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[1) Call to Order - Roll Call]

[00:00:11]

ALTMAN. COUNCILMAN. BUTLER HERE. CITY MANAGER HERE. DEPUTY MAYOR JONAS WILL NOT BE IN ATTENDANCE.

AND COUNCILMAN MURPHY IS NOT PRESENT DURING ROLL CALL. I THINK IT ALL IS ABOUT YOU,

[2.a) Presentation by Dr. John Legg, Pasco County Schools Superintendent RE: Education Update on New Port Richey Schools]

DOCTOR LEE. WELL, WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR LETTING US COME TODAY. WE AS WE WERE. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IT'S BEEN A YEAR ALREADY SINCE WE WERE HERE LAST. AND, AND WE WERE JUST KIND OF LAUNCHING LAST YEAR WHEN WE CAME HERE, BUT WE FELT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ENGAGE THE CITY, SPECIFICALLY THE CITY OF NEW PORT RICHEY.

BECAUSE YOU HAVE SEVERAL SCHOOLS IN, IN OUR DISTRICT THAT ARE IN YOUR BOUNDARIES OR AT LEAST SERVE AS A MAJORITY OF YOUR, YOUR RESIDENTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE HERE. AND WE WANT AND SOME OF THOSE SCHOOLS WERE, WERE SCHOOLS THAT, LET'S JUST SAY THAT WERE SCHOOLS OF CONCERN. AND I THINK I WENT OVER SOME OF THE DATA LAST YEAR OF THE CONCERN, AND THERE WAS EVEN A LITTLE BIT MORE KIND OF PRESSURE IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING IT IS, IS WE WERE SPENDING SOME MONEY ON THE, THE GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL. AS YOU MAY KNOW, THAT WE ARE KIND OF RENOVATING GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND, AND BEFORE I PROCEED, I NEED TO, I NEED TO INTRODUCE SOME FOLKS AND LET THEM SAY HELLO IS, IS WE HAVE OUR TWO DEPUTIES OF OUR SCHOOL, OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM HERE, DOCTOR ILE AND MISS, BUT I'LL LET THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES REAL QUICK AND SAY HELLO. I KNOW MANY OF YOU. I'M BETSY, I'M ONE OF THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF PASCO SCHOOLS, AND I HAVE WORKED WITH YOU ALL FOR A LONG TIME AND REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT WITH GULF HIGH SCHOOL, WITH SWETMAN, WITH GULF MIDDLE. SO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE TODAY. THANK YOU. AND I'M MONICA ILES, I'M THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT AND I'M OVER ACADEMICS. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. IN THE IN THE LAST YEAR, WE WE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN TOWN THAT GO TO AGREE. AND THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER ONE TO CROSS THE BORDER. I AGREE. IT'S JUST RIGHT THERE. YEAH. I WORKED WITH DELTA CHANT ON THE PROJECT THERE A WHILE AGO. AND SOME TREES UNDOUBTEDLY. YES. THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DOING. YOU KNOW THAT THE REASON WHY WE CAME LAST YEAR WAS WE HAD SOME CONCERNS WITH SOME SCHOOLS. AND I, I DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE IT OVERDRAMATIC ABOUT THE CONCERNS WE HAD HERE, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE HAD CONCERNS AND THAT THE SCHOOLS IN THE NEW PORT RICHEY AREA WERE, WERE SCHOOLS THAT WE WERE REALLY FOCUSING IN ON AND TO, TO ADDRESS. AND I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO COME BACK A YEAR LATER AND TO KIND OF TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S ACCOUNTABILITY. I THINK YOU SHOULD NEED TO BE AWARE. BUT ALSO REALLY, WE WANT TO FOSTER AND WE, WE DO HAVE, BUT WE WANT TO KEEP FOSTERING, PARTNERSHIPS IN THESE SCHOOLS.

THESE ARE OUR RESIDENTS. AND, AND WE, WE WANT NOTHING BUT THE BEST SCHOOLS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND WE WANT NOTHING BUT THE BEST SCHOOLS HERE IN NEW PORT RICHEY. AND SO WE WANTED, WE WANTED TO COME TODAY AND KIND OF SHOW YOU KIND OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST YEAR. SO I'M GOING TO SEE IF I CAN OPERATE THIS. SO WE'RE GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH KIND OF WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN THE SCHOOLS IN IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND SOME OF THE BIG TOPICS, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME BIG ISSUES THAT ARE THAT ARE HAPPENING HERE THIS YEAR THAT I THINK YOU JUST WANT TO BE AWARE OF AND MAYBE HELP COMMUNICATE OR, AS YOUR RESIDENTS MAY, YOU MAY GET QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, ESPECIALLY AS WE GET CLOSER TO NOVEMBER TO KIND OF EQUIP YOU WITH SOME OF THE FACTS THAT ARE COMING THAT MANY OF YOUR RESIDENTS MAY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT JUST STUDENT DATA. I THINK THAT WAS THE AREA OF OF MOST CONCERN IN THE CITY LIMITS OF NEW PORT RICHEY. IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT LAST YEAR, 2425. WE HAD SOME CONCERNS. LET'S JUST PUT IT THAT WAY. YOU'LL SEE RICHIE ELEMENTARY WAS A D AND I WILL SAY IT WAS A LOW D. WE HAD MARLOW ELEMENTARY, WHICH WAS A SOLID B, WHICH IS A SOLID SCHOOL. CODY RIVER WAS A C, WHICH WAS, WHICH WAS HANGING ON AS A C SCHOOL. GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS AN AREA OF EXTREME CONCERN FOR US. AND I WANT TO UNDERSCORE WHY IT WAS SO CONCERNING. IT WAS A D SCHOOL FOR FOUR YEARS IN A ROW. IF WE WOULD HAVE RECEIVED A D THIS THIS LAST YEAR, IT WOULD HAVE IT WOULD HAVE KIND OF WENT INTO RECEIVERSHIP TO THE STATE. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WOULD HAVE LOST AUTONOMY TO OPERATE THAT SCHOOL. WOULD THAT BEEN A CONCERNING? ABSOLUTELY BEEN CONCERNING. BUT IT HAD BEEN REALLY CONCERNING AS WE'RE BUILDING A BRAND NEW SCHOOL, AS WE'RE BRANDING A BRAND NEW SCHOOL, BUT WE HAD FAITH IN THE COMMUNITY. WE HAD FAITH IN THE STUDENTS, WE HAD FAITH IN THE FAMILIES. WE FELT AS THOUGH IF WE HAD PROVIDED SOME STRUCTURE, PROVIDED THE PROPER LEADERSHIP, SOME CURRICULUM CHANGES, AND SOME INTENTIONALITY AT THE SCHOOL THAT WE WOULD SEE SOME SOME GOOD RESULTS. AND THEN IN GULF

[00:05:01]

HIGH SCHOOL, AS YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS INVESTED A LOT OF MONEY INTO THE HIGH SCHOOL, AND WE HAVE SOME CONCERNS, NOT IN A TERM OF AN ALARM BELL, BUT WE HAVE CONCERNS THAT WE WANT HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOLS IN THE CITY OF NEW PORT RICHEY, AND WE HAVE SOME WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO IN THAT AREA. SO WHAT I'M HERE TO SAY IS THAT WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE SAW SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN ALL SCHOOLS HERE IN THE CITY OF NEW PORT RICHEY, AND WE DIDN'T JUST SEE SOME IMPROVEMENT. WE SAW SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS. WHEN I SAY SIGNIFICANT MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS AND RITCHIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WE REALLY FOCUS IN WE BROUGHT IN A NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM THERE AT RITCHIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

WE FOCUSED SOME INVESTMENT IN TERMS OF WE CALL THEM POD WALLS, FOR LACK OF BETTER TERMS. IT WAS A FAD. I'M JUST GOING TO BE TRANSPARENT. IT WAS A FAD IN THE 90S, IN THE EARLY 2000, OF CREATING AN OPEN, OPEN CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS. WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS IMAGINE A ROOM LIKE THIS AND YOU ONLY HAVING LIKE 1 OR 2 WALLS WHERE ALL THE THIRD WALL OR FOURTH WALL ALL OPENS TO THE MIDDLE. SO WHATEVER ONE CLASSROOM IS IN, YOU CAN HEAR AND SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE OTHER THREE CLASSROOMS. STUDENTS MAY HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT BACK IN 2000, AND THAT MAY HAVE WORKED, BUT I'M LETTING YOU KNOW IT DOES NOT WORK TODAY. ONE DISRUPTION AND ONE CLASSROOM WILL CAUSE A DISRUPTION IN ALL THREE CLASSROOMS AND DEALING WITH KINDERGARTNERS, ELEMENTARY, YOU KNOW, KINDERGARTEN, FIRST GRADE OR SECOND GRADERS, THERE'S REGULAR DISRUPTIONS THAT HAPPEN AND YOU WANT TO CONTAIN THOSE DISRUPTIONS. SO WHAT WE DID AT RITCHIE RITCHIE WAS ONE OF OUR FIRST SCHOOLS THAT WE WENT IN, AND WE BASICALLY CLOSED IN ALL THE CLASSROOMS TO WHERE WE CAN HAVE, WE CAN FOCUS IN ON, ON STUDENT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. WE CAME IN WITH TWO PRINCIPALS, THE TWO PRINCIPALS BEING A CONCEPTS BEING FOCUS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND REMOVING DISTRACTIONS. AND WE REALLY, WE REALLY DID THAT. WE BASED ALL OUR DECISIONS ON THOSE TWO ISSUES. RITCHIE ELEMENTARY YOU SAW WAS A C SCHOOL IN 2002, BARELY A C SCHOOL, AND IT FELL TO A D, IN 2024 AND 25. WE'RE HAPPY TO REPORT WE SAW A NICE JUMP. NOT WE NEED MORE, BUT WE HAD A NICE ONE YEAR JUMP TO A STRONG C SCHOOL THERE AT RITCHIE. WE ARE OPTIMISTIC THAT WE CAN KEEP MOVING THE NEEDLE.

