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The schoolboard work session begins in one minute. Please take your seats. Again, the schoolboard work session begins in 1 minute. Good morning. I now call the July 23rd, 2026 administrative briefing and work session of the Marian County School

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Board to order at 9 a.m. Please silence your electronic devices to avoid disturbing others. mirroring and modeling how our students begin each day. I will ask you please pause with us for a moment of silence. Please join me. All right. I will now read our board

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commitment statement. We are the Marian 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,

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confront reality, and be accountable. We will always put students first, and we will leave a legacy of success. I would like to ask the school board attorney to explain the rules for this public workshop. Good morning, Attorney Powers. >> Good morning, and thank you. This work session is a public meeting as defined

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in Florida's sunshine law. The board is dedicated to full transparency in its meetings and its work. In compliance with the sunshine law, the board has adopted uniform meeting procedures, including the right for citizens to participate. The board will allow public

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comment regarding any work session item listed on today's agenda at the appropriate time. Speakers must fill out a request form located in the lobby and hand it to the board clerk. After the board and superintendent have completed their discussion on a

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particular agenda item, the board clerk will call the speaker's name in the order received. Each speaker will have three minutes as required by Sunshine Law. The board must maintain orderly conduct and proper decorum throughout this meeting. So speakers may criticize subject matter and decisions in a

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respectful manner but not people. Finally, speakers must be very careful not to violate the privacy rights of others, especially students and their family members by mentioning their names or other identifying information. Thank you for your attention to these

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important rules. >> All right. Thank you, Attorney Powers. We appreciate it. Um, Miss Martino Jan, can you please provide the proof of publication for today's meeting? The notice for the July 23rd, 2026 administrative briefing and work session was published on the district website on

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July 16th, 2026. Proof of notification has been attached to board docs under proof of publication. >> All right. Uh I will hand it over to Dr. Brewer. And for um just community awareness, we are going to move up the 9.1 conversation um to immediately follow item 4.1. Um Reverend Cummings

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will be joining us shortly, but we wanted to make sure that we were trying to prioritize the items as best as we could. So, >> okay. Thank you, chair. Good morning. Um, as you all know, our Yamina students started class on Tuesday, so they are on

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their fourth day of school. Everyone else will resume classes on August the 10th. We have an exciting um day taken today. We have our summer graduation with 80 graduates. Those graduates come from um our own traditional seven

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schools as well as Marian County um accelerationmies. So about 80 students will be recognized this evening and we have our teacher of the year from Marian counties. Anita Henry will be recognized this evening in Orlando at the Florida Department of

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Education's teacher of the year gayla. So we I will share pictures with all of you um because she will um be highlighted and it will be an exciting evening. I want to remind the community that we have our back to school community give back. This is the eighth year that this event is taking place. is

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taking place at seven different locations um and between 10 and 1 p.m. So if you have for the community if you would like to register for an event or volunteer the inaugural API message that

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was shared last week included all of the details. So, make sure you go back to your API um link and complete either the volunteer registration or to register to actually pick up a backpack and school supplies at one of the seven locations.

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If you did not receive that very first apt message, please make sure you go to your school and update your contact information. Um, we also have tomorrow is the deadline to apply for the leadership MCPS and this is a great

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opportunity for those in the community that want to know more, learn more about the way Marian County Public Schools operates. This is a great opportunity to do so. So, go to our district website and you can apply for the leadership

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MCPS. Um, board, I sent a message, but I want to just um provide just some say it publicly. So we can either so I can get your direction on when we can have this conversation. At a recent schoolboard work session, board members discussed

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the possibility of removing the informal school support assignments that have traditionally connected individual board members with um with their own schools. This discussion would not change board members residents, districts, election boundaries, or the responsibility of

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every board member to serve and represent all Marian County Public School students, families, and schools. However, it could create confusion among school personnel and the community regarding who serves as a school's primary board contact. So, following our

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forward focus that we had in March, I surveyed the principles on several topics. One of those topics was if they prefer to have one designated board member or would they rather work equally with all board members. 73% of the responding princip principles indicated

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that they preferred having one board member. So, I'm bringing this up to have a discussion to see if we can um we can do it today if you would like or if you would like me to add this to the August 6 work session so we can um re-examine

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or have another discussion about this topic. >> If I can, Dr. Brewer, I'd like to wait until Reverend Cummings gets here so maybe we can put it at the end of the conversation for today and then if we are gassed out from the day, we can put it on a work session or if we have time and bandwidth today, we can have the conversation today. but I don't want to

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exclude him from it. >> Okay, sounds good. >> Those are all my comments this morning. Thank you. >> Okay. Well, then um we're going to kick it off with Miss Cynthia Barnes and item 4.1. >> Good morning, Chair Dr. James, members

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of the board, and Superintendent Dr. Brewer. I'm here to present the fourth quarter compliance report for the 2025 2026 school year in accordance with Florida statute 101.212 requiring the Florida Department of

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Education's Office of Safe School to monitor compliance with school safety requirements across all public schools, including charter schools. The office conducts unannounced triannual inspections while schools are in session and investigates any reported instances

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of non-compliance. Each quarter, a report is provided identifying the number and percentage of schools, including charter schools that were inspected or reinspected during that period and the number and percentage of those schools found to

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have no safety requirement deficiencies. to help maintain the safety and security of our district. This report does not include detailed sightsp specific information for the fourth quarter of the 2025 2026 school year. Unannounced

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compliance inspections conducted by the Florida Department of Education's Office of Safe Schools at Maring County Public and Charter Schools yield the following results. The number of schools inspected, six. The percentage of schools inspected or reinspected,

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10.34%. Number of schools with no safety deficiencies, four. Percentage of inspected schools with no deficiencies, 66.67%. The two schools that were initially found to be out of compliance were

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subsequently reinspected. During the reinspection process, the identified deficiencies were corrected and both schools achieved full compliance requiring no further actions. As we kindly remind school leaders, teachers, students, and support staff,

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it takes everyone to achieve and maintain our goal of 100% compliance. We are grateful for the continued commitment of our employees and school communities to maintaining safe and secure learning environments. I also want to assure our community that the

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school board and superintendent remain fully committed to making school safety our highest priority. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Barnes. Board, was there any discussion on this item? Okay. Uh, is there any public comment on this item?

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All right. Hearing none, we are going to move on to item 9.1, cradle to classroom. Dr. Brewer, anything you want to start say before we get started? No, I board I did send an email this morning that might have information that [clears throat] pertains that might be

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pertinent to what Miss Beck will share, but the um but we're incredibly excited about what Miss Beck has been able to do with the early learning team to prepare for this cradle to classroom initiative. So, thank you so much Dr. Brewer

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and board chair Dr. James and board members. Am I okay? You want me to get closer? Yep. Okay. I am super excited about our new initiative, Cradle the Classroom, and I can't wait to share with you what we have already done with it, to get

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feedback from you all, and to really begin to make a strong difference in our community. So, in looking at our agenda, we're going to very quickly look at the purpose of our cradletoclassroom initiative, why early learning matters, and you know, it matters. Um, and so

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this just gives a few points of of really making it relevant. Our commitment to early learning here in Marian County Public Schools and what we have already done to support that, what our initiative goals will be, our steps to implementation, including our

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immediate next steps, and then where we see us going in the future. So, to kick us off, I want to talk to you a little bit about the purpose of this initiative. So really it uh it's it's got several different facets to it, but really it is in alignment with the

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Florida Chamber Foundation Florida 2030 strategic plan. And in that plan, we're going to talk a little bit about that in a minute. It really speaks to what we're trying to do in our community, which is to make sure that when children enter into Marian County Public Schools that

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they are prepared and they are ready to begin school. So, our cradle the classroom initiative really when thinking through it, the idea behind it was is that we were strengthening our connection with families before they ever even start school. That we were

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expanding access to them through early learning opportunities before they start school. and that we're building strong partnerships because we know that we as Marian County Public School employees are a strong entity, but we know that we're one part of our community and that

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we're going to need everyone on board in order to make a solid and sustainable difference. So, let's talk a little bit about Florida 2030, the blueprint for success. So, it is Florida's strategic plan. And no surprise, uh, we show up in

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pillar one, which is improving Florida's talent pipeline for a better workplace. And actually, when we think about the school system, we make up the bottom four bullet points, which is is that our high school students are going to graduate within four years. Eighth graders are reading and performing math

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on grade level. Third graders are reading at or above grade level. And the very last bullet, which is a lofty goal, which is a 100% of our children are going to be ready to start kindergarten. And that is really and truly what we want. We want students on a level

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playing field, ready to start so that they can be solid readers by the time they enter into third grade. So, how are we going to make that happen in Marian County Public Schools? I'm going to share that with you in a minute, but let's go back and talk about kindergarten readiness data. So, we've

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had kindergarten readiness data for a number of years. It's looked different over the years. We used to use an assessment called Flickers. Then, when we transition to Star Early Literacy, we've used that for a number of years. But the readiness rate has kicked up a little bit. When we first started, it

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was a scale score of 690. And now the magic number is 707. So, if a student is scoring at a scale score of 707, that is deemed being ready to start kindergarten. And so that really began in the 2024 school year. And so that's

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why I've included two years worth of data because they really looked at what we do in VPK. At VPK, that's what we are really shooting for. We're shooting for that our students end at a 707 and it really plays into our performance

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metrics. That's our achievement score. Every student that we can get at a 707 or higher. So the state of Florida looked at that and said, "Okay, let's take all kindergarten students, whether they participated in a VPK program or not. If they take an assessment three

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times a year, let's look at the first assessment and let's see the percentage of students that were able to get to a 707 scale score." And so that's what you see here. In the state of Florida for the 2024 school year, uh we were at 43%

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of our kindergarten students. Here in Marian County, we were at 36%. 2025, the state was at 44 and we were at 37. Again, a slight increase, but guess what? The state's increasy as well. And what I take from that information is we

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already have a gap in what our children in Marian County are coming into kindergarten, the tools that they're coming in with versus what across the state of Florida is coming in with. But we also know that when students participate in a VPK program that they

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are significantly higher and more ready to begin. And we also know based on data that if you participate in a public school VPK program, you're even higher than collectively our private providers. Okay. So, this just talks a little bit

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about why early learning matters. And I've already begun to tell you a little bit about that. Um, but we know that brain development is occurring, but it's occurring well before they ever in enter into VPK. So, it's those years from birth all the way up to VPK that we

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really need to do something about. We know that early experiences shape future academic and social success. We know that for sure. We also know that strong family engagement improves student outcomes. So when we can get families

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interested and active in their child's education and learning and giving them very easy tools to do at home, we know that that's going to have a payoff for kindergarten but then beyond as well. And we know that access to quality, the

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key word there being quality, early learning experiences will increase their school readiness. And I think my key from this is is that kindergarten readiness begins long before they've ever stepped foot into a VPK classroom.

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Okay. So, let's talk about what we've already done here in Marian County Public Schools. That's really supporting the early learning initiatives. So, this year we will have 45 VPK classrooms across all of our elementary schools. So, that's across 33 sites with our last

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seven coming on board in 2021. So, every school has at least one, some schools have two, and at FOROM they have four. And then speaking of that, um you know, back in 2022, the board made a decision

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to open up our vacant school, which was then Evergreen, to form Early Learning Academy. It has grown over the past four years, serving preK through to second grade, really the first of its kind here in Marian County Public Schools. And I

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have to say selfishly I'll tell you having been the principal there that we've really established a tradition of excellence and I don't mind sharing that consistently we've earned strong results on state assessments. Again you can look at the data and see that we that school

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has been top performing in kindergarten through 2 grade. And again why is that? because the light is being shown on those young students and really meeting them where they're at. And so building the strong foundation for student

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success has really become our way of work in MCPS. Okay, so let's get back to our initiative. So we see it as a three-prong approach. The first one being behind the scenes in the spring, we have built an ondemand resource that

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we will continue to add to, maybe take some things away as they're no longer relevant, but an ondemand resource that families can access at any time using a QR code. And we're going to look at that in kind of a future slide coming up, but

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we're super excited about that. and we're calling that the early learning family connections resource hub. The next phase of this is what are we doing in Marian County Public Schools to really provide programming to families before they enter VPK. I told you we've

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got 45 VPK classes, but what more are we doing? And so, we'll talk more about that in a minute, but that's where we see our stepping stone program and our hippie program coming into play there and really expanding that. And finally is community partnerships. You heard me

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say we can't do this alone and we have lots of places in our community that serve young children. And so combining our efforts to make sure that we are a unified front. So what are going to be our steps to implementation? Well, we

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wanted to launch the initiative and you all are part of our beginning phase of launching our initiative and we want to roll out our resource hub because it is set and ready to go and we want to begin to distribute information so that

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families can take advantage of that. We want to develop communication and outreach materials and then promoting that at schools and throughout our community. When we're talking about expansion of our family engagement opportunities, let's first talk about

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stepping stone. We have a vibrant stepping stone program going on at Forom. But I have been working with Miss Doss. In fact, I'm meeting her this afternoon. We're going over to the church across the street. We're going to create a second stepping stone program serving the Oakrest community at the

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neighboring church. Excited about that partnership. Then I've been working with Miss Carpenter at Belleview Santos and um we're going to do a third stepping stone program at that school. In fact, we had some furniture shipped over to a room yesterday and going to really begin

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to try to attract that south end kind of community and inviting them in. And for those that aren't aware, our stepping stone program is open birth to school age. So if they're not participating in VPK, well then they might be four or five years old. But we have infants

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there as well. And sometimes I've had moms go, you know, I don't know whether this is, you know, really the place for me to be. I've got an infant and I say this is the place for you to be because this is where language begins. This is where reading to your baby comes in. So

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we certainly invite all families, whether it's moms, grandmas, aunts, uncles, dads, we have a whole variety of caregivers that come. Then looking at our hippie program. So again, a wonderful program supporting children that can be as young as two years old

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all the way to five years old, some of them ending as they're entering into kindergarten. This is a terrific opportunity for home visitors to go into family homes for families that have limited transportation that may not live

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in the central part of our community and really giving them the tools to work with their children at home. And then finally, as a part of this expansion, we want to do some quarterly communication that is timely and relevant and that we

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are partnering with others to create. So, let's talk a little bit about partnerships because I've already been busy behind the scenes working and trying to build some of those partnerships. So, we feel like it's important. First of all, the early learning coalition was the first and

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easiest place for me to go to. I've had uh at least two meetings there and we've had great discussions. So, they are more than on board to support this initiative. We already do some combination efforts and so putting our information out there. We also talked

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about that they have a help me grow program where one of their individuals works with local pediatricians in town and so really feeding into that and working with that individual to get our information and our mission and goal to

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our local pediatricians and then we also talked about their contributions to the quarterly newsletter and so they are excited and they are ready to go. We also been working with Marian County Public Library. They have always been strong supporters. They love anything

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literacy. They have helped us consistently be readers and our stepping stone program. They also um have invited us to their readyto- read expo in August, which we'll be participating in. They also give out literature at the

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public library and have agreed that they will help us in getting some materials out to families that come through that children's section. also had a fabulous meeting with Advent Health this week um and really talked to I'm going to say

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ladies because they were all ladies on our call representing all the different facets whether it was Nick U whether it was uh labor and delivery all of those individuals and we talked about what are some ways that we can partner and they really wanted me to throw out some ideas

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and I said well here's just the tip of the iceberg one if you have a contribution to the quarterly newsletter We we'd love to see something from Advent Health. Two, I'd like to get in your waiting rooms and get some information so when families are sitting there that they can flip that card over

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and scan that QR code and they can see lots of resources that might be available to them. We talked about in the NICU that they have a um they have a little lending library where parents can go and get a book and read to their baby. And I said, wouldn't it be lovely?

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said, "I'm envisioning a little box that you probably have the books in. I'd love to get a QR code on the side of that." They love that idea. So, they're in the process of working with their marketing team. I'm going to swing back around and and kind of solidify that partnership,

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but so excited about the things that we can do with them. And they agree that it all begins when those children are born. uh we know we want to get to some other healthc care providers including heart of Florida. Um the hospital district has

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always supported our stepping stone program. So again there are I could go on and on. There are many places in our community I want to get to but these are some of the entrylevel places that we have already been able to talk to and partner with. And then beyond

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strengthening our partnerships we want to monitor impact. So, one that will be in kindergarten readiness data for sure, but tracking engagement in opportunities, getting feedback from our families, um, and and really looking at what we need to add or modify. So, what

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are our immediate next steps? It is re getting going on our initiative, releasing the resource hub information, building a strong awareness campaign both within MCPS and then beyond uh formalizing our partnerships and making

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those partnerships known so everyone knows this is a community effort and then establishing some good baseline data and success measures. And here's just a great snippet of our family uh connections resource hub. Uh on the left side's a nice example of what our

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postcard would look like with our QR code. When you go on there is first just a little small paragraph from me about thank you for coming on. You're going to find a variety of resources and then we have worked with V. Logan Johnson who is

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great behind the scenes and she's helped us organize it into foundations for school readiness and there's resources once you start clicking you just it clicks and clicks and opens lots of things. uh early learning programs and services including we have put a link to

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um uh exceptional student education. Lots of families are always asking about what is developmental, where do I turn when I believe my child might need some support. So we've partnered with our ESC program there. We definitely have put information about voluntary pre

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kindergarten and how to register in Maring County Public Schools. and then ready for kindergarten because that is part of and I saw that that was in the documentation that the ELC had sent. It is a requirement that the public schools and the ELC have um communication

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connection joint efforts and how we get children ready for kindergarten. So with that being said, what's our future outlook? Our future outlook is to build a sustainable system that helps supports children from the cradle to the classroom because we know early learning

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starts at birth. We know that a family is the child's most important and first teacher. That community partnerships really amplify what we're doing here in the school system. and that we know that this initiative will hopefully provide

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supports, resources, and connections. And in connection with what our uh commitment is at Marian County Public Schools, it's supporting every child's pathway from pre kindergarten to beyond. And so I welcome any questions and thank

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you. I hope you see that I'm excited about this initiative. I think it's got really great possibilities. >> Thank you, Miss Beck. We really appreciate you being here and um sharing this information with us. So, board, I'll open it up for discussion. Who has things they'd like to share?

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Let's go first. Okay. Vice Conrad. >> Good morning. Um really excited about this as a previous kindergarten teacher. Um you know, and that was many years ago, but you can see the the need uh I'm sure every day on campus. And so I have

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a lot of um ideas, but I'm going to re I'll reach out to you individually to share them. But one of them is just getting that bookmobile partnership with the library going to get resources to our kids. I don't know how long it's been out of service, but um looking at

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our students that probably have um a need for resources and getting that into their areas. Uh I So anyway, I'm just really excited. This was a great way uh to kick off our meeting today. Thank you for um pushing this initiative and getting it going and look forward to where it's headed. >> Thank you.

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>> Thank you. Who wants to go next? >> I can go next. I don't mind. Um I want to I start off obviously I'm super passionate about early childhood education. Um I want to give props to the ladies with Hippie. They we did a home visit. I got to go with them maybe

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my first year on the board or second year on the board and that's when I met um Shantae. But those ladies have all worked together for years. And the thing that I love about pushing into the homes, one, obviously it eliminates the transportation barrier, which many of the families in our community face, but

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what it also does is gives um our people, our staff an opportunity to meet students they wouldn't normally meet and then provide that parent with potentially referrals to fiddlers or other resources in the community. Because as you mentioned often times parents just don't understand what is

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developmentally or not developmentally appropriate. Often we see if if you are a parent of an only child or maybe you have multiple but you don't spend a lot of opportunity with other likeed children. You don't understand that your

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child may be experiencing delays. Like those of us who work in the field would know right off the bat that child has a language delay um or they have a gross motor um or a fine motor delay. They can't hold a fork and they're four. Some parents would be like, "Oh, I just

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feed him." Well, we maybe should look into that. And so, Hippie provides an opportunity for us to go meet families where they are and teach the parent, which was the really cool part about Hippie is Hippie isn't there to teach the child. It's to teach the parent how to teach the child. So, we love that in the um in the spirit of parent

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accountability and teaching helping parents become better parents. So, um one of the things that I've brought up at the coalition and I I don't know that I have the the connection or resources to happen, but I would love to see a creation of a coalition of pediatricians, which is really outside

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of our bandwidth as well. But the pediatricians in this town don't really get together to talk about the things that they're seeing. And oftentimes as practitioners in the field, we say, "Well, gosh, why didn't the pediatrician say this to you?" Um, you know, why

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didn't the pediatrician see if your kid could cross midline? And so I would love to create a space and even if we host it and we just welcome pediatricians four times a year to come in and and hang out with us and share what they're seeing and how we can push into them and can we

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put VPK flyers in your lobby or can we put flyers um in the coalition and partner with the coalition and get resources to families in the lobbies of pediatrician offices even this hub right and those QR codes and so um but finding a way to get to the pediatricians is is kind of the thought behind that. And so

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that's just kind of been something that's been swirling in my head for months. And so if there's a way we could figure it out, but um I know we got the information from Dr. Brewer that uh the coalition sent over. Uh and I the reality is even if we filled every

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single seat between private and public providers, we're not even touching 50% of the students to go to which we already knew, right? We've talked about this. And so, how as a community are we going to continue to expand voluntary pre kindergarten efforts to make sure

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that families have access to this program? I will maintain as a board member, we cannot continue to foot the bill for the community because we don't um we are not VPK is not fully funded for us. >> We are funding VPK through the

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certificate. We're funding VPK through title one >> and then we're funding it through what's the third leg. >> There are definitely district dollars that are >> Yes, district dollars. It's like a third a third a third I think if I remember correctly. And so in a season where

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we're going to continue to be very aware of how we're spending money and we all will agree this is a top priority because you know um board member Thor often says we can either address it now or we can pay for the reading coach in high school. So, I don't disagree with what we're doing, but we cannot be the

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the the person in this community that continues to add voluntary pre kindergarten units that we then foot the bill for. Um there has to be a way that we work as a community to to solve this together. And I don't know exactly what that looks like, but I know that um we

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also probably don't have space to add voluntary pre kindergarten to many of our classrooms. Now, we've balanced our enrollment, and we're going to talk about that today as well, but it's not like we have droves of empty classrooms on our elementary campuses that we would then be able to retrofit for voluntary

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pre kindergarten. So, um it's going to have to continue to be a community conversation, and I'm glad that you serve on the board for the Early Learning Coalition to represent us um and our our interests, and I look forward to the continued conversation. >> Thank you.

