Attendence Boundary Committee - Regular Meeting

good morning it's 9 30 so we have quorum so we're gonna start the meeting so please take your seats and i want to number one say good morning to all of you thank you for for coming thank you to the board members for being here and also for attending as many community meetings as all of you attended want to thank you also the members of the community that are present to be able to speak today for your involvement as parents in and in this process that is so important for the well-being of our community and our school system with that i would like to be able to pass the meeting to miss tracy abn

Good morning, Eddie Varela, representing Maritere Rojas and your chair for this moment.

Good morning, Betty Pereira, representing Mary Blanco, Board Member.

Good morning, George Garcia, representing the Superintendent. Thank you.

Good morning, Alfred Billings, representing the Superintendent. Hello, Jeffrey Cudayo, representing the Superintendent.

Good morning. My name is Beverly Heller and I represent superintendents panel for children with exceptionalities.

Good morning. My name is Nina Hosseini and I am representing district nine Louisa Santos.

Good morning. Beverly Nixon, alternate, representing Dorothy Vendross Mendingall.

Good morning. Angelica Ballestas, representing school board member Danny Spino.

Good morning. Regina Davis represent Dorothy, Dr. Dorothy Ben draw some Indigo.

Good morning, Dr. Hernandez representing.

Thank you. Well, we'll start with the presentations of superintendents, but let me just... I hope that you brought a piece of paper and a pen. The presentation is a little long. So, in order for us to be able to move this meeting as efficiently as possible, i would like all of you if you have any questions to please write them down and before we um go ahead and and start uh asking questions to staff. And we'll do that at the end of the presentations and the public will speak later. Now, I would like to be able to move the approval of the minutes of our last meeting, please. Can I hear someone?

Thank you, Ms. Walker. Okay, now we move to the presentation of central region.

Thank you for your presentation, Ms. Gardner. Thank you for your presentation.

Thank you, Mr. Real levels. Now, I would like to be able to ask the committee, if you guys are patient, we want to be able to listen first to the community members that they have come here, so to give them time to speak. I would like to give the opportunity to our attorney to be able to just give the proper guide to the core of the meeting.

Yeah, if you guys want to just slowly come to the microphone and if you want, you can remain seated with one person that approaches and then we'll continue to give the opportunity for the rest. Okay, thank you. Please, just for the record, can you please say your name and your school so we can then take note. Thank you.

Thank you. Do we have any other person that would like to speak?

let's try now before I open questions to our board members I just want to ask something to dr. Lewis for your guidance I was one of the persons that really tried to go to every single meeting that the presentations were made by the regional superintendents in each of the communities And I do recall that it was a specific slide that said that if a community wanted to be able to make a presentation or recommendation to this board, please go ahead and do it before February 6th. and you provided slides of personnel of the district that will help to coordinate those efforts. I see that Parkway took

Dr. Hernandez, I will very happy give a 10 minutes break for pee pee bathroom. So it is 1119. Let's ring convene at 1130. Thank you. I would like to request the board, if I can have one of you to bring a motion that we have three additional speakers that arrived late. We can, if you, someone of mine. So do we have a second? Yes? Very good. So the speakers that they arrived late, if they would like to be able to approach the podium so we can give you your two minutes before we continue with the meeting. is everybody i'm sorry i parliamentary procedure i actually asked for the move all in favor

Thank you for your presentation, and you did very well, you see.

Do we have someone else or that's it. Okay, so let's now move to the meeting a board out the way that I will suggest for us to go to move now is, if we can start either asking questions if there is a need or voting school by school. So I would like to be able to start with Parkway. Is there any member of the board that wish to be able to ask any questions to the staff? Yes, Dr. Hernandez.

I have general comments and questions. General comments is that the takeaway from this meeting that was very interesting for me is that charter schools are not really the evil. They're not really taking away our kids, the numbers. And I wanted to thank you for that eye opening by providing data. Kids are not leaving us in drones for charters. They're leaving us in drones for other public schools that are offering what the parents want. So may I just say thank you for the information and please spread the news, make changes that are giving parents what they want maybe parents did not want manda

I appreciate that, but I had the same question when we started in August, and I get the same answer. So the committee has made no progress.

