Good evening. I call this meeting of the Penllis County School Board on July 28th, 2026 to order. This evening we have six board members in attendance. So all votes will reflect six members. Mrs. Long is joining via
Zoom. Mrs. Long, can you hear us? >> I sure can. >> Wonderful. Mrs. Meyers is the school board member that is not present. Please note this evening we will have the first public hearing on the 2026
2027 mill rates in district budget at a time certain of 6:30 p.m. If this meeting is completed before 6:30 p.m. we will adjourn and return at 6:30 p.m. for the public hearing. If this meeting is
not completed by 6:30 p.m., we will recess the regular meeting for the 6:30 p.m. hearing, then return to the regular meeting. The invitation this evening will be provided by Pastor Lucas Hillman of Grace Christian Church. Please stand
and remain standing for the pledge of allegiance led by Vice Chair Don Peters and for the national anthem. Well, thank you uh Superintendent Hendrick and fellow board members and staff. Uh thank you for all you do for the community and for the opportunity to
begin this meeting. We turn now to prayer. Join me if you will. Heavenly Father, we give thanks and praise for the gift of this day. May we seek to honor you with all that lies ahead of us. There's much to do and much
to accomplish and plan for, but we ask that you guide and achieve your ends through this time. Ahead of any agendas, we acknowledge that our greatest duty is to love you, O Lord, with our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love
our neighbors as oursel acknowledging that we can't fulfill these requirements without your grace. Grant to us, oh Lord, what you require. Father, we pray for the children and the families within our schools, our city, and our county.
Each one created by you in your image with dignity and worth. Protect them, provide for them, and allow them to grow in maturity and wisdom. Keep them safe and lead them to blessing that will follow them all the days of their life. Likewise, we pray on behalf
of our teachers, staff, volunteers, and their families. Grant them refreshment that they need to continue to invest in the lives around them. May they continue to work and put their hands to honorable
things. May they prosper for the good of their neighbor and the love of our God. For those who are called to bear the weight of leadership in this room and beyond, grant integrity, clarity, and courage that we may seek your honor and
love our neighbor in our decisions. Grant wisdom, discernment, and unity so that our community, our families may flourish according to your wisdom and design in all things, all decisions, speech, and action. May the goodness and
mercy of God go before us. follow behind us and indeed surround us. And it's in your most lovely, holy, precious name we pray these things, Jesus. Amen. America
stands nation for all. Can you see by the dawn early [singing] so we held at the twilight [singing and music] last
stripes and bright stars [music] through [singing] the fight for the [singing] we were so streaming
and the rock [singing] bombs bursting in gave proof through the night [singing] that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does [singing] that star spangled yet for the land of [singing] the free and the [singing] home of the
[cheering] >> Thank you. You may be seated. Now on to agenda item 1.5, highlighting schools that have earned an Agrade for the first time. Congratulations.
It was an exciting feeling and an expected feeling. Um those that have come before me have put in the work to really get us close to the threshold and we were able to go over. We were so excited. It's been something that we've been working towards the entire time that I've been here at Gulfport. And for
it to come to fruition this year, it means a lot for all of us. >> It was like a kid on Christmas morning. It's been a long time coming. We're celebrating 100 years as a school this year. [music] So, having uh and being a firsttime aid for Woodlon and bringing
that gift to the community is just pure joy. >> I have eight children. Excuse me. [clears throat] They all went here. Um, like I tell people, I volunteered long enough they hired me. [clears throat] It's always been a positive experience. Proud. They worked very, very hard for it. I mean, I [music] saw the things
they did, all the extras they put into it. A lot of effort, a lot of time. It feels wonderful to have all of our hard work validated. I immediately started thinking about my staff, my families, all the community, everyone who has poured into Campbell Park Elementary.
And it was just an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I believe in a big party. So, we have planned um a community event to let the families know that we appreciate them. We want to celebrate [music] the work that they have put in because I know
they get tired of me calling saying get your kids to school. We are going to have the biggest bulldog bash at our back to school and we're going to end it with our famous pieeller [music] in the face. Our big word this year is going to be
consistency. Hanging on to that a being consistent with the things that got us here is really going to be a part of um continuing to [music] manifest all the things that got us where we are. It's super amazing. I'm super excited about this year. >> I'm most looking forward to building on
the momentum we just created. Um this is a great feeling for the students to see [music] what hard work pays off and that they can do it. Um, and this is not the end. It's just the beginning for us. >> Letting the conversation [music] always be, oh, Melrose, the A school, um,
should be, is what I'm expecting. It's really what I look forward to. And I know that the students and the community and the staff are ready, and so am I. Mer has had its best day. This is the first time this has ever been done, but how do we make it greater? So, it's only up from here. So, that's going to be the
fun part. >> Our theme this past school year was [music] constructing our way to an A. And I think we're most excited about that it actually happened. We're going to continue to push to excellence. And so we're going to continue to collaborate with one another, work together for all of our teams, and
promote our scholars and motivate them to the finish line next May to do it again. >> Y. And there you heard it from our leaders. consistency, teamwork, and collaboration, as well as building on the momentum and of course celebrating.
Congratulations to the schools highlighted into all of the schools throughout our district for the third year as an A district. Now on to agenda item 1.6, introduction of professional and community organization representatives. Miss
Masceranis. >> Good afternoon, Madame Chair, members of the board, Mr. Hendendrick and staff. It is my pleasure to introduce the following representatives of community and professional organizations from the Panelis Classroom Teachers Association.
Tracy McConnell, president representing the North Panelis League of Women Voters. Heidi White from the Penillis Arts for a Complete Education Coalition. Maria Cantonis,
members of the media in attendance from Tampa Bay 28, Brad Davis and Maya Sergeant. >> Thank you. Now on to agenda item two, amendments to the agenda. Mr. Hendendrick, are there any changes to the agenda? >> Yes, Madam Chair. There is one change to
the non-consent agenda. It's item 8.2, to request for approval of the partnership agreement with the Florida Educator Health Trust. That item was posted this morning with some information for the public and we'll provide more information in the non-consent discussion. >> Thank you. Board members, do you have
any changes? I find good cause to amend the agenda as described. Now on to the adoption. As board chair, I find good cause to amend the agenda as described by Superintendent Hendrick. May I have a motion to adopt the agenda
as amended? >> I have a motion by Mrs. Hind and a second by Mrs. Peters to adopt the agenda as amended. All of those in favor, please say I. >> Any opposed? >> I
>> got it. We have six eyes. The motion to adopt the agenda as amended carries six to zero. Now on to agenda item four, special order agenda. There are no items on the special order agenda. And moving
on to agenda item five, public comments. Mrs. Hal, are there any speakers for agenda items? >> Yes, Madam Chair, we have one speaker for agenda items this evening. >> Thank you. Members of the public have three separate opportunities to address
the board when we gather for a business meeting. The first is a public comment on agenda items. The second is at public hearings, most of which are policies. The last is after our meeting when speakers may address the general
business of the district. At each opportunity for public input, board members are here to listen to you. This is not a time for interaction, but the board will take your comments into consideration before it votes on the agenda items. The board is committed to
a standard of civility and decorum in conducting our meetings. This includes refraining from clapping or making audible noises during or after a speaker's comments. We appreciate you assisting us in maintaining a civil and constructive environment. Lastly, please
note that this meeting and all public comments will be broadcast live on the internet and the video will be publicly archived. Members of the public may always communicate with the board through our email address boardpcsb.org
or by calling the board office at 7275886300. Thank you, >> Madam Chair. The speaker this evening is Heidi White and she is speaking to items 7.8 and 7.4. Good evening. My name is Heidi White and
I'm here on behalf of myself. Um, these are just two things I wanted to point out. Under 7.4, which is requesting to approve or revised job descriptions, the legal assistant qualifications were changed. um adding plus six years
experience in a highly responsible office management position as long as they have a GED or high school diploma and striking out as a legal secretary or legal assistant. As a prior attorney, I can tell you that the duties that are listed under this, which include
assisting and drafting, preparation, and filing correspondence with the courts, as well as conducting legal research, that someone who does not have any legal background or working in a legal background is not going to be able to um
fulfill those capabilities. In regards to the second point I wanted to bring up was under the contracts. If you look under the contracts for the generators for the schools, Northeast High School
was somehow left out. So there's no money allocated for the generator backup system to be maintained or followed up upon. And I don't know why it may have been an oversight or maybe it doesn't need it,
but it seemed like every other school in the district was listed. Those are my two main points that I wanted to address before you today before you voted because they do make a difference in the budget and they do definitely impact as the legal assistant
you would be hiring. I can tell you that if you're only going for someone with a GED or a high school diploma that's worked in a res highly responsible office management position without any legal experience, that's not going to work out well for
the district. Thank you, >> Madam Chair. There are no other speakers for agenda items. >> Thank you very much. Agenda item six, unfinished business. There is no unfinished business this evening. Now on
to agenda item seven, consent agenda. May I have a motion and a second to approve the consent agenda? >> I'll make a move. >> I have >> I have a motion from Mrs. Hine and a second from Mrs. Long to approve the
consent agenda. All in favor, please say I. >> I. Any opposed? The motion passes 6 to zero. Now on to the nonconsent
request approval of the 2627 mental health assistance allocation plan. Mr. Hendrick. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. As you are aware, uh the state provides in our FEFP a certain amount of funding for the mental health assistance allocation. It
is not the total amount of dollars that we spend on mental health support, but it is a portion that must be dedicated directly to that. And each year, we must have a plan to specifically say how we're going to spend that portion of the state allocation. Uh before I pass it to
Donna Sicilian, our executive director of student services to talk about that, I'm going to pass back to you, Madam Chair, to see if we have a motion in a second. May I have a motion to approve item 8.1, approval of the 2627 mental health assistance allocation plan?
