[music] >> Good good evening and welcome to the April 28th, 2026 meeting of the Marion County School Board. The meeting is now called to order. Mirroring and modeling the way our students begin each day, I ask that we observe a moment of silence at this time. Please join me.
I will now have our student board representatives read our board commitment statement. We are the Marion County School District Leadership Team. When we come together to work, we are efficient, effective, and productive. Our three most important characteristics
are dedicated, transparent, and individually responsible. To work well together, we must demonstrate respect, confront reality, and be accountable. We will always put students first. We will always leave a legacy of success.
Thank you very much. For the courtesy of those listening to the meeting, I am requesting everyone in the audience to please turn off their electronic devices or put them on vibrate. Public comment will now be accepted during two portions of each meeting for up to 30 minutes for each portion. The first will take place prior to the board vote and will be
specific to the night's agenda. The second will be for items on which the school board customarily takes action and will occur after the board completes the business portion of the meeting. Anyone wanting to speak regarding an agenda item must complete a blue form. Anyone wanting to speak regarding a
non-agenda item must complete a yellow form. Both forms are available for before each meeting and on the district website. Forms are due to the board clerk by 5:40 p.m. and can be submitted via email or in person. Public speakers will have 3 minutes to complete their comments and no more than 10 speakers
will be scheduled in either public comment portion unless the board votes otherwise. Good evening, Ms. Martinez Young, will you please call the roll? Dr. Allison Campbell, District 1. Here. Ms. Lori Conrad, District 2. Here. Mr. Eric Cummings, District 3. Here. Ms. Nancy Thrower, District 4. Here. Dr.
Sara James, District 5. Here. Colin Briggs, Forest High School. Here. Sharay Hussein, Dunnellon Dunnellon High School. Here. Attorney Jeremy Powers, School Board Attorney. Here. And Dr. Danielle Brewer, Superintendent. Here. Dr. Brewer, who will share inspiration
and lead the Pledge of Allegiance for us this evening. Thank you, Chair. We'll have Ms. Melissa Conner, she's the Executive Director over K-12 Academics, will introduce our guest this this evening. Yes, good evening, Board, and thank you, Dr. Brewer.
Established in 1994, the Knights Battalion at Vanguard High School is the only continuous sea service JROTC program in Marion County, proudly representing the traditions of the US Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. The unit enrolls more than 160
cadets and maintains an exceptional level of activity and service, contributing over 2,000 community service hours last year, and conducting 50 unit events alone this school year. Home to elite, nationally ranked teams, the Knights Battalion earned first place
overall finishes in regional marksmanship, precision, and orienteering competitions and recently hosted more than 500 cadets for the National Junior ROTC Orienteering National Championships. While competitive success is a point of pride,
the program's core mission remains the development of disciplined, responsible citizens prepared for higher education or military service. These accomplishments reflect the dedication of cadet leadership and the strong support of Vanguard High School's administration and faculty. At this
time, I'd like to introduce Battalion Commander Misty Sandosh. Good evening. Good evening, respected staff, board members, and families of Marion County present here today. Thank you for the opportunity to provide the inspiration for tonight's meeting. It is truly an
honor. My name is Misty Sandosh. I am a senior at Vanguard High School and I serve as the cadet commanding officer of the NJROTC Knights Battalion. To understand the impact JROTC has had on my life, first you have to understand the schedule of a dedicated and fairly
involved cadet. For most high schoolers, today begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m. But if you walk onto Vanguard's campus at 7:30 a.m., you'll already find us on the deck. And if you come back at 5:00 p.m., we're often still there running practices, meetings,
trainings, or even prepping for the next event. But the real test of discipline happens on Saturdays. While most rest of the world is sleeping, some of us are waking up at 3:00 a.m. to prepare for competitions, get to campus by 5:00, and have a jolly 2-hour bus ride to a school outside Marion County to compete. Then
around 6:00 p.m. that same evening, we're going to get on back on the same bus, get food, and ride back to our campus with joy, laughter, maybe some trophies, or sometimes we're not so happy because we didn't do so hot. It happens, right? These bus rides make up a lot of my fun
high school memories, and I'm sure I can speak for my fellow cadets as well. Um now, this early morning session brings me to bit of a personal transformation. My mom loves to remind me that during my freshman year, I was not exactly what you would call a morning person. My dad used to be the
one tasked with waking me up, and according to her, I wasn't always the most pleasant person to be talking at that time. I honestly don't even remember some of these early morning conversations, but she definitely does. Even when my dad was in the hospital and was really sick, we could hear him talking to himself in his sleep saying,
"Misty, wake up. You're going to be late to school." Through this program, I learned that if you want to lead, you have to be able to lead yourself first. Today, my alarms are my responsibility, as they should be. Um and I'm the one waking myself up and taking ownership of my day because
JROTC has taught me that showing up is the first step towards stepping up. The discipline to wake up early was only half the battle. The bigger challenge was finding the courage to speak up once I got there. If you had seen me in eighth grade, I was definitely the quiet girl. I probably wouldn't be up here
talking with confidence. I kept to myself, stayed in my shell, and certainly was not looking for a stage or a microphone. That changed when I joined ROTC. Through the program, I was constantly pushed into roles that required me to host events, lead formations, and coordinate with my peers. Somewhere
between those practices and ceremonies, I realized that I didn't just get used to talking to people, I actually loved it. JROTC took that quiet eighth grader and helped her find a voice that was there all along. It turned my shy observation into active leadership, giving me the
confidence to not just stand before you today, but to truly enjoy the opportunity to do so. This newfound proactivity and confidence weren't just useful for school events, they became the foundation I needed when my life was unexpectedly turned upside down.
When my father passed away 2 years ago, the leadership and organizational skills I practiced in ROTC had to be applied at home immediately. While my mother was coping with the loss and my brother was still so young, I had to step into a role I never expected to fill as a high schooler.
I started driving to handle the daily needs of my family. I helped arrange the funeral, worked to figure out credit cards and bank accounts, and handled the grocery shopping and expense tracking until my mom could get back on her feet. My family often tells me that I grew up faster than I should have, that I matured into an adolescent woman in a
matter of weeks. But I know that without the discipline that I learned in the battalion, I wouldn't have known to stay that level-headed. JROTC didn't just teach me how to lead a unit, it taught me how to stabilize my home when it mattered most. The program didn't just help me handle the present,
it gave me the resources to plan what comes next. The discipline we learn in the battalion carries directly into our classrooms. In fact, for the students who stay in our program for all 4 years, we maintain a 100% graduation rate. My instructors have been a constant pushing
factor in my life. They didn't just teach the curriculum, they pushed me to actually research my future. They were the ones who told me about Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, sent me scholarship opportunities, and constantly looked out for the programs that fit my goals. The turning point was the tour we took as a unit on the
Daytona Beach campus. That day I fell in love with the environment and the challenges that came with it, and I realized that this is where I wanted to continue the next phase of my life. Because of the mentorship and the drive I found in this program, I am now on track to attend ERAU and pursue my bachelor's degree in aerospace
engineering. JROTC didn't just help me get through high school, it gave me the professional foundation to launch my career. For me, JROTC has been the difference between a quiet student and a confident leader. It gave me the tools to be a pillar for my family during our hardest moments and the drive to pursue a
career. Thank you, school board members, for supporting the programs that turn students into professional, capable young adults. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Please stand for the presentation of colors and the pledge of allegiance, and remain standing until the colors have
been retired. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. You may now be seated.
On behalf of the board, I want to say what a beautiful testimony that is to your journey, and and what this program has done for you, but what you've done for yourself. Thank you, ma'am. >> Um there's no no better way to define picking yourself up from your bootstraps and really tackling life. Um and I just
want to say that as you transition into adulthood and you move into a 4-year university, I hope that you will come back and share that testimony with our students because it truly can be life-changing. So thank you for for your for your honesty and your transparency. Thank you.
