND OUT WHAT THEY ARE. THEY WILL HAVE TO CALL AHCA THEMSELVES, THE CLEARINGHOUSE THEMSELVES, AND GET THE REPORT. WE AS A DISTRICT WE AS A DISTRICT ARE UNABLE TO GET THAT REPORT. BUT THEY WILL HAVE TO DO THAT AND THEY WILL HAVE TO FILE THE APPEAL. THEY CAN SHARE WITH US THE RESULTS OF WHAT THE INFRACTION WAS AND WE CAN DETERMINE IF THEY
ARE 58 YEARS OLD AND AT 17 THEY SHOP LIFTED AT SHOP LIFTED AT MAAS BROTHERS, WE CAN DETERMINE IF WE HAVE THAT. IT'S ACTUALLY COME UP WITH ONE OF MY BACKGROUND SCREENINGS, NOT FOR ME, BUT ANOTHER EMPLOYEE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS COME UP THAT FAR THAT FAR BACK. THE POLICY IS, IF THEY ARE NOT CLEAR, AT THE TIME THEY ARE REJECTED, WE DO NOT KNOW THE INFRACTION. ONLY THE EMPLOYEE CAN GET A COPY OF THE INFRACTION FROM AHCA. SO OUR POLICY IS, IF THEY COME
UP AS A NOT CLEARED, WE HAVE TO BENCH THEM UNTIL WE BENCH THEM UNTIL WE HAVE A RESOLUTION. THAT'S ACTUALLY THE ANSWER TO DR. HAHN, CORRECT? >> YES, THAT'S CORRECT. >>Patti Rendon: WE COULD HAVE TEACHERS OUT. YOU ARE CORRECT. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER PEREZ. >>Karen Perez: MEMBER >>Karen Perez: MEMBER RENDON, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ABOUT MAAS BROTHERS. FIGURE OUT WHERE THAT CAME FROM. MY FINGERPRINTS ARE IN A DATABASE AS A
DATABASE AS A LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER. THEY RUN THOSE FINGERPRINTS EVERY FOUR EVERY FOUR YEARS. HOW OFTEN DO YOU RUN THE BACKGROUND CHECK FOR OUR EMPLOYEES? >> AS THEY ARE BROUGHT ON BOARD, OF COURSE, TO BE A NEW EMPLOYEE RIGHT THEN AND THERE, AND THEN IT IS MONITORED CONSTANTLY. IT DOESN'T GO AWAY UNLESS I SEPARATE FROM THE DISTRICT. IF I RETIRE, RESIGN, SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. SO THEY ARE ALWAYS STILL IN THE SYSTEM AND THEY ARE MONITORED
24/7/365. >>Karen Perez: HOW IS THAT MONITORED? IS IS SO IF SO IF I GO AND SHOP LIFT AT MAAS BROTHERS AND BROTHERS AND YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT BUT NOW I HAVE A RECORD, LET ME BE CLEAR, I NEVER SHOP LIFTED AT MAAS BROTHERS, AND I HAVE A RECORD, BUT IT DOESN'T SHOW UP IN THE SYSTEM, HOW WOULD YOU KNOW? >> SO AT THE POINT >> SO AT THE POINT OR TIME OF THE ARREST, THEN LAW THE ARREST, THEN LAW ENFORCEMENT
IS OBVIOUSLY TAKING THAT PERSON, FINGERPRINTING THEM TO GET THEM INTO THE SYSTEM. IF MY PRINTS ARE ALREADY THERE, THAT ALERTS US. THAT GIVES US A FLAG IN OUR OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS IS ALERTED. >>Karen Perez: OKAY. BUT SOME INFRACTIONS THAT WOULD NEVER BE ALERTED, AM I NEVER BE ALERTED, AM I CORRECT? >> SOME INFRACTIONS ARE NOT THOSE THAT WOULD MAKE YOU OR AN INDIVIDUAL INELIGIBLE TO BE HIRED OR INELIGIBLE TO HIRED OR INELIGIBLE TO WORK. FOR EXAMPLE, SHOP LIFTING IS NOT
GOING TO MAKE ME INELIGIBLE TO WORK. IT IS GOING TO RAISE A FLAG THAT, HEY, CRAIG WAS ARRESTED FOR SHOP LIFTING ON THIS FOR SHOP LIFTING ON THIS DATE, THIS TIME, AND THAT'S HOW WE'RE NOTIFIED. SO THEY ARE MONITORED BY THE CLEARINGHOUSE, THAT IS WHAT THEIR MAIN ROLE IS. >>Karen Perez: A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATION OR A DRUG SITUATION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SAY I'M ON VACATION AND THERE IS A DOMESTIC A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATION IN ANOTHER COUNTY, WOULD THAT SHOW UP ON YOUR RECORDS?
>> YES, MA'AM, IT WILL. >> THAT'S ONE OF THE POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT THIS IS NOW THE INFORMATION IS IN ONE REPOSITORY VERSUS BEING IN SEVERAL PLACES. SO THEN THAT ONE REPOSITORY, YOU CAN GO IN AND SEE JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT THEY PROACTIVELY ALSO PUSH INFORMATION OUT. THEY PUSH IT TO THE EMPLOYER AS WELL AS TO THE PERSON, EVEN IF YOU DON'T LOOK FOR IT, IT'S PUSHED TO US SO WE SEE THE INFORMATION, IT COMES UP IMMEDIATELY AS SOON AS IT HITS THEIR DATABASE. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT MOVING TO WHERE IT
IS IN THIS CLEARINGHOUSE. >>Karen Perez: I >>Karen Perez: I GUESS THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING TO. SEVERAL DIFFERENT AREAS BUT NOT THE FINGERPRINTS OF THE EMPLOYEE IN THE CLEARINGHOUSE, YOU WON'T GET THAT INFORMATION BUT NOW HAVING THE FINGERPRINTS OF THE EMPLOYEE IN THE EMPLOYEE IN THE CLEARINGHOUSE, THEN IT WOULD SEND YOU NOTIFICATIONS OF THOSE FINGERPRINTS ONCE THEY CAME UP. >> YES. >>Karen Perez: IT WOULD BE IN A
NATIONWIDE DATA BANK, RIGHT? >> IF I'M ARRESTED OUT OF STATE, YES, IT WILL STILL ALERT OUR OFFICE. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER GRAY. NO. THANK YOU, THOUGH. APPRECIATE APPRECIATE IT. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. IN THE SPIRIT OF EFFICIENCY, GETTING BACK TO SOME OF THE BOARD'S COMMENTS, IS IT VIABLE TO HAVE VARIOUS SITES TO MAKE THIS AVAILABLE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES? >> SO AS PART OF PREPARING FOR
THIS, THE REASON WE'RE MAKING THE REQUEST TODAY IS SO WE HAVE THE THE MACHINES TO GO TO VARYING LOCATIONS IN ORDER FOR US TO HAVE IT DONE AND REFINGERPRINT EVERYONE. BUT AS I SHARED BEFORE, PART OF OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE IN THINKING OF WAYS TO CREATE A BEST EXPERIENCE FOR CANDIDATES THAT WANT TO JOIN THE DISTRICT. SO WE WILL GO BACK AND LOOK AND SEE THE VIABILITY OF LIKE WHERE IT WOULD BE LOCATED. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU PUT IT IN ONE LOCATION AND NOT THE OTHER, THAT LOCATION WILL SAY, WELL, I WANT ONE, TOO, AND WE NEED TO BE PREPARED, WHAT DOES THAT LOOKS
LIKE IN TERMS OF STAFFING AND COST AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE UTILIZING OUR TIME AND OUR RESOURCES EFFECTIVELY. SO WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK AND DO THE RESEARCH ON THAT, PARTICULARLY AROUND OUR BUSY TIMES, AS YOU SAID, WHEN WE HAVE TO DO IT DURING AUGUST, THE BIGGEST HIRING PERIOD THAT WE HAVE, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT'S THAT'S VIABLE. WE WANT TO GO BACK AND DO THE RESEARCH AND COME BACK AND SAY THIS IS COME BACK AND SAY THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE EVENT THERE IS A COST. >>Lynn Gray: LESS THAN A YEAR
TIMELINE? >> POTENTIALLY, YES. AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO MISSPEAK WITHOUT HAVING ENOUGH INFORMATION TO COME AND SAY THIS IS WHAT IT IS. FOR THIS RIGHT NOW, WE ARE GOING TO GO OUT, THE ADDITIONAL MACHINES WILL ALLOW US TO GO OUT SO WE CAN DO THE REFINGERPRINTING. BUT AS FAR AS CHANGING OUR PROCESSING AND WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME FOR ON BOARDING THAT WILL TAKE A LITTLE TAKE A LITTLE MORE TIME. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. ONE, WHY DID WE CHOOSE TO PILOT THIS AS PART OF THE VOLUNTEER?
SINCE IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE SINCE IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE STILL SOME QUESTIONS THAT MIGHT CAUSE DELAYS. >> YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT. WE FIGURED BY BEING PART OF THE BETA TEST THAT WE'LL BE ON THE FOREFRONT OF THE FIXES AS WELL. SO WHATEVER WE LEARN AND DISCOVER WE'LL BE AT THE FOREFRONT TRYING TO GET THEM ALL IRONED OUT. >>Jessica Vaughn: GOTCHA. NUMBER TWO, ARE WE GOING TO GIVE OUR EMPLOYEES A HEADS-UP ABOUT THIS SO THEY ARE NOT SURPRISED LAST MINUTE OR THERE ISN'T RUMORS THAT KIND OF GO AROUND? ARE WE GOING TO BE PROACTIVE ABOUT SENDING OUT INFORMATION TO
OUR EMPLOYEES TO KNOW THEY SHOULD ANTICIPATE THIS WITH SOMETHING OF A SOMETHING OF A TIMELINE OF WHEN THEY CAN EXPECT THEIR SCHOOL -- BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO BE SCHOOL SITE, THE WAY YOU ARE DESCRIBING, PORTABLE, SCHOOL TO SCHOOL, ARE WE GOING TO GIVE THEM A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME? >> YES. SO HORSTMAN AND TEAM ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO PUT TOGETHER NOT ONLY THE LOGISTICS BUT THE COMMUNICATION PLAN BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IS IMPORTANT. THIS MAY CAUSE PEOPLE TO HAVE A QUESTION AROUND WHY ARE YOU ASKING FOR MY FINGERPRINTS? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
WHY NOW? I WANT TO UNDERSTAND IT. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ADDRESS ALL THE QUESTIONS BY HAVING SOMETHING THAT COMMUNICATES NOT ONLY THE WHY BEHIND IT, BUT THE WHAT AND WHAT THE IMPACT IS TO THEM AS WELL AS WHERE IS THE EXACT LOCATION THAT IT'S GOING TO OCCUR. IT REQUIRES US WORKING ALSO WITH THE CHIEF OF SCHOOLS TO DETERMINE WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR US TO GO ABOUT DOING IT SO THEN IT'S NOT INVASIVE TO THE SCHOOL SITES WHILE THEY ARE TRYING TO DO AND GET THINGS DONE. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH THEM AS WELL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO IT IN A WAY THAT, AGAIN, IS NOT
INVASIVE BUT THAT WE DO ACCOMPLISH THE GO ELSE THAT WE HAVE. -- THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE. ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD? >> NO >> NO THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THERE, IS THERE BEEN THERE, IS THERE A COPY AND ANY SECURITY DISCLOSURES THAT HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS CLEARINGHOUSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE APPROVED TO AND CAN'T BE JUST OPENED UP TO ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE TO DO WHAT THEY WANT WITH THE INFORMATION? WILL THERE WILL THERE BE A SECURITY INFORMATION?
>> YES, SO THEY DO HAVE A PROCESS WITH PROVIDING THAT YOU SIGN OFF ON THE PRIVACY POLICIES. SO THEY HAVE A PRIVACY POLICY THAT YOU GO IN AND CHECK. THEY COLLECT THE E-MAILS FROM THE INDIVIDUALS AND THAT REACHES OUT TO THEM AND SAYS, PLEASE AUTHORIZE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF THE PRIVACY POLICY AND ALL THE CONFINES AROUND THE PRIVACY OF YOUR INFORMATION AND HOW IT'S KEPT AND WHERE IT GOES. SO THAT IS PROVIDED TO THEM. >>Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. I APPRECIATE I APPRECIATE THAT. NOW, I KNOW THAT WE KIND OF TOUCHED ON THIS BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE A PLEA TO OUR STATE
LEGISLATION THAT AS LEGISLATION THAT AS THEY MAKE LEGISLATION THAT HAS ALMOST A $3 MILLION PRICE TAG ON IT, THAT WE DO GET DO GET FUNDING FOR THOSE ITEMS BECAUSE 3 MILLION HERE, 5 MILLION THERE, 3 MILLION HERE, 2 MILLION THERE, EVENTUALLY YOU CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT COULD EQUAL AS A STEP FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. I WOULD JUST I WOULD JUST RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT AS IT PASSES LEGISLATION, THEY THINK ABOUT THE PRICE TAG THAT THEY PASS ON TO DISTRICTS. NOW, I KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW EASY IT IS TO USE AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT IN REAL-TIME.
I LOVE THAT AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO BE MORE THOROUGH. MY UNDERSTANDING AS WELL, ONE OF THE BENEFITS IS THAT IT GIVES OUR EMPLOYEES THE ABILITY TO TRANSFER TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS WITHIN OUR STATE. I'M WONDERING IF IT'S NATIONWIDE WITHOUT HAVING TO DO FINGERPRINTS AGAIN BECAUSE NOW IT'S IN A IT'S IN A CLEARINGHOUSE. IS THAT INFORMATION TRANSFERS WITH THEM. IS THAT CORRECT? >> YES, MA'AM, THAT IS CORRECT. OUTSIDE OF THE STATE, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT, ANSWER THAT, BUT WITHIN THE STATE, SOMEBODY STATE, SOMEBODY MIGHT LEAVE PINELLAS AND COME HERE, PINELLAS AND COME HERE, VICE
VERSA. SO IF WE CAN DO IT WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, I WOULD VENTURE A GUESS TO SAY IT CAN BE DONE FROM STATE TO STATE AS WELL. >>Jessica Vaughn: SPEAKING OF EXEMPTIONS, I KNOW THAT IS CAUSING A LITTLE BIT OF CAUSING A LITTLE BIT OF DISTRESS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE AN EMPLOYEE DISPLACED. BECAUSE FROM THE WAY YOU DESCRIBED IT, IF WE HAVE A TEACHER WHO IS TEACHING DAY TO DAY AND NOW THEY ARE DAY AND NOW THEY ARE FLAGGED THEY ARE GOING TO NOT BE ABLE TO TEACH UNTIL THAT IS CLEARED? THEY'LL GET A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER AND THERE WILL BE A DISRUPTION IN THE CLASSROOM? IS THAT WHAT WE CLARIFIED TONIGHT?
>> THAT IS A POTENTIAL, YES, MA'AM. >>Jessica Vaughn: IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE NOT SURE HOW THAT PROCESS WILL BE HANDLED WITH AN EXEMPTION AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. THAT'S CONCERNING. I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IF THEY HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH AN EXEMPTION PROCESS, LET'S SAY NOTHING NEW POPS UP, SOMETHING POPS UP THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN CLEARED FOR, WILL THAT CLEARANCE AUTOMATICALLY STAY AND WILL THERE BE NO DISRUPTION OR WILL THEY HAVE TO AGAIN GO THROUGH THE CLEARANCE PROCESS FOR HOWEVER LONG THAT HOWEVER LONG THAT TAKES? >> THAT'S WHERE IT WILL HAVE TO BE REVIEWED AGAIN. BECAUSE I MAY HAVE DONE SOMETHING YEARS AGO THAT WAS
STILL OKAY FOR ME TO BE AN EMPLOYEE, BUT NOW IT IS NO LONGER, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'LL HAVE TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION AND EXPLORATION. >>Jessica Vaughn: SO >>Jessica Vaughn: SO WHILE I HEAR THE PASSION AROUND GETTING THIS PROCESS TO BE QUICKER MOVING FORWARD, WHAT I WOULD LIKE IS SOME CLARITY AROUND HOW LONG RIGHT NOW MOVING FORWARD FOR THESE FINGERPRINTS FROM THE STATE OR WHOEVER, IT WILL TAKE FROM BEGINNING TO END TO GET A CLEARANCE ON THAT, BECAUSE THAT CAN BE DISCONCERTING IF WE'RE TALKING SEVERAL MONTHS, DEPENDING ON, SO GENERALLY THOSE GO TO THE STATE, RIGHT?