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>> Who wants to go next? Dr. Campbell. Uh, thank you so much, Miss Beck, for being here. And to piggyback on the funding conversation for community members who are paying attention on the November ballot, the referendum will be up and we are adding early learning to

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that. So, the referendum itself can help fund additional supports that we need in early learning. So, tax dollars can be used for for this from Marian County Public Schools. I have a couple of thoughts and a couple of questions. First of all, I love that we're expanding stepping stones. I think that's wonderful. Um, moving into

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Belleview Santos, I certainly know we have a need on the south side. I am a little curious how that looks two years from now whenever those students are no longer on that campus, but I'm certain that's a problem-solving initiative you're already working through as we move forward. I also appreciate the

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Advent Health Partnership and still continue to believe we need to have some kind of something in those goodie bags with the families as soon as they leave future, you know, Marian County Public Schools class of whatever that happens to be based on whenever the student is born. Maybe that's just something as

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simple as a bookmark, you know, something that is is less expensive than a onesie. Though I love the idea of a onesie. Uh, but I I think that just helps uh any parent automatically think this child is not always going to be this tiny little one forever. They're

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eventually going to be a high school graduate and I want to prepare them for that as soon as they uh possibly can. Uh I I have a couple of questions. One of which being noting that up to 135

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students with an IEP would be in our ESSE prek. My question is about the need for ESSE preK uh because that kind of ties a bit into a legislative priority that we may discuss at a later time. Is

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135 students about the need or of ESSE students with IEPs already at that age or how how is that identification working? >> Okay, so that's a great question. So typically at that age our children are going through child fine which then puts

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them at fiddlers and then they would have a staffing and they would either qualify or not qualify potentially could be qualifying for language or speech services or OTP PT. Um but some of those children are identified as DD or we call

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that developmentally delayed. And so depending on the needs of that child, sometimes it is recommended that they are staffed into what we would call a prek ESE classroom where it's a more can self-contained model, little bit of a lower class size and then that teacher

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and pair professional. And then for students um that that is not the right fit for then we definitely look at a VPK inclusion model. And so when I said up to 135 because what happens is is uh we

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work pretty closely with ESC in particular um for last year and this year it's Smoky West. She serves prek ESSE um and those children that are staffed at the end of the year um that would be age eligible to be in a

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four-year-old VPK program then they already we internally call it a purple spot. And so we know that those children um are already assigned from the previous year coming into the school year, but we leave those three spots open because there's lots of things that

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occur during the school year. And as students are getting staffed, then they are being brought into the classroom. And so that number continues to grow um throughout the year. When you're asking me does that kind of meet the need, that's a little difficult for me to

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answer because I don't have the purview over all of that prek ESC and how many students they're actually assessing and qualifying. I know that traditionally um this has been close to our number. What

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would happen prior to this year is we would have 20 spots. BPK says we can go up to 20, but have we've had new guidance um from DEAL or the Division of Early Learning that said the second you serve a student with an IEP, their

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requirement is 18. And so, you know, their deal is whichever is the lower class size count is the one you're going with. So, we've really had to adjust our numbers to 18. So we worked pretty closely with Miss West and really we because instead of serving five students

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in an inclusive setting, we went to three. We were worried that would really impact our numbers, but it really was in alignment with the number of students that came in for the 25 26 school year. So, we felt okay about it, but also knowing we needed to maximize the

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students that were generating revenue from us through the certificate of eligibility, which is why we wanted to keep it at the 15. >> Thank you. understanding how important the value of early intervention is for those students who are diagnosed

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developmentally delayed, but also understanding that some parents don't want to acknowledge the delay. Especially in light of what's already been previously said, uh if you're not around children of the same age, then you don't know how

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delayed your child might be. And so, uh, understanding what all of that looks like potentially just based on our kindergarten anecdotal data that we've collected, and hopefully we're going to collect even more scientific related data this year. Uh but our anecdotal

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data understanding the delays that we're seeing of kindergarten students, it's possible that we may ask the legislature or at least have conversation about asking the legislature to have those fiddlers assessments even into the kindergarten year as opposed to having

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kindergarten students then having to collect all of the robust data that every other grade level has to do. I believe those numbers are higher. uh the students that might be developmentally delayed or at least needing a little something extra and we're having to pick

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up that slack or gap in in kindergarten rather than having it assess um assessed and and done much earlier. Those are just anecdotal thoughts there. Thank you for that. Uh the other question that I have for you is a little bit unrelated to this, but because you're in front of us and it's a conversation we're going

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to have in just a little bit. What are your thoughts of moving Forom to a preK5? That's an unfair question. That's an unfair question. But we are about to have that conversation just a little bit later today. You happen to be in front of us right now. So, if you're willing

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to answer your thoughts, I would be open to hearing them. >> Yeah, it's a little bit of an unfair question and and probably I'm a little biased having been there for four years. I think I'd flip that around and I I just would you know ask you all to think about um you know four years ago that

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school had sat empty for a year and you know was part of conversations and came to the board a couple of different times although I wasn't the presenter was certainly in the audience and listened to well what were we going to turn that school into and I know at that time what was discussed was potentially an

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alternative learning site then swung back around to early learning and eventually the the decision was made early learning. And so I remember when I transitioned into the early learning director role, I said, "Who's going to open up that school?" And they said, "You are." I said, "Okay." Um, and so

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again, as you well know, starting a school that is coming on the heels of a school that has struggled for a number of years and had has had their own reputation and then having to rebuild that. that's been tough and hard work to

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do that. Um, I think what I would tell you is I'm proud of the work that our students have done there and what our teachers have done. And I always say this, I really give credit to the teachers because at the end of the day, it's the work they're doing in the classroom. And again, I think the test

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scores show that when you can create a space that all attention is on that age level and when they don't get it, coming back to the table and talking about what more what additional supports need to be put in place, what do we need to be working on and problem solving through

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that, it really makes a difference. That's not saying that doesn't go on at every other school. It definitely does. But when that is your only focus, it it helps to make those conversations happen more frequently. Um because I've also been the principal of schools where my

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school grade is driven by 35 and I'm a competitive person. So if my school grade is driven by free 35, then I'm not that I'm neglecting anybody, but I certainly am putting emphasis on what the data is looking like and how students are performing in those grade

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levels. So, I guess I would say this. I I just would want you all to think about I'm not going to say yay or nay, but I would want you to think about, you know, what this district has been able to achieve with the early learning academy. I would say it's been a wonderful um

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opportunity for those kids that have come through. I mean, if my kids were younger, I would have put them there. I mean, it's just the sweetest little thing ever. But again, I also know that there's forom is one piece to the big puzzle and so we recognize that as well.

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But thank you for asking me and um you know I trust that all of the you know all of the people involved are going to make a great decisions but I certainly have appreciated what we've tried to do at that school serving a very specific

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population that is going to go on 100% is going to be able to go on and be proficient readers by third grade because our second grade data told us that. So >> thank you Mrs. Beck. My question was specifically worded just to ask your thoughts and that's what you gave. So

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thank you so much. Those conclude my comments >> for me. Gosh, there is so much here and so much potential for to expand on what we've already recognized and what we've

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already started and to continue to look for ways the essential community to bring everyone together even more on this. Um, thank you for all of your great work on forom. Um, being part of

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that launch and and having that school be in my district has been such so rewarding. But one of the many things that it taught me is that if the community is aware, and we see this over and over again, they step up. Um,

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parents can get their own kids ready for kindergarten. They they can. Is it easy? For some parents, it's practically impossible because of what they're having to deal with. Especially our families where

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there's only one parent or one caregiver. Maybe they're from out of town or out of state. It's not like the old days where there was a traditional framework of relatives all over the place that could help shoulder the load if you were on your own as a parent. So I think our community is very unique in

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the sense that we have everyone from John Travolta to folks that are just struggling to pay their electric bill. And all of those children need and deserve the opportunity for a level playing field to be kindergarten

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ready, be kindergarten successful, and then they're pretty much off and rolling. That's what the data continues to prove. And I love the conversation about the fact how we are setting the standard with half the money, with half

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the taxpayers money. You know, we have a budget that we have to live within and it has to be balanced and we also have to pay for the kids that maybe didn't get what they needed when they were much younger. And you know, we were having a big graduation tonight to to celebrate a lot of the kids. But all that costs

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money. And when we keep in mind that it's every single taxpayer that is shouldering the load, I think that that can help us really expand the conversation that in the long run it is going to be so much cheaper to and

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better for kids and better for our community to continue support to support things like the funding referendum because we know that we have a challenge here in Marian County and when we come together we fix it. And I think about

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our school supply drives and and some of the other major initiatives, you know, that that we do and how everyone steps up. Bringing everybody together and helping them understand what the challenge really is is a big

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part of continuing to make this better. and I am grateful um for everything that we have started and and where we are going. Um, we know one of my one of my questions is

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Howard Academy, uh, Mary Sich Community Center, um, the Silver Spring Shores Community Center. I know that the library is doing great things. Um, making things walkable for families was a great point that that was brought up.

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>> It's great also to be able to come into the home. Um but some families feel like that's pretty invasive, you know, so so they don't do it, which is but we still need the program because many do and will. But providing the multiple

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resources in a very broad way that is presented very straightforward. Um I think I'll always remember the number 707. First of all, it kind of reminds me of an airplane, and it's always good when an airplane can take off. And

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that's what we want from our kids, you know, we want them to be able to to take off and and for families to know their child's scale score. You know, what what's the 707 could be a pretty interesting way to inspire conversation. Um,

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the other thing that a lot of families I think don't realize is that it is written into state law now that kindergarten be rigorous rigorous. I I think of rigorous kindergarten as more playground time. [laughter] So kids, but but we're

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talking academics here and I and I think a lot of families um may or may not have a strong idea of what is expected in kindergarten right now. And if they're going to start at age five, then they if the families choose to have them start

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at age five because it's not compulsory till age six, then they really need to have them there every day that school is in session because the whole goal is to have them on point by the end of kindergarten so that they can have the

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opportunities and take advantage of them to excel like anybody else's kid. Something else that caught my attention and and gave me some more ideas is that, you know, it really is all about the people leading the way, but but but they

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need to know how, you know, how they can lead the way. And that's where our leadership in Marian County Public Schools is so continues to be so important. Um, I'm thinking of dads on duties. You know, our our veterans have really been activated in that. Well, what about grandmas and grandpas on

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duty? You know, we've talked about the importance of of of just kids having people to read to them and and help provide resources and we have so many communities, my own included, that you know, helped with resources to get, you

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know, forom launched. And I think if we continue to share with the community that this is um it's going it's already proven to be so much more costly to do it on the back end and painful and kind of sad that we

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want to minimize that necessity. And you do that by grabbing it on the front end and giving it all you've got. You know, when the kids are little and cute and responsive and and and then providing all that we can so

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that more and more kids are able to be successful, you know, all the way through school, right? And and I think that communities that have less of a disparity typically are the ones that are high performing, getting the A's, you know, on and on and on. And that the

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few that they do have that need the extra help, it's it's a lot easier, you know, to provide that. But the way our community is the dynamics, you know, we just have a little bit of a greater challenge. And there's other counties that have the same challenges. But I

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continue to love how we recognized it, you know, multiple years ago now and are leading the way and are continuing to expand the conversation, continue to expand the asks for those of us that, you know, the community needs to know. We're looking at doing hopefully an

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early learning center in the south end of town, you know, providing that accessibility. So, it's an all-in situation and and the more we're all in, the faster this is going to happen and the more successful it's going to be. So, thank you for always being the beacon of light on this. >> Well, thank you. And I think you do

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bring up a good point. You know, I looked at some data recently that came from the division of early learning um and thought it was interesting for the 2425 school year when they looked at approximately how many four year olds um

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that we have in the state of Florida. we had they approximated that at a little over 227,000 and then they looked at VPK enrollment numbers across the state of Florida and it was at 150,000. So that equates to

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66% which I look because they've got a nice little chart out that that has been fairly consistent since COVID on COVID year 2020 dipped very low but then it was higher back in 2013. and it was like the highest it had ever been. Um, and so

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although I know based upon what the coalition sent the other day, it looked hovered more at around the 50% mark, but I think I would just say I think it opens up the conversation, especially as you all are talking in Tallahassee.

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Again, it's not just a Marian County issue because how come in the state of Florida only 66% of eligible four-year-olds are participating in a voluntary free kindergarten program? So, >> and I would just offer what you know

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why. It's because it's not fully funded. >> True. >> And the legislature isn't funding it fully, which is why parents who need full day care can't participate. Well, and I just talked to a mom the other day was helping her get into one of our VPK classrooms and she was telling me where

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her child was coming from. I said, "My children went there." So, that opened up the conversation. She said, "Do you want to know what the wraparound fee is?" I said, "Yeah, I'd love to know what the wraparound fee is." And so, um, I won't name the facility, but the wraparound fee is $185 a week. So, again, that

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becomes a difficult fee. you know, we say they're going to free VPK, but that wraparound fee is a pretty significant fee. So, >> ask a question. Would you just um define wraparound fee and what that is? >> Yes, certainly. So, for most of us, so

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uh the VPK program during the school year is a 540 hour program. So, you know, our students that participate in public school VPK, they're going to come to school just like our other students when school starts and they're going to

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end when um school ends. However, when we think about reimbursement from um our local early learning coalition, we're only getting reimbursed for 540 hours. So, technically, our contract will not start until September 1st and then it

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will end May 20th. And we deem VPK hours the um from 8 to 11:30. So that's 3 and 1/2 hours a day. And then we're going to take out all the days that we're on vacation. We actually have to build a calendar that would equate to 540 hours

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where a a private provider is doing the same thing. And so most of the time, I even think back to the day when my kids were in VPK, that first three hours, three and a half, four hours, whatever that facility has deemed their VPK hours, those are the reimburseable

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hours. So that's what you're not going to charge families. So let's say that ends at 11:30 or 12. What's either going to happen is we're going to have children that need to be picked up because VPK is done or they're going to participate in what private providers

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would refer to as wraparound time, which means they're still going to be supervised. They are probably going to still get some instruction, but it's also going to be their lunch and their rest time and their afternoon play activities. And that is what private providers are charging on parents. And I

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get that you have to or you couldn't have a sustainable business. To Dr. James point, we're able to do that because we're putting other funding sources behind that. So that's what we mean by wraparound care. And so that

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definitely does become a um you know that becomes a bit of a barrier for some of our families. Thank you for that explanation because I think that is is key um for a couple reasons. Primarily that for us in the

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end it's our property taxes. It's all taxpayer money that is paying for this. So if we are able to prove, which it appears that we are, that VPK is very important for academic success and that

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it needs to be the same amount of time available as other kids are coming to school because we have a too many families that are having to work se, you know, at least eight hours a day and they're living close to the bone and

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they simply then have to make a terrible choice of that kid not participating at all because there's no one to come and pick them up at noon or whatever it is. All of those things. So, I think that the the more we continue to make this clear that for every single one of us

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that is paying taxes, this is in our best interest. And especially the kids because if you're diagnosed with autism between two and four years old, you know, you already have a lot of catching up to do.

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And if that isn't addressed and they get big and they get aggressive and they're in middle school and they're really outside their comfort zone, uh we all know how much that costs. So, and that's just one example and it's an extreme one. But I'm just really grateful to be having this conversation. I'm so

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grateful for the work that has been going on since the idea to launch forom, which definitely was a unanimous vote by the board at the time. and you are just you've proven with your team over and over again that this works. So I say

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let's go. Let's keep going. Thank you so much. >> I know Dr. Brewer had something to add. >> Yes. I have two points I just want to add. I just want to remind everyone that this third grade class that just tested when they were entering kindergarten, they were the second lowest in the state

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for kindergarten readiness. And so when we look at the growth that those students have made, it's tremendous. Now, we're still 14% behind the state and we recognize that. But imagine if they started at grade level or proficient. And so, I think that's

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important to and that's thank, you know, that's thanking the referendum. We were able to put kindergarten pair professionals. We've also had you fly as our phonics program, but we also expanded the VPK. So, those are just some data points I want to remind everyone. Also, Dr. Campbell, we're not

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giving up on the bib or the onesie that says future grad. So, we um Miss Beck knows that and we're not giving that idea up. >> Member Conrad. >> Yeah. Um just one comment as we as everyone was sharing their thoughts. Um

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in our strategic plan, we have the portrait of a graduate, the finish line of where we want our students to end, what that looks like. And so, I wonder if we don't want a starting point. Do we want a portrait of a preschooler? When

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our um youngsters come in and they finish up at preschool, what does that what what do we want them to have to own um you know, knowledgewise? And so just interested if we have a a starting point and a finishing point. Um it might be

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great especially for community conversations when you don't have three hours to share, you know, developmental appropriateness for a four-year-old. So anyway, just closing thoughts. >> Okay. >> All right. Do you want something to share with her? >> I already have the adorable graphic in my mind of what that would [laughter]

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look like, you know, and maybe it's just because I'm thinking about graduation tonight, but like a really cute little kid in a onesie and then there they are in their cap and gown. So anyway, >> okay. Well, thank you, Miss Beck, for coming and sharing. Is there any public comment on this item?

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All right. Well, hearing none, we're going to move into item 5.1, which is our 2026 updates in 2027 recommendations. Um, with board docs, it's actually 6.1. We moved down boards. >> Oh, reference. >> Okay.

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Oh, because you moved the cradle to classrooms. I'm sorry. So, yes, item 6.1. So, Mr. Rio Walsh for item 6.1 to discuss the recommendations for our insurance. Good morning. >> Good morning, Madame Chair and board

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members and superintendent Dr. Brewer. [clears throat] So, I'm here to introduce Miss Laura Lingal, our consultant for health and welfare at Gallagher, our third party administrator. uh but before asking her to come up to discuss the recommendations from the employee

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insurance committee which I serve as chair and also includes um a board member Dr. >> Mr. Rio Walsh um I need you to either get closer to the mic talk with >> Is that better >> a lot of >> Yeah. >> Okay. All right.

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>> There's I I I actually don't think it is better. It's got Can Can you speak for a moment there? >> Hello. Check. Mic one, two. >> Yeah, it's just very muffled to be honest up here. Like it's really um But you're not It's not just you, but your

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tone of voice makes it harder than Miss Beck's, but >> Okay, I'll do my best to uh annunciate a little better here. >> Thank you. >> All right. [clears throat] So, um before asking Miss Lur Lingual to come up to discuss the recommended changes um from

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the insurance committee, which I serve as chair, and we also have a board member, Dr. Campbell um and a cross-section of employees which include uh representatives from all three unions including MEA, IUPAD and MESB. Um I'd like to provide just a little bit of

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context in terms of how we got here. And [clears throat] so with that being said, um you know, when we transitioned from um the fully insured program to self-insured program uh about 5 to seven

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years ago, uh which has resulted in additional cost savings over time. Uh we have continued to monitor the amount of investment that the district has had to put into the self-insured program and it does continue to escalate. Um and so

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with that reality and also um understanding that we have other external pressures on the district's finances, um we decided that it was time to have a very open and honest discussion about looking at our health insurance plan and trying to come up

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with some recommendations uh to redesign it so that we could hopefully get uh more savings um and increase the quality of the plan. And so with that being said, um I want to talk about some of those external pressures because I think

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it's important for the public and the board to understand how we got here. And so there's just a few things I want to mention. One is persistently high inflation. Uh and so we know that does not uh just apply to health care costs. That applies across the board. We also

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know that we have increased compensation cost and that is another pressure uh that we are actively managing. Uh we also know that we get less state funds or less state support than we would prefer uh given the persistent high inflation and then also

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we have an eroding fund balance which over the last few years and I've shared this with the members of the board uh previously um that we need to address because we can uh no longer um increasingly depend on fund balance uh in order to get to a balanced budget and

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manage the district's operations on a yearby-year basis. And lastly, uh fees scholarships and just external uh pressures related to uh parents pursuing those scholarships and its impact on the district uh has an overall um impact on

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our ability to fund the self- insurance program. So with that, I'm going to ask Miss Lur Lingual to come up and she's going to walk us through our recommendations which we have on the agenda uh for next week uh as a vote. And [clears throat] I will say it was a very spirited discussion. Um I'm sure

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Dr. Campbell can can can jump in at any time. Um that did include a lot of back and forth, different scenarios that were presented. Uh we also looked at the best way to make sure that we could compromise and ensure that uh we could

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maintain a free insurance plan for our employees. We also looked at um looking um uh in terms of how much employees make and how much they can contribute as a potential options so that we were being very um cautious about the impact

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on our um employees that get paid the least. And so all of that considered uh we now have recommendations uh from the committee uh that Miss Lingo is going to come up and walk us through. And my hope is that we'll have a spirited discussion

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and hopefully get to some decision point uh next week. But I will say that these recommendations uh although um they will provide significant savings in the outy years um there's a lot of work that still needs to be done in order to make sure that they come to fruition. So with

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that I'm going to ask Miss Lingal to come up and she's going to walk us through uh the recommendations from the committee and I will stick around for any questions as needed. Thank you. >> Thank you Mr. Rio Walsh. Good morning, Miss Lingle. >> Good morning. Thank you, Mr. Welsh. Um, superintendent, board members, grateful

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for the opportunity to um present again as a followup to the original presentation in June. As Mr. Welsh indicated, we have had um two additional insurance committee meetings since that time and um recommendations were um

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approved. So, we will be presenting those at the end of today's discussion. Um so just as a reminder the Gallagher team that is working on the school board u myself Verra was here back in June and then we have the support team and the

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financial analyst that is um working through the numbers on this the self-funded health plan. Um a quick agenda for you. So we'll be looking at the 2026 plan updates, reviewing the 2027 projections, looking at some of those costsaving strategies. Some of

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that will be a review from what we discussed um back in June and a few other recommendations that came out of the insurance committee and then um what the funding analysis is looking like for 2027. Um just just some updates from claims

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that have come in since we presented again back in June. So April claims were down in comparison to March. So you can see that medical claims were down about a million dollars. pharmacy claims were up $500,000.

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So overall down $500,000 which um equates to being $88,000 under budget for the month of April. Just in comparison, we were about $450,000 over budget in the month of March. Um

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this is uh somewhat typical because of spring break. So we see that a lot of employees are having procedures and surgeries done during that time. Um so again anticipated but April was is looking better than um March. In May we

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did have our first high-cost claimant hit and it was a large claim a million dollar claim. Um as you remember we do have the stop-loss policy in place. So, the district would be responsible for the first $400,000 of the claim and then

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the stop-loss policy is taking over the remaining $600,000 and then any additional claims beyond that that this um member might experience would be absorbed by stop-loss. because of the the May claims um

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outweighing the performance in April, um the actuaries determined that our original projections remain consistent with what they believe is going to happen. Um so this chart here that we review every time um looking at what the

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plan was doing in prior years, what it's currently doing, and what we're projecting in future years, we are going to leave these numbers um the same. So just high-level overview of these numbers. Um so currently in 2026

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the board funded 7% over 2025. In our initial projections last year we anticipated using 2 to3 million in the self-funded reserves to facilitate the difference between the 7% funding that

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um the board approved and the 10% that we anticipated needing. because of a couple positive things. One, the stop-loss negotiations resulted in a much lower increase than we were projecting initially. And then two,

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increases to um rebates that we're receiving from the negotiated RFP for the pharmacy benefit services. We do anticipate actually increasing the self-funded reserves by about 1.1 million. So that is good news again

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going into 2027. as Mr. Welsh spoke to um inflation obviously we call it medical trend in the insurance world the cost of doing business in the world of medicine is going to increase each year um between

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10 and 12% is usually what the actuaries like to look at. So you can see for 2027 we are projecting increases in both medical and pharmacy costs. Um, we al also are using a different number for stop-loss projections. Uh, previously

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Gallagher projected at 15% increase for stop-loss. Fortunately, the district has not seen numbers that high, but with the spot we are in the market right now, they are projecting at 25%. Again, we will be negotiating those

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numbers this fall. We don't anticipate being there, but we are seeing higher than average stop-loss renewals across all of our clients. Um, so you can see that increase there. Um, for a total expense of 79 million versus our current

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total expense of 70 million. You can see that the board projected funding and employee contributions is not changing. at the request of the district. Um, when we calculated what that is going to look like, we did not increase what you are currently spending. Again, that is an

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aggregate of what you are currently contributing along with what the employees are currently contributing. We'll talk about some of that shifting in a later presentation, but you can see the 71.2 million is consistent across 2026 and

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moving into 2027. So, if we were to fund that way, we would anticipate losing $8.4 million from the self-funded reserves. As we have talked in the past, um the district has done a great job, the board has done

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a conservative job of maintaining adequate numbers in the self-funded health plan. Um we're required to have 60 days. The district is running more between 90 and 120 days. So, while we could absorb that kind of decrease to

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the reserves, we feel like there were some um plan enhancements and updates that we could make that would reduce the claims that we see next year, which would result in a loss of about 5.8 million from the reserves.

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And again, this is an overview of what we discussed earlier. Verac came in to talk through the assured excellence program. Um, so that savings would impact the reserves in the self-funded health plan, $2.5 million. As a

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reminder, we have some surgery centers of excellence, um, infusion support, and then also international sourcing for some of those high-cost medications. With the recommendation that the board made after that June presentation, we have been actively working with some of

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our local providers to get them involved in this program. I'm I'm happy to share that we had some very um great conversations with a couple of providers. While I can't guarantee that those contracts will be in place for January 1st, I do believe that they are

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willing to entertain what that would look like. Um so in addition to the providers that are already part of the assured excellence programs, we would would have some more locally anticipated providers um joining that initiative.

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So, I think that that's a positive. While the program does support travel costs for the employees, if we can stay local, obviously that is um a goal of ours. We also included in the projections those additional rebates that we're receiving as a result of the

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renegotiated PBM contract. Um we're seeing those now, but we will also see them into 2027 because the rebates are paid out in a rears. And then we talked about alternative health solutions for the retirees. These are retirees that

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are on the active plan. So essentially they remain on plans one through four beyond um their work here. This is a requirement that we provide this as an option. But we do believe that sometimes with education there might be

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alternative solutions in the marketplace for those retirees that might be better solutions um for what their health care needs are. So most certainly not requiring anyone to um leave the plan but just providing them education about what other opportunities might be

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available to them. So in addition to the um assured excellence the additional rebates that we anticipate receiving there was discussion by the insurance committee about what it might look like if we changed some of the plan features.

