FAILING OUR NEXT GENERATION!

My children are in college now. There has always been an issue in the school system. I have been a proactive parent. I was amazed to sit in a school board meeting where there was on 41 people in the audience. I have seen more participation in school performances or sports events. But where were those people when decisions are being made that impact their child's future. NO WHERE!

Changes are coming that impact our children. It's an outrage that more people/ parents were not in attendance.

Parents are not proactive until something happens. We'll things are happening now. Parents need to be in the know.

Escambia County School -District 4 Town Hall Meeting

Hosted Dr. Tim Smith and Patty Hightower

A total of 12 schools are in this area.

7 elementary

2 middle

1 High

1 Alternative

1 Pace Center for Girls

Shawn Dennis- Asst. superintendent

Voucher school - Family employment fund... Household income to take students from public to private.

Income requirements have gone up.

House Bill One.

Labor shortage of school staff

Substitute teachers are stretched thin in attempting to fill school or district positions. Teachers and staff have had to step into filling voids.

Retention

...Training opportunities to keep temporary personnel into wanting to stay long-term.

Bus drivers shortages.

Having to reroute students.

Federal funds FDSR have been used to upgrade structures and renovation to schools that had not been done in decades.

Physical School Safety

All Escambia County schools have a single point of entry and fencing. School resemble prisons just for students to remain safe while attempting to get an education.

Books identify concerns by any single citizen. There is a process. A panel will go through the process to reach an outcome. If the decision is not in agreement by the citizen that brought it to attention, then there is an appeal process.

The following week Escambia lost the following books "Push" and "Lucky."

Season teachers vs. New teachers in pay. Compression pay.

Next year, $47,500 mark is the entry level pay.

Career experience for students. Juniors are able to shadow in the field they would like to enter.

Industry Certification program.

Classroom Behavior: restrictions within guidelines.

Additional signage in high traffic school areas.

Once again there were only 41 audiences members.