SO THAT IS GOING TO BE UP TO THE STATE. IS THERE ANYTHING LOCALLY, DO WE HAVE A LOCAL COMMITTEE OR ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T GO TO THE STATE THAT THEN FALLS WITHIN OUR RANGE TO APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE? >> SO NOT AT THIS TIME. >>Jessica Vaughn: IT'S ALL GOING TO GO TO THE STATE. AND IS THERE ANY WAY AS A TEST COUNTY TO GET SOME EXPECTATIONS ON THE TIME PROCESS FOR THAT OR PUT IN REQUESTS OF WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE TO EXPEDITE IT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES? >> WELL, THAT'S ONE OF THE POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT BEING THE
FIRST TO BE -- OUR VOICES ARE HEARD. SO THEN WE CAN SHARE THE IMMEDIATE REAL-TIME FEEDBACK ON THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE. THEY HAVE GIVEN US PRELIMINARY TIME FRAMES IN WHICH THEY SAY ONCE YOU UPLOAD IT WITHIN FIVE TO SEVEN DAYS, THIS MAY HAPPEN. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS NEW, AND WHEN SOMETHING NEW HAPPENS AND WE'RE PULLING INTO THERE, WE HAVE TO ALLOW FOR THEM TO SAY WE'RE DEVELOPING THE EXEMPTION PROCESS, OKAY, WE ARE THE VERY FIRST, TELL US WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE BECAUSE WE NEED TO KNOW RIGHT-OF-WAY. TELL US WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE SO THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE INFORMATION AND CAN
GIVE FEEDBACK IN REAL-TIME AS TO THE IMPACTS IT'S GOING TO HAVE FOR US. >>Jessica Vaughn: I THINK WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE KELLY STAFFING IS AWHICH ARE AND HAVE SUBS TO FILL IN IMMEDIATELY. WE KNOW OFF THE BAT THERE WILL BE TEACHERS TAKEN OUT OF THEIR CLASSROOM AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG, WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE. IF IT GETS TO BE EXCESSIVE, I JUST ASK THAT YOU LET THE BOARD KNOW, SO THAT WAY IF WE ARE INUNDATED WITH PUBLIC COMMENT, WE ARE NOT CAUGHT BY SURPRISE AND WE ARE AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING THROUGH THE PROCESS BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE
RAMIFICATIONS AT FIRST. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SEEING THAT THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE'LL MOVE ON NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO 6.01, BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDING JANUARY ENDING JANUARY 31, 2025. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, JAMIE LEWIS, WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
>> WE'LL UPDATE THE BOARD ON THE JANUARY FINANCIALS FOR THE DISTRICT. HE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THERE ARE MINIMUM CHANGES FOR JANUARY AS ANTICIPATED AND THE GOOD NEWS THAT WE HAVE WE'LL SHARE OFF THE BAT WAS WE RECOVERED ON OUR PROPERTY TAXES, WHICH WAS ALSO EXPECTED. SO YOU'LL SEE THAT AS WE TRAVEL THROUGH THIS JANUARY UPDATE ABOUT HOW THINGS HAVE TRANSITIONED FROM DECEMBER AND JANUARY, EXACTLY WHERE WE THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE. THE FIRST PAGE YOU SEE IS ADOPTED BUDGET APPROVED IN SEPTEMBER. AND WE JUST WANT AND WE JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT HERE THAT WE ARE STILL
MAINTAINING ORIGINAL PROJECTIONS OF $283 MILLION FUND BALANCE AND THAT'S AT 15%. THAT IS A KEY MEASURE WE WANT TO REMEMBER AS WE TRAVEL THROUGH TONIGHT AND WHERE WE ARE HEADED FOR THE REST OF THE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. FOR OUR JANUARY UPDATE, THE AMENDED BUDGET WILL STILL AGAIN PREDICT A 15% END OF THE YEAR FUND BALANCE. AND THAT IS AND THAT IS AT 283 MILLION. THERE WAS A SLIGHT CHANGE FOR REVENUE REVENUE AT $8 MILLION THAT WE RECEIVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING. THOSE FUNDINGS ARE REALLY AN ALLOCATION THAT WE EXPECTED ORIGINALLY.
THOSE ARE FROM PURCHASE CARS AND E-PAY REBATES THAT WE'RE EXPECTING AND THAT IS EXPECTING AND THAT IS OFFSETTED BY EXPENSES. WE KNOW THAT WILL COME IN AND ALSO CHARTER SCHOOL INSPECTIONS. THAT IS A REIMBURSEMENT THAT WE GET AFTER WE RECONCILE WITH THEM AND AFTER WE GO THROUGH INSPECTIONS ON A ROUTINE BASIS. SO THE END BALANCE FOR JANUARY IS STILL AGAIN WHERE WE ANTICIPATED. BUT WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE'RE STILL WAITING ON A THIRD CALCULATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. SO WHEN WE SEE THAT, THE FINANCE TEAM WILL UPDATE TEAM WILL UPDATE OUR PROJECTIONS.
WE'LL WAIT UNTIL WE SEE THE INFORMATION. WE DO EXPECT IT WILL BE POSITIVE. WE'LL WAIT UNTIL WE SEE THAT. WE ARE FINALLY HEARING INFORMATION THAT THAT WILL BE COMING OUT SOON. WE DON'T KNOW A DATE YET BUT EXPECTING THAT TO HAPPEN IN THE COMING DAYS. HOPEFUL. THE ONE THING WE'LL START TO PROVIDE TO YOU ON A MONTHLY BASIS IS WHERE OUR GENERAL FUND HAS BEEN AND WHERE WE EXPECT IT TO GO. I THINK I THINK THIS IS A GOOD CHART THAT REFLECTS WHAT NORMALLY HAPPENS IN JANUARY OF EACH YEAR. THIS OUR HIGH POINT FROM A REVENUE STANDPOINT. MOST OF THAT IS DUE TO THE
PROPERTY TAXES THAT WE RECEIVED. ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE SEE A LARGE JUMP FROM LAST MONTH TO THIS MONTH IS BECAUSE IN DECEMBER, IF YOU REMEMBER, WE HAD A DELAY IN OUR PROPERTY TAXES. SO IN SO IN DECEMBER, 48% OF PROPERTY TAXES RECEIVED, NOW AT 82%. WHERE WE NORMALLY SEE A LARGER CHUNK CHUNK COME IN LAST MONTH BECAUSE OF THE STORMS THAT WAS DELAYED AND NOW WE'RE BACK WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE AND THOUGHT WE WOULD SEE THE FUND BALANCE AT A HIGH POINT. THE REST OF THE YEAR, WE'LL SEE
THAT GRADUALLY DECLINE, NATURALLY, HAPPENS EVERY NATURALLY, HAPPENS EVERY YEAR BECAUSE WE'RE KIND OF BECAUSE WE'RE KIND OF THROUGH THE REVENUE AND THEY ARE ALLOCATED ON A FIXED SCHEDULE ANNUAL BASIS. THIS THIS MONTH, CLOSE THIS MONTH, CLOSE TO 556 FUND BALANCE. WE STILL PROJECT TO BE AT 15%. NEXT SLIDE SHOWS THAT IN DECEMBER, WE ESTIMATED 390 IS OUR FUND BALANCE.
AND NOW AT 556. AGAIN, WE WANTED TO REMIND THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC THAT THIS IS A TIMING SITUATION WITH OUR REVENUE. THIS IS THE HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR. THIS IS ENCOURAGING, EXACTLY WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE. PROPERTY TAXES ARE FLOWING THROUGH, WHICH IS WHAT WE WERE CONCERNED WITH. NOW THAT WE ARE ON THE NOW THAT WE ARE ON THE RIGHT PACE, WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL FINISH THE YEAR STRONGLY FINANCIALLY. THAT IS OUR JANUARY THAT IS OUR JANUARY UPDATE. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 6.01.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER GRAY, MEMBER COMBS AND I PULLED THIS PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU WANT TO GET IN THE QUEUE? WE'LL GO IN ORDER. MEMBER MEMBER COMBS. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MR. LEWIS, FOR THE UPDATE ON THE MONTHLY BUDGET. I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS. WHEN WE TALK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FEMA DOES THAT WORK -- THERE IS A LOT OF
MONEY INVOLVED THAT WE PUT OUT, AS EVERYONE KNOWS. WILL WE RECEIVE THE PAYMENT? IF IF SO, WHEN? AND WHAT IS AND WHAT IS AN ESTIMATE? >> OPERATIONS AND IFEN IS WORKING CLOSELY ON THE -- AND FINANCE IS WORKING CLOSELY ON THE FEMA SITUATION. THAT IS A LONG THAT IS A LONG DRAWN-OUT PROCESS. WE WON'T INITIALLY RECEIVE THE MONEY RIGHT AWAY. HAPPENS IN A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD. HISTORICALLY PROBABLY SEE IT IN A DIFFERENT FISCAL YEAR. RIGHT NOW, TEAMS ARE WORKING TOGETHER. WE HAVE A LITTLE LESS THAN $4
MILLION THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE SPENT AND WE KNOW THAT MORE WILL BE COMING AS WE INDICATED I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST MEETING, THIS IS A PROCESS THAT'S ONGOING. SO WE HAVE TO -- WE SEE HOW BILLS AND THINGS TRICKLE IN AS WE HAVE WORKED THROUGH THE YEAR AND I BELIEVE STILL WORKING THROUGH SOME THINGS RELATED TO THE STORMS WHICH IS AN ONGOING PROCESS, ESPECIALLY IN SOME AREAS OF OUR COUNTY. WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT. RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY MONEY FROM FEMA BUT WE ARE CONTINUING THE PROCESS OF FILING WITH THEM, AND WE HOPE THAT WE'LL RECEIVE MONEY FROM
THE PACKAGE THAT WE'LL SUBMIT. >>Lynn Gray: LET'S HOPE SO. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. I DON'T KNOW IF TRACYE BROWN IS AVAILABLE. THIS HAS TO DO WITH TITLE ONE AND TITLE TWO. SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT'S GOING AROUND, OF GOING AROUND, OF COURSE, GOING AROUND, OF COURSE, A CONCERN AND PERHAPS YOU CAN ALLAY OUR ALLAY OUR FEARS. WE'RE TALKING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GRANTS BEING TAKEN FROM VARIOUS, FROM OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, ET CETERA.
TITLE 1, TITLE 1, TITLE 2. TITLE 1, OF COURSE, MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES THAT IT AFFECTS DIRECTLY. TITLE 2 IS OUR TEACHER RECRUITMENT, AFFECTS THEIR TRAINING, THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN THERE IS THE ESE FUNDING WHICH I GOT A NOTICE ON THAT THIS MORNING. CAN YOU GIVE A LITTLE CAN YOU GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF A HIGHLIGHT AS TO WHERE WE ARE AT. IF WE LOSE THAT OR PERHAPS IF WE LOSE THAT OR PERHAPS WHAT PROACTIVE MEASURES PROACTIVE MEASURES WILL YOU BE TAKING?
THANK YOU, MS. BROWN. >> YES, MA'AM, MEMBER GRAY. THANK YOU FOR ASKING THE QUESTION. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION REGARDING ANY CHANGES TO OUR FUNDING. HOWEVER, WE ARE BEING VERY CONSERVATIVE AS WE MOVE FORWARD. THERE HAS BEEN TALK OF A POTENTIAL REDUCTION IN THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS THAT WE RECEIVE. SO AS WE WORK WITH OUR SCHOOLS SPECIFICALLY WITH TITLE 1, WE ARE BEING VERY CONSERVATIVE. WE ARE PROJECTING POTENTIALLY A 20 TO 25 PERCENT REDUCTION IN THE FUNDS THAT WE RECEIVE.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH SCHOOLS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PLANNING APPROPRIATELY. REGARDING TITLE 2 OR ANY OF THE OTHER FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WE RECEIVED, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. HOWEVER, AS SOON AS WE DO, AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL SOON, WE WILL BE SURE TO UPDATE THE BOARD. >>Lynn Gray: AND I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF THINGS ARE RIGHT NOW IN FLUX, BUT ALSO THE SNAP, THE FOOD SECURITY, MEETING WITH FEEDING TAMPA BAY, METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES, IN CASE THAT GETS
THAT GETS CUT, YOU KNOW THE PROACTIVITY FROM THIS BOARD AND THROUGH YOUR OFFICE THROUGH YOUR OFFICE IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE GOING TO BE EXTREMELY CRITICAL WITH REGARDS TO OUR, LET'S SAY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, FOOD DESERTS, ET CETERA. DO YOU WANT TO REMARK ON THAT? >> YES, MA'AM. ALONG WITH THE FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVE, WE ALSO HAVE OUR SOCIAL WORK SERVICES WHO ACTUALLY DOES A LOT OF CONNECTION WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO REFER OUR FAMILIES TO. THAT IS A PRIORITY FOR US AND FOR SOCIAL WORK SERVICES.
UNDER DR. MYRNA HOGUE WHO ENSURES THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO ACCESS TO ALL THOSE NECESSARY RESOURCES THAT COULD COME UP AS A RESULT OF A LOSS OF ANY TYPE OF FUNDING OR ANY PARTICULAR SITUATION THAT OUR STUDENTS MIGHT FIND THEMSELVES OR FAMILIES MIGHT FIND THEMSELVES IN. >>Lynn Gray: DR. MYRNA HOGUE, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK. I KNOW IT IS FAIRLY EXPANSIVE TO SAY THE LEAST, BUT WE DO NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR THESE TYPE OF REALITIES.
I'LL SWITCH GEARS, THANK YOU, MS. BROWN. MR. FARKAS, IF I CAN GET YOUR ATTENTION. I KNOW YOU ARE BUSY DOING MANY, MANY THINGS. WHEN WE TALK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE 2024 CIT, THE REMAINDERS WITH REGARDS TO THE 25%, IS THAT A VIABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT YOU CAN SHARE THAT WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE, THAT WE CAN USE OR HAS IT ALL BEEN USED UP? >> IT HASN'T. WE GET IT EACH YEAR AND
TRADITIONALLY APPLIED TOWARDS HVAC PROJECTS TO HELP SUPPLEMENT WITH THE HALF PENNY SALES TAX. WE STILL HAVE THAT. NEW PROJECTION COMES IN, IT IS A NEW USE. WHEN THE NEW CIT STARTS THAT WOULD BE TOWARD NEW CONSTRUCTION, AS POINTED OUT THROUGH THE COUNTY COMMISSION. BUT THE PREVIOUS WAS FOR ANY DEFERRED MAINTENANCE IN NEW CONSTRUCTION. >>Lynn Gray: WELL, THANK YOU. ALSO, WHILE WE'RE AT IT, WOULD YOU SHARE THE MONTHLY AMOUNT OF REVENUE REVENUE THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FOR OUR SALES TAX FOR OUR SALES TAX THIS MONTH? >>Christopher Farkas: I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT FIGURE IN FRONT
OF ME, BUT ABOUT $14 MILLION. PRETTY CONSISTENT NOW OVER THE LAST 18 TO 24 MONTHS WHERE WE CAN PROJECT AND SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FROM HALF PENNY SALES TAX. THAT IS PART OF WHAT WE'VE HAD AND IT HAS BEEN CONSISTENT. WE HAVE THE CITIZENS OVERSIGHT MEETING THIS FRIDAY. LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH THAT TEAM AGAIN. >>Lynn Gray: THAT TEAM HAS DONE SUCH AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB. MR. FARKAS, YOU HAVE BEEN A LEADER WITH THEM AND I LEADER WITH THEM AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU PUBLICLY AS WELL. SO WHEN WE GET TO THE LAST QUESTION THAT I DO HAVE, AND
THAT WILL GO TO MR. LEWIS, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY WHAT KNOW, ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ECONOMIES PLURAL IN FLUX INCLUSIVE IS OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. PERHAPS THIS IS A GOOD PERHAPS THIS IS A GOOD TIME FOR YOU TO ARTICULATE THE STABILITY OF OUR FINANCES. I KNOW WE HAD JUMPED UP TO 30% FUND BALANCE FUND BALANCE DUE TO THE HURRICANES, BUT FOR THE DISTRICT, FOR THOSE VIEWERS TO HEAR FROM OUR HEAR FROM OUR CFO, I THINK IT'S REALLY TIMELY.
SO PERHAPS YOU CAN SPEND A MINUTE, LESS THAN A MINUTE, MAYBE, FOR SOME STABILITY STATEMENTS. >> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT. I THINK IN JUST MY SHORT TIME HERE AT THE DISTRICT I THINK I'M ENCOURAGED THAT WE'VE SEEN GREAT STRIDES BY THE DISTRICT OVER THE YEARS TO GROW WHAT I CONSIDER IS A VERY HEALTHY FUND BALANCE. THAT'S CRITICAL TO OUR FUTURE AND I THINK US MAINTAINING THAT AND PUTTING THINGS AND RESTRICTIONS IN FRONT OF US THAT HOLDS US ACCOUNTABLE TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE MONEY IS VERY
IMPORTANT. WHEN I CONSIDER WHAT WE WENT THROUGH IN THE HURRICANES, TALKING TO MR. FARKAS ABOUT THIS TODAY, GO THROUGH HURRICANES AND LOOK AT LOOK AT EXPENSES, 15%, THE NUMBER THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WILL ALLOW US TO GET THROUGH CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE AND EMERGENCIES AND BE ABLE TO RELY ON THAT FUND BALANCE. THAT'S WHY THAT IS SO IMPORTANT IN CASE ANYTHING HAPPENS. CONTINUING TO STRIVE TO MAINTAIN THAT, THAT IS AN INITIATIVE BY THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE CABINET IN THIS DISTRICT. I THINK CONTINUING TO DO THAT. I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS NOT
TO FOCUS TOO MUCH ON TO FOCUS TOO MUCH ON THE 30% AS WE MENTIONED. THAT'S NICE TO HAVE NOW, BUT WHERE WE'LL END UP. MAINTAINING THAT, KNOWING THAT WE STILL PROJECT THAT AND STILL HAVE A THIRD CALCULATION OUT THERE AND WHAT THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP US WITH IS VERY IMPORTANT. I THINK SEEING THAT AND MAINTAINING THAT IS THE MOST CRITICAL PART THAT WE CAN DO AT THIS POINT. >>Lynn Gray: JUST JUMPING RIGHT BACK TO THE FLORIDA CLEARINGHOUSE, BIG CLEARINGHOUSE, BIG EXPENDITURE, 2.5 MILLION. WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR HEALTHY FUND
BALANCE, AND WE LOOK AT THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS WHICH WE DO EVERY MONTH -- THANK YOU, MS. GARCIA -- MS. GARCIA -- WHAT PARTICULAR LINE ITEM, LINE ITEM, IN OUR BUDGET, WHAT ALLOCATION WILL WE GO TO FOR THAT, SAY, NEW EXPENSE? >> THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION, ONE THAT WILL BE ADDRESSED WHEN WE START TO HAVE BUDGET PROCESSES IN THE NEAR FUTURE. TO IDENTIFY WHERE THE FUNDING WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF. OBVIOUSLY, THE RESERVE FUND BALANCE ALLOWS US TO DIP INTO THAT WHEN THINGS UNEXPECTEDLY
COME UP. BUT THE DISTRICT WILL LOOK AT THAT AND IDENTIFY WHAT A SOLUTION IS FOR THAT FUNDING AND HOPEFULLY THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN MINIMIZE THE IMPACT ON THE GENERAL FUND. >>Lynn Gray: I THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR VERY HARDWORKING FINANCE TEAM, MS. GARCIA AND ALL OF YOU BEHIND THE SCENES. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS. >>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY, BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED MANY OF THE COMMENTS THAT I HAD, QUESTIONS ABOUT QUESTIONS ABOUT FEMA. AND WELCOME ABOARD, MR. LEWIS.