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increasing deductibles, increasing out of pockets. Again, this is an impact to the self-funded reserves, not necessarily the general fund. We will get to that in a moment. So, option one um would result in about a million

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dollar in savings to the self-funded um reserves. This would be increasing deductibles by $250 on all plans and increasing um out-of-pocket maximums by $ 250 for individuals and then 500 for

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family. Option two, which would result in about $2 million of savings, would be increasing deductibles and out-of- pocket for individuals by $500 and then family deductibles and out-ofpockets by $1,000 on all plans in 2024. So, the

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decision was made in 2023. For 2024, we did reduce deductibles on plan one. Um, outside of that change, they're not there has not been a change to deductibles and out-ofpocket maximums um on these plans in several years. Um,

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just noting that plans 1, three, and four have a traditional deductible and out-of-pocket max, meaning an individual can meet that on their own. Plan two has an aggregate. So if they have family coverage, they are required to meet the family deductible and out-ofpocket um

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the individual portion essentially goes away. So you can see what that would look like if we were to implement those changes um again across all plans for deductibles and out-ofpocket maximums. If we were to do that, you can see what

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that does to the loss in the self-funded health plan um reserves that we are anticipating. So, if we were to do option one, which is $250 increase to deductible um and out of pocket for individual and 500 for family coverage,

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that would result in a loss of um just over four or 4.8 million. So, remember it was 5.8 eight um initially with those changes. And then if we move to the $500,000 model, um you can see that it's

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$3.8 million that we would anticipate in a loss. With all of those things, um one of the questions that Dr. Campbell posed during the insurance committee meetings is obviously Marian County is not the only district that is facing some of these

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questions or required changes. So she said what what are other districts doing? Um these three districts are also Gallagher clients. So we have lots of data around them which is why we're presenting on these three districts. So Florida Virtual School just recently

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renewed their a 71 renewal. um they had an overall rate increase of 9%. They currently have an 8020 cost share split. So Florida Virtual School covers 80% of the cost. The employees cover 20% of the cost. Anytime there is an increase um

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then that split automatically increases 80% to the the district and 20% to the employees. Um they have a tobacco sirch charge in place. It is an affidavit, meaning that if someone were to indicate on that affidavit that they're a tobacco

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user, their costs do increase fairly significantly. Sarasota schools probably had the most drastic um change. So, they are a January 1 renewal. However, shortly after January 1st of this year of 2026, they came to Gallagher and said that

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they would not be able to sustain what they were doing and they had a midyear renewal. So they made changes for July 1st of this year. So you can see that they had increases to their deductibles and out of pocket, some pharmacy cost share as well as hospital care. The

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employee premiums did change. They were able to maintain a free HMO plan, but other premiums changed. Um they have implemented a mandatory spine and joint carveout through lantern. So this would be similar to the centers of excellence

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that we are um suggesting you put in place with the assured excellence program. However, ours is recommended as a voluntary initiative. Theirs is mandatory. So if any of their employees are needing a spine or joint surgery, they would be required to utilize the

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lantern program for that procedure. >> Um they also implemented a tobacco searchcharge. Again, that's an affidavit-based searchcharge. And there is a spousal search charge. So if a spouse is currently on the district's plan in Sarasota County, but they have

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access to health insurance through their employer, they would be charged more um to remain on the Sarasota schools health insurance plan. And then Lake County Schools, they renew for 91. Um they will continue to offer a free plan through their reference-based pricing program.

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We've discussed this. Um that is through Orlando Health. So essentially all care is um routed through Orlando Health. They do have access to care outside of that, but it's through a reference-based pricing type program. Um anyone that is enrolled in the Florida Blue options

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will see an increase in cost. And Lake County Schools does not contribute in any way to family or dependent coverage. We reviewed this um again in that June presentation. So, just as a reminder, um, kind of how we stack up to some of the other districts around the state,

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you can see the ones that I mentioned before are, um, Gallagher clients and then we access some of this information through public records for the other counties. Um, more more for your knowledge as we look at the some of the changes that we're recommending that we

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would still remain in alignment with many of the other districts um, not only with cost but also with plan design. And these were just a few others after we met. There were some requests for specific counties based on the county

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size or the geography as it relates to Marian County. So um we talked about Florida Virtual School before. St. Lucy is similar size to Marian County. So they're um at about $82 a month. Elatchua does have the two free options. And then Citrus and Levy um are more

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around over $100 per month for their lowest cost plan. Um, as Mr. Welsh indicated, there was a request to see what a funding option might look like if we stratified um, benefits based on how much an employee

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earns. Um, so we put together this scenario. Um, it was in the committee meeting not something that they wanted to recommend. I think the consensus across the employees is that the free plan was very very important. Um not

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only from an employees perspective, but we had some administrators um representing on that committee and they felt like from a retention um perspective and also from trying to get employees to come to Marian County that

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free plan was very very important. So you can see that it was um again across salaries number or the first option was keeping that free plan for employees that made $49,000 or less per year. That middle section was resulting employees

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paying um $50 per month for the lowest cost plan. And then anyone making over $100,000 it was $125,000 a month. Um there were lots of considerations with that strategy. Obviously, the union contract um

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supports the free plan. So, there would be those discussions. What would that look like for employees that had overtime, extra routes for our transportation department, maybe they had additional contracts for coaching, um the annual increases with retro pay,

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and then um just to note, this was all based off of um full family costs, not including our spouse also employed. So, this would result in about 3.4 4 million in savings to the board. Um, again, it was not something that the committee felt like would be wellreceived among

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the employees and it would still have the union consideration that that contract would need to be readressed. With that, we went back to um these funding strategies again. This is what was originally presented in June. This

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would impact the general fund. So the plan enhancements and the plan changes that we discussed previously would be impacting the um the self-funded reserves, these are impacts to the general fund. So those first four

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categories keep the um free plan in place. The middle section would result in a $50 per month cost for plan one that is currently free. and the last four would result in an increase um of

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$125 per month from that free plan. So, as Mr. Welsh spoke to, there was lots of spirited discussion. Um we went back and forth on several scenarios. It was ultimately decided that um option

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number three was the recommendation for approval um for the board to consider. some of the other recommendations to coincide with that um approve the sunsetting of the Medicare Advantage plan. As a reminder, this is not the

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option for retirees to remain on the board's plans. This is the separate Medicare Advantage plan that the district has been offering for several years. We have very low enrollment in this plan. One person has enrolled in the last two years. So, we are looking

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to find um alternative solutions for those employees that are on the Medicare Advantage plan. Retirees will always have the option to remain on the district's plans as required in state statute. This was the separate plan that we had put in place. It just is no

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longer serving the purpose that was it was originally intended to serve. Um the committee also decided that they would like to see the assured excellence program approved um for implementation for January 1st and then approving of

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the option two plan design changes which would be the $500 increase and $1,000 increase to deductibles and out-ofpockets on all plans. So that is the proposed benefit change. what that would look like as far as deductibles. So, you can see where we

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are currently at and what that would mean um with that change. And then this is the funding analysis for proposed option three that the committee um put out there for your approval. So you can see that it

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maintains the free single plan for plan one and then you can see what that looks like um for increased cost for family coverage and also single coverage if employees wanted to buy up to plans two, three or four.

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The math behind that is essentially the district is covering 100% of the employeeonly cost for plan one. The district is then paying 60% of the family cost. If you are spouse also employed, the district is paying two

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times the amount for plan one single and then 50% of the difference. And the savings to the board um in this funding analysis result in just under $3 million. Again, that is savings to the general fund. The plan enhancements are

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savings to the self-insured reserves. Um I know that myself and Mr. Welsh are happy to answer any questions or um clarify anything that the board might have. >> The um and just to as a point of clarification, thank you for being here.

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There's still about 12 slides that are left. Um are you going to take questions on 2026 and then we'll go into 2027? So, the 12 slides that are left are just um the breakdown of the 12 funding options that were presented in the

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comparison. >> Yes. I just didn't know if you wanted to review them or not at all. >> Um I I can review each of them if the the district would like. Again, it's the board's recommend or the committee's recommendation that we um move forward with option number three.

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>> Okay, that's fine with me as long as it's the pleasure of everyone else. I just wanted to as a point of clarification for people watching along, the document is uploaded and you can see the the rest of the slides uh online. Um so I'll open it up for the board for um

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comments and questions. Miss Thrower, >> thank you and and thank you for the great and straightforward presentation of complicated material that means a lot to our employees and thank you board member Campbell for representing us on this really important um committee. I

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have I think just three uh direct questions. The first one is regarding assured excellence um participation from local providers. Is there a date certain when they need to respond with an answer? Because I think that's really important.

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So at at this point where we are is um the assured excellence program is presenting um payment numbers for certain services. Um the provider that we spoke to said that they weren't probably staffed at this point to open

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the floodgates for every procedure. So their preference was to start with maybe joint procedures or cardiac procedures. Um and so they're working together with Assured Excellence to see what that payment would look like if they were to

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go into this bundled program. And then they again their preference would be to slowly move into other procedures as they were more well staffed for that. >> Thank you. So I'm hearing a phased in approach by one interested local

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provider so far. >> Um so the the largest provider, yes, we have another provider for radiology that is also interested. um they likely would not need to do the phased in approach um managing to that but the larger provider

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indicated that they would prefer to phase in with one procedure at a time. >> Understood. Thank you. So are we expecting an answer by a certain date? >> We do not have a date from that provider yet. Um obviously our goal is to try to

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have that in place by January 1. I just can't guarantee with contracting and negotiations back and forth if the if the provider would be immunable to that date at this point. >> Understood. Um I think that it will be

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such a benefit to our employees to have local support even if it's in a phased approach that it will be good sooner the better you know to get some type of date deadline. we should know by

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uh so that we can communicate that out and be anticipating it the answer one way or the other >> and I can go back to the team and see what progress has been made between the two organizations to see if we can find some sort of date to provide to you um

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just as of the most recent conversation that had not happened. >> Great. Thank you. And then um it was interesting to me that Oyola County is the only one that's participating in a wellness incentive across all those other counties and including us. And I think about all the wellness initiatives

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that we have. So I'm not going to ask for details on that today, but it would be interesting to know what Oyola is doing and how they're making that happen. um so that we can make hopefully something like that happen here and encourage all of us to, you know, try to

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do a little bit better with our health and fitness. And that was on the back side of the tobacco affidavit. Again, I have some thoughts in my mind. I'm wondering how many people are actually signing that and being honest um about their because it's an addictive

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one. >> I I think Florida Virtual School had three people that indicated it. So, from my perspective, I'm not sure how well the affidavit type process is working. Um, because I could imagine there are more than three employees that use

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tobacco, but >> possibly. So, I I continue to love the idea of incentivizing wellness and being proactive versus having to uh pick it all up from the backside. So, those were my thoughts. Thank you for the presentation. >> Thank you, board members. Um, I guess

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one of the things we don't have to do it this second, but if you're prepared, are you in line with the recommendation that's coming forward to the board on Tuesday night? I >> I think I just want to hear from the rest of the board before I >> Absolutely. Who would like to go next? >> Dr. Campbell.

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>> Thank you. I I don't mind jumping in here. I also saw um we probably have at least one public comment, but I'll go ahead and express uh part of that the union representation. And I I believe I did mention this already publicly, but I'll I'll mention it again.

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As Miss Lingal indicated, we definitely had consensus, and I don't just mean a majority, consensus that we must maintain a free a free plan for employees. And so that is imperative, and that is what is indicated here in

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the recommendation. Additionally must indicate as well that the overwhelming conversation from the three different union representatives um while he can speak for himself in

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just a moment. Their uh overwhelming thoughts were if the district is needing to balance the budget, don't do it on the backs of employees. And so while we did come to a majority

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decision of this option three, each one of these options is intended to save the district money and help us balance the budget, which is what our job is as the board to oversee the budget. uh it was more challenging

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and we were on the call for at least I don't know two and a half hours almost three hours anyway and so we we reached a point where um a recommendation had to go forth so we could vote on it so we wouldn't be on the phone for literally

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six hours and so that's where we landed but all three unions voted against this increase just because at least from my opinion of what happened and transpired in that call They don't want us balancing the budget on the backs of employees and that's how they feel about

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all of these. I say all of that to say when you look at the challenges that are impacting multiple districts around the state, healthc care is one piece to that puzzle and this is going to save us money as a district and it is still

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going to maintain the one thing that we all reach consensus on which was having a free plan for employees. So, the recommendation I will support at at this option for um number three. Uh there are

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others if the board wanted to see them. I'm grateful we're not looking at all 12 of them because that was the purpose of the insurance committee to bring forth a recommendation out of those 12 options. Certainly, there were some that would be more beneficial to the district and there were some that would be more

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beneficial to the employee. and we landed kind of in the middle as long as we maintain that free plan. So, I will be supporting this because it was a recommendation out of the committee on which I served. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. I can go next. Um I I

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would agree I support the committee's decision to move forward in this direction while also acknowledging that I believe challenging conversations are ahead on this topic. Um I don't think we'll we've been able to maintain a pretty even status quo for quite some

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time, right? >> Yes. There there has not been an increase um or changes to the plan in in many many years. >> And so that comfortability, the honest approach or narrative would be that that comfortability is probably

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not going to be a reality um at least from my vantage point in the coming years. This is going to be something we're have to address from from a financial perspective. That's what I've heard overwhelmingly from our CFO, not just with insurance, but with everything. We're going to have to look

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at it all every year and have challenging conversations to make sure that the board five years from now is able to run the business that we're required to run. And so, um, I still see opportunities for improvement going into

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the future, realizing this was a complicated conversation and we landed where we landed and I support where we landed. Um, a question that I know I think board member Conrad and I have both asked is where's the opt out? Where for people who I don't use our health

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insurance and so the district is paying for me to have health insurance that I do not use. And so, um, we've talked about this and I'm a little confused why we would pay for someone to have health insurance who doesn't want it or doesn't

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need it. Um, because it's costing us money, I would presume, for me, Sarah James, to have health insurance. And so, um, I would love to still future explore what does that look like? How do we how do we do that? I think previously there

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was some um narrative around when new employees were coming on, oh, if you don't need the health insurance, just take the free plan, you know, you don't have to pay anything for it. I I think that narrative has tried to change over the last couple of years, but there

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could be more education that if you if you have alternative solutions outside of the district, you're covered under a parent, you're covered under a spouse, that if you were to lose that coverage, you would have 30 days to come onto our plan. So you you don't need to take it right now, that you could take it down

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the road if it was something that you required. So I think maybe you know initially this year it's more about education. As you can see Elatchua does um incentivize employees that are opting out of the health insurance. Um you know

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you you want to be cautious of what that looks like because you don't want to incentivize somebody that doesn't have health insurance and say oh if you don't take ours you get X Y and Z. And then they're left not covered at all. they took a gamble and said, "Oh, I don't

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need health insurance at all." So, I I think there are some considerations to be made, but maybe initially it's the just the message, the educating of employees that if you have health insurance outside of here and you don't you're just enrolled in the free plan

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because it's free, but you don't utilize it, then you you're not required to take that plan. You do have an option to come on if you were to lose the other coverage at some point down the road. So, I I do think that that can be a strategy just simply this year of

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educating and then looking into the future. Would the district want to incentivize those that don't take the the free plan or the health insurance at all? Again, I I think you would need to determine what that looks like, what the incentive is, and if there's any negative ramifications of putting

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something like that into place because it essentially costs us about $1,000 for the free plan for the employee. is that I can't find the slide handy, but >> it's $795 right now or around that number, >> but that's the base cost. And then presuming if the employee uses it, then

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obviously the costs go up because there's claims, >> right? Claims. Yes. Most certainly. So I I just I from my unique perspective, I would say that education is a great word to use and that's something that we need to do over the next year to really talk

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with our employees about the benefits options. Um and if they're not using it, I'm sure there's a way we can look at who uses their insurance, right? >> Well, and and I would think there would be a difference between not using the insurance and maybe not needing the

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insurance because they have other options. I don't think the district would ever want to get to the point where they're recommending that people don't enroll in health insurance just because they don't necessarily use it if they don't have other insurance elsewhere. >> I understand what I'm saying as a

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baseline to determine who doesn't need it would be the people who aren't using it, right? Because if you if you have other insurance, you're clearly not using this one. So that would be a metric to delineate who is using and who is not using it. >> They they would be using it though. So

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if if you're enrolled in two plans, you the districts would be the primary for the employee. So if I were enrolled in the district's plan as an employee, but I'm also on my spouse's plan through his company, the district's plan is going to be my primary insurance. So every claim is

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going to hit the district's insurance first and then go to my husband's as the secondary. So I again I think it's more of a question about the necessity of somebody having two plans if they're enrolled in another plan,

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>> right? I just I would love to for us to explore that this coming year as a cost-saving metric. So that's I guess the takeaway I have. I'm obviously all in board of a wellness incentive. Um I love wellness. So finding ways to incentivize people to move their bodies

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is wonderful and I would love to see that come to fruition. And when I look at slide 14 as an example, um what I see, it's probably slide 15, 13. Um technically it's 14 in the PDF. I see

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the reality that there's a there's a lot of people that are still charging more than we are even when we up where we are. And so I hope that the community takes away from this conversation the reality that we are still trying very hard to balance our community's

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needs and our employees needs while still realizing that we have an obligation to balance our budget. Um and this is where we landed this year is a is the happiest of mediums we could find and then that will continue as a board member for me to be the thing I focus on most as we have the conversations in the

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future. Who else would like to share? or member Conrad. >> Yeah. Um good morning. Thank you for being here this morning. Um I am leaning towards um option three, but I do want to wait and hear uh from public comment

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before before I give a a definite uh yes or no. I'm thankful for the work of the team um the the committee. Thank you for going through all of these options for us and narrowing them down. Um it just is a challenging time. I think this

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first conversation is probably the hardest. Um, as we move forward looking at the challenges we face in the next couple of years, hopefully um, this conversation will break the ice a little bit for for where we need to land in years to come. So, thank you for your

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work on that. >> Reverend Cummings, did you want to give input before we have public comment? >> So, let me let me say this. Um, I'm probably going to be the outlier on this one. Um, anything that is going to uh and and I let me let me back up. I thank

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you guys for what you have done and presented to us this morning concerning this. I know this is a uncomfortable conversation and that anytime you're going to deal with something concerning staff and uh how it's going to negatively affect staff is um tough

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conversations. I I don't I can't um line up with anything that's going to be a burden to our staff. That's and I feel this is going to create some type of burden for our staff even though we have maintained the the free plan which we should have period. Um that shouldn't

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have been a that should have been an easy one. Um I just feel that down the road this is going to um hurt some families. Um I I I'm just having an issue with this.

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Um because when we started the um self-funded thing, it was to be a benefit to staff. It was to be a benefit to our district. And here we are. Um it happened since Mr. Thor and I were on the board. Here we are. We're we're kind of backing up a little bit. And I'm I'm

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not sure this is going to play out well. uh if our if our bargaining units are saying that they they're having issues with it, that tells us that our staff is going to have issues with it. So, I think we personally I think we probably need to look at it look at a little bit deeper. Um I know we got to save some

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money. I know we got to figure out how to do it, but I think there may be some other ways on how we do it. And then the other my other concerns with this is um how we're going to roll this out to staff because obviously I I kind of hear fact that it's going to probably go to

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go through but how we're going to roll this out to staff. Um I don't need to get at the doctor, be at the doctor and then find out that my plan has changed. We've done stuff like that where um we didn't uh adequately communicate how we were going to do certain things. um I

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shouldn't get a surprise when I when my kid needs their their tonsils out. That's that's not how we need to do this. So, I as I said, I'm probably going to be the outlier on this, but um my my my concerns are going to be noted. >> And I can speak to the communication if

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you know the board approves these recommended changes. Um we we have a very robust communication campaign for open enrollment which is when employees would get the opportunity to make plan changes um and they would be alerted um you know we we send postcards to their

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homes, we do emails, we do text messages, we do phone calls, we have the um enrollment centers a couple of times during open enrollment where employees can come in. So, you know, I think the the message whatever whatever is approved or whatever is decided will be

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adequately communicated. Now, I I can't guarantee that everyone receives the message. Um, but we make an effort to make sure that we're using all sorts of channels for communicating these changes to the employees. Um, so that would be done during the open enrollment time

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period, um, which will be for October. So, communication starting in September, changes to be made in October for a January 1st effective date. >> So, let me say this. I hope you guys do know that that that horse has already left the gate because I've already started I don't know if you guys have

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gotten calls. I've already gotten calls from people saying, "Hey, y'all taking away our insurance and we got to pay." So, that that that horse is he on the track. So, how you get that horse back in the in the in the in the gate? I don't know. How do you correct that that communication piece that's already out

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there that's wrong and and make people minds uh wrap around this and get it corrected? I don't know because it's already gone. >> All right. Um I'd like to have public comment if that's okay to give us frame. Mr. Rios, did you have something you wanted to add?

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>> Thank you, Laurel. Um yeah, I just wanted to to [clears throat] add that I can certainly appreciate um board member Cummings concerns and all of the concerns raised uh by the board and this is not an easy uh conversation. This is not an easy uh discussion, but we have

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to uh be mindful that it's really important that we step away from uh the individual tree and take a look at the forest. And we're tasked with looking at all of our funds, not just including the health insurance fund, uh, but all of our funds, including the general fund and the interplay between those funds so

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that the district can continue to provide highquality education to all of our students and put our students first. And so, um, one thing that I did want to mention is that this is just the first bite of the apple. If we are here next year and we see that the assured

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excellence program, which by the way we're recommending um we make um a requirement for district employees to participate in so that we can ensure um that we have a a much greater likelihood that we'll realize that $2.5 million in

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savings. Um that's important. And so if we don't see the needle moving in the right direction, uh we have an opportunity to come back uh next year and to be monitoring this throughout the year in terms of throughput. Um as the board is aware, we have a new uh

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benefits coordinator who I'll be tasking with with helping to help lead these efforts with Gallagher uh to make sure that employees are feeling supported uh they have all the resources that they need to get the care that they need when they need it uh and how they need it. Uh and then secondly, I wanted to mention

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that the reliance on the soap insurance uh fund balance for this year going into next, which is going to help us um not have to come before the board and this year's budget to ask for more money is a one-time uh maneuver. This is not something that we'll be in a position to

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do every year because of the safe harbor rules and making sure that we have enough money to pay our claims. So, when Mr. the White House gives his presentation. My hope is that uh things will start to crystallize for the board members and members of the public that we are trying to dovetail many different

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things all together to solve a larger um looming issue which is making sure that the district can remain solvent, pay our bills um and address uh the issues that are directly in front of us. And that means that we need to not only look at insurance, we need to look at our

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operations, we need to look at our staffing, we need to look at our facilities. And so I say that to thread the needle a little bit between all of these different silos, financial silos as they were, uh, that we're going to have to address in order to keep the

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district on firm financial footing. So, I just wanted to end my comments with that. And then, of course, I think we have some members from the public. >> Mr. Mr. Rios, I do have a question. >> Yes, sir. And I just need this for clarity for the community. We only are how many providers do we

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have for insurance? >> How many pro What is the question? >> What's the How many providers do we have for insurance? >> How many providers do we have for insurance? >> Not when I'm not talking about doctors, insurance companies. >> Florida Blue. >> That's the only one. >> Correct. Yes. >> Okay. So that's that's the question I

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wanted to know first. Okay. Could it be that our cost is because we don't have any competition in this area? >> Well, this >> I understand. >> Yeah. >> Wait, slow down before you answer because I understand that competition brings about different pricing. I've

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asked for several years that we have look at other options and have competition in this area which could have helped decrease the cost of some of these things. So, go ahead. What does Miss Laura Laura >> will come up and maybe add to it, but uh for Florida Blue, this has gone through

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a competitive process, but I'll let Laurel jump in here. >> Um yes, so we we go to RFP for the health insurance just like many of the others. Um we had two other competitors bid during the the last RFP. Um I know

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um Reverend Cummings, you've brought this up before. The state of Florida has several different carriers. Um, obviously the state of Florida has a significant more number of employees than we do. Most insurance carriers um

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are not looking to split contracts between carriers. Um, >> have we have have have we had that conversation because I have yet to see >> they essentially will not bid on it. So, so Lake County Schools does have the one split contract where part of their

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employee population is through the reference based pricing program and the others is through Florida Blue. Um, so I I know that that's something that we could look at in the future, but in general, an insurance carrier is unlikely to bid on a contract if they

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are having to split the population um with another carrier. Thank you. >> Um, I want to open it up for public comment. I know Mr. Aver's here. I'm assuming you're here to give public comment. Mr. Avery from the MEA.