THERE IS A LOT OF WORK STILL TO BE DONE AT RITCHIE, BUT I'M I'M HAPPY TO SAY I THINK WE ARE MOVING THE NEEDLE AND THAT PROGRESS IS IS MOVING DOWN THAT RICHIE. RICHIE, FROM A FACILITY STANDPOINT IS ONE OF OUR MOST BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL, MOST GORGEOUS SCHOOLS IN PASCO COUNTY. IT IS IT IS AN ICONIC LOOKING SCHOOL. AND WE BELIEVE THAT THE ACADEMICS AND THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE SHOULD MATCH THE EXTERIOR. AND WE ARE WE'RE NOT GOING TO REST UNTIL THAT'S DONE. AND YOU'LL SEE. WE HAD A NICE JUMP THIS YEAR. MARLOW HELD STRONG. WE ARE RECRUITING MORE STUDENTS TO THAT SCHOOL. WE FEEL AS THOUGH WE CAN TAKE THEM TO THAT NEXT LEVEL AND MAKE THEM AN A SCHOOL, SO WE ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE. AT MARLOW. YOU'LL SEE THAT CODY JUMPED UP FROM A C TO A B, YOU'LL SEE THAT GULF HIGH SCHOOL, EVEN THOUGH IT DIDN'T JUMP UP A LETTER GRADE, IT JUMPED UP IN POINTS. AND WE'RE OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE IT TO THAT NEXT LEVEL THIS YEAR. BUT WHAT I WANT TO JUST REALLY UNDERSCORE, WHICH IS NOTHING SHORT OF MIRACULOUS, THAT THE PRINCIPAL, MR. VINCENT, AND THE TEAM AT GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL, DID THEIR IN THE HISTORY OF SCHOOL GRADING, NO SCHOOL HAS WENT FROM A D TO AN A IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS OF SCHOOL GRADING UNDER THE NEW FORMULA, EXCEPT THIS YEAR, WHEN GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL WENT FROM A D SCHOOL TO AN A SCHOOL, THEY WENT FROM A 43 TO 68 POINTS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST. IF YOU LOOK.

THAT'S A 50% POINT INCREASE, WHICH IS UNHEARD OF. AND IT WASN'T BY ACCIDENT. I'M GOING TO LET YOU KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW. IT WAS WITH INTENTIONALITY. IT WAS DONE WITH GREAT LEADERSHIP.

AND I'M GOING TO GIVE ALL THE PRAISE TO THE PRINCIPAL, THE TEAM, THE ACADEMIC TEAM. THEY MADE CHANGES. THEY MADE STRATEGIC ADJUSTMENTS. THEY DID CURRICULUM. WE DID CURRICULUM ADJUSTMENTS. THEY DID INTERVENTION ADJUSTMENTS, AND THEY CAME IN WITH A PURPOSE OF THAT. ALL KIDS CAN SUCCEED NO MATTER WHERE THEY COME FROM. AND THEY REALLY DID AN AMAZING JOB. SO I'M REALLY HAPPY TO REPORT HERE TODAY THAT WE ARE NOT UNDER TURNAROUND STATUS AT THE SCHOOLS, ALL SCHOOLS IN NEW PORT RICHEY. AND I'M GOING TO GO ONE STEP FURTHER. ALL SCHOOLS IN PASCO COUNTY ARE RANKED C OR BETTER OR RANK C OR BETTER. THAT IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2004 THAT THAT HAS HAPPENED. SO THAT IS THAT'S BEEN A LONG TIME. AND AS A AS A RESULT OF ALL THAT HAPPENING, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ITSELF HAS BEEN RANKED AN A, A DISTRICT.

SO OUR WHOLE DISTRICT HAS BEEN MOVED UP TO AN A DISTRICT. AND THAT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT THAT

[00:10:03]

HAS HAPPENED SINCE 2009. SO WE ARE VERY PROUD AS A DISTRICT OF THE ACADEMIC GAINS, THE FOCUS THAT IS OCCURRING IN OUR DISTRICT'S. ASK QUESTIONS. OH, PLEASE ASK AWAY. AND DOCTOR ISLE HAS SOME OF THE ACADEMIC BACKGROUND THERE. AND DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT, SHE HAS SOME OF THE FACILITIES AS WELL. SO AND I CAN HELP ANSWER AS WELL. I JUST WANTED TO I MEAN, I'VE BEEN IN TOWN A LONG TIME, 40 SOME YEARS AND I, AND I THINK WE HAVE LIKE 45% RENTALS. AND SO IN THEIR 60S, A LOT OF THEM ARE 60S AND 70S HOUSES. SO YOU'RE THE PARENTS AREN'T AS EDUCATED AS. AND ARE YOU AS SOME OF THIS TURNAROUND FOCUSING ON THE PARENTS TO. SO IT'S PART OF THAT HOLISTIC MODEL. WE FOCUS ON THE ACADEMICS. AS YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T FORCE PARENTS TO DO ANYTHING. YOU KNOW, AS I'M SURE AS YOU GUYS KNOW, HOWEVER, WE ARE FOCUSING THAT ACADEMICS DOES NOT STOP AT THE SCHOOL DOOR, THAT WE NEED THE PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT, SOME OF THE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, THEY MAY SEE COMMON SENSE TO US, BUT IT'S NOT COMMON SENSE ANYMORE. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE SAID IS THAT TEACHERS CAN ASSIGN HOMEWORK. YOU THOUGHT, WELL, LIKE, WELL, I MEAN, YOU TEACHERS COULDN'T ASSIGN HOMEWORK. NO, THEY COULDN'T, NOT FOR GRADING, GRADING, HOMEWORK. WE HAVE A CAP OF 10%. BUT TEACHERS NOW CAN ASSIGN HOMEWORK. SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS SAY TO PARENTS, WE NEED YOU TO BE A PART OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS. ANOTHER, IT SEEMS MINOR, BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY A BIG DEAL. AND WE KIND OF GOT A LITTLE MORE PRESS THAN I EXPECTED ON THIS. KIDS HAVE TO COME TO SCHOOL, NOT IN DIAPERS. LIKE TEACHERS ARE NOT GOING TO BE CHANGING DIAPERS. PARENTS HAVE TO POTTY TRAIN THEIR CHILDREN. THAT'S BEEN A PROBLEM IN OUR SCHOOLS, OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. AND IT'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM TO WHERE IT'S BEEN. YOU CAN'T FOCUS ON ACADEMICS IF YOU'RE CHANGING DIAPERS. THAT IS NOT THE JOB OF THE TEACHER.

THAT IS THE JOB OF THE PARENT. SO WE'RE PUTTING SOME OF THAT BURDEN BACK ON PARENTS WHERE IT SHOULD BE ENGAGING THEM, BUT ALSO DOING OUTREACHES, HAVING POSITIVE EXPERIENCES. WE'RE REENGAGING WITH FIELD TRIPS, ENGAGING PARENTS TO BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS, PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT, TRYING TO GET THEM MORE. SO THE ANSWER IS YES, WE ARE DOING MORE, BUT WE CAN ONLY CONTROL WHAT WE CAN CONTROL LIKE EIGHT HOURS IN SCHOOL, EIGHT HOURS OF HOME, AND THEN EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEPING, YOU KNOW, SO YOU'VE YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THE PARENTS INVOLVED WITH THOSE EIGHT HOURS WHEN THEY'RE NOT JUST GO OUT AND PLAY. YEAH. AND, AND UNFORTUNATELY, AS YOU KNOW, IN SOME OF OUR COMMUNITIES, THAT ENGAGEMENT IS HARDER TO GET THAN OTHERS. AND I WILL SAY IN SOME OF WELL, NOT EVEN IN NEIGHBORHOODS, RIGHT DOWN TO INDIVIDUAL HOUSES MIGHT WORK ONE SIDE OF THE STREET, BUT NOT THE OTHER SIDE. YES, ABSOLUTELY. AND YOU'LL SEE, AND THIS GETS A LITTLE MORE INTO THE WEEDS. AND I DON'T WANT TO BORE YOU WITH SPECIFIC NUMBERS, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, YOU WILL SEE ACROSS EVERY SCHOOL, IN EVERY CATEGORY, WE HAD SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS. AND THAT'S DONE WITH INTENTIONALITY. WE DO LOOK AT DATA. WE ARE FOCUSED ON ACADEMICS. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED IN ON HERE. IF YOU, YOU KNOW, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE KIND OF WENT OVER THE, THE HIGHLIGHTS, WE WENT, RICHIE HAD 11 PERCENTAGE POINTS IMPROVEMENT IN ELA, 14 PERCENTAGE POINTS IMPROVEMENT IN MATH. MARLOWE MAINTAINED A B AND SAW GROWTH IN INDIVIDUAL SUBJECT AREA. CODY RIVER WENT FROM A, C TO A B AND ALL THE AREAS, GOLF, GOLF MEDAL. I WE JUST CAN'T SAY ENOUGH OF WHAT WHAT HAS HAPPENED THERE AT GOLF MIDDLE AND GULF HIGH SCHOOL, WE SAW A 2% INCREASE INCREASE IN ELA, A 7% INCREASE IN MATH, AND A 14% INCREASE IN SOCIAL STUDIES. WHY AM I SAYING THIS IS WE FEEL THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. YOU KNOW, THIS IS LIKE BUILDING A A TENT, A 12 STORY BUILDING. THIS WAS JUST THE FIRST FLOOR. WE ARE NOW THIS YEAR GOING TO BUILD THE SECOND FLOOR BUILT ON TOP OF THOSE SUCCESSES. AND WE EXPECT EVEN GREATER THINGS THIS YEAR AS WE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE NUMBER WHERE YOU GO FROM B TO A, C TO A B OR B TO C, SO IT THIS YEAR IT CHANGES. THIS YEAR IT CHANGES. THEY ACTUALLY MOVED IT UP FIVE PERCENTAGE POINTS THIS YEAR IN TERMS OF AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. IT WENT FROM A 65 THIS YEAR AT HIGH SCHOOL TO A 70 ELEMENTARY WENT FROM A 62 TO A 65 IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. WHAT WOULD A MIDDLE SCHOOL GO FROM? MIDDLE SCHOOL ONLY WENT UP ONE PERCENTAGE POINT. SO IT WAS A 64 TO A 65, I BELIEVE. I'M NOT LIKING WHERE DOES WHERE DOES THE WHERE IS THE LINE BETWEEN A B AND A C 6063, 64? OH, YES. AT A HIGH SCHOOL. AT A HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL THIS YEAR IT WAS A 64 IS A, A B, AND A 65 IS AN A. THAT WAS THAT WAS THIS YEAR. YEAH. SO IN JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO THIS IS PART OF THE

[00:15:09]