I HAD A QUESTION. USUALLY THE THIRD CALCULATION, WHEN DOES THAT USUALLY COME WHEN DOES THAT USUALLY COME IN? >> ABOUT A MONTH LATE ON THAT. >>Nadia Combs: ABOUT A MONTH LATE. I JUST KIND OF WORRY ABOUT LIKE THE INTEREST ON THAT. ALL THE TIME, I THINK ONE OF MY JOBS AS A BOARD MEMBER IS TO REALLY EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY, WHERE WE ARE WITH FUNDING, OUR SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS. BEING 50th IN THE NATION FOR FUNDING IS JUST A FACTUAL INFORMATION THAT I LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT. LATELY I'VE BEEN HEARING ON THE NEWS POSSIBLY I'M NOT GETTING
RID OF PROPERTY RID OF PROPERTY TAXES, RIGHT? HOW WOULD THAT HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT OUR BUDGET OVERALL? WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? NOW THAT WE ARE FUNDED 50th, WHAT TYPE OF LOSS WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE FOR OUR LOOK LIKE FOR OUR STATE LOOK LIKE FOR OUR STATE ON THAT OUR DISTRICT? >> THAT'S IF PROPERTY TAXES ENDED FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA. >>Nadia Combs: THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT ABOUT IN THE NEWS. >> DEFINITELY IMPACT TO THE DISTRICT. BOTH CAPITAL AND THE GENERAL FUND ARE IMPACTED BY OUR PROPERTY TAXES. IF THAT WAS TO GO AWAY, TOTAL IF THAT WAS TO GO AWAY, TOTAL OF $878 MILLION WOULD BE IMPACTED
ON THE DISTRICT. THAT'S SPLIT BETWEEN THOSE TWO. >>Nadia Combs: OKAY. GREAT. THEN I'M ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I WORRY ABOUT THAT THIRD CALCULATION, THE DELAY ON THAT. IT JUST CONCERNS ME ON WHAT'S HAPPENING. WHY IS THERE SUCH A LONG DELAY. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS. THERE'S NEVER BEEN A DELAY. WHY IS THAT HAPPENING? JUST THE LOSS OF INTEREST ON THAT. THEN I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION. THE OTHER DAY BECAUSE I REALLY SUPPORT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. I SAW IN THE NEWS, LOOKING AT
FIRST RESPONDERS, FIREFIGHTERS GETTING 25%, WHICH MY SON ALMOST BECAME A FIREFIGHTER. I KNOW A LOT OF POLICE OFFICERS WHICH ARE AMAZING. I LOOKED AT THE CALCULATION. IT LOOKS LIKE THE TEACHER INCREASE WILL BE 1.07 PERCENT. IS IS THAT CORRECT? >> THAT'S THE ESTIMATION, YES. >>Nadia Combs: SO WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT ALL THE ENTREPRENEURS AND ALL THE BUSINESSMEN, ALL THE FIRST RESPONDERS. THEY ARRIVE THAT WAY. EVEN TODAY I SAW ONE OF MY FORMER STUDENTS. HER SON WAS PLAYING IN THE
MARCHING BAND NOW. SO I THINK SO I THINK ABOUT 1.0 PERCENT. THAT'S NOT EVEN WITH THE COST OF LIVING. WE'RE FUNDED WE'RE FUNDED 50th, 1.07, I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. AID SIMILAR QUESTION ABOUT OUR THIRD CALCULATION. WE'RE ABOUT A MONTH LATE. WHEN -- ARE WE GETTING GUIDANCE ON WHEN THAT WILL COME IN? WHAT INFORMATION ARE WE GETTING AROUND WHEN WE'LL GET THE
PAYMENT FOR THAT? >>Van Ayres: MADAM CHAIR, I HAD MY SUPERINTENDENT MEETING JUST LAST WEEK. WHAT WE WERE TOLD, IT WILL BE COMING SOON. SO WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC DATE, BUT WE DATE, BUT WE DID DATE, BUT WE DID HEAR THAT THAT SHOULD BE COMING SOON. WE DON'T HAVE AN OFFICIAL DATE ON THAT. >>Jessica Vaughn: ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE LATENESS OF THAT? IS THAT CAUSING ANYTHING THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT FINANCIALLY WITH AN IMPACT ON THE DISTRICT? >> BESIDES MS. COMBS' COMMENT ABOUT INTEREST, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE HEALTHY FUND BALANCE.
FROM A FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, A MATTER OF A DELAY, BUT IT'S NOT IMPACTING US OTHERWISE. >>Jessica Vaughn: NOT TO BRING MS. BROWN BACK TO THE HOT MS. BROWN BACK TO THE HOT SEAT, BUT I WOULD CONFUSED ABOUT THE EARLIER ANSWER AROUND -- BUT I WAS CONFUSED ABOUT THE EARLIER ANSWER POSSIBLE, PREPARING POSSIBLE 20 TO 30 PERCENT LOSS REDUCTION. WHAT GRANTS WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I KNOW WE SPOKE LAST TIME, THE GUIDANCE WE GOT.
I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GETTING THINGS IN REAL TIME AND THERE'S BEEN ASKED TO BE A REVIEW AND THIS IS A LABORIOUS PROCESS AND NO EASY ANSWERS. MY UNDERSTANDING, LAST TIME, ANYTHING THAT WAS FORMULAIC WITH A CERTAIN FORMULA WASN'T GOING TO BE SOMETHING WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT, WHICH WAS WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH TITLE 1. NOW IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A 20 TO 30 PERCENT LOSS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS PRETTY IMPACTFUL. SO WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN TO CHANGE THE ANSWER THAT WE GOT LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT IT?
>> SO WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE EAST COAST TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER, WHO SUPPORTS US WITH OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. THROUGH THAT CONVERSATION, THEY SUGGESTED THAT THROUGH THEIR CIRCULATION, WHICH IS ONLY A PREDICTION. IT IS NOT ANYTHING FORMAL, BUT THEY ARE ANTICIPATING THAT THERE MAY BE A 20 TO 25 PERCENT CUT. SO WE MET WITH TITLE 1 PRINCIPALS YESTERDAY, AND WE GAVE THEM GAVE THEM A PROJECTED BUDGET
THAT WAS LESS 20 TO 25 PERCENT SO THAT THEY COULD BEGIN PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR. WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING OFFICIAL YET, BUT ONLY FROM THE YET, BUT ONLY FROM THE ECTAC, EAST COAST TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER, DO WE HAVE ANY INFORMATION BASED ON THEIR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE STATE. >>Jessica Vaughn: FOR PEOPLE WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR, WHO ARE WE TARGETING WITH OUR TITLE 1 FUNDS? WHO WILL THAT IMPACT THE MOST IF THERE IS A REDUCTION OF THOSE? >> TITLE 1 IS BASED ON POVERTY. IT IS FOR THOSE SCHOOLS THAT
RIGHT NOW BASED ON DIRECT CERTIFIED STUDENTS, WE ARE A COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION SCHOOL DISTRICT WHICH MEANS IT'S ONLY BASED ON THOSE STUDENTS THAT ARE AUTOMATICALLY CERTIFIED. WE GO DOWN TO WE GO DOWN TO ABOUT 55% WE GO DOWN TO ABOUT 55% POVERTY, AND THAT WOULD BE AND THAT WOULD BE ABOUT 170 SCHOOLS COULD BE SCHOOLS COULD BE IMPACTED. AND IT COULD AFFECT MAYBE THE NUMBER OF RESOURCE TEACHERS THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO HIRE, BUT THEY HAVE DONE A COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT THAT ALLOWS THEM TO
LOOK CLOSELY AT THEIR DATA TO DETERMINE WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND TO PRIORITIZE THOSE NEEDS. BUT WE DON'T WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO START PLANNING. SO WE'RE SIMPLY BEING CONSERVATIVE NOW, AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THERE WON'T BE A CUT AT ALL, THAT WE'LL RECEIVE THAT AND THAT AND MORE, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN TERMS OF THE ALLOCATIONS TO SCHOOLS. >>Jessica Vaughn: THAT'S DISCONCERNING, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT -- WE LOOK AT WHAT -- ACTUALLY HAVING THOSE EXTRA COACHES. WE LOOK AT OUR MANAGEMENT
COMPANIES AND WHY THEY ARE SO SUCCESSFUL AND IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO HAVING THAT EXTRA SUPPORT. DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA -- AGAIN, THIS IS ALL JUST GUESSTIMATING, BEING PREPARED. I UNDERSTAND NOTHING HAS COME THROUGH, BUT JUST SO BOARD MEMBERS, BECAUSE WE GET ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS AS WELL. THEY THEY EXPECT US TO HAVE THESE ANSWERS. WHAT DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR THE DISTRICT, 20 TO 25% OF TITLE 1 GRANTS? >> I CAN'T TELL YOU SPECIFICALLY WHAT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT LOOKS LIKE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN ABSOLUTELY GET IT TO YOU.
WE DO GET WE DO GET ABOUT $70 MILLION IN TITLE 1 FUNDS. SO IF WE CONSIDER 20%, THAT WOULD BE ABOUT $14 MILLION. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: THAT'S OKAY, MEMBER VAUGHN. I PUT MY NAME IN WHILE YOU WERE SPEAKING. I DO WANT TO GIVE SOME CLARIFICATION TO THIS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE STATE OF FLORIDA IS ALSO GOING THROUGH A RECERTIFICATION PROCESS OF INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN'S MEDICAID. HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY,
CHILDREN HAVE LOST BETWEEN CHILDREN HAVE LOST BETWEEN 25 AND 30 THOUSAND STUDENTS HAVE LOST THEIR MEDICAID BENEFITS. THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE THEY NO LONGER QUALIFY, BUT IF THEY MOVED AND DID NOT GET A LETTER, IF THEY DO NOT RECOGNIZE WHEN THEY WERE SENT SOMETHING FROM THE ACCESS FLORIDA, THEY THINK IT'S NOT RELATED DIRECTLY TO THEIR AHCA OR TO MEDICAID. WE AS A DISTRICT ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH WORKING WITH DCF TO TRY TO GET THE RESOURCES FROM DCF TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT REINSTATED. THAT WILL DIRECTLY IMPACT OUR TITLE 1 SCHOOLS.
SO SOME OF THAT ESTIMATION IS NOT A CUT IN NOT A CUT IN FUNDING, BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE THE STUDENTS THAT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT FUNDING TO THAT SCHOOL. SO WE'VE GOT TO BE WORKING ON TWO FRONTS. WE'VE GOT TO BE ADVOCATING FOR THE NEEDS OF ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES BECAUSE MANY TITLE 1 SCHOOLS ARE NOT IN THE TYPICAL AREAS IN WHICH YOU WOULD THINK. NUMBER TWO, WE ALSO HAVE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF A CHILD. SO WE'VE GOT THOSE 25 OR 30,000 STUDENTS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE TO MAKE
SURE BECAUSE WITH THEIR ELIGIBILITY FOR ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAID, AND FOR SERVICES, IT WILL IN TURN NOW MAKE SURE THAT WE QUALIFY FOR TITLE 1. THERE IS A SECOND CAVEAT. IT'S NOT JUST A CUT BASED ON, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING THE STATE OF FLORIDA. OUR TITLE 1 AND OUR TITLE 2 DOLLARS AREN'T ALL STATE DOLLARS, FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT ARE ALL BEING LOOKED AT, AS WE KNOW. BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY QUALIFICATIONS TO SAY WE ARE RECEIVING ANY CUTS AND PART OF OUR ISSUE WITH TITLE ONE HAVE TO
DO WITH US MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PARTNERING WITH DCF TO TRY TO GET THE SERVICES IN FOR CHILDREN. AM I CORRECT ON THAT? >> SO MEDICAID IS SOMETHING THAT I'M WORKING ON WITH DI INCONVENIENT GORSINI. WE ARE TRYING TO CAPTURE ALL OF THE STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT CERTIFIED RIGHT NOW. SO WE ARE BEING VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT. OUR TITLE ONE, WHAT I MENTIONED REGARDING THE 20 TO 25 PERCENT IS NOT ABOUT THE CURRENT STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE ENROLLED OR THOSE STUDENTS THAT ARE MEDICAID ELIGIBLE. HOWEVER, ARE NOT
HOWEVER, ARE NOT REGISTERED FOR MEDICAID. THIS IS PURELY ABOUT WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL ALLOCATE TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WHICH ARE ARE FLOW-THROUGH THE STATE. WE HAVE TWO FRONTS THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY FOCUS ON. ONE OF THEM BEING WHAT WILL HAPPEN BASED ON THE FED'S ALLOCATION, AND THEN THE OTHER, CAPTURING ALL THE STUDENTS THAT WE KNOW ARE QUALIFIED WE KNOW ARE QUALIFIED THROUGH MEDICAID. >>Patti Rendon: WE ALSO DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF SOME OF THAT TITLE ONE DOLLARS COULD FLOW THROUGH A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INTO THE
STATE GOVERNMENT. SO RIGHT NOW, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC IS VERY CLEAR, WE ARE CLEAR, WE ARE GUIDING ON SPECULATION AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR DISTRICT NOW WITH THAT POSSIBLE SPECULATION. BUT WE HAVE NO CUTS THAT WE HAVE HAD IN WRITING AT ALL. WE HAVE POSSIBILITIES BY SPECULATION, BUT SPECULATION, BUT THERE IS NOTHING ON THE BALL GAME RIGHT NOW. >> YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THERE IS NOTHING OFFICIAL THAT HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR OUR STATE
REGARDING OUR REGARDING OUR ALLOCATIONS. WE DON'T EVER RECEIVE OUR ALLOCATION UNTIL LATE IN THE SCHOOL YEAR, WELL AFTER WE EVEN SUBMITTED OUR APPLICATION. SO WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING OFFICIAL, AND I WILL TELL YOU THE TIMING OF THIS IS NOT OFF THIS IS NOT OFF YET. THIS IS TYPICAL SO FAR. SO WE'RE JUST GOING BY JUST TRYING TO PLAN BECAUSE WE CAN'T WAIT TO PLAN AT THE LAST MINUTE AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE BEING VERY CONSERVATIVE AS WE PLAN. BUT YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING OFFICIAL THAT'S BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR OUR STATE REGARDING ANY ALLOCATION MORE OR LESS A CUT IN ALLOCATION. >>Jessica Vaughn: ARE YOU DONE, MEMBER RENDON? THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER PEREZ. >>Karen Perez: I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW WHO WANTS TO ANSWER THIS. SCHOOL LUNCHES, I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN KIND OF SOME BEEN KIND OF SOME CHATTER ABOUT THE FREE SCHOOL LUNCHES WITH THE BILL THAT WAS KIND OF SQUASHED.
>>Christopher Farkas: WE'RE IN THE SAME SITUATION ACTUALLY AS MS. BROWN IS, WHERE WE RECEIVED NO OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME PREDICTORS, AS WE TALKED ABOUT AND POSSIBLE CHANGES TO LEVELS OF THRESHOLD FOR WHAT WE HAVE OUR COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY, ELIGIBILITY, CEP. SO WHOLE SCHOOLS HAVE IT AND WE HAVE 170 PLUS SCHOOLS IN THAT SITUATION. IT'S WONDERFUL. AGAIN, BASED ON PROJECTIONS, WE RECEIVED NOTHING OFFICIAL. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY IF THE NUMBERS THAT WE RECEIVE FROM TALLAHASSEE ARE ACCURATE, WE LOSE 50 TO 70 SCHOOLS.
NOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? DOESN'T MEAN THE KIDS WOULDN'T GET FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH. MEANS THEY GO BACK TO THE OLD WAY, PAPER AND PENCIL, APPLY FOR FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS. IT'S A THRESHOLD IS WHAT THAT WOULD DO. THE ONE THING THAT WAS ALARMING THAT I WOULD TELL THE BOARD, THE INCOME VERIFICATION WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THEY HAVE TALKED ABOUT. USUALLY IT IS A SAMPLING. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE 20, 40, 70 THOUSAND PEOPLE ON FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH, INCOME VERIFICATION CAN BE A CHALLENGE IF IT IS A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE. THAT RANGE IN THE CONVERSATION,
ANYWHERE FROM STAYING AT 3% TO UP TO 50 UP TO 50 OR 100 PERCENT. WE COMPLY WITH THE LAW BUT THAT WOULD REQUIRE A LOT MORE STAFF TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN TO DO INCOME VERIFICATION FOR ALL OF OUR PEOPLE. THEY LOVE CEP. IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN GREAT. A LOT OF KIDS GETTING BREAKFAST AND LUNCH, EATING, HEALTHY AND NUTRITIOUS. IT WOULD BE CHALLENGING TO GET PARENTS BACK IN THE SWING OF THE APPLICATION. >>Karen Perez: THE NEW INCOME THRESHOLD CAME
THRESHOLD CAME OUT THAT QUALIFIES FOR LOW INCOME, THAT CAME OUT AS WELL. IF IT DOES AFFECT OUR IF IT DOES AFFECT OUR STUDENTS, HOW WE AS A DISTRICT HELP AND SUPPORT THESE FAMILIES? >>Christopher Farkas: I THINK IT'S A BOARD QUESTION BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE PHILOSOPHICALLY HOW THE SEVEN LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THE SUPERINTENDENT KIND OF LEAD THAT WAY, HONESTLY. BUT I THINK IT IS A CONVERSATION WE NEED TO HAVE WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT. I THINK PREMATURE TO HAVE IT NOW BUT A CONVERSATION WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF AND PREPARED TO HAVE IF WE DO GET DIRECTION IN THAT WAY.