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>> Good morning. >> Good morning. Mark Avery, president of Maran Education Association. Um before I talk about insurance, I want to piggyback on some positive thing that um the superintendent mentioned in her opening comments. Um our teacher of the

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year um Zanita Handry, she is also the Florida Education Association um teaching excellence award winner for the state of Florida. She'll be recognized um at the end of August at our governance board meeting and then

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she'll also be recognized um at the National Education Association gala in Washington DC where she'll compete against those winners from across the country. So I just wanted to share that on a thank you >> positive note. Um

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insurance committee if we you know as what Dr. Campbell said is exactly what we said in there. Um, and I would say that if there's changes or things out of the box that we need to start looking at, doing it after it's already been

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shared to the board without having an insurance committee meeting, without taking the time to start considering a lot of different changes. So, you mentioned Lake County. I know the gentleman that created that separate lane for

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insurance. There's another company that works in Orange, Oyola, Palm Beach that has that's how Oyola has their free plan. So, those are some things outside the box that we can talk about, but you can't do it after you've already shared information. You can't do it and say,

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"Hey, we need a decision within a month because after the initial presentation of the board, we did have an insurance comm meeting committee meeting and then a couple weeks later we had another one and we had to have a decision." So, I would also say historically

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that these two we've never changed it to balance the district's budget. And I I I don't mean it. It sounds bad. And that's exactly what's happening. So, there's two different things here. When they say, "Oh, there's going to be a loss in the insurance fund." Let's point out that right now the insurance reserve

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fund is over 120 day. I mean, it's over. It's has to be it. It's double what it has to be right now. The $30 million is double that. So, if the board doesn't add any more money, the employees don't add any money, we just run how we're running, um that yes, it could lose some

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of the reserve, but we're nowhere close to having any issue. We're still well over the required limit. And we would have with the set of changes for the three parts that help the reserve, it would not be nearly as bad and it would

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still be in the $24 million part, which is well over the 14ish million that we need to have by law. So, we're not anywhere close to that. Would there need to be discussions in the future if it goes like that? Yes. And the final thing

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I would say about insurance is it's one of those things that they want you to have but they don't want you to use because the idea is when you use insurance then they look at this ratio of how much is paid versus how much you

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use. So having people not use insurance helps that ratio. So it's always been a benefit to the district and I believe that's why that the people that don't use it have been on there. But it's a tricky thing to say you have this but then you can't use it. And and I know we

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don't say them they can't use it but when you sit in these meetings and they look at it and go well there's what our claims were versus our costs and stuff like that that ratio always works to our disadvantage. And so the best thing that we've ever done was become self-insured

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because we have a lot more control over our rates. >> Understood. And I gave you back your 45 seconds but your time has expired. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Avery. >> Is there any other public comment on this item? >> Good morning.

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>> Good morning, Superintendent, Chair James, and board members. I'll be brief. I just have a question, and I'll start by saying I'm confident that the board's goal is to provide affordable, excellent care that matches the commitment our teachers have to education. Has the direct primary care

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component that's been emerging in the last decade or so, has that been included in any discussions with regard to uh the offerings we have for the school system? >> We would have to ask the experts in the room. So, we can ask. Thank you. Is that your only question? >> Only question. >> Okay. Well, we can definitely ask Miss

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Lingal. I mean, I would be interested in knowing too about direct primary care and the ability to use it. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. So, we have had discussions with um the direct primary care providers in this area. Um the the overwhelming comment

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from them is they're not sure how they would scale to the number of employees that the district um has. I I think the other consideration is that direct primary carees generally run on a membership basis. So, the district would

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be paying for employees to have a membership to one or several of the direct primary cares and um you know what that would look like as additional cost to the district. Obviously, the hope is that it reduced high-cost claims

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on the other side. I I think that the hope was the Cenita solution that we brought in last year would be similar to a direct primary care although most certainly not the same um in structure or how it's presented but I think that

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was the initial intent of the Cenus initiatives to be able to provide the employees a nocost solution have access um have preferred access over some of the other um employers or members in Marian County. So it has been a

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discussion in the past. I think the question is how would the direct primary cares facilitate nearly 6,000 employees? >> Thank you. Who would else like to share a comment or member? >> Thank you. And and this is great

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discussion. and it certainly warrants it because it's such a big piece for for all of us. And um I would continue to hope that future boards moving forward are just as visionary as the board was a few years ago to get on the selffunded

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plan and uh recognize that that was the the best way to go. It's a little nerve-wracking to make changes, but it really did benefit us. I I can't remember how long ago this was now, but I do remember that we were able to reduce the the deductible, which

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[clears throat] when you look at a $2,000 deductible going to a $2,500 deductible, that's going to give anybody pause. You know, not everybody has an extra $2,000 kicking around. And I know that that it's some a lot of things are

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typical stuff is covered. You know, I just had a doctor's appointment the other day. It was a $25 co-pay. Um, and then the rest of it, you know, was was covered by our insurance. But it would be pretty hard to think of anything that hasn't doubled in cost in

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the last few years. And that's a hardship on on all of us and especially again families that I've mentioned earlier that are living very close to the bone. you know, every dollar counts and they're looking to us as a board and and as a and as a leadership team to

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continue to have the visionary conversations, the innovative challenges, you know, how can we do this better? Um, I hear from, you know, Mr. Avery that, you know, we are where we are and it's and it's considering all the other things that are going on with

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the increases in costs, I am going to support this this option. But again with the uh strongly voiced suggestion that future boards continue to to work this,

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you know, there's you you can find cost savings. you you can find innovative and creative ways if you continue to bring it forward that we've just got to try to continuously improve this because getting the best employees and then

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keeping them to reduce that churn um is a much better business model. So I'll just close my comments with that. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Board. Is there any further discussion? Okay. And was there any further public

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comment? All right. Well, hearing none, I think we're going to conclude our conversation. Um, it Dr. Brewer, was there anything you wanted to add at all? Okay, >> ma'am. Thank you, >> Board. For transparency, this will be on the agenda under discussion. Um, correct. Under discussion on Tuesday

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night. Uh, at this point, we're going to take a we'll call it 9-minute break. We'll come back at 11:10. Uh, and we will move into our next item, which is 7.1 future focused operations plan. >> [laughter] >> Now I'm like part of my personality.

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All right, we're back from recess at 11:10 and we're going to move into item 7.1, future focused operations plan. Welcome, Mr. White House, to the podium. >> Good morning. Thank you, chair. Good morning, board members, superintendent. Uh we are here this morning to discuss

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the future focus operations plan. Uh, and chair, if it's okay with you, I will go through all of the slides first and then take any questions afterwards so we can get through the whole plan proposal. >> Yeah. Does that sound okay with the rest of the board? I guess just write down your notes um and slides accordingly.

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I'm sure we'll have questions and then we will um kind of recap and try and stay organized with our questions. >> Absolutely. So, I want to uh preface this presentation with uh comments I made in the fall as we were starting to talk about school consolidation.

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>> I'm just going to pause you for a second because like if it's I don't know what's going on, but it's it's like muffled. Maybe it's the male voice today. I don't know, but I know if I'm having a hard time >> or Miss Conrad's having a hard time. Maybe like can we bring the mic up or

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>> Okay. Okay. So, it's not just me like it usually is. Okay. So, I just didn't want you to get started and then have to stop. Yes. I apologize. >> So, we'll we'll start again. Is this okay? >> It does sound >> It's going to be as good as it's going to get. >> All right. So, I wanted to preface this

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presentation just by sharing some remarks that I shared in the fall briefly uh when we first started talking about school consolidation and that is that change is hard and we recognize that. Um, and I have two solid rules of change when I think about how we lead

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through change. And rule number one is that no one likes change. It doesn't matter how rational or reasonable the change is, no one likes change. And that's because our brains crave routine and consistency and anything you change disrupts that. Rule number two is that

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the only way to guarantee failure is through inaction. And so we're going to present our future focus operations plan that will cover uh changes for the next five years that will undoubtedly put us in better position as a school district to be able to continue thriving in the

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direction that we have. So there are some key goals that we want to accomplish with this presentation uh and with our plan for the next five years. The first goal is we want to improve facilities for student success. And I think that's the ultimate goal in anything that we do is we want to

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provide the best possible learning environments, the best possible educational outcomes for our students as they are our key priority. The second goal is to decrease our operational costs districtwide. As you heard from Mr. Welsh on Tuesday when he shared the

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draft uh budget for next year, inflation is outpacing the growth in state funding and has been for years. And what that means when we're spending more each year because of inflation than we're getting, it slowly erodess the fund balance. And so we have to start making some tough

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strategic decisions that are going to put us in a better position operationally as we move forward. The third goal is to optimize school facility use. As the board is aware, we've talked about a number of cases over the last year. We have a lot of underutilized campuses and we have uh

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opportunities to make some changes to better utilize to make sure we're using our campuses to their fullest capacity uh and putting our students in the best possible learning environments. Number four is to decrease our deferred maintenance costs. As I shared at the last work session with the five-year

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capital plan, we're approaching $2 billion in deferred maintenance costs. So, anything that we can do to try to whittle that down uh is going to be a benefit to us. We went years without impact fees. We went years without sales tax funding. Thankfully, we have both of

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them now, but there's only so many things we can address with the amount of deferred maintenance. And so, we've got to be very strategic in those moves. And then finally, we want to decrease the use of portable classrooms. I also shared during that presentation, we have well over 300 portable classrooms in use

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for uh at our schools. And so, if we can take a chunk out of that, um it's ideal for our students. Portables are certainly good for solving short-term growth problems. Uh, but the best learning environment we know for our students is in brick and mortar. It's

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also the safest and most secure. >> So, we'll start with a quick summary of the plan. Um, and I'll also remind the board that we did provide a one-pager that might also assist with just kind of keeping track as we go through this presentation. Uh, that outlines the

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timeline of the next five years. Uh but with this plan, we are going to provide students with new facilities. We are going to reduce 86 classroom portables over the next five years. We're going to save $150 million in deferred maintenance, which will take a

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chunk out of what we're looking at. We're going to save roughly $2 million in operational costs uh each year, which will compound annually. And then we're also going to reduce transportation costs through improved routing. And I know the board is aware that uh with the

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size of our district, which you all have advocated for in Tallahassee, that we spend more money than we get for FTE funding for transportation because we're so large. Uh but we do have opportunities by improving some of the routing that we're doing to uh curb some of those expenses. And we're going to

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look at that today as well. So with this plan, we will be replacing 11 aging facilities over the next five years. We're going to also modernize some of our existing facilities. We're going to reduce the total number of school facilities by four over the next

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five years. We're going to relocate our existing alternative learning program that's housed here at Bridgeway to provide greater space for that program. We're going to expand early learning opportunities in the south. And we are going to provide a true central office

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location. And so I will spend the rest of the time going through the details of that plan summary and how we'll accomplish each of those. So starting with the first year of this timeline, the upcoming 2627 school year.

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We are opening South Marian High School. We're very close to that opening date. Um in our meeting yesterday with the construction company that we should be receiving the keys to the main building, building one this Friday, which is really exciting. I know Mr. Maxier is very anxious to start moving his stuff in there. Um and so we're we're pleased

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that we're getting uh some really good progress moving into the start of the school year. Uh we are working to complete the new walls and doors at Ocola Middle and East Marin Elementary. We actually just received substantial completion this week for Ocola Middle so they can start moving their folks back into uh those classrooms and the media

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center. And East Marin, as you all saw, is making really good progress and is still on track to finish on time. We are opening a new technology and information center at Christmas time. uh also making good progress on that um on that property development. And when we

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arrive at that point, again, that will vacate um the backside of what was the old Ocala Elementary, the old schoolboard office. Um and so, as you all discussed at the last work session on an RFP for a realtor, this would be the first piece of property um that we

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would be vacating within this plan. We are installing new turf field and rubberized track at Westport High School. We had our kickoff meeting for that yesterday. Uh again, we're still on track to be able to get that completed before the end of the football season, which will allow the team to be able to play the last few home games. Um most

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importantly, homecoming and senior night at their home field in October. So, we're excited to get that underway. Um we are going to plan this year for reszoning Wina Park Elementary for the 2728 school year. As you know, resoning is a a year-long process. It's not

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something done quickly. Um and so we will share a proposal later on in this presentation of what that would look like that would start the movement forward of the resoning process. We're going to balance enrollment as well for our middle schools for the 2728 school year because we are opening a

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replacement Lake Middle School. Gives us an opportunity to reexamine our middle school boundaries and we're going to complete the condition assessment of our existing facilities. Again, just making sure we know what is still needed and what the updated costs of those facility

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replacement or improvements would be. So, for the 2728 school year, year two of this plan, we are going to be opening the replacement Lakewear Middle School. Um, that school is making great progress. Uh, we're excited to to get that um continually moving forward. Uh

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Bellev Elementary students at that time in the summer before the 27 28th school year are going to move to the old Lake Middle School campus for one school year while we start work on the new Belleview Elementary which will take place on their campus. Uh and we will be retrofitting that summer some of the

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restrooms to be able to accommodate the elementary students at that campus for one year. Wita Park Elementary students would be reszoned starting with the 2728 school year which would be our first campus school campus that we are reducing in this plan.

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Bridgeway students would then relocate to the Wamea Park campus which would give a lot more space for that program and the ability for us to grow that program in different directions. Our form academy would expand to a prek5 magnet school. Uh currently our district

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staff occupies half of that campus. By moving Bridgeway off of this existing campus, we can move those staff here to the remaining uh two-story building that would be vacated by Bridgeway, which would then free up the other half of Forom to be able to house them as a full K5 magnet program and we will talk more

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about those as well. We're going to begin constructing the new booster stadium, which the board gave consensus to move forward on that at a prior work session. We are in phase one of our architectural designs and excited to keep that moving forward. And we are going to install a turf and

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rubberized track at North Baron High School. That will be the second school that we're addressing through our athletics capital funding. In the 2829 school year, we're going to open the replacement Bellev Elementary campus, which is combining both Belleview Elementary and Belleview

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Santos Elementary into one site. So that would reduce the second campus with Belleview Santos being vacated. Um and we would obviously provide some recommendations to the board at the appropriate time as that's still a little bit ways off in the future of what could be done with that property.

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Once we move the students out of the lake the old Lake Middle School campus, we need to demolish some of the really old buildings. There's the original buildings were built in the 1950s um and certainly would not serve a great purpose for us as an educational facility. So we would um work on that and I will share again additional plans

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with that later on in the presentation which also um tags in with our recommendation for the construction of early learning center in the south. We would begin constructing in 2029 the new north end elementary school which would be on the spar campus. That would

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be combining three elementary schools into one. Reic collier Anthony and Spar into one campus at the Spar elementary site. and we would install new turfield and robust track at Forest High School. That would be our third uh school to

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address with the athletic capital funds. So for the 28 for the 2920 230 school year, we would then open that new elementary school which combines Spar Anthony and Reic at the Spar campus. I think we shared before, but again, we'll talk about this more later that that is

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the largest piece of property that we have of those north end schools. uh and that would reduce a third and fourth campus. Again, we would pre present recommendations to the board at the appropriate time for what could be done with those two campuses once vacated.

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We would begin construction that year on the replacement Denell Middle and Denellan High School. We would also begin construction of the new central office, which would include a schoolboard meeting space that would be slightly smaller than the one we're in right now. Um, and then we would install

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the new turf field and rubberized track at Lakewear High School, which would be our next high school in line. And then the 2030 2031 school year, we would construct a new wing for Maplewood Elementary School to eliminate portable usage. Um, the board is aware that we

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have two schools that we would want to address, Maplewood and Ward Highlands. Ward Highlands is still in the 10-year sales tax plan beyond the 2030 to-31 school year. uh still exists there and would still be addressed further in the future. We decided to prioritize

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Maplewood because Ward Highlands is locked into an old neighborhood. There's not opportunity for growth there. You'll also see later in the presentation, we're reducing some of the student enrollment at Ward Highlands, which will address some of that overcrowding. Maplewood still exists in a community in an area that is growing and has um home

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construction happening around it. And so, we have prioritized uh that wing first. We would do some building upgrades that year to Fort King Middle School. Buildings one and two are the original buildings. They were built in the early 1960s um and need a lot of love. We have

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some newer wings at Fort King Middle School that look fantastic, but certainly uh want to invest some funds and and do some work in the older parts of the campus that do need to be addressed. And then our final turf field would be Belleview High School that year. And at the end of that 2030 2031,

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we will have updated all eight of our athletic facilities. South Marin being built brand new with turf and rubber. Denell and High when it's built would have brand new rubber and turf as well for the new school construction. So all of our schools would have it at that time. Belleview High School, as you're aware, does not have a current track,

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nor do they have space to add a track because of how close the fieldhouse was built to the football field. And so we would have to explore some other opportunities for what we would do for track for Belleview. So looking more at that Wina Park resoning plan,

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we have here the map that Mr. AR's office produced to be able to show the proposed resoning. Again, once consensus is provided. Our role is to then move forward to have community meetings to gather input on the proposed resoning.

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Uh the actual resoning plan for approval would not come to the board until closer to Christmas. uh which would then allow us the second half of the year to do the behind-the-scenes work of the resoning and making sure we communicate the updated um school lists for parents and

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families that year. So, as you're looking at this map, um the area shaded in yellow at the bottom would be the proposed Oakrest zone. The areas in purple at the top would be the proposed forom zones. Um zones A1 and A2 that are right around there, those are the

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existing auxiliary zones that we bust right now. all the way out to Ward Highlands and Shady Hill. So, it will be bringing those families back closer to home to a neighborhood school. Uh K and A4 right now are the northern parts of the Oakrest boundary. Um and so we would

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shift the boundary for Oakrest further south and pull the northernmost part of Oakrest into the forom map and letter H down there also an auxiliary zone that's bust from around Madison Street over to Yamina. So this chart just gives you the updated

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numbers of what our facilities would look like with the proposed zoning changes. So you'll see that form Early Learning with those additional zones would have a proposed total inzone of about 400 students. And again, the

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proposed total inzone is all students that live there, not necessarily all students that would actually show up. What we typically see with zoning is that about 80% or so of the students who are in zone actually attend the zone schools. Other through school choice go

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elsewhere. Um and so the change if all students showed up with a fish capacity of about 730 students at forom uh would put them about half full with their uh zone students which would leave about half of the space for magnet students to continue to grow. Um, as the board is

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aware, we currently serve preK through 2 grade. Our numbers are strong preK and kindergarten. They start to top, they start to taper off in first and second grade as families are concerned about what do they do with their students beyond second grade and they want to get into a good elementary school while they have a chance. And so a lot of them then

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leave and our first and second grade numbers get much smaller. But by providing a three, four, and five magnet path for those families, they wouldn't have to leave. they could stay in the great academic environment that form is um and continue on without any worry

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from prek on through fifth grade. Oakrest Elementary, you'll see the fish capacity for that school is about 830 students. Um with the proposed changes in zone, their proposed inzone would be 989, but again that's total inzone. You

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can expect probably 80 to 85% of that would be the students who actually attend that school. So, we anticipate that school would be right at about capacity, perhaps a little above capacity, but there are already portables that are empty that exist at Oakrest that they've used in the past um

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that could be used as needed if we exceed that capacity need. And I've added also on that far right, you'll see where we uh were in the late spring for enrollment at each of these school facilities. Um, again, until students actually show up on day one, we

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don't really know how many students are still in those zones or in those areas or attending those schools. So, right now, we're basing it off of spring numbers, but when we start community meetings in the fall, we would update that with current fall numbers. Wina Park through the resoning would go

507
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down to zero students as all of those students with the exception of one zone uh would then be shifted to Oakrest Elementary School. Uh, Ward Highlands, which is zone A2, would have 104 students that are in that auxiliary. Um, reduced from their capacity. So, they

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are over 100% capacity on their fish right now. With this change, it would put them under 100% fish capacity. Shady Hill Elementary would also lose about 100 or so students that are in that zone that um actually live near forom. Um, that would change to the

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forom zone, which would put them under capacity. However, uh when we complete Belleview Elementary, Bellev Santos in two years, we would do a reszoning of the Southeast anyways. And so, Shady Hill would be addressed through that reszoning because we'll need to shift students around um understanding the

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Southeast is still growing in a number of areas. And then finally, College Park Elementary would pick up that auxiliary zone that's farther away, that's closer to Madison Street. Uh currently at the springtime there were 34 students uh which works out to a handful of kids in

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each of those grade levels. Um and when you figure most of the grade levels at College Park has six to seven teaching positions per grade level, you're looking at one to less than one student added per classroom uh from this change. So even though they would be slightly over capacity, um it's not going to be a

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huge shift for them. College Park also has portables on campus that could be used if necessary, but with this small of a number of adjustment should not be necessary. Moving into the North End Elementary School plan. So, as the board is aware, as you all attended most of these, we

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had uh three community meetings that were held in the spring at Spar Elementary, at Reic Collar, and at Anthony Elementary. Uh in those meetings we shared some of the current concerns and challenges that we have as a school district uh with infrastructure needs at those schools because they are very old

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schools. Uh utilization because several of them are underutilized and operational efficiency in the north. Uh we listened, we talked, we gathered feedback. What we heard from most of them towards the end of those conversations that they understood that there was change that needed to happen.

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Um, obviously everybody would prefer the change not happen to their school that that we combine the other schools and keep their campus. Um, but we had to make a decision and based on the community input, our decision is that we should place the school at Spar Elementary. It is the preferred location

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due to the geographic size of that plot of land that we own that we could build a school while still operating a school uh at Spar that year. So the north end scope and funding the size of the school would be comparable to what we're building at Belleview

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Elementary next year. The Bellev Elementary Bellev Santos combination school. It's about,00 students. Uh we are incorporating existing buildings at Bellev Elementary that are newer into the design. Um so it reduced the footprint for the new construction that

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needed to happen. We could also do the same at Spar. As I mentioned before, there are a couple of newer buildings at Spar Elementary that could similarly be incomp incorporated into that overall plan design for that new school. Uh, with this change, we would eliminate roughly $25 million in maintenance costs

519
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over the next five to 10 years. We could look at an appropriations request. So, there are state appropriations for building new schools that are available through state statute. um those are awarded usually several schools per year are awarded by the by the state of Florida through the budgeting process.

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What they usually look at through that is the needs of the community. So levels of poverty, the age of the buildings, the amount of repairs that are needed and the ability of the school district to handle those repairs across their district. Uh so we feel that we would have a absolutely a good shot at getting

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that appropriation. So with consensus, this would be something we would work on this year as they do fund the appropriations over multiple years. Uh which would allow us to start moving in that direction. This also would give us the ability to relocate the fiddlers, the floor diagnostic and learning resource system

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team, which we've talked about before, is on the campus north of Reic, a very old building, also needs a lot of work. Um, and so we could relocate them either to one of the vacant properties or could combine them in with the spar plan, uh, which would then free up another piece

523
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of property that the board could discuss as well. So, this is a quick design of what the new Bellev Elementary concept is going to look like. Um, and so you can anticipate that the new north end could be something similar to this, obviously

524
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looking at the surrounding motif and trying to blend it in with the community. Um, but you'll notice it's a little bit different design from Ross Prairie and Winding Oaks because we are incorporating other buildings. Instead of being one standalone self-contained, it does connect to other existing buildings.

