The School Board of Escambia County, Florida, convened in Special Meeting at 12:00 p.m., in the Board Room, at the Dr. Vernon McDaniel Building, 215 West Garden Street, Pensacola, Florida, with the following present:

Chair:  Ms. Linda Finkelstein (was not present)  

Vice Chair:   Mrs. Cary Stidham   

Board Members: Mrs. Carissa Bergosh  (was not present)

Mr. Ronnie L. Clark

Dr. John DeWitt

School Board Attorney:  Mr. Francisco M. Negron, Jr. (entered the Special Meeting at 12:08 p.m.)

Superintendent of Schools:  Mr. Norm Ross, Deputy Superintendent, represented Mr. Jim Paul

Mrs. Stidham called the Special Meeting to order at 12:00 p.m.

Report from Mixon and Associates, Legislative Consultants

Ms. Terry Golden, Mixon and Associates, gave an update (via speakerphone) regarding the following legislative issues: 

Senate Bill 1436 Relating to Class Size Reduction Act: Establishes constitutional class size maximum; provides accountability for class size reduction measures; establishes Classrooms for Kids Program; establishes Class Size Reduction Lottery Revenue Bond Program; authorizes instructional personnel who receive authorization to extend participation in DROP; creates Florida Business & Education in School Together (Florida BEST) Program, etc.

Senate Bill 1646 Relating to Implementation of Amendment 9: Authorizes instructional personnel who receive authorization to extend participation in DROP; provides for department to calculate averages based upon student membership surveys; removes requirement that life management course be offered during 9^th and 10^th grade years; creates Florida Business and Education in School Together (Florida BEST) Program, etc. 

Ms. Golden stated that the Senate Education Appropriations Committee “had both of these bills (SB 1436 and SB 1646) noticed last week, but then came in with a proposed committee substitute that combined the two bills and made some other major changes.”

Senate Bill 1380 Relating to Retirement/Public School Employees: Defines term “average final compensation” for public school members for purposes of FRS; revises early retirement benefit for said members; expands authority for re-employing certain retired public school personnel; revises DROP participation requirements for certain public school personnel; requires Retirement Division to conduct actuarial analysis of reciprocal retirement benefits and report to Legislature, etc.   Ms. Golden believed that in all likelihood, the Senate Education Committee would not amend SB 1380 or make any major amendments to it.  She noted however that the bill’s “next stop” was the Senate, where she believed some “surgery” would probably take place.

Mr. Negron entered the Special Meeting at 12:08 p.m.

Mr. David Lycan, Mixon and Associates, briefly compared (via speakerphone) the Governor’s budget, to pending Senate and House legislation.  He stated that he would send Board Members (via email message) “detail” regarding current funding issues.

There being no further business, the Special Meeting adjourned at 12:17 p.m.