Mr. Wyrosdick introduced Senator Gaetz and asked him to step up to the podium.  Senator Gaetz thanked him and stated he appreciated the opportunity to be here.   He began by mentioning that he is the Chairman of the Education Appropriations Committee, and anything they were able to do this year was because of team work and the other members of the committee.

This school year the state FEFP was $181 million dollars more than last year and was a historic amount of dollars for education.  Santa Rosa's increase was $8M over last year.  Last year we received $6.7M increase.  Statewide most public schools received about a 3% increase but this year Santa Rosa received 4.77%.   He reminded everyone that the irony is that Santa Rosa has always been funded at the bottom of the list of districts (usually 2nd or 3rd from the bottom) but has historically been in the top tier of high performing districts.  In other words, we do more with less.   

Senator Gaetz explained that this happened this year because the Superintendent attended several meetings in Tallahassee and brought it to their attention that we are unique among districts in that this area of the State hosts more military bases than any other parts of Florida.

This results in more military related students we are obligated to educate and although we certainly want to do that, it absorbs limited resources from the district.  Also a substantial portion of the property in Santa Rosa county is off the tax role.  There is no tax paid on federal land.  This cuts down on the amount of funding we receive from property taxes.   The Education Appropriations committee worked on this and came up with the Military Related Supplement and it was passed through the Senate.  Santa Rosa is receiving $1.179M dollars more in 2015-16 in Military Related Supplement dollars for 3,595 military students.   Santa Rosa County school district funding went from 66th in the State to 55th.  Still below average but certainly better than before.

Senator Gaetz also mentioned that the Education Appropriations Committee introduced a bill that would double down on technology money across the State.  They appropriated $60M dollars and $3M to be used for a Gap Analysis in each district.  They need Florida Dept. of Education to tell each district what they need and were are we going with the testing, etc.  The Governor vetoed the $3M and thereby froze the $60M.  They are working on trying to get this corrected.

Two or three years ago the school districts were receiving zero dollars for Capital Outlay.  Last year, the committee negotiated with the House and was able to give public schools $50M and Charter schools $100M.  This year they are giving public schools $50M and Charter schools $50M.  Another opportunity that Senator Gaetz explained to the board is the $30M CAPE bonus.  Any students who earn their National Industry Certificate (and their teacher) is eligible to earn $400 up to $1000.  He hopes that Santa Rosa County can take a huge portion of that bonus. 

Representative Matt Gaetz received a call from a band parent telling him that he didn't mind working concession stands but he really hated having to fill out all those tax reports.   Representative Gaetz felt that was a little too much and introduced a bill that would exempt  taxes on  concession sales.  Not having to pay taxes will put thousands of dollars back in the pockets of our extra curricular organizations including band.

Representative Matt Gaetz introduced a bill to the House that didn't get passed, however he plans to re-introduce it next legislative session.  It would have meant a student's performance data would not count toward their teacher's evaluation if the student misses 25 or more days or 25 periods or more of school. 

Mr. Wyrosdick spoke to the Senator early this past year about testing and assessments.  This resulted in a testing reform bill that was introduced and passed that eliminated some of the testing (11th, PERT and EOC), although not as much as he would have liked.  They were able to place a cap of no more than 5% of instructional time can be used on mandated testing and assessments.  The bill includes a stipulation that the testing companies would be responsible for paying expenses that the districts suffer due to technologic break downs that occur during testing.    The Senate and Governor have been asked to select an  independent company to evaluate and study the current student tests to determine if they are valid and reliable.  

In conclusion, Senator Gaetz brought it to the board's attention that next year Health Care funding will be restricted and they will have $600M less which is going to mean other areas of the budget will take some hits including education.  He complimented Santa Rosa County School District for being very careful with their finances in the past and he cautioned they need to continue that in 2016.

Mr. Wyrosdick asked if Senator Gaetz had any kind of timeline on when the technology funds might be released.  He responded by stating the Commissioner of Education and the Governor have been asked to respond no later than August 10th. 

