Updates on the Fight for Quality Public Education in Brevard County, FL
0:00 They’re basically Department of Education compliance documents.
0:05 I am sure that as we reflect back on the KP Roosevelt process
0:11 that we went through,
0:11 there was some conversation around what’s in the educational
0:14 plant survey,
0:15 what’s in the five-year work program.
0:18 And so we’re in the cycle of that now for the update to the five-year
0:23 work program,
0:24 which is very late for the Department of Education to bring that
0:28 out to us.
0:28 The educational plant survey is actually done every five years,
0:33 and we’re about three and a half years into that cycle,
0:36 but we are able to do updates through a spot survey.
0:38 So we have some changes going on in our facilities,
0:41 and those will be highlighted in those documents that will be on
0:45 your agendas coming up here in May.
0:46 And so I just wanted to kind of give everyone a brief update.
0:50 Following the update, we will be submitting these to the Capital
0:53 Outlay Committee,
0:54 which is our Intergovernmental Coordination Committee that
0:57 includes representatives
0:58 from our municipalities and Brevard County.
1:01 And so they will have an opportunity to review the drafts of
1:04 both of these documents
1:06 before they are on your agenda for approval coming up here
1:09 shortly.
1:10 So the first document is the educational plant survey.
1:13 As I mentioned, we do this every five years.
1:15 We have an update coming up in 2028 that is a full redo of the
1:20 educational plant survey.
1:23 But as we make changes, we can do something called a spot survey.
1:26 In this document, the facilities are kind of identified as to
1:32 use,
1:33 and so we have some changes in uses that we will be highlighting
1:37 in the spot survey coming up here shortly.
1:39 So those changes include the Cape View Elementary change from
1:44 school to ancillary use.
1:47 We decided to move that to ancillary use because we’re still
1:50 talking with the City of Cape Canaveral
1:54 and some of their ideas about how to potentially utilize the
1:57 facility.
1:58 So I didn’t want to presuppose the outcome of how we are using
2:02 that facility.
2:03 So right now it will be scheduled as ancillary use, but I would
2:07 expect that we’ll do some updates to that in the future.
2:09 Roosevelt Elementary, there will be students moved from Cape
2:13 View to Roosevelt.
2:15 So in the educational plant survey, there are student allocations
2:19 to the schools based on the Department of Education allocation
2:22 of capital outlay,
2:23 full-time equivalents, yet another measure of enrollment.
2:26 The Clear Lake Education Center, we are noting the state
2:29 appropriation for the new health care building that’s come in,
2:33 and we’ll be working through that process to construct that
2:36 building in the future.
2:38 The Gardendale Education Center, we will be noting that there is
2:42 a new separate day school under construction at the Kennedy
2:46 campus,
2:47 and then eventually we will do a spot survey for whatever
2:51 disposition the board directs on the Gardendale facility on Merritt
2:55 Island.
2:55 So that will be a future update as well.
2:57 And then the final one is South Pine Grove.
3:00 This is located on Wickham Road in the City of Melbourne.
3:02 We’re changing that recommended use to ancillary for the time
3:06 being.
3:07 I do have some conversation coming up with the city manager in
3:09 Melbourne to kind of talk about the future of that building as
3:12 well.
3:13 So from where I’m sitting, this is kind of an interim step.
3:17 We want to get some of these things in the educational plant
3:20 survey,
3:21 but there may be additional spot surveys coming up probably in
3:25 the fall, would be my guess,
3:27 is when we might redo this cycle again before we do the full
3:30 update in 28.
3:31 So the schedule for this document, we have the work session
3:35 today,
3:35 and then we will send this out to the Capital Outlay Committee.
3:38 Our interlocal agreement allows the Capital Outlay Committee 15
3:42 days review before board action,
3:44 and so this will be on your agenda for May 12th for approval of
3:48 the spot survey for the educational plant survey.
3:51 Sue, can I ask a question real quick before you go to the slide?
3:54 I just wanted to clarify, the South Pine Grove School, that’s
3:57 the location of the former South ALC?
3:59 Yes, ma’am.
3:59 Okay.
3:59 South ALC on Wickham Road.
4:01 One more, I have a question that we just look from here.
4:03 Are you done?
4:03 Sorry, Ms. Campbell.
4:04 Yeah, no, that was on my mind.
4:05 Just for the public’s reference, can you tell the board who is
4:09 on the Capital Outlay Review Committee?
4:11 So the Capital Outlay Committee includes representatives from
4:15 all municipalities with the exception of Palm Shores and
4:19 Melbourne Village.
4:20 Those two are not a party to the interlocal agreement.
4:23 So all municipalities have a representative and Brevard County.
4:28 And so they are kind of the group that we go to from a planning
4:31 perspective.
4:32 We meet quarterly, and occasionally we’ll have a special meeting.
4:34 And we talk about things like enrollment and projections and new
4:39 facilities and those types of things.
4:41 So that is our intergovernmental coordination body.
4:44 And one of us, who is it this year?
4:46 Is it June?
4:47 I think it’s June.
4:49 On the Capital Outlay?
4:50 Yeah, I think so.
4:51 Yes.
4:52 All right.
4:53 Thank you.
4:54 You’re welcome.
4:56 And then the other document that we talked a lot about is the
5:00 five-year work program.
5:02 This is a document the Department of Education opens conceivably
5:07 in the September-ish time frame.
5:10 This year it opened in March.
5:12 And so we’re kind of catching up with that process.
5:16 Our team, Mr. Lineman in particular, works with the finance team
5:20 to get the analysis of the different funding sources that are
5:25 included in the district work program.
5:26 And then we also include our projects.
5:29 And so it’s kind of a messy document.
5:32 But again, it’s a compliance document.
5:34 From where I’m sitting, we use the student accommodation plan
5:39 much more rigorously in terms of decision making.
5:43 Whereas this is more a reflection of what we’re planning to do
5:47 with decisions that have been made as a result of the other
5:49 planning processes that we do.
5:51 So this document will be updated based on the fact that it is
5:56 open.
5:57 But we’re hopeful that we’ll get back into the regular cadence
6:00 again.
6:01 So there’ll be another work program coming out perhaps in the
6:05 fall once the DOE opens it on their regular annual cycle.
6:09 So what is going to be in the five-year work program is all of
6:14 our big capacity projects.
6:17 So we have the new separate A school, the South Elementary
6:20 project that is the Westside Elementary Classroom Edition,
6:24 the Bayside High School Classroom Edition, the Edgewood
6:27 Technology Lab, the Robotics Lab.
6:30 And some of these, that one in particular, and the Mila project,
6:33 these are in here because we are still spending money in fiscal
6:36 year 26.
6:37 So there’s a column for funding that we’re using in fiscal year
6:40 26.
6:41 So even though they’re finished and in use basically because we’re
6:45 spending money in this fiscal year,
6:47 they’re still going to be listed in the five-year work program.
6:50 We also have a South Area Capacity Project, and that one is undefined.
6:57 It’s an impact fee project, and it will be either some version
7:02 of K-8 work at Sunrise Elementary.
7:05 It could be a new elementary, new K-8 in South Area, could be
7:10 new elementary capacity in the South Area.
7:14 So there are a number of options that might be available that we
7:17 would put under that project heading.
7:19 So it’s in there to show the expected impact fee accumulation
7:22 and the intent to build another elementary or K-8 school in the
7:27 South Area.
7:29 The other projects that are in there under the Other Category,
7:32 again, the Adult Education Healthcare Building,
7:35 the Transportation Facility, we do not have a location, nor is
7:39 that funded, but wanted to identify it in the work program,
7:43 and then the closeout of the Mila Elementary project.
7:46 This one has a slightly different schedule.
7:48 Mr. Lindeman and the finance team are still working through some
7:52 of the financial aspects of this plan,
7:54 so we anticipate sending that to the Capital Outlay Committee at
7:58 the end of next week.
7:59 There is a 30-day review period allocated for Capital Outlay
8:04 Committee, and so this will be on your May 26th board item or
8:07 board agenda.
8:09 And that concludes my presentation.
8:11 Thank you, Ms. Hand.
8:13 That was really a great presentation.
8:15 Dr. Indell, what would you like to do now?
8:18 Well, I think we can move to the next presentation.
8:21 It might, it’s the voluntary pre-kindergarten presentation.
8:25 It might take a minute to change some slides.
8:27 Okay.
8:27 Some slides shows up.
8:28 We’ll be ready to go in just a few minutes.
8:30 That sounds good.
8:31 Do you need us to take a recess, or are we good to just kind of
8:34 do it?
8:35 We’ll be good.
8:36 Okay.
8:36 There’s some dead air time for a few minutes.
8:39 Yeah.
8:40 It’s usually when we get in trouble.
8:42 All right.
8:48 Good morning, board and Dr. Indell.
8:50 Thank you for letting me present about VPK.
8:53 I’m excited.
8:55 So, today, my presentation will outline four areas for VPK.
9:01 We are going to talk about the VPK impact, VPK programs, VPK
9:06 expansion,
9:08 and community outreach for VPK and its enrollment.
9:12 So, I always like to start with this slide because it tells you
9:17 the importance of why VPK.
9:19 So, for children who enter kindergarten behind, roughly 75% will
9:24 never catch
9:25 up to their classmates.
9:27 Again, if a student attends VPK, they are almost without doubt
9:33 improved readiness for school.
9:36 Also, our VPK data is showing improvements for third grade ELA
9:44 by attending VPK.
9:45 And finally, it also supports high school graduation.
9:49 And this data is from the FL DOE and our learning coalition.
9:55 So, did you know that 90% of a child’s brain is developed by age
10:02 5?
10:03 So, this helps us with our mission to try to get every single
10:08 Brevard Public Schools VPK seat
10:11 filled.
10:12 This is driving that mission.
10:14 This slide right here.
10:17 This is showing VPK positive results for kindergarten readiness.
10:22 Our state issued some data that I felt like I wanted to share
10:26 because it’s super important.
10:27 VPK completers, which means that a student that has completed at
10:33 least 80% of the 540 hours required
10:37 to be in VPK 72% are showing kindergarten ready.
10:43 Another huge impact for why we want our kids in VPK.
10:48 Whereas VPK non-completes are 54% kindergarten ready.
10:54 So, in our VPK classrooms, play is essential.
10:59 So, if you get to walk some of our classrooms, we hope that you
11:04 see play inside the classroom
11:06 and outside the classroom.
11:08 Why is it so important?
11:09 It helps with cognitive development, which really is like
11:12 helping them with literacy, problem skills,
11:16 and then social skills.
11:18 When you’re playing, you’re learning how to get along with
11:20 others.
11:21 You’re learning how to self-regulate, and then, of course,
11:24 physical development.
11:26 It really helps with that fine and gross motor skills.
11:29 So, when you’re in our classrooms, hopefully you see pictures
11:34 like this.
11:36 Also, just also highlighting impact for VPK, we can see Brevard
11:43 data is showing that it is a positive impact.
11:47 If you go to our district report card, under assessment, you
11:52 will see the percent scoring level three.
11:55 Seventy percent of VPKers that attended and completed are
12:01 showing level three or higher.
12:03 So, again, just the impact that VPK is having on third grade
12:08 proficiency.
12:09 Can I ask a quick question just about this slide?
12:12 Yes.
12:13 So, obviously, we see a slight dip from 2324 to 2425.
12:18 Is this accounting for only Brevard VPK?
12:21 Or is this all of Brevard County’s VPK, which doesn’t
12:24 necessarily – that’s not necessarily a BPS school?
12:27 So, this is a total of Brevard County – our public schools.
12:33 Our public schools only.
12:34 Yes.
12:34 Okay.
12:34 Yes.
12:34 All right.
12:35 And obviously, the dip, I don’t – I’m sure you guys are
12:39 probably researching that and figuring out why is it going down
12:43 from one year to the next.
12:43 Have you found anything in your research?
12:46 Just the amount of completers.
12:50 We need the children to finish and complete.
12:53 People do sign up for the program, but then different
12:56 circumstances cause them not to complete.
12:59 And you can see in the data previous we need that 540 hours to
13:02 complete.
13:03 Okay.
13:05 Thank you.
13:06 Yes.
13:07 So, I also want to talk about our pre-kindergarten programs.
13:11 We have three types at BPS.
13:14 We have the VPK, which I’m going to talk about in just a minute.
13:17 We have our Head Start 3s and our VE pre-kindergarten programs.
13:21 And so, our VPK, which I am highlighting today, we have four
13:25 different types of opportunities.
13:28 And so, I just want – sometimes people get confused about our
13:32 different types of BPS, VPK, so I’m going to explain them.
13:36 So, our step forward are at our Title I schools.
13:41 Our blended, they can be at a Title I school or a non-Title I
13:45 school.
13:46 And they are a blended combined with ten general ed students and
13:51 eight ESE students.
13:53 And our Head Start program, which I’ll highlight in a few
13:57 minutes, they are our federally funded program.
14:01 And they are our four-year-olds that use that VPK certificate.
14:05 And then we also have four opportunities at four of our local
14:09 high schools, which is great for the high school and just also
14:14 getting people excited about teaching.
14:19 So, what sets Brevard apart?
14:21 I love this slide because our VPK programs, we have certified
14:26 teachers.
14:28 We have ongoing professional development.
14:31 And we have classroom support.
14:32 Our content specialists, they go out and support classrooms on a
14:36 day-to-day basis.
14:38 And so, that support really helps those students and the
14:41 teachers.
14:42 We also have full-day free programs.
14:45 And that is one of the things that when we go out in the
14:47 community, we talk about.
14:49 It’s all day and it’s free.
14:51 And then again, we are very fortunate because we have paraprofessionals
14:57 in every single one of our VPK classrooms.
15:01 So, I really want to highlight this slide.
15:03 So, ongoing professional development really supports quality
15:07 instruction.
15:08 And so, this slide shows positive results.
15:12 Last year, we started thinking outside the box and we did class
15:16 size bite PD sites.
15:18 So, we did like 15-minute PDs for paras and for teachers just to
15:23 log on.
15:24 And we did it for almost a whole semester.
15:28 And you can see the data is very positive.
15:31 And you might say like what is class?
15:33 Class is a scoring system our teachers go through.
15:37 So, we have individuals that are trained in class.
15:40 They go to our VPK classrooms and they actually observe the
15:44 teacher-student interactions.
15:47 And they give us a score.
15:49 So, the state threshold is four.
15:52 And then we said, no, that’s not high enough.
15:54 So, BPS, our threshold is five.
15:57 And you can see our data, 79% met that five.
16:02 Where 100% met four.
16:04 And then with this ongoing professional development, we
16:07 increased to 92%, which you can see is a positive result.
16:12 And we do feel it’s all of that professional development that we
16:16 are offering in different ways.
16:18 And then again, I like to highlight this as well because our VPK
16:25 classrooms are under accountability.
16:28 The state requires a VPK performance metric and designation.
16:34 So, as I just spoke about class, we have three buckets that we
16:39 must score well in.