Okay, so do we have any question regarding Parkway? No, so can we, go ahead.

Greetings through the chair. I also have a process question before we get to the piece around voting. I think it would be helpful for ABC to understand because in historical years, we have been told what the use of the facility will be within the plan structure itself. And so if that has changed, my request would be that we understand the purview and what is under our guidance in terms of what happens with the facilities That that are technically no longer being housed or operating school. programming. A follow up question is, I really appreciate just piggybacking off any your comments with re

Okay, one last comment through the chair. I want to understand what I'm voting on. Is it the either or, or is there some merger of what was provided by the community that's included? If you could just state that, that would be helpful.

That's why I open for discussion regarding Parkway Elementary. We have basically a community proposal that was presented to us, and it was a proposal made by the staff. That is the one that we all attended and was presented in the community meetings. For me, as a process right now, for you as the board is to give the opportunity that if any of you want to make any comments or suggestions based on the two recommendations that we have in front of us, for us to be able to think if we can merge or not. I believe that the proposal that we have in front of us regarding Parkway Elementary, it is not

No. So then, can I hear from the board, anyone has a motion? Yes, go ahead, Ms. Beverly.

That's what I was going to say. I actually listened to both, and I liked the community's presentation. I didn't see that it was so far off from what the board suggested. I support that you should have community support. And my question had to do with that as well. Do I make a motion that we vote on the community's suggestion? That was the same as she said, and I feel the same, and I think you feel the same. So I don't know how to do it, but I make a motion if that's what you want for the community's suggestion.

I would like to ask the staff for guidance, please.

May I, through the chair, ask Dr. Aponte to very briefly summarize the two recommendations here on our mind as we vote?

Through the chair, may I ask a procedural question? There was a motion from Beverly that was not seconded. Did it die there? Can we make a new motion?

Okay. oh okay so then i second it we we already have from mr horn a motion to dissolve parkway right to go with the recommendation of the account of of the procedure i didn't know if there was another one pending so if that's the case then i second the second motion okay so that motion has now been moved and seconded properly before the committee very good so

And only one can vote. So if there's the appointee is only the appointee. If it's a supplement, then the other person will do it. Correct. Thank you.

Just a point of information. I did not make a motion. I asked if so, please. Understood, ma'am.

okay i would like now to open for discussion a rainbow park do i have someone on the floor that would like to be able to speak regarding rainbow park miss lewis

Hi, I'm Regina Davis, the appointee for Dr. Bendros-Mendigal. The concern about the, I understand the ABCs, the committee's recommendation, but only one concern that I have that the parents are concerned about is transportation for, at the school, the safety of the kids coming, being crossed over 22nd and 27th Avenue.

Through the chair, I'm concerned now even more, you know why? Because the names of the streets that you mentioned, Opelika, I would suggest that in the safety of the children, do a crime rate in that area. Those kids, those are not middle school or high schools who will be walking to school. Those are elementary school kids. So again, I'm saying to you at the concern of the parents, Is it possible that those little kids can get a bus from Parkway to those schools until we can do a rate of the incidents that take place in those neighborhoods? I frequent those areas often.

I would be comfortable with that. I'm sure the parents would as well. Thank you.

For the purposes of Rainbow Park, there were recommendations that were made by the community that I think should be embedded within the actual region's proposal. An example was this question around families who are working families and have had a historical community hub of, as an example, uniforms. There are costs that, as a result of these transitions, make it difficult for the ordinary person to absorb. i appreciate that we're going to look into transportation i think i would like a concrete answer and so i will just name that i won't be able to support the region unless there's um confirma

The ABC committee, we are not responsible for clothing or any of that aspect. We are only responsible for what it is on boundaries. And that's all we are able to really talk here. Those comments of that parent, they're valid, but at the end, it is not the prerogative of this committee. Okay, with that, Dr. Hernandez, go ahead. Do we here have a second? We have a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? So do I need to do the roll call or it's not necessary?