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So, onto our new early learning center in the south. So, the initial building proposal for this early learning would only support through kindergarten. So, our earliest learners all the way up through kindergarten. But the ability on that campus due to the size of that plot of

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land that we have with the current Lake Middle School does present the possibility of future expansion if growth continues in the southeast to a K8 school. Um or possibly even absorbing later on down the road Stanton Wearsdale Harborview if we want to look at that in

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the future. Um so the the property is certainly very important to us for a number of reasons heading into the future. And so for that, we would want to retain the auditorium, the cafeteria, and the track um for possible use in the future. We also need to retain some brick and mortar space. We have our

528
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transportation hub that's very important to the southeast transportation zone. Um they are currently in some very old portables. We'd love to get them into brick and mortar and get rid of those portables. Uh and so we would retain some space on that site for the transportation team. Uh and again, this

529
02:34:59.280 --> 02:35:16.800
is a possible appropriations request. We've made a funding request at the federal level and can certainly make a a comparable funding request at the state level. So, this gives you a quick arrow view of the current Lake Middle School campus. That would be the site of the proposed

530
02:35:16.800 --> 02:35:33.680
south southeast early learning center. Uh, and so you'll see highlighted there the auditorium, which is a beautiful auditorium, and there's not a lot of middle schools that have standalone auditoriums. Most of them are cafatoriums. Um, so retaining that auditorium would be very important if we do decide to go onto a K8 model down the

531
02:35:33.680 --> 02:35:50.319
road. If nothing else, it's a great community meeting space if we've used it for town hall meetings and just a beautiful site. The cafeteria we would retain as well. The cafeteria is actually a lot newer than the original campus. The original campus is the early 1950s. Cafeteria was actually built in 77, so it's in a lot better shape than

532
02:35:50.319 --> 02:36:06.960
the rest of the campus and could retain that uh building not only for their learning use, but also for future use down the road. It's only 50 years old. >> So then moving on to our new central office building. Um I found this point interesting. I was actually doing some research through some old schoolboard

533
02:36:06.960 --> 02:36:23.600
archives uh for a separate project and found some discussions in schoolboard meetings in the 1960s about the need for a true central office. And so here we are 60 plus years later and we're still having those conversations about the need for a true central office. Although obviously our district has grown

534
02:36:23.600 --> 02:36:39.280
considerably since the 1960s. We currently have our staff spread across five campuses in this district and so having a centralized location would allow us to bring them all together uh for our ability to collaborate and communicate effectively. Um this could be something that's added to our

535
02:36:39.280 --> 02:36:55.040
certificate of participation funding request with booster to make it a more appealing project. Um we estimate at the high end of this to be 45 million. We can certainly do it for less than that with some creativity, but just for argument sake and for discussion with the cops funding, we want to make sure

536
02:36:55.040 --> 02:37:10.399
that we go um a little bit higher than not having enough. At the end of the day, we would need space for about 330 staff and of course an updated board meeting room. We would need a roughly 63,000 square feet for all of the staff spaces,

537
02:37:10.399 --> 02:37:27.120
offices, meeting locations, receptions, conference rooms, etc. and then about 1500 or so square feet for a modernized boardroom which brings that grand total of a space needed to about 65,000 or so. >> So, we have looked at several possible

538
02:37:27.120 --> 02:37:43.120
locations and obviously we'll continue to look at locations as this comes several years out in the plan and so there's no need to rush into a decision. Uh but what we have currently looked at is this existing campus that we're on right now. uh the Vanguard North extension which we have 17 acres of

539
02:37:43.120 --> 02:37:59.600
property just north of Vanguard High School and also some available large storefronts that we are still exploring. Um this current campus obviously is ideal use because we already have all the utility hookups. It's already our property. Um doesn't require a lot of that infrastructure work that would be

540
02:37:59.600 --> 02:38:17.200
needed. Um and it could also be built in phases. So, if Bridgeway were to move off of this campus, there's a lot of buildings to the back end of this campus that we would no longer need that we could start to demolish um and look at building phase one, which would include the uh new schoolboard office um for

541
02:38:17.200 --> 02:38:33.040
construction, and then build a second phase later on. With that, we would want to return retain this existing auditorium. This is a great space that we do utilize for community use. We have lots of groups that rent this facility out and so we would certainly want to retain that. We

542
02:38:33.040 --> 02:38:48.000
also use it for a number of our elementary schools that come here for awards ceremonies and performances. Um and we would also retain building 24 which is our newest building here and the automotive repair facility which is all the way the back of campus that Marian Technical College uses. Um that's

543
02:38:48.000 --> 02:39:04.560
a really difficult and expensive building to try to recreate at MTC. And so already having one here, it makes the most sense to retain that facility um as part of the campus and fence it off to allow MTC continued use. And then a side note with this, this also does if we

544
02:39:04.560 --> 02:39:20.560
have a a very large central office with a good reception area, we could actually look at centralized registration process, which is something Mr. Ays has been in favor of for quite some time. um allows us to have very concise um and very focused enrollment of students so

545
02:39:20.560 --> 02:39:36.960
we're not getting mixed messages from school site to school site and a lot of larger districts have already moved in this direction and with that I will turn it back over to superintendent. >> Okay, thank you Mr. White House. Did you have anything you wanted to add before we start talking? No, I just want to

546
02:39:36.960 --> 02:39:52.560
comment that this this has been months and months of really intentional work. And so I just want to make sure and you know this, we've given you briefings um throughout the process, but this has been a lot of work with expertise in the room to ensure that we are looking at

547
02:39:52.560 --> 02:40:09.040
all of the ways to be fiscally responsible. Well, I think that probably the best way for us to navigate a discussion is to just go year by year and just start with 2627 and focus on the items there and then kind of go forward. Um, board, how do you feel about that? Or would you

548
02:40:09.040 --> 02:40:24.800
like to just ask questions? >> Board member Thor, >> just wondering if anyone has signed up for public comment and if so, if we could hear them first, that'd be great. >> Sure. Is there any public comment on this item? >> Okay. Not at this time. You're more than

549
02:40:24.800 --> 02:40:40.560
welcome to change your mind if you'd like. Okay. Um, so how do you feel about going year by year? Is that or would you guys like to ask questions? Okay. I just kind of want to stay focused on there's lots of big things in here and so I don't want us to jump all over the place

550
02:40:40.560 --> 02:40:56.560
if we can stay focused. So in 2627 um the the new things that we would be talking about that we haven't discussed previously as a board is obviously the Yamina Park resoning and um so I open it up for the board to

551
02:40:56.560 --> 02:41:14.960
discuss the Yamina Park resoning. Does anyone want to kick us off? I just really I just want to go back to what uh Mr. White House opened with. that even when change is good, it is

552
02:41:14.960 --> 02:41:30.880
hard. And so acknowledging that these are really hard conversations to have as most of us just visited Wamina Park and their opening um for back to school and acknowledging the really great things that are happening at that school. And

553
02:41:30.880 --> 02:41:48.000
so I just um again, these are hard conversations. There's people attached to these positions. And so just letting the community know, in fact, before I left this morning, my husband says, "What? The school that I went to you're

554
02:41:48.000 --> 02:42:03.760
talking about?" And so it's just very personal. It's very personal. And so um just acknowledging um that they these are challenging conversations and people attached to positions and and we want to honor that through this process. So thank you.

555
02:42:03.760 --> 02:42:21.680
>> Thank you. And one thing you put that very eloquently and the Wamina Park resoning also finds a permanent home for Bridgeway Academy with while also allowing us to expand

556
02:42:21.680 --> 02:42:38.960
what we do in alternative learning besides just punishment. Because when we look at the big scope of alternative learning, it's not what what we do is not just the kids who are expelled. That's what gets the most attention. But the reality is we serve students who

557
02:42:38.960 --> 02:42:54.560
are looking for alternative ways to get to graduation or people who are trying to get their GED. Um, and so we have we have ways that we can expand what we're doing in one place. And I know for sure and I I'm sure I probably represent the

558
02:42:54.560 --> 02:43:11.200
board in saying Mr. Jones has done a tremendous job of changing what how we do expulsions and alternative placements in Maring County. Gone are the days of Sermy and New Leaf and Bridgeway is really doing amazing work. It's truly rehabilitative work and

559
02:43:11.200 --> 02:43:28.399
so finding a permanent home for them is a part and a piece to the puzzle and um this Wyoming Park reszoning allows for that campus to then be utilized by Bridgeway and for them to have a home.

560
02:43:28.399 --> 02:43:45.279
And so I understand the need. Uh my question would be about about year round school. So would this be the final year then we would operate year- round school or modified year round however you want to phrase it. >> This would definitely be the last year that we would operate that extended year school combining with Orest. We would

561
02:43:45.279 --> 02:44:01.680
switch to a traditional calendar and I I think [clears throat] you know the board is aware we've even though we saw academic success with Wameina we've also seen a lot of struggles with the extended year calendar. As you all saw um day one of school this year we only had 300 students show up for day one. It's really challenging in the summer

562
02:44:01.680 --> 02:44:18.160
when all of their siblings and their friends and neighbors are not going back to school to try to get the students to come back early. Um, and so this would be kind of a an easy transition off of that plan onto one unified calendar for the whole district. >> Okay. Thank you for providing that point of clarification because I do think that

563
02:44:18.160 --> 02:44:33.920
is a topic that we have to make sure we address. Um, I'll open it up for other board comment on the Yina Park resoning. >> Board member Ther. >> Thank you. So yes, I'll uh comment on on this. [clears throat] I was really hopeful that the average

564
02:44:33.920 --> 02:44:51.279
daily attendance was going to be higher uh based on the turnout at the back to school bash, which was wonderful, so energizing, and so positive. I I think one of the major issues is is that if there's going to be quote unquote year- round school,

565
02:44:51.279 --> 02:45:07.359
in order to really make that work in Marian County, it would need to be every school. >> Agree. Um it's it's one thing, you know, if you have one or two kids, but to manage all of those different schedules with larger families, um I think that we've given it a really good chance,

566
02:45:07.359 --> 02:45:22.399
which I'm grateful for because so many times, you know, you roll something out and then two years later say it doesn't work without really giving it time. So I think we have given it its its time. Um so that's that's what I'll say about that.

567
02:45:22.399 --> 02:45:39.520
I think at the very least, you know, we've given it our our best shot and that's that's all you can really ask in a pilot project. >> Uh, Reverend Cummings. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, we um

568
02:45:39.520 --> 02:45:57.359
we knew that um Quamina was a pilot program and so pilot programs means basically going to try try it out and see if it works. If it if it works, we're going to roll with it. if it's not and we see that there's been some challenges with that. So, um

569
02:45:57.359 --> 02:46:11.600
my biggest thing and I think all of you know what my biggest thing is always going to be is how we communicate to the to the people changes. I don't want us to do an overnight. Tell them tomorrow is going to change

570
02:46:11.600 --> 02:46:28.080
and we do that. We we have to be um intentional in our message and we have to be considerate of people making those adjustments. As Miss Sto said, when you have large families and and and different pieces of of the puzzle put put together and they've already worked

571
02:46:28.080 --> 02:46:43.680
to put together a plan, we have to be able to help them to make sure that they have the proper time to readjust. So, that's going to be my concern. Um other than that, I don't have an issue with this. >> Okay. Dr. Dr. Hable, did you have something you wanted to share about Wyoming Park?

572
02:46:43.680 --> 02:47:00.880
>> Thank you. Uh, so my first question relates to transportation. So, as we completely change the zone, obviously that puts different numbers of students in different categories based on the two-mile zone. Uh, obviously Oakrest is

573
02:47:00.880 --> 02:47:17.680
in the northern part of this proposed zone. So, what does transportation look like for the students and how many students do we anticipate need it? >> Yes. So, we would have we would obviously pick up more students um from that Yamina the the current Wamina park zone because a lot of those students

574
02:47:17.680 --> 02:47:34.880
live within the two-m radius and don't receive transportation. Uh we worked last year with some additional funding that the school was provided from the state to to be able to provide transportation for a good number of those students. Um and certainly moving their their distance from their zone

575
02:47:34.880 --> 02:47:51.359
school further would then allow us to actually receive the FTE funding for all of those students. So I don't know that would add too many more students onto buses. It might actually reduce the number of students because all of the students in the auxiliary zones right now are getting bust from around forom and so some of those students would fall

576
02:47:51.359 --> 02:48:06.080
within the two-mile walk zone that would no longer qualify for transportation right around forom. But all of the oak all of the park students would qualify for transportation moving. >> Can I can I say something? >> Sure. on transportation. Um because I

577
02:48:06.080 --> 02:48:21.120
did a little diving into that one um with the transportation, Dr. Campbell. Um it may even alleviate some of our transportation because they could put a bus stop at some of those housing complexes which would make it better for

578
02:48:21.120 --> 02:48:36.640
um having one or two stops in on routing as well as it could possibly increase attendance. So I've already looked I looked at that some of that as well. >> Thank [clears throat] you. Uh, so I I certainly understand and respect

579
02:48:36.640 --> 02:48:54.000
the need to have a space for Bridgeway Academy. So I completely respect that. And I also usually love change. That's, you know, my my life's motto is to affect change. So I appreciate it. This just wasn't the

580
02:48:54.000 --> 02:49:11.359
change I was expecting. So let let's say that Wina Park has been a school that has been historically in district one that uh has been a school I've represented. It has struggled for sure which is why we have this pilot program and they've

581
02:49:11.359 --> 02:49:28.399
been able to come out of some of their struggles. Oakrest has also been a struggling school and has more than come out of their struggles. they've exceeded expectations and really gotten to a point where I I

582
02:49:28.399 --> 02:49:44.160
believe is a sustainable state that they'll be able to be very successful for quite some time, which is why I have a pause to to this specific plan. Once we get something up and running in

583
02:49:44.160 --> 02:50:00.080
a great state, we're going to change it. And so that that causes me some significant concern. Um, sounds like my fellow board members are all in favor of this conversation and we have a lot more to discuss, but I just

584
02:50:00.080 --> 02:50:15.680
wanted my comments of concern to be on the record. >> Okay. Did you get to share? >> I did, but I have one other thing. >> Okay. And I have one other thing from this list, too. Well, I just wanted to correct a narrative. So, there is a narrative, and this is about South Marian. Um there is a narrative in the

585
02:50:15.680 --> 02:50:30.319
community that South Marian will open unfinished um because we just recently approved the expansion of the third floor. Um we we were never intending to house students on the third floor when we opened it in August. And the board is actually making strong financial

586
02:50:30.319 --> 02:50:46.880
planning to instead of wait two years and then bring portables in to the tune of $100,000 a portable to house students in portables and and find money to finish the third floor. we made the the financial decision to do it right now. And so, um, the reason the third floor

587
02:50:46.880 --> 02:51:02.720
isn't finished is because of we're using foresight to make sure we're financially planning appropriately, but there was never an intention to put students up there. And South Marion will open for students to be fully functional. The auditorium is the only component that may not be quite ready on August 10th,

588
02:51:02.720 --> 02:51:19.520
um, which is not in instructional space that's needed on day one. Right. So, it's the auditorium. It's building three, which is the auditorium, and it's the surrounding CTE classroom. So, there's about I think it's 14 classrooms in total that are in in that building. Um, Mr. Maxier already has alternative

589
02:51:19.520 --> 02:51:34.640
spaces if we aren't able to get in there on day one available that we can use temporarily until that building is complete. But the bulk of instruction will take place in building one, which is going to be ready by the end of this week for us to move into. Uh, and building two, of course, is the gymnasium and cafeteria, which are

590
02:51:34.640 --> 02:51:49.520
obviously critical for school function. that will be ready as well. >> Okay. Thank you for providing this point of clarifications. Um, further discussion about Wyoming Park or should we move on board member Thor? Oh, sorry, Vice Con. Go ahead, Bo.

591
02:51:49.520 --> 02:52:04.560
>> Thank you. Um, since we gear shifted over to South Marian, I remember it actually scenario quite a bit differently. we got pretty massively delayed which created a cascade of um

592
02:52:04.560 --> 02:52:21.520
sadly more expense and and less time. Um I'm very grateful that the school is opening. I know we need it and I know that we'll do whatever needs to be done to maintain student safety and order structure, smooth operations. We

593
02:52:21.520 --> 02:52:36.720
couldn't have a better principal at the helm. So, we're going to make the best of that situation. So, I'll leave that right there. Um, getting back to Wyomina, it's always heartbreaking to see a neighborhood school change. I'm

594
02:52:36.720 --> 02:52:52.399
not going to say close because it's going to be repurposed if that's the way the board decides um into more incredible opportunities for kids and and that's what we're here for. Um, at the same time, when you know

595
02:52:52.399 --> 02:53:07.439
teachers and and other staff that have been there basically their whole careers, it's hard, you know. Um, it is hard and I guess we're going to have to make a pretty large investment in larger style restrooms if we're going to have

596
02:53:07.439 --> 02:53:23.680
Ridgeway students there. So, there'll be some repurposing I know that will need to be done, which will also come with some expense. Um, but at the same time, I also like the idea of Wyoming Park students, [clears throat] and you don't hear me say this very

597
02:53:23.680 --> 02:53:39.520
often, I'm normally more about let's get as many kids as close to their zone schools as possible so they can walk and provide safe walking conditions so that they will walk and so that their parents will feel comfortable having them walk. That really hasn't been the situation at

598
02:53:39.520 --> 02:53:54.880
Wyoming. And in order to protect kids and increase attendance, we have been um using district funds or you know what creative ways to come up with yet more money because transportation is not fully funded in those situations to get

599
02:53:54.880 --> 02:54:10.080
the kids to school safely and intent attendance increased you know when we when we did do that. So I I guess I feel like Oakrest as an underutilized uh school for many many years. We're

600
02:54:10.080 --> 02:54:26.960
also at risk because of the different state laws now that weren't in place before that it would be a target, you know, to be um taken over by possibly or possibly not a better manager than principal Sarah Dobs. [laughter] And I would say that that would be a pretty

601
02:54:26.960 --> 02:54:42.720
hard uh shoes to fill should it go to some sort of outside operator. So in or and the Wyoming Park students um transitioning to Oakrest uh look at the progress, look at the commitment. Um I know that is a

602
02:54:42.720 --> 02:54:59.920
principle that wants to stay. That's something that killed Evergreen death by a thousand changes over too many years. There was so much turnover of of principal and and high level staff at at Evergreen. So, you know, we don't want to keep repeating the same mistakes and

603
02:54:59.920 --> 02:55:16.399
and with this plan, um, we're not doing that. But again, it comes down to more students requires more support. And I think that it's going to be really important for us as a board to heed the recommendations from uh from

604
02:55:16.399 --> 02:55:30.960
Superintendent Brewer and her staff via the leadership team at Oakrest as to what it's going to take to continue uh the fantastic trajectory that that school's on. Because fun fact, when CA when students fall into a double D

605
02:55:30.960 --> 02:55:48.000
situation, typically the self-contained units end up moving off that campus and then when the the school recovers, self-contained units come back to that campus. So there needs to be, you know, if we're going to do this [laughter] and there's been a lot of thought go

606
02:55:48.000 --> 02:56:04.960
into this, a lot of conversation. So I'm feeling better now about the plan. Um it it took a while but it but it needed to take a while. So uh with that said I I will support the changes um thus far

607
02:56:04.960 --> 02:56:20.800
with Wyoming. >> Okay. Was there any further comment about Oh yes board member Conrad. >> Um apologize >> Mr. White House. So our conversation about this plan has been mostly um fiscal and efficiency. Um, but

608
02:56:20.800 --> 02:56:37.680
something I thought of as my fellow board members were talking as as your team was having these conversations, did you consider the academic challenges it will face other schools and not just I was hesitant. I was trying to decide when to mention this because it just doesn't impact the schools we're talking

609
02:56:37.680 --> 02:56:53.359
about now. It impacts all of the schools that we're we're talking about today. And so with that, with reszoning and combining all of those things, you do change the makeup of the school and is your team prepared to provide those

610
02:56:53.359 --> 02:57:09.439
extra services and we know what we're going to need to have in place as as the makeup of each school changes a little. >> Yes, absolutely. Um and we certainly had a lot of conversation about that. I think one of the advantages we we see,

611
02:57:09.439 --> 02:57:24.399
you know, certainly nobody wants to look at, you know, repurposing schools or consolidating schools. It's it's not a fun conversation. Um, but one of the advantages from from the academic side, the district level is we're spread really thin with few people across a lot

612
02:57:24.399 --> 02:57:41.200
of campuses. And so the more we're able to consolidate that, the greater focus we can place on specific sites from academics, ESSE, social workers, school psychologists, all of the support personnel we can start to really focus in um and concentrate our efforts. But

613
02:57:41.200 --> 02:57:57.680
I'll also add to that that what what really makes a difference in schools is great people and great systems. And Oakrest right now has great people and great systems in place and can accomplish that regardless of the student person student body that is there. I I I believe that wholeheartedly

614
02:57:57.680 --> 02:58:14.240
and so I'm confident in the leadership there and the work that they can do uh to continue raising that bar forward. >> Okay. Thank you for that. That's [clears throat] all chair. >> Okay. Um, so then moving into the 2728 school year, uh, we are obviously talking about the replacement Lake Middle School being open, relocating

615
02:58:14.240 --> 02:58:29.840
Belleview Elementary to the former Lake Middle campus, obviously the completion of the resoning for Wyoming Park, and then the relocation of Bridgeway, the Forom expansion and that resoning that would occur there, and then Booster Stadium and North Marion High School. So board, what questions do you have? I

616
02:58:29.840 --> 02:58:45.680
just have one or two I can lead off with if if you don't mind. Um, another narrative I just like to correct. The students who currently walk to Belleview Elementary and Bel Santas Elementary will be provided transportation to their swing site for the year that they're at like the new the existing Lakeware

617
02:58:45.680 --> 02:59:01.520
Middle School. Correct. >> That is correct. >> So, we wouldn't make children who walk to Belleview Elementary walk to Lake Middle School. >> You are correct. >> Okay. Um, I just wanted to make sure we corrected that for the record because that has been a question that's been posed. And so making sure people understand as we change the site where

618
02:59:01.520 --> 02:59:17.600
we deliver the instruction, we are then obligated to provide the transportation which will be an elevated transportation cost for that year to make sure that those students at Belleview Elementary are um getting transported safely to their swing site so that we can rebuild. >> Yes. Correct.

619
02:59:17.600 --> 02:59:33.760
>> Okay. Wonderful. And then my only question about the form resoning um we would be then having those in the same timeline for Wamina Park. We would then be having those conversations in the community regarding the forom the auxiliary zones and them coming back. >> Yes. Correct.

620
02:59:33.760 --> 02:59:50.479
>> Okay. And that's as well as those small amount of students with College Park. >> Also correct. Yes, ma'am. >> So, we'll be pushing into three different school communities. Well, actually, it's like five different school communities because we're talking about Shady Hill, Ward Highlands, Saddlewood, um the auxiliary zones. There's one

621
02:59:50.479 --> 03:00:06.560
more, right? Oh, spar. because there are students who go who are um who are at spa right now that were part of the auxiliary zone. So, will they be pulled back as well? Are they part of the conversation? >> We have not addressed that auxiliary zone yet because that'll be addressed with the future resoning for the north end.

622
03:00:06.560 --> 03:00:22.880
>> Okay, understood. Um, and so I just would like to um I guess just let's make it very crystal clear by the time we end the conversation today and go into this the school communities that we're going to be having conversations in because we

623
03:00:22.880 --> 03:00:38.479
push into those communities to have resoning and I would imagine we'll push into some of these students have are are going to be rising um fourth graders this year going into fifth grade next year and so that will be a conversation. and they've been at Shady Hill their entire educational career essentially.

624
03:00:38.479 --> 03:00:54.800
Are they going to come to Forom for fifth grade? And so making sure we go into that community and have those conversations. >> Absolutely. >> Warden, I open it up. Reverend Cummings, >> I'm always going to go back to this. Um, with any change, we have to communicate

625
03:00:54.800 --> 03:01:13.120
it properly. I I want to suggest now and we may take into consideration or we may not that as we're doing this that we possibly do some community meetings um different parts of the county because this is going to this is going to and I know Mr. Ayses and and have been Dr.

626
03:01:13.120 --> 03:01:30.160
When we've went out ahead of us saying stuff and started the communication, started the conversation, it goes a whole lot better than us spewing something from this dis and then we got 300 people here with misinformation. So

627
03:01:30.160 --> 03:01:44.880
again, I'm going to make that recommendation to us. >> Yes. And we will obviously once we have proven to move forward, we'll make sure that we move with haze to and typically with re reasoning, we present a recommendation to the board first. board gives consensus and then we go hold community meetings to be able to gather

628
03:01:44.880 --> 03:02:00.479
input and then bring a final plan back to the board because sometimes we hear input from the community that um makes us rethink a little bit of what we're doing and so we certainly welcome that. >> Thank you. >> All right. Anyone else have conversation about this stuff listed in? Uh Dr. Campbell,

629
03:02:00.479 --> 03:02:16.720
>> thank you. So, in light of the comments that we heard earlier today um from Miss Beck, this is kind of the direction my thought was going anyway, and she solidified it in my mind whether she knew she was doing that or not. I would be in support

630
03:02:16.720 --> 03:02:32.800
of operating a separate 35 magnet on the same campus having one principal and very specific directed staff so that forom's model is not impacted by 35 test

631
03:02:32.800 --> 03:02:48.880
scores. I I believe there's space to do exactly what I'm saying. We currently have staff operating on half the campus. I think they could be it wouldn't take more staff. You would have one principal similar to what we're doing with the

632
03:02:48.880 --> 03:03:04.080
eighth street oyola model, but have staff solely directed to the 35 side of the campus and staff solely directed to early learning. And here's why I'm I'm interested in that thought process. Because day one of your magnet school

633
03:03:04.080 --> 03:03:21.359
will be zoned kids. So, you're never going to get that full attention to what this magnet really looks like on day one and understanding the historic challenges that the students in this new zone have

634
03:03:21.359 --> 03:03:36.479
experienced. I don't know that we're going to get the day one interest in the magnet like we can if it's a dedicated program. So I I I that's my primary

635
03:03:36.479 --> 03:03:54.880
concern with completely going away from an early learning model and operating more where you actually have just a 35 school and a prek2 school on the same campus. I believe it can be done but

636
03:03:54.880 --> 03:04:12.160
again we're we're creating a zone for a magnet school which is totally fine. We have a zone for Dr. for NH Jones and I would advocate for a zone for Madison Street. >> I have advocated for that for a long time. They need to have a zone, but uh I

637
03:04:12.160 --> 03:04:27.680
understand that would reduce the number of seats available. But while we're putting zones in places, why not go ahead and open Madison Street at the same time, even if it's 50 kids in zone to Madison Street because we're opening a brand new magnet school not far away.