BIGGER SYSTEM TOO, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE CONCERNED HERE ABOUT NEW PORT RICHEY, WE HAD, WE HAD SOME MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS HERE IN PASCO COUNTY. YOU KNOW, AS I SAID, AN A RATING FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2008, 2009, SCHOOL YEAR 17 MORE A RATED SCHOOLS, SEVEN MORE B RATED SCHOOLS. ALL OF OUR D AND F SCHOOLS HAVE WERE ELEVATED TO A C OR HIGHER. AND I'M GOING TO BRAG PASCO OR GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL WASN'T THE ONLY SCHOOL THAT WENT FROM A D TO AN A. GULFSIDE ELEMENTARY ALSO WENT FROM A D TO AN. A NEW RIVER ALSO WENT FROM A D TO AN A, AND CHESTER TAYLOR WENT FROM AN F TO A C, WHICH IS A TWO LETTER GRADE JUMP. SO WE SAW SOME HISTORIC TURNAROUNDS IN OUR DISTRICT THIS YEAR. OUR GRADUATION RATE IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA AT 97%. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO BE CLEAR IS, DID ALL BOATS RISE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA? YES. BUT OURS ROSE MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE'S. WHY DO I SAY THAT? WE WERE RANKED 39TH IN THE STATE OF 67 DISTRICTS. WE ARE NOW RANKED 25TH. SO WE ROSE UP. EVEN THOUGH SCHOOL DISTRICTS ALL IMPROVED SOME, WE IMPROVED MORE THAN EVERYBODY ELSE, AND WE JUMPED UP IN OUR STATE RANKINGS. AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR, 25TH IS NOT WHERE WE WANT TO STAY. I MEAN, THAT IS NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE. WE ARE HOPEFUL IF WE CAN DUPLICATE OUR SUCCESSES THIS LAST YEAR, WE ARE OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR TO BE IN THE TOP TEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. THAT'S WHERE WE WANT TO BE. THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE AIMING FOR. AND AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT THE RANKING. IT'S NOT ABOUT THE A, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE ACCOLADES. THEY'RE NICE. I'M NOT GOING TO DENY IT. THEY'RE NICE TO HAVE. BUT WHAT IT DOES, IT REPRESENTS TO US THAT INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS ARE LEARNING. INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS ARE ACHIEVING. WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? I'M JUST GOING TO SPEAK FOR MYSELF BECAUSE I KNOW IN MY LIFE THAT EDUCATION IS THE UNIVERSAL KEY OUT OF POVERTY. WE KNOW THAT IS THE SINGLE GREATEST FACTOR THAT WILL HELP A STUDENT ELEVATE THEIR THEIR FUTURE AND THEIR LIFE. SO WE WANT TO EQUIP THEM. AND I USE THE ANALOGY, TO GIVE THEM THE SKELETON KEY THAT UNLOCKS ALL DOORS, HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO GIVE EVERY STUDENT IN OUR IN OUR COUNTY. SO THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE AIMING FOR. JUST TO GO ALONG WITH THAT. MY ENGLISH TEACHER WHEN I WAS A SOPHOMORE, JUNIOR AND SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL SAID, YOU KNOW, GET YOUR FOUR YEAR DEGREE SO YOU CAN WRITE 16 DOWN INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF 12. AND THAT'S THE SAME TYPE OF THING. DO YOU GET TO WRITE 12 DOWN? DO YOU GET TO WRITE GED? YEAH. YOU KNOW, SO THAT MEANS THAT YOU ACTUALLY ENDURED AND YOU DID THE WORK AND YOU GOT IT. YOU JUST DIDN'T TAKE A TEST AND GO ON, YOU KNOW? YEAH. AND IT'S SO CRITICAL, IMPORTANT FOR OUR STUDENTS. AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, MISS, WOULD YOU MIND MAYBE WALKING THROUGH SOME OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE DOING? BECAUSE I KNOW HOW EVEN THOUGH THE NUMBERS ARE THERE, I'LL PROBABLY GET THEM BACKWARDS. SURE. SO HAPPY TO DO THAT. SO THE MIGHTY P LOCK INVESTMENT WAS DONE WITH PENNY FOR PASCO FUNDS. AND THAT WAS INITIALLY DONE FOR AN EARLY LEARNING CENTER. AND WHEN THAT WE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH THAT BECAUSE WE LEARNED PRETTY QUICKLY THAT PARENTS WANT TO DROP THEIR CHILDREN OFF AT A SCHOOL WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE OTHER CHILDREN SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE ONE DROP WHILE THEY'RE RATHER THAN MULTIPLE. BUT FORTUNATELY FOR US, WE WERE ABLE TO QUICKLY PIVOT, AND WE HAD A NEED OF THE CHIEF CENTER AT RITCHIE, WHICH MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH, BECAUSE IT FORMERLY WAS RIGHT BY RITCHIE ELEMENTARY IN THE CITY LIMITS.

AND SO THAT FACILITY WAS UNIQUELY POSITIONED FOR A VERY NICE TRANSITION. AND SO WE MOVED THOSE STUDENTS INTO P LOCK. THAT WAS IN 2023, GULF HIGH SCHOOL. I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN THERE AND HAVE TOURED IT AND CAME TO THE DEDICATION. THAT WAS A REALLY EXCITING PROJECT FOR US BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE WHERE WE WERE GOING TO DO A RENOVATION AND WE WERE STARTING TO WORK ON IT, AND OUR CONSTRUCTION FOLKS SAID, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS WHEN YOU COULD BUILD A BRAND NEW BUILDING? SO WE REDID ALL THE PLANS AND WE TOOK THAT SCHOOL, MOVED IT NEXT DOOR. AND ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS THAT'S, THAT'S MY FAVORITE PROJECT. I'M NOT JUST SAYING THAT BECAUSE I'M HERE IN NEW PORT RICHEY. THAT'S MY FAVORITE PROJECT I HAVE WORKED ON IN THE TEN PLUS YEARS I'VE WORKED IN FACILITIES FOR PASCO SCHOOLS. AND ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING THINGS WAS SEEING THE STUDENTS IN THAT BUILDING AND HEARING ONE STUDENT SAY THEY DID THIS FOR US, AND THAT WAS JUST REALLY, REALLY AMAZING TO SEE THE OLD SCHOOL AND THEN THE NEW SCHOOL. AND WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT HAS MADE FOR A MODERN FACILITY AND HOW HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS TO IT, TO TECHNOLOGY. THEIR MEDIA CENTER IS THE BEST MEDIA CENTER IN THE ENTIRE DISTRICT. IT IS BEAUTIFUL. IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT AND HAVE IT. IT'S IT'S INCREDIBLE. AND THAT THAT HAS JUST BEEN A REALLY GREAT PROJECT AS WELL. ALSO WITH PENNY FOR PASCO FUNDS RIGHT NOW WE ARE WORKING ON GULF MIDDLE. IF YOU DRIVE BY, YOU SEE A LOT

[00:20:02]

GOING ON THERE. THAT IS ANOTHER PROJECT THAT'S A LONG TIME COMING. I WAS JUST THERE LAST WEEK TO SEE THAT'S A PROJECT WHERE LIKE GULF HIGH, WE'RE, WE HAVE SOME NEW, NEW BUILDINGS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE OLD BUILDINGS THAT ARE BEING RENOVATED AND SEEING HOW THEY'LL TIE TOGETHER. IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED PROJECT. WE'LL HAVE STUDENTS ON CAMPUS, OF COURSE. SO THAT'S ALWAYS MAKES IT COMPLICATED TOO, WHEN YOU'RE DOING A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GOES ON ON A CAMPUS AND THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE WORKS WITH STUDENTS MOVING INTO THE NEW BUILDING IN DECEMBER IS THE PLAN. AND THEN ALSO WE'LL HAVE SOME WORK STILL GOING ON AFTER THE MOVE BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE SOME DEMOLITION AND REDOING PARKING AND GETTING THE SITE ALL SET UP. AS MENTIONED, WE ALSO HAVE THE POD WALL PROJECT AND RICHIE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST. I REMEMBER BEING THERE WHEN WE FIRST HAD IT DONE BECAUSE IT WAS DONE DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. AND I THINK THAT'S HOW FOR ME, THE LIGHT BULB REALLY HIT, THAT THIS WAS REALLY SOMETHING THAT WAS MATTERING TO TEACHERS AND TO STUDENTS, BECAUSE THEY WERE ASKING FOR IT TO BE DONE DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND NORMALLY THEY DO NOT WANT US THERE. WHEN KIDS ARE ON CAMPUS, THEY PREFER EVERYTHING TO BE IN THE SUMMER. BUT THE SCHOOLS AND THE THE TEACHERS IN PARTICULAR WERE CLAMORING FOR THOSE POD WALLS BECAUSE THEY REALIZE WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MADE, IT MADE ACADEMICALLY. SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE INVESTMENTS. AND AS YOU MENTIONED, MR. DAVIS MALO WAS NOT THAT LONG AGO. THAT WAS STARTED IN 2020 WITH THE THE NEW WING, AND THEN ALSO JUST THE REFRESH ON THE WHOLE BUILDING AND MAKING THAT A STEAM MAGNET SCHOOL AS WELL. AND WE WANT TO INVITE, IF YOU DON'T MIND CLICKING ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE THERE, WE WANT TO JUST GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND WE WANT TO INVITE THE CITY COUNCIL AND YOUR YOUR TEAM, HOWEVER YOU WANT WHO YOU WANT TO INVITE THEIR THEIR TO A SNEAK PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES OF OF THE SCHOOL. WE DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE YET, BUT WE'D LIKE TO KIND OF WORK WITH YOU AND WORK IT AROUND YOUR CALENDAR. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE ALL ALLOWED TO SHOW UP AT THE SAME PLACE WITHOUT IT BEING NOTICED IN THE SUNSHINE. YOU'LL WORK WITH YOUR TEAM ON THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S NO VOTE. BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU AND SOME OF OUR LEADERS IN NEW PORT RICHEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO WITH MR. VINCENT AND THE TEAM TO DO A WALK THROUGH OF THE BUILDING.

IT WON'T BE 100% COMPLETED. YOU WON'T HAVE ALL THE FURNITURE IN. BUT WE'RE. WE'RE HOPING THAT IT WILL HAVE MOST OF THE. THE DRYWALL, THE PAINT, ALL THE THE THE LOGISTICS DONE INSIDE OF THE BUILDING SOMETIME IN SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER. AND WE WANT TO INVITE YOU TO DO THAT.

BECAUSE THE CONSTRUCTION, THE PHASE ONE AS, AS MISS SAID, IS, WILL BE DONE, BEGINNING OF DECEMBER, WHICH MEANS THAT OUR TEAM HAS TO MOVE EVERYTHING OVER TECHNICALLY DURING THE WINTER BREAK, THE CHRISTMAS BREAK, WILL THEY START AHEAD OF TIME? PROBABLY. THEY'LL PROBABLY KNOWING TEACHERS, KNOWING THE TEAM THERE, KNOWING ONCE WE GET TO SEE OH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL YOU KNOW, THE TEAM WILL HAVE A HAVE A METHOD TO TO GET THE STUFF OVER THERE. BUT WE'LL BE MOVING THE MOVING OVER IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER WITH STUDENTS, THE FURNITURE COMING IN. AND WHEN THE FURNITURE COMES IN, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A MILITARY OPERATION. LET'S JUST PUT IT THAT WAY. MOVING THE FURNITURE INTO A MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL WITH THE STAFF OFFICIAL FIRST DAY IN THE BUILDING, JANUARY 4TH AND THEN JANUARY 5TH WOULD BE THE STUDENTS BEING AT THE SCHOOL. AND, AS WE AS, AS WE REALLY MEAN THIS, IT IS NOT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S BUILDING. IT IS THE COMMUNITY'S BUILDING. AND THIS IS YOUR COMMUNITY. IT'S HERE.