All right. Um Dr. Brewer, I believe we have a couple of recognitions as well this evening. Yes, we do. Look at this audience. We have a quite a few recognitions. We will begin with Mrs. Jennifer Beck. She will present um our first recognition of this evening. And audience, after each recognition, please
um return to your seat, and at the end of all the recognitions, we're going to have everyone come back individually in their groups for pictures. Thank you. All right, thank you. Good evening, Dr. Brewer, board chair Dr. James, and board members. At this time, I'd like to introduce someone very special who plays
an important role in supporting our students beyond the school day. Karen Lorenco is joining me today, and she is the coordinator of our Marion Afterschool Programs. The Marion Afterschool Program provides enriching experiences, academic support in a safe
and engaging environment for many, many of our children. She is joining me today because she would like to introduce some dedicated staff members who have well over 30 years of experience in the program. So please join me in welcoming
Ms. Lorenco as she shares more about this team. Good evening. Good evening. Thank you, Ms. Beck. Good evening, Dr. Brewer, school board uh members, and board chair. Um I am the proud coordinator of Marion Afterschool
Programs, and this evening, in honor of Afterschool Professionals Week last week, I have the distinct honor and privilege to introduce three outstanding ladies who have dedicated over 30 years of their lives to support uh youth in
and out of the school bell time. So the first lady I will be calling is Ms. Ann Simmons. She has 36 years of experience. She began at Evergreen, led Saddlewood for 8 years, and now serves as an area manager in our administrative office.
Ms. Margaret White. >> [applause] >> Also with us for 36 years, from an activity leader at East Marion to a long-time site manager at Fort McCoy, where she also supports the school's fans garden. >> [applause]
>> And Ms. Carla Brown. With 35 years, Carla has served as our site manager at several schools and now contributes as an area manager in our administrative office. >> [applause] >> Thank you, ladies, for the decades of service and for the difference that you
make in the lives of Marion County students every day, before and after the school bell. Absolutely. Thank you so much. Another round of applause. We will come down and share some remarks, I'm sure, with you personally when we take a picture, but what a testimony, over over 100 years worth of
service for Marion County Public Schools was just represented in you three ladies. And so that commitment does not go unnoticed, and I hope that you feel recognized. We really do appreciate you. Okay, at this time, I'd like Mr. Ben Whitehouse to come to the podium. He will introduce quite a few of our
special volunteers this evening. Thank you, Dr. Brewer, and good evening, board chair and school board members. Tonight, we have the privilege of recognizing a group of individuals whose impact on our schools cannot be measured by titles or job descriptions, but by
time given, relationships built, and lives touched. Our school volunteers are quiet partners in the work of education. They read with our students, support teachers, mentor young people, assist with events, and show up day after day simply because
they believe in our children and our schools. They give not because they have to, but because they care. The individuals being honored this evening represent the very best of what a school community can be. Their service strengthens not only our classrooms, but
the culture and heart of our schools. Tonight, we proudly pause to recognize and thank our outstanding school volunteers for their commitment, generosity, and enduring impact on student success. At this time, it is my honor to recognize the volunteers being
celebrated this evening, who represent the many volunteers that serve in our schools. As each name is called, we invite our honorees to please come forward and be recognized. First up, we have Jimmy Carter. >> [applause] >> I'll I'll run through these if we
applaud, it might be all night. So I'm just going to run through these names, and we can applaud at the end. Uh Victoria Chipley, Ashley Cannard, Vicky Kirby, Allison Jones,
Teresa Lord, Karen Bucknam, Robert Quarnstrom, Jennifer Ryan, Mayor Walter Green, David Byers,
David Kaywood, Benita Hemperly, Rita Lammers, Rick Holderman and Marvin Deal, representing our Dads on Duty, Suzanne Witters,
Lou Snow, Victoria Dawkins, Margie German, Christine Myes, Barbara Cornell, Jeff and Sandy Sailor Janet Shroff
Michael Brady Jessica Shaw Haley Rogers Jessica Bruger Dorothy Ramonda Mike Allsup
Heidi Perrett Kara Mittel Anna Roth Amy Ingram Jenna Douglas Ellen Brown Cynthia Weaver
Yvette Benitez Cynthia Stone Chad Philly Stephanie Gomez Patrice Jones Suzette Rivera
Kate Shannon Amanda Ardent Rebecca Mersich Sarah Little Jordan Surdam Glenn Camp Gordon Hamm
Alana Baker Aaron Jenkins Rebecca Pendleton Daniel Lack Lexi Thomas and Pamela Ruder Wow.
>> [applause] >> And we'd also like to recognize our friends from the Fezidan Alumni and Parent Teacher Organization who do tremendous work supporting Fezidan. So this is just a sampling of all the great volunteers we have to support all of our 53 schools across the district and we could not do this job without you all.
So thank you each and every one. Yes, thank you so >> [applause] >> Mr. Whitehouse put it perfectly. You guys are just a representation of the tireless effort that gets put in on all of our campuses and as a board I'll say that we are incredibly grateful for your commitment to Marion County Public Schools and your willing to give your
time and treasure to make sure that we are a place where students love to learn. So thank you so much. >> [applause] >> Dr. Brewer, should we just go take a picture right now? >> say they're here. Let's let's break the >> we're going to um Mr. Christian, if you'd like to direct the picture. Do you
want us to come down? Yeah, it would make more sense. Yeah. >> [clears throat and snorts] [applause] >> Elena Are we Go ahead. Right here first. In that direction? Here we go. Excuse me.
There you go. Here we go. One, two, three. Couple more. Great. Thank you. Thank you. That's right. Well, thank you all for your patience while we knocked out some photos. Now on to I think probably our biggest recognition at least from the audience
perspective tonight. So Dr. Brewer Yes, thank you. We have two additional recognitions. Both will be introduced to us by Megan Magamoll who is the executive director over the Public Education Foundation. And it is Public Education Foundation
Awareness Week. Did I say that correctly? >> Thank you, Dr. Brewer. Yes. Good evening, Board Chair, School Board members and Superintendent Dr. Brewer. We are going to recognize a group of people whose impact cannot be measured by numbers, though the numbers are truly
extraordinary. Take Stock in Children is a program of the Public Education Foundation of Marion County and we have been providing scholarships, mentoring and hope to deserving at-risk, low-income students across our district since 1996.
This year alone, we have 209 active volunteer mentors walking alongside students in Marion County. Together, they have logged more than 2,700 mentoring sessions. Each one is a moment where student has felt seen,
encouraged, and most importantly, believed in. These sessions represent conversations about college, career, life and it's steady guidance through some of life's most important years, those teenage ones.
And leadership by example, it does start with our very own Superintendent Dr. Brewer, our Deputy Superintendent Mr. Whitehouse, School Board members Chair James, Vice Chair Conrad, and Dr. Campbell who not only support this work as individuals, but they personally
serve as Take Stock in Children mentors, demonstrating that mentorship is important at every level of our community. But tonight, we are going to celebrate and honor those whose dedication goes even further,
the Mentor Hall of Fame. These are 31 mentors who have given 10 or more consecutive years of volunteer service to Take Stock in Children. This is a decade or more of consistency, commitment, and compassion for our
underserved youth. That level of service means they didn't just mentor a student. It means they mentored a generation. At this time, we will be recognizing each of our Mentor Hall of Fame recipients individually. As their name
is called, for sake of time, I do ask that they stand in the audience but remain in the audience until time for a picture. Please save your applause until the end. So, we will start with Adam Langemaier, Amanda Steckman, Angelina Webb, April
Roundtree, Benjamin Whitehouse, Daniel Lack, David Judd, Doris Hardy, Gay Street, Ginger Cruise, Isabelle Kerschenfott, Jason Frender, Jenny
Salpeter, Joan Lorenco, Karen Hatch, Kathy Sandidge, Leah Bender, Linda Kauff, Mark Ingram, Michelle Sermon, Miranda Brogan, Morgan Lucky, Nora Trevieso, Sabrina Torres, Shante
Matthews, Steven Ayers, William Macateer, and we extend a special thank you to mentors whose service has actually stretched close to two decades. TJ Bright with 17 years of impact, Lori Bright with 18 years, Mike Mishkin, and
Jackie McCorkle, each offering an incredible 19 years of steadfast mentorship in the Take Stock in Children program. Please join me in applause for these mentors. >> [applause] >> I would like like to add that 12 of
these Mentor Hall of Fame individuals are members of our Marion County Public School family. They are also staff as a part of our village. Your legacy lives on in every student whose life was changed because you showed up again and again for more than
a decade. To every mentor recognized this evening and to every Take Stock in Children mentor currently in our schools, thank you for the time you have given, the hope you continue to build in our students, and for the future that you are supporting for our entire community
through being a Take Stock mentor. Thank you again. >> [applause] >> That was wonderful. Well, I'll just say real quick if I can to interrupt. Um not only is it amazing to see so many people giving so much time to mentorship, but also so many of our own employees who
are taking time out of their days, our principals who are have tireless days, but they are prioritizing. I know Ms. Street mentors at North Marion High School, and so she prioritizes. I We pass each other sometimes when we're doing mentorship. Uh and making sure that she gets off of her campus because that mentorship for that high school
student can be life-changing. So, I'm incredibly grateful for all of you all being here, and I speak for the board, I'm sure. So, now I have the privilege to recognize another group of individuals and businesses who play a vital role in strengthening our schools, and those are
our school business partners. As the nonprofit organization designated to support our district, one of our most critical programs is our school business ship partnership program. They are more than sponsorships or charitable donations made to our schools. They
represent meaningful investment by our local business community supporting public education and the future of our community. This year alone, the partners we are recognizing tonight have invested more than $398,000.
