Public Notice Meeting on Ordinance 2026-0387

Public Notice Meeting on Ordinance 2026-0387 — Jun 5, 2026

>> All right. Good morning, everybody. Thank you all for coming and Zeiss. I'm sorry for not having enough seats, but I did not expect 300 people to come in. This, too, is meeting. All right. But thank you all for coming. All right. Good job. We have a short, 30 minute meeting today. Once again, I did not expect this, but I think we get that we can extend a little bit longer. Should we have some more questions potentially we will find out about that. Do are attorneys here. But let's start off with introductions to my left, please. >> So the record of school board District Juan Raul areas District 11. Good morning, Tyrone. A climber City Council district 9.32 year veteran of Duval County Public Schools. Okay. And this is currently being live streamed as well and record it in case anybody wants. We watch the video later on. All right. And we noticed that for now even better. So we have a flower guys. All right. We have microphones or a year. If you guys want to speak, just pass along and then we'll bring you that some like phones as well, too. All right. So this meeting is is very it was going on this side of your mind. You this meeting is really mainly to to understand the ramifications should not going to bite it on our end, what it will mean, one singles on the ballot in November's as more of an educational purpose. Also just kind of some point of clarity. This is taken up with this past Tuesday at our Finance committee meeting during that time, there was a lot of concerns of unanswered questions. And so I found myself that personally, I was not ready to take action on this onto. I truly understood the nature of what we're voting on that somebody can say with a simple as just putting about it so that people vote sure we get that part. But there's more to it than just that. I want understand what this mill rate. This is this one millwood signify. Should it pass in November should not pass. What have we done in the past with his previous extension of? I think it was like the last 4 years we've had it. How how has that really affected our school district and additionally, what would happen in the future? Should it pass or not pass? I want understand everything before I take vote on this. My my train of thought that says it was let me make cause and then we have meetings. I I have made a lot of cars. A lot of people call me. I have several of e-mails from everybody from the community. I so my questions have been for the most part answered. I feel a lot better about everything moving forward. The question is what? How do we work toward we stand next Tuesday. That's where I have the attorneys here to talk about where we're going to be a next to this Mr. Populous, enormous effect of you know, my. >> Thank you. So next Tuesday, as it stands, the item is still sitting in the finance committee because that committee has not reported it out. So next Tuesday, you will not see this item on the city council agenda unless it's discharged by the council president's which he has the ability to do. And that was addressed to a certain extent of the finance committee. And I don't know where he stands on that today. The other option is to councilmember can move to have a discharged on Tuesday night, which if it receives a second, would be voted on and to successfully discharge it on motion by a council member would require two-thirds vote of members present. So whatever number of people are on the dias at the time, it would be two-thirds of that number. If that is if that occurs, they're what we would traditionally do. And I've already coordinated with the council secretary and will be coordinating with Chief Smith of Legislative Services is we would essentially have addenda ready for approval because that that's what gets it on to your agenda as we produce it as an addendum item. And that would need to be approved by the council. And then you would be able to move it as an addendum item. If it is not discharged either by the president or by motion, then it would not come to council on Tuesday and the following week, it would come back to the Finance Committee for consideration with the committee can then deliberate on it and take action if they so choose or if there's additional discussion regarding deferral. I have confirmed that the school board is obligated to get the ballot language and everything to the supervisor of elections by August 18th. So if there's an additional deferral, of course, we have a 3 week council break. And if it gets deferred and finance again, it is not subsequently discharged by the to Mecca by either of the 2 mechanisms. I mention for the June 23rd. I believe it is council meeting. You would have one final opportunity to act on it in July were it would come to the Finance committee during his July 21st meeting and then it would come to council on July. 28. And that would be the last opportunity for the council to take it up and voted out in order for the school board to meet its deadline of August. 18th with the supervisor now also pending in the background is that state law that was placed on the governor's desk for signature. It's part of a tax package that would eliminate the language in the statute that requires that this matter go through the city council to be placed on the ballot and instead would provide like another taxes that the school boards can pursue, that they can directly submitted to the supervisor to have it placed on the ballot. It kind of removes the city council is the board of County commissioners as the Middle middle entity. That all expectation is that the governor would sign that bill and not veto it. But again, we don't know until we know. And if it is made effective, it would be effective July one. So to that extent, our office would have to look at how does that affect this ongoing process that's currently pending in front of the city Council with respect to the legislation. >> Thank you. So this past Tuesday, that was one of my questions you Mary was, you know? >> How long we have you stayed a June 23rd. It looks like we have really to August 18th. Yes, I want it. I went back and confirmed with the supervisor of elections through his attorney, what their cutoff date was for the ballot. And so based on that information, and I have I have provided this information to the council president as well, that there's a little bit of additional time to what I originally could could recall when we discussed it and find out. >> And that's really once once that statement was made and made me feel a lot better knowing that. Yeah, it's it's we could have taken the vote then and there on Tuesday. But I personally wanted time and look what look time brought a suit, brought us all together. Sometimes a little bit more time. A little more conversation helps really push things forward, whatever the case is. So I feel good about this, Mr. De facto you and I had a conversation you use and the one way communication to everybody. I called you to just get more clarity on on the subject. Can you please tonight, everybody about what we spoke about and your expertise. Opinions are. Thank you. Councilman areas, the the subject of the one-way communication was simply to let you know, this is not a shell versus a version. 2, there was some discussion. Then there is a legal issue of whether this out in a different statutory provision actually met. May hear. There is no question. There is a >> second DCA. So the second District Court of Appeals has determined in this case, the action of the city Council. In that case, it was county commissioners. But our version is the city council has no discretion. It is a purely ministerial act. Meaning you are just pushing yes to keep the ball going forward. Any discretion that existed resided with the school board when they passed their resolution. Your act is purely ministerial to get on the ballot to the supervisor of elections. The thank you. >> All right. So my goal today would be too have more dialogue between up here and everybody up here. And then I definitely want to have you guys as well have some words as well to towards the end. So the fact that we have an hour or 45 minutes left, I want to keep the last 15, maybe 20 minutes to you all. And why so in the meantime, who would like to go first from up here? Because I know I've spoken to all 3 of the 4 this bill. Do we like to the first are about to bring your know you may have a time crunch? So what I want to do is actually I want to speak to and if you want to bring something up, does that mean oh, okay, okay. >> I love this. I think. >> I also do have so I spoke to not only the CPS system as well, too, but also to our charter school systems, parents, educators, everybody and I do have individuals here from from the charter schools as well to that will speak to so far is or so in. >> With respect to my board members, thank you very much for the opportunity to lead off. I'll be brief. I had a great briefing in front of the joint meeting of the City Council. It was really amazing opportunity to really drive home a couple of things. Number one, many of the people seated here are the responsible parties for our success. You for the first time in the history of Duval County have an a rated school system. You also have for the first time in history. You also have for the first time in history and 97.6% graduation rate. That being said public school systems, including our charters. Do 2 things really, really well if they're doing it the right way, they're developing really amazing graduates who come back and be members of this community raise the level of our city. They're our future caregivers. There are future lawyers, doctors, plumbers, they will be gainfully employed based on the fact that they have high school diploma and industry credentials as well as the opportunities to go to college because we believe in graduating children that are both college and career ready, not one or the other both. And that brings young people back to our community who can dig in support and drive the economy. The other thing really great partnerships between charters and public schools do is we create an environment where we can work in one of the best states for economic advancement. We have a thriving economy in the state. Part of it is because of the tax breaks and the work of the city council and others to bring industries to our community. One of the things where you're recruiting a business in Iowa in December would be the weather. Let's just be clear. That's probably the first question they're going to ask. What's the weather like now and December in Florida? That's a great way to get the CEO interested. But if the CEO, if he or she is interested at all in their employees, the next question they're going to ask is how is the public school system you now can answer that question differently than any other time in the history of this, if those community, the reason why we're there, the number one factor in student achievement, our teachers re the research is so clear. All right. Principles are second but teachers, but the distance between them is enormous in terms of this statistical impact of a teacher in a classroom, whether that's a DuPont with that said, Andrew Jackson with the overt rains are down in Mandarin. It does. They are the number one factor in this particular mileage. This particular mileage provides dollars about $8600 on the average. 2 are a typical educator, about 10% of that about 10% of their known salary, including benefits that they need. Let's start there. They needed to put gas in the tank. They needed to put food on the table. They needed to put shoes on their children. They need to help pay for their health insurance is, you know, this inflation that we all feel about me feel about property taxes, too. They have to pay them as well. But I think the other big thing is it stabilizes our teachers. You look over the last several years, we have risen to a 91% retention rate. Our vacancies have declined. Nothing that I'm proud of. And I just said that you a few minutes ago, back in the day a few years ago, we had 400 vacancies this year. We had about 250 we finished the year with, but that's after investing. 43 million dollars in class size to bring this district for the first time in compliance with the constitutional amendment on classes. We made it this year. When I first got here, superintendent was asked to sign a memorandum signing off on 70 schools that are outside of class. This year. There were 2 and with 2 simple hires and each one of those high schools, we brought those high schools in the compliance as well. We're turning the corner financially. We have proven honor, half penny sales tax by what we've been able to reduce in terms of the cost of our builds from 70 69, 70 million dollar buildings, the 45 million dollar buildings. We have found ways to trim costs and get our construction costs from over $500 square-foot to now under 400. This money has been well spent about 87% of it that has been raised in the past has gone directly. I'm sorry. 75 1% of the funding goes directly to teachers. 12.5 1% went to the arts and athletics and our charter proportionate share hovers right around 20%. That goes to our charters to do the same similar work. Our chair teachers are averaging just over $1000. In terms of an annual bonus. We are moving right now to help support our police officers because they believe state student achievement student safety are interrelated. So we're working with the FOP right now to discuss how we can bring ours on police officers distribution up to this up to a simmer level based upon years of experience and athletic projects. We've redone 12 elementary school playgrounds updated 6 athletic facilities. We've done 7 high school turf fields. We have brand new middle school port scoreboards. We have middle school track resurfacing in high school resurfacing. We've done high school tennis courts, bleach reservations, beach volleyball courts, which is led to Fletcher High School's girls, not only being the number one team in the state, but they just recently of the receive recognition is the number one team in the nation and beach volleyball. They didn't even have a court. They didn't even have a court. And before I get in trouble, a Viking nation. Let me mention also that rains as an amazing football team and are just recently tracked champions. They were doing so much and I'll end with this that I would love to believe every student gets up in the morning and comes to high school because they want to take algebra one. There are some that do. right. And there are some kids. They're really academically driven, but having a great teacher in the classroom. And that's when that door closes combined with the right arts and athletic activities. That's the hook to bring young people to the building every day. And when they're here, we've got the staff that can teach them. I would turn it over to my board. Members of the state. You, sir. >> If I go over to the board members, I have a new order here. So now that we heard from the CPS, I would like to also hear from charter schools and and that's the root of your mind and you. Yeah, thank you, sir. Thank you. This is high. >> They thank you for the opportunity to really appreciate you taking the time in setting up this meeting because it's important to communicate. Understand the issue. First of all, I hope this is approved and goes on the ballot. We've talked about that before. You've that's that's pretty simple. It's important to let the voters decide. Second thing, I want to talk about his teachers and all at echo what Dr be said. The most important thing that we can do in education to get outcomes is hire great teachers, hire and retain great teachers. And that's like he said that that is proven time and time again. This revenue source is enabled us to do this. Our turnover is down. We are able to retain teachers and this is a very, very competitive environment for teaching. Not only do we have the neighboring counties that if this doesn't pass, will have more more resources to compete with the school that we cannot match. But we also have these private voucher schools that are springing up and they don't have the restraints are the limits on what they pay their teachers. They can there. They get a voucher, but also the people that attend these schools, most of them contribute tuition and that tuition we'll cover. The court will allow them to pay more for teachers and we're constantly being. >> Poached. >> Our good teachers are being poached. They're being offered more money to leave. Now, thankfully, most of most of them appreciate the environment. We have the diverse economic and racial environment we haven't and our philosophies and education are able to keep most. But that is going to be a bigger and bigger challenge every year. So without these added without this funding source can being approved and continuing, it is going to be very, very challenging for the public school system. And I did have one other point. If we're gonna should have note, I wanted to say how proud I am to be a part of the public school system. And this man right here is my boss, as well as all the other of all this, the bosses of all the other schools. And we look at it that way. And I'm also very proud to say we helped with that. We're not an acre on it. So we're proud of. We're proud of that as well. And thank you all for your support initially on the charter. And thank you again for the opportunity to be here. >> Thank you. Serve your mind. Just very quick to state your name and your address. I'm sorry, John Rood 1, 5, 3, Catherine Towers Place even time today, sir. Thank you. Ok, so now I will open it up to our board members, municipal Duke. Go first. Thank you. >> So a lot of what I would have said as has been stated. So I'm going to focus on something that I feel I can speak to that. Others can't. I am a strong fiscal conservative. I don't like taxes any more than anybody else. And I committed looking at our budget. I'm doing everything I could to study it. Determine where there may be fat, where we could cut for 7 years. We've had board members who are as fiscally conservative as I am looking at that budget, the same way that I am now I brought transportation. I brought all of our third-party contracts. I've been looking at everything 85% about maybe a little more because we have lots of different buckets and pockets and it's a complicated thing to discuss them. Looking for a way to unpack that for a constituency. The sea. Why can't we just pull it from here or there? Where is all this money going? And I'm going to tell you, I haven't found a place where we are wasting. We have cut deeply where it hurts. And and I think what I would say is for 7 years we've had board members, conservative court members approach approving budgets. You can't say it's in there somewhere. You can't find out where it is. We haven't. And we have an auditor that work specifically for the board that looks anywhere. We want them to. I invite the council our constituency to say, hey, I think you need to look at this or that or whatever on at this. I'm open to looking at everything, Dr Byrne near as as opened everything up. Where's transparent? As as I know how we can be. I think there are some cases where, you know, we have this huge master facilities plan and the information is out there, but maybe not as easy to find some. Maybe we can find a way to make some of this easier to find. We have 2 different committees that the board has appointed to look at our finances. This money is among the most audited, the most transparent. Anyone can see any time where this money is going. And so I would say to everyone who trusted and assisted in getting so many of us elected as fiscal conservatives to please trust the fact that we would ask for this if there was somewhere else that we could get it. Education is one of the few functions of government that is constitutionally demanded. This is somewhere that we should all be supporting regardless of politics and partisan lines. Education is a primary function of local and state government. And so I would just just argue, as you know, we we can't do what we do. We can't have champagne and caviar dreams on a hot dog and soda budget. We have to have the ability to a pay not only pay the teachers we have, but to reduce that. Then I lost the word. No, no, I'm looking for and we have compression. That is the word. I lose words now them. 48. How my life. Okay. So we need to reduce the compression. We have teachers who've been in the system for 30 plus years. And and and they're not making a lot more than are starting teachers. And so you we have students who don't want to go into education. And when they do, if they say I want to become a teacher, they're being told by their family members, it's not the life you want by the teachers in this room. I mean, we're looking out for our friends and our family and we're going please just become a plumber Jewish, because you can make really good money doing that. But we need teachers. We need passionate teachers. And if we can't take care of our teachers, if we can support our teachers, if they can support their household, how do we say you can't take care of your own but come in and take care of everyone else's? We had a constituent commend the teacher come in from Jacks Beach area at our last meeting and she said, you say you can appreciate us more. You can pay us. >> And I just wanted to clap from the dice because it that is that is. >> The truth. And we can we can. And so a plea from a concert, physical fiscal conservative board member. We wouldn't ask you for this. If we thought there was another way that we can find it. I haven't found it and I am taking. Thank you, sir. >> Completely changing my talking points. This so much already been shared. So we'll see how this cause. Thank you for calling the meetings. Thank you for asking and for honestly looking for answers and for inviting our teachers and and and community members to come in and tell you about the impact based on what I've heard them all in my for the record comments Tuesday night, I said that as an elected school board member, I get 2 votes. My first vote was to determine and whether we want it. I wanted to vote to pass the resolution that sent this issue here to be on the ballot. And then my second vote as a private citizen is I get to vote whether I want to renew or not renewed because this is a renewal. It's not a new tax that and I have said that I'm a yes on both and I'm bringing 5 votes because I have 3 children over 18. Plus the has been so so you can count on 5 votes from the Pearson household on this because my children are products of the Duval County Public School system. I just had a moment to talk to their 5th grade teacher who had all 3 and a catch him up. I have a science teacher back there as well. I don't know if have any other my kids, teachers in the room, but my last child graduated last week and we are so and I'm a product of Duval County Public schools as well. And I am so so grateful for the opportunities that I have had as a result as my K 12 in DCPS of my children's time and DCPS as well. So given all all of that and given what Mr, Fact, Lair has said as well, I'm gonna go with something that like one of my maxim's in life is just because you can doesn't mean you should just because you can delay the vote until August. I'm not sure that you should delay the vote in August. I think you hear the immense from the crowd on that. My my my request is that someone pulled this on Tuesday and make a motion to over. If the if the is city Council president does not pull it, then one of you make the motion and there should be a second and let's get the two-thirds votes to go ahead and put this to bed, send it on to the supervisor of elections and let