638
03:04:27.680 --> 03:04:44.880
Um, so nevertheless, that's where I sit on this. I I appreciate the recommendation to expand forom because, excuse me, to expand that campus to a full magnet program because those kids don't have anywhere

639
03:04:44.880 --> 03:05:02.479
to go. Have we've been asking that for three years, I think. Where do these forom second graders go? That's been a huge question we've had. And so I think that that would be a solution that I absolutely would be interested in exploring creating forom as a prek5.

640
03:05:02.479 --> 03:05:17.680
I'm going to have some some challenges with. I I'll just be frank because um of all the all the things that Miss Beck mentioned today that she wasn't intending to guide the conversation one way or the other, but that's where I sit. >> Okay.

641
03:05:17.680 --> 03:05:35.520
Who else would like to go? >> Okay. I just have something brief. Uh Mr. White House, I I agree with the plan, but I do have also concerns about the the Forom campus plan. I'm going to leave that in in your hands, but I would

642
03:05:35.520 --> 03:05:50.479
just speak from experience. Um getting a magnet up and running and then not having um I don't know what the word I want to use is is challenging. And so just making sure that we're prepared to meet those

643
03:05:50.479 --> 03:06:07.520
challenges um with what's needed. And so I I do think it's going to be challenging to run a magnet track on a new for a new plan for an elementary school. Um so I just ask that

644
03:06:07.520 --> 03:06:23.840
you take extra consideration uh when you look in organizing that. >> Absolutely. Well, and I to to piggyback off that if I can, I'll add um I would be interested to know how many seats 35 we're going to open up for choice versus obviously the

645
03:06:23.840 --> 03:06:40.800
zoning plan presented. I imagine though we'll still have some seats that we're going to allow. And I do believe that we will take back students who are at charter specifically. one I can think of specifically um families who are looking

646
03:06:40.800 --> 03:06:56.479
to get into our setting but Madison and Jones they can't get in and so now that form will have choice seats presumably through fifth grade I believe we'll get some kids back but the transportation I'm going to call it a nightmare that is

647
03:06:56.479 --> 03:07:12.880
the auxiliary zones has been needing to be addressed for years and so the students who live just on the west side of 441 and north of 35th Street There's no other school for them to go to that has available space. That's just the reality. And I don't know exactly which.

648
03:07:12.880 --> 03:07:29.520
I could look at the map, but I'm specifically talking about A1. All of the students in A1, there's no other school for them to go to. Fezdon's already almost full, which is the other place they would go. And so the reality is we have to find space for these kids.

649
03:07:29.520 --> 03:07:45.040
So we stop busing them for 45 minutes to Shady Hill. Um, so that that's just my my thought on that and I mean I'm in agreement with the plan as it as it's presented. Uh, board member. Okay. Reverend Cummings.

650
03:07:45.040 --> 03:08:00.160
>> Um, thank you, Madam Chair. Um, I do um have concerns about forom. Um, I I I um quite interesting what Dr. Campbell said

651
03:08:00.160 --> 03:08:17.200
as far as um how we set Forom up initially as early learning that model and now we're talking about duplicating that model on the south end. I don't want us to completely take away from that model to push something else. Um I

652
03:08:17.200 --> 03:08:33.359
think that the early learning model is is working has worked and there's value in keeping it as a early learning academy. We have had the conversations about where these kids go from second grade,

653
03:08:33.359 --> 03:08:49.040
what schools are they moving to. So I kind of understood the process or or understood the thinking when you kind of say let's make it a K5 because then they will automatically metriculate hopefully stay in the same school. I guess that's the thought process.

654
03:08:49.040 --> 03:09:07.520
However, it does um subject for them to being scrutinized more on the state level. Correct. >> Well, they'll have a school grade >> of a school grade based on the three to fives. >> Correct. Correct. So, I I we need to I think we need got to

655
03:09:07.520 --> 03:09:23.359
continue to look at this a little bit more um concerning this. And then Dr. Camel also brought up something else. I talked I've I've always advocated for um the opportunity for kids to be able to go attend these schools that are higher

656
03:09:23.359 --> 03:09:40.240
performing schools that are right in their neighborhood. Um I I think you guys know that um I had an issue coming on the board when a kid stayed right across the street from a school that they couldn't go to and it was a a school and they didn't have the same opportunity to attend that school. I

657
03:09:40.240 --> 03:09:58.399
think this helps us to be able to um correct some of those things by talking about zoning, by talking about reszoning, by talking about walk-in zones or or whatever the zone is that's around those schools. Um it I think it can do some it can write some historic

658
03:09:58.399 --> 03:10:15.680
wrongs that's have already been there. So that's that's that's my that's my input on this part. >> Okay, board member Third. Thank you. Um I'll start with the old Evergreen. Um it

659
03:10:15.680 --> 03:10:33.200
it they made there be um and it closed which was just so wrenching and unfortunate. You know being in my district and Evergreen and seeing them recover and then seeing Evergreen still close was just really brutal.

660
03:10:33.200 --> 03:10:51.040
And so I'm loving the conversation that we're having now. Um, and one of the things that we have to keep in mind for all of us taxpayers is that form is one of our newer schools and it is a beautiful campus and has

661
03:10:51.040 --> 03:11:06.960
been underutilized the last few years. But, you know, this is a way for us to move forward from some difficult things in the past and have the opportunity to really continue to talk it through like we've like we're

662
03:11:06.960 --> 03:11:23.200
doing with the North End conversation and land on something that we all feel pretty good that that we're it's a good plan and we're going to do our level best to do it right after a lot of careful consideration and a lot more time than we wish that it would have

663
03:11:23.200 --> 03:11:39.760
taken. But sometimes that's just necessary when you're trying to unravel all this stuff and and continue and consider all the factors. uh talking about the close of Evergreen created these auxiliary zones and [clears throat] you know to have students being bust

664
03:11:39.760 --> 03:11:55.760
from the areas where they live to Shady Hill and and Ward Highlands and yet you know Shady Hills done quite well in their school grade and Ward Highlands has been pretty much a perennial a with taking kids from a a long way across the

665
03:11:55.760 --> 03:12:12.080
district and and getting it done. So I would share with parents, you know, depending on where we land, give Forom 35 a chance because there's a pretty good track record of those kinds of things. Um,

666
03:12:12.080 --> 03:12:28.240
speaking of of of Jones, I I know you came on board member Cummings thinking that the and believing fully and I agree with you that the neighborhood kids, it didn't make any sense for them to be looking longingly at the school across the street from them and and not be able

667
03:12:28.240 --> 03:12:44.399
to go. And I feel exactly the same way about Madison. I don't think it's fair to College Park to balance enrollment on the backs of a school that's already, you know, still up and coming and having big enrollment. Um, you know, as as

668
03:12:44.399 --> 03:13:00.479
taxpayers, we have the sales tax and other funding mechanisms that we didn't have before. Uh, I I think that if we're we're careful um and with a lot of due consideration that

669
03:13:00.479 --> 03:13:16.080
we can make great things happen at any school and and keeping the kids closest is going to reduce our transportation costs. You know, hopefully increase attendance. Families will be happy because they're closer to the school. they can have more opportunity to

670
03:13:16.080 --> 03:13:31.439
participate um and continue to preserve all the great things that are making these schools so successful right now as as we roll these kids in. So I guess what I'm saying is is that maybe it it would need to be a little bit of a slower process

671
03:13:31.439 --> 03:13:49.359
and I know time is money but I think multi many times we've learned that sometimes the slower way ends up being the more cost-effective you know moving forward. Um, I have had the same, and it's not a secret to any staff that I've talked to, the same concerns about uh,

672
03:13:49.359 --> 03:14:07.279
forom and not preserving that and and talking about, okay, so you you pay one more person that is going to be the person that's going to create a great three five magnet. That ends up being a cost savings in the end. It ends

673
03:14:07.279 --> 03:14:24.880
up then fully utilizing the school. you know, you have the uh the lower house and the upper house. Um lots of opportunities for collaboration, everything else. So, um we've been through a lot of pain and and I would love to have you guys consider what the

674
03:14:24.880 --> 03:14:43.120
board is sharing so far and and let's let's continue to focus on this. >> And Madam Chair, I was just thinking we're calling for them early learning, correct? Um the what was the the old model? There was an older model that

675
03:14:43.120 --> 03:14:58.640
those schools used to be on when it was K primary. >> Yeah. Primary [clears throat] then elementary. So it it could be done, couldn't it? Um just thinking outside the box because that model has already been >> We know that model. We know it works. We

676
03:14:58.640 --> 03:15:14.239
know it can work. And it's it was just a feeder school feeder. Yes. Basically feeder pattern. >> Correct. Well, and I I think what I hear the board saying is we're not in disagreement with a zoning pattern and we're not in disagreement with filling forom and solving that solution. What we would like to do is continue to preserve

677
03:15:14.239 --> 03:15:30.000
form early learning and the the work that has been done to create a a program that is working and then also acknowledge zoned and choice students in 35 and what that looks like as well. And so that's what I hear the board saying.

678
03:15:30.000 --> 03:15:47.439
And so from an operational perspective, I think what we're saying is we're we're okay with the expansion. We just want you to really consider how we can go about making sure that we are um truly recognizing the early learning component because and then and and balancing it.

679
03:15:47.439 --> 03:16:04.160
Um I will say because it's been brought up, I am completely not in disagreement with a Madison Street zoning pattern similar to Jones the barrier at Madison and Mr. ays and I have gone round and round about this. Um,

680
03:16:04.160 --> 03:16:19.439
for instance, H on the map. If we were to do a zoning pattern at Madison, it couldn't just be H. That wouldn't be fair. The kids that literally live across the street wouldn't be zoned, right? And that's been said multiple times, living across the street. Well, the students who live across the street

681
03:16:19.439 --> 03:16:36.319
are not in H. And so when, and I did a little historical searching on this probably a year or more ago, um, when Jones went to a a neighborhood pattern expansion, it started with only kindergarteners zoned

682
03:16:36.319 --> 03:16:53.120
and then it grew because the reality is the seats don't exist. You have to basically reduce this choice to be able to accept the zoned. And so we're talking, you know, six years it would take to be able to change the makeup of Madison Street. I'm not in disagreement

683
03:16:53.120 --> 03:17:08.880
at all that if we're doing and having this conversation, we create a zone pattern for Madison and we talk about what that looks like. Um, but Madison is a smaller school and so that's why it's always been a very challenging thing to do because it's essentially half the size of Jones. But, um, I hear the board

684
03:17:08.880 --> 03:17:25.520
saying if we're talking about it, let's, you know, potentially add that to the conversation. Certainly. >> Yes. Board members are >> Go ahead. >> Well, I I hear what you're saying and I think um when we when we did do Jones, it did get phased. I think the initial

685
03:17:25.520 --> 03:17:42.399
year we opened it, I think Mr. Arsham opened it, but there was some um hesitation for a lot of parents that they did not want to move their kids from I think at the time Shady Hill straight to NH Jones. So it did actually get phased in

686
03:17:42.399 --> 03:17:58.640
>> and and that phased in process I think worked a whole lot better. It did not change the the the perception was that it was going to change the dynamics of the school overnight. Well there was change but it didn't change the whole dynamics of the school. It got phased in and as it and I think hey the school got

687
03:17:58.640 --> 03:18:15.760
better stronger. Miss Conrad was working there at the time. Um it didn't it didn't it didn't kill the school as everybody thought it was going to happen. It it just it it just reinforced some positive things for the school. So I think that phase in approach would work for Madison Street as well as any

688
03:18:15.760 --> 03:18:30.479
other school that we're going to look at doing. >> Yes. >> While we have the opportunity to do it. >> Abort. >> Thank you. And and as I just said previously, I'm a huge fan of phasing things in and being strategic. And as

689
03:18:30.479 --> 03:18:47.359
downtown Ocala continues to grow, there is a lot of interest in that area. I mean, who doesn't want to be, you know, well, there's people that want to be in the country, too, but there's a lot of people that want to be downtown and and how walkable and, you know, maybe one day there'll be a walking bridge or a

690
03:18:47.359 --> 03:19:03.279
golf cart bridge that goes over, you know, Pine Street to get to downtown and the live, work, play model. We need to be keeping that in mind. And yes, you know, Madison Street is small right now, but you know, we know how to add a wing. >> We do.

691
03:19:03.279 --> 03:19:19.600
>> And we know how to go up and and and what have you. And and again, it's with this type of thinking now end up being a cost savings in the future and better for kids and better for families. >> Absolutely. Is there any board member >> and we're in the weeds a little bit.

692
03:19:19.600 --> 03:19:35.760
Sorry, Mr. White House. We need a stool for you today like we did used to have for Miss Bostonellis. But just as a reminder, historically NH Jones as a magnet started out very small. Also, we only had four of each grade level. And so as we grew, we added wings, we added

693
03:19:35.760 --> 03:19:52.399
a cafeteria, all of those things. So we're up to almost d well probably more than double that capacity now at 850. I'm looking at Miss Kinard out there. She she can remember. Um, so anyway, um, growing, changing, accommodating, all

694
03:19:52.399 --> 03:20:08.000
good parts of the conversation. So I just wanted to give that little historical piece. That's all. >> Okay. Dr. Campbell, >> my only other comment, and this is unrelated to what we've just been talking about, but it is in the 2728 bucket that we've been talking about.

695
03:20:08.000 --> 03:20:24.399
Uh, just going back to a conversation we had a week or so ago. While I understand the turf field and track improvements are going to be phased in and we have different schools at different times, keeping Belleview High School as the very last one that we

696
03:20:24.399 --> 03:20:41.520
do, I think is a uh disservice to the comments that Dr. James and I both had a couple weeks ago about making Belleview whole and all of the dollars that they've already put forth to do all the things we're now paying for as a district. So, if there'd be any way,

697
03:20:41.520 --> 03:20:55.840
especially in light of the fact they won't have a track, but if their turf field could get moved up in this plan, I think that would be at least a nod at helping make Belleview whole. >> Okay.

698
03:20:55.840 --> 03:21:13.200
All right. Um, moving on to 2829. Uh obviously we're opening the new combination Belleview school, demolishing the lake facilities, planning for the early learning, um construction of the north end elementary school, and then talking about turf tracks and fields. So

699
03:21:13.200 --> 03:21:28.720
um we've really discussed a lot of this and some of it is too far out in the future for us to really have comprehensive conversation. We obviously know we've talked lots about appropriations and and that kind of thing. Um so the obviously primary conversation for me is about the north

700
03:21:28.720 --> 03:21:45.359
end elementary school and so I just want to nod to the district. Um again this will be the first time we we go to the state and ask for funding similar to our early learning appropriation which we Dr. Campbell led the work on um going to say hey we meet all the criteria why

701
03:21:45.359 --> 03:22:01.200
can't we be eligible for this? um understanding there's funding sources with sales tax to make it happen otherwise. But we've been having these conversations about the north end for almost since I got on the board. And the reality is it's a conversation we've

702
03:22:01.200 --> 03:22:16.880
needed to have. I am very much in favor of not doing anything with those facilities when we empty them right away. I think we need to continue to watch how the commission navigates farmland preservation boundaries and um growth boundaries and really sit steady

703
03:22:16.880 --> 03:22:31.200
and just hold on to it and and we've talked through some creative ways we can make sure that people charter schools cannot just come in and cohabitate on our empty spaces. But um I wouldn't want to knee-jerk and get rid of any of those

704
03:22:31.200 --> 03:22:48.160
facilities because reic if if farmland preservation changes and the commission is going to have four new commissioners in the next two years potentially. And so I want to hope that our community is going to continue to focus on preserving what we love about Marian County, but

705
03:22:48.160 --> 03:23:05.040
that's not our job and we have to be reactionary to that. And so I would want to sit steady and and wait before we touch the facilities. Um but I know that putting those students together on the same road that sits North Mary Middle

706
03:23:05.040 --> 03:23:23.359
and North Marian High um similar colors, similar mascots, and we have a community of learning. Uh I think that it is a beautiful thing and could be really magical for the North End. >> Madam Chair. >> Yes. So, I I do want to jump in on this

707
03:23:23.359 --> 03:23:37.359
one. This year, >> can you lean forward a little bit? >> I do want to uh comment on this one. This this that school year 2829. Um and I I completely agree that the North End

708
03:23:37.359 --> 03:23:54.800
needs some love and some attention um that they haven't received um for many many years. So, um, we we we we went out and did those community, um, uh, meetings and had conversations. I think that h I know that helped with the

709
03:23:54.800 --> 03:24:12.600
conversation because, uh, if it had not, you wouldn't be making this recommendation. So, I think um, everyone needs to know that this recommendation has come with community input being involved. Um, I also, um,

710
03:24:12.720 --> 03:24:28.960
don't want us to just go in and just wipe the slate clean on tearing down buildings in any part of the county u without knowing the historical significance of uh, or the attachments to some of this stuff. Um people get

711
03:24:28.960 --> 03:24:46.239
attached to different things for different reasons, but there are some historical components not only in the north end, but definitely um with Belleview Santos, I was a was a historically black u school before uh segregation. So um before integration.

712
03:24:46.239 --> 03:25:01.680
So we want to make sure that uh whatever we're doing we're understanding the historical component of it and that we're addressing those things and again the messaging that goes out and having those conversations those tough conversation

713
03:25:01.680 --> 03:25:18.479
all the stuff that you're presenting is is great wonderful in in some aspect or not another. However, we do know that there are people that are attached to these things and so we want to make sure that how we push it forward, how we move forward, whether we all agree or whether we don't

714
03:25:18.479 --> 03:25:35.520
agree, um that is just done in such a way that that the community we're going to we're going to get buy in from the community. We're never going to get 100% comm uh buy in. I know that. But we want to make sure that we've done everything as a school district. that takes some of the frustration off of us when we're

715
03:25:35.520 --> 03:25:52.080
trying to move things forward and we're catching it on all ends when we could have we could have stopped some of that ourselves. So, thank you, >> Dr. Campbell. >> Thank you. Uh, so I I have a couple of of questions about the presentation as

716
03:25:52.080 --> 03:26:07.680
it relates to our combo school of Belleview Elementary, Belleview Santos. The rendering you showed us has two floors. For some reason, I was anticipating it would need to be three to be able to accommodate,00 students. So, where is it

717
03:26:07.680 --> 03:26:24.720
just longer buildings or how does that work? >> Yes. And we're we have two existing buildings at Bellev Elementary that are not going to be demolished that will be a part. They'll be incorporated because they were built in the 1990s. They're too new to get rid of and they're in really good shape um compared to the rest of the campus. And so, we're going

718
03:26:24.720 --> 03:26:39.439
to incorporate that into the architectural concept. And so instead of having one completely encapsulated building like we see at Winding Oaks and Ross Prairie, it'll be a new building that will then connect through walkway to the other existing buildings that will also be renovated and and improved

719
03:26:39.439 --> 03:26:56.239
but would still exist as structures. >> So looking at current inzoned students and I know this is all conversation we'll be having as we're working on that zoning plan, but if we're just looking at current day enrollment numbers, they exceed the 1100. So, I understand we're

720
03:26:56.239 --> 03:27:10.960
going to be reszoning some of that, moving some of those kids to Shady Hill and all of that, but I'm anticipating we're also looking at all of the growth and development that's occurring in Belleview and the homes that are being uh continued to be built there. So, do

721
03:27:10.960 --> 03:27:26.319
we have any potential that we might be opening that campus with portables? >> No, I don't I mean, again, I don't have a crystal ball. Um, but I think the plan is that we would address it through resoning, which is what growing districts have to do all the time is,

722
03:27:26.319 --> 03:27:42.239
you know, we try to plan for what we think the enrollment is going to be in the future and then if we're off on the mark, we reszone to be able to address the capacity issues. And we're getting to a point now, and I know you all have seen this, where we're going to have to look at reszoning every year pretty much because growth is happening in various

723
03:27:42.239 --> 03:27:57.760
places all around the district and we, you know, it's it's hard to keep up with that through construction needs. And so we will just have to look at balancing and certainly as we showed on the slide, Shady Hills got a lot of space, beautiful campus, amazing school, amazing faculty there. And so moving some students there would not be a

724
03:27:57.760 --> 03:28:12.640
problem. >> Okay. And my final question on this one relates to the North End Elementary combo as well. So with the anticipation of beginning construction in 2028, that's with or without an appropriation. Either way, we're going to figure it

725
03:28:12.640 --> 03:28:30.000
out. it because we'll be the ones making that plea and advocating. Is the anticipation that that is the ask in the 2027 legislative cycle and we're not making an ask for early learning at the same time or we're having two separate appropriation requests. >> Yeah. So my understanding and certainly

726
03:28:30.000 --> 03:28:46.399
I'm treading into waters that aren't quite my expertise, but my understanding from reading the legislature is that it's actually a separate committee that would evaluate this appropriation for new school construction and we can actually go to a pre-approval ahead of the legislative session where we can pitch our proposal and get feedback from

727
03:28:46.399 --> 03:29:02.560
it right then as to whether this is something that's viable or not. And so at that point we can choose to abandon it and look at other funding sources and proceed only with early learning or if we get you know favorable from from that committee we could pursue both. Okay, that that's helpful. And yes, it is two

728
03:29:02.560 --> 03:29:17.760
separate committees, but just I haven't timelined that out to determine how they coincide with what we'll need to be doing from an advocacy perspective, but so there is an anticipation that we would be doing two simultaneous appropriation requests both

729
03:29:17.760 --> 03:29:33.760
for this 2829 school year. >> Yes, would be ideal because again the the way the new school funding works is they break it up over two to three years. So you get a chunk of the funding each year in the appropriation and so getting ahead of that so that we could get the first chunk to start on the

730
03:29:33.760 --> 03:29:50.160
design process and then hopefully have the last payment when we're ready to really start building so all the money is in hand for the GMP to get going. >> Okay, I think that concludes my questions on that one. >> Okay, board member there. >> Thank you. Might as well go for it, right? Uh Dr. Campbell.

731
03:29:50.160 --> 03:30:07.600
>> Sure. [laughter] Sure. Um, I like the way this is going and the way it's un unfolding. Um, I really want to extend appreciation to all of the community members that have weighed in and shared and my compliments to staff

732
03:30:07.600 --> 03:30:23.520
for for getting out there with the people and hearing what they have to say. One of the things that was always so difficult for me the times that I've been board chair is we talk about something and sometimes I would literally forget to ask for public comment. and I'd have to write it down because there's no public in the room,

733
03:30:23.520 --> 03:30:38.800
you know, and I I don't really see that changing that much. You know, the public gets really mad about something, they'll come, but as far as, you know, just coming to participate in dialogue and and planning. Um, and it's understandable. You know, we really need

734
03:30:38.800 --> 03:30:55.520
to go to them if we want to be seen as authentic and genuine about wanting to know what they have to say. And I am so grateful for being for the community being heard. You know, please don't, you know, offline and get rid of Reic. Please don't offline and get rid of

735
03:30:55.520 --> 03:31:12.880
Anthony. You know, uh let's look at options for the community to enhance the living experiences out there, you know, for people. And and a lot of us maybe didn't realize that most of the folks in Reic, they're not getting younger, they're getting older. And it's a long

736
03:31:12.880 --> 03:31:30.160
way to go for services. And that becomes more and more unsafe the older you get, you know, to have to travel to things. So, I really appreciate that. I I know that that comes as no surprise to people that know me. You know, I am a fierce advocate for holding on to land. I've

737
03:31:30.160 --> 03:31:46.239
said that before. You know, the bad bad grammar. They ain't making any more of it. But it's true. You can build another building a lot easier than you can create more land. So, um thank you um for that. And I'm really glad too that the South End is getting some love and

738
03:31:46.239 --> 03:32:01.439
attention because when you crunch all the numbers, they were that that area actually have had less dedicated to it than the north side did. But, you know, north side being north side, you know, they're proud. They're fears they're going to say so. [laughter]

739
03:32:01.439 --> 03:32:18.640
And um but but but regardless, you know, we're looking to balance making sure that everybody is included in in the benefits of the taxpayer money that so many voted so that we could have the referendum, so that we could have the sales tax, finally getting the impact

740
03:32:18.640 --> 03:32:33.760
fees across the finish line. You know, it's it's been a time, shall we say, [laughter] but we're starting to get some momentum now, and I just love it. So, thanks. >> Okay. Was there future any other comment about 2829?