16:41 We have the class composite score, which is 50%.
16:45 Learning gains, 30%.
16:48 And our achievement is 20%.
16:51 So, our VPK students take the exact fast assessment that our
16:55 kindergartners in our first grade take.
16:59 And so, you can see our PM1 data, how much improvement they made
17:04 to PM3.
17:05 And then those three buckets come together and they have a score.
17:10 And our VPK, 87% of our VPK classrooms met or exceeded the state
17:16 quality expectations.
17:19 So, we are very proud of that.
17:23 I’d like to highlight Head Start.
17:26 Our Head Start program just really supports families.
17:31 We have advocates in each one of our 12 sites.
17:35 And those advocates, they do outreach.
17:38 They work to get students that may not know about the program in
17:43 the program so that we can have them kindergarten ready and
17:47 third grade proficient.
17:48 So, also, our Head Start classrooms, you can see, have paras.
17:54 We’re working on literacy stations with them.
17:57 Just doing a lot of work with our most fragile students.
18:01 And we do offer three-year-old programs that roll up into our
18:05 four-year-old programs.
18:07 And as you know from our last board meeting, we were able to
18:12 recognize Celestra Tan, who is a VPK teacher at Saturn
18:17 Elementary.
18:19 She is with our Head Start program.
18:21 She is the Region 4 Head Start Teacher of the Year, which is
18:24 just a huge accomplishment in that Head Start classroom.
18:29 She also mentors a lot of teachers and provides professional
18:33 development.
18:34 So, we’re super lucky and we want to make sure she’s highlighted.
18:37 And then, as you know, we partner with the zoo.
18:40 And this year, they were not only Region 4’s nominee, they are a
18:44 national nominee for Edward Ziegler Innovation Award.
18:50 And we are just wanting to celebrate them as much as possible.
18:54 So, Summer Bridge is a bridge between VPK and kindergarten.
19:01 So, last year, the state gave us a grant.
19:05 And we took students who did not meet the threshold on the fast
19:10 early literacy.
19:12 And we built a curriculum.
19:14 Our teachers, alongside HUD Start teachers, wrote the curriculum.
19:19 And they used that data to really say, what areas do we need to
19:22 get these VPKs ready for kindergarten?
19:26 And you’ll see on the next slide, our data was positive.
19:31 So, I would like to highlight 100 hours of focused instruction
19:37 with about 83 VPK students, which was the most VPK students in
19:43 Region 4.
19:45 And why that is, is because we did a lot of outreach.
19:49 The students that did not meet that threshold, we reached out,
19:52 we called.
19:53 We wanted those kids into our Summer Bridge program so that they
19:57 would be kindergarten ready.
19:59 And some of them did come from the outside providers.
20:02 And we wanted to also capture them for our kindergarten.
20:05 So, the data, it’s just very positive.
20:07 Concepts of print, 43% to 79 across 11 sites.
20:14 And then, I am excited to talk about our goals for expansion
20:19 with VPK.
20:20 You’ve heard all of the reasons why it’s so important.
20:24 And so, in the 26, 27 school year, we’re using grant money to
20:30 have a goal of having two advocate positions on the side where
20:35 it was step forward, CTE and blended.
20:39 We have these advocates on the head start side.
20:42 And we’ve decided that, you know, they do such a great job with
20:45 outreach and getting the students that really need VPK, where
20:49 sometimes it’s hard to get those students.
20:52 We want to hire two, one for the north, one for the south.
20:57 And the Pineda will be sort of that middle line.
21:00 And again, just highlighting that we are opening a step forward
21:04 at Anderson Elementary.
21:06 And that school is so excited.
21:09 Playgrounds being built.
21:10 And we can’t wait for the opening day.
21:12 We have a goal for 27-28 to open four new fee-based programs.
21:18 We are researching and doing a lot of number crunching to figure
21:22 out what this exactly will look like.
21:25 We’re collaborating with some other people that I’ve met
21:28 throughout my, you know, going to district events and seeing
21:31 what that looks like.
21:33 So we have a goal of four.
21:35 And then if we have another designation for a Title I school, we
21:39 always want to make sure we open some type of pre-kindergarten
21:42 program at that Title I school.
21:45 So again, that’s why it highlights future Title I schools.
21:49 If we have future ones, we want to make sure that we offer a pre-kindergarten
21:52 program at those schools.
21:54 So the next few slides are just about our early childhood
22:00 department conducting outreach to expand awareness and educate
22:06 families.
22:08 And we have just noticed, like, it’s better to get out in the
22:12 community to talk about VBK because sometimes people don’t
22:15 understand why it’s so important.
22:17 So here you’ll see Luna.
22:20 Last year we decided to brand our flyers with our mascot, Little
22:26 Luna.
22:27 So when the community sees Luna, they know they’re in the BPS
22:31 safe space when they see those flyers.
22:34 So Luna is out on our carpools.
22:37 They are on our flyers.
22:39 And hopefully you have seen Luna on our district webpage as well.
22:44 So here is just an example of the collaboration with GCR and
22:50 having Luna as our branding.
22:53 We wanted to make our flyers and PR super attractive and just
22:58 welcoming to families when they see it.
23:02 So here’s an example of our flyers and just making the steps to
23:07 enroll into VBK a little bit easier because there is a
23:12 certificate requirement.
23:13 And so sometimes that is not as easy as it sounds.
23:17 So just making sure that we are always looking, getting feedback,
23:20 making sure we’re tweaking that.
23:22 So you’ll see an example of our rack cards that we distribute
23:25 all over the community.
23:27 And then I want to highlight the middle slide here, the middle
23:31 part for schools that don’t have a pre-kindergarten program.
23:35 We work with those schools also to make sure that they
23:38 understand where are their neighborhood VBK classrooms.
23:42 And so if someone calls that school, they have this page ready
23:45 to go and they can talk.
23:47 Hey, our neighbor next door has a VBK opportunity.
23:50 Please call them.
23:52 And here I wanted to highlight GCR.
23:56 GCR has been a partner of early childhood and has really helped
24:00 us with the branding, Luna, all kinds of different things.
24:05 And you can see they’re making the website attractive and easy
24:10 for people to enroll.
24:12 And that’s something when we meet, we talk about what, is it
24:15 hard, is it easy?
24:16 And so they have been our partner along the way.
24:18 And we really appreciate them.
24:22 Last year, we did two videos.
24:25 Dr. Rendell was great.
24:27 And he did the first video for us.
24:29 He showed the impact of why a student needs to be in the VBK
24:33 classroom.
24:35 And then we followed up that video with another video that
24:39 really highlighted the classroom experience.
24:42 And showed, like, parents, hey, this is what can be done in a
24:46 classroom.
24:47 So it was great.
24:49 Both videos we have sent across churches, community events.
24:54 Using it, we still have it on our website.
24:56 Things like that, just to get the word out about the importance
24:59 of VBK.
25:00 But also getting parents to be able to see what does it look
25:05 like in our classrooms.
25:07 And then here, we had such a great event.
25:10 We decided to go out in the community.
25:12 There were a couple of schools that were not where we wanted
25:15 them to be for enrollment.
25:17 So we partnered with the Brevard Foundation on this slide and
25:20 our sheriff department.
25:23 And Mrs. Meyer, who’s in the audience today, we were little ice
25:27 cream truck drivers.
25:28 And we went around and we gave ice pops out.
25:31 We went to PAL.
25:32 We went to the dock.
25:34 We went to Boys and Girls Club.
25:36 And we met families where they were.
25:38 And we distributed flyers.
25:39 But the most thing that they liked was the popsicles.
25:42 But we were able to talk to so many people about VBK.
25:47 We went into neighborhoods.
25:48 The sheriffs had ice cream music playing.
25:52 And people came out, took pictures.
25:54 And it was just a great event.
25:57 Better than we even anticipated.
26:00 And then again, our little team is looking all around the
26:04 community for things to participate in.
26:07 And this is just a picture of us at the Harry T. Moore
26:10 celebration, just passing out flyers.
26:13 And whenever we go to pass out flyers, we always bring books
26:16 with us because we want to see that.
26:19 We want kids to take books to restaurants instead of their iPads.
26:23 So we always hand out a book.
26:26 And so you can see this little guy.
26:28 He was so excited.
26:29 He had a hardest time just picking out what book he wanted.
26:32 And then here, just again, spreading the news.
26:36 One of the things that we try to do is go to where families are.
26:40 So the PAL program, we’ve had some outreach opportunities there.
26:45 You can see Mr. Bryan, who is also in the audience.
26:48 He, we invited, Mrs. Meyer and I invited him to go to COCO with
26:54 us.
26:55 And it was just a great night.
26:57 We got to talk to new families.
26:59 And just again, raise the awareness of why VPK is so important.
27:04 And here is the Palm Bay PAL, just an example.
27:09 There was a big tournament game that we went to.
27:12 And then I want to highlight our VPK and kindergarten roundups.
27:17 Our kindergarten roundups have always been a great event.
27:22 And so this year, because we enrolled in January for VPK,
27:27 we opened that enrollment to capture students earlier.
27:32 We decided like, hey, let’s think out of the box.
27:35 Let’s also add VPK to our roundups.
27:38 So we did a big training in here.
27:40 We showed the teams what it could look like.
27:43 We had hands on activities.
27:45 And so even schools that do not have a VPK,
27:49 they have been asked to have a table, have things ready to give
27:53 families
27:54 so that they can also advertise PR to get every seat filled with
28:00 our VPK program.
28:01 So they are happening as we speak.
28:04 They are on the website.
28:06 So if you are able to go see an event, it’s something.
28:10 And then here is just a Bear Glen Elementary event.
28:16 They recently had to try to boost up enrollment.
28:20 And so we partnered with Scholastic and borrowed Clifford
28:24 because who doesn’t love to see Clifford in the car loop?
28:27 Ms. Myers was going to dress up and she was – it was a hot day
28:31 too.
28:32 But Clifford was in the car loop trying to drum up business.
28:36 It was one of the rainy days, but people still came out.
28:39 So you can see what a fun night they had.
28:42 And then again, just more highlighting of we try to get to
28:45 events.
28:46 We try to make sure that we are out in the community just
28:50 raising awareness.
28:52 So the most recent was the Metropolitan Missionary Baptist
28:56 Church.
28:57 They allowed us to distribute flyers to a wellness expo.
29:01 Things like that help us get our word out.
29:04 The Bright team, we’ve talked with them.
29:07 They collaborate with us and allowed us to speak about VPK as
29:10 well.
29:12 And our call to actions, we also have attended.
29:16 And then our team, we’re meeting all the time and we’re saying
29:20 like,
29:20 where are families?
29:21 And so there are two events highlighted here where the city of
29:26 Palm Bay
29:26 and the next slide, Coco, they had different events with the
29:30 bunny and Easter events.
29:32 And so for this one, there were about 250 families at this
29:37 breakfast with the bunny.
29:39 So every flyer was distributed.
29:42 Families were talked with and really raise the awareness.
29:45 And it gives us the point of contact too.
29:48 Do families understand that BPS have these programs?
29:52 And we’re able to talk more about them.
29:55 And so you’ll see pictures.
29:56 Here’s the Coco event.
29:58 And also I want to highlight our little mascot, Luna.
30:02 So Luna goes with us now to events.
30:05 And it just helps, you know, drum up business.
30:08 So that is my presentation about VPK.
30:13 Do you have any questions?
30:15 Before we begin with any questions, Mr. Chair, I was remiss.
30:18 I did not introduce Miss Adrienne McDonough, the director of
30:21 early childhood.
30:22 Right.
30:23 It’s not your fault.
30:24 She just started going.
30:25 She was ready to go.
30:26 And so she’s like, okay, here we go.
30:27 I was like, okay, here we go.
30:28 But as you can see, Adrienne and her team have done a fantastic
30:31 job.
30:31 So thank you.
30:32 Questions.
30:33 All right.
30:34 I have a couple.
30:35 If I can go real quick.
30:36 Go for it.
30:37 I just want to know when you’re coming in my neighborhood with
30:39 that ice cream.
30:40 Because.
30:41 I don’t know where you live, but we will make sure we do.
30:43 I mean, I’ve got enough kids to fill in elementary school.
30:45 So when they come out, you know, it costs me a lot when the ice
30:48 cream guys come by.
30:50 So I’d love to take advantage of that.
30:52 Okay.
30:53 We’ll get offline about that.
30:54 Okay.
30:55 Who wants to go first?
30:56 I have a couple of questions.
30:57 All right.
30:58 So I’ve talked to some families and I’m asking them about VPK.
31:01 What is one of the hurdles they have?
31:03 So one of the things that a lot of families express is that they
31:05 are unaware, which that
31:07 seems to be a common theme.
31:08 If you’re a first time parent and you’re not sure when does my
31:11 child register for school.
31:12 So I would love to see our district take a marketing stance of,
31:16 I don’t know if we can partner
31:17 with our local hospitals.
31:18 I don’t know.
31:19 I’m sure there’s probably some of that information is protected
31:21 to some degree.
31:22 But if there was a way to partner with them to make that
31:25 information available to our families,
31:28 specifically tracking like, hey, these would be our future
31:31 incoming students.
31:33 One of the other issues that I have heard commonly is that when
31:35 we say we have a full
31:37 day of free VPK, that means a full school day of VPK for free.
31:42 So the other hurdle that they’re having is that the childcare
31:45 isn’t available for a VPK student
31:47 once the school day ends.
31:48 And I’m not sure if that has something to do with the fact of
31:50 the age of the student.
31:52 Okay.
31:53 Sorry.
31:54 I see Ms. Harris raising her hand back there.
31:55 Could be a capacity issue.
31:56 But that’s a hurdle because parents are like, hey, if you had
31:58 childcare until five o’clock,
32:00 we would absolutely use your VPK service.
32:03 So the Dr. Mayer has worked very closely with our BAS team to
32:08 problem solve around that.
32:11 And at the age of students at age four, the requirements with
32:15 the state are very different of training.
32:18 So what we are exploring BAS staffing continues to be something
32:22 that we’re working to overcome.
32:24 And so to have our staff at least one or two members at each of
32:29 our sites that have VPK programs to gain that training.
32:34 That is a challenge we’re continuing to try and problem solve
32:39 and overcome that we have not yet met with success.
32:42 So I’m not saying that we won’t get there, but the training
32:45 element required to bring in that age group of students.
32:48 But you are correct.
32:49 We hear that a lot from the community of I’m seeking VPK outside
32:53 of BPS because of afterschool childcare.
32:57 Right.
32:58 We are working on.
32:59 I think that would be a game changer for our district as far as
33:01 our enrollment.
33:02 I think you would see we would have no issues whatsoever with
33:04 any of these programs ever being enrolled if we were able to
33:07 offer that.
33:08 One of the other things that concerns me to some degree, and I
33:12 want to get clarification on this.
33:14 So the funding sources that are coming the title one or the
33:17 federally funded.
33:19 So if it if we have VPK that is in a title one school and the
33:22 school is no longer title one anymore.