These are resources that are thoughtfully directed through our foundation to meet real campus needs and expand opportunities for students and educators. And just as important as the financial support in that engagement,
the business partners are volunteering their time. They are celebrating our teachers. They are reading to our students. They are supporting family events, and they are stepping up in times of need on our campuses. Their involvement, it helps remove
barriers. It boosts morale, and it creates campus culture that we all want our students to thrive in. So, today I will be recognizing all school business partners, some of which support more than one school, some who are brand new
business partners only one week into the partnership, but they have chosen to invest in public education. Before I begin, business partners will be named along with the schools they sponsor. You will hear all schools named as having at
least one business partner, except for one school. So, this is a community call to action. This month, one of our business partner renewals were due, and the decision was not to continue. And so, our Education Foundation is looking
for the business community to consider sponsoring Greenway Elementary. I encourage you to speak with me after today's school board meeting if you are interested. I do ask that all business partners who are present will stand when they are named along with the school
representatives partnering with them, and we do ask applause be held until the end. Are we ready? Ready. Ready. Reverend Cummings, are we ready, sir? We will start alphabetically with AD Morgan Corporation representing Weir
High School and Ross Prairie Elementary. Advent Health Ocala partnering with Belleview High School, Belleview Middle, Howard Middle, and Vanguard High School. American Dream Residential East Marion Elementary. Arthur Fisher is partnered
with Romeo Elementary. Ousley Construction is partnered with Legacy Elementary, Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary, and Winding Oaks Elementary. Bradley Blessing State Farm Agency partnered with Belleview High School and
Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks. Clymer Farner Barley is partnering with Eighth Street Elementary and Osceola Middle School. The College of Central Florida partnered with College Park Elementary. Conrad Tree Service with Ward-Highlands
Elementary. Cox Communications is partnered with Howard Middle School and Oakcrest Elementary. Crouch Homes has Dunnellon High. Collison Wright Construction is partnering with Hillcrest School and Maplewood Elementary.
Delta Dental Insurance Company has Wyomina Park. DJ Cooling has North Marion High School. Florida Credit Union is Belleview Santos Elementary and Fordham Early Learning. Florida Express Environmental has Westport High School.
FMC Wealth Management Dunnellon Middle. Geotech Eighth Street Elementary and Forest High. Glover Law Firm Eighth Street Elementary. Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club is Anthony Elementary and Reddick-Collier Elementary. The
Grilled Cheese Foundation Bridgeway Academy. HCA Florida is partnering with Westport High School. Heptner Architects partnered with Ross Prairie Elementary and Winding Oaks Elementary. International Energy Savers of Central
Florida Belleview Elementary. We're back on. We're live. We're good. Great. Sorry for the brief interruption. Try not to do that again. Sorry about that, [clears throat] everyone. I believe I ended with International Energy Savers Belleview Elementary School, so we'll pick up with Jenkins Auto Group Marion
Technical College, Lockheed Martin Lake Weir High School, LTC Systems Eighth Street Elementary. Meadowbrook Church is with College Park, Saddlewood, and Westport High. Mid-Florida Credit Union a brand new partnership with South
Marion High School. Ocala Electric Utility is East Marion Elementary and Ocala Springs. Ocala Fiber Network Dr. NH Jones Elementary, Dunnellon Elementary, Emerald Shores Elementary, Harbor View
Elementary, Lake Weir Middle, Legacy Elementary, Marion Oaks Elementary, North Marion Middle, and Sunrise Elementary. Thank you. I'll let that slide. Ocala Marion County Association of Realtors, Hillcrest School, Pediatric
Associates of Ocala, Fort King Middle, Pediatric Dentistry of Ocala, Winding Oaks Elementary, Petroleum Plus Services, South Ocala Elementary, Phoenix Wood Products, Fort McCoy, Rainey's Incorporated, Madison Street and Vanguard, Reed Orthodontics,
Belleview Middle and Osceola Middle, Regions Bank, Madison Street Academy, Reilly Arts Center, Madison Street Academy, Rome Electric, Forest High School, St. Bernard Foundation, Mr. Bernie Little, Anthony Elementary, Fessenden
Elementary, Fort McCoy, North Marion High School, North Marion Middle, Reddick-Collier Elementary and Sparr Elementary. I believe that's a round of applause as well. SeaCoast Bank, Liberty Middle School, Signature Brands, Shady Hill Elementary,
Straight Line Construction, Ross Prairie Elementary, SunCoast Credit Union, Hammett Bowen Elementary. This is a brand new partnership as well. Principal and the team just met from SunCoast. The Academy at Downtown Ocala, formerly
known as Kids City USA, Madison Street Academy, The Guest House Ocala, Weir High, Sparr Elementary, Westport High School, The Vines, Belleview Middle School, and last but not least, Wide Auto Repair, Ward-Highlands Elementary
School. >> [applause] >> To all of our business partners, whether in attendance tonight or possibly watching from home, please know your investment makes a difference for our students, for our teachers, for our staff and our entire community. And in the business world, investment is
measured by return. An investment in education delivers one of the strongest returns of all. Our strong school district fuels a skilled workforce, attracts employees and drives long-term economic prosperity. Our business partners' investments today are
building a stronger Marion County for generations to come come. Please join me in another round of applause for our partners. I I don't know that I could say it better than Ms. Magamoll. Um you did a tremendous job sharing just how wonderful each of these partnerships is.
We are so incredibly grateful and we want to come down and take a picture with all of you. So, we'll start with business partners. If you all want to come forward with your principals and we'll do a business partner uh picture first. I know, I like it. I do not. >> I've been freezing in a courtroom all day.
>> [laughter] >> I can't be bothered. If Take Stock Mentors will come down, we'll do a Take Stock Mentor picture. Come on down, Take Stock Mentors. Mentors, if you can grab your plaques, too, if you didn't
Grab your plaques real quick. We do want Take Stock staff in this one. >> Oh, well then I was going to take a picture. No, he'll give it to us. Okay. What do you get it We want staff in this one, too. Okay. Yeah. Name tags. Name tags.
Name tags off? Off. Yes. Now, I'm going to ask this one time. Just excuse him. One time should be sufficient. One Everybody's looking this direction. And one, two, three, couple more. Stay right there. And one more. Thank you.
>> [applause] [cheering] >> Yeah. Um hopefully I'm able to be here. So, so where I'm where I'm going. All right. Well, we're going to settle ourselves back in for the business portion of our meeting.
How fun was that? It was a wonderful start to the meeting. Thank you all for sticking with us, but it is always a pleasure to recognize such tremendous legacy and commitment to Marion County Public Schools. So, it is definitely worth it. Dr. Brower, that
wraps up our recognitions, right? It does. Thank you. All right. Well, in the spirit of recognitions, I'm going to recognize some donations. I want to recognize $35,000 to Marion Technical College from Voices for Children of North Central Florida, Inc. to be used for financial assistance
scholarships to eligible foster students enrolled in a program at Marion Technical College. $2,000 to Winding Oaks Elementary from the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation to be used to help promote healthy habits and wellness for Winding Oaks Elementary students by supporting
initiatives that encourage nutritious eating and healthy lifestyles. And $1,000 to Belleview High School from the Rotary Club of Belleview, Florida to be used to assist in covering the cost of senior awards at Belleview High School totaling $38,000 in donations for
this board meeting. So, thank you all to our community partners for your continued commitment to Marion County Public Schools. We will move into the business portion of the meeting at this point. Superintendent? I recommend approval of the agenda for the April 28, 2026 school board meeting.