>> Second. >> I have a motion from Mrs. Blackburg and a second from Mrs. Peters. Mr. Hendendrick. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. So, I am going to ask Mrs. Sicilian to review the mental health allocation plan that we will submit to the state. Again, this is just about a little bit over $5 million
worth of funding. We spend close to $27 million on all supports for mental health. Mr. Sicilian, >> good evening. Thank you. Thank you. Um, school board members, Mr. Hendrick, staff. Um, I appreciate the opportunity to come before you this evening and
request your approval of the 2627 mental health assistance allocation plan. Um, as all of you know, we went over the plan in detail um, last week at the board workshop where we talked about the work that we've done. And this is actually our sixth year that the state
has allocated funds specifically for the use of supporting the mental health and wellness of our students. And as Mr. Hendrick said, um this board, our leadership, the district has always been incredibly supportive um recognizing the
importance of students coming to school and being able to learn because of their physical, emotional, and mental health. And so we have you have spent beyond this $5 million. But as the superintendent said, we do have to
submit a plan. It has to be formally approved by you and that is what I'm coming to request from you this evening. And then I will scurry back to my office and upload it so that we will beat the deadline um for the state. And just to remind you and to let maybe some people
know that didn't hear the workshop, we continue this year to spend this money specifically on um some of our social workers and psychologists that we employ that work with some of our more significant needs, students with more significant needs. Some of those are
externalizing. They have behaviors that can be disruptive, but many are internalizing our students that have some anxiety, depression. what we've referred to as the silent sufferers. We've made great effort and have been able to identify students and work with
their families to when the family's interested provide supports not only at school but referring and helping families link to the many services that we have in our community. So we also part of this plan is working with community partners. Um, we also do a lot
of training for the adults, both families and for our staff. And as we talked about last week, we have branched into teen mental health first aid where we're training our youth on how they can better support, stabilize, and support each other. Um, we have our Sandy Hook
Promise Anonymous reporting system um that is used so well by our students. Our students are really caring and concerned for each other. And so we've provided avenues for that. So these are just a few um quick highlights of the
things that we've discussed to help trigger your memories on the things that we've talked about and how we're spending the money and what we're doing here to support our students and working with their families to ensure that they receive the supports that they would
like to have their student receive. So I do ask that you would consider um formally approving this plan. >> Thank you, Miss Sicilian. Board members, is there any discussion? I would just like to reiterate some of the comments from the workshop. I'm just
thanking you and your team as well as the community partners who are continuing to prioritize the mental wellness of students. So, thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> I have a motion and a second to approve item 8.1. All in favor, please say I.
>> I. >> Any oppose? The motion passes six to zero. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> May I have a motion to approve item 8.2, approval of partnership agreement with the
Florida Educator Health Trust. I have a motion from Mrs. Peters and a second from Mrs. Hine. Mr. Hendrick. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Uh, as you're aware, one of the largest costs, and we'll talk about it tonight in the budget hearing, uh, that districts incur is our healthcare plan. And about three
years ago, the Florida Association of District School Superintendent started to come together on a conversation of is there a way to pull together district resources to get better plans and better costs for district. Um, FSBA had done this for a number of years through an
organization. They still they stopped doing it. They still do an insurance trust FSBIT that you might be familiar with and have heard from from the Florida School Boards Association. So about two years ago, an organization called Fleet was actually put together to bring districts together to examine
cost share savings. To date, there are now 23 districts that have joined on, and we have been part of those conversations for quite some time, but wanted to see other large districts or at least medium-sized districts join before we decided to explore it. So, the request tonight, and I'll I'll pass it
to Mrs. Woodford for more details, is simply an exploratory ask for them to examine our practices and give us feedback on are there ways in which we can save money and then move from there. So, Mrs. Woodford, I'll pass it to you for the rest of the details.
>> Mr. Hendris, the expert at stealing the thunder of the person that follows him, and he did not disappoint this evening. So, um, this is a complex issue clearly and we know we're going to have complex solutions to these issues. Um, you know,
we we approach things that are really complex with a cumulative effect, understanding that there's not one thing that will fix or change a complex problem. and instead it's really
multiple single actions that combined create that solution that we need. And that's how we'll approach this no differently than um say how we approached early literacy. It wasn't one thing that got us to 70% proficiency in
third grade. It was multiple things that had that cumulative effect. Same thing in transportation. It was multiple things. So, that's how we'll approach this. Um, Fleet, the Florida Educator Health Trust, is a nonprofit self-funded
system owned by school districts with the goal of keeping all dollars or as many dollars as we can inside our educational system by using scale and by using data to drive our decisions. Currently 23 districts have joined Fleet
and we did wait to see some larger districts join. Um and right now um two districts that I'll just point out have either captured or have potential savings that they expect to capture. Um
and that's Bard Public Schools at $10 million and Pulk Public Schools at $42 million. And so we have watched those and talked to many of the districts. While fleet offers everything from risk
sharing to economy of scale purchasing to an annual and analysis of medical pharmacy and stoploss programs. That's not what we're presenting to you tonight. Instead, we're bringing forward simply an explan uh exploratory
agreement um so that we can begin to look deeply at this area of our district that is so critically important to our employees while also being our largest expenditure. With this agreement, Fleet will provide
a third-party analysis of our current benefit packages as well as our current contracts. Then once that's completed and based on those finding findings, then we'll make decisions about all those adjustments and those smaller things that we expect
to do. I do expect that there'll be many workshops on this topic as we move forward as well as additional board items as we tackle this complex topic. >> Thank you board members. Any discussion? Mrs. Hine?
>> Yes, thank you. So, I think I just um wanted to acknowledge the topic of health care in general with our district because I know it's a significant topic. It matters to all of us and it matters to those of us who are here this evening as well. Um I didn't necessarily have
thoughts together to share on this, but I want to share some. My my experience in the private sector prior to joining the school board was as a chief executive of a company. Um didn't have nearly as many employees as this company does. But what I can tell you is that my
experience then when health care would rise 10% and then 12% and then 15% yearover-year and you all have heard me say at these meetings if you've listened to them when I talk about the budget and I talk about money in and money out and it's the same thing. It's it's one of
those issues where you have revenue and you have expenses and year-over-year 10% is not small. 15% is not small. It's completely different than two or 3%. But the bottom line is whether you have a thousand employees or you have 14,000
employees impacting one employee is painful and hard and I think right now we're facing that and it is very very difficult. I want to acknowledge that. I do also want to second what you said Mrs. Woodford that it is very complex
healthcare and there are a number of ways to look at it. So, I really appreciate that. Yes, we do have to look at coverage, but we also are looking at these health clinics and I know a range of other options. We I believe we're going to go out for RFP when it comes to the people who provide our insurance and
we've got to make sure we're getting the best deal we can from the providers out there. We are a large employer. People should be clamoring for our business, right? So, and I've heard other discussions and other ideas. So I appreciate opening the door, opening the gates to ideas of how we can deal with
this really significant financial issue, but at the end of the day, it is going to have a native a negative impact on our employees. >> Any other comments? I have a motion and a second to approve
item 8.2. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any oppose? The motion passes six to zero. Now on to new business. Items introduced by Superintendent Hendrick.
>> Thank you, Madam Chair. A little bit of a short report tonight as we wrap up the summer. We did finish 80 different summer enrichment opportunities for students last week with our final summer camps on STEM, academics, and career exploration. specifically a welding camp
last week and our final art mural camp. This week we're kicking off the new year. Yesterday we had all of our schoolbased leaders and district leaders for our leadership summit kickoff this afternoon. Uh Miss Edmond and I welcomed our new teachers at Embrace Penllis. They were fantastic. Couple hundred
teachers and really excited to get the school year started. Many of our support employees returned this week and next week and then of course all of our instructional staff returns on Monday. School starts just two weeks from today. I know everybody is excited in the audience. I can feel the energy.