33:25 What happens to that VPK unit?
33:28 I already know the answer, but I’m going to I’m going to ask for
33:30 you to tell everyone that.
33:32 That is a great question.
33:33 So if a school loses title one status, we can’t have a title one
33:39 funded program at that school.
33:42 And if we were to use fund 100 district dollars to maintain that
33:48 program, it would be considered supplanting with federal funds.
33:52 So what would be required?
33:54 A perfect example is Pinewood Elementary this year lost title
33:57 one funding.
33:58 So we moved that unit because if the district said, hey, we’ll
34:02 use district dollars to maintain that VPK program at a non title
34:06 one school.
34:07 We would have to also add at least one more program using
34:11 district funds at a non title one school so that it would not be
34:16 considered supplanting with federal funds.
34:19 And so federal funds have to go beyond district commitment of
34:24 their dollars.
34:26 And so that’s what happens is when we lose title one status, we
34:30 would then have to basically add two programs using the district
34:35 dollars in order to keep one.
34:36 Right.
34:37 But usually we move that title one unit to a new title one
34:42 school.
34:43 That is our practice.
34:45 Right.
34:46 And that works well.
34:47 I mean, sometimes depending on the location of the school and
34:50 how far they are apart, that may not work for all families.
34:53 But the concern is that it could make the VPK unit a bit fluid.
34:57 So if it’s there or if you have a school that’s on the cusp of
34:59 it.
35:00 So from a district standpoint, I just want to make sure that
35:02 that we’re reiterating to our staff.
35:04 Hey, you need to go ahead and call the families.
35:06 I know everyone doesn’t like those surveys that go out.
35:08 I’m a parent of a VPS student.
35:10 I understand.
35:11 I get frustrated with them, too.
35:12 But the surveys are how the title one funding tracks with the
35:15 school.
35:16 So we need those surveys filled out.
35:17 And a lot of times survey participation is minimal for whatever
35:20 reason.
35:21 But that can impact the school’s funding to the degree of losing
35:24 an entire program.
35:25 So it’s very, very crucial.
35:27 And one of the things that we have really looked at is now and
35:31 having schools qualify for title one status.
35:34 We are using direct connect instead of just the application.
35:37 Right.
35:38 For that reason, because return of the applications was
35:41 sometimes a barrier for some schools.
35:44 We have really looked at those schools.
35:48 We only have two or three schools that are usually on that cusp
35:51 of title one or not.
35:53 And really looking at what programs do they have because you are
35:57 correct.
35:58 We have had a practice of moving those programs out of a title
36:01 one school into a nearby title one school if the school A were
36:07 to lose their status.
36:08 But it’s something that we continue to monitor.
36:10 Fortunately, our most of our title one schools remain pretty
36:15 consistent.
36:17 Yeah.
36:18 All right.
36:19 Thank you.
36:20 You’re doing great work out there.
36:21 So I honestly, I’m like, I’m sure Bernard is probably very
36:23 excited to hear this conversation.
36:24 And you made it into the slides, which I’m like, he absolutely
36:26 deserves that because you’ve been championing VPK for as long as
36:29 I’ve been on this board.
36:29 So I’m excited to see that the good work continue and anything
36:32 that you need as far as help or support from the board, please
36:35 relay that back to us because I believe in this mission wholeheartedly.
36:38 And we can see evidence that it is working with the data that
36:41 you’re providing.
36:42 So thank you.
36:43 Thank you.
36:44 Thank you so much.
36:45 Thanks.
36:46 Ms. Campbell.
36:47 So as I was going through and you had the slide of the different
36:50 types of VPK programs that we have and you had the high school CTE.
36:54 I had a question which schools and it was on a later slide but
36:56 it was very small print and I thought it was worth highlighting
36:59 that the four high schools that have VPK programs, which means
37:04 they have a certified VPK teacher, but they also get extra hands-on
37:06 because they have all those students coming from the education CTE
37:10 program.
37:10 So you’ve got lots of, lots of people helping guide the students,
37:14 but those are Merritt Island High School, Palm Bay High School,
37:17 Satellite High School, and Vieira High School.
37:19 So I just thought it was worth highlighting because if I look at
37:21 this page in your presentation that shows in addition to those
37:24 four high schools, all the elementary schools that have them,
37:27 your, the elementary school that is closest to your house may
37:31 not have one, but there’s probably one not very much farther
37:33 away.
37:33 Ms. Exactly.
37:34 So we really have them north to south in just about every
37:37 neighborhood.
37:39 Ms. You’re looking at the one that has the three.
37:41 Ms. Yeah.
37:42 Ms. It’s really small on the bottom.
37:44 Ms. Yes.
37:45 Ms. That is, that’s just fantastic because we really do have
37:49 them all over.
37:50 Ms. You know, I’m not a big fan of frogs.
37:53 Ms. No, I did not know that.
37:55 Ms. But Loon is so cute.
37:57 I can get over it.
37:58 Ms. Thanks.
37:59 I think that’s so cute.
38:00 You guys are doing such a great job.
38:01 Thank you, GCR.
38:02 Thank you for, for getting those partnerships and, and doing all
38:07 the, the, you know, hitting the road, you know, because that,
38:11 that is making a difference.
38:12 And I love to see those numbers going up.
38:14 The expansion opportunities, that just looks great.
38:18 I love the advocate positions that are, that you guys are
38:21 looking at adding in for our non-Head Start program so they can
38:24 get some of those advantages and the parent communication.
38:27 I had a question about the, the fee based sites.
38:30 So, VPK obviously is free.
38:32 So, would that be fee based, like you can come to your, your,
38:35 for like a non-Title One school so that you can pay if you want
38:39 to do a full day or how, how, what kind of program are you
38:41 talking about?
38:42 Ms. So, we’re still researching.
38:44 So, our goal is to, to have the full day, which doesn’t mean the
38:48 wraparound services we just talked about.
38:51 But you do get a, a little bit of money from the VPK certificate.
38:56 So, we would use that with, again, the fees from the families to
39:00 help pay the teacher and the IA and all the things that go along
39:05 with the, the classroom.
39:07 So, we’re looking at that.
39:08 We’re doing a lot of math to break that down of what that would
39:11 cost and how much we would charge families.
39:14 Because we still want to be, we want to be competitive because
39:18 we have certified teachers with our VPKs.
39:21 And we just want to make sure it’s doable for a family.
39:25 And then.
39:26 So, that would enable us to put full day VPK in schools that
39:30 aren’t.
39:31 Correct.
39:32 Title One.
39:33 Yes.
39:34 So, it opens, opens the door.
39:35 Opens the door for some of the areas that we don’t have a VPK
39:38 right now.
39:39 And, of course, we would need the space and the playground, but
39:42 it’s something that we’re excited about.
39:45 And so, our goal is to have four.
39:47 Yeah.
39:48 And of course, across the community.
39:49 And that also helps build buildings that have empty spaces.
39:52 Correct.
39:53 We want to be as efficient as possible.
39:54 Yep.
39:55 Correct.
39:56 I applaud that.
39:57 I also, when we’ve had these conversations before, I tend to
39:59 come back to this question,
40:01 which is, you know, a lot, some families are on one end and they
40:05 do, they say, I can’t do VPK unless it’s the whole day.
40:08 Because this is my childcare and they’re having to do VPK while
40:11 they’re in childcare all day while I’m at work.
40:14 But there are other families who don’t do our VPK because they
40:17 don’t want a full day for a four-year-old.
40:19 They want the three hour a day, you know, five days a week or
40:24 maybe four hour a day, three or four days a week.
40:26 Like, you know, my kids went to one of our churches, VPK,
40:30 because I really just wanted them to do three hours a day.
40:32 That was enough.
40:33 And they’re very successful programs.
40:35 Yes.
40:36 So, have we ever looked at, if we’ve got the space and we have
40:39 teachers who also only want to do a half-day part-time job, are
40:46 we looking at that?
40:47 Offering where we have space?
40:48 Yes.
40:49 Part-time VPK options.
40:51 So, that is on, we have a model of three different types of fee
40:54 base.
40:55 And one model would be the combination of a half-day.
41:00 And so, with that, we’re looking at the math because you do get
41:05 that VPK certificate dollar.
41:08 Would it be enough to pay our certified teachers?
41:11 We may still have to do a bit of a fee base.
41:14 Okay.
41:15 But it would definitely support that half-day program you’re
41:18 talking about.
41:19 So, that is one of the models we’re looking for.
41:22 We’re just researching right now different ones and looking at
41:26 the cost and making sure that it’s, you know, in the right
41:30 spaces as well.
41:31 Yeah.
41:32 No, that’s fantastic.
41:33 I just always want to throw that out there because there are
41:35 families who do just want, you know, want that shorter day.
41:39 Okay.
41:40 On the summer bridge, excellent work.
41:44 Thank you.
41:45 I know we’ve done that in years past, but it sounds like this
41:47 summer was really, y’all’s hard work in getting out in the
41:51 neighborhood community really paid off for these 83 students.
41:54 How many, it says 100 hours, how many weeks is that summer
41:57 program?
41:58 So, last year it was six hours and it went all the way through
42:02 July.
42:03 Okay.
42:04 Really ended probably around the July 20th.
42:06 Okay.
42:07 But we are having it again this year.
42:09 We are doing the four hours this year and not adding the
42:13 enrichment aspect to it.
42:15 Okay.
42:16 Again, some families want their children.
42:18 That was one of the barriers.
42:20 You’ve been at school all year and they want a little bit of
42:23 summer.
42:24 So, we are doing the half-day this year with transportation on
42:29 the front end and it goes through July, around that July 20th as
42:33 well.
42:34 And it is funded by the state.
42:37 The Just Read funds that program.
42:39 Awesome.
42:42 Great job on the professional development.
42:43 The class scores.
42:44 Thank you.
42:45 All those things are paying off.
42:46 The last question I had is related to transportation.
42:48 So, which of our VPK programs include transportation, which do
42:54 not?
42:55 So, all of ours right now do provide transportation.
42:59 Okay.
43:00 If needed.
43:01 So, our Title I to Title I, that might be an option where we
43:05 have opened up Title I schools to Title I.
43:09 So, if I zone for Saturn but I want to go to Endeavor, we do
43:14 allow that.
43:16 That would cause a family to have to drive.
43:18 But at every one of our sites, we do have the option of
43:21 transportation.
43:23 And there are daycares that do pick up at some of those sites as
43:28 well.
43:29 And we do try to inform clerks of, hey, let parents know that
43:34 ABC daycare will do a wraparound service.
43:38 There is probably a cost to that.
43:41 But that family at least knows that, hey, that daycare will pick
43:45 up and take your child from school to the daycare.
43:49 Yeah.
43:50 That’s a barrier.
43:51 Mm-hmm.
43:52 Right.
43:53 Transportation.
43:54 Yes.
43:55 All right.
43:56 That was all my questions.
43:57 Thank you.
43:59 Anyone else?
44:00 That’s true.
44:01 So, most of the questions were obviously answered.
44:02 That was really good.
44:03 I did have the half day in there, that question.
44:06 It was really good to be investigating that and researching it.
44:09 Mm-hmm.
44:10 Mr. Bryant, for years you’ve asked, you know, what’s the plan?
44:13 What’s the plan?
44:14 I hope you’re pretty happy with our plan.
44:16 This was our plan.
44:18 These ladies right here.
44:20 Wonderful work.
44:21 Thank you.
44:22 Results come after the hard work.
44:24 So, we appreciate it.
44:25 Keep it up.
44:26 And, again, anything we can do, we’re your biggest cheerleader.
44:29 So, board, thank you for all those good questions also.
44:32 So, I’m all done.
44:33 Thank you.
44:34 Thanks so much.
44:35 Appreciate your time.
44:36 Dr. Riddell?
44:37 No, I think I want to echo the fact that one of our community
44:41 members, one of our community
44:42 partners, one of our local advocates has been asking us, what
44:47 are we doing to get the word
44:49 out about VPK?
44:50 What are we doing to make sure communities, that families know
44:53 about these options?
44:54 Well, we’re doing it.
44:56 So, and I’m glad he’s a part of it.
44:58 So, good to see him involved in the activities as well.
45:01 Yes.
45:02 That’s all, Mr. Chair.
45:03 All right.
45:04 Dr. Riddell, what else do we have on this agenda?
45:05 All right.
45:06 Thank you.
45:07 Thank you, Mr. Riddell.
45:08 So, the next is a list of policy review, revisions to suggested
45:13 policy revisions.
45:15 So, I don’t know if you want to take a break before we start
45:18 into that.
45:19 Sure.
45:20 You guys, let’s take a little pause.
45:21 Do you need to pause?
45:22 Okay.
45:24 Thank you.
54:04 Okay.
54:05 Welcome back to the public.
54:06 We have a series of policies that we’re going to go through and
54:09 review.
54:10 Board, I think the easiest way to do this is just call each one
54:13 if you’ve got something.
54:14 Because if you go, then she goes as general.
54:17 I think it’ll just, you know.
54:19 Okay.
54:20 So, all right.
54:22 So, P02111, parent and family involvement in the school program.
54:29 Does anybody wish to speak to this item?
54:31 No.
54:32 I just had a question on why we’re changing entire policy for
54:34 one word.
54:35 It’s the difference between professional development, which is
54:38 what we’ve always called our, you know, ongoing education to
54:42 professional learning.
54:43 So, Paul, was that driven by legislation or?
54:46 Yeah.
54:48 So, now with every policy that has professional development, we
54:50 have to go through and revise to now say professional learning.
54:53 Yes.
54:54 Does the state recognize how much money that’s going to cost a
54:56 school district to have to advertise and go through policy
54:58 making for one word?
54:59 Yeah.
55:00 Just to clarify, that was a result of legislation that was
55:02 passed at the last legislative session.
55:04 Not this year, but last year.
55:06 It all had to be referred to as professional learning, no longer
55:09 professional development.
55:11 Okay.
55:12 Well, we do have cost savings by doing them all at the same time,
55:15 so.
55:16 Yeah.
55:17 I don’t think so.
55:18 I think it’s still.
55:19 Well, okay.
55:20 We pay by word, so on the ad.
55:21 We’ll change it for one word.
55:22 All right.
55:24 P02125, School Advisory Councils for School Improvement and
55:27 Accountabilities.
55:28 Anybody wish to speak to that?
55:29 No.
55:30 All right.
55:31 P02261, Title I Services.
55:33 I had something written here, and let me just scroll down to it
55:36 really fast.
55:37 Okay.
55:38 All right.
55:39 Under Section E, professional learning.
55:44 No, not development.
55:46 There’s a lot of words that are in this policy, like the
55:49 superintendent may.
55:50 There’s words that are subjective, not like – it doesn’t sound
55:52 as though it’s a policy that we’re going to implement.
55:54 So, whereas if you say shall develop, then the expectation is
55:58 they are to develop.
56:00 So, for me, I don’t like those words that are a little gray
56:02 because it’s like, well, he can or she can or they can’t or they
56:06 – you know.