WE WANT YOU TO BE A PART OF IT. WE WANT YOU TO SEE IT. WE WANT YOU TO FEEL IT. THAT BUILDING'S BEEN THERE FOR 100 YEARS, AND WE WANT THIS ONE TO BE THERE FOR ANOTHER 100. SO WE WANT YOU TO BE A PART OF PART OF THOSE, THOSE ACTIVITIES. WE MOST LIKELY WON'T DO A RIBBON CUTTING OR A OFFICIAL DEDICATION, PROBABLY UNTIL LATER IN THE SCHOOL YEAR, WHEN KIND OF ALL THE LOGISTICS ARE WORKED OUT. YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP. NOT THAT YOU HAVE TO, BUT THERE'S A THERE'S A LOGISTICAL SIDE OF RUNNING A SCHOOL. NO MATTER HOW WELL YOU PREPARE, THE FIRST DAY NEVER GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN. SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE OUR TEACHERS A COUPLE OF WEEKS. IT'S GOING TO TAKE OUR TEACHERS A COUPLE WEEKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CAR LINE RUNS SMOOTHLY. THE CAFETERIA LINES ARE RUNNING, THE WORKFLOW WORKS, AND THEY WORK IT OUT PRETTY QUICKLY. BUT WE WANT TO GIVE THEM THAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THOSE THINGS WORK. AND THEN THEN WE'LL DO KIND OF A RIBBON CUTTING WITH, WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, IF YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO BE THERE AS, AS IT GOES ON, HAVE A LOT MORE STACKING THAN YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW, YOU'D BE VERY HAPPY TO SEE WHERE THAT CAR LINE GOES COMPARED TO RIGHT NOW. THE ONE AREA THAT WHILE WE'VE GIVEN YOU LOTS OF GOOD NEWS, THIS IS AN AREA OF CONCERN THAT WE WANT TO JUST MAKE YOU AWARE THAT YOU PROBABLY HAVE ALREADY SEEN, BUT WE ARE SEEING IT IN OUR NUMBERS. WE'RE SEEING IN OUR NUMBERS. AND I WANT TO GIVE YOU CONTEXT TO THIS, ENROLLMENT IN ALL SCHOOLS ARE GOING DOWN. ALL SCHOOLS ARE GOING DOWN THIS

[00:25:05]

SIDE OF THE COUNTY. AND NEW PORT RICHEY IS NOT IMMUNE TO THAT. AND THE NUMBERS, WE LOOKED AT THEM TODAY BEFORE I WAS LOOKING AT THEM TODAY BEFORE WE COME IN. AND THESE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE REGISTERED. WE HAVE CHANGES ALL THE WAY UP TO THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL, BUT WE WILL BE LOWER IN ALL SCHOOLS IN NEW PORT RICHEY THAN WE WERE THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

AND THAT TREND IS CONTINUING EVERYWHERE. IN WEST PASCO. IT'S A LITTLE SLOWER IN THE CITY OF NEW PORT RICHEY THAN MAYBE THE PORT RICHEY AREA, BUT THE NUMBERS ARE DECREASING AND SOME WILL ASK, WELL, ARE THEY GOING TO HOME SCHOOL? PRIVATE SCHOOL? THE ANSWER IS YES, BUT NOT AT THE NUMBERS THAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING. THE REAL NUMBER THAT'S DRIVING THIS IS THE BIRTH RATE. THE BIRTH RATE HAS DROPPED OUT OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA, OUT OF OUR COUNTRY. I MEAN, THEY ARE, PINELLAS. WE HAVE NOT SEEN THE NUMBERS HERE IN PASCO, BUT PINELLAS IS USING THE NUMBERS TEN YEARS AGO FOR EVERY 100 CHILDREN BORN 100 YEARS AGO OR TEN YEARS AGO, TEN YEARS AGO, WE'RE ABOUT 74 RIGHT NOW. SO THAT'S A 26% DROP IN BIRTH RATE. PASCO IS SEEING A SOMEWHAT MUTED ENROLLMENT DECLINE, BUT WE STILL ARE SEEING IT BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE NEW PEOPLE MOVING IN. BUT THAT NUMBER IS NOT OVERTAKING THE DECLINE IN BIRTH RATE. WE ARE PROJECTING IN PASCO AS A WHOLE ABOUT A 2000 STUDENT DECLINE ACROSS OUR WHOLE DISTRICT. WITH THAT SAID, WE ARE PROJECTING ENROLLMENT INCREASES SPECIFICALLY IN WEST OR EAST PASCO. SO EAST PASCO IS STILL GROWING SLIGHTLY, BUT THAT MEANS WEST PASCO IS NOT ONLY DECREASING, IT'S DECREASING AT A FASTER RATE THAN EVERYWHERE ELSE. IT'S DECREASING PRETTY FAST. WE ARE CONCERNED, WE ARE CONCERNED. IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, THEY'RE LIKE, OKAY, 36 STUDENTS ISN'T A LOT. IT'S NOT. BUT WHEN YOU ACCUMULATE THAT YEAR OVER YEAR OVER YEAR, THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A TREND THAT WE HAVE TO WATCH CAREFULLY. WE HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL, THAT'S CONCERNING WHAT WE ARE SEEING SLIGHTLY IS THAT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ENROLLMENT DECREASE. IT IS STILL LOWER THAN LAST YEAR, BUT WE THINK THAT GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL NUMBER WILL BE SMALLER. WE WON'T KNOW TILL THE FIRST DAY. WE THINK THE NEW BUILDING IS HELPING. WE THINK HAVING AN A RATING HAS HELPED, BUT WE DO KNOW IT WILL BE SMALLER THAN THE YEAR BEFORE THE ENROLLMENT. BUT WE THINK THAT NUMBER MAY BE A LITTLE BIT A LITTLE BIT OFF, BUT WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. JUST GOING ALONG WITH THAT, EVERY TIME YOU GO DOWN A STREET IN PASCO COUNTY, THERE'S A NEW STOPLIGHT AND A NEW DEVELOPMENT. IS THAT FORESEEN? THESE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO STILL BE DOWN. YES.

YEAH. AND IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE, EVEN WITH ALL THE NEW GROWTH, PEOPLE ARE NOT HAVING THE SAME NUMBER OF CHILDREN AS THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, IF A FAMILY TEN YEARS AGO HAD THREE KIDS, THEY'RE HAVING ONE NOW, THEY'RE HAVING ONE. SO EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE ARE MOVING IN THE, THE, THE, THE NUMBER THAT I LIKE TO, TO USE IS THE NUMBER OF 12TH GRADERS LEAVING OUR SYSTEM IS ABOUT 6000. THE NUMBER OF KINDERGARTNERS IS 4000. SO THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING CONSISTENTLY NOW. SO THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO JUST KEEP GOING UP, LIKE MOVING UP IN THE SYSTEM, MEANING THAT THAT FIRST THAT KINDERGARTEN CLASS IS GOING TO ROLL INTO FIRST GRADE. SO THAT'S GOING TO KEEP COMPOUNDING OUR NUMBERS. WE ARE NOT QUITE AT THE LEVEL OF PINELLAS. PINELLAS IS PROJECTING 4 TO 5000 STUDENT DECREASE. WE'RE PROJECTING 2000. BUT EVERY DISTRICT IN FLORIDA IS FOR THE MOST PART, SAINT JOHNS AND SUMTER AND, AND MAYBE 1 OR 2 OTHER DISTRICTS MAY BE AN ANOMALY, BUT PRETTY MUCH EVERY DISTRICT IN FLORIDA IS SHOWING SMALLER KINDERGARTEN CLASSES. WE HAVE SOME SCHOOLS NOW WHERE WE USED TO HAVE FIVE KINDERGARTEN CLASSES. WE'RE NOW DOWN TO THREE. SO AND THAT'S AND THAT'S ROLLING UP. SO THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT US, MOVING FORWARD IN SOME OF THE FACILITY DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE. SO JUST AND YOU MAY BE SEEING THAT IN YOUR OWN, DEMOGRAPHIC PATTERNS THAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE CITY. THE LAST THING THAT I WANT TO WANT TO KIND OF LEAVE YOU WITH, AND THIS IS KIND OF THE FUTURE. AND WE ALL, WE ALL HAVE BEEN OUT THERE. I CALL IT ON THE TRAIL. I CALL IT THE RUBBER CHICKEN CIRCUIT. SO I AM ON THE RUBBER CHICKEN CIRCUIT FOR THE NEXT, THREE MONTHS TO NOVEMBER. TALKING ABOUT THE REFERENDUM THAT'S COMING ON THE BALLOT FOR OUR TEACHERS THREE YEARS AGO, FOUR YEARS AGO NOW, I SHOULD

[00:30:04]

SAY OUR VOTERS PASSED A REFERENDUM TO TAX THEMSELVES SO THAT MONEY COULD GO FOR TEACHERS SALARY. THE WAY IT WORKS IS EVERY FOUR YEARS IT'S UP FOR RENEWAL TO GIVE YOU THE IMPACT OF OF HOW HOW IT HAS AFFECTED US. IT HAS HAD A DIRECT EFFECT ON THE CLASSROOM.

