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Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=82nZ3wxzu5k

Part: 1

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Good afternoon. >> Good afternoon. We are going to call this a special school board meeting of the Martin County School Board to order. Um if you would all please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,

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and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Mr. would you call the roll, please? >> Good afternoon, Mrs. Powers. >> Here. >> Mrs. Roberts. >> Yes. >> Dr. Moriarty. >> Here. >> Mrs. Russell.

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>> Here. >> Sorry, and Mrs. Pritchett. >> Here. >> Thank you. Uh do I have a motion to approve the agenda? >> Motion to approve. >> Second. >> So, I have a motion by Ms. Pritchett, a second by Vice Chair Moriarty. All those in favor?

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>> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Okay, we're going to move right into item 3.01, and I'll turn it over to the superintendent. >> Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. The purpose of today's meeting is for the board to adopt the tentative millage rates and

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budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year after receiving public input. Trim or truth and millage advertisements have been placed according to the specifications of law. Trim requires that the first issue we discuss at the public hearing is the proposed millage rates for the fiscal year.

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By law, the budget is required to be adopted after the adoption of the millage rates and after public input. Madam Chair, I will ask Ms. Raquel Queen to review the 2026-2027 proposed millage rates, followed by any public input, then the board will adopt the tentative

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millage rates contained in the accompanying resolution 2027-01. I will then ask Ms. Raquel Queen to review the tentative budget, followed by input from the public, then the board will adopt the tentative budget contained in the accompanying resolution

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2027-02. Thank you, Madam Chair. >> Perfect. Thank you. Okay, we will move on to item 4.01. The purpose of the We will now conduct the public hearing as advertised. The public hearing is now in session. Mr.

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Main, are there any written responses to the advertised public hearing to be read at this time? >> No, Madam Chair. >> At this time, I will turn it over to Ms. Queen Young to conduct a discussion on the millage and the rollback rates. >> Good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of

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the board, Superintendent Maine. My name is Raquel Queen Young, and I serve as director of financial services. Tonight's presentation covers the proposed 26-27 millage rate and tentative budget. The proposed total millage rate is

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4.877, which is 0.300 mills lower than the last year's adopted rate. This represents a 12.93% decrease from the prior year. The proposed millage rate versus the

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rollback rate. The proposed millage rate for 26-27 is 4.877 mills. This is less than the rollback rate of 4.9846 by 2.16%.

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Here I have a comparison of a homeowner's property tax. This is a 3% increase in assessed property value. This example compares homeowner's school property taxes for 25 and uh to 2026.

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The home assessed value increased from $378,000 to 390. A 3% increase permitted under the Florida Save Our Homes assessment cap. After applying the homestead

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exemption, the taxable value increased from 353,000 to 365,000. Even with that increase in the taxable value, the proposed total millage rate decreased from 5.177

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mills to 4.877 mills, resulting in an overall reduction of approximately $50 or 2.77%. State law millage levy. In order for the school district across the state to participate in the Florida

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FEFP, the school board must levy the full amount of the required local effort rate. If the district fails to levy the required local effort rate, we cannot receive state funding for the FEFP that totals 40 million

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955,682 for the fiscal year 2026-2027. TRIM requirements. The Florida Truth in Millage or TRIM process established specific requirements for adopting the budget and millage rate. The tentative budget may

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be adjusted before the final hearing, provided tax revenues or millage rate do not increase. Once the final millage rate approved at the September hearing, they cannot be changed. And that concludes the

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first public hearing on the 2026-2027 proposed millage rate. >> Okay, so Mr. Main, we had we're not So, [clears throat] now we're moving on to item 4.02. For Miss um Miss Queen Young, you have

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question or you have a presentation on this? >> Yes. >> I'm just looking. And then we're moving on to to the budget and then we'll take public comment at the end of that. Yes. So, we'll do the budget presentation at this time, which is item No.

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Okay. Is there anyone from the public who would like to speak on uh the proposed millage rates? Okay, seeing none, do I have a motion from the board to accept the proposed millage rates?

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>> I move approval of resolution 207 2027-01 for the adoption of the millage rates. >> Second. >> I have a motion by Miss Roberts and second by Miss Russell. All those in favor? >> Aye. >> Aye. >> Any opposed?