Families can find a wide variety of information on our back to school web page, including links to calendars, lunch information, and back to school events. I want to remind families that our back- tochool forms are now live in focus. You can fill out those forms for the school year. Uh just one day in,
12,000 parents have already filled out their forms. So, let's get as many parents as possible to get those done before the start of school. Mrs. Hine says she hasn't. I did, Mrs. Hine. I'm one of those 12,000. Next Monday, uh, on August 3rd in the afternoon, student
schedules will be available in focus as well, so students and parents will have the opportunity to see those as we, uh, prepare for the new school year. Also excited to share that our volunteer and mentor opportunities continue to increase for those to get involved. We have over 18,000 level two, uh,
volunteers already registered for this year. a great job of our strategic partnerships office in getting those numbers up. There's a wide range of inperson, online, and on demand mentor workshops that are going on the next several weeks and many opportunities for any volunteer to school to get involved,
sign up, get fingerprinted all over the district. You can find all of those on our web page. Volunteers and mentors have a tremendous impact. So, visit pcsb.org/metors for more information. And finally, our superintendent standout tonight demonstrating core values as recognized
by one of their peers is Mrs. Patricia Banks. Patty Banks, school counselor at Boca High School. She was recognized by her assistant principal for going above and beyond this summer to help the class of 2026 seniors graduate. Of course, we
always have students that finish in the summer. They have all the way up until the first day of school to do so. And Mrs. Banks has conducted home visits, met with students at their workplaces, and even built relationships with students managers at work to make sure that they finish. Thank you to Mrs.
Banks, all of our teachers who work all summer on this initiative as well, and all of our counselors for getting each and every student to the finish line that can. And we thank her and all of our employees for the work that they do each and every day. Thank you, Madam Chair. >> Thank you. Now, on to agenda item 9.2,
items introduced by the school board attorney. I have no report this evening. Thank you, ma'am. >> Thank you. Items introduced by the school board. >> All right. Well, I'm going to just echo some of the sentiments that Superintendent Hendrick shared. Just
seeing the excitement at the leadership summit and embrace Panelis today is exciting. Our leaders and our teachers and support professionals are ready to get back to work and see our kids and support them. There are lots of
community back to school drives and giveaways. So, please feel free to go to those. Um there is a general class list um that is posted. I also see that some schools are sharing their um classroom supply list on social media. So, feel
free to connect with your child's school and learn what they need as well as get the focus documents completed. One of the things that we voted on today was agenda item 7.4. 4 which included six job descriptions. At the board
workshop, I shared the importance of including the reports to and supervises section of the job descriptions. The consensus was to remove the reports to and supervises from the job descriptions to provide flexibility to the
superintendent. Superintendent Hendrick shared that positions listed on the organizational chart that receive changes to the reports to andor supervises will be updated on the org chart and the board would be notified. The positions approved today make a
difference in our work and they also support the students and the outcomes of the district which is now for the third year in a row an A district. That concludes my comments. Thank you. Now on to agenda item 9.4, review of
board requests. >> I did not note any requests. >> Thank you. I adjourn this meeting and we will move to public participation. Mrs. Hal, are there any speakers this evening?
>> Yes, ma'am. Excuse [clears throat] me. Yes, Madam Chair, board members, Mr. Hendrickk, we have 18 speakers this evening. >> Thank you. We will now move to the public comments on the general business of the district. Please note that the views and comments of the public speakers are their own and are not
endorsed nor sponsored by the school board or district. We cannot ensure the accuracy of statements made but will review concerns that are raised and take appropriate action which may include clarifications or the referral of speakers to the pro to the proper staff
member for assistance. The board is committed to a standard of civility and decorum in conducting our meetings. This includes refraining from clapping or making audible noises during or after a speaker's comments. We appreciate you assisting us in maintaining a civil and
constructive environment. Additionally, please note that although board members or superintendent Hendrick may leave the dis briefly, there are speakers in the back room and we will continue to be able to be able to hear your comments. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll call
speakers two at a time. They can come to each lectern and each speaker will have three minutes. The first two speakers are Laura Dunham and Akquila Walker. Hi, good evening. My name is Laura and I've proudly taught in Penelis County Schools for the last 10 years. Tonight,
I'd like to speak about the proposed increase to employee health insurance costs. On your strategic plan under who we are, the district states his vision is 100% student success. Your mission is to educate and prepare each student for college, career, and life. As teachers,
we dedicate ourselves to making that vision reality every day. We stay late. We spend our own money on supplies. We take care of students, comfort them, communicate with families, and give our best. But I have to ask at times who is taking care of the people carrying out that mission? Your first core value is
commit commitment to children, family and communities. Many of us are not just serving the families. We have families of our own that we're raising. I ensure my entire family through the district. Under this proposal, my monthly costs would significantly increase. This isn't
simply just a bu budget adjustment. It's a significant reduction in my family's financial security. For many educators, this proposal effectively penalizes those who need to keep their families covered through the district insurance. If families are truly of the district's
core values, then we should not be ask we should not be asking the very people who educate this community's children to sacrifice their own families well-being just to maintain that health coverage. Another core value is respectful and caring relationships. Respect isn't just something that we teach our students.
It's something that employees should experience as well. Asking teachers to absorb higher health costs while um continuing to shoulder increasing responsibility sends a message that our sacrifices are expected and our well-being is optional. Integrity and
responsibility also highlights in the strategic plan. Teachers have fulfilled our commitment. We show up through hurricanes, pandemic, staff shortages, and those increased expectations. Always putting our students first. So now we're asking the district to fulfill its commitment to us. When teachers are
forced to choose between affordable health insurance and paying their bills, that affects morale, retention, and ultimately that student success. If we truly believe in putting students first, we must also invest in the people who teach them and carry out the district's mission. I ask you tonight to honor the
values you have publicly declared. Show your commitment to families. Demonstrate respect. Lead with integrity. Take responsibility for supporting educators who make your vision possible. Because if 100% student success is truly the goal, then valuing the teachers behind that success must be a part of the plan.
Thank you so much. Good evening, Superintendent Hendricks, Chair, and members of the Penllis County School Board. My name is Akila Walker. I'm speaking as a parent and community health advocate regarding concerns arising from my child's participation in
the art club summer program. During the week of July 13, 2026, I repeatedly informed our club staff that my child had a significant dietary restriction and should not be given or required to handle certain food products. Despite
these notifications, an incident occurred that resulted in a serious health reaction requiring medical evaluation and treatment. When a parent reports a child's medical or dietary restriction, it must be documented,
communicated to all responsible staff, and followed consistently. No child should be pressured to accept or handle a substance known to pose a health risk. I respectfully request an independent documented review of the program's
compliance with the reported restriction, health and safety procedures, SA staff communication and supervision, parent access, and relevant administrative procedures. I also asked the district to ensure that
all contracted youth program employees receive clear training regarding medical and dietary restrictions, parent communication, and procedural responsibilities. Parents must be able to raise legitimate safety concerns without being dismissed,
restricted, or treated as adversaries. I'm seeking accountability and stronger safeguards for every ch child participating in district affiliated programs. Thank you. The next two speakers are Russ Fernandez
and Suzanne Kupa. Hello, my name is Russ Fernandees and I live in Palm Harbor in the alderman residential overlay and I've I've sent several letters to the board to the superintendent and the CEO Dull as well to express my concerns about a charter
school that's proposed to be built there. I want to thank you all for your responses and your acknowledgements of receiving my questions and you were so helpful helping me and my neighbors to understand the effects of Florida statute 102.33
in particular 18C and how it restricts the ability of this board to do anything related to that particular proposal. Um, I want to thank you all also for everything that you've done to try to deal with the declining enrollment that
we're experiencing here in our county. Uh, and my kids are they're all grown and I've got grandkids now, but they all came through this very school system. I'm proud of it. And I'm also proud of what you did with your portfolio, your planning for progress portfolio published in February 2026
to talked about dealing with some of the issues having to repurpose, close uh merging some schools and in particular some real estate that's been designated as surplus, in particular 15 acres on Manning Road in Palm Harbor.