IT HAS HAD A DIRECT EFFECT ON THE ACADEMICS. WE ARE IN A DISTRICT TODAY BECAUSE OF THE REFERENDUM THAT WAS PASSED. I MEAN, WE OUR TEAM GETS THE BENEFIT OF THE INVESTMENT THAT THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION FOUGHT FOR. IF YOU LOOK AT 2002, RIGHT BEFORE THE REFERENDUM, ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, WE HAD 314 CLASSROOM VACANCIES, 314 FIRST DAY LAST YEAR IS 55. WE ARE GOING TO BE LOWER THAN THAT. WE ARE PROJECTING TO BE LOWER THAN THAT THIS YEAR, SO WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, BUT WE ARE HOPEFUL TO BE BEATING THAT NUMBER THIS YEAR. THAT HAS A MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT ON TEACHER QUALITY, ON INSTRUCTIONAL, CONSISTENCY IN THE CLASSROOM. IF THE REFERENDUM, IF WE DON'T PROTECT THE REFERENDUM, IF WE DON'T PROTECT TEACHERS PAY BY REAFFIRMING THE REFERENDUM, IT WILL BE A 12% CUT TO TEACHERS PAY. AND THAT GIANT SUCKING SOUND YOU HEAR WILL BE ALL THE TEACHERS DRIVING TO PINELLAS AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, BECAUSE THEY WILL BE PAYING MORE THAN US, SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN US AND OUR TEACHERS. I MEAN, WE LIVE IN A, AS YOU KNOW, A TIGHT ECONOMY. AND THEY THEY WILL CALL IT VOTE WITH THEIR FEET, GO WHERE THE WHERE THEY'RE GETTING PAID. THEY WILL GO TO PINELLAS AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. IF YOU HEAR A SOUND OF DESPERATION AND WORRY AND CONCERN BECAUSE IT IS LIKE WE, WE THE VOTERS LAST YEAR PASSED IT. I'M CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC THAT THEY WILL THIS YEAR. BUT AS YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU ARE DEALING WITH IT WITH. YOU HAVE YOUR OWN REFERENDUM, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON THE BALLOT, AND YOU'RE HAVING A REFERENDUM, LOCAL REFERENDUM ON THE BALLOT. SO YOU MAY BE ADVOCATING. I DON'T WANT TO ASSUME THAT YOU ARE NO ON ONE, BUT WE'RE ADVOCATING YES ON ANOTHER ONE. SO ONE PROPERTY TAX PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNS ON WE HAVE CONCERNS THAT THE OTHER ONE WE WANT THAT ONE TO BE. YES, THAT FOR OUR, FOR OUR SCHOOLS. AND SO TO, TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IMPACT IF YOU JUST EVEN LOOK AT CUSTODIAL VACANCIES, WE WENT FROM 80 DOWN TO 16 LAST YEAR ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. AND, AND I WILL SAY THAT 16 IS REALLY NORMAL VACANCIES AND NORMAL TURNOVER. WE ARE REALLY FULLY STAFFED ON CUSTODIAN. THE THAT ALSO GOES TO HELPS US WITH BUS DRIVERS. WE ARE PROJECTING THIS YEAR, WE HAD 63, 63 BUS DRIVER VACANCIES AT THE BEGINNING OF LAST YEAR. AS OF YESTERDAY, WE HAD 17 VACANCIES. I SAW YOUR SIGNS ALL OVER THE COUNTER. SO YES, WE'RE WE'RE WORKING HARD, WE'RE WORKING HARD. AND THIS REFERENDUM GOES TO PAY THOSE BUS DRIVERS TOO.

SO AND I WILL LET YOU KNOW, NOT WHEN YOU HAVE, 60 VACANCIES ON BUS DRIVERS. BUSSES DO RUN LATE.

THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO. I MEAN, THEY THEY DO DOUBLE RUN, TRIPLE RUNS. WE'RE PAYING OVERTIME. WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING, AND WE CANNOT SQUEEZE THE SCHEDULE ANYMORE TO, TO CREATE MORE ROUTES. AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THAT, THAT GOES.

SO THE REFERENDUM, YES, WE'RE, WE'RE OUT THERE HELPING THEM ADVOCATE, IN THEIR, BY GIVING INFORMATION, WE AS A GOVERNMENT INSTITUTION, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, CANNOT PAY MONEY TO, TO ADVOCATE ANY ISSUE. BUT I, AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL ABSOLUTELY CAN. BUT WE CAN'T USE PRINTED MATERIAL TO GO OUT AND DO ADS FOR IT. BUT WE ARE TELLING THE FACTS AND THE FACTS ARE WITHOUT THAT, WITHOUT THE REFERENDUM, OUR TEACHERS WILL GET A 12% PAY CUT. THERE'S NO THAT'S THERE'S NO WAY AROUND IT. IT'S A, IT'S A $67 MILLION, LINE ITEM BUDGET. AND YOU, IF YOU, I, WE USE THIS EXAMPLE IF FIRED, EVERY PRINCIPAL, EVERY DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR GET ABOUT 31 MILLION. SO IF YOU GOT RID OF EVERY ADMINISTRATOR. SO SCHOOLS RAN THEMSELVES, PRINCIPALS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, ALL THE, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT RUN THE SECURITY, NOT THE SECURITY FOLKS, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT HELP RUN THE BACK END OF THE SECURITY I.T PEOPLE, ALL NON-CLASSROOM TEACHERS THAT ARE CONSIDERED ADMIN, IT WOULD ONLY END UP 30 MILLION, ONLY HALF.

AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE PRINCIPALS. SO AN ASSISTANT

[00:35:01]

PRINCIPALS TO RUN A SCHOOL. SO THAT GIVES YOU KIND OF THE IMPACT OF OF THERE. WE SAW AN 82% DECREASE IN CLASSROOM VACANCIES, 80% IN, IN CUSTODIAL VACANCIES. AND IT AFFECTS NOT JUST TEACHERS, BUT BUS DRIVERS, CUSTODIAL SERVICES, FOOD NUTRITION, IT GOES GOES TO THEM ALL. AND SO WE'RE HERE JUST PART OF MY RUBBER CHICKEN CIRCUIT, WHICH YOU KNOW, TO TO THEIRS TO GIVE THE UPDATE THAT WE'RE IN A DISTRICT, WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT IT'S BECAUSE OF THE INVESTMENT THAT THIS COMMUNITY MADE IN EDUCATION AND THE ROI IS THERE AND WE'RE SEEING IT AND WE'RE SEEING THE BENEFIT OF IT. SO AND FOR ME, I HAVE VOX POP IN OUR REGULAR MEETINGS. IT'S RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, AND IT WOULDN'T HURT ONE OF YOU TO COME BY AND JUST TALK ABOUT THAT REFERENDUM IN A BOX. YOU GET THREE MINUTES.

WE WOULD WELCOME THAT OPPORTUNITY TO, IF WE WOULD WANT TO BUILD IT AROUND YOUR SCHEDULE WHEN YOU THINK IT WOULD BE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS. I JUST SAID THAT THAT'S THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO SIT HERE THROUGH THE WHOLE MEETING. PLUS YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE THERE'S GOING TO BE 6 OR 8 PEOPLE HERE, BUT THE PEOPLE WATCHING AT HOME, TWO PEOPLE LOOK AT IT LATER ON WHEN YOU PUT YOUR WORD OUT, WE WILL DO IT. AND IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH ME STRATEGICALLY TIMING IT, PROBABLY 30 DAYS OUT FROM NOVEMBER 3RD WHEN CERTAIN THINGS ARRIVE IN THE MAIL FOR FOLKS MAY BE A GOOD TIME FOR US TO DO THAT. SO YOU CAN DO IT A COUPLE OF TIMES. OKAY. ABSOLUTELY. WE WELCOME THAT. WE, WE MEET THE FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH. WE WOULD WELCOME THAT OPPORTUNITY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND WITH THAT, THAT'S JUST OUR UPDATE. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE CAME BACK AND FOLLOW UP FROM LAST YEAR BECAUSE I, WE WANTED TO BE ACCOUNTABLE AND SHOW YOU WHAT WE WERE DOING WELL, NOT THE ACCOUNTABILITY, BUT WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO FOR IT BESIDES SELLING THE REFERENDUM? I THINK. AND YOU ALREADY ARE, BUT WE WOULD WELCOME YOU TO BE ENGAGED WHEN WE GO TO THESE OPENINGS. WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, WE WILL COMMUNICATE IT HOWEVER THE PROPER CHANNELS YOU WANT. BUT WHEN WE DO THE TOURS, THE VIP TOUR, WE WOULD WELCOME THAT.

YOU ALREADY HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR PRINCIPALS, BUT CONTINUE TO FOSTER THAT. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT. BUT WE, WE WANT, WE WANT TO INVITE YOU TO THOSE THINGS. AND IF YOUR SCHEDULE ALLOWS TO BE THERE DURING THE YEAR, LAST YEAR AT GOLF, GOLF, HIGH SCHOOL. AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, WELL, ACTUALLY I WAS A MEETING WITH THE PRINCIPAL AND, YOU KNOW, DEBATING AND THEN WE, HE, IT WAS TIME FOR CLASS TO CHANGE JUST A MINUTE. TIMEOUT. WE GOT TO GO. I GOT TO BE ON MY FACE OUT IN THE HALLWAY, YOU KNOW, AND SO I GOT THAT. I MEAN, THAT'S GOOD. THAT MEANS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY ALL A BUNCH OF KIDS SAID HELLO TO THEM. AND BUT I THINK IT WAS REALLY TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THE ESTABLISHMENT, BUT WE'RE PART OF YOU GUYS. YEAH. SO THANK YOU. YEAH. THAT'S, SOME AMAZING NUMBERS, SOME GREAT NUMBERS FOR THE WHOLE COUNTY. I MEAN, OF COURSE, NEW PORT RICHEY. WE WANT TO BE THE BEST, YOU KNOW, BUT WE'RE I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT ACROSS THE BOARD. ALL OF IT. YOU SAID SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THAT THE CREDIT GOES TO ALL THE PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH I THINK IS VERY TRUE. THEY OBVIOUSLY WORKED VERY HARD, BUT, YOU KNOW, KUDOS TO ALL OF YOU AND THE STAFF FOR CREATING THAT ENVIRONMENT TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN BECAUSE IT COMES FROM THE TOP FOR SURE. WELL, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WE FEEL LIKE OUR PRIORITY IS TRYING TO HELP ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS AND KEEP THE, I CALL IT DRAMA. YOU KNOW, AND I, AND I'M NOT SHY ABOUT SAYING YOU WON'T SEE ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU WON'T SEE US BRINGING, I CALL IT FRIVOLOUS TOPICS ON THE AGENDAS. WE ARE FOCUSED ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.

WE'RE FOCUSED ON REMOVING DISTRACTIONS. WHY? BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR DRAMA. WE.

