--------- Let's let a Liberty County School Board workshop Tuesday, August 12th, 2025, 4:30 p.m. Come to order. First off is discussion. Eddie. >> Yes, sir. So, hey, thank y'all for uh short notice getting together. Uh I had
uh board member ask for this meeting and I and I think it was good because uh social media got a hold of this over the weekend and uh as I shared you know you you you you don't always get all the facts with social media and a lot of
times it just bothers me and but why people don't just make a call to the schoolboard office or to one of y'all to ask you know for specific questions because if they call y'all and you don't know then you're going to call me and hopefully we can get those questions alleviated. A lot of misinformation went
out. Um, and uh, I want to kind of want to make sure I answer all your questions, give you an opportunity to to to share as well. Um, give you a little bit of a genesis on this. Um, last year um, was the first year for the
PP scholarships. Man, you might have to help me out on how many the state allowed. It was a certain number, a thousand, tens of thousand, and then they about doubled it this year. So, everybody could not get a PEP scholarship. What is a PEP scholarship?
Well, it it allow it's basically like a uh a savings account, a education savings account. You know, we we offer the HSA where you can do a health savings account. So, you can put money in that every month and it can build up value and value and and you kind of use
that for your insurance costs. Well, this is for education. This this is brand new. Now, there's always been homeschooled students back probably when all of us were some of us older ones, and I won't call any names, uh, you know, some of us older ones, but there you've always had homeschooled students,
but now um, you know, there's there's been talk for probably the last 30 years of vouchers where somebody can take their tax dollars and use that to a school of their choice. the the transition for that was really made when
when charter schools started popping up when you'd have DNF schools. Uh we don't have to look too far from here and our neighbors, our good neighbors from Gadston County, which had a bunch of F schools that opened the door for charter schools to come in. And these these were
private companies who would come in contract with the state and those students could uh could attend there and their funding would follow them there and that's how those charter schools made money. Um those have not in most
cases proven to be very successful. In some areas of the state, charter schools do real well for whatever intended purpose. You may have a charter school that specializes in art education or music education or some other specialty and they may limit that to a few grades
or just middle school or K5 or grades three through five. But um these charter schools popped up to try to be an alternative to a failing school. So that became state law quite a few under the Jeb Bush administration. But the you've heard the term vouchers for a long time
and now uh the state has really put that into overdrive with Governor DeSantis with school choice. So now the the student allocation that we receive per student um now can that kid can take that money and put it the it's real
important the family don't get the money. It doesn't go into their bank account. Okay. So u I'll use I'll use uh Katie if Katie has one of her kids and she wants to do that. They don't write Katie a check for8 $8,500. Okay? It goes through a program called StepUp. And I
sent y'all the Step Up. Y'all should have got that. And hope y'all had just an opportunity just to peruse it. I've got a copy here if we got some specific questions we want to look up. But Step Up is the is the uh the group that was designed to from the state to handle that the administration of these uh the
these PP scholarships. When that student or that parent says, "I want my kid to receive a PEP scholarship," they no longer are Liberty County School District students. Okay, that's a very important thing to understand. Parents
are struggling with that because all they know is what all we know is that everything in the school district is free. The bus ride's free, the ball playing's free, the clubs are free, the class I'm not, you know, no, we're not paying to go to Liberty County High School or Hosford or Toller. But when
they make that transition to that savings account that goes through Stepup, they are no longer considered Liberty County School District children. Okay, that's a very important thing to understand here. Now, they're our community kids. They're always going to
be our kids, but but on paper, they're no longer district kids. We don't have any control over the curriculum that's taught. We have, and when I say control, oversight, that's a better word. We don't have any oversight on anything that they do academically. Um, now the
state through FHSAA has said that private schools and these people who receive these can still participate in your extracurricular sporting events. That's been the case for a while now. So, uh, that's where a student can now, you know, probably as recent Boo when
you and Jason and I were all in school back in the 80s and the 90s, you know, you had to live in the district. You had to live in the county. Well, obviously that's changed in the last few years. You can live anywhere as long as you can get to that school and your parents are okay with getting you there within, you know, unless you've been you can't be recruited, but you can go play wherever
you want to. Uh, as long as you got a way to get there and to to participate. So, the thing this has changed. Last year was PEP, they doubled it this year. Next year there's there's going to be no limit. Whoever in the state of Florida wants PE scholarship will be eligible to
receive a PEP scholarship. That's a real gamecher for the public school system. I personally feel and and I I'm I'm going to just put a little opinion amongst the facts. I feel like it's a real dismantling in a lot of ways of the of
the of the public school system because at the end of the day it cost us the same amount of money for the electricity for custodial staff for most everything we do here whether there's we're at 80% capacity or 100% capacity. Where we do
have the the opportunity to have to make adjustments based on enrollment is staff. Okay. So this year we've we we've done that. The last couple years we've lost students to after COVID a lot of them did not come back. Had had a kid come in today um wanting to join adult
school 17 years old two credits you know hadn't done anything for the last three or four years nothing and and so we deal with those kind of scenarios and we do have an adult school program but we try to get them to do some kind of home education program e on their own or something. We try to assist in that
because we don't want those people can count against us for dropouts. So we're going through this this this new change now. But what happens is at the end of the day if the students start falling away, we have to we got to do a reduction in staff. So this year was was
just like every other year. Can we absorb some positions? I'll give you a fine example. We had two guidance counselors at Hosford. Hosford's down a lot of students. We're down to one. We absorbed Miss Becky's position. So we only have one guidance counselor at Hosford now. We we've absorbed absorbed
absorbed as much as we can. Nowhere more than the the county office. There was a lot of extra positions up here and slowly but surely those have gone away and we've absorbed and it's got people working more and I know that. But we're trying to keep people employed as much as we can. But there would I can go on
and say depending on what student enrollment looks like there may come a time we're going to have to do a reduction in force where we have to we have to make sure that our ratios are in line with our funding. Okay. So this money is set aside for that. The PP
handbook says exactly what we are doing. It's there they paying that teacher whoever they've chosen to teach. Uh, and we know some of those in the county, they pay them to teach and and then any extracurricular thing, if they want to come to the school and take a class,
they may say, you know what, I'm going to do that. I'm going to do that schooling over there, but I want to come take an ad class. I I like Tyler Statamire and I want to take an ad class. Well, they can. So, we come up, we've talked about, can we charge them for that? Because they got the money. The money's there. Uh, but can we charge
them? The answer is a resounding yes. I've had I've run this to uh uh Bob Bob Harris who is our litigating attorney through PAC and fads. Uh 100% legal and and the you know the thing that it was illegal on social media just is just not true. Um talked to Brian Moore with
fads. We're in good shape with with what we're doing. Miami Dade did it last year. Nobody messes with Miami date. I'm for whatever reason don't mess with Miami date. This year it started out Walton County had joined that group. I've been talking to our PAC to
superintendent all since February, January, February, saying, "Guys, I feel like this is the direction that Liberty County needs to go. What do y'all think?" Well, they all agreed, but nobody wanted to. Nobody wanted to pull the trigger. So, we did a lot of vetting. We we we talked to Bob. Bob
said, "You don't need to charge too much. Don't charge enough where you can't justify it." Number one. And number two, um, you don't want to make it so cost prohibitive where somebody says, you know, well, I I can't afford to do that even on a scholarship. We felt like $250 or Well, number one, let
me tell you about the classes. $285. Where did that figure come from? $285 for a class is what we pay Florida Virtual. Some of y'all in this room, your kids have taken Florida Virtual courses through Liberty County High School. And guess what? Liberty County School District paid for it. We paid
$285 a course. So, we felt like that was apples and apples 200. We charge the same amount that Florida Virtual charges. That's a good starting point. Do we deserve more? Some other districts are getting a lot more than that, but that's what we came up with. The second thing was your extracurriculars. Okay?
And I'm talking about specifically athletics. Um, we looked at that. Um, what's a fair thing for that? We figured $250 a semester. So, if you play football and then it starts into basketball, you're going to pay $250. it goes over to another semester, but since
it started this semester, it's going to be $250. If you play all three sports, it would be $500. If you play football and baseball or football and soft volleyball and softball, it'd be $500. Um, we felt like that was a reasonable
fee. If somebody wants to to be very specific on what we're paying for fees, it's almost like the lawyer who says you you don't ask a question unless you want unless you know what the answer is. We pay coaches. We pay ath. And I I just wrote a list of things. And when I start
doing the math on that stuff, it's very substantial. We pay coaches, we have facilities, we have field maintenance, we have uh building maintenance, we have uniforms, we have assisted coaches, we have insurance, we have liability insurance. That kid goes out and breaks their neck. God forbid you have a
situation like we had with uh the boy from St. Joe, that's on us. We have to pay that uh through our insurance that we pay the premiums for. So, there's a there's a lot of things in here that go into that. We felt like 250 was fair. Um, we had made, you know, when we
talked about it at the last board meeting and we approved all of this, some of y'all may mention, is it enough? And I I say probably not, but it was it was where where Bob encouraged us to start. Okay. Now, I can tell you that uh the minute that y'all approved this at
the last board meeting, all the other school districts woke up and I really wanted them to do it before school started to give people some time. Now, one of the things that I'll just kind of give you an idea of who's approved this today. Holmes County approved it. Um and
they took our sheet, identical sheet, put their name on it, and they approved that. Washington County, I sent y'all that. Now, if you look at now, uh, Holmes has the same figures that we have. Washington County approved this 50
yesterday. They're charging $500 per academic course and $500 per activity. Uh, so 500 for each each thing. So, that's quite a bit more than than what we're charging. I think we're very conservative. Home. Uh, Jackson County
will be approving theirs next Tuesday. Um, they have one. It's $400 for those classes. Again, ours is 285, theirs is 400, and then they're doing $400 per semester for extracurriculars. So, again, higher than ours. Now, I I
could make a great argument that that we should we should match them, but I sure didn't want to go over them for the situation. One of the board members mentioned says, "What if somebody says, "Well, it's cheaper for me to go play over here." That's what I don't want. I wish I I encouraged all the PAC guys. We
all need to be on the same using the same figures. I I begged them to, but nobody wanted to put their neck out. I did and it was too low compared to what they want to do, but they got to do what they want to do. I'm okay with the 250. I hope you're okay with the 250. So,
that that's where we are now. What we approved what we y'all approved last time was that to do that for the PE charge the PEP kids who are getting the money and any traditional homeschooled kid that I'll go back to Katie's thing.
