Leon County School Board Meeting Briefs: March 26, 2024

Below are the news briefs that took place during the Leon County School Board business meeting on March 26 ^th , 2024.

The Board unanimously approved a number of Consent items including an item to install portable removable resin raised garden beds with above ground irrigation system at the Adult Learning Lab at Lively Technical Collage School. The proposed cost of materials is estimated to be $2,000.

During the Superintendent Spotlight portion of the meeting, Rocky Hanna informed the Board that the Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER) will end September 30, 2024. ESSER funds have provided over $100 million to the District over a three-year period, which funded summer school, Chromebooks, and an additional 152 positions throughout the District per year. According to Mr. Hanna, of the 152 positions funded through ESSER, LCS will keep 83 positions at a total cost of $5.6 million from the general revenue funds. Additionally, Mr. Hanna noted that the remaining 69 positions will most likely be absorbed back into the District to because of the teacher shortage.

The Board unanimously approved the adoption of the LCS 6–12 Social Studies instructional materials. Digital versions of the recommended materials have been available to the public on the LCS website since November at: https://www.leoncountyschools.net/page/57458 .

The Board unanimously approved to advertise several amendments to the District’s Weapons policy for public hearing and adoption on May 14 ^th , 2024. The revisions to the policy include updates in the definitions section and modify the list of areas where concealed weapons and firearms are prohibited.

The Board unanimously approved to repeat and replace Policy 5200– Compulsory School Attendance, for a public hearing and adoption on May 14, 2024. The policy revisions include repealing the current policy and replacing it with language that complies with state law requiring the parent/guardian of each student of compulsory school age or from an adult student who has been absent from school or from class for any reason to provide a statement of the cause for such absence.

The Board unanimously approved to repeat and replace Policy 5111.01–Homeless Students, for a public hearing and adoption on May 14, 2024. The policy revisions include repealing the current policy and replacing it with language that complies with state law providing children and youth who are identified as meeting the federal definition of “homeless” a free appropriate public education in the same manner as all other students of the District and other services to provide equal opportunity to meet the same challenging State academic standards.

The next School Board business meeting is scheduled for April 9, 2024.