I move. Second. Thank you for the uh May I have a motion? The motion came from Reverend Cummings and the second from board member Campbell. Uh All those in favor say I. I. >> I. Motion passes 5-0. Ms. Martinez Young, will you please provide the proof
of publication for tonight's school board meeting? The notice for the April 28, 2026 school board meeting was placed on the district website on April 21, 2026. Proof of publication has been placed on BoardDocs under proof of publication. Thank you, Ms. Martinez Young. May I have a motion to approve
the minutes from the April 2, 2026 administrative briefing and work session? Motion to approve. Second. A motion by board member Conrad and a second by board member Thrower. Are there any additions or corrections to the minutes? Hearing none, all those in favor say I. I. Motion passes 5-0. Moving on to our
informational items. The school district uses a construction management delivery method including a guaranteed maximum price GMP to perform construction work on projects. The superintendent or designee has signed and approved the following change orders. Per board policy 6345, the superintendent or designee is authorized to approve and
execute any construction change order that will increase the construction contract by $25,000 or less or that will decrease the construction contract amount provided the approval shall be in his or her judgment in the best interest of the board. Such change order shall be binding upon execution by the superintendent. The superintendent shall
report each change order that he or she approved to the board at the board meeting that follows his or her approval. The superintendent's approval of the change order will be entered into the official minutes of the school board meeting. Additive change order. This additive change order will reconcile the project and close the financial books for the
project. Item 8.1 is a guaranteed maximum price GMP for the Fort McCoy School Well Site Replacement Change Order Number 3, Work Authorization Number 1, Project 25-104. The additive amount is $7,482.46 and this will conclude the informational
items. Ms. Martinez Young, do we have any speakers this evening? No, Madam Chair. All right. Well, thank you, Ms. Martinez Young. I do want to welcome Attorney Jeremy Powers to the meeting. We're grateful that you're here and we'll hear from you later this evening. Thank you. Moving on to our consent agenda, we're going to start with a public hearing. We
do have two separate public hearings. They're going to sound identical, but they are just for community input for two separate items. I do declare a public hearing. Is there anyone who wishes to address the 2025-2026 recommended instructional materials for world languages? Okay. And our second, I do declare a
public hearing. Is there anyone who wishes to address the 2025-2026 recommended instructional materials for world languages? All right. Hearing none. Uh may I have a motion to approve the consent agenda items? Second. A motion by board member Cummings and a second by board member
Conrad. All those in favor say I. I. I. Motion passes 5-0. Moving on to our disciplinary matters. Before addressing expulsion matters, I would like to acknowledge the board members have received the alternative placement list for students through March 4, 2026. Ms. Martinez Young, are there any parents who have submitted a
timely request to speak on their child's disciplinary matter? No, Madam Chair. All right. Thank you. At uh with that being said, may I have a motion to approve the expulsion of student JD26-179E, JD26-180E, JD26-184E,
JD26-185E, JD26-186E, JD26-187, JD26-195E for the remainder of the 2025-2026 school year and the first, second, and third quarters of the 2026-2027
school year with services? Motion to approve. Second. Motion by board member Conrad and a second by board member Campbell. All those in favor say I. I. >> I. Motion passes 5-0. May I have a motion to approve the expulsion of student JD26-190,
JD26-191, JD26-192E for the remainder of the 2025-2026 school year and the entire 2026-2027 school year? Motion to approve. Motion by board member Campbell and a second by board member Conrad. All those in favor say I. I.
>> I. Motion passes 5-0. Moving on to regular agenda items in discussion. Um item D23.1, may I have a motion to approve the first amendment to the special data share agreement with HMH Education Company? Motion to approve. Second. A motion by
board member Conrad and a second by board member Thrower. Dr. Brewer, do you have additional information you'd like to share regarding this item? Yes, I'd like Ms. Melissa Connor, Executive Director of K-12 Academics to come to the podium. She will um provide remarks concerning this HMH agreement. It is in
the dollar amount of a million dollars for the first amendment. Thank you. Good evening. Good evening again. Florida statute requires any student identified with a substantial deficiency in reading or math or students who require tier two or tier three support
through a multi-tiered system of supports or MTSS receive intensive evidence-based interventions. Read 180 and Math 180 directly support these requirements. The program includes ongoing progress monitoring and instructional data needed to document
student growth. The special data share agreement with HMH will allow our district to purchase resources and professional learning for our schools. Read 180 is our primary reading intervention program for grades 4 through 8 in reading and designed to support our MTSS framework. It
integrates adaptive technology, scaffolded support, and evidence-based instruction and practices aligned with the science of reading. Math 180 is the primary math intervention for our students in grades 6 through 8 designed to build algebra readiness and accelerate progress
towards grade level proficiency. It supports an MTSS framework by combining personalized software with teacher-led instruction using research-based strategies tailored to the needs of individual students. This purchase includes digital licenses, students and teacher books, and teacher training
totaling about $785,000 for all elementary and middle schools. This also allows schools to purchase additional resources from the vendor totaling in approximately $215,000. Thank you, Ms. Connor. Board, I open it up for further discussion.
Okay, I'll go. Yep, board member Conrad. Ms. Connor, do we have to Is it have to be a state-approved program just like we do for regular curriculum? Yes, we submit it in our um state reading plan each year. Okay. Uh What is the variety? Do you know like how many choices there are to choose
between programs? Well, typically we do the same process that we do for any of our curriculum where we have our committees and we vet it. I can't tell you exactly how many that um we go through. If Is there one you're looking for specifically? >> No, I wasn't. I was just wondering about the process um cuz we've used I think we
we read 180 at least for quite some time. And so I that led me to think there may not be a lot of choices, but I am interested in looking at some data. Since we're spending a million dollars, I'd like to see how the needle is moving um with the continued use of of this
program. If if we're really seeing movement on our our reading and our math scores. And I have some available tonight, the numbers in case you ask, but I can also provide those to you um on our SharePoint if you'd like. Yeah, if you'd prefer to have it read in the record, that'd be great. All right.
So, this year we have 1,497 of our middle school students are projected to move from level one to level two. 523 students are projected to move to over level three.
And then in Math 180, we have 117 students projected to move from level one to level two. And 43 students projected to move to level three. Okay, wonderful. Okay. Do you know out out of how many total? Like how many middle school >> Read These are licenses, so these aren't
used. Uh I don't know if these are used. I didn't have that data [clears throat] right before I came, but a licenses we have 6,000 licenses for students in 4 through 8 for reading. And in Math 180, we have 560. Okay. Thank you very much, Ms. Connor. Of course.
Board, any other comment? All right. All right. Well, hearing none, all those in favor say I. I. >> I. Motion passes 5-0. Uh may I have a motion to approve the second amendment to the agreement with Imagine Learning LLC? Motion to approve.
A motion by board member Thrower. Second. A second by board member Conrad. I think Ms. Connor, you're here to Yeah, I have I have something to say. Okay. Um yes, Ms. Connor will present um additional information on the contract. This is a second amendment to Imagine Learning um and it's written into the
rationale methodology, but it's important for you to know that this $250,000 will be for the remainder of this school year and through 26-27 school year. But, Ms. Connor is available for to provide additional comments. Yes, I tried to break that down as well.
So, secondary curriculum is requesting permission to amend our contract with Imagine Learning. It's the courseware that is used to continue instruction for students who have been placed in alternative setting and not attending their base school. In addition, it's used as the curriculum for BridgeWay
Academy and all secondary schools have access to it for their unit recovery programs. The original agreement was for 3 years and was paid using $1.9 million of ESSER funding. The district has already encumbered that $1.9 million and is requesting an additional 250,000
to provide educational services to students who are serving their expulsion off campuses. So, this will be for the remainder of the 25-26 school year and the 26-27 school year and it will serve those students who were recommended for off-campus virtual learning whose infraction was before the beginning of
the fourth quarter this year. Great. Thank you. Board, I open it up for further discussion. Madam Chair, Yes, Reverend Cummings. Yes, thank you, Ms. Connor for this. Um just as clarity, just for the community, everybody understand that the
initial 1.9 came from funds that have expired. Yes, sir. And this is just a continuation of that. And so, there won't be any other federal funds or anything coming for this particular Correct. This this 250,000 is on top of that federal funding.
Thank you. And we paid we paid for that using the ESSER funds and that was a 3-year agreement. Any other comments, Board? All right. Hearing none, all those in favor say I. I. I. I. Motion passes 5-0.