56:06 That was my one complaint on this.
56:08 So, board, if we want to look at that policy and possibly take
56:11 out the word may to shall or eliminate that portion of it.
56:17 Paul, what’s your thoughts?
56:20 This is entirely up to the board.
56:22 I have no – I haven’t discussed it with Dr. Rendell to see if
56:25 they are intending on doing an administrative procedure or if
56:29 this is something that can be eliminated.
56:32 We want to push it to the next workshop so that you can discuss
56:35 it with Dr. Rendell.
56:37 I mean, I can get with him while it’s pending, and if he’s not
56:39 going to do it, we can revise it before the next meeting.
56:42 Well, let’s wait and see if the majority of the board thinks
56:44 that’s a good idea.
56:45 Okay.
56:46 I didn’t hear anybody arguing back.
56:48 May and shall have purposes.
56:49 Absolutely.
56:50 And, you know, we’ve bumped up against some shalls that have,
56:54 you know, tied our hands.
56:56 And so, I mean, to me, as I read this, that if administrative
57:00 procedures would be helpful in the development of these staff
57:04 development activities, then we can do it.
57:07 And this is what it’s going to have – this language probably
57:09 comes directly out of these statutes.
57:11 It does.
57:12 And so, when the statute says may, we say may.
57:16 Statutes shall, we say shall.
57:17 So, I don’t have a problem with that.
57:20 I think may just gives the flexibility in how it gets done, not
57:23 on whether the superintendent is going to develop, you know,
57:28 these learning opportunities or the – or how we communicate.
57:32 It’s just how we go about establishing them or communicating
57:36 them.
57:37 Okay.
57:38 Dr. Randell, I guess, do you want to weigh in on this one?
57:41 Because I don’t – I – for me, I think if you’re going to write
57:43 a policy, it should be that the direction of the policy is shall
57:47 or – I mean, that’s my personal opinion.
57:47 But –
57:48 Yeah.
57:48 So, Neola gave us the suggested language.
57:52 They’re really good at interpreting statute.
57:54 And where you have may instead of shall, it provides you with
57:58 flexibility.
57:59 So, we usually prefer to have flexibility.
58:01 Okay.
58:02 All right.
58:03 Okay.
58:04 Are you good with that?
58:05 It’s the will of the board.
58:06 So, my personal opinion is that I would prefer the words to be
58:10 more concrete on what they will do instead of, you know, you
58:14 should do something while you shall do it or you may do it
58:18 versus you shall do it.
58:19 So, that’s my personal opinion.
58:21 But that’s the will of the board.
58:23 You really want this?
58:26 I – I’m not – I’m not going to die on this hill.
58:30 I mean, that’s not –
58:31 I was just going to say, we can punt it to the next meeting.
58:33 We can punt it to the next meeting.
58:35 You can meet with –
58:36 I’m just going to want her just to understand this is, you know,
58:39 the first time we’re seeing these policies.
58:40 Right.
58:41 It is.
58:42 That’s why –
58:43 Plenty more cracks at it before it is approved.
58:44 Yeah.
58:45 Which is the whole point of this so that we can –
58:46 Yep.
58:47 Let’s bring it back to the next meeting.
58:48 All right.
58:49 Next one.
58:50 P02261.02.
58:51 Non-discrimination on the basis of sex and education programs
58:53 and activities.
58:54 Wait.
58:55 I think you skipped one.
58:56 He skipped one.
58:59 P261.02.
59:00 One one.
59:01 Oh, that’s –
59:02 That’s not the right title.
59:03 Parents, Legal, Guardians, Right to Know is the title of that
59:06 one.
59:07 No.
59:08 The one that they have listed there is actually the title of 2266,
59:10 which looks like –
59:11 All right.
59:12 Whatever.
59:13 So PA02261.02.
59:15 Anybody wish to discuss this one?
59:18 I’m going to be such a pain in the butt today.
59:20 I’m sorry, y’all.
59:21 I have one small thing that I was just, it’s a very technical
59:23 small thing.
59:24 Go ahead.
59:24 On page number two, under the language instruction for English
59:30 learners, that very first sentence,
59:32 when I first started reading this policy, I was taken back.
59:34 So it says the district shall not later than 30 days after the
59:38 beginning of each school year
59:40 informed parents of an English learner identified, sorry, for
59:46 participation
59:47 or participating in a language instruction educational program
59:50 of the following things.
59:51 So I, the word the would make a difference.
59:54 Because I, at first, when I first glanced and was reading this,
59:56 I’m like, wait a minute.
59:56 So every parent’s going to be notified that there’s a student in
1:00:00 the class that’s an English learner language.
1:00:02 That was my first interpretation.
1:00:03 But the word the would make a big difference right in front of,
1:00:06 inform the parents of an English learner identified.
1:00:10 So I don’t disagree with that.
1:00:14 Because when you, you have to get, there’s a lot of prepositional
1:00:17 phrases in that sentence.
1:00:19 Yes.
1:00:20 Paul, you okay with that change?
1:00:21 Yes.
1:00:21 That’s fine with me.
1:00:23 Yeah.
1:00:23 Okay.
1:00:23 And it doesn’t change the timeline, right?
1:00:25 Because we can make.
1:00:26 Yeah, no.
1:00:26 Insert the.
1:00:27 That’s why this meeting’s here.
1:00:28 So we can make.
1:00:29 Who’s being notified.
1:00:30 Right.
1:00:32 2-3-7-1.
1:00:33 Anybody wish to.
1:00:35 They left one off at 2266 is the next one.
1:00:38 I don’t have anything.
1:00:41 It’s not on my list.
1:00:43 All right.
1:00:44 Yeah, it’s not on the script, but.
1:00:45 I just didn’t know if that was pulled because.
1:00:47 You want me to go over that one, Paul?
1:00:49 Yeah, it’s fine.
1:00:50 I mean, it was.
1:00:51 2-2-6-6.
1:00:52 Anybody got anything?
1:00:52 No.
1:00:53 I do not.
1:00:54 All right.
1:00:55 It’s a legal definition.
1:00:56 P-0-2-3-7-1.
1:00:58 Anybody wish to work on that one?
1:01:00 A comment?
1:01:02 No.
1:01:02 Hearing none.
1:01:03 P-0-2-4-2-1.
1:01:05 Anybody wish to comment on that one?
1:01:07 No.
1:01:10 Hearing none.
1:01:11 P-0-2-4-5-0.
1:01:13 Anybody wish to comment on that one?
1:01:15 I know that you’re looking right at me, Mr. Susan.
1:01:16 No, I’m not.
1:01:17 I’m just looking down.
1:01:18 I look here.
1:01:18 And then I look there.
1:01:21 And then I look here.
1:01:22 I feel like.
1:01:22 I just have to have at least enough time to get down to the
1:01:24 green parts.
1:01:24 Oh, if you want me to pause and read.
1:01:26 No, I’m good.
1:01:27 That’s totally fine.
1:01:27 I apologize.
1:01:28 I just know you guys have written all your notes.
1:01:30 I’ll tell you.
1:01:31 Okay.
1:01:32 I’ll wait.
1:01:32 I’ll give you a pause.
1:01:33 We’re good.
1:01:34 We’re good?
1:01:35 Okay.
1:01:35 P-031-29.01.
1:01:42 I have something on this one.
1:02:00 Okay.
1:02:01 Just, I guess, for clarification purposes, the policy says an
1:02:05 adequate number of school personnel.
1:02:07 And how are we going to determine what the adequate number of
1:02:10 school personnel is?
1:02:12 That’s, again?
1:02:12 That’s the DOE for you right there.
1:02:14 Okay.
1:02:14 But I’m just saying, like, should we have a minimum standard of
1:02:17 one?
1:02:17 Or should we?
1:02:18 I mean, what is an adequate number of personnel?
1:02:21 It’s going to be left up to the board and the superintendent to
1:02:24 determine how many staff on a campus with one of these students
1:02:28 is sufficient.
1:02:28 It does have, later in there, it has that ABCD that shows what
1:02:34 you should consider, how many of them there are in a school, how
1:02:39 many of them have experienced it, accessibility.
1:02:43 It still doesn’t give you a hard number.
1:02:47 It doesn’t.
1:02:48 No, it just says to take into consideration when you’re figuring
1:02:50 out your adequate number of personnel.
1:02:52 Which is what we would do, but.
1:02:53 Yeah, so typically at each of our schools, luckily, we’re
1:02:56 fortunate to have a health care professional, you know, in the
1:02:59 clinic.
1:03:01 So that’s obviously one person.
1:03:02 Right.
1:03:03 We always train at least one other person to fill in for the
1:03:06 clinic when the clinic person is not there.
1:03:09 So we’ve got two in every campus already.
1:03:12 So, you know.
1:03:14 A minimum of two?
1:03:17 So then should our policy reflect to say a minimum of two?
1:03:19 That way, that’s the standard?
1:03:21 If you want to add that, that’s fine.
1:03:23 That’s a hard number that, you know, if that person resigns now,
1:03:27 we’re out of compliance for a period of time until we get the
1:03:31 second.
1:03:31 Person back up, so.
1:03:32 Yeah, those people were absent that day.
1:03:34 Yeah, so, yeah.
1:03:35 I mean, that could create a situation where we’re constantly, oh,
1:03:38 hey, I need you to go to this school or that school to try and
1:03:41 cover where we don’t have one.
1:03:43 So I would recommend leaving it flexible for the superintendent.
1:03:46 Well, and the whole point of this policy is, you know, somebody
1:03:50 who’s able to administer an EpiPen in the event of an allergic
1:03:53 reaction.
1:03:54 So there needs to be somebody on campus.
1:03:56 Like, if there’s nobody, then that’s a problem.
1:03:58 So I think we need to set a minimum standard of there must be at
1:04:01 least one at a minimum on every campus.
1:04:04 Yeah, so typically, since the health department provides our
1:04:07 health care professionals in the clinic, they have subs on, they
1:04:11 have a pool of subs.
1:04:13 So if one of their people is out, typically they’re covered by
1:04:15 one of those subs.
1:04:16 If not, again, like I said, we have at least one person on staff
1:04:20 that is trained to fulfill those duties.
1:04:22 And most of our campuses, we have more than one person that’s
1:04:25 trained on use of an EpiPen.
1:04:26 So I would just suggest, my minimum suggestion is that an
1:04:30 adequate number at a bare minimum, there will be at least one.
1:04:35 Like, the policy should reflect.
1:04:36 That would be my recommendation.
1:04:38 Well, okay, show me the line where the adequate number is again,
1:04:41 because I lost it in the middle of all that.
1:04:44 So it’s up at the top.
1:04:45 At the top.
1:04:45 And then they have it under.
1:04:47 Right.
1:04:49 So here, it’s probably not going to happen.
1:04:52 But if we start setting minimums, let’s say we’ve got a campus,
1:04:56 and there’s not a single student on that campus that has that in
1:04:58 a health plan.
1:04:59 Then we just set up a scenario where every single campus, and we’ve
1:05:02 got some that only have a couple hundred kids, you know, have to
1:05:05 have this person.
1:05:06 Now, obviously, the clinic staff, they’re trained.
1:05:08 That’s part of their job, you know.
1:05:09 But I just, I don’t know that we need to do additional, well,
1:05:15 things in here.
1:05:17 And I also had a question.
1:05:19 And this was a lifetime ago.
1:05:22 This was when I was a teacher.
1:05:23 We actually received training in how to use an EpiPen.
1:05:26 So is there something in statute or in this policy that says
1:05:30 that if a teacher who’s not the official trained person administers
1:05:35 an EpiPen, like, they can’t do that in an emergency situation?
1:05:38 That may be outside the scope of this policy.
1:05:41 But I just don’t want it to go, like, we don’t, if we don’t have
1:05:44 these people, this child’s going to die on our campus,
1:05:47 because nobody is able to act.
1:05:48 Well, and that’s my concern.
1:05:50 Again, with this, like, if you set them in on standard, okay,
1:05:53 then we can go above and beyond that.
1:05:54 I would love multiple people on the campus to be trained on how
1:05:57 to administer an EpiPen.
1:05:58 Well, it seems like we have some pretty good conversation and
1:06:00 questions about this.
1:06:01 Why don’t we push it to the next meeting?
1:06:03 You guys can get a hold of those.
1:06:04 Well, hang on.
1:06:05 It’s already going to be at another meeting.
1:06:07 Like, we don’t need to push it.
1:06:08 But if we’re going to change language, this is the meeting we
1:06:10 need to change the language.
1:06:11 Keep in mind the language is that the district shall provide
1:06:18 training to an adequate number of school personnel.
1:06:23 So that’s not even saying we’re going to have somebody on campus.
1:06:27 Correct.
1:06:27 That’s just we’re going to provide the training.
1:06:29 And are we meeting that standard if we’re hiring a subcontractor
1:06:33 and we’re not actually training them?
1:06:37 While we’re monitoring that, we do require a minimum of two.
1:06:41 And one of those is an administrator in addition.
1:06:43 And if a kid has a health plan that requires that, everyone that
1:06:47 kid comes in contact is required to be trained.
1:06:49 As well as when they go on field trips.
1:06:51 If they’re taking a kid that’s going on a field trip that has
1:06:54 that, everyone has to be trained that comes in contact with that
1:06:57 kid that’s assigned to that kid.
1:06:59 So there is ongoing training with that.
1:07:02 And we’ve put it into our contract where all of the required
1:07:06 training for our health services, we have two days.
1:07:10 One is before school starts.
1:07:12 This was the first time we did it last year where we put it
1:07:15 before school starts and it’s in the contract.
1:07:17 And then they have another day that they can do any other type
1:07:20 of training before the end of the school year.
1:07:22 So we have two days.
1:07:23 But it is required if they have a kid that has a health plan
1:07:27 that everyone that that kid comes in contact must be trained.
1:07:32 But overall, we do have the expectation is that we have a
1:07:35 minimum of two people trained.
1:07:37 Okay.
1:07:37 So at any given point, a campus could have dozens.
1:07:42 Oh, they could have more.
1:07:43 You administrator, I would have the front office staff, you know,
1:07:48 because you never know if somebody is going to be sick.
1:07:50 I do have more than two.
1:07:51 If the board would like, we can add where it says to an adequate
1:07:57 number, you could put in parentheses minimum of two.
1:08:00 The school personnel and contract personnel.
1:08:02 That’s fine.
1:08:02 I feel more.
1:08:03 Since it’s our expectation already.
1:08:04 Yeah.
1:08:05 I think the policy should reflect what we’re currently doing and
1:08:08 what Ms. Dampierre’s team is training.
1:08:12 I do agree with what Mrs. Campbell said, because if you have two
1:08:15 people trained and one person is out, you’re in the process of
1:08:19 getting someone trained if you only did the minimum of two.
1:08:22 If that person, you still have one person.
1:08:24 Of course, we would be trying to get that person, but you would
1:08:27 only have one person at that point in time.
1:08:29 Yeah.
1:08:31 So if you want us to put it, we can.
1:08:32 All good.