We received a similar response to our our queries from the board of county commissioners in that they were limited to what they could do by that very statute. So, I reached out to the executive director of the school, not this school, the charter school, to see
if we could get some kind of a dialogue going, and maybe there's a better place in the county uh that would be more suitable for what they would like to do with that school rather than cramming it into a 4 acre parcel of mature woods
with habitat. And much to my surprise, I got a call back from uh the executive director of the Discovery Academy of Science and he told me, he said, "We're very interested in that Manning Road property that the schoolboard has, but I have not been able to get a contact to
deal with." So, I could ask a question about availability. I guess I come before you tonight just to say I'm not an advocate of, you know, this guy. I'm not trying to find property for him. I'd like to find someplace else for that school. and is if there's some way that maybe we could publicly make it aware,
make the public aware and interested parties of are in fact some of those real estate parcels available for sale for a competitive process, whatever you have to do for that, but uh it's unclear. He called me, which knocked me off my socks to tell you the truth, that
he actually responded and called me personally and told me that he tried to reach you guys and he was unable to get an answer. I guess I'm asking for uh some guidance for everybody as to how that could happen. And I do thank you for all that you do for our kids in this
in this county. Thank you very much, >> Suzanne Cropa. >> Madam, hello. Uh my name is David Kaperski. I'm the school board attorney. Our policy doesn't allow people to come up, sign up, and then and then yield their time. But thank you very much for coming.
>> The next two speakers are Andy Brown and Gerald Henne. That's Gerald Haney. Haney. Good evening. Uh, school board members, I'd like to first of all thank you all for all you do. Um, my son went to
school kindergarten through 12 and went on to college and now he has a great job in Denver, Colorado and a lot of that I think is due to the schooling he got here in Penelis County. Uh secondly,
I um would like to speak regarding this proposed chart charter school that's located on Alderman and Belchure Road. Um as one of the few residents here on CR70, uh I would be directly impacted by the
location of this school. Um I saw that they required a traffic analysis. Uh I cannot think of any business [snorts] that would pay for a traffic analysis that was ne negative to them.
Uh the traffic analysis uh covered one day out of the year. It did not account for things like school events, [snorts] uh the first day of school, the last day of school, days when the parents all go
there and park their cars their cars. Um, CR70, I don't know if you all are familiar with it, but it's a small county road that's not actually maintained by the county. We've been trying to get the county to maintain it,
but it's probably the worst county road in the entire county. It's almost needing a four-wheel drive to go down the road. But during these school events,
people park all all around the the entrance of the CR70, even in our yards. For years, they were parking in our yards, and we had to get the uh police to actually come and provide uh police
police guidance for parking. So this this proposed school if you could locate it at any other location that would be great for us. I I really believe that the traffic situation would
be untenable for that area. Thank you. >> Hi there. I'm Andy Brown. I've been here before and uh thank you for allowing me to be here. Thank you school board members. you've done an amazing job with the A+ progress and all of that. We're so proud of you and what you've done
with our our students in Penllis County. Uh I am here also um to speak about the alderman overlay. It's a protected green space. Um we have about 65 homeowners that really really cherish our green space. And for the past 20 years or so,
um, comm county commissioners actually put in place our green space to preserve the integrity of the environment. Um, the wildlife, the trees, everything. It's it's uh it's an amazing gift that we have, not only for us as as
homeowners in the area, but also for Penllis County. It's one of the last um, you know, remaining green spaces there. Um, as you've heard, uh, there's a charter school that wants to build, uh, their new school on our green space, and it's really rattled all of us
tremendously. Um, we have fought for the last 20 years to keep our green space green. Um, you've all received letters, I think, from our neighbors and and and people in the area, and, um, you know, I mean, it's the same list of four or five items. The traffic is already insane
with Southerntherland Elementary School already there for the last 50 years on that same corner. I can't imagine why anybody would want to build another school, elementary school on the same block basically as Southerntherland
Elementary when we all are aware that the um you know the enrollment is is declined tremendously. We've got 45,000 empty seats in our schools. Um, so this doesn't make sense on any level. Uh, not to put this charter school, tear down
nine amazing acres of wildlife and wild space and green space and all that good stuff. Um, to build a redundant school. Um, Southerntherland Elementary is only actually operating, I believe, at about 75%. So why are we thinking this is a a
better a good solution? Anyway, uh as you heard from my other neighbors, uh we were contacted by the uh principal of Discovery Academy of Science, Mr. Akbaba. And uh he is no longer really interested in our overlay green space at
Alderman and Belchure. He's much more interested in the surplus property that you guys own uh on Manning Road in Palm Harbor. So, we were thrilled to hear that. And also, I think that uh you kind
of would help the wildlife, the traffic, the sanity of our neighbors, and certainly keep our green space green. Uh we cherish it, and we hope you do, too. Um we are great stewards of our properties, and uh we just want you to know we want to keep our green space
green. So, please help us to do that. >> Thank you. The next two speakers are Jennifer Diaz and Jess Waters. and I'd like to speak about the district's proposed health insurance increases and their impact. I have the highest level of insurance right now for
myself, my husband, and my son. My husband's job doesn't offer insurance. This is our only option. In order to maintain the same level of insurance next year, I will have to pay more than $230 a paycheck. That's $4,500 a year. That's more than any of our salary
increases. [clears throat] I'm not alone in this. The proposed changes will massively negatively impact 27% of the district's employees at every level. That's 27% of your employees coming to work sick because they can't afford a
doctor. getting their co-workers and the children they work with sick, too. How will that be reflected in test scores? I wonder. 27% of your employees avoiding simple, less expensive preventative care until their small illness or infection becomes a costly emergency room visit or
hospital stay. How would that impact the bottom line? I wonder. How effective will we be at work when we're distracted from worry about not being able to take our sick children or spouses to the doctor without going bankrupt? Or not being able to go ourselves when we know something is
wrong? Or how effective will we be in the classroom or at our district jobs if we're exhausted from working third and fourth jobs to lessen the strain? Many of us already have at least one other job to make ends meet. How would the district absorb the loss
if even a fraction of that 27% decided they could no longer afford to work here and took their talents to other fields or other states when we already have vacancies at every level? How will that impact our a 27% isn't just teachers. It's plan ops
who keeps our schools keep our schools clean and operational and maintenance staff who often fix very small problems at our aging school buildings before they become costly big repairs later. That 27% includes our support staff who team with us and serve the students who need the our help and support the most.
How would it impact our scores as a district with fewer people to support and serve our lowest performers and make sure they grow and gain every year? Sure, as Mr. Vgo has said repeatedly during negotiations, some of us have options to get medical insurance elsewhere, but many of us do not have
those options. The option for the rest of us might be having to leave a job we love, a job we excel at because we can no longer afford to be the underpaid foundation of a broken system. The impact of these changes won't be felt until January, and many won't be
able to suffer it out until May. How many of our 27% can we afford to possibly lose midyear? How is that going to look for our lovely growth scores? Healthcare and affordability at all plan levels is going to have a much bigger fallout than this board realizes. We
aren't just numbers. We are people. And many of us are rapidly losing the ability to continue shouldering the added costs of a job we love. Our families have to come first. Thank you. >> Good evening. My name is Jennifer Diaz and I'm an educator here in Penllis
County and a PCTA member. Like many others here tonight, I am here because the rising insurance costs will have a serious impact on employees across the district. I am speaking not only for myself, but for my po my colleagues, many of whom are facing painful decisions. I've listened to staff worry
about whether they can afford to keep their children or spouse on their plan. I've heard suggestions that employees should move to a spouse's insurance, but for many families, that simply is not an option. Some spouses are stay-at-home parents and other works in places that do not offer coverage at all. In several
meetings meetings, we were told the district is facing financial strain due to declining enrollment. One factor in that decline is the rising cost of living in Penllis County, which already makes it difficult for families, including employees, to remain here. Now, those same families who rely on
PCSB insurance, are facing dramatic increases that feel like another barrier to stay in this community. I want to be clear. I understand that the district is working within tight financial limits. I hear that the money is not there, but employees are also budgeting within
tight limits. And within the salaries we earn, we cannot absorb large increases in health care cost. We cannot plan for medical emergencies or life-changing illnesses when our insurance becomes unafford unaffordable. I know firsthand how critical insurance is. Before I
became a teacher, I was uninsured. Eight months into my first year teaching, I was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. Having insurance is what allowed me to get treatment and survive. I cannot imagine the financial devastation I would have faced without it. And I
cannot imagine the fear a family will feel they if they remove a spouse or child from coverage and something happens. Our students deserve staff who are present, focused, and able to give their full attention. It is incredibly difficult to do that when employees are stressed about whether they can afford
basic health care for their families. These increases will leave staff anxious, distracted, and in some cases forced to leave the district entirely, which only deepens the enrollment challenges we are already facing. I am asking you to reconsider these increases and to find a solution that does not
push dedicated educators and staff into impossible choices. Protecting the people who serve this district every day is essential to protecting the students we are all here for. Thank you. The next two speakers are Tracy
McConnell and Paula Stevens. I was able to go and table at pulse training this past month. Um, if you don't know what that is, it's probably one of the best trainings that the county has all year. I went last year and it was amazing. I learned so much
about technology. This year, while I was there, one thing I was asked over and over again was about insurance. People are really, really worried about insurance. I have people calling and emailing me afraid that they won't be able to pay for their
insurance and that the coverage will get worse. Here are some of the comments that I have heard. One, I will have to choose between ensuring my husband and my child. Two, the increase in the family plan is almost double. For me,
that would be my electric bill and my cell phone bill or my car payment. It will crush employees. The referendum increase doesn't even cover the cost increase. Three, I will be able to make I will not be able to make ends meet. I
pay for my whole family and the new plan has basic costing more than the select and my husband's heart condition means we need select. I will make less money and with take-home and less money with take-home pay. How does that make sense?