>>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. SO I APPRECIATE MEMBER RENDON CLARIFYING SOME THINGS, ALTHOUGH I ALSO WANT TO CLARIFY -- BACK IN IN THE HOT SEAT -- I MEAN SPECULATION OR THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERTS. BECAUSE THERE IS A SLIGHT NUANCED DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JUST SPECULATING OR INFORMATION WE'RE
PREPARING FOR BECAUSE THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERTS THAT ARE GETTING THE INFORMATION. I ASK BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY AS WE UNDERSTAND OUR COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND OUR COMMUNITY IS VERY ATTACHED TO FIGURING OUT IF FUNDING WILL BE CUT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR MOST MARGINALIZED STUDENTS AND MAKING SURE THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED. I GUESS EVEN THOUGH WE CAN'T MAYBE NECESSARILY ANSWER, WE'VE ALREADY HAD THE ANSWER, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT MEMBERS, BOARD MEMBERS GET THIS INFORMATION IN REAL-TIME. THANKS TO MEMBER GRAY, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION, IF SHE HADN'T ASKED THAT
QUESTION, I'M NOT SURE MANY OF US WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD THERE IS A SWITCH IN WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING. THAT WOULD LEAD US TO MAKE UNTRUE UNTRUE STATEMENTS. MAKE SURE WE HAVE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE AND AGAIN AGAIN THAT'S BECAUSE OUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. ON THE ACTUAL COMMUNITY AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE EVERY DAY SUPPORTING OUR KIDS WHO NEED IT THE MOST. WHILE WE CAN QUIBBLE ABOUT THE SPECIFIC DEFINITION OF THE WORD,
I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE OR REQUEST SPECIFICALLY WOULD BE TO JUST JUST LET JUST LET US KNOW ANYTIME THERE IS A CHANGE AND WE EXPECT THE FUNDING OR EVEN IF THERE IS MORE INFORMATION THAT LEADS US DOWN A PATH. LIKE, IF YOU ARE ALREADY PREPARING OUR PRINCIPALS THAT ME AS A BOARD MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW AS KNOW AS WELL. I WOULD LIKE TO FORMALLY MAKE THAT REQUEST. >> AFTER WE RECEIVE INFORMATION, INCLUDING INFORMATION THAT ARE JUST SPECULATIVE OR IF WE HAVE ANYTHING SOUND, BUT WE WILL MAKE SURE
SURE THAT YOU ARE WELL INFORMED. I APOLOGIZE THAT I DIDN'T DO THAT BEFORE TONIGHT, BUT I WILL ABSOLUTELY MAKE SURE WE DO THAT IN THE FUTURE. >>Jessica Vaughn: NO WORRIES. IT IS A FAST MOVING BALL OF INFORMATION. I KNOW IT'S HARD FOR EVERYONE TO STAY ON TOP OF IT. THAT'S NOTHING JUST ON YOUR END. JUST OUR END, SO WE CAN GIVE AS MUCH INFORMATION IN REAL-TIME AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING PROACTIVE BETWEEN BEING PROACTIVE AND BEING SENSATIONALISTS BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE INVOLVED WITH
COVID, HOW DID WE REACT? WELL, WE WELL, WE WISH WE WOULD HAVE HAD STEPS IN CASE BUT STEPS IN CASE BUT HOW WOULD WE HAVE KNOWN? NOW YOU HAVE FOOTPRINTS NOW YOU HAVE FOOTPRINTS ECHOING AND EVERY ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS' PHONES, NEWS, KRISTIN DAVIS. SO WE CAN'T HELP BUT ASK YOU, THOSE OF YOU WHO THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE PROACTIVE. NO SHOCK SHOULD HAPPEN LIKE WHEN WE HAD THE HUGE COVID SITUATION.
SO NOW WHAT I'M ASKING, I HEAR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS DOING THE SAME IS, YES, KEEP US INFORMED, BUT WHILE YOU'RE DOING THAT, YOU'RE KEEPING THE PUBLIC INFORMED BECAUSE THEY ARE WRITING E-MAILS. THEY ARE TALKING TO US. EVERY ONE OF THE CABINET MEMBERS, WHEN YOU MEET WITH THEM PRIVATELY, THEY ARE CONCERNED. I MADE MY POINT. MEMBER VAUGHN MADE HER MEMBER VAUGHN MADE HER POINT, AND IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PREDICTOR OF WHAT MAY COME AND WHAT WE WIL DO, IF IT DOES COME.
THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER PEREZ. >>Karen Perez: I'M SORRY. I'M NOT FINISHED. I NOTICED THAT THE PUBLIC -- SHAKER SOME CONCERNS WHEN THE PRICE OF PRICE OF EGGS WENT PRICE OF EGGS WENT UP. BUT THAT CONCERN, WHAT KIND OF TIPPED THE SCALE A LITTLE BIT WAS THEY DIDN'T REALIZE THAT FAMILIES WERE ALREADY HAVING CONCERNS WITH THE CONCERNS WITH THE PRICE OF GROCERIES.
BUT WHAT REALLY BUT WHAT REALLY TIPPED EVERYTHING WAS EGGS BECAUSE EGGS GO INTO ALMOST GO INTO ALMOST EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, FROM BREAKFAST TO DIFFERENT DIFFERENT RECIPES. AND THAT'S WHEN I THINK A AND THAT'S WHEN I THINK A LOT OF THE PUBLIC STARTED -- YOU SAW THE PUBLIC STARTED -- YOU SAW A LOT OF THE CHATTER. BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL THEN. WE'RE TRYING, AT LEAST THIS BOARD MEMBER IS, BOARD MEMBER IS, TRYING TO BOARD MEMBER IS, TRYING TO START A CONVERSATION BEFORE THAT CHATTER STARTS WITH OUR FAMILIES
BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF FAMILIES ALREADY WHO FAMILIES ALREADY WHO ARE FAMILIES ALREADY WHO ARE GETTING THEIR FOOD IN A LINE ON SATURDAY MORNINGS OR SATURDAY AFTERNOONS, AND THEIR CHILDREN RECEIVE THEIR LUNCH DURING THE WEEK THROUGH US. AND THEIR BREAKFAST. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE FAMILIES ARE THESE FAMILIES ARE CARED FOR BECAUSE WE KNOW RIGHT NOW THE ECONOMY, WHAT THAT'S LOOKING LIKE, AND THESE LIKE, AND THESE CHILDREN, THESE STUDENTS TRULY DEPEND ON THEM. I WANT TO MAKE SURE
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE THERE FOR THEM. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. >>Van Ayres: I WANTED TO >>Van Ayres: I WANTED TO CLOSE OUT. THIS WAS MR. LEWIS' FIRST BUDGET AMENDMENTS. WE'VE BEEN DOING BUDGET AMENDMENTS A LONG TIME. I THINK THIS WAS OUR LONGEST BUDGET AMENDMENT EVER. YOUR FIRST ONE AND OUR LONGEST ONE. THANK YOU, MR. THANK YOU, MR. LEWIS. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. >>Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. SEEING NO FURTHER COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR.
AND THE AMENDMENT HAS PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO 7.01, INCREASE IN EXPENDITURES FOR PIGGYBACK AGREEMENT BETWEEN FIRST STUDENT, INC. FOR ALTERNATIVE STUDENT TRANSPORTATION. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Van Ayres: TO ENSURE RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION FOR ALL STUDENTS, ALTERNATIVE SERVICES HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED TO SUPPORT THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE DISPLACED OR IN PROGRAMS THAT CANNOT BE SERVED BY OUR TRADITIONAL SCHOOL BUSES. THE ONGOING SHORTAGE OF SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS HAS CAUSED EXPANDED USE OF ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS, ENSURING
NO DISRUPTIONS IN ACCESS TO EDUCATION. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, HURRICANES HELENE AND MILTON CALLED SIGNIFICANT DISRUPTIONS, DISPLACED MANY STUDENTS AND INCREASED THE DEMAND FOR ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES. THESE UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE LED TO EXPENDITURE EXCEEDING OUR INITIAL PROJECTIONS. THAT IS THAT IS ITEM 7.01. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE C 7.01. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON AND A SECOND BY MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER COMBS AND I PULLED THIS ITEM. MEMBER COMBS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
>>Nadia Combs: YES, THANK YOU, CHAIR VAUGHN. MR. FARKAS, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CALLS ABOUT THIS, AS I ALWAYS SAY, REALLY MAKING SURE OUR STUDENTS GET THE BEST EDUCATION POSSIBLE AND THE OTHER PART IS JUST BEING A GOOD FINANCIAL STEWARD. SO WHEN I SEE SOMETHING GOING FROM 500,000 TO 2 MILLION AND THEN PROJECTING 2 MILLION AGAIN FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? AND WE HAD DISCUSSION SEVERAL TIMES. >>Christopher Farkas: HAPPY TO. YES, WE HAVE. IF ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY IS WORRIED IF THE BOARD MEMBERS
READ THEIR BOARD ITEMS, THEY ALL DO. WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS WITH EVERY BOARD MEMBER AND I MEAN THAT IN A POSITIVE WAY. WHEN YOU SEE AN ITEM THAT GOES FROM $500,000 TO 2 MILLION. RIGHTLY SO, HELP US UNDERSTAND. EVERY BOARD MEMBER HAS ASKED THAT QUESTION. AS YOU KNOW, FIRST STUDENT IS A GREAT SERVICE. IT IS USED FOR IT IS USED FOR ESE PROGRAMS WHERE KIDS HAVE TO GO LONG DISTANCES. BUS, A, NOT FINANCIALLY VIABLE. ALSO THE TIME ON THE BUS IS
EXTREMELY LONG. ALSO ALSO McKINNEY-VENTO, OUR HOMELESS STUDENTS. WE PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR THEM TO GO BACK TO THEM TO GO BACK TO THEIR SCHOOL OR THEIR ORIGINAL SCHOOL IF OR THEIR ORIGINAL SCHOOL IF THEY GET MOVED. AS A REFERENCE POINT, BETWEEN 30 AND 75. THAT NUMBER FLUCTUATED DEPENDING PREVIOUSLY. 30 TO 75 WHAT IT WOULD COST 30 TO 75 WHAT IT WOULD COST FOR THE $500,000 THE BOARD APPROVED PREVIOUSLY. AS OF NOW AND AFTER THE HURRICANES, CURRENTLY 286 STUDENTS ON THE SERVICE. 286.
THE THREE SCHOOLS THAT ARE THE MAIN CONTRIBUTORS TO THAT, AGAIN ALL OVER THE ALL OVER THE DISTRICT. NOT GEOGRAPHICALLY LOCATED. IF IT WAS ONE AREA, MUCH EASIER. MORT, SCHMIDT, PLANT MORT, SCHMIDT, PLANT CITY ARE THE ONES THAT LEAD. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE REASON PRICE INCREASED IS WE USED TO HAVE 30 TO 75 KIDS AND NOW WE HAVE 286. THE PRICE YOU ARE APPROVING IS NOT TO EXCEED. MEANING WE ONLY PAY AS WE GO. WE DON'T PAY THE $2 MILLION. WE ONLY PAY WHAT WE NEED.
IT IS A HUGE INCREASE AND IT HAS PROMPTED LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS BOTH WITH THE CABINET AND THE BOARD. >>Nadia Combs: AS WE TALKED ON THE PHONE, I SAID WOULDN'T IT BE A SMART DECISION TO POSSIBLY HIRE SOMEONE OR HAVE SOMEBODY ON STAFF OR SOMEBODY -- I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE FAMILY, KNOW, MAYBE FAMILY, COMMUNITY OUTREACH OR A DIFFERENT POSITION LIKE THAT TO GO OUT AND VERIFY THE ADDRESSES TO MAKE SURE. BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT $1.5 MILLION ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE AND LOOKING EXPENDITURE AND LOOKING AT 286
STUDENTS OR YOU HAVE A SOCIAL WORKER THAT POSSIBLY WORKER THAT POSSIBLY YOU'RE GOING TO UTILIZE THEM TO GO OUT THERE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO VERIFY SOME OF THE ADDRESSES. WHEN YOU'RE NOT REALLY DOCUMENTING, I OBVIOUSLY ALWAYS WANT TO HELP A CHILD WHO IS HOMELESS. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE ABLE TO TAKE A PRIVATE RIDE TO SCHOOL, I THINK A LOT OF TIMES AND THEY KNOW IT CAN BE MUCH FASTER, MUCH EASIER, MUCH MORE REASONABLE AND THEN THEY DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO THE WAY THEY WERE BEING BUSED. MAYBE TOOK AN HOUR AND A HALF.
NOW 20 MINUTES. I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE TIME IN FINDING A SOCIAL WORKER OR EVEN HIRING SOMEONE OR SOMEONE INTERNALLY TO VERIFY THE ADDRESSES. I CAN UNDERSTAND INITIALLY THROUGH THE HURRICANES. BUT AS WE GO THROUGH AND IT ALSO REALLY CONCERNS ME TO SEE THAT WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING THAT FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THE FOLLOWING YEAR, TOO. I PERSONALLY DON'T FEEL REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH HAVING A HIGH EXPENDITURE FOR THIS YEAR AND THEN ALSO NEXT YEAR WITHOUT SEEING SOME TYPE OF PROCESS WHERE WE'RE VERIFYING THAT
BECAUSE I DO KNOW, LIKE I KNOW OF SOME FAMILIES WHO ENJOYED THAT. SO THEY DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT LONG BUS RIDE BECAUSE THEY WOULD RATHER BE DRIVEN STRAIGHT TO THE SCHOOL. I'VE GOT TO LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE PENNY. >>Van Ayres: MYRNA HOGUE, OUR SUPERVISOR OF SOCIAL WORK SERVICES FOR ALL OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT OVERSEES ALL THAT. I WANT HER TO TALK THROUGH TO ADD TO THE CONVERSATION OF WHAT THAT VERIFICATION LOOKS LIKE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT STUDENTS THAT ARE CLAIMING HOMELESS. >> THANK YOU. FOR McKINNEY-VENTO, OUR
STUDENTS ARE STUDENTS ARE ENTITLEMENTED -- ENTITLED TO STAY AT THEIR SCHOOL OF ORIGIN. THAT MEANS BY THE McKINNEY-VENTO ACT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THE TRANSPORTATION. WE HAVE HOMELESS STUDENTS AT 175 OF OUR SCHOOLS. IT'S NOT CONCENTRATED. WE NEVER KNOW WHO IS GOING TO NEED TRANSPORTATION. WE DO AN ASSESSMENT AT THE SCHOOL TO DETERMINE IF THEY ARE McKINNEY-VENTO ELIGIBLE. THAT IS LED BY EITHER THE SOCIAL WORKER OR THE PRINCIPAL DOES DESIGNATE A SECOND PERSON IN CASE THAT SOCIAL WORKER IS NOT AVAILABLE THE MINUTE A FAMILY COMES IN. BUT THAT ASSESSMENT DOES GO OVER THE CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS, WHAT
LED TO THE SITUATION, WHERE IS THE FAMILY LIVING, ARE THEY IN A CAR, HOTEL? WAS THAT BECAUSE OF A NATURAL DISASTER, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. THAT ASSESSMENT GOES OVER ALL OF THOSE PIECES AND THEN WE MAKE THAT DETERMINATION IF THEY DO MEET THE LETTER OF McKINNEY-VENTO. WE'RE REALLY NOT PERMITTED TO ADDRESS, CHECK FOR McKINNEY-VENTO. THE STATE SAYS THAT IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN DO. WE HAVE LOTS OF SITUATIONS THAT PERHAPS IT'S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. I'VE HAD THAT QUESTION BEFORE. YES, THE PARENT MAY STILL
TECHNICALLY OWN A HOME BUT THERE IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THEY HAVE TO LEAVE THE HOME FOR THAT REASON, THEY QUALIFY FOR McKINNEY-VENTO. THERE ARE LOTS OF THERE ARE LOTS OF REASONS THE STATE TELLS US TO NOT ADDRESS CHECK, HOWEVER WE CAN WORK WITH THE FAMILY AND WE DO THAT ASSESSMENT. WE AS A LOT OF QUESTIONS. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN MAYBE IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THEY ARE MEETING THE LETTER OF THE LAW. THERE IS A THERE IS A DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS, TOO, THAT OUR DISTRICT HOMELESS LIAISON, DR. HOMELESS LIAISON, DR. BURDGE, SHE COULDN'T BE HERE THIS EVENING, BUT A PART OF THE
DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS. IF IT DOES GET TO WHERE WE'RE REALLY QUESTIONING THE LEGITIMACY OF THE ASSESSMENT, THEN THERE IS A PROCESS TO DIG A LITTLE BIT FURTHER. BUT WE AREN'T PERMITTED TO ACROSS THE BOARD DO AN ADDRESS CHECK, AT LEAST FOR McKINNEY-VENTO. THE STATE TELLS US WE CAN'T DO THAT. >>Nadia Combs: IT'S JUST CONCERNING WHEN WE SPEND AN ADDITIONAL $3 MILLION IN TWO YEARS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY IN THE TOWN N' COUNTRY AREA, BUT, OBVIOUSLY, SOMETIMES THAT CAN CHANGE QUITE QUICKLY, RIGHT?