Let's just say Katie and and her husband wants to homeschool their kid, but they're going to use maybe some stuff they get online. They're not getting paid any state dollars. And they may use something they pay $200 or $300 for out of their pocket. maybe some something called a Becka, which is a curriculum
out of Pensacola. It's a Christian curriculum I'm familiar with. Let's say they do that and they pay that. They're not getting remunerated from the state. Um, we're not going to charge them this year for them to have to cough up that money because they're not getting money. That seems to be what the other districts are doing. They're leaving
those traditional homeschool students harmless. At least this year. At least this year. Now, Holmes went ahead and charged them. Okay? And as of last our last board meeting, we charged them. What I my agenda item tonight was to exempt the traditional ones because
timing it's it was so quick right here. Boom. You need we need some money. Uh and and they don't have no money coming in. The PP scholarship kids do have money coming in. I've I've spoken with some PP uh parents and they and and this was an honest conversation. One of them,
we really expected y'all to do this last year. Was kind of shocked that you didn't. We're okay with it. They come in paid today. Thought it was totally fair. Um I see where that could probably pull away from a teacher salary. If the teacher was thought they were going to get x amount of dollars and now some of
these PEP uh fees are coming back, you know, to the district. There there's no there's no there's not a centilla of retaliation in my heart. I'm not mad at these people. You won't find anybody in this district says Kyle Petty's against homeschooling.
Um, my my my own kin folk are doing it and that's okay. I here's what I say about homeschooling and I'll make it I'll put it on the record tonight. If a parent as a conservative Republican, as a if a parent says, "This is what I feel like is best for my kid," God bless you. Do we want you I I pray that you do it
well and if the district can help, we we would like to we'd like to help. We we hope that you you come to school here. We feel like we got it going on here, but if that's what you feel like, then then, you know, go with my blessing. But so there's no there's no retaliation against any group that's that's
receiving this money. What this is is a legal way for us to recover things that are are we are paying for. And and I think it's I I think what we're seeing now is the other school districts saying, "Yep, we need to do this." They were just waiting for somebody to start
it. I talked to feds yesterday and today talked to their legal team and they said, "Don't stop. this really needs to happen. Um o otherwise we're we're seeing other districts that are really struggling. Holmes County is bleeding
bleeding students. Um I know some of y'all talked to their board members. They they're really struggling to make ends meet financially. They're really struggling. Um and so I I see that I'm trying to be proactive here. You know, we don't have we don't have any beachfront property in Liberty County.
We don't have we don't have an interstate coming through here. We don't have any hotels that are generating taxes for our our schools and for our county. We've got to be very careful and and I'm not I don't want to ask for something that we are not entitled to. I don't want to ask for something that's
unfair. But when this funding goes with that student and they can use it and then they're receiving a benefit from the school district and it's fair to charge them for that, the nominal amount that I've asked y'all to do and y'all already approved. I think that's more than fair. I do think as one of the
board members and I talked, I do think we need to have the conversation for all the others. There's about 71 72 PP kids and there's over a 100 traditional kids. Okay. All of that that could easily be become 171 PEP students next year. And
if they don't ask, then that's on them. They they they can. And I mean, I don't like to advertise that, but I'm just saying they'll be able to. I'm saying we need to have an infrastructure in place that if they choose to use the district for what you know for what we have to offer that there's a little bit of skin
in the game on their part because it's not coming out of their park pocket directly. It's coming out of the money that would have come out of that funding if they would have been here. And and I think we do need to talk about those traditional kids. Uh you know, is is is that fair to ask right now? That's the
policy and I'm asking y'all to exempt them tonight. So, um, that's where I'm at. And and and again, I want I want y'all to share. I know, uh, Mr. Kever requested a workshop and I want to make sure everybody's heard and gives their opinion because I think, uh, we, you
know, we shared there'll be kinks in this and we knew there would be some, but we want to make sure that we're not being swayed by social media pressure because that just that's always almost never right. Uh, I I've shared people people who really have issues, they'll
come talk to you. they'll come talk to you and they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll make time to come talk to you if it really is something that's a hot issue in their heart, their mind, and it's something that affects their family and especially their pocketbook. So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it
and uh so, Mr. Chair, I I'll give y'all give it back to you and what if anybody's got questions, I'm here to answer anything. I >> I got a question on it. uh how how do they go how does a PEP student or parent go about
that they are going to pay for it they okay yeah I'm good with it even if I'm not good with it I'm going to pay how does the district track that or how do you we how does the district accept the money I mean you got to come in cash do we have an account do we give them an
invoice beforehand for them to turn in to step up or whatever I mean how how's that going to work. What I mean there's 71 of them at this point. So, how's that? >> And some of some of them may be elementary kids that aren't playing any of that. >> Yeah. Well, I mean, it's going to be the
one depending on what they're doing. I just >> So, the people already had the and new people, new awardes have not actually gotten their funds yet, so they won't get theirs until September. People who had it last year have already gotten it. So, for example, we had someone come in today, pay the fees, I wrote a receipt,
had all the things they've got to have on there, and then they submit a reimbursement through step up. So, it would be this, >> right? So, and it's on the list like they can go through their local school district to pay for things. Um, so
they're able to it would be the same as if they went to Walmart and paid for school supplies and then turn in that receipt. So we're re giving them a receipt that they're going to turn into step up and then they are able to pull that money down from there. So like Walmart is not a vendor. I mean it might
be I don't know but I'm quite sure Walmart is not follow filing for reimbursement for through stepup. Does that make sense? >> Well I mean in this sense to say I've got a kid that's in got a PEP and all. Okay. >> I'm that one that doesn't get it till September, right? You know it's just
like with all the school teachers. Your first check comes everybody's got to wait. money and they were made together. >> Yeah. So, what what we had discussed was either holding their check and this is this is one of those kinks that we're not really sure about and I did not know that they don't get their money until
later if they're new. So, either holding their check until they their funds are released or they don't pay until September. One or the other. But I think that that there are very few new ones and so we're we're aware of who those
people are. So we can we probably just work with them. Yeah. And try to >> I mean that's the question I'm trying to ask. So you got some that are just starting. They haven't got it in September. Here they are playing football, you know, or volleyball or >> right >> whatever.
>> If you know they're going to get the scholarship, we we'll work with them. We'll work with and I told Katie, she said, "What do you want me to do?" I said, "We'll work with them if they if they're on and we know if they're on that PE list, so we'll just we'll just we'll work with them on that." >> Okay,
go ahead. >> You done? >> Yeah. And yeah. >> Okay. So, got to I do have some questions because um apparently we've got no guidance from PAC. None of the districts have um on
what to do, how to lay this out. Um, and I will add to that list that Calhoun will be pushing for this. Um, it's coming. It's probably going to come around September. Um, I did talk to Daryl Taylor and he said he wish he already had it in place, but um, he, you
know, I I said we'd be glad to share ours, you know, and I know you talk to him on a regular basis. Um, where does the PEP money go? So, we collect this PEP money. Where are we? Where is it going? Is it
really going back into the >> about on the fees? >> Yes. Yes. The fees. Where are we sticking? >> Put it in general funds. >> Yeah. >> Okay. I mean, are we are we creating a special place that we can track this money that if anybody ever come back and audit it
>> so to say it to a project number? >> Okay. So, there'll be a project number because it's >> in the general fund. in the general fund, but it'll be have a project where I could pull a report and say, "Hey, here's what we collected on PP fees for 2526." And I said, "Hey, bam, that's what it was." >> I have a feeling it's it's going to be
audited. Um, you know, and it it's coming. So, I just recommend that. >> They will. They will. Hey, absolutely. >> Um, I was looking I I got a another got another question. Where does the home school just traditional homeschool
where and we lose those dollars when they go to homeschool? Correct or not correct? >> Not correct. Well, yes and no. So, some some just do what they do. They'll get their own curriculum. They'll pay for it. And they've done that traditionally.
>> Where does the where does the the money for the student >> tax money? >> Yeah. Where's the tax money go? Huh? >> State keeps it. that keeps it >> in their coffers. Yeah, correct. >> Okay. So, it really we it never filters to us at all. Okay. So, approximately
that's 8,000 to how much depending on >> here just a base FTE kid was 8,400. >> Okay. Okay. And we're looking at right now because I thought it was 70 students total that were out FE and hometown. So,
it's over a hundred now. >> About 170. Okay. And how many homeschoolers? >> All of them? >> No, I'm not. But P >> Oh, the traditional about about 100. >> Okay. >> Traditional is around 100.
>> Okay. >> But that's everyone. The little ones all the way up. So that's not all playing sports. Those are kindergarten. >> Right. Right. I think you you told me 17 of the PEP students were actually playing. And that's and that's even a tentative number because you know we
don't know the Hosford kids who will make the team and those kind of things and then you'll have other sports throughout the year. So that's just kind of what we're looking at initially as of the day I told you that. >> Right. So, something that was brought up to me today, and I do need to share
this, um, and I know it I I just want us to to set this to the side because I know it it's going to be brought up, it probably already has to some of you, is the PEP students that's having to pay. A lot of these parents are the parents
that get out there, line the fields, help the coaches, volunteer, do a lot of fundraising. A lot. So, I just want to set that premise um because it there's a lot of talk about that. You know, what about all this time I take off work? I
you know, we're the parents that get out there and get involved. Um my answer is it's fair for all. You know, thank you for your service, but I I do expect that we do will lose some of that some of that volunteering. Um because I don't
feel like that, you know, if they're Well, we paid for it now, so we're going to go ahead and we're not going to do it. We might we might that might happen. >> Mhm. >> One thing that I I through all of this that I think is very
important and I still go back to and Kyle and I have had some conversations. We've agreed to disagree on some things, but what are we doing to find out why the children left and how we can get them back?
How are we reaching out and going, "Hey, you know, I I heard last year some students quit because they missed a a cheerleading deadline." Um, or some might be it might be discipline, you know, something like that.