THESE ARE KIDS LIVES AND WE GOT TO FOCUS ON IT. SO. BUT THANK YOU. MAY I ASK, WOULD YOU LIKE SOME WATER? I'M GOOD. ANYBODY WANT SOME? ARE YOU GOOD? OKAY. BECAUSE WE'VE ALL SITTING OVER HERE WITH OUR DRINKS. THANK YOU. FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE. WE KNOW BUDGETS ARE TIGHT. YEAH, IT'S BEEN RAINING A LOT LATELY, SO WE'VE GOT IT. I WOULD LIKE TO JUST DISCUSS A LITTLE BIT OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND THE PSYCHOGRAPHICS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. SOMEONE SAID TO ME AT ONE POINT THAT THE ONE THING THAT YOU REALLY CAN PREDICT IS, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE BEING BORN AND HOW MANY RIGHT NOW, HOW MANY FIRST GRADERS ARE GOING TO HAVE IN SIX YEARS OR WHATEVER. AND THE FOLKS MOVING IN, IT WAS MENTIONED BEFORE THE GROWTH OF THE CITY AND AROUND THE CITY, BUT THE POPULATION, ESTIMATES THAT CAME OUT IN JUNE SHOWED UP. I THINK IT WAS, WAS IT EIGHT? THE NUMBER WAS SEVERAL HUNDRED, I THINK ALMOST 500 LESS PEOPLE IN NEW PORT RICHEY THIS YEAR THAN THERE WERE LAST YEAR. A LOT OF THAT IS DUE TO OUR HURRICANES AND OUR COASTAL AREAS. SO OUR BIG PUSH HAS BEEN AND MY BIG PUSH, PARTICULARLY BEING ON THE REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL AND WATCHING THOSE KIND OF LEARNING THE STATISTICS AND UNDERSTANDING, IT'S JUST REALLY SOME INTERESTING THINGS I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU FOR A MOMENT. FIRST OF ALL, THE, THE, THE TAMPA BAY AREA ITSELF HAS A

[00:40:09]

PRETTY GOOD POTENTIAL FUTURE IN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE AND ALL THE MILITARY ON THE OTHER SIDE. WE HAVE MORE RETIRED COAST GUARD, RETIRED AS WELL AS ACTIVE MILITARY AND THEN MAYBE ANYWHERE ELSE BUT ANOTHER 1 OR 2 PLACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE ALSO HAVE FROM SOME OF THESE ANALYTICS THAT THEY SHARE ABOUT THE REGION. WE HAVE THIS REALLY BURGEONING, AS YOU KNOW, MEDICAL FACILITIES COMING WITH MOFFITT AND JOHNS HOPKINS. AND, AND I THINK FLORIDA'S FUTURE HAS BEEN ESTIMATED BASED ON WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE POPULATION TO BECOME THE MEDICAL MECCA OF THE COUNTRY. AS PEOPLE MOVE DOWN HERE, NOT ONLY FROM TRADITIONAL METHODS BEING OLDER, BUT BUT OUR ECONOMY REALLY IS GOING TO DEPEND ON THE ABILITY TO HAVE GOOD WORKERS. AND SO IT'S JUST INTERESTING AS WE LOOK AT GRANTS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE BIG, THE BIG NUT THAT IS THE PASCO COUNTY $580 MILLION HURRICANE RELIEF FUNDS THAT ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, FUNCTION. AND ONE WOULD THINK, BATTELLE, THAT IT WOULD BE DIRECTED TO DIRECT OR SOME KIND OF NEXUS TO THE TO THE, TO THE ECONOMY AFFECTED BY FOLKS WHO WERE, WHO WERE AFFECTED BY THE FLOOD, BUT THEY'RE RUNNING THE MONEY THROUGH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROCESS. THE CITY ALSO IS FORTUNATE TO HAVE OUR CRA, OUR COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, AND THAT'S HOW WE WERE ABLE TO PICK UP THE SWETMAN SCHOOL. THERE'S BEEN SOME RECENT, STUDIES THAT WERE DONE BY THAT GROUP.

INTERESTINGLY PAID FOR BY ALAN SWETMAN, THE SON OF HARRY SWETMAN, WHO, WHO COVERED THE COST OF AN ECONOMIC STUDY THAT JUST CAME OUT THIS PAST WEEK. I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'VE RELEASED IT YET, BUT I THINK YOU'LL FIND IT FASCINATING. AND THAT, THEY'RE OUTLINING, A STRATEGIC ECONOMIC STRATEGY THAT'S, IT'S ABOUT THAT THIRD PLACE. SO WE TALK ABOUT HOME.

YOU TALK ABOUT SCHOOL, THE EIGHT HOURS, ONE PLACE, EIGHT AT THE OTHER. BUT IN THE ECONOMIC STRATEGY, THEY TALK ABOUT A THIRD PLACE WHERE YOU GO WHEN YOU'RE NOT AT WORK OR AT SCHOOL OR YOU'RE NOT AT HOME. AND SO OUR GOAL IS FOR NEW PORT RICHEY TO BECOME KIND OF THAT THIRD PLACE FOR THE BROADER REGION. WE'RE SEEING THAT HAPPEN AT NIGHT TIME WITH OUR BARS AND RESTAURANTS AND EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON. AND WE'VE BEEN ADDING PARKING GARAGES AND TRYING TO PREPARE FOR THAT. SO IT'S SORT OF IRONIC THAT WE LOST SO MANY RESIDENTS OF THE CITY. IN TERMS OF THAT, I'M NOT SO SURE HOW ACCURATE IT REALLY IS, BUT THAT THAT WE DIDN'T GROW UP, BUT YET OUR OUR RETAIL TRAFFIC, OUR ECONOMY IS GROWING AND OUR NEED TO ADDRESS OUR RESILIENCY PROBLEMS IS GROWING, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH STORMWATER OR, OR POLICIES THAT WE HAVE. AND EDUCATION IS A KEY TO AN ELECTED BODY LIKE OURS, TO OUR CITIZENRY. SO WE'RE HAVING AN EVENT ON THE 27TH OF AUGUST THAT'S GOING TO BE A COUNCILMAN.

JONAS IS NOT HERE, BUT HE'S OUR, OUR, OUR DESIGNEE ON THE TOURISM BOARD, BUT ON ECO TOURISM AND, AND THE FOCUS BACK TO THE, THE, THE 580 MILLION IS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY HAVE 10 MILLION FOR PLANNING AND THEY HAVE ABOUT 25 MILLION FOR LONG TERM ECONOMIC GROWTH. SO I GOT AN INTERVIEW WITH, CHUCK LANE WHO RUNS THAT. AND HE RUNS IT KIND OF OUT OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES, BUILDING. THEY'RE OFF A LITTLE ROAD. AND IN THAT DISCUSSION THERE WERE SAYING THAT THEIR MEASUREMENT TOOL TO DECIDE WHAT LONG TERM ECONOMIC GROWTH IS, IS HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WILL BE ADDED TO OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS, WHICH IS TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT THEORY. AND, YOU KNOW, AT FIRST I KIND OF TOOK EXCEPTION TO THAT. IT'S LIKE, WHAT ABOUT WHAT ABOUT AN INNOVATION HUB? WHAT ABOUT A LONG TERM PLAN FOR OUR CHILDREN? AND I KNOW THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD IS INVOLVED WITH THE EDC AND HAVING TALKED TO THEM AND FOLKS LIKE, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF TAMPA BAY WHO, WHO ARE JOINING TO TRY TO

[00:45:06]

FIGURE OUT HOW TO BRIDGE THE NEED FOR FOLKS THAT WILL BE EMPLOYEES AT MOFFITT OR, OR FOR THE NEW, FOR THE DEMAND ON THE MILITARY SIDE, THERE'S A LOT OF DEMAND, APPARENTLY, FOR THE DRONE DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY OF THE RETIRED RETIRED MILITARY OFTEN ARE STILL ON THE MILITARY DIME, BUT THEY'RE JUST WORKING PRIVATELY. SO, STUDYING THE MOVEMENT OF OUR ECONOMY AND PLANNING FOR THAT. AND THEN TYING IT INTO THE HURRICANE HAS BEEN A RIDDLE THAT I'VE BEEN PURSUING AND SHARING. AND, KEY TO THAT IS THE GRADES OF THE SCHOOL. SO GETTING OUR CITY TO BE ATTRACTIVE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES IS YOU'VE JUST GIVEN US A HUGE BOOST. AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DID ANNOUNCE THAT THEY HAD WHAT, AT THEIR LITTLE EVENT THEY HAD FOR THE SAY GOODBYE TO GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL. A WEEK OR TWO AGO, THEY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY HAD, I DON'T KNOW, WAS IT 20 OR 20 SOME NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO HAVE GONE TO A SCHOOL CHOICE TO TRY TO COME TO GULF MIDDLE. SO RENEWED ENERGY THERE. SO WE DO HAVE A SHARED VISION AND A DREAM. AND I THINK THAT, AS, AS WE GO FORWARD, WE'RE REALLY LIKE YOU REPLACING SOMETHING 100 YEARS OLD. WE'VE DONE THE SAME THING. THAT'S BEEN A COMMON THEME FOR US GETTING BACK TO THE OLD HIGH SCHOOL. THAT'S 100 AND SOME YEARS OLD AND LOOKING AT HOW THE CITY DEVELOPED ON THE RIVER. WE HAVE A GREAT STORY TO TELL, AND I THINK WE WANT TO TRY TO TELL THAT AND BECOME AN ATTRACTION TO, TO EDUCATING THE YOUTH AND TYING THAT IN TO HAVING THE LOCAL TALENT THAT CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE JOBS AND STAY, STAY WITH OUR FAMILIES, YOU KNOW, STAY IN THE COMMUNITY. WELL, AND I THINK I THINK THE CITY, NEW PORT RICHEY HAS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION AND SCHOOLS. AND THIS IS NOT TO BE DISPARAGING OF OUR OTHER SCHOOLS IN THEIR COMMUNITY, BUT JUST BEING RIGHT THERE IS SIMPLY NOT THE HISTORY AT MITCHELL OR RIVER RIDGE AS THERE IS IN GOLF. I MEAN, THERE'S A DEEP HISTORY. AND I WAS TALKING TO MR. VINCENT, AND HE SAID THEY HAD OVER 200 PEOPLE COME TO KIND OF A GOODBYE THING AT GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL. 200 PEOPLE FROM FROM BACK FROM 1960S ON TO COME TO THE SCHOOL, BOUGHT LOCKER DOORS, EVERYTHING TO COME TO THE SCHOOL ABOUT ONE. YEAH. THERE YOU GO. YEAH. SO SO YOU GUYS WERE THERE. SO YOU WERE THERE 75 THE YEAR I GRADUATED. SO I MEAN, LIKE WE THAT THAT'S A HISTORY IS AN ASSET THAT YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PUT A NUMBER ON IT, BUT IT DOES HAVE A NUMBER. IT DOES HAVE A VALUE THAT NOT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS WILL HAVE THAT LUXURY, AT LEAST NOT FOR ANOTHER 50 TO 100 YEARS.