THAT CAN CHANGE WITHIN THREE MONTHS OR SIX MONTHS THAT McKINNEY-VENTO CAN CHANGE. JUST LOOKING AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR SOCIAL WORKERS ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THAT TO VERIFY THAT AND TO VERIFY THAT AND MAKE SURE. BECAUSE IT DOES CONCERN ME TO SEE AN ADDITIONAL, IF YOU STAYED AT 500,000, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE% .LOOKING AT SPENDING AN ADDITIONAL $1.5 MILLION WHICH IS A HUGE AMOUNT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBL LOOKING AT POSSIBLE CUTS ALL OVER. >> THE OTHER THING WITH
McKINNEY-VENTO IS ONCE A STUDENT IS ELIGIBLE, THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. BECAUSE McKINNEY-VENT BECAUSE McKINNEY-VENTO IS ALL ABOUT SCHOOL STABILITY. IF YOU ARE PERMANENTLY HOUSED LATER IN THE SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH WE WORK VERY HARD TO HELP OUR FAMILIES BECOME PERMANENTLY HOUSED THEY ARE ENTITLED TO REMAIN AT THAT SCHOOL OF ORIGIN FOR THE REMAINDER OF TH FOR THE REMAINDER OF THAT SCHOOL YEAR. SO THEIR STATUS DROPS OFF AT THE END OF EVERY SCHOOL YEAR AND THEN WE HAVE TO REASSESS ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY QUALIFY THE FOLLOWING YEAR. WE DO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO TRANSPORT THROUGH THE END OF
THAT SCHOOL YEAR, AND THEN HELP THEM ENROLL IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR FOLLOWING YEAR. >>Nadia Combs: AS I SAID, I CAN SEE FOR THIS YEAR BUT THEN WE'RE ESTIMATING THE SAME AMOUNT FOR NEXT YEAR. WE'RE LOOKING AT A BIG ADDITIONAL COST JUST SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, A YEAR AND THAT, YOU KNOW, A YEAR AND A HALF LATER THESE FAMILIES, WE'RE ANTICIPATING -- I KNOW IT'S UP TO $2 MILLION, BUT JUST THAT AMOUNT IS VERY CONCERNING TO ME TO MAKE SURE THA TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M BEING A FISCAL -- FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE ON THAT. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS.
MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M REMINDED THAT IN 2023 WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE ALTERNATIVE RIDES, BUSING, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, THE VEHICLES, ONE OF TH THE BIG CONCERNS THAT WE -- THIS IS ON PAGE 10 OF THE CONTRACT -- THE QUALITY OF THE DRIVER. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FLORIDA CLEARINGHOUSE FINGERPRINTING. DURING THAT YEAR, WE REALL DURING THAT YEAR, WE REALLY HARPED O HARPED ON HOW HARPED ON HOW, WHAT QUALITY OF HARPED ON HOW, WHAT QUALITY OF A
DRIVER AND WHAT STANDARDS WILL THEY HAVE. SO, CHRIS, CAN YOU JUST SHARE THAT UPDATED INFORMATION THAT UPDATED INFORMATION? >>Christopher Farkas: I THINK THE BOARD MEETING WAS A POSITIVE BECAUSE I THINK IT BROUGHT AWARENESS TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT THERE IS A DISPUTE RESOLUTION FOR DRIVERS. THE COMPANY WE WORK WITH HAS BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE TO, IF YOU HAVE A CHILD THAT YOU HAD AND YOU SAY, HEY, I DIDN'T LIKE THE DRIVER, UNSAFE, UNCOMFORTABLE, THEY HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD ABOUT THAT. I THINK THE BOARD WOULD AGREE. I'M JINXING MYSELF, HATE TO SAY THAT, BUT THERE'S BEEN VERY LITTLE OF THAT THIS YEAR. VERY LITTLE OF THE NOISE THAT
WAS THERE JUST TO DO WITH YEARS AGO -- JUST TWO YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF THAT FACT. TO THE POINT THAT WE'VE HEARD, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT LOVE THEIR DRIVER. THEY WANT TO STAY IN THAT PART. IT'S MUCH MORE POSITIVE THING. THE BACKGROUND CHECKS, FINGERPRINTING HAVE CONTINUED TO BE A PART OF IT, BUT THE TYPE OF DRIVER, PEOPLE GETTING TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE INTO. MOST PEOPLE ON THE BOARD HAVE CHILDREN. YOU KNOW HOW IT IS TAKING YOUR KID TO SCHOOL AT 7 A.M. SOMETIMES THEY ARE IN A GREAT MOOD. SOMETIMES THEY ARE NOT. GETTING THE TYPE OF DRIVER AND PERSONNEL THAT CAN MAKE A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FOR THE KIDS IS SOMETHING THE COMPANY HAS
DONE A GOOD JOB. NOT PERFECT, DISPUTE RESOLUTION, IF THERE IS AN ISSUE, HAS BEEN WONDERFUL. HAVEN'T HEARD A LOT OF THAT. HOPE KNOCK HOPE KNOCK ON WOOD. >>Lynn Gray: YOU'RE RIGHT. I HAVEN'T HEARD. SO THAT'S GOOD. THE SECOND QUESTION, CURIOUS QUESTION, WHEN WE TALK QUESTION, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT 500,000, 286 STUDENTS, HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS OUT OF THAT QUANTITY? >>Christopher Farkas: I WILL GET THAT INFORMATION. I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME
RIGHT NOW. BUT ORIGINALLY IT WAS ABOUT 60% OF IT. THE ADDITION OF THE McKINNEY-VENTO, A LOT OF IT HAS BEEN McKINNEY-VENTO. I'LL GET THE BOARD EXACT NUMBERS. IT IS IT IS A SENATE SHOT. CHANGES DAILY BASE, SNAPSHOT, WHAT PERCENTAGE IS ESE, WHAT PERCENTAGE IS McKINNEY-VENTO. >>Lynn Gray: IF THE >>Lynn Gray: IF THE ESE FUNDS
GET CUT, WHAT PROPORTION OF GET CUT, WHAT PROPORTION OF THAT 500,000, SAY, WILL BE 500,000, SAY, WILL BE DEDUCTED OR COULD BE OR COULD BE DEDUCTED, THAT'S PART OF THE RATIONALE FOR THAT QUESTION. >>Christopher Farkas: MS. HILL AND TRANSPORTATION DONE A WONDERFUL JOB OF WONDERFUL JOB OF RECRUITING WITH DR. PATTON, THAT WE'RE CLOSER TO HAVING THE DRIVERS WE NEED. ONCE WE GET TO THAT POINT, MUCH MORE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR US TO GET TO GET VANS. HAVE OUR DRIVERS THAT DON'T HAVE TO HAVE CDL TO HAVE CDL LICENSES. OUR PEOPLE DRIVING THE KIDS AT A
MUCH LOWER RATE. WE'RE CLOSE TO THE TIPPING POINT, NOT THERE YET. GETTING CLOSER TO THE TIPPING POINT, MUCH MORE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR US. ONE THING MS. HOGUE WILL TELL YOU, THEY MAY LIVE IN PASCO COUNTY HOMELESS AND GO TO A SCHOOL IN HILLSBOROUGH. SOME OF THE DISTANCES ARE LONG. US DRIVING THE KIDS IS A MUCH BETTER BETTER CHOICE. WE'RE DOING -- THEY WOULD DEFINITELY BE IMPACTED BY THAT BUT I THINK A SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF THE 283.
>>Lynn Gray: HOORAH. YOU ARE BEING PROACTIVE. THANK YOU, DR. THANK YOU, DR. HOGUE, FOR EVERYTHING YOU ARE DOING TOO. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I RECOGNIZE, IN FACT, A LARGE POPULATION OF THE McKINNEY-VENTO IS IN MY AREA BASED ON THE HURRICANES THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST. I UNDERSTAND THAT WE DO HAVE A POLICY IN WHICH WE ARE TO RENEW THAT McKINNEY-VENTO EVERY YEAR. I HAVE SOME DOUBTS ON HOW THAT PROCESS IS BEING DONE, NOT NECESSARILY FROM YOUR OFFICE NECESSARILY FROM YOUR OFFICE BUT THE COLLECTIVENESS FROM
BEGINNING TO END. WE HAVE SCHOOLS IN MY DISTRICT ALONE WHERE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN ON IT THREE AND FOUR YEARS. EITHER AT A PROCESS WHERE WE'RE NOT ENSURING THAT WE HAVE FAMILIES THAT ARE CONNECTING WITH THE WITH THE RIGHT RESOURCES AND THEY ARE JUST REPORTING BACK THAT THEY ARE HOMELESS. WE NEED TO KIND OF TIGHTEN UP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING AND THEY ARE FINE THAT THEY ARE AT LEAST TAPPING INTO THE RIGHT RESOURCES. THAT'S FOR THE OVERALL HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN. NOBODY WANTS OUR CHILDREN TO BE HOMELESS FOR THREE, FIVE YEARS. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN SOME
OF THE FAMILIES THAT I'M COMPLETELY CONNECTED TO IN DISTRICT FOUR. SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IDENTIFYING THAT CONNECTION. FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE KIDS. I KNOW YOU GUYS PROVIDE THEM WITH THE RESOURCES, BUT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE VERIFICATION THAT ACTUALLY TAPPED INTO A RESOURCE TO CHANGE THEIR CIRCUMSTANCE. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. I KNOW OUT IN I KNOW OUT IN PLANT CITY, WE NO -- THERE ARE NO SECONDARY HOMES. THOSE PEOPLE ARE BACK IN THEIR HOMES. SO THERE IS A DISCREPANCY ON WHETHER THEY ARE IN THEIR HOME
OR NOT AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT RATE CONTINUING. SO THAT'S SO THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE A DISCREPANCY. YES, GO AHEAD. >>Christopher Farkas: I THINK IT IS A VALID CONCERN. IF THE BOARD FEELS MORE COMFORTABLE. WE'RE PROJECTING BASED ON THE INFORMATION WE HAVE. IF WE WANT TO LOOK AT A QUARTERLY UPDATE OR ANOTHER BOARD ITEM THAT ADDRESSES NEXT YEAR'S, WE HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. WE'RE LITERALLY GOING ON WHAT WE THINK IS BEST THINK IS BEST PRACTICE ON THAT PART, TOO. LET'S DO A CHECK-IN, FIRST QUARTER, GIVE YOU NUMBERS.
THAT'S HOW WE CAME UP WITH THE NUMBERS, ASSUMING THERE WOULD BE THE SAME AMOUNT OF KIDS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE BOARD IS COMPLETELY INFORMED, IF WE ARE AT 283, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN MARCH, APRIL, MAY, SAME THING FOR THE FALL, ESPECIALLY REAUTHORIZING EVERY YEAR. >>Patti Rendon: AGAIN, THAT REAUTHORIZATION, HAVING VERIFICATION THAT THOSE FAMILIES HAVE TAPPED INTO RESOURCES, IT'S JUST TO ME A HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE TO MAKE SURE THE STUDENTS ARE GETTING WHAT THEY NEED. I HAVE A SITUATION WITH A STUDENT THAT IS ON McKINNEY-VENTO.
THE FAMILY DOES LIVE IN PASCO AND THE STUDENT WAS REMOVED FROM ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS, SO THEY ARE LIVING IN PASCO. THEY THEY HAVE A HOME. SISTERS ENROLLED BUT WE'RE PAYING FOR HER TO BE HERE BECAUSE SHE'S CLAIMING McKINNEY-VENTO HERE. THAT'S WHERE I FEEL THERE IS THAT'S WHERE I FEEL THERE IS A DISCONNECT BECAUSE SHE'S MEETING THE CRITERIA BUT YET WE ALSO KNOW HER KNOW HER SIBLING IS LIVING, LIKE LIVING SOMEWHERE WITH A HOME AND GOING TO ANOTHER COUNTY SCHOOL. THAT'S WHERE I WANT TO MAKE SURE, IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE RECEIVING THE SERVICE, WHICH IS
A SPECIALIZED SERVICE, THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE GETTING THE OTHER NECESSARY SERVICES TO CHANGE CHANGE THEIR CIRCUMSTANCE. >> I CAN SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT. I THINK I KNOW THE SITUATION THAT YOU ARE SPEAKING OF. WE ABSOLUTELY WORK WITH THE FAMILIES TO CONNECT THEM WITH THE RESOURCES. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE CHILDREN'S BOARD. WE HAVE ACCESS TO WE HAVE ACCESS TO ASO. I JUST ASKED THEM FOR AN INCREASE TODAY. THEY GAVE IT TO ME TODAY. WE HAVE SPENT CLOSE WE HAVE SPENT CLOSE TO $300,000 SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THEIR FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS OCTOBER
1st, ON EMERGENCY SHELTERS, HOTELS, FIRST MONTH'S RENT, HOUSING, TO TRY TO STABILIZE THE FAMILIES. THEY HAVE ALSO THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE IN ADDING RESOURCES TO TO THE COMMUNITY AS FAR AS LIKE FAMILY SERVICES, PATHWAYS TO HOPE PROGRAM WHICH IS FOR PREVENTION. SO WE DON'T JUST PUT THE FAMILY IN THE HOTEL THROUGH THEIR FUNDING. WE ALSO CONNECT THEM WITH MORE INTENSE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES. BUT YOU ARE RIGHT, SOME FAMILIES ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS. WE DO LOOK AT THAT ASSESSMENT EVERY YEAR, AND IF A FAMILY,
MANY OF OUR FAMILIES ARE McKINNEY-VENTO BECAUSE THEY ARE DOUBLED UP, SO THEY ARE LIVING WITH ANOTHER FAMILY. IF ON YEAR THREE THEY ARE STILL DOUBLED UP, THEN WE CONSIDER THAT PERMANENTLY HOUSED. YOU'VE NOW KIND OF MADE THAT A PERMANENT DECISION THAT YOU ARE DOUBLED UP, SO THEY NO LONGER QUALIFY. BUT THAT IS KIND OF CASE BY CASE. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT, AND IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR THE SCHOOLS TO DO THOSE ASSESSMENTS SO THAT THEY KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THAT FAMILY AT THE START OF EVERY SCHOOL YEAR. >>Patti Rendon: I DO APPRECIATE THAT. AGAIN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE
HAVE THEM CONNECTED TO THE RIGHT RESOURCES. WE CAN TELL THEM BUT WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT IS HAPPENING. BECAUSE IF THIS MANY FAMILIES ARE HOMELESS, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THAT, 300 AND SOME FAMILIES BEING HOMELESS, THAT'S NOT JUST A TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM, THAT IS A HEALTH AND SAFETY PROBLEM. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALTHOUGH WE'RE ADDRESSING A TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM RIGHT NOW, IT'S REALLY AN OVERALL HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR THE SAFETY OF A CHILD. SO THAT'S WHY WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO FIRM UP OUR POLICIES THAT ENSURE THAT A FAMILY IS CONNECTED TO A RESOURCE, I'M ALL
IN. SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE TELL THEM, BUT WE MAKE SURE THEY ARE ARE CONNECTED DIRECTLY. BECAUSE LIKE I SAID THAT IS A HEALTH AND SAFETY PROBLEM, NOT JUST A TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM. IT'S COME UP BECAUSE IT IS TRANSPORTATION BUT WE HAVE A BIGGER ISSUE. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE PEOPLE THAT UTILIZE IT FOR THE BOUNDARY ISSUE. ANY WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE ADDRESSING HEALTH AND SAFETY BECAUSE THIS IS JUST THE RIDE PORTION. THIS ISN'T THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOW CLAIMED THEY CAN GO TO THE SCHOOL BECAUSE OF McKINNEY-VENTO. THAT IS A WHOLE OTHER NUMBER.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE FIRMING UP AND THE KIDS ARE GETTING THE RIGHT RESOURCES THEY NEED. SO THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. I HAD SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS MYSELF, MORE ABOUT ACCESS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT MY QUESTION REALLY QUESTION REALLY REVOLVED AROUND THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS AND THE ANALYSIS THAT OUTLINES THAT THERE ARE SOME ALTERNATIVE CENTERS THAT ARE ABLE TO UTILIZE THIS TRANSPORTATION. I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY WHAT THOSE ARE, SPECIFICALLY AROUND OUR SUCCESS CENTERS BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAD CHALLENGES WHERE THE
AGREEMENT THAT WE HAD WITH HART WAS NO LONGER GOING FORWARD AND ALL THE SCHOOLS WERE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT IT WAS GOING TO BE LIKE TO GET THOSE STUDENTS SPECIFICALLY THERE. I'M NOT SURE WHERE WE LANDED ON THAT. SO I WANT TO UNDERSTAND, ESPECIALLY IF ESPECIALLY IF WEAVER TALKING ABOUT -- ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOWN SIZING SOME OF THE COSTS BY HIRING BUSES AND BRINGING THAT IN-HOUSE, THAT AS WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SUCCESS CENTERS WHICH ARE SUPPORTING OUR MOST -- SOME OF OUR MOST CHALLENGING YET VULNERABLE STUDENTS AT THE SAME TIME, THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE GET BACK TO THEIR MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS, WHICH ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS IS SUPPORTING AND OUR SUCCESS CENTER IS PART OF THAT. >>Christopher Farkas: YES, ESE CENTERS AS WELL, CENTERS AS WELL, ALL OF THOSE. THE SUCCESS CENTERS ARE PERFECT EXAMPLES OF THAT, MS. VAUGHN, BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO. 250 SCHOOLS THAT ARE FEEDING THOSE TWO, TAKE ELEMENTARY OUT, YOU'VE GOT 75 OR 100 SCHOOLS THAT FEED THAT. IF THE KIDS FROM MORGAN HIGH SCHOOL IN THEORY AND THE KIDS FROM STEINBRENNER BOTH GOING TO ONE OF THE TWO ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW THERE WILL BE A LONG PATH. THERE'S NOT ONE CONCENTRATION
FROM A SCHOOL. ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION IS DEFINITELY THE WAY TO DO THAT. AS FAR AS THE ANSWER TO THE HART QUESTION, THE HART STOP THE FREE TRANSPORTATION. WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO BYPASS FOR THAT PART OF IT TOO. WE HEARD A PUSH BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY THEY WOULD LIKE FOR US TO GET FOR US TO GET ON BUSES. THAT'S SOMETHING WE EVALUATE. NOW THAT WE HAVE DRIVERS, IT'S EASIER TO DO. THE CHALLENGE WILL BE JUST LIKE MAGNET. IT WILL BE A LONGER RIDE. NOT PICKING UP A NEIGHBORHOOD. MULTIPLE NEIGHBORHOODS FROM DIFFERENT ATTENDANCE BOUNDARY
AREAS. BUT HUNDRED PERCENT SOME OF THE PEOPLE ON THE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION IN THIS CONTRACT GO TO SUCCESS CENTERS. >>Jessica Vaughn: JUST TO CLARIFY, BECAUSE I WAS A LITTLE BIT BIT CONFUSED ABOUT THE ANSWER. RIGHT NOW, FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR SUCCESS CENTERS, WHICH ARE TWO. >>Christopher Farkas: TWO. >>Jessica Vaughn: BRANDON AND NORTH TAMPA, YOU'RE SAYING WE ARE PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION BE IT THROUGH THIS OR THROUGH HART PASSES WHICH WE HAVE PURCHASED. EVERY SINGLE EVERY SINGLE STUDENT IS ABLE TO
GET TO OUR SUCCESS CENTERSVY -- >>Christopher Farkas: ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION, HART OR OUR BUSES. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. SEEING THAT THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE MOTION PASSES WITH ONE DISSENTING DISSENTING VOTE, MEMBER RENDON. THE REST OF US VOTING YES. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO 7.04, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, PROJECT
MANAGEMENT SERVICES. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THIS BOARD ITEM REQUIRES APPROVAL FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO BE UTILIZED BY OPERATIONS ON AN AS-NEEDED BASIS. THE NEED IS DUE TO THE NEED IS DUE TO REQUIRED PROJECT MANAGED SERVICES TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL PROJECT COMPLETION. THEY PROVIDE INSTRUCTION AND EXPERTISE TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF A PROJECT. THIS PROBLEM IS BEING RESOLVED BY ENABLING THE DISTRICT TO MANAGE MANAGE PROJECTS.