I still go back to it's not the era that we grew up in. My mom and daddy made me go to school. It was public school. That's all you had. You didn't go to school and if you was sick, you wasn't outside playing and you darn sure what we didn't know what video games were. But
today's world with our governor and our government pushing parent choice, parent choice, parent choice. Yes, he loves our teachers, but on the other side of things, you can go to homeschooling. You can go to charter school. You can do all these other great things that don't take
five days a week. Oh, and you can go on vacation with your family, too, you know. But I still feel like with the impact, and I have talked to some other districts, what can we do to market public
education, it's almost left up to us because our government's not doing it. And you can we can say we've got eight schools. That's great. Well, that's wonderful. But we're losing kids. Something's happening. And I've talked
about exit interviews. I've talked about this. But we if we continue to increase like this, you're right. We're going to cut some We're going to cut some staff. We even may get to the point of closing schools before it's over with. I'm I don't want to say the sky's falling, but
come on. You know, it went from 50. Now it's over a hundred and every district is experiencing this. We're we're we're all in this together, but there has to be some serious conversation. I would love for PAC to
address this market public education like they're marketing homeschooling because we're on our own. And I really would like to know why why are we losing kids? I I get some of it.
I understand some of it, but our our kids are walking out the door and then some of them are coming back and don't even know what grade level they're in. That's sad. That's sad. And guess who's going to take the the the brunt of all of this? Our public education.
So, I don't know how we do it. I don't have the solution. I I would love to sit here and tell you, hey, you know, I don't want to walk out on a limb by ourselves either and do something stupid, but this is this is key right
now. We've got to start finding out and having some serious conversations about what's going on. I see it. And then did we ever answer Holly Scheler's email? Did you answer her email? >> Holly Schuler? >> Yeah. >> I didn't I don't have nothing.
>> Okay. She sent an email yesterday at uh 7:33 p.m. So, have you seen you ain't seen it? Okay. All right. Um and this this is kind of in her email. No one has ever taken the or has hasn't taken the opportunity to understand the reasons
behind my decision to been begin homeschooling. Like you said, if you want to do it, that's fine. But if there's a reason, let's find out. Uh we need to find out. And if we can fix it, then let's fix it.
And I if I'm telling you to me, and I know we talked about this, I've talked about this with Kyle. I hadn't talked about it with the board members, of course, but if it's missing a deadline, yes, I see both sides of that. But
that just don't that don't sit well with me. That just don't sit well with me. I mean, that's 16 thou over $16,000 just walked out the door. We ain't getting it back. So, I'd be happy to go next. So, I'd like to
say thank you, Kyle, for scheduling this meeting. Thank you everybody for being here for an extra hour. I know I'll keep you this hour and I'll probably keep you a little bit too long on the next meeting. So, I love y'all. I appreciate y'all and I hope everyone clearly understands how grateful I am for y'all.
I realize not completely but in measure how much hard work y'all do for the school. I I know that you deal with the good, the bad, and ugly as they say. I know you go through a lot and I know you deal with a lot and I appreciate your efforts. I appreciate your work and nothing that I say here today is meant
to take away from anybody's hard work. I know you're doing your best to serve the kids of the community and that's why we're here 100% to focus on the kids. So, I appreciate Kyle you you answering a lot of those questions that I've had calls about right out of the gate, you
know, pertaining to how PEP works, the legality of it, other counties that are doing this already, what fees they're charging. I think that's great information to get out in public. And that was one of the reasons why I really wanted to have a workshop here today. So, we're very transparent with the things that we're doing because in in
government and in Liberty County government, I think transparency is key. Uh people need to know what they're getting for their dollars, right? They they they deserve to know what their neighbors are doing that are affecting their lives. Um I I think that's first and foremost and the basis of all the
conversation I'd like to have today and the and one main component of holding this meeting. So, the kids, I think it's where it's at, doing what's best for the kids. Um, I will say right out of the gate that I am an individual that is in
favor with a charge for kids that come to play, athletics, or participate in say uh schooling, whether it's, you know, academic or extracurricular. I am in favor of that. Um, but I will say personally I would be in favor of a
pause because of information and clarity that we would need to go over pertaining to what's happening. So, if I'm understanding right, we have about 17 kids at about $250 a piece. So, we have what, right at $4,250ish
we think we're going to be collecting from these fees. Um, I really appreciate what Miss Jody said. Um, it is exactly what I was thinking and where I where where my heart is at. I think
if people misunderstand or misinterpret the desires we have or the intent we have for doing something, it creates discord, unrest, anxiety, hostility. Uh, and I think it's important for people to understand where we're coming from. Um,
if we have $1.428 $428 million that's not coming into the school district right at $1.5 million because the kids are at home. I think without question we owe it to the children and the parents of the county to know why they're not
here in the school. I think there are things that we may never be able to do to get them to to come back or to stay here and that's okay. They have their choice and I 100% wholeheartedly agree and respect agree with and respect that choice. I think that everybody should
respect that that it's good citizens, Christians, just good people to respect people's choices. But business and operationally, we need to know why people, parents are pulling their children out or why children want to be pulled out. I I don't know which one it
is. I I think one step ahead of an exit interview. And I think it's a great idea to have a formal exit interview process by um an an automated system if somebody want sit down and do a personal interview or an email. If someone want
to sit down and do an automated system or a personal email to find out from both parents or or both custodians or guardians of a student why they're pulling that kid out or why that kid wants to go. But I think the a component before that is some type of and maybe we
have this. Is there something in place to formally track complaints to try to get ahead of why somebody might want to leave like it or when and I know that administration principles when you're
dealing with a baby and it doesn't go just right, you're going to get a complaint. It it just that's how it is. That that's just how it is. That's how it's always going to be. Somebody's going to fight for their baby. I get it. Is there a formal process to say, "Okay, we go into this system. Um, Mason called
complaining about Ashton because Ashton was bullied in the lunchroom." Do we track and see when complaints come through and what's happening to try to find a trend or a pattern to try to indicate why somebody would be leave
pulling their kids out? Now maybe it would be transparent at that time up front, maybe not. But for sure in the exit interview, which we may have we may have lost that opportunity to to provide public education for that kid forever. Maybe, maybe not. If we make actions
that suffice the desires of the guardians, custodians, parents of the child, maybe we can change things, appearance of things, and maybe they come back. But but 100% I agree with Miss Jod. We we have absolutely got to
track and understand why why we're it's not just dollars. It's not just losing a million and a half dollars every year, but what have we done that has offended or hurt or or whatever it may be that child and what can we do better? Now,
again, I led with I think our teachers are great. I think our administration's great. I think people are great. I don't know about you and your personal family members, but you know what? I I I said when I went and worked for the county, um somebody said, "Hey, are you going to are you going to be all right working in
this group?" I'm like, "Listen, I'm from a dysfunctional family. I can handle this." Great. All right. There's some dysfunction in every family where people are at odds and don't get along, but at the end of the day, you love each other. That's going to happen when you have kids involved. But if we can track and understand why these kids are leaving
and really know that, maybe we can bring them back. But in the end, in the very least, what we can show the community we're doing is that we care. We have a formal process to try to fix it. And then when we go to something like this
to charge for an athlete coming in, it's like, listen, we don't we don't want to have to do this and we're trying to keep people. We're trying to bring them back, but this is this is the state of our school system right now where our kids that are in the district, they're being
charged and we can't just take money from other kids to pay for your kids to come in to be able to play sports or play ball or or take a class. Um, when I said it's about the kids, it's all considered. I I don't believe it's right to take money from one to pay for
somebody else that's not going to come in and pay. Um, I get they pay taxes. Um, I 100% get that. I I think as a society, we absolutely want to pay taxes to develop a good community. Um, uh, competitive advantage in markets,
industry, growth. That's why whether you have a kid or grandkid or anybody in schools, you pay to schools to get to have a better community. I I get that component of it. But I think if we're going to do this, my personal opinion and desire is to say, "Hey, listen. We
have a focus. We're focusing tracking complaints. We're doing exit interviews to decide why people are leaving. We are keeping up with all this. And in the meantime, we hope you come back, but in the meantime, there are these charges that are going to be applicable. We ask you to come back to school. What can we do to bring you back where you want to
where you want to be taught in our classrooms? Now, what can we do? Ma maybe we we can't, maybe we can't. So I think the appearance is the priority here to make to make it not just appear and show desire. They see our desire. I
think all of us want the kids to come back. But sometimes they don't recognize it because they don't see the call or the action or the desire because we're trying our best to keep up with our work schedule and workload and we're short staffed and we're doing our best to try to get, you know, changes in the
meetings for the beginning of a of a school year to just try to make things work. I I get deadlines and I know that happens, but I think if we show our focus is shift shifting to we're focuses on the student. We want to help the student. You know, we're trying to do our best. Um we ask for your patience,
your love, respect, but this is this is now our policy to do this. So, I say that and I I would really like the data that shows this sport cost this. there are this
many kids in this sport. Their technical price just for coaching maybe is this. You know what we're asking for is this and see show that it's le that it's less. Um you know I asked for a pause again because it is it the right thing
to do to charge by semester? I'm not so sure. Um it was Washington that charged by the activity. I I would be more inclined to charge by activity than necessarily by semester personally. That's just my my thought. Now, I don't know if that creates a PEP problem or schedule, but I think that would be the
right thing to do is charge by activity. Now, you got to good and well know if you play football, there's going to be more of a cost on football than beach volleyball, right? So, and if we can show, hey, listen, we have $20,000 that
go to coaches every year. We have 30 kids. We have $600 and something dollars per kid that it takes just to pay the coach. And then we pay another $50 a year for insurance that we're required to have, right? I mean, you got $650 per kid for coaching insurance. We're asking for maybe it stays 250, maybe we change
it if it's by by a given given sport. So, I would really like to examine maybe the thought process, the mentality, and show people this is what we're doing. This is why we're doing it. It's it's itemized out for for these reasons. You
know, there's I had somebody ask me the question. And they were like, "What if what if you have a a four-star, fivestar running back that wants to come to Liberty County cuz his greatgranddaddy, you know, lived here and he wants to be a part of it, but he comes and he says, "I ain't paying $250 to play football." Are we going to say, "Buddy, you playing
$250. You ain't playing football and it's a four-star running back." But like, come on in, man. We'd be happy to have you. But then, can you do that? Are there scholarship opportunities? Are there sponsorship opportunities? I think it's important to to weigh out.