AND, AND I DO THINK IF WE CAN ELEVATE MORE THAT ACADEMICS TO MAKE IT MORE OF A YOU HAVE A HISTORY. YOU ALSO HAVE A PRIDE, YOU HAVE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY. AND I I'M GOING TO WAX POETIC HERE, BUT I THINK PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY FOR COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, AND AND NEW PORT RICHEY HAS THAT, YOU KNOW, AND IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE IT, WE BENEFIT AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM BECAUSE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, STRONG SCHOOLS ARE IN STRONG COMMUNITIES AND STRONG COMMUNITIES HAVE STRONG SCHOOLS. IT'S THAT RELATIONSHIP TOGETHER. AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE IS TO, TO KEEP KEEP THAT. SO YOU GOT SOME QUESTIONS, I'M SURE. YES. MR. MURPHY, I'LL JUST LET YOU KNOW. THOSE LOCKERS WERE RETIRED BY THE TIME I GOT TO MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO I WAS I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET ONE MYSELF, BUT, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME SENTIMENTAL VALUES, BUT, I JUST WANT TO THANK DOCTOR LEGG AND DOCTOR ALLISON KOONTZ FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME OUT AND CONTINUE THIS DIALOG, BECAUSE I DO RECALL, DOCTOR LEGG CAME OUT VERY EARLY ON WHEN HE JOINED THE ADMINISTRATION AND MADE IT A POINT TO WANT TO EXTEND A DIALOG WITH OUR LOCAL CITY. I DO HAVE A FEW THINGS I WANT TO EXTEND TO YOU IN THE PRESENCE OF OUR CITY MANAGER, IN HOPES OF CONTINUING THIS DIALOG. FIRST, I DID END MY TIME WITH, GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO THIS, IT IS NOT MR. VINCENT WRITING MY CHECK WHEN I SAY THIS. SO THIS IS HONEST TESTIMONY WHEN I SAY THAT, THE DECISION TO THE TOUGH DECISION TO BRING A NEW LEADERSHIP TO GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS ABSOLUTELY THE RIGHT DECISION TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT SCHOOL WHERE IT NEEDED TO GO. THERE IS NOT A SINGLE TEACHER AT GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL WHO DID NOT FEEL SUPPORTED BECAUSE OF THAT CHANGE, WHO FELT LIKE THEY COULD FOCUS ON THE CURRICULUM AND THE ACADEMICS AND WERE NOT DISTRACTED BY, AS YOU PUT IT, FRIVOLOUS OTHER OTHER THINGS.

MR. VINCENT HAS A TRACK RECORD AT EVERY SCHOOL HE'S BEEN AT, WHERE THE SCHOOL HAS CONSISTENTLY LOW PERFORMED, AND HE HAS TURNED THAT AROUND. AND AS WELL AS HOLDING HOLDING THE

[00:50:04]

LINE AT SEVEN SPRINGS FOR THE YEARS HE WAS THERE. THAT BEING SAID, MR. ALTMAN BROUGHT UP THE POINT OF RESILIENCY AND SOME OF THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON THE WEST SIDE OF US 19. OUR CITY MANAGER AND THE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND MR. ROBB AND MR. GAMMON HAVE BEEN WORKING EXCEPTIONALLY HARD ON THE COTTAGE. RESIDENTIAL INNOVATION. IT'S A NEW REZONING THAT TRIES TO KEEP PEOPLE HERE OR BRING THEM BACK. LOOK ON YOUR FACE. IT'S. I'M JUST NORTH OF, SOUTH GATE MALL. OH, OKAY. THANK YOU. THE THE THE SEA CASTLE APARTMENTS. PLACES ARE.

IT WAS IT WAS A TRAILER PARK. OH, OKAY. OKAY, OKAY. I'VE SEEN THE SIGN. I KNOW, RIGHT WHERE YOU MEAN. CATHY. YEAH. OKAY. TO THE CITY MANAGER IS, TAKING THAT INNOVATION AND TRYING TO TIE IT TO RESILIENCY IN THE FORM OF A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY STRUCK AND, ROLLED OUT A TENTATIVE, THOUGH VERY EARLY IN ITS STAGE PLAN OF POTENTIALLY TAKING CERTAIN PARCELS, IN WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPER TO BUILD THESE PROPERTIES AND OFFER HOMEOWNERS THAT WERE DISPLACED IN THE HURRICANES OR JUST HAVEN'T HAVE A CONNECTION TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. WRAP AROUND SERVICES THROUGH COUNTY DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO STAY THERE AND MOVE INTO THESE NEW HOMES. I CALL IT A SORT OF A MUSICAL CHAIRS, IF YOU WILL, WHERE YOU'RE MOVING, YOU'RE MOVING NEARBY, BUT YOU'RE STILL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. YOU STILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO STAY. I'VE BROUGHT IT UP TO THIS COUNCIL BEFORE AND, AND I'LL BRING IT UP TO, TO OUR REPRESENTATIVES NOW THAT THE DELRAY COUNTY BEACH SCHOOL SYSTEM OFFERS WHAT'S CALLED AN EAGLE NEST PROGRAM, IT'S AN INNOVATIVE INITIATIVE WHERE THEY TAKE SOME OF THEIR TECHNICAL PROGRAM STUDENTS, AND THEY PROVIDE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON SITE ON SOME CONSTRUCTION AND BUILD OUTS TO GET ON, GET SOME HANDS ON EXPERIENCE. I THINK THIS CITY, AND I SPEAK FOR MYSELF, BUT WOULD ADVOCATE FOR THE REST OF OUR COUNCIL, OUR CITY ADMINISTRATION, THAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL BOARD AND OUR OUR OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF FEEL THAT THERE IS A FUTURE WHERE THAT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE. I'D LOVE TO SEE OUR CITY MANAGER TRY TO WORK ON SOME WAY TO MAKE THAT WORK WITHIN THE REALMS OF POTENTIALLY THE COTTAGE PROGRAM OR ANOTHER INITIATIVE. AS IT RELATES TO LITERACY, THERE IS IT IS NOT A COINCIDENCE THAT THERE ARE THREE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE LIBRARY HERE. OUR LIBRARY CANNOT SIT STILL WHEN IT COMES TO TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE PUT BOOKS IN THE HANDS OF OUR CHILDREN. AND TO THAT END, WE ARE NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE BRAND NEW RENOVATED OR, EXCUSE ME, RENOVATED LIBRARY, MODERNIZED IT, BUT WE'VE GONE EVEN FURTHER THAN THAT THROUGH OUR LIBRARY VOLUNTEERS TO HAVE AN LOI, A BOOKMOBILE. AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S ALREADY BEEN SOME PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS, WITH THAT PROGRAM, AND I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT CONTINUE. SO TO THE MAYOR'S POINT OF HOW WE CAN CONTINUE AS A CITY TO SUPPORTING YOU, I THINK LITERACY IS GOING TO BE A PRIORITY. LITERACY IS THE NUMBER ONE CORRELATION WHEN IT COMES TO CRIME RATE FOR OUR YOUNG, OUR YOUNG, UP AND COMING ADULTS. AND SO BEING ABLE TO GET KIDS ABLE TO READ, IS GOING TO LEAD TO JOB SUCCESS. ALSO, MR. ALTMAN HAS BROUGHT UP OUR DISCOVERY. MR. ALTMAN HAS BEEN ONE OF THE CHAMPIONS, ONE OF THE MANY ON A DISCOVERY CENTER, WHICH I KNOW SOME SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND SOME STAFF HAVE GONE TO ONE OF THE AT THE REC CENTER, YOU GUYS KIND OF DID LIKE A PILOT ACTIVITY. IT WAS LIKE A HANDS ON ARTS AND CRAFTS TO KIND OF SHOW SOME OF WHAT THE DISCOVERY CENTER WOULD BE ABOUT. I KNOW THERE IS SOME ADVOCACY TONIGHT ON THAT TOPIC AND, DISCOVERY CENTER WOULD BE A GREAT PLUS TO OUR COMMUNITY AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS, TO, TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING SOME SORT OF FORM OF EDUCATION TO HELP WITH THE ACHIEVEMENT LEVEL, BUT ALSO THE LEARNING GAPS. I THINK OUR SUPERINTENDENT DID A GREAT JOB JUST HIGHLIGHTING THE ACHIEVEMENTS, STUDENTS THAT ARE ABLE TO GET TO THAT THRESHOLD OF PASSING, BUT ESPECIALLY IN THE CASE OF GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHAT BROUGHT US OVER THE EDGE WERE THE LEARNING GAINS. THERE ARE STUDENTS WHO WHO MADE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN LEARNING GAINS TO TRY TO GET THEM ON THE LEVEL THAT THEY ARE AT A SIXTH GRADER, SIXTH GRADER, READING AT A SECOND GRADE LEVEL.

IF THEY CAN GET TO A FOURTH GRADE, FIFTH GRADE LEVEL IN ONE YEAR, THAT THAT COUNTS TOWARDS THE BUCKETS. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S GETTING THE KIDS. IT'S SETTING UP THE STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS AS THEY ENTER HIGH SCHOOL. ONE OTHER THING ON THAT SLIDE WAS YOU NOTICE THAT THE C'S WERE STRAIGHT IN GULF HIGH SCHOOL'S CATEGORY. THAT WAS AN INHERITED AMOUNT OF GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL'S KIDS. SO FOR THEM TO HOLD THAT C, DESPITE INHERITING A PRETTY LOW GROUP OF CHILDREN, IS IS HUGE. AND THEN OF COURSE, THIS YEAR WITH THE CHANGE IN ADMINISTRATION, AND CHANGE IN ADMINISTRATION OVER THERE AT THE SCHOOL AS WELL, YOU SAW AN ACTUAL JUMP INSTEAD OF JUST HOLDING THE LINE. SO TESTAMENT TO OUR STAFF. AND THEN FINALLY,

[00:55:03]

THIS IS THE BIGGEST TOPIC I HAVE, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT EACH OF US HAS TALKED TO IN IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. IT'S THE NEWPORT CORNERS DEVELOPMENT, 3600 PROPERTIES MOVING IN, LITTLE ROAD, PLATH ROAD, THE WALL. WHILE OUR CITY ITSELF IS SEEING A DECLINE IN, AS ALTMAN POINTED OUT IN RESIDENTS, WHICH INEVITABLY WILL BE, YOU KNOW, STAGGERED BY SOME OF THE WORK BY OUR CITY MANAGER AND THE CRA BOARD, WE DO HAVE WHAT WOULD BE HALF OF OUR CURRENT HOUSING STOCK MOVING JUST TO THE EAST OF US, REPRESENTING UP TO 20% OF THE POPULATION OF OUR CITY.