1:08:34 All right.
1:08:36 Sorry, guys.
1:08:38 I know I’m like I wrote.
1:08:39 That’s a good addition.
1:08:39 This is the point of it.
1:08:41 It’s currently our practice, so.
1:08:43 Yeah.
1:08:44 Five, three, three, zero, point zero, three, administration of
1:08:47 EpiFen.
1:08:47 If you look at it, it’s just completely taking it out.
1:08:49 We’re striking it.
1:08:50 Yep.
1:08:50 Striking all.
1:08:51 Five, three, five, zero, student suicide awareness and
1:08:54 prevention.
1:08:54 You guys want to take a look at that?
1:08:56 I just had a quick question about this and a thought process
1:08:58 that kind of came from that safety summit that we attended.
1:09:02 You know, I know that we put number, we have the ability to put
1:09:05 numbers on the back of the student IDs, I believe.
1:09:08 I’m looking at Russell Cheatham, and I’m not sure if he’s the
1:09:10 right person to ask this question to.
1:09:11 We’re actually required to do that.
1:09:12 So, so the conversation came up right on checking boxes, saying
1:09:16 we’ve done something, but do they actually understand?
1:09:18 Are they, are they aware?
1:09:20 Would it be, would, would there be a possibility to put, like,
1:09:23 the suicide awareness hotline phone number,
1:09:26 in addition to Speak Out or Fortify Florida, on the back of a
1:09:29 student ID so that they had those,
1:09:31 those numbers accessible easily to them at all times?
1:09:35 For our high school students and our middle school students.
1:09:39 We control them.
1:09:40 Yeah, it’s probably a vendor question, or if it would cost us
1:09:42 anything to print those every year.
1:09:44 We’re already required to put certain things on the back, so you’re
1:09:48 asking us to add nothing on the back.
1:09:50 So I’m like, what is yours?
1:09:51 You need to go get it updated.
1:09:52 The Florida Child Abuse Hotline is on there.
1:09:55 You got an old one.
1:09:56 You need a new one.
1:09:57 Okay, well, that’s because I’ve never lost my badge.
1:09:59 I have the same OG one.
1:10:00 I didn’t, I didn’t lose mine.
1:10:01 Well, when we had to re-fingerprint last year, they gave us all
1:10:03 new ones.
1:10:03 Yep.
1:10:04 So, you got it, you got it.
1:10:05 Mine didn’t.
1:10:06 Mine fingerprints were still good, so.
1:10:07 Plug took mud away.
1:10:10 Anyways, just, just a thought process, because this conversation
1:10:12 came up from a round table with students out there,
1:10:14 and some of the students were like, we don’t know about Fortify
1:10:16 Florida.
1:10:17 And, of course, districts are like, we teach you Florida by
1:10:20 Florida.
1:10:20 The dog, that’s one of the reasons, one of our officers with
1:10:24 dogs have gone into the school,
1:10:24 and that’s one of their primary objectives.
1:10:27 But I’m just thinking, like, well, if you’re able to, like,
1:10:30 listen, we give these kids the phone numbers on the back of
1:10:32 their student ID.
1:10:33 I don’t know what the cost is, but, board, would you guys be
1:10:35 interested in exploring the idea of what the cost is to issue it?
1:10:37 Can you find that out and bring it back to the next meeting
1:10:39 there?
1:10:40 It’s not anything for Paul to do.
1:10:42 We’ll, we’ll take care of it.
1:10:43 Okay.
1:10:43 And so, I, the, the Fortify Florida, the speak out, and the
1:10:48 suicide prevention number.
1:10:50 On the back of here?
1:10:52 On the back of there for the kids.
1:10:53 Sure.
1:10:53 We need M.
1:10:54 Letter M.
1:10:55 Right.
1:10:56 Stop.
1:10:57 We have to make sure that, because there are some things that
1:11:00 are, like, I don’t, it may be this one, that are, like, required
1:11:03 by the state.
1:11:04 So, we have to make sure, whatever we add, that that state
1:11:06 requirement is.
1:11:07 As Dr. Indell said, he’ll take care of it.
1:11:09 We’re good, Dr. Indell?
1:11:10 Okay.
1:11:11 I’m good.
1:11:11 Next up, graduation requirements.
1:11:13 Just, as it was pointed out, letter M there says the suicide
1:11:17 crisis hotlines are supposed to be on the cards, but not
1:11:20 necessarily Fortify Florida.
1:11:22 We’ll figure it out.
1:11:23 We’ll see what it’ll cost and bring it back.
1:11:25 And maybe I just don’t have them because we’re not students.
1:11:27 P05460, graduation requirements.
1:11:31 Anybody have anything on here?
1:11:34 P5460, graduation requirements.
1:11:38 Nope.
1:11:39 Looks pretty simple, right?
1:11:43 Just noting we’re changing the policy for one word again.
1:11:47 It’s an important word.
1:11:49 Yes, allowing email.
1:11:51 Yep.
1:11:51 Okay.
1:11:52 P05520.
1:11:55 Anybody got anything on this one?
1:11:57 Disorder and dis…
1:11:59 All right.
1:12:00 This one, this is the one that I brought to you guys before,
1:12:03 with a more lengthy process policy, but I don’t know where the
1:12:07 board landed on that, because I actually wasn’t at the last
1:12:09 board meeting.
1:12:09 So, is this a conversation that we want to have?
1:12:12 Why is my computer not right there, I guess?
1:12:15 Sorry, I’m just pulling it up.
1:12:19 So, if the board’s will is to keep the policy the way that it is,
1:12:22 then that’s the board’s will.
1:12:23 What do you…
1:12:24 We’ll come back to it while you’re doing that.
1:12:30 Okay.
1:12:30 P05530, drug prevention.
1:12:33 What do you guys think?
1:12:35 I had a question about this with other…
1:12:38 Oh, yeah, me too.
1:12:40 What is other?
1:12:40 Right.
1:12:41 Because it just kind of seems like it was randomly added.
1:12:46 I get it, because if we start listing out things, there’s always
1:12:50 something that comes up that we don’t have accounted for.
1:12:54 But why would we need other, the word other one we have,
1:12:58 dangerous controlled substances, chemicals, I mean, we’ve got
1:13:04 almost, you know, any prescription or patent drug, analog
1:13:09 steroids, any substances that will look alike, fentanyl.
1:13:12 What is the other, what were we missing?
1:13:13 For me, when I looked at it, it was the drugs that are inside
1:13:17 the vapes that may not be controlled substances that are
1:13:21 actually affecting the kids.
1:13:23 We have kids that are taking the vapes, and they’re going, and
1:13:26 they’re having, like, almost allergic reactions.
1:13:29 Their blood sugars are dropping.
1:13:31 We have kids going to the hospital.
1:13:32 You know what I mean?
1:13:33 I think that made, that’s when I read it, that’s what I was
1:13:36 thinking.
1:13:37 Okay.
1:13:37 Paul, you want to, you got anything?
1:13:40 Yeah, I mean, yeah, it creates flexibility, for sure.
1:13:42 So, instead of just having those listed items, if something’s
1:13:46 going around any given time, it allows us to do that.
1:13:49 And this is their prevention policy.
1:13:52 So, it allows us to have campaigns on things.
1:13:54 Like, if we’re doing, and GCR is starting up the program of, you
1:13:57 know, anti-vaping in general, which might not be covered with
1:14:00 some of these.
1:14:00 So, that makes sense.
1:14:01 Okay.
1:14:02 You guys all good there?
1:14:04 Yep.
1:14:05 Okay.
1:14:06 P05610, removal, out-of-school suspension.
1:14:10 Anybody have anything on that?
1:14:11 No, those were very large.
1:14:15 Yep.
1:14:16 And I’m guessing that, that, this one is, we changed the word,
1:14:20 hearing to meeting, and I’m guessing that’s the legality of, of
1:14:23 it, since.
1:14:24 Something’s going on there.
1:14:25 Is that right, Paul?
1:14:25 Oh, my God, because we’re changing one word again on this policy.
1:14:27 Wasn’t there also one that they removed, like, we don’t do a
1:14:30 manifestation hearing if they, if it doesn’t apply to them.
1:14:34 Because, if applicable, because we.
1:14:36 Right.
1:14:36 Yeah, they added it if.
1:14:37 Right.
1:14:38 But, yeah, they changed the hearing to a meeting, because it’s
1:14:41 usually a meeting with, this is the principal, not necessarily a
1:14:45 full-on hearing.
1:14:46 Right.
1:14:46 Okay.
1:14:51 All right, P05771.001.
1:14:55 Everybody okay with this?
1:14:56 Yeah, I’m excited about this, actually.
1:14:59 Yep.
1:14:59 Yeah, yeah, that was good.
1:15:00 All right.
1:15:01 Next up, P05772.
1:15:04 It’s the same safe harbor provision.
1:15:06 Yep.
1:15:06 All good?
1:15:08 Mm-hmm.
1:15:09 Ms. Campbell?
1:15:10 I’m good.
1:15:11 Okay.
1:15:11 P05780.
1:15:13 Student.
1:15:16 This one’s a doozy.
1:15:19 I just wanted to draw, I wanted to highlight something, because
1:15:21 this is something that I’m sure that you guys have heard from
1:15:23 parents in the community.
1:15:24 It’s on page eight, and it talks about notification to families
1:15:29 when a student is failing in math and reading.
1:15:34 Hang on, I’m sorry, I’m trying to get there.
1:15:35 Well, where do I see?
1:15:38 Hold on.
1:15:42 It’s page nine, yeah.
1:15:44 Page nine.
1:15:45 Sorry, that’s what I was like, okay, I think I’m on the wrong.
1:15:48 Just, again, just drawing notification to the word immediately,
1:15:51 and as a reminder to our families, Focus is available.
1:15:55 Please log on to Focus.
1:15:57 Look at your Focus app.
1:15:58 You can track your student if they, marks it, updates at their
1:16:01 party that day.
1:16:01 You can see test scores in real time, and so I know our teachers
1:16:04 have a lot of responsibility,
1:16:06 but this is a big deal, because you don’t want to hear at the
1:16:09 end of a grading period that your student’s failing in math or
1:16:11 reading, and you didn’t know all along.
1:16:14 So just a reminder to teachers, again, like, if you’re seeing
1:16:16 this, or to our educators, please, please, please, contact
1:16:19 parents.
1:16:20 Bring them in the loop.
1:16:21 Parents are our friends.
1:16:22 They will help if they know and they are aware, so, and log on
1:16:26 to Focus and look at your child’s grades.
1:16:29 All right.
1:16:30 I had a question about the New World Scholarships, so at the
1:16:33 bottom of page seven, we have a big section that we’re striking.
1:16:37 I know some of that is added in the green later, but there’s, we’re
1:16:43 just, so, but once we strike that, oh, I just lost it.
1:16:48 Once we strike that, then that section will say the parent of a
1:16:51 student in kindergarten through grade five may seek a reading
1:16:54 scholarship in accordance with state law.
1:16:56 So there’s no, I mean, I guess if it’s in accordance with state
1:16:59 law, then it still has to meet the thresholds, but.
1:17:02 And it’s defined in state law.
1:17:04 Yeah, it was just so specific before, and now it’s just.
1:17:08 Is it because they’re changing the program?
1:17:10 Yeah, it does give us, it does give us flexibility, and we’re
1:17:13 not talking about flexibility, but.
1:17:16 Because when I first write, I’m like, oh, everybody gets a
1:17:18 scholarship, you get a scholarship, you, but that’s not the way
1:17:21 that it goes.
1:17:22 You have to, you have to qualify.
1:17:24 And I, there is a benefit into not putting the specific
1:17:26 qualifications, because then as a legislature, year after year
1:17:30 changes the qualifications.
1:17:31 I just, you know, it has to be in there, so.
1:17:34 Never mind.
1:17:35 That’s new.
1:17:36 Yeah.
1:17:37 And it’s down there in the part that Ms. Wright was just talking
1:17:44 about.
1:17:46 We kind of have those.
1:17:48 That’s more about notification, but, you know, the scholarships.
1:17:52 Never mind.
1:17:54 Pretend like I didn’t say anything.
1:17:56 I’m good.
1:18:02 Thank you, Mr. Chair.
1:18:04 Mr. Humor, go away.
1:18:08 Okay, so we’re all good on that one.
1:18:09 Next one is, Ms. Wright, are you ready to go back to yours?
1:18:12 I mean, I have the policy here, and again, board, I gave you
1:18:14 guys all copies of it, and so it’s, it’s really the board’s will
1:18:17 on, like, do we want to make a policy that’s a little more
1:18:19 strengthy when it comes to the disorders and demonstrations, or
1:18:23 do we not?
1:18:24 If we want to keep it the way that it is, I’m okay with that as
1:18:26 well.
1:18:26 Paul, you gave us your sample, I think, of.
1:18:29 That was Neola’s template.
1:18:30 Okay.
1:18:31 And then we have the one that’s already board approved at 5520
1:18:35 there.
1:18:35 We’re striking out the part about administrative procedures.
1:18:38 That’s the only change.
1:18:39 Okay.
1:18:41 So the direction, the consensus of the board was not to go with
1:18:44 the bigger policy last time it came up for discussion.
1:18:49 So if the board wants to move, that’s fine.
1:18:52 And we had a long conversation tonight.
1:18:54 Well, I had a long discussion about the student code of conduct
1:18:58 because lots of people came and asked about that, and we talked
1:19:03 about how the discipline would be consistent with other incidences
1:19:08 of that behavior.
1:19:10 For example, students leaving campus, students causing a
1:19:13 disruption, students, what was the third one that it could be, I
1:19:17 forgot, but that it would be gross and subordination, that
1:19:20 whatever, that the discipline would be consistent if they did
1:19:23 that part of a demonstration or if they just did it just because
1:19:26 they’re making bad choices.
1:19:28 So I feel like it’s important to stay consistent with that, but
1:19:32 yet we still have a policy that addresses it and our motivation
1:19:37 behind those decisions that we make.
1:19:40 So I prefer it as it is, except for, you know, I think I’m the
1:19:42 one who mentioned that, striking the line that says that the
1:19:45 superintendent shall develop administrative procedures when we
1:19:48 don’t have them.
1:19:50 Well, the student code of conduct, I guess, would be the
1:19:51 administrator.
1:19:52 Right, the student code of conduct.
1:19:53 And we want them to rely on that, which we’ve been trying to
1:19:56 refine more and more over the years.
1:19:58 You know, when I look at it, when we had this conversation
1:20:02 before, one of the problems that I ran into is that the, I hear
1:20:06 you as far as just walking off campus and stuff like that,
1:20:11 keeping it consistent.
1:20:11 But the overall impact of students doing it in this manner,
1:20:15 whether you agree with it or not, or what the pieces are, they’re
1:20:19 going out and putting themselves in harm’s way in a different
1:20:23 way.
1:20:24 Because if a student is walking out, it is usually a high
1:20:28 political environment.