Dr. Scott asked if the Military Related Supplement will be a recurring item in next year's financing.  Senator Gaetz said when the Legislature is in session, there really isn't such a thing as a recurring item.   He feels like they will probably have to fight for it again next year.

Dr. Scott thanked Senator Gaetz for his availability and willingness to meet with the board earlier this year.  The Senator told her that some of her suggested school choice language was incorporated in one of their bills, unfortunately that bill didn't pass. 

Mr. Wyrosdick thanked the Senator for his update on the Legislative Session, his partnership with the district and welcomed him back any time he wants to visit.

 Mrs. April Martin, Director of Elementary School, came forward and shared with the board that each year the Commissioner of Education recognizes business alliances.  This year Santa Rosa County had two business that were recognized during the Commissioners 28th Annual Business Recognition Awards, which was held in Tampa, Florida on June 9, 2015.  She asked representatives from both Ard's Closed Loop, Inc. and Buffalo Rock Company to come forward so she could present the awards to them.   Ard's consistently offers financial support to East Milton Elementary and S. S. Dixon Primary School.  Buffalo Rock has supported both athletic and academics at Pace High School.  The Superintendent and Board Members expressed their gratitude for the support of our local businesses.  

The Chairman opened the floor for the public hearing on the Instructional Materials for World Languages K-12 and asked if anyone wanted to address the board.  There was no response and the hearing was closed.

The board approved the Instructional Materials for World Language K-12 for the 2015-16 school year.

The Chairman opened the floor for the public forum and asked if anyone wanted to address the board regarding any item not on the agenda.

Ms. Denise Ray came forward and stated she was the mother of a student who has attended school in Santa Rosa County, starting at Berryhill Elementary 13 years ago.  She indicated that a trespassing order has been placed against her not allowing her to enter school grounds.  She would like to reconcile with the school district because she wants to be able to volunteer at school and she really didn't understand why she was placed under the trespassing order.  She will need to contact Mr. Green, Board Attorney to discuss the issue and her contact information was shared with him.  They will set up an appointment.

The board approved the following change order for Navarre High School -

Building Construction Technical Lab/Classroom Addition

(Change Order No. 2) for adding (2) two 220 amp circuits/outlets in the equipment storage room.

Total Cost for Change Order No. 2 - $1,129.00

The board reviewed the current status of the DAG construction projects.

The board reviewed the status of the current Pinder-Martin Associates, Inc. construction projects.

The board approved the Phase III construction documents for Gulf Breeze High School HVAC Renovation.  Phase III schematics and cost estimate are consistent with those which were submitted and approved by the board for Phase II.  

The board reviewed the status of the current Schmidt construction project.

The board approved the following change orders decreasing the projects payable below to the appropriate contractor by the amounts shown.  These decreases are to reflect recent payments made to suppliers and the associated tax savings acquired through direct purchasing. 

*Gulf Breeze High School - Chiller Plant Phase II A. E. New Jr. $1,216,693.18

*King Middle School - Kitchen/Cafeteria A. E. New Jr. $16,031.19

*Navarre High School - Technology Lab A. E. New Jr. $56,565.83

The board approved the following Human Resource Items:

*District Administrators Evaluation System Revision

*School Leaders Evaluation System Revision

*Staffing Plan 2015-16 Revision

 The board approved the Ed Support job descriptions: Sign Language Interpreter II and Sign Language Advanced Interpreter III as submitted.

Sherry Smith, Student Services Director asked Debbie Price, Department of Health to come forward and present the Health Department updates to the board.

Mrs. Price began by sharing the names of the DOH team that work with our schools.  Darla Spearing, Carlee McCullers, Leslie Adams, Deeya Davis, Theresa Fretwell, Angela Carrasco and she works with 2 of our schools. 

The Teen Outreach Program (TOP) has done some amazing things since it began but unfortunately is ending August 31st, 2015.  She reviewed some of the activities that the Florida Dept. of Health School Nurse Community Outreach has participated in. 