Four, it appears to be how they are kicking kids and spouses off without actually doing it. Five, this is why the district can't keep teachers. The district doesn't want to increase salaries to match the big cost of living
increases here. And this insurance drastically changes how we can provide for our families. Decisions have to be made to determine if people can even keep living here or if families can have insurance. So you lose teachers and the
students if they have children. support staff will never be able to afford this. I have been very upset about insurance this school year. It was not just a subtle change. I have been devastation for many families. I have
always had a small nest egg. This year, the nest egg is gone. Now, I have debt I cannot afford. I have had to pay about $500 a month between January through June. Please help your staff be able to have health coverage that doesn't cause
them to go without treatment. Eight, it's crazy and it honestly looks like aism. They want teachers to stay young. I want to stay young, though. Nine, I know for my husband and myself,
we still owe 10,000 since we both had surgeries this year from the best plan. I saw deductibles are going up even more. It's getting to the point I'm considering moving out of the state since I have friends up north with zero
deductible. >> Thank you. >> Good evening board. This is Paula Stevens from uh PCTA and PESPA. I am going to continue reading concerns from our members. Number eight, it is crazy and it
honestly we already did one. Sorry. Um, number 10. It should not cost half my paycheck to ensure my family. Stop making excuses and find a legitimate solution besides the backs of your employees. Penllis County Schools is the largest employer in this county.
Period. Use the leverage to advocate for your employees who are already financially struggling with increased expenses. We are all guaranteed a pay cut due to insurance increases. I am tired of working multiple jobs as it is and I
have an autoimmune disease and a thyroid issue and I will have to get blood work four times a year. This is awful. It's almost 100% increased for me. The county has to do better. If this passes, I feel like they're actually forcing teachers
to leave the profession. Wow. I'm already on the basic plan and I can't afford better. This is a devastating increase for me and I don't know how I will pay for my own insurance anymore. I carry the insurance for my whole family and I
might have to get another job just to cover the cost of insurance. My school is on the list of possibly of possibility to close. I'm so stressed I can't even sleep. I don't understand how they're offering worse than they already
have. I didn't even know that was possible. Why aren't they looking around? There are such they're such a huge employer. Number 20, I'm going to be broke times 100%. Employees of Penllis are counting on you
to follow the contract and over 30 years of past practice. You must stick to our 8020 split for premiums and all the plans so that everyone is covered and that they are able to support our students every day. Thank you.
The next two speakers are Sarah Edwards and Rebecca Dean. >> Hi, my name is Sarah Edwards. I'm an an English instructor and a faculty rep for PCTA at my school. Um, I appreciate the district's looking for creative solutions. It was good to hear tonight
that there are some other options coming out. I have attended a couple of the conversations around health insurance. I want to talk about um I want to talk about co insurance and what's already going on. Uh as a building rep, we hear uh a lot of people come to me with with issues that I may or may not have any
help with, but um uh I didn't understand what co insurance was, and that's already kicked in for this year on all of our plans. Uh, one of my our members was saying that she'd already spent $6,000 out of pocket by April on her family because of co- insurance. And I couldn't understand that because I
thought we have co-pays. I don't understand why you would spend $6,000 if we have co-pays. Um, and then I my husband's having a procedure on Wednesday. We got a phone call Friday saying we owed $1,500 before he could have the procedure. Oh well, get a credit card. That's the
extent of it. So now I'm I'm understanding co insurance a little more. um we're expected to pay after our deductible, which is $500, uh expected to pay 20% for procedures. Um next year, some of the paperwork that I've seen looks like the deductible is going to be
about $2,000 and uh co insurance might go up to 30% that we're paying for procedures. So, um, co- insurance in addition to the fact that I'm I'm like many people who here who have spoken already, I have, uh, my family is covered under our
healthcare plan and over $600 a month it looks like is what I've been hearing. But even for the employee only plans, uh, we're still looking at co- insurance, huge deductibles, huge out-of- pocket maximums. Um, people are just uh are really really concerned
employees. Um, and I I didn't uh I didn't understand that we were already sort of dealing with that this year because I've been fortunate that we haven't had uh too many healthcare scares in my family uh this year. The worst um I had lunch with a friend the other day who we were talking about in everybody's talking about insurance. All
the teachers are talking about it right now. um and she started talking about um the expensive co- insurance and she actually burst into tears at the table because uh a few months ago her husband was having chest pains and they actually were having a conversation about uh whether or not they should take him
because well it's going to be so expensive if we go to the emergency room. Um, I really appreciate the district looking for solutions and inviting us to participate in in the input, but um, we we can't balance the budget at the expense of our families and at the expense even even employee
only plans are going to be jacked up enormously. Um, even if uh even if their monthly payments are not are not increasing, the co- insurance and the deductibles and the out-of- pocket maximums are increasing and it's it's pretty frightening right now. Thank you
for listening. Hello. Good evening, the school board members. Uh, my name is Rebecca Dean. Um, I was with Pest Control for 24 and a half years and I have retired. So, um, I do not have nearly the stress that our
employees have anymore. Uh, I, um, I used to joke with my co-workers that I was going to be the richest one under the bridge. So, um I do have a different perspective of this. I am I am paying for health insurance through the school board as a single uh single member. I
pay $900 a month and um that comes straight out of my pension which does not leave a whole lot left for a pension. Um I uh went to the the meeting that we had about uh our healthcare and it was very
limited information. I did not get any numbers that would tell me what I could possibly be paying for the the upcoming year. Um, even though I'm already paying $900, it's still important for me to understand what my benefits are going to
be be at and and how I can afford it. Um, and uh I also don't get any benefits of the health um encouragement. Uh so if I'm walking a lot, I don't get to say I walk 10,000 steps and get 25 bucks. I
don't get any of that benefit. Um and uh so it is very different for a retiree. Um I uh I want to uh stand behind our our workers that our families are very important to us with our health care.
Our kids go to our schools. We are part of this community and we all need to bring this together so that we can we can make this better. And I did hear you talking about making it better and I really hope that we can get there. Thank you. The next two speakers are Bernardet
Langiotti and Fifa Khalik. Goodness. Um, good evening. I'm Bernardet Langiotti and I'd like to admit uh begin by admitting that I have never spoken to the school board before. It's my first time addressing the room. So, I'll apologize in advance if I violate any rules of order or commit any speaking faux paws. I'm here as a
23-year veteran of Penelis County Schools to talk about the proposed insurance changes, plans, and costs for the upcoming year. In addition to all the hats I wear on a daily basis, including the completion of my duties as a classroom teacher, I'm also a person who has some medical complexities.
Um, and I look at the I'm sorry, and I rely on a healthy insurance policy to compensate for the lack of health that I was born with. Insurance coverage and availability is always a consideration for me and my family. It's actually one of the first things that the general public says when I say that I'm a teacher. I get, "Oh, that county
insurance is good." Little do they know that over the last 20 years, I've watched as my benefits have dwindled. While I know anecdotal evidence is not empirical evidence, I think that we've heard enough commonalities. So, I'm going to give you some specific examples. I've kept a running spreadsheet for the last few years of my
insurance costs. In 2025, under the previous plan, I paid $2,340 in co-pays. This was for my costs alone and does not include my dependent. In 2026, so far that out-ofpocket uh co- insurance in lie of a co-pay has
increased to $3,285.32 and we are only in July. extrapolating data from that and adding the expected costs for my treatments, I can expect to meet my out-of-pocket maximum for this year, next month. I will I met my new deductible in
January of this year. Um, and the new proposals for the insurance meetings that I've been a part of and have had the privilege to be a part of have shown me that while I'm in the group of people who may not see a much of increase in my premiums, my out-of- pocket deductible will be increased. I can expect to pay an additional $1,500 on that deductible.
By the end of 2027, I can predict that I'll have to cover nearly $10,000 in medical costs between out-ofpocket expenses and payroll premiums. The most surprising part of these changes for me over the time I mentioned is that I'm on a medication that used to cost $60 a co-pay every eight weeks. In 2026, this
increased to $847 for each treatment and I have to have it every eight weeks or I will not be able to function. I realize f um that this I admit that this is financially a struggle for me. However, I recognize that I've been privileged to maintain my coverage so
far. I can only imagine how crippling that debt would be to someone who does not make as much as I do. And I think that the number that we heard in the last insurance conversation meeting was that the average PESPA employee uh makes $25,000 a year. And I make three times that and am barely able to meet my
insurance costs. What I do know is that proposed changes will have many employee households in financial dire straits if not complete financial ruin. We have to do better for our employees and their families and or we will not have a healthy and robust workforce. Um I know I sound full of myself but I
know my value at my school and I know the value of these other employees and it should be maintained. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. My name is Afifa Khalik and I'm president of SEIU Florida Public Services Union. I represent your non-instructional staff who make Penalis
County Schools run every single day. When a bus arrives early, when kids are reaching schools uh safely, when a classroom is clean, when air conditioner works in the middle of August, it is because of these workers that are
keeping the school aated. Now they are being asked to absorb health care costs that could increase by thousands of dollar every year. For some of our members that means 17 to 20% in pay cut. For many families that's the difference between paying the mortgage or the rent
or falling behind between the prescriptions um and the go uh putting the groceries on the table. This is something that these school workers cannot afford. I hear from them every single day. They describe feeling like a failure as an
adult, struggling to keep up with the rising cost of everyday essentials or having to choose between should I pay rent this month or go to see a doctor. We understand that healthcare costs are rising. We understand the difficult situation the school district is in.
But working families cannot continue to absorb and be the first choice to look to when we have to resolve financial difficulties and challenges. We know the times are tough for public education with over a billion dollar in
education funds that could have been dispersed to struggling schools by the legislature that was not given to the school districts. That's where we believe we are partners to work with you to advocate for public education and that's where we need to look at to uh
resolve the financial crisis uh crisis not the hardworking families that we represent. We are asking you to do one simple thing. Please do not uh place the burden on the everyday
hardworking families uh to balance the school district budget. A budget is a moral document. It reflects the values of the school district. We truly value the people who make our school successful. Then we must protect the ability for them to care for themselves.
I urge you to reject any approach that shift the financial burden onto frontline school employees and instead work with us to find reasonable solutions. Thank you so much. The next two speakers are Jonathan Theren and Cindy Bradford.
>> Hi, my name is Jonathan Theren. Um, I I'm a teacher. I started my journey in Pasco County in 2008 and moved to Palm Harbor University High School in 2012 mostly because of better pay and better insurance. Um, which is what I'm here to
talk about today. That concerns me. Um, going on 18 years as a teacher now. Um, I love my job. I love my students. I love my community. Um, I have a family of five. All three of my kids go to school in Pineellis County Schools and my wife works in the cafeteria at our school. Um, obviously we pay for the
family plan. in the select plan. Um, and over the last year, the differences in that plan have had an impact on my family, and I'm pretty scared about what's coming next. Um, I noticed that last year's payroll deductions for healthcare went up over
$1,000 for me. Um, I pay about $700 a month. Um, and that's expected to go up. I understand we're going to get a raise of about $3,000. Uh but inflation is over 3% here and that's going to take most of that plus these extra costs for um for health
insurance make is very concerning. Um last year in particular health and and dental benefits became not only more expenses but less valuable. Um that the value of what I'm paying for and what you all are paying for for us is not what it used to be. Um last year I was
shocked and surprised that the co-ay for my child's mental health visits doubled. any visits to specialists went up. Out-of- pocket expenses uh increased unpredictably for things like blood work or x-rays, whatever came up. Even finding a good doctor became a challenge. Uh my wife and I's primary
care doctor for 14 years dropped our insurance, so we had to find somebody else, which wasn't easy. Um see, uh dental, while certainly less costly for all of us, was also a disaster last year. My three kids at the same pediatric dentist their whole lives
until last year. uh they dropped our Humanana insurance. Um and then I spent quite a long time literally calling every pediatric dentist in Pineellis County within 20 miles of my house trying to find a new dentist for my children. None of them will take our insurance. I found one pediatric dentist
in Tampa that will take them and I'm hoping that they still get get to keep our insurance for a while. Um I've also looked for a new dentist for myself and that hasn't been easy. I understand the packages that you're going to offer us this next coming year are going to increase costs on our end.
Um, I came out here on my last blessed week of summer to talk about this and I spent my morning researching my own pay and how this is all happening. Um, I know as teachers we don't expect to thrive with the money we get paid, but I hope that you can figure out a way to
help us survive the next few years. Thank you. >> Good evening. My name is Cindy Bradford. This is my 34th year as an educator, but only my fifth year here in Florida. Tonight is about speaking about the proposal of the new insurance coverage and the impact it has. But I've also
watched each year things get worse for educators here in Florida, being ranked 50th in the nation for pay and our district continuing to give very little increases in pay while our cost of living and insurance premiums go up. and the district also including referendum
money as included in our pay increases when that is not truly coming from the school board. As far as the proposal of new insurance coverage, those of us who have family are going to have start choosing between paying for the essentials of housing and food, getting
additional jobs, or do we want quality health insurance coverage for our family? In my case last year, I did choose the higher coverage and the higher premiums to ensure my family had the best health care possible due to some of my health concerns. I had to
teach afterchool programmings just to make sure that those premiums from last year's increase were able to be paid. My husband's job does not offer insurance. With this proposal, these extra afterhour school programs will not help
cover the almost $500 extra a month I will be having to pay to ensure my family. I will either have to remove my spouse and continue to just cover myself and my son. Hopefully, I'll find him at least major medical insurance in case
anything happens to him in a major sense. Or I could choose the basic coverage with the district is proposing which still comes with greater deductibles and out-ofpocket cost and I'll still have to pay over $200 more than I did last year for worse coverage.
And where those extra dollars will come from, I'm not sure. I am fortunate enough to have my retirement held in Illinois. So, I have a choice of also coming and doing early retirement and pulling my funds early from Illinois
just to cover the cost to be an educator here. Also, I will acknowledge the decrease in premiums in the other coverage categories, but some of those deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses are still rising. And as some of us have
to start dropping our insurance or leaving to go elsewhere, those costs will most likely continue to rise for those who stay due to fewer people to spread the cost among them. Every year, we have to fight for our value in this district. We, the educators, are the
ones who help you earn the district's distinguished repeated A rating you promote to the public. But you continue to treat us as if we are failing you with the lack of respect in providing us adequate pay and increases and adequate increased pays and reasonable health
care. I want you to take a moment to reflect on how this treatment would affect you. Would you stay to a dedicated job if you were Thank you. The next two speakers are Michelle Adams and Tamika Morris.
I've never spoken in front of you before, although I am a proud product of Penllis County Public Schools, attending Tyrone Elementary, 16th Street Middle, which is John Hopkins, and Dixie Holland High, which is Holland High, and a graduate of St.
Pete College. All three of my adult children are also a product of Penelis County Schools and proud to be so. I'm not going to go through what everybody else has, but I am here for health insurance. Two and a half years ago, I had a very serious health situation
occur. They found out I had cancer. Um, I lost half of an organ to it to save my life. That's what it cost me. And, um, they severed an artery between my lung and my heart. I spent three days in ICU. If I had this insurance is being
proposed now, I could not have afforded it and I would still have cancer. As of right now, I'm cancer free. With that being said, earlier this year, this calendar year, I had an injury. It was very significant. I did go to urgent
care. We addressed it. A week later, it was getting worse. They thought I either had an infection or a blood clot. I had to go to the ER. I'm going to the ER sobbing, telling everybody that I come in contact with, I have to pay 20% of whatever you charge me, can we make it
as minimal as possible? Because I don't have the money to pay the additional 20% to be here. Right now, I pay just over $700 a month for my health insurance. The proposed cost would go up to $1,200 a month because I do cover my husband
and my children. My husband is unable to have an income due to his health and medical and my children although are adults are still online because it's they're not offered health insurance at this time. As I'm in the ER, they were able to rule
out a blood clot, but they found that I had a blood infection. I made a choice to go home and fight a blood infection instead of being admitted to the hospital because I couldn't afford to be admitted to the hospital. So, I went home and fought to not have sepsis. It's
that serious for me and my family. This is our district, my district, my family's district. We are a product. I'm a passionate elementary school teacher that loves what she does. My students make gains every year and I love what I
do. I have nothing but respect for our district and your plan to try to lower the debt of our district so we can be debtree. I'm grateful. Thank you for mentioning the health insurance and the com the concerns that we have. I don't
know what to do. I'm not going to leave the district. I love it. But I don't know what else to do. Thank you. I'm Tamika Morris. I'm not wearing my union shirt tonight because I'm here as a mom.
I'm sort of a Lorax that speaks for the trees. I'm a 31-year veteran educator who was on the family insurance plan since I began teaching in 1995. Because when I started teaching, I started my family at the same time. I'm
speaking for staff members regarding these recent insurance hikes that are proposed. My question for the board is who decided that this giant insurance hike would be okay. I've noticed some little ways that Penelis County School's expenses seem to
have already been cut this summer and last school year, but this one isn't little. It's humongous and it falls on staff. Nowadays, this amount is equating to a rent payment depending on where you
live. I speak for those parents like me who started their families off in apartments until they could buy a home. Today, it's already almost impossible to get a home or save for one while raising a family
with these apartment prices. I would breathe a sigh of relief every single year at open enrollment time when I saw that the family plan didn't get cut or it didn't skyrocket or and and
now it's skyrocketing. And this is not okay. It's not okay for families that have kids like mine. and I had three. My husband and I,
we couldn't figure this out. We had so many expenses, no teacher discounts. Our kids had to pay full price for school lunch. Our family didn't qualify for aid or government because we were always told we made too much, yet it was never
enough. We still had to pay for everything our kids did in schools like the sports. We had a footballer. Uh we had band a band mom fundraising, paying for PTA, paying for proms, paying for school supplies, everything that they
need, clothes, and then at the same time paying for medical insurance for everyone. I thank God for the affordable rates that we had until our kids became young adults. It gave us a chance to get our three
through high school and beyond with groceries, transportation, and a home in 2004. Don't take these opportunities away from others. It's not okay, especially with the amount of money that we make
compared to other college educated professions. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. There are no more speakers this evening. All right, that concludes public participation. Thank you for attending.
The school board will the regular board meeting has adjourned. We will return at 6:30 p.m. to conduct a public hearing on the tenative 2026 27 milit rates in district budget. The public hearing will be aired after this
board meeting. The public is invited to stay with us for this important hearing. Thank you. Good evening and welcome to the first of two public hearings on the 2026 27 budget. I call this meeting to order at
6:31 p.m. We have six members board members present. Mrs. Meyers is absent. Mrs. Long is appearing via Zoom. Mrs. Long, can you hear us? >> I sure can. Thank you.
>> Wonderful. We are here tonight to review the tenative property tax rates and budget for the 2026 27 school year. Hear comments from the public and approve the tenative mill rates and budget. The order of business and actions taken
tonight must follow specific directions set forth in the state statutes and we ask for your cooperation as we go through this legally required format. There are there will be two opportunities for you to speak this evening. First, you may comment on the
tenative milit rates. Second, you may comment on the tenative budget. If you wish to speak, you must register separately for each part of the hearing with our staff member at the entrance of the boardroom. On behalf of the school board and the superintendent, I thank
each of you for taking the time to be here tonight to share your views with us. Now, on at this time, may I have a motion to adopt the agenda? >> Second. >> I have a motion from Mrs. Blackburg and
a second from Mrs. Peters. to adopt the agenda. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any oppose? The motion passes. Six to zero. Mr. Hendrick and staff will make some introductory comments prior to the
presentation and before we hear comments from the public. Mr. Hendendrick. >> Thank you, Madam Chair and board members. I'd like to take this opportunity for your engagement and interest as we've formulated the budget for the 2627 school year. As you know, our budget is built to carry forward the
priorities of our strategic plan. And we walked the board through the budget in detail at our workshop on June 23rd. And I know many of you have had multiple one-on-one meetings with Mr. Jeepon as well before and after the workshop. At the workshop, the budget was detailed covering each component. And as is past
practice, we'll continue to examine all parts of our budget, especially as student enrollment is finalized at the start of the school year. I want to thank the board for your participation in the process and also your conversations with the public. One of the unique things about this particular
process in this particular year is that because of the property tax reform conversation, the public has become much more informed of how property taxes are developed and the fact that the board is the only entity on a person's tax bill
that is prescribed the millage rate from Tallahassee. you don't have the ability to increase that millage rate to deal with rising costs or other things that you may want to you have to prescribe the exact millage rate that is given to you. And so to detail a little bit more
about those millage rates and to have a few more opening comments, I'm going to pass it to our chief financial officer, Mr. Gary Jeeperson, to kick us off and then on to the presentation. Mr. Jeepson. >> Thank you, Mr. Hendrik. As you know, our truth and mill appeared in the Tampa Bay Times this past Sunday. The format for
the newspaper ad and the order of tonight's hearing presentations are prescribed by chapter 200 Florida statute. Based on the board's actions tonight, the Penllis County Property Appraisers Office will send out proposed tax notices. These notices will legally
indicate the time and place of our second and final public hearing on the millillage and budget to be held on Tuesday evening, September 8th. This proposed budget is based on estimates of the 2526 year as the year has not yet
been closed. The final budget presented in September will reflect the actual results of the prior fiscal year. Before I turn it over, it may help to put tonight's millage in context. Of the 6.273 mills before you, 3.025
is the millillage for the required local effort. That rate is set by the state and it must be levied as a condition of receiving funding through the Florida Education Finance Program or FEFP. The 0.748
discretionary operating millage is set by the legislature and the state builds that amount into its own funding calculation for each school district in Florida. The FEFP worksheet adds the anticipated tax tax receipts for both
the required and the discretionary local millage and counts those aggre the aggregate of the aggregate of them as the local share of the state's funding calculation. The one and a half mills of capital outlay is the millillage authorized in
statute. The district proposes to levy the one and a half mills for the upkeep and improvement of schools and for transfers of other allowable expenses and the one mill of local referendum that was approved by the voters of Penllis County in 2024.
Board members, as you know, the FFP funding calculation includes 171.7 million for the district's share of the family empowerment scholarship program. the state reduces the district's funding
by the 171.7 million prior to the FFP revenue being received. Additionally, FEFP funding, capital outlay, and referendum funding are all shared prata with charter schools. Lastly, please
note that the total millage the board will levy tonight is 0.05% less than the roll back rate. And at this time I ask uh Samantha Chastain, executive director budget and resource allocation to present the tenative
millillage and budget for the 2627 fiscal year. >> Thank you Mr. Jefferson. Good evening Mr. Hendrick, Madame Chair, board members and staff. This section of the presentation we will review the tenative millages. Truth and Mill, also referred to as
TRIM, is a Florida law that requires school districts to advertise their proposed budget and millage rates annually. Compliance with TRIM is not optional. It is a statutory requirement for participation in the Florida Education Finance Program or FFP.
The FEFP is designed to equitably fund public education by combining state revenue with local property tax contributions. The intent is to ensure that every student, regardless of where they live, has access to a highquality education. Because Penllis County has relatively
high property values, we generate more in local revenue than many other school districts. And under the FEFP formula, this means we receive less state funding as our local tax base helps support the broader goal of equitable funding statewide. The measure used to calculate a
district's local property tax is called a mill. And a mill represents $1 of tax for every $1,000 of taxable property value. So if a homeowner has a taxable value of $300,000 and the district levies one mill, the school portion of
their tax bill would be $300. The number of mills the district levies determines how much funding is generated from the local property taxes. The district's total proposed millillage for the 202627 fiscal year includes four key components. First is a general
operating millillage which consists of three parts. The required local effort or RLE is set each year by the Florida Department of Education and this millillage must be levied by the school board in order for the district to receive its share of FEFP state funding.
The discretionary mill is also authorized by the state and part of the FEFP formula. This millillage provides additional local support for operational needs. The districts are expected to levy the full amount as the state does not cover any shortfall. The local referendum millage was
originally approved by the voters in 2004 and has been renewed every four years since its inception. And in addition to the general operating millage, the district also levies a 1.5 capital outlay millage. And these funds are used for facility construction,
renovations, and capital improvements. For the 202627 fiscal year, the gross taxable property value across the county is estimated at $155.5 billion. This is a 2.1% increase from the prior year. Based on this
value, 1 mil, which equals $1 per $1,000 of assessed value, generates $149.2 million at 96% collection. The district's voter approved local referendum millillage generates $149.2 million in operating revenue and this
funding will support instructional staff along with programs for reading, art, music, and technology. The proposed millage for 2026-27 is 6.273 mills, which will generate approximately 936.2 million in local revenue for both
operating and capital funds. The roll back rate is the millage rate that would generate the same amount of revenue as last year if applied to the current tax role after adjusting for new construction. This rate serves as a baseline for determining whether a proposed tax
represents an increase in property taxes. If the proposed rate is higher than the roll back rate, it's considered a tax increase even if the millage rate itself is lower than the prior year. The 202627 proposed millage of 6.27 273
is less than the roll back rate of 6.252759 mills and represents a 05% decrease in property tax value revenue. Panelis County's GR gross property tax value for the school district is
approximately 155 billion reflecting an increase of 3.2 billion or 2.1% from last year. It's important to note that this figure represents the school district's t tax base specifically which may differ from the tax bases reported by individual municipalities or the
county due to varying technical calculations. Total property tax revenue for 20 2026 27 is projected at $936.2 million up $16.4 million from the prior year. This reflects a 2.2% 2% increase
comprised of total of the total operating revenue increase of 11.8 million and revenue from the capital outlay millillage increasing by 4.6 million. Under the proposed millage rate, the owner of a home with an assessed value of $385,000
with consideration for the deduction of the $25,000 homestead exemption would pay $2,263 in school taxes. This averages out to $6.20 20 cents per day. Property taxes in Penllis County are divided among more
than 54 taxing authorities, including schools, municipalities, and fire districts with the school district representing just one component of a homeowner's tax bill. At this time, I will return the meeting back to the board chair to allow for public comment and for the motions
necessary to adopt the millage rates. >> Thank you, Mrs. Hal. Are there any speakers for agenda item five? >> Madam Chair, there are no speakers for this item. May I have a motion and a second for the approval of the tenative discretionary local effort mill?
I move that the board approve the levying of a tenative discretionary local effort mill of 0.748 mills as part of the total millillage to be certified to the property appraiser and Florida Department of Revenue. >> Second. I have a second.
>> Second. >> I have a motion by Mrs. kind and a second by Mrs. Peters to approve the levying of the tenative discretionary local effort mill of 0.748 mills as part of the total millage to be
certified to the property appraiser in Florida department of revenue. All in favor please say I. >> I. >> Any oppose? Motion passes six to zero.
Now on to agenda item 5.2. May I have a motion in a second for the adoption of the tenative total millage rates? I move that the board adopt a tenative millage rate of 6.2730
mills to be set and certified to the property appraiser and to the Florida Department of Revenue. The millage rates are as follows. For required local effort 3.0 025 mills for discretionary local effort. 0.748
mills for local referendum 1.00 mills for capital outlay 1 mills total tenative millage to be 6.273 mills that rate is 0.05%
lower than the roll back rate. May I May I thank you? I have a motion by Mrs. Kaine and a second by Mrs. Peters to adopt a tenative milit rate of 6.2730 mills to be set and certified to the
property appraiser into the Florida Department of Revenue. The millage rates are as follows. For required local effort, 3.025 mills. for discretionary local effort 0.748
mills for local referendum 1.00 mills for capital outlay 1 mills total millage 6.2730
mills this rate is 0.05% 05% lower than the roll back rate. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes six to zero. Miss
Chastain, would you please continue the budget presentation? This portion of the presentation covers the district tenative budget for the 202627 school year. The budget process is ongoing throughout the year with updates presented at the
school board workshops. Spring brings more clarity on state funding as the legislative uh sessions conclude. Budget steering committee meetings are held to review key capital outlay priorities and two public hearings are held in July and September to adopt the tenative and final budget and millage rates.
The new year brings several legislative changes to our school district. The base student allocation or BSA increased to $5,457.60. This is an increase of $85 or 1.58 1.58%
over last year's BSA. Statewide funding increased by $754.1 million or 6.2 million to Panelis, which includes funding related to family empowerment scholarships. Changes in the Florida retirement system contribution rate are projected to
decrease district expenditures by 2.4 million and the teacher salary increase allocation increase $21 million statewide or $4.1 million to Penllis County schools. Statewide, the appropriation for safe schools remains flat to the prior year and state a state
funded discretionary supplement of a billion dollars has been obligated to offset the impact of of family empowerment scholarships on district's funding. When looking at the total proposed budget across all revenue sources, you'll see that the general fund represents the largest portion,
accounting for approximately 63% of the total budget or about $1.09 billion. The second largest portion is the capital outlay fund proposed at roughly $393 million which makes up about 23% of
the total budget. Together, these two funds, general fund and capital outlay, make up 86% of the district's total budget. The district's self-insured health and workers compens compensation fund is projected at approximately $145 million, making it the third largest
fund in our overall budget. Altogether, the total proposed budget for all funds in fiscal year 2026 27 is approximately $1.7 billion. Total operating fund revenues are anticipated to be approximately $1.09
billion. Of that about $742 million come from local sources which includes the 1m mill referendum and 221 million comes from the state resources. The Florida Education Finance Program or FFP is the general fund's primary
funding source. The FFP funding formula utilizes a combination of state and local resources to fund education. And looking at the operating revenue budget graphically, you will note that the local sources represents about 68% of the total operating budget and state
sources account for approximately 20%. The remaining 12% comes from transfers and beginning fund balance. The operating budget is used to fund the day-to-day operating expenditures of the district. It pays for salaries and benefits, supplies and materials,
textbooks, student transportation, utilities, maintenance and repairs. Viewing the distribution of our budget by object, there's little change from previous years. About 57% of our budget is spent on salaries and 22% on benefits. And in total, about 80% of our
operating budget goes towards staffing. Capital outlay funds include revenue from both state and local sources. This fund reflects the revenue and expenditures for construction and renovation of school buildings and grounds. The majority of these funds are generated by the local capital
improvement millage which is set by law and limited to 1.5 mills. These funds may not be used for operating purposes but rather they may only be used for capital outlay purposes as advertised. Additional funds have been provided through the certificate of participation
or cops issuances. The lease purchase financing of capital improvements through the issuance of cops bonds is a technique frequently used utilized by Florida school districts to finance school facilities. The district's proposed capital outlay
budget is approximately $393 million. This includes $231.7 million allocated for the 2026 school year. Proposed items related to capital projects, minor maintenance, technology, and transfers. $50 million is carried over from the
prior year projects and the ending fund balance includes outstanding obligations and non-p project specific carryover funds from prior year. Beginning in 2324, Florida school districts are required to share a portion of the discretionary capital outlay millage revenue with eligible charter schools.
And in the current year, charter schools will receive approximately 11.1 million, which represents an increase of $3 million from the prior year. The special revenue budget is comprised of two major categories of federal funds, contracted programs and food and
nutrition. The total contracted program budget is currently $8.5 million. This budget starts the year off low and builds as the year goes on as we do not recognize the revenue until it is available. The current allocations in this budget are related to a combination of items such as the carryover balances
from the prior year which are utilized in the liquidation of closing grants and also included are allocations for multi-year grant awards. The district is anticipating award allocations of $76 million for title one
title two title three title four and adult education grants. Food and nutrition is a self- sustaining fund as it receives no financial support from the operating fund. Federal reimbursements and local collections are the primary revenue source. The proposed
food and nutrition budget is approximately $52 million. The debt service fund is used to account for the payment of general long-term debt principle and interest. allocated for 2627 is $8.5 million which represents the debt services for cops or
certificate of participation issued by the district in 2017 and 2021. The proposed self-insurance workers compensation and liability budget of $8 million accounts for the premium revenue and expenditures associated with the district's self-insured workers
compensation and liability insurance program. The self-insured health fund accounts for the district's premium revenue and claim expenditures with appro with a budget of approximately $145 million. The tenative budget and all supporting documents are on file in the office of
budget and resource allocation. This information can also be found online. At this point, I will turn the meeting back to the board chair to allow for public comment and the motions necessary to adopt the tenative budget. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mrs. Halp. Are there any speakers for agenda item six? Madam Chair, there are no speakers for this
item. >> Thank you. May I have a motion and a second to adopt the tenative budget for the 2026 2027? >> I move that the board approve the tenative 2026 27 budget as presented.
>> I have a motion by Mrs. Blackburg and a second by Mrs. Kain to adopt the tenative 202627 budget as presented. Is there any board discussion? All in favor, please say I. >> I.
>> Any oppose? The motion passes. 6 to zero. May I have a motion and a second for establishing the date and date, time, and place of the second public hearing? I move that the second public hearing on
the 2026 27 district budget be held on September 8th, 2026 at 6 p.m. in the conference hall of the school administration building 301 4th Street Southwest Largo, Florida. I have a motion by Mrs. Peters and a
second by Mrs. Blackburg to establish the date, time, and place of the second public hearing. Is there any board discussion? All in favor, please say I. >> Motion >> I. >> Motion passes six to zero.
May I have a motion and a second for the for authorizing the submitt of certification of the school taxable value? I move that the board authorize the superintendent to advise the property appraiser of the millage rates, including the required roll back rates
approved at the first public hearing held on July 28, 2026. Is there any board discussion? I have a motion by Mrs. Hine and a second by Mrs. Peters to authorize the submittal of the certification of school
taxable value. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes six to zero. Agenda item 7.1, additional board actions. There are no additional board
actions at this time. Agenda item 8.1, other considerations and concluding comments. Board members, are there any other considerations or concluding comments? All right, we have no additional
business regarding the tenative 2026 27 milligen budget. I adjourn this meeting