>> That's partly legal. That part's illegal. You can't you can't >> sponsor a player to come. >> So it >> can get paid to play though. >> Can get paid to play. >> They can do some NIL stuff, but you can't >> somebody somebody could pay him to play and then he could end up spending it. That's what you're saying. Correct.
>> Okay. Well, that answers that question. So, thank you for that. That was that was a good one. So, middle school, middle school, is this applying to to 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th? This is across the board, right? All all athletes. all all academics through high
school. I'm assuming it's only high school that the 285 applies, right, that they're doing these classes. So, I I would really again I am in favor of this happening, but I would like it to be paused until we can work out some details that provide clarity to the
community where the community knows exactly what we're doing, why we're doing it, and they see the reasons behind it. In other words, $4,200 ain't going to make or break us until January. you know, if we have to hold off by the way this works where okay, these these sports start and we can't if we don't
hit this semester in time, we're going to start January. You give everybody notice. They know it's coming. They can save for it. You know, my and I know I've talked for what 20 minutes, 15 minutes. I apologize. I I want to make sure people know that
their voices are heard and that we care about their voices and that we are consciously giving them opportunities to speak, but we are doing what we believe is best for all the kids, right? We're we're considering the kids in the district because that's the primary
responsibility we have for right the the students that's our primary responsibility. But fairness and respect in general, I think is a must because we we want to build confidence in our system and have people believe in us. And and I think, you know, maybe maybe
people will care if we give them more time, maybe they don't. Um, you know, that that's just that's just a few a few of my thoughts or ideas to throw around. And I would imagine all of you have received so many calls and had so many conversations and y'all have maybe ideas
and things to think about as well. I don't what I'm saying is I don't want to rush this and I want to I want I would like to have procedures and things in place where it shows we do care that that kids are leaving and we want to bring them back. That's
>> I do want to add one thing. We've always had a homeschool population. >> It is bigger now, but we have people have always had the opportunity to choose. And I think you all hear from people when they're mad. People call the board members when they're mad. Most of our
homesooled families are homeschooling because they have chosen they want to be able to do that. I am the only member of my family who did not homeschool their children. I worked and I was, you know, we we were at the schools with our kids. So, I don't I don't think that most people are
mad when they're pulling their kids out. It is a very small group of people like the ones that you're talking about with with missing the deadline. Most people are just they have made that choice for their family. What PEP has done is made that more affordable for people to be
able to get that money to make whatever purchases they choose to do. So it is not they're mad. We've got 170 people that are mad at us. They're pulling their kids out. So I wanted to make sure that y'all are aware that most of the people that I talked to, they have just
chosen to do this for their children. They are not leaving based on we've done something wrong or >> Let me add something, Mindy. I agree with you. Not everybody is upset with with Liberty County school system.
>> Facebook I talked to a parent today >> and he they pulled their they pulled their children out to homeschool. He's sad. He's sad. And you know why? Cuz he loves Liberty County school systems.
and went to school here, graduated here, and something happened and I was I wasn't aware of everything that happened, you know, at the time. Um, that we came to an impass that that there was just no give, none.
Okay. And I I am a fixer by nature. I think that people can sit down, have rational conversations, and talk and come to some sort of
something before it gets to where I'm just I'm I'm going to have to take my kid out of here. Okay. Um, and this person I think and I've known for a long time I I just can't see that there couldn't have been something
something fixed. Um, some of these kids and I have done some look some looking into particularly one of the schools a lot of it was discipline. A lot of it was discipline because they left um and and the kids I mean they were you know
what I'm saying? they just they wouldn't behave in the schools and they were constantly the parents were constantly getting called and it was finally like I'm done I'll just pull them out and take them home you know but >> over overall hold on overall we've still
got to go back and say can somebody tell me why because I'm I don't have a clear answer on that I don't I just don't >> so so that's my that's my issue is the kid what you just said the scenario kids
are misbehaving not following rules >> we got to follow rules >> our job is to prepare them we got to have clear lines clear boundaries uh you know down I told her today in the lunchroom I I looked and these kids are coming in so respectful in lunchroom
eating quiet I mean just and I looked at Miss Jill Miss Jill was down there I said look how good our kids are I mean they were sharing there was some of them trading some of the I mean it was just it was real pleasant and I've been in schools where it's just like a zoo, you know, but if they pull the kids out
because the kids can't behave, they've done the kids a great disservice in my opinion. Get the kid to follow the rules. How about that? How about get the kid because they're going to have to follow them on the outside. >> But maybe the parent needed some help, too. And
>> I'm always available. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. >> I am always available. >> The parent because you take a bad kid in school. >> Yeah. I guarantee you it's worse at home. Yeah. A kid's going to act worse around y'all. I mean, you know, that's why they're acting up. They're going to
act better around you guys than they are with me. So, I mean, I always said that, you know, oh, she's so sweet. >> You know, she >> We have services available. Laura, Laura, Laura's got a whole division there that can work out with these behavioral counselors to work with the
home, not just at school, but those RBT people can they can they can establish a behavioral plan at school and and at home. But at the end of the day, it's one of those things that we even tell our teachers, a behavioral plan is only good as it's followed, right? >> You know, so so those those are those
are I'm all Hey, look, I do counseling in that office a lot. I put my gu guidance counselor hat on, put my pastor hat on, and I'll talk with those, but at some point there there's a real struggle with parents these days. Not all of them. Totally. Just kids, you know, who's in charge here.
>> I used to have a I used to have a sign in my office at old guy's office where Jeff's at no is a complete sentence. >> You know, no is a complete sentence. So, you're right. They're they're tough at home. And and so for the parent, the easy thing is, well, we'll just pull them out. And and that's not a good choice. And here's the other thing. if
if parents if parents come and talk to me and say and and I I feel like that's what my role is and I would put really any of those at that table who who represent our district, our principles, our school leadership guidance count guidance st
we've got folks that if somebody says look I'm I'm really teetering do I need excuse me pull my kids pull my kids out of school or not I want to have that conversation but the but if they pull them out then they've made the decisions made. >> It's already made.
>> Are they pulling them out? Okay. So, one kid's over here having problems with a teacher and they went to the guidance counselor, they've talked to the principal. You know, not everything escalates to the big boss. We all know that. I know that. Um they've tried it,
tried it, tried it, and finally that's it. I I'm done. you know, because they feel like, you know, a lot of times your your leader is going to protect your employees. You're going to come on the side of your employee. You normally do.
All right? So, they get frustrated. That's I think where ma where what Mason is saying could are we tracking are we tracking the problem areas? Are we tracking the counseling, the the parents
coming in and talking and having parent teachers? Are we saying, "Hey, they got a problem here." I mean, how deep are we getting with this that we have kind of a window into uhoh, this is coming, you know, this is probably going to happen,
guys. Because most of the time, if somebody's going to pull their kid out to homeschool them, you going to hear it. You'll hear it >> cuz they probably they'll tell you in a parent teacher. I'll just pull my kid out, you know, or I can go to so and so and get, you know, we can go to class
sizes of 15 versus 28, right? >> You know, so that's where I think what Mason is trying to say is to dig a little deeper. If there's parent help, if a parent is struggling problem, I
don't know how much resources we have when it comes to that type of counseling services to say, "Hey, this the kids having a discipline problem. They're, you know, and we do have one strike, two strike, three strike. I get that. But can we help a little bit?" I'm just
trying to get to the bottom of why these kids, why >> that's one thing I think back to the discussion >> allocate those funds. I think what the superintendent is saying is with homeschool, it's just
not directly coming out of their pocket. These are funds that they've gotten and they decide how to allocate it. >> Okay. >> Correct. >> So, it's not like doing this, which is well under some of the other districts. It's not like we're
taking money that's in they're earning. It's money that they were given and they get to choose how to allocate. >> And I think transparency like Mason said with the with how we came to the figures we're going to be under. We know that. You've already said it 50 times. >> Yeah.
>> So transparency with how how did we get to these figures? You know, people are wanting to know like you're charging $500 semester. And my question, like he said, is it $500 per sports activity? It is
>> 250 a semester. >> So it don't matter if they play three. >> Talking about like the amount of fuel diesel, the amount that refs, the amount for >> coaches by the hour that >> That's great, Jeff. I hear you. But does the public know that?
>> I know. But what I'm saying is, is that the kind of breakdown that we want per a sport, per a school? Well, if we're implementing something that's about to dip into somebody's pocketbook, >> it's not their >> It is until they get reimbursed. >> Correct. They're not correct.