Thank you, Ms. Connor. May I have a motion to utilize the inner local purchasing system TIPS agreement 260-103 for janitorial and sanitation supplies and services? Motion to approve. Motion by Board member Campbell, second by Board member
Conrad. Dr. Brewer, do you have additional information to share on this item? Yes, Mr. Rios Walsh, our Chief Financial Officer, will provide comments to us. This agreement is in the amount of $750,000. Good evening, Mr. Rios Walsh. Good evening. How's everyone doing?
>> [clears throat] >> Yes, this is a a regular item that we bring to the Board. Uh in this case, because of the amount, I'm trying to get my notes here. Um uh This amount is 700 and $50,000. This
will allow the district to continue to purchase at a good cost our janitorial and sanitation supplies throughout the district. As of this time, this contract will go from March 31st of 2026 until March 31st
of 2029. And we are having a yearly estimate of about $250,000. This will enable the district to continue to purchase these goods and services at a good cost. All right. Thank you, Mr. Rios Walsh. Board, I open it up for further
discussion. We can't go without toilet paper. The cost of doing business, correct. All right. Any For 3 years. Yes, it's the cost for 3 years. >> liners and other paper products. And
because it's backdated March 31st, then that means that approval essentially, if we don't approve this tonight, we're without toilet paper forever because we're already outside of that original contract window, so. Yes, I imagine we have some at the
warehouse, but there's certainly a necessity to to renew We're stocked, but we need to continue to make sure we Yes. >> stay stocked. Yes. All right. Any further comment from the Board? Hearing none, all those in favor say I. I. I. Motion passes 5-0.
May I have a motion to approve the fifth amendment to the agreement with ESS Southeast LLC? Motion to approve. >> Motion by Board member Campbell, second by Board member Conrad. Dr. Brewer, I believe Mr. Carlisle's here to provide additional remarks.
He is. He is filling in for our Executive Director of HR tonight, so thank you, Mr. Carlisle. This is a large ticket item. I won't steal his thunder, I'll let him explain it, but we are incredibly grateful for the partnership and the relationship that we have with ESS for our substitute contracted
services. Thank you. Good evening, Mr. Carlisle. Good evening, Board Chair Dr. James, Superintendent Dr. Brewer, Board members. We're pleased to request renewal of the district's contract with ESS for the 26-27 school year. Requested funding is identical to that approved by the Board
for the 25-26 school year. Today, ESS's fill rate for absences is 91%, which is a 5% increase over this time last year and a 14% increase over when we started with ESS 2 years ago.
We believe this strong performance data is due to the efforts in our dedicated local ESS team who has more than doubled our substitute pool. Hard work The hard work of our ESS team has been noticed by our school sites who consistently rate ESS with an A rating
on the mid-year and end-of-year report cards. For me, it continues to be a pleasure working with this team, not only the local team, but the regional team that supports them. We look forward to continuing to work with ESS during the 26-27 school year and I'm happy to answer any questions
that you have. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Carlisle. Board, I open it up for comments or remarks. All right. Well, I am grateful. I think transitioning to this 2 years ago, it was it was a change in work and it was uncomfortable like most changes, but it has put us in a position where we are
filling. And then just yesterday, we were having conversation about ways we can potentially find even more candidates to be able to fill our positions, so we're grateful. Um it cost a lot of money, but we got to put a sub in the spot either way. So, um and this this agency allows us to be more
efficient with how we handle it, so I'm grateful for that. All right. Hearing nothing further from the Board, all those in favor say I. I. I. >> I. Motion passes 5-0. Thank you, Mr. Carlisle. D23.5, may I have a motion to approve the McIntosh Area Schools Charter
renewal application? Motion to approve. Motion by Board member Conrad. Second. Uh second by Board member Thrower. Uh and I did I did ask for this item to be placed under um discussion. I don't really need Mr. Ayers to provide remarks. Um someone else might, but I
simply wanted to go on record to say uh the Board has been briefed to the understanding that we do not really have the legal authority to not renew this uh charter. Um and if we did, I would not be renewing it because I do not find them to add value overall to the work of
Marion County Public Schools. Um but we have a obligation to renew this charter and so, we will do that and my hope and expectation is we will continue to see improvement and excellence in academics from the charter school. So, those are my remarks. I don't know if anyone else has remarks, but
Um just again, I made this point the last time we talked about this in the work session, but for the general population to understand, this is a charter school that offers kindergarten through fifth They offer earlier grades, but for kindergarten through fifth grade, they have 48 total students in
that school. And kindergarten through fifth grade, 48 students. This continues to be my position and I believe others on the Board might echo the sentiments. Personally, I do not believe that it is the best academic environment for those
students for them to with the academic rigor and the struggles that they've had through the years. I understand they're in a little better spot now, but they were one of our own or our only charter school or our only school with a failing grade a couple of years ago and so, they
continue to struggle. I'm hopeful that they're on the right pathway, but imagine how many children are per class whenever you only have 48 kids kindergarten through fifth grade. Any other remarks from the Board? I'll just add I I agree with you both.
Um if we weren't legally bound to renew this contract, I would not be in favor of renewing it. Um as a Board member, you're always thinking, "What is best for children?" And so, it doesn't it doesn't sit right with me um that we have to approve
something that I feel is not best for students. And so, uh for personally for me, it is a struggle. But thank you, Mr. Ayers, during our work session for providing all that clarification for us. I do appreciate it. Absolutely. All right. Anything further?
Hearing none, all those in favor say I. I. I. Motion passes 5-0. D23.6, may I have a motion to approve the professional services selection recommendation for district-wide cooler, freezer, generator installation project 26-101? Motion to approve. Motion by Board
member Campbell. Second by Board member Thrower. Dr. Brewer, we have someone from your staff here to provide additional information. Yes, Ms. Usher is here to provide additional information on this item. Thank you, Dr. Brewer. Good evening, Chair James, Board members. Um this is to
to approve the the construction manager, Foresight Construction Group, to provide the generators for the district coolers at 10 facilities. It went through the professional selection process and Foresight was the top-ranked
um provider group. This is just to award it to them. We will bring back to the Board the contract after we negotiate the contract with them. All right. Thank you, Ms. Usher. Board, is there any further discussion or comments about this item? All right. Hearing none, all those in
favor say I. I. I. >> Motion passes 5-0. D23.7, may I have a motion to approve professional services selection recommendation for the um architectural design services for Belleview Middle School HVAC upgrades project 26-103?
Motion to approve. Motion by Board member Conrad. Second. Second by board member Cummings. And I believe Ms. Usher, you're here to provide remarks about that as well. Yes, it went through the professional selection process also, and DDC Engineering was approved. If you recall,
this was in the 5-year capital plan. It was of an emergency project, the Belleview HVAC. So, this board funded in this year is design. Next year will be the actual construction. So, we're starting on the project, and again, this contract will come back to you for
approval. Thank you, Ms. Usher. Board, any further conversations? All right. Hearing none, all those in favor say I. I. >> I. Motion passes 5-0. Thank you, Ms. Usher. May I have a motion to approve the personnel items for the personnel items
25-26 fiscal year? Motion to approve. Second. Motion by board member Conrad and a second by board member Campbell. Board, I will need to recuse myself from this vote. Uh so, if there's any further discussion, that's fine, and then we'll take the vote. All right. Hearing none, all those in
favor say I. I. >> I. Motion passes four with one recusal. Uh and then we're moving into uh pulled discussion items. May I have a motion to renew the bid 4057 GM for tree trimming services? Motion to approve. A motion by board
member Campbell. Second by board member Thrower. Ms. Conrad, I believe you pulled this item for further discussion. Yes. I will recuse myself from this item. All right. Thank you. Board, is there any further discussion on this item? All right. Hearing none, all those in favor say I. I.