Okay, thank you. Now I would like to move to central region. and uh let's uh talk about uh georgia jones ice and the merch of leonard b smith elementary and since we did not have any uh community uh recommendation uh just about the name that i believe that was uh mentioned uh do i have uh someone from any questions from uh from the floor if not can i hear a motion i just have yes beverly

Okay, I just have the question. I just want to be sure that I understood you are going to keep both names for this school. Jones, Ayers and Smith. Are you keeping both names? And this is yes or no.

And how is what are the name? How is it going to be?

So you're going to use their first names as well as, in other words, instead of Jones as Smith? Okay, because we have, I come from Miami Beach where we have Feinberg Fisher. We took off the first names to make it easier to remember the name Feinberg Fisher. And I'm okay if you want to use the first names, but I just think it would be easier one way or the other. Thank you.

Okay. Love it. Thank you. Yes, go ahead. Go ahead. accept the proposal from the south region office do i have a second go ahead call in a second i have hands uh before i can call for the vote uh mr garcia george garcia central region yes okay go ahead

And I second it. Okay. That's what we're voting on, correct? So we have already a motion on the floor. Do we have a second? Okay, we have a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? No. Move. So now we go to Phyllis Whitley. and then of course it's frederick douglas but the reality the school that gets impacted at this moment and is it the boundary you know you know if not i won't make it very complicated can i choose okay phyllis whitley any questions regarding phyllis whitley board yes dr hernandez what um what is phyllis will be going to be

Thank you so much because it's really, I don't know if the other members of the committee feel the same way, but I feel that if I'm sitting here making decisions about the change that the school is no longer going to be a school, I really would like to know what are the plans. I understand that nothing can be set until we decide that that's what's going to happen to the school. But at least the plans, I don't know how the rest of the committee feels, but I feel it would be very, very appropriate for us to know what are in the plans.

Hold on, I have someone in the back and then I'll recognize you.

Through the chair, piggyback off of that, I believe that the asset management falls outside of our purview as a committee. And while it is nice, I think it does put a burden within the administration to come back to us with those plans. However, if possible, yes, very nice, but it does fall very well outside of our purview.

Through you, Chair, just the Central Region does an excellent job in making sure that the staff, either one of us will transition to the schools with the children. We have no complaints. I'm indebted to the community a lot, and the staff and the children, and we've had no complaints about any closure where the staff was affected in a negative way.

Thank you. Can I have a motion to ask a question or do I have another question?

Thank you. Do I have a second? All in favor say aye. I want to clarify that the motion that was on the floor right now was regarding central region, the school being impacted fairly swiftly with the changes of those boundaries. You're welcome. We'll continue with central region.

It was some favor. Um now we're gonna move to the impact school in this case is Miami Springs Middle. But we're voting on the proposal of central region to a close Miami Springs Middle and actually Miami Springs senior high to be converted into a nine

Going blind memory. And any comments regarding the recommendation of the region?

May I call on a second, please? I barely I can hear you. Okay, I feel that I have someone first that has a question. Go ahead.

yes go ahead through the chair um i just wanted to to provide some comment some commentary to my fellow board members um so the school school board member danny's been hosted at town hall uh for this specific merger and it was very successful there was over 300 attendees and community output was highly present the majority of the community is in favor and actually the few negative thoughts were kind of doubt of the district being able to make it happen because they wanted to make it happen throughout the years. So I just wanted to make sure that you guys knew that we were present out in the co

I corroborate that that meeting was probably one of the best attending as long as airbase as well. Go ahead. Now, Beverly, please.

I made a motion and I motion again and who seconded I think so we have a motion and Dr. Hernandez.