>> Out of their No, they don't get the money out of their account at step up. Okay. Cuz I thought they had to get reimbursed. >> Well, that's for those that >> for the initial ones, >> the ones last year, it just comes out of the account. >> Okay. Okay. Well, again, is it 250 per
sport per semester? >> Per semester. >> 250 a semester. So, if they play, let's use a guy sport since I'm a dude. If I play football and basketball, which goes over into the second semester, I'm doing 250. Oh, that's >> okay. Because >> the lesser the lesser I
>> I want to say something about that. You got a problem with that though semester because if you play, all right, I'm going to play football and basketball. I only got to play 250. And if somebody just plays football and baseball, they got to pay 500. They're still playing two sports. So, it needs
to be about sport. Well, and what what if you play football and you get cut basketball? Well, you didn't allow me to play basketball. I want a refund a half. >> Yeah, it needs to be >> How do you handle that? There there are some details that do need >> those are some kinks, but what's what's
present policy is 250 per semester. >> And then it says if you don't make the team, you get a you wouldn't be charged, >> right? >> So, I mean, if say basketball, you don't make the team, will do you get not get charged for that 250? So there are some fine tunings I think that do need to
happen to provide clarity to it and and I understand that yes, okay, the PEP is the state dollars that goes to the family, but I I'm all right. I'm not going to say this has happened a significant number of times, but it has
happened enough to make me be empathetic for what individuals are saying when they say, "No one asked me." And again, I love y'all. Y'all do a great job. I think everybody's doing a good job. You're doing your absolute best with the time you have. I just think there's not
a policy or practice in place to monitor this. They say, "No one asked me why I left and now you're charging me 250 to have my kid come play athletics now." Okay. Yeah, that that 250 I I don't disagree. There is a cost for coaching. There's a cost for insurance. There's a
cost for bus. I could debate lights and facilities and maintenance because they're kind of open to the public. You can't you can't really debate coaching. But if it it is the appearance that we don't care if we haven't formally asked why and then say now we're going to
charge you for this. It it's it is a confidence in the system and a reputation for the district to show we do care. We are trying to care. We're doing the best we can instead of I'm I know y'all are in the grind every day up
here. y'all are in the grind trying your best to get timelines, schedules, hit grants, hit reports. They're all over the place. There are so many I'm sure that you're dealing with. I ain't got a clue. You're doing the best you can. I I get that. But I still go back. If we had
something formally where people know that we care, we see them leaving. We want to know why. Please tell me why. How can we keep you? And we're tracking it. And on a quarterly a reports coming to the board so the board can say you know we lost 10 kids the last quarter
and these are the reasons why. And then somebody says you know okay well do you even know why kids are leaving? Actually yeah I do. I know why every single kid left the district. It's because of ABCDE EF and G that they say all this. This is not a Liberty County thing. Yes we care
about those because those are the students here in our district. a statewide issue with PE, not something that's isolated just to us that we're talking about a problem. >> The state the state's promote and I said I started this the governor's promoting
it that this is school choice and and and and I'm okay that's his choice and and that but it is a promotion. It is a promotion that he is doing saying you come to Florida this is what we do in Florida. Is it is it to help spawn a a
presidential campaign down the road? Maybe so, you know, maybe so. I don't know. But but it's, you know, it's one of his trademark. >> Another lie. Business, enterprise, free commerce, industry, capitalism. That's America at its finest. 100% what the United States of America is about. If
people stop using Apple, Apple wants to know why. They don't just say, "Oh, well, you know, it's called Samsung offers a phone, too." Apple says, "What do you want? What do you need? What what are the things that we need to do to innovate to get you to come to Apple,
stay with Apple, come back to Apple? I mean, there are millions of people that use Google devices and Pixel and things like that, but Apple says, "We want to continue to maintain and gain market share. We're going to do things that we need to do to innovate to bring to pull
people in." And this is pertaining to that. If we are innovative, if we are seeking on how to bring people back, okay, maybe they go and that's great. If they do, they have that choice. I want people to have that choice. It is 100% their god-given right to make choices on
how they dictate their families, their children are educated. 100%. But it should be our desire when we see that a million and a half dollars is often lost and 170 kids are home. Well, is it because that's what they like or is it because of something we did? It's
as simple as that. Did they want that? And if they did, man, high five. We'd like you to come back to school. There might be a little bit of charge associated with this from athletics because we got to cover coaches and fuel and insurance. Please come and play. We need all the numbers we can get, right? But at least we know what's going on to
be able to adapt to that. That's all I'm saying. Just because you know, ju just because people stop buying iPhones doesn't mean Apple doesn't care anymore. Just because Google sells them, >> people run out of time. Okay. Miss Secretary, would you like to say anything? >> Running out of town.
>> I'm I'm all for uh kids that don't bring money to the table to the school, so to speak. I that's that doesn't sound good talking about kids, but we we've got to receive money and funding to pay for coaches and
transportation and insurance and all the other stuff. with it being such short notice. I mean, there there's kids that need to have money tomorrow if they're if they got the the scholarship money. I think we need to
move forward. My opinion is if if they're the the traditional kids that don't get the funding, I think we need to maybe wait a little bit to maybe next semester to start charging
them, let them get their ducks in a row if needed. But that's my opinion. I I think I think every kid needs to pay something to use our facilities. if they're not going to school here.
But I don't want to financially strap kids that don't don't have the funding today. So, but I think that needs to be revisited maybe by say January Christmas next semester or the baseball softball
season. That's that's my opinion. I'm going to say uh do I like it? No, I don't like it. Is it fair? Probably. Uh that's all I got to say. And that concludes uh workshop. Need a motion to adjurnn. Motion. >> Motion.
>> Motion, Miss Bailey. Second. >> Second. >> Mr. Kever. Motion to adjurnn. And we're going to take a little break right quick. are going. Part: 2
I agree. I disagree. >> Let's let a Liberty County School Board regular meeting Tuesday, August the 12th, 2025, come to order at 5:30 p.m. We'll start with a prayer and the pledge. Prayer by Mr. Petty. Pledge by Mr. Singleary.
>> Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you God for this opportunity to be here. Take care of our monthly school business. We thank you God for a great first day at school. We pray, Lord, that you'd be with all of our students and our families, God, teachers and staff. We pray, God, your hand of protection upon them each and every day, Father, as
they ride the bus, as they get, Lord, from their parents, Lord. We pray, God, that we would do our best as unto you each and every day, Father, for the time that we have them during the day. Pray, God, that you'd bless us, Lord. We love you. Thank you. Pray that we'd have uh unified hearts, Lord, in our discussion tonight, Lord. We conduct ourselves in a
way that's all always pleasing to you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. Amen. To the flag United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with
liberty and justice for all. Moving right along. Item number two, recognitions and presentation. Mr. Petty, >> I am not seeing our FFA person. an FFA recognition. We'll had asked to come and we wanted we'll do
it next meeting. So, I move item moving along to item number three, public comment. Let's have one. It's Ashley Walder National. >> So, I'm unscripted. I know I had sent an email earlier or last night to Mr. Petty and to the board members as I know
several other parents did that are homeschooled parents of PEP scholarships. I just wanted to share it's I'm not here to argue that our students don't need to pay something. I understand that we are getting funding. I just feel like it needs to be
discussed a little bit more and see all the different perspectives of this because parents choose to use this scholarship differently. We have some parents that are doing the homeschool education on their own and they're purchasing their curriculum and materials. For me personally, my
daughter is with Rudet Learning Center with Miss Cassie Vickers. So, we pay a tuition monthly to her, you know, for her teaching, her experience, the curriculum and resources that she's providing our students. So the majority of all of my daughter's scholarship
funds are already taken in paying that for her education on top of the learning materials that I have to supplement like her and her Alex subscriptions. Those two alone are $400 for an annual subscription. So by the time you take
those things out, I'm left with several hundred for the year for her. And I don't feel like I should have to spend that for her to play sports for the public school system. when I could use that for other educational experiences for her. So, I'm
not saying that we don't pay. I just feel like there needs to be more discussion and we need to get different perspectives from parents that are involved in it and that are using the funds different ways to figure out come to a consensus that everyone can afford and that everyone can understand where
the funds are going and how to use them. Um, I also had shared in the email. It would also be much easier if the district would be a service provider through PEP because then if we were set, if y'all were set up that way, then just like I am with her rooted learning
center, I can send that directly from her EMA account goes through step up for students and it goes to the rooted learning center. So, it's not money out of my pocket me paying and having to be reimbursed later. Um because for reimbursements, for example, I'm still waiting on a
reimbursement for her subscription that I put in nearly two months ago, and it's still sitting there saying submitted. It hasn't been reviewed. It hasn't been anything. So, it is money out of the parents pockets regardless of whether they're traditional homeschool or their
PDP scholarship. >> Ma'am, thank y'all. Thank you, ma'am. I appreciate you. >> Moving right along to item number four, superintendent report. Mr. Petty, >> thank you, Mr. Chair. Had a good first day of school today. Uh it was uh I
don't know who was the happiest, the kids or the mamas and the grandmas that when they uh let them out out today, all of our directors, we split up, kind of divided and conquered, and I was at Hosford School and there were some mighty happy moms. Um, but there was
those kids were happy, too. So, we had a we had a good first day. Had a few little hiccups. Uh, got a couple buses, some of the newer buses with some electrical issues and so we're trying to work through and get uh get Matthews working on those. Uh, thought it was lightning strike at first, but it it's
it's a couple of them. So, trying to get that figured out. So, just little kinks working out, but every all in all had a good first day. I know if you if if we get any calls on transportation and back backups and stuff like that, usually the first couple days a lot of people bring
their kids to school. And so uh that that uh we had we didn't really have a lot on the bus today. It was a lot of them were uh riding, but that that'll get better. And I sent out a parent square and put something on on social media to say it gets better. It always
does. And it does. Uh we'll continue to split up this week. We'll we'll go to all the schools. I went to all the schools today at like all of our directors and we'll continue to provide that extra support uh as needed. Uh open houses were great. We had a good success
with them at all the schools. Very glad y'all that were able to come out. Uh very proud of our maintenance and custodial staff. Uh some people say, "Well, y'all don't do anything in the summer." No, it's a lot to do in the summer getting ready. A lot of grass to cut. Uh a lot of a lot of pressure
washing and painting and stuff like that. And I just appreciate our maintenance and custodial staff. They had the schools really clean for those open houses. I put a little pressure on them to do that and they always come through and uh I don't I don't really even have to do that. They always have them clean. So I'm very appreciative of
that. Um I I want to thank publicly clerk of court Jace Ford. Uh he and I have met, you know, after last year when uh the the player from St. Joe died, uh there's been some legislation called the Second Chance Act. that's named
after him, Chance Gainner. Uh for the uh starting next year, you have to have some uh uh heart u screenings. Yes, thank you. We did that this year. We offered that at no cost uh through who we play for. They came the last week of school. We did
have about four or five students who had some, you know, we you need to follow up and they they actually we were glad and there was some students that um in some other counties I heard that they were glad because they found some of those heart defects uh that seem to play
chant. So anyway, um we've talked about how to how to make that a little better at our ball games. Uh, as far as response time from our EMT staff, I I've been I've been in the press box for about 35 years and and I've seen every
kind of injury uh, you know, known. Most of them are cramps. Most of them, you know, those kind of things. But, you know, this this one this this past football season was horrific cuz somebody somebody perished. And so, of course, you you you you talk about, you know, was the response time good enough?
You know, what can they do better? What can we do better? Um, and so, uh, what, uh, and and I appreciate Mason kind of starting this conversation about having a dedicated EMT staff that's there just for us. Uh, right now, and it's been
like this, we've always had ambulances at all the ball games. Um, as long as I probably when I was playing in the 80s. But if they got a call, so you know, there's a wreck on the bridge or something and there's a need for ambulance, they leave. And so what what we'll do, this will be a staff that is
coming in on their on their off time and they will uh provide that service for us. What we're going to try to do is get everything, excuse me, on a gator uh a John Deere gator, something boards, collars, all a stuff that we have on the sidelines.