*Mommy and Me Walk

*Farmshare

*U-Count Homeless event

*Navarre Health Expo

*World Wide Day of Play 5210 Health Education booth

*Re-imagine East Milton Outreach

*Gulf Breeze Expo

*Poverty Simulations with Santa Rosa School District

*Martin Luther King Block Party - Milton and

*so many more

She shared with the board that the Midway Clinic is scheduled to be open July 30th for 7th grade students to get their special Tdap shot from 8:00 - 11:30 and 1-3:30 p.m.  The Milton DOH has scheduled special hours of operation for these shots as well.

Some of the mandated school health services that the DOH School Nurses provided were 1,724 school nursing assessments, 6,806  nursing consults, 7,016 vision screenings and 496 vision referrals.  School Nursing Beyond boundaries proves supplemental school nursing services to a population in need - the Homeless and Unaccompanied youth in our schools.  Ms. Price shared with the board that we are the only county in the state that is providing health services for homeless students and youth.    Our partner school health services are provided by Pediatric Services of America.  Their staff provided 149,051 paraprofessional assessments in schools, 50,925 medication administrations, 11,327 first aid services and returned students to class at a rate of 83% (124,470) students returned to class. 

The Health Department participated in health outreach events such as "Every Kid Healthy Week" at East Milton Elem with live fruit and vegetable appearances and 5,210 spotlight along with community partners Sodexo and Extension services for fresh fruit/veggie tasting stations.  The following partnerships are crucial to the SRDOH successes:  SHAC - School Health Advisory Council, Santa Rosa  School District, CHIC - Community Health Improvement Committee, LWNWFL - Live Well North West Florida, DOH Escambia County, Healthy Start Coalition, UF Extension Services, UWF - University of West Florida, Navarre YMCA and many more.  DOH works with UWF nursing and health education students, Pensacola State College students and AmeriCorps staff to grow and develop new employees for their future staff.

The Santa Rosa Dept. of Health has won many awards:

*Healthy School District Gold Award 2014 and 2012, Silver 2011

*Florida Asthma Friendly School Holley Navarre Primary - Bronze 2015, 2014 Gold level-Rhodes Elem.

*School Gardens in place at East Milton Elem.  Extended Day Program with Santa Rosa Community School, King Middle and Rhodes Elem.

*Healthy Connections Parent Workshop @ T.R. Jackson Pre-K school - 7 or 8 agencies participating including Extension Office, Tobacco Education Materials, Healthy Start, DCF, Health Dept., PSC, etc.

*2015-2016 CDC & NASN Grant participants for Keep Flu Out of Schools with East Milton Elementary as 1 of 3 national participants

*HUSSC Awards: 2014

>(Gold with Distinction) $2,000: Bagdad Elem., Berryhill Elem., Benny Russell Elem., Chumuckla Elem., East Milton Elem., Holley Navarre Intermediate, Holley Navarre Middle, Holley Navarre Primary, Rhodes Elementary

>(Silver) $1,000: Pea Ridge Elementary, SS Dixon Primary, West Navarre Intermediate

>(Bronze) $500:  Gulf Breeze Middle, SS Dixon Intermediate, Sims Middle

>2014 Florida School Nutrition Association State Recognition:  Nutrition award - secondary level - Central School

Some of the opportunities to improve:  Faculty and teachers need more staff resources and training to manage growing health needs, the 5210 program needs more work and more staffing, MCV students need intense nurse care and case management (1778 homeless/UY and 1812 school nurse service hours).

BMI data is slow to improve.  The percentage of students with high BMI is still increasing from 1st Grade to 3rd Grade and again when they reach 6th grade.  Chronic and Acute Health issues increasing (ex. Severe Allergies from 2010 to 2015 increased from 346 to 883 reported students).

Last Ms. Price shared a couple of funding opportunities for the schools:  Fuel Up Play 60 - up to $4000 per year applications June 15th and Nov. 4th. Asthma Friendly School Applications - Bronze to Platinum award with $500 - $1500 funding awards available.

The Superintendent and board members thanked her for her presentation.