Same question. I'd like to know what are the plans for Miami Springs? Middle

So since we have a motion and I want to be very clear that the motion is regarding the closure of Miami Springs Middle and as a facility and the fusion of the boundaries for Miami Spring Senior High to be six to 12. the motion is being by beverly and second by mr dr mr garcia george garcia all in favor say aye any opposed so then it's unanimous okay let's go to um the south region and let's start with airbase okay so Number one, I wanna honestly thank you again, the participation of all the parents. I was really happy to hear that there were more than 400 points of entry to the committee. Basi

for the region superintendent, if I may.

Dr. Villalobos, what is the reason why the, what is the reason for the region's, recommendation why what is there a reason why uh you thought it was best to divide the group by in the lower academy yes uh through the chair uh your microphone please

It does. And through the chair, I have a clarification. May I? Question.

In that case, what happens with air base? It stays as a proposal is for it to stay as an elementary school.

Does Mandarin currently have elementary age students?

Okay. Can I, can I, I will miss best. I would like, hold on a second. I would like to be able to recognize Dr. Cabrera that she has some information to provide, and then I will go back, please.

Thank you, everybody. It is not a time for discussion. I need order from the audience. All of you had the opportunity to be able to speak. We could really hear you well. And now is the time for the board to be able to listen and to have conversation among all us. So please, the same way that we respect you when you were on the podium, we would like for you to be able to allow this meeting to be correct to be conducted correctly. Thank you. Go ahead, Mr Garcia.

Um, quick question in reference to sea capacity. Um, at Air Base. Currently we have 1100 seats. So but it's a K eight. When we remove the upper academy, how many seats does that open up for elementary?

So we would be able to increase the number of students we capture at the elementary level about 400 increase? Yes, sir. At Mandarin, we have 1,500? Yes. So how many... how many right now 400 would occupy that building that you're um designing for airbase academy or the upper academy what will be the capacity that we will be offering to airbase upper academy in its totality when we phase this all in so at at this point what we have a mandarin lakes

Correct. Is that correct? That is correct. So that would capture, as Dr. Cabrera just said, it would really make it 2,600 students for air race.

The Chair, I have a question dealing with the curriculum and the program programmatic question um. yeah. One question has to do with the direct articulation and the other one has to do with the students who are in the elementary program at Air Base. That's a special program is the international program. Are those students required to apply then for the middle school or would it be an automatic thing? No.

They're already automatically accepted. They would be automatically accepted. Now, let's look at the ones in Mandarin. The elementary students, they're not in the program. How could they move into the program without having had the program in the lower grades?

That's what you're saying, to the Air Base building.

Through the chair, now being that that option has been explored and is a feasibility, do we have to vote on this today or could we have the administration come back to us with that proposal?

Through the chair, may I make a motion to explore the secondary option that the administration may present to us at a later date?

the chair i'm sorry i think that's the first motion we have pending that's been seconded by ms heller so it's now open for discussion through the chair since we have a motion that is on the floor because it has uh it is open for discussion right now yeah yeah we had a second so it is open for discussion okay i i have a point of clarification if i made through the chair please go ahead the motion that was made and seconded

by nature of that motion, then what we're actually voting on is a no vote to the proposal from the region. Is that correct?

i believe that the motion and if you want to repeat the motion but i believe the way that i understood the motion is for us in this moment to be able to uh refer to the region correct i believe that the motion has made and could please as the maker of the motion correct me if i'm wrong would be to send the

could it be procedurally correct to change the language to table the voting on the region's proposal?

Joseph Baeta, Supt of Schools, He, Him, Go ahead, George.

Joseph Baeta, Supt of Schools, He, Him, Again, as a point of clarification, I got the first part. Joseph Baeta, Supt of Schools, He, Him, What type timeframe, would we be looking at. that the district would need in order to bring that proposal back to us? And how soon would it be? And would there need to be new community meetings?