That way they can rapidly get out there to the middle of the field if need be uh to attend. And that mean that doesn't mean the EMT person's, you know, every time somebody's hurt, they going on out there with them, but they're there monitoring that situation to see if they need to. And what we've talked about, and this will be another thing we just
got to work out, talk about one there, maybe one in the truck close by, uh, in case they need to bring the truck closer, they can make that kind of communication. Um, and so that we're going to try that Friday night. And uh this is the kickoff classic. So uh we're going to try to have somebody on the
sideline with the gator with all the all the medical equipment there that they can zip out on the field and uh and we'll be able to communicate with them. So anyway, the the I added that as an emergency item for $1,200. Um the total cost for the six games was $2,400. Uh
Jayce is fairly they brought it up at last Thursday's board meeting and there was some spirited discussion but overall I think it was they they tabled it and said they would take it up but he felt very confident they would they would pay the other 1,200 and so uh we'll we'll
we'll hold them to that and I I I know that nobody wants to be on the wrong side of that kind of vote and and it and it is their employees and so it kind of work it's kind of like our SRO's you know we we work together on that and I know the county will do that. Um, number
four, our our football fieldhouse, Allied Health Building is almost complete. I gave Jody a face a FaceTime tour today. She was babysitting and um it's really nice. Want to encourage y'all to go out, anybody from the public to go go look at it. It's it's almost there. Uh doing some co last minute
cosmetic things. um little punch list of things, but uh there'll still be some things do over the next week or two cosmetically, but the locker rooms are lockers are in there. Showers are all operational. Concession st concession rooms, we got two on each side. All the
bathrooms will be operational this Friday night. So, the old boys will roll out of there and if y'all if you you need to go by there before maybe before dark, we'll get out here before dark. We got some lettering up there on the front. We got a big LC and then it says home of the fighting bulldog. So, it looks really, really good. So, we'll be
fully operational even though we got a few little last minute cosmetic things over the next week or two that we'll get done. I do want to thank all of our district school leadership for their summer full of trainings. They have we had all kind of stuff. We had celebrations where we celebrated uh some accomplishments, especially Miss Katie
Joe being in the top five for teacher of the year for Florida. Um, a lot of planning. There's a lot of meetings that go on all through the summer and I just want to thank all of our leadership, all the people that worked all summer. It's been hot, it's been rainy, it's there's
been challenges to overcome, but they they made today a wonderful success. It all kicks off with today and I was very very blessed. I do believe we have the best employees and and I do love every one of them. Uh number six pains me to tell you this. Um, you know, when when
uh we had the federal cuts a few weeks ago, we didn't know what we was going to get, especially out of our title, I think three and four. Uh, we had some roll over in one and two and and so one of those affects our 21st century after
school program. And so, uh, they they cut it and then right up into school, you know, almost school start, they go, "Oh, we're going to give it back to you, but we don't know how much it's going to be." Well, they told us how much that's going to be. uh this affects this affects us hugely. About a third of that
grant was was not and we're going to try to fight for it. You know, about an hour before the meeting, I found out they cut us about $91,000. Um so that I we're going to meet in the morning at 9:00 try to discuss a contingency for that. And I'm going to
get up with Neil Dunn's office and and Rick Scott's office to see if they will help fiscally constrain counties that 21st century helps. that's made for rural rural school districts. So, um, one of the, you know, some of the changes that just us, you know, kind of
knee-jerk response to this is you, you might have to reduce the amount of grades that we serve, hours, uh, days, you know, it may go to a 4-day week where you have 21st century. Don't know what that looks like, but it's going to change. It is absolutely going to
change. We anticipated this already this year. we had somebody who was designated just to do 21st century and we we cut that back and made that a supplement for somebody else um anticipating and I'm I'm very glad we did because if that would have come now we would have been in trouble. So that was another good
proactive response to to planning for that that potential loss. I just didn't realize it was going to be a third of the grant. So we'll figure it out and uh we'll get back with you and and what that looks like moving forward with uh the staff that works those after school programs. So, >> is that going to delay the start of
things because of the the cutting? >> Oh, no. >> No. >> We told them the 24th now. We're going to try to stick to that >> Monday. >> Okay. 25th. Sorry. Did I say >> late since we since we didn't have the funding >> when we would have been planning? We'd already pushed it back a couple of weeks.
>> Yeah. Okay. >> Yes. We've got >> where most of it Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Would it be fewer staffing or would you just do fewer months served and not get in sooner? I left a voicemail with our contact today and left my cell phone
number and she's not called back yet, but just for some guidance on how we need to save money, like what are her suggestions if it's going to be a reduction of, >> you know, if we only serve elementary students, if we need to look at summer, if we need to look at to
>> something from them to help us come up with how we need to best meet the needs of our children with the amount of money that we have. >> Good. Thank you. Okay, that's it. So, thank y'all. Thank you. I appreciate y'all being here. >> Thank you, Mr. Petty. Moving right on to
item number five, addition correction to the agenda. We need a motion to approve additions correction to consent item 8C. I have a motion. >> Motion. >> Motion. Miss Jody. Second. >> Second. >> Second. Singleary. Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> Any oppose? Motion carries. Moving on
item B. Need a motion to approve adding emergency item 10 A and B. Have a motion. I have a a qu I don't I don't know how this works. Somebody correct me if there's got to be a motion in a second before I discuss it. Yeah. Okay. All right. >> Need a motion. >> Motion.
>> Motion. Mr. Kever. Second. Mr. Moore. >> Any discussion? >> Yeah. Sorry. So discussion the emergency item 10A the student progression plan. That's the PEP schedule is correct that we've been discussing, right? I would be
interested in amending that where it is put on pause the last. So, this change as well as the last change that happened, I would be interested in putting it on pause from one month and put it on next month's agenda where we could maybe discuss in more detail if there need to be any additions or
adjustments. Just a pause for one month still in favor, but I would just like to look at it in more detail. That's my desire. >> Question. Can I question that? Sorry. Um, so this amendment tonight to the
student progression plan because we had included homeschool student now we're just removing it. >> Correct. >> Am I hearing it correct that you want to you want to pause that? >> But we we've already passed the student
progression plan. So we would have to backtrack that item. Correct. >> I'd be interested in pausing that for one month. >> The whole shebang. >> The what? The change. Correct. the change that happened for the 250 and then discuss do we want it to be by sport, do we want it to be by semester,
do we want to have or allow sponsorships, um how we want to handle that. I would be interested in doing that personally just for one month to be able to discuss is the fee going to stay the same per semester. Is it going to be that per sport? What what what
details are we interested in changing or working at and let the superintendent contact us? Maybe contact staff and and review information. It give the community more time to think about it as well. That would be I would be interested in a pause, not a
cancellation, a pause for one month. And I realize in that pause it would throw things off. I don't know how you would I don't know if you could bill later if everything's passed for the sports that those students are playing. If we do that, I I don't know how that would
work. But again, just a pause, not a cancellation to be able to put it on next month's meeting to discuss So, so Mr. Chair, can I make a parliamentary thing? So, so what the motion is though is just to add the item. It I would I would suggest if you
want to make any changes to that, do it when that when it comes up when that item comes up. >> Okay? >> You understand what I'm saying? Right now, the motion on the floor is just to add them. So, >> well, you're adding an item of a specific nature. So, do you need to adjust the item of that nature so when it comes up? I didn't know if you needed
to adjust it prior to adoption and putting on the agenda or would you adjust it when you get to that item on >> you would adjust it when you got to it. >> Yeah. >> Well, you know what I'm thinking when we get there. So, thank you. >> All in favor say >> I motion carries. That's item six. Need a
motion to approve the agenda for August 12th, 2025. Have a motion. >> Motion. >> Motion to keep second. >> Second. >> Second. Miss Jody. Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> Any oppose? >> Next is approve of minutes. Need a motion to approve July the 8th, 2025
regular meeting minutes. I have a motion. >> Motion, Mr. Kever. Second. >> Second. >> Second, Miss Singleary. Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Next item B. Need a motion to approve July 22nd, 2025 special meeting minutes. I have a
motion. >> Motion. >> Motion, Mr. Kever. Second. >> Second, Mr. Moore. Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> Any opposed? Next item C. And a motion approved July the 28th, 2025 tenative budget hearing meeting minutes. I have a motion.
>> Motion. >> Motion, Miss Jody. Second. >> Second. >> Second, Mr. Kever. All in favor say I. >> Any oppose? Motion carry. Next item D. Need a motion to approve July 28, 2025 special meeting minutes. Have a motion. >> Motion. Miss Kever. Second.
>> Second. >> Second, Miss Jody. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Next item eight, consent item and a motion to approve July 20th 25 financial reports and transaction. Have a motion. >> Motion
>> motion Mr. H more. Second, Mr. Kever. >> Yes, sir. >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any oppose? Motion carries. Next item B. Need a motion to approve updated salary schedule for 2025 through 26 fiscal year. Have a motion. >> Motion. >> Motion, Mr. Keverber. Second.
>> Second. >> Second, Miss Singleary. Any discussion? Just want to say thank you Katie for working all those numbers. Kyle, Jeff, all that went into it. Thank you all very much. >> All in favor say I. I. >> Any oppose? Motion carries. Next item C.
Need a motion to approve August 2025 personnel consent table with additions and corrections. Have a motion. >> Motion. >> Motion, Miss Jody. Second. >> Second. >> Thank. Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> Any oppose? Motion carries. Next item D.
Need a motion to approve updated supplement list. Have a motion. >> Motion. >> Miss Singleary. Second. >> Second. >> Second. Mr. Morris. Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Next item
E. Need a motion to approve August 25, 2025 updates sublist. Have a motion. >> Motion. >> Second. >> Second. >> Second. Miss Singleary. Any discussion? >> Mr. Chair, got a question. Um, sublist. Are we still having problems getting
subs? Are they I mean, are we you forwarded to today? >> Good. Okay. >> No, we're good. If it looks shorter, it's because nobody has sent back their intentions by 26. >> Okay. >> I mail those out in in the May.
>> Okay. >> June. >> Send them back. Then they don't go on the list. >> Gotcha. But when they realize they're not on the list, they usually give you a comp. >> All in favor say I. I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Next item nine, action items. Item A, need a
motion app to approve lease lease agreement between Liberty County School Board District and Sammy Te's Tumbling LLC. I have a motion. >> Motion. >> Motion. Mr. Kever. Second, Mr. Singleary. Any discussion? >> Yes, sir. That's 500 a month. Is that right? >> Correct. >> Is that what we charge?