1:20:30 And what ends up happening is, is that you have both sides that
1:20:34 are elevated, creating a situation on our campus.
1:20:37 So, for instance, what happened in Nebraska, where the students
1:20:40 walked out and then some of them got hit by cars because they
1:20:43 were inside the parking lot.
1:20:46 Students who just walk off to go to the gas station or something
1:20:50 to eat don’t run into that kind of opposition.
1:20:52 So, there is a heightened situation that I personally, because
1:20:56 we went through it, feel that there is something there.
1:21:00 Is that something that you were wanting to bring forward, Ms.
1:21:04 Wright?
1:21:05 Well, I mean, it’s a little more complicated than just changing
1:21:07 the policy because it will end up ultimately changing the
1:21:10 student code of conduct, too, I think, if we were to look at
1:21:12 doing that.
1:21:13 And, again, I support, you know, a student’s right to protest.
1:21:16 This has become such a political issue.
1:21:17 And I’m like, no, if the parent comes and checks the child out,
1:21:20 by all means, then that’s acceptable.
1:21:22 But when you walk off of campus, it is, or you decide that you’re
1:21:25 going to, you know, cause a protest on campus and a major
1:21:28 disruption.
1:21:29 I mean, the easier route is to leave it the way that it is
1:21:31 because our student code of conduct currently covers it.
1:21:34 No two ways around that.
1:21:36 That is the easier route.
1:21:37 But it’s really the will of, does the board want more teeth in a
1:21:40 policy that, you know, we can hold a different standard?
1:21:44 Or do you want to leave it the way it is?
1:21:45 Well, I want to just be very clear.
1:21:46 My position is not let’s take the easier route.
1:21:49 But what we can see from what just happened is the policy and
1:21:52 the student code of conduct that we had, it worked.
1:21:55 And so when you talk about more teeth, I guess I would need more
1:21:59 of a definition of more teeth.
1:22:01 Because if we’re not going to discipline students differently
1:22:04 from having those behaviors because they’re demonstration, as if
1:22:06 they were just doing them not, and understanding your safety
1:22:09 thing, but that just changes the reasons why we do that, not
1:22:11 necessarily the what, how we’re going to deal with it.
1:22:14 But if we’re talking about contact, you know, the way we treat,
1:22:17 I think you also included things about employees.
1:22:20 But we also have employee discipline that we have in other
1:22:23 places, we have in our contract, we have in, you know, that’s
1:22:25 addressed.
1:22:26 We talk about vendors, we’re actually about to look at the
1:22:29 policy that has some changes about that.
1:22:32 I don’t actually believe that what you brought forward to us, I’d
1:22:34 have to go back and look at it, and you show me because I’ve got
1:22:37 my backpack.
1:22:38 Where is the more teeth?
1:22:41 Or are we just pulling it all together?
1:22:42 Well, it talks about the fact that the corrective actions can
1:22:44 include loss of privileges, such as extracurricular activities,
1:22:47 athletics, clubs, leadership, things of that nature.
1:22:49 I don’t, right now, our policy isn’t that way.
1:22:51 So our policy says that they can be suspended if they leave
1:22:54 campus, right, from one to three days, I think, they could have
1:22:56 a referral.
1:22:57 Ms. Dampere, I’m not looking at the Student Code of Conduct, so
1:22:59 forgive me, I’m kind of spitballing that because I don’t have
1:23:01 that in front of me right this minute.
1:23:03 This gives specific things.
1:23:06 I mean, you can lose leadership positions, you can, and those
1:23:08 things could still happen, I guess, technically, with a vague
1:23:11 policy.
1:23:12 Let’s just list it specifically.
1:23:14 And as you mentioned, it also does talk about third-party
1:23:16 vendors.
1:23:16 It talks about educators or organizers or things, it hits all
1:23:20 those different areas.
1:23:22 This is a little different than most of the policies that we
1:23:24 have, and I acknowledge that as well,
1:23:26 because we have those broken up into separate sections,
1:23:28 depending on what role you play in the school system.
1:23:31 Well, then, that would be a whole different conversation,
1:23:34 because if we’re going to have different kinds of discipline for
1:23:38 the same action,
1:23:39 for example, let me just take walking off campus, right, if you’re
1:23:42 walking off campus because you’re skipping school to go to lunch,
1:23:45 but you’re walking, but, you know, there’s one consequence, but
1:23:47 if you’re walking off campus to go to demonstrate,
1:23:52 then you would have that and all these other things.
1:23:54 I, you know, we, we, the meeting that you missed, we had lots of
1:23:58 people who predominantly had a misunderstanding of what we were
1:24:02 voting on
1:24:02 and what, in the code of conduct, and I did my best to try to
1:24:05 set them straight.
1:24:07 I clearly missed someone.
1:24:09 But, anyway, what you are proposing is actually what they were
1:24:16 talking about, what they’re objecting,
1:24:20 that we are actually going to then, I would consider it
1:24:22 viewpoint discrimination,
1:24:23 if you’re going to have this behavior, or it has, because it has
1:24:27 to do with the viewpoint,
1:24:28 or the, or the motivation behind your action.
1:24:30 If you’re walking off campus, then you’re, we’re going to
1:24:32 discipline you as if you’re walking off campus.
1:24:34 If you’re causing a disruption, you’re causing a disruption.
1:24:36 And there’s not going to be an additional set if you’re, if you’re
1:24:38 causing a disruption
1:24:39 because you had a political something you wanted to say.
1:24:42 It doesn’t matter which side, but it has to do with political.
1:24:45 Free, if we’re, because then we’re adding this free speech
1:24:48 element.
1:24:49 No, you’re either, if you’re causing disruption, you’re causing
1:24:51 a disruption.
1:24:52 I don’t care if you decide to stand in the middle of campus and
1:24:54 throw your clothes off and run around.
1:24:56 It’s a disruption, if you’re standing in the middle of campus
1:24:58 and you start screaming, you know,
1:24:59 ISIS bad, or, or, you know, whatever, you know, death to whoever.
1:25:04 I mean, that, it’s a, it’s a campus disruption.
1:25:07 And we are, I believe, safest, not easy, but safest legally to
1:25:12 maintain a position of,
1:25:14 we’re going to deal with the behavior, because that’s what the
1:25:18 student code of conduct is to address.
1:25:19 We start adding these other layers.
1:25:21 I believe we’re actually not in a safe territory.
1:25:25 That’s not a legal opinion.
1:25:26 That’s Katie Campbell looking at it.
1:25:28 But I go back to my original thing is, which is what we have
1:25:32 worked, it worked, and we dealt with it.
1:25:35 And to add something on, I just, I think it’s unnecessary and
1:25:39 could potentially get us into some questionable grounds.
1:25:42 I disagree on the fact that it’s viewpoint discrimination,
1:25:45 because I, again,
1:25:45 everyone brings up the incident that took place prior to this
1:25:48 board sitting here when it came to the Second Amendment rights
1:25:50 and what was, what happened there.
1:25:51 Again, different board, different rules.
1:25:53 It is not viewpoint discrimination in any way.
1:25:55 It’s a matter of keeping order on the campus.
1:25:57 But this looks like you gave us a Neola recommendation for this
1:26:01 same policy.
1:26:02 Is that what this one was, Paul?
1:26:03 Yeah, I sent you the templates.
1:26:05 And again, if the board doesn’t want to do that, I’m completely
1:26:11 fine with that.
1:26:12 If you want to keep it the way that it is, that’s completely
1:26:14 fine.
1:26:15 Our schools are not protest locations.
1:26:17 If you want to take your student off of our campus and go
1:26:20 protest, go protest by all means.
1:26:21 But there’s an expectation for every parent, myself included,
1:26:25 who sends their child to school,
1:26:26 that they’re not walking into a protest zone of all kinds of
1:26:29 political nonsense that doesn’t belong there.
1:26:31 And so that’s either side.
1:26:33 So that’s, I think that was, there was a lot of people that were
1:26:36 mad on both sides of that.
1:26:38 And I’m like, guys, we send our kids to school to learn.
1:26:41 This is a great learning opportunity to have a conversation of
1:26:44 why do we protest?
1:26:45 What are these things?
1:26:46 And what does it look like?
1:26:47 What are your rights?
1:26:48 All those things.
1:26:49 I would have loved to see our teachers take that approach and
1:26:51 talk to students those days on that.
1:26:53 So, all right.
1:26:54 I will leave this one alone.
1:26:55 We will, I will say we’ll leave it where it’s at.
1:26:57 I mean, that seems like that’s what.
1:26:59 Gene, where are you at?
1:26:59 The board wants.
1:27:00 This is where I’ll play the middle.
1:27:05 I think they’re both were very good points, but it did work.
1:27:08 And, you know, when I get, if someone ever gets pulled over for
1:27:13 speeding, right?
1:27:15 You were speeding, the cop’s not really interested in why you
1:27:19 were speeding, right?
1:27:20 Changing the radio, lost, right?
1:27:22 If you’re walking off campus or you’re making a disturbance, we
1:27:25 have a student code of conduct
1:27:28 and policies that will take care of that.
1:27:30 So, Ms. Campbell, you’re right on that.
1:27:32 And that’s important.
1:27:33 And Ms. Wright, that was, that’s a lot of good information that
1:27:37 you gave us there.
1:27:38 And I just say maybe not, maybe not yet.
1:27:41 You know, it worked.
1:27:43 You know, we want our kids to stay in school for, to educate
1:27:47 them.
1:27:47 And we don’t want any kind of disturbances.
1:27:49 And if you do walk off just because you don’t like your math
1:27:52 class or you walk off, you’re
1:27:53 going to join a protest, you should be suffering very, you know,
1:27:56 very much the same consequences.
1:27:58 So I’ll take this time to say we, I think our district did a
1:28:02 fabulous job for our schools
1:28:04 to educate our students of what could possibly happen.
1:28:08 And that was just because of the sheer numbers that we saw of,
1:28:11 of the, you know, the 20 some
1:28:13 thousand high school students.
1:28:15 And, and we just had a very, very select few that decided to
1:28:18 buck the system.
1:28:20 And, you know, so I think we, I think we’re good for now.
1:28:23 Okay.
1:28:27 I do want to look at it, but I think we’re going to put this
1:28:30 thing through and then look
1:28:32 at it.
1:28:33 So let’s, let’s let it move through the way that it is.
1:28:36 But I do have concerns and I don’t think that if somebody’s
1:28:40 walking out for a protest that
1:28:42 could endanger both students in and out of the school, that that
1:28:46 is the same as going to
1:28:47 the gas station to get some food.
1:28:49 All right.
1:28:49 P06320 procurement and contracting.
1:28:53 There’s some changes in here.
1:28:55 And just an update before you go on there.
1:28:58 Under section D, the cabinet authority is being changed to 34,999
1:29:04 instead of 35 to 100.
1:29:06 Under D, you said?
1:29:08 Yeah.
1:29:09 It’s on page 11 of 13.
1:29:15 I’ll jump in first.
1:29:16 I was just for, before we get started, if I could get Ms. Suhan
1:29:22 for the public to, or
1:29:24 somebody to explain the exceeding the federal micro purchase
1:29:28 threshold established by far
1:29:30 at 48 CFR part two, sub part two, one.
1:29:34 I Googled.
1:29:35 There he is, Mr. Hines.
1:29:38 I just want to, for the public to understand what that is.
1:29:44 It’s, it’s kind of a, a rule.
1:29:46 Of course, we can all Google it, but Mr. Hines is the genius
1:29:50 behind this place.
1:29:51 So go ahead, sir.
1:29:52 Yeah.
1:29:53 So the federal purchase threshold is, is set by the federal
1:30:01 acquisition requirements.
1:30:03 And it currently is set to 15,000 for quotes.
1:30:09 Right now we have a threshold of 5,000.
1:30:12 Yeah.
1:30:12 The reason it’s worded this way is our procedures detail the
1:30:16 exact amounts, but when federal threshold
1:30:19 changes, our procedures can automatically change with them.
1:30:23 I got you.
1:30:23 No, it’s a great way to put it.
1:30:25 I just wanted people out there to think, I didn’t want people to
1:30:27 think we were changing
1:30:28 it to like $100,000.
1:30:30 That’s all.
1:30:31 So I appreciate you doing that.
1:30:32 And then she could say, but below the competitive solicitation
1:30:37 about established in FAC rule 6a-1.012, subsection 7.
1:30:43 What is that, Mr. Hines?
1:30:44 Sorry to put you on the spot and not give you a heads up.
1:30:47 Go ahead.
1:30:48 So that’s our Florida educator requirements.
1:30:51 And that threshold is $50,000.
1:30:53 Okay.
1:30:54 And that has not been changed since 2009.
1:30:58 But if it does change, then our thresholds will also change with
1:31:02 it.
1:31:02 Just wanted everybody to know that.
1:31:04 Thank you, sir.
1:31:05 Mr. Wilson, would you like to come up and speak to the rules of…
1:31:11 Don’t go very far, though, because I’ve got some questions.
1:31:17 Okay.
1:31:17 Yes, ma’am.
1:31:17 Go ahead and ask Mr. Hines.
1:31:19 And I apologize, Mr. Hines, for not giving you the heads up on
1:31:22 that one.
1:31:23 Yeah.
1:31:24 So I recognize that the approval amounts in Section D may not
1:31:30 have changed for a while.
1:31:33 I know they’ve been the same since I’ve been on the board.
1:31:35 I don’t know how far back.
1:31:39 But I would like to, before we move through with these changes,
1:31:44 I would kind of like to
1:31:45 know the reasoning behind changing, for example, the board
1:31:48 approval from a minimum of $50,000
1:31:50 to $150,000 and the superintendent, you know, they all got
1:31:55 bumped up quite significantly, some
1:31:58 more than tripled.
1:32:00 So if, because I think, and I asked Paul to send the Neola, Neola,
1:32:04 just leave these as blanks
1:32:06 because obviously if you’re, I was just using the example, if
1:32:08 you’re in Miami-Dade and you’re
1:32:10 just ordering toilet paper, you’re going to spend more than $50,000.
1:32:13 So I just wanted to get some reasoning before because I’m not
1:32:19 sure that I, without an explanation,
1:32:21 that I’m comfortable making those kind of adjustments that are
1:32:25 so significant.
1:32:27 If they need to be bumped up a little bit because the board
1:32:29 approval numbers and the superintendent
1:32:31 approval numbers are, we’re running into that and it’s slowing
1:32:34 things down and we’re, you know,
1:32:36 costs have obviously gone up, inflation, whatever.
1:32:38 But I have a little bit of a problem bumping them up that much.
1:32:41 I’d agree with you, Ms. Campbell.
1:32:44 I think we should.
1:32:47 Any, I mean, I’ll take the input of staff who changed it.
1:32:51 Because this looks like, because it wasn’t a Neola set and Neola
1:32:54 lives a blank, but staff
1:32:55 put the numbers in there.
1:32:55 Yeah, that’s correct.
1:32:56 I think we talked in cabinet and in procurement about what
1:33:00 thresholds those should be.