PROJECT SCHEDULES, QUALITY AND DISTRICT STANDARDS. THAT'S 7.04. >>Jessica Vaughn: I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 7.04. MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS. A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? >>Nadia Combs: NO. MY QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: MEMBER GRAY. ALL RIGHT. SEEING THAT THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR.
THE MOTION PASSES WITH MEMBER RENDON UNANIMOUSLY, BUT WITH MEMBER RENDON BEING AWAY FROM THE DAIS. ALL RIGHT. I JUST WANT TO SAY ALSO FOR THE RECORD WE DID NOT HAVE ANY EMPLOYEE COMMENT TONIGHT. NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS. MR. SUPERINTENDENT. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'LL START THIS EVENING, OF COURSE, OUR COMMENTS ARE ALREADY AROUND OUR STRATEGIC PLAN SO WE'LL START AROUND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE. I DO HAVE SOME REALLY POSITIVE NEWS. I ACTUALLY RECEIVED THIS INFORMATION FROM MS. FOSSICK
RIGHT BEFORE WE WALKED INTO OUR HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL MEETING TWO WEDNESDAYS AGO, TWO WEDNESDAYS AGO, WHO KNOWS. I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK, WHERE WE HAD, THE STATE OF FLORIDA RELEASED OUR COLLEGE AND CAREER ACCELERATION RATE. THIS IS REALLY A BIG PRIDE POINT. WE TALK ABOUT HOW SUCCESSFUL OUR HIGH SCHOOLS ARE BEING AND GETTING STUDENTS ACROSS THE STAGE WITH ACCELERATION CREDITS, CREDITS TOWARDS THEIR NEXT STEP IN LIFE. THIS ONE YEAR, IF YOU THIS ONE YEAR, IF YOU LOOK AT
OUR INCREASE, WE WERE AT 64%. MOVED TO 68%, 4% INCREASE AND 17% INCREASE OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS. BE CLEAR ON WHAT THIS MEANS. BACK MANY YEARS AGO WHEN THEY STARTED THIS COLLEGE AND CAREER ACCELERATION IT WAS JUST ON ENROLLMENT. THOSE RULES HAVE CHANGED. THIS IS ABOUT STUDENTS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY EARNED. I WANT TO GO OVER WHAT THAT MEANS. WE'RE AT 68%. IMAGINE YOUR IMAGINE YOUR DENOMINATOR AT CLOSE TO 15,000 STUDENTS. 68% OF THEM HAVE 68% OF THEM HAVE EITHER DONE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING.
TYPICAL HIGH SCHOOL WITH A NUMBER OF SENIORS, EITHER SCORED THREE OR HIGHER ON AP EXAM, FOUR OR HIGHER ON AB EXAM. A, B, COD ON ACE EXAM. EARNED INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION OR C IN DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSE. TAKE ALL THOSE, HIGH SCHOOL, LOOK UP TO THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT, 68% OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS FROM LAST YEAR DID ONE OF THOSE THINGS, WHICH IS TRULY REMARKABLE. THAT IS ANOTHER 4% JUMP. I KNOW THE BOARD, YOU ARE PROUD
OF ALL THE WORK OUR OF ALL THE WORK OUR ACCELERATION DEPARTMENT DOES. THIS WILL GO IN AS WE LOOK AT SCHOOL GRADES FOR NEXT YEAR SCHOOL GRADES FOR NEXT YEAR FOR HIGH SCHOOL, BOARD BE PROUD OF THAT 4% JUMP. 17% OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS. 4% JUMP JUST IN ONE YEAR. WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE ACKNOWLEDGED ACKNOWLEDGED THAT. THERE WE ARE WITH OUR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT FORUMS.
THAT WAS LAST WEEK. HELD THE ANNUAL FORUMS. STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES MET WITH SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS TO SHARE THEIR SCHOOL EXPERIENCES AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK. GREAT EVENT THAT GIVES STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT. THANKS TO STUDENTS WHO ATTEND THE EVENT EACH YEAR. SO IMPRESSED WITH THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE STUDENTS AND THE IDEAS THEY BRING TO OUR THEY BRING TO OUR BOARD. GOT A FEW SLIDES GOT A FEW SLIDES HERE. FROM THIS PAST SATURDAY OVER AT MIDDLETON, WE HELD THE FINALS FOR NINTH ANNUAL BLACK HISTORY
BRAIN BOWL. AGAIN AT MIDDLETON. ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THE EVENT. IT WAS A VERY CLOSE COMPETITION AND THE STUDENTS WERE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AS THEY ARE EACH YEAR. OUT OF 93 SCHOOLS THAT ENTERED I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE FOLLOWING SCHOOLS FOR THEIR EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WE HAD A SEMIFINAL, TOP SIX WERE. WE HAD THE FINALS BETWEEN RIVER HILLS AND CLARK. I THINK IT WAS ONE QUESTION DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM AND RIVER HILLS PULLED IT
OUT AT THE LAST. CONGRATULATIONS FIRST TO RIVER HILLS. THEY WERE THE ELEMENTARY WINNER IN A CLOSE IN A CLOSE COMPETITION. MIDDLE SCHOOL, SIXTH PLACE MEMORIAL, FIFTH PLACE MEMORIAL, FIFTH PLACE MANN, FOURTH WILLIAMS, ADUM AGAIN THIRD. FINAL WAS MULRENNAN AND FINAL WAS MULRENNAN AND BENITO. CONGRATULATIONS TO MULRENNAN FOR THEIR WIN. THEIR SECOND IN A ROW. THIRD TIME BEING IN THE THIRD TIME BEING IN THE FINALS. CONGRATULATIONS TO MULRENNAN. I'LL TALK ABOUT THEM IN A FEW MINUTES. OUR HIGH SCHOOL TOP SIX, SIX,
MIDDLETON, FIFTH DURANT, FOURTH RIVER VIEW, THIRD GAITHER, SECOND STRAWBERRY SECOND STRAWBERRY CREST, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ROBINSON FOR THEIR WIN FOR HIGH SCHOOL. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS THAT PARTICIPATED AND FOR AND FOR THESE FINALISTS WHO BROUGHT HOME THE BROUGHT HOME THE TROPHY. I CAN'T THANK ENOUGH ALL OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS THAT SUPPORT THE BLACK HISTORY BRAIN BOWL EACH YEAR. SPECIAL THANKS. THIS IS FINALLY GET TO THE SEMI
FINALS AND FINALS, A LOT OF WORK. SPECIAL THANK TO THE PRINCIPAL AT MIDDLETON FOR HOSTING, AFRICAN AMERICAN TASK FORCE LED BY MEMBER LYNN GRAY. AND THE BRAIN BOWL AND THE BRAIN BOWL JUDGES. THANKS TO CORE MEMBERS OF THANKS TO CORE MEMBERS OF HAPSI WHO WERE INSTRUMENTAL. SPECIAL THANKS TO THE SPONSOR HILLSBOROUGH EDUCATION FOUNDATION AND THE PRESIDENT AND CEO WHO WAS ON HAND TO RECOGNIZE OUR STUDENTS.
I JUST WANTED TO ALSO RECOGNIZE THE COACHES, TEACHERS AND FAMILIES THAT SUPPORT THESE TEAMS. WE CAN'T THANK THEM ENOUGH. THEIR HARD WORK TO GET THE STUDENTS READY IS COMMENDABLE AND IT SHOWED DURING THE COMPETITION THAT THE STUDENTS KNOW THEIR STUFF. MULRENNAN COACH AND SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER TOOK THE TEAM TO THE SECOND WIN IN MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION. CHAD SAID HE IS VERY PROUD OF HIS STUDENTS WHO ARE ASKED TO STUDY. HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH CHAD AFTERWARDS. HIS STUDENTS ARE ASKED TO STUDY OVER 1,200 QUESTIONS AND PRACTICE TWO TO THREE DAYS
PRACTICE TWO TO THREE DAYS A WEEK SINCE SEPTEMBER. GAITHER DID NOT MAKE THE TOP PRIZE, UPSET, BUT THEY WERE CHAMPS FOR THREE YEARS IN A ROW. THOMAS AND HIS GAITHER TEAM A SHOUT-OUT FOR SETTING THE BAR FOR OTHERS TO MEET. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO THE STUDENTS, OUR TEAM FOR THEIR HARD WORK. NICE TO SEE AN ACADEMIC COMPETITION. SO WE TALK ABOUT COMPETITION, THINK OF ATHLETICS. IT IS AWESOME TO IT IS AWESOME TO SEE IT IS AWESOME TO SEE OUR ACADEMIC COMPETITION AND THE
ENERGY THAT GOES INTO THAT AND PREPARATION. THE SEMI FINALS AND FINALS WERE PRETTY INCREDIBLE. SOME OTHER AWARDS WITH THE EXCEPTIONAL TALENT, PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP AWARD, LEADERSHIP AWARD, CONGRATULATE ANTHONY PRINCIPAL AT THONOTOSASSA ELEMENTARY AND CLARISSA, PRINCIPLE AT YOUNG MIDDLE MAGNET, RECOGNIZED BY FLORIDA TAX WATCH. THE PRINCIPAL THE PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP AWARD IDENTIFIED FLORIDA'S MOST EFFECTIVE
EFFECTIVE PRINCIPALS, AND PROMOTE TRANSFORMATIONAL PRACTICE THROUGHOUT THE STATE. IDENTIFIES PRINCIPALS AROUND THE STATE WHO HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON THEIR STUDENTS. I WANT TO TAKE A SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS WITH THE TWO OF THEM. THIS IS THE FIRST -- I THINK IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW SINCE WE HAD A FLORIDA TAX WATCH WINNER. CONGRATULATIONS TO MR. CONGRATULATIONS TO MR. MONTOTO AND MS. BERRY. THAT MOVES US NOW TO SUSPENDED AGENDA. WE DO HAVE ONE SUSPENDED AGENDA UPDATE. DR. WIN WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE
ON SIS FOCUS AND ON SIS FOCUS AND SYNERGY UPDATE. >> THANK YOU, MR. SUPERINTENDENT. SO OUR FIRST UPDATE IS ON OUR FOCUS IMPLEMENTATION AND WHERE WE ARE AT CURRENTLY WITH OUR MILESTONES MET, OUR UPCOMING PRIORITIES AND THE PRIORITIES AND THE AREAS THAT WE IDENTIFY AS RISK MITIGATION AS
WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THE PROJECT. ALSO ON SEPTEMBER 13, THE SUPERINTENDENT SENT AN E-MAIL TO ALL ALL HCPS TEAM MEMBERS ALL HCPS TEAM MEMBERS REGARDING THE NEW THE NEW SHARE-POINT DEDICATED TO OUR FOCUS OUR FOCUS SIS. THAT HAS FOUR DIFFERENT FEATURES ON IT FOR OUR STAFF MEMBERS. THE FIRST FEATURE IS OUR ACCESS AVAILABLE TO ALL EMPLOYEES FROM ANY DEVICE USING THEIR HCPS LOG-IN CREDENTIALS. THE SECOND ITEM THAT'S THERE IS OUR PROJECT TIMELINE AND
IMPLEMENTATION DASHBOARD. THE THIRD IS TRAINING. IT IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACCESS ALL OF OUR TRAINING EXPERIENCE, RESOURCE GUIDES, RESOURCE GUIDES, VIDEOS, RESOURCE GUIDES, VIDEOS, AND DOCUMENTS SPECIFIC TO ANY OF OUR EMPLOYEES FUNCTIONAL ROLE AREAS AND/OR ROLES. AND THEN FINALLY THE LAST AREA ARE FAQs. AND WE WILL CONTINUE AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE BUILDING THAT AS WE CONTINUE ON. ON OUR NEXT SLIDE, THAT IS OUR CURRENT ROLLOUT AND OUR CURRENT ROLLOUT AND OUR STATUS OF WHERE WE ARE AT WITH OUR
DIFFERENT GROUPS AND THE VARIOUS ROLES. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY LAST WEEK TO SIT IN TO SIT IN WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION MEETING AND THEN OUR TEACHER PROCESS MEETING OVER AT ERWIN TECHNICAL CENTER. I JUST WANT TO THANK OUR STAFF MEMBERS AND TEACHERS WHO HAVE SHARED THE VALUABLE GIFT OF THEIR TIME FOR OUR THEIR TIME FOR OUR INPUT AND TO ENSURE THAT WE GET THIS PROCESS RIGHT. AND WE AND WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDER GROUPS AND, IN FACT, WE HAVE MANY ASKING WHEN ARE WE NEXT, WHEN ARE WE
ARE WE NEXT, WHEN ARE WE NEXT, RELATED TO THAT. AS A RESULT OF WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY AT, AS OF CURRENTLY AT, AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE HAVE OVER 705,000 COURSE REQUESTS THAT ARE IN THE FOCUS SYSTEM FOR NEXT YEAR. SO WE ARE MAKING REALLY GREAT PROGRESS. AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR CABINET MEMBERS WHO HAVE ALSO BEEN A PART OF THOSE MEETINGS AND SUPPORTING THEIR STAFF MEMBERS, MS. BROWN AND I WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT A MEETING SHE HAD TODAY WHERE WE'RE AT ON OUR
SYNERGY RAMP-DOWN RELATED TO SOME ESE PIECES AS WELL AS WHAT WE'LL BE GOING INTO WITH THE DATA MIGRATION FOR FOCUS. THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS OUR FEEDBACK THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM OUR SECONDARY SCHEDULING AND OUR REQUEST TRAINING FEEDBACK. SO YOU CAN SEE THERE THE SUCCESSES AS WE'VE IDENTIFIED THEM THAT OVERALL THE TRAINING RECEIVED A 95% SATISFACTION RATING. 94% OF THE RESPONDENTS REPORTED
THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRAINER AS BEING STRONG KNOWLEDGE. 94% THAT THEIR QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED CLEARLY. 92% AGREED THAT THE TRAINING MATERIALS WERE RELEVANT AND CONTRIBUTED TO THEIR LEARNING OBJECTIVES. AND THAT 90% KNOW WHERE TO FIND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. OUR OPPORTUNITIES ARE WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON THE FUNCTIONALITY WITHIN THE SYSTEM AND ENSURING THAT OUR STAKEHOLDERS FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO HAVE
NEXT WEEK AT THE ISE ON THE 4th WE'LL HAVE ADDITIONAL OPEN LABS FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS THAT ARE WORKING ON THE SCHEDULING FOR NEXT YEAR AND NEXT YEAR AND COMPLETING NEXT YEAR AND COMPLETING THOSE COURSE REQUESTS AS WELL AS IDENTIFYING THEIR MASTERS SCHEDULES. AND THEN WHERE WE ARE AT CURRENTLY ON THE CURRENTLY ON THE FINAL SLIDE IS THE ENERGY -- EXCUSE ME, THE SYNERGY RAMP-DOWN WHICH STILL REQUIRES A LOT OF OUR ENERGY, AND WHERE WE ARE FOCUSED ON THAT AND TAKING A LOOK AT OUR MILESTONES. THE TEAM HAS BEEN VERY THE TEAM HAS BEEN VERY ENGAGED
AROUND OUR SURVEY 3 FTE REPORTING AS WE ARE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT. AND ANY OF THE UPDATES THAT ARE COMING TO US FROM THE VENDOR THAT THEY DO ON THE WEEKENDS TO ENSURE THEN WHAT THAT ENSURE THEN WHAT THAT IMPACT MIGHT BE FOR US. SO THE TEAM HAS BEEN VERY ENGAGED AROUND THAT. WE'RE CONTINUING TO WE'RE CONTINUING TO MAINTAIN ALL OF THE FUNCTIONAL AREAS, SPECIFIC DAILY STANDUPS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL ISSUES THAT THOSE ARE ESCALATED AND WE CAN GET TIMELY
RESOLUTION ON THAT. SO THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL UPDATE FOR YOU, BOARD MEMBERS, RELATED TO THE WEEKLY UPDATES THAT YOU ARE NOW GETTING AS WELL ARE NOW GETTING AS WELL RELATED TO THE NEW SIS, FOCUS, AND SYNERGY RAMP-DOWN. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, DR. WHELAN. MY LAST SLIDE IS A REMINDER, THE HURRICANE SCHEDULE AND MAKEUP DAYS, MARCH 3 IS NO SCHOOL FOR THE EAST COUNTY ONLY, BUT OUR OTHER SCHOOLS WILL HAVE A FULL
DAY OF SCHOOL ON MARCH 3. MARCH 3 IS STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL DAY ONLY FOR OUR EAST COUNTY SCHOOLS. MADAM CHAIR, THAT'S MY UPDATE. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS AND IF YOU DO HAVE ANY COMMENTS, PLEASE GET IN THE QUEUE, MEMBER GRAY HAD A VERY BRIEF QUESTION ABOUT THE SYNERGY UPDATE. >>Lynn Gray: VERY BRIEF. THIS IS ABOUT THE SUSPENDED AGENDA ON AGENDA ON THE AGENDA ON THE ABSENTEEISM. WHAT HAS BEEN PERHAPS NOT AS ACCURATE BUT WE CAN FIX IT IS A LOT OF THE TEACHERS LOT OF THE TEACHERS ARE NOT TAKING ROLL EVERY
TAKING ROLL EVERY PERIOD. THEREFORE SOME OF THE STUDENTS ARE NOT BEING COUNTED OR NOT COUNTED. AND MY SUGGESTION, BECAUSE I'M COMING FROM THE OLD SCHOOL WHERE SOME OF US TOOK ROLL EVERY PERIOD, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT TEACHERS ARE TAKING ROLL EVERY PERIOD BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF SKIPPING. SO THIS IS JUST FROM WHAT I'M HEARING IN THE SCHOOLS AND THE ACCURACY OF AN ABSENTEE REPORT, PERHAPS WE NEED TO ENFORCE TAKING ROLL EVERY PERIOD.