741
03:32:33.760 --> 03:32:50.640
Okay, moving on to 2930. Obviously, the north end school opens, the construction of Denalan Middle School replacement, the beginning of a central office construction, and the completion of Lake Weir High School's turf um turf and track improvements. So, um board, do we

742
03:32:50.640 --> 03:33:06.000
Dr. Campbell? So, just a a couple of comments here just because we've had the comments this past year about the north end combination, whatever that looked like. It it is a little disheartening or disappointing or however you want to

743
03:33:06.000 --> 03:33:22.560
look at it that it's going to take four years for us to actually address all of those things that we talked about. So just thinking of from a timeline perspective, I understand it, but having schools continue to operate for four full years at the capacities they are,

744
03:33:22.560 --> 03:33:40.479
uh, that just is >> difficult. We we'll use that word since I use so many D's along the way on that. I I continue to question about the combination of Dunell and Middle High. That will continue to be a question that I have as long as I sit in this seat.

745
03:33:40.479 --> 03:33:55.520
I'm not certain that the Dunellan community wants that. And while we're having community meetings, please let's ensure that we're talking to the Dunellan community about that. And board, the final thing I want to mention is something that I have talked about previously to Mr. White House and and

746
03:33:55.520 --> 03:34:12.319
Dr. Brewer when we're talking about this specific campus that we sit on right now. We certainly want to preserve and protect this auditorium because we know it's revenue generating and how many schools also use it and community groups as well. I would like to advocate as

747
03:34:12.319 --> 03:34:27.439
well for potentially even refurbishing and if not even refurbishing also preserving and protecting the gymnasium on this campus because you're not building those spaces either. It is also revenue generating for the district. I don't know exactly to what amount that

748
03:34:27.439 --> 03:34:45.200
is. Uh but it we definitely have homeschool groups and private schools that use our gym and we need to consider what that looks like because it's certainly not a space that people are building very often and as an indoor sport advocate we have to preserve those

749
03:34:45.200 --> 03:35:01.439
spaces because we're not going to build them back. >> Thank you Dr. Campbell. And I do think that's the intention that has been discussed with this space specifically is the automotive and the gym and the auditorium. >> Gym was not talked about. >> We hadn't said gym.

750
03:35:01.439 --> 03:35:21.760
>> Yeah, that's why I mentioned it because the gym is not a part of the plan currently. >> Okay. Um, who else has comments on 28 2930? Uh, Bor, >> thanks. As I sit here and and I re reflect on

751
03:35:21.760 --> 03:35:36.479
all of this, um I know that it's a little bit further down in the in the bullet points um beginning construction of a new central office, including school board meeting

752
03:35:36.479 --> 03:35:52.479
space. And I continue to want to believe that there are models out there. Uh Pasco County comes to mind. They have a governmental complex where, you know, the the county and and

753
03:35:52.479 --> 03:36:09.120
the school board all have spots and that's where you go for your driver's license and taxes and all those things. It's it's like a one-stop shop. Um, there's been multiple complaints and I understand that as much as we try to make our

754
03:36:09.120 --> 03:36:25.279
meetings welcoming to the public, people are very intimidated with the way this is set up. But yet what it would cost to change it and yet still have it be functional to rent out for for what you typically use an auditorium for. I mean,

755
03:36:25.279 --> 03:36:41.600
we're literally using an auditorium to do schoolboard business meetings. So, it it's not the space, it's us and and what how what we need to do to conduct our business properly that needs to change. So it appears that trying to lower the

756
03:36:41.600 --> 03:36:59.359
stage or increase the uh height of the people that are speaking, you know, all of that has been thought about. And in the meantime, what we have done is made it more comfortable for the public that does come um to to attend and and

757
03:36:59.359 --> 03:37:16.160
be here and be comfortable. But that certainly hasn't created a lot more public participation in schoolboard meetings. In fact, it's generated more complaints than participation because the ones that do come here and try to participate feel

758
03:37:16.160 --> 03:37:30.720
intimidated. It's almost like, you know, we're up here on high, you know, talking down to everybody, which obviously can't imagine that it's anyone's intent, but it's just positioning, you know, um it costs a lot of money to to remodel and

759
03:37:30.720 --> 03:37:46.960
update uh these kinds of buildings and, you know, the county did a beautiful remodel and it's public record, you know, how much that cost of >> the city. >> Yeah. So I I would like to hope as we begin to uh reopen the conversation of

760
03:37:46.960 --> 03:38:02.640
the new central office that some of this stuff can become bygones instead of recirculating the same old stuff and let's talk about what the public has really said. The public has really said they're really not that comfortable coming here and participating and they would like more of a level playing

761
03:38:02.640 --> 03:38:20.319
field. So to me that just opens the door to further conversation about how we can as government entities have a conversation at least about you know how to make this best for all taxpayers. So I'll just

762
03:38:20.319 --> 03:38:35.439
stop my comments with that one bullet and I'm sure I'll think of some others for the other ones. >> Thank you. On that note, one thing I want to mention is I think that we we have time. This is, you know, year four of a five-year plan.

763
03:38:35.439 --> 03:38:52.720
We have an obligation to find the most affordable solution to the problem that we know exists. We're talking about $20 million in flood in a plumbing problem that could happen tomorrow or could happen in two years

764
03:38:52.720 --> 03:39:09.120
from now or however long from now. But the reality is is we bring adults here and students off the campus were still using a campus that 25 years ago we said we couldn't use anymore. And so we we

765
03:39:09.120 --> 03:39:25.439
have got to find a solution because when the toilets stop flushing, we will then be backed into the wall to solve a problem. And I would rather stop patching the roof and just replace the roof because ultimately we're going to spend the same amount of money when we get to the end.

766
03:39:25.439 --> 03:39:41.439
And so um but we need to use strategy. I would love to have cooperative conversation with the county about the land and property that they have that the community is very accustomed to visiting. Um I'd love to have continued conversation about truly what it would

767
03:39:41.439 --> 03:39:59.520
take to do it here. Um, I'm not comfortable with $45 million and I would like to have greater conversation outside of of this this particular moment about what does the bond look like. Um, I'm not in a place of comfortability to bond 45 million that

768
03:39:59.520 --> 03:40:16.720
we then, the way I understand it, have to spend for a an office that that's just that's too that's I don't think that's the most responsible way to go about the project. And so until we've

769
03:40:16.720 --> 03:40:32.720
really washed it all out, I want us to think really carefully about how we navigate that. So that's my comments on that. I I don't disagree. It's a necessity. We I think we all can agree that we have to do something not just for the public's uncomfortability in public meetings, but

770
03:40:32.720 --> 03:40:47.200
from our functionality and for the community's functionality and for their access to us. Um how overwhelming for someone who's new to our county to have to maybe go to four different places to get their to get the answer to their question. And so we can deliver better

771
03:40:47.200 --> 03:41:03.600
customer service all in one place. And um we're going to kind of address that in 2027 when we're all pretty much back here except for the people that are by Oyola. And so it's a step in the right direction, but I I want to really take it to impact, really plan it out so that

772
03:41:03.600 --> 03:41:21.279
we feel very comfortable with the amount of money we're going to spend to do it. Any other comment on 2930 plan? >> Member Thor. >> Thanks. And I'll just make this quick. um [snorts] with the anticipated new uh building of the new Spar Elementary

773
03:41:21.279 --> 03:41:36.640
School. was my first glimpse at the design and it was kind of a relief because when you when you look at the land up there, it would really be nice to have something that looks like it blends in and leaves some trees, [laughter] you

774
03:41:36.640 --> 03:41:53.439
know, um because anything else would just look like a shock, you know, and and if we're going to do this, let let's honor uh what the North End is and and the beauty of of the the land up there and and blend it in. So it just looks

775
03:41:53.439 --> 03:42:09.680
like a that's just I don't know spar is just a welcoming comfortable school and I wouldn't want to lose that through the design. So when I at first at first glimpse it it looked pretty good. >> Yeah. All right. Are we good to move on to 203031?

776
03:42:09.680 --> 03:42:25.760
Um it's the wing at Maplewood upgrading Fort King Middle and then the Belleview High School turf. So um are there any additional comments here board? Dr. Campbell. >> Yes, absolutely. To removing portables and building those classroom wings. I'm

777
03:42:25.760 --> 03:42:42.080
all for Maplewood and Ward Highlands getting them sooner rather than later. So, it looks like it at least is a part of the five-year plan that we worked that in. And obviously, I've previously commented about moving the Belleview High Turf field up earlier in the plan, and I'm going to stand by that comment.

778
03:42:42.080 --> 03:42:58.880
>> Okay. >> Yeah. Since uh both Maplewood and Fort King are in my district currently, uh yes, it'll really be great um for for the kids and and for everyone to eventually have that portable city

779
03:42:58.880 --> 03:43:16.080
retired. It's it's we've done the best we can with it, that's for sure. But that'll be welcomed. And then for King Middle, I believe, was built in 1960, wasn't it? >> 63. 1963, I think. >> 63. 62 is what I have at my records, but we could all be >> all right. So, the early 60s

780
03:43:16.080 --> 03:43:30.080
>> close. >> So, it's been around a while and and I want to compliment everyone that has worked hard on the upgrades that we have had, you know, with the outdoor dining and and the paint and the gym. You know, there's there's a lot of enhancements that have been done to make that school

781
03:43:30.080 --> 03:43:46.239
look like it's coming up, which it is. Uh, but building upgrades for buildings one and two. So, I suppose this would be a much more in the future plan if we were eventually going to look at replacing, you know, Fort King Middle and maybe building next to it in that

782
03:43:46.239 --> 03:44:03.680
field out there. But that'll be future planning for a different board member sitting in this seat, I guess. And in the meantime, I just want to extend my gratitude for uh for what has been done for Fort King. It's going to be a really great and exciting year. Just we're in some good momentum. Good.

783
03:44:03.680 --> 03:44:22.080
>> Any further comment, board? Okay. So, I think that concludes the board's conversation. Um, and is there public comment on this item? >> It's always so disappointing. >> All right. So, Mr. White House, would

784
03:44:22.080 --> 03:44:37.040
you just be able to briefly kind of recap or Dr. Brewer, whoever, like what is next? What where do we go from here? I think that's always kind of the community's question is so what are we doing now? talk. >> We um at this point and thank you for

785
03:44:37.040 --> 03:44:53.120
all of your feedback and your um continued conversations. Um quite a few of you said said items today that are easily um things that we can easily adjust. So what we will do is we will discuss those and bring those back to you. But our our um ask is to add this

786
03:44:53.120 --> 03:45:09.840
to our board agenda um so you can actually vote on our operation plan so we can begin the process of truly moving forward. Okay. Uh, board member Thor, >> thank you. Thank you for asking for the wrapup, uh, chair, because I think it's

787
03:45:09.840 --> 03:45:26.239
going to continue to be important as in terms of positive momentum that if the board has truly come to consensus that it's going to be the new school um on the north side at located at the current Spar Elementary that we do some community outreach. you know, have a

788
03:45:26.239 --> 03:45:42.640
change it from community meetings to community updates and get out there and say, you know, here's what we landed on and here's the approximate timeline and keep everybody in the loop and then then I think the suggestions for refinement will keep coming. >> Yes, I don't disagree.

789
03:45:42.640 --> 03:45:58.319
All right. Anything else, board? Okay. Well, then um I think that is going to conclude our work on item 7.1. Thank you, Mr. White House, for putting together what is years of conversations

790
03:45:58.319 --> 03:46:14.319
and work and um putting it in a way that we as specifically asked you to do. You this was an ask of the board to summarize the whole picture because all of these components are um intermingled and you did exactly what we asked you to do. So, thank you to the staff for

791
03:46:14.319 --> 03:46:30.800
working really hard to get us here. Um we will move into item 8.1, which is the facilities rental agreement. Mr. White House, you're not going anywhere. >> [laughter] >> We try to make this one a lot briefer than the last one. Uh so we did share um an update in late

792
03:46:30.800 --> 03:46:47.279
fall last school year about the rental facilities uh in Marian County and and shared some of the concerns obviously about the potential revenue that that might have been lost at the time. Um and the board asked that we do come back uh sooner rather than later just to provide

793
03:46:47.279 --> 03:47:02.560
some updates of where we are further breakdown and next steps. And so I'm going to provide that to you this morning or this afternoon, whichever it is now. >> This afternoon. >> Afternoon. >> All right. So, uh, the rental fees, again, just as a recap, um, the the

794
03:47:02.560 --> 03:47:18.000
current rental fee structure was adopted by the board in 2010. So, we have had it for quite some time. Um, but also understanding that in that same timeline, we went through the great recession. We stopped collecting impact fees. We um, we stopped with the sales

795
03:47:18.000 --> 03:47:34.960
tax. So we we understood that there were a lot of financial challenges in the community at that time and so not updating it certainly makes sense. Um but you can see what what gets um assessed when we rent out our facilities to outside groups. So utility charges if they're needed um custodial fee at $30

796
03:47:34.960 --> 03:47:51.359
per hour for a minimum of two hours, supervisory fees and a damage deposit which is 25% of the total fee. This is the rental free structure that currently exists. I won't um go into all the details of this. You all have seen this before. Um just breaks down how we

797
03:47:51.359 --> 03:48:10.880
charge folks whether they're a profit or for-profit or nonprofit. So we things that we ask for as well when we rent our facilities is to make sure we have a certificate of liability for at least a million dollars that names the school board of Maring County as the additional insured. Uh we also

798
03:48:10.880 --> 03:48:27.040
try to bring in law enforcement when we have larger events um just for added security which is a cost of the tenant when we do that. Um certainly we saw that with the Fourth of July at Denellan High School and the need to not only have make sure we have plenty of liability coverage for the fireworks show but to also make sure that we had

799
03:48:27.040 --> 03:48:41.359
uh law enforcement present at the campus. Um and then we also require proof of certification as a nonprofit agency if they are requesting that funding line. So this is board policy 7510 which

800
03:48:41.359 --> 03:48:57.840
governs our um use of facilities by outside organizations. Um and the piece that I clipped on here is that we do have the ability through board policy to wave fees for programs that we feel are direct benefits for our students. So either our students are participating in them regularly uh or we see the direct

801
03:48:57.840 --> 03:49:14.000
benefit to our schools and to our students. So, what you'll see on this next chart is the breakdown of the revenues, um the number of agreements that we had, the fees that were charged, um and the fees that were waved based on the different

802
03:49:14.000 --> 03:49:30.840
groups. And so, you'll see that we have collected for 2526 a total of almost $76,000. We waved about $260,000. The combined total, if we had collected everything, would have been 336,000 and some change.

803
03:49:31.600 --> 03:49:48.080
So of that I also want to break down the wave fees just so you can see where the waved fees were. Keep in mind prior to um the November presentation the waving of fees was solely the discretion of the the site principal um whose facility was being requested. We since changed that

804
03:49:48.080 --> 03:50:04.160
in November. Um and so now the request for a waiver goes through the area superintendent and then finally to me for the final approval. And so we were able to uh clamp down on some of those waves that were not necessarily following board policy to make sure that we stay in line. But you'll see the bulk

805
03:50:04.160 --> 03:50:20.399
of what we do wave on an annual basis um happens to be related to youth sports. So a big chunk of that of course is the Ocala Highlands great community baseball group that's been uh participating at Ward Highlands for years. Our students participate in it and the the Ocala

806
03:50:20.399 --> 03:50:36.000
Highlands group also maintains that field for us. They bring in extra clay when it's needed. They keep up with the grass, they keep up with the press box. Um, so there is a lot of support from them as well on that facility. We wave our fees for MCFL practices, which are all of our students that are

807
03:50:36.000 --> 03:50:53.040
participating in those. Um, and some of our outside of season leagues that our schools participate in, so fall ball leagues, um, outside of season wrestling, etc. Uh, we also waved $71,000 worth of fees for Saturday SAT and ACT testing. Obviously, all of our

808
03:50:53.040 --> 03:51:09.359
students participate and it's at our school sites in those Saturday ACT and SAT testing. Um, and so it is a direct benefit for our students to be able to have those locally at their local high school and not having them drive to Elatcha County or Orange County to have to take the ACT or the SAT. Um, and then

809
03:51:09.359 --> 03:51:24.479
we also had a youth robotics weekend at Belleview Middle School this year. Um, that benefited all of our students uh in the youth robotics program that we also wave fees for. So all of these are in line with the board policy and making sure that we are directly supporting our

810
03:51:24.479 --> 03:51:40.880
students um whenever we wave use of fees. So moving to the end just our recommendations as we continue to analyze what we're doing and where we need to go from here. Um so we have changed the procedure and we're are working through that process now. Um, so

811
03:51:40.880 --> 03:51:56.319
with Miss Usher leaving and also her executive secretary who had been managing the facility rentals, we have shifted that responsibility now out to our area superintendent. So they are working with the schools directly on the facility rentals. Um, the requests for waiverss still come to me at the final

812
03:51:56.319 --> 03:52:11.680
point. Um, but we're working on documenting what those procedures will look like. We also have a historical look at what we've waved fees over time. the groups that we know like Okala Highlands that come back every year and request to use our facilities um that we can go ahead and create those lists of

813
03:52:11.680 --> 03:52:27.920
organizations that we know are exempt following board policy um to make it a little bit cleaner and easier for our schools to follow and for our air superintendents as they work through the process. Uh I've also talked with Chief McFaden about possibly lowering that number from 300. I know he would feel more comfortable if we had law

814
03:52:27.920 --> 03:52:44.720
enforcement with even 200 participants. So, we're going to continue to talk with our local law enforcement agencies about what that would look like um and add that into our procedures. And then certainly any recommendations that we make that impact this current school year, uh we would have a grace period before we have full implementation of

815
03:52:44.720 --> 03:53:01.120
any of those changes for the fee schedule. That's it. Short one. >> Thank you, Mr. White House. Um board, I open it up for comment. I know this this came up more than a year ago uh with reference to one particular group which was Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band.

816
03:53:01.120 --> 03:53:16.600
>> Yes. >> And so where do would they fall in the recommendations you provided? >> Yes. So they are a nonprofit organization but we do not wave fees. So we do charge fees for them for the use of this facility. >> About the storage.

817
03:53:18.000 --> 03:53:34.239
>> What about the storage where they store all their stuff here? Do they get charged for that? I'd have to go back and look at their application. I'm not 100% sure, but I can get back to you on that, Miss Conrad. >> Okay. Um, board, any comments, questions, concerns regarding the fee

818
03:53:34.239 --> 03:53:49.120
schedule? >> I guess I just got the question was asked, what about storage? >> Their storage that they're currently and and I guess that would be asked. Sorry, we're kind of having open dialogue on this one, but how much of our space are

819
03:53:49.120 --> 03:54:06.640
they still using for storage? I know behind this curtain we can pull it back and that's stuff back there. I believe this room and a room over here and then also the concession area if I'm not mistaken. That's where we put all their stuff whenever we cleared out the room back here. So, um anyway, I I would be

820
03:54:06.640 --> 03:54:23.760
curious to know how much they still have storage here at on this campus. >> And and that leads me to a greater conver uh question. Um if they're storing stuff here, are we paying are they paying storage fees for us? how that how does that line up on our insurance is a liability? What's all

821
03:54:23.760 --> 03:54:41.120
those questions follow behind that? Is that in the rental fee? Um those would be my questions. >> Yes, I'll get answers to all those and email it out to the board. >> Thank you. >> To that point, there have been other nonprofits. I know I've been approached by The Rock about

822
03:54:41.120 --> 03:54:56.960
finding a space to put prom dresses because they do a amazing event where they they go to all of our high schools and offer free um outfits for prom, but they need a place to store all of those things. And they've approached me and I

823
03:54:56.960 --> 03:55:12.800
kind of have said, well, it's one of these things if we do for one, we have to do for another. And so I would love to know, you know, for me I look at it like there's room at Reddic. Like [clears throat] as it exists right now, there's plenty of room at Reddic. Why couldn't the Rock store, all of their prom stuff, which they only use

824
03:55:12.800 --> 03:55:29.279
once a year at Reddic? But I haven't really broached it because do for one, do for another, right? And so then we've opened it up. But the reality is we are doing for some. And so getting some real consensus and and language on what we are allowing and what we aren't allowing. And maybe it's a very nominal

825
03:55:29.279 --> 03:55:46.319
storage fee, but then we open that up to a a place like The Rock who would say, "Yeah, for X amount of dollars a month, we would love to be able to use three rooms at Reddic to store our prom dresses because we know that only helps our students." Like those prom dresses and formal attire are only supporting

826
03:55:46.319 --> 03:56:01.680
our students. It's that is what the direct impact is. So I would love to see some clear language on that. So in that particular example, they have h found a community partner where they are storing all of the prom material, but point well taken to know what our policy would be

827
03:56:01.680 --> 03:56:17.680
on storage of materials uh for any nonprofit. Um but for that particular case, The Rock does have a community partner who's storing everything. >> That's great. >> Board member Thurm. >> Thanks. And and I know this has been needed. you know, we did it like the

828
03:56:17.680 --> 03:56:32.960
good old days and then the recession hit and then everything was just in need of updating for these rental facilities. I also want to make sure that we can be as generous as as we can because our nonprofit organizations locally are just

829
03:56:32.960 --> 03:56:48.640
such wonderful supporters of of us. And so I would truly want to we have to be careful of every penny. And I know I'm looking straight at RC. [laughter] You know, it we we we I we got a great

830
03:56:48.640 --> 03:57:05.439
infusion of $154 million or whatever it was from COVID relief funds, but I don't see an infusion like that coming our way anytime soon and you know, we've had to really work hard to rightsize things. Uh we did what we had to do during an extraordinary time and now we're where

831
03:57:05.439 --> 03:57:22.000
we are. So, I am grateful to have something on paper that that guides um everybody so they know what to say to who. Um but at the same time, this is taxpayer property, so there's a balance there.

832
03:57:22.000 --> 03:57:37.920
>> Yep. >> Board member Conrad. >> Yeah, I I'll just add it. It is a kind of where we've landed all day, difficult conversations. it is taxpayer property, but we also have to maintain it all, you know, and so there's that

833
03:57:37.920 --> 03:57:55.600
fine line of of charging and using and upkeep and all of the things. And so I'm glad that we're re-evaluating it and um and taking a closer look. >> Anything else, board? Okay. Any public comment on um the

834
03:57:55.600 --> 03:58:13.359
facilities rental agreement? Okay. Hearing none, we'll move into 9.1, which is the recommendation for student fees plan with Miss Connor >> and Mr. Ays >> and Mr. Ays. >> He's been waiting all day for this moment. >> Oh, they have been waiting

835
03:58:13.359 --> 03:58:30.279
>> this morning. >> He has. And we are super excited to bring this to you. Um, Attorney Blackman, Mr. Ay, the whole group has worked together to make this happen. We're excited to see it finally come to fruition. And Mr. Ays will start us off with the presentation.

836
03:58:32.160 --> 03:58:51.760
Welcome. Good afternoon. [clears throat] >> Afternoon. >> All right. State statute 100002.394 established the family empowerment scholarship program. The program establishes student scholarship accounts. Student scholarship accounts

837
03:58:51.760 --> 03:59:06.640
functions like a bank account from which a parent or guardian can direct funds to pay for tuition and fees for eligible private schools, home education optit options, therapies, tutoring, and other education related expenses permitted by

838
03:59:06.640 --> 03:59:24.399
law. The student scholarship accounts are administered by approved scholarship funding organizations or SFOs which are responsible for determining and distributing funding funding. The primary SFO is step up for students.

839
03:59:24.399 --> 03:59:39.920
Step up for students approves purchases and reimbursement requests in accordance with Florida statute related to the scholarship program. Rules set by the Florida Department of Education and internal policies and procedures. An allowable expense is contracted

840
03:59:39.920 --> 03:59:58.160
services provided by a public school district. This includes academic courses, standardized testings, and athletic participation. Marian County Public Schools is now an approved vendor in the educational marketplace portal. On the portal,

841
03:59:58.160 --> 04:00:13.600
Marian County Public Schools will list the classes and services offered. Enrollment in specific courses and service is subject to seat availability. The student assignment and records department will handle the enrollment process, collect fees, and the student

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parent agreement. I'll turn over to Miss Connor for slide four. >> So, course offerings, we went through a variety of conversations whenever we were trying to figure out what courses we were going to offer and exactly what we were going to uh start publishing

843
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this as. We good? All right. So, we do have some elementary courses that we're going to be able to offer through Marian Virtual, our middle school courses, fine arts, performing arts, career and technical education. We have high school courses and some of those advanced and accelerated groups the same way as fine

844
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arts and performing arts, CTE, PE, driver's education, athletics, and even test preparation sessions. Uh we're thrilled that we'll be able to offer gifted for elementary and secondary and of course like Mr. said that required

845
04:01:06.080 --> 04:01:29.359
state testing as well. Senate Bill 358 standardizes eligibility for student athletic participation across all school types. It ensures equal access to athletics regardless of school choice. It creates a single definition of an eligible student and

846
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includes public, charter, private, homeschool, virtual, and alternative students. >> Mr. Harris. Yes, sir. >> What bill did you say? >> Senate Bill 358. >> Which one? >> Or 538.