>> I. Motion passes 4-0. Uh four with one recusal. All right. Thank you, board. We're going to move on to meeting reminders. There is an administrative briefing and work session scheduled for May 7th, 2000 uh 26 at 9:00 a.m. A school board meeting scheduled for May 12th, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. A disciplinary
meeting for early reentries will take place and um at 7:00 a.m. on May 21st, followed by an administrative briefing and work session at 9:00 a.m. A school board meeting scheduled for May 28th at 5:30 p.m. Ms. Martina Young, do we have any speakers here this evening um that would like to speak uh off air? No, Madam
Chair. All right. Or um and there's none for after board remarks, either, right? >> Chair. Okay, thank you so much. All right. Moving into committee reports and concerns. Back to you, Ms. Martina Young, anything from the board clerk's office? No, Madam Chair. Thank you. >> Okay. Uh board Attorney Powers? Nothing from legal, thank you. How was traffic
court today? Uh it was long. We went from 8:30 straight through till about 4:40, and uh we had 160 some odd cases. It was a quite busy. Significant. Well, we appreciate your work and leadership there and helping make sure that there's
accountability with attendance. So, thank you for that. Um Dr. Brewer? Well, thank you. We had so many incredible recognitions tonight, so I I won't recap all of those, but I do want to acknowledge our bus drivers today. Today is Happy Bus Driver Day. And so,
we did share some media posts, but we want to make sure that they feel loved and recognized today. We also are um as you know, beginning our state testing next week um at the same time, which is quite fitting, actually. We While our students
are celebrating everything they've learned this year, we will recognize all of our staff um and it's Teacher Appreciation Week, but we also recognize all staff personnel, schools who do a really good job making sure all staff members feel loved. And um lastly, I
want to recognize our Human Resources Department with a collaboration with our Professional Leadership and Learning Department. This morning, we were able to recognize and thank you for the board members in attendance, we were able to recognize 13 interns that signed a commitment letter to teach with Marion
County Public Schools next year, and we recognized seven that were already in the classroom. And that is just something we're very proud of, and the title of of the event is Move with Marion. And we just hope that momentum stays, and we just are very appreciative that they chose us, and they chose
education, because we know that they will make a difference in a student's life, in many students' lives. So, those are all my comments tonight. Thank you, Dr. Brewer. Um we will go to our board members. Colin, would you like to start? Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Um Forest High School continues to show
what it means to work hard and succeed both on and off the field. Um our girls flag football team won the district championship in their respected uh district. Our girls uh beach volleyball team won their district championship.
And our boys lacrosse team finished 12 and seven as district runner-ups. So, um I just wanted to highlight that as a uh another great spring season in Forest success. Um they really showed the dedication,
teamwork, and effort that our student athletes put in every single day, along with the support from the coaches, um teachers, and families. On the academic side, uh we continue to stand out as well as um I'm proud to share that Riley Fiegl
um and I were both named to the Academic All-State team by the Florida Dairy Farmers Association, uh which recognizes students who perform at a high level in the classroom and in their uh respective sports. Uh thank you.
Um looking ahead, um AP testing begins this uh next week uh and continues through the next two to three weeks, um followed by final exams for um honors classes and regular classes, uh which is an important time for our
students, and we wanted to wish um everybody the best of luck as they finish out the school year strong. Uh Forest High School continues to make our community proud um in so many different ways. Thank you very much for sharing that. We are always uh we love a good student athlete, and um
student athletes show tremendous commitment on and off the field, just as you said. So, thank you for sharing that. Uh Shreya? Thank you. Um so, I just wanted to say thank you for having me up here, and thank you for choosing me to be here.
Um I remember during the same time last year, I was not sure if you I wasn't even going to be here or anywhere um in my future. But, um I just wanted to say that
even if you don't know where you are at the moment, like it does get better with time. And even if you're not sure, like I know I have a lot of mentors that helped me um after that moment. But, um there's always going to be help along the way, and there's always going to be a
brighter future. As long as you wake up, you have another day ahead. Well, thank you for sharing that, and we have really enjoyed having you both on here. This is our probably our last meeting with both of you or close to it. So, um if we don't see you again here, we will see you at graduation. We we will see them all on May 26th.
>> Okay. Well, that's wonderful. Then we're looking forward to one last meeting right before graduation. So, wonderful. Um okay, well, we will move on to board member Thrower. The shared mic. Yeah. Thank you. And um yes, it is a time of testing. It is a time of celebration.
We have incredible students um with incredible support doing incredible things, and I think that tonight's meeting just exemplified uh that uh to the max, and I could not be more grateful for all of the uh hard work
that has gone into this school year so far, and I know we're going to finish strong. Um speaking of student athletes, uh we have the MESPYs coming up. It's Saturday, May 16th at 5:30, right here, and it's free, and I know you all are
dying to know what the acronym MESPY stands for, and that is Marion County Excellence in Sports Performance by Youth. And there's multiple great things about the MESPYs. Um it's in its seventh year, uh honoring top high school athletes who
don't necessarily have to be the highest performing um academically. Um the Ocala Star-Banner's sports department is very involved selecting all-county teams. Uh 26 sports. Um the other thing that's really wonderful about it is that
the Fellowship of Christian Athletes um has generously supported this event um by providing scholarships who go above and beyond in support of the school and their community. And I believe it is a $1,000 scholarship is presented to the student athlete who enhances the
community through selfless service. Um the student athlete does not have to be the star player, and all um FHSAA sports are included. So, that should be a great time, and I'll try to remember to mention it again
um in comments uh before the night of the show. Uh and then I would would not be Nancy if I didn't talk a little bit. We're going to horse around a little here. Uh the FTBOA, the Florida Thoroughbred Owner and Breeders Association held
their gala uh this past Monday night, and it was beautiful, and it was to honor our Florida-bred racehorses. And one thing that made it so cool, and and why I continue to love what I do is that we just blend so many interests um as we support the kids.
And there's a young lady named Morgan who has been part of our school system, and then sometimes uh she's been home-schooled, depending on her needs, but she presented um a a painting of a famous racehorse, Journalism, uh from Bridlewood Farm to
George Isaacs, the the farm manager. And it was a really special moment. I had the opportunity to be on stage with Morgan and her family. They're they're wonderful people. And it's just a great reminder of of so many people and all the connections that we have. And
continuing to horse around at Ward Highlands tomorrow morning, I will have their Black Stallion farm visit with the wonderful Carol Carol Fletcher, which I think a lot of you have met up at Anthony Elementary School a year or two ago. She has her horse Shiny
Slider that does different tricks and stuff. Really really neat horse and and a wonderful owner with a wonderful story. She's trained so many horses for movies and just really incredible things. Also, I
want to give acknowledgement to Piper Clem. She is of the Plaid Horse. She is an incredible advocate for literacy and Marion County Public Schools. She has donated to all 3,800 fourth graders are going to be receiving one of
her books from her series Show Strides for free in addition to the Black Stallion book that all fourth graders will be getting. And it's in the spirit of keeping students reading through the summer. Whatever they're interested in, you know, if it's horses, great. If not, you know, pick something else.
But but the level of support that Dr. Clem, the author, has provided including a subscription I guess for a set of seven books in her series to every elementary school and a subscription to the Plaid Horse. So, that is truly putting your resources
where your interests are. Love the intern teacher signing ceremony this morning. There were a lot of things going on. I was able to pop into that. Um Also simultaneously going on at Vanguard was the CTE program recognition students
that have successfully completed three or more courses at a 3.0 or higher average, overall GPA 2.5 or higher. They received a lot of important information today on obtaining college credits for those courses and career and
technical education industry certifications that they're completing in high school. So, so many pathways to success in Marion County Public Schools. And then zipped right over to Fort King Middle School to for their attendance response committee. And this is
something really really powerful data. Not only are their chronic absences down and you'll love this, there's Last year as of today, they had over 3,000 referrals. This year, they're
down to approximately 1,700 on today's date. Chronic absences are down, cell phone use is down. It's the campus is so much calmer and there's a lot of happy kids just moving around. I love being at schools during
transitions. I make it a point to be out in the hallways cuz that's when you really see what's going on and can kind of take the temperature of what's happening. And it's the transformation in the last four years under Principal Carter. He had a great send-off from Mr. Smallridge. Has just really made the
adjustments and is a pleasure to be on that campus. And having Dads on Duty doesn't hurt either. And of course, we recognize them here tonight. And just a couple more things. Um I mentioned Dads on Duty and I will also
say that it was fun to run into Lauren Debick, a former employee who now has a set of twins. We were at the farmers market in downtown Ocala on Saturday. And I must say that the city is doing some really cool stuff. There was It's so walkable.
