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[0:53] Good evening. The second public
[0:55] hearing of the School Board of
[0:56] Broward County, Florida for the
[0:57] 2026 2027 millage and budget is
[0:59] now called to order. Our
[1:00] primary focus is to create a
[1:02] safe and productive environment
[1:03] for all participants. Please be
[1:04] reminded of the exit doors that
[1:05] are clearly marked for
[1:06] emergency exiting while while
[1:08] in the board room, refrain from
[1:10] obstructing the exit doors. All
[1:11] attendees must occupy a seat
[1:12] with the exception of media.
[1:14] Once the board room is reached,
[1:15] its seating capacity attendees
[1:16] will be directed to a
[1:18] designated overflow space,
[1:19] which is located in the area
[1:20] adjacent to the vending
[1:23] machines. If the fire alarm
[1:24] sounds, exit the room calmly
[1:25] continue outside the building
[1:26] and remain there until
[1:28] authorities give clearance to
[1:29] return. Thank you for your
[1:31] cooperation. All please rise
[1:32] for the Pledge of Allegiance to
[1:33] the flag of the United States
[1:38] of America.
[1:39] >> Allegiance to the flag of
[1:41] the United States of America,
[1:43] and to the Republic for which
[1:47] it stands. One nation under GOD,
[1:48] indivisible, with liberty and
[1:56] justice for all.
[1:57] >> As we prepare to begin our
[1:59] public hearing, we are reminded
[2:00] that our vision is 100%
[2:02] proficiency for all students.
[2:03] As an a rated school district,
[2:06] our vital task is to is to
[2:07] sustain this achievement. We
[2:09] will continue educating all
[2:10] students to reach their highest
[2:12] potential. Now let's write this
[2:14] next chapter together. Today's
[2:15] public hearing will operate in
[2:16] accordance with School Board
[2:18] Policy 1020, and the board will
[2:20] review the items as advertised
[2:21] and presented by the
[2:23] superintendent. The purpose of
[2:25] this meeting is for the School
[2:26] Board of Broward County,
[2:27] Florida to conduct the official
[2:28] business of the district and
[2:30] any other items the board deems
[2:32] necessary. Today, the board is
[2:33] considering the following
[2:36] business item one Adopt
[2:40] resolution 27-11 for final 2020
[2:42] 627 millage rates and item two
[2:46] adopt resolution 27-115 final
[2:49] 2026 2027 budget. The
[2:50] superintendent released a
[2:51] revised agenda with certain
[2:52] changes for this meeting and
[2:53] published it on the school
[2:54] district's website. The chair
[2:56] finds pursuant to section 120
[2:58] .525 Florida statutes, that
[3:00] good cause exists for such
[3:01] changes and accepts the revised
[3:03] agenda. Doctor Hepburn, are
[3:05] there any changes to the agenda?
[3:07] >> No changes. MADAM Chair.
[3:09] >> MAY I have a motion and a
[3:10] second to close the agenda?
[3:12] Move by DR. Zeman, second by
[3:13] MISS Hixon. All in favor of
[3:15] closing the agenda? Say aye.
[3:17] Any opposed? Say no. The agenda
[3:19] is now closed. We will soon
[3:21] hear from our registered public
[3:22] speakers. We ask that decorum
[3:24] be maintained in civility and
[3:26] respect, be shown during public
[3:27] comment. Our General Counsel
[3:28] will assist the chair in
[3:30] maintaining decorum during this
[3:31] period. We also want to remind
[3:33] our public speakers of the
[3:33] rules and expectations
[3:35] regarding the agenda. Public
[3:36] comment portion of the Special
[3:37] School Board meeting, as well
[3:39] as board policy. MADAM General
[3:41] Counsel, please explain the
[3:42] rules of public comment.
[3:44] >> Thank you and good evening.
[3:45] Public comment is governed by
[3:47] School Board Policy 1020 and is
[3:48] intended to provide input on
[3:50] the board's duties, decisions
[3:51] and the overall operation of
[3:53] the school district. The school
[3:54] board is viewpoint neutral
[3:55] during public comment per
[3:57] school board policy 1020. The
[3:59] procedures are as follows.
[4:00] Speakers must state their name,
[4:02] city of residence and whether
[4:03] they are a lobbyist before
[4:05] beginning their remarks, all
[4:06] remarks must be directed to the
[4:08] board as a whole. The board
[4:09] will not respond to or engage
[4:11] with speakers during public
[4:12] comment, and no action will be
[4:14] taken unless the item is on the
[4:16] agenda. During the agenda
[4:17] speaking time, speakers will
[4:18] have up to three minutes per
[4:20] item and up to one minute on
[4:21] motions or amendments. The
[4:23] chair MAY adjust the order of
[4:25] speakers as deemed fit. A
[4:26] visible timer will be used in.
[4:27] The microphone will be turned
[4:29] off when the time expires.
[4:30] Speakers must limit their
[4:32] comments to agenda items in
[4:35] this public hearing must remain
[4:36] relevant to the specific items.
[4:38] Comments MAY not address
[4:39] matters that are pending
[4:41] litigation. Quasi judicial
[4:42] proceedings, active
[4:43] investigations or
[4:45] administrative hearings,
[4:46] solicitation and lobbying
[4:47] activities must comply with
[4:49] applicable school board
[4:50] policies. Abusive language
[4:52] defined as profanity
[4:54] threatening or name calling is
[4:55] prohibited. In addition,
[4:57] clapping, hissing, booing,
[4:58] shouting, yelling or other
[4:59] disruptions from the audience
[5:01] are not allowed. Speakers who
[5:02] fail to follow proper decorum
[5:03] in the chambers will be ruled
[5:06] out of order by the board chair.
[5:07] Failure to comply MAY result in
[5:08] the microphone being turned off
[5:11] or recess being called. After a
[5:12] warning. The chair MAY also
[5:13] direct removal from the meeting
[5:15] by law enforcement or the
[5:17] Sergeant at Arms. MADAM Chair.
[5:19] >> Thank you, MADAM General
[5:20] Counsel. The board wants to
[5:21] hear from the public, and we
[5:22] appreciate your cooperation in
[5:24] maintaining a respectful,
[5:25] orderly and productive meeting
[5:27] environment. When it is time
[5:28] for public speakers, I will
[5:30] call the first speaker to the
[5:31] podium, and I will likely call
[5:33] five names at a time so you can
[5:35] line up behind the podium with
[5:37] the speaker at the mic, so we
[5:38] can move through public comment
[5:41] efficiently. So please line up
[5:42] behind the podium with one
[5:43] person at the podium at a time,
[5:46] and then the line of the rest
[5:46] of the speakers behind them.
[5:48] Please follow the staff's
[5:49] directions when lining up and
[5:50] approaching the podium. When
[5:52] your allotted time is up,
[5:53] please yield the mic and exit
[5:55] the podium and follow staff's
[5:57] direction. This evening, the
[5:58] board is considering the
[6:00] following business item one
[6:01] resolution adopting final
[6:03] millage rates. Item two
[6:05] resolution adopting the 2627
[6:07] budget. And before I ask for a
[6:09] motion on item one, I just want
[6:12] to remind our board members who
[6:14] are online to please either
[6:15] text me or the superintendent
[6:16] if you'd like to speak, so I
[6:19] can add you to the list. And
[6:20] without objection, since our
[6:21] Vice Chair is not here tonight,
[6:22] I'd like to designate MISS
[6:27] Hixon as Vice Chair. All right.
[6:28] Could I get a motion in a
[6:30] second? Bringing item one to
[6:32] the table. Move by MISS
[6:34] Thompson, seconded by MISS
[6:35] Hixon to bring item one to the
[6:38] table. So I just want to
[6:39] welcome everyone to the second
[6:41] and final public hearing for
[6:43] the 2627 millage rates and
[6:44] budget. This hearing is the
[6:45] final step in the district's
[6:47] annual budget adoption process
[6:48] and provides an opportunity for
[6:50] the board, district staff and
[6:51] the community to review the
[6:53] proposed final financial plan
[6:55] and hear the public input for
[6:57] prior to final action this
[6:58] evening, the School Board will
[7:00] consider the adoption of the
[7:01] final millage rates and the
[7:03] final 2627 budget. These
[7:05] actions complete the required
[7:07] truth in millage or trim and
[7:08] budget adoption process for the
[7:10] year. I now turn it over to the
[7:11] superintendent, who will give a
[7:13] brief overview of the budget.
[7:14] >> Thank you, MADAM Chair, and
[7:15] good evening. Welcome to our
[7:17] board members, staff, families,
[7:18] community members and all those
[7:21] joining us this evening.
[7:23] Tonight, I'm presenting the
[7:25] 2627 final millage rates and
[7:26] final budget for the school
[7:27] board's consideration and
[7:29] adoption. This budget continues
[7:30] to support our core priorities,
[7:32] strong academic outcomes, safe
[7:34] andecure schools, high
[7:35] quality instruction, student
[7:37] services, and a workforce that
[7:38] makes that possible. Our
[7:39] students and schools continue
[7:41] to achieve exceptional results.
[7:43] For the third consecutive year,
[7:44] Broward County Public Schools
[7:46] has earned an a district rating
[7:48] along with strong academic
[7:49] performance and outstanding
[7:50] graduation outcomes. These
[7:51] achievements reflect the hard
[7:53] work and commitment of our
[7:57] students. Educators, school
[7:58] leaders, support staff,
[8:00] families, and community, and
[8:02] they reinforce why our
[8:04] financial decisions must remain
[8:05] focused on protecting the
[8:07] classrooms and the learning
[8:08] environment at this time. I'll
[8:10] turn it over to the budget team
[8:12] to answer any questions that
[8:13] the board MAY have.
[8:16] >> And thank you and good
[8:19] evening. Task assigned. Chief
[8:20] Financial Officer Omar Shim.
[8:22] And beside me, I have Jeff
[8:24] Whitney, who's assistant
[8:25] director of budget, and I have
[8:27] budget staff here also. I'd
[8:28] really like to thank them for
[8:30] all the hard work they've done
[8:32] this year. So I'll briefly
[8:34] review the budget and the final
[8:36] millage rates being presented
[8:39] for adoption this evening. And
[8:41] again, I'd like to thank the
[8:42] board for their feedback. Last
[8:44] week when we discussed the
[8:47] budget. Tonight's's preseseation
[8:48] proves the financial
[8:49] informioio supportrtg g the
[8:52] boboard's for for theoaoard's
[8:54] consideration of the 2020 627
[8:56] millage rates and the budget,
[8:58] we'll review the general fund
[9:00] budget, final millage rates,
[9:02] the total budget and the key
[9:04] financial consideration,
[9:05] including risks and
[9:12] opportunities in this budget.
[9:15] This slide shows the proposed
[9:17] general fund budget totaling
[9:21] approximately $3.5 billion. And
[9:23] when you account for the fund
[9:26] balance and internal transfers,
[9:29] the amount for new general fund
[9:33] revenue is 3 billion. This
[9:35] includes 568 million for
[9:38] charter schools and 377 million
[9:40] for family empowerment
[9:42] scholarship, otherwise known as
[9:45] fees, so that totals 945
[9:48] million, which is 31 point, I'm
[9:50] sorry, 31% of the of new
[9:55] funding, 2.1 billion, or 69% is
[9:58] for district run schools. So
[9:59] it's important to see that
[10:01] growth in the overall general
[10:03] fund does not necessarily mean
[10:05] that additional resources are
[10:06] available for district operated
[10:13] schools. At first glance, the
[10:15] total general fund resources
[10:19] increased by $49.8 million. You
[10:22] can also see that this year's
[10:25] revenues rely more on local
[10:26] property taxes and less on
[10:29] state revenues. This
[10:31] appropriation district
[10:32] appropriations are declining by
[10:35] approximately $45 million, so
[10:37] this decline also includes
[10:39] funding for the required
[10:41] commitment. Of the funds are
[10:43] 11.8 million. So if removed,
[10:46] combined with the $45 million
[10:48] reduction, it only it leaves
[10:50] $57 million less for other
[10:53] district priorities. Year to
[10:56] year charter schools and fees
[10:58] funding increased by 12.7
[11:01] million and 51 million,
[11:03] respectively. So the key point
[11:05] is that revenues available to
[11:07] support district operations is
[11:09] declining as enrollment
[11:10] declines, even though the total
[11:13] general fund appears larger,
[11:15] district schools, unweighted
[11:18] FTEs declined by more than
[11:20] 11,300 students, while the fees
[11:24] increased by more than 6200.
[11:34] Fte. Next slide. This slide
[11:35] shows where funding is
[11:38] allocated in the budget. School
[11:40] appropriations increased by
[11:43] approximately $28 million, with
[11:45] the high schools increased to
[11:48] meet the needs of programs and
[11:49] to support the scheduling
[11:52] requirements. Other costs
[11:54] increased by which which would
[11:56] be the operational costs
[11:58] increased by 29 million, but
[12:01] this includes $41 million
[12:02] increase for facility and
[12:04] maintenance fund funded by
[12:06] capital transfer, while other
[12:09] costs associated with operating
[12:10] schools show an overall
[12:14] decrease. Appropriations for
[12:16] divisions decreased by
[12:18] approximately $22 million.
[12:20] District operating budgets
[12:23] increased by approximately 36
[12:26] million. But this. This is
[12:27] supported by the increase in
[12:29] capital transfer for facility
[12:32] funding. As mentioned, the
[12:33] available fund balance
[12:35] decreased by approximately $50
[12:37] million, leaving district
[12:39] operated, district operating
[12:41] resources, including fund
[12:42] balance about 14 million lower
[12:50] than last year. Our ending fund
[12:54] balance is projected to be
[12:55] 156.6 million. The assigned and
[12:59] unassigned portion is 84.4
[13:03] million, which is 3.5% of
[13:05] revenues. This is above the
[13:09] state's minimum 3% minimum 3.5
[13:11] is only about 11 million, above
[13:16] the 3% 1% increase in fund fund
[13:19] balance equates to $25 million
[13:23] to get from 3.5% to 5% in the
[13:25] current fund balance policy, it
[13:28] would cost approximately 36
[13:31] million at only 3.5%. Fund
[13:33] balance. We're entering the new
[13:35] fiscal year with a
[13:36] significantly smaller financial
[13:45] cushion. The total property tax
[13:51] revenue is about 2.23. Billion.
[13:53] Operating capital referendum
[13:55] and debt service details are
[13:57] shown on on this slide. And the
[14:05] next slide. So this this slide
[14:11] shows the the rollback rate the
[14:13] millage rate that would
[14:14] generate approximately the same
[14:16] property tax revenues as the
[14:19] prior year, excluding new
[14:22] construction. So it's 3.38%
[14:26] above the rollback rate.
[14:28] Increase to the overall
[14:30] rollback rate was driven by
[14:32] taxable value growth. So
[14:35] basically the property values
[14:40] grew in their overall value to
[14:44] include debt. The total debt
[14:46] including the total millage
[14:52] rate including debt is 6.4527,
[14:55] which is less than last year's
[15:03] millage rate. This slide shows
[15:05] the total budget, including all
[15:10] funds. And after fees and
[15:12] interfund transfer adjustments.
[15:14] It's approximately 4.7 billion,
[15:16] including all funds. This is
[15:18] the budget that's presented for
[15:26] adoption. Now on this slide. It
[15:28] shows some of the risks that we
[15:29] discussed last week, with the
[15:31] largest immediate risk
[15:34] continuing to be enrollment,
[15:36] approximately 1000 unweighted
[15:38] fte equates to roughly $10
[15:40] million in funding. So
[15:42] continued enrollment losses can
[15:44] quickly create a meaningful
[15:47] revenue shortfall. And we know
[15:50] we're looking up to the next
[15:51] state report that provides us
[15:53] the third calculation and could
[15:56] have potential changes to our
[15:58] revenues. Other assumptions
[16:00] built into the budget also
[16:01] carry risks, including
[16:04] anticipated savings, salary
[16:07] lapse and operational
[16:09] efficiencies, unplanned costs
[16:11] or new funding requirements
[16:13] could add further pressure.
[16:14] Many of the district's costs
[16:16] are fixed and cannot be reduced
[16:19] quickly enough to fully offset
[16:21] a sudden revenue loss, such as
[16:23] the third calculations. Because
[16:24] when the state provides that,
[16:26] they basically just reduce our
[16:31] our revenues. If these pressure
[16:32] materializes without
[16:33] corresponding reductions, the
[16:35] fund balance would be impacted
[16:37] and we would be at risk of
[16:46] state restrictions. Several
[16:48] opportunities have been
[16:49] identified. As we discussed
[16:51] last week, where additional
[16:54] savings are possible. These are
[16:56] preliminary ranges and
[16:57] shouldn't be viewed as
[17:00] guaranteed savings. The largest
[17:02] potential range comes from
[17:03] continued central office
[17:05] vacancy management and through
[17:08] our hiring freeze and other
[17:09] opportunities include health
[17:12] care efficiencies, contracted
[17:14] services, travel and purchasing
[17:16] restrictions, and our and
[17:21] program adjustments. So note
[17:23] that the savings related to
[17:25] changes in employment insurance
[17:28] premiums payments are already
[17:32] factored into the budget. The
[17:35] estimates for the insurance the
[17:38] health care relate to the glp
[17:40] one weight loss, prescription
[17:42] drugs, and any potential
[17:44] savings that we get from the
[17:46] people. One contract that we
[17:48] approved together, the
[17:49] preliminary range is
[17:53] approximately 15.2 million to
[18:01] 52 million. So the next steps
[18:03] are we're recommending that the
[18:04] board adopt the final millage
[18:08] rate, adopt the $4.7 billion
[18:09] final budget, continue to take
[18:11] steps to minimize financial
[18:13] risk while protecting
[18:14] classrooms and the learning
[18:17] environment. We'll create a. We
[18:18] will create opportunities by
[18:20] pursuing sustainable cost
[18:22] reductions and operational
[18:23] efficiencies. And as we
[18:25] mentioned in the beginning,
[18:27] we'll provide the board monthly
[18:29] updates on the budget and. And
[18:31] since the budget is fluid, we
[18:33] will amend the budget as it
[18:34] changes or as we're directed by
[18:40] the board. This concludes my
[18:42] presentation. Thank you.
[18:44] >> Thank you. We will now take
[18:46] public comment on item one,
[18:48] which is resolution adopting
[18:49] final millage rates. Again,
[18:51] I'll read five names at a time.
[18:54] Please line up behind the
[18:56] podium when the timer goes off.
[18:58] When your time is up, please
[18:59] exit and follow the direction
[19:03] of staff. So I have Amy Edelman,
[19:06] Liliana Ruido, Amos Armstrong,
[19:12] Samuel Hull and Yvonne Moniz.
[19:14] >> Amy Edelman, Contrails
[19:17] Elementary. Well, I didn't see
[19:20] any line in there about teacher
[19:22] raises, so that's very
[19:28] disappointing. MR. Howard.
[19:30] Superintendent trying to do a
[19:33] better job, I see, but I have
[19:34] some board members up there
[19:36] that I remember voting that
[19:39] really nice package for Doctor
[19:40] Runcie and giving him all that
[19:43] money at the end. So my point
[19:47] is, why do the teachers have to
[19:49] suffer? I was supposed to be a
[19:53] top salary when my son finished
[19:56] college. He's way, way out of
[19:58] college. I'm nowhere near that.
[20:00] I mean, the thought of retiring
[20:05] is very difficult. I'm just one
[20:08] of a whole entire staff that
[20:12] feels defeated, deflated. But
[20:14] we had a meeting the other day.
[20:17] It was just. Yeah. And the yeah,
[20:20] the class sizes are getting
[20:22] higher. People are walking in
[20:24] and out of my staff's rooms
[20:27] every five seconds with the
[20:30] premise that. They're just
[20:34] coming in to help. It would
[20:37] help if we had more staff in
[20:41] our schools, and it would also
[20:44] help if we had a raise. So
[20:47] think about that. I didn't see
[20:48] anything. That's great. But the
[20:53] thing is, is that. I didn't ask
[20:55] everybody to spend to send them
[20:56] away with thousands and
[20:58] thousands of dollars. The last
[20:59] three superintendents, I can't
[21:01] even remember two of their
[21:03] names. That's how quickly they
[21:05] came and gone. But they came
[21:07] and gone with so much money at
[21:08] the end that it's not even
[21:12] funny. Except that we're
[21:14] suffering for it. So when you
[21:17] think about us, I would like to
[21:19] hold you to giving us that
[21:21] raise this year. I'd like to
[21:25] have my going out salary at a
[21:27] point where when I go to Social
[21:30] Security and I go to get my
[21:33] pension. That they could tell
[21:36] me that I could actually live
[21:38] and go to the supermarket,
[21:40] which is outrageous, and buy
[21:42] food for myself to eat. And
[21:44] it's not funny and I'm not
[21:46] making it up. This is how the
[21:49] teachers feel, especially in my
[21:51] school. They don't. They can't
[21:53] even lift their head every
[21:56] single day. I asked them to
[21:59] spend five minutes at a bcu
[22:01] meeting. After the meeting the
[22:03] other day, and three quarters
[22:05] of them got up and left. They
[22:06] just walked out because they
[22:10] can't even handle listening to
[22:13] me talking about two specific
[22:16] things, because they were just
[22:18] deflated. That's it.
[22:22] >> Thank you. Next speaker.
[22:25] >> My name is Sam Hull. I am a
[22:26] product of the Broward County
[22:28] Public school system as an
[22:30] individual, but also now as a
[22:31] teacher. As testament to this,
[22:34] I even work in the same room. I
[22:35] learned it in fourth grade. So
[22:38] it's very full circle. I'm here
[22:40] to show just how important that
[22:43] 4% is. I make roughly $50,000,
[22:46] and 4% of that is roughly 2000.
[22:47] I've been living with my
[22:48] parents for the past few years
[22:49] because I was not able to
[22:51] afford an apartment. I finally
[22:52] hit a point where I was like,
[22:54] well, I guess I can sort of
[22:56] afford it, so I'll do it.
[22:57] $2,000 is one full month of
[22:58] rent for me, essentially, right?
[23:00] So I'm not really asking for
[23:02] much at all. Not just me, but
[23:03] all people here. And I think
[23:05] that's the issue that we have
[23:06] that we're not asking for a
[23:07] whole lot amount. We're simply
[23:09] asking for a month worse, one a
[23:12] month worth of rent. I say that
[23:15] because it's not just the rent
[23:16] itself. It's the amount of time
[23:18] that I can put towards any
[23:20] individual student. So if I'm
[23:21] sitting there worrying about
[23:22] whether or not I'm going to
[23:23] make that next month rent, or
[23:25] at least comfortably make it,
[23:26] then that just siphons away the
[23:28] time that I can be spending on
[23:29] dwelling on a student that
[23:31] needs it. I now have four more
[23:33] students in my two classes that
[23:34] I worry about as a 4 or 5 math
[23:36] and science teacher, than I did
[23:38] when I started teaching three
[23:39] and a half years ago. So again,
[23:42] for MAY, you might be able to
[23:43] say it's not that much, just
[23:45] like another $1,800 or 2000 is
[23:46] not that much for a month of
[23:48] rent, but everything counts.
[23:49] And it's hitting a point where
[23:51] all these little, little
[23:52] everything things that pile
[23:54] together become a lot of things
[23:56] and it becomes a huge issue. If
[23:57] I'm wondering constantly, am I
[24:00] going to be able to buy a house
[24:01] someday? That kind of thought
[24:03] has left, has left my mind. But
[24:04] at the very least, I'm hoping
[24:06] for comfortability in my life.
[24:07] I'm going to yield the rest of
[24:09] my time, but I do want to make
[24:11] it very clear that until
[24:13] teachers are prioritized, when
[24:14] there's more work being put on
[24:16] their plates, your scores are
[24:17] not going to increase the
[24:19] overall metrics that you need
[24:21] to continue your jobs and to
[24:22] continue the budget, and so on
[24:24] and so forth, will not improve.
[24:26] You have to put teachers first,
[24:27] just like you do students.
[24:29] Thank you.
[24:33] >> Thank you. Next speaker.
[24:35] >> Hi, my name is Yvonne Moniz.
[24:38] I am an Esq facilitator. I work
[24:39] at a local school right here,
[24:41] Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Check
[24:44] our scores vs elementary. We're
[24:45] doing really great. 25 years of
[24:47] a. We're very proud of
[24:50] ourselves. Yes, you know who we
[24:52] are. I know a lot of you. I've
[24:54] like campaigned in some of your
[24:56] things. I've volunteered for
[24:58] one of you for facility
[25:00] committee. I've seen you at the.
[25:06] What was that? The parade. And
[25:07] I'm here to say is we're having
[25:09] real success because I'm
[25:11] passionate about what I do,
[25:13] passionate. So I work with the
[25:15] complex learners. And you MAY
[25:17] think it's silly, but we have
[25:18] movements. For all the letter
[25:20] sounds movements. When you say
[25:22] a, we have an apple when they
[25:23] are reading and they get stuck
[25:25] on f, I start fanning and they
[25:26] get it. I've got kids that go
[25:28] up into third grade and you see
[25:30] they get stuck on a letter and
[25:32] they'll start going, t t t t t
[25:34] we're having success. Love what
[25:37] I do. Passionate, love it. But
[25:39] if that referendum and that 4%
[25:41] doesn't come, I MAY not be able
[25:43] to stay here. I am so sad about
[25:45] it. It's the reality of what
[25:49] the cost is. I raised three
[25:50] children, Broward County
[25:53] schools. One was in parkland
[25:56] that fateful day. One was a
[25:58] teacher and she has left
[26:00] teaching already because she
[26:02] has to go to the private sector.
[26:04] She doesn't make enough to pay
[26:07] that rent. But I want to thank
[26:10] you for dedicating your careers
[26:12] to public service. All the
[26:15] teachers here. Thank you for
[26:17] dedicating your lives, your
[26:20] careers to public service.
[26:22] Legislators hear that often
[26:24] teachers do not. It's very
[26:25] important what we do, the
[26:27] passion that we bring, the
[26:29] passion that we continue to
[26:30] have with what we're doing. And
[26:32] we all want to stay where we're
[26:37] at. Can we all afford it? We
[26:38] all can't afford it. I'm so sad
[26:41] to say we can't. Cost of living.
[26:43] It's a difficult time. You all
[26:45] know it. You go to the grocery
[26:46] stores too. You're getting
[26:48] those Uber Eats and you're
[26:49] getting your groceries
[26:51] delivered. It's expensive. It's
[26:54] getting difficult. So I'd love
[26:56] to. Please think of me. Think
[26:58] of the success I'm having with
[26:59] those complex learners. I love
[27:02] what I do, I love what the kids
[27:06] are learning. I love how they
[27:07] respond to the movements that
[27:11] we've created. Let's continue
[27:12] the good work we're doing.
[27:13] Thank you very much for your
[27:16] time, everybody.
[27:17] >> Thank you. Next, speaker.
[27:19] And then I'm just going to read
[27:21] the final names that I have for
[27:23] this specific item, the millage
[27:28] rate. So Anna Fusco, Chavez and
[27:32] Trudy Germanovich and Don
[27:33] Campbell, the rest of the
[27:34] registered public speakers I
[27:37] have are on the next item. The
[27:40] budget. Welcome.
[27:42] >> Good evening. My name is
[27:45] Amos, and I'm not here
[27:49] associated with any. Party. And
[27:51] I was told to be here. I'm not
[27:53] sure if I'm in the right place
[27:55] or not, but I was told to come
[27:59] to voice my opinion. And what I
[28:00] would like to say is I was
[28:02] sitting and I was listening to
[28:04] the speaker, and he was talking
[28:05] about the proposed budget for
[28:09] next year, for 2027. Now, he
[28:11] said most of the money was
[28:12] coming from the private sector,
[28:14] which was the my issue is
[28:15] probably a lot different from
[28:17] the teachers. The issue that
[28:19] I'm talking about now, and he
[28:21] proposed that the budget for
[28:24] next year, for the 4.7, what
[28:26] trillion million dollars for
[28:28] the budget for next year was
[28:29] coming from the private sector,
[28:31] which was going to be from the
[28:33] property taxes. That's why I'm
[28:35] here. I'm here for the property
[28:36] taxes. I'm here because of the
[28:41] fact that last year, this time,
[28:42] SEPTEMBER the 22nd, my mom
[28:44] passed. And when she passed,
[28:47] she had the house homesteaded
[28:50] in her name. I'm trying to
[28:52] understand how did the taxes go
[28:56] from $3,500 a year all the way
[29:00] up to $9,000 a year? I'm trying
[29:02] to figure out where did a
[29:04] $5,000 increase come from to
[29:06] make my property taxes go up
[29:09] that much? Mind you, I don't
[29:11] stay out west in Coral Springs.
[29:13] I don't stay on the other side
[29:15] of 75 in Weston or Wellington.
[29:17] None of those places. I stay in
[29:19] the hood in the ghetto, and I'm
[29:21] trying to figure out how come
[29:24] my property taxes are up $5,000
[29:25] extra compared to what I'm
[29:27] already paying? Basically, what
[29:30] you guys are telelng me I I that
[29:32] you guys s are fororng m me o out o
[29:33] mymy home, that I don't bee
[29:35] ththe e fo over 30 years. The
[29:37] house is bought and paid for.
[29:39] Yes, mind you, it MAY not be
[29:42] fancy. It MAY not be a modern
[29:43] home, but. But still, though
[29:44] it's our home, something that
[29:47] we worked hard for to get. I'm
[29:51] just trying to understand that
[29:52] I agree with the teachers. Yes,
[29:54] they need more pay. They need
[29:56] more money 100%. But I don't
[29:59] think they take no four point
[30:00] $7,000,000,000 trillion to get
[30:01] that, and not especially
[30:02] forcing a person out of their
[30:03] home. They don't have been
[30:05] there for over 30 years. I
[30:07] don't think that's right.
[30:09] Because somebody answer me that,
[30:10] which I know y'all can't speak,
[30:12] but can y'all answer me that?
[30:13] >> Yes. And thank you for the
[30:14] comment, sir. Thank you.
[30:16] Actually, in the wrong meeting,
[30:18] this is more for the property
[30:20] appraiser. Okay. And so if you
[30:23] go to outside and stand by that
[30:24] table, I'll make sure MR.
[30:26] Sullivan has a team member who
[30:28] can help you look that up and
[30:30] know what meeting, specific
[30:31] meeting to actually go to.
[30:32] >> Okay. Thank you.
[30:34] >> Thank you.
[30:42] >> Thank you. Next speaker.
[30:45] >> Liliana. Broward Teachers
[30:48] Union. So I was looking at the
[30:50] budget. I didn't see any
[30:52] anywhere that says teacher
[30:55] salary raise at all. So what's
[30:57] going on here? The reality here
[31:02] is if you don't see the need of
[31:05] the teachers at this time, it's
[31:08] it's a problem. Also, you don't
[31:10] stop with the amount of demands.
[31:12] Do this. Do more, more and more.
[31:15] Not stopping. But yeah, there
[31:18] is no money for teachers. So
[31:20] it's extremely important for
[31:23] you to make a space and to
[31:25] allocate money for salary
[31:26] raises. And I'm going to tell
[31:28] you why you continue
[31:31] mistreating the teachers and
[31:33] not value them. Then it's going
[31:35] it's going to be a massive
[31:37] exodus of teachers. You don't
[31:39] appreciate them, you don't
[31:43] value them. Plus, it's just
[31:44] insane that you keep talking
[31:46] about class size. You keep
[31:48] saying about class size. Have
[31:50] you been in the schools? Have
[31:53] you been in a classroom of 60
[31:55] students? So you are condensing
[31:56] 2 or 3 classrooms in one
[31:58] classroom and you're saying
[32:00] there is not enough students?
[32:03] You are right. So again, you
[32:05] need you really need to revise
[32:06] what you're doing right now.
[32:07] We're watching what you're
[32:10] doing and your message is, you
[32:12] know what? We don't care about
[32:14] you. And that's a problem.
[32:16] Because when you sit there and
[32:18] when you are sitting right now
[32:20] is to represent us and do the
[32:22] right thing by the teachers and
[32:24] employees, and you're not doing
[32:26] it. It's very, very
[32:28] disappointing, especially for
[32:33] those who were once teachers.
[32:37] >> Thank you. Next speaker.
[32:39] >> My name is Doctor Trudy
[32:42] Germanovich. I am going to talk
[32:44] a little bit about the millage.
[32:47] I think one of the things that
[32:48] we just found out from the
[32:51] former speaker right before
[32:54] Liliana was that you don't
[32:56] communicate very well what
[32:59] millage means. Millage means
[33:01] the same thing every year on
[33:04] our taxes and what happened
[33:07] with him. I have had happened
[33:10] to a lot of friends where they
[33:11] inherited a property, and then
[33:14] the property tax goes up
[33:16] tremendously. You MAY say
[33:19] that's not our problem, but it
[33:22] is your problem because the
[33:24] problem is you're not
[33:26] communicating what you're
[33:28] really doing. When you set this
[33:31] millage rate, it is the same as
[33:33] always. And sometimes I think
[33:35] it even goes down a little bit.
[33:36] Since I nerd out coming to
[33:39] these meetings, but I really
[33:42] think you need to make people
[33:43] understand that when they look
[33:46] at that big, long tax bill and
[33:48] they know that it's not going
[33:50] to be affected by proposition
[33:52] three, supposedly, although
[33:54] there are going to be a lot of
[33:55] things that are going to be
[33:58] affected by that. What you
[34:00] really need to do is to explain
[34:03] that this money is what you
[34:06] need just to, to operate the
[34:11] budget at all. So I again,
[34:13] people will look at it and say,
[34:16] well, since the the cost of the
[34:18] housing is going up, you should
[34:20] lower your millage rate. You
[34:22] have to explain to them why you
[34:25] can't do that, because while
[34:27] their houses are going up, so
[34:31] are all of your costs, our
[34:35] costs. And so again, it's
[34:37] communication, communication,
[34:40] communication. And you need to
[34:41] start doing a better job with
[34:44] that. I think that that's
[34:47] what's missing. Whenever these
[34:49] these conversations come up and
[34:50] the referendum I will talk
[34:52] about during the next thing,
[34:54] but I don't think you're doing
[34:57] a good job on, on the
[34:59] referendum. You need to say we
[35:02] need to really put out lots of
[35:04] things. And you say, well, we
[35:05] can't do it because the state
[35:07] law says we can't tell people
[35:09] how to vote. The thing that you
[35:12] put on the website was so
[35:13] boring that I couldn't even
[35:17] read it. So please, let's think
[35:20] about what you do. Have a
[35:25] contest. Find somebody to fund
[35:29] how we can get this referendum
[35:32] passed. Find somebody else. If
[35:34] if it can be done through the
[35:36] Broward Foundation, do it there.
[35:39] If you can't, you've got the
[35:41] union. The union always does it.
[35:43] So work with them on how to do
[35:45] it.
[35:49] >> Thank you. Next speaker.
[35:50] >> I am.
[35:50] >> An.
[35:51] >> Educator for Broward Schools,
[35:53] and I also work for the Broward
[35:56] Teachers Union. I'm very
[35:58] concerned that there is no talk
[36:01] of a race. You know, I've been
[36:03] here a lot and I hear all of
[36:05] you, every single person except
[36:08] for the lawyer, talk about, yes,
[36:11] we we respect our educators. We
[36:15] value our educators. We assure
[36:19] you that we are looking very
[36:21] strongly to ensure that you get
[36:24] a raise next year. Please be
[36:27] patient with us. We know that
[36:31] you're struggling. So if you
[36:33] spent an entire year saying
[36:37] that, what is going on? Did you
[36:40] lie? Were you not telling the
[36:42] truth? Were you just saying
[36:43] things just to make people
[36:47] happy? What were you doing?
[36:49] Because this is not showing us
[36:54] that you care at all in any
[36:57] which way and form. This is a
[36:59] slap in the face to every
[37:03] single employee that you have,
[37:05] and that should be a concern
[37:07] for you. Every single one of
[37:10] you, even those of you on your
[37:11] phones, not paying attention to
[37:18] me. So here are some data. The
[37:21] cost of living has increased
[37:23] 10.5% in Broward in the past
[37:27] year. And you're not willing to
[37:29] even talk about a raise. You're
[37:32] not even willing to say, hey,
[37:35] we're going to make this happen.
[37:37] What you're willing to talk
[37:39] about is we need to get rid of
[37:42] more employees. What you should
[37:45] be talking about is what can we
[37:46] do to get back those students
[37:48] who've left us to charter
[37:52] schools and private schools?
[37:54] What do we need to do as a
[37:57] school district to entice those
[37:58] students and parents to come
[38:00] back to our school district?
[38:01] That's the conversation that
[38:04] needs to be had here, because
[38:07] it is not the fault of the
[38:09] educators. We are doing our
[38:11] jobs. We are taking full
[38:12] responsibility for the
[38:15] education of the students.
[38:18] Please do your job. Please make
[38:21] sure that every educator gets
[38:23] the raise that they truly
[38:27] deserve, and they have earned.
[38:29] Thank you.
[38:31] >> Thank you. Next speaker.
[38:33] >> Anna Fusco, teachers union
[38:34] PRESIDENT. What's that hat say?
[38:37] School board Cervera.
[38:39] >> Pay the teachers.
[38:43] >> Oh. Thank you. Okay, so
[38:44] obviously the millage needs to
[38:46] get passed. And it was
[38:48] explained as best that it could
[38:51] be explained. We did have one
[38:52] person sitting in theudience
[38:54] that clearly didn't understand
[38:56] it, and that was your
[38:58] opportunity to explain it live.
[39:00] And it's there's live feed
[39:02] going on so everybody can hear
[39:04] it. I, we appreciate him being
[39:06] sent out and getting explained
[39:07] one on one, but it was your
[39:10] opportunity to talk. You've got
[39:13] this ridiculous notion that we
[39:15] can't talk back and forth. Come
[39:17] on. These are these are real
[39:19] people in here that he had a
[39:21] real concern that felt that the
[39:24] Broward School District was the
[39:27] reason the taxes affected him.
[39:29] That's we there are taxes that
[39:32] affect every single constituent
[39:33] in Broward County, but for
[39:35] different rationales and why
[39:37] you guys feel like, let me just
[39:40] sit here and, you know, play
[39:41] dumb. I don't even know. I
[39:43] don't know what to say anymore.
[39:46] I'm at a loss. But it is
[39:49] concerning to not see this
[39:50] millage explanation a little
[39:52] bit more in depth. I don't know,
[39:55] is it that it's the clips
[39:57] version? Is it purposely done
[39:58] that? Let's just get through.
[40:00] Let's just push it through. I
[40:02] don't know what questions or
[40:04] you know, are going to be asked
[40:05] by individual board members
[40:07] which ones are going to, we
[40:09] know which ones are going to be
[40:10] scripted. It's clear as a bell
[40:11] which board member scripts it
[40:13] with. The superintendent. That
[40:16] is not okay. I was oh, I'm
[40:19] always expecting real questions
[40:21] to come out on your own that
[40:22] you guys didn't have your back
[40:26] door conversations. And for the
[40:27] people that are not here all
[40:30] the time that they don't get it,
[40:33] but obviously you're going to
[40:34] pass it because it's there. We
[40:38] know that the budget money has
[40:39] gone up, but students have gone
[40:40] down. There's a lot of things
[40:44] that are not well understood in
[40:45] that little version that was
[40:48] put out there. And I hope that
[40:50] you're going to take a lot of
[40:53] time between the board members
[40:55] to have a real deep
[40:57] conversation so people actually
[40:59] understand. And I'm going to
[41:03] keep saying it. It was gravely
[41:04] affected in our schools that
[41:07] even though we've lost students,
[41:10] we still have less teachers to
[41:11] meet the needs of the students.
[41:13] The class sizes are inflated
[41:16] and it has to matter. And
[41:16] they're still being treated
[41:18] that they're not professionals
[41:21] of these unnecessary
[41:23] walkthroughs by district
[41:25] personnel. It's uncomfortable
[41:27] to them. I don't know why you
[41:29] think it's not. It is things
[41:31] like that, the pressures of our
[41:32] teachers and not making their
[41:34] rent or making their mortgage
[41:36] is real. Yeah.
[41:38] >> Thank you. And I still have
[41:43] Don Campbell.
[41:44] >> Good evening.
[41:46] >> Good evening.
[41:47] >> When I walked in this room,
[41:49] I saw something on that board
[41:53] and it said a rated school and
[41:55] you wouldn't have a rated
[41:57] school unless you had a
[42:00] dedicated force, a force of
[42:03] teachers and educators and
[42:04] guidance counselors and
[42:06] custodians and all of them
[42:08] working for the effort to make
[42:11] Broward County what it is and a
[42:12] love for what they do. Growing
[42:16] up, I would hear teachers say,
[42:17] I'm not working for the money.
[42:19] I'm working because I love to
[42:21] do what I'm doing. But you need
[42:23] to have money in order to pay
[42:26] your bills. A consideration
[42:29] need to be given for teachers.
[42:30] As a young man growing up in
[42:33] Broward County, my parents did
[42:35] not have the education, neither
[42:37] one of them. They was out there
[42:39] picking beans in the field, but
[42:41] they worked hard to send 17
[42:44] children. We had 12 go to
[42:47] college. Through hard work and
[42:48] dedication. And for the love of
[42:51] the teachers, that was there, I
[42:53] sit on a board and I know what
[42:55] it's like to sit behind that
[42:57] desk and listen to our
[43:00] community voiced their concerns,
[43:01] and some of my members that sit
[43:04] on the board with me are
[43:06] watching. Their phones are not
[43:08] paying attention or say, I've
[43:10] heard all of this before, and
[43:12] it bounces off their heart and
[43:13] their mind, and they go on to
[43:15] other things. They believe that
[43:17] it's important. But I'm telling
[43:22] you now, teachers are important.
[43:24] Education is important. And I
[43:27] wouldn't be here, here now if
[43:28] it wasn't for dedicated
[43:30] teachers. That made me pay
[43:32] attention, and I thank them for
[43:34] that. I thank you teachers,
[43:36] principals and even the board.
[43:37] Some of you have been on there
[43:39] for quite some time. Some of
[43:40] you just getting on there. But
[43:42] there's a love of school that
[43:45] these people are doing. I have
[43:47] three kids in education and a
[43:49] wife that's in education. I
[43:50] know my kids are still living
[43:52] with me because they can't move
[43:54] out because of the salary that
[43:55] they earn. And I know, you know,
[43:57] the percentage. We looked at
[43:59] what West Palm Beach and Miami
[44:01] pay and over the nations. I
[44:02] know, and I'm not going to bore
[44:04] you with all the statistics.
[44:06] I'm just going to tell you that
[44:07] you need to consider paying
[44:09] them. I heard tonight care,
[44:11] disappointment, communication
[44:13] and follow through. If they're
[44:15] coming here telling you they're
[44:16] concerned, don't just write it
[44:19] off, meet with them, listen to
[44:21] them, and you can learn
[44:22] something when you move away to
[44:25] get higher, you have less
[44:26] contact in the position that
[44:29] you have. These are the foot
[44:31] soldiers of our community. They
[44:33] know what's happening. You only
[44:35] hear certain portion of it. My
[44:36] daughter and all these teachers,
[44:38] I guarantee, take their own
[44:39] personal money and buy things
[44:41] for their schools. I know my
[44:43] daughters do that. Always copy
[44:45] and paper, always something
[44:46] that they're adding. Well,
[44:48] thank you for the time.
[44:51] >> Thank you so much. So now
[44:55] for we will sorry. We will vote
[44:58] on item one, and then we will
[44:59] go to item two and take the
[45:01] rest of the public speakers.
[45:02] But before we vote, of course,
[45:04] we'll do board discussion. And
[45:05] could I please have decorum in
[45:07] the audience so that the board
[45:09] can discuss in a civil and
[45:12] orderly manner? MISS Hixon.
[45:15] >> Thank you. I want to ask a
[45:16] question of beacon in the back
[45:18] there. Can you put back up
[45:22] slide 18? From the presentation
[45:25] that MR. Shim shared with us.
[45:28] Thank you. So first, I want to
[45:31] say thank you very much to the
[45:33] Budget Finance Department for
[45:35] putting all of this together. I
[45:37] asked for slide 18 to come up
[45:39] because I think it's important,
[45:40] as one of our speakers
[45:42] mentioned, to educate the
[45:45] public. So if you look at slide
[45:47] 18, it shows the millage rate
[45:50] from 2020 all the way to now.
[45:51] And I just really wanted to
[45:53] point it out because there's a
[45:54] couple of things. First of all,
[45:57] this is usually dictated by the
[46:02] state on what we we have to, to
[46:04] levy. Thank you. So if you look
[46:07] on 2020, it was 6.5. And if you
[46:10] look at today's. Millage that
[46:12] we're going to be voting on
[46:14] today, it's 6.45. So the
[46:16] millage has gone down and you
[46:17] can go across and see it went
[46:19] down. And then it went up one
[46:21] year and then it went back down.
[46:23] So I, I think it was important
[46:26] to point out that to the people
[46:27] who have come that are
[46:28] specifically concerned about
[46:30] the millage rate because, you
[46:32] know, we we don't increase it
[46:35] often it increases because your
[46:37] property value has increased.
[46:39] And also, I personally went
[46:41] through my, my taxes when it
[46:43] came. And just want to point
[46:45] out that usually what's the
[46:47] biggest thing on your taxes is
[46:50] the, the millage, your city or
[46:52] municipality levies. The school
[46:54] board isn't the the biggest
[46:56] number on there. But as someone
[46:57] pointed out, this is the only
[46:59] way we get funding or the main
[47:01] way that we get funding. So if
[47:04] we weren't to levy taxes, there
[47:07] would be no income for public
[47:09] schools. There just wouldn't.
[47:11] And we we could go through this
[47:12] whole thing also how we're a
[47:15] donor district. And what
[47:16] happens with taxes is they go
[47:19] into a big bucket. And then the
[47:21] state decides how that gets
[47:23] distributed out to different
[47:24] districts. If you didn't do it
[47:26] that way, rural districts that
[47:28] had very little property taxes
[47:30] would have no public schooling.
[47:31] So I don't know if the
[47:33] superintendent wants to add on
[47:35] to that, to just kind of give a
[47:38] quick lesson on, on what
[47:40] millage is. So that because I
[47:41] see that the one public speaker
[47:45] came back in just to understand
[47:47] what that is, but I just wanted
[47:48] I thought it was really
[47:49] important because this is in
[47:50] the appendix. So everybody
[47:52] might not have seen it, but
[47:57] from 2020 to 2026, our levy of
[47:59] millage actually went down.
[48:01] >> Yes. So thank you, MISS
[48:03] Hixon. And I'll ask MR. In a
[48:05] minute to kind of hop in. But
[48:06] yes, you're absolutely correct.
[48:08] Some of it is required local
[48:09] effort that we have to levy
[48:12] levy per state of Florida, as
[48:13] you mentioned too. We're also a
[48:15] donor district. So the state
[48:19] virtually collects what we
[48:20] actually access from our
[48:21] required local effort, kind of
[48:23] put it in a big bucket and
[48:24] spread it out amongst all the
[48:25] other school districts. So
[48:27] there's equity in funding as
[48:29] much as possible from county to
[48:30] county. You have some counties
[48:32] that have more cows than people
[48:33] in the state of Florida, so
[48:35] they don't have the same real
[48:36] estate advantage that some of
[48:38] the larger counties have. We
[48:40] also have opportunity for
[48:42] discretionary millage, an
[48:43] additional amount that we can
[48:45] levy to make sure that we can
[48:46] operate the district. As many
[48:48] of the speakers pointed out,
[48:50] cost of living is severely high
[48:52] in South Florida and continues
[48:56] to go up. So, as well as for
[48:58] homeowners with not just your
[48:59] mortgage or your rent, but also
[49:02] the expenses to live in your
[49:05] house, the utilities, the water,
[49:06] all the other maintenance
[49:08] things that are also increasing
[49:10] as well helps out with the
[49:11] discretionary millage that
[49:14] we're able to leverage. And I
[49:15] know some people talked about
[49:16] referendum as well. The
[49:18] referendum is another mechanism
[49:20] where required. Local local
[49:22] effort gives us gives us the
[49:23] ability to actually keep our
[49:25] schools safe and secure and
[49:27] meet and meet and exceed some
[49:28] of the state mandates for that
[49:30] to support our students with
[49:31] mental health concerns, which
[49:32] are very constant and daily,
[49:34] and also to provide
[49:36] supplemental compensation to
[49:37] our educators, especially our
[49:39] teachers in the classroom as
[49:42] well. And MR. Smith or MR.
[49:43] Whitney, if there's anything
[49:44] else you want to add.
[49:47] >> That that was a lot. So the
[49:49] only thing that I'll add is
[49:52] that the state funds the
[49:55] majority of our education
[49:56] component with the Florida
[49:59] Education Finance program. And
[50:01] there's the the state funded
[50:03] portion, which generally comes
[50:05] from sales tax, most of it does.
[50:08] And then there's the local
[50:10] required local effort. And the
[50:12] state decides howucucthey
[50:15] wiwi provivi I statete funngng
[50:18] d d how muchee levy locally.
[50:20] And we have to levy levy
[50:22] exactly what they say.
[50:23] Otherwise, we can't have
[50:25] education funding at all. And
[50:27] that that's that's basically
[50:28] how it works is the state tells
[50:31] you what the tax locally. So
[50:32] that's the first thing that
[50:34] I'll say. And then the other
[50:39] thing is that the, you know, as
[50:40] you said, our taxes are going
[50:43] down, the rate is going down.
[50:46] But what generally affects most
[50:48] homeowners the most is the
[50:49] changes in in their property
[50:52] tax values. And that can have
[50:54] happen for a number of reasons,
[50:55] particularly when properties
[50:58] change hands. The value of the
[51:01] property changes. And if
[51:02] there's homestead exemption or
[51:03] other circumstances that
[51:05] changes the property. And that
[51:06] has more to do. As the
[51:07] superintendent pointed out,
[51:09] with the local property
[51:10] appraiser's and the rules
[51:15] behind that. So thank you.
[51:17] >> Thank you.
[51:18] >> DR. Zeman thank you chair. I
[51:20] just want to make three points
[51:23] today. Thank you again, MR.
[51:26] Shim, for all of this work. You
[51:28] correctly point out that
[51:30] assigned and unassigned balance
[51:33] of $84 million is just over the
[51:35] required state minimum before
[51:38] triggering some negative
[51:40] consequences by $11 million of
[51:44] the 3.0 level that roughly 3.5.
[51:45] You also rightly point out that
[51:47] it would take another $36
[51:49] million to get to the 5.0,
[51:51] which is the policy of Broward
[51:52] County School Board to maintain
[51:56] a fund balance equal to 5%. Any
[51:58] economist would tell you that
[52:00] sailing into an 80 mile an hour
[52:01] headwind, like the referendum
[52:03] is, or could be, you would want
[52:05] to increase your cash on hand,
[52:07] your fund balance, because
[52:09] you've got to protect some
[52:11] resources in case the
[52:13] referendum does not pass. I
[52:14] just want to share with the
[52:15] board and the community that we
[52:17] are not doing that right now.
[52:19] We are not holding off any more
[52:20] cash than is absolutely
[52:23] minimally required, and
[52:26] therefore this budget is a
[52:27] risky budget in the sense that
[52:29] if the referendum does not pass,
[52:30] we're going to have to do more
[52:32] next year than we would had we
[52:34] husbanded more resources. So
[52:35] throw a little cold water on
[52:38] the budget. But that's what
[52:39] economists do professionally
[52:44] all the time. Second point,
[52:45] Doctor Hepburn, this board has
[52:49] asked you to report monthly on
[52:52] any departmental expenditures
[52:55] that exceed the monthly
[52:57] departmental budget. Do you
[52:59] intend to comply with that over
[53:01] the course of this year?
[53:04] >> Yes, we're plus more. Yes.
[53:06] >> Thank you, sir, very much. I
[53:08] wanted to say that because the
[53:09] community while they're here,
[53:11] needs to recognize that we're
[53:13] just skimming over the top of
[53:15] the state level of 3.0. We're
[53:17] not holding enough money back,
[53:18] you know, to be cautious. We're
[53:21] just storming straight ahead.
[53:23] But we also have zero tolerance
[53:25] for overspending. The budget
[53:26] this year, we should have
[53:27] always had zero tolerance
[53:30] because the board's very rare
[53:31] authority that we have is to
[53:33] set the budget. And once we set
[53:35] a budget, we should expect our
[53:38] leaders to follow it or
[53:40] consider something else. The
[53:43] third point, chair, is that we
[53:44] haven't talked enough today
[53:47] about the referendum. It's the
[53:50] proverbial 800 pound gorilla.
[53:54] It will provide if it passes
[53:57] $358 million in revenue for the
[53:59] 2728 year, we could have shown
[54:01] an alternative budget, Doctor
[54:03] Hepburn, that would have shown
[54:04] what we need to do next year
[54:07] had this not passed. That would
[54:08] be interesting because when you
[54:10] lose 16% of your operating
[54:13] budgets, you do heroic things
[54:15] just to keep the doors open.
[54:16] The things that we have talked
[54:19] about today at our school board
[54:20] workshop and our special school
[54:23] board meeting, and even today
[54:26] is interesting, but it's not as
[54:27] interesting as losing 16% of
[54:29] your operating dollars. And we
[54:31] need to just be aware of that
[54:33] and inform people aut what
[54:35] the options that they have in
[54:37] terms of continuing that 1.0
[54:42] mil ad valorem tax. Why is that
[54:44] important? Because this board
[54:46] has talked a lot about $64
[54:49] million, 64 is a lot less than
[54:53] 358. And so for us to find the
[54:54] $64 million out of this budget
[54:56] to pay a 4% raise this year,
[54:58] we're going to have to make
[55:01] some decisions about where to
[55:04] cut, and we're going to have to
[55:06] be very mindful about the
[55:07] referendum and the total
[55:08] revenue that we're going to be
[55:10] able to forecast for next year
[55:11] as we make decisions about this
[55:13] year. So, chair, thank you very
[55:15] much for your recognize me. I
[55:17] cease my comments at this point.
[55:19] >> Thank you. Any other board
[55:24] discussion on item one? MR.
[55:25] Shim, is there something that
[55:27] needs to be read in the record
[55:28] before we vote on item one? I
[55:30] know we have to separate the
[55:31] item. We were going to separate
[55:33] the items out. Yep.
[55:34] >> Good evening. Jeff Whitney,
[55:35] the assistant director of the
[55:37] budget department. I will read
[55:39] resolution for item number one
[55:40] into the record before the
[55:42] board takes their vote. The
[55:44] school Board of Broward County,
[55:47] Florida, resolution number
[55:48] 27-114. Florida Department of
[55:50] Education resolution
[55:51] determining revenues and
[55:53] Millages levied resolution of
[55:54] the District School Board of
[55:55] Broward County, Florida.
[55:56] Determining the amount of
[55:59] revenues to be produced and the
[56:00] millage to be levied for the
[56:01] General Fund for the District
[56:04] Local Capital Improvement Fund,
[56:05] and for district debt service
[56:07] funds. For the fiscal year
[56:10] beginning JULY 1st, 2026 and
[56:13] ending JUNE 30th, 2027. Whereas,
[56:16] section 1011.04 Florida
[56:18] statutes requires that upon
[56:19] receipt of the certificate of
[56:21] the property appraiser giving
[56:23] the assessed valuation of the
[56:25] county and of each of the
[56:27] special Tax school districts,
[56:29] the School Board shall
[56:30] determine by resolution the
[56:32] amount necessary to be raised
[56:35] for current operating purposes
[56:37] and for debt service funds and
[56:39] the millage to be levied for
[56:40] each such fund, including the
[56:43] voted millage. And Whereas
[56:46] section 1011.71 Florida
[56:48] statutes provides for the
[56:50] amounts necessary to be raised
[56:51] for local capital improvement
[56:53] outlay and the millage to be
[56:55] levied. And whereas, the
[56:57] certificate of the property
[56:59] appraiser has been received,
[57:00] therefore, be it resolved by
[57:02] the District School Board that
[57:04] the amounts necessary to be
[57:05] raised as shown by the
[57:06] officially adopted budget and
[57:08] the millage millage is
[57:11] necessary to be levied for each
[57:13] school fund of the district for
[57:16] the fiscal year are as follows.
[57:17] These are all based on a
[57:26] certified taxable value of
[57:27] $360,655,894,590. The required
[57:32] local effort millage 3.081
[57:41] excuse me, 3.0180 Mills raising
[57:43] $1,044,921,110. Prior period
[57:47] funding adjustment millage is
[57:54] 0.028 mills, raising $9,694,431.
[57:56] The total required millage will
[58:01] therefore be 3.0460 mills,
[58:07] raising $1,054,615,541.
[58:09] Discretionary operating millage
[58:18] of 0.748 Mills will raise
[58:20] $258,979,785. The additional
[58:21] operating millage, which is the
[58:24] referendum millage, is one mill
[58:31] that will raise $346,229,659.
[58:33] Local capital improvement is
[58:41] 1.5 mills, raising $519,344,489.
[58:43] And finally, the voted debt
[58:48] millage at 0.1587, mills will
[58:54] raise $54,946,647. The total
[58:56] millage rates to be levied
[58:58] exceeds the rollback rate
[59:01] computed pursuant to section
[59:04] 200.065. Sub one Florida
[59:09] statutes by 3.38%.
[59:12] >> All right. The question is
[59:13] on the approval of item one.
[59:15] All in favor of approving item
[59:16] one, say aye.
[59:16] >> Aye.
[59:18] >> All opposed? Say no.
[59:21] >> No.
[59:22] >> Item one adopting the
[59:26] millage rate passes with one
[59:27] dissenting vote from MR.
[59:30] Cervera. Could I get a motion
[59:31] and a second on item two,
[59:33] please move by DR. Zeman.
[59:36] Seconded by MISS Hixon. We will
[59:38] go ahead and do public comment
[59:40] on item two, which is a
[59:42] resolution adopting the 2627
[59:44] budget. So I'll call five names
[59:49] at a time. Anna Fusco, Sophie.
[59:51] Aminab, Trudy Germanovich,
[59:54] Samuel Hull and Melissa Sherman.
[59:58] So if you heard your name.
[1:00:04] Please approach the podium.
[1:00:10] >> Yes, sir.
[1:00:11] >> My name is Doctor Trudy
[1:00:13] Germanovich. A family of four
[1:00:15] with two working adults and two
[1:00:16] children. Needs an annual
[1:00:22] pretax income of $117,358 to
[1:00:24] cover basic living expenses in
[1:00:27] Broward County, according to
[1:00:31] mit survey. On what a living
[1:00:33] wage means, no matter where
[1:00:34] they work, just about every
[1:00:37] school teacher in South Florida
[1:00:38] agrees on one thing they are
[1:00:40] underpaid and overworked in
[1:00:42] order to pay the bills.
[1:00:43] Everybody has some sort of side
[1:00:46] hustle who teach who from a
[1:00:49] teacher that teaches at Western,
[1:00:52] our nbc annual survey drew
[1:00:54] responses from 1400 teachers in
[1:00:57] Miami-Dade and Broward. 99%
[1:00:59] said teachers are not paid
[1:01:02] fully, fairly, and 90. Nearly
[1:01:04] 99% said they have concerns
[1:01:06] about the high cost of living.
[1:01:09] After 14 years of teaching, one
[1:01:11] teacher tutors, students and
[1:01:14] tens bar on weekends to
[1:01:17] supplement her base salary
[1:01:18] $52,000 a year. And that
[1:01:21] roughly comes out to $900 a
[1:01:24] week. Every teacher we spoke to
[1:01:27] said the desire to inspire kids
[1:01:29] keeps them going to veteran
[1:01:33] teachers said. I always have to
[1:01:34] tutor or pick up side jobs just
[1:01:36] to be able to stay down here.
[1:01:37] It's purely for the love of
[1:01:39] teaching that I stay in this
[1:01:41] profession. Another said it
[1:01:44] makes me feel undervalued.
[1:01:46] We're expected to teach all of
[1:01:48] these kids more and more every
[1:01:50] year, and we always rise to the
[1:01:51] occasion. We get it done and
[1:01:54] our paychecks never reflect the
[1:01:56] amount of work and effort we
[1:01:59] put in. I can't keep doing this,
[1:02:00] said another teacher with 22
[1:02:03] years experience. I shouldn't
[1:02:05] have to work three jobs to pay
[1:02:10] for a starter home. So does one
[1:02:12] of our favorites here, Giordano
[1:02:15] was quoted here. Egan, who
[1:02:16] teaches at tropical. They're
[1:02:18] not respecting us as
[1:02:19] professionals. If literally I
[1:02:22] make the same exact money as a
[1:02:25] server working at night, it's
[1:02:29] pretty sad. Starting salary in
[1:02:32] Miami Dade Public Schools is
[1:02:36] 50,000, and ours is 51,400.
[1:02:37] Those numbers are augmented by
[1:02:42] the voter approved referendum
[1:02:43] 9,696% said they have
[1:02:44] colleagues who have moved out
[1:02:47] of South Florida. Florida is
[1:02:49] ranked 49th in the nation for
[1:02:52] average teacher pay. We need to
[1:02:54] get that referendum passed.
[1:03:00] Thank you.
[1:03:01] >> Melissa Sherman, Fort
[1:03:04] Lauderdale I'm a teacher in her
[1:03:05] 25th year of service to this
[1:03:07] district, and I want to be sure
[1:03:08] that we're all clear about
[1:03:10] something that this is not a
[1:03:11] conversation about whether we
[1:03:13] would like more money. This is
[1:03:14] a conversation about whether
[1:03:16] experienced professionals can
[1:03:18] continue to afford to work for
[1:03:20] Broward County Public Schools.
[1:03:22] You need to stop calling
[1:03:23] reductions in employee health
[1:03:24] care cost savings when those
[1:03:25] savings are being created on
[1:03:28] the backs of employees. If the
[1:03:29] district saves money by
[1:03:30] shifting more of the cost of
[1:03:32] health care onto teachers and
[1:03:34] other staff, the cost is not
[1:03:35] disappeared. It simply moved
[1:03:36] from the district's budgets
[1:03:38] into ours. That doesn't make
[1:03:40] health care cheaper. That makes
[1:03:42] employees delay care, skip
[1:03:43] appointments, put off
[1:03:44] procedures, stretch their
[1:03:45] medications and hope their
[1:03:46] problems go away on their own.
[1:03:48] That's not savings that makes
[1:03:51] people sicker and sicker.
[1:03:52] Employees cost more and lost
[1:03:54] work time, medical costs,
[1:03:55] burnout, and people deciding
[1:03:57] they simply cannot afford to
[1:03:59] keep working here. You cannot
[1:04:01] balance a budget by making
[1:04:02] access to medical care less
[1:04:03] affordable for the people,
[1:04:06] keeping the system running year
[1:04:07] after year. The employees in
[1:04:09] your classrooms have absorbed
[1:04:10] the difference. We've adjusted
[1:04:12] our budgets. We've postponed
[1:04:13] our purchases. We've taken
[1:04:15] second jobs. We've tutored.
[1:04:17] We've told our children, no, we
[1:04:19] MAY do, but there is a limit to
[1:04:21] how much of the district's
[1:04:22] financial problems can be
[1:04:23] transferred onto the personal
[1:04:25] finances of its employees, and
[1:04:27] we have reached that limit. I
[1:04:28] want to be very clear about
[1:04:30] what happens next. If
[1:04:31] compensation does not
[1:04:33] meaningfully improve, teachers
[1:04:34] will leave not because they
[1:04:36] stop caring about children, not
[1:04:37] because they stop believing in
[1:04:39] public education. They leave
[1:04:41] because caring about children
[1:04:44] does not pay their bills.
[1:04:46] Commitment does not cover our
[1:04:48] heads and dedication does not
[1:04:50] fund our retirements. You can't
[1:04:52] build your school system around
[1:04:54] the expectation that highly
[1:04:56] educated professionals will
[1:04:58] indefinitely subsidize their
[1:04:59] employment with personal
[1:05:01] sacrifice. At some point, we
[1:05:03] value our teachers has to show
[1:05:05] up somewhere other than a
[1:05:07] slogan. It has to show up in
[1:05:08] the budget. It has to show up
[1:05:11] in our paychecks and in the
[1:05:11] district's willingness to
[1:05:12] protect our health care.
[1:05:14] Instead of shifting more of the
[1:05:16] costs onto us. Because when the
[1:05:17] message is constantly, we
[1:05:18] appreciate you, but we cannot
[1:05:20] afford to pay you fairly. What
[1:05:22] we hear is we expect you to
[1:05:24] keep doing more for less,
[1:05:25] because we believe you will
[1:05:28] tolerate it. That is not
[1:05:29] respect that is being taken for
[1:05:31] granted. And we are tired of
[1:05:32] being told that things are
[1:05:33] improving when our own bank
[1:05:35] accounts tell us otherwise. We
[1:05:36] are tired of hearing that
[1:05:37] compensation is a priority
[1:05:39] while watching our purchasing
[1:05:40] power shrink, we are tired of
[1:05:42] being thanked publicly and
[1:05:44] squeezed privately. Teachers
[1:05:45] know how to read evidence. We
[1:05:47] teach students every day not to
[1:05:48] accept a claim that's
[1:05:51] unsupported by facts. So please
[1:05:52] understand when you tell us
[1:05:53] that we are valued, we are
[1:05:55] looking for the evidence. A
[1:05:56] meaningful raise is evidence.
[1:05:58] Affordable health care is
[1:05:59] evidence, a salary that allows
[1:06:01] a professional educator to live
[1:06:02] in the community. Where she
[1:06:04] works is evidence. Without that,
[1:06:06] the words begin to sound hollow.
[1:06:08] And that's why we're angry.
[1:06:11] >> Thank you.
[1:06:13] >> Thank you so much. Next
[1:06:17] speaker, please. Next speaker,
[1:06:24] please. All right. So again, I
[1:06:27] called Anna Fusco. She. We
[1:06:29] heard from Trudy Germanovich
[1:06:32] Samuel, Samuel Hull, Don
[1:06:34] Campbell, Marjorie Cook,
[1:06:36] Malcolm, Carolyn Harvey,
[1:06:43] Lorraine, Maurice Vachon.
[1:06:44] >> Good afternoon. My name is
[1:06:47] Margaret Malcolm and I live in
[1:06:56] Pembroke Pines. I know well, i
[1:06:57] heard the promise. Well, first
[1:06:59] let me start with the budget.
[1:07:01] There is no evidence of teacher
[1:07:03] salary on any of the line items
[1:07:05] for the budget. And I know I
[1:07:07] was excited a few months ago
[1:07:10] when I was heard that at least
[1:07:13] 4%, at least 4% salary increase,
[1:07:15] I was excited. In fact, I was
[1:07:17] one of them who said, yes, let
[1:07:20] me vote. I'm going to say yes
[1:07:21] because I want to make sure
[1:07:22] that if they're going to be 4%,
[1:07:24] then for my health insurance, I
[1:07:25] don't mind paying as long as
[1:07:27] I'm going to get some money to
[1:07:29] put back whatever I'm going to
[1:07:30] pay for my health insurance. So
[1:07:32] I was one of those who said,
[1:07:34] yes, let me go with the health
[1:07:35] insurance because I'm going to
[1:07:36] get my 4% increase. But
[1:07:37] obviously, looking at the
[1:07:39] budget, there is no place for
[1:07:41] 4%. There's not even a little
[1:07:43] mention of 4% or an increase
[1:07:46] for teacher salary. But let me
[1:07:49] tell you, teachers are feeling
[1:07:51] it. So right now, I stand in
[1:07:53] the gap for the teacher who sat
[1:07:55] in my classroom last week,
[1:07:57] overwhelmed, crying tears
[1:07:59] because it was too much. I also
[1:08:01] stand a gap for the teacher who
[1:08:03] goes to the grocery store and
[1:08:05] has to use a credit card to pay
[1:08:06] for the food items for the for
[1:08:09] their house, because they're
[1:08:12] salary already completed is is
[1:08:14] way with the mortgage, the car
[1:08:16] payments, whatever it is, bills.
[1:08:18] And I also stand in the gap for
[1:08:22] the teacher who has to postpone
[1:08:24] important life decisions like
[1:08:26] having a child because the
[1:08:28] money will not cover. And not
[1:08:31] only that, teacher. What about
[1:08:32] the other teacher who said, you
[1:08:34] know what? I have to. Even if I
[1:08:36] do have my baby, I have to wait
[1:08:38] just two weeks and come back.
[1:08:39] Maybe let me try to work with
[1:08:41] the numbers, work with the days
[1:08:43] so that I can come back and get
[1:08:45] my salary because I cannot stay
[1:08:47] out of work. I also stand in
[1:08:49] the gap for the teacher who
[1:08:51] prays night and day so that
[1:08:52] their spouse does. Nothing
[1:08:53] happens to their spouses
[1:08:55] because they know they're one
[1:08:57] paycheck away, one paycheck
[1:08:59] away from poverty. We've got to
[1:09:01] do better. Don't wait for the
[1:09:03] referendum. That's what you all
[1:09:04] seem to be doing, waiting for
[1:09:05] the referendum to give teachers
[1:09:08] a pay increase. That's not fair.
[1:09:11] But let me tell you, I totally
[1:09:12] agree with our superintendent.
[1:09:14] When he said everything is
[1:09:16] increasing. But I would like to
[1:09:20] add. Except teacher salary,
[1:09:24] have yourself a good one.
[1:09:25] >> Thank you. And just please
[1:09:26] maintain decorum in the
[1:09:27] audience. There is no clapping.
[1:09:29] You guys have been really great
[1:09:31] about doing the hand jazz hands,
[1:09:33] but please make sure that we
[1:09:36] don't clap. Next speaker please.
[1:09:43] >> Hi, Shafi. Okay, so. I
[1:09:44] really think we need to do a
[1:09:46] better job with putting a more
[1:09:47] positive spin on this
[1:09:50] referendum. Because although we
[1:09:53] are very upset with you that
[1:09:55] you're not doing anything about
[1:09:58] a race, and although I truly
[1:09:59] believe that you should not
[1:10:01] depend on a referendum for race,
[1:10:04] you should have some innovative
[1:10:07] ways of fixing your bget in a
[1:10:10] way that's positive for
[1:10:12] educators. You have this big
[1:10:14] old sign here that says a-rated
[1:10:17] School District. Were any of
[1:10:18] you in a classroom teaching
[1:10:21] children? Because the grades of
[1:10:24] the students, the hard work of
[1:10:26] the students, the hard work of
[1:10:29] the teachers and the classroom
[1:10:31] is the reason why we are an a
[1:10:35] rated school district. Let me
[1:10:38] say that again. The hard work
[1:10:40] of the teachers and the
[1:10:43] classroom is the reason why we
[1:10:46] are an a rated schooll distrtrt.
[1:10:47] I wantt e eveone in the pububc
[1:10:51] tohororoughl u understdhahat,
[1:10:52] cacause we morehahan deserve
[1:10:55] the referendum to pass, to help
[1:10:58] our educators stay in those
[1:11:01] classrooms, to help the
[1:11:04] students in the school district,
[1:11:06] and everyone up there that's
[1:11:09] sitting in the chairs, you need
[1:11:11] to do a better job with paying
[1:11:13] attention to your educators
[1:11:15] needs. You MAY think you're
[1:11:18] doing a great job. You really
[1:11:22] MAY think you are, but you know,
[1:11:24] as an educator myself, I like
[1:11:27] to reflect on how I teach my
[1:11:29] classes. In fact, I pride
[1:11:31] myself on looking at every
[1:11:33] survey after I give a class to
[1:11:35] see. Did anyone say anything
[1:11:38] negative? How can I improve
[1:11:42] myself of being an educator? So
[1:11:44] for years we've been coming
[1:11:46] here, the btu educators from
[1:11:49] all over have been coming and
[1:11:51] telling you exactly what you
[1:11:53] need to do to improve the
[1:11:56] school district. I don't know
[1:11:58] what's going on with everyone's
[1:11:59] listening skills up there
[1:12:00] because no one's listening. I
[1:12:02] really I'm very concerned about
[1:12:04] this, I really am. I'm not
[1:12:06] trying to make a joke out of it,
[1:12:09] but it is a, it is a real true
[1:12:15] concern. Because again, the
[1:12:16] educators in the school
[1:12:19] district, their hard work,
[1:12:22] their sacrifices taking away
[1:12:24] from their families, staying
[1:12:25] after school to help the
[1:12:27] student who needs extra help,
[1:12:29] coming in early to help the
[1:12:32] student who needs extra help.
[1:12:34] They are the reason why this
[1:12:36] school district is an a rated
[1:12:37] school district and they need
[1:12:39] to have more respect, give them
[1:12:40] the respect that they deserve.
[1:12:43] >> Thank you. Next speaker. I
[1:12:44] called quite a few names
[1:12:46] earlier, and I also have David
[1:12:48] Gomes on the list now. So if I
[1:12:49] called your name, please
[1:12:51] approach the podium so we can
[1:12:58] hear your public comment. You
[1:13:04] can line up behind each speaker.
[1:13:06] >> Hi. I did not hear you call
[1:13:07] my name. My name is Monique
[1:13:08] Boucherie. Did you call it?
[1:13:10] >> I don't have you on the list.
[1:13:12] >> Okay, then I would still
[1:13:13] like the opportunity to speak.
[1:13:15] I'm standing here asking for a
[1:13:17] raise, which is demeaning for a
[1:13:19] 57 year old woman who has
[1:13:22] worked so hard and given so
[1:13:23] much to this district. I work
[1:13:26] with special needs. I'm so
[1:13:27] tired of hearing about the
[1:13:28] enrollment. The enrollment has
[1:13:30] gone down. Can I ask why a
[1:13:31] classroom was just collapsed
[1:13:33] and I have taken over half of
[1:13:35] the collapsed classroom, as
[1:13:37] well as the other special needs
[1:13:38] teachers I work with. It
[1:13:41] doesn't make sense when you
[1:13:42] keep filling the classrooms
[1:13:44] like this. The overpopulated
[1:13:46] classrooms are not going to get.
[1:13:48] They're not going to get the.
[1:13:51] The people students back.
[1:13:53] Parents are disgusted by it.
[1:13:55] They're bothered that that's
[1:13:58] not how you have people come
[1:14:00] back. It just doesn't work. I
[1:14:04] mean, you should know that also.
[1:14:05] I'm also tired of hearing that
[1:14:07] you can't afford anything. I
[1:14:09] see this budget. I do not see
[1:14:12] raises for the teachers. What i
[1:14:14] also don't see is anyone
[1:14:15] getting cut anywhere. I'm not
[1:14:17] even asking you to cut people
[1:14:19] and take away their salary.
[1:14:20] Let's move them. I don't need
[1:14:22] someone walking through my
[1:14:23] classroom telling me that my
[1:14:25] standards on up. We are an a
[1:14:26] district. We don't need that.
[1:14:29] >> So if we please maintain. We
[1:14:30] pause for time. Please pause
[1:14:32] our time so she can get her
[1:14:32] time back.
[1:14:33] >> That's okay.
[1:14:35] >> No, I'm going to ask the
[1:14:36] audience to please maintain
[1:14:37] decorum so that each speaker
[1:14:40] can be heard. Thank you.
[1:14:42] >> So I do not need someone to
[1:14:43] walk through my classroom and
[1:14:45] ask if my standards are up or
[1:14:47] you know what I do need help
[1:14:48] with? Can you walk through my
[1:14:50] classroom and say, can I change
[1:14:52] that diaper for you so you can
[1:14:53] address this student here? How
[1:14:55] about we have that? But I don't
[1:14:56] subs anyone an extra body. If
[1:14:57] you're going to keep shoving
[1:14:59] kids into classes, you need to
[1:15:00] put more bodies in there. It's
[1:15:03] it becomes unsafe. I am hearing
[1:15:04] these horror stories. My
[1:15:06] classrooms are hard enough.
[1:15:09] Also. Please stop. Stop
[1:15:10] thinking that the referendum is
[1:15:12] our raise. As we can see
[1:15:14] earlier, the gentleman and I
[1:15:16] get where what he's saying. But
[1:15:18] that is your constituents. That
[1:15:20] is the people who are voting on
[1:15:22] the referendum. They're
[1:15:23] confused and you are not
[1:15:25] helping them see it any
[1:15:26] brighter, any clearer. And
[1:15:27] those are the people that are
[1:15:29] going to vote already.
[1:15:30] Everything's gone up,
[1:15:32] everything. Now their taxes are
[1:15:33] going up. They're not going to
[1:15:35] ask to give more for a
[1:15:36] referendum unless we clearly
[1:15:38] explain it. And we have not
[1:15:39] been transparent. We all know
[1:15:41] what happened last year where
[1:15:42] some people got paid, they
[1:15:44] shouldn't get paid. I got it,
[1:15:46] that was a mistake. I
[1:15:48] understand, but so legally you
[1:15:49] don't have to pay it back. But
[1:15:51] morally you should have that
[1:15:53] again, not even the issue. I'm
[1:15:55] just asking. Please, please
[1:15:56] stop filling these classrooms
[1:15:58] like this. The last thing I
[1:16:02] want to say is you want us to
[1:16:05] go with no more money again
[1:16:06] this year, but everything has
[1:16:09] gone up. Everything. So I can
[1:16:11] no longer afford to match what
[1:16:14] I spend. I can't afford to work
[1:16:15] for you anymore. And it's a
[1:16:18] shame because I love working
[1:16:20] with special needs. Thank you.
[1:16:31] >> Thank you. Next speaker.
[1:16:33] >> Greetings. My name is Janiya
[1:16:35] Harden. I've been teaching.
[1:16:37] This is my 20th year, but not
[1:16:41] with this district. Thank you.
[1:16:43] Five years with this district.
[1:16:47] I wanted to basically state
[1:16:48] everything that they've said. I
[1:16:50] don't need to repeat what they
[1:16:53] said. You know, we all want a
[1:16:57] raise. We need a raise because
[1:16:58] everything has gone up. And you
[1:17:01] know this already. I don't want
[1:17:04] to I'm I'm not going to make it
[1:17:06] seem like you don't know this.
[1:17:09] My question is, what is it that
[1:17:14] we can do to help you get there,
[1:17:17] to make the decision to put us
[1:17:20] first? What is it that we can
[1:17:22] do? Because I think we've
[1:17:23] proven that we're great
[1:17:25] teachers and educators because
[1:17:28] you're in a district. Correct?
[1:17:31] I think I think that we are the
[1:17:34] only profession that in the
[1:17:36] entire, I will say, the United
[1:17:38] States, where we are taking
[1:17:41] advantage of of kindness,
[1:17:45] because if we only worked our
[1:17:47] contracted hours, I want to
[1:17:50] know if things would get done.
[1:17:52] It wouldn't get done. I'm
[1:17:55] telling you now, if we decided
[1:17:58] right now to only work our
[1:18:03] contracted hours 730 to 3 P.M.
[1:18:04] That means nothing. Not an
[1:18:07] email, not a not a phone call
[1:18:10] from a parent. Hey, you know,
[1:18:12] can you help me with Bobby or
[1:18:14] Susie? Can you help me with
[1:18:17] Devonte or Shavonte, whoever it
[1:18:21] is that you teach, can you come
[1:18:23] in early so I can go to work?
[1:18:24] Because there are teachers who
[1:18:27] show up before their contracted
[1:18:28] hours. There are teachers. In
[1:18:30] fact, I was late to this
[1:18:32] meeting today because I stayed
[1:18:35] until 430 at my school because
[1:18:38] things need to get done. And
[1:18:39] people like to say, because I'm
[1:18:41] just a music teacher. But guess
[1:18:44] what? I push in for reading. I
[1:18:48] was in the media center today.
[1:18:52] Covering. And you're putting
[1:18:54] pressure also on our
[1:18:56] administrative staff, on our
[1:18:58] principals. They're becoming
[1:19:01] bullies. I'm letting you know.
[1:19:04] They're becoming bullies
[1:19:05] because they're under pressure
[1:19:07] with the budget in which you've
[1:19:10] given them to work through,
[1:19:12] they're adding in all of these
[1:19:14] new departments. Now we have
[1:19:15] early Head Start and Head Start,
[1:19:17] and how can I get this? How can
[1:19:20] I increase my special needs
[1:19:21] budget? Because they get a
[1:19:24] little bit more. That's
[1:19:26] ridiculous. You guys, come on.
[1:19:29] I want you to do better. Thank
[1:19:30] you.
[1:19:32] >> Thank you so much. Next
[1:19:37] speaker.
[1:19:45] >> Good evening. Good evening.
[1:19:46] i came with a couple of ideas
[1:19:48] short of time because I missed
[1:19:52] my introduction. The first one.
[1:19:55] However, I believe that one and
[1:19:57] the two are combined together.
[1:19:58] You said that you have a budget
[1:20:00] deficit of $90 million and have
[1:20:05] empty seats near 70,000, and
[1:20:07] you continue to pay maintenance
[1:20:09] and upkeep costs for the empty
[1:20:12] schools. And that's why you
[1:20:13] have to put all the students
[1:20:17] together with the other.
[1:20:18] Students in other schools. And
[1:20:21] that creates a problem for the
[1:20:22] teachers and for the other
[1:20:26] students. I believe that in
[1:20:28] order to avoid the students, to
[1:20:29] get all together, you should
[1:20:34] create two shifts and to start
[1:20:36] thinking about selling the
[1:20:38] buildings and stop paying
[1:20:39] maintenance for something that
[1:20:43] you're not using. Or either
[1:20:45] renting buildings and get rid
[1:20:48] of those contracts that you're
[1:20:49] saying that you cannot do
[1:20:51] anything because they are under
[1:20:52] filled buildings or something
[1:20:53] like that, which I don't
[1:20:55] understand the term, but you
[1:20:56] should do something like that
[1:20:59] and create a, you know, some
[1:21:02] money for the budget. Also, you
[1:21:06] know, stop, stop creating
[1:21:09] budget for back end rates. You
[1:21:12] created last year, 700 vacant
[1:21:14] roles. You never activated them.
[1:21:18] However, you did create. A
[1:21:22] budget for it and there was no
[1:21:23] need for that. You are now
[1:21:25] federal budget. Federal budget
[1:21:27] does that. You do not. Your
[1:21:30] county. You should be more
[1:21:33] straight on the budget. You
[1:21:34] don't need to spend or create
[1:21:35] budget for something that you
[1:21:38] do not spend. The federal does
[1:21:41] that. You don't. That's
[1:21:43] basically it. You need to work
[1:21:45] on the 70,000 empty seat, sell
[1:21:47] the school, sell those
[1:21:50] buildings. Those are empty
[1:21:52] buildings. Sell it. You can get
[1:21:55] money out of it and have love
[1:21:56] for the teachers and respect
[1:21:59] for them. The people that have
[1:22:00] more love in their hearts are
[1:22:05] the teachers. You are kids.
[1:22:07] Once. They love you when you
[1:22:09] were kids and you are there and
[1:22:11] sitting there because your
[1:22:13] teachers love you and they
[1:22:16] teach you how to be good people,
[1:22:20] you're not in jail. You're not
[1:22:22] incarcerated. You are sitting
[1:22:25] there making good money because
[1:22:28] you have good teachers. Respect
[1:22:29] the teachers that are sitting
[1:22:31] here and try to make the best
[1:22:37] out of it. That's my time.
[1:22:43] >> Thank you. Next speaker.
[1:22:45] >> Good evening, school board
[1:22:47] members. My name is Roosevelt
[1:22:49] McCleary. I am the sp vice
[1:22:50] PRESIDENT, and I'm coming to
[1:22:52] speak on all the education
[1:22:54] support professional who right
[1:22:57] now is working their second job.
[1:22:59] So our ESPs are the backbone of
[1:23:01] our school. They support our
[1:23:03] students, assist our teachers,
[1:23:05] and often take on the
[1:23:06] responsibility far beyond their
[1:23:10] job description. And many go
[1:23:11] throughout the employees or go
[1:23:13] throughout the district
[1:23:14] struggling financially while
[1:23:16] they continue to serve the
[1:23:18] district faithfully. If we
[1:23:19] truly believe that every
[1:23:21] student deserves a safe,
[1:23:22] supportive, and successful
[1:23:25] school experience, then we must
[1:23:26] prioritize the people who help
[1:23:29] make that possible every single
[1:23:33] day. Our ESPs are classroom and
[1:23:35] teacher, assistant, brace
[1:23:36] advisor, parent educators,
[1:23:38] behavior techs, our
[1:23:40] instructional assistant, job
[1:23:41] coach, child development
[1:23:42] associate, and our community
[1:23:45] liaison. When they when. When
[1:23:47] experienced ESPs leave because
[1:23:49] they cannot afford to stay. Our
[1:23:51] school. Lose knowledge,
[1:23:53] stability and our trusted
[1:23:55] relationship with students.
[1:23:56] Prioritizing raises is not
[1:23:58] simply an employee issue, it's
[1:24:00] a student issue. It's a
[1:24:03] staffing issue. It's a school
[1:24:06] stability issue. Every dollar
[1:24:08] invested in the esp
[1:24:09] compensation helped the Broward
[1:24:11] County School to retain
[1:24:13] experienced employees, reduce
[1:24:15] turnovers, strengthen morale,
[1:24:17] and provide students with the
[1:24:18] consistent support that they
[1:24:21] deserve. We cannot continue
[1:24:22] calling these employees
[1:24:25] essential while treating their
[1:24:28] compensation as optional. I'm
[1:24:29] asking this school board to
[1:24:32] make meaningful raises for our
[1:24:35] ESPs a priority in this budget.
[1:24:36] Show these employees that their
[1:24:38] work is valued, and not only
[1:24:39] with words, but with your
[1:24:43] action. I continually show up
[1:24:44] for the Broward County Public
[1:24:47] School. Now it's time for this
[1:24:52] district to show up for us.
[1:24:58] >> Thank you. Next speaker.
[1:25:00] >> Greetings.
[1:25:01] >> Hello everyone. My name is
[1:25:04] Carolyn Harvey. I am a proud
[1:25:06] btu steward. I'm the resident
[1:25:10] of Lauderhill. I am a proud
[1:25:15] mother of two wonderful, great
[1:25:16] adults. That is a product of
[1:25:20] this wonderful county school
[1:25:23] board. And I appear with a
[1:25:28] problem. I can't, I can't just
[1:25:29] imagine that you don't
[1:25:31] understand what's going on with
[1:25:34] us. I stand before you not only
[1:25:36] as a teacher or a speech
[1:25:39] therapist, but also I am an
[1:25:41] advocate for special needs
[1:25:42] students, and our children
[1:25:46] deserve top tier education and
[1:25:48] we need stability. And we also
[1:25:49] need you to understand, in
[1:25:51] order for us to do that, we
[1:25:55] need we need it. We need a
[1:25:58] raise. We need you to
[1:26:00] understand that going into
[1:26:02] Walmart and going at great
[1:26:04] value and just grabbing that as
[1:26:05] our situation, we can't afford
[1:26:09] this. We cannot afford this. We
[1:26:13] need you to please allow us to
[1:26:15] have the dignity to be the
[1:26:17] teachers and educators that we
[1:26:20] are. I was mentored by my
[1:26:22] sheriff from a small rural town
[1:26:24] in Louisiana, and I wanted to
[1:26:26] be a police officer, but he
[1:26:27] told me, no, you go be a
[1:26:29] teacher because a teacher can
[1:26:31] change lives in a year. And he
[1:26:33] taught me passion, and I have a
[1:26:35] passion within me to make a
[1:26:36] difference. And I've been
[1:26:37] making a difference in this
[1:26:38] county for 34 years. I've given
[1:26:42] it all and I am concerned why
[1:26:46] y'all can't give me my all. I
[1:26:48] mean, I went from a step, then
[1:26:51] from the step to a letter. Now
[1:26:53] we're doing integers where you
[1:26:56] have a negative and a negative
[1:26:57] equals a negative. It's not a
[1:26:59] negative and a negative equal a
[1:27:01] positive. I'm needing you to
[1:27:05] get get on it. I'm excited that
[1:27:07] you will. I'm very proud of you
[1:27:08] because I'm already looking
[1:27:11] into my future. And I know I
[1:27:15] will have that 4%.
[1:27:20] >> Thank you. Next speaker.
[1:27:21] >> Hello. My name.
[1:27:22] >> Is Lorraine Maurice Vachon.
[1:27:27] I'm a proud btu steward. Good
[1:27:29] evening. I'm also a proud
[1:27:31] product of Broward County
[1:27:34] Schools. My elementary school
[1:27:36] principal, MR. Benjamin
[1:27:38] Williams, taught me an example
[1:27:40] that education is more than a
[1:27:43] profession. It is a lifelong
[1:27:45] commitment to serve our
[1:27:47] community. That commitment
[1:27:48] became personal when I received
[1:27:51] a call from MR. Vanover, and he
[1:27:53] asked me to come directly from
[1:27:54] Bethune-Cookman University
[1:27:57] right off of I-95 for an
[1:27:59] interview at Sailboat Bend. I
[1:28:02] told him, my age now. Moments
[1:28:04] like that remind me how deeply
[1:28:06] Broward County has shaped my
[1:28:08] life and how many educators
[1:28:11] invested in and in the
[1:28:14] education. The educator I have
[1:28:17] become over the past 34 years.
[1:28:19] So tonight I'm here simply to
[1:28:20] ask for a favor.
[1:28:23] I am here to
[1:28:25] address a promise. Broward
[1:28:27] educators were promised a
[1:28:29] minimum 4% raise. And while we
[1:28:31] waited, we continue to do what
[1:28:33] we have always done. We showed
[1:28:37] up. We taught our students. We
[1:28:39] work beyond our contracted
[1:28:41] hours. We spent our own money.
[1:28:43] We serve as educators,
[1:28:45] counselors, mentors, advocates,
[1:28:46] and sometimes the emotional
[1:28:48] support system for students who
[1:28:49] simply need someone to believe
[1:28:52] in them. Broward educators have
[1:28:54] kept our commitment to our
[1:28:56] students, our school, and this
[1:28:57] community. Now, we expect
[1:28:59] leadership to keep its
[1:29:01] commitment to us. This is not
[1:29:03] an unreasonable request. This
[1:29:06] is not about asking for special
[1:29:08] treatment. This is not about
[1:29:10] accountability, respect, or
[1:29:11] keeping. This is about
[1:29:12] accountability, respect and
[1:29:15] keeping your word. Education is
[1:29:16] calling, but our calling should
[1:29:19] never be used as an excuse to
[1:29:22] underpay the people who answer
[1:29:24] it. The 4% raise represents
[1:29:26] more than a number. It
[1:29:27] represents recognition. It
[1:29:29] represents respect. It
[1:29:30] represents the value we place
[1:29:33] on our professions,
[1:29:34] professionals responsible for
[1:29:36] educating the next generation.
[1:29:38] We should not have to fight to
[1:29:40] be valued. Teachers should not
[1:29:42] have to choose between paying
[1:29:43] their bills and purchasing
[1:29:45] supplies for their classrooms.
[1:29:46] School employees should not
[1:29:48] have to wonder whether their
[1:29:50] dedication will ever be matched
[1:29:51] with meaningful composition. So
[1:29:53] tonight, the question is not
[1:29:55] whether Broward education
[1:29:56] educators have earned the raise.
[1:29:58] We have. The question is
[1:30:00] whether leadership will honor
[1:30:03] its commitment. I stand here as
[1:30:05] a proud product of Broward
[1:30:08] County, a 34 year educator and
[1:30:10] someone who knows firsthand the
[1:30:12] investment this community has
[1:30:14] made in its children. Now it's
[1:30:15] time to invest in the people
[1:30:17] who continue to make the
[1:30:19] difference every single day
[1:30:21] under the commitment, respect
[1:30:24] the work value. Educators.
[1:30:25] Thank you.
[1:30:29] >> Thank you. Next speaker.
[1:30:31] >> What I've heard tonight is
[1:30:34] passion. I heard individuals
[1:30:39] speak on what they need. And I
[1:30:41] hope that the board is
[1:30:44] listening carefully. Passion.
[1:30:47] So here's a few things of
[1:30:48] possibilities, because I heard
[1:30:51] the word how can I help? What
[1:30:53] do you need from us? So here's
[1:30:55] some suggestions you MAY look
[1:30:58] to what to do. Reducing
[1:30:59] unnecessary administrative
[1:31:02] expense. Administrators have
[1:31:05] some high salaries. Continuing
[1:31:12] going up. Re patronizing.
[1:31:14] Patronizing the existing school
[1:31:16] budget. Let's find a way that
[1:31:18] we can pay these teachchs.
[1:31:20] There's always a w w to makeke
[1:31:23] ings work.K. A I Ihahank the
[1:31:25] ntntmaman tonight said using
[1:31:26] available resources
[1:31:28] appropriately. We do have some
[1:31:31] buildings that are not occupied
[1:31:32] reviewing contracts and
[1:31:35] operational expense. You know,
[1:31:37] another thing I heard tonight
[1:31:40] was action, not just words. And
[1:31:42] again, I sit behind the same
[1:31:44] seats that you sit behind. And
[1:31:46] I understand the frustration
[1:31:48] from our community when they
[1:31:49] feel that they're not being
[1:31:51] heard. So I hope for the spirit
[1:31:53] of this that you are hearing
[1:31:55] from these teachers, not only
[1:31:58] teachers, but our custodians,
[1:32:00] those that work to make sure
[1:32:02] the schools are clean.
[1:32:03] Sometimes you don't think
[1:32:04] they're as important as
[1:32:06] teachers, but if you don't have
[1:32:10] a school that is clean, kids
[1:32:14] don't learn. So custodians,
[1:32:15] guidance counselors, teachers,
[1:32:16] all of them work for the
[1:32:18] betterment of our community and
[1:32:20] our kids. So if you hear
[1:32:24] tonight, hear the passion and
[1:32:26] don't get mad because they're
[1:32:27] speaking what they need to
[1:32:31] speak, the reality is it's
[1:32:33] costly in Broward County. And
[1:32:35] you know that you go to grocery
[1:32:40] store, you talk about eggs, buy
[1:32:44] some lamb chops, pack of lamb
[1:32:47] chops, $30. And my kids love
[1:32:49] them. Just a little levity into
[1:32:50] our meeting. But I'm just
[1:32:53] saying things are expensive. So
[1:32:55] consider that. And when you
[1:32:58] look at our teachers, I think a
[1:32:59] raise is appropriate for them.
[1:33:01] I'm not an educator, but I tell
[1:33:04] you what, after 38 years of
[1:33:06] working for a major corporation,
[1:33:07] my wife talked me into going to
[1:33:09] the school to teach. I did it
[1:33:12] for five years, and I commend
[1:33:13] any teacher that walks in the
[1:33:15] school and to deal with some of
[1:33:17] the students that become
[1:33:19] psychologists for them,
[1:33:20] psychiatrists for them, and
[1:33:21] just a mother and a father when
[1:33:23] they don't have. So they do a
[1:33:24] lot more than just teaching
[1:33:26] kids. They do a lot more
[1:33:27] mentoring. Thank you for your
[1:33:28] time.
[1:33:35] >> Thank you. Next speaker.
[1:33:36] >> Anna Fusco Brower, teachers
[1:33:39] union PRESIDENT. I'm glad that
[1:33:40] a good group of people came out.
[1:33:43] I know it's not, you know, the
[1:33:44] hundreds that you think that or
[1:33:46] maybe thousands that would make
[1:33:48] you change your mind, that it
[1:33:51] affects people because as
[1:33:53] Roosevelt said, people didn't
[1:33:55] show because they're at their
[1:33:58] second jobs or attending to
[1:34:02] their family. So I know that we
[1:34:03] had a couple school board
[1:34:06] members up there. Give
[1:34:07] direction to the superintendent
[1:34:10] to look for a 4% increase for
[1:34:12] employees. We had one
[1:34:14] particular school board member
[1:34:16] who asked to see what it would
[1:34:19] look like at a 7%, and I'm not
[1:34:22] sure what happened because. The
[1:34:25] the majority said, look for the
[1:34:27] four, which still would not be
[1:34:29] enough to increase salaries.
[1:34:31] That would help with the cost
[1:34:33] of living. But when I looked at
[1:34:36] the budget, it doesn't show
[1:34:39] anywhere near the 4%. It MAY be
[1:34:45] in the 1.7 to 2.2%. And that's
[1:34:49] a MAY. So I'm not sure where it
[1:34:54] got lost or how. And again, you
[1:34:57] rather cut personnel to make up
[1:34:58] for the problems that are in
[1:34:59] the Broward schools. And I'm
[1:35:01] going to keep saying it. If you
[1:35:03] all don't remember what I said.
[1:35:05] MAY 11th, how many times I
[1:35:06] stood at this podium and said,
[1:35:08] the schools are going to see
[1:35:11] the impact, and you all have
[1:35:13] your scripted scripts over
[1:35:14] there to make it like that.
[1:35:17] It's not. And when we do win
[1:35:19] that referendum in NOVEMBER and
[1:35:22] we will because the community
[1:35:23] loves the teachers and they
[1:35:24] want them to be paid and they
[1:35:26] don't want a mass exodus. After
[1:35:28] that, I will gladly start
[1:35:31] showing you the videos because
[1:35:32] I was told to play nice right
[1:35:37] now until we win the referendum.
[1:35:38] And I don't think this is a
[1:35:40] game. I think that you need to
[1:35:41] hear what's really going on,
[1:35:43] and I think you need to care
[1:35:45] what's really going on. And I
[1:35:46] think you need to listen to the
[1:35:48] messaging and not who it's
[1:35:49] coming from, because I know
[1:35:50] majority of you are upset with
[1:35:52] me. I don't care. This isn't
[1:35:53] about Anna Fusco, the Broward
[1:35:54] Teachers Union PRESIDENT. This
[1:35:55] is what's actually happening in
[1:35:56] schools. You've heard from
[1:35:58] people here the wide variety of
[1:36:00] problems and concerns, but
[1:36:01] they're still showing up and
[1:36:02] they're still making the school
[1:36:04] district great a rated. And
[1:36:06] that is because of everybody
[1:36:07] that are in the schools getting
[1:36:09] it done. And that's from the
[1:36:10] start of the bus driver getting
[1:36:12] them there, the clerical and
[1:36:13] the instruction and
[1:36:14] non-instructional greeting them,
[1:36:16] the cafeteria, feeding them.
[1:36:17] The custodians have made sure
[1:36:19] the schools are clean. The, the,
[1:36:21] the support staff that are
[1:36:22] getting it done. Everyone
[1:36:24] that's not a classroom teacher
[1:36:26] that our governor felt that
[1:36:27] didn't reap the rewards of
[1:36:28] getting the money. This is the
[1:36:31] group that have made our
[1:36:33] district great, and you cannot
[1:36:35] give a strong direction to give
[1:36:36] a healthy increase so they
[1:36:37] don't have to work two and
[1:36:38] three jobs.
[1:36:39] >> Thank you. Any other
[1:36:46] speakers? Any other speakers?
[1:36:50] All right, MISS Hixon.
[1:36:52] >> Thank you. I have a couple
[1:36:54] of questions. So on page 11 of
[1:36:57] the presentation that we had,
[1:36:59] it talked about opportunities.
[1:37:01] So I wanted to ask a couple
[1:37:03] questions just so that the
[1:37:05] answer's out there. Hiring
[1:37:07] freeze. It says Central office.
[1:37:08] So I just want to be clear to
[1:37:11] the public that this is not
[1:37:13] classroom teachers,
[1:37:14] paraprofessionals, teachers,
[1:37:16] assistants, anybody working in
[1:37:18] the school. Is that accurate?
[1:37:19] >> That's accurate, MISS Hixon.
[1:37:21] >> Thank you. Also, on the
[1:37:23] health care part, there was MR.
[1:37:25] Shim made a comment about
[1:37:26] people one. But I just want to
[1:37:29] be clear. We're not going to
[1:37:30] see any savings from people.
[1:37:31] One in this fiscal year. Is
[1:37:33] that correct? That's correct.
[1:37:35] Okay. So I just want to be
[1:37:36] clear to that because when they
[1:37:38] came, we had that whole
[1:37:40] discussion about it. Also,
[1:37:43] somebody one of the speakers
[1:37:45] talked about new taxes in terms
[1:37:47] of the referendum. So I just
[1:37:48] want to be really clear that
[1:37:51] the referendum is not a new tax.
[1:37:52] Nobody's taxes would go up for
[1:37:54] the referendum. It is a tax
[1:37:56] that a millage that's already
[1:37:58] in there. So there would be no
[1:38:00] increases. It would just be a
[1:38:01] continuation. I think it's
[1:38:03] really, really important to
[1:38:04] share that with people. And
[1:38:07] there was also a comment about
[1:38:10] closing schools. If we're short
[1:38:11] students. So I just want to
[1:38:13] remind the public that so far
[1:38:15] we've closed seven schools and
[1:38:18] this year we are in discussions
[1:38:19] of looking at closures for up
[1:38:23] to ten. So we appreciate that
[1:38:24] input. But I just want to make
[1:38:26] sure that everyone is aware
[1:38:28] that we are those are things
[1:38:31] that we're already doing. So
[1:38:33] I'd also like to say that I
[1:38:34] have been an educator for 38
[1:38:36] years. 32 of those years have
[1:38:39] been spent in our schools and
[1:38:40] our classrooms here in Broward
[1:38:42] County. I know firsthand the
[1:38:44] dedication, sacrifice, and
[1:38:45] commitment our teachers and
[1:38:47] employees bring to our schools
[1:38:49] every single day. I value every
[1:38:51] one of our employees and the
[1:38:53] essential role they play in the
[1:38:55] success of our students in our
[1:38:56] district. And I want to thank
[1:38:58] everybody who came out today to
[1:39:00] share your story. It's
[1:39:03] important for us to be able to
[1:39:05] to hear that. And the passion
[1:39:08] that you have. A budget is more
[1:39:10] than numbers on a page. It's a
[1:39:11] reflection of our priorities
[1:39:13] and what we value. And as a
[1:39:15] board, we gave the
[1:39:16] superintendent a clear
[1:39:17] directive regarding salary
[1:39:19] increases for our employees. I
[1:39:21] do not see that directive
[1:39:22] reflected in this proposed
[1:39:24] budget, and I cannot support a
[1:39:26] budget that does not include
[1:39:28] the salary increases we
[1:39:30] directed. We say that we value
[1:39:31] our teachers and employees, and
[1:39:33] our budget must demonstrate
[1:39:35] that commitment. I firmly
[1:39:36] believe that when we take care
[1:39:38] of our teachers and staff, they
[1:39:40] are better able to take care of
[1:39:42] our students, investing in the
[1:39:43] people who work directly with
[1:39:45] our children is an investment
[1:39:47] in student achievement and the
[1:39:50] future of this district. I
[1:39:51] sincerely appreciate the
[1:39:52] tremendous amount of time and
[1:39:54] work that went into developing
[1:39:55] this budget and the proposal
[1:39:58] before us, and I recognize that
[1:39:59] there are difficult decisions
[1:40:01] to make and significant
[1:40:02] financial challenges that are
[1:40:05] facing our district. However,
[1:40:07] this budget does not meet the
[1:40:09] expectation I have for honoring
[1:40:11] the direction of this board and
[1:40:13] prioritizing our employees.
[1:40:14] Thank you.
[1:40:15] >> Thank you. And I just want
[1:40:16] to remind the audience, please
[1:40:18] do not clap. Everyone up here
[1:40:20] sat and listened to the entire
[1:40:25] public comment. Excuse me. So
[1:40:27] please maintain decorum while
[1:40:29] we can listen to board
[1:40:32] discussion. Now, MR. Cervera.
[1:40:39] >> Thank you chair. I had a
[1:40:42] chance to review this a lot,
[1:40:44] actually over the weekend and
[1:40:46] make some notes and some
[1:40:48] comparisons to the budget for
[1:40:50] last year. And doctor
[1:40:51] superintendent, before I get
[1:40:53] into the substance of my
[1:40:54] position, just want to make
[1:40:56] sure that my numbers are
[1:40:58] accurate. So I'm going to start
[1:40:59] with a couple inquiries. If
[1:41:02] it's okay with you, sir, on my
[1:41:03] calculations, sir, the budget
[1:41:05] that's being proposed to this
[1:41:10] board for the 2026 2027 year is
[1:41:13] approximately $5.5 billion with
[1:41:15] a b. Is that accurate, sir?
[1:41:16] >> That's accurate.
[1:41:18] >> Okay. And the budget that we
[1:41:21] had last year, 25, 26, was
[1:41:24] approximately $5.4 billion.
[1:41:26] Would it be is that accurate,
[1:41:26] sir?
[1:41:28] >> Yes. That's accurate.
[1:41:31] >> Excellent. So not a math
[1:41:33] scholar, but on my simple
[1:41:34] calculations, it would appear
[1:41:38] that we've gone up $100 million
[1:41:41] in one year since last year's
[1:41:44] budget. And we've gone up $100
[1:41:45] million despite the fact that
[1:41:48] we've lost. Excuse me.
[1:41:50] Approximately 11,000 students
[1:41:52] to low enrollment issues in the
[1:41:54] county, along with
[1:41:57] approximately another 1000
[1:41:58] employees that we're losing
[1:41:59] under the plan that we talked
[1:42:04] about earlier, that being said,
[1:42:08] somehow, some way our budget
[1:42:13] has increased $100 million. Is
[1:42:14] my math accurate? I'm not
[1:42:15] looking for an explanation,
[1:42:17] Doctor Hepburn, just want to
[1:42:19] know if my math is accurate.
[1:42:21] >> Yeah, your math is accurate,
[1:42:23] but fantastic. We're also a
[1:42:27] pass through for charter and
[1:42:27] vouchers.
[1:42:28] >> And I certainly understand
[1:42:30] that. I just wanted to make
[1:42:31] sure that my math was accurate
[1:42:34] on that, because I think you
[1:42:35] and I can both agree that $100
[1:42:37] million is a lot of scratch,
[1:42:38] right? I mean, we're not
[1:42:39] talking about a couple thousand
[1:42:41] bucks here, $100 million, a lot
[1:42:41] of money.
[1:42:43] >> Yeah, not for us, though.
[1:42:43] >> So.
[1:42:45] >> Well, we didn't receive that
[1:42:45] 100.
[1:42:47] >> Listen, I think in the maybe
[1:42:48] not for you, but $100 million
[1:42:50] to me is a lot.
[1:42:51] >> Of money. No, not saying
[1:42:53] that. It's a lot of money. I'm
[1:42:54] saying that we did not. Our
[1:42:56] budget actually is totally for
[1:42:57] district operated is totally
[1:42:58] different than the dollar
[1:42:59] figures that you're reflecting.
[1:43:00] >> Okay, well, I'm just I'm
[1:43:02] just looking at this. I'm just
[1:43:03] looking at the documentation
[1:43:04] that that data that's been
[1:43:06] provided to me. And it was $5.5
[1:43:08] billion this year compared to
[1:43:10] $5.4 billion last year. But now
[1:43:11] that we've cleared that up, I
[1:43:13] want to get into what's really
[1:43:15] important to teacher raise
[1:43:19] issues. Depending on how the
[1:43:21] money is distributed between
[1:43:22] classroom teachers and other
[1:43:25] instructional personnel, the
[1:43:26] practical range in this year's
[1:43:30] budget. I calculated, comes out
[1:43:35] to between 1.7 and a 2% raise.
[1:43:36] I know we heard that from one
[1:43:40] of the speakers. Is that your
[1:43:41] ballpark understanding as well,
[1:43:43] sir?
[1:43:45] >> Can you repeat that.
[1:43:46] >> 1.7 to 2?
[1:43:48] >> The statement I lost you.
[1:43:49] >> I apologize, and I apologize
[1:43:51] for being raspy a bit today.
[1:43:53] For those of you who don't know,
[1:43:55] I came off a vocal cord surgery
[1:43:56] last week and I've been cleared
[1:43:58] to speak again. So it's going
[1:43:59] to take me a little bit to get
[1:44:01] my my oomph back. But my
[1:44:02] doctors have assured me it's
[1:44:04] coming. But let me repeat,
[1:44:05] because I want to make sure you
[1:44:07] fully heard, depending on how
[1:44:09] the money is, is distributed
[1:44:11] between classroom teachers and
[1:44:13] other instructional personnel.
[1:44:15] The practical range in this
[1:44:16] year's budget, as far as a
[1:44:18] teacher raise is concerned,
[1:44:21] comes out to about or roughly
[1:44:23] 1.7 to 2% of a raise. Is that
[1:44:24] accurate? Ballpark?
[1:44:26] >> If we're talking about tsia
[1:44:28] funds doctor Lozano, if you can
[1:44:31] give the specific dollar amount
[1:44:33] that averages out for Tse funds
[1:44:34] from the state.
[1:44:36] >> So for this year, when you
[1:44:39] take out the fringe benefits,
[1:44:42] there was approximately $9.5
[1:44:45] million to distribute to full
[1:44:49] time classroom teachers and
[1:44:51] certified prekindergarten
[1:44:53] teachers who have been teaching
[1:44:55] in a Florida public school for
[1:44:59] ten years or more.
[1:45:01] >> Let me let me see if I can
[1:45:02] simplify this. When you take
[1:45:04] last year's figures and you
[1:45:05] compare them to this year's
[1:45:06] figures, what's the percentage
[1:45:08] of raises that are great
[1:45:09] teachers will receive someone
[1:45:11] give me a percentage. Maybe my
[1:45:14] math was off.
[1:45:15] >> For tsi. That's the only
[1:45:17] thing we could speak to. Go
[1:45:19] ahead. I don't know if you have
[1:45:20] last year's tsi numbers. If not,
[1:45:22] we will have to follow up on
[1:45:22] that.
[1:45:24] >> So it is half the allocation
[1:45:26] we received this year was
[1:45:28] double what we received last
[1:45:29] year.
[1:45:30] >> Okay, so I think it's safe
[1:45:33] to say that teachers are not
[1:45:35] getting a 4% raise this year.
[1:45:36] Is that an accurate statement?
[1:45:37] >> That's not accurate.
[1:45:39] >> Okay. So please, there's a
[1:45:40] lot of great people in the
[1:45:42] audience, okay. And a lot of
[1:45:44] great people listening at home.
[1:45:45] We've been very clear. This
[1:45:48] board has been very clear that
[1:45:50] to most of us, not me, because
[1:45:52] I wanted 7%. But to most of us,
[1:45:55] the instruction was find 4% to
[1:45:57] give our teachers a raise.
[1:45:58] You're telling me that still
[1:46:00] within the realm of possibility?
[1:46:02] >> Yes. So what I would say is,
[1:46:03] within the realm of
[1:46:04] possibilities, there's a cost
[1:46:06] savings that equates to what?
[1:46:08] To what the board asks for. And
[1:46:11] we will discuss in detail what
[1:46:12] direction the board wants to
[1:46:13] take in closed door.
[1:46:15] >> I'm going to tell you the
[1:46:17] detail right now about what I
[1:46:18] want to do. I want our teachers
[1:46:20] to have a 7% raise. That's what
[1:46:22] I want. I don't need to tell
[1:46:24] you that in closed door. I can
[1:46:25] tell you that right now. I've
[1:46:26] been saying that for months,
[1:46:28] and I can tell you what MISS
[1:46:30] Hixon said, and I can tell you
[1:46:31] what a lot of my colleagues
[1:46:33] said, that the minimum that
[1:46:34] they will take is 4% at a
[1:46:36] minimum, which I still think is
[1:46:37] way too low. But that being
[1:46:40] said, I am tired of the broken
[1:46:42] promises from this district. I
[1:46:44] am tired of having to listen to
[1:46:45] teachers tell me about their
[1:46:46] second and third jobs, that
[1:46:48] they have to work because they
[1:46:49] can't pay rent, or they can't
[1:46:51] pay their car note, or they
[1:46:52] can't pay their doctor bills,
[1:46:54] or they can't go out to eat, or
[1:46:57] they can't buy groceries. I'm
[1:47:00] tired of that. These people
[1:47:02] don't deserve it. They've
[1:47:05] earned the right to be paid a
[1:47:07] decent living wage. And this
[1:47:09] business model that we've heard
[1:47:12] about do more, expressed less.
[1:47:13] This is not a sustainable
[1:47:16] business model in the private
[1:47:18] sector. You know what we'd be
[1:47:21] doing? We'd probably be filing
[1:47:23] for bankruptcy because all our
[1:47:24] employees would be leaving us
[1:47:25] and nobody would be there to
[1:47:30] work. Now, you we cannot
[1:47:32] continue to treat our teachers
[1:47:34] and employees like this. It's
[1:47:37] not fair. It's not just it's
[1:47:40] not right. And, MR.
[1:47:41] Superintendent, I didn't vote
[1:47:43] in favor of the budget last
[1:47:45] year. And I think you know why.
[1:47:47] But if you forgot, I will
[1:47:50] remind you there was not enough
[1:47:52] money for our teachers. And
[1:47:54] guess what, MR. Superintendent?
[1:47:55] This MAY shock you, but I am
[1:47:57] not going to vote for the
[1:47:59] budget this year in what's been
[1:48:00] proposed to me, because there
[1:48:03] is not enough money for our
[1:48:06] teachers. Now, to my colleagues
[1:48:09] on this dais, I want you to
[1:48:12] think about and remember what
[1:48:14] you said over the coming months
[1:48:16] about the 4%, because a lot of
[1:48:18] you I'm not going to call you
[1:48:20] out by name, but a lot of you
[1:48:22] said that you would not accept
[1:48:24] anything less than 4%. You are
[1:48:27] on record saying that here we
[1:48:30] are. Unless you saw something
[1:48:31] differently than me, I don't
[1:48:34] think there's a 4% there. So
[1:48:37] what are you going to do? Are
[1:48:39] you going to honor your word?
[1:48:40] Are you going to cave to the
[1:48:42] district's financial failures?
[1:48:44] Are you going to have a spine?
[1:48:46] Are you going to have a
[1:48:47] backbone? Are you going to
[1:48:48] reject this nonsense? Are you
[1:48:51] going to send this back for a
[1:48:54] rewrite? We can send a message
[1:48:55] that what these folks are going
[1:48:58] through is no longer acceptable.
[1:49:00] In Broward County. We don't
[1:49:01] have to pass this budget.
[1:49:03] >> So please, no clapping in
[1:49:04] the audience. I will have to
[1:49:06] recess the meeting if we can't
[1:49:08] maintain decorum. MR. Cervera.
[1:49:10] >> Thank you. For the record. I
[1:49:11] don't mind if you clap, but
[1:49:14] listen to the chair. We don't
[1:49:17] have to accept this. We don't.
[1:49:19] You're under no obligation to
[1:49:21] vote for this. And to those of
[1:49:22] you who have said on record in
[1:49:24] the past that you will not
[1:49:28] support anything less than 4%,
[1:49:32] don't go back on your word. Now.
[1:49:34] I want to switch topics very,
[1:49:38] very briefly and talk about the
[1:49:44] referendum. Yeah, I don't I'm
[1:49:45] not concerned about the time.
[1:49:46] I'm not. And unless you're
[1:49:48] going to tell me that I can't
[1:49:49] speak anymore and you're going
[1:49:51] to cut my mic off, I'm going to
[1:49:52] continue speaking.
[1:49:53] >> So I just want to clarify,
[1:49:55] per our board policy, that we
[1:49:56] all voted on, each member gets
[1:49:58] five minutes for round one, and
[1:50:00] then we can do round two and
[1:50:01] round three and round four and
[1:50:03] round five. I would expect all
[1:50:04] board members to respect those
[1:50:06] time limits, and if you don't,
[1:50:08] then that's, you know your
[1:50:08] choice.
[1:50:09] >> Thank you. I'm going to
[1:50:11] finish what I have to say. And
[1:50:12] then I'm going to talk again to
[1:50:14] and possibly again in round
[1:50:19] three. Listen, listen.
[1:50:20] >> MISS Hixon, do you have a
[1:50:21] point of order?
[1:50:22] >> I have a point of order.
[1:50:23] >> MISS Bulman.
[1:50:25] >> We have we have a policy. We
[1:50:27] voted on it. And I think it's
[1:50:28] disrespectful to the rest of
[1:50:30] the people sitting up here to
[1:50:32] not follow the policy. Everyone
[1:50:33] else has something to say as
[1:50:36] well.
[1:50:37] >> Yeah. What's the point of
[1:50:39] having a policy if we don't.
[1:50:40] >> Follow MADAM General Council?
[1:50:42] Are you going to tell me that I
[1:50:43] can't speak?
[1:50:44] >> So there's two things. One,
[1:50:45] there is a policy that's
[1:50:46] currently in effect with
[1:50:47] regards to these public
[1:50:48] meetings, where board members
[1:50:51] have five minutes to speak, and
[1:50:52] then you have another round
[1:50:53] that you can have as well. And
[1:50:55] then most recently, I don't
[1:50:56] know if you were here, MR.
[1:50:58] Cervera, but the board had a
[1:50:59] very detailed. Conversation.
[1:51:02] And when it was reviewing its
[1:51:03] policies that are coming before
[1:51:05] it on the 15th and
[1:51:06] re-emphasized again the
[1:51:07] expectation that it would like
[1:51:10] board members to adhere to the
[1:51:11] policy. With regards to the
[1:51:12] five minutes.
[1:51:13] >> Don't think the irony is not
[1:51:15] lost on me that this board
[1:51:16] meeting in which that decision
[1:51:18] was made. I couldn't be there
[1:51:19] because I couldn't speak under
[1:51:21] doctor's orders. And now you're
[1:51:22] telling me that I can't speak
[1:51:24] when I get my voice back? So
[1:51:25] I'll ask the question again.
[1:51:27] MADAM General Counsel, are you
[1:51:29] going to instruct me not to
[1:51:30] speak?
[1:51:32] >> The only thing I can share
[1:51:34] with you, MR. Cervera, is that
[1:51:35] there is a board policy that is
[1:51:37] in effect that does limit the
[1:51:40] speaking to five minutes. My
[1:51:41] recommendation would always be
[1:51:43] to follow the policy. I do
[1:51:45] believe that your colleagues
[1:51:47] have stated that as well. But
[1:51:48] again, you will have another
[1:51:50] round that you will be able to
[1:51:50] speak.
[1:51:52] >> Is that a directive or a
[1:51:52] suggestion?
[1:51:54] >> I can't direct you, MR.
[1:51:55] Cervrva. I'm just general
[1:51:55] counsesel.
[1:51:56] >> Okay. T TnkououSo I'm
[1:51:58] gogogo o k k q qstioion.
[1:51:59] >> si I wouldike e a actually
[1:52:01] toto take the will of the board.
[1:52:03] Is it the will of the board to
[1:52:04] follow board policy?
[1:52:05] >> Yes, yes.
[1:52:06] >> Is there any objection to
[1:52:07] following board policy? I'll
[1:52:09] add your name to a round two.
[1:52:10] MR. Cervera DR. Zeman.
[1:52:12] >> Thank you very much, chair.
[1:52:16] I want to make sure that. This
[1:52:19] conversation is based in fact
[1:52:25] and honesty. Doctor Hepburn,
[1:52:27] you were asked about revenue to
[1:52:30] the district and the
[1:52:31] insinuation was, is that there
[1:52:33] was more money available to
[1:52:34] Broward County Public Schools,
[1:52:35] when in fact, that's clearly
[1:52:39] not the case. We were provided
[1:52:41] less money this year for
[1:52:42] traditional public run schools.
[1:52:44] Is that correct?
[1:52:45] >> That's correct.
[1:52:46] >> Thank you. Any other
[1:52:49] insinuation against that is
[1:52:51] fiction. And this discussion
[1:52:54] must be based in facts or this
[1:52:56] board will fail. A basic test
[1:52:59] of integrity. And that's a test.
[1:53:02] I will not sit still for. Now,
[1:53:04] let me be clear with the people
[1:53:06] who are here today. This board
[1:53:08] has been very clear about
[1:53:10] wanting to find money to
[1:53:11] compensate people. Three years
[1:53:13] ago, I wrote an op ed in the
[1:53:15] newspaper that I still stand by,
[1:53:17] which is I will not sleep until
[1:53:19] teachers make $100,000 each. It
[1:53:22] is the right goal, and it's one
[1:53:24] that I'm dedicated to. This
[1:53:26] presentation. However.
[1:53:27] >> Excuse me, this is your
[1:53:29] first warning.
[1:53:30] >> I would ask for some respect
[1:53:32] while I talk. Please. In
[1:53:33] addition to just following what
[1:53:38] you've been instructed to do.
[1:53:41] This issue deserves that. In
[1:53:44] this presentation on slide 11,
[1:53:46] MR. Shim pointed out $52
[1:53:47] million worth of cost savings
[1:53:50] that MAY be realized this year.
[1:53:52] If you looked into these
[1:53:53] estimates on slide 11, they're
[1:53:55] very conservative. We're going
[1:53:56] to save more money on several
[1:53:58] of these things than is
[1:54:00] outlined here. But until we
[1:54:01] know we can save that money, it
[1:54:03] would be a misuse of public
[1:54:06] dollars to allocate those funds.
[1:54:09] And again, chair, the 800 pound
[1:54:11] gorilla. While I can't speak to
[1:54:13] it as an advocate, I can speak
[1:54:15] to it in a factual matter. It's
[1:54:18] going to generate $358 million.
[1:54:19] Is that correct, Doctor Hepburn?
[1:54:20] >> That's correct.
[1:54:23] >> Is $358 million bigger than
[1:54:25] $64 million? Doctor Hepburn?
[1:54:25] >> Significantly.
[1:54:28] >> Yeah, by about $300 million.
[1:54:31] So this year this board is
[1:54:32] going to work toward doing
[1:54:34] everything we can and to make
[1:54:36] hard decisions about finding
[1:54:38] pay raises. It MAY be 4%, it
[1:54:41] MAY be 2%, it MAY be 7.35%. Who
[1:54:42] knows? But this board is very
[1:54:44] committed to finding money to
[1:54:46] pay people better for doing the
[1:54:48] hard work that they do. And I
[1:54:50] agree with the speaker today
[1:54:52] that said, we would not be in a
[1:54:53] district were it not for the
[1:54:54] efforts of educators in Broward
[1:54:56] County public schools, but
[1:54:59] let's be ethical and honest
[1:55:01] with each other. This is not
[1:55:05] the time to negotiate on issues
[1:55:07] that have to go before a
[1:55:07] collective bargaining agreement.
[1:55:09] This is not the time before we
[1:55:10] realize those savings and MR.
[1:55:13] Shim projects to determine a
[1:55:14] right number. Nor is it the
[1:55:16] time to reject this budget. A
[1:55:19] budget is a plan for the year,
[1:55:21] and we've got to know about the
[1:55:23] referendum. And so on NOVEMBER
[1:55:24] 4th, we'll be able to take
[1:55:26] stock on what the potential
[1:55:27] savings are. By the way, Doctor
[1:55:29] Hepburn will we know more on
[1:55:31] NOVEMBER 4th about the slide 11
[1:55:32] projected savings that MR. Shim
[1:55:33] is showing here.
[1:55:34] >> Yes.
[1:55:36] >> Terrific. So right now, just
[1:55:37] to be clear to Defuze the
[1:55:39] tension here, there's $52
[1:55:41] million in projected savings on
[1:55:42] Doctor Shim. MR. Shim, I always
[1:55:44] want to promote you. Promote
[1:55:46] you. MR. Shim, you act like a
[1:55:47] doctor. Shim, you're so dang
[1:55:49] smart. $52 million of projected
[1:55:51] savings, as the high estimate,
[1:55:52] $11 million of carryover above
[1:55:55] the 3% fund balance is $63
[1:55:56] million. Doctor Hepburn is 63,
[1:55:59] close to 64. Yes. It's close.
[1:56:00] Right. So we're actually not
[1:56:02] far away from our projected
[1:56:03] savings. Plus, using up the
[1:56:06] fund balance $11 million. But
[1:56:07] budgets are just plans. And we
[1:56:09] got a lot to learn between now
[1:56:10] and NOVEMBER 4th. We have a lot
[1:56:12] to learn between NOVEMBER 4th.
[1:56:13] And when we sit down and
[1:56:15] negotiate, I'm 100% committed
[1:56:17] to do everything we can, not
[1:56:19] just for the 4%, not for the 7%,
[1:56:20] not for some made up number,
[1:56:22] made up, made on facts and
[1:56:25] twisted logic. I'm committed to
[1:56:26] getting teachers to $100,000 as
[1:56:28] soon as we can. It's really
[1:56:30] important to get us there, and
[1:56:32] I'll continue to work on it by
[1:56:34] cutting where we can cut, by
[1:56:36] realizing savings, where we can,
[1:56:38] by allocating referendum
[1:56:39] dollars. Should we have
[1:56:40] additional referendum dollars
[1:56:43] in 2728 until we get to that
[1:56:45] level? To me, that is a sacred
[1:56:47] obligation because it is what
[1:56:48] teachers contribute at a
[1:56:51] minimum to Broward County, and
[1:56:53] it's the right thing to do. S
[1:56:55] let's base these things on the
[1:56:56] facts. Here's a fact for you.
[1:56:58] This slide shows this deck
[1:57:00] shows $63 million of potential
[1:57:03] savings in cash on hand. That's
[1:57:04] $1 million away from a $4
[1:57:06] million raise on NOVEMBER 3rd.
[1:57:07] The voters of Broward County,
[1:57:09] if they follow past precedent,
[1:57:11] will approve a referendum. That
[1:57:13] referendum will generate $358
[1:57:16] million for the 2728 years.
[1:57:17] That's a significant amount of
[1:57:19] money. And this board has been
[1:57:21] very clear about an interest in
[1:57:23] allocating funds to
[1:57:24] compensation for our educators.
[1:57:26] So there is no real debate
[1:57:28] tonight. This budget is just a
[1:57:31] plan. It's got to be passed
[1:57:32] because we owe it to the state
[1:57:33] doctor. Hepburn, when do we
[1:57:35] have to submit a budget to the
[1:57:35] state?
[1:57:38] >> I want to say SEPTEMBER 19th.
[1:57:41] MR. Shim. So.
[1:57:42] >> Yes, that's correct.
[1:57:44] >> Did you say SEPTEMBER 19th?
[1:57:46] 19th? So we're we're out of
[1:57:47] time and we're not going to
[1:57:48] know anything more before
[1:57:50] NOVEMBER 4th. We need to pass
[1:57:51] this budget tonight. Thank you
[1:57:51] chair.
[1:57:56] >> Thank you, MISS Bulman.
[1:58:00] >> Thank you. Thank you for the
[1:58:06] points. So. Based on the amount
[1:58:07] of money that we have in the
[1:58:09] budget that we have before us
[1:58:12] that we're proposing, is there
[1:58:14] potential for a 4% raise for
[1:58:16] our teachers?
[1:58:17] >> What I would say there's
[1:58:20] enough cost savings identified.
[1:58:21] That's equivalent to the amount
[1:58:24] of a 4% raise. But we would
[1:58:26] need to discuss in closed door.
[1:58:27] >> Right. And I'm not getting
[1:58:28] into the details, but there,
[1:58:30] you know, there's the potential
[1:58:31] for amending the budget. That's
[1:58:32] correct. And that we could also
[1:58:34] make cuts in other areas.
[1:58:38] Correct. And so and I think
[1:58:40] that collectively this board
[1:58:42] has said that they want 4% or
[1:58:45] minimum of 4% raise. And I it
[1:58:47] seems like everyone is standing
[1:58:50] by that. So I just want the
[1:58:51] public to know that that's the
[1:58:53] position we're taking. But that
[1:58:54] also means that we will have to
[1:58:56] make cuts in other areas. So if
[1:59:00] we make a cut to provide the
[1:59:02] very, very well earned and
[1:59:05] needed raises for our employees,
[1:59:07] then we then something else is
[1:59:09] going to have to suffer. And I
[1:59:11] just hope, I just want everyone
[1:59:12] to understand that we can't
[1:59:13] we're not bringing money out of
[1:59:16] the sky. We are in a very tight
[1:59:18] budget, losing students, losing
[1:59:20] money. We're looking at. All of
[1:59:22] us are going to be at meetings,
[1:59:23] all for the next two weeks,
[1:59:26] talking about school
[1:59:27] consolidation, making people
[1:59:29] very unhappy because we're
[1:59:31] trying to save money that way,
[1:59:33] to get to the point where we
[1:59:35] can pay our employees properly
[1:59:37] so they can continue to work
[1:59:38] and do the great work here,
[1:59:40] because the cost of living is
[1:59:42] so high in Broward County right
[1:59:43] now. But there's no way that
[1:59:47] we're going to be able to. Not
[1:59:49] make cuts somewhere. And so
[1:59:51] that is just the reality of the
[1:59:53] budget that we're facing, being
[1:59:57] in a state that pays our
[1:59:59] teachers 49th or 50th, whatever
[2:00:01] the state is 50th in the nation.
[2:00:05] And when you look at how our
[2:00:06] schools are funded and what
[2:00:08] we're paid per student, we are
[2:00:10] at the absolute bottom of the
[2:00:11] barrel. So we are working with
[2:00:13] the money that we have right
[2:00:16] now. And so I just just for all
[2:00:18] of us, we will have to make
[2:00:20] really tough decisions when we
[2:00:24] present potential solutions to
[2:00:27] cut costs, then I hope that
[2:00:29] people will really take that
[2:00:30] under consideration. It's not
[2:00:32] we can't keep doing the same
[2:00:33] thing that we've done before,
[2:00:35] because we have to figure out a
[2:00:37] way to cut costs so that we can
[2:00:39] pay people more. So that is,
[2:00:40] I'll have to say about that
[2:00:41] right now. Thanks.
[2:00:44] >> Thank you, MISS Thompson.
[2:00:45] >> Thank you, chair. So I first
[2:00:49] want to clear up some things
[2:00:51] that we heard. So one is that
[2:00:52] we have a bunch of empty
[2:00:54] buildings just sitting around.
[2:00:56] Can we get some status on what
[2:00:58] empty buildings we have sitting
[2:01:02] around and what the plan is.
[2:01:06] >> So for the current. Lets you
[2:01:08] will get a detailed memo
[2:01:10] probably tomorrow that
[2:01:11] discusses all the school
[2:01:13] closures and the movements. As
[2:01:14] far as timeline for employees
[2:01:16] to move into certain spaces. I
[2:01:17] don't know if the speaker was
[2:01:19] talking about what we were
[2:01:20] about to go through right now
[2:01:22] as options for the board to
[2:01:23] consider as far as selling
[2:01:26] those school buildings, but all
[2:01:27] the facilities that we closed
[2:01:29] last year, lack of a better
[2:01:31] term, they're kind of spoken
[2:01:32] for as far.
[2:01:33] >> As there is. There is a plan
[2:01:35] to use this space. We're not
[2:01:36] just wasting maintenance.
[2:01:38] >> And we're not wasting
[2:01:38] maintenance. We're actually
[2:01:40] it's a strategy to get people
[2:01:41] out of buildings that we're
[2:01:42] going to lease or sell.
[2:01:46] >> Okay. And then this probably
[2:01:47] is going to be answered again.
[2:01:49] But are you planning to lease?
[2:01:51] Are we planning to lease this
[2:01:51] building?
[2:01:53] >> Yes, absolutely. We've
[2:01:54] already given our commercial
[2:01:56] realtor direction on getting
[2:01:57] all that information out so we
[2:02:00] can get some potential leases.
[2:02:01] >> And then leasing as opposed
[2:02:02] to selling means that we can
[2:02:04] use that money we make correct.
[2:02:05] >> If we lease, it goes
[2:02:07] straight to our general. If we
[2:02:10] sell, it goes into capital
[2:02:11] funds, which is very
[2:02:12] restrictive and can't be used
[2:02:15] for compensation purposes for
[2:02:16] employees.
[2:02:18] >> And for the the schools that
[2:02:20] we are considering
[2:02:21] consolidating. Is there an
[2:02:24] option to sell or to make
[2:02:25] something so that we can put
[2:02:27] that money towards. Yes.
[2:02:29] Selling would be the same thing,
[2:02:30] right? If we sell a building,
[2:02:32] it goes to capital. So capital.
[2:02:33] Are there some options that are
[2:02:35] going to come before this board
[2:02:37] to make sure that we can add
[2:02:38] more to the general fund?
[2:02:40] >> Yes. The the best use of
[2:02:41] each facility will be presented
[2:02:43] to the board. Okay.
[2:02:46] >> And then I asked the last
[2:02:48] time we discussed this, our
[2:02:49] general counsel, to prepare a
[2:02:52] memo about what our
[2:02:56] responsibilities as a board is.
[2:02:59] I would like MR. Bruno to go
[2:03:00] over what the board's
[2:03:02] responsibility, legal
[2:03:03] responsibilities for passing a
[2:03:05] budget is.
[2:03:07] >> So the board has a statutory
[2:03:08] responsibility. To pass a
[2:03:10] budget in the time frame is
[2:03:14] very, very specific. 1011.03,
[2:03:15] subsection three. Note to the
[2:03:17] board has to have the public
[2:03:18] hearing to adopt its tentative
[2:03:20] and final budget pursuant to
[2:03:25] Florida Statute 200.065 and
[2:03:26] subsection two f three gives us
[2:03:28] the timeline. It requires the
[2:03:30] final public hearing to
[2:03:31] finalize the budget and adopt
[2:03:33] the millage rate within 80 days
[2:03:34] after certification of the
[2:03:36] taxable value. My understanding
[2:03:38] that was JULY 1st, but no
[2:03:41] earlier than 65 days after
[2:03:42] certification. So we have a 15
[2:03:45] day window. And our close of
[2:03:48] that window will be SEPTEMBER
[2:03:50] 19th. And it opened, I want to
[2:03:52] say SEPTEMBER 4th through
[2:03:54] SEPTEMBER 19th. So that is our
[2:03:55] statutory that is your as board
[2:03:57] statutory obligation.
[2:04:00] >> So just before any of my
[2:04:02] colleagues comment, does that
[2:04:04] mean we're not allowed to make
[2:04:05] suggestions or comments or
[2:04:07] direct the superintendent on a
[2:04:09] budget prior to this final
[2:04:10] adoption.
[2:04:12] >> You can make any
[2:04:12] recommendations that you want.
[2:04:14] In addition, after the budget
[2:04:16] is passed, you can always amend
[2:04:17] the budget.
[2:04:19] >> Yes. So it is our legal
[2:04:20] requirement as people sitting
[2:04:22] on this board to adopt this
[2:04:26] budget. Correct?
[2:04:27] >> Yes.
[2:04:28] >> And what are the
[2:04:30] consequences either immediate
[2:04:34] or long term, of us not having
[2:04:38] an budget from the state?
[2:04:40] >> So clearly you would get the
[2:04:41] attention of the Florida
[2:04:43] Department of Education. And so
[2:04:46] that would be problematic. So
[2:04:52] that is. That is something that
[2:04:53] we want to be very, very
[2:04:56] careful with, especially given
[2:04:58] the issue with regards to the
[2:04:59] fund balance and making sure
[2:05:01] that we are fiscally
[2:05:02] responsible and good stewards
[2:05:04] of taxpayer dollars. So I would
[2:05:06] caution the board of anything
[2:05:07] that would deviate from your
[2:05:10] statutory responsibilities.
[2:05:12] >> And it could also impact our
[2:05:14] ability to have trim and
[2:05:16] mileage and funding from the
[2:05:17] state millage.
[2:05:19] >> It can it can impact that.
[2:05:20] It can also impact your cops
[2:05:22] with the people that you MAY
[2:05:24] want to. I mean, there's a very
[2:05:28] large group of individuals and
[2:05:29] organizations and entities that
[2:05:31] can look at this and, and be
[2:05:32] very concerned with Broward
[2:05:34] County Public Schools with
[2:05:36] regards to your financial
[2:05:37] stewardship.
[2:05:39] >> So we can all make political
[2:05:41] posturing about this. However,
[2:05:43] it is our fiduciary
[2:05:45] responsibility is really one of
[2:05:47] our only financial
[2:05:48] responsibilities that dictated
[2:05:50] by law to pass this budget.
[2:05:52] Does that mean that we're not
[2:05:53] going to go into negotiations?
[2:05:56] Does that mean that our
[2:05:57] superintendent hasn't found
[2:05:59] possibilities to find that race?
[2:06:00] No. It means for right now, we
[2:06:01] have to pass this budget and
[2:06:04] then we enter into negotiations.
[2:06:05] And I just want to echo MISS
[2:06:07] Bowman's comments that we have
[2:06:09] very limited funds, just like
[2:06:12] when you are managing your home
[2:06:13] budget, if you want to take a
[2:06:16] trip to see grandparents, you
[2:06:18] might have to cut in other ways
[2:06:20] to make that affordable. It is
[2:06:22] the same thing here. What we
[2:06:23] prioritize means we might have
[2:06:26] to cut things, and that is
[2:06:27] something that I hope my
[2:06:29] colleagues stick to when these
[2:06:33] hard conversations happen. And
[2:06:36] then just really quick, just on
[2:06:38] the referendum, I think we all
[2:06:40] know how important it is to
[2:06:41] educate the public. Our staff
[2:06:43] has been going out. If there
[2:06:45] are any community groups that
[2:06:48] would like to invite staff,
[2:06:50] they will come and talk to your
[2:06:52] hoa and kind of explain and
[2:06:57] educate, not advocate. But this
[2:06:59] is something that we are
[2:07:03] actively working on to. Not
[2:07:06] promote, to educate. So I
[2:07:07] appreciate our staff's work and
[2:07:08] going into this budget. I urge
[2:07:11] my colleagues to follow the law
[2:07:13] and pass this budget with the
[2:07:14] understanding that we are going
[2:07:17] to go into negotiations and
[2:07:18] give our teachers what they
[2:07:20] deserve. Thank you.
[2:07:23] >> Thank you, MRS. Alhadeff.
[2:07:24] >> Yes.
[2:07:26] >> So my first point is on the
[2:07:29] five year projected enrollment.
[2:07:31] So over the next five years,
[2:07:33] our enrollment continues to
[2:07:38] decline. So we need to figure
[2:07:40] out have a more robust plan on
[2:07:42] how we're going to stop the
[2:07:44] decline. There should be
[2:07:47] multiple workshops to to really
[2:07:49] dig into the details and what
[2:07:52] that looks like, and come up
[2:07:54] with a, a creative, outside the
[2:07:57] box type of thinking to figure
[2:07:59] out how we're preventing,
[2:08:00] preventing that decline.
[2:08:02] Because that ultimately is our
[2:08:05] problem. We're just losing the
[2:08:12] enrollment. Second point is our
[2:08:15] per pupil expenditure in.
[2:08:17] >> I'm sorry, MR. Alhadeff, if
[2:08:19] I could just ask, please pause.
[2:08:21] MISS Alhadeff time. If you are
[2:08:22] in the audience and you need to
[2:08:23] have a conversation, please
[2:08:25] step out so that board members
[2:08:27] can hear each other and speak
[2:08:28] uninterrupted. As the public
[2:08:31] speakers got to speak on
[2:08:31] uninterrupted.
[2:08:33] >> Thank you. So my second
[2:08:36] point is, so the per pupil
[2:08:39] expenditure. So Palm Beach is
[2:08:42] the highest, then Miami Dade
[2:08:43] and then Broward. Well, I don't
[2:08:45] know about like the highest in
[2:08:47] the whole state of Florida, but
[2:08:49] the districts around us, and I
[2:08:50] know it's always on our
[2:08:51] legislative platform that we
[2:08:55] are trying to get to be at the
[2:08:57] same level as Palm Beach and
[2:08:59] Miami Dade. But we never seem
[2:09:01] to to fix that part. So that
[2:09:03] needs to be a priority within
[2:09:05] our legislative platform. And
[2:09:08] we're speaking with our elected
[2:09:10] officials and, and making sure
[2:09:12] that trying to get us because I
[2:09:14] do not see the reason why we
[2:09:16] are at a different level than
[2:09:18] Palm Beach and Miami-Dade. I, I
[2:09:21] can't process that. And, and,
[2:09:23] and we need to fight harder to,
[2:09:25] to change that because we're
[2:09:27] losing a lot of dollars in the
[2:09:30] per pupil expenditure. It's,
[2:09:31] it's throughout everything from
[2:09:34] the basic to the Esol, the Esq
[2:09:37] career. And so ultimately that
[2:09:38] that needs to be a priority of
[2:09:43] the board. And then thirdly,
[2:09:45] one of the things that got put
[2:09:47] forward to the board this year,
[2:09:49] and it was voted down, but I
[2:09:52] don't think there was enough
[2:09:53] conversations and education was
[2:09:55] around block scheduling. From
[2:09:57] my understanding. And Doctor
[2:09:58] Hepburn, if you can let me know,
[2:10:01] would we save $40 million?
[2:10:04] >> Yes, approximately. Yes.
[2:10:05] >> And can that money go to
[2:10:06] salaries?
[2:10:07] >> Yes. That money can go
[2:10:09] directly to compensation.
[2:10:14] >> Okay, so I, I know it's. Not
[2:10:16] going to be fun and it's a
[2:10:17] difficult conversation, but I
[2:10:19] would encourage the board to
[2:10:21] start having that conversation
[2:10:22] and talking about it and what
[2:10:24] it looks like. And because
[2:10:25] that's a lot of dollars there
[2:10:28] that we can be saving. And then
[2:10:31] my next question is the 4% or
[2:10:34] whatever percent potential
[2:10:36] raises. And we're going to
[2:10:37] negotiations. What is the time
[2:10:39] frame that we would have that
[2:10:41] money potentially going into
[2:10:43] people's paychecks?
[2:10:45] >> I don't know, specific time
[2:10:47] frame, but I know we can come
[2:10:49] to the board in a pretty quick
[2:10:52] closed door to start discussing
[2:10:53] next steps and what
[2:10:54] opportunities the board wants
[2:10:57] to take moving forward with the
[2:10:58] potential amount of cost
[2:10:59] savings.
[2:11:02] >> MADAM General Council.
[2:11:04] >> Thank you. Board. I really
[2:11:06] just want to caution pursuant
[2:11:09] to Florida Statute 447.605 with
[2:11:11] regards to negotiations with
[2:11:13] the Union, it is not advisable
[2:11:16] to negotiate from the dais in
[2:11:18] public. It's not advisable to
[2:11:20] confirm. This is what my hand
[2:11:21] has. When you're going to be
[2:11:24] negotiating with an entity, I
[2:11:27] would request that.
[2:11:29] Conversations related to what
[2:11:30] will be offered.
[2:11:32] >> MISS Fusco, this is your
[2:11:33] second warning. Please let
[2:11:36] MADAM General Counsel speak.
[2:11:37] All right. I'll recess the
[2:11:55] meeting. Thank you.
[2:13:22] >> Thank you. This public
[2:13:24] hearing is now reconvened.
[2:13:25] Missus Alhadeff, you had the
[2:13:27] floor.
[2:13:29] >> Thank you. So, just to go
[2:13:31] over my points again, since I
[2:13:37] was disruptive. One is we need
[2:13:39] to figure out and really have a
[2:13:41] serious conversation on how we
[2:13:45] are going to keep the
[2:13:48] enrollment of our students in,
[2:13:50] really get into the details and
[2:13:53] how we're going to bring people
[2:13:54] back to Broward County Public
[2:13:56] Schools. And, you know, more
[2:13:58] than just a catch phrase, it
[2:14:00] has to have the tough
[2:14:01] conversations and figure out
[2:14:05] the why. Second is on our
[2:14:08] legislative platform. You know,
[2:14:10] maybe we just have a couple
[2:14:12] things on that legislative
[2:14:14] platform because if we can get
[2:14:17] the same per pupil expenditure
[2:14:19] as Palm Beach and Miami-Dade, I
[2:14:21] mean, that is a will be a huge
[2:14:23] win for us, actually. Doctor
[2:14:25] Hepburn, do you know how much
[2:14:27] if we were the same as Miami
[2:14:30] Dade or Palm Beach, how much
[2:14:31] more millions of dollars we
[2:14:32] would be receiving?
[2:14:37] >> Team. Do we have that? Okay,
[2:14:38] okay.
[2:14:43] >> And and then. Thirdly, we we
[2:14:47] really need to start having a
[2:14:48] conversation about the block
[2:14:53] scheduling and talking with the
[2:14:55] community with, with students
[2:14:56] and, and what that would look
[2:14:59] like because $40 million is a
[2:15:01] lot of money for savings. Thank
[2:15:02] you.
[2:15:04] >> Thank you, MR. Hill. Do we
[2:15:07] have anyone online?
[2:15:09] >> DR. Holness is online.
[2:15:10] >> DR. Holness. Do you have any
[2:15:12] comments before I finish round
[2:15:17] one?
[2:15:19] >> No comments for me.
[2:15:24] >> Okay. I had just two kind of
[2:15:26] brief points, but to MRS.
[2:15:28] Alhadeff point about declining
[2:15:29] enrollment and trying to do
[2:15:30] something to address that, and
[2:15:32] I heard that from our speakers
[2:15:34] as well. And I just want to
[2:15:35] kind of sum up the last six
[2:15:37] years, we've done a lot to
[2:15:39] implement new magnet programs.
[2:15:41] We've done a lot of outreach to
[2:15:42] the community, different ways
[2:15:44] to reaching out to, to bring
[2:15:46] students back into our public
[2:15:51] schools. And we recently got a
[2:15:54] follow up, I think it was. MISS
[2:15:55] Rupert asked for this
[2:15:57] information about birth rate
[2:15:57] declines and things like that.
[2:15:59] And I just want to highlight
[2:16:00] some information that's in that
[2:16:08] follow up. So it says live
[2:16:09] births recorded by City in
[2:16:12] Broward County from 2016 to
[2:16:14] 2025 are in this table. That's
[2:16:16] in the follow up. In general,
[2:16:18] births trended downward from
[2:16:21] 2016 to 2020, increased in 2021
[2:16:23] and 22, and then have been
[2:16:25] decreasing during the three
[2:16:26] years since then. The total
[2:16:28] number of births recorded in
[2:16:31] 2025, which was 19,270, was the
[2:16:33] lowest in the past two decades
[2:16:35] and more than 3000 fewer births
[2:16:38] than were recorded in 2016. So
[2:16:40] I agree with you that, like, of
[2:16:42] course, we should be doing
[2:16:43] everything in our power to make
[2:16:44] our public schools as
[2:16:45] competitive as possible. And
[2:16:47] that means, you know, paying
[2:16:49] our teachers more so that we
[2:16:51] can have the best educators in
[2:16:54] the entire state, which I
[2:16:55] firmly believe that we do right
[2:16:58] now, making sure that we have
[2:16:59] programing that is attractive
[2:17:01] to students, all of that
[2:17:03] reaching communities where they
[2:17:06] are, whether that's a place of
[2:17:08] faith or at the park or
[2:17:09] wherever, at pediatrician
[2:17:11] offices. But we also still have
[2:17:13] to grapple with the reality
[2:17:15] that birth rates are declining
[2:17:17] and have been declining for
[2:17:19] quite some time. And then the
[2:17:21] other piece I wanted to touch
[2:17:22] on, because I think we've kind
[2:17:24] of been dancing around this,
[2:17:27] and I remember as a teacher
[2:17:30] wondering like, why we have to
[2:17:33] be so weird about negotiations
[2:17:35] to put it in in very plain
[2:17:38] language. So, MADAM General
[2:17:38] Counsel, can you walk me
[2:17:40] through like, why can't we just
[2:17:42] say, why can't I say, I want to
[2:17:45] allocate $150 million to
[2:17:47] deliver x amount of x percent
[2:17:49] raise? Why can't I put that in
[2:17:50] the budget right now? Why is
[2:17:53] that not advisable for me to,
[2:17:55] to say that on the dais in a
[2:17:55] public meeting.
[2:17:57] >> It's never advisable to
[2:17:58] negotiate against yourself. So
[2:18:01] you will be entering into
[2:18:02] negotiation with the unions.
[2:18:04] And there's multiple of them.
[2:18:05] You have a certain pot that
[2:18:06] you're going to have to
[2:18:08] allocate and negotiate and make
[2:18:09] sure that it works for the
[2:18:11] district and works for the
[2:18:12] union. So these are not things
[2:18:14] that we can throw out. And you
[2:18:15] also have to be very careful
[2:18:17] that you're not making promises
[2:18:19] at the dais that somebody can
[2:18:21] hold you accountable. And then
[2:18:23] next thing we know, we MAY have
[2:18:24] an unfair labor practice
[2:18:25] because we made some type of
[2:18:27] announcement, some type of
[2:18:29] offering to the union that is
[2:18:33] not accepted or that we cannot
[2:18:34] fulfill. So it's always better
[2:18:36] to not negotiate from the dais
[2:18:38] you don't want to violate. And
[2:18:39] that's exactly why Florida
[2:18:42] Statute 447.605 says that
[2:18:44] internal strategy discussions
[2:18:46] between the public employer and
[2:18:48] the governing body is to be in
[2:18:50] a closed session. Specifically
[2:18:52] for those reasons.
[2:18:53] >> So help me understand in
[2:18:55] like the simplest language as
[2:18:56] possible, why do we even have
[2:18:58] to negotiate? Like, if I was
[2:19:01] able to find, you know, and I,
[2:19:03] I really don't like the way we
[2:19:04] are saying like, we asked the
[2:19:05] superintendent to find money.
[2:19:07] There's not money to be found
[2:19:09] there. You know, there is stuff
[2:19:11] that needs to be cut and
[2:19:14] savings have to be realized.
[2:19:16] And then we can deliver that,
[2:19:19] that money. But we cannot find
[2:19:21] money. There's not money hiding
[2:19:24] anywhere. So but to my before I
[2:19:27] just went on this tangent, why
[2:19:30] can't we just say we want to
[2:19:32] allocate $100 million for this
[2:19:34] percentage of raise? And why do
[2:19:37] we have to even bother with
[2:19:37] negotiations?
[2:19:39] >> Well, the law requires you
[2:19:40] to negotiate with the union.
[2:19:42] But going to your point of
[2:19:44] finding money, it's not that
[2:19:45] easy, right? You have a budget
[2:19:47] and you need to look at all of
[2:19:50] the resources. There MAY be a
[2:19:51] plan to save some funds, but
[2:19:53] you need to see if that's
[2:19:54] something that can be
[2:19:55] actualized before you put it on
[2:19:58] the offer, and you put it on
[2:19:59] the table for somebody to
[2:20:01] accept. So it's not that easy.
[2:20:03] Just saying that I have $100
[2:20:04] million, here I go. When you
[2:20:07] MAY not have that $100 million,
[2:20:09] you need to do your due
[2:20:10] diligence, and you need to make
[2:20:12] sure that you are a good
[2:20:13] stewards of taxpayer dollars.
[2:20:14] And you also need to make sure
[2:20:16] that you are in compliance with
[2:20:17] the other law with regards to a
[2:20:19] 3% fund balance. So there's a
[2:20:21] lot of things that the board
[2:20:22] needs to juggle and to keep
[2:20:24] into consideration when it
[2:20:26] actually enters into
[2:20:28] negotiations, which is what is
[2:20:29] required when you're dealing
[2:20:30] with your union.
[2:20:32] >> And so just to be very clear,
[2:20:37] we, we. Work with different
[2:20:40] bargaining groups, right to
[2:20:42] establish salaries and raises
[2:20:47] and things like lunch and in
[2:20:48] all sorts of working conditions
[2:20:50] and what the expectations are
[2:20:53] for someone completing the
[2:20:54] responsibilities of their job.
[2:20:57] Correct.
[2:20:58] >> Correct.
[2:20:59] >> And a lot of that is
[2:21:01] dictated by state law, correct?
[2:21:03] >> Yes.
[2:21:06] >> Okay. So and I asked these
[2:21:07] questions because I don't know
[2:21:09] that we've sat through a budget
[2:21:10] hearing like this where there's
[2:21:11] been so much participation. And
[2:21:12] I think the participation is
[2:21:13] really incredible. And it's a
[2:21:15] great opportunity for us to
[2:21:18] have a dialog with the people
[2:21:20] that we serve. And so I
[2:21:20] appreciate everyone who has
[2:21:23] come out today. But I, I think
[2:21:25] it's unusual this year because
[2:21:26] most of the time our budget
[2:21:28] hearings are empty, which is
[2:21:30] not great, right? It's great to
[2:21:32] have public participation in
[2:21:33] these meetings. And I think
[2:21:35] it's a really good opportunity
[2:21:36] for us to talk about like, the
[2:21:39] weird bureaucratic stuff that
[2:21:41] that dictates all of this. So
[2:21:43] why we can't just say we want
[2:21:46] to give a 20% raise today? We
[2:21:48] can't we can't say that because
[2:21:51] of state statute and all of the
[2:21:54] bureaucracy and, and different
[2:21:55] legislation that governs the
[2:21:57] way we have to negotiate salary
[2:22:00] raises with bargaining groups.
[2:22:02] So I appreciate I don't know
[2:22:03] that I did a lot to clarify
[2:22:05] that, but I really appreciate
[2:22:06] the opportunity to have that
[2:22:09] conversation and try to work
[2:22:10] with the public and work with
[2:22:13] the people that we serve to, to
[2:22:15] find a path forward, to deliver
[2:22:17] a living wage for the people
[2:22:18] who work with our kids every
[2:22:20] day. And I know that many of us
[2:22:23] up here hold, you know,
[2:22:25] teachers and the employees dear
[2:22:26] to our hearts. Many of us call
[2:22:28] them some of our best friends.
[2:22:30] We send our children into their
[2:22:32] hands every single day. We
[2:22:35] understand that it is tough
[2:22:37] right now. And we it's easy for
[2:22:39] us to say, but we mean it. We
[2:22:40] really, really, really want to
[2:22:42] make Broward County Public
[2:22:43] Schools a satisfying place for
[2:22:47] you to work. MR. Bruno.
[2:22:49] >> I'm going to give you, I
[2:22:51] think, a much simpler
[2:22:52] explanation that I think
[2:22:54] everybody will understand.
[2:22:56] Let's say that you are you want
[2:22:59] to buy a bicycle for $200, but
[2:23:02] you only have $150 to buy that
[2:23:04] bicycle. But then with all your
[2:23:05] friends and the audience and a
[2:23:06] bunch of other people, you're
[2:23:08] like, well, I'm going to pay
[2:23:10] $190 for that bicycle. Then you
[2:23:11] don't have the opportunity
[2:23:12] because at this point, the
[2:23:14] person that you're going to buy
[2:23:15] the bicycle from already has,
[2:23:17] has in their head that you're
[2:23:20] going to pay $190. So that's
[2:23:22] why you try not to negotiate in
[2:23:23] public.
[2:23:26] >> Thank you. Round two MISS
[2:23:28] Hixon.
[2:23:30] >> Thank you. Just a couple of
[2:23:31] things. First, I think we've
[2:23:33] said it a number of times, but
[2:23:35] I also just want to remind the
[2:23:38] public, and I echo what MRS.
[2:23:40] Leonardi said. We really do
[2:23:41] appreciate that you're here. We
[2:23:43] say often budget is the biggest
[2:23:45] thing that we do, and it's
[2:23:46] usually empty in this room. So
[2:23:48] it was really nice to see so
[2:23:51] many people come out today to
[2:23:53] have the the discussion with us,
[2:23:55] but also just want to remind
[2:23:57] you that Florida is actually
[2:23:59] 50th in the state for funding
[2:24:02] for students. And to piggyback
[2:24:05] off of what MRS. Alhadeff said,
[2:24:07] so Broward County Public
[2:24:11] Schools receives $9,400 for fte
[2:24:12] for students based. I'm just
[2:24:14] dealing with basic. And if you
[2:24:15] want to follow along the book
[2:24:17] for budget, it's on page 40.
[2:24:19] It's listed out there, Palm
[2:24:23] Beach County receives 10,000
[2:24:24] 10,781. So that's a difference
[2:24:28] of $1,777. So if you multiply
[2:24:31] that by 170,000 students that
[2:24:33] we have in Broward County, that
[2:24:36] would be $302 million more.
[2:24:42] Miami Dade gets 939,311, which
[2:24:44] is $307 more than we do. And if
[2:24:47] you multiply that by 170,000
[2:24:49] students, that's $52 million.
[2:24:51] So I know that people like to
[2:24:52] compare what's happening in
[2:24:54] Miami-Dade and Palm Beach, but
[2:24:56] it's not apples to apples. So I
[2:24:57] think it was really important.
[2:24:59] Thank you, MRS. Alhadeff, for
[2:25:01] for bringing that out. But I
[2:25:03] just want to put that out there
[2:25:05] in the the public that we
[2:25:08] actually don't all get funded
[2:25:11] equally. And so it obviously
[2:25:15] impacts what we can do. I again
[2:25:17] want to say thank you so much
[2:25:19] to to the superintendent and
[2:25:22] the staff for doing the budget,
[2:25:24] but I'm just going to say you
[2:25:26] can't keep doing the same thing
[2:25:28] over and over and expecting
[2:25:30] different results. And over and
[2:25:32] over. We have just passed the
[2:25:34] budget and been told, we're
[2:25:36] going to figure this out. It's
[2:25:37] in there. But and then
[2:25:39] something comes up and it's
[2:25:41] it's not figured out. So I have
[2:25:42] to do something different if I
[2:25:44] want to see a different outcome.
[2:25:47] And so I also would just say
[2:25:49] when we were here in the
[2:25:52] tentative budget, we had this
[2:25:54] discussion and we almost didn't
[2:25:56] pass the budget that time. And
[2:25:59] it was because we wanted to
[2:26:01] make sure in this budget that
[2:26:03] came to us, it was very clear
[2:26:05] with colleagues on this board
[2:26:06] that when the final budget came,
[2:26:09] we wanted to make sure that it
[2:26:10] was clear in there that it was
[2:26:12] a priority and it wasn't going
[2:26:13] to be. When we went to the
[2:26:15] bargaining table, that we'll
[2:26:17] just have to wait and see.
[2:26:18] That's my concern here. I don't
[2:26:20] want to. We'll have to wait and
[2:26:22] see. I want it prioritized in
[2:26:23] the budget. I'm not going to
[2:26:25] say a percentage or a dollar
[2:26:26] amount. I don't want to
[2:26:29] negotiate from the the dais. We
[2:26:31] had this discussion before, so
[2:26:32] that's why I'll be voting the
[2:26:34] way I am. Thank you.
[2:26:44] >> Thank you, MR. Cervera.
[2:26:47] >> a ai w w saying. Auauay,
[2:26:49] yoyou owow wt,, dohihink it
[2:26:51] is a bit shameful that not only
[2:26:53] is this board pitching policies
[2:26:55] that will substantially limit
[2:26:56] the public's ability to comment
[2:26:58] and address to us, which
[2:27:00] thankfully we voted to kick
[2:27:02] down the road till the end of
[2:27:03] the year. But now, apparently
[2:27:05] there's a policy that's
[2:27:07] limiting elected officials on
[2:27:10] this dais whose sole job is to
[2:27:11] advocate for those people. And
[2:27:13] now you want to take away their
[2:27:15] voice as well. So I hope all of
[2:27:17] you who voted in favor of that
[2:27:18] nonsense are happy. But I do
[2:27:21] think it's shameful. I do want
[2:27:22] to also point out some
[2:27:24] statutory stuff. MR. Bruno, if
[2:27:27] I MAY, I took a look at the
[2:27:28] Florida statutes on this wall
[2:27:31] while we were going through
[2:27:32] this. And my interpretation
[2:27:34] under ten, 11.01, subsection
[2:27:36] three. A the Florida Statute
[2:27:39] says that we must, as a board,
[2:27:40] prepare, adopt and submit an
[2:27:43] annual budget. So collectively,
[2:27:45] we must ultimately pass a
[2:27:47] budget. So I do agree with you.
[2:27:48] However, this is where I think
[2:27:50] there's a little bit of a of a
[2:27:51] disconnect. I don't believe
[2:27:53] that the board is actually
[2:27:55] required to rubber stamp what
[2:27:56] the superintendent's proposed
[2:27:59] budget is. If you look at 1011
[2:28:01] .02, subsection one, this
[2:28:03] specifically provides that a
[2:28:05] school board must receive and
[2:28:06] examine the tentative budget.
[2:28:08] And this is where it's
[2:28:10] important shall require each
[2:28:13] change to be made, as MAY be to
[2:28:14] the best interest of the school
[2:28:16] program in the district. That
[2:28:17] language, I think, is important
[2:28:19] because it means that the
[2:28:21] legislator expressly
[2:28:22] contemplated that school board
[2:28:23] members can scrutinize the
[2:28:24] superintendent's proposed
[2:28:27] budget and demand changes when
[2:28:29] actually appropriate. That's
[2:28:32] 1011.02, subsection one. So
[2:28:34] while a Florida school board
[2:28:35] member is obligated to
[2:28:36] participate in the budget
[2:28:37] process, which is obviously
[2:28:40] what we're doing, the school
[2:28:42] board collectively as a body,
[2:28:44] is obligated only to ultimately
[2:28:47] adopt a legally compliant
[2:28:48] budget. But that doesn't mean
[2:28:51] I'm obligated to vote for a
[2:28:54] budget that I believe is bad
[2:28:56] policy, fiscally irresponsible,
[2:28:57] improperly prioritizes spending
[2:29:00] or otherwise has to be changed.
[2:29:02] So we need to be very clear,
[2:29:03] because I don't want to hear
[2:29:05] from any of my colleagues later
[2:29:06] on, or when the news picks up
[2:29:08] the story that I didn't have a
[2:29:10] choice. I had to vote for this
[2:29:11] because my general counsel said
[2:29:14] I didn't have a choice. We need
[2:29:15] to be very clear. Every one up
[2:29:17] here, including me and MISS
[2:29:18] Hixon, who I believe are on the
[2:29:20] same page on this, thankfully
[2:29:22] have the emphatic right to say
[2:29:25] no and reject this budget
[2:29:27] tonight. Is that accurate, MR.
[2:29:30] Bruno?
[2:29:31] >> Generally speaking, the
[2:29:34] board is ultimately responsible
[2:29:35] for the budget. Superintendent
[2:29:36] makes the recommendation. But
[2:29:37] there's another thing that you
[2:29:39] need to take into consideration,
[2:29:41] which is the timing. I don't
[2:29:42] disagree with what you have
[2:29:45] said and shared, MR. Cervera.
[2:29:46] However, we also have to look
[2:29:49] at Florida Statute 200.065,
[2:29:50] subsection two, f three, which
[2:29:53] talks about the timing. And
[2:29:54] that's where the concern is at
[2:29:57] this point, is that we have a
[2:29:58] window to approve SEPTEMBER 8th
[2:30:01] through SEPTEMBER 15th. And
[2:30:03] again, you can always amend the
[2:30:04] budget. You can always amend it.
[2:30:07] But this timing is where we are
[2:30:08] having the constriction. The
[2:30:09] budget has come to the board.
[2:30:11] Before you've made some
[2:30:12] recommendations, you made some
[2:30:14] changes. That's that's part of
[2:30:16] the process. But now you're at
[2:30:20] that other part under 200.065.
[2:30:20] >> So you're going to
[2:30:22] appreciate this. My 11th grade
[2:30:24] social studies teacher used to
[2:30:27] say the following your delay
[2:30:31] does not create my emergency.
[2:30:32] The fact that you gave me this
[2:30:34] today to vote on this, that's
[2:30:37] not my problem. I'm not going
[2:30:39] to vote on this. I don't have a
[2:30:40] legal obligation to vote on
[2:30:41] this. And I want to make sure
[2:30:43] very clearly that none of my
[2:30:44] colleagues believe that they
[2:30:46] have an obligation, because you
[2:30:50] can vote no. And you should.
[2:30:51] >> Thank you.
[2:30:56] >> DR. Zeman thank you, chair.
[2:30:59] On the other hand. I think this
[2:31:00] board knows that it's our
[2:31:02] obligation to pass budgets. I
[2:31:05] think we said that 47000 times
[2:31:10] in the past few years. We rely
[2:31:12] on guidance and technical
[2:31:13] support from our staff, which I
[2:31:15] think has just gotten better
[2:31:16] and better every year that I've
[2:31:19] served on this board. And the
[2:31:21] new story that we're going to
[2:31:22] hear about tomorrow is that
[2:31:24] this staff who works for the
[2:31:26] superintendent offered us some
[2:31:27] opportunities to reduce our
[2:31:31] budget by $63 million, and we
[2:31:34] have a referendum coming up in
[2:31:36] just just under 60 days. That
[2:31:39] is going to tilt a lot of money
[2:31:42] one way or the other. We don't
[2:31:44] know if slide 11 is going to be
[2:31:45] realized yet. These are
[2:31:46] projected savings. We don't
[2:31:48] know if the referendum is going
[2:31:50] to pass, although if history is
[2:31:54] a guide, it's likely to, and it
[2:31:55] would be fiscally irresponsible
[2:31:57] for us to make decisions and
[2:31:58] lock our budget in until we
[2:32:01] know what realization realized
[2:32:03] savings there are and whether
[2:32:04] or not the referendum passes.
[2:32:06] This year's budget is a plan
[2:32:08] only. Not only can it be
[2:32:09] amended, it can be changed. It
[2:32:11] could be accelerated. We can do
[2:32:13] a bunch of stuff, and we do.
[2:32:15] And by the way, Doctor Hepburn,
[2:32:17] you did not foist this on us
[2:32:19] today. We've been looking at
[2:32:21] this budget for four months in
[2:32:22] preparation for this day. The
[2:32:26] tentative budget. So this lays
[2:32:27] a framework. MR. Shim, thank
[2:32:29] you very much for us to make
[2:32:31] some hard decisions. And to one
[2:32:33] of my colleagues point this is
[2:32:35] our budget. We have to make
[2:32:37] some decisions about what we
[2:32:37] prioritize. We've been very
[2:32:39] clear how much we prioritize
[2:32:40] teacher compensation and
[2:32:42] educator compensation. But the
[2:32:43] timing of this is very
[2:32:44] important as well. And tonight
[2:32:46] is not the time to make that
[2:32:48] decision. Nor is this the place
[2:32:49] because on the dais, we don't
[2:32:51] want to set aside funding and
[2:32:53] get ahead of ourselves
[2:32:54] negotiating. I do believe,
[2:32:55] though, that there's been a lot
[2:32:57] of great work here, and I
[2:32:58] appreciate the work. And chair.
[2:33:00] With that, I'm going to call
[2:33:00] the question.
[2:33:02] >> All in favor of calling the
[2:33:04] question, say aye. All opposed?
[2:33:04] Say no.
[2:33:05] >> No.
[2:33:07] >> Roll call.
[2:33:09] >> Roll call to call the
[2:33:10] question Alhadeff.
[2:33:12] >> No.
[2:33:12] >> Bulman.
[2:33:13] >> Yes.
[2:33:14] >> Cervera.
[2:33:15] >> No way.
[2:33:15] >> Hixon.
[2:33:16] >> Yes.
[2:33:17] >> Holiness.
[2:33:19] >> Yes.
[2:33:20] >> Leonardi.
[2:33:21] >> Yes.
[2:33:22] >> Rupert. Not on the line.
[2:33:24] Thompson.
[2:33:25] >> Yes.
[2:33:31] >> Ziemann. Roll call. Six two.
[2:33:34] >> All right. All in favor of
[2:33:38] item two. But before I. Yeah.
[2:33:40] Thank you. Steph, could you
[2:33:41] please read the resolution into
[2:33:45] the record?
[2:33:47] >> Again? Jeff Whitney,
[2:33:47] Assistant director, Budget
[2:33:50] Department, The school Board of
[2:33:51] Broward County, Florida,
[2:33:54] resolution number 27-115.
[2:33:56] Resolution by the School Board
[2:33:57] of Broward County, Florida.
[2:33:58] Adopting the final budget for
[2:34:01] fiscal year 2020 627. Whereas,
[2:34:02] the School Board of Broward
[2:34:04] County, Florida, did. Pursuant
[2:34:08] to chapters 201 011 Florida
[2:34:10] statutes approved final millage
[2:34:12] rates and final budget for the
[2:34:15] fiscal year JULY 1st, 2026 to
[2:34:18] JUNE 30th, 2027. And whereas,
[2:34:19] the School Board of Broward
[2:34:21] County, Florida, set forth the
[2:34:22] appropriations and revenue
[2:34:24] estimates for the budget for
[2:34:28] fiscal year 2026 2027. Whereas,
[2:34:29] at the public hearing and in
[2:34:31] full compliance with chapter
[2:34:33] 200 Florida Statutes, the
[2:34:34] School Board of Broward County,
[2:34:35] Florida, adopted the final
[2:34:37] millage rates and the budget in
[2:34:44] the amount of $4,663,820,338
[2:34:48] for fiscal year 2026 2027. Now
[2:34:50] therefore, be it resolved that
[2:34:51] the attached budget of the
[2:34:52] Broward County School Board,
[2:34:54] including the millage rates as
[2:34:56] set forth therein, is hereby
[2:34:58] adopted by the School Board of
[2:35:00] Broward County, Florida, as a
[2:35:02] final budget for the categories
[2:35:04] indicated for the fiscal year
[2:35:07] JULY 1st, 2026 to JUNE 30th,
[2:35:09] 2027. Given at Fort Lauderdale,
[2:35:13] Florida this eighth day of
[2:35:14] SEPTEMBER 2026.
[2:35:16] >> Thank you. All in favor of
[2:35:18] item two, say aye. Aye. All
[2:35:18] opposed?
[2:35:19] >> Say no. No.
[2:35:21] >> Roll call please.
[2:35:23] >> Roll call. Bulman.
[2:35:23] >> Yes.
[2:35:25] >> Cervera. Absolutely not.
[2:35:26] Hixon.
[2:35:27] >> No.
[2:35:28] >> Wholeness.
[2:35:29] >> Yes.
[2:35:30] >> Leonardi.
[2:35:31] >> Yes.
[2:35:34] >> Rupert. Not on the line.
[2:35:35] Thompson.
[2:35:36] >> Yes.
[2:35:36] >> Seaman.
[2:35:38] >> Yes.
[2:35:38] >> Alhadeff.
[2:35:41] >> Yes.
[2:35:44] >> Motion passed six two.
[2:35:46] >> Thank you. So the ayes have
[2:35:48] it. The item two is approved.
[2:35:49] The scheduled order of business
[2:35:51] for the public hearing of the
[2:35:52] School Board of Broward County,
[2:35:53] Florida, has been completed.
[2:35:54] Seeing no other obligations, I
[2:36:11] now adjourn the public hearing.