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Motion carries unanimously. Now, we move on to the public hearing for the proposed budget. Uh Mr. Main, have you documented that the public hearing was properly advertised it with state law? >> Yes, Madam Chair.

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>> Mr. Maine, are there any written responses to the advertised public hearing to be read at this time? >> We did not receive any written notices. >> Thank you. The public is now invited to address the board. Well, see if that was That was we were kind of out

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of order in the Yeah. Okay, so So, that concluded the Sorry, let me just start over because it kind of got this got out of order. The um So, now we are concluding the public hearing on the millage rates. We are now moving into the public hearing on

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the budget. Proposed budget. Yes. I'm just looking I want to I don't want to miss anything, so give me 1 second. >> The script was slightly out of order, so I think we've got everything covered.

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We're going to be moving into 4.02 now for the budget presentation. And then following the budget presentation, you will 5.02 >> into 5. 02, which is the budget presentation. >> Okay. >> Yeah.

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So, I'll turn it over to you. Yes, thank you. >> The proposed tentative budget for 2026-2027 fiscal year totals to 5. 551 million, a decrease approximately 47.6

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million or 7.9% compared to the 2025-2026 proposed budget. concludes the tentative budget. >> Are you done with your Okay. Are there any questions from the board? Any comments? Is there any public

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comment regarding the tentative budget? Okay, seeing none. Do we do? Okay. Is there a motion to approve resolution 202702 tentative budget? >> So moved.

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>> Second. >> [clears throat] [snorts] >> I have a motion by Ms. Roberts and second by Vice Chair Moriarty. All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. This concludes the first public hearing on the 2026-2027

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tentative millage rates and budget. So the public hearing is adjourned. And we will re re now reconvene our special meeting. And I will ask for public comment on

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anything outside of the budget and the millage rate. Okay, you're going to have to you have to fill out a form to address the board and we So So we confirmed that it was advertised

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in the paper at 5:05 in the newspaper at 5:05 and it's on our website at 5:05. Is Is that not correct? Cuz we had this discussion before we started the meeting. And I want to make sure that we're not

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>> We can do it all again. It doesn't take that long. >> Oh my god. >> Yeah. >> I what I just looked at what I just looked at, Madam Chair, is that only the template in diligent says 5:15. >> Okay, so the the official advertisement in the newspaper was at 5:05 and the

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official advertisement on our website was 5:05. >> That's correct. Yes, ma'am. >> And there was a glitch in our posting of our agenda which didn't allow 5-minute increments, so that's why it was 5:15 on the agenda as opposed to the official

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advertisement. So, if there's something else that we're not seeing, um let me know. Because Okay. We are moving on to public comment for um other agenda items. I have

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I apologize. I'm having uh >> Can you read that? >> Looks like the last name is >> Skinner? >> Skinner? >> Michael? >> Michael? So, just come right up to the um podium and then

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just state your name for the record, please. >> Uh my name is Michael Skinner. I'm a union uh rep for ask me. Uh and the president. Of course, this is the first time you guys get to see me at for a full year since I've been in office.

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Uh superintendent and board, I'd like to address about the uh uh the proposal that Ruth has on the table for cutting routes for the bus drivers. It as you may know or may not know is is

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what my feedback from the bus drivers were is that their routes are their buses are always full and cutting routes are not actually a good idea um due to the that it's like cutting off an arm or a leg or something like that

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that's fundamental for get get moving around so um so and that's about all I got to say. >> Thank you. Uh next up we have Tommy Kendall. >> Hello. I've been working for the

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district for over 20 years in transportation started as an assistant and now I'm a bus driver. I work with a excellent group of people and when there's chaos in the home with one it creates chaos for everybody.

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Um we have a good director Ruth. She's a good director. I love working under her. I know everyone has a job to do but I just feel like transportation always get the short end of everything.