THAT IS GOING TO END UP USING ROADS SUCH AS MASSACHUSETTS, INDIANA AVENUE, PLATH ROAD OR, AND CECILIA, WHICH IN JUST THE LAST SIX MONTHS, WE'VE ALL TALKED AT SOME WAY, SHAPE AND FORM IN THE DEVELOPMENTS ON THOSE ROADS. SO ANOTHER WAY THIS CITY CAN PARTNER WITH OUR SCHOOL BOARD, WHO I'M ASSUMING QUITE, QUITE A BIG CHUNK OF THAT IS GOING TO BE ZONED FOR GULF, MIDDLE, GULF HIGH, IF NOT CHASCO AND A LITTLE BIT NORTH. WE ARE GOING TO BE SEEING THOSE KIDS COMING INTO OUR CITY, INTO OUR COMMUNITY, EVEN IF THEY AREN'T ZONED HERE. AND OUR FUTURE ANNEXATION PLANS WAY DOWN THE LINE, GOING TO PLUG THAT HOPEFULLY COULD POTENTIALLY INCLUDE A FUTURE WHERE THEY ARE JOINING OUR CITY. BUT IN, IN THE SHORT TERM, I DO THINK THAT LOOKING AT THE INVESTMENT ON THOSE ROADS, IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL. IN PARTICULAR, I KNOW COUNCILMAN ALTMAN'S BROUGHT UP POINTS ON CECILIA, BUT I'M GOING TO BRING UP INDIANA AVENUE. THIS IS A ROAD THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE THAT IS SPLIT BETWEEN US AND THE COUNTY. THAT IS DESPERATELY IN NEED OF A SIDEWALK. IT IS GOING TO BECOME WHEN PLATH ROAD IS OVER, OVER OVERBURDENED BY THE DEVELOPMENT. IT IS GOING TO BECOME A CUT THROUGH. AND HAVING A SIDEWALK THERE AND GETTING AHEAD OF THIS ISSUE IS GOING TO BE PARAMOUNT TO THAT. I KNOW AT LEAST ONE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS HAS, HAS EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN MAKING SURE ALL OF OUR ROADS CONNECTING TO OUR SCHOOLS HAVE THE PROPER PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE. AND THIS WALL RIGHT NOW MAY NOT BE THE PRIORITY ROAD. WITH THAT DEVELOPMENT MOVING IN, IT IS GOING TO BE VERY QUICKLY BECOME ONE OF THOSE PRIORITIES. SO I'LL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT ISSUE. AND AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING THE DIALOG.

I THINK IT WILL MAKE THE REFERENDUM AND THAT CONVERSATION A LOT EASIER, BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN HERE OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, PUTTING IN THE WORK, AND NOW IT'S JUST OUR PART OF GETTING OUT THERE AND EXPRESSING OUR VIEWS ON WHERE WE WANT OUR SCHOOLS TO GO FOR THE NEXT TEN, 15, 20 YEARS. ONE OF THE PROGRAM, AND I THINK BATTELLE WENT THROUGH IT WHEN HE WAS IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. DID YOU COME HERE FOR AN EDUCATION DAY? YEAH. STUDENT GOVERNMENT. YEAH. STUDENT GOVERNMENT DAY. AND, YOU KNOW, SINCE YOU HAVE NEW PRINCIPALS IN BOTH THOSE SCHOOLS, WE'LL DO THAT AGAIN. GOOD POINT. IT'S ABOUT A DAY PROGRAM. AND ACTUALLY, WERE YOU THE WERE YOU THE MAYOR? I WAS CITY MANAGER.

CITY MANAGER. IN FACT I WAS ELECTED MAYOR. WE GIVE THEM ALL DIFFERENT, ALL DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT JOBS AND STUFF. AND, AND THEN OUR, YOU KNOW, WE ASKED, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS HERE AND THEY HELP OUT AND STUFF AND SO JUST GIVES THEM. YEAH. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE THE PRINCIPAL CHANGES, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY HAVE FORGOT THOSE PROGRAMS, BUT WE'RE STILL OPEN TO DO IT AND JUST SET IT UP WITH. DEBBIE. AND WE WOULD DEFINITELY, I DEFINITELY WILL, DEFINITELY. I THINK WE'VE DONE, I THINK IT WAS ONCE A ONCE A YEAR FOR BOTH SCHOOLS, BUT THAT'D BE GREAT. IT WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE THE DART PROGRAM, TOO. WE COULD SHUTTLE THEM OVER ON THE DARTS AND HAVE THE HAVE THE ELROY READY FOR THEM AND SAVE THE. SAVE THE SCHOOL BUS DRIVER SOME SOME TIME. YEAH. THAT. IF YOU DON'T MIND. DOCTOR, WOULD YOU MENTION KIND OF WHAT MISS DOCTOR ROMANO IS WORKING ON? JUST THAT, THAT TRADE ASPECT, BECAUSE I THINK THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITY THERE. YES.

ULTIMATELY WE ARE LOOKING AT DEVELOPING MORE CTE INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND IT'S LOOKING IN DIFFERENT AREAS. HER SPECIFICALLY IS LOOKING WITHIN TRANSPORTATION DIESEL RIGHT NOW, BUT WE DEFINITELY COULD EXPAND AND CONNECT THAT TO CONSTRUCTION. I ALSO KNOW THAT GULF HIGH SCHOOL RECENTLY WAS LOOKING FOR A MORE HANDS ON CTE COURSE. AND SO IF THE CITY SEES THAT, HEY, THIS IS A NEED FOR US, WE'D LIKE TO SEE THIS TO GROW. WE DEFINITELY COULD PARTNER ON THAT. AND I WILL JUST ECHO ALSO THAT ANY PARTNERSHIP AROUND GETTING KIDS OUT TO READ AND USING THE PHYSICAL BOOKS, HAVING A LIBRARY CARD, IT REALLY DOES GO A LONG WAY IN GETTING FAMILIES ENGAGED IN THAT LEARNING PROCESS AS WELL. BOBBY. I ACTUALLY BRING ELROY TO, TO THE SCHOOLS. WELL, WE WILL YOU DECIDE WHICH CLASSES, BUT TO QUOTE ONE OF MY HEROES, THOMAS JEFFERSON, I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT BOOKS. AND I MEAN PHYSICAL BOOKS. AND, AND WE ARE WE WE BELIEVE IN TECHNOLOGY IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. BUT YOU CAN

[01:00:05]

HAVE TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING. SO WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT HOW TO ELIMINATE PASSIVE SCREEN TIME FROM STUDENTS. AND I USE PASSIVE. WE WANT OUR KIDS TO BE TECHNOLOGICALLY PROFICIENT. BUT THERE IS NOTHING LIKE HAVING A PAPER BOOK. AND IT'S NOT JUST THE ENJOYMENT OF IT. IT IS THE NEUROSCIENCE IS REALLY SHOWING THAT OUR KIDS ARE, ARE MISSING OUT AND ARE NOT DEVELOPING BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THOSE SKILLS, THOSE SKILLS FIRST, BEFORE THEY DEVELOP THOSE DIGITAL SKILLS. WE WANT THEM TO HAVE DIGITAL SKILLS, BUT THEY NEED SOME OF THOSE PHYSICAL COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT SKILLS THAT TAKE PHYSICAL BOOKS. SO WE WILL DEFINITELY BE TAKING YOU UP ON ON THAT PARTNERSHIP. SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. SO WE HAVE A GROUP OVER THERE THAT IS LISTENING. GREAT. WE LOVE LIBRARY PEOPLE. YES. I WANT TO SHOUT OUT TO TONY THAT SHE AND SAY THAT SHE'S BEEN VERY FORTHCOMING AND OFFERING TO HELP TO SUPPORT ACTIVITIES THAT HAPPEN IN THE CITY. THE CHASCO FIESTA ALWAYS HAS HAD THE NATIVE AMERICAN FESTIVAL, AND THERE WAS SUCH A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING THE KIDS TO BE ABLE TO COME BECAUSE OF THE BUSSES. IN FACT, YOU AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT GETTING SOME KIDS TO, TO TAMPA, TO THE, THE, I GUESS IT'S NOW CALLED THE, NOT THE, NOT THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY, BUT MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION. THEY'RE CALLING IT NOW. YEAH. MOSLEY. AND, AND SO WE'RE DOING A LOT OF THAT NOW. AND SO THE, THE ASSISTANCE OF THE STUDENTS KNOWING ABOUT OUR HANDS ON ACTIVITIES, WE DID A WINTER WONDER LAND LAST YEAR AT THE OLD BANK BUILDING. AND WE'VE BEEN DOING, WE WERE AT THAT GRAND OPENING WITH A LITTLE BIT OF THAT SCIENCE, BUT IT REALLY ATTRACTS THE KIDS AND THE FAMILIES TOGETHER, TO HAVE THE SPIN THE WHEEL AND ANSWER A QUESTION. WE DID TWO, WE DID THE 250, TRAILER TWO OUT HERE, RIGHT? SO, SO THE COMMUNICATION THAT YOUR WILLINGNESS TO. ADVERTISE OR PROMOTE OR AT LEAST INVITE THE CHILDREN TO GET OUTSIDE AND PARTICIPATE IN THESE EVENTS WITH RAILROAD SQUARE. NOW WE'VE GOT THE CAVALIER SQUARE AND THERE'S EVERYTHING FROM DANCE TO, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITIES THAT ARE ART THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING TO PROMOTE. SO, IT'S BEEN, WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THAT. IT HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY. I WAS ON THE COMMITTEE FOR MANY YEARS AND WE WOULD GO, TRYING TO LINE UP TEACHERS TO TRY TO WORK ON PROGRAMING. AND OUR OWN VOLUNTEERS, YOU KNOW, YOU FALL SHORT WHEN YOU'RE ALL VOLUNTEER, JUST BEING ABLE TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THINGS. BUT, YOUR SUPPORT HAS BEEN MUCH APPRECIATED. ON A DAILY BASIS.

HAVE YOU GOT ANYTHING? I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK THE DISTRICT OFFICIALS FOR BEING HERE TODAY, AND PROVIDING A PRESENTATION AND ALSO FOR RESPONDING TO YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, FOR ALLOWING US, MY CITY ADMINISTRATION AND MYSELF TO GET ENGAGED WITH YOU. AS, BECAUSE WE ENDED UP FEELING THROUGH OUR VOLUNTEER EFFORTS AND CONNECTIONS WITH YOU AS WE'RE TRULY A PARTNER TO YOU IN THE GOALS THAT YOU'VE ESTABLISHED AND OUR EXPERIENCE WITH EVERYONE AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS JUST BEEN FIRST RATE. AND YOU CAN FEEL, JUST HOW VESTED THEY ARE TO THE FUTURE OF THE DISTRICT. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND YOUR LEADERSHIP AS WELL. WELL, I'LL END BY SAYING IF WE IF YOU EVER NEED US, PLEASE CALL.

COUNCILMAN ALTMAN HAS CRACKED THE CODE AND KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT TIME I'M IN MY CAR IN THE MORNING TO CALL ME. IT'S LIKE, IT'S LIKE HE'S HE'S CRACKED THE CODE. IT'S LIKE, LIKE HE KNOWS IT'S LIKE I GET IN THE CAR AND ABOUT HALFWAY, LIKE THERE'S, THERE'S PETER. SO IT'S GREAT.

SO WE HAVE YOU GUYS ARE IN A RUSH. WE HAVE SOME FOOD UPSTAIRS, GET A LITTLE BITE TO EAT IF YOU WANT. WELL THANK YOU. WE MAY ASK I DON'T WANT TO PUT THESE ON AS WELL. I MAY ASK IF YOU HAVE A ROOM I COULD USE FOR A PHONE CALL AT 6:00. FOR AN HOUR I THOUGHT I WAS GET SOMEWHERE AND I HAVE TO BE IN A CALL, IF YOU DON'T MIND. IF I COULD USE A ROOM, THAT'D BE GREAT.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.