1:33:03 And so based on, you know, the volume of different contracts and
1:33:07 purchases and the increase in
1:33:09 those services over the years, that’s why we look to increase
1:33:12 those thresholds.
1:33:13 They can be reduced to not, not that much of an increase, but,
1:33:17 you know, that’s, those are
1:33:19 the numbers that we came up with.
1:33:20 What is the, Dr. Riddell, what is the whole, like, the fact that
1:33:24 the timing of the board meeting
1:33:25 for the approval or the process, what was it that kind of.
1:33:29 Yeah, I think it’s, I think it’s all of the above.
1:33:31 It’s like, you know, there are certain things that we want to
1:33:33 move forward with quickly.
1:33:34 And, you know, the thresholds sometimes cause a delay.
1:33:37 And we have letter, I’ll just start with a small amount.
1:33:45 Letter D talks about agreements with a value of less than $35,000
1:33:49 shall be approved by department
1:33:51 director or principal.
1:33:51 And before it was $5,000.
1:33:53 I, that totally makes sense.
1:33:55 We get, we get, I don’t think we had any on this board meeting
1:33:59 agenda, but, like, once
1:34:00 a month on the board meeting agenda, on the information item, we
1:34:03 asked for all procurement
1:34:04 items that were under our thresholds.
1:34:07 Everything from $49,99,999 and down.
1:34:10 And sometimes we’ll see, like, a big school, like, let’s say,
1:34:14 Vieira or Mill High, and they’re
1:34:15 just trying to rent a prom venue.
1:34:17 And it had to go to Mr. Ramer’s office to sign off because it’s
1:34:20 a big school.
1:34:21 They’re going to have hundreds of kids, it’s, you know, and they
1:34:23 had to pay for it.
1:34:24 And the tickets are reimbursing.
1:34:25 And so those kinds of things, it makes sense.
1:34:27 But that, that one is bumping down from $5,000 to $35,000.
1:34:32 So I, this may be, maybe the board and Nick in later years
1:34:37 adjust it again.
1:34:39 But I would have, I have a hard time with the doubling and the
1:34:42 quadrupling and the whatever,
1:34:44 seven times, so, I mean, is, I mean, if doubling it would make
1:34:49 sense, so that the, the board’s
1:34:53 threshold is 100,000 instead of 50,000 and the superintendent
1:34:57 can go all the way up to 100,000
1:34:59 and the cabinet can go all the way up to 50,000 and the
1:35:02 principals can go up to 10,000.
1:35:04 I mean, I haven’t looked at these numbers to see, like,
1:35:06 regularly what are we happening,
1:35:08 but it feels like doubling would be a more comfortable step for
1:35:13 me than cutting everybody loose quite so much.
1:35:17 So if we look at it, you have the first number is board approval.
1:35:20 You’re saying $100,000 there, just for guidance.
1:35:24 Yeah, that’s kind of what I was thinking.
1:35:26 And then you’re looking at superintendent, looks at 35 and 150.
1:35:31 What would your suggestion be there?
1:35:33 It would be 100 based on.
1:35:35 Right.
1:35:36 It just goes from there.
1:35:38 So you’re going to keep 35 and then change 150 to 100 in that
1:35:42 regard?
1:35:43 Just for guidance.
1:35:47 It would go, like, from 50, like, from 50 to 100,000.
1:35:50 Would be a double.
1:35:53 But less than, but the value of, the solicitation awards with
1:35:57 the value of.
1:35:58 Right, 52, and actually, it would be 99,999 and 99 cents.
1:36:04 It would be everything up to 100,000 for the superintendent.
1:36:07 And then the cabinet, it would be 10,000 up to the 49,999,
1:36:14 whatever.
1:36:15 And then principals, you know, doubling theirs to 10,000.
1:36:19 I’m sure they’re running into a lot more of those.
1:36:21 You know, 10,000 up to the, whatever the last number was, I said.
1:36:27 15,000.
1:36:28 I’ll weigh in and give you my opinion on this one.
1:36:33 Just because this hasn’t been brought to, this hasn’t been
1:36:35 brought to us as far as,
1:36:37 we haven’t had a discussion about this even on this being a
1:36:39 problem that you’re running into.
1:36:41 So I’m uncomfortable with increasing it without knowing a little
1:36:43 bit more of the backstory of,
1:36:45 like, tell me how many times that slow rolled a process or
1:36:47 something’s been hindered
1:36:48 because the board hasn’t approved it in adequate time.
1:36:50 I like the practice that we currently have.
1:36:54 I can see the school initiated agreement.
1:36:56 As you had said, Ms. Campbell, prom is, like, the perfect
1:36:58 example.
1:36:59 And field trips, sometimes the same thing.
1:37:00 They go over $5,000.
1:37:02 So to have to bring in a cabinet level to approve a field trip
1:37:05 that can be done at a school site,
1:37:07 I think that’s probably a little, a little redundant there on
1:37:09 what we’re doing.
1:37:10 But I don’t see the need to, to increase the other ones right
1:37:13 now.
1:37:14 So my, my vote would be increase the one to 35,000,
1:37:19 which is the department director of principals and leave it
1:37:21 where it’s at.
1:37:22 I don’t think we can go all the way to 35,000 because then I
1:37:30 would put them over the cabinet.
1:37:31 So the cabinet right now has 5,000 to 25,000.
1:37:35 So it, well, less than 35 is the proposal.
1:37:38 Right, right, right, right, right.
1:37:39 So we’d need to, if we were going to, if you just wanted to
1:37:42 change that one,
1:37:43 it would be under 25,000.
1:37:46 So it’d be up to that.
1:37:49 Because there’s up to 25, right?
1:37:50 Right, because there starts at 25, goes from 25 to 50.
1:37:53 That’s why I was trying to get the, all the numbers.
1:37:55 So right now it’s 50 and up, 25 to 50, whatever, 10 to,
1:38:01 or five to 25, and the principals can only do under 5,000.
1:38:05 That’s correct.
1:38:06 Right.
1:38:06 That’s correct.
1:38:07 Gene, what are your thoughts?
1:38:09 Well, since this is the workshop, you know, Mr. Wright, you’re
1:38:14 right,
1:38:14 but it hasn’t been discussed.
1:38:17 We haven’t discussed that yet.
1:38:18 But if you wanted to share some rationale, Dr. Nell,
1:38:22 where they got those numbers or where they thought that were
1:38:26 they were having to snag.
1:38:27 Yeah, well, Mr. Hines can probably jump in as well.
1:38:32 I think in some of the cases, those amounts are such that we can’t
1:38:39 even get competitive bids.
1:38:40 Okay.
1:38:41 You know, that they’re not going to bid on something, you know,
1:38:44 this amount or that amount.
1:38:45 And so with the approval authority being so low, but then
1:38:50 requirements to get bids, it slows down the process.
1:38:53 We’d have to search out and try to get more bids because that’s
1:38:56 part of our process.
1:38:58 And then, you know, we’re not getting bids, so.
1:39:01 Just to clarify that point, it doesn’t change our bid threshold.
1:39:05 The requirement to get bids is still $50,000 as set by FAC.
1:39:10 The reasoning behind the price, the threshold changes is to
1:39:14 align us with other Florida districts.
1:39:16 A survey of 21 Florida districts comparable in size to us, 57 of
1:39:23 those districts have thresholds over $100,000.
1:39:26 And then 33% of those have thresholds over $150,000.
1:39:30 We are one of a few districts left that have a threshold of $50,000.
1:39:35 So that was the reason for it.
1:39:37 And then surrounding counties, our six surrounding counties, all
1:39:41 have a threshold of over $150,000 as well.
1:39:45 So that’s where those numbers came from.
1:39:48 If we were to reduce the board threshold to $100,000, I think
1:39:52 the proposal would be adjusted to be superintendent would be 35
1:39:57 to 100.
1:39:59 Cabinet would be 15 to 35.
1:40:02 And then the part director and principals would be 0 to 15.
1:40:06 Okay.
1:40:07 I actually, I mean, I’m, because that’s kind of what we’re, you
1:40:11 know, numbers I was looking at kind of doubling, but more
1:40:14 adjusted.
1:40:15 So if that would be better numbers.
1:40:16 I’m in favor of moving it, because like I said, since I’ve been
1:40:19 on the board for now almost eight years, the numbers have been
1:40:21 the same.
1:40:22 And we’ve, meanwhile, costs have gone up greatly.
1:40:25 Can you explain more what Dr. Randall was talking about?
1:40:27 Like, how is this causing, is it because if they have to go
1:40:30 through the approval process through the board that it slows it
1:40:33 down that we’re not getting more bids or?
1:40:37 The approval process through the board doesn’t necessarily slow
1:40:39 down bids.
1:40:39 It just slows down the execution of the contract.
1:40:42 It slows it down by about six weeks on average.
1:40:46 Based on the numbers that I ran, we would see a reduction in 24%
1:40:51 of agenda items that we take to the board if we were to adjust
1:40:54 our threshold to $150,000.
1:40:57 If we were to adjust it to $100,000 even, I think that decrease
1:41:01 would be about 15% rather than the $24,000.
1:41:05 Explain to me why it takes an extra six weeks.
1:41:08 So our process is to have the agenda item prepared and reviewed
1:41:14 by the department and the cabinet member that’s involved.
1:41:19 And then we have to include it on the agenda item and we have to
1:41:22 meet those deadlines.
1:41:23 The deadline to get it on the agenda item for diligent is three
1:41:27 weeks prior to it being released to the board.
1:41:30 Or, sorry, I’m sorry, two weeks prior to it being released to
1:41:33 the board.
1:41:34 So we add to the agenda item and make sure it goes through all
1:41:36 the process and the approvals.
1:41:37 So usually that’s where the biggest delay is.
1:41:40 Right.
1:41:40 So if they wanted to have something on the agenda item for our
1:41:43 next board meeting, it’s too late.
1:41:44 Right.
1:41:45 We generally work two board meetings out.
1:41:50 So we just finalized agenda items for the first meeting in May.
1:41:54 What I’d like to say is that Mr. Thomas is working with Ms. Suhan
1:41:59 on procurement pieces right now.
1:42:02 I would love to learn more about the increase of $150,000.
1:42:07 I think you’re trying to come somewhere in between.
1:42:10 I feel like you’re like, hey, this is really kind of
1:42:12 uncomfortable.
1:42:12 I just assume it come before the board and the board vote on
1:42:14 these matters.
1:42:15 I feel like that’s appropriate.
1:42:16 I think if we could have that meeting and then come back in two
1:42:20 weeks with this, that would be good.
1:42:23 I just think if we, I will just tell you, I’m a firm, I’m
1:42:29 getting firmer at not these drastic of changes.
1:42:33 And to be honest, I, in the back of my mind, actually pretty
1:42:36 close to the front of my mind is,
1:42:38 I don’t want us to be as a district.
1:42:40 I think you guys are doing a good job.
1:42:42 We have people who are in integrity.
1:42:43 Procurement of all departments has a very important goal to save
1:42:48 us money because, you know,
1:42:50 we’re that one that wins you awards if for no other reason.
1:42:53 But also it helps us to be more efficient, to have money to
1:42:56 spend towards salaries and things like that.
1:42:58 So I think people are doing the best job they can.
1:43:00 But I honestly am trying to keep the district and the board out
1:43:03 of news that we don’t need to be in.
1:43:05 And I think this would be a bad story to open the reins up that
1:43:11 much.
1:43:11 So, but I realize, I feel like they do need to be loosened a
1:43:15 little bit because of the process that it goes through.
1:43:18 So I think the numbers that you just said, which was like, I
1:43:21 think you said 135, whatever.
1:43:23 I, I would be in favor of that.
1:43:25 Assuming that the process that we established a few years ago of
1:43:29 putting all procurement items on information agenda,
1:43:33 as we’ve been doing so the board can see everything that’s $5,000
1:43:36 or more.
1:43:36 So we’re seeing those big ticket items are coming not just
1:43:39 before us, but before the public.
1:43:40 If that, if that maintains, I don’t see a problem with bumping
1:43:44 it up to the numbers that you talked about.
1:43:46 But it sounds like maybe in some one-on-ones, because we are
1:43:49 just looking at this for the first time,
1:43:50 it’s a conversation that board members need to have with staff
1:43:53 between now and the next time we look at this.
1:43:56 And I do want to say the same sentiments as Ms. Campbell.
1:44:00 This is in no way like a question of anybody not doing the right
1:44:05 thing.
1:44:06 This is more about, for me, my perceptive is I think that with
1:44:09 some of those safeguards,
1:44:11 like what Ms. Campbell was mentioning about having them printed
1:44:14 on the board and everything else are awesome
1:44:15 because we’re going to see it anyway.
1:44:16 It’s just giving you guys the authority to move forward so you’re
1:44:19 not gumming up the process.
1:44:20 I’m there.
1:44:21 I just think that there’s a lot of questions coming from some of
1:44:24 the board members,
1:44:26 plus Mr. Thomas with this being part of his thing that he wanted
1:44:29 to work on.
1:44:30 I would like him to be weighing in on it.
1:44:31 And I feel like if we’re already having this conversation,
1:44:34 I want to make sure he’s not a part of it.
1:44:35 Okay.
1:44:37 But thank you, Mr. Hines, for actually coming forward with, like,
1:44:40 an amazing presentation.
1:44:42 Like, you were not told about any of this,
1:44:44 and you stood up here and you just rambled it off like it was
1:44:46 second nature to you.
1:44:47 So you do do a great job, and thank you.
1:44:49 Appreciate it.
1:44:49 Thank you.
1:44:49 We probably need to address one other addition on the policy.
1:44:52 Go ahead.
1:44:53 I don’t remember what number it’s under, but it’s Roman numeral
1:44:59 9, little Roman numeral 9.
1:45:00 Yep.
1:45:01 Evidence of Ventura’s verbal.
1:45:02 Yeah.
1:45:03 I didn’t see this line in the NEOLA policy.
1:45:06 I just want to make sure we address the reasoning behind it.
1:45:10 To me, it’s obvious.
1:45:12 If we have a vendor who is verbally or physically abusing a
1:45:14 district employee, I mean, you’re done.
1:45:17 I would be surprised if we don’t already actually have that in
1:45:19 our contract.
1:45:20 We don’t.
1:45:20 I think where we’re just, we need to be crystal clear, because
1:45:24 the public might take this and run with it.
1:45:26 In fact, from what I’ve seen, they already are, about this
1:45:28 making defamatory statements about the district or its employees.
1:45:31 Right.
1:45:32 Can we, maybe there’s already some scenarios that have happened,
1:45:35 but can you kind of give us the reasoning behind this addition,
1:45:39 the policy?
1:45:40 It’s pretty simple and straightforward, I think.
1:45:42 You have people that are vendors of our district that decide to
1:45:47 do things and attack our own people inside of our school
1:45:50 district,
1:45:50 they should not be vendors anymore.
1:45:52 That’s pretty simple.
1:45:53 You know what I mean?
1:45:53 I think it’s, it’s a pretty simple thing.