>>Van Ayres: WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THAT. DR. GRAY, IF YOU COULD FOLLOW UP WITH PRINCIPALS. DAILY ATTENDANCE IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAPPEN EVERY DAY IN OUR SCHOOLS. I'LL DO SOME FOLLOW-UP THERE ON THAT. TAKING ATTENDANCE EVERY DAY IS SOMETHING THAT WE SOMETHING THAT WE MUST DO. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. BACK TO THE COMMENTS. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'LL BE VERY, VERY FAST AND SHAKE WASHINGTON, SHAKE WASHINGTON, GET READY. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. WE'LL NOW MOVE INTO BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS. BOARD MEMBERS, JUST A REMINDER,
YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES EACH TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. ALL YOU, MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: HERE WE GO. THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF TAMPA BLACK HISTORY COMMITTEE FOR THE STUDENT RECOGNITION OF THESE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO MAINTAIN GOOD GRADES AND ARE INVOLVED IN COLLEGIATE AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I MENTIONED ROSS ANDERSON, TWO MEMBERS OF THE MEN OF VISION RECEIVED FROM RECEIVED FROM TITUS O'NEIL,
RECEIVED FROM TITUS O'NEIL, A THOUSAND DOLLARS IN OTHER GIFTS. MEN OF MEN OF VISION STUDENTS INCLUDING MATIAS FROM HILLSBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND SHERON FROM MIDDLETON HIGH SCHOOL. VERY, VERY GOOD. GREAT GREAT WORK. RACE FOR EDUCATION. I WANT TO THANK AND SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, WE'RE INVITING EVERY BOARD MEMBER TO GET READY, GET SET, GO, WALK OR RUN, HAVE FUN. THANK YOU, ANN MARIE COURTNEY FROM THE FROM THE PHILANTHROPY. HILLSBOROUGH EDUCATION FOUNDATION WHO ALWAYS SUPPORTS US.
COMMUNICATIONS, LAUREN. DENA MARSHALL FROM AETNA VITALITY AND FROM THE FACE, LOUIS, KIANA WILLIAMS, MONICA, MARIA, WILLIAM, DR. JOSEPH'S AND THESE FOLKS WERE THESE FOLKS WERE OUT ALL DAY FRIDAY AND/OR SATURDAY TRYING TO PROMOTE OUR RACE FOR EDUCATION. THANK THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THURSDAY NIGHT IS OUR STUDENT ONLINE SAFETY PANEL AT
TURNER/BARTELS, 5:30 TO 7:00. INVITING ALL BOARD MEMBERS. HOPING THAT MEMBER VAUGHN CAN COME BECAUSE SHE LIVES NOT FAR FROM THERE AND HOPING WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS COME. THIS IS AGAIN STUDENT ONLINE SAFETY FROM OUR HUMAN TRAFFICKING COMMITTEE. SHAKE WASHINGTON, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING AND VAN AYRES EVERYTHING AND VAN AYRES AND MEMBER VAUGHN AND MEMBER COMBS AND STAFF FOR JOINING US WITH THE NINTH ANNUAL THE NINTH ANNUAL HAPPENSY BRAIN BOWL RESULTS.
WE ARE REMINDED THAT BLACK HISTORY IS AMERICAN HISTORY. OUR TASK OUR TASK FORCE, OUR TASK FORCE, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL AFRICAN AMERICAN TASK FORCE, MEMBER WASHINGTON, CHAIR URSULA ODOM AND OUR WONDERFUL HAPSI LEADER, DR. ANGELA BEVERLY PROUD TO ANNOUNCE AND ALREADY BEEN DONE, RIVERHILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WON, MULRENNAN WON AGAIN, THE THIRD TIME.
ROBINSON HIGH SCHOOL HAS WON. NEXT, HE WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ERNEST WOODS, AN ELOQUENT HOST WHO DID A WONDERFUL JOB. PABLO, YOU PROBABLY HAVE SOME PHOTOS. OH, YOU DIDN'T GET ANY. PHOOEY. DR. DR. PANSY WHO KEPT TRACK OF THE ACCURACY OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. OUR SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT, MARIE ROGERS, MARTHA FORD, MARIE ROGERS, MARTHA FORD, THEY
WORKED TIRELESSLY ON INFORMING THE COMPETITIVE GRADE LEVEL QUESTIONS WHICH STUDENTS SPENT WEEKS AND MONTHS WEEKS AND MONTHS STUDYING. SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, HOW MANY QUESTIONS DID YOU SAY? >>Van Ayres: ONE OF THE COACHES, THE COACH FROM MULRENNAN HAS THEM PREPARE BY THEM PREPARE BY STUDYING 1200 QUESTIONS SINCE SEPTEMBER. YOU CAN TELL BY THE MULRENNAN TEAM, THEY WEREN'T JERKING AROUND, WEREN'T MESSING AROUND. 1200 QUESTIONS. THEY KNEW THEM.
>> THANK THE JUDGING PANEL, TIME KEEPERS AND TECH DEPARTMENT, CHRIS JARGO, CHRIS JARGO, LYNNETTE, JONATHAN. I WANT TO THANK I WANT TO THANK ALSO ALLISON EDGECOMB EDGECOMB FORMED 39 -- THANK ALLISON EDGECOMB FOR ALSO FORMING UP FORMING UP TO 49 THURGOOD MARSHALL CLUBS. SHE IS JUST MARVELOUS AND COMPREHENSIVE AND VERY HARD WORKING. I WANT TO THANK OUR DEDICATED
BOARD MEMBERS WHICH I THANKED FIRST BUT THANK AGAIN. CHAIR JESSICA VAUGHN, NADIA COMBS, SHAKE WASHINGTON AND OUR SUPPORTIVE, VERY SUPPORTIVE SUPERINTENDENT VAN SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES FOR AGAIN COMING. WE JUST FINISHED A 15K RACE BUT WE DIDN'T WE DIDN'T SWEAT, DID WE? LAST BUT NOT LAST BUT NOT LEAST, HILLSBOROUGH EDUCATION FOUNDATION, ANA CORPSMAN. SHE HAS BEEN BEHIND SHE HAS BEEN BEHIND THE BLACK HISTORY
HISTORY BRAIN BOWL, SHE IS SO STUDENT CENTERED. BIG THANK YOU TO ALL YOUR STAFF. I GUESS I AM DONE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. I'M GOD. BYE. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS. >>Nadia Combs: JUST THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, SO MANY OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE SHINED. JUST AMAZING FOR ME JUST KIND OF KEEPS ME KEEPS ME MOTIVATED BECAUSE THIS IS A CHALLENGING JOB. IT KEEPS ME MOTIVATED. GOING TO THE S.T.E.M. FAIR AND SEEING ALL THE AMAZING STUDENTS AND ALL THE PROJECTS THEY DID, IT WAS INCREDIBLE. THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY PEOPLE
TO THANK FROM THE SCIENCE DEPARTMENT. THEY DID AN AMAZING JOB AS WELL AS ALL THE USF JUDGES WHO CAME IN FROM THE SCIENCE DEPARTMENT. IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE ALL THOSE KIDS. THERE IS A STUDENT I SEE EVERY YEAR AND SHE'S LIKE, I'M BACK. ALWAYS IN THE SAME SPOT. I'M ALWAYS AMAZED AT JUST THE INTELLIGENCE AND THE INNOVATIVE IDEAS THAT THESE STUDENTS HAVE. IT WAS IT WAS GREAT. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THEM. ALSO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL FORUM I THINK IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL EVENTS THAT I THINK THAT I EXPERIENCE EVERY YEAR, REALLY SEEING THOSE
STUDENTS STUDENTS AND HEARING THEIR SLICES AND THEIR CONCERNS AND MAKING SURE WE LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE OUR CUSTOMERS. SO TO SEE HOW WE CAN IMPROVE AND WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER I THINK IS VERY, VERY VERY, VERY IMPACTFUL. I WANT TO THANK MS. LEFLER. SHE INVITED ME TO THE MULTICULTURE NIGHT AT DEER PARK. REPRESENTS OVER 49 COUNTRIES AND 38 LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE SCHOOLS IN OUR ENTIRE DISTRICT. I ATE SO MUCH AMAZING FOOD
THERE. IT WAS GREAT. I WAS LIKE YOU GUYS GOT TO I WAS LIKE YOU GUYS GOT TO GO EVERY YEAR. THE FOOD WAS AMAZING FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. ALL THE DIFFERENT PARENTS THERE. IT WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. ALSO, THE BLACK HISTORY CELEBRATION AT ROLAND PARK. IT WAS A GREAT COLLABORATION BETWEEN ROLAND PARK AND ALSO BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL. PRINCIPAL VAN AIKEN THEY DID A DANCE, WHAT IS THAT CALLED WHEN THEY ALL THEY ALL DANCE TOGETHER?
WHEN THEY ALL COME -- FLASH MOB. AND IT WAS SO GOOD. IT WAS AMAZING. THEY DID A FLASH MOB. I HAVE TO SAY EVERY TIME I SEE CARMEN GRIFFIN FROM BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL, I'M JUST AMAZED AT HER DEDICATION AND THE LOVE THAT SHE FEELS AS SHE LEADS THOSE STUDENTS. I WALKED UP AND I WAS LIKE IT'S JUST SUCH A GREAT WAY TO SEE HOW MANY TEACHERS LOVE WHAT THEY DO AND BRING INSPIRATION TO THOSE STUDENTS. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE BRAIN BOWL. THAT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE. SEEING THOSE STUDENTS COMPETE
AND HOW EMOTIONAL THEY AND HOW EMOTIONAL THEY GOT AND HOW EMOTIONAL THEY GOT AND HOW COMPETITIVE THEY WERE AND JUST HOW THEY SUPPORTED ONE ANOTHER. I THINK IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE. I REALLY LOVE THAT. THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY, FOR BEING SO INVOLVED WITH THE AFRICAN AMERICAN TASK FORCE AND HABSI AND ALL THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WENT TO THAT EVENT. IT WAS GREAT. I'M GOING TO LEAVE AT 11. I ENDED UP STAYING UNTIL 2. I BLEW OFF MY FAMILY, BUT THAT'S OKAY. FINALLY, WE'RE GOING TO BE MEETING MEETING THE EARLY LEARNING TASK
FORCE, TOMORROW AT 1:30. BOARD MEMBERS YOU ARE WELCOME TO JOIN. THE THINGS THAT I'M INTERESTED IN LIKE THAT BOOK IN LIKE THAT BOOK END, MAKING SURE THAT EVERY CHILD HAS A GREAT EDUCATION FOR EARLY LEARNING SO THEY CAN GET STARTED AND OBVIOUSLY MAKING SURE AT THE END END WE PREPARE STUDENTS FOR LIFE FOR WHATEVER THEY DO. HONESTLY WHAT KEEPS ME UP MOST AT NIGHT IS REALLY THE VACANCIES IN OUR DISTRICT AND THE VACANCIES IN THE SCHOOLS. THIS WEEK I WENT TO FIVE SCHOOLS. WHEN YOU GO IN AND I HEAR THERE'S NOT A VACANCY, THAT'S REALLY AMAZING.
AND THEN THERE ARE SCHOOLS WITH A LOT OF VACANCIES. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO CONTACT OUR STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS AND SAY 1.07 IS NOT RIGHT. WE HAVE TO DO BETTER. WE HAVE TO EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS. THAT IS THE FUTURE. THAT IS OUR BIGGEST ASSET IS OUR STUDENTS. AND WE HAVE TO PAY TEACHERS MORE. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW OFTEN I SPEAK TO TEACHERS AND THEY SAY THAT REALLY ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THEY LEAVE IS SALARIES AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE AMOUNT OF THINGS THAT WE NEED FROM THEM. LIKE I SEE A NEW REQUIREMENT MAYBE ABOUT
MAYBE ABOUT ATTENDANCE. REQUIRING OUR TEACHERS MORE AND MORE TO DO MORE AND THEY EXPECT MORE, BUT THE SALARIES ARE NOT EQUIVALENT TO THAT. SO AS A BOARD MEMBER, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S ONE OF MY MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PAYING PEOPLE, OUR SECURITY OFFICERS, OUR LUNCHROOM STAFF, OUR BUS DRIVERS. EVERYBODY INVOLVED EVERYBODY INVOLVED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE LIKE ELON MUSK AND ALL THESE ENTREPRENEURS, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE THEM IF WE DON'T HAVE THE TEACHERS IN PLACE AND THE BUS DRIVERS AND OUR SOCIAL
WORKERS. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO SAY WE NEED TO DO SAY WE NEED TO DO BETTER. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. YEAH, AS A BOARD WE'VE BEEN EXTREMELY BUSY THIS LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. THE STUDENT FORUM WAS AMAZING. SO MANY GREAT THINGS GOING ON WITH THE S.T.E.M. FAIR THAT WE HIGHLIGHTED LAST BOARD MEETING AND SO FORTH. BUT ONE OF THE EVENTS I WENT TO LAST WEEK ON FRIDAY WAS SPONSORED BY SPONSORED BY HORACE ACADEMY IN WHICH THEY PARTNERED WITH THE HILLSBOROUGH EDUCATION
FOUNDATION, CAREER SOURCE, JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT, 3DE, AVID, CHICK-FIL-A, SO MANY OTHER SPONSORS, BAR AND BAR. AND THEY HIGHLIGHTED SO MANY VARIOUS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND GAVE OUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO OUR STUDENTS. WE BROUGHT STUDENTS IN FROM ALL OVER THE DISTRICT, THROUGH THE AVID PROGRAM, THROUGH 3DE AND BROUGHT THEM IN, MET DIRECTLY WITH COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND GAVE THEM SCHOLARSHIPS ON-SITE. THEY COULD APPLY FOR COLLEGES ON-SITE. SO IT WAS A TREMENDOUS EVENT. IT WAS A TREMENDOUS EVENT IN THE
DISTRICT, AND IT WAS DEFINITELY A HIGHLIGHT OF MY DAY ON FRIDAY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I TOOK TIME TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AND SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE SPONSORS OF THAT EVENT THAT REALLY GIVING OUR STUDENTS AND OUR SENIORS A DEAL, STEP UP, AN OPPORTUNITY. THESE SCHOLARSHIPS DON'T COME AROUND OFTEN. SO WHEN THEY DID, IT WAS WONDERFUL. I WAS THERE WHEN AT LEAST THREE KIDS GOT FULL RIDES. SO THAT'S AMAZING THAT THOSE UNIVERSITIES WERE RIGHT THERE TO DO THAT. SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL THE UPCOMING NEW THINGS GOING ON. THANKS.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER WASHINGTON. >>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THIS WEEK WAS REL BUSY. IT WAS -- WAS REAL BUSY. IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE. MR. YOUNG, I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU THIS, DO YOU KNOW THE SUPERINTENDENT CAME OVER IN TIGER LAND WITH A BLAKE TIGER LAND WITH A BLAKE HAT? WITH A BLAKE HAT IN TIGER LAND. BUT WE LOVE YOU, SUPERINTENDENT. YOU KNOW THAT. ANYWAY, SO WE HAD A GREAT TIME AT THE BLACK HISTORY BRAIN BOWL.