There's so many interesting booths and just it was a beautiful morning and to run into two colleagues, especially Lauren who was instrumental in helping us get Dads on Duty launched, it's just a pleasure to to run into these folks. And the last couple things
I'll say is that I'm looking forward to hearing the next steps for the Booster Stadium community project. Boosting Booster is very much on my mind. I'm so grateful to the rest of the board for seeing the vision and coming to the consensus. Um As long as the bond works
out or some other funding source, $20 is a lot of money, but it has attracted a lot of attention already in the community. People are excited. They're asking, you know, what's the next step? When is this all really going to begin? So, I hope that we can get an update
sooner or later on what the capital fundraising plan is going to look like and who our first big million dollar donors are going to be to reach our goal. So, what a great community project. >> Here I think it's I think it's on the agenda for May 7th. >> Well, there you go.
>> [laughter] >> And I want to comment Carol Fletcher. We did a school-wide read back at Dunnellon High School 20 years ago now, 2006, on a book she wrote Healed by Horses, which was about her suffering burns and how the horse healed her. So, she's been
involved with our school system for that long. So, thanks for sharing. >> Incredible incredible woman. She she really really is and and so many wonderful folks in our community supporting us in in so many ways. And to me that just makes it even more important, you know, to to make it all
happen right here in our vicinity. And last I'll say, I know it's the home stretch for seniors. That's the last horse related analogy I'm going to give you tonight. But keep the pedal to the metal and and the finish line is in sight. So, that's all I have for tonight. Thank you. Thank you, board member Ferrer. And
I yes, we do have an agenda item May 7th, which is our next work session to discuss updates from our CFO about funding sources for projects including Booster Stadium. Reverend Cummings. Good evening, everybody. My comments will be brief
but I think very important. We're heading to the last 20, 30 days of school. And um this this seemed like this this school term has went by just like the blink of an eye. It's really been moving fast. There's been so many
different things going on in our district. We have in this this school term got a new went from an interim superintendent to a superintendent to doing some great things in our district.
Some things have changed as far as staffing. All types of things are going on. In our district, so our our our school district is moving in many different directions. This board is a very busy board. Often times I look at my texts and I see where we're all over the
place. So, you may never you may hardly ever get the chance to see all of us together at one place. The graduations, that time that most of us try to be at all the graduations and try to be together but we are busy board. We're busy district. I want to
give a message to our our seniors and I the parents of our seniors. We're in that home stretch as Ms. Ferrer just said. This is not the time to take your foot off the gas. It's the time to to press even harder.
Parents, you need to know your students' graduation status. Students, you need to know your your graduation status. Often times we get a lot of calls. I know I do. A lot of calls days before graduation wanting us to to pull rabbits out of
hats. This is that's not the time to try to pull a rabbit out of. We're not magicians. You got the the work has to be put in. So, I want to encourage the parents. I want to encourage the students. Please know the status of your students. Know know your graduation
status. Um and if you if you are if you are one of those that may be falling a short, that's not the time to give up either. Keep pressing on. We do have a a summer graduation for those students that may they fall a little bit behind.
And we celebrate that graduation just as well as we celebrate the other graduations. It's it's it's it's not that you um Everybody doesn't finish the race at the same time. But the goal is to finish the race. So, we want to see all these kids get across the finish line. We want to
be there to celebrate them get across the finish line. Please know that that the law has changed as far as who can actually walk across that stage. I I I said I was going to make it a point to make sure I say that in these these moments because um
you no longer can just walk across and get a empty binder or a binder that says that you attended school for 12 years or 13 years. Um there are some requirements. So, parents, students, this is my plea.
Please get with your schools, get with your your um administrators, your counselors and know your status. I received some calls from some folk already and and I'm encouraging them to to do the work to to get in. In some some case, you you're right there.
You're right there. You just got to push push a little bit harder. So, again with that, I'm looking forward to all the upcoming things. We got so many things going on, so many different uh banquets, so many different So, there's so many things that we can't make it all. Um
I wish I could make everything but I I haven't I haven't mastered the art yet of how to clone myself and be in three different places at one time. So, um I don't think that's going to happen in this lifetime for me. So, please sirs, please ma'am, let's keep pressing hard.
To our staff, thank you to our staff. We have some dedicated staff that >> [clears throat] >> they put the work in every day. Every day and often times we don't tell them thank you enough. Often times we don't acknowledge what they do on a daily basis, but our staff are top of
the line. So, and that that that goes from the lunchroom lady, the cafeteria monitor, all the way up to our superintendent. Everybody matters. So, thank you so much for what you do every day for our students. Thank you, Reverend Cummings. Dr.
Kimble. Thank you. Yeah, cloning ourselves especially when there are school events happening right now. Often times when we get those calendar invites, it's like, "Sorry, that's a work session day." Or, "Sorry, that's a school board meeting night. Unfortunately, we're unable to attend."
And as I'm now the the next board member in line who actually has a mic to myself for those of you who haven't been noticing our audio issues that we had this evening, not just with microphones, but also even the the wireless mic kind of went out for a little while and kudos
to Mr. Christian and his team for making it work. I think it gives a wonderful opportunity for us just to say, "This space is not working for us." We continue to have these struggles and I I can't imagine the work that is about to be
for them for the month of May because every single meeting that we have, all of this equipment has to be torn down, reset, all of the audio issues and everything has to be recalibrated and and all of that. The plastic tables, the
table cloths, when we add people to the table or we were just here yesterday for a meeting, but we have more people here this time. So, it has to continue to be set up and torn down and set up and torn down. And we've we've been in this space now for
4 years, I believe, at least, maybe five five years. Well, yeah, I think I only had maybe one board meeting in the old space. So, or a couple of board meetings nevertheless. Um So, I I think it's just a good opportunity especially as we're going to be talking about
building and facility priorities on May 7th. I I think it's also a good time to mention again what I mentioned yesterday. Now that we have even more updated information, as we're looking at costs associated with facilities and buildings and upgrades,
I think we really do have to put a keen eye to what that looks like and ensuring that the bids coming in are not over inflated so that they come under budget, but under budget just barely.
Um when we look at the two identical elementary schools that were just built, the most accurate information we have is that Ross Prairie Elementary cost $365 per square foot and Winding Oaks
Elementary cost $385 per square foot. Exact same buildings, exact same everything except for those costs. Um so, I think that's very important for us to look at why one cost $2 million more than the other one and that's even backing out all the
other things. So, I'll leave that there. Uh Thank you for all of the recognitions that happened this evening. Volunteer Appreciation Week is a wonderful time. Having spent a lot of years in the nonprofit space, I'm grateful that we
did recognize just a handful of people today from our volunteers who give so much to our schools and to our students. Also, the after-school professionals, those Marion after-school programs, they have very special place
in my heart. It's funny, my kids and I were just having conversations about that. They have different memories than I do. I remember it being a wonderful time for me as a working mom and my husband as a working father to be able to know our children were safe and secure in a wonderful environment. They
were getting a snack. They were having their homework done when they came home. All of that. We really need more guys to be after-school workers and and that would make a big difference, I think, for our young boys in those programs. So, if
there's any young men out there that are interested in taking a first step into Marion County Public Schools, consider joining our after-school programs teams because our young boys really could use mentors and people to get out there and
kick a soccer ball around or shoot some hoops with them during Marion after-school programs as well. But, the ladies do a wonderful job, too, making sure that our kids get their homework done and and that the girls love them. So, I'll just leave that there. Also, thank you, Ms. Thrower, for
mentioning the Messbies. I think it's fun that you mentioned that because we also recognize Take Stock in Children this this evening and my Take Stock mentee is receiving two Messbies because she's a three-sport athlete and she happened to place in the
region and state and all in two different sports. So, I will be excited to not only be there as a school board member, but also being there recognizing her and and just all the good things that she's doing. And all the schools that are participating in regionals,
that we got that information today. All of our schools are participating in some regional competition athletically, whether it's track and field or softball or baseball or flag football. We have several flag football. I'll be heading tomorrow for
our boys volleyball regional game. Or, it's it's Thursday, not tomorrow. Tomorrow I'm going to flag football game. Yeah, there's there's just a lot. So, our teams are doing really well. Student athletes are performing amazingly well and it really does show great leadership on their part to be able to not only be those athletes, but
also be students. And that's the most important thing. And last thing I wanted to also talk about was the signing day today. It was a kind of a full circle moment for me just a bit because one of the students when I used to teach at the College of Central Florida, one of the
students today who was an intern signing, she was in my Effective Public Speaking class at the College of Central Florida when she was in her first year as a college student. And I had five students in that class actually that were all interested in becoming
teachers. And so, to see it actually come to fruition today with one of those students, it was amazing to see that. And I'm not certain if you all had a chance to talk to Megan Magamoll today at the event, but one of the students today that was an intern signing
was also a Teacher to Be Scholarship recipient. So, that's a Public Education Foundation program and she was the mother of two Take Stock in Children graduates. So, Public Ed Foundation just does amazing things in our community and all of their programs are to be
commended. The business partners obviously we recognized this evening. The Take Stock in Children mentors and mentees that we have all throughout this district and just the impacts that are being made there. The Golden Apple, we heard from the Teacher of the Year and the Rookie of the Year today at the
intern signing event and they just continue to do amazing things in this district and no better opportunity to let them shine than than a night like tonight. So, that concludes my comments. Thank you. Thank you. Board Member Conrad. Yes, I too will try to keep it brief. Um
I do have I do want to touch on even though several board members have mentioned Move with Marion this morning was a very powerful event, a great way to start the day. It was a full circle moment for me also.
