School Board - public_hearing

Good evening and welcome to the July 29th, 2026 first budget public hearing. Please stand as Board Member Espino leads us in the Pledge of Allegiance. To the flag of the United States of America, to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, Please pause for a moment of silent meditation. Thank you. You may be seated. At this time, If there is anyone from the audience who has not signed up to speak but who would like to be heard at the public hearing, please go to the lobby counter outside the auditorium where staff will be happy and

Thank you. Thank you very much, sir. Superintendent Dutris, do you have any comments, sir, that you would like to make at this time?

Superintendent, I don't want to interrupt you, but I've been advised that we are not streaming live right now. You're having some difficulty. Just for a moment.

Yes, of course. One moment. Madam Chair? Yes.

If I, through the chair, if I may ask a question. I guess it would be probably directed to the board attorney. If I might, through the chair.

Yes, go ahead, sir, while we're waiting. Thank you.

Mr. Attorney, I understand hopefully we'll have this problem fixed in a very short time. But if it turns out to be a bigger problem than is anticipated, I mean, we do everything in our power to keep everybody posted, but we're not legally required to stream the meeting in order to conduct the meeting, are we?

Okay. So, absolutely, and a very viable point. Thank you for making it. We are gonna get an update now, and if we cannot, then we shall continue with our meeting. I'm assuming Mr. Bueno will be giving us an update on the status of the situation that we're dealing with, with the problem with the streaming?

Thank you. So given that information and also based on the question which was posed by Board Member Geller and responded to by our general counsel, at this point we shall proceed. Go ahead, sir.

No, that's fine. I want you to continue right where you're at.

Thank you. Mr. Steiger, sir, you're recognized.

Thank you very much, Mr. Steiger, and absolutely. We are the stewards of those dollars for the members of the community, our stakeholders. And we thank you for all your years of service and dedication to Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Wish you much luck in your new endeavor in a very different type of capacity. at a university level and I'm sure that you'll have much success there as well. So thank you and congratulations. I need a motion to move agenda items SP1 and SP2 to the floor.

Do I hear a second? All in favor say aye. Any opposed, nay. Thank you, motion passes. We will now hear the public speakers on the list who are addressing items SP1 and SP2. Pursuant to board policy 0169.1, any action or noise that causes or creates an imminent threat of a disturbance or disruption including but not limited to clapping, applauding, heckling, shouting comments from the audience or verbal outbursts in support or in opposition to a speaker or his or her remarks is prohibited. No signs or placards shall be allowed in the board meeting. Persons exiting the board meeting shall do so

Madam Chair? Yes. Just as a technical matter before we get through the chair, I don't think we, I don't know that we were required to, but I don't think there was a roll call. I know all seven board members that were here in person are here. I'm just curious if our colleague is present, Ms. Santos.

Ms. Santos did not request to be part of this meeting.

Wanted to know whether to address her. Absolutely.

Thank you, ma'am. Thank you. Yes, Mr. Safey. Good evening, school board members. Good evening, sir.

Thank you very much, sir. Christopher Leidler.

Thank you. And at this time, I don't have any other speakers who have officially signed up. However, we will consider hearing from public speakers who have not signed up in advance. May I have a motion to allow unscheduled public comment? Do I have a second? All in favor? Any opposed? Seeing none, motion passes. We will now hear from any members who are in the audience who did not sign up to speak but who wish to do so at this time. Do we have anyone from the audience who did not sign up but would like to speak? Okay, seeing none, then we shall continue. You do, yes ma'am, then go ahead, go to

At this time, I don't believe we have any other speakers. So therefore, any board members who have questions or comments regarding agenda items SP1 and SP2, I'm opening the floor at this time. So do I see any of my colleagues who want to make any comment at this point in time? Yes, Board Member Blanco, you're recognized, ma'am.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think we all know, we've been talking about it, this was a rough year. I met with Mr. Steiger, and he quickly reminded me of the question I had for him last year, which obviously impacts the budget for this year. And my question to him last year was, so we're projecting a decline in enrollment, what happens if enrollment is actually lower than what we project, and how much lower can we go And our projections were not great. We went lower, right? And so that's where we had to kind of tighten our belts right throughout the year. So my question to him this year was the s

Yes, thank you very much. Anyone else? I would like to then just make a very brief comment, and you touched upon it. I believe that that's probably the priority for every single board member here, is that our schools are the key. The reason why we are all here is to ensure that we do everything in our power to provide our children with the opportunity to thrive and for us to give them the world. Once again, I refer to... what I have behind me, stating exactly that. And so this board has made it very clear from the very beginning, from the onset, that the schools should be the very last ones to

Thank you, Madam Chair, and to all of you who came out to speak, you're having some of the same thoughts that I have, especially getting information. Well spoken. We're not supposed to talk with you. This is your time. But I have to thank you for saying that because I'd like to know how can we get more information out to our stakeholders, to the people who elect us. and ask us to let them know what it is that we know. I am not sure how it can happen, but someone made mention, and forgive me if I misspeak, you made mention of the fact that it's too much information put in one little spot for yo

Follow up Madam Chair. Yes. I'm looking at the speaker and she's nodding. So I think I'm doing all right. I do feel though, Mr. Steiger, you know, I've told you, you're one of the smartest I ever met. I must be or had been your teacher.

Yeah, but you know, hold on, Madam Chair, he didn't go through you. I saw that. Okay, he just got smart. But usually the problem students are the smartest. Got to chat. They challenge you, you challenge them back. What I want to do, though, and Mr. Curbelo was one of my besties up here, one of the best ever. I want our speaker... to go away, did you hear her credentials? I bet she was a problem student too, okay. I want her to go away being the one to help others understand this budget. It's not easy and I think it's designed for that, designed just the way it is for it not to be easy so they

Thank you, Madam Chair. And to the young lady who talked about doing business with us, you should. You're a taxpayer. You should. There is a process and when I speak, they listen. I'm a board member. I want you to find out about that process and somebody will meet with you and I want you to go for it. You're not smiling at all and usually when I speak, people smile. Just know, we listen. We listen and you deserve what you come out here and ask for. So someone will, as Mr. Steiger said, he wants to speak to others about the teaching and learning of the budget. You should have someone speaking w

Thank you. Before we vote on the items, I would like to ask our Chief Financial Officer to please read the millage, the statement that you are so famous for doing on an annual basis, Mr. Steiger. So since this is your last one, I'm sure it's gonna be very special.

Thank you, extremely well done once again. First, we will vote an agenda item, SP1. May I have a motion to approve the tentative adoption of the millage levy resolution for the fiscal year 2026-2027? So moved. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed nay? Seeing none, motion passes. Next, we will vote on agenda item SP2, Tentative Adoption of the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget. May I have a motion to approve SP2? Do I have a second?

All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed nay? Seeing none, motion passes. I would like to take this opportunity first and foremost to thank the public members who are here for your participation. Thank you so very much for taking time out of your very busy schedules and making your voices heard. On behalf of the board, again, we sincerely appreciate the input we get from all of you. I also want to take a moment to thank Mr. Steiger, sir, once again for your years of service and to your entire team because it's never about one individual alone, it's teamwork that makes the dream work. So to the m