Mrs. Jennifer Granse volunteered to serve as the Santa Rosa County School Board Member to serve on the Florida School Board Association Legislative Committee from June 2015 to June 2016.

Dr. Scott shared with the board members that she will not be able to attend the July 30, 2015  school board meeting.

Mr. Winkles mentioned receiving a copy of the Seminole County letter to Commissioner Pam Stewart and asked if the other board members received it as well.  Seminole County has already received a response from Commissioner Stewart and Mr. Wyrosdick asked Mr. Emerson to come forward and give the board members a brief overview of her response.  Mr. Emerson said that basically the Commissioner does not believe that Florida Statute allow us to use nationally norm reference tests such as ACT and SAT to qualify for a high school diploma because  they aren't  aligned to the Florida Standards.  

Mr. Green distributed a copy of the Resolution Ratifying Execution of Full and Final Release, Settlement, and covenant not to sue and asked the board to sign it.  This resolution formalizes the action taken at their July 9, 2015 board meeting and authorizes Mr. Timothy S. Wyrosdick, Superintendent to execute said document.

The following is a brief overview of the discussion.  All board meetings are videotaped in their entirety and available for viewing on the school district web page. 

 Mr. Green, Board Attorney began by explaining the Grievance Step 3 Procedure we will be using tonight. This particular case has already gone through Grievance Step 1 and Step 2 without reaching a solution.  We are now at Grievance Step 3 which is a hearing before the board.  Ms. Bodi will present her side of the grievance first, since she initiated the grievance, then Mr. Wyrosdick's attorney will present his side.  Board members are allowed to ask any questions they have of both sides.  Each side will be given the opportunity to make closing remarks prior to the board discussion and decision if they chose to do so.  Mrs. Jennifer Granse (School Board Member) brought it to the attention of Ms. Bodi that she serves as one of the Directors of the Santa Rosa Educational Foundation and will be willing to recuse herself from the hearing if she or Mr. Sniffen felt it was a conflict.  They indicated they did not find it to be a problem or conflict.   

Ms. Bodi began her presentation by distributing a notebook with copies of the Grievance notice, e-mails and various other documents that she will be referring to.  She called attention to the language in the Master Contract, Article 2, section P which reads as follows:

The Association shall designate individuals(s) to monitor and conduct all school site elections in which employee representation is required.  The designee(s) shall assist during the ballot count.

Ms. Bodi stated this is the second appearance before the board on this subject.  It is SRPE' position that "shall" means "must" or "will"  monitor and conduct elections.  The language was a formalization of SRPE's traditional role in school based elections.  In January 2015, the Superintendent, after a discussion with the Board Chairman, Mr. Winkles resolved grievance Step 2 with SRPE by directing his principals to comply with the contract language as it was interpreted by SRPE.   

 In April 2015, she contends the Santa Rosa Education Foundation at the directive of the Superintendent removed SRPE from the election process.  He directed Cathy Purdon, the Santa Rosa Education Foundation's Executive Director, and an employee of the school district to work with Data Processing to create a technological solution to handle elections.  

The Executive Director of SREF rolled out an election process that completely excluded SRPE from the monitoring, the conduction, and assistance in the ballot counting process. 

Between December 2014 and May 2015 the District's chief negotiator, Mr. Ratliff, began submitting revised election language during the negotiation meetings.  The revised language reads:  The principal at each school will work jointly with each SRPE building representative to develop and implement a process to elect the Teacher of the Year, the Santa Rosa Educational Support Employee of the Year, and the Rookie of the Year as prescribed by the sponsoring organization. SRPE has not agreed to this language for several reasons.   

First, there are many more elections that take place at a school site than the three mentioned in the revised language.  Second, the language is open to multiple interpretations, third, the Superintendent believes the Education Foundation is a sponsoring organization separate from the school district. However, the Ed Foundation was founded in 1987, well after the 1967 implementation of Florida's TOY.  The Department of Education sends the TOY and SREY nomination packets to district superintendents at the beginning of each school year.  DOE allows each school district to determine their selection process.  Originally the school district determined it's process through SRPE and since 2007 through negotiations.  The district's Purchasing Dept. and the Santa Rosa Education Foundation have roles as well.  Each entity has been given a part in the process.