847
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>> Thank you. >> Sorry. It's uh >> Thank you, sir. >> It's kicking in. >> We We'll get you know, somebody's listening and waiting to say the wrong thing. >> Well, I appreciate you, pastor. >> Thank you, sir. >> Again, Senate Bill 538 limits where

848
04:02:03.040 --> 04:02:18.640
students can play. Proof of residency is required. Students generally participate in the district where they reside. If the school they attend doesn't offer a sport, they may opt to participate in another sport at another school within the county. At another school in an

849
04:02:18.640 --> 04:02:36.560
adjacent district if no school in their district offers the sport, the student assignment and records department will work with the county athletic director to determine athletic participation eligibility. Also, Senate Bill 538 restricts multiple

850
04:02:36.560 --> 04:02:52.000
school participation. A student athlete must now finish the year at a school in which they first participate in a sport, and appeals can be made to the FHSA under the good cause clause. Senate Bill 538 allows schools to charge

851
04:02:52.000 --> 04:03:08.399
participation or activity fees. Districts may charge certain non-traditional school students up to $400 per athletic activity. to cover those fees. I'll bring back Miss Connor. >> So, this is also an exciting part for us

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because this is where we can start to uh generate some money back into our schools. The semester courses, we did kind of a tiered approach, especially to our CTE courses because of the different materials and costs that are involved in running those courses. So, the semester

853
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courses go anywhere from $450 to $800. Those fullear term courses, which are some of the requirements, are anywhere from 900 to 1,600. The state testing uh per test will be at $125 for each of those test subjects. And then athletics,

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we will charge $400 per sport. We do anticipate a big social media campaign when all this is said and done to get the information out there. I know there's been questions about how many students this could possibly affect. Mr.'s 's favorite statement to me is

855
04:03:57.199 --> 04:04:13.040
that the impact of this won't be greater than we can handle because we control it and it's for areas in which we have space for students. Thank you guys. Um I know I have a question. When we look at this fee schedule, is it for students who are

856
04:04:13.040 --> 04:04:29.600
using family empowerment money or is it for all students? And I think it's important to do that clarification. Yeah, the the fee schedule is for family empowerment scholarship recipients or private school students. If you're a standard homeschool student or a charter

857
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school student, you we by the district were only we're restricted to charge them the same amount we charge our own students since we currently ch charge our own students. We don't charge homeschool or charter school students. >> Thank you. I knew that answer but I didn't it was not crystal clear in the presentation so I wanted to make it very

858
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clear. So, if you're a family who homeschools and you do not use family empowerment money, um, then you will continue to receive the same services you have always received from Marian County Public Schools. >> But if you are electing to get family empowerment money, we then will be able

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to charge for services. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. Thank you for that clarification. Board, who else has questions? Dr. Campbell. >> Thank you. uh primary question I have is related to the gifted uh as you're I'm sure assuming that's like the big hot

860
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button topic I was asked about but gifted specifically at the elementary school level because those services are often performed in a one day a week scenario a carveout model is that still at this 450 for the semester or because

861
04:05:34.319 --> 04:05:50.319
it's only one day a week >> right and so we essentially took like the basic FTE and divided it by a sixth or a fifth. A fifth would be the elementary because of the gifted services involved. And so it would still be that exact same model. Um it's not on here, but we have a list of courses and

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the attached fees with it for when parents decide to uh participate, they can see exactly how much that specific cost is. >> Okay, perfect. because I I know right now of families that have those assessments but have been unable to get into our magnet programs and they are

863
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accepting fees but want specialized gifted services for their children and currently are not being able to receive them. So that helps. Thank you >> board. Any other comments, questions? >> Just a cl member Conrad. Just a clarifying question. Um and you tried to

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shoot you did share this at the beginning Mr. ears, but really the predictability portion doesn't land really as our responsibility. Just reiterating what you said, we can only take students where we have room. Is that what >> that is correct? Yeah. Because when we looked at this, we looked at because,

865
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you know, there's upwards of 10,000 students possibly potentially K12 receiving some form of scholarship funding. We're not going to be required to have room for all those students. We're require, you know, if you want to take AP English at the high school level and it's at Forest High School, that

866
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Forest High School has an open of six seats in that classroom, we could take six students, >> okay, >> in that after that where you have no more. >> Thank you. I just wanted to make sure I understood. So, thank you. And as you are the waiting list king, I assume if there were to become a demand

867
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for let's call it ACE physics um for some homeschool group and there's no available seats, we would then start a waiting list of open availability or or how there will create some internal procedure for that. >> We would create an internal procedure for that because it is once the semester

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starts or the class starts, they pay fully upfront and then we're closed. So we can't come in midstream or if someone >> I totally appreciate that. I'm just thinking of trying to avoid like Black Friday shopping like how when does the window open? Are we applying like school choice if there becomes a demand? Is it then something we put out as an

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application for students who would like to participate? I imagine this is going to be used a lot in our we are the we are the premier product for um high school when it comes to advancement. We offer the most robust coursework for AP, IB, ACE. And so there are students who

870
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want to strengthen their college admittance transcript and they're going to want to take some of our courses. So I'm just trying to think to impact how we >> as we've had these discussions. The key thing is is is we're going to be fluid and flexible with this as we develop this. There's other counties that have already done this. They've taken the

871
04:08:19.040 --> 04:08:35.359
lead on this. Orange County, Broward County. The demand in those counties is what I would say high, but not commensurate with the size of their county. And so it's still a new process. It's still a new thing that's going on and so we're not anticipating having to do weight list but we will be able to

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pivot to be able to do that. >> Understood. Anyone else have anything to add? No. Okay. Any public comment on item 9.1 hearing? None. We are going to take a

873
04:08:51.840 --> 04:09:07.920
10-minute recess. We have to move our computer screen up for our final item which is our Neiola updates. Um so we will take a 10-minute recess. We'll come back at um we'll call it 1:20 and that will give staff enough time to get us prepared for our policy conversation.

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Thank you. Yeah, >> I just I just Okay. >> Hello. We're back. We're back from recess at 119 and we're moving into our final item of the day, which is our Neola updates, item 10.1. Uh we welcome

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Miss Terry Brown uh to the stage as well as attorney Blackman to provide um assistance in our conversation on our policy for today. So I'll hand the floor over to the legal team. >> Right. We have uh for consideration

876
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today a proposed policy 7250 on the commemoration of school facilities. Uh Mr. Blackman has uh done the work on bringing this to the board. Um so I will let him take it over from here. I will let you know that we have

877
04:20:06.080 --> 04:20:22.640
on the fly already made uh uh an one alteration um in this particular case and that was on at the very end of the section on naming rights.

878
04:20:22.640 --> 04:20:39.040
The very last sentence says, "The duration of all naming rights shall be determined on a case-byase basis by we're deleting the word by." That way it's it's it's made a determination on a case- by case basis.

879
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>> Got it. >> Okay. >> Consistent with the sentence before it, >> right? >> Um so we'll turn it over to um uh I'll turn it over to Mr. Blackman to give us some rendition of how it is that we come to need this policy and what

880
04:20:55.439 --> 04:21:10.640
it's for. >> Sure. >> Absolutely. So, this was brought up in response to a question about uh the ability to raise funds and the current policy doesn't have as robust ability to

881
04:21:10.640 --> 04:21:27.199
uh raise funds or at least not explicitly written in there. So with that in mind, we went back and looked at some other policies, some other um government entities and determined what might be a good way to implement a policy like this. And so one of the

882
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first things we realized is is trying to figure out and and I I can go through the whole policy if that's helpful or I can just have questions as you normally do and I'll actually defer to the chair what you'd prefer. >> Um well board, what would you be what would be your preference? Do you guys have questions? Did you come into this

883
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meeting with questions about the policy that's presented? Okay, >> we can just start with some questions to kick it off and then that'll probably lead us to other things. So, Dr. Campbell, go ahead. >> Thank you. So, I appreciate the district

884
04:21:59.120 --> 04:22:14.560
bringing forth a recommendation for this policy change. Our previous policy or current policy I should stay say does not give the robustness that we really need for the potential of additional outside dollars that we can

885
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raise. Uh and so it certainly looks to me like they have been comprehensive in this policy and that potentially receiving some from Neiola or or at least from other districts. I appreciate the opportunity to revoke a name if that

886
04:22:32.319 --> 04:22:49.199
need be because that's certainly always a consideration. I think the board might want to have conversation if we believe it is a supermajority that would be required or if we we tend to not like supermajorities whenever the board puts something in policy. Um but I I wanted to pose that as a question to the board.

887
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Um secondarily, the other thing that I I noted and appreciated about it is the second paragraph. It does state the superintendent may work closely with the direct support organization but doesn't require it. And so I think that's imperative because certainly there will

888
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be entities that may or may not want that tax write off and that may be something that we need to use, but we may not always. Uh and so I I appreciate the word may there as opposed to shall. And uh I think this this is pretty

889
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comprehensive in what we we need moving forward. Okay. Um, let's talk about since you brought it up, let's talk about supermajority and um, how we feel about that. I person I personally would agree uh, I am an advocate for a regular

890
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majority to do anything. I think it undermines the authority of an individual board member when we have to go to supermajority. That's just my personal perspective on it. Um, so I would be in favor to just say a majority is required, but that's my unique position on it.

891
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>> Thank you. Sorry I interrupted you earlier. >> Okay. >> Um I was just interested in the reasoning behind the supermajority. So Attorney Blackman, could you explain that please? >> Um absolutely. So the idea behind this and we had a lot of discussion about you want to have a policy that provides

892
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donors with some level of certainty of this occurring in perpetuity. And so the idea being is if you have a regular majority potentially some might be leery and thinking well how permanent is this really? So the idea was we definitely want the ability to revoke. We should

893
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always take that. Unanimous feels a bit much. So the idea was to be able to point to to something in policy and say, "Hey, this is definite and certain." One would take a supermajority to be able to have this revoked. So that was the idea. It's just something to protect so people might be more inclined to want to

894
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donate. It's not required by any means. It's just something we can point to. >> Okay. And >> Reverend Cummings, >> normally I would be one of the ones that would say I like the 3-2. In this situation, I'm I'm more in favor

895
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of the supermajority based on um I've seen the dynamics of this board change several times. And if the dynamics of the board change several times, you can just get uh you can you you can easily push us 32 uh with the wrong with the

896
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wrong people in place. So, um I think um and it's something like this that's where the family or whoever is getting the school named or whatever whatever it is that's named that they they want to see that be there for a long time and for a reason and I wouldn't want someone

897
04:25:31.600 --> 04:25:48.479
just coming and upending it just on based on a simple 32. >> Okay. I can appreciate that perspective. >> Dr. Kimble, >> I I can too. Thank you for I I'm glad that we're having the conversation because that's what I didn't say one way or the other. I just said that's not

898
04:25:48.479 --> 04:26:03.680
typically the direction this board takes. Uh but I too can appreciate the the idea that supermajority supermajority in this case would certainly give a level of confidence to any donor that it wouldn't take just one

899
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election cycle to change something that they've made a significant investment in. with term limits the way they are now, I I think supermajority most likely is the direction we need to go on something like this of this magnitude. So again, one election cycle wouldn't change a major investment that a family

900
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or or individual or uh institution of some kind, business would would have put forth to ensure that their name was included. So thank you for that. >> Any other thoughts, board member sir? >> Thank you. And and I'll just say I'm in

901
04:26:38.159 --> 04:26:56.319
agreement for the the super majority for a couple of reasons. First of all, having your your your name commemorated on something of this magnitude is such an honor and and it should not be subject ever to the way the fickle political winds tend to blow. Um, and

902
04:26:56.319 --> 04:27:11.680
I'll also say that I'm glad to see that you don't have to be dead to get it anymore. >> Right. That's right. >> Right. >> That's all I have. >> That's right. Thank you, board member Farah. Okay, board. Any further discussion

903
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about this policy? Obviously, we'll have to take it to a public hearing. Um, and then we would take it to a vote, right? >> That's correct. >> Okay. [clears throat] >> Are we in favor of leaving supermajority in there or not? >> Yeah. I mean, that's I'm not

904
04:27:26.720 --> 04:27:43.439
>> I'm hearing consensus for that. Okay. >> Then we have to vote on it, right? Right. >> Yeah. I I just have another question. >> Yes, Miss Conrad. Um so so anything that happened would we would vote on if we wanted to

905
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break that that commitment or do we have a standing list of things that are unacceptable? >> So with a naming so and and this is I want to make sure we have distinction between advertising and naming and that's one distinction that we really want to try to make in this policy. >> Okay. >> So a naming should be a long-term

906
04:28:00.479 --> 04:28:15.600
commitment. That's sort of the idea behind it. advertising would be more ideally term limited. Um, so the the idea being here is >> there's not a specific and and actually if you could say your question again to make sure I'm answering correctly. Is

907
04:28:15.600 --> 04:28:32.239
there certain things that you want to see or what would be the standard just revocation not somebody that yes it's a revocation. >> It's just revocation is from from what I'm understanding super is just in regards to the revocation not the whole process. What she's asking though is

908
04:28:32.239 --> 04:28:48.399
what gets you to revocation. That's what you're asking, right? >> Because because the naming process may not be someone that is deceased. It may be someone that shows up in the newspaper two weeks from now with something we definitely don't want

909
04:28:48.399 --> 04:29:03.439
attached to children and naming buildings. And so, is that something we have to vote on or is that just an automatically we break that agreement? >> You would need to vote on it. And I would say you could have similar concerns with even individuals that are

910
04:29:03.439 --> 04:29:20.560
deceased as you know new things are learned about deceased individuals. Additionally, opinions and social opinions change in time as well and there may be a time in which someone would like to change that. So those concerns you bring up are are valid ones. Um but yes, it would need a supermajority. The idea being is if it's

911
04:29:20.560 --> 04:29:38.479
something that's so reprehensible that we wouldn't want to be a part of, it shouldn't be hard to reach for. >> Agree. Agree. Right. >> Cuz where where I'm at with this, I wouldn't want someone We have some We have some schools that are named after

912
04:29:38.479 --> 04:29:54.640
some Hammet Bowen, Fezan, Dr. D Jones, Forom, some schools that have some historical significance. I wouldn't want someone just getting in and say, "Hey, we going to I don't I don't They don't even know the people. Don't even know anything historically about them. Just change the name." >> Forest, too.

913
04:29:54.640 --> 04:30:10.640
>> Forest. Exactly. and um and just change the name of the schools. That to me that would be crazy. Um if there is a legitimate reason um such as something found out, yes, I think the board I think any board would

914
04:30:10.640 --> 04:30:25.760
say we don't want to be attached to that as a school system. Let's change it. But I thought the the supermajority is just in regards to removing your name. >> It is >> correct. >> Okay. Okay. She's just saying like is there a pre-list I think she's saying

915
04:30:25.760 --> 04:30:41.359
>> so when you get down to sign sign papers you say you're donating and we're taking this money but let us just tell you if you do this this or this we're automatic dissolving that partnership >> I'm going to step in here because Florida statute we're talking about

916
04:30:41.359 --> 04:30:57.680
what's might be in this policy but Florida statute 267.062 062. My opinion is wood control which says except as specifically provided by law, no state building, road, bridge, park, recreational complex or other similar

917
04:30:57.680 --> 04:31:13.120
facility shall be named for any living person. So it does refer to that as a uh state building. However, typically we are also encompassed right when they're referring to things like state agencies. if it

918
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applies to state agencies, if it applies to state buildings, generally applies to us. So, I can do the research on that, but it would seem that that would apply to us. 267.06.

919
04:31:28.479 --> 04:31:45.520
>> Wait a minute. Didn't Wasn't uh Dr. Forom still alive when we named it and then he was >> and then he died like almost immediately. >> He was definitely still alive. >> No, he he was not >> because we told him. >> No, he did not know. He did know. I distinctly remember his the that you

920
04:31:45.520 --> 04:32:02.479
were able to text us and told us that he found out just before he passed away. He absolutely knew that it happened. He wasn't able to attend, but he found out. We did it 100%. I can probably find the text. >> I I'm I was right there. So, I he may

921
04:32:02.479 --> 04:32:18.080
have, but [laughter] I really don't. He It happened. It passed after he died. >> So, maybe >> we had made the decision to do it. Now perhaps we didn't >> on the ballot. It's remember we had to vote on it which then was on the ballot. >> Well, we had made the decision for sure.

922
04:32:18.080 --> 04:32:34.560
>> Maybe we made the decision but before we voted on it to make it official, he passed away. >> Right. >> I think maybe that's how it went. But regardless, we I and we should double check that now based on what you said because we've created a precedent that somebody living not dead yet was.

923
04:32:34.560 --> 04:32:51.120
>> So, but just to clarify, form early learning opened in August of 2022. Correct. No. >> Yes. Because for Yes. Because I was elected in November. So he I just Googled it. He passed away on July 19th, 2022.

924
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>> So he would have passed away >> before it opened. >> Before it opened, but after the decision. >> Yes. >> Needless to say, I think what the point of that is trying to understand the statute you just referenced, our past practice, and how we will move

925
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forward. >> Right. because now our policy may be in conflict with state law. >> No, I don't think the policy is in conflict because certainly it would depend on first of all the definition of state which a lot of times we are different in those definitions. Second of all, what exactly within the campus

926
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would you name? It could be something besides a facility. >> Additionally, I'll add that our policy, unless I'm misremembering, doesn't state living individuals. It doesn't say it one way or the other. So, this would be pursuant to whatever the statute says as well. And it once again would be vetted through a committee and vetted through a

927
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legal process as well and would make sure that this is legal whatever comes out in the recommendation. >> And I will say that just because we have done something once in the past the idea of precedent doesn't mean we have to continue doing it the same way. It is it is guidance. It's it's something that

928
04:33:55.760 --> 04:34:12.879
guides future behavior. But one of the worst things we can do is say well we've done it this way in the past. Therefore, we should continue to do it that way. If if there is a good reason not to, then we look back at what we did before and

929
04:34:12.879 --> 04:34:28.480
say, "Okay, no harm, no foul." If there is in fact no harm, and we move on and do it in a different way, better way, more correct way. So, that would be my recommendation if we find out that now

930
04:34:28.480 --> 04:34:44.400
it may be that I research this and find that guidance is pretty clear. That's does doesn't apply state. It's not a state facility. It's not, you know, yeah, our buildings aren't. >> There we go. And >> okay, >> guess we're done. >> Dr. Campbell. >> So, for the purpose of this, this

931
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essentially is an open door for us to have a fundraising campaign for various and aundry kinds of things. I don't foresee though I guess it's a possible conversation. I don't foresee us ever naming an entire school after someone other than someone who's passed away or

932
04:35:01.039 --> 04:35:14.799
made an educational impact or something like that. As far as a donation occurs, I don't know that we would actually name a school after someone who donated a significant sum of money. However, I I can tell you that there absolutely are

933
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different wings or additions to schools. Mainland High School in Valuchia is always my biggest uh example because it's right there on International Speedway, Vince Carter Athletic Facility. And so he certainly hasn't passed away and definitely has been made an impact in the NBA and in Valuchia

934
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County. So there has to be a way to make it happen. And so I'm curious to know how that policy impacted Valuchia County whenever they made the decision to name that after him. We have the same thing here too in Dundon High School. The

935
04:35:48.240 --> 04:36:04.080
fieldhouse mills. >> Yeah. I mean, field houses, press boxes. >> Yeah. So, I mean, we we we're doing that already. >> Yeah. Okay. We're all rememberthrower. >> This is what happens when you get two attorneys in the room at the same time, [laughter]

936
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>> you know. Um, but I I appreciate it and I just want to ensure that we're on as solid ground as we can be, that at least we have a strong argument for what we're going to do because this is exciting. This is like the next step to bringing a lot of things forward that will help us and it's great to acknowledge wonderful

937
04:36:20.160 --> 04:36:34.959
community members that have contributed so much. So, I'm not trying to hold it back at all. >> Yeah. >> And I think our I think the proposed policy is not affected in any way by by that. I mean, it's something that that there's >> that that's sort of a tack on or an

938
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add-on. If we needed to if we were about to enact this policy and and name something, >> it's simple enough for us to do that. We would just look also, you know, there are things that we obviously wouldn't name it after and people we wouldn't name it after.

939
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One of those would be if the law says and applies that it's uh that it's living people, then that those people go out of the mix. But that's something we can make the determination on. It doesn't affect >> Yes. >> this policy. >> The policy doesn't specify. So it leaves

940
04:37:08.240 --> 04:37:25.119
it ambiguous enough that we're able to navigate as the legislature were to change state law because we know they like to do that. >> Um okay. So board, any further discussion? Otherwise, are you ready to kind of move forward with this? I know that we don't generally address single policy items. However, this is important

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for staff to be able to work on booster stadium fundraising efforts. Yep, we're good. >> It is. >> Okay, I hear we're good. Okay. Is there any public comment on um this item? All right. Hearing none, we are going to

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um move into meeting reminders. A special school board meeting is scheduled for July 28th, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. to receive the tenative budget followed by a regular schoolboard meeting thereafter. And then we have an administrative briefing and work session on August 6th at 9:00 am. Um board, we

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will start with how Dr. Brewer started the morning with the request regarding the um the how the board members split up the schools that we oversee. Um so she shared that it was also in her weekly memo and so we will start there

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um and then we'll go into board member comments. So anyone have thoughts, feelings? Board member Thor. >> Thank you. And I believe uh Dr. Brewer did give us the opportunity to discuss this when we're arguably more fresh at

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the next August work session and I would propose that that's a capital idea. >> Agreed. >> Okay. >> Agreed. >> Okay. Well then, uh Mr. White House, we will can we add this to the agenda for

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the sixth? Okay. Then that is what we will do. Um, moving into board member comments, anything from the legal office? >> Um, yes. As to future policies, um, as you said, this one was a one-off here

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that we're doing. Um, we, it's come to my attention there's probably at least one other that we will need to do in the near future. Um we don't have uh Nola has not yet given us time for uh

948
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the next batch of updates. When they let us know that they can have a batch that is ready in a in in weeks. They can also let us know and it's not going to be ready for six months. So typically we expect at least twice a year, sometimes

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three. I say that because there is likely going to be a need for some policy update. Uh it doesn't have to be new policies necessarily, but there may be updates that need to be made. If that's the case, what I would in what I

950
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would uh request is that board members reach out to me. Reach out uh just as a central point of contact. Re reach out to me. Let me know if there are ones that you know of that need um potential

951
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uh alteration or new policies that might want to be considered. Those will now be something that I can forward to Mr. Blackman to work on for because it's the role of the superintendent to bring those policies, but he and I can work

952
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together to get those policies created. Um, and of course, it also is something we'll probably we not probably we would bring to the board during a work session just for a brief consensus on do you want us to start pursuing these level of

953
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policies before we get too far down bogged into it. So, >> okay. >> Okay. >> Yep. >> Other than that, uh, anything else, Miss Brown? >> Okay. Thank you very much. >> All right. Thank you. Anything from the clerk's office? >> No, Madam Chair. >> And the superintendent's office.

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>> I think I've said a lot today already, but um, just a reminder, our teachers are coming back in just over a week, so we're excited for a new school year to kick off here very soon. >> Wonderful. And we have graduation tonight. >> Um, board member Farah. Uh, I'm just going to limit my comments saying it's

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been a robust day and we continue to move things forward. So, let's keep it moving. >> Okay, Reverend Cummings, no comments. Thank you, >> Dr. Campbell. >> None for me either. Thank you. >> Oh, and I just have one quick one, so

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I'll be fast. Um, I just wanted to quickly um give a shout out to our faith-based partnerships. As I visit schools and look at where uh gaps are filled from our community partnerships with our faith, our churches, um I'm

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just really grateful for that and the need that is met um through their donations and participation. So, thank you to all of the churches um that are helping our students succeed. >> All right. Thank you. We've had a very full day. Uh so we look forward to

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celebrating our graduates tonight at summer graduation and then um a busy couple weeks ahead as we get into the final stretch before we start school for the rest of our schools. Wina Park started this week. So it's been a successful meeting and um there being no further business, we will adjourn the

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work session at 1:42. Thank you.