1:45:56 We can probably come up with some examples and share that.
1:46:01 I think, I want to circle back to, I don’t, I’m not sure what
1:46:05 the direction of the board is on this policy revision.
1:46:08 Yeah, it’s just to come back in two weeks and let Mr. Thomas be
1:46:11 a part of it.
1:46:11 So it’s, so it’s moving forward at this point is what I’m
1:46:14 hearing, and then if it, changes are made later on, then we’ll
1:46:17 make those changes.
1:46:18 Well, we got a bunch of changes already.
1:46:20 Yeah, I was going to say, there’s like, I don’t want, how would
1:46:21 it be moving forward if there’s so many changes that are.
1:46:23 Ms. Campbell wants to come down to 100,000.
1:46:25 Right, I mean, we can make those redline changes.
1:46:27 We’ll have to do an ad after final approval that will delay
1:46:31 implementation for 28 days.
1:46:33 But that’s all, that’s what the process requires.
1:46:36 I just, I’m making sure I’m not running it or pulling it and
1:46:39 then having to run a second ad and start over with it.
1:46:42 Oh, you’re saying if we could all agree to.
1:46:45 Right, it’s already on a track.
1:46:46 It is going to be on the next board work session for public
1:46:49 hearing.
1:46:50 So you guys can discuss whatever information is shared at that
1:46:53 time, and if you want to provide direction to make changes, I
1:46:56 can make changes.
1:46:57 I’ll have to just run that second ad at the end of the process.
1:47:00 But we can’t make changes.
1:47:02 You can make changes.
1:47:03 I’ll have to run a new ad saying that the effective date will be
1:47:05 28 days later.
1:47:06 Okay.
1:47:07 So what would be the advantage to doing that?
1:47:09 Because if we’re going to have a public hearing and we’re going
1:47:11 to get attacked over what’s in this policy, if it’s moving
1:47:13 forward this way,
1:47:14 I feel like a better process here would be let’s, let’s revise
1:47:17 the policy we want and then have the public hearing so we can
1:47:20 hear what the public says.
1:47:21 You can certainly, yeah, we can do that.
1:47:23 It’s going to delay this probably three months because there’s
1:47:26 not another, there’s not another track right now.
1:47:29 I have to run a brand new ad set to get it back onto another
1:47:32 track.
1:47:33 And the next track is already laid, and I don’t know when the
1:47:36 cutoff is off the top of my head.
1:47:38 Ms. Lena, what are the, what are the two meetings in May?
1:47:44 It’s a rulemaking meeting, so there’s other requirements.
1:47:46 We have an April 28th meeting.
1:47:50 Right, we have an April 28th we can bring it back to, but.
1:47:52 It’s already on it.
1:47:53 That’s what I’m saying.
1:47:54 I understand.
1:47:54 May 26th.
1:47:56 So you got two dates there, but if we brought something back and
1:48:00 put it on the 28th day there, it would be done by the end of the
1:48:03 school year.
1:48:03 It’s already on for the first meeting in May for final approval.
1:48:07 That’s what I’m saying is it’s already on that.
1:48:09 The next, the next policy track won’t pick up until I want to
1:48:13 say May, the two meetings in May and then final approval in June.
1:48:16 Why?
1:48:17 Why can’t we can’t run two tracks at the same time?
1:48:19 I’m just out of curiosity.
1:48:20 Not at this point because the tracks are already running.
1:48:22 I have a 14 day prior to first public hearing and a 28 day
1:48:25 notice prior to final hearing that’s required by statute.
1:48:30 And then I have the workshop built into it.
1:48:33 So that’s three board meetings.
1:48:35 Right.
1:48:35 So minimum.
1:48:37 So I can’t get 14 days right now in a public, in the newspaper.
1:48:42 It takes two days.
1:48:43 So we’re already two weeks out from the April meeting.
1:48:46 That’s May.
1:48:47 First meeting in May is the first available.
1:48:49 Second meeting would be, so you’re looking at a workshop, first
1:48:52 meeting in May.
1:48:53 Right.
1:48:54 First public hearing in at the end of May.
1:48:57 Right.
1:48:57 Final approval in June.
1:48:59 That’s like three months away.
1:49:01 Can we not.
1:49:02 And there’s only one meeting in June.
1:49:03 The workshop for this one while the rest are going.
1:49:05 You can do it.
1:49:06 You can do a workshop just to discuss it.
1:49:08 But I mean, it’s already on for workshop.
1:49:11 That’s what I was saying is it’s already going to have a public
1:49:13 hearing.
1:49:13 So the public can provide their input and the board can discuss
1:49:16 whatever information is provided by staff and the superintendent
1:49:19 and direct me to make those changes.
1:49:22 It’ll stay on track for final approval on its course.
1:49:24 And I just run that one ad saying changes were made to it after
1:49:28 the process was started.
1:49:29 It’ll be implemented 28 days later.
1:49:31 And I don’t have to start the entire process over.
1:49:34 Yeah, because we can still do this conversation today with the
1:49:37 board being more educated and having had a we’ll have one more
1:49:40 one-on-one with Dr.
1:49:41 Enzel at least one if not two between now and then to get input.
1:49:44 And staff could come back and make a job.
1:49:46 I mean, if every if all four of us are saying don’t go that far
1:49:49 between now and the 28 staff could do some more redlining and
1:49:52 adjust that down and bring it back to us.
1:49:54 We can do proposals if that’s what you want.
1:49:56 I wouldn’t recommend making proposals, uploading it, and then
1:49:59 coming back for more proposal changes.
1:50:01 I would just say let’s hear what the changes are from the board
1:50:04 overall, make them once, and then I run the ad.
1:50:06 I can do it either way.
1:50:09 It’s just I’m letting you know we have one meeting in June.
1:50:11 I need three total board meetings, and three total board
1:50:14 meetings is going to be into June before this gets approved.
1:50:17 What is the race?
1:50:20 We also could have a special workshop, and we can set a
1:50:23 different track and call an extra meeting.
1:50:25 I can set meetings.
1:50:26 We’re not adding anything else to that.
1:50:29 But April, it won’t meet my two-week minimum other than you can
1:50:33 just have a workshop to discuss.
1:50:35 Mr. Chair.
1:50:36 Sir.
1:50:37 So I just want to clarify some points.
1:50:39 So the threshold at $150,000, there was not really appetite for
1:50:43 that.
1:50:44 Keep in mind, Mr. Hines basically stated these changes were
1:50:49 based on what we surveyed other districts and surrounding
1:50:52 districts.
1:50:53 Like our thresholds were much, much lower than most of our
1:50:55 surrounding districts and the districts across Florida.
1:50:58 So that was the impetus for the change.
1:51:01 If we’re going to keep it on the track, Paul, can we change the
1:51:04 $150,000 down to $100,000, which is what Mrs. Campbell suggested,
1:51:09 and then the superintendent’s authority reduced, you know, to $99,999.
1:51:14 We can make those changes now.
1:51:16 We can change that now, and it can stay on track.
1:51:18 Yes.
1:51:18 And if the majority of the board the next meeting is good with
1:51:21 that, then we move forward with it the way that it is.
1:51:25 What I’m hearing is, is that Ms. Wright’s not there yet.
1:51:27 Well, Mr. Thomas.
1:51:29 I’m only one.
1:51:30 She doesn’t have to be.
1:51:31 It’s board majority.
1:51:32 But Mr. Thomas is not here.
1:51:34 Right.
1:51:35 I’m telling you right now, like, I don’t want to give direction
1:51:38 to anything until I hear in from what everybody has,
1:51:41 and then Gene’s kind of.
1:51:42 Well, on this one, if we’re just moving it forward anyway,
1:51:47 and the odds are it looks like the odds are we’re not for the
1:51:51 higher threshold anyway.
1:51:54 Lowering it would just, it couldn’t hurt anything.
1:51:58 Right.
1:51:58 But my thing is, is that if it’s either going to be the end of
1:52:03 May that we pass this or the first week in June, right?
1:52:06 There’s only one meeting in June, and it’s at the end of June.
1:52:09 Right, right.
1:52:10 So, but I mean, like, okay, even if it’s the end of June, what
1:52:13 are we worried about happening in the next 30 days that makes
1:52:16 the difference?
1:52:16 Well, I think what Gene is saying is, if it’s going to come back
1:52:19 on the 28th, don’t bring it back like this.
1:52:21 Bring it back with some changes, because we’ve already, you know,
1:52:24 Dr. Rendell just said that.
1:52:25 There’s not appetite for those kind of dramatic increases.
1:52:27 It might have a chance to move forward if it’s something that’s
1:52:31 a little closer to where it is right now.
1:52:33 So, and that would be my preference.
1:52:35 If we’re going to go ahead and move it, it’s coming back on the
1:52:37 28th.
1:52:37 Either way, bring us something different that’s a little more
1:52:40 palatable to the board.
1:52:41 And because then we might have enough to go forward.
1:52:46 But now to at least get closer to what most of us are thinking.
1:52:48 Yeah.
1:52:49 I mean, I’m okay with doing that.
1:52:51 If you’re okay with it, Ms. Wright.
1:52:53 Yeah, I mean, I, you know where I’m at with this, but I, that’s
1:52:56 fine.
1:52:56 I don’t, I just said, I’m like, I like it where it’s at, but I,
1:52:58 I understand the need for the, the local school to be able to
1:53:02 approve a higher threshold.
1:53:04 But again, the board as a whole needs to weigh in on this.
1:53:07 And so bring it back and see what, what comes next, I guess.
1:53:10 Okay.
1:53:11 So we’re good there.
1:53:12 All right.
1:53:13 Are we?
1:53:13 Okay.
1:53:15 Yep.
1:53:16 If we’re going to make the changes that Dr. Rendell and Mr. Hines
1:53:20 talked about, we can do that and redline it, bring that back at
1:53:22 the next workshop.
1:53:23 And any changes after that, I’ll just run that ad.
1:53:26 If that’s the will of the board, if you want me to pull it off
1:53:28 at that point, I can do that.
1:53:29 Okay.
1:53:30 So we’re all good on policies now?
1:53:32 Yep.
1:53:33 Yeah.
1:53:33 Okay.
1:53:33 So in, so they, we had discussed before about the AI coming
1:53:38 forward at the next meeting.
1:53:40 We, Mr. Cheatham is putting together a package.
1:53:44 He’s not ready yet.
1:53:45 So we’re going to see that on the 28th.
1:53:48 In my notes, it says here, AI policy discussion.
1:53:51 Okay.
1:53:51 So just wanted to let you guys know if you have any AI
1:53:54 situations that you want to bring forward, make sure you have it
1:53:57 ready on the 28th.
1:53:58 Okay.
1:53:58 Dr. Rendell, do you have anything else?
1:54:01 I do not, except a reminder that we want to reconvene at one o’clock.
1:54:05 So you’ll be going into recess.
1:54:06 Are they bringing their robots?
1:54:08 They’re bringing two robots.
1:54:09 Yes, sir.
1:54:09 Did they bring a controller for Gina and I to play with them?
1:54:11 I imagine there are controllers.
1:54:13 I don’t know.
1:54:14 Just in case anybody’s watching, I think Ms. Wright wanted to
1:54:16 make sure we mentioned the event that’s coming on Friday night.
1:54:19 We forgot to mention it during the board meeting, unfortunately.
1:54:22 Yes.
1:54:23 The enlistment ceremony.
1:54:24 Yep.
1:54:24 That’s right.
1:54:25 That’s your baby.
1:54:26 You should be making that announcement.
1:54:27 So that everybody understands, we have an enlistment ceremony on
1:54:32 Friday night at 530 at Vieira High School.
1:54:35 It has got over 200 students who are enlisting into military
1:54:40 service.
1:54:40 We have all the JROTC battalions that are being represented by
1:54:45 numbers between 10 and 100 students from each school that will
1:54:51 be traveling in.
1:54:52 I think Vieira’s will have their entire JROTC there, which is
1:54:55 massive.
1:54:56 We have representatives from Congressman Herodopoulos to elected
1:55:00 officials all across the county.
1:55:02 And we have an incredible event where all of the students are
1:55:07 sworn in for military service at that.
1:55:10 It’s a program that we came up with with an organization called
1:55:16 ECAC, which is a group that came together to support military
1:55:20 efforts inside of our schools, both with scholarships and other
1:55:24 things.
1:55:26 It was spearheaded by, in many regards, by Tammy Dennis, who is
1:55:30 one of the leaders of that and will be one of the people that
1:55:33 helps put the entire thing together.
1:55:35 It is ultimately put together by Ms. Yvette Cruz, who’s been
1:55:39 doing an amazing job of keeping all of the military and elected
1:55:43 officials in line.
1:55:45 And if you want to talk about a job and a half, taking those two
1:55:48 entities and people and making sure they’re doing the right
1:55:51 thing is insane.
1:55:53 Just with the egos and the personalities and everything else.
1:55:55 So good job, Ms. Cruz, for doing all of that.
1:55:58 But yes, at 530, we have the.
1:56:01 Mr. Chair.
1:56:02 Oh, yes, sir.
1:56:03 It’s not at 530.
1:56:04 It’s at 5 p.m.
1:56:05 Okay.
1:56:06 5 p.m.
1:56:07 Thank you.
1:56:07 5 o’clock.
1:56:08 Okay.
1:56:09 For some reason, I was thinking it was 530.
1:56:10 Maybe last year.
1:56:11 Glad to clarify that.
1:56:12 Yeah.
1:56:12 We got a bunch of people showing up, all the things flying over.
1:56:15 So it’s at 5 o’clock.
1:56:16 We have a flyover by the sheriff’s office.
1:56:19 We did have flyovers by all the other organizations.
1:56:23 But when we changed the date, the date is in this thing called
1:56:27 Sun Fun or something over in Lakeland, which is the largest air
1:56:31 show in the United States, apparently.
1:56:34 And they all go over there.
1:56:35 So we don’t have anybody but the sheriff’s helicopter, which is
1:56:38 awesome.
1:56:38 But we do have some cannons that are being shot off.
1:56:43 Just so you guys know, they are not the little cannon that we
1:56:45 had last year that’s really loud.
1:56:46 They’re the big cannons that are even louder.
1:56:48 So we decided not to have the fireworks because of the big
1:56:52 cannons.
1:56:53 So this is an event that if you are around and at home, make
1:56:56 sure that you’re at because the commitment that these students
1:57:00 are going to be making is anything less than spectacular.
1:57:03 So with that, thank you, Ms. Wright, for mentioning that.
1:57:07 That’s actually Ms. Campbell, so thank you for reminding me.
1:57:08 Oh, thank you, Ms. Campbell.
1:57:09 She reminded me and I reminded her.
1:57:11 All right.
1:57:12 Dr. Rendell, did you have anything?
1:57:13 I do not.
1:57:15 We’re recessing until 1 p.m.
1:57:16 Yep.
1:57:17 We’re recessing until 1 p.m.
1:57:18 Thank you.
1:57:18 Good job.