SRPE believes DOE has defined the sponsoring organization and that is the school district, not an outside entity nor the Education Foundation.

Mr. Sniffen, representing Superintendent Wyrosdick came forward and also distributed notebooks with documents he will refer to during his presentation.  He began by stating that the Teacher of the Year and the Rookie of the Year are very different processes.  Teacher of the Year comes from Florida Statute, however the Rookie of the Year is not in Statute, and is completely a volunteer program that Santa Rosa Education Foundation sponsors each year and has absolutely no connection with the Superintendent.  Mr. Sniffen asked a couple of representatives from the Santa Rosa Education Foundation to be here tonight to answer any questions the board members may have. 

He explained that the school district administrators have nothing to do with the ROY, with the exception that SREF asks them to look at and verify that the list of Rookies at their school is correct.  Mr. Sniffen pointed out that even if the Superintendent didn't want to celebrate the ROY, the foundation could still have the election.  They are separate and the Foundation is not a party to the grievance.  Mr. Wyrosdick does not attend the Foundation's Board of Directors meetings nor does he direct them on how to operate.  SREF is not a party to the collective bargaining agreement.  He called attention to documents from the Foundation illustrating how the Rookies are selected, application forms, sponsors who donate money for cash prizes, and timeline.  The school district has no control over SREF funds. Mr. Wyrosdick is not a member of the selection committee.

Mr. Sniffen shared a copy of the e-mail that Mrs. Purdon, Executive Director of the Ed Foundation sent to all teachers informing them of the new voting procedure.  She received positive feedback from teachers who indicated they liked the new voting system and appreciated the change.   Copies of e-mail messages to a couple of teachers were included in his documents for the board to read.  The Foundation called it to the teacher's attention that more than one vote (from an individual) was recorded under their names for Rookie of the Year run-off and they were going to void the second vote.  The voting instructions indicated each teacher had one vote.   Ms. Kara Bloomberg, Chair of SREF spoke stating that while they appreciate the district's cooperation they don't have to have it.  She thought it was important to point out that the Ed Foundation was disappointed that the voting system allowed teachers to vote more than once, however if someone really wants to hack the system they can.  Ms. Bodi stated she felt the Ed Foundation rolled the technology out too fast and it wasn't ready.  She feels the SREF isn't an independent association because the school district provides financial support, the Chairman is an employee of the school district and reports to Mr. Bill Emerson, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum/Instruction and to say that Mr. Wyrosdick doesn't have any control over them is false.

There was a discussion about some teachers feeling they were being bullied to vote for certain ROY candidates.  Ms. Bodi explained that if a complaint about bullying was received by the district, they would have to investigate it because it is policy and the law.  None of that was done.  An accusation of bullying is not substantiated.  When voting took place at Ms. Bodi's school she was in Orlando.  

Mr. Wyrosdick asked Mr. Emerson to review the language in the contract and explain what the intent was when it was agreed upon.   He pointed out there are many other kinds of elections that are held at the school sites that SRPE is involved in such as: School Advisory Councils,   Mr. Emerson said the intent was not to give SRPE the right to monitor every election.

Mr. Winkles, Chairman of the Board, concluded the presentation of evidence and the board

discussed the language in the contract sentence by sentence. 

Mr. Winkles asked if anyone wanted to make a motion to grant or deny relief.  Mrs. Granse made the motion to deny the grievance.  Dr. Diane Scott seconded the motion.   The board voted 5-0 to deny the grievance.

There being no further business the meeting was adjourned.

DONE AND ORDERED IN LEGAL SESSION by the School Board of Santa Rosa County this 23rd Day of July, 2015 A. D.

                                                                   SCHOOL BOARD OF

                                                                   SANTA ROSA COUNTY

                                                                    _________________________________ 

                                                                    Chairman

ATTEST:

______________________________________

Superintendent of Schools