Okay, I just want to say something go ahead, please i'm off the call for the question.

yeah I want to I just want to remind the committee. Right now, another situation that we have within the school system that and likeness cover up maybe to be able to speak on this, that is. There are some people that can apply for those space and those seats this call co location. That also some of the actions that the staff are looking. Not only to give the opportunity, the way that I understand this to 700 more applicants that they would like to be able to get the service from they kind of public schools that we are not able to service them because of lack of space as they are presenting to

The questions we did was ask, it was, yeah, hold on a second. Let me, Dr. Hernandez, I'm going to grab control a minute and I'm going to ask legal staff and I'm going to do the will of the board. You instructed that the question could not be called because I had something to say, but a question was called. So my question to you now is I do feel that parliamentarily I need to be able to call the question.

so or if i just want to be very clear to the maker of the proposed can you please state very clearly to the committee what at this moment what is what you are proposing so the person who seconded as well understand exactly what second because i believe that she has second thoughts about that based on how the conversation has gone And I want to make very clear that the person that seconded also is aware of what was seconded. Go ahead.

The motion as it stands now would be for the administration to come back with the with provides possibilities of the of the second option of the proposal that was the initial motion. I guess the confusion was between if that automatically meant it was an it was a no vote or not I guess legal counsel said if the purple if the staff a demonstration can come back with a proposal within the boundaries of time that we are currently in it would not automatically need that so the proposal would be for administration to take a break and explore the second option and come back to us within this meeting

Okay, they'll take that in consideration. Now, before I go ahead and call for the question, staff, you hear the motion. How much time do you need a break for me to be able to let know? Also, because we need to be able to meaningful for the time of everybody that is here. I just need to ask you, how much time do you need for that break? 15 minutes? Wow, that's a very good brainstorming. I would like to give them 20 minutes. Is that OK with you guys? OK. Let's call all of us the questions so we break for 20 minutes, and then we'll come back. All in favor, say aye. Any opposed? You opposed? Why d

through the chair we we have a point of clarification there have been motions that have been made and seconded then there were adjustments to the motion that were made and seconded and so it's been difficult to keep track what are we what actually we clarified i'm sorry miss hosini we clarified before we were going to go on the boat that the motion that is right now is to allow the staff to come back to us with a new proposal for us to take in consideration within 20 minutes, combining the different things that we have actually talk during this meeting from the community input from the communi

I have not opened that discussion, and I cannot assume what the people say yes or no. The only thing that I can do is go by the will of the board. And at this moment, I believe that the yes have it. so we will break for 20 minutes and we'll come back in 20 minutes to hear the recommendation of the board of the staff thank you let's start the meeting again once again i want to thank everybody for for their patience and uh Let's listen to the staff recommendation and then we'll continue with the meeting. Thank you.

So that proposal satisfies the parents of Air Base. Does it satisfy the parents of Mandarin who are being moved elsewhere?

How do we know that? Those parents have not been

So they know it. So those parents that are those students that are now in Mandarin know that they were going to go to Pesco?

Question. Do you have any other question? No, I just want to go ahead, Ms. Hussini.

Yes, I just want to make sure. With respect to, I've heard this before, there's another committee with respect to the school buildings, but Air Base K-8 will not service any students within the current named building. Is that right?

Okay, just wanna say thank you so much for listening to the community and to my peers on the committee for the work we're doing today.

And then it was the second, correct? Okay. Who was the maker of the motion to accept it? Beverly. And then George seconded. Okay. Do we have more discussion? If not for us to call the question. Okay. I'll call the question. All in favor say aye.

Any oppose? Okay. So unanimously. So parents of her base, you were heard and you can go home. before the traffic hits you hard. Well, we'll continue with our meeting. So let's do Richmond and biotech. Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Yeah. Okay, I'm sorry. I'll get there. Okay, so let's do biotech enrichment. Okay. Any recommended? I think that there's the recommendation only from biotech and enrichment from from staff. No, do I hear any? Any? Any comments? Yes, go ahead. Miss Cassini.