Um As the interns were signing, many of them were emotional, you know, coming to this end of this part of the journey and starting a new one and reminiscing about what it looks like to work and go to school and, you know, keep your house
running and all of those things. It's a big challenge. It's a lot of a lot of work. And so, really some heartfelt sentiments this morning as we signed 13 interns and and seven that were already serving and
just their genuine excitement about starting their career in education. And so, I left with a renewed um feeling of hopefulness that our students in Marion County Public Schools are going to be so lucky
to have one of those interns or or teachers leading them in the very near future. So, just thank you to Ms. Moran and her team. Everybody did a wonderful job this morning. It really personally, I think it's one of the best
events that MCPS puts on. So, just thank you to everyone who helped get that together. Several board members have have talked about our seniors holding on till the end, staying focused. But, I just want to say to everybody in school, no
foolishness. >> [laughter] >> Stay on track. Do what you're supposed to do. No foolishness at school. I see our staff nodding their head and rolling their eyes because we keep getting all these phone calls. But, anyway, we really want you to get across the finish line. So, uh
stay the course and stay out of trouble. I also wanted to mention, it's a little off topic, but I received several phone calls about graduation and this year there is not going to be graduation is not going to be on YouTube. So, I just want to make sure that everybody is aware of that. Um
I guess it was when COVID when we went through COVID. And so, we started having graduation online, which I know was a a nice um way especially for grandparents and family that's out of town to see graduation, but that was a school-based
decision. And so, just want to make sure that message I know that our principals are sharing that information um the school level, but just making sure that it's getting all the way home and getting to family members so that um if you are able to make accommodations you can. So, that's just a change for
for this year. Very quickly, I just want to give a plug in case we have anyone that wants to be a business partner for Greenway Greenway Elementary. So, hoping that will be filled soon. Um real quick, I just want to thank our student board members also. Um
I am just so grateful for your input. And one of my favorite things is you all have your things that you're involved in and you participate in, but when you come um to the board table, you're always looking at your school holistically, you know, what your
what your friends and what your peers are doing and celebrating those accomplishments and looking for the needs that you see on your campuses. So, just really grateful that you're able to carve out enough time uh to come and be with us in the evenings. Just really appreciate it.
And chair, that concludes my comments. Thank you. Dr. Brewer, I think you had something you wanted to add. >> Yes. Thank you, Ms. Conrad, for bringing up the live streaming for graduation ceremonies for the public to be aware. That does cost us about almost $18,000.
And so, it was a financial decision for the schools to discontinue the live streaming of the um ceremonies. Thank you, Dr. Brewer. And to wrap up comments for tonight, um I will start by saying parents, it's not too late to buy teacher appreciation gifts. So, as
someone who went to Walmart um in the last few days, I will remind you um even a handwritten note from your child on a piece of construction paper sometimes is even more meaningful than any monetary gift you could buy for your children's
teachers. Um I know for me, my love language is words of affirmation. And so, as an educator, there was nothing better than getting a small note from a student to um simply share how appreciative they were of the journey that we'd been on um in the year together. And so, I just encourage you
to take some time for the rest of this week into this weekend to maybe write down some positive thoughts and affirmations about your child's educator and bring that to school next week. It is just the cost of the paper and the pencil and it would mean a lot to your students' teachers. Um athletics, I just wanted to touch on
booster seat thing has been brought up. And I I can't stress enough how important athletics and prioritizing athletics are to me as a board member. As a student athlete myself, I I sometimes the only reason I was coming to school, my senior year, literally the
only reason I came my senior year, one, I wanted to show effort and get into UF, but my other was cuz I wanted to be a cheerleader. And so, I wanted to be able to come to school on Fridays and be a part of Friday Night Lights. And And so, for some students, just like um diesel mechanics or ROTC, for some students
athletics is the reason they're continuing to show up to school. And I am so proud that this board has continued to show a commitment to prioritizing athletics um financially from our capital budget and making sure that we are improving our athletic facilities and creating an equitable
distribution of athletic facilities because truly, we've had schools that have operated without tennis courts as an example at North Marion. And we're now going to be able to have those. So, I I just want to thank the board for our our continued commitment. And I'm looking forward to some positive conversations
in the coming weeks about it. Uh I want to give recognition to Fort King Heritage Foundation. I serve on that board as a member that represents the Marion County School System. and over the last, I guess, 3 and 1/2 years, the board has really transformed.
And um as of recently, we've had some really constructive conversations with Dr. Brewer and the leadership. Ms. Barbara has gotten involved in our conversations. And Fort King Heritage Foundation truly wants their
destination to become what Silver River Museum has become for Marion County Public Schools. And so, they recognize there's effort and improvement that will need to happen. Uh they're working on some appropriations to be able to ask for some funds to create an educational
um room and really make Fort King bigger than just the fort, but rather a Seminole War museum location where students can go and learn about the Seminole War. And the fort becomes a piece of the destination. And so, I just want to update you, board, to say there's a lot of work happening in the
background. We have a meeting in a couple weeks at the fort with some of the district staff. And um all of the right people are in the room to have really productive conversation about how we can continue to enrich our students through a very inexpensive, if not free, field trip to Fort King Heritage
Foundation, which will teach them about Seminole War right here in Marion County. So, I wanted you all to have that update. And then finally, I just want to touch on VPK. Obviously, um my work in the early childhood field professionally, I am incredibly focused
on voluntary pre-kindergarten. Board, I want to share with you um my frustration. And Dr. Brewer is aware of my frustrations. Not with Marion County Public Schools, but with the Early Learning Coalition. Board, I want you to be aware of the fact that there is still
426 unused VPK certificates Don't go in. All right. Thank you, Lauren. So, board, I want you to be aware of there is still 426 unused VPK certificates for the 2025-2026
school year right here in Marion County. And that's of the 50% that actually get a first certificate, right? We are aware that almost 50% of students who show up to kindergarten aren't even using their certificate. But of the 50% that do get a certificate, 426 of them are still
sitting out. Um and I believe with my whole heart that we we as a community are not doing a job thorough enough to communicate with these families where they can use their certificate and how they can get access to free
voluntary pre-kindergarten. And I I want this board to know that my presence at the coalition meetings has con- continued to occur. And I'm going to continue to be a vocal advocate for ensuring that our families understand what voluntary pre-kindergarten looks like and how they can use their certificate. Because what this board
realized with the work of Dr. Brewer and our executive cabinet this year is that the data clearly demonstrate students who go to voluntary pre-kindergarten are performing better in kindergarten right here in our schools. And so, um I am going to continue to beat the
drum that students need to know about and how to get to voluntary pre-kindergarten. For summer VPK right here in Marion County, we're going to have two different it's full day, completely free. All families have to do, and we really even provide transportation, right? For voluntary pre-kindergarten?
I think we are. Yes, for VPK for our sites, we're providing transportation. And so, we just have to figure out how to get the messaging to families. And I am hopeful that we as a Marion County Public School System can continue to be a good partner with the Early Learning Coalition. Um and as a private provider,
I am certainly going to continue um to be a productive uh community member as well because ultimately, my goal is that students are showing up to kindergarten prepared to learn. So, um I will conclude my comments with that. And um Ms. Martinez Young did share there were no other speakers for
discipline matters. That is correct. All right. Well, then there being no further business, may I have a motion to adjourn? Motion to adjourn. Motion by board member Campbell. Second. Second by board member Conrad. All those in favor say I. I. I. I. Motion passes 5-0 and we'll conclude this meeting at 7:17 p.m. Thank
you.