>> Correct. >> Okay. Thank you. All in favor say I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Next item B. Need a motion to approve disposition of property. I have a motion. Motion. >> Motion. Mr. Moore. Second. >> Pton.
Any uh all in favor say I. >> Any oppose? Motion carried. Next item C. Need a motion to approve memorandum of understanding between boys and girls club of TUNA Rosa and the district school board of Liberty County to allow
the BGCTR to operate an afternoon program in Liberty County beginning August 12th, 2025 through July the 31st through 26. Motion >> motion Kever second. >> Second, Miss Jody, any discussion? >> Yes, Mr. Chair, I thought this the boys
and clubs, boys and girls clubs, is that one of the ones that was going to be cut the feds? They're funded through 21st Century as well. >> Oh, okay. Okay. >> So, yeah, there'll be and Donniey's got I think he's got some in Cal County, too. So, there'll be I'm sure he got the
same email we got today. >> Who runs that this chapter? Is it a chapter section? >> I think is it Scott that's over it? >> Yeah. Yeah, I think. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> All in favor say I. Any oppos? Motion carries. Move it on item D. Need a
motion to approve amend one memorandum of agreement between University of Florida Florida Board of Trustees and Liberty County School District. Have a motion. >> Motion. >> Motion, Miss Jody. Second. >> Second. >> Second, Mr. Kever. Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> Any oppose? Motion carries. Move right
along. Item E. Need a motion to approve FDOE project award notification title nine part A education of homeless children and youth projected year two. Motion Mr. Moore. Second. >> Second. >> Second, Miss Jody. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I.
>> Any oppose? Motion carries. Moving right along. Item A. Need a motion to approve LLC handbook for 2025 26 school year. Have a motion. >> Motion. >> Motion, Miss Singleary. Second. >> Second. >> Second, Mr. Kever. Any discussion? >> Yes, Mr. Chair. Thank you so much for
putting those bullets on there. That's awesome. Thank you. I want to see that for all of them. Thank you. That's it. >> That is nice. Yes. >> All in favor say I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Next item G. Need a motion to
approve 21st uh CCALC handbook for 2025 to 26. I have a motion. >> Motion. >> Miss Singleary. Second. >> Second. >> Miss Jody. Any discussion? >> Yeah. With the with this cut here, will this uh affect the handbook? >> The handbook. It's just
>> nothing will change. Okay. >> Unless we have to change the hours. >> That's what I'm saying. Something it may have to be. might be on the agenda next month. >> All in favor say I. >> Any opposed? Next item H. Need a motion app to approve 21st CC LC personnel for
25 26 school year. Have a motion. >> Motion. >> Motion, Mr. Moore. Second. >> Second. >> Second, Mr. Kever. Any discussion? >> Yes, Mr. Chair. So, we're looking at just to set the premise here, you know, we're going to be cut $91,000.
So there's the possibility the number of these positions will change but we're you know these actual names here will be remain the same. Correct. >> These are the people who will need to do planning before we get the program started. >> There you go. So okay so we know going
into this it may be less a lot less than what we have >> numbers will change. >> The numbers will change. Got it. Thank you. All >> in favor say I. Any oppos? Motion carries. Me on item I need a motion to approve memorandum of
understanding between Liberty County Schools and Community Wellness Counseling and Support Service for the 2526 school year. Have a motion. >> Motion Motion, Miss Kever. Second. >> Second. >> Single car. Any discussion? All in favor say I.
>> Any oppose? Motion carried. Next item J. Need a motion to approve to create and advertise six-hour lunchroom position. I have a motion. >> Motion. >> Motion. Mr. Kever. Second. >> Second. >> Thank you, Miss Jody. Any discussion? All in favor say I.
>> Any opposed? Motion carries. Next item 10, emergency items. Item eight. Need a motion to approve student progression plan for 2025 26. Have a motion. Motion. M. Mr. Singleary. Second. Second. Second. Mr. Morris. Any
discussion? on my previous statement. If I need to state it again, I can. Do I need to for the record? Yeah. So, again, my desire would be to put this on pause as well as the last motion and
action on pause that implemented the $250 athletic charge. Um, I'm assuming they go hand in hand, academic as well. pause for one month, not a change, not a cancellation where we can address it to see if there are any fine-tuning or adjustments that need to go into place
before it's effective. So, a pause until next meeting, next month's meeting, we can discuss and address some fine-tuning of the student progression plan. Again, is it by sport? Is it by semester? What happens if somebody doesn't make a team, they make one team, they don't the other
team? How does it get refunded? Is there going to be um I I don't know. We we address some of the athletic things that you can't do, but u maybe a a detailed analysis of showing the cost. We can see them exactly. Clearly, I think it goes without saying that what we're charging
is way less than the actual cost of bus and transport and coach and insurance. But just for clarity sake, um for the community, I I think it would be a good thing personally. Again, a pause. I'm still in approvement of of the charge, but I think it should be I think it
should be addressed in more detail before it goes into effect. So, a timeout on that. Can we can the district wait and still implement that charge just at a latter time or would it mess up the entire semester?
Right. Could it be a retroactive charge? >> Well, right now the policy is is per semester. >> Correct. >> Okay. Just like we just talked about in the workshop. if you your scholarships are not there yet, your funding's not there, they're going to work with you to
whenever it comes in. So, >> he he's wanting he's asking for more detailed clarity on what's the money going for just >> Well, I understand all that. I'm just saying it's already there. The policies >> public relations is what he's asking for between now and the time it's
implemented. >> So, no, it's in force right now to charge and charge all PB international. So this would put a pause on that, right? And then a pause on the adjustment. Well, there actually there it would just be no action item taken on on this, no change. It would be a pause
on what was previously voted in for one month until we can meet again to discuss any of those adjustments that need to be made. >> I'm not sure that we can do that on >> put it back on the agenda, right? I mean, I don't I I mean,
>> parliamentarily, >> you would need to you would need to make a motion to resend the current student progression plan and and revert back to or removing that part from it and then
um tableing tableing this motion. That's what do I mean if you do that then in one month you got the same thing over >> and resin you can pause >> but you got a little more education for for somebody I understand that >> I do too but I I think
>> as long as it can be retroact sorry >> yes well you did >> is our attorney on the line too I don't want to I don't want to mess anything up I mean I I guess I need to read Robert's rules of order a little bit >> if you you can put what you're what I'm I think I'm hearing you say with the pause >> um uh is that but you still have to make
a motion to pause. You got to have a motion to that. The board the board's got to take action. I've put a I've put something before y'all and so y'all can it's up to y'all. But if you want to change it, amend it, table it, all that. You got to make a motion to do that. >> But we have to act >> regardless regardless of what you do.
I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I'm just saying that you got to make a motion in a second and get a vote on that. >> Do I need So can if if I had the desire I mean there's a there's a motion on the table. Maybe it could I don't know if it can be if it's the desire be taken off a
motion to table this item and then another motion to pause. Is that what you're telling me would need to happen? >> Well, tableing it is >> table this action right here. >> Nothing will happen. >> And then there'd be an additional motion I can make to say I would like to pause the last changes that took place but
until the next meeting. >> Can I ask a question, >> Mr. Chair? You don't mind. Mason, what what you're asking for this this here and it should have said it on the agenda is only to remove the homeschool
provision. Correct. >> Right. The traditional that don't get PUP funding >> that's what it should have said and we Mandy did send a list of what this what we did on this document that was not attached to this agenda.
However, what you're asking for, what I'm hearing, we've already beat up the PEP schedules. I mean, the the money. We know Washington just or homes Washington
homes just passed >> both. Yeah. >> I I know they were going to do it. >> Washington home >> fixing to do it. Jackson's fixing to do it. Talk to them. We already know. And their theirs are way higher than ours, by the way. So, we know that's going to
happen. What you're asking for is in my and I'm again, correct me if I'm wrong. Am I hearing this right? You want more transparency. You want for people to understand how we got to this number, which >> a part of it. Correct. >> That's part of it.
>> Part what else do you want? >> So, it would be detailed. Is it by semester or could we break it out by sport? Would it be different by sport? In other words, when when you pick 250, well, volleyball is is volleyball as much as football. Football's more than
volleyball. Baseball's, you know, less than football, but more than volleyball. So, in other words, could it be itemized by the sport you play, right? Because of the cost associated with the sport. And then you pay by sport, you don't pay by semester. That that's one thing. So just
trying to in the details of this fine-tune some of the detailed points before we start collecting all these fees right that are coming in for people that are playing volleyball football right now. Fine-tune the details so we can come in and say hey this these
details are actually what we're going to go by. This is what we're actually going to charge and then handle that all in our next meeting if possible. >> Okay. Be careful what you ask for. >> Just asked to speak. She's on >> Okay. Perfect. Yeah. >> Our attorney. >> Our attorney.
>> Hey, good evening. Can you guys hear me now? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay, great. Um, so, you know, substantively, obviously, it's entirely up to you guys. Um, I just wanted to weigh in kind of on the procedural question and especially um the manner of how such a vote would come, if any, as
far as what Mr. Kever is suggesting. Um, and so essentially what he's is suggesting by my understanding from listening in is that he's asking to rescend or amend an action previously taken by the board. Um, and to do that that would need to be added to your agenda. Um, and and you guys are and and
I think that's in line with what um Mr. Petty previously said as well. Um, I agree with his take on that. And then also that as far as um the current item that is on your agenda for um you know for consideration like you said that could be tabled um rather than acted on
if that was the course you guys took. >> So then we would need to make a motion to amend the agenda and add an action item on the agenda. Now you said amend or rescend. Is there a pause in parliamentary procedure? Can we pause an action taken? >> I do not believe that
>> delay the start date of it. >> I don't believe that that pausing it is substant is you know substantively different which I feel like you are asking for is to rescend or amend it. Uh especially since your pause is dependent upon coming back with additional data and additional like changing the way
that you might address it going forward. Um to me I think what you're suggesting isn't not substantively different from amending or rescending. But at this point, there hasn't been really a conversation of what would be amended. So, you wouldn't be able to make a motion to amend certain items at
this time because that would need to go back to be discussed if there was a desire. Correct. >> Well, the amendment I would truly it wouldn't be an amendment yet. It would first be a recision to go back to what you had before the last meeting when you adopted the changes that are at issue right now. Um, and that may be a
temporary recision, but it is still a recision. So, we can't do this without But what if I don't want to make a motion to rescend it? >> Then I believe you have your current previously adopted um progression plan that would remain in place.
