BRADENTON – The League of Women Voters of Manatee County is observing the Manatee School District School Board meetings and providing feedback to board members. This report lists items of interest to the League and notes adherence, or lack of adherence, to good governance procedures and the Sunshine Law. The following are the major points from the School Board Meeting on November 22, 2022.

ITEMSOF INTEREST

Call to OrderThe meeting was called to order promptly at 5:00 by Superintendent Saunders

Reorganization of School Board

1. Recognition and Presentation of Board Members – Superintendent Saunders congratulated and welcomed newly elected Cindy Spray district 2, Chad Choate district 4, Richard Tatum district 5 and their respective families.
   
2. Oaths of Office Administered to Board Members – Oaths of Office were administered to newly elected board members followed by a recess for them to sign his/her respective oath and legal documents.
   
3. Election of Chairman

• Ms. Messenger stated she detests this process each year. She said there is a difficult year ahead and a period to learn about each other while we will be searching for a new Superintendent. It will be a pivotal year; therefore, she nominated herself, stating she had been chair and vice-chair. She also noted Ms. Foreman nominated her last year which she declined.
• Ms. Spray nominated Mr. Choate stating he had a long history with the board. Mr. Tatum seconded her nomination.
• Ms. Foreman said she also detests the process and agreed it will be a difficult year. Ms. Foreman then nominated herself stating it was not to detract from Ms. Messenger as she had nominated her last year. She stated Mr. Choate has only been on the board a little over a year and she has been on the board for two years and spent seven years being involved with the district budget/audit. She was with a company that merged and while many others left, she stayed and worked through the change. She wanted to avoid chaos.
• Ms. Saunders said the electronic system was down and requested board members to raise their hands for voting.

Ms. Messenger 1-4, Mr. Choate 3-2, Ms. Foreman 1-4
Mr. Choate will be School District Chair for 2022-2023

4. Election of Vice-Chairman

• Mr. Tatum nominated Ms. Spray. Ms. Messenger nominated Ms. Foreman
• Ms. Spray 3-2, Ms. Foreman 2-3

Ms. Spray will be School District Vice-Chair for 2022-2023

5. Set Schedule for Regular Meetings

• Mr. Choate as the new chair asked everyone to look at the new schedule for meetings for 2022-2023 to help eliminate having to change meetings going forward.
• Mr. Tatum asked if meeting dates were set in stone or could they be changed.
• Superintendent Saunders responded with notice a meeting could be changed; a seven-day notice is required to change a meeting date

6. Board Committee Assignments for 2022-2023

• Mr. Choate asked if existing board members would like to remain on their committees or be replaced. Ms. Messenger and Ms. Foreman responded.
• Committee assignments for 2022-2023 will be:
  1. Children’s Services Board – Messenger
  2. Citizens Oversight Advisory Committee – Spray
  3. Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Committee – Foreman’s name submitted
  4. Florida School Board Association Committee – Choate, Foreman as an alternate
  5. FSBA Board of Directors – chosen by FSBA, vote by region
  6. FSBA Finance Committee – Ms. Foreman
  7. Investment Trust – Mr. Choate put in an application
  8. Greater Florida Consortium of School Board – Foreman and Mr. Choate said any member could can watch on Zoom
  9. Lakewood Ranch Board Committee – Mr. Tatum
  10. Latin Chamber of Commerce – Mr. Tatum
  11. Legislative Liaison – Mr. Choate and Ms. Spray said she would be alternate
  12. Manatee Chamber of Commerce – Mr. Choate
  13. MTC Board of Governors – Mr. Tatum
  14. School Health Advisory Committee – Ms. Messenger
  15. Step Up to Suncoast (early learning) Ms. Spray
  16. Value Adjustment Board – Ms. Foreman, Mr. Tatum alternate
  17. Manatee Educational Foundation – Mr. Choate
  18. Manatee County Fair – Ms. Messenger
  19. School Liaison for Cyber Security – Ms. Foreman

Annual Meeting of Manatee School Board Leasing Corporation

1. Call to Order of the Annual Meeting of the Manatee School Board Leasing Corporation
2. Annual Meeting of the Manatee School Board Leasing Corporation – approved 5-0
3. Adjournment of the Annual Meeting of the Manatee School Board Leasing Corporation

Reconvene Reorganization Meeting
Mr. Choate said these meetings are never fun but he would like to thank the board for voting him chair. New board members bring new perspectives and that is good. He said his goal was to make the district the best district in the state and country. He said the number one thing board members must do every time we sit in these chairs is to do the best for students and the district. He looks forward to the next year and getting Manatee into the top twenty districts.

Ms. Spray thanked everyone for coming tonight and everyone at home who gave her the inspiration to be here. She guaranteed change is coming and it will be a big change. She has a vision of where this district should go. She wants to focus on elementary to bring it up to the level it needs to be.

Ms. Messenger said she is very much into working as a team. She congratulated Mr. Choate and Ms. Spray.

Ms. Foreman echoed Ms. Messenger's desire to work as a team stating we do not have to agree all the time and that is good. The civil discourse will be needed. She stated the vision and mission statements need to be in everyone’s head while the board is working.

Mr. Tatum said he would like to be able to speak to other board members outside of meetings. He said he believed the Sunshine Law is a violation of First Amendment rights. He stated Tommy Gregory and Mr. DeSantis don’t have to comply with the Sunshine Law but School Boards and County Commissioners do. He stated all board members need to be out in the community frequently and he planned to do so; he welcomed calls from the public. He asked if he missed the prayer and Ms. Saunders said it is always at regular board meetings but not at a reorganizing meeting.

Amendment to Agenda Without Notice
Before the meeting adjourned Mr. Tatum asked if he could make a motion. Mr. Dye stated a motion is an agenda item that permits the public to have the opportunity to respond during public comments. Mr. Tatum asked if it was illegal for a motion to be made; Mr. Dye said it was not illegal. Mr. Tatum then made a motion that during public comments the camera be split screen and show the speaker's face and the entire board. He said a speaker deserves to have his/her face seen and the public needs to see the board is paying attention and not looking elsewhere, etc. Ms. Foreman asked a question of attorney Dye since in the past it has been the Chair’s decision if the board voted on it could the chair change it. Tatum said he wanted it to be a board decision and not the chairs. Mr. Dye said if the board voted on it the chair could not change it. The board voted 3-2 to have a split screen when the public is speaking. When asked if there should have been public comment on the topic Mr. Dye said it was too late as the board had already voted. Mr. Choate stated he would have liked this to have been an agenda item.

GOVERNANCE/SUNSHINE

• We applaud the new board for working congenially to fill required committee positions.
  
• Board members were observed to listen attentively and act respectfully towards each other.
  
• We are concerned new board members did not appear willing to accept the attorney’s direction and went ahead with the motion and voted even though the chair was reluctant to do so. Ms. Foreman spoke against taking action without it being an agenda item yet voted for it.
  
• It is not good governance for the board to add an agenda item unless it is an emergency. Adding an agenda item does not allow for the board members nor the public to prepare for discussion.
  
• The League of Women Voters has consistently stated our position as being in favor of having a camera on a speaker’s face during public comments.
  
• It concerns us the unnoticed agenda item took away from the chair’s authority on camera placement.
  
• We look forward to reporting the growth of board members as they learn their new roles and responsibilities and work together to achieve the district’s mission and implementing the strategic plan.

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