BOY, THOSE KIDS ARE BOY, THOSE KIDS ARE SMART. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE, ESPECIALLY MULRENNAN. GOLLY, BEFORE YOU COULD SAY GOLLY, BEFORE YOU COULD SAY THE WORD, THEY WERE PRESSING THAT BUTTON. THEY DID A GREAT JOB. THEY DOMESTIC MAINLY MIDDLE SCHOOL ALL THE TIME. RIVER HILLS DID RIVER HILLS DID A GREAT JOB AS WELL AS ROBINSON. ALL OF THE KIDS, ALL OF THE SCHOOLS WERE WINNERS. I TOLD THEM THAT WHEN I SPOKE TO THEM. THEY WERE WINNERS. NO LOSERS. ALL WINNERS. HAD A GREAT TIME AT THE SLIGH MILLER
MILLER MAGNET SCHOOL WHITE COAT CEREMONY. IT WAS REALLY NICE. WE HAD DR. FREDERICK CAME DOWN FROM NEW YORK BECAUSE HE'S NOT HERE ANYMORE. BUT HE CAME DOWN FROM BUT HE CAME DOWN FROM NEW YORK. I MUST -- I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY. DR. DR. ANGELA BROWN IS DOING A GREAT JOB OVER THERE AT SLIGH BECAUSE SHE HAS A LOT OF KIDS BECAUSE SHE HAS A LOT OF KIDS IN THAT PROGRAM, IN THAT WHITE COAT PROGRAM. THEY HAD ABOUT 30 SOME KIDS, IF NOT MORE.
SHE'S DOING A GREAT JOB. I TOLD HER I WOULD MENTION HER NAME BECAUSE I DON'T WANT HER TO GET THE GET THE BIG HEAD. LET ME TELL YOU A QUICK STORY, I KNEW HER WHEN SHE WAS A LITTLE GIRL. AND THEN SHE WENT TO EAST BAY AND BECAME ONE OF THE GREATEST ATHLETES TO COME THROUGH THERE RUNNING TRACK. GREAT PERSON. SHE IS A GREAT PERSON. WHEN I WAS GETTING READY TO GO UP ON THE STAGE, SHE HAD TO HELP ME UP. I SAID I COULD REMEMBER THE TIME WHEN I HAD TO HELP YOU UP AND NOW YOU'RE HELPING ME. VICE VERSA. BUT WE HAD
BUT WE HAD A GREAT TIME THERE. ALSO, YOU KNOW AT THE REGIONAL S.T.E.M. FAIR WAS S.T.E.M. FAIR WAS NICE. THE KIDS DID A GREAT JOB. DID A GREAT DID A GREAT JOB. SOME OF THE INVENTIONS UNBELIEVABLE. SOME OF THE KIDS WILL BE RICH ONE DAY IF THEY KEEP GOING IN THAT DIRECTION. MOVING ALONG, MOVING ALONG, LET'S TALK ABOUT -- OH, I HAD A CHANCE -- OH, I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT -- TALK TO READ TO SECOND
GRADERS. THEY WERE VERY ATTENTIVE. THEY ENJOYED THE STORIES ABOUT SOME OF THE BOOKS SOME OF THE BOOKS I READ. DR. DAMES, THE PRINCIPAL, SHE'S WORKING REALLY HARD. IT IS A DIFFICULT SCHOOL TO WORK AT. YOU HAVE TO KEEP WORKING HARD AND NOBODY KNOWS AND NOBODY KNOWS THAT MORE THAN MS. BROWN. YOU DID A GREAT JOB THERE ALSO. I WANT TO READ SOMETHING QUICK BEFORE I CLOSE OUT. I HOPE I DIDN'T MISS OUT ON ANYTHING.
I DID A LOT WITH MY BAD ARM MOVING AROUND. LET'S TALK ABOUT A PERSON I REALLY, REALLY ADMIRE. I ALWAYS BRING HER NAME I ALWAYS BRING HER NAME UP. HARRIET TUBMAN. MY FAVORITE LADY, MS. TUBMAN. AND THIS IS TRUE. I ALWAYS READ IT EACH YEAR. IF YOU HEAR THE DOGS KEEP GOING, SHE SAID. IF YOU SEE THE TORCHES IN THE WOODS, KEEP WOODS, KEEP GOING. IF THEY ARE SHOUTING AFTER YOU,
KEEP GOING. DON'T EVER STOP. KEEP GOING. IF YOU WANT A TASTE OF FREEDOM, KEEP GOING. AND THAT'S TRUE. SHE IS A GREAT PERSON. LAST BUT LAST BUT NOT LEAST, NOBODY EVER LOST A FIGHT BECAUSE THEY GOT KNOCKED DOWN. THEY LOST A FIGHT BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET UP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER RENDON, YOU BARELY USED YOUR TIME, I KNOW YOU HAVE ONE LAST THING. >>Patti Rendon: I DID. I FORGOT.
WE WILL NOT HAVE ANOTHER BOARD MEETING BUT WE HAVE TWO OF THE FOUR, FINAL FOUR GIRLS BASKETBALL FOR THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP ON MARCH THE CHAMPIONSHIP ON MARCH THE 6th IN LAKELAND, STEINBRENNER HIGH SCHOOL AT 9:00 ON MARCH 6th AND AND BLOOMINGDALE HIGH SCHOOL IS AT 1:00. I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ENCOURAGE ANYONE AND EVERYONE TO GO OUT THERE. TWO OF THE FINAL FOUR FOR THE ENTIRE STATE TITLE ARE OUR GIRLS BASKETBALL. IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO SUPPORT THEM AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING. THESE GIRLS ARE PHENOMENAL ATHLETES. I WANT TO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE
-- MARCH 6, RP CENTER IN LAKELAND ON 9:00 FOR STEINBRENNER AND 1 P.M. FOR BLOOMINGDALE. HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE BOTH SCHOOLS IN THE SCHOOLS IN THE FINALS. IT WILL BE WONDERFUL. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER PEREZ. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. WHENEVER A SCHOOL BUS, WHENEVER I AM DRIVING AND I ALIGN MYSELF WITH A SCHOOL BUS, I THINK IT IS THE NEATEST THING BECAUSE YOU SEE THE KIDS. THE SCHOOL BUS SOMETIMES WOULD BE ROCKING.
AND THAT BUS DRIVER AND THAT BUS DRIVER JUST LOOKING AHEAD. AND I'M LIKE, GOD BLESS THEM. OUR BUS DRIVERS, THEY HAVE TO LOOK OUT LOOK OUT FOR OUR FELLOW RIDERS, OUR KIDS OUR KIDS IN THE BACK AND DRIVE SAFELY. I HAVE A QUESTION. BUS PATROL FUNDS, HOW MUCH HAVE WE RECEIVED SO FAR WE RECEIVED SO FAR TO DATE? >> WE'RE CLOSE TO ALMOST $2
MILLION. >>Karen Perez: WHAT ARE WE UTILIZING THAT MONEY FOR? >> THE STATUTE IS PRETTY CLEAR. IT IS FOR SAFETY ITEMS WITHIN TRANSPORTATION. THAT INCLUDES RETENTION OF DRIVERS. WE HAVE NOT USED ANY OF IT YET. LAURA HILL HAS A PROPOSAL ABOUT DOING MENTOR DRIVERS THAT WE'LL START WITH. THAT IS THE FIRST PROPOSAL. I HAVE NOT GIVEN THAT I HAVE NOT GIVEN THAT TO SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. WE HAVEN'T SPENT ONE DOLLAR WE HAVEN'T SPENT ONE DOLLAR OF IT YET. >>Karen Perez:
>>Karen Perez: MENTORS, TO BE ABLE TO -- THE DRIVER HAS TO FOCUS ON THE FOCUS ON THE ROAD AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING. BUT WHEN SOME OF OUR KIDS, TODAY, IN THE CLIMATE THAT WE'RE LIVING IN TODAY, YOU KNOW, A LIVING IN TODAY, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR OF OUR KIDS, OF OUR KIDS, TALKING MENTAL HEALTH. KIDS HAVE BECOME A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE. THEY HAVE BECOME A LITTLE MORE, YOU ASK YOU ASK THEM TO
YOU ASK THEM TO SIT DOWN AND THEY DON'T WANT TO LISTEN. PUTTING MENTORS ON BUSES, ESPECIALLY THOSE ESPECIALLY THOSE BUSES ESPECIALLY THOSE BUSES THAT WE HAVE UPTICK MORE WITH KIDS ACTING OUT WOULD PROBABLY HELP THESE BUS DRIVERS AND MAYBE HELP US EVEN RETAIN BUS US EVEN RETAIN BUS DRIVERS. HAVE WE HAD HAVE WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH BUS DRIVERS QUITTING BECAUSE OF BEHAVIORS ON BUSES? >>Christopher Farkas: NOT UNLIKE TEACHERS, PAY AND BEHAVIOR ISSUES ARE PROBABLY TWO OF THE
BIGGEST BIGGEST THINGS WE HEAR BIGGEST THINGS WE HEAR -- >>Karen Perez: SO WITH >>Karen Perez: SO WITH BEING ABLE TO HIRE -- I'M LOOKING AT YOU, DR. YOU, DR. PATTON YOU, DR. PATTON NOW, HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER WITH TRANSPORTATION, POSSIBLY MENTORSHIP, MENTORS IN THESE SELECTED BUSES SELECTED BUSES TO SELECTED BUSES TO IMPROVE DRIVER SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY ON THE
ROAD, BUT ALSO, WE HAVE CHILDREN IN THESE BUSES. AND IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, THE FIRST THING THEY ARE GOING TO SAY IS WE'RE LIABLE. THEY DON'T STOP AND THINK THAT THE KIDS WERE ACTING OUT. THEY DON'T STOP AND THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LIABLE. CAN WE ABSOLUTELY TALK ABOUT THAT AND MAYBE THAT AND MAYBE ON THAT AND MAYBE ON THE SUSPENDED AGENDA PLACE THE BUS PATROL FUNDS ON THERE SO WE COULD KEEP UP WITH WHAT THAT IS LOOKING
LIKE FOR US? >>Christopher Farkas: YES, MA'AM. WE WANTED TO GET A BASELINE BEFORE WE STARTED SPENDING THE FUNDS. OBVIOUSLY DON'T OBVIOUSLY DON'T WANT TO IMPACT GENERAL FUND. >>Karen Perez: THAT WILL BE GREAT. THAT WILL BE GREAT FOR US, FOR THE STUDENTS. HOW MANY BUSES DO WE HAVE, JUST FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND? >>Christopher Farkas: WE HAVE A THOUSAND BUSES. WE HAVE ABOUT 758 ROUTES RIGHT NOW. >>Karen Perez: THE PUBLIC WILL UNDERSTAND WHY I'M ASKING FOR THIS ASK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT WAS ALL I NEEDED TO ADD. THANK YOU. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. FOR MY CLOSING COMMENTS, I'M GOING TO COVER SOME THINGS WE CONFERRED, OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE COVERED, JUST MAKING SURE THAT I THANK SOME PEOPLE THAT I WANTED TO FIRST IN REGARDS TO THE S.T.E.M. FAIR. FANTASTIC. I THINK I KNOW WHO YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, MEMBER COMBS. PATEL, SHE'S ALWAYS THERE, ALWAYS PHENOMENAL. BUT I WOULD LIKE BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT TOMORROW IS THE BIG PREMIER OF THE ACTUAL S.T.E.M. THE ACTUAL S.T.E.M. FAIR AWARDS THAT WILL BE
THAT WILL BE PREMIERED AT 6 P.M. IT GOES LIVE AT 6 P.M., AND THEN ON DEMAND AT ON DEMAND AT 8:30 P.M. IT WILL BE SIMULTANEOUSLY BROADCAST ON BOTH TBAE AND HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOLS TV. AND YOU CAN WATCH IT STREAMING LIVE. TO WATCH IT, YOU GO TO WATCH TBAE.NET TBAE.NET AND TBAE.NET AND HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOLS.TV. PLEASE TUNE IN. MAKE SURE YOU WATCH THAT. OUR KIDS WORK SO HARD. SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT. ALSO THE STUDENT FORUM WHICH WE
TOUCHED ON PHENOMENAL. I WANT TO SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO JEN YOU TO JEN SPARANO. I KNOW HOW HARD SHE WORKS ON THAT. PUTS HER HEART AND SOUL INTO THAT. ONE OF THE BEST FORUMS, HEARING OUR KIDS AND MAKING SURE THEIR PERSPECTIVE. ALTHOUGH ALWAYS AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT, I REALLY HIGHLIGHTED SO MANY GREAT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS. I REALLY I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. BLACK HISTORY BRAIN BOWL WAS PHENOMENAL. THERE WERE A LOT OF TEARS BECAUSE THOSE KIDS ARE VERY PASSIONATE AND COMPETITION IS FIERCE. BUT I LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT JUST HOW
MUCH HISTORY THEY LEARNED AND THAT EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T WALK AWAY WITH A TROPHY, THEY WALK AWAY WITH THAT KNOWLEDGE THAT NO ONE CAN EVER TAKE AWAY FROM THEM. A LOT OF US PARENTS, TOO, GOT TO QUIZ OUR KIDS. I WANT TO THANK MIDDLETON FOR HOSTING. THEY DID AN AMAZING JOB. THEIR SCHOOL LOOKS PHENOMENAL. THEY JUST HAD A BRAND-NEW MURAL THAT THEY UNVEILED AND THEIR DRUM LINE, I MEAN, UNFORGETTABLE. IT WAS HARD TO STAY STILL IN MY SEAT. JUST SO BLOWN AWAY. WORLD-CLASS DRUM LINE THERE. IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THEM.
I APPRECIATE THAT. TODAY I HAD THE HONOR OF GOING TO CLARK ELEMENTARY AND I GOT TO JUDGE THEIR 4H SPEECH COMPETITIONS WHICH THOSE WINNERS WILL THEN BE COMING ON TO THE DISTRICT. LET ME SAY THOSE KIDS ARE AMAZING AND WHAT A GREAT PROGRAM IT IS TO REALLY GET OUR KIDS USED TO PUBLIC SPEAKING. THE WAY THEY JUST THE WAY THEY JUST ALL SPOKE SO ELOQUENTLY AND ON TIME, EYE CONTACT, I MEAN, THEY MADE ME FEEL SHAMEFUL FOR MY PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS, THEY WERE SO GOOD. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO
MS. GUPTA AND DR. RIVERA FOR INVITING ME TO THAT. IT WAS GREAT. THIS WEEKEND, I ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO WHARTON'S FEMALE LACROSSE FUND-RAISER THAT THEY DID. THEY DID A COMEDY SPECIAL OUT IN HERITAGE ISLAND TO RAISE HERITAGE ISLAND TO RAISE MONEY FOR LACROSSE. THE ORGANIZATION WAS GREAT. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO DON WHO ORGANIZED THAT, INVITED ME. THE LACROSSE GIRLS TEAM IS SO EXCITED, AND THEY WERE SO HAPPY ABOUT THE RULE CHANGE THAT NOW ALLOWS BOTH ALLOWS BOTH THE BOYS AND THE GIRLS TEAMS TO BASICALLY THRIVE
MORE. IT AFFECTED BOTH THE TEAMS. AND THEY WERE SO HAPPY ABOUT THAT AND THEY WANTED ME TO COME BACK AND SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. BUT ALSO PUT IN A PLEA TO TALK ABOUT THE RATES FOR ABOUT THE RATES FOR LACROSSE BECAUSE THEY PAY FOUR, FIVE, SIX TIMES MORE THAN ANY OF OUR OTHER SPORTS, AND IT'S A REAL CHALLENGE, HENCE WHY WE HAD TO HAVE THE COMEDY FUND-RAISER. I WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT THAT IF WE GET AN OPPORTUNITY, BUT SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS WAS JUST GREAT. I THINK THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE. JUST TO FOLLOW UP, IF WE COULD
GET SOME CLARITY, I KNOW THAT THERE WERE SOME THERE WERE SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JUST ZONING. I KNOW WE EQUALLY CLOSED OFF SOME OF THE CHOICE WINDOWS AS WELL AS SCHOOLS ARE FILLED. THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHOEVER CHOICES INTO THAT. I JUST WANT SOME CLARITY AROUND THAT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WAS PRESENTED ACCURATELY OR FAIR TODAY IN REGARDS TO WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE AS FAR AS THE ZONING. I KNOW YOU GUYS AND OTHER A SCHOOLS. I KNOW YOU GUYS WILL FOLLOW UP ON THAT. BUT I WANT TO BE CLEAR FOR THE RECORD FOR MY
RECORD FOR MY UNDERSTANDING, THERE WAS NOTHING SPECIFICALLY AT THE STUDENTS FROM JUST WHO WERE STOPPED FROM CHOICING INTO ANY OF OUR SCHOOLS. IF ANYTHING, CHOICE WAS CLOSED OFF FOR THE ENTIRE DISTRICT OR IF SCHOOLS ARE FILLED THAT'S ACROSS THE DISTRICT AS WELL. I WANTED TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT THAT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR TONIGHT. I THINK WE HAD A LONG BUT PRODUCTIVE MEETING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WITH THAT, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ]