>> EVERY MORNING, THOUSANDS >> EVERY MORNING, THOUSANDS OF STORIES BEGIN. BEFORE THE LESSONS, BEFORE THE BELL RINGS, BEFORE A STUDENT BELIEVES THEY CAN, THEY NEED SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES IN THEM. >> I WANTED >> I WANTED A PROFESSION WHERE MY EXPERIENCE MAKES A DIFFERENCE. >> I WANTED TO CREATE LASTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS. >> I WANTED TO HELP STUDENTS FIND THEIR VOICE.
>> I WANTED STUDENTS TO KNOW SOMEONE BELIEVES IN THEM. >> EVERY ROLE MATTERS. EVERY MOMENT COUNTS. EVERY DAY IS EVERY DAY IS FILLED WITH POSSIBILITIES. IF YOU ARE READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, MORE OPPORTUNITIES START HERE. >> HI. I'M KAREN PEREZ, CHAIR OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THAT INCLUDES CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL AND ADULTS THROUGH OUR WORKFORCE PROGRAM. >> I'M NADIA COMBS, THE SCHOOL BOARD'S VICE-CHAIR. OUR DISTRICT IS THE 7th LARGEST IN AMERICA, AND OUR TEAM IS MADE UP OF 24,000 PEOPLE WORKING AT CLOSE WORKING AT CLOSE TO 250 SITES ACROSS THE COUNTY. >> OUR DISTRICT IS DIVERSE AND DEDICATED. OUR BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD IN
OUR BOARD AUDITORIUM ON SELECT TUESDAYS AT 4 P.M. THE BEST WAY TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY IS TO INVOLVE YOU, THE PUBLIC IN WHAT WE DO. >> YOU ARE WELCOME TO MEET OR E-MAIL ANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND FOLLOW OUR DISTRICT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS ARE COVERED LIVE BY HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOLS TV ON SCHOOLS TV ON SPECTRUM 635 AND FRONTIER CHANNEL 32. >> MEETINGS ARE ALSO STREAMED LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org.
CLOSED CAPTIONING IS PROVIDED ON ALL BROADCASTS AND PAST MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN OUR ONLINE ARCHIVE. >> WE ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY. WE'LL INCLUDE TIME FOR AUDIENCE COMMENTS BEFORE WE ADDRESS OUR BUSINESS ITEMS. OUR AGENDA AND ANY SUPPORTING MATERIALS CAN BE VIEWED ONLINE IN ADVANCE. THEY ARE POSTED SEVEN DAYS BEFORE EACH MEETING ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org. >> OUR VISION IS PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE, AND THAT MEANS ALL STUDENTS EVERY DAY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION. WITH YOUR HELP, WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ] >>Karen Perez: THE BOARD MEETING OF AUGUST 4 IS CALLED TO ORDER. MEMBER COMBS WILL NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [MOMENT OF SILENCE] >> THANK YOU, CHAIR PEREZ. PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE. [MOMENT OF SILENCE]
THANK YOU. NOW PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] >>Karen Perez: THERE IS ONE WITHDRAWN ITEM. ITEM 3.1, PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN SCHOOL BOARD OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND COMMITTEE FOR LICENSE RENEWAL OF THE SECOND STEP HUMAN SKILLS PROGRAM. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO
ADOPT THE AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. PLEASE LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MEMBER HAHN. WE HAVE ONE SET OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY. JULY 14, 2026, SCHOOL BOARD
MEETING. AND JULY 28, 2026 SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER VAUGHN. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TODAY'S MEETING. AS A REMINDER, WE ARE A NONPARTISAN BOARD WHO BELIEVE ALL CHILDREN CAN BE EMPOWERED TO
LEARN TO SUCCEED AND OUR DECISIONS WILL BE MADE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING. TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EFFICIENT AGENDA STATEMENTS AND 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 ARE ASKED TO GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. NOW, MEMBER COMBS WILL NOW READ THE BOARD GUIDELINES. >>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, CHAIR PEREZ. AS WE BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETING, PLEASE ALLOW ME TO QUICKLY REVIEW THE FORMAT OF
TODAY'S SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. PLEASE SILENCE ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THERE ARE SPEAKERS IN THE ROOM BEHIND ME THAT ALLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO HEAR THE MEETING UPON STEPPING AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THIS MEETING CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON LIVE WEBCASTS ON CABLE TV, ON VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM. IT CAN ALSO BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING IN THE ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVE. >>Karen Perez: WE HAVE ONE ITEM FOR TIME CERTAIN. THAT'S 6 P.M., EMPLOYEE INPUT.
PUBLIC COMMENT -- THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS AND VALUES YOUR INPUT TO THE BOARD. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE TO YOUR COMMENTS, OUR STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND WILL KEEP OUR BOARD INFORMED ABOUT THE RESPONSES. OUR SCHOOL BOARD RESPECTS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME TO BE HERE. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK ABOUT ANY ISSUES YOU LIKE. YOU WILL NOT BE INTERRUPTED. HOWEVER, ANY BEHAVIOR INTENDED
TO INTERRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED. WE DO REQUEST THAT YOU TRY TO FOCUS ON THE ISSUES. WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE. THIS AFTERNOON, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. REMINDER THAT YOUR THREE MINUTES START WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. WHEN THERE ARE 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOU WILL SEE A YELLOW LIGHT ON THE LECTERN AND HEAR A CHIME. THE RED LIGHT AND THE CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I WILL NOW CALL UP THE FIRST
FIVE SPEAKERS. >> HELLO. MY NAME IS ASHLEY MORROW. I LOVE GOOD BLACK HISTORY LESSONS, SO I AM BACK WITH ANOTHER ONE. THIS ONE THIS ONE IS ACTUALLY ABOUT SCHOOL IN DISTRICT 4, MARSHALL MIDDLE MAGNET. SO AS THE STORY GOES WITH MARSHALL MIDDLE MAGNET, IT GOT ITS START ITS START IN 1920 AND IT WAS
STARTED BY A MAN BY THE NAME OF EJ MARSHALL WHO BUILT A TWO-STORY BRICK BUILDING, TWO-STORY BRICK BUILDING, AND HE EVENTUALLY -- THEY EVENTUALLY, I GUESS, EXPAND THE SCHOOL AND IT BECOMES PLANT CITY JUNIOR NEGRO HIGH SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL AND PLANT CITY HIGH SCHOOL AND PLANT CITY NEGRO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL WHICH MOVED TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION AND EVENTUALLY THAT GETS CHANGED TO MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL FOR NEGROES BEFORE DESEGREGATION. I DID A LITTLE DIGGING, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I DO, I LOVE ARCHIVES.
THE LOCATION WHERE IT CURRENTLY SITS, LINCOLN ELEMENTARY IS WHERE MIDWAY ORIGINALLY SAT. I WENT AND FOUND THE PLAT MAP FROM 1907 RIGHT HERE. THIS IS THE BLOCK. THESE ARE THE TWO DEEDS FOR TWO OF THOSE LOTS, 5, 6, 7, AND 8. IT WAS ACTUALLY IT WAS ACTUALLY PURCHASED BY THE TRUSTEES OF THE SPECIAL TAX SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER 6 THAT WAS BUILT TO BE A PLANT CITY -- SORRY, A PLANT CITY HIGH SCHOOL FOR AGRICULTURE. THAT MATCHES. THAT LINES UP.
HOWEVER, THE MEN, THE TRUSTEES OF THIS SPECIAL TAX SCHOOL DISTRICT WERE ALL WHITE. I WAS VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? AND THERE'S NO GOTCHA IN THIS STORY. I'M STILL VERY MUCH RESEARCHING. I JUST CAME FROM PLANT CITY AND DROVE BACK HERE BECAUSE I'M LIKE I NEED TO SHARE THIS WITH THEM. BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHY EITHER, WHERE THIS STORY CAME FROM. I'LL LEAVE THESE WITH YOU. A FEW A FEW ARTICLES, THIS ARTICLE TALKS ABOUT THE PLANT TALKS ABOUT THE PLANT CITY SPECIAL TAX SCHOOL DISTRICT
NUMBER 6, AND THEN THIS ONE TALKS ABOUT HOW IT INITIALLY WAS GOING TO BE CALLED -- IT WAS GOING TO BE CHANGED FROM PLANT CITY NEGRO HIGH SCHOOL TO WHEATLEY HIGH SCHOOL. THAT NEXT MONTH, THE THAT NEXT MONTH, THE PTA, A GROUP OF GROUP OF NEGRO PLANT CITY CITIZENS CAME UP AND SAID, NO, WE WANT IT TO BE NAMED EJ MARSHALL BECAUSE THIS STORY I JUST TOLD YOU. SO I'M VERY CURIOUS AS TO WHERE THIS STORY CAME FROM, AND HOW AND WHY WE AND WHY WE KEEP PUSHING WITHOUT DOING DEEPER DIVES AND DOING THE
RESEARCH. I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE A LOT OF STUFF ON YOUR PLATE, BUT IF YOU HAVE A HISTORIAN ON STAFF OR SOMETHING THAT CAN HELP ME, IF YOU GUYS HAVE OLD MINUTES SO I CAN GET THE STORY AS TO WHY THEY THOUGHT THAT WAS THE BEST NAME. AND NOT BASHING MARSHALL. I LOVE MARSHALL. I'M JUST WONDERING WHO THIS MAN WAS AND WHY THEY NAMED THIS SCHOOL AFTER HIM IN 1950. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JESSICA EAGLE. I'M A STUDENT ATHLETE AND INCOMING SOPHOMORE AT MORTON HIGH SCHOOL. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE DRESS CODE. THE NEW ADDITION TO THE DRESS CODE REGARDING CODE REGARDING LEGGINGS. AS A STUDENT ATHLETE WHO PRACTICES BEFORE SCHOOL BEGINS, I HAVE FOUND THAT LEGGINGS ARE A PRACTICAL ITEM TO WEAR. HOWEVER, WITH THE NEW RULE STATING THAT GIRLS CAN ONLY WEAR LEGGINGS IF WE HAVE A TOP THAT GOES TO MID THIGH, THIS IS DANGEROUS TO STUDENT HEALTH AS THE EXTREME TEMPERATURES IN FLORIDA, IT CAN CAUSE ISSUES WITH EXHAUSTION, ALL THE WAY TO
HEATSTROKE. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RECENTLY BECAME AN A GRADE DISTRICT WITHOUT THE NEW DRESS CODE. WHY ADD A NEW RULE THAT IS DETRIMENTAL TO OUR EDUCATION AS IT SHIFTS GIRLS' FOCUSES FROM WHAT WE'RE LEARNING TO WORRYING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE WEARING. I URGE YOU TO REMOVE THIS ADDITION TO THE DRESS CODE. I, AS A STUDENT WHO STARTED AND WILL FINISH THEIR HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAREER WITHIN THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, I HOPE THAT THIS BECOMES A DISTRICT THAT GIRLS CAN WEAR WHAT THEY WANT WITHOUT FEAR OF PUNISHMENT.
THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> HELLO. MY NAME IS DeANGELO JACKSON. I'M HERE FROM TRUST ACADEMY. A LITTLE BACKSTORY ABOUT ME. I'M FROM MICHIGAN, AND I WAS A FOSTER CARE SINCE I WAS 14. I BECAME A BUSINESS I BECAME A BUSINESS OWNER AT 18. I STARTED SEEING THE SHIFT IN MYSELF WHEN I STARTED BEING AROUND OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS,
COMPARED TO WHEN COMPARED TO WHEN I WAS BEING AROUND OTHER FOSTER KIDS AND OTHER KIDS THAT WAS IN THE STREETS. SO I STARTED SEEING MY BEHAVIOR CHANGE, MY DEMEANOR CHANGE, STARTED BEING AROUND US OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS. SO FAST-FORWARD TO ME BEING 45 NOW, I CREATED A NONPROFIT THAT KIND OF COPIED THAT MODEL THAT I LEARNED. SO WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS BE ABLE TO TAKE KIDS IN THOSE SECONDARY KIDS AND STUFF THAT DON'T HAVE A CAREER PATH AND HELP THEM NARROW IT DOWN THEIR CAREER PATH AND GIVE THEM THE STEPS, THE SUPPORT, AND THE
MENTORSHIP SO THEY CAN GET -- GET CERTIFIED SO THEY CAN START WORKING RIGHT WORKING RIGHT AWAY. AND THEN I'M GOING TO BE THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BE INTRODUCING THEM TO MY BUSINESS OWNER CIRCLE SO THEY CAN GET THE TRAINING AND EVERYTHING AND THE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT I PARTNERED UP WITH ALREADY AGREE TO HIRE THESE KIDS IN RIGHT AWAY AFTER THEY GET TRAINED. IT'S A SMOOTH PROCESS BECAUSE TRUST ACADEMY, THEY TRUST ME. I TRUST THEM. I WANT THE KIDS TO TRUST ME WITH THEIR DREAMS SO I CAN MAKE SURE
I GIVE THEM THE STEPS TO MAKE IT COME TRUE. I'M HERE TO WORK OUT SOMETHING WITH YOU GUYS BECAUSE THIS IS MY FIRST TIME DOING IT ON THIS SIDE OF IT, TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE COULD DO FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO GET BE ABLE TO GET INTO THOSE SCHOOLS SO I CAN START GETTING MY HANDS ON THE KIDS, START TRAINING THOSE KIDS AND GETTING THOSE KIDS JOBS. THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR. HOPEFULLY THIS LAND WITH SOMEONE. I HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN. I ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING STRUCTURED OUT. ALSO, I GOT A MINUTE ALSO, I GOT A MINUTE LEFT, I ALSO WANT TO WORK WITH THE KIDS
18 AND ABOVE AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO WORK WITH THE KIDS THAT'S UNDER 18 THAT THAT'S UNDER 18 THAT NEED DIRECTION. I ALREADY APPLIED FOR MY SCHOOL APPLICATION AND STUFF IN POLK COUNTY AND I PASSED THE FIRST STAGE YESTERDAY. SO THEY ARE GOING TO BE REVIEWING IT. I GOT MY REVIEW THING, YOU GUYS KNOW HOW IT WORKS IN TWO WEEKS, LIKE AFTER THAT, SO I CAN BRING THIS TO POLK COUNTY AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR EAR. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE
CONSENT AGENDA. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER VAUGHN AND A AND A SECOND BY MEMBER AND A SECOND BY MEMBER COMBS. THE CONSENT AGENDA HAS BEEN APPROVED. OH. NO. SEEING NO FURTHER COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. THE CONSENT AGENDA HAS BEEN APPROVED.
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL NOW THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL NOW BE HEARD: D 2.1 AND HEARD: D 2.1 AND D 5.3. ITEM ITEM D 2.1, TERMINATE THE CONTRACT WITH COLLABORATORY PREPARATORY ACADEMY. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. BOARD MEMBERS, FLORIDA BOARD MEMBERS, FLORIDA STATUTE 1,002.33 PERMITS A CHARTER GOVERNING BOARD TO VOLUNTARY CLOSE A SCHOOL AND SURRENDER THEIR CHARTER FOR TERMINATION. THE COLLABORATORY PREPARATORY ACADEMY VOTED VOLUNTARILY TO
SURRENDER THEIR CHARTER ON JULY 8, 2026, AND NOTIFIED STAFF, PARENTS AND FAMILIES ON JULY 13, 2026. THE CHARTER OFFICE IS ACTIVELY EXECUTING CLOSING -- CLOSURE PROCEDURES WITH THE SCHOOL. THAT IS ITEM THAT IS ITEM 2.1. OF COURSE, CROOKS, OUR DIRECTOR OF CHARTER AND OUR CHIEF, MARCOS MURILLO IS HERE AS WELL IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS WITH 2.1, TERMINATION OF THE CONTRACT WITH COLLABORATORY PREPARATORY ACADEMY. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM D 2.1.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER GRAY AND MEMBER COMBS, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT -- WELL, THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT MEANS A LITTLE BIT MORE MEANS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN JUST THIS PARTICULAR CHARTER SCHOOL ITEM. MS. CROOKS, WE LOOK AT A FEW OF THESE CHARTER SCHOOLS.
IF WE GO BACK TO THE '80s AND METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES STARTED, WE USED TO THE CHARTER SCHOOLS FOR A SPECIFIC NEED. PEPIN FOR THOSE PEPIN FOR THOSE ESE CHILDREN. THEN WE HAVE THEN WE HAVE MORPHED INTO GROUPS OF CHARTER SCHOOLS, OF CHARTER SCHOOLS, CSA, CHARTER SCHOOL USA, OTHER LARGER ENTITIES. NOW, SOME OF THESE GROUPS ARE LOSING THE STUDENTS JUST LIKE, UNFORTUNATE, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE LOSING. SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE FOR
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO SHARE IS THE BRASS TACKS, THE ACTUAL REASON WHY ACTUAL REASON WHY THIS ACTUAL REASON WHY THIS SCHOOL IS CLOSING. SECONDLY, SHARE THE PROCESS OF US GAINING OUR FTE BACK. THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE A REMARK ON THE TRENDS UNLESS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THAT. THANK YOU. MS. CROOKS. THANK YOU. >> YES. SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS YOU HAD WAS REASON FOR WHY THE CHARTER SCHOOL, THIS PARTICULAR CHARTER SCHOOL IS CLOSING OR DID YOU -- >>Lynn Gray: WE HAVE A FEW.
I THINK WE HAVE THREE MORE. >> THIS PARTICULAR, THE AGENDA ITEM PULLED TODAY FOR THE COLLABORATORY, THEIR REASON WAS THEY FELT LIKE THEY HAD ACHIEVED THEIR MISSION. THEY INITIALLY HAD OPENED THEIR CHARTER SCHOOL TO GIVE -- PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHER STUDENTS IN THE AREA TO GET STUDENTS IN THE AREA TO GET A GOOD EDUCATION. A LOT OF THE SCHOOLS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA HAVE REALLY DONE EXTREMELY WELL. THEY ARE AT LEAST E OR HIGHER. SO THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE
ACCOMPLISHED THEIR MISSION AND THEY ARE READY TO CLOSE THEIR CHARTER. SO THEY WERE COMING UP FOR ACTUALLY A CONTRACT RENEWAL. IN LOOKING AT THE CONTRACT RENEWAL AND MEETING WITH THE BOARD CHAIR, THEY DECIDED THAT RATHER THAN GOING THROUGH THE -- THE CONTRACT IS A RATHER RIGOROUS PROCESS. RATHER THAN GOING THROUGH ALL THAT THEY CHOSE TO TERMINATE THEIR CHARTER SCHOOL. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN THE AND THEN THE FTE JUST FOR THE INFORMATION, HOW THAT IS EXCHANGED. >> FDE PURPOSES, ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT WE STARTED EARLY ON WITH THE CHARTER SCHOOLS IS BECAUSE THIS CHARTER SCHOOL, ALONG WITH SOME OF THE OTHER ONES, THERE'S BEEN A TREND OF LOW ENROLLMENT AS WELL, RIGHT? SO THOSE ARE ALSO FACTORS THAT OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE TO CONSIDER. IS THERE ENOUGH FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE OR RUN A CHARTER SCHOOL? SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID WAS LOOK IN OUR OFFICE, WE LOOKED AT SCHOOLS THAT HAD LOW ENROLLMENT. I ASKED THEM WHAT THEIR PLAN WAS FOR RECRUITMENT, WHAT THEIR PLAN WAS FOR
WAS FOR SUSTAINABILITY. TO REALLY TO REALLY CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THEY WERE ABLE TO FISCALLY OPERATE THEIR CHARTER SCHOOL FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR, AND SO THEY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, TOO. AND SO BEFORE WE WERE AND SO BEFORE WE WERE ISSUED ANY FDE FUNDS FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR, I PAUSED ALL FUNDS SO WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT -- THOSE FUNDS COMING BACK THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PULL BACK FROM FROM THE CHARTER SCHOOLS. >>Lynn Gray: AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF REVENUE GAINED. THE QUESTION OR THE LARGER ISSUE. WE SEE A
WE SEE A TREND OF CHARTER SCHOOLS LOSING STUDENTS SCHOOLS LOSING STUDENTS LIKE OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION SCHOOLS, PUBLIC SCHOOLS. GET IT OUT THERE CORRECTLY EVENTUALLY. AND WHAT HAPPENS IS WE HAVE SEVERAL LARGER SEVERAL LARGER CONGLOMERATES WHO ARE ARE NOW LOOKING AT PUBLIC EDUCATION. THEY ARE GAINING MORE AND MORE, LET'S JUST SAY, A LARGER VOICE. SO VERSUS TWO OR THREE ORGANIZED CHARTER SCHOOL CHARTER SCHOOL ORGANIZATIONS,
WHICH ARE NOW ALSO UNDER THREAT, I DO BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO SEE A TREND FOR LARGER, MUCH LARGER CORPORATE ENTITIES. I'M VERY CONCERNED I'M VERY CONCERNED WHEN WE HAVE LARGER FOOTPRINT OF CORPORATE ENTITIES, I'LL JUST USE THOSE WORDS, I CONCERN MYSELF AS OTHER BOARD MEMBERS BOARD MEMBERS DO, BOARD MEMBERS DO, TOO, HOW THEY ARE AFFECTING OUR CURRICULUM "THE" CURRICULUM. ARE THEY GOING TO PUT FORTH THEIR CURRICULUM. SO WHEN WE SEE THESE TRENDS --
AND THANK YOU, MS. CROOKS -- WHEN YOU HAVE FOUR WHEN YOU HAVE FOUR SCHOOLS, CHARTER SCHOOLS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS AND ALL FOR THE RIGHT REASONS, WHEN THEY ARE STARTING TO FOLD, WE ARE NOW SEEING, I DO THINK IN SEEING, I DO THINK IN THE CURRENT COMING YEAR, LARGER ENTITIES. AND I THINK THAT JUST BEARS REMARK, AND I'M CONCERNED. >> YEAH, AND I CAN SEE SOME OF THE TRENDS, TOO, CERTAINLY WITH SOME OF OUR SMALLER INDEPENDENT CHARTER SCHOOLS. THERE USED TO BE, YOU KNOW,
WAITING LISTS OF 300, YOU KNOW, PLUS STUDENTS AND NOW THEY ARE DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A HUNDRED, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS ON THEIR WAITING LIST. THEY ARE DEFINITELY FEELING THE IMPACT. WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT ARE MANAGED BY LARGER CORPORATIONS -- YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES, RIGHT? SO THEY POOL THEIR MONEY TOGETHER AND SO IT'S A DIFFERENT FEEL. IT'S -- IT'S VERY DIFFERENT THE WAY THEY ARE ORGANIZED AS OPPOSED TO MORE OF OUR INDEPENDENT CHARTER SCHOOLS, WHICH ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE SEEING STRUGGLE A LITTLE BIT MORE. >>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU FOR THAT OVERVIEW.
APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS. >>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. I PULLED 2.1, BUT IT DOES INCLUDE 2.2, 2.3, INCLUDE 2.2, 2.3, AND 2.4. SO WHEN I ASK QUESTIONS AND I'LL PROBABLY GET BACK IN THE QUEUE BECAUSE IT IS FOUR ITEMS. 2.1 IS THE COLLABORATORY PREP ACADEMY. 2.2 IS VICTORY CHARTER SCHOOL. 2.3 IS ANOTHER VICTORY CHARTER SCHOOL, 6 THROUGH 8. FINALLY, LEGACY PREP. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FOUR CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT ARE BEING
NOTIFIED JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME THAT THEIR STUDENTS ARE BEING NOTIFIED THAT THE SCHOOL IS CLOSING AND THEY HAVE TO FIND A NEW HAVE TO FIND A NEW LOCATION. THIS AFTERNOON, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS CONFRONTING SOMETHING WE'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED ON THIS SCALE. FOUR CHARTER SCHOOLS CLOSING BECAUSE ENROLLMENT AND FINANCIAL CONDITIONS COULD NOT SUSTAIN THEIR THEIR OPERATIONS. FLORIDA HAS YET -- HAS SPENT YEARS PROMOTING EDUCATIONAL CHOICE AND EXPANDING CHARTER SCHOOLS BUT CHOICE IS NOT MEANINGFUL IF A SCHOOL CAN BECOME FINANCIALLY UNSTABLE AND FAMILIES LEARN TOO LATE THAT IT
CANNOT REMAIN OPEN. FLORIDA CONTINUES TO RANK AT THE BOTTOM NATIONALLY WITH THE PER-STUDENT FUNDING. THIS IS NO LONGER A TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ISSUE. WE'RE NOW SEEING THAT INADEQUATE FUNDING, LACK OF FUNDING, LACK OF OVERSIGHT, ENROLLMENT COMPETITION, INSUFFICIENT STATE LEVEL SAFEGUARDS CAN ALSO DESTABILIZE THE VERY CHOICE SYSTEM THE STATE CONTINUES TO PROMOTE. SO THE DISTRICT IS THE SPONSOR AND HAS TO CARRY OUT THE LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES. BUT WE DID NOT BUT WE DID NOT DESIGN THE
CHARTER SCHOOL SYSTEM, DETERMINE ITS FUNDING LEVEL OR WRITE THE LAWS THAT RESTRICT THE LOCAL OVERSIGHT. THE LEGISLATURE, THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION CREATED THIS FRAMEWORK. TODAY, I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER THAT FRAMEWORK PROTECTS THESE STUDENTS, IF IT PROTECTS THE EMPLOYEES, IF IT PROTECTS THE FAMILIES, AND ALSO, IF IT PROTECTS THE TAXPAYERS. AND WHETHER IT'S MERELY JUST ALLOWED TO OPERATE WITHOUT BEING A A SUSTAINABLE. SO I DO HAVE QUITE A FEW
QUESTIONS FOR YOU. MOST OF THESE FOUR, YOU CAN GO THROUGH THE FOUR SCHOOLS, WAS IT A VOLUNTARY SURRENDER? WAS IT A GOVERNING BOARD DECISION? OR WAS IT THE TERMINATION OF THE CONTRACT? >> FOR ALL OF THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE ON OUR AGENDA TODAY, ARE ON OUR AGENDA TODAY, THEY ALL VOLUNTARILY VOTED TO SURRENDER THEIR CHARTER SCHOOL. SO ALL OF IT WAS SO ALL OF IT WAS VOLUNTARY. ALL FOR DIFFERING REASONS, BUT TRENDING WITH LOW ENROLLMENT, OF COURSE, TOO. THEIR BOARDS APPROVED IT, AND
THEIR FAMILIES WERE ALL NOTIFIED, AND THEY HAVE ALL BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE CHARTER OFFICE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. >>Nadia Combs: US AS WE'RE OVERSEEING AND YOU ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM, WERE YOU ABLE -- WAS THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, WERE THEY FIRST NOTIFIED ABOUT THE DETERIORATING FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE SCHOOLS. THIS DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. THIS HAPPENED -- WHAT DID THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DO TO SAFEGUARD THIS OR PROTECT THE TAXPAYER MONEY? >> THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
WHEN I INITIALLY TOOK WHEN I INITIALLY TOOK ON THIS POSITION, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT WERE STARTING TO STRUGGLE FINANCIALLY SO WE REACHED OUT TO THE STATE TO PUT THEM ON FINANCIAL ACTION PLANS BECAUSE THE STATUTE ALLOWS FOR THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A NEGATIVE FUND BALANCE. SO WE DID REACH OUT TO THE STATE, BUT WE DIDN'T HEAR BACK FROM THE STATE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD APPROVE THEIR FINANCIAL ACTION PLANS THAT WE HAD WORKED TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH. AND SO WE DECIDED THAT EVEN THOUGH WE HADN'T HEARD BACK FROM THE STATE, WE WOULD GO AHEAD AND
IMPLEMENT SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT TO TRY TO GET THEM FINANCIALLY ON THE RIGHT TRACK, WHICH WORKED, YOU KNOW, WHICH WAS GOOD. I BROUGHT IN BUILDING HOPE TO TALK ABOUT TALK ABOUT FDE TALK ABOUT FDE FUNDING AND ALSO THE DANGERS OF OVER-PROJECTING POPULATIONS AND LOOKING AT THOSE TRENDS TRENDS AND THEN ALSO WE TRENDS AND THEN ALSO WE STARTED PRACTICING LAST YEAR THAT IF THEY DID OVER-PROJECT BY LARGE AMOUNTS, I STARTED RECALCULATING THOSE PROJECTIONS EARLIER RATHER THAN LATER.
SO IN OCTOBER, WE STARTED RIGHT-SIZING THOSE FDE FUNDS, SO THEN THEY SAW A DECREASE IN THAT FUNDING, SO THEN THEY HAD TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS WITH THEIR BUDGETS, WITH THEIR BOARDS FOR THE REST OF THE THE REST OF THE YEAR, SO OVERPAYING THEM AND THEN TRYING THE FOLLOWING YEAR TO RECOUP SOME OF THE MONEY. SO WE MADE A LOT OF THOSE DIFFERENT ADJUSTMENTS ALONG THE WAY WHICH IS WHY I THINK WE'RE NOT SEEING SUCH A LARGE NOT SEEING SUCH A LARGE DEFICIT IN SOME OF THE CHARTER SCHOOLS WE DO SEE NOW. YOU ARE GOING TO SEE SOME NEGATIVE FUND BALANCES. THAT'S BECAUSE SOME OF THE CHARTER SCHOOLS, SO, FOR
EXAMPLE, VICTORY SCHOOL, THEY DIDN'T TAKE THEIR MANAGEMENT COMPANY. THEY DECIDED NOT THEY DECIDED NOT TO TAKE THEIR MANAGEMENT FEES BECAUSE THEY KNEW THE CHARTER SCHOOL WERE STRUGGLING. SO THEY DIDN'T CHARGE THE CHARTER SCHOOL ANY MANAGEMENT FEES. BUT THEN IT WENT INTO SORT OF A NEGATIVE FUND BALANCE AND THEN HAD TO TAKE OUT LOANS TO TRY TO MAKE ENDS MEET. THE COLLABORATORY, WHICH IS THE AGENDA ITEM THAT WAS PULLED TODAY, TODAY, I KNOW THAT THEY HAD A LOT OF DONORS AND A LOT OF
SUPPORT FROM OTHER COMPANIES AS WELL, SO THEY'VE DONE THINGS LIKE, AS THIS TRANSITION HAS HAPPENED, THEY HAVE GIVEN ALL THEIR EMPLOYEES THREE MONTHS' SEVERANCE PAY. YOU'LL SEE THAT AS PART OF THE NEGATIVE FUND BALANCE. YOU'LL SEE SOME NEGATIVE FUND BALANCES BUT WON'T SEE ALL OF THE ACTUALS UNTIL THE FINAL AUDIT COMES IN WHICH IS A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT. AND WE'LL SEE THAT IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AS WE START TO WIND THINGS DOWN. >>Nadia Combs: YEAH, I MEAN, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SINCE YOU KNOW THE STATE DOES GIVE ALL THE FUNDING INITIALLY. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE GUIDANCE
ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO HEAR THAT YOU HAVEN'T REALLY HEARD MUCH FROM THEM AND THE DISTRICT IS TAKING ALL THAT INITIATIVE TO ME IS WORRISOME. BECAUSE IF YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE THAT CHOICE, THEN YOU NEED TO SUPPORT IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH INSTEAD OF LEAVING THESE STUDENTS. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT PIZZO, WE'RE GIVING PARENTS A YEAR AND A HALF NOTICE. WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT GRAHAM AND ALL THESE DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH NOTICE HOW MUCH NOTICE DID THESE FAMILIES HAVE TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE SCHOOLS -- THE SCHOOLS SAW IT COMING.
SO WHY DIDN'T THE SCHOOL KNOW? WHY DIDN'T THE PARENTS OF THE FAMILIES BE NOTIFIED BEFORE THE END OF THE SCHOOL END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR? >> THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION. UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION. BUT I DO KNOW THAT ONCE WE WERE NOTIFIED, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ROSE TO THE CALL. WE WERE WE WERE THERE ON FRIDAY WHEN OUR DISTRICT OFFICES WERE CLOSED, DR. ALTHEA WALKER WAS AMAZING. SHE WENT OUT AND TALKED TO STAFF ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES TO COME WORK IN THE DISTRICT. I WORKED WITH MATT ROMANO AND HIS TEAM TO OFFER CHOICE TO OUR
FAMILIES THAT WERE FAMILIES THAT WERE IMPACTED THROUGH THE THROUGH THE CHOICE APPLICATION DEADLINE. AND THEN WORK WITH THEM TO GET BACK INTO THEIR TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS. I KNOW THAT ALSO ONE OF THE BOARD BOARD MEMBERS, BABETTE MARINO WITH THE COLLABORATORY, SHE WAS REALLY HELPFUL AS WELL BECAUSE SHE HAS A VERY DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF UNDERSTANDING OF SCHOOLS AND BACKGROUND, AND SCORES, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT SCORES, BECAUSE
THE PARENTS WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AT GOING INTO A SCHOOL THAT HAD A GOOD GRADE. SO SHE WAS ABLE TO REALLY HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THEIR SCORES AND HOW -- THEIR POINTS AND HOW THEY INCREASED OVER TIME. SO WE LOOKED AT A LOT SO WE LOOKED AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT SCHOOLS THROUGH THAT CHOICE APPLICATION PROCESS, AND MY STAFF, TOO, HELPED US. WE REALLY SAT WITH FAMILIES AND HELPED THEM ON THE COMPUTER FILL OUT CHOICE APPLICATIONS. >>Nadia Combs: JUST A COUPLE MORE COMMENTS.
WITH THE FISCAL, YOU KNOW, I DEFINITELY WOULD -- AND I'LL PUT THE INFORMATION IN TOMORROW, REQUEST A WORKSHOP. ONCE ALL THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS COME IN, BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM I CAN'T SEE THE FULL PICTURE OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. THE ONE I'M LOOKING AT, VICTORY IN 2022, THEIR FUND BALANCE WAS 94,000. 2023, IT WAS 81,000. IN 2024, 324,000. AND NOW, WE'RE NEGATIVE 49,000. I REALLY WANT TO LOOK DOWN ON THOSE DETAILS AND SEE, HOW DID YOU GO YOU GO FROM $324,000 AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HAVE NEGATIVE $50,000.
WE'RE ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERY SINGLE PENNY. I WANT TO BE ACCOUNTABLE BECAUSE THE TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING FOR ALL OF THIS AS WELL AS WANT TO LOOK AT THE BUILDING, THE AT THE BUILDING, THE FACILITIES, THE DESK, WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ALL OF THE MATERIALS. THESE ARE ALL TAXPAYER DOLLARS WITH THAT. SO I'M GOING TO MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT. AS I SAID, THESE CLOSURES DEMONSTRATE THAT UNDERFUNDING DOES NOT PROTECT CHOICE. IT WEAKENS EVERY FORM OF EDUCATION, A CHOICE THAT DISAPPEARS BECAUSE THE SCHOOL CANNOT MEET PAYROLL, PAY ITS BILLS OR TRACK THE ENROLLMENT ASSUMED IN THE BUDGET IS NOT
DEPENDABLE CHOICE FOR FAMILIES. REGARDLESS IF YOU ARE A PUBLIC SCHOOL OR A CHARTER SCHOOL OR A CHARTER SCHOOL. OUR IMMEDIATE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PROTECT THE STUDENTS, PRESERVE THEIR RECORDS, ACCOUNT FOR EVERY TAXPAYER PUBLIC DOLLAR, AND ENSURE ORDERLY TRANSITION. OUR BROADER RESPONSIBILITY IS TO DEMAND A STATE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM THAT IDENTIFIES UNREALISTIC ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS, LACK OF OVERSIGHT AND DETERIORATING FINANCES BEFORE FAMILIES BEFORE FAMILIES RECEIVE THESE LATE NOTICES, NOT AFTER THE FAILURE HAS COME.
PARENTS DESERVE AND STUDENTS DESERVE TO BE NOTIFIED AHEAD OF TIME AND NOT 60 DAYS. AND I WANT TO ACCOUNT FOR EVERY TAXPAYER DOLLAR. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I THINK IT'S INTERESTING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS WELL SURE THAT EVERYONE IS WELL AWARE THAT WE, CHARTER SCHOOLS, TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE ARE PAID THE SAME ARE PAID THE SAME FTE. WE HAVE ADDITIONAL SALES TAX MONEY, IF WE GET ADDITIONAL
MONEY, THAT IS SHARED WITH ALL OF OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS. YET OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS DO NOT ALL HAVE THE SAME REQUIREMENTS AS WE DO. THEY ARE NOT BOUND BY THE SAME UPDATED CURRICULUM AS WE ARE. THEY ARE NOT THEY ARE NOT BOUND BY CERTAIN GUIDELINES AS FAR AS RETIREMENT FOR THEIR BENEFITS. THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DO CERTAIN BENEFITS AS WE ARE WITH OUR HEALTH INSURANCE, WITH OUR OTHER INSURANCE. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE NOTE AS A PUBLIC NOTE AS A PUBLIC ENTITY THAT THE CURRENT -- WE'RE NOT ALONE IN THAT OUR CURRENT REVENUE THAT WE
BRING IN IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO PROPERLY EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. THAT WE REALLY NEED TO IDENTIFY THE FACT THAT THE MONEY THAT WE RECEIVE AS OUR INCOME, ALTHOUGH WE TRY VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY DOLLAR GOES AS CLOSE AS WE CAN TO THE STUDENT, WE ARE MANDATED BY MANY REQUIREMENTS THROUGH THE STATE TO PUT OUR MONIES IN CERTAIN AREAS. SO WE HAVE EVEN MORE GUIDELINES THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO WITH THE SAME DOLLAR AMOUNT, AND YET
HERE WE ARE SEEING EXAMPLES OF MULTIPLE OTHER INSTITUTIONS UTILIZING THE SAME UTILIZING THE SAME DOLLARS, UNABLE TO DO THE SAME EXACT BUSINESS AND BUSINESS AND UNABLE TO DO IT AS WELL AS WE ARE. IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE WE ARE DOING ARE DOING MORE WITH LESS, AND IT'S UNFAIR IT'S UNFAIR TO OUR STUDENTS. IT'S UNFAIR TO OUR STAFF, AND IT'S UNFAIR TO THE FUTURE OF FLORIDA. SO WE SO WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALTHOUGH I DID NOT PULL THIS ITEM AND I DIDN'T PULL THE
OTHER FOUR, IT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE FACT THE FACT THAT THIS SHOWS THAT THE OVERALL THE OVERALL PER-STUDENT ALLOCATION IS NOT ALLOCATION IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO PROPERLY EDUCATE STUDENTS IN FLORIDA. GOING FROM THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN OUR FLORIDA BUDGET TO NOW BEING SECOND, IT'S SHOWING THAT PRIORITY. IT'S SHOWING WHERE THAT DOLLAR IS GOING TO. SO THIS SHOWS A DECLINE SO THIS SHOWS A DECLINE BECAUSE IN THIS PARTICULAR BOARD ITEM, THERE IS NO DECLINE IN ENROLLMENT. ABSOLUTELY NONE.
BUT THERE IS A DECLINE IN THE FUND BALANCE WITHOUT THE INCREASE IN REQUIREMENTS. WHERE US AS TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS INCREASED IN OUR NUMBER OF REQUIREMENTS, AND YET WE'RE STILL REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN OVER 3% FUND BALANCE. AND ON THIS BOARD, WE HAVE OVER 7% FUND BALANCE THAT WE REQUIRE. SO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT IN ORDER FOR US TO PROPERLY PROVIDE THE RIGHT EDUCATION FOR OUR STUDENTS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE PRIORITIZE THE FUNDING FOR OUR STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER WASHINGTON. >>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. OUT OF THE FOUR OUT OF THE FOUR SCHOOLS, HOW MANY STUDENTS COMPRISED OF? >> OUT OF THE FOUR, >> OUT OF THE FOUR, TOTAL 292 STUDENTS WE COUNTED AS OF YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. >>Henry "Shake" Washington: WHAT ARE WE DOING TO TRY TO GET THEM BACK INTO THE PUBLIC SECTOR? ARE WE WORKING TO GET THEM BACK IN THERE? >> AT THE MOMENT THAT WE HEARD
ABOUT THE CLOSING OF THE FOUR SCHOOLS, WE SCHOOLS, WE STARTED COMMUNICATING WITH THE CHARTER OFFICE AND STARTED CONTACTING PARENTS. I CONTACTED STUDENT PLACEMENT CHOICE OFFICE. THEY ARE THEY ARE AWARE. WE EVEN CONTACTED THE COMPANY THAT HELPS US IN RECRUITING AROUND. AND WE WERE AGGRESSIVE AROUND COMMUNICATING. NOT THE AGGRESSIVENESS OF MAKING THEM COME TO OUR SCHOOLS, BUT ALSO EXPLAINING THE SCHOOLS AROUND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, AROUND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, THE MAGNET CHOICE PERIOD THAT ACTUALLY WAS CLOSING AT THAT MOMENT, THAT SUNDAY.
WE WE ACTUALLY WE WE ACTUALLY COMMUNICATED WITH THE PARENTS ACTUALLY ALL THE OPTIONS THAT THEY HAD. BUT WE WERE BUT WE WERE REALLY, REALLY AGGRESSIVE AROUND THESE ARE OUR SCHOOLS AND TO THE POINT THAT OUT OF OUT OF THE 292 THAT ACTUALLY ARE OUT OF THE FOUR SCHOOLS, WE HAVE 131 THAT ACTUALLY ARE ALREADY BACK IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS. >>Henry "Shake" Washington: GOOD. THAT'S GREAT. THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR. >> AND WE ARE STILL NOT DONE COMMUNICATING WITH THEM ABOUT -- SCHOOL STARTS NEXT WEEK. THEY STILL HAVE THE OPTIONS. WE'LL START PROVIDING WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE BOARD.
WE ARE THE NUMBER WE ARE THE NUMBER ONE INSTRUCTIONAL ORGANIZATION RIGHT NOW HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH. AND THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT. WHAT WE OFFER FOR OUR STUDENTS, NUMBER ONE INSTRUCTION OUT THERE. WE'RE CONTINUING TO COMMUNICATE AND MAKE SURE THEY COME TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS. >>Henry "Shake" Washington: GOOD JOB, MARCUS. I'M CONCERNED, WE NEED TO GET THE KIDS BACK INTO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. LIKE SOME OF MY BOARD MEMBERS SAID, WHEN WE LOOK AT CHARTER SCHOOLS, MANY TIMES, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T OPERATE THE SAME WAY WE DO. REALLY DON'T.
THEY HAVE DIFFERENT PROCEDURES THAN WE DO. THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY NOW FOR US TO GET THE KIDS US TO GET THE KIDS BACK INTO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SECTOR AND LET PEOPLE KNOW. THANK YOU. CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT FOR ME. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER VAUGHN. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THE QUESTION AROUND OPENING OF CHOICE AND MAKING SURE PARENTS KNOW CHOICE BECAUSE ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS FOR ME WHEN I HEAR ABOUT HOW QUICKLY THE SCHOOLS ARE CLOSING, THOSE FAMILIES DO MISS OUT ON THE THREE WINDOWS OF CHOICE THAT
OTHER FAMILIES GET TO CHOOSE FROM WHEN IT COMES TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I THINK THE WORD I THINK THE WORD "CHOICE" HERE IS PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT IT'S BEING USED. I REALLY APPRECIATE MEMBER COMBS' ENTIRE THOUGHTS. SHE HAS BEEN VERY, VERY CLEAR SHE IS PRO CHOICE AND NOT AGAINST CHOICE. WHAT SHE WANTS AND HIGHLIGHTED IS THE SAME ACCOUNTABILITY. I THINK ALL OF US ON THE BOARD, REGARDLESS OF WHAT PARTY WE'RE WITH OR WHERE WE STAND ON OTHER ISSUES, WHAT WE HAVE SAID IN
UNISON IS THERE SHOULD BE THE SAME ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL OF THE CHOICES IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE TAKING PUBLIC TAX DOLLARS AS THERE IS FOR OUR TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO I APPRECIATE ALL OF MY BOARD MEMBERS KIND OF PUTTING WORDS TO THAT, USING THIS TO REALLY PUT WORDS TO THE FACT THAT THERE ISN'T THE SAME ACCOUNTABILITY. IT COMES IN LAYERS. I MEAN, FOR HOMESCHOOL PARENTS, THERE'S ALMOST ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY. AND THE LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY FALLS HARDEST ON TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I THINK ALSO WHAT I'M SEEING, I'M SURE MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS
ARE, WE'RE OVERSATURATED WITH CHOICES. I MEAN, I HAVE FAMILIES WHO COME TO SPEAK TO ME, AND THEY ARE ALMOST PARALYZED WITH SO MANY CHOICES. DOES THIS SCHOOL HAVE A SMALLER ENVIRONMENT. ESPECIALLY OUR ESE FAMILIES WHO ARE DESPERATELY TRYING TO FIND THE MOST INCLUSIVE, BEST PLACE FOR THEM TO LAND. AND EVEN WHEN AND EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO ADVERTISING TEST SCORES OR TALKING ABOUT THE FACILITIES, THERE'S NOT THE SAME LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND EVEN FINDING PUBLIC INFORMATION AS THESE FAMILIES TRY TO NAVIGATE THESE
CHOICES. I JUST KIND OF WANT TO ECHO THE FACT, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK. IT'S FRUSTRATING WHEN WE ARE TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO FEEL LIKE WE ARE LOSING FUNDS TO CHARTER SCHOOLS AND NOW CHARTER SCHOOLS CAN'T EVEN SUSTAIN BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY CHOICES BETWEEN PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND HOMESCHOOL OPTIONS. AGAIN, I THINK WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WITH THAT SAME ACCOUNTABILITY, WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS STABILITY, RIGHT? BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING WHEN WE HAVE TO CLOSE SCHOOLS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STUDENTS OR WHEN CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE TO CLOSE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING, WHO THAT HURTS
THE MOST IS OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES THAT HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO STABILITY. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORT ON THIS. THANK YOU TO MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS FOR USING THIS TO RAISE AWARENESS. I APPRECIATE IT. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. >>Van Ayres: I WANT TO REITERATE SOME OF MEMBER SOME OF MEMBER VAUGHN'S WORDS. THANK MS. CROOKS. WE GET NOTIFICATION OF FOUR SCHOOLS CLOSING DOWN. WE DIDN'T HEAR THAT MUCH BECAUSE THAT TEAM IS WORKING.
MR. MURILLO, THIS IS REALLY A CROSS DIVISIONAL EFFORT TO CROSS DIVISIONAL EFFORT TO GAIN 132 THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING TOWARDS TO BRING MORE INTO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. AS OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT CONTINUES TO ELEVATE AND BECOMES THE PRIMARY OPTION FOR OUR FAMILIES, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. BUT IT'S THEM BEHIND THE SCENES MAKING ALL THE CALLS, WORKING WITH THE CHOICE TEAM TO GET THOSE PERSONAL ONE ON ONE CALLS. TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK ANGELA, MR. MURILLO AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM FOR GETTING THIS WORK DONE. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU.
I'M JUST A LITTLE I'M JUST A LITTLE STUNNED. I'M GOING TO JUMP ON MEMBER COMBS' BANDWAGON HERE. ONE OF THE SCHOOLS HAD A ONE OF THE SCHOOLS HAD A FUND BALANCE OF BALANCE OF $823. THE STUDENT POPULATION AT ONE OF THEM THEM WAS 100% ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED. 93% MINORITY.
A LOT OF THESE SCHOOLS DO A LOT OF THESE SCHOOLS DO TARGET THE MINORITY FAMILIES BECAUSE, YOU YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, THEY STRUGGLE STRUGGLE A LOT, BUT WE'RE STRUGGLE A LOT, BUT WE'RE IN A BIND WHEN IT COMES TO OUR UNDERSERVED, UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS. AND I HAVE NOTICED, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, THAT A LOT OF PARENTS WILL TRUST THESE SCHOOLS WITH THEIR STUDENTS BECAUSE THEY ARE THINKING, OKAY, THERE IS A SMALLER CLASSROOM,
THEY ARE GOING TO THEY ARE GOING TO REALLY THEY ARE GOING TO REALLY SUPPORT MY STUDENTS. BUT I'M GOING TO ASK SUPERINTENDENT AYRES THAT IF WE, THE THE BOARD, CAN BE UPDATED MONTHLY AS TO HOW MONTHLY AS TO HOW THESE MONTHLY AS TO HOW THESE SCHOOLS ARE DOING, IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN US, THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT FOUR NOT LOOKING AT FOUR SCHOOLS THAT ARE CLOSING, BUT THAT WE ARE CLOSING, BUT THAT WE ARE UP TO DATE ON THE
TO DATE ON THE FINANCES OF THESE SCHOOLS. AS I REMEMBER, THERE WAS ANOTHER SCHOOL THAT CLOSED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR. BUT THAT WOULD HELP US ALSO. I'M JUST SHOCKED. YOU KNOW, A FUND BALANCE YOU KNOW, A FUND BALANCE OF $823 IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. WE'RE LOOKING AT A WE'RE LOOKING AT A COMBINED, I THINK IT'S A LITTLE THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE 1,931,000, BUT I THINK IT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ALL THE SCHOOLS IN FRONT OF ME. BUT LET BUT LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE LAND, THE BUILDINGS, AND BUILDINGS, AND ALL THE EQUIPMENT IN THESE SCHOOLS? BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO A MONETARY PIECE THAT WE HAVE. SO PLEASE HEAR, LET US KNOW AS BOARD MEMBERS, WHERE IS ALL THE EQUIPMENT, THE WHITEBOARDS, EVERYTHING THAT GOES INTO THE CLASSROOMS? >> THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION. ACTUALLY IT'S ACTUALLY IT'S NOT $823 FUND BALANCE. IT'S IN IT'S IN PARENTHESES, THAT MEANS NEGATIVE $823 FOR THAT PARTICULAR SCHOOL.
>>Karen Perez: EVEN WORSE. >> BUT PART OF >> BUT PART OF THE REASON WHY IT'S NEGATIVE IS BECAUSE WE HAD OVERPAID THE REFERENDA FUNDS. I ASKED THEM TO SUBMIT US A CHECK BACK FOR OVER $12,000 TO REPAY THE REFERENDA FUNDS. THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT PUT THEM INTO THE NEGATIVE. THEY DID REPAY THE REFERENDA FUNDS. AS FAR AS THE PROPERTY AND EVERYTHING GOES, SO WHAT OUR TEAM HAS DONE AND HILLSBOROUGH TEAMS HAVE BEEN AMAZING, CHAD AND BRIE FROM I.T. HAVE BEEN REALLY HELPFUL.
PROPERTY CONTROL, SO NADIA AND CHARLENE HAVE BEEN OUT WITH ME. AS FAR AS LOGISTICS HAS BEEN OUT WITH ME, BRANDON -- TAMMY CURLS AND BRANDON COURTNEY. THEY HAVE ALL BEEN REALLY RESPONSIVE AND AMAZING. SO PART OF THE PROCESS IS AS SOON AS WE FIND OUT THAT A SCHOOL IS CLOSING, WE'RE BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND WE GO OUT THERE AND WE STARTED LOOKING FOR ALL OF THE INVENTORY THAT'S TAXPAYER DOLLARS. MY TEAM HAS A WHOLE LIST OF MY TEAM HAS A WHOLE LIST OF ALL OF THE INVENTORY THAT'S PURCHASED NOT JUST WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FUNDS, BUT CSP GRANT, ESSER FUNDS.
I WORKED WITH DR. SHAFER TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS PURCHASED WITH ESSER FUNDS. WE GO BACK AND LOOK AT ALL THE EQUIPMENT. ONCE WE GET ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT ACCOUNTED FOR, THEN WE LOOK TO SEE WHAT CAN WE REPURPOSE IN THE SCHOOLS, WHAT CAN WE RECYCLE AND WHAT CAN WE THEN AUCTION OFF TO GET SOME OF THE MONEY BACK FOR TAXPAYERS. SO THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS. IT'S A LONGER PROCESS, BUT THAT'S JUST SORT OF A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT WE DO OF WHAT WE DO WHEN A CHARTER SCHOOL CLOSES. >>Karen Perez: FABULOUS, THANK YOU. BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT THAT CAPITAL OUTLAY. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE.
IF WE CAN DO THAT, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, HOW WE FOCUS HERE, THE SEVEN OF SEVEN OF US, IS TO SEVEN OF US, IS TO MAINTAIN OUR STUDENTS FIRST AND FOREMOST WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR EDUCATION. THANK YOU FOR WORKING TO BRING THEM BACK TO BRICK AND MORTAR HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS AND TO MAINTAIN THEM IN A STABLE SPACE. >> WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. WE'RE NOT DONE TRYING TO GET THEM INTO OUR SCHOOLS.
CHARTER OFFICE AND MS. CROOKS, ALL THE WORK, I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW SHE GOT INTO THOSE SCHOOLS REALLY QUICK TO CHECK THE PROPERTY. BUT ALSO ON TOP BUT ALSO ON TOP OF THAT, THE MONITORING PIECE IS DONE FROM JULY 1st. NOW, SHE ALREADY KNOWS. SO WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY POSSIBLE DOING BECAUSE PART OF THE CONVERSATION, WHERE WE ARE, HOW DO WE MONITOR? HOW DO WE IMPLEMENT DIFFERENT PRACTICES? OF COURSE, WE TRY TO SUPPORT THEM SO THEY CAN IMPROVE THEIR OWN PRACTICES. WHEN WE SEE THINGS ARE NOT MOVING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION,
WE HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS SO THAT MONTHLY OR HOWEVER THE BOARD WISHES, WE WILL PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION FOR THOSE SPECIFIC SCHOOLS THAT WE SEE THAT ARE NOT IMPROVING THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: I REALLY WANT TO THANK THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR REALLY POINTING OUT THE REALITY. SEE, WE'RE AT A CROSSROADS. RIGHT NOW, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS AN A DISTRICT. AND NOW WE'RE SEEING THE DIFFERENCE -- AND, BY THE WAY, WE HAVE FULL TRANSPARENCY. WE HAVE FULL OVERSIGHT. WE HAVE FULL ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS.
WE'RE IN A DISTRICT. NOW WE'RE SEEING THOSE SCHOOLS, FOUR OF THEM TODAY, THAT HAVE VERY LITTLE OF ANY OF THOSE INGREDIENTS. WHEN I SAY A WHEN I SAY A CROSSROADS, I THINK NOW THE PUBLIC IS HEARING US, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO EACH BOARD MEMBER, THAT THERE IS A TREMENDOUS DISCONNECT TREMENDOUS DISCONNECT WITH THOSE CHARTERS OUT THERE VERSUS WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER. I JUST WANTED TO REEMPHASIZE
THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE A HELL OF A GOOD OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'RE GIVING OUR STUDENTS EACH AND EVERY DAY WITH EFFECTIVE TEACHERS. I JUST WANTED TO RENEW THAT TYPE OF TALK. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
NEXT ITEM, I THINK MANY HAVING WAITING FOR THIS WITH WAITING FOR THIS WITH BATED BREATH, ITEM 5.3. ADDENDUM TO 26-27 STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. DR. RICK GRAYES, CHIEF OF SCHOOLS, WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. >>Rick Grayes: THANK YOU, CHAIR PEREZ. AT THE JULY 14 SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE 26-27 SCHOOL YEAR. DURING THE JULY 28 SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, QUESTIONS WERE RAISED REGARDING THE DRESS CODE
PROVISIONS RELATED TO LEGGINGS AND OTHER FORM-FITTING ATTIRE. AS PART OF THAT DISCUSSION, THE BOARD REQUESTED THAT THIS ITEM BE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION. TODAY'S AGENDA ITEM PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BOARD TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT DRESS CODE LANGUAGE AROUND LEGGINGS, SHARE PERSPECTIVES, AND CONSIDER WHETHER ANY AMENDMENTS TO THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT ARE NEEDED. JUST TO SHARE THE PROCESS THAT WAS FOLLOWED REGARDING UPDATES TO THE DRESS CODE. IN APRIL, A GROUP OF HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS AND SENIORS, ALONG WITH
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, PARTICIPATED IN A STUDENT FOCUS GROUP. STUDENTS REVIEWED THE 25-26 SCHOOL YEAR'S DRESS CODE LANGUAGE. THEY MADE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LANGUAGE AS WELL AS CLOTHING THAT SHOULD BE ALLOWED AND PROHIBITED. THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE THEN SHARED WITH THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT COMMITTEE WHICH INCLUDED PRINCIPALS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, DISTRICT STAFF, PARENTS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. REVISIONS THAT REACHED A CONSENSUS WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE PROPOSED 26-27 DRESS CODE WHILE LANGUAGE WITHOUT A
CONSENSUS REMAINED UNCHANGED. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: I NEED A MOTION AND A AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM D 5.3. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. >>Jim Porter: MADAM CHAIR, JUST TO BE CLEAR, MS. VAUGHN AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING MADE A LAST BOARD MEETING MADE A MOTION TO REVERT TO THE FORMER DRESS CODE THAT WAS IN EFFECT LAST YEAR. SO THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IS BASED ON THE MOTION THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD.
IT STRIKES THE LANGUAGE AND REMOVES THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS ADDED. SO THE EFFECT OF PASSING THIS WOULD BE TO REVERT TO THE DRESS CODE THAT WAS IN EFFECT DURING THE LAST SCHOOL THE LAST SCHOOL YEAR. >>Karen Perez: MEMBER RENDON AND MEMBER VAUGHN PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MEMBER VAUGHN. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I DID NOT EXPECT FOR LEGGINGS TO BE
EXPECT FOR LEGGINGS TO BE SUCH A POINT OF CONVERSATION THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. SOME OF THE MIAMIS THAT I SAW -- MEMES THAT I SAW COMING OFF THE INTERNET I WILL NEVER FORGET, FIRST OF ALL. THANK YOU FOR THE THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION, MR. PORTER. DR. GRAYES, IT WAS A LITTLE CONFUSING THE WAY YOU OPENED IT, ALMOST MAKING IT SEEM LIKE WE COULD WORKSHOP IT COULD WORKSHOP IT TODAY, WHICH I DON'T THINK WAS THE FOCUS OF THE AGENDA ITEM. I THINK THAT ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT BEING A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER IS THAT YOU GET LOTS OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
WHILE SOMETHING MIGHT LOOK GOOD WHEN YOU'RE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT IT FROM A DISTRICT LEVEL, ONCE IT'S OUT INTO THE PUBLIC YOU GET TO HEAR FROM SCHOOLS, STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND SOMETIMES, UNFORTUNATELY, THEY ARE AT ODDS WITH EACH ARE AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER. IT'S HARD TO PRIORITIZE ONE SET OF VOICES OVER THE OTHER. I DO APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU DID WHERE YOU SHARED OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS' DRESS CODE POLICIES WITH US, BECAUSE FROM WHAT I COULD SEE, MINUS ONE SMALL DISTRICT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, THE EXACT WAY THIS IS WORDED IT WOULD MAKE US THE MOST
RESTRICTIVE AROUND US AS WELL AS OTHER COUNTIES OUR SIZE, AND I DON'T THINK THAT SHOULD BE A FOCUS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. NOW, THROUGH SO MUCH NOW, THROUGH SO MUCH DISCOURSE ABOUT THIS, I DO THINK THERE ARE POINTS THAT WE CAN CHANGE IN THE DRESS CODE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES OR REITERATE THINGS ALREADY THERE LIKE NO MID DRIFT SHOWING AND MAKING SURE THOSE ARE ARE CLEAR, THAT I THINK WERE THE ORIGINAL INTENTION OF THE POLICY. I DO APPRECIATE THE STUDENT WORK ON IT AND I KNOW HOW DISAPPOINTING IT IS BECAUSE MANY STUDENTS WORKED WITH ME ON THE
RESTROOM POLICY I TRIED TO BRING FORWARD AT THE LAST WORKSHOP, THAT DID NOT PASS. I APPRECIATE THEIR HARD WORK. I THINK THAT MEMBER GRAY HAD A REALLY GOOD IDEA ABOUT INCLUDING THIS IN A WORKSHOP TO TALK ABOUT IT GOING IT GOING FORWARD. I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD AVOID IT TO TAKE BACK THE CHANGES BEFORE THE WORKSHOP. I THINK THE NEXT TIME WE HAVE A POLICY WORKSHOP, HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS WHERE BOARD MEMBERS CAN GIVE FEEDBACK TO SAY, MAYBE SOMETHING TO COVER THE BUTTOCKS OR MAKING SURE THEY ARE NOT OPAQUE OR MAKING SURE THAT UNDERGARMENTS AREN'T
SHOWING. I THINK THIS POLICY WAS TRYING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE COULD BE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT. WHAT IT REALLY ENDED UP SOUNDING LIKE AND HOW THE PUBLIC TOOK IT, IF FEMALES WANT TO WEAR LEGGINGS, THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN DO SO IS BY WEARING AN OVERSIZED GARMENT TO HIDE THEIR BODY THAT GOES DOWN TO MID THIGH. I DON'T THINK THAT WAS NECESSARILY THE INTENTION. I APPRECIATE THAT MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS GAVE US THAT OPPORTUNITY. WHAT I'M HOPEFUL FOR IS AT THE NEXT POLICY WORKSHOP CYCLE WE CAN FIT THIS IN WHETHER IT COMES FORWARD AS A POLICY OR NOT, WE
SET ASIDE TIME, WE TALK ABOUT IT AS A BOARD, WE ADDRESS ISSUES AND WE GIVE YOU CLEAR GUIDANCE GOING INTO NEXT YEAR AS WELL AS WHEN THE COMMITTEES COME TOGETHER AND WORK THEY HAVE DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD PER OUR CONVERSATION. SO THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THIS TONIGHT. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ROOM TO GROW AND CHANGE WITH IT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. I ALSO THINK, AND I KNOW OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT, THAT IT IS A HUGE LIFT ALREADY ON OUR ADMINISTRATORS. AGAIN, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME DRESS CODE I SEE NOT BEING ENFORCED WHEN WE GO TO SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW. THAT IS A LOT TO BE ASKING OUR
TEACHERS AND OUR ADMINISTRATORS TO TAKE AWAY CELL PHONES, MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IS WEARING HELMETS, ENFORCE DRESS CODE WITH ALL THEIR OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES. I THINK IT DOES NEED TO BE A THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION THAT COMES FROM THE BOARD. AS MUCH WORK AS THE COMMITTEE DOES AND I APPRECIATE THEM, GUESS WHO GETS THE E-MAILS OR THE CONVERSATIONS IN THE GROCERY STORE. IT'S THE BOARD MEMBERS UP HERE. SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REPRESENTING THE PUBLIC WHO ELECTED US. SO I APPRECIATE SO I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARITY, MR. PORTER. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT MY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE TO SAY. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN.
MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: YEAH, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. I DID PUT TOGETHER THE WORKSHOP. I THINK THE HOLISTIC LOOK AT THE DRESS CODE NOT ONLY STEMMING FROM THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, FROM THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, BUT FOR OTHER ISSUES THAT STUDENTS ALSO FORM THEIR COMMITTEE AND TEACHERS HAVE THE TEACHERS HAVE THE COMMITTEE. THERE'S A LOT OF INPUT FOR US BOARD MEMBERS NEED TO LISTEN, HEAR, DISCUSS, AND HEAR, DISCUSS, AND EFFECTIVELY ADD TO THE POLICY THAT IS EXISTING, WHICH IS A PRETTY BENIGN POLICY.
I MEAN, IT'S ONLY TWO PARAGRAPHS. SO I'M SURE BOARD MEMBERS WILL HAVE SOME INPUT AND WANT HAVE SOME INPUT AND WANT INPUT INTO THE PARTICULAR POLICY LANGUAGE. I ALSO AGREE WITH I ALSO AGREE WITH GOING BACK TO WHERE IT WAS. ATTORNEY PORTER, COULD YOU GO AHEAD AND AHEAD AND RESTATE SO IT'S CRYSTAL CLEAR WHEN WE VOTE, WE'RE VOTING TO KEEP THE WAY LEGGINGS WAS ARTICULATED IN THE FIRST PLACE. >>Jim Porter: THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR, WHAT YOU ARE BEING ASKED TO APPROVE TONIGHT, IS THAT THE
DRESS CODE LANGUAGE WOULD REVERT TO THE DRESS CODE THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE PRIOR SCHOOL YEAR. IT WOULD REMOVE THE LANGUAGE THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE COVERINGS THAT WERE DESCRIBED BY MEMBER VAUGHN AND STAFF EARLIER. SO IF YOU VOTE YES ON THIS, THAT MEANS THE DRESS CODE THAT WAS IN EFFECT LAST YEAR WILL ALSO BE IN EFFECT FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR. >>Lynn Gray: SO THERE WILL BE LESS DRAMA AND ALL THE OTHER TV OPPORTUNITIES IF WE GET THIS DONE. I ALSO WILL RECOMMEND, BOARD MEMBERS, IF WE COULD PUT THE WORKSHOP DOWN ON THE NEXT POLICY CYCLE.
MS. DAVIS, IF YOU ARE NOTING THAT. SHE'S ON IT. THAT CONCLUDES MY REMARKS, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS. >>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. I ALSO AGREE THAT WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK BACK AND LOOK AT THE UNIFORM POLICY AND KIND OF BREAK IT DOWN AND LOOK AT IT IT DOWN AND LOOK AT IT OVERALL. BUT I DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY E-MAILS FROM PARENTS. THERE'S BEEN SO MANY CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, I NEVER RECEIVED YEARS, I NEVER RECEIVED ONE E-MAIL ABOUT LEGGINGS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. TO SUDDENLY HAVE MY MAIL FLOODED
WITH HUNDREDS OF E-MAILS AND EVERYONE TALKING TO ME EVERYWHERE ABOUT LEGGINGS, I WAS LIKE, WOW. SO I THINK LIKE YOU'RE CREATING AN ISSUE WHEN THERE'S NOT AN ISSUE THERE. CAN WE REALLY LOOK AT UNIFORMS? THE BIGGEST THING I THINK, WE CREATE THESE POLICIES BUT WE WANT TO BE CONSISTENT ALL THE WAY ACROSS. I COULD GO AHEAD AND PASS A POLICY AND MAYBE AT ONE SCHOOL IT WOULD BE CONSISTENT AND MAYBE ANOTHER SCHOOL IT WOULDN'T BE CONSISTENT. AS MUCH AS I SUPPORT THAT YOU HAD A GROUP OF STUDENTS, I CAN GUARANTEE I CAN FIND ANOTHER
GROUP OF STUDENTS THAT WOULD FEEL THE EXACT OPPOSITE ABOUT LEGGINGS, INCLUDING A COUPLE OF GIRLS BACK HERE WHO CAME IN TO SPEAK TODAY AT THE PUBLIC COMMENT. I KNOW THEY SUPPORTED THE LEGGINGS. IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A MAJOR CHANGE LIKE THAT WE NEED TO TALK TO THE COMMUNITY. REALLY NEED TO TALK TO THE PRINCIPALS. WE REALLY NEED TO TALK TO ADMINISTRATORS BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY CHALLENGES AND THAT'S ONE OTHER THING THAT WE DON'T WANT TO SEND A CHILD HOME FROM SCHOOL OR MAKE THEM NOT COME TO SCHOOL. WE HAVE TO COME TO TERMS WITH THIS, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONSISTENT ALL THE WAY ACROSS.
I THINK OVERALL, ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS HARDEST THINGS ABOUT BEING SUCH A LARGE DISTRICT IS A LARGE DISTRICT IS WHEN YOU DO PASS A POLICY, YOU WANT THAT POLICY CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. WHEN WE PASSED THE POLICY FOR THE CELL PHONES IN THE ELEMENTARY AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, IT WAS CONSISTENT. I COULD WALK INTO ANY MIDDLE SCHOOL AND I CAN SEE THAT EVERYBODY IN THE LUNCHROOM DOESN'T HAVE A CELL PHONE IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL. IF I WALK INTO A MIDDLE SCHOOL, I MIGHT SEE A GIRL WITH TIGHTS. I MIGHT SEE DIFFERENT UNIFORMS SO IF WE'RE GOING TO REALLY LOOK AT THIS, WE NEED TO REALLY START FROM THE BEGINNING.
THAT'S WHY I AM GOING TO SUPPORT MEMBER VAUGHN, ALSO HER MOTION TO KEEP IT AS IT WAS BEFORE, AND THEN REALLY LOOK AT THAT GIVE US TIME FOR A YEAR, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID MENTION IN THE PREVIOUS BOARD IS I NEED MORE TIME WITH THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. I DO READ EVERY SINGLE PAGE, BUT I NEED A FEW MONTHS TO LOOK AT THAT. IF THERE ARE SOME REALLY GLARING CHALLENGES THAT THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO COME UP GOING TO COME UP AGAINST, I NEED TO HAVE -- I NEED MORE INFORMATION. I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE GROUPS. I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE GROUP. I HAD A COMMUNITY ADVOCATE CALL ME TODAY TO TELL ME THAT THEY WERE INVOLVED.
I HAD NO IDEA. SO SO I NEED MORE COMMUNICATION ON WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THAT BECAUSE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT. THE ONE THING WE WANT IS WE WANT KIDS TO COME TO KIDS TO COME TO SCHOOL. AND I DON'T WANT A CHILD TO NOT COME TO SCHOOL BECAUSE ALL THEY HAVE IS LEGGINGS. I KNOW WE'RE A SUIT OFTEN. AS SOON AS I'M OUT OF SCHOOL I'M WEARING SOMETHING COMFORTABLE. THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WEAR NOWADAYS. WE WANT KIDS TO BE DRESSED APPROPRIATELY IN SCHOOL. WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE A DISTRACTION. WE DON'T WANT THE MID DRIFTS TO BE SHOWING. WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE UNIFORM SCHOOLS, YOU NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT. THE HIGH SCHOOLS, LET'S BE CONSISTENT ABOUT THE UNIFORMS. THANK YOU. >>Patti Rendon: YEAH, I'M GOING TO HAVE MORE ISSUES THAN THAT. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, I DON'T THINK THIS IS ABOUT GIRLS. I THINK THIS IS ABOUT I THINK THIS IS ABOUT SPANDEX IN GENERAL. IF WE LOOK AT MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS AND WE SCHOOLS AND WE LOOK AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR, THERE ARE BOYS THAT WILL SHOW UP WITH SPANDEX SHORTS. THERE ARE BOYS THAT WILL COME UP WITH SPANDEX PANTS.
THERE ARE BOYS THAT WILL SHOW UP WITH TIGHTS. I'VE SEEN IT. MY CHILDREN HAVE BEEN IN SCHOOLS. I ALSO WILL TELL YOU LEGGINGS AND SPANDEX PANTS ARE NOT EQUITABLE. THEY ARE NOT ALL FULL COVERAGE. THEY ARE ALL MADE WITH DIFFERENT MATERIAL. SOME ARE MORE COTTON. SOME ARE MORE NYLON. SOME ARE MORE SPANDEX, AND THEY ARE NOT EQUITABLE IN ARE NOT EQUITABLE IN THE FACT THAT SOME YOU CAN SEE UNDERGARMENTS UNDER. SOME YOU CANNOT. UNFORTUNATELY BY GOING BACK TO
ABSOLUTELY HAVING NONE, WE DON'T CHANGE THAT, AND WE DO REQUIRE THEN OUR STAFF TO POLICING PRIVATE AREAS. I DON'T WANT TO GET THEM INTO THAT. WHEN I SPOKE TO MR. WHEN I SPOKE TO MR. GRAYES, I WAS NOT -- WHEN MEMBER VAUGHN MADE THE MOTION TO COME BACK AND DISCUSS IT I DISCUSS IT I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM SECONDING HER AND BRINGING IT TO A DISCUSSION. BUT WHEN I GOT TO MY MEETING ABOUT THIS AGENDA ITEM, IT WAS JUST TOLD THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE ELIMINATED. SO I ASKED FOR THERE TO BE CHANGES, FOR US TO VOTE ON
CHANGES. SO GOING BACK TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATING THEM, I'M GETTING DIFFERENT FEEDBACK FROM MANY FAMILIES AND FAMILIES AND MANY PARENTS AND MANY ADMINISTRATORS AND MANY OTHER THINGS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN EQUITABLE ISSUE. IT'S NOT LIKE ALL IT'S NOT LIKE ALL LEGGINGS OR ALL SPANDEX OF ALL SPANDEX OF EQUITABLE. SOME OF THEM HAVE CINCHES IN THE MIDDLE WHERE WHEN YOU PUT THEM ON, YOU CINCH YOUR MIDDLE AND THE BACK SIDE. THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF
SPANDEX, DIFFERENT TYPES OF REQUIREMENTS. THIS IS A BOY AND A GIRL ISSUE. I DO BELIEVE LIKE THE YOUNG LADY SAID, WHEN YOU GO TO SCHOOL AND HAVE PRACTICE IN THE MORNINGS, ABSOLUTELY, IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR YOU TO WEAR ATHLETIC CLOTHING WHEN PARTICIPATING IN ATHLETICS. MY DAUGHTER WOULD HAVE MORNING PRACTICE AS WELL AND SHE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE. AFTER SCHOOL, SAME THING. SAME THING WITH THE BOYS. THEY HAVE CROSS COUNTRY OR TRACK OR BASKETBALL OR FOOTBALL. ALL OF THEM IS THE SAME. SO AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW WITH
THIS BEING A COMPLETE THIS BEING A COMPLETE REMOVAL OF THE PROPOSED PREVIOUS, I'M A NO VOTE BECAUSE I FEEL THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN ADJUSTMENT, NOT A REMOVAL, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE OTHER THERE ARE OTHER THINGS, THERE'S OTHER DISTRICTS, NOT ALL OTHER DISTRICTS, NOT ALL SPANDEX ARE EQUITABLE IN THEIR ARE EQUITABLE IN THEIR MATERIAL, IN WHAT THEY SHOW AND THEY ARE NOT EQUITABLE IN HOW THEY ARE WORN. WE HAVE MANY PEOPLE THAT WILL TUCK IN SHIRTS THAT WILL GO UNDERNEATH THEIR PERSONAL UNDERGARMENT.
IT WILL COVER TO A POINT, IT WILL COVER TO A POINT, BUT THEN IT DOESN'T COVER. THERE IS DEFINITELY ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT ON THIS. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH MAKING IMPROVEMENTS. I DEFINITELY FEEL IT SHOULDN'T BE ELIMINATED. THERE IS A REASON WE PUT IT ON, BECAUSE OF THE ASK OF THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE OF THE ASK FROM OUR ADMINISTRATION. I'M GOING TO BE A I'M GOING TO BE A NO BY COMPLETELY ELIMINATING IT BUT I THINK THERE IS ROOM FOR CHANGE. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER WASHINGTON.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. DRESS CODE IS SOMETHING THAT CONTINUOUSLY CHANGING CONTINUOUSLY CHANGING THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. I THINK I MAY HAVE I THINK I MAY HAVE SOLD SUPERINTENDENT VAN, IT'S WEIRD, BECAUSE WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL MANY, MANY MOONS SCHOOL MANY, MANY MOONS AGO, MANY MOONS AGO, GIRLS ONLY HAD TO WEAR TO WEAR DRESSES. YOU COULDN'T WEAR PANTS. IT WAS ILLEGAL TO WEAR PANTS SO YOU HAD TO WEAR DRESSES. GUYS HAD TO HAVE SHIRTS DOWN TO THEIR ELBOW.
TIMES CHANGE. WHEN I BECAME A PRINCIPAL, IT CHANGED AGAIN. WHEN I BECAME A PRINCIPAL, THAT'S WHEN MINISKIRTS CAME IN. IT WAS A PAIN. I KNOW PRINCIPALS AND ADMINISTRATORS UNDERSTAND HOW HARD IT IS TO MAN CERTAIN THINGS IN THEIR SCHOOLS, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO HELP YOU MAN. YOU KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS. FRONT ROMAINELY BEING --
ESPECIALLY DRESS CODES. DRESS CODES DRESS CODES IS THE MOST, I DON'T KNOW. IF I HAD TO ELIMINATE EVERYTHING IN LIFE, IT WOULD BE A DRESS CODE WHEN I WAS A PRINCIPAL. BECAUSE I'M TELLING YOU, DRESS CODES, PHONES, PROFANITY IS HARD. I DON'T WANT TO DISCREDIT THE STUDENTS WHO SAID LET'S ELIMINATE THIS. I'M GOING TOWARDS HAVING A WORKSHOP SO WE CAN LOOK AT IT, BECAUSE WE ALWAYS SAID WE WANT
STUDENTS TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, BUT THEN WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE THE PROCESS AND THEN TO HAVE THE PROCESS AND THEN THE STUDENT SAY SOMETHING AND THEN ELIMINATE THE STUDENT BECAUSE I THINK THE PROCESS IS VERY IMPORTANT. I WANT TO REVERT BACK TO THE DRESS CODE WE HAD BEFORE DRESS CODE WE HAD BEFORE UNTIL WE HAVE A WORKSHOP, SO LEGGINGS, WHATEVER THEY WHATEVER THEY CAN WHATEVER THEY CAN WEAR WHATEVER THEY CAN WEAR THEM APPROPRIATE AND -- WHEN AND THE RIGHT WAY. I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO THE I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO THE WAY
WE HAD IT BEFORE, MR. GRAYES, BECAUSE I STILL THINK YOU DID A GREAT JOB BECAUSE YOU LISTENED TO THE STUDENTS, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT. BECAUSE WE ALWAYS SAY WE WANT TO LISTEN TO STUDENTS. WE SHOULD GO BACK AND WE SHOULD GO BACK AND HAVE A WORKSHOP TO SEE IF WE CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEM. REALLY, I WEAR TIGHTS SOMETIMES. I'M OLD AND NOT SHAPED THE SAME WAY. WHEN YOU ARE LIFTING WEIGHTS, YOU ARE IN THE GYM, YOU YOU ARE IN THE GYM, YOU WEAR YOUR EQUIPMENT. ANYWAY, WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.
I THINK IT'S RIGHT TO GO AND HAVE A WORKSHOP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. >>Van Ayres: I HEAR THE WILL OF THE BOARD. THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT THAT DR. GRAYES OVERSEES, THE BOARD APPROVED THAT ON JULY 14. THAT'S 129 PAGE DOCUMENT. SO THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS WITHIN THE STUDENT CONDUCT, IT'S JUST NOT ABOUT SPANDEX AND LEGGINGS, PART OF THE WHOLE DOCUMENT THAT WAS APPROVED. I WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT. THERE IS A LOT WITHIN THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. BOARD MEMBERS, I HEAR YOU.
WE'LL DO A BETTER JOB ON OUR END TO MAKE SURE ANY LANGUAGE THAT IS ADDED, BECAUSE I WANT TO BE CLEAR, THIS LANGUAGE AROUND SPANDEX AND LEGGINGS WAS ADDED THIS YEAR TO THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. ON OUR END, ON THE STAFF SIDE, WE'LL MAKE SURE WE ARE MORE COMMUNICATIVE AROUND THINGS ADDED THAT ADDED THAT COULD CAUSE SOME ISSUES, BECAUSE I HEARD A LOT ABOUT IT AS WELL. WE'LL DO A BETTER JOB ON OUR END WITH THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT AND ENSURING ANY LANGUAGE THAT'S ADDED WE'LL COMMUNICATE THAT
BETTER. SO WHEN YOU DO APPROVE THE DOCUMENT, LARGE 129 PAGE DOCUMENT THAT ANY LANGUAGE ADDED THAT WE'LL MAKE SURE WE COMMUNICATE THAT UP FRONT. DR. GRAYES AND I HAVE ALREADY HAD THAT DISCUSSION. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT. MEMBER VAUGHN. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT IN THE DRESS CODE POLICY THAT WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED IS REMAIN UNCHANGED IS THAT CLOTHING EXPOSING THE TORSO, MIDRIFF, FRONT, BACK OR SIDE SHALL NOT BE WORN AND THE UNDERWEAR SHALL NOT BE VISIBLE.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD SOME THINGS IN OUR DRESS CODE OUR DRESS CODE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS I HEARD FROM PARENTS OR FAMILIES OR TEACHERS WHO WANT THAT CHANGE. I THINK I THINK THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR ME WAS NOT REALLY BEING CLEAR IN THE EXAMPLE OF AN OVERSIZED SHIRT. I'VE ALSO SEEN HOW OTHER SCHOOLS HAVE TALKED ABOUT, AND NOBODY WANTS TO THROW THE WORDS BUTTOCKS IN A BUTTOCKS IN A POLICY, BUT OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE THAT IN THEIR DRESS CODE POLICY, WHERE IT DOESN'T MANDATE IT GOING DOWN TO MID
TO MID THIGH. AGAIN, I THINK -- I JUST WANT TO PREPARE EVERYONE WHO'S LISTENING AND FEELS VERY PASSIONATELY ABOUT LEGGINGS THAT THERE PROBABLY WILL BE SOME CHANGES THAT COME OUT OF THE POLICY WORKSHOP AS WE MOVE FORWARD FOR THE NEXT YEAR. BUT AS IT STOOD WITH COMPLETELY BANNING THEM OR ASKING FOR, WOMEN ARE MEN, LADIES ARE MEN, TO WEAR TO WEAR OVERSIZED SHIRTS SPECIFICALLY DOWN TO MID THIGH SEEMS ARBITRARILY RESTRICTIVE.
I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT GOING FORWARD, WHATEVER COMES OUT OF THE WORKSHOP MIGHT STILL HAVE SOME CHANGES AND EVEN THOUGH WE'RE PUTTING IN A PAUSE FOR THIS YEAR AND TAKING IT OUT, WE ARE MAKING A COMMITMENT TO KEEP WORKING ON IT GOING FORWARD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. I'VE GOT TO THROW MY MENTAL HEALTH PIECE IN HERE. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE THIS, WE HAVE TO ALSO LOOK AT THE PIECE OF BODY SHAMING.
SOMETIMES IT'S PERCEPTION. PERCEPTION IS EVERYTHING. WHEN WE PUT POLICIES IN PLACE LIKE LIKE THIS, IT MIGHT IMPLY THAT CERTAIN BODY TYPES CERTAIN BODY TYPES OR CERTAIN BODY TYPES OR CLOTHING COMBINATIONS WOULD LEAD TO BODY SHAMING. WE'RE NOT IN THIS DISTRICT TO PUT THAT IN PUT THAT IN ANYBODY'S SPACE AND PLACE.
WE'RE HERE TO REALLY UPLIFT OUR STUDENTS. I KNOW THAT DURING THIS TIME IN SCHOOL, OUR YOUNG LADIES AND OUR YOUNG MEN ARE GOING YOUNG MEN ARE GOING THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT TIMES IN GROWING THEIR BODIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO NAVIGATE AS WELL. BUT ALSO, BUT ALSO, WE TALK ABOUT GETTING TO CLASS ON TO CLASS ON TIME. IF THIS IS SOMETHING LIKE THE YOUNG LADY IN THE BACK TALKED ABOUT, WHEN SHE'S IN ATHLETES,
THEY ARE TRYING TO CHANGE, TRYING TO GET TO CLASS, EITHER WE WANT THEM TO CHANGE OUT OF LEGGINGS OR WE WANT THEM TO GET TO CLASS ON TIME. WHAT ARE WE NEGOTIATING HERE? IS THIS A IS THIS A DISTRACTION DEBATE OR ARE WE ARE WE LOOKING AT MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING DISTRACTIONS BUT WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE FACT THAT WE'RE REALLY THAT WE'RE REALLY LIFTING THAT WE'RE REALLY LIFTING UP OUR STUDENTS TODAY. WE HAD WE HAD A WE HAD A 93% GRADUATION RATE
LAST YEAR. AND THE LEGGINGS POLICY WAS AND THE LEGGINGS POLICY WAS IN PLACE PLACE ALREADY. WE HAD NO ISSUES. SOME MAY SAY THAT THEIR POTENTIAL, BUT POTENTIAL, BUT COMPREHENSION AND LEGGINGS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH EACH OTHER. OUR STUDENTS ARE LEARNING. WE'RE A DISTRICT RIGHT NOW. ALSO ONE OF THE THINGS I MENTIONED WAS CULTURAL PIECE AS WELL. THERE ARE A
THERE ARE A LOT OF CULTURES THAT THEIR STUDENTS WEAR LEGGINGS, AND WE HAVE TO AND WE HAVE TO BE VERY SENSITIVE TO THAT ASPECT AS WELL. I GO WITH, I THINK THE MAJORITY OF FOLKS HERE, WITH KEEPING IT TO GO BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS BECAUSE I THINK OUR STUDENTS WERE DOING AMAZING WITH THE WAY IT WAS. SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. OH, WAIT A MINUTE. CAN YOU CLARIFY THE VOTE? >>Jim Porter: THE MOTION ON
>>Jim Porter: THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS TO HAVE THE DRESS CODE FOUND IN THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT TO REVERT TO THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE LAST SCHOOL YEAR WHICH REMOVES THE RESTRICTIONS SURROUNDING LEGGINGS AND THE OVERSIZED SHIRTS. SO IF YOU ARE IN FAVOR OF REVERTING BACK TO THE OLD LANGUAGE, VOTE YES. IF YOU ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF THAT, VOTE NO. >>Karen Perez: PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. IT PASSES WITH IT PASSES WITH MEMBER RENDON
DISSENTING ON THE VOTE. NOW WE WILL MOVE INTO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S COMMENTS. >>Van Ayres: I THINK WE HAVE EMPLOYEE INPUT, MADAM CHAIR. >>Karen Perez: EMPLOYEE INPUT. THREE SPEAKERS.
WE WILL NOW TAKE EMPLOYEE AND STUDENT INPUT. EVEN THOUGH WE HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, IT'S SOMETIMES DIFFICULT FOR EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS OF OUR DISTRICT TO ATTEND MEETINGS AT 4 P.M. THERE ARE MANY WAYS FOR EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD, INCLUDING THROUGH UNION REPRESENTATIVES, E-MAILS, PHONE CALLS, ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS, AND PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. THE BOARD WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. WITH THIS SECTION OF OUR WITH THIS SECTION OF OUR AGENDA, WE ARE CREATING ANOTHER AVENUE FOR EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD.
WE ARE SETTING ASIDE WE ARE SETTING ASIDE 30 WE ARE SETTING ASIDE 30 MINUTES FOR EMPLOYEES, SPEAK TO THE BOARD ABOUT ANY ISSUES THAT ARE ON YOUR MIND. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A DISCUSSION ABOUT SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS ON TODAY'S AGENDA. BUT RATHER AN BUT RATHER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD ABOUT ANY ISSUES RELATED TO YOUR JOB OR THE DISTRICT. EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND I WILL CALL THE FIRST THREE SPEAKERS.
>> GOOD EVENING, CHAIR, BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT, CABINET. GOSH, THE NEWS IS ALL LEAVING. I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT LEGGINGS FOR THREE MINUTES. MAYBE THEY'LL STAY. NO, I'M KIDDING. KIDDING. SO OUR STAFF IS BACK, PREPARING FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR. AND DURING THAT TIME, WE'VE GOT A WHOLE RANGE OF A WHOLE RANGE OF EMOTIONS, EXCITEMENT, ANXIETY. THEY ARE HOPEFUL, NERVOUS, RIGHT? BUT I THINK THE ONE THING THAT ALL OF OUR STAFF CAN AGREE UPON IS THAT THERE IS JUST NEVER, NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO PREPARE.
AND WE KNOW THAT STATE FUNDING IS NOT IDEAL THIS YEAR. SO OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, WE PRESENTED YOU WITH ITEMS THAT WON'T COST THE DISTRICT MONEY, BUT GIVE OUR TEACHERS MORE TIME. ROB WAS HERE LAST WEEK GIVING HIM HIS DO YOU KNOW PSA. AND ONE OF THOSE WAS LIKE AN HOUR PREPLANNING LUNCH. AND WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT, WE'RE A COUPLE OF DAYS IN, AND WE'RE GETTING SOME CALLS ALREADY. AND HERE IS THE FUNNY THING.
ON THE SCHEDULE, THEY ARE GIVING TEACHERS AN HOUR LUNCH FOR PREPLANNING, YEAH, A WIN, UNLESS, UNLESS THE ADMINISTRATION OR SOMEBODY IS PROVIDING LUNCH, THEN THEY ARE TAKING BACK 15 OR 30 TAKING BACK 15 OR 30 MINUTES. IT'S JUST KIND OF ODD TO ME. IS THAT AN EXPECTATION THAT, LIKE, IF I GIVE YOU A SANDWICH, YOU OWE ME 15 MINUTES, 30 MINUTES? I MEAN, THAT I MEAN, THAT MIGHT WORK FOR A TIME SHARE PRESENTATION, BUT MY MAMA TAUGHT ME THAT IF SOMEBODY BUYS ME A MEAL, I'M NOT OBLIGATED TO DO ANYTHING ELSE.
SO THE REASON -- WE TALKED TO SOME OF THESE ADMINISTRATORS. THE REASON THEY GIVE THAT THEY NEED THE EXTRA 15 OR 30 MINUTES, OH, MY GOD, THEY NEED MORE MEETING TIME. I GET IT. I GET THE MEETINGS ARE VERY WELL INTENDED. HOWEVER, WHEN WE HAVE 30 MINUTES IN A MEETING FOR ICE-BREAKERS ON, ON, YOU KNOW, FIND SOMEONE, WHO GIVE ME TWO FACTS AND A FIB OR MAKE AN AIRPLANE BECAUSE THIS IS BASIC TIER ONE INTERVENTIONS, I
DON'T KNOW. THIS IS WHEN -- HIGHLIGHTING THIS BECAUSE THIS IS WHEN OUR TEACHERS ARE FEELING LIKE, DUDE, MY TIME IS VALUABLE. AND I'M NOT SAYING THESE THINGS AREN'T IMPORTANT. I KNOW THEY WANT TO DO CULTURE BUILDING. OUR TEACHERS WANT TO BE IN THEIR CLASSROOMS PREPARING FOR THOSE KIDDOS. THEY DO. HONESTLY, THAT ONE HOUR PREPLANNING LUNCH, MOST OF THEM ARE SPENDING THE TIME IN THEIR CLASSROOM PREPARING FOR THE KIDDOS, NOT SPENDING AN HOUR EATING A GRAND MEAL. SO WHEN WE GET BACK TO THE
BARGAINING TABLE ON BARGAINING TABLE ON FRIDAY, I'M REALLY HOPING THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO GIVE THE DISTRICT THE OKAY TO APPROVE SOME LANGUAGE THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, THAT ARE ITEMS THAT WON'T COST THE DISTRICT MONEY, BUT WILL DISTRICT MONEY, BUT WILL GIVE OUR EMPLOYEES THE MORE TIME THAT THEY NEED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR KIDS. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> MY NAME IS JENNY BUFFINGTON. I AM A SPEECH LANGUAGE
PATHOLOGIST SLP WHO IS PART OF A HIGHLY TRAINED AND EDUCATED TEAM OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF STUDENTS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BY HELPING THEM OVERCOME COMMUNICATION BARRIERS AND EMPOWERING THEM TO THRIVE ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY. I AM NATIONALLY CERTIFIED WITH MY ASHA MY ASHA CERTIFICATION, AMERICAN SPEECH LANGUAGE HEARING ASSOCIATION AND MY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH LICENSURE. THAT IS HOW I PRACTICE HERE IN THE DISTRICT. I'M A SPECIALIST. OKAY?
AND IN ORDER TO BECOME A SPECIALIST, I HAVE MY MASTER'S DEGREE, BUT NOT JUST ANY MASTER'S DEGREE. OUR MASTER'S DEGREE OUR MASTER'S DEGREE REQUIRES 60 PLUS HOURS. WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE 400 SUPERVISED HOURS AND A NINE-MONTH CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP YEAR BEFORE WE CAN BE OFFICIALLY NATIONALLY CERTIFIED. CURRENTLY, BOTH THE CURRENTLY, BOTH THE $1,500 CURRENTLY, BOTH THE $1,500 AND $750 STIPENDS THAT HAVE BEEN OFFERED TO US FOR YEARS IN ORDER TO TO MAINTAIN THESE CLINICAL CERTIFICATIONS, THEY ARE TAKEN
OFF THE TABLE. THEY ARE NOT BEING CONSIDERED IN BARGAINING. WE HAVE A CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF SLPs. CURRENTLY, THE DISTRICT HAS HIRED OVER A HUNDRED -- HIRED OVER A HUNDRED -- NOW, 280 POSITIONS, ALMOST HALF ARE CONTRACT THERAPISTS. THIS DISTRICT THIS DISTRICT PAYS CONTRACT AGENCIES OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS AN HOUR. WE AVERAGE $40 AN HOUR. SO THERE IS A PROBLEM THERE. YOU'RE THROWING MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS AT SOME SOLUTION THAT WOULD BE MORE WOULD BE MORE LIKE $600,000 WOULD BE MORE LIKE $600,000 TO KEEP QUALIFIED APPLICANTS HERE. I'M ON MY WAY OUT. I HAVE ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. IF I'M A NEW GRADUATE AND I'VE GOT 50 GRAND IN STUDENT LOANS, I'M GOING TO GO TO PASCO. I'M GOING TO GO TO PINELLAS. I'M GOING TO WHERE THEY ARE OFFERING FROM OFFERING FROM $3400 TO $5200 IN THEIR STIPENDS. WE ARE WE ARE 46th IN THE STATE OF
FLORIDA FOR PAY FOR SLPs. IT'S A NO-BRAINER. IF I'M A NEW GRAD, I'M GOING TO GO TO A DIFFERENT DISTRICT. CONTRACT THERAPISTS FILL A PURPOSE. THEY KEEP US COVERING OUR KIDS ON THESE ON THESE IEPs, WHICH ARE LEGAL BINDING DOCUMENTS. HOWEVER, WE'RE COMMITTED SLPs. WE CONNECT WITH THE FAMILIES. WE CONNECT WITH THE STAFF. WE'RE DEDICATED. WE'RE DEDICATED TO OUR STUDENTS. WE'RE DEDICATED TO OUR SCHOOLS. WE'RE NOT JUST HERE TODAY, NEXT YEAR WE'RE AT A DIFFERENT SCHOOL.
WE'RE DEDICATED TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND HELPING OUR STUDENTS BE COMMUNICATORS AND JUST TO BE WELL-ROUNDED. PLEASE CONSIDER CONTINUING TO HELP US RECRUIT QUALIFIED, CERTIFIED SLPs BY OFFERING STIPENDS. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> HI. MY NAME IS JENNIFER BATWELL. THIS IS MY SECOND YEAR WITH
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. FOR MANY YEARS, I WAS AN SLP AT PINELLAS AND MADE THE DRIVE EVERY DAY BECAUSE OF THEIR STIPEND THAT THEY OFFERED. THE ONLY REASON I LEFT PINELLAS WAS AFTER THE HURRICANES, MY TRAFFIC WAS NEVER THE SAME. MY HOUR COMMUTE BECAME AN HOUR AND 40 MINUTE COMMUTE. LAST YEAR WHEN I CHANGED OVER, DID I SEE TWO HOME HEALTH KIDS AFTER SCHOOL TO MAKE UP FOR SOME OF THE MONETARY LOSS. CURRENTLY, THE ESE STIPEND CURRENTLY, THE ESE STIPEND OF $1,500, THE ASHA CERTIFICATION STIPEND OF
STIPEND OF $1500 AND THE $750 LICENSURE STIPEND HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE REMOVED FROM THE DISTRICT'S BARGAINING PROPOSAL. WHY DOES THIS WHY DOES THIS MATTER? HILLSBOROUGH RANKS 46th IN COMPENSATION IN FLORIDA. PINELLAS COUNTY OFFERS PINELLAS COUNTY OFFERS SLPs A FIVE TO SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLAR STIPEND. PASCO OFFERS A $3400 STIPEND, AND POLK COUNTY OFFERS AND POLK COUNTY OFFERS A $5200 STIPEND. LOCAL SLPs LEAVE HILLSBOROUGH FOR NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS BECAUSE OF THE HIGHER PAY. HILLSBOROUGH HAS DIFFICULTY RECRUITING BECAUSE OF THE LOWER SALARIES.
A LACK OF RECRUITING CAUSES OUR DISTRICT TO HIRE SLP CONTRACTORS. LAST YEAR, HILLSBOROUGH SPENT 8 TO $10 MILLION ON CONTRACT SERVICES TO COVER VACANCIES. DOESN'T IT FINANCIALLY MAKE MORE SENSE TO PAY SENSE TO PAY OUT $600,000 PLUS ANNUALLY FOR INCENTIVES THAN TO PAY 8 TO 10 MILLION ON CONTRACTORS? LAST NOTE, SLPs BROUGHT LAST NOTE, SLPs BROUGHT IN $11 MILLION FROM MEDICAID BILLING LAST YEAR. WHY ARE YOU LOOKING TO CUT SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING TO A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO BRING IN A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY ANNUALLY?
IF THE PROPOSED BUDGET MOVES FORWARD AND IS APPROVED, I WILL HAVE TO CONSIDER MOVING BACK TO PINELLAS. SEEING TWO TO THREE KIDS PER WEEK AFTER SCHOOL DOESN'T EQUAL THE LOSS OF THE STIPEND FROM PINELLAS, THE STIPEND LOSS FROM HILLSBOROUGH AND INCREASED TIME AWAY FROM MY FAMILY. SLPs ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE HELP STUDENTS DEVELOP COMMUNICATION SKILLS. WE SUPPORT ACADEMICS, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND INDEPENDENT FUNCTIONING. ALONG WITH NOW DEVELOPING SAFE EATING PLANS FOR KIDS WITH
DYSPHAGIA. IT IS DISHEARTENING THAT OUR DISTRICT DOESN'T SEE ALL THE SKILLS WE BRING TO THE ACADEMIC SETTING AND SUPPORT US ACCORDINGLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS MARY CHRISTINA GALDONA. I STARTED MY SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY CAREER WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS 30 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK. OKAY?
I HAVE WORKED IN OTHER SETTINGS AND I KEEP AND I KEEP COMING BACK HERE BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT EVERY CHILD SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED REGARDLESS OF THE REGARDLESS OF THE FAMILY'S FINANCIAL SITUATION OR INSURANCE AVAILABILITY. I HAVE BEEN LUCKY THAT I AM ABLE TO MAKE THAT CHOICE BECAUSE WE ARE A ARE A TWO-INCOME HOUSEHOLD AND I COULD AFFORD TO TAKE A PAY CUT TO FOLLOW MY PASSION. SADLY, THAT IS NOT THE REALITY TODAY FOR MANY YOUNG
TODAY FOR MANY YOUNG SLPs AND EVEN OLDER ONES LIKE MYSELF WHO KEEP STRUGGLING WITH THE CHANGES IN INCOME AND THE JOB INSECURITY. OVER THE YEARS, OUR DISTRICT HAS LOST COUNTLESS TALENTED, PASSIONATE, WELL TRAINED PASSIONATE, WELL TRAINED SLPs TO SURROUNDING COUNTIES AND CONTRACT COMPANIES AS WELL AS OTHER SETTINGS BECAUSE OF THE PROMISE OF PROMISE OF HIGHER FINANCIAL COMPENSATION. OUR DISTRICT HAS SPENT SO MANY HOURS TRAINING AND SUPPORTING
NEW THERAPISTS, AND IT IS THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES AND CONTRACT COMPANIES AND SETTINGS THAT THAT BENEFIT FROM THIS. MY COLLEAGUES AND I RECEIVE WEEKLY AND SOMETIMES WEEKLY AND SOMETIMES DAILY LEGITIMATE JOB OFFERS THROUGH PHONE CALLS, PHONE CALLS, TEXTS, AND E-MAILS OFFERING TO MAKE 20 TO 25 DOLLARS MORE PER DOLLARS MORE PER HOUR THAN WHAT I CURRENTLY MAKE AND I'M AT THE TOP OF THE PAY SCALE. WE ARE A CRITICAL SHORTAGE PROFESSION. YOU'VE HEARD MY YOU'VE HEARD MY COLLEAGUES.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY OVER A HUNDRED VACANCIES BEING COVERED BY CONTRACTORS OUT OF OUR 270 ALLOTTED POSITIONS. THIS IS THIS IS A 36% VACANCY RATE. LET'S TALK NUMBERS AND EXPLORE WHY. IT TAKES A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY SEVEN YEARS TO -- AT LEAST -- TO BECOME A FULLY LICENSED AND CERTIFIED LICENSED AND CERTIFIED SLP. WE CANNOT SIGN OFF OR WORK INDEPENDENTLY UNLESS WE DO ALL OF THIS. THIS INCLUDES FOUR YEARS IN A
BACHELOR PROGRAM, TWO TO THREE YEARS IN A MASTER'S DEGREE THAT REQUIRES AT LEAST 60 CREDIT HOURS. AND A REQUIRED MINIMUM OF NINE MONTHS CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP AND LICENSED SUPERVISION. IF I CHOOSE OR ONE OF MY YOUNG PEOPLE CHOOSES NOT TO DO THEIR Cs, WHICH IS VERY RECOMMENDED, THE STATE OF FLORIDA REQUIRES THIS. AND OUR PROGRAMS AND OUR PROGRAMS ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMPETITIVE. I AM HERE TODAY
I AM HERE TODAY TO I AM HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU I AM HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SUPPLEMENTS BEING RECOMMENDED FOR REMOVAL. WE ARE WE ARE THE WE ARE THE LOWEST COMPENSATED. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS KATY CARRIE.
I AM A DISTRICT SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY ENTERING MY SIXTH YEAR SERVING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY STUDENTS. I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO PRESERVE THE SUPPLEMENTS FOR DISTRICT EMPLOYED SLPs BECAUSE DOING SO IS NOT ONLY THE RIGHT DECISION FOR STUDENTS, IT IS ALSO THE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE DECISION FOR OUR DISTRICT. SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS ARE HIGHLY TRAINED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. WE COMPLETE MORE THAN 60 GRADUATE CREDIT HOURS, A NINE-MONTH CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP, STATE LICENSURE, AND NATIONAL CERTIFICATION. IN OUR SCHOOLS, IN OUR SCHOOLS, SLPs EVALUATE
STUDENTS, PROVIDE THERAPY, DEVELOP AND MANAGE DEVELOP AND MANAGE IEPs, CASE MANAGE STUDENTS, COLLABORATE WITH TEACHERS AND FAMILIES AND COMPLETE MEDICAID DOCUMENTATION. LAST SCHOOL YEAR ALONE, SLPs HELPED GENERATE MORE HELPED GENERATE MORE THAN $11 MILLION IN MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. DESPITE THIS RETURN ON INVESTMENT, THE DISTRICT IS PROPOSING TO ELIMINATE THE VERY SUPPLEMENTS THAT HELP RECRUIT AND RETAIN QUALIFIED SLPs, REDUCING SLP'S ANNUAL TAKE HOME PAY PAY BY $3,750.
NO OTHER EMPLOYEE GROUP IS FACING A PAY CUT OF THIS MAGNITUDE. MORE THAN 96% MORE THAN 96% OF SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS ARE WOMEN, MAKING THIS A DISPROPORTIONATE REDUCTION FOR ONE OF THE DISTRICT'S MOST HIGHLY DISTRICT'S MOST HIGHLY EDUCATED FEMALE-DOMINATED WORKFORCES. AT A TIME OF NATIONWIDE SLP SHORTAGES, REDUCING COMPENSATION WILL FURTHER INCREASE TURNOVER AND VACANCIES. EACH VACANCY FORCES THE DISTRICT TO RELY ON CONTRACT AGENCIES THAT ACTIVELY RECRUIT DISTRICT
SLPs SLPs BY OFFERING SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER PAY, OFTEN NEARLY DOUBLE WHAT THE DISTRICT OFFERS HOURLY. LAST YEAR, LAST YEAR, HCPS SPENT LAST YEAR, HCPS SPENT OVER $10.5 MILLION ON $10.5 MILLION ON CONTRACT SLP SERVICES TO FILL VACANCIES. MAINTAINING DISTRICT SLP SUPPLEMENTS WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY 600,000. INVESTING IN RETENTION IS A FRACTION OF THE COST OF CONTINUALLY REPLACING PERMANENT EMPLOYEES WITH EXPENSIVE CONTRACT STAFFING. NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS RECOGNIZE THE VALUE IN INVESTING IN SLP
RETENTION. PASCO PROVIDES 3,400 FOR ASHA CERTIFICATION. POLK, 5,200. PINELLAS, 5,280. UNDER THE CURRENT PROPOSAL, HILLSBOROUGH WOULD PROVIDE 0. PRESERVING THESE SUPPLEMENTS IS NOT AN ADDED EXPENSE. IT IS A COST SAVING MEASURE THAT REDUCES TURNOVER AND DECREASES CONTRACT SPENDING. EVERY DISTRICT EMPLOYED SLP RETAINED PROVIDES GREATER CONTINUITY FOR STUDENTS AND A MORE EFFICIENT USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS. I RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO PRESERVE THESE SUPPLEMENTS AND INVEST IN THE PROFESSIONALS WHO
HAVE ALREADY COMMITTED THEIR CAREERS TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. DOING SO PROTECTS TAXPAYER DOLLARS, STRENGTHENS OUR SCHOOLS, AND ENSURES STUDENTS RECEIVE THE HIGH-QUALITY SERVICES THAT THEY ARE ENTITLED TO. THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S COMMENTS. SUPERINTENDENT. >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MY SUPERINTENDENT UPDATE, JUST A FEW SLIDES THIS EVENING.
NUMBER ONE, THIS WEEK, I STOPPED BY OUR LOCAL MEDIA STATIONS TO TALK ABOUT THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR. I'VE BEEN ALL OVER I'VE BEEN ALL OVER HIGHLIGHTING THE AMAZING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS WE HAVE RECEIVED RECENTLY AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS YEAR. IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF OUR COMMUNITY. ALL OF OUR NEWS STATIONS AND TALK ABOUT THE GREAT THINGS WE'RE DOING. AS YOU KNOW, TOMORROW IS THE BIG ONE MORE KICK-OFF. OUR OUR BACK-TO-SCHOOL PRESS CONFERENCE 10:30 AT LAM. I THINK ALL OF YOU WILL BE THERE AT AT 10:30
AT 10:30 TOMORROW FOR THE BACK TO SCHOOL PRESS TO SCHOOL PRESS CONFERENCE. HIGHLIGHT ACHIEVEMENTS AND TALK ABOUT THE NEW THINGS FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. ALSO, I KNOW, BOARD MEMBERS, A LOT OF YOU WERE OUT TODAY. THIS WEEK, MANY COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND ORGANIZATIONS HOSTED OUR BACK-TO-SCHOOL EVENTS TO WELCOME TEACHERS AND STAFF FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR. SPECIAL THANKS TO VALRICO FISHHAWK CHAMBER AND TO OUR CARROLLWOOD AREA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION FOR TODAY'S EVENT HELD AT BLOOMINGDALE AND GAITHER HIGH SCHOOLS. SEVERAL MORE THIS SEVERAL MORE THIS WEEK. BRANDON RIVERVIEW CHAMBERS TOMORROW AND PLANT CITY, OF
COURSE, IS ON COURSE, IS ON FRIDAY. FRIDAY BREAKFAST. ONCE AGAIN THANK ALL OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS FOR SUPPORTING OUR AMAZING TEACHERS AND STAFF. WE TALK ABOUT TRADITION IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, HOW OUR COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER. I DON'T KNOW OTHER DISTRICTS THAT HAVE THIS MANY WELCOME BACK NEW TEACHER BREAKFAST. NOT ONLY NEW TEACHERS TO THE DISTRICT BUT NEW TEACHERS TO THE SCHOOLS AS WELL. TODAY AT TODAY AT GAITHER, HUNDREDS OF TEACHERS THERE, NEW TO THEIR SCHOOL, HAD SCHOOL, HAD MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES.
16 YEARS 16 YEARS IN PASCO COUNTY, AND THE REPUTATION OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MADE THE MOVE OVER TO US. SO JUST A TRIBUTE TO ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN OUR EFFORTS TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN OUR TEACHERS. ONCE AGAIN, SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS ALL OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS HOSTING OUR NEW TEACHERS BACK. THIS CAME ACROSS YESTERDAY. I DON'T KNOW IF I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THIS MORNING, BEFORE GAITHER, I WAS LIKE I HAVE TO GO BY
WESTCHASE ELEMENTARY TO SEE A TEACHER GETTING TONS OF LOVE TEACHER GETTING TONS OF LOVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. OVER AT ADUM FOR THE MUSIC PROFESSIONAL STUDY DAY. JOHN KING JOHN KING CELEBRATED BY FELLOW MUSIC TEACHERS FOR REACHING MUSIC TEACHERS FOR REACHING THE 40-YEAR MARK DURING HIS PROFESSIONAL STUDY PROFESSIONAL STUDY DAY. COMMUNICATIONS TEAM HAPPENED TO BE ON HAND TO BE ON HAND TO CAPTURE THE SPIRIT TUNNEL. THIS IS THE EXCITEMENT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE DISTRICT. TEACHERS AND STAFF BACK IN THE CLASSROOMS GETTING READY FOR STUDENTS TO START ON MONDAY. WENT BY THERE THIS MORNING
BEFORE HEADED TO GAITHER, JOHN, 40 YEARS. HE OPENED UP WESTCHASE ELEMENTARY WHEN IT OPENED UP IN I THINK 1999. BEFORE THAT I THINK HE WAS AT WIMAUMA IN RUSKIN WHERE HE STARTED HIS CAREER AND BEEN AT WESTCHASE SINCE HE STARTED. 40 YEARS. I THOUGHT THIS WAS PRETTY NEAT. THIS IS A MUSIC DAY. ALL THE MUSIC TEACHERS WERE TOGETHER. THEY DID A SPIRIT TUNNEL. THE ENERGY THAT GOES ALONG WITH HCPS AND WELCOMING BACK EVERYBODY. PLAY THE VIDEO.
M I WAS PARTICULARLY EXCITED. HIS MOVES WERE PRETTY GOOD. JUST TALKING TO HIM TODAY, JUST TO SEE THE PASSION HE HAS FOR HCPS. ALL OF OUR MUSIC ALL OF OUR MUSIC TEACHERS, TRACY LISI AS WELL. STAFF, BOARD MEMBERS, OUT ACROSS THE DISTRICT YESTERDAY FOR PROFESSIONAL STUDY DAY.
THE ONE DAY WHERE ALL OF OUR CONTENT AREAS GET TOGETHER. ONE THING, IF YOU EVER WANT RAIN, JUST SCHEDULE A PROFESSIONAL STUDY DAY. IT'S AMAZING HOW THAT WORKS. FOUGHT THROUGH THE RAIN, TEACHERS DID AS WELL, FOR THE PROFESSIONAL STUDY DAY. GOOD DAY YESTERDAY. LAST SLIDE IS BACK TO SCHOOL. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL ON MONDAY, AUGUST 10. STARTING BRIGHT AND EARLY TO WELCOME BACK OUR STUDENTS. WHOLE DAY SCHEDULED.
ON THE EARLY MORNING NEWS DOING INTERVIEWS AT STOWERS. KICK OFF THE DAY AT STOWERS. MONDAY, AUGUST 10, WELCOME BACK TO EVERYBODY. GETS KIND OF BORING OVER THE SUMMER. EVERYBODY IS HERE. WE GET IT BACK ON MONDAY, AUGUST 10, TO WELCOME ALL OF OUR STUDENTS BACK. EXCITING MONDAY COMING UP. THOSE ARE MY UPDATES. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. WE WILL MOVE ON TO BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS.
BOARD MEMBERS, JUST A REMINDER, YOU HAVE YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES. >>Lynn Gray: THEY ARE LOOKING AT ME. HELP. I'M GOING TO BE VERY SWIFT. >>Karen Perez: WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. MEMBER GRAY. >>Lynn Gray: THERE WE GO. I ALSO WANTED TO SAY BIG-TIME THANK YOU TO VALRICO, THANK YOU TO VALRICO, FISHHAWK, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, A LOT OF LOVE, A LOT OF GIVE TO LOVE, A LOT OF GIVE TO THOSE WONDERFUL TEACHERS. IT WAS A GREAT MORNING.
THE SUBJECT I WANTED TO COVER TONIGHT AND I DON'T KNOW, CHAD, IF YOU HAVE THE VIDEO ON, BUT WE HAD THE HAD THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH YESTERDAY MORNING AT JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL. AND HUNDREDS OF COACHES TOOK PART IN THE ECLECTIC TYPE OF P.E. ACTIVITIES THAT REALLY SHOWED THAT NOT ONLY P.E. IS CHANGING BUT SO MUCH STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE P.E. COACHES. EVERYTHING FROM AQUA SWIMMING
ACTIVITIES, THAT'S ACTIVITIES, THAT'S TYLER. THEN ALSO THEN ALSO WE HAD PICKLEBALL SIMULATIONS. THE LIST GOES ON. IT ALL HAD A LOT OF HEART AND HEAD AS FAR AS THE THOUGHTFULNESS ON HOW TO GET KIDS TO PARTICIPATE. PERHAPS THE BIGGEST SHOUT-OUT I NEED TO GIVE IS TO OUR P.E. DIRECTOR ASHLEE DIRECTOR ASHLEE CAPPUCCI DIRECTOR ASHLEE CAPPUCCI WHO SPENT TIRELESS HOURS PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AT JEFFERSON. EVERY YEAR SHE DOES IT BUT THIS
WAS THE BEST. I ALSO WANTED TO SAY TO OUR COACHES, YOU ARE JUST A FABULOUS GROUP OF GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS. YOU LEAD BY EXAMPLE, AND YOU ARE JUST GOING TO JUST GOING TO MAKE OUR STUDENTS AN INCREDIBLE MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY FIT POPULATION THIS YEAR. ALSO, ONE MORE SHOUT-OUT, SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, YOU KNOW HOW EFFECTIVE THIS PRINCIPAL AT PRINCIPAL AT JEFFERSON, JENNIFER KENNEDY. SHE JUST WELCOMED ALL THE
ACTIVITIES, CONTINUES TO DO ACTIVITIES, CONTINUES TO DO SO. THERE'S NEVER A NO IN HER VOCABULARY. BIG THANK YOU ALSO TO PRINCIPAL JENNIFER KENNEDY. LAST, AND THIS IS THE CONCLUSION OF MY REMARKS, AND I WISH ALL OF OUR OUR STAFF, STUDENTS, OUR STAFF, STUDENTS, PARENTS A WONDERFUL SCHOOL YEAR. WE HAVE SO MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO. WE ARE GOING TO MAINTAIN AND MAYBE GET EVEN BETTER OUR A STATUS. IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR KIDS EACH AND EVERY DAY.
THANK YOU, EVERYONE. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REMARKS WAY UNDER FIVE MINUTES. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER VAUGHN. >>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. FIRST OF ALL, GET READY FOR PICTURES YOU JUST SAW BECAUSE IF YOU CAN SHOW MY SLIDE SHOW, PLEASE. I WAS GOING TO I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE CABA EVENT THAT SUPERINTENDENT AYRES HIGHLIGHTED. TODAY WE WERE AT GAITHER TALKING TO ALL OF THE NEW TEACHERS, WHETHER THEY ARE NEW TO THE
DISTRICT, NEW TO THE SCHOOLS, HEARING THEIR STORIES. ALWAYS AN AMAZING EVENT. THANK YOU TO THE CARROLLWOOD AREA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION AND MEMBER COMBS WHO REALLY WORKED HARD THIS SUMMER TO MAKE SURE THE EVENT WAS PULLED OFF WITHOUT A HITCH. IT'S GOT A DEEJAY THERE. I WOULD SAY IT IS THE MOST FUN BREAKFAST OUT THERE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS NEED TO GET A DEEJAY AND STEP UP YOUR GAME, BUT THE BREAKFAST IS PHENOMENAL. THANK YOU TO THEM, TO GAITHER FOR HOSTING IT, FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO DONATED THEIR TIME AND ENERGY. I JUST WANT TO DO A HIGHLIGHT BECAUSE THAT'S ALWAYS SUCH A
GREAT WAY TO START THE GREAT WAY TO START THE YEAR. THAT'S MY SON TEACHER. YOU CAN TAKE THAT OFF THE SCREEN. THANK YOU. I ALSO WANT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT AS THE SCHOOL YEAR IS STARTING, DISTRICT 3 STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD. ALL THE PARENTS AND FAMILIES WHO SAID THAT THEY DID NOT HEAR ABOUT IT LAST YEAR, I'LL MAKE SURE YOU KNOW ABOUT IT, THAT THE APPLICATION IS AVAILABLE BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE THERE ARE A LOT OF KIDS, A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO GIVE FEEDBACK TO THE DISTRICT ABOUT THE DECISIONS WE'RE MAKING FOR THEM. EXCITED TO RESTART THAT THIS YEAR.
SLPs WHO HAVE COME AND SPOKE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE. MY SON WAS IN SPEECH FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN OUR TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I CAN'T UNDERSCORE HOW MUCH THAT SUPPORT MEANT TO OUR FAMILY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO. ALSO, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE DISTRICT FOR OUR FOCUS ONLINE FORUMS. I HAVE SOME ANXIETY ABOUT FILLING THOSE OUT AS A PARENT. THEY WERE SO EASY TO DO. I WAS DONE IN LIKE FIVE MINUTES. THEY WERE VERY CLEAR WHERE I NEEDED TO SIGN. IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE. AND MY SON'S SCHEDULE WAS
UPLOADED TODAY ON TIME AS PROMISED. VERY CLEAR. I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW WE AUTOMATED THINGS. AS A PARENT, IT HAS REALLY HELPED WITH SOME OF THE ANXIETY AROUND THAT. I ALSO JUST WANT TO SAY -- I MEANT TO SAY THIS ON THE AGENDA ITEM ABOUT THE LEGGINGS IS PARENTS, PLEASE HELP US WITH THIS, RIGHT? JUST USE SOME SENSE ABOUT WHEN YOUR CHILDREN GO OUT THE DOOR, TO MAKE SURE THAT'S HOW YOU WANT THEM PRESENTED IN PUBLIC. THAT'S REALLY AS A BOARD WHAT WE'RE ASKING, RIGHT? JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU'RE SENDING YOUR CHILDREN OUT
INTO THE WORLD, THAT'S HOW YOU WANT THEM TO BE REPRESENTED. FINALLY, I WANT TO FINALLY, I WANT TO ECHO MEMBER GRAY'S COMMENTS, THIS IS OUR FIRST MEETING BEFORE A NEW SCHOOL YEAR. THANKS TO VALERIE, THERE IS A LOT OF HOPE, LOT OF ANXIETY, A LOT OF CHALLENGES. I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS AS A GROUP ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT OUR EMPLOYEES GOING FORWARD BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE MORE OF THOSE SCHEDULED TO TALK ABOUT. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY AND REALLY PUT A WISH OUT THERE FOR A SAFE,
SUPPORTIVE, SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL YEAR, AND THAT HOPEFULLY THIS IS THE BEST ONE YET. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER WASHINGTON. >>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. JULY THE JULY THE 30th, WE -- JULY THE 30th, WE -- DUNBAR, HUNDRED-YEAR ANNIVERSARY. REALLY GOOD. THE SUPERINTENDENT CAME. WE HAD A GOOD TIME. AND LYNN. WE HAD REALLY A GREAT WE HAD REALLY A GREAT TIME. I WANT TO THANK THE PRINCIPAL FOR DOING A GREAT JOB FOR THE HUNDRED-YEAR ANNIVERSARY. MOVING ON TO JULY THE 31st, FACULTY VISITS.
I WENT TO JAMES WHERE THE FACULTY OVER AT JAMES IS REALLY HIGH SPIRITED. WE HAD A GREAT TIME. THEY WERE READY FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR TO START. IN FACT, THEY WERE GOING OVER SOME ACADEMIC INFORMATION, TOO, ALSO DEPUTY McRAE. YOU GOT YOU GOT THEM GOING. WITH HE HAD A WITH HE HAD A GREAT TIME. WE LEFT THERE AND WENT TO KENNEDY WHERE IT WAS REALLY EXCITEMENT. IF YOU'VE BEEN HERE LONG
IF YOU'VE BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH, KENNEDY USED TO BE ACADEMICALLY REALLY HARD SCHOOLS. CHANGED PRINCIPALS LOOKED LIKE EVERY YEAR. NOW WE HAVE MR. COOLEY THERE. THIS IS THEIR SECOND YEAR OF MAKING AN A. THEY ARE REALLY DOING A GREAT JOB THERE. THAT IS A HIDDEN TREASURE. BACK UP IN THERE, YOU CAN'T FIND IT OR SEE IT. IT'S HARD TO GET IT'S HARD TO GET TO. MR. COOLEY AND THEIR FACULTY REALLY DID A GREAT JOB AND THEY CONTINUE. EXCITED, READY FOR THE YEAR TO START TO MAKE THE THIRD A.
GOING TO MAKE THREE As. AUGUST 1st, I WAS AT MIDDLETON BACK-TO-SCHOOL HEALTH FAIR, TINA YOUNG, PROJECT LINK. FREE PHYSICALS AND SHOTS FOR STUDENTS. THEY HAD OVER 200 THEY HAD OVER 200 KIDS, NEW PEOPLE COMING BACK INTO THE SYSTEM. NEW KIDS COMING INTO THE SYSTEM. IT'S GOING TO HELP, NOT ONLY GIVING SHOTS AND PHYSICALS, THEY WERE UPDATING THEIR RECORDS. SO WHEN THEY COME TO SCHOOL THE FIRST DAY, THEY HAVE ALL THEIR SHOT RECORDS AND THEY'LL BE READY TO GO.
THOSE KIDS WAS REALLY EXCITED AND THE PARENTS. WE HAVE NEW STUDENTS COMING INTO THE DISTRICT WHICH IS VERY GOOD. AUGUST THE AUGUST THE 3rd, BULLOCK HAD A FOUNDATION. AT SLIGH, AT SLIGH, MAGNET CELEBRATION AT SEMINOLE HARD ROCK. WE HAD A GREAT TIME OVER THERE. ANGELA HAS DONE A GREAT JOB ALONG WITH MR. BULLOCK, BECAUSE THEY REALLY PUT THAT SCHOOL BACK ON GOAL.
THAT'S THE FIRST TIME THEY MADE A B IN 24 YEARS. VERY FIRST TIME THEY MADE A B IN 24 YEARS. SO EVERYBODY WAS EXCITED. THE ONE ON THE FAR END, RENE WASHINGTON, SHE WAS ONE OF MY STUDENTS WHEN I WAS A P.E. TEACHER AT TURKEY CREEK. SHE WAS SHE WAS THERE, ANGELA, DID A GREAT GREAT JOB. SHAY, EVERYBODY DID A GREAT JOB. EVERYBODY WAS KEYED UP AND THEY WERE VERY HAPPY TO BE SUCCESSFUL. I KNOW THEY WILL CONTINUE BEING
SUCCESSFUL. THAT'S IT FOR ME. OH, MONDAY, DON'T OH, MONDAY, DON'T FORGET, MONDAY SCHOOL, THE BUSES WILL BE ROLLING IN. THE YELLOW GREYHOUNDS WILL BE COMING IN. WE'LL BE THERE TO ACCEPT THE STUDENTS. WE'RE HOPING EVERYBODY BE HAPPY AND READY TO GO FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OH, ONE MINUTE. I GOT IT. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASINGTON. MEMBER RENDON. >>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF
THANK-YOUS, OBVIOUSLY THADDEUS BULLARD AND THE BULLARD FOUNDATION WITH HIS GREAT WORK OF THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF BACK PACKS. ALSO, I WANT TO ALSO, I WANT TO THANK ALSO, I WANT TO THANK THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, THEM ALONGSIDE THEM ALONGSIDE ECHO, EASTERN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NOT ONLY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND MANY OF THE RESOURCES FROM OUR NUTRITION SERVICES, OUR BUS DRIVERS, OUR TECHNICAL TECHNICAL COLLEGES, OUR ADULT SCHOOLS, ALL OF OUR MIGRANT INFORMATION, ALL OF OUR ELL INFORMATION.
SO MANY OF OUR SO MANY OF OUR EARLY LEARNING COALITION, THE ROTARY CLUB, LIONS CLUB. BOB ENRIQUEZ TEAM OUT THERE. WE HAD MANY DIFFERENT PUBLIC OFFICIALS OUT THERE SUPPORTING ALONG WITH WELL OVER A HUNDRED DIFFERENT VENDORS FROM THE COMMUNITY PROVIDING BACK PACKS. THEY WERE THEY WERE DOING, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WAS DOING PHYSICALS, EYE EXAMS, EVERYTHING JUST FOR FOR COMMUNITY. ALSO A SHOUT-OUT TO THE FISHHAWK VALRICO CHAMBER FOR THEIR WONDERFUL BACK-TO-SCHOOL LUNCH
TODAY FOR NEW TEACHERS AND VALRICO FISHHAWK AREA. TOMORROW THE BRANDON RIVERVIEW CHAMBER IS PUTTING ON THAT. LIKE THE SUPERINTENDENT SAYS, PLANT CITY CHAMBER IS HONORING THOSE TEACHERS AS WELL. ALSO WANT TO GIVE A ALSO WANT TO GIVE A QUICK SHOUT-OUT TO IRIS THURMAN FROM ECHO. THIS WAS HER FIRST BIG EVENT AS NEW CEO OF ECHO IN THE BRANDON AREA. SHE DID AN AMAZING JOB ON SATURDAY. IT IS A HUGE UNDERTAKING, ONLY TAKING ON THIS RESPONSIBILITY IN THE LAST 60 DAYS. IT'S HUGE.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. TO OUR TO OUR SLPs, WE SEE TO OUR SLPs, WE SEE YOU, AND WE RECOGNIZE YOU ARE NOT JUST A SPEECH AND LANGUAGE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST. YOU MAKE SURE STUDENTS EAT. YOU MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE HEALTHY AND THEY ARE SAFE FROM AN EMOTIONAL STANDPOINT WITH OUR STUDENTS WHO HAVE SPEECH DIFFICULTIES, WHICH THEN LEAD TO READING DIFFICULTIES, THAT LEAD TO THE HINDERING OF THEIR EDUCATIONAL PIECE NOT ONLY FROM
A SOCIAL EMOTIONAL PIECE, WE GET THAT. WE UNDERSTAND THAT WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT WE ARE PAYING DOUBLE IN ORDER TO DO THAT. I DO HOPE THAT OUR NEGOTIATION TEAM IS RECOGNIZING THAT IF WE DON'T HAVE THOSE SERVICES IN PLACE, WHAT WILL IT COST THE DISTRICT WHICH WILL THEN TAKE AWAY FROM ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES. AT THE END OF THE DAY, I WILL NEVER SIT UP HERE AND SAY THAT ANYONE THAT TOUCHES A SCHOOL IS GOING TO TAKE PRIORITY IN MY BOOK IN THIS DISTRICT. IF YOU TOUCH A STUDENT AND YOU
ARE IN THE SCHOOL, AS A BOARD MEMBER, YOU ARE MY PRIORITY, AND I WILL ALWAYS SAY THAT. AND IT DOESN'T JUST END WITH SLPs. IT ENDS WITH OUR IT ENDS WITH OUR PARAS. IT ENDS WITH OUR BUS DRIVER. IT ENDS WITH OUR CAFETERIA STAFF, OUR CUSTODIAL STAFF, OUR TEACHERS, OUR AIDES. EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF OUR STAFF THAT ARE SITTING IN OUR SCHOOLS THAT ARE PROVIDING DIRECT SUPPORT TO OUR SUPPORT TO OUR STUDENTS, THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE PRIORITY. I HAVE NO PROBLEM SAYING THAT
FROM THE DAY I TOOK OFFICE TO THE DAY, END BEING IN THIS OFFICE THEY WILL ALWAYS BE OUR PRIORITIES. THANK YOU FOR STEPPING THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP. THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT. I DO THANK OUR NEGOTIATION TEAM. I KNOW THEY WORK VERY HARD WITH ALL OF OUR STAFF ALL OF OUR STAFF THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, BUT WE DO SEE YOU AND YOU AND RECOGNIZE THAT YOU AND RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S NOT JUST SPEECH. IT'S SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. IT HINDERS THEIR LEARNING. LIKE I SAID, IT'S A NUTRITION PIECE. IT'S EVERYTHING, IT IS THE
HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS. SO IF THEY CAN'T HEAR, THEY CAN'T READ. IF THEY CAN'T SOUND A WORD OUT, WHAT ARE WE DOING AS AN ALTERNATIVE? IT'S SO MUCH MORE. AGAIN, THAT GOES WITH OUR PT, OT, GOES WITH SO MUCH MORE, OUR DEVICES, AND SO WE ARE BOUND BY STATUTE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL THESE PIECES IN THESE PIECES IN PLACE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. TO ALL OF OUR STAFF, WELCOME BACK. WE CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR
WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR STUDENTS. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. >>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER COMBS. >>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, CHAIR PEREZ. AS I WAS SITTING HERE, I HIGHLIGHTED SLP TO ADD ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU. I KNOW IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT TO COME. THIS IS YOUR LAST OFFICIAL WEEK HOME KIND OF. YOU SHOULD BE ORGANIZING AND STUFF, DOING THOSE LAST-MINUTE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO FOR YOURSELF. BUT THANK YOU. I KNOW MY DAUGHTER HAD SPEECH. SHE TOOK SPEECH. I THINK WITH COVID AND EVERYTHING HAPPENING, WE'RE
SEEING SUCH AN INFLUX, WHEN YOU SEE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS BEING DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WITH SPEECH ISSUES, NONVERBAL, HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS. WE UNDERSTAND, DO RECOGNIZE, AND THIS BOARD REALLY SUPPORTS YOU. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS REALLY EXCITING, NEXT WEEK, KIDS COME BACK TO SCHOOL. I REMEMBER NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE. BACK-TO-SCHOOL FAIR. I HAVE ONE -- THIS YEAR IS THE FIRST TIME CITRUS PARK MALL,
WHICH IS AMAZING, AND THIS IS WITH PARENTING MAGAZINE, WE HAD SO MANY -- SO MUCH OF THE CABINET MEMBERS THERE. WE HAD TAMPA BAY TECH. PROGRESS VILLAGE. HAD SOME AMAZING SONGS, ORANGE GROVE, BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL PERFORMED AND THEN OUR TEACHER OF THE YEAR, CHRISTIE ATKINSON, WHICH IS SO AMAZING. SHE SAT THERE AND DELIVERED ALL THESE BACK PACKS AND WE WERE THERE FOREVER. IT WAS A REALLY GREAT DAY. AND THEN YOU CAN TAKE THAT DOWN. OF COURSE, THE NEW TEACHER OF THE YEAR, THE THE YEAR, THE NEW TEACHER
BRUNCH. THANK YOU TO DR. KLEIN AND THE WHOLE GAITHER HIGH SCHOOL TEAM, THE DRUM BAND, ALSO THE CHORUS. THEY WERE JUST THEY WERE JUST AMAZING. ALSO, THE FAMILY FOUNDATION WHO CONTINUES CONTINUES TO SPONSOR THAT EVERY YEAR. THANK YOU TO JESSICA THANK YOU TO JESSICA VAUGHN AND ALSO KIANA ROBERTS, OUR OFFICE ASSISTANT WHO HELPED US. JUST A COUPLE OF MORE THINGS, THIS PAST WEEK, THIS PAST WEEK, WESTCHASE, SUCH A GREAT COMMUNITY, THE A GREAT COMMUNITY, THE WESTCHASE NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS, THE WOW, THEY DECIDED TO DONATE $5,000 TO PAGE
TURNER, OUR LITERACY BUS. THEY ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE. EVERY YEAR, WHEN THEY DO THE 5K RACE, USUALLY GIVE 30 OR 40 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO A SCHOOL IN THAT AREA. THIS YEAR THEY HAD ADDITIONAL FUNDING SO THEY WANTED TO GIVE IT TO PAGE TURNER. I WAS OUT THERE YESTERDAY WITH A CASH CHECK. THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR EARLY LEARNING, TRACYE BROWN, THE WHOLE EARLY LITERACY, EMILY CIMINO. THAT WHOLE THAT WHOLE TEAM IS THAT WHOLE TEAM IS AMAZING. THE MOON CHILDREN
THE MOON CHILDREN FESTIVAL ALONSO HIGH SCHOOL. YOU'LL BE HEARING MORE AND MORE ABOUT THAT. HISPANIC HERITAGE FESTIVAL AND THEN THE ASIAN MOON THEN THE ASIAN MOON FESTIVAL. LASTLY, I WILL PROBABLY START BRINGING THIS BRINGING THIS UP EVERY SINGLE MEETING, BECAUSE AS SOMEBODY WHO RAN FOR OFFICE, WHEN I'M OUT HERE, I THINK TO MYSELF, I'M NOT KIDDING, I KIDDING, I WORKED 18 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK FOR MONTHS. I LOST LIKE 20 POUNDS. I WAS SO EXHAUSTED.
I CAN'T IMAGINE HAVING A SUPERINTENDENT WHO IS TRYING TO OPEN A SCHOOL AND RUN FOR OFFICE 18 HOURS A 18 HOURS A DAY. WE NEED TO VOTE NO FOR THE ELECTED SUPERINTENDENT. I'M GOING TO SAY THAT OVER AND OVER AND OVER OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I AM NOT LOOKING FOR A REAL ESTATE AGENT. I AM NOT LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY WHO IS DEALING WITH DIFFERENT CONTRACTS. I AM LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO RUN FOR A SCHOOL, WE NEED TO STOP THIS. 48 OUT OF 50 STATES DON'T DO THIS.
EVERY LARGE DISTRICT IN FLORIDA DOES NOT DO THIS. WE HAVE AN A DISTRICT WITH A GREAT SUPERINTENDENT. WE NEED TO VOTE NO. DO NOT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED. TELL EVERYONE, TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS, I AM GOING TO SPEARHEAD THIS AND I AM GOING TO WORK SO HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS STOPS. IF IT DOES PASS, EVERY ONE OF US IS GOING TO RUN FOR SUPERINTENDENT AS WELL. SO BE READY FOR IT. SO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET. REMEMBER THAT. THANK YOU.
>>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. I'M GOING TO ECHO WHAT MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS SAID TO OUR SLPs. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO, FOR OUR BABIES. THE FACT THAT WITH YOUR HELP THEY ARE IN OUR CLASSROOMS. THEY ARE GETTING YOUR SUPPORT, AND THEY ARE GETTING AN EDUCATION. THAT'S THE THAT'S THE BIGGEST, BIGGEST CHEER FOR YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU ARE THERE WITH THEM.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT'S AT EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON FOR YOU GUYS. SECOND, I GOT TO SAY THIS. I'VE BEEN TO A FEW SCHOOLS WHERE THE BABIES ARE GETTING ENROLLED, AND I DON'T KNOW WHO IS MORE WORRIED. IS IT THE PARENT OR THE CHILD? BECAUSE THE LOOK ON BOTH THEIR FACES, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD TELL WHO IS NEWLY ENROLLED WHO IS NEWLY ENROLLED AND WHO IS MOVING. THOSE BABIES LOOK EXCITED, BUT THE PARENTS THE PARENTS LOOK
THE PARENTS LOOK LIKE, OKAY, YOU KNOW, AND I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO SEVERAL PARENTS, BUT ESPECIALLY -- I'LL SAY THIS TO THE SAY THIS TO THE SLPs, ESPECIALLY THE ESPECIALLY THE PARENTS WHOSE CHILDREN HAVE CHILDREN HAVE A DIFFERENT CHALLENGE THAT ARE CHALLENGE THAT ARE STUDENTS. THEY ARE TRUSTING THEY ARE TRUSTING IN US HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO GUIDE THEIR STUDENTS. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET A FEW OF THEM YESTERDAY, A COUPLE OF SCHOOLS.
THEY ARE EXCITED TO HAVE THEIR STUDENTS IN OUR HANDS. SO THAT'S WHY I SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. WITH THAT, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ]