2023-02-21 - School Board Work Session

0:00 Let’s get started.

48:58 Let’s go ahead.

49:28 Let’s get started.

1:54:25 applicants you’ll have the name the number you know we’ll have

1:54:07 the email the phone number all

1:54:07 that kind of stuff when we share them with your staff to post

1:54:13 them onto the website we typically

1:54:16 will do that once a week so that all of the ones that come in as

1:54:20 i said mr reichert will get them

1:54:22 he works with the applicants if they say i’m waiting on this

1:54:26 waiting on that he kind of bird

1:54:27 dogs them gets them all for the week in a single packet digital

1:54:34 will send it to your staff staff

1:54:36 will typically share it with the board and then post it onto

1:54:40 your superintendent search portal so

1:54:42 that your community can be reviewing the application packets

1:54:46 along with you so all of those will come in

1:54:50 once a week you’ll get an update here’s three applications two

1:54:53 applications however many come in

1:54:55 i do want to remind you i think we spoke about this when we were

1:54:59 out at the zoo that time the bulk

1:55:01 of the applications will come in the last two or three days um

1:55:08 that’s typically because of the

1:55:11 sunshine law and the sooner somebody applies the sooner they’re

1:55:15 having to answer questions their

1:55:17 name appears you will also be hearing anybody that applies i don’t

1:55:23 care who it is i think i mentioned

1:55:25 this before you’re going to start getting emails from people who

1:55:28 love this candidate and people who

1:55:31 hate this candidate we’re used to that around here and the

1:55:33 appropriate response is thank you we look

1:55:35 forward to taking all pertinent information into account you

1:55:39 please do not engage just thank you for your

1:55:42 information if somebody is interested in applying and they want

1:55:46 some information and they they call you

1:55:49 for any reason they call you miss campbell you say i really am

1:55:52 not at liberty to discuss this with you

1:55:55 please call andrea messina bill vogel john reichert refer them

1:55:59 to us the minute you start talking to

1:56:02 somebody then rumors start and that just will undermine the

1:56:06 credibility of the process so anybody that’s

1:56:09 interested thank you for your interest talk to our search facilitation

1:56:14 team one of the things that’s

1:56:15 really valuable uh from today’s conversation what i take away is

1:56:21 that if if i brought to you a really

1:56:24 superstar um applicant you might be willing to consider if

1:56:28 salary was a deal breaker for that person

1:56:32 i could say listen here’s this candidate but i gotta tell you

1:56:34 you’re gonna have to go higher than 300 to get

1:56:36 them yeah i heard you guys say i might not like it but if that’s

1:56:40 what i have to do i might be open to

1:56:42 hearing about it so i appreciate the conversation today um more

1:56:47 than anything our goal is to have a

1:56:49 very um have a process that is above reproach for the applicants

1:56:55 and for the board and for your staff

1:56:59 because we can’t have anybody accusing anyone of favoritism or

1:57:03 getting special treatment

1:57:06 or getting inside information or anything like that so just

1:57:09 please refer them to us

1:57:10 um we are happy and consistently talking to people um as as you

1:57:16 probably know it took me a number of

1:57:18 hours to get here from tallahassee and so when when i as a

1:57:21 matter of fact it’s today wednesday no tomorrow’s

1:57:24 wednesday i’m talking to somebody from out of state wednesday i

1:57:26 said i’ll be in my car wednesday here’s

1:57:27 the window and i stack up the phone calls and talk to the people

1:57:30 because people are already calling

1:57:32 people are already asking questions and we’re excited to get the

1:57:35 advertisements posted

1:57:37 everybody good miss messina thank you so much for all your

1:57:44 dedication and hard work we really

1:57:46 appreciate it anything we can do any hiccups please call we can

1:57:49 make things happen we have great staff

1:57:52 and we’re excited to see what the next steps are thank you all

1:57:55 right let me open this

1:57:57 yeah i was just going to say if you guys would like we could

1:58:01 take a five minute recess real quick

1:58:03 yep thank you

1:58:12 you

2:08:37 the Neola’s and statutes for the zeros and the 1000s and he had

2:08:41 asked he said

2:08:43 look it’s probably and I actually kind of led the conversation

2:08:45 and just said it

2:08:47 would be better if we had all of those together when we’re

2:08:49 reviewing them and

2:08:50 so Paul did you want to talk real quick about it I just can say

2:08:54 I had I can

2:08:55 email you all the ones are zero and the ones and zeros but mr.

2:08:59 Susan had said

2:09:00 Neola has an option that you can log in and see every district’s

2:09:04 policies even

2:09:05 the ones that they’ve done in-house for their counties I can get

2:09:09 with Neola and

2:09:10 see how we do that I don’t know about that I’ll have to confirm

2:09:14 it but in the

2:09:14 meantime I’ll email you the zip files for all the zeros and ones

2:09:18 even the ones

2:09:18 that we haven’t adopted in the past so if there’s one that’s not

2:09:21 on our books that

2:09:22 maybe you guys are like hey we really like this I want to bring

2:09:26 it forward for

2:09:27 you know recommending we adopt here you can see all of them not

2:09:31 just the ones

2:09:31 that we’ve gotten so the first part was let’s get the current

2:09:35 updated red line

2:09:37 version so that we’re discussing it directly right and then the

2:09:41 second piece

2:09:42 is is that I found out while we were out just as of this morning

2:09:45 that there’s

2:09:46 actually in board docs through Neola an opportunity that we

2:09:49 would be able to

2:09:50 search all the other school districts in Florida that may have

2:09:54 similar policies so

2:09:55 we might be able to find better ideas stuff like that so with

2:09:59 that I would ask

2:10:00 him that I was gonna move it to the seventh as discussion and

2:10:05 just kind of push

2:10:07 those off if that’s okay with everybody just with the

2:10:09 circumstances we okay good

2:10:13 all right next miss miss Campbell you good yeah just just to

2:10:17 clarify then what are

2:10:18 we so today on top for today what’s going to be all of the zero

2:10:22 zero zero zeros yes ma’am and

2:10:24 then there’s one two three four from the one thousands and three

2:10:28 from the two

2:10:29 thousands that were listed is that the ones that are listed or

2:10:32 let me just and other

2:10:34 related policies there are ones that have to do with the

2:10:36 superintendent

2:10:37 administrative procedures yeah those those are all those drafts

2:10:40 all that stuff

2:10:41 we’re just because I just want to make sure we know what we’re

2:10:44 need to be

2:10:44 preparing for obviously we’ve already looked through our these

2:10:47 for today but

2:10:48 what you know so just so it’s clear we’re moving everything back

2:10:52 a little bit yeah

2:10:53 because even the work the board powers and all of those things

2:10:56 hadn’t been

2:10:57 updated in so long they were referring one of them referred to a

2:10:59 statute that

2:11:00 didn’t even have any reference to what we were it was just it’s

2:11:04 just old so I

2:11:05 think I think that works if that’s okay with you and what we’ll

2:11:08 do is go from the

2:11:08 transportation plan through those other issues so next topics

2:11:13 the

2:11:13 transportation plan dr. Schiller will be providing the board

2:11:16 with this

2:11:16 information thank you mr. Susan members of the board as you may

2:11:22 recall about two

2:11:24 weeks ago you directed the interim superintendent to study the

2:11:29 issues and

2:11:30 problems regarding transportation and bring forward recommended

2:11:35 solutions today

2:11:36 members of our workgroup that I established are here to present

2:11:40 where we

2:11:42 are to date they’ve been working with me around the clock truly

2:11:46 a very strong

2:11:47 effort I would just like before they begin I would just like to

2:11:51 reiterate that

2:11:52 this whole issue of transportation is quite complicated as many

2:11:57 interrelated matters and

2:11:59 not a single solution that will solve all matters anything that’s

2:12:03 complex problem that has a simple

2:12:06 solution is wrong because simple solutions do not address long-term

2:12:10 issues nor prospective

2:12:12 issues so with that in mind there are many matters and I want to

2:12:17 turn this over

2:12:18 right now to members our workgroup led by Rashad Wilson our

2:12:21 chief operating

2:12:22 officer Rashad thank you and your members for all the very hard

2:12:26 work you’re

2:12:27 doing with us with me every virtually every day thank you

2:12:32 chairman Susan board

2:12:34 members and superintendent Schiller Monday last week dr. Schiller

2:12:38 facilitated a new

2:12:40 transportation workgroup to address the transportation mountain

2:12:45 identified the

2:12:46 hills and rocks which are big and small challenges and develop a

2:12:50 plan to resolve

2:12:51 them this is this is a large focus issue or mountain for

2:12:56 transportation as

2:12:57 the department has had little attention to continuous

2:13:00 improvement over the years

2:13:04 these workgroup members represent the cross-functional

2:13:07 assistance needed to

2:13:09 improve transportation the team led by dr. Schiller include

2:13:14 myself Russell

2:13:17 Cheatham assistant superintendent chief information officer

2:13:20 Cindy Lezinski chief

2:13:23 financial officer dr. Carol Green interim chief HR officer and

2:13:28 director of

2:13:29 labor relations and attorney Paul Gibbs additionally Cynthia ran

2:13:35 my project

2:13:36 manager dr. Miller transportation service director and Jefferson

2:13:43 Smith assistant

2:13:44 director of transportation services bring technical expertise

2:13:49 and in-depth

2:13:49 knowledge of transportation to the workgroup this cross-functional

2:13:54 approach will

2:13:55 improve problem solving and lead to smarter more sustainable

2:14:01 solutions the first

2:14:05 workgroup meeting was primarily spent on identifying the hills

2:14:08 and rocks or

2:14:10 challenges that are facing transportation three hills identified

2:14:15 were retention and

2:14:16 recruitment operations and fleet management on the retention and

2:14:23 recruitment hill the

2:14:24 the rocks identified were salary and benefits working conditions

2:14:30 and bus driver training on the

2:14:34 operations hill identified rocks were the edulog bus routing

2:14:40 system including possible add-on modules or software updates

2:14:46 other software options and bail schedules on the fleet

2:14:53 management hill the rocks identified were parts inventory

2:14:58 maintenance technicians and a fleet replacement plan

2:15:00 our strategies are analysis of salary staffing and benefits we

2:15:14 are currently gathering

2:15:15 of salary staffing and benefits we are currently gathering

2:15:16 transportation salary staffing and benefits

2:15:18 information from our three peer counties Osceola Seminole and

2:15:24 Volusia to help formulate a compensation strategy that is

2:15:27 internally equitable

2:15:28 that is internally equitable and externally competitive next reaffirm

2:15:35 bus driver discipline referral process the workgroup has already

2:15:40 addressed the retention challenge of bus driver working

2:15:42 conditions by refining the process for bus drivers to report a

2:15:48 discipline incident a memo was sent to the leadership team BASA

2:15:52 1010 BFT transportation and school board members

2:15:57 reaffirming the process if you will there’s an updated version

2:16:02 to that memo and we took what happened we used the information

2:16:08 from the discipline steering committee to make the appropriate

2:16:11 adjustments and changes within the memo

2:16:13 next we have the cost benefit analysis of the routing system

2:16:19 options we are developing a cost-benefit analysis to address the

2:16:25 potential upgrading of the current edulog routing system to

2:16:30 their new and improved Athena solution or choosing routing

2:16:35 software option choosing a new routing software altogether next

2:16:41 we have our implement

2:16:41 implement inventory management system the Taisville bus shop

2:16:46 inventory management system has been completed with part

2:16:50 location by shelf row and box number this mess this method will

2:16:57 be implemented at the south and central bus shops

2:16:59 and central bus shops this will improve transportation’s ability

2:17:04 to identify which and how much stock to order at what time it

2:17:09 will also eliminate our it will also eliminate over purchasing

2:17:18 items by allowing shops to transfer from shop to shop

2:17:18 and lastly develop a fleet replacement plan we are working on a

2:17:27 yellow and white fleet replacement plan to know what vehicles

2:17:31 are going to cost and for how long we will have them

2:17:36 this will yield a consistent schedule for vehicle maintenance

2:17:41 and replacement

2:17:43 this is a staffing snapshot of transportation staffing levels

2:17:53 for school year 2022-23 transportation was allocated 276 eight-hour

2:18:04 positions for a total of 2208 hours

2:18:11 bus drivers are staffed from six to eight hours depending on

2:18:16 their routes

2:18:17 also as of february 15th we have 233 bus drivers working from

2:18:24 six to eight hours for a total of 1656 hours

2:18:29 this means we have 552 allocated hours remaining which can be

2:18:38 used to hire 92 6-hour bus drivers or 69 8-hour bus drivers or

2:18:45 any combination in between

2:18:47 and we currently have 16 technician vacancies based on our 29

2:18:54 allocated positions

2:18:55 all technician positions are 8-hour positions

2:18:59 from the start of school year 22-23 we hired 34 bus drivers and

2:19:07 lost 60 for a net hire to loss of -26

2:19:11 i think there’s a document that you received in the pack that

2:19:14 gives you from august to february 15th if i’m not mistaken

2:19:19 of the people we have lost we have hired three technicians and

2:19:24 lost two so we have a positive of net one

2:19:29 both technicians and 22 bus drivers have left the district due

2:19:38 to low wages

2:19:39 we have a positive change in the pack that we have left the

2:19:44 district due to low wages

2:19:46 our strategic plan to have 50 percent of buses our yellow fleet

2:19:50 below the industry standard life cycle of 10 years was met in

2:19:52 2021

2:19:53 we started in 2019 at 36 percent

2:19:57 today we are at 55.4 percent of our 426 buses being under 10

2:20:06 years old

2:20:07 our white fleet includes pickups sedans

2:20:12 SUVs

2:20:14 vans

2:20:14 trucks

2:20:15 semi-trucks

2:20:16 and wreckers

2:20:17 the transportation white fleet age has increased

2:20:20 over the years

2:20:22 which lends to the high numbers of 295 vehicles

2:20:27 being older

2:20:28 than 10 years

2:20:30 this was due to several factors including lack of funding moving

2:20:34 white fleet ownership to departments and more

2:20:37 transportation has diligently

2:20:47 selling older but older buses and purchasing new buses every

2:20:51 year to keep our fleet at an optimum level

2:20:52 the data shows as a result of the last three years of selling

2:20:58 and buying buses we have 40 less buses in our fleet

2:21:04 this slide shows the yellow fleet replacement funds budgeted

2:21:14 each year since 2016.

2:21:18 although budgeted amounts have gone up the last couple years

2:21:22 over the last year bus prices have gone up twice due to supply

2:21:28 cost on July 1 2022 state of Florida Department of Education

2:21:35 amended last year school bus contracts with increased prices and

2:21:39 the new contract effective January 1 2023 includes another price

2:21:45 increase

2:21:47 this means

2:21:49 what used to buy 30 buses

2:21:51 will now only buy 25 buses

2:21:52 delivery time has also suffered in these economic times

2:21:58 on past contracts

2:22:00 lead time was 240 days to receive buses

2:22:04 currently lead times have exceeded one year

2:22:08 for example

2:22:11 we are still waiting for delivery on our buses

2:22:14 the purchase order issued on 11 3 2021

2:22:18 we expect this delivery to finally be here in March which is

2:22:22 over 480 days

2:22:29 over the years

2:22:30 white fleet replacement funds have been reduced to reduce due to

2:22:36 funding and competing priorities

2:22:39 this has resulted in our largely older white fleet in years past

2:22:45 the white fleet replacement funds flow to the transportation

2:22:49 budget

2:22:49 transportation based on department input would purchase vehicles

2:22:53 and place them district wide

2:22:56 due to inventory management and department needs

2:23:00 this process was adjusted a couple years ago by having

2:23:04 individual divisions or departments request white fleet dollars

2:23:08 in their budgets

2:23:09 transportation continues to assist by sourcing what they need

2:23:14 getting quotes and ordering them

2:23:23 analysis of the last few years of data shows that we have

2:23:27 substantially reduced our routes from 349 routes in 2020 to 249

2:23:35 routes today

2:23:36 this resulted due to several factors including covid charter

2:23:41 school participation lack of bus drivers route consolidation etc

2:23:51 our project for school year 2324 is to our projection excuse me

2:23:56 our projection for school year 2324 is 226 routes

2:24:03 we are going to move on eliminating all double and triple routes

2:24:07 and double backs as well as bus driver salary increase so that

2:24:14 we can gain applicants

2:24:18 this slide is a workflow work schedule of our work group our

2:24:24 work group schedule is as follows the analysis of salary

2:24:29 staffing and benefits is dependent upon peer district response

2:24:32 to data

2:24:32 request as well as expertise and ability of staff to complete in

2:24:35 a timely manner this is currently in process the bus driver

2:24:43 disciplinary referral process memo was complete and sent on

2:24:48 February 15th with your blessings I will send the updated

2:24:50 version out this evening spring negotiation is where we will

2:24:55 examine if adding one or two training days to the bus driver

2:25:00 contract to increase bus driver training can

2:25:01 the bus driver contract to increase the bus driver training in

2:25:04 the bus driver training can happen this is depended upon the

2:25:05 local 1010 bargaining process

2:25:08 the cost benefit analysis of routing system options is in

2:25:11 process we will be able to implement our inventory management

2:25:17 system in the south and central shops by June 30th 2023

2:25:19 and lastly a yellow and white fleet replacement plan is in

2:25:29 process I have with me Dr. Michael Miller and the director of

2:25:36 transportation as well as Jefferson Smith the assistant

2:25:41 transportation director to assist with any questions if there be

2:25:42 so

2:25:42 Do any board members wish to discuss the presentation thank you

2:25:51 so much Rashad this is a lot this is since we’ve been on here

2:25:54 this is probably one of the most comprehensive overviews let’s

2:25:58 get to work rally the flag so I really want to my applaud to you

2:26:02 and staff and Dr. Schiller thank you very much I just want to

2:26:06 say that I have my notes but I go last so who would like to go

2:26:09 first

2:26:09 Ms. right Mr. Wilson you made a comment that the white fleet

2:26:18 dollars were placed in department budgets rather than

2:26:21 transportation can you elaborate on that a little bit because I’m

2:26:25 just not sure why that would happen or how that happened we

2:26:29 decided to move the dollars to the different departments they

2:26:35 knew their needs and then transportation was

2:26:36 and then transportation was not the one that made the decision

2:26:39 what vehicle was purchased in which department would get it can

2:26:43 you give me an example of like what department would you put a

2:26:45 white fleet maintenance and maintenance okay it’s food services

2:26:51 ET surplus okay and then when we’re looking at the data here you

2:26:58 know it looks like obviously we need some new buses but the

2:27:01 underlying issue is we need bus drivers right we need drivers

2:27:05 and based on everything in your experience Dr. Miller what’s the

2:27:11 number one reason that you think we need more bus drivers or

2:27:13 that we don’t have enough bus drivers

2:27:14 the two top reasons is the reason we need bus drivers is because

2:27:19 of salary and because of student discipline

2:27:21 okay and have you looked at your budget year to date for what is

2:27:26 slated to be remaining in the transportation department for

2:27:30 unused funds for these salaries that we’re not able to obviously

2:27:33 pay since we don’t have the driver in place

2:27:34 we give back close to two million dollars a year in unused

2:27:40 budget okay all right I’m gonna hold my questions for right now

2:27:41 and let someone else go

2:27:41 Mr. Trent, Ms. Campbell, Ms. Jenkins, anybody? Okay, Ms.

2:27:48 Campbell? First of all I also thank you for the presentation and

2:27:48 all the work that you guys and the whole team did on this

2:27:48 so going back to just you know because this is not the world you

2:27:56 know that we live in all the time right it’s transportation but

2:27:58 just to clarify so this six hour eight hour positions so I know

2:28:02 by contract all of our

2:28:03 bus drivers are guaranteed six hours whether they have a short

2:28:06 day and they only drive four I know that never happens

2:28:10 not today right but if you know our drivers are all the time and

2:28:17 especially now having to pick up an extra route or somebody’s

2:28:17 out and they’re going to

2:28:17 double back or whatever that they’re hourly so if they’re

2:28:24 normally a six hour bus driver but that day they did eight or

2:28:24 even

2:28:24 sometimes let’s say ten let’s say there was a wreck or whatever

2:28:31 they’re getting paid their hourly for what they actually put in

2:28:31 correct?

2:28:31 Mr. Yes, correct.

2:28:32 Mr. Okay, whether they’re six or eight but the eight I’m

2:28:37 assuming gets the preference of picking those routes so that

2:28:38 they’ve got

2:28:38 they know they’re guaranteed those eight hours every day is that

2:28:41 in my opinion?

2:28:43 Mr. Yes, yes, yes.

2:28:44 Mr. Okay, whether they’re six or eight but the eight I’m

2:28:47 assuming gets the preference of picking those routes so that

2:28:49 they know they’re guaranteed those eight hours every day is that

2:28:49 in my opinion?

2:28:49 Mr. Yes, yes.

2:28:50 Mr. Okay.

2:28:51 Mr. Okay, whether they’re six or eight but the eight I’m

2:28:53 assuming gets the preference of picking those routes so that

2:28:56 they know they’re guaranteed those eight hours every day, is

2:28:59 that in my opinion?

2:28:59 Mr. Yes, yes.

2:29:00 Mr. Yes, the drivers they work anywhere from six to eight hours

2:29:03 and it’s usually the same every day.

2:29:05 Mr. Okay, okay.

2:29:06 Mr. So then going to the fleet so besides the you talked about

2:29:14 when it switched to from the from you from transportation the

2:29:21 white fleet transportation going from you to the departments

2:29:25 besides besides the purchasing

2:29:29 how else are we supporting that fleet do we support with

2:29:33 scheduling maintenance?

2:29:35 Mr. We do all the maintenance on all the vehicles in the county.

2:29:38 Mr. Okay.

2:29:39 Mr. I’ve got we have 12 technicians that are working on 400 and

2:29:44 some white fleet every 30 days and then we have close to 700

2:29:49 white fleet.

2:29:49 Mr. Okay, and you know that that includes and Mr. I think it

2:29:53 includes if you go to any of our schools that have like a blast

2:29:55 program or yet those minivans that they’re driving.

2:29:58 Mr. Yes.

2:29:59 Mr. To take the students out to you know workplaces or whatever

2:30:02 that and that includes that as well. So we’re so we’re

2:30:04 supporting them with all the maintenance. We’re supporting them

2:30:08 with purchasing when they need something.

2:30:08 Mr. Are we when you do the maintenance are you know you guys

2:30:12 kind of keeping up with shelf life of each of those vehicles

2:30:15 making recommendations? Hey, you’ve probably only got another

2:30:20 year left on this vehicle. You need to start budgeting for

2:30:23 purchase of a new one or how does that work?

2:30:24 Mr. Yeah, they’re in they’re in touch with our truck shop and

2:30:27 they make those decisions.

2:30:28 Mr. It gets to a certain point to where they’re not cost

2:30:33 effective to repair.

2:30:34 Mr. Right. Just like our everyday vehicles.

2:30:37 Mr. Yeah.

2:30:38 Mr. Well, I’m just wondering like so when let’s just say a

2:30:41 school that has a minivan that stays there at their school,

2:30:43 right? They use it for blast. They use it for taking students

2:30:45 out every day.

2:30:45 Mr. When it starts getting to the end of their shelf life, that

2:30:48 would be I’m assuming would be under like student services

2:30:51 because that would be an ESC.

2:30:52 Mr. ESC.

2:30:53 Mr. Then is that department having to save up and budget?

2:30:57 Mr. Because I know okay next year we’re going to need to buy a

2:31:00 new vehicle so we need to put in our budget enough money.

2:31:02 Mr. Yes.

2:31:03 Mr. Okay, so that’s no longer in transportation. So every

2:31:06 department is having to save up for that.

2:31:08 Mr. Yes. Each department goes to the budgeting.

2:31:11 Mr. Okay, but initially when it went from transportation to the

2:31:15 departments, that was budget that fell under your department. So

2:31:18 it went out.

2:31:19 Mr. Yes.

2:31:20 Mr. So they’re not having to pull it out of their existing

2:31:22 budget. They were each allotted a certain amount per year.

2:31:24 Mr. Yes.

2:31:25 Mr. Okay.

2:31:26 Mr. I just wanted to make sure I got my brain straight.

2:31:27 Mr. And we still assist with getting the quote, making the

2:31:30 actual purchase.

2:31:31 Mr. Right.

2:31:32 Mr. We’re just not providing that way.

2:31:34 Mr. And we’re making sure that the vehicle meets the standards

2:31:39 for whatever the use is.

2:31:40 Mr. Right.

2:31:41 And it has to become under our current contracts.

2:31:43 Mr. Yes.

2:31:44 Mr. They have to purchase from our approved vendors that the

2:31:46 board has approved and all of that.

2:31:47 Mr. But the parts and the replacements are all coming out of the

2:31:50 transportation budget.

2:31:51 Mr. Right.

2:31:52 Mr. Okay.

2:31:53 We may come back to that, but that’s all I had for that.

2:31:56 I just wanted to make sure I had my brain straight.

2:31:59 And then on the routing system.

2:32:03 So it seems like we just did that since I’ve been on the board.

2:32:07 So my question is, are we dissatisfied with our current routing

2:32:11 system?

2:32:11 Because I thought we put in something that was like with the GPS

2:32:14 and it was supposed to help us do all that.

2:32:16 Are we just finding that it’s not –

2:32:17 Mr. We’re talking two different things.

2:32:19 Mr. Oh, okay.

2:32:20 Mr. The edulog system is the routing system that we actually use.

2:32:23 Mr. Okay.

2:32:24 Mr. The GPS, the Reaxium is our GPS and our student tracker.

2:32:28 Mr. Okay.

2:32:29 But didn’t we also put in – I’m absolutely mixing those things

2:32:32 up.

2:32:32 I’m sure I am.

2:32:33 But I was thinking we also instituted a new routing system in

2:32:35 the last four years.

2:32:36 Am I wrong?

2:32:37 Mr. We had edulog when I got here four years ago.

2:32:39 Mr. Okay.

2:32:40 So this is looking at – we may need to –

2:32:42 Mr. An update.

2:32:43 Mr. Right, right, right.

2:32:44 So I’m assuming then if it’s on here, then we are dissatisfied

2:32:47 with how it’s going right now.

2:32:50 Mr. We’ve looked at a couple of presentations of other companies

2:32:53 to see if their product meets our needs better.

2:32:57 But edulog has a new version coming out called Athena.

2:33:00 And we have a presentation on that this Friday to see if we want

2:33:04 to go to the upgrade of that.

2:33:05 Mr. Okay.

2:33:06 Now is – is edulog something that we pay year to year?

2:33:09 Or is it something we paid once and we got it?

2:33:10 And so if we buy something new, we have to pay it?

2:33:11 Mr. We pay year to year.

2:33:12 Mr. Okay.

2:33:13 So it’ll be – we could be just swapping out cost for cost.

2:33:17 Mr. Yes.

2:33:18 Mr. We’re not going to have to budget to buy a new system.

2:33:20 Mr. Right.

2:33:21 Mr. Okay.

2:33:22 Is that pretty normal in industry standards to pay?

2:33:24 Mr. Yes.

2:33:25 Mr. Year to year.

2:33:26 So we know we’re going to have a recurring cost of that.

2:33:27 Mr. Yes.

2:33:28 Mr. Okay.

2:33:29 And that’s all I have right now.

2:33:32 Thank you, Ms. Campbell.

2:33:34 Anybody else wish to discuss the topics at hand?

2:33:37 Mr. Trent?

2:33:38 Ms. Jenkins?

2:33:39 No?

2:33:40 No.

2:33:41 Good, thanks.

2:33:42 All right.

2:33:43 My turn?

2:33:44 Okay.

2:33:45 So you had mentioned that you refined the referral reporting

2:33:49 system.

2:33:49 It’s been a real big deal for me for – since like September.

2:33:52 Can you go through that with me, what the deal is and everything

2:33:56 else?

2:33:56 Mr. The document that you have or should have that has

2:34:01 highlights on it was the document that was –

2:34:04 Mr. Right.

2:34:05 It went out.

2:34:06 Yep.

2:34:07 Mr. – created and went out.

2:34:08 And according to Dr. Shiller, they were doing the steering –

2:34:12 discipline steering committee.

2:34:13 There were some individuals within the committee that wanted to

2:34:20 – that had some concerns, wanted to make some additions.

2:34:24 And we took them into consideration, added those updates to the

2:34:29 memo.

2:34:29 And I wanted you guys to take a look at it first.

2:34:32 And I’m going to send it back out to the masses once you had the

2:34:36 opportunity to take a look at it.

2:34:38 But we considered all the input from the steering committee.

2:34:41 Mr. Yeah.

2:34:42 The – so if I’m a – if I’m a driver and I fill out a

2:34:47 discipline form, it’s a three-ply, what do I – what am I doing

2:34:52 if it’s at the end of the day?

2:34:53 What’s the plan?

2:34:54 Mr. Well, that – this – that – that – the principal designee,

2:34:58 whoever he or she is at the bus stop –

2:35:00 Mr. Yeah.

2:35:01 Mr. – will be given that document.

2:35:02 Mr. Okay.

2:35:03 Mr. And then depending on when they get it or the infraction,

2:35:07 they will then go – if it’s the – if it’s an assistant

2:35:10 principal, he or she will process the – the referral, if you

2:35:15 will.

2:35:15 Mr. Okay.

2:35:16 Mr. And then at that time, they will – they will give the –

2:35:19 the discipline, the appropriate discipline for the infraction.

2:35:23 Mr. Got it.

2:35:24 Mr. And then they will give communication – some kind of

2:35:27 communication back to the bus driver.

2:35:29 Again, we made a change.

2:35:30 We put within 24 hours.

2:35:32 Mr. Love it.

2:35:33 I read that.

2:35:34 That was awesome.

2:35:35 Mr. But – but – but – but then again –

2:35:36 Mr. No, no but – no but –

2:35:37 Mr. – the infraction depends on the – the turnaround times.

2:35:39 Mr. Yes.

2:35:40 Mr. But depending on the infraction, there could be a lot of

2:35:43 investigations, et cetera, et cetera.

2:35:45 So we’ve changed it from 24 – one of the recommendations was

2:35:48 more time.

2:35:49 Mr. Yeah.

2:35:50 Mr. So we put 24 to 72 hours – 72 hours.

2:35:53 Mr. But if it’s physical harm, it’s within 24 hours.

2:35:55 Mr. If it’s physical, it’s 24 hours.

2:35:57 Mr. That’s the key.

2:35:58 I mean, like, look, we all know that – so one of the issues

2:36:02 that we were dealing with is that on the bus driver, I get

2:36:05 something that happens that’s physical harm.

2:36:07 Mr. Now the kid just gets back on, gives me a smirk, and he’s

2:36:10 just still riding my bus while I’m trying to stew, and he’s

2:36:13 acting appropriate.

2:36:13 So thank you for that.

2:36:14 Mr. One of the things I was going to mention is – is that – so

2:36:17 I’m a bus driver.

2:36:18 Mr. I have a referral.

2:36:19 Mr. Kid does something inappropriate, a fight or whatever.

2:36:22 Mr. At the end of the day, the issue is that I’ve got to go pick

2:36:26 that kid up in the morning, have him get on the bus.

2:36:28 Mr. I drive the kid to the stop.

2:36:30 Mr. One of the things that we can do so that the – and this is

2:36:33 just a thought process.

2:36:34 I was working with Cheatham about it, is that we could actually

2:36:38 have somebody at the district bus stop scan and email those to

2:36:42 the teacher – or to the principal.

2:36:43 That way, when the administrator gets there, they can

2:36:46 automatically see it on their email as it’s coming in.

2:36:48 Because sometimes the bus drivers don’t make their way back

2:36:51 until the next day, and if it’s – you know what I mean, that’s

2:36:54 all.

2:36:54 So just some – if we can get innovative on that piece.

2:36:57 The other piece that I would suggest is if we can do a scheduled

2:37:02 survey showing the – hey, how do you feel?

2:37:06 Is this – and it gives them an opportunity.

2:37:08 If we could do that twice a year, quarterly or something like

2:37:11 that, it gives them the opportunity to see trends.

2:37:13 Because there’s a lot of really good principals that are doing a

2:37:15 lot of good things.

2:37:16 And then there’s some principals that have a lot going on in

2:37:19 their building, right?

2:37:20 So what we would want to do is be able to pinpoint where some of

2:37:23 the issues are and then lend extra support.

2:37:26 Survey to who? Could you clarify that for the person?

2:37:28 To the bus drivers. Yeah.

2:37:29 So like an idea like this.

2:37:30 So – and this is just suggestions.

2:37:31 I don’t – I’m not speaking for the board right now.

2:37:33 But the idea would be that we have some sort of evaluation

2:37:37 process over how do they feel, right?

2:37:39 Do you feel supported as far as time-wise with the discipline?

2:37:42 Give me an example.

2:37:43 If it’s not, something like that.

2:37:44 That way we’re consistently monitoring and we’re not just

2:37:47 letting them out into the field.

2:37:48 You know what I mean?

2:37:49 And not giving them an opportunity to communicate back to us.

2:37:52 These are just my suggestions.

2:37:54 It doesn’t mean that they’re worth it.

2:37:55 Did you want to – am I rolling?

2:37:57 Oh, okay.

2:37:58 Go ahead, Mr. Wright.

2:37:59 Go ahead.

2:38:00 Yeah.

2:38:01 So I guess one of my biggest questions is where does the $2

2:38:04 million go at the end of the year

2:38:05 that’s not being spent on transportation?

2:38:07 Go.

2:38:08 Yeah.

2:38:09 Where is that going?

2:38:10 I haven’t been to the end of the year in this role yet.

2:38:13 So I don’t –

2:38:14 Okay.

2:38:15 So –

2:38:16 May I answer that?

2:38:17 Yes.

2:38:19 That goes to the CFO in order to then place into the reserve

2:38:24 fund, the fund balance.

2:38:25 Mm-hmm.

2:38:26 So can that – can this board direct differently for that money?

2:38:32 Absolutely.

2:38:33 Is that something that we are able to do?

2:38:35 Yeah.

2:38:36 Absolutely.

2:38:37 That’s a good piece.

2:38:38 We can –

2:38:38 Right.

2:38:39 But it still has to go through negotiations with 1010.

2:38:40 Right.

2:38:41 If it’s pay.

2:38:42 Right.

2:38:43 Only if it’s pay.

2:38:44 We control that $2 million.

2:38:45 So if we as a school board decide that we don’t want it to go

2:38:49 back to the general fund,

2:38:50 just like that, we can steer it however we want.

2:38:53 As long as – yeah.

2:38:54 I think it is very, very important.

2:38:55 I mean, honestly, having toured these bus depots with Dr. Miller,

2:38:59 thank you so much for taking

2:39:00 me around and showing me the staff there, the mechanics there.

2:39:04 I mean, they have been there for years and years and years.

2:39:07 And they are bringing – some of them have tens of thousands of

2:39:10 dollars of their own tools

2:39:11 that they have there that are working on our buses to keep our

2:39:14 babies safe when they’re transporting

2:39:15 them to and from school.

2:39:16 So I just really feel, and I’ve said this from the first time I

2:39:20 toured it, we have got to

2:39:21 prioritize this and make sure that they understand how much they

2:39:24 are valued with our district.

2:39:26 And I know we – you know, the negotiation aspect of it for the

2:39:29 pay rates is something that’s

2:39:31 going to be coming up in the future.

2:39:32 But for the – right now, the immediate time for these bus

2:39:35 drivers that are pulling double

2:39:36 duty and our mechanics that are pulling double, triple duty, I

2:39:40 really feel like it would be

2:39:42 a good – a good thing for this board to look at making that a

2:39:45 priority on trying to compensate

2:39:47 them.

2:39:48 Dr. Schiller, you wanted to say something?

2:39:50 Yes.

2:39:51 Well, certainly the board may earmark that money, and as we go

2:39:59 forward with end of the

2:40:01 year fund balances and to be able to go forward with the

2:40:05 collective bargaining money side of

2:40:07 the issue once we know all of our revenues and fixed costs, then

2:40:15 this particular group represented

2:40:18 by local 1010 and all of those different workers, some of the

2:40:22 core people all the way through

2:40:23 transportation, then we can, as we’re going through, recommend

2:40:29 to you how we can appropriately

2:40:33 address the salaries in order to, one, for recruitment and

2:40:38 retention, so that we have already identified

2:40:42 a fund, if that is what the board wishes, plus whatever else may

2:40:47 be able to be identified.

2:40:49 What’s the – what’s the – the tentative timeline on that

2:40:53 process that you’re – that you’re

2:40:53 talking about?

2:40:54 Well, as – as the CFO will present tonight in her cameo

2:41:01 appearance number two, is basically

2:41:03 the timing, as we pointed out, is that we will not have solidified

2:41:08 state funding numbers until

2:41:12 early July, once a legislative session, but we’ll also at that

2:41:16 point understand the fixed costs, the

2:41:19 increases, if any, that we’ll see from the benefits and for the

2:41:23 insurances, and then the board will know

2:41:26 after – as we’re going through program by program with the

2:41:30 budget, of what it is, and with your priorities, how

2:41:33 that pot of money will be allocated that the board has for next

2:41:38 year.

2:41:38 That’s for future funds.

2:41:39 So the – the current budget that we have right now, with the $2

2:41:43 million that potentially are going

2:41:44 to be given back for staff that’s been – this has already been

2:41:47 earmarked for staff that we’ve

2:41:48 not currently hired, that is for our existing budget.

2:41:51 Can we not talk about that now, instead of waiting until July?

2:41:55 I don’t want to wait until July for them.

2:41:57 I – no, none of us want to wait until July.

2:42:00 We would recommend that when we come back to you in probably the

2:42:05 next board meeting, as we get

2:42:06 all of this data together and see where our salaries are

2:42:10 compared to – is it SCAT, I believe, as

2:42:13 well as these other school districts, that we don’t do a quick

2:42:17 fix solution as much as what we do will

2:42:20 then roll into both recognition of where we have been paying

2:42:25 these folks this year, as well as

2:42:28 prospectively for retention, very important, and recruitment in

2:42:33 an attempt for some folks who may

2:42:34 have left us for those particular reasons to reconsider joining.

2:42:39 And therefore, the point would be, it would then be a

2:42:44 sustainable amount on the salaries as

2:42:46 opposed to a one-time feel-good quick fix.

2:42:49 And that would be, we believe, and if I’m – if anyone was to

2:42:53 disagree, the strategy that would

2:42:56 be long-term smart and short-term smart, as opposed to doing

2:43:01 something that someone may get that

2:43:03 went after a paycheck, and after all of that, you prorate that

2:43:07 out.

2:43:07 It may – it may not be as much as something that would be

2:43:11 sustainable over time.

2:43:13 And I hear you, and I guess I don’t – I – when we look at this

2:43:17 being one or the other, I don’t

2:43:18 think it should be one or.

2:43:19 I think it can be both, because that money has already been earmarked

2:43:23 for transportation.

2:43:23 And the other thing that concerns me is I don’t want us to do

2:43:27 this deep dive, and then all of a

2:43:28 sudden what we find out is, oh, we need to start – we need to

2:43:31 offer more.

2:43:32 We need to pay more.

2:43:33 What tends to happen there is that our seasoned employees that

2:43:36 have been with us the longest end up not – it

2:43:38 doesn’t – the scale doesn’t move with them, if that makes sense.

2:43:41 So you’ll say, oh, we need to bump our pay rate up, significant

2:43:44 for our new hires.

2:43:45 But we don’t equally bump the pay rate up for the people that

2:43:49 have been there for that amount of time.

2:43:49 And we’re seeing that across all fronts.

2:43:51 Yes.

2:43:51 For clarification, I may have not been clear.

2:43:53 I’ve been working with Ms. Varney, as well as with our staff.

2:43:59 We need to look at the breadth and depth of the compression and

2:44:05 all of the grades of the entire pay scale.

2:44:09 Because we don’t want, oh, they just put the money in the

2:44:13 upfront to get someone new.

2:44:14 And then have the inconsistencies of those people who have been

2:44:18 with us and their salary.

2:44:19 So that’s what I’m saying.

2:44:20 A comprehensive solution is – and I’m not talking long-term.

2:44:24 This is accelerated.

2:44:26 Typically, a consultant will do this.

2:44:28 And it’ll take about two to three months in order to bring this

2:44:32 together.

2:44:33 We’re meeting every week.

2:44:35 And they have their homework assignments that they go back every

2:44:39 day on working.

2:44:40 Now, gentlemen, please, please elaborate on anything here that

2:44:44 you’d like to elaborate on, as we’ve discussed in your own – in

2:44:48 order to help clarify.

2:44:49 But the board can direct whatever you’d like.

2:44:54 I was – if we can stay on this thread, I was – I have a list,

2:44:58 right?

2:44:58 So I was going to go through it.

2:44:59 But she hit one that’s right on my list.

2:45:01 So we’ll go to it.

2:45:02 I – Schiller’s going to get a little upset on this one.

2:45:05 But I’ve been advocating to just take the salaries of the area

2:45:12 of the vacant positions and then take them and apply them back

2:45:17 to the individuals that are there.

2:45:18 For instance, bus drivers, we have the number of stipends that

2:45:22 those individuals have gone.

2:45:23 Like we know how many extra rides they’ve put in.

2:45:26 Take the extra salaries.

2:45:27 And it may not be as much as people think.

2:45:29 But like what you were saying, Ms. Wright, is that right now we

2:45:32 don’t need to plan on something that’s going to take six, eight

2:45:35 months to implement.

2:45:36 And then our finance department, remember, they are so slammed

2:45:40 that they can’t get out all of the extra stuff.

2:45:42 We’d be eight months down the road and losing our veterans.

2:45:44 So my thing was saying, hey, we can still do that.

2:45:47 There’s only this much money.

2:45:49 So whether we take a small amount of it, shoot it in the arm now,

2:45:53 and then go back and give the extra salary increases later, I

2:45:56 think we should take the extra salaries that are inside of each

2:46:01 one of the, you know, areas like bus drivers, mechanics.

2:46:03 We have seven out of 12, take the extra salaries, give them

2:46:07 right back to them for doing that on an even spiel.

2:46:09 We’ve never done that before, but we are in a crisis mode.

2:46:12 And I’ll be honest with you.

2:46:13 If we didn’t have those mechanics in there, if we didn’t have

2:46:16 the IAs that we have, if we didn’t have the bus drivers, this

2:46:19 place would collapse.

2:46:20 And we’re close.

2:46:21 Like we get reports almost every day about this.

2:46:23 We need to take care of the people that are in there and it’s a

2:46:26 quick fix.

2:46:26 Real easy.

2:46:27 This is how much is still in there.

2:46:28 This is how much we can have and this is good.

2:46:30 So that was my thought process on that.

2:46:32 Did anybody want to talk on that?

2:46:34 Anybody?

2:46:35 Okay.

2:46:36 I just got one piece because there’s a lot more.

2:46:40 Yeah, I hear you.

2:46:43 I’m not opposed to doing that, but I think it’s important for us

2:46:48 to remember and recognize.

2:46:50 That it’s a band-aid and it’s a one-time payment.

2:46:54 And what makes a more significant impact in our hourly workers’

2:46:59 lives is for us to actually do the work to give them higher pay.

2:47:02 Sure.

2:47:03 To go towards their retirement.

2:47:05 They would rather have a higher hourly rate to rely on steadily

2:47:10 throughout the year than a one-time payment.

2:47:13 Through the two years that I’ve been here, there has been a downfall

2:47:17 of salaries for all the vacant positions that we have across the

2:47:21 district.

2:47:21 And sometimes that money is used to help increase that hourly

2:47:26 pay or salary, whatever we’re talking about, whatever department.

2:47:28 Because we have a crisis in this department like we do other

2:47:34 departments.

2:47:35 It’s not just about the recruiting.

2:47:39 It’s about the retaining.

2:47:40 And we got to kind of address it across the board because fixing

2:47:43 one problem isn’t going to help us in the long term with the

2:47:46 other.

2:47:46 I’m not opposed that if we do send that money straight to people

2:47:50 and give them a little, you know, thank you for stepping up and

2:47:53 sticking with us and sticking through it.

2:47:55 But I think it’s important to find out what they actually want.

2:47:59 Because so many times we couldn’t afford raises.

2:48:02 And we did give one-time payments.

2:48:04 And they’re kind of tired of it.

2:48:06 And so I think it’s important for us to, instead of just

2:48:09 reacting because it seems like the right thing and a feel-good

2:48:12 thing,

2:48:12 we need to ask them really what they feel like impacts their

2:48:15 daily life a little bit more.

2:48:16 And it doesn’t sound like from Dr. Schiller that this is going

2:48:19 to be a long, long haul of a discovery of how to fix this

2:48:22 problem or make it a little bit better.

2:48:24 And it doesn’t mean that you can’t read and egg on it either and

2:48:27 say, forget it, just give the $2 million that we planned on in

2:48:29 the first place.

2:48:29 But I think it’s important for us to ask those workers

2:48:32 themselves what would benefit their lives a little bit more.

2:48:36 Because again, from past history, I feel like often, typically,

2:48:41 1010 is a little frustrated with just getting a bonus.

2:48:44 So I would say I agree.

2:48:47 Just so everybody understands, when we get our revenues back,

2:48:51 there’s a reoccurring, which is how much is reoccurring, and

2:48:55 then there’s the non-reoccurring.

2:48:57 So regardless, we never take and create reoccurring raises on

2:49:01 non-reoccurring dollars.

2:49:03 What you guys were all talking about is non-reoccurring dollars.

2:49:07 So what will happen is, is we will either give that to them and

2:49:10 make the move now, or literally give them the same thing in

2:49:13 three months, is all I’m saying.

2:49:15 So non-reoccurring is the money that is left over from salary

2:49:19 lapse and everything else.

2:49:20 Reoccurring is the money we get from the governor and some of

2:49:22 the other things, like the raising of the millage and everything

2:49:26 else inside of our taxes.

2:49:26 So whether we give it now or we give it later, whether the bus

2:49:30 drivers want it a certain way or not, it’s literally the only

2:49:33 way we can give it.

2:49:34 Now what’s happened in the past is that they take these non-reoccurring

2:49:39 dollars, have them fall to the bottom line, lump them all

2:49:43 together, and then we give them out based on other things.

2:49:45 So like bus drivers, IAs, everybody else, teachers, everybody

2:49:49 else, and there’s this big lump.

2:49:51 And then they go in and negotiate and they say, okay, the

2:49:54 teachers get this much non-reoccurring, the bus drivers get this

2:49:56 much non-reoccurring.

2:49:57 And it’s unfair because sometimes we can’t give, and then what

2:50:00 it ends up being is just a straight stipend.

2:50:02 Here’s the difference.

2:50:03 The difference is, is that if we’re able to give those stipends

2:50:06 as an increase, it’s an incentive base, and I’ll tell you why.

2:50:09 You’re not only telling the people that have actually worked and

2:50:12 done what they said they would do and come up for us and are the

2:50:15 people that are taking all those runs.

2:50:16 You’re giving them a back, but you’re also at the same time

2:50:19 telling people who are applying that there’s this option, and I’ll

2:50:22 tell you why.

2:50:22 Many people that are dealing with $15, $16, $17 an hour jobs are

2:50:27 willing to take a job knowing that there might be opportunity

2:50:30 for more money.

2:50:31 And this is an opportunity to do that.

2:50:33 You see that everywhere with people at McDonald’s or wherever.

2:50:36 So that was my reasoning behind it is that not only would you be

2:50:40 able to tell them thank you for being there for us, not give the

2:50:45 same to this person that did this person.

2:50:47 So like this person that doesn’t do any extra runs gets the same

2:50:49 money as the other person.

2:50:50 That’s what we’ve done in the past.

2:50:51 This does it that way.

2:50:52 So that’s the reason that I brought it up.

2:50:54 But that’s not for us to determine.

2:50:57 I don’t know if we go back into negotiations, but I would like

2:51:01 Dr. Schiller, you said you’re going into negotiations with 1010

2:51:04 and the teachers union, correct?

2:51:07 Yes, sir.

2:51:08 We are prepared for a meeting with the board in order to gather

2:51:14 the board input on the contract.

2:51:17 But it would be non-monetary because, again, what I pledged to

2:51:22 the – I’m not going to be here when the money comes in.

2:51:26 What I can do is resolve with BFT and with local 1010 are any

2:51:33 and all language issues that we can get to the point that are

2:51:37 not necessarily monetarily related.

2:51:39 For example, one might be trying to correct the inconsistencies

2:51:47 in the salary guides of steps.

2:51:50 And when someone is, for example, at step nine and they go to an

2:51:55 upper pay – a new job, going back and lose $2.40 an hour, you

2:52:02 know, I’ve been working with – in that respect.

2:52:05 I mean, we can correct a lot of the issues that may be

2:52:10 contributing to our problem, but I am not in a position because

2:52:14 that will be coming a little bit later when the funds become

2:52:17 available of then to apply the salary.

2:52:19 I won’t be here.

2:52:20 And so bottom line is it comes down to – that would be a

2:52:26 welcome gift for your permanent superintendent to do.

2:52:31 Well, I think one of – just so the new board understands, the

2:52:35 way it works is the legislature will send X amount of dollars.

2:52:37 That will happen by the end of May.

2:52:40 So we’ll know the reoccurring dollars somewhere in there, right?

2:52:43 Then they evaluate, they do stuff.

2:52:45 But literally the non-reoccurring dollars we can take care of

2:52:48 right now.

2:52:48 So – and there’s no – there’s no question that we, you know,

2:52:51 and I’ll just be honest.

2:52:53 I feel very strongly about this.

2:52:54 So I’m sorry.

2:52:55 Go ahead.

2:52:56 Ms. Campbell.

2:52:57 Sorry.

2:52:58 So this may be more of a Cindy Lisinski question, but if – you

2:53:10 know, priority number one is recruitment and retention of

2:53:14 drivers in this area, but is there a possibility that we could

2:53:15 use – and I don’t see Cindy – that we can use some of these

2:53:15 dollars that dropped to the bottom to help with our work?

2:53:15 I know we can’t use capital dollars for operating, but I think

2:53:28 we can use operating for capital if there’s a way to at least

2:53:34 designate a chunk of it to improve the white fleet.

2:53:34 Because honestly, that seemed like that would improve life for

2:53:40 some of our technicians because they’re working on not vehicles

2:53:46 that are requiring heavy maintenance.

2:53:49 They’re just doing the very simple updating.

2:53:51 So it seems like it would – we could kill two birds with one

2:53:54 stone by using some of that funding to make a dent in our white

2:53:56 fleet problem.

2:53:57 And that makes conditions better for our maintenance staff.

2:54:04 Just throwing that out there.

2:54:06 And like I said, I think – I say ask Cindy, but I know that we

2:54:10 can move funds from operating to capital expenditures, right?

2:54:14 Yes.

2:54:15 So you’re saying that people – the vacant salaries, you would

2:54:19 – the vacant salaries, you may want to take a portion of that

2:54:22 to offset the cost of the white fleet?

2:54:24 I’m offering that as an opportunity because, you know, we’ve got

2:54:27 to find that from somewhere.

2:54:28 And white fleet dollars usually have to – usually we designate

2:54:30 that out of capital, but a lot of times those are the ones that

2:54:33 get cut.

2:54:33 We need a new box truck.

2:54:34 Nope, not getting a new box truck this year because it fell down

2:54:36 to the bottom of the list and we didn’t have enough.

2:54:38 Or we’ve got to replace emergency – you know, a building caught

2:54:41 on fire at one of our schools, and so now we have to designate

2:54:44 capital to that.

2:54:45 So – but if we have some – a designated – I don’t know, you

2:54:48 know, $500,000, I don’t know, something would be – depending on

2:54:52 the size of the truck.

2:54:53 It would be – $500,000 wouldn’t buy a lot of minivans.

2:54:55 It wouldn’t buy a lot of – well, it might buy 10 minivans.

2:54:58 I’ll take that back.

2:54:59 But you know what I mean?

2:55:00 We could maybe do something towards that with what falls to the

2:55:04 bottom.

2:55:05 I’d leave that up to staff to, you know, to work that out.

2:55:09 But it’s an option.

2:55:10 Right.

2:55:11 You could ask the bus drivers, would you guys rather receive

2:55:13 money for the stipends or go to new vehicles?

2:55:15 And see how that turns out for us.

2:55:17 But let me ask –

2:55:18 Both and, Mr. Seusson, both and.

2:55:19 You’re the one that wanted to go to them.

2:55:21 Both and.

2:55:22 But –

2:55:23 Not either/or.

2:55:24 Anyways, yeah, no, no, no.

2:55:26 I have – with that regard, I will plan on, when we go to those

2:55:31 negotiations, bringing forward short-term or non-reoccurring

2:55:34 dollars to the table so that we can do that, just so you guys

2:55:37 know.

2:55:37 And right now is not the time.

2:55:39 We’re bringing it up as a topic, but I – when we get in there.

2:55:42 All right.

2:55:43 So, let’s keep going down my list.

2:55:45 I have a clarifying question before we move away from those

2:55:48 dollars.

2:55:48 Okay.

2:55:49 Perfect.

2:55:50 The $2 billion, is that strictly from staff vacancies?

2:55:53 Yes.

2:55:54 Okay.

2:55:55 Thank you.

2:55:56 All right.

2:55:57 So, on that note, as far as the White Fleet, we used to – and I

2:56:02 have it down here as one of the topics –

2:56:03 we used to say we were going to go out and rent our White Fleet

2:56:07 from Enterprise, or there was an idea that we might actually –

2:56:10 Now, I know that the box trucks and some of that stuff, we don’t

2:56:13 want to do that too.

2:56:14 But if you guys remember, there were some vehicles we were using.

2:56:17 Is that –

2:56:18 40 pickup trucks.

2:56:21 Is that something that we still want to do, or do we –

2:56:23 We’re looking at that.

2:56:25 Okay.

2:56:26 Yeah, we’re looking at the –

2:56:27 Because we already had a contract –

2:56:28 Yeah, we’re looking at the –

2:56:29 The advantages of costs –

2:56:30 Okay.

2:56:31 – of benefits of leasing versus purchase.

2:56:34 Yeah.

2:56:35 That’d be –

2:56:36 See, is it altogether interrelated issue that one thing –

2:56:39 Yeah.

2:56:40 – will impact something else, as what Ms. Campbell had

2:56:44 suggested.

2:56:44 And so, we’re trying to look for a comprehensive solution to

2:56:46 bring back to you in a matter of weeks.

2:56:48 I just know we already had one.

2:56:49 So, if you guys are doing it, you might be able to get the

2:56:51 numbers off that.

2:56:52 The other thing is, is that we used to allow coaches to get

2:56:56 their CDLs to drive the buses to the away games and stuff like

2:56:59 that.

2:56:59 It saved money.

2:57:00 We plan on holding a class this summer for any of our employees

2:57:03 that are interested in getting their CDL.

2:57:05 Love it.

2:57:06 That’s a huge opportunity because then –

2:57:08 I know that you have some bus drivers that really like that

2:57:10 overtime.

2:57:10 Right.

2:57:11 And they get into scraps over it, literally.

2:57:13 But the thing is, is that it’s an opportunity for the school to

2:57:16 save some money if the bus driver is the coach and he can drive

2:57:19 it.

2:57:19 We put a survey out there last year, and we had several people

2:57:23 that were interested in getting their CDLs.

2:57:25 Coaches, media specialists were interested.

2:57:29 Yeah.

2:57:30 Because they can take them – yeah.

2:57:31 It’s a different thing.

2:57:32 Because I told them I had a bus driver shortage.

2:57:34 I don’t have a bus shortage.

2:57:35 I have a bus driver shortage.

2:57:36 All right.

2:57:38 You did that.

2:57:39 Can I have something?

2:57:40 Yeah.

2:57:41 Back in the day, when I was teaching choir, our school district

2:57:45 where I taught in Texas had –

2:57:46 I would – didn’t have to have a CDL, but they had some larger

2:57:50 vehicles that we could use to transport small groups.

2:57:52 Do we have that?

2:57:53 So that, like, let’s say a choir teacher wants to take a – you

2:57:57 know, 10 or fewer –

2:57:57 We have a couple of ants in the district we can do that with.

2:58:00 It’s – we have to be very careful, certain wheel base and rollover.

2:58:05 There’s very specific instructions from the state that we have

2:58:09 to follow in order to do that.

2:58:11 Okay.

2:58:12 Thank you.

2:58:13 Real quick clarifying question.

2:58:16 It was said in a meeting that I recently had that we have

2:58:19 students that attend the north area ALC slash stuff coming out

2:58:25 of Palm Bay.

2:58:26 Do we drive those individuals in big buses all the way up or –

2:58:31 it was like Fieldston and stuff like that?

2:58:34 We – those students are going to Gardendale this year.

2:58:37 That’s good.

2:58:38 And we are transporting students from Mecco – from Mims to Mecco

2:58:42 to –

2:58:42 Are they on a pickup list or is it just one bus going all the

2:58:45 way up?

2:58:45 We have a – if I’m not correct – if I’m correct, I think we

2:58:49 have about 12 buses that are just designated for Gardendale.

2:58:53 Wow.

2:58:54 So they only pick up Gardendale students.

2:58:56 That’s – that came across and I was like, wow, maybe there’s

2:58:59 something we can do with a south area opportunity or something

2:59:01 like that.

2:59:01 All right.

2:59:02 Then, okay, we’ve got another problem.

2:59:06 These parents seem to think, and I’ll say it publicly, that they

2:59:09 can get on our buses.

2:59:10 And it seems to think that some of our law enforcement officers

2:59:13 don’t think that they need to arrest them and put them into

2:59:16 trespassing.

2:59:16 And we have a couple of videos that we’ve watched where the

2:59:20 parents get on, clear the entire bus and say, get off, get off.

2:59:23 And the kid’s like, I don’t want to get off.

2:59:24 I don’t even know my parents’ phone number and I don’t live here.

2:59:27 So we need to be able to – that’s the one that I asked you guys

2:59:29 to take a look at.

2:59:30 Here’s the deal.

2:59:31 The deal is, is that we need to get an emergency thing out to

2:59:34 our law enforcement that says that if there’s a parent on our

2:59:37 bus that decides to get on there and act inappropriately,

2:59:39 or starts coming up and influencing the security of our bus,

2:59:42 those people need to be arrested and trespassed, period.

2:59:45 I don’t know how you guys feel about it, but it’s causing

2:59:48 disruption with our bus drivers.

2:59:49 And the bus drivers, they don’t know.

2:59:51 So like they open the door.

2:59:52 Hey, what’s going on?

2:59:53 They open the door.

2:59:54 Parent comes on, starts the conflict with one of the other

2:59:56 students.

2:59:56 I’m sorry.

2:59:57 You cannot access our bus.

2:59:58 Like you can stand out there and try to do it, but it’s a huge,

3:00:01 huge thing.

3:00:02 And it’s happening.

3:00:03 It’s happened like three times in the last month.

3:00:05 So we, you know, have we got anything wrapped around that?

3:00:08 Is that a concern?

3:00:09 What’s going on there?

3:00:10 It is a concern.

3:00:12 So here’s what it is.

3:00:17 The bus drivers are trying to say this person needs to be

3:00:21 arrested,

3:00:22 but sometimes they don’t know the law enforcement doesn’t.

3:00:25 What do we do?

3:00:26 What do we do to make that happen?

3:00:27 Is that officer Neil sending something out?

3:00:29 Do you guys agree with trying to get these people off our buses?

3:00:32 Definitely.

3:00:33 Okay.

3:00:34 It’s a safety issue for the driver and the students.

3:00:37 It is.

3:00:38 And I can see both sides of that.

3:00:39 And I’m just saying, if my child texts me from a bus and said

3:00:43 something was happening,

3:00:44 I need you get here, you bet I would be there.

3:00:47 And I’d probably be one of those parents.

3:00:48 So I can understand the frantic emergency that would cause a

3:00:52 parent to board a bus.

3:00:53 But I think what we have to do is we need to message to our

3:00:56 parents, hey, these procedures are in place for a reason.

3:00:59 This is why we cannot have you getting on a bus and clearing a

3:01:03 bus and putting kids potentially in more danger in traffic.

3:01:06 So I understand both sides of it.

3:01:08 I think if we said something that said that this is the rule for

3:01:10 our bus riders.

3:01:11 Right.

3:01:12 No, I agree.

3:01:13 Then at least they might know a little bit more.

3:01:15 Because honestly, if you’re a parent and you get a text from

3:01:17 your child and says, there’s an emergency.

3:01:19 I need you.

3:01:20 Oh, I know.

3:01:21 You know any parent is going to run right there and probably do

3:01:24 the same thing.

3:01:24 And in many of those cases, the buses, the students were not in

3:01:28 any kind of danger.

3:01:29 The issue is, is the parents were like, I mean, I saw one where

3:01:32 the parents were leveraging a parent into the back of it.

3:01:34 I mean, it was crazy.

3:01:35 I saw one that wasn’t even a parent that got on a bus.

3:01:38 So yeah, there’s.

3:01:39 Well, yeah, this one wasn’t either.

3:01:40 Yeah.

3:01:41 There’s one that was.

3:01:42 So Dr. Miller, can you put together a formal communications for

3:01:45 Russell Broon to send out to our parents and then also work with

3:01:48 Mr. Neal.

3:01:48 Yes.

3:01:49 On securing the fact that these law enforcement agencies should

3:01:52 know that they have to arrest parents who access their bus.

3:01:54 Yes.

3:01:55 I will get with Officer Neal.

3:01:56 That’s good.

3:01:57 Can I ask one question?

3:01:58 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

3:01:59 Dr. Miller and Jefferson, thank you so much for being here.

3:02:01 I appreciate you guys taking the time that you have with me

3:02:03 personally touring the bus depots and talking to the bus drivers

3:02:06 and our mechanics.

3:02:06 And, and I just want to hear from you at this point.

3:02:09 What, what do you think our bus drivers and our mechanics would

3:02:13 appreciate right now with the situation that we’re currently in?

3:02:16 I think they would like to see their salaries raised.

3:02:20 Yeah.

3:02:21 Okay.

3:02:22 It helps with their retirement.

3:02:23 Okay.

3:02:24 I, uh.

3:02:25 That’s one of the benefits of, of working, um, in, in these

3:02:30 positions.

3:02:31 It’s not that you’re going to make a lot of money, but you’re

3:02:33 going to have a retirement when you retire.

3:02:35 Mm-hm.

3:02:36 If we could raise those salaries, that would help with their

3:02:39 retirement.

3:02:39 Okay.

3:02:40 And, and, and to add to that, um, I, I, uh, talked, uh, one

3:02:44 supervisor for fleet and another technician from leaving our

3:02:48 district to go to another district.

3:02:49 And that was last week.

3:02:51 Uh, and we will be losing another tech as of March 3rd.

3:02:54 We, we received that word as we were sitting in the back that we

3:02:57 have another technician leaving.

3:02:59 So.

3:03:00 Because of salary, can I ask one?

3:03:01 Yes.

3:03:02 Salary.

3:03:03 Okay.

3:03:04 Are people, I know the millage is in the future and people have

3:03:08 to eat now and they have to buy eggs now.

3:03:11 Um, but, um, is the, I mean, is the millage making a difference

3:03:16 at all?

3:03:17 Are they looking into what difference it’s going to make for

3:03:19 them next year?

3:03:20 We don’t have them.

3:03:22 They’re not looking that far ahead.

3:03:23 Yeah.

3:03:24 They’re living day to day.

3:03:25 Yeah.

3:03:26 No, I, I, I understand.

3:03:27 I’m just wondering how much of that is, because we do have a,

3:03:30 especially with 10, 10 employees,

3:03:31 because they’re not as engaged in the process in general.

3:03:34 Um, sometimes it’s, it’s not, you know, just the awareness of

3:03:39 what’s out there.

3:03:40 Here’s what’s coming.

3:03:41 And yes, it’s next year.

3:03:42 But I’m wondering how much is that is even, um, that awareness

3:03:46 is there that, especially

3:03:48 for our veterans, you know, there’s, there’s, you know, for the

3:03:52 ones who have been with us

3:03:52 for 17, 18 years, I can’t remember where the cutoff is, it’s

3:03:55 like $4,400 extra a year.

3:03:57 That’s a significant impact to people who will stick around, um,

3:04:01 for, and through next school

3:04:02 year.

3:04:03 But I’m wondering how much awareness, is there, what, is there

3:04:05 anything that we can do that

3:04:06 communicates best, um, you know, and I mean, not saying we don’t

3:04:09 do something now, but I’m

3:04:11 saying even for the future, that, that’s going to be a huge, a

3:04:13 huge deal next year.

3:04:14 How can we communicate that best to them?

3:04:16 Um, you know, cause there’s not necessarily, they’re not doing

3:04:19 jobs that they need to check

3:04:19 their email every day.

3:04:20 Um, but what’s the best way to get that message out there to

3:04:23 that group of employees?

3:04:25 Yeah.

3:04:26 Can I jump on that?

3:04:27 Cause I feel like, I don’t remember when we had this

3:04:29 conversation, but we did talk about

3:04:30 this as a board for messaging the communication about the millage

3:04:35 to all of our staff members.

3:04:36 Because we already had a conversation about how it was going to

3:04:40 be spent.

3:04:40 But I truly don’t believe like most of us staff really knows how

3:04:44 it might impact them and when

3:04:46 it’s going to impact them.

3:04:47 I thought that was the most important piece too, because a lot

3:04:50 of people had this misconception

3:04:50 that it was going to happen right away.

3:04:52 And when you’re already frustrated and tired and overworked and

3:04:54 you’re ready to leave already,

3:04:56 when you find out it’s not happening tomorrow when you thought

3:04:59 it was, that’s going to,

3:04:59 that’s going to make you a little bit more frustrated.

3:05:01 Right.

3:05:02 Um, and so I think it’s really important.

3:05:04 And, um, I, I felt like we gave that directive, but maybe we

3:05:08 didn’t for us to do that across

3:05:09 the board because we, we do know the answer.

3:05:11 And so I think we need to look into re-communicating that to our

3:05:14 staff members.

3:05:14 Again, you’re right.

3:05:15 It’s not going to fix the problem now, but for those who are

3:05:17 kind of teetering on the line

3:05:18 or just need a little something to help them hang on, it’ll help.

3:05:21 Question.

3:05:22 I have a question.

3:05:23 Are we to survey the bus drivers and ask them if they prefer a

3:05:30 bonus or a pay increase?

3:05:34 No, cause we can’t, the, so here’s what it is.

3:05:38 There’s non reoccurring dollars and there’s reoccurring, right?

3:05:41 So we can’t say one or the other cause we can’t take one to the

3:05:44 other.

3:05:44 Okay.

3:05:45 So I would say, cause I heard someone say that up.

3:05:47 Yeah.

3:05:48 I think the, I think the argument would be, or the question

3:05:50 would be, would you like us to negotiate the bonus?

3:05:54 And in a, you know, the argument is, is would you like us to do

3:05:59 a bonus now that is more direct or at the end of the year once

3:06:02 they’re all in?

3:06:02 Cause the other problem we have is, is we can’t do it right now

3:06:05 because we don’t know what bus drivers are going to need and

3:06:09 what the bottom line is going to be.

3:06:09 But once the last days there, bam, if you have worked these days,

3:06:14 it’s also a retention thing that we will pay you based on how

3:06:19 many runs you had because of this is our pot, $100,000, $200,000.

3:06:23 We know how much it is and we will pay you in a month, two

3:06:26 months.

3:06:26 Well, that means that they’ll stick around.

3:06:28 They won’t jump over the summer and they’ll be able to

3:06:30 understand that we’re going to take care of them at the back,

3:06:32 but you can message that now.

3:06:34 That’s all.

3:06:35 So a survey would say, would you like an incentive based, um,

3:06:39 stipend or a flat stipend at the end of the year with non reoccurring

3:06:43 dollars?

3:06:43 And then of course we will be working to get reoccurring dollars.

3:06:45 That’s what my suggestion would be.

3:06:47 Does that make sense?

3:06:48 Okay.

3:06:49 I was getting back to my list.

3:06:50 We’re still good.

3:06:51 All right.

3:06:52 The other thing is, is that, um, can people work half days?

3:06:55 Yes.

3:06:56 Okay.

3:06:57 Just wanted to make sure.

3:06:58 Um, all right.

3:06:59 And then we got the CDL and then we got the ALCs.

3:07:01 I think I got my list taken care of.

3:07:03 Yep.

3:07:05 That’s it.

3:07:06 Do we, we’ve talked about mixed positions before.

3:07:10 I know we have very few.

3:07:11 Yep.

3:07:12 In the district.

3:07:13 But what positions do we have where people can do more than one

3:07:18 thing?

3:07:19 I mean, cause obviously before and after care, that doesn’t work

3:07:22 for a bus driver because, you know,

3:07:24 it’s at the same time, um, cafeteria staff, there’s a potential

3:07:28 as long as they don’t do breakfast,

3:07:29 but we have more lunch to, you know, do, do we recruit to those

3:07:34 people?

3:07:35 Mr. Thornton and I have discussed that.

3:07:37 Okay.

3:07:38 Um, coming up with a position, uh, where they could, uh, drive

3:07:41 the bus and work in the cafeteria.

3:07:42 Right.

3:07:43 And at, listen, I’ve worked in, it’s, it’s not ideal, but I’ve,

3:07:46 I’ve worked in a state,

3:07:47 in a state where teachers, a friend of mine is band director in

3:07:50 Oklahoma for years and years

3:07:51 and years and years.

3:07:52 And he drove a bus, dropped his kids off, left, parked the bus,

3:07:57 went and taught band all day.

3:07:58 It was a long day.

3:07:59 And then, uh, drove kids home.

3:08:01 It’s not ideal.

3:08:02 I don’t know if in the state of Florida, if we can do that or if

3:08:05 anybody would even be interested.

3:08:05 Mr. We can.

3:08:06 The teachers teach seven out of seven classes.

3:08:08 When I was a, when I was a teacher, you know what I mean?

3:08:10 I mean, look, you might find somebody that says, I mean, I, I

3:08:13 taught classes.

3:08:14 Then I went out right out to the lacrosse field or the football

3:08:17 field coached.

3:08:17 And then I literally drove to the night school.

3:08:19 So like, there are people out there that will do that.

3:08:21 Is it even a possibility in the state of Florida for teachers to

3:08:25 drive a bus?

3:08:26 To drive a bus.

3:08:28 Yeah.

3:08:29 Oh, to full time.

3:08:30 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

3:08:31 It’s not full time.

3:08:32 It’d just be a stipend.

3:08:33 And that would be an interesting contract between the BFT

3:08:37 contract and the Simpson contract.

3:08:38 And you’d be working under both.

3:08:39 So I was going to, I mean, someone can correct me if I’m wrong.

3:08:43 But just from my own experience, my dad worked as a nighttime

3:08:49 security for adult ed, but he

3:08:52 wasn’t allowed to take a part time job somewhere else because of,

3:08:55 because of the potential of

3:08:57 like overtime and stuff.

3:08:58 There’s weird conflicts there.

3:08:59 So if you’re a full time teacher, I have a feeling there’s going

3:09:02 to be a weird conflict.

3:09:04 We can look at it.

3:09:05 We’re allowed to take other jobs.

3:09:06 So, all right.

3:09:07 We all good.

3:09:08 What’s our action item for this?

3:09:09 I think we had a bunch of them.

3:09:12 I feel like this was an update and you guys are on it and

3:09:15 appreciate it.

3:09:16 I think you’ve gotten some ideas from the board of, you know,

3:09:18 what we’re looking at.

3:09:20 I don’t think we necessarily have to give them, go there for and

3:09:23 do it.

3:09:23 Just go there for and keep going.

3:09:25 All right.

3:09:26 Thank you for your time.

3:09:27 We thank you.

3:09:28 And let me tell you this group is, and the folks who are not

3:09:31 here today, and our project

3:09:32 manager who’s sitting back there, they are bringing together

3:09:36 this thing and we’ll have

3:09:37 it done for you right quick.

3:09:38 Thank you.

3:09:39 Where it’s going to be interrelated.

3:09:40 Thank you.

3:09:42 I won’t tell you what we charge for this special consulting

3:09:45 experience.

3:09:46 Okay.

3:09:47 Thank you guys so much.

3:09:52 Thank you, everybody.

3:09:53 We’re going to move into these next three things.

3:09:56 They’re just requests that I put down.

3:09:58 I needed to get board majority to have staff work on it, bring

3:10:01 it back for larger discussion.

3:10:02 Okay.

3:10:03 And then the other thing that we have is we moved the zero zero

3:10:06 zeros off, if you guys

3:10:07 look at it, but then there’s Dr. Schiller’s student conduct and

3:10:11 safety and security, which

3:10:12 is a big, big opportunity.

3:10:13 I was wondering if we could get through these three break and

3:10:17 then move the student safety

3:10:19 to tonight, right?

3:10:22 Is that okay?

3:10:23 I don’t know.

3:10:24 That way you guys have your mental and food.

3:10:27 Yeah.

3:10:28 You know what I mean?

3:10:29 Like, it’s been a pretty complicated.

3:10:30 I don’t know.

3:10:31 I think it’s been a long conversation.

3:10:32 I don’t know if we need to do it tonight.

3:10:33 I mean, Dr. Schiller, do you have our preference between, do we

3:10:34 go ahead and do it now, between

3:10:34 now and 4:30 or –

3:10:35 We have about five minutes worth of real quicks, and then –

3:10:36 I can give you an overview of where it is so that you know where

3:10:47 we go with it, or where

3:10:50 you go with it.

3:10:51 I don’t think the five minutes of real quicks is going to be

3:10:53 five minutes, just FYI.

3:10:54 I don’t think that we can get through this in 30 minutes, and I

3:10:57 think we’ll be getting

3:10:57 into our hour.

3:10:58 Okay.

3:10:59 We can move it to that tonight to do a really good job.

3:11:02 That’s your preference.

3:11:03 Okay.

3:11:04 All right.

3:11:05 So just so you guys know, the next topic is the parental

3:11:09 involvement in schools.

3:11:10 The item up for discussion is related to barriers in which

3:11:13 eating with students and lunch and

3:11:14 the others that are implemented during COVID actually were

3:11:18 implemented and are still around.

3:11:20 Okay?

3:11:21 All right.

3:11:22 This one along with the COVID policies are kind of the same

3:11:25 thing, but I kind of segmented

3:11:25 them because I wanted to discuss them two separate.

3:11:28 The idea over the next three items is just getting board

3:11:31 majority that we would like staff to

3:11:33 bring us something back and then discuss it on the seventh.

3:11:36 But here’s what it is.

3:11:37 Right now, if you try to go to eat lunch with your kid at school,

3:11:41 there’s a host in a variety

3:11:42 of barriers that are inside there.

3:11:44 There’s other barriers that are between volunteering and

3:11:47 everything else that weren’t there prior to

3:11:49 COVID.

3:11:50 So my idea was just to ask staff to go identify those barriers,

3:11:54 bring them back so that we can

3:11:55 then take a look at it as a board and then decide what we want

3:11:59 to do.

3:11:59 Whether we want to keep the parental non-lunch and all that

3:12:03 stuff.

3:12:03 So if I can just get a majority to move forward with it,

3:12:06 discussion would be at the next meeting.

3:12:08 But just hearing what they are and deciding on them is what I

3:12:11 was looking to do today.

3:12:12 That’s the action item.

3:12:13 So Mr. .

3:12:14 So clarification, please.

3:12:16 As I understand what you’re saying is that should the board wish

3:12:19 to go in the direction as

3:12:20 you’re recommending.

3:12:21 That’s it.

3:12:22 But we would, as staff, identify the barriers and bring it back

3:12:27 to the board for discussion

3:12:28 at the 7th.

3:12:29 Because I think there’s going to be some that we don’t even know

3:12:32 about that I don’t know

3:12:33 about and it’s not appropriate for me to say we shouldn’t do

3:12:35 this, this, or this.

3:12:36 Okay.

3:12:37 Thank you for clarification.

3:12:38 Yep.

3:12:39 Does everybody wish to talk about it or is there a board

3:12:42 majority?

3:12:43 Ms. Jenkins?

3:12:44 Yeah.

3:12:45 Just a point of clarification.

3:12:47 I’m fine with them going through and finding barriers and

3:12:50 identifying them for us.

3:12:51 But this wasn’t because of COVID.

3:12:52 This was because of Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

3:12:54 What happened was when COVID came and it naturally shut down the

3:12:59 process, we identified schools

3:13:00 that weren’t necessarily following the process after Marjory Stoneman

3:13:04 Douglas.

3:13:04 And so there was a miscommunication in communities where parents

3:13:07 felt like all of a sudden you’re

3:13:08 shutting me out because of COVID.

3:13:10 But reality was, well, they’re kind of bending and breaking the

3:13:12 rules a little bit, letting parents

3:13:14 onto their small community campuses when they shouldn’t have

3:13:17 been.

3:13:17 So I don’t think there’s anything wrong with us identifying

3:13:20 these barriers so we can make sure

3:13:21 that all of our schools are following that same process.

3:13:24 But when we rolled back from COVID, that’s when some of our

3:13:28 schools realized they weren’t

3:13:30 necessarily doing the right thing in the first place.

3:13:33 Okay.

3:13:34 We’re good.

3:13:35 Everybody move forward, bring it back.

3:13:36 Okay.

3:13:37 And then next topic is COVID policies.

3:13:40 Kind of the same thing.

3:13:41 Dr. Schiller has inside of your board documents, some items that

3:13:45 he had identified that are

3:13:46 kind of lingering out.

3:13:48 The idea is, is, hey, Dr. Schiller, can you and staff identify

3:13:52 any kind of COVID related items,

3:13:54 bring them back for either approval or discontinuance?

3:13:59 Is that good for everybody?

3:14:00 We’re good?

3:14:01 Yeah.

3:14:02 I’m fine.

3:14:03 All right.

3:14:04 Yes, ma’am.

3:14:05 To include the, I mentioned last time to include the facial

3:14:10 covering policy.

3:14:12 Yeah.

3:14:13 There’s those and then there’s just a lot of them, right?

3:14:16 Like there’s, and there’s stuff that’s just still lingering

3:14:18 around through policies, procedures.

3:14:20 We just need to kind of take a look at it.

3:14:22 That’s all.

3:14:23 The seventh?

3:14:24 Yes, sir.

3:14:25 And then the next topic is ESF sub volunteer in schools.

3:14:30 What I, what I had mentioned was, is I would like to try to get

3:14:34 a system.

3:14:35 Many people currently go and volunteer their time at the school

3:14:39 district.

3:14:40 We have a lot of directors that are doing those, but one of the

3:14:44 issues that we have is,

3:14:45 is that, and we have resource teachers that go in and they work

3:14:48 with some of the teachers.

3:14:49 With that said, there is something about going in and taking a

3:14:54 day and saying,

3:14:54 I am here to the majority of the other individuals that are in

3:14:59 here, secretaries, individuals.

3:15:01 Plus we have a very big drop inside of our schools.

3:15:04 For instance, many of our substitutes in title ones, many of our

3:15:09 volunteers in title ones don’t exist.

3:15:10 You may already know that our PTOs in our title one schools are

3:15:14 usually the teacher

3:15:15 because they don’t have parents, right?

3:15:17 The volunteers that are inside of our schools, there’s, in some

3:15:21 of our title ones, they’re just not there.

3:15:22 Now there are good cases, but in some others, and non-title ones

3:15:25 are the same way.

3:15:26 So the idea is twofold.

3:15:28 We get people to start being a part of a school once, possibly

3:15:33 twice a year.

3:15:33 And then we also connect the workforce into the school.

3:15:39 We help out a little bit, and then also we kind of start tying a

3:15:43 connection that I think sometimes is lost.

3:15:45 So my thought process was, because I don’t know what that looks

3:15:48 like.

3:15:48 Like I’m like, hey, I’d like to try to do this and then have

3:15:51 some sort of a form that they fill out so that we can talk about

3:15:54 good stuff.

3:15:54 But I don’t know the specifics.

3:15:56 I know Ms. Campbell has a very strong opinion about it.

3:16:00 But I thought today, just let’s identify what it looks like and

3:16:03 then come back.

3:16:04 And then I had something else.

3:16:05 Dr. Schiller.

3:16:06 Mr. Susan, I’ve asked staff, and they have gathered a

3:16:13 preliminary list of hours and a number of people who are here in

3:16:19 these areas.

3:16:20 And it’s a remarkable number of hours and days that they’re

3:16:25 either volunteering or already substituting, and not part of

3:16:29 their job description.

3:16:30 If I may, I know time is short, if we can send that to you

3:16:33 perhaps tomorrow so that you have a frame of reference of the

3:16:37 data.

3:16:37 But I was very impressed at that point.

3:16:39 I can’t– I tell you hats off to all the individuals that do.

3:16:43 It’s pretty amazing.

3:16:45 I think that those would be the people that would not even have

3:16:48 to fill out a form.

3:16:49 They’d already have the form filled out.

3:16:51 It’s more about the other individuals and giving them an

3:16:54 opportunity, but I think we do need to honor them.

3:16:56 I think the other thing, Dr. Schiller, that we would like is,

3:17:00 you know, just sort of all hands on deck here with the last

3:17:03 couple of years, right?

3:17:04 Or the last couple of months.

3:17:05 So what we have is the need in our schools for retention,

3:17:10 recruitment, volunteers, academics, all of that.

3:17:14 So what I would like to do is give you the opportunity to

3:17:18 evaluate, possibly looking at sending some of our staff that are

3:17:22 currently in our headquartered buildings into the schools to

3:17:24 cover some of the vacancies for substitutes, if that’s okay.

3:17:27 What are your thoughts?

3:17:28 May I jump in?

3:17:30 We’re already doing that.

3:17:32 We already have been doing that.

3:17:33 We had some staff members at the district who went and helped

3:17:36 out for months at certain schools where there are major vacancies.

3:17:39 I have a strong opinion about this too.

3:17:43 I think it is just another moment in which we kind of degrade

3:17:52 the profession of educators when we just assume someone can jump

3:17:57 in and do their job.

3:17:58 There are plenty of people up at this district that love what

3:18:00 they do and they love that they do it for kids, but they don’t

3:18:03 want to work with kids or they aren’t qualified to work with

3:18:07 kids.

3:18:07 And that’s okay that they acknowledge that.

3:18:09 We can’t force people to go support those schools if they’re not

3:18:14 prepared to do it.

3:18:15 But I think you need to take a minute to look over how the staff

3:18:19 at district has already been supporting our schools because it

3:18:23 is beyond impressive by how much they’ve been doing.

3:18:27 Thank you.

3:18:31 I’m not taking away the work.

3:18:32 I’m not saying that they should have to be substitutes.

3:18:35 Go ahead.

3:18:37 Yeah.

3:18:38 Okay.

3:18:39 So I’m going to bring back my illustration.

3:18:43 I hope you looked it up last time about the carrot and the stick.

3:18:46 Right?

3:18:47 That I talked about last time.

3:18:50 Am I making people hungry?

3:18:51 Sorry.

3:18:52 There’s a carrot way and a stick way and I think we need to be

3:18:55 very careful in how we do this because what I don’t think you’re

3:19:00 intending to say is that we’re now going to put a mandate on all

3:19:05 the staff who work in this building because that’s very much a

3:19:08 stick that we’re going to beat people with.

3:19:10 So I asked Dr. Green asked for if we could get data on how many

3:19:14 vacancies are in this building, this building where we have

3:19:18 people who, yes, are instruct, who are former classroom teachers

3:19:21 who are now instructional coaches and support in that way or

3:19:26 their curriculum experts, you know, all the different titles

3:19:29 that they have and directors and assistant directors and all of

3:19:30 that.

3:19:31 But we also have people who are scheduling maintenance and they’re

3:19:35 running payroll and they have, they would have going into our

3:19:39 schools even to just sub one day, they would not have as much

3:19:42 training as we give our subs.

3:19:43 We give our subs and it may not be the most exciting thing, but

3:19:46 before someone goes into sub in our school, unless they have an

3:19:49 education degree, they have to do, I can’t remember how many

3:19:52 hours, but you know, hours of online video training that they

3:19:55 have to go through.

3:19:56 We’re talking about putting people in a classroom who did not

3:19:59 take this job to work with kids. Some people, some of them yes,

3:20:02 some of them didn’t. They got it. They’re, they’re excellent

3:20:05 accountants. They’re excellent maintenance people.

3:20:07 But we’re saying that if they work in this building, they have

3:20:11 to work in a school at the carrot way. I understand the

3:20:14 connection. I believe the connection can be important, but the

3:20:18 carrot way of doing this would be, and I would be offering an

3:20:22 incentive.

3:20:22 Hey, we want you to have the opportunity. You even said, Mr. Seuss,

3:20:26 just a little while ago, giving them the opportunity. I like

3:20:28 that phrase, giving them the opportunity so that once a year,

3:20:31 potentially twice, if you want to go and, and make that personal

3:20:35 connection with the school, maybe a school close by, um, that we

3:20:39 give them, you know, to fill in as a sub or to go jump in the

3:20:43 cafeteria for a day or whatever, do morning duty, afternoon duty.

3:20:46 We, we can find a way of doing incentives. If it’s subbing, we’re

3:20:50 saving money. Um, if we have somebody from a peer going in and

3:20:55 subbing, we could give them a, you know, a $50 one time bonus of

3:20:59 some kind, you know, just throwing ideas out there.

3:21:02 And we still are saving money, but it’s, but it, there’s some

3:21:05 kind of incentive to do that as well as the connection. I, I am

3:21:09 going to continue to feel very strongly about issuing a mandate

3:21:13 because of all those reasons.

3:21:14 But there’s another reason I just wanted just as focused and it’s,

3:21:18 um, although I understand we’re moving the zero, zero, zeros to

3:21:21 a later date and I definitely agree with that.

3:21:22 But there was, there was one policy that as we’re going through,

3:21:25 just help focus me back on that. And that is, uh, zero, one, two,

3:21:29 three. And it says in there, focus the board action on policy

3:21:34 making, goal setting, planning and evaluation and insist on

3:21:39 regular and partial evaluation of staff.

3:21:40 But that, when we start talking about the, what we’re talking

3:21:43 about right now, we are talking about operations. We’re talking

3:21:47 about the job of the CEO. And I understand that there are some

3:21:50 times when the board may want to step in and give direction,

3:21:53 very specific direction to the CEO, but those cases, we better

3:21:57 have a really good reason before we take those reins from the

3:22:01 CEO of this district onto the board to tell him how to do the

3:22:04 job of filling those holes, especially what’s going to impact a

3:22:07 lot of people.

3:22:08 And I’m just also just going to guess, and I may be wrong. I’m

3:22:12 going to guess that because some of the people in this building

3:22:16 are part of different bargaining units, some part of BFT and

3:22:19 some part of 1010, that part of that may have to come to

3:22:22 negotiations.

3:22:23 We may have to come to negotiations before we can tell people

3:22:26 who work in this building, oh, and you have to work one or two

3:22:30 days a year subbing in a school.

3:22:32 So, again, that, again, is a stick. And we talk about morale.

3:22:36 Morale is low. And making people do things that they didn’t sign

3:22:41 up for. Whatever good reasons we may have, that is morale busting

3:22:46 right there. And I’m not willing to step into another morale busting

3:22:50 situation.

3:22:50 So I think we need to tread very lightly and be very careful.

3:22:54 But creating an opportunity, sure, creating even an incentive.

3:22:59 Love that. Letting people at this building have the opportunity

3:23:03 to step into our schools and love on our kids and remind them of

3:23:07 why we’re doing what we’re doing. Love that.

3:23:10 Love that. Mandating. No, never. So if it wasn’t clear before,

3:23:16 hopefully I’m clear now. Let me, I would like to respond to some

3:23:22 of them. Um, it’s an absolutely that it could be a policy. We,

3:23:26 we have policy making. We could put it into policy and we could

3:23:29 say, here’s what we would like, because maybe I said it wrong

3:23:33 and I keep trying to say it. It’s not all substituting.

3:23:34 So if you have somebody that’s running payroll, they work

3:23:37 alongside the accountant at the school. If you have somebody

3:23:40 that’s in ESE, then they work along the side of the blast

3:23:43 program. They get their firsthand account of what’s happening

3:23:47 inside of the schools. That’s my point. I apologize about it

3:23:51 sounding. One of the things that you have and one of the

3:23:54 leadership qualities that I’ve had, even as, as a boss of other

3:23:58 individuals.

3:23:58 And I’ve always loved in leadership is somebody that gets in and

3:24:02 understands the workflow of the people that they represent. And

3:24:05 this gives them that opportunity that if there’s an individual

3:24:09 that’s working out there in the district, that they’re not just

3:24:11 somebody that shows up and talks to 80 of them, but actually

3:24:14 once a year sits with them and walks through the process.

3:24:16 I think that is there. I can understand the policy, the morale

3:24:21 being low. This isn’t about that. This is about having them

3:24:24 understand the boots on the ground. Many times we do things from

3:24:28 this district and other places around the county. And there’s

3:24:31 one of the biggest things is if they only understood what I do

3:24:35 on a regular basis, they would not be passing this.

3:24:37 So I think it’s an inhibitor as far as, or it helps them

3:24:40 understand what the people that they’re affecting with their

3:24:44 jobs. And I would consider us, we’ve gone and subbed and stuff

3:24:47 like that. But I wanted to say, I didn’t, I didn’t want, I didn’t

3:24:51 want, I didn’t want everybody to think this is about substituting.

3:24:52 This is more about working with the people that you serve or you

3:24:56 work for because I feel sometimes the roles get reversed, right?

3:24:59 Sometimes the district or whoever it is gets blamed that they’re

3:25:07 not representing the people and we should be serving them.

3:25:09 Dr. Blackburn, one of his greatest statements he ever said was,

3:25:13 we are here to serve the teachers, serve the bus drivers, serve

3:25:16 them. And this is an opportunity to do so. So I wanted to say

3:25:19 that.

3:25:19 Um, and I think bargaining units, that’s why I was saying like,

3:25:24 there’s no way that I can say, here’s what we need to do is just

3:25:26 said, Hey, conceptually, go see it.

3:25:28 You have a lot of people that are already doing it. Let’s offer

3:25:30 it to the other people. Let’s see what it looks like. Bring it

3:25:33 back. That’s it. Sound good.

3:25:35 Is there anybody that opposes us doing this?

3:25:39 I have one more thing to say. So, um, I would say lead by

3:25:44 example.

3:25:45 Um, I don’t want to hear how many times I’ve supported a

3:25:48 classroom and substituted in a classroom just this year alone.

3:25:51 So I think for us up here to make these statements, um, when

3:25:56 some of us may not have necessarily done that, uh, lead by

3:26:00 example first.

3:26:00 Sure.

3:26:01 Um, and this would have to be negotiated, but if it, if somehow

3:26:06 we wanted to offer where you get a, you know, a paid day off to

3:26:10 leave this building and go support our school voluntarily, I don’t

3:26:14 think there’s anything wrong with that.

3:26:16 Creates a sense of community. Um, but from day one, the

3:26:19 conversation was, was about mandating and requiring our staff.

3:26:22 So let’s, let’s be clear about that. Um, I’ve had that

3:26:26 conversation as well in the past about even like our teachers

3:26:29 and our support staff, you know, allowing again, it has to get

3:26:33 negotiated, but having a conversation about possibly allowing

3:26:36 them one free day to go to their kid’s school and participate in

3:26:39 an event or something, creating that culture and sense of

3:26:42 community, um, and supporting each other.

3:26:43 Um, but, um, I think I’ve made it clear. I, I stand with Ms.

3:26:48 Campbell on this one.

3:26:50 Okay. So we’re all good with Dr. Schiller bringing it back as an

3:26:54 idea.

3:26:54 Well, if I can speak on this a little bit is, is more than just

3:27:00 substituting. I, I think we can give Dr. Schiller direction.

3:27:04 Uh, the way that you can be in policy to look at the staff at

3:27:08 the central office and see if we have anybody that’s certified

3:27:11 as maybe as a resource teacher or a content manager.

3:27:13 If we have vacancies in the schools, can he not reassign those

3:27:18 individuals for a classroom?

3:27:20 We’re already doing that. It was already, that is what you’re

3:27:23 looking at. It was already done.

3:27:23 Those 58 days are people who we didn’t have an elementary social

3:27:27 studies, um, content specialist for the first part of the year,

3:27:31 because that person went to Saturn and taught a third grade

3:27:34 class for months and is just now back.

3:27:36 So all the work that is content specialist was supposed to do,

3:27:39 it wasn’t being done because she was teaching in the classroom.

3:27:42 And she wasn’t the only one. You can see the months fit from 58

3:27:45 days up to five months on that.

3:27:46 Correct. Are we still, I mean, we still have openings.

3:27:48 But I think your point is, is that we still have those

3:27:50 individuals.

3:27:51 We still have openings at the schools is what you’re saying.

3:27:54 And we have stellar examples of individuals who are volunteering.

3:27:59 There may be an opportunity for others to do the same or go to

3:28:03 work there or be reassigned.

3:28:04 Look, whatever. Yeah. That’s what you’re asking.

3:28:08 Exactly. That’s exactly. It should be, we should obviously with

3:28:12 his experience and the experienced individuals that he has

3:28:17 around them.

3:28:17 Not us, but then we should give them the direction to reassign

3:28:22 if need be with discussion.

3:28:24 Obviously, in their content, I’m not saying take a bookkeeper

3:28:28 here and have them teach accounting or substitute a class.

3:28:31 We don’t need, it’s not that we don’t need substitutes.

3:28:34 I’m more interested in putting teachers back in those classrooms.

3:28:37 That’s what our students need.

3:28:38 So if that’s, and it’s not up to us right now, it should be Dr.

3:28:42 Schiller and his expertise to look at top to bottom to see if he

3:28:46 can help our students in this and do it immediately.

3:28:51 I think it’s something that could be quickly done.

3:28:53 We could talk to Dr. Schiller about that or we can.

3:28:56 I think the idea that I had was to help out the schools and say,

3:29:02 hey, here’s the things that we can do to help out and do it in a

3:29:06 way that it is collaborative and stuff like that.

3:29:08 So it’s not a stick.

3:29:10 What I’m hearing you say is, is that you wanted to try to move

3:29:14 forward with an idea that in the event, the last couple of

3:29:18 months or even whatever that is, because my concern is, is we

3:29:23 need to start filling the holes to finish out the year.

3:29:25 And so I’m all about looking at those opportunities.

3:29:29 We already have staff doing that.

3:29:30 That’s not an issue.

3:29:31 I think I’m okay with that.

3:29:34 I don’t disagree.

3:29:35 I mean, honestly, everything that we do needs to be focused

3:29:38 around children, right?

3:29:39 We’re, we’re in the business of children, educating children.

3:29:41 And so I don’t think that there’s an issue with creating an

3:29:44 opportunity for anyone that’s sitting here to be able to go and

3:29:48 work in the school.

3:29:49 I can’t see the disadvantage of that.

3:29:51 An opportunity, an opportunity is different from what we

3:29:53 originally had talked about.

3:29:54 An opportunity versus we’re saying everybody has to do it.

3:29:58 There’s two separate things.

3:29:59 That is very, very different.

3:30:00 Create an opportunity, having some release time, you know, for

3:30:04 people to do that.

3:30:05 Yeah.

3:30:06 No, it’s great.

3:30:07 And I said, I’m even interested in looking at incentives for

3:30:10 people to do things like that.

3:30:11 I don’t know how you do that outside of seven because it’s not

3:30:14 necessarily going to be a cost savings, but we, you know, create

3:30:17 those opportunities, create opportunities for staff to be from

3:30:19 here to be released to go mentor a kid in the school.

3:30:21 You know, I, I, I’m interested in that.

3:30:24 Um, but I, I want to go back to the point that, um, Mr. Trent

3:30:28 made a little while ago.

3:30:29 I think it would probably be good.

3:30:31 If for, for any of us who aren’t aware to go and sit down and

3:30:36 you could meet with either the leading and learning assistant

3:30:40 superintendent and find out what everybody does.

3:30:43 Cause there is a misconception, you know, I’ve heard it, the cubicle

3:30:47 farm and all that stuff.

3:30:48 But some of these people who are content specials, specialists

3:30:51 and, uh, these resource teachers, we’ve got a boatload.

3:30:55 We have a boatload of vacancies, but we also have a boatload of

3:30:59 brand spanking new teachers.

3:31:00 And the content specialists and the resource teachers are the

3:31:03 ones primarily who are going out and support.

3:31:05 They’re supporting all.

3:31:06 So if you’re the science resource teacher, you’re supporting all

3:31:09 of the elementary science or the secondary science.

3:31:11 You’re supporting them, but you’re particularly supporting the

3:31:17 brand new ones who need that more hands on.

3:31:20 And we, in addition to needing, you know, teachers in classrooms,

3:31:24 we also need support for the brand new teachers in the

3:31:28 classrooms who, in those content areas.

3:31:29 So it would be really good before we start talking about, oh, we,

3:31:33 because it just, and this may not have been your intent at all.

3:31:36 But it kind of came across as we’ve got people up here who we

3:31:39 don’t really need up here.

3:31:40 So let’s put them back in the classroom because the jobs they’re

3:31:42 doing up here is not important.

3:31:43 And I don’t think that’s what you meant, but it absolutely is

3:31:45 how it came across.

3:31:46 So let’s just be careful.

3:31:48 But it would be really good.

3:31:49 I think it would be good to take a walk through the departments

3:31:52 and find out, well, what do you do?

3:31:52 What do you do?

3:31:55 Not in a scary way.

3:31:56 And when we walk through this building, we can be scary.

3:31:59 Not because of the way we look, but because of our positions.

3:32:01 But it would be a good idea to find out what– I see people

3:32:04 laughing.

3:32:05 What do people do in this building?

3:32:07 Because their perception out there is there’s way too many

3:32:09 people in this building.

3:32:10 But do we even know what they do?

3:32:12 Have we been in the print shop?

3:32:13 Have we been through payroll?

3:32:14 Do we know how many people we have doing each job?

3:32:17 It would be really good for us to know that before we start

3:32:20 suggesting that maybe we don’t need all of them.

3:32:23 Because we’re pretty– if you compare us to other districts, we

3:32:28 can be pretty trim.

3:32:29 I think that that’s– I think you bring up a good point that we

3:32:32 should look at that, at the organizational flow of how things

3:32:34 are working or–

3:32:35 because you were right, the conception in the community is we’re

3:32:38 top heavy.

3:32:38 I’ve heard it over and over and over again.

3:32:40 And so is that something that Dr. Schiller could look at on how

3:32:44 our structure is set up right now with our people at the

3:32:48 district?

3:32:48 And can we talk with those departments?

3:32:49 I don’t think that’s what Ms. Campbell is saying at all.

3:32:51 Well, honestly, his expertise I would rely on because he’s been

3:32:55 in a lot of districts to know.

3:32:56 And we’ve already had the conversation about what our directors

3:33:00 do and what other districts and what we– just to follow up.

3:33:03 Right.

3:33:04 What, you know, he was talking about how in other districts they’re

3:33:07 looking at, whatever, like 17 to 1 or whatever.

3:33:09 But the thing is, that’s all they’re doing.

3:33:11 Right.

3:33:12 They’re all they’re doing.

3:33:13 And our directors have– may only have nine schools, but they’re

3:33:17 also doing major departments.

3:33:18 Many other–

3:33:19 Right, right, right.

3:33:20 So, you know, I mean, he has a level of expertise and maybe his

3:33:23 level of expertise can help us to say, hey, you know what,

3:33:25 actually–

3:33:25 Would you be in favor of him looking at that then?

3:33:27 I am.

3:33:28 I think that we should use his expertise while he’s here and his

3:33:31 knowledge.

3:33:32 Yep.

3:33:33 I think looking at it, making recommendation, moving into that

3:33:37 direction as far as twofold.

3:33:38 One, what is the organization of what we have here at the

3:33:40 headquarters?

3:33:41 And then two, if we can have a school-focused agenda to where if

3:33:46 there’s individuals that can put an all-hands-on-deck in the

3:33:50 next couple of months and attend maybe some of the schools to

3:33:52 support like they have been, make those recommendations.

3:33:55 That’s all.

3:33:56 Absolutely.

3:33:57 I need to jump in here.

3:33:58 We beyond took a train off the track.

3:34:01 What Ms. Campbell said was, I suggest you walk through this

3:34:04 building and learn what the people here do.

3:34:06 That’s what she said.

3:34:08 We hired an interim superintendent to do the job of an interim

3:34:11 superintendent.

3:34:12 We didn’t hire him to do a consultation of the organizational

3:34:16 structure of this organization.

3:34:18 In just a couple of months, we’re going to have a full-time

3:34:21 superintendent who can very well come in here and do whatever he

3:34:25 wants to the organizational structure itself.

3:34:27 I think the important part of this conversation is, as Ms.

3:34:36 Campbell said, it was presented and stated multiple times as a

3:34:41 mandate.

3:34:41 And clearly, that’s not where it is anymore.

3:34:43 So the important part is that looking at options for this to be

3:34:46 voluntary.

3:34:47 What’s best for our kids is to not just throw people in front of

3:34:51 our kids to fill a spot.

3:34:53 So just because somebody is a certified teacher that now works

3:34:56 up at the district doesn’t mean they’re the best person to go

3:34:58 back into a classroom and stand in front of kids.

3:35:00 It’s not what’s best for our kids.

3:35:02 So put the train back on the tracks.

3:35:05 Mr. Chairman, can I just finish up?

3:35:08 Yeah.

3:35:09 Because I was the responsible one for that.

3:35:11 So sorry.

3:35:12 But if we are to look at someone to replace the substitutes that

3:35:17 are in those classrooms on a daily basis,

3:35:19 it would be a certified teacher that is already in our district.

3:35:24 And I would err on the side of that professional teacher to be

3:35:28 in that classroom rather than a substitute.

3:35:30 So all we were asking is for our interim superintendent and his

3:35:36 years of experience to possibly now look at our organization.

3:35:40 And it was brought up to see if we can run this more efficiently

3:35:45 and effectively while you’re here for the new person, he or she

3:35:49 that’s going to be coming in.

3:35:50 There’s nothing out of the ordinary that a superintendent in

3:35:56 your position would be doing.

3:35:57 So we also need to look at, you know, the evaluation system of

3:36:02 our, you know, how is that going to work with our directors and

3:36:06 our staff?

3:36:07 Is that we just going to ask our new person that’s coming in to

3:36:13 start doing evaluations, you know, or recommendations for

3:36:17 assignment for the next year?

3:36:19 Or do we ask or give direction to our superintendent to start

3:36:24 working on that now so maybe we can have some recommendations

3:36:28 for appointment by the time his contract is done here?

3:36:31 I would like to maybe if this is the time, let’s let’s have him

3:36:36 working on that.

3:36:37 I mean, I, my thing is, is that our staff needs evaluations,

3:36:46 right?

3:36:47 They need them like in the superintendent who comes in and has

3:36:50 not spent the time here, wouldn’t be able to do them.

3:36:52 So somebody needs to be able to do those.

3:36:54 So I don’t have a problem with allowing Dr. Schiller to move

3:36:58 forward with evaluations of staff.

3:37:00 Um, I, I, it’s done about now to the end of the year.

3:37:05 And do you don’t really, right?

3:37:07 Because the reappointment happens like in May for a June, July

3:37:11 one.

3:37:11 I don’t think that there’s any question about like the reappointment

3:37:15 process.

3:37:15 I think what it is, is that there just needs to be some

3:37:17 evaluations done.

3:37:18 You know what I mean?

3:37:19 Go ahead, sir.

3:37:20 Well, a new superintendent’s not going to have anything.

3:37:23 Well, he’ll be able to review the evaluations is what it is.

3:37:26 Go ahead.

3:37:27 Again, please review the memo that we sent out that detailed the

3:37:32 protocols and the timelines that have been established.

3:37:34 in this district that aligned with state statutes.

3:37:38 And what I had asked is the clarity.

3:37:41 If you wish for me, since I’ve been here, to continue that

3:37:46 process and be responsible for those evaluations.

3:37:49 So that is completed as it has been in the past using the state

3:37:54 and the local protocols and, and whatever.

3:37:56 And, but what I’d asked was the clarity.

3:38:00 I’d be, you know, I see it as part of my job.

3:38:02 If so, direct it.

3:38:03 If you prefer the new person to come in, you’re not going to hit

3:38:08 the timelines for a brand new person walking in here that the

3:38:12 state have prescribed for final decisions to be made about reappointments.

3:38:17 And I’m just seeking, as I did in that memo, the clarity.

3:38:20 Mm-hm.

3:38:21 Because it’s coincident that the deadline that this district has

3:38:25 used on a timeline is that in order to get all the reappointment

3:38:30 letters completed, get all the evaluations done, all the

3:38:34 notifications, whatever, that May 9th is coincident with the

3:38:39 date of the appointment of your permanent superintendent.

3:38:42 Right.

3:38:43 Okay.

3:38:44 And what I’m saying is for the goodness of our staff.

3:38:49 I didn’t know that.

3:38:50 For what we need to do is that we must do the evaluation as they

3:38:55 must, as our principals must evaluate the teachers and it goes

3:39:00 right down the line.

3:39:01 Right.

3:39:02 Okay.

3:39:03 And that our cabinet evaluate their directors, then it’s left to

3:39:09 your interim superintendent to evaluate the cabinet members.

3:39:15 Mm-hm.

3:39:16 And I just want to make sure the board understands that there is

3:39:20 a process, there is a statutory language, and I need that

3:39:25 direction and the staff needs that clarity.

3:39:27 Then the board will need to decide, is it that I, sitting here

3:39:33 for a period of months, then have the obligation burden that the

3:39:39 board wants to make the recommendations to the board for reappointments

3:39:43 in the areas of all staff.

3:39:45 All staff virtually, based on the evaluation processes.

3:39:50 Okay.

3:39:51 Which would happen according to our protocols and timelines that

3:39:55 have been long established on May 9th.

3:39:57 Or do you wish to defer that to an assumption that you appoint

3:40:03 someone and that person becomes operational in time to do it?

3:40:08 And the furthest date out that has to be done is by the end of

3:40:13 June.

3:40:13 And so it’s just a matter of your timing and to whom you wish to

3:40:18 default the responsibility.

3:40:21 Yeah.

3:40:22 Right.

3:40:23 Yeah.

3:40:24 I think doing the evaluations, I think reappointments based on

3:40:28 the evaluations can be done by the interim or the new

3:40:31 superintendent.

3:40:31 Like I don’t have a problem with that.

3:40:32 Yeah.

3:40:33 Wait, wait, wait.

3:40:34 The interim or the new?

3:40:35 The new, the new superintendent.

3:40:36 I mean, I don’t know.

3:40:37 I mean, like I–

3:40:38 Wouldn’t it be recommendation anyway?

3:40:40 It’d be like a recommendation.

3:40:41 From Dr. Schiller.

3:40:42 But not, I don’t think, assigning a reappointment or not, wouldn’t

3:40:48 be something that Dr. Schiller, he should make the

3:40:51 recommendations based on the evaluations and then let the new

3:40:53 superintendent that comes in make their own choices.

3:40:54 Yeah.

3:40:55 That’s with the assumption that you have an operational

3:40:59 superintendent.

3:41:00 Right.

3:41:01 Yeah.

3:41:02 I don’t think that’s a good idea for us to plan on because we

3:41:06 talked about the, you know, our timeline is negotiable for, you

3:41:11 know, when they would be here.

3:41:12 We may not have someone until the beginning of July, beginning

3:41:15 of August.

3:41:15 We talked about other school districts not named until June or

3:41:18 even if they’re in the state of Florida, you know, the fiscal

3:41:21 year doesn’t end until the end of June.

3:41:23 We don’t need to leave people hanging.

3:41:25 We’ve talked about again and again and again instability.

3:41:27 There needs to be– we need– people need to know for sure.

3:41:31 I’m here.

3:41:32 I’m coming back.

3:41:33 You know, and allow– and go ahead and get this done because we

3:41:37 may not have, you know, if Dr. Schiller’s contract is up May 31st,

3:41:41 at the most we might– and if he’s gone and we don’t– it’s not

3:41:46 extended, then we might have an acting.

3:41:48 But that’s a lot of pressure to put on an acting.

3:41:51 I think we just need to move the process the way we normally do

3:41:55 at that May meeting and just get it done.

3:41:58 And that way the person coming in knows they’ve got a competent

3:42:02 cabinet that’s got, you know, highly effective evaluations all

3:42:07 the time.

3:42:07 They’re ready to go and ready to support him.

3:42:10 And we have vacancies.

3:42:11 We’ve got wiggle room.

3:42:12 Every superintendent who’s come in here has made changes and

3:42:15 adjusted people either, you know, immediately in case, you know,

3:42:19 like when I first got on the board, Dr. Thetti moved from HR and

3:42:24 then to COO and then to–

3:42:25 No, excuse me, student services to COO and then HR because that’s

3:42:28 what the superintendent wanted to move around.

3:42:30 They understand there’s going to potentially be some movement.

3:42:33 And like we’ve already talked about today, we have some interim

3:42:36 positions that need to be filled anyway.

3:42:37 So I think we just need to move it along so that whoever comes

3:42:41 in knows they’ve got a team ready to go on the ground.

3:42:44 We’re not questioning who’s going to be here, who’s not going to

3:42:47 be here.

3:42:47 But we need to go ahead and move forward with it.

3:42:52 Okay, I guess you got your direction.

3:42:55 I agree.

3:42:59 Just to clarify, I believe I heard, and I’m trying to take copious

3:43:03 notes here so we know that we have a record,

3:43:05 and I’m sure that’s being done in the minutes, but our process

3:43:09 will go forward according to the protocols and the timelines.

3:43:14 And that I, as your interim superintendent until May 31, will

3:43:20 have for you the completed–

3:43:24 or I will have completed, not for you, but I will have completed

3:43:28 and on file the evals for those who report to the interim

3:43:35 superintendent in the cabinet.

3:43:36 And that will be completed as customarily done, filed, and so

3:43:42 forth.

3:43:43 And that I am not to do the reappointments, but to do

3:43:47 recommendations.

3:43:49 No, that was what one board member said.

3:43:51 Right.

3:43:52 I need clarity on that.

3:43:53 Yeah, because my opinion is we go ahead and do the reappointments

3:43:56 according to the timeline that we usually do.

3:43:58 We need to have the reappointments done because we may not have

3:44:02 a new superintendent in a good timeframe.

3:44:04 And the one coming in, you know, needs to have a team assembled

3:44:11 and ready to go.

3:44:13 Even if that, you know, obviously we have some interims and I

3:44:17 hope we all will stick around for a little bit longer maybe than

3:44:22 May 31, just in case.

3:44:23 But we, I think we need to go ahead and move forward the reappointment

3:44:27 process as we usually do.

3:44:29 What about, what about if the incoming superintendent, we assign

3:44:37 them on May 9th, he wants the opportunity to call them back, he

3:44:43 would be able to, right?

3:44:45 To what?

3:44:46 Say there’s an issue.

3:44:48 Yeah, I saw about him coming in.

3:44:49 Because I’m seeing like this is, I still think that the incoming

3:44:53 superintendent should have the option for whatever he wants,

3:44:58 right?

3:44:58 As long as when he gets here, he’s able to make a decision or

3:45:02 she make a decision based on what they would like, right?

3:45:05 So if you’re in the process of reappointing and not reappointing

3:45:08 and all that stuff, they can still come back if they like

3:45:12 somebody and say, oh, I would like to retain this person.

3:45:14 Does that make sense to you?

3:45:16 No.

3:45:17 Okay.

3:45:18 Maybe I’m just off the mic.

3:45:19 I’ll just be quiet.

3:45:21 Are you saying that if he recommends somebody to not be reappointed

3:45:25 that the person that we bring in could say, oh, no,

3:45:27 I really do want them.

3:45:28 Yeah.

3:45:29 Okay.

3:45:30 Well, I mean, we move people around all the time, even in the

3:45:32 middle.

3:45:32 Right.

3:45:33 So I think, you know, like I said, we have positions.

3:45:37 It’s understood.

3:45:38 I think our cabinet is intelligent and understands that some

3:45:40 moving around may happen just as it has happened in the last

3:45:43 four years.

3:45:43 But like I said, for stability’s sake, we need to have the

3:45:45 appointment process and not leave people hanging wondering, you

3:45:49 know, what’s going to happen.

3:45:50 Right.

3:45:51 Okay.

3:45:52 That’s what we’re trying to get at is that in fairness to all

3:45:57 staff, that they know that the process is going forward.

3:46:01 And there’s a date by which that’s been established where, and

3:46:05 this is where I need clarity, where the reappointment

3:46:10 recommendations to the board would be going forward.

3:46:12 Yes.

3:46:15 And those are recommendations.

3:46:17 What the board does with that on May 9th is up to the board,

3:46:21 depending upon if you’ve made an appointment and the operational

3:46:25 date of the person beginning.

3:46:28 So, because if it’s left open, again, you have until, and help

3:46:34 me here, Dr. Green, you have until June 30th by state statute,

3:46:39 but that is not necessarily the protocol that’s been followed

3:46:42 here because of the process.

3:46:43 So, maybe you can mull this over a little bit more.

3:46:50 Okay.

3:46:51 No, I think you got direction.

3:46:52 No, I think you got, we all are saying, well, I’m.

3:46:53 You got direction.

3:46:54 Okay.

3:46:55 I heard from Jennifer, but the four of us are saying.

3:46:56 Very good.

3:46:57 Yeah.

3:46:58 That’s clear as mud.

3:46:59 Thank you.

3:47:00 Okay.

3:47:01 With that, we, with that, with no other discussion, we’ll be

3:47:07 back at 5:30.

3:47:09 We’ll be back at 5:30.