>> So, could we as far as the timing that this is effective? Could we adjust the timing of the effective date or does it is it has it have to be effective on the date that it was made in the last meeting? as a board, you have already voted to approve
that particular document and you have given the superintendent and his staff the authority to implement that as they see fit. So, as far as the uh the timing and all that, I mean, he he and his staff have the authority to carry that out. Um, and it wouldn't be in in my
opinion in the board's perview to dictate the timing on that at this point because you've already approved the progression plan. >> I understand. So then the only thing at this point if I don't want to rescend it then it would need to be added as an item on the next month's agenda to be able to discuss an amendment.
>> That would be >> okay because we can't pause it. Don't want to rescend it. It'd have to be on next month's agenda. And again, I think what you're asking for is more clarification >> and and and gan rules >> and yeah, we might
that a little tweak that semester too >> and it could it could vary the cost >> as well if we wanted to address it in an individual. >> It may be more >> be worse. I said be careful what you ask for because then then we're sitting there with a $500 per semester.
>> Yeah. >> And Yeah. And I mean just be careful what we ask for because we every other district is going high. >> That's why I'm saying >> you're the lowest. >> I can we I think we need to act on this. >> That's Yeah. >> And like like I said before, if you're
getting the scholarships and you don't get it in or whatever, I mean, it's going to give you time and it's also going to give us time to figure out what some of these costs that Mason would like to see. Mhm. >> I mean, I don't know if it's going to take a month or take 10 years,
>> you know, it changes every day. >> Let's move on. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any oppose? >> Motion carry. >> Item B. Need a motion to approve payment of 1,200 to the Liberty County Board of County Commissioners for half of EMT
services for 2025 Liberty County High School on football games. I have a motion. >> Motion. >> Motion, Mr. Morris. Second, Mr. Jody. Any discussion? >> Yes. Um, watching real closely what the county commissioners when is the county's commissioners going to meet on this and what's our backup plan if they
don't approve it. >> We're going to make sure we have it. >> Okay. >> We're going to make sure we have it, sir. >> I talked to Jay, too, and he he seemed to think he he stuck his neck out for us on this. >> I knew you were appreciate it. >> I just didn't know the results. And thank you for meeting with him, Kyle.
you you took it to >> and so and I'll tell y'all this too and I I meant to mention I I met with him and Melissa Petty yesterday to what that looks like who's where so we'll have >> Did I share this already so pride >> we'll have a gator on the sidelines also yes I did have regardless right
>> yeah we'll have everybody split up where you got a quicker response that was the main thing I wanted to make sure so we did meet with that and she's already got staff determined for all the games >> I would like to look into the camera and ahead of time. Thank the county commissioners for approving this.
>> Yeah. So, >> and I hope they're watching. >> Yes. >> All in favor say I. I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. >> Next. Item 11, board policy items. I don't think I ever had any. Item 12, board member items. Mr. Kever. >> Sorry y'all talk so much. So, I I'd like
to officially welcome all the kids back to school. Teachers, staff, faculty. Thank y'all so much for a great day. I I'd like to thank the sheriff's department. And it is great to see so many law enforcement officers out there flashing lights in school zones to keep kids safe. I appreciate Mr. Ricky making
sure the security safe that our kids are safe. Um, thanks for all the staff that made everything look so good. I think the facilities were in great condition, lawns maintenance. Um, I think it was great. Again, thank you to the county commissioners if they're watching this. I appreciate them considering um
considering really helping out our students and I hope this is a um u an indication what can happen in other counties as well to keep our guys safe on the field. A reminder on Friday the 22nd is the alumni game dinner as well
as the 50th anniversary of the football field. Um and I guess it'd be the first um anniversary as well of the fieldhouse. Our booster clubs, everybody should be a booster member. Can I can I advertise that? I don't know if I can do that. I'm just kidding. Can you do that? Yeah. So, anyway, our on the hats for
the booster club, you'll see that there's a 50 and one on our booster club's hats. Just kind of a commemoration of the field the fieldhouse. I think it's kind of neat. If you're Buzzy Lewis, you're going to put that along with about 50 other hats up on a shelf. So, uh we I appreciate y'all support and uh please come out and
join us for that game. Um, final thing, if y'all would be willing and discussion could happen, I would sure like on next month's agenda, maybe some uh conversation happening between now and then, maybe fine-tuning this uh student progression plan, the PP fees, um maybe
fine-tuning some items on it. I would really appreciate it if we could look at that um to provide transparency um and clarity on some some some things that really could come up that we need to be ahead of before they do. So, thank y'all. Sorry I talk so much. My throat's
horse. Go Bulldogs. Panthers. >> Yeah. Air around the room. >> All right. Um great kickoff to a first year. Um the schools look great. Um Ricky, that that fence, man, it you
know, I know it was a safety thing to start off with, but it we've got a lot of compliments on that. Looks really really good. um looking forward to seeing our dogs run out of that fieldhouse. Man oh man has this been coming and I can't wait. And there's going to be a big old smile on my face
when they do. So I think we need to make a big deal out of that and the 50th anniversary of of our of our school system. So our sports system. But anyway, um looking forward to some more conversation on the PEP. I am again I told as I told you in the workshop, I'm
in constant contact with these other districts. We're finding out what they're doing. Um, Liberty County is leading the way right now. I can tell you that. Um, I didn't like being out on a limb because sometimes that limb can fall, but we are the front runners right now along with Walton County. So, hats
off to Kyle. Um, PAC has not provided any guidance at all. And I've been told that time and time again by everybody I've talked to. So, we really had to we really had to go out there and um and work hard to get this. And and you know it again it's not to punish anybody any
homeschoolers. I I I think parent choice is a wonderful thing. I want to go back to what my whole initiative and I said earlier is why are our children leaving our schools? We've got to figure this out. And you know heck if I need to go
talk to them I'll go talk to them. You know I I don't mind. I just about talk that wall over there and have them talk back. So, I don't mind doing that if it meant to bring bring these kids back and and for them to to graduate from Liberty County High School. Um, which I'm very very and always have been proud of. So,
I digress and thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Just like thank everybody. Job well done getting schools ready and pray we have a good school year. Thank you, Mr. Jason. >> Thank you all. everybody. Uh I'm also in
favor of revisiting this PEP scholarship paytoplay sports or u academics. Uh we I think we we may have some ironing we need to do on it. U but I I I
do think it needs to happen. But other than that, just want to thank everybody for getting us ready for another spectacular year. And and the bulldog at the football field that won't be for this Friday night. >> Had a fiberglass, the one that Donnie
picked, we looked was very expensive. And it I mean it's a it's Cadillac, but >> yeah, >> even Donnie didn't want to pay that much money. >> 10 years ago was $18,000. >> Yeah, it's a bunch. So, we're looking at a fiberglass. He found one up in Georgia. He's getting me some specs on and uh a real heavy thick fiberglass.
So, >> okay. Appreciate it. Appreciate everybody. Thank Thank y'all for coming. >> Yeah, I go right along the rest of y'all. Appreciate everybody. It's a lot of work goes on in the summer
from a lot of staff that's not seen from finance and everything. Appreciate everything. Miss Sherman, you worked there about what, 30 years. You know what goes into it. Um Kevin, I know you done a great job getting that. Even though we had some hiccups with some buses, you made
it happen. Your crew made it happen. >> Yeah, we um I'm gonna say it one more time. We had to pull a bus out of the junkyard today to the routes and all. You better buy some buses. And I'm not saying it again. >> That's why I'll say you've done a great
job. >> Yeah. I mean, we can't keep I mean, literally, the dash was out of this one. Yeah. No choice. We got to have buses. >> How far out over on the ordered bus? >> 18 months if you order them right now. >> That's what I'm saying. You we got we
got to order them today. >> Can you rent one? >> Well, I mean, we we could get one sooner, but we can't >> So So, I found out about that one this afternoon. And I got to call into Daryl Junior, see if they can loan us one, just one. If he got one in the stash,
but you know, we had we had more than one go down. So, >> I've got the one ordered. Miss Katie said they had one in the Y'all put one in the budget. It needs to be ordered, too. >> Yeah, that's I just asked, didn't we? I said around. Didn't we put one in? >> We're there. We're there. It just takes so long for them to come in.
>> It I mean, we're 18 what? 18 months out, right? So, what I'm saying is can we >> Yes. >> What do you need from the Do you need something from the board to order the next one? Uh, no. It's in C. It's in capital outlay. We got it. >> Can I boo? Can I have just a second? >> Yeah.
>> Go ahead. Appreciate that. >> I want to add I saw where Leyon County I guess they started school last week, maybe >> yesterday. Well, we all know they have
plenty of school buses. So, I'm assuming that they don't have plenty of bus drivers cuz they said it was total chaos. They had to change routes >> 60 drivers >> all over the county. So >> kudos to Liberty County for doing what we did last year to get these drivers.
>> If y'all solve the bus driver, >> I had guided in the right direction. We didn't solve it. >> Yeah. >> Gaston County asked me yesterday, some of their schoolboard members asked me how how did we send some of our drivers there? >> They called me today and I had a talk.
>> Well, I explained to them what we did and I told them to call you. They called me today. >> Don't realize how much little stuff like that can change the whole operation till it happens. So,
I'm sorry, Boo. Go ahead, >> man. You got You know, you banged up for a minute. >> Got another minute. Halfway. >> Need another minute. >> How about you, Mason? You need one? >> Actually, I was I >> closing comments. >> Appreciate y'all. >> And I I'm the same way. I think every
plan put together is not the best plan may be the best at the time. Why you always revisit things even when you talk to your kids or whatever you got a plan set out for them or your wife or your husband or whatever that plan not be may may be good but it may not be the best. So
time and with pe we we're going to work with everybody to find out a solution. I mean >> may not be the right solution maybe the only one at this time. Hope everybody can come to a means or item 14
motion to adjourn. Motion Mr. Jody second Mr. Keep with me now.