Okay. So I grew up in that area. there was uh i did support community members who were not able to make it today they did not have a counter proposal but there were recommendations that were shared with respect to the naming of the school building with respect to honoring the legacy of richmond middle and perhaps honoring a wing to talk about the the legacy of the historical black neighborhood and To ensure that matriculation for students who are in the feeder pattern at the middle school level would have priority to be able to matriculate into the magnet program in the ninth grade level and i

Okay, do I have any other question. Can I have a someone from the floor to be able to bring a motion to accept the recommendation of the. Of the staff, George Garcia, thank you. Who seconds it, please? Me. Very good. All in favor, say aye. Okay, motion approved. Now we have Robert Rosamottam. We have two proposals from the staff and the proposal from the community. Someone would like to speak to this or I bring one proposal first and then the other proposal and we vote. I'm gonna bring the proposal from the staff Any discussion to it? Yes, Dr. Hernandez. Through the chair, I could not hear wha

The same question I always have. What are the plans for the school?

don't know dr hernandez i think i i disagree i i think that that school already has still has base because i went to that meeting and i think at that school dr hernandez still has a school in that school that is uh for uh autism so that that facility will continue to serve the autism school

I move that we vote on the region's superintendent's, on the region's proposal.

Do I have a second? Okay. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Since we have a unanimous, we don't need to go to the next proposal. Thank you. Now we need to move to... through the chair uh arthur and paulie mays and pineville through the chair um congratulations by the way on the promotion thank you mr commissioner by now i feel it okay so pine villa which is Basically, the fusion, correct, of Pine Builder and Arthur? Yes. I'm sorry. Go ahead. I need to clarify now.

Can we anyone wants to be able to talk about the proposal of Pamela, please? We have a second all in favor say aye. Any opposed? we did prime builder so now south reach open for discussion hearing none do i have a second having a second all in favor say aye any opposed they're hearing a pose that is pass I think we got all the schools instead. So now on the next point of the agenda, I requested for me to have a little bit of talk to all of you. and i would like to be able to request a staff and first you the board if i can have a motion from the floor i think that this process needs to meet ne

I don't know if the chairs can make motion so that's why parliamentarily I feel that.

Okay, so I just want to make sure that I don't break any parliamentary decisions well my motion is that. Our job for this committee will have to be able to start if a staff agrees with this and they said that they can do it okay in the month of May, where we will have to meet will have to elect a new chair, we have to start the note the whole process, but instead of doing it. in the month of february like you know we actually do it in may and we give more time for all the community meetings and for all the things that they need to to happen that is my motion and i need i want to open it for di

PB, Lupita D Montoya- Would you accept a friendly amendment to word it to the wording to say that staff explores the possibility of that data.

I accept the motion. I accept the friendly. I really accept the friendly motion.

So then, since we had a second, if someone wants to be able to talk about it or not, yes, go ahead in the back.

Any opposed? No. So then the motion passes. Yes, Dr. Beverly.

I would like to make a motion and it's, can we have a water or something at every meeting? I don't know if I need a motion, but you know, we sit here so long and it's just, it would be nice.

on behalf of this on behalf of the staff on behalf of the staff i want to i want to be on behalf of the staff i want to say that because this meeting was on the auditorium and i agree with you we need water and something i totally agree with you i just and they brought it to us late but they did brought it so i want to thank you and if you just need if this is not often normally they always take care of good off they normally have water and things for us when we when we meet in in smaller rooms this is just an exception and i feel that uh they reacted quick and they were able to i think that i

Seriously, I'm making... Well, if you're making a motion... Yes. Okay, we have a motion and we have a second. So all in favor say aye.

Thank you so much. I really appreciated the motion earlier about revisiting the timeline. I just, I was curious because when we took the break, there were parents that approached and shared that their initial recommendation was the one that we actually voted on and passed. And I do wonder when we think about the timeline in order to give the district a I think one of the pieces that I wanna just highlight or underscore is the time between the community meeting and the time between this meeting so that the district has enough time to revisit that. So we don't have to do that in this public foru

Thank you for your comments, and I think staff will take that in consideration as well. Thank you. Well, go ahead, Dr. Lewis.

Okay. Do I hear a motion to finish the meeting motion to adjourn? Very good. A second. All in favor. So meeting adjourned at 1.33. Thank you.