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We cutting the routes it may be a a close thing because we're short of drivers but I don't think it'll be a good idea to just like cut routes. Um we we can't catch a break in

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transportation and it's just not fair to us. So that's what I have to say. >> Thank you. Uh is there any other public comment? Okay, seeing none we're going to move on

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to open to the board. Are there any anything the board members would like to share? All right, seeing none we're going to move to item action items item 8.01 the 26 27 bus routes? Are there questions any questions from

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the board? Miss Roberts. >> So I have a question for Ruth. Um So I understand that you um restructured etc. to make sure that they're full. Is there the possibility that if they are not full that we would be adding back a route? Is that

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possible? >> Well, that will always be possible. Um as of right now they're efficient. They're they're 77 passengers and they're not at capacity. >> Okay. >> So um I will always re- I will always always

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look at them and re-look at them. >> Okay. And then the second question I have is um with the cutting of the routes, is there any employee that we are not we are dismissing or we are not renewing because of that or >> No, ma'am. We were already um challenged

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with shortage last year. So the routes that were cut were and I don't like saying cut, but the routes that were um >> consolidated >> Yes. Um the drivers were already covering. >> Okay.

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>> So no one was cut at all. I had 55 drivers. I had 55 routes that we were covering last year and with some of the drivers that are here that accommodated. >> Okay. >> no driver was fired. All my drivers returned this year.

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>> And let me and I have one last question is just so that I understand this correctly. So if I normally drive a route and it takes me say 2 hours to drive a route, right? And with the addition of stops on the route it now takes me 2 and 1/2 hours to do the

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route. Do do I make more money because my route is taking longer or am I still making the same amount I was before? >> Well, that's a very good question because if there was routes that extended them their hours their routes were extended.

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>> Okay. >> So, they will be paid for what they're doing. >> Okay. And then um and that is checked, right? So, that if I'm a driver and and I drove and it was a 2-hour 2-hours last year and you added stops for me and then I I come back and I tell you this is

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taking me 3 hours, you verify what the route time is so that I get paid appropriately. Is that the way it works? >> Absolutely. >> Okay. Thank you very much, Ruth. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you. Any other questions? Uh Miss Pritchett? >> Yeah. Ruth, how many students does this

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involve? >> Well, the way that it works is um for instance, I'll I'll give you like bus A was passing bus B's students where they were traveling with 17 students and and the second bus B had 22. So,

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they just merged that together to one. So, it you're it's just efficiency. You're >> No, I understand that, but are students being told they have to go somewhere else to catch a bus now?

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Is that the issue? >> not going anywhere. The stops are the same. >> The stops are the same. >> is just the same bus that they were utilizing the end of last school year is the bus that was used being used today. >> Okay. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you. And do these do these routes

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include the activity buses after school? >> They do. >> Okay. So, we have to be careful I just want to be careful. I I have heard um you know, we've had some issues in the past especially from South Fork to Indiantown that the buses were overcrowded. So, just making sure that

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we are um I don't know how you monitor that, but if you could continue to cuz we hear that I hear that complaint almost >> So, um >> every year from a parent. >> And and I and I understand that especially during football season it it does get overcrowded. But our Tropical

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Palm City um activity bus for South Fork is the backup for that Indian Town bus. >> Okay. >> Perfect. >> All right. Thank you. Um Dr. Moriarty? >> Uh yeah, hi Ruth. Um so if it's the same amount of drivers but for less routes,

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how does the district save money by doing that? Is it they're working less hours? >> No, they're not working less hours. Um they're they're they're they're not working less hours. They get paid for what they work. So if they're picking up an extra route, so let's say uh there's a route that only

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has two tiers on it is now picked up an extra tier like they had an elementary and a high school and now they're picking up a middle school, they will get paid for what they work. >> Okay. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Any other questions, comments? Uh do I

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have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> I have a motion by Mr. Roberts, a second by Ms. Bridget. All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Item 8.02 is the Southwest Bulldog Way

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Sidewalk Project Modification of the right-of-way easement approval. In this um we have this on the special meeting because um the Board of County Commissioners wanted us to approve this prior to their next meeting, so we needed to get this on the

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agenda. Are there any questions from the board? Uh do I have a motion? >> Second. >> I have a motion by Ms. Roberts, a second by Vice Chair Moriarty. All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed?

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Motion carries unanimously. Um any other comments, any questions, anything we want to address? All right, seeing none this meeting is adjourned. Thank you all very much. >> Mhm.