Cabinet
Affairs |
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2 T H E C A B I N E T
3 S T A T E O F F L O R I D A
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Representing:
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STATE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION
6 DIVISION OF BOND FINANCE
DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
7 STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
ADMINISTRATION COMMISSION
8 FLORIDA LAND AND WATER
ADJUDICATORY COMMISSION
9 MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION
TRUSTEES OF THE INTERNAL
10 IMPROVEMENT TRUST FUND
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The above agencies came to be heard before
12 THE FLORIDA CABINET, Attorney General Bob Butterworth
presiding, in the Cabinet Meeting Room, LL-03,
13 The Capitol, Tallahassee, Florida, on Tuesday, May
13, 1997, commencing at approximately 9:47 a.m.
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Reported by:
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LAURIE L. GILBERT
17 Registered Professional Reporter
Certified Court Reporter
18 Notary Public in and for
the State of Florida at Large
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ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
22 100 SALEM COURT
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32301
23 904/878-2221
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1 APPEARANCES:
2 Representing the Florida Cabinet:
3 BOB MILLIGAN
Comptroller
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BOB BUTTERWORTH
5 Attorney General
6 BILL NELSON
Treasurer
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FRANK T. BROGAN
8 Commissioner of Education
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ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
May 13, 1997
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1 I N D E X
2 ITEM ACTION PAGE
3 STATE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION:
(Presented by Tom Herndon,
4 Executive Director)
5 1 Approved 6
2 Approved 7
6 3 Approved 7
4 Approved 7
7 5 Approved 7
6 Approved 8
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DIVISION OF BOND FINANCE:
9 (Presented by J. Ben Watkins, III,
Director)
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1 Approved 9
11 2 Approved 9
3 (A) through (D) Approved 11
12 4 Approved 11
13 DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT:
(Presented by James T. Moore,
14 Executive Director)
15 1 Approved 13
2 Approved 13
16 3 Approved 16
4 Approved 17
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION:
18 (Presented by Robert L. Bedford, Ph.D.,
Deputy Commissioner)
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1 Approved 30
20 2 Approved 30
3 Approved 55
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ADMINISTRATION COMMISSION:
22 (Presented by Robert B. Bradley, Ph.D.,
Secretary)
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1-6 Deferred 18
24 7 Approved 18
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ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
May 13, 1997
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1 I N D E X
(Continued)
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ITEM ACTION PAGE
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FLORIDA LAND AND WATER
4 ADJUDICATORY COMMISSION:
(Presented by Robert B. Bradley, Ph.D.,
5 Secretary)
6 1 19
7 BOARD OF TRUSTEES,
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT
8 TRUST FUND:
(Presented by Virginia B. Wetherell,
9 Secretary)
10 1 Approved 20
2 Approved 20
11 3 Approved 21
4 Approved 21
12 Substitute 5 Approved 21
6 Approved 22
13 7 Deferred 22
Substitute 8 Deferred 23
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MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION:
15 (Presented by Russell S. Nelson, Ph.D.,
Executive Director)
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A Approved 24
17 B Approved 28
18 CERTIFICATE OF REPORTER 59
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ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
STATE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION
May 13, 1997
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1 P R O C E E D I N G S
2 (The agenda items commenced at 9:55 a.m.)
3 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: We'll have a
4 short modification on our agenda order. By
5 popular demand, the State Board of Education
6 will be last on the agenda.
7 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: That way we can
8 reserve all afternoon, if need be.
9 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: All
10 afternoon if needed. And also into the morning,
11 if necessary. In fact, the Governor and
12 Secretary of State might be back after being
13 away from their trip before we finish the
14 agenda.
15 So the people who were after that
16 unanimously asked us to please defer that item
17 till the end.
18 TREASURER NELSON: Why don't we recess and
19 see if he can drive nails with a hammer and talk
20 at the same time.
21 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Oh, I can do that.
22 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: I believe we
23 can probably build your house quicker than he
24 can finish his agenda.
25 With the Department --
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
STATE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION
May 13, 1997
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1 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Are you just going to
2 sit down there and let me take this beating,
3 General?
4 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: You're on your own.
5 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: The -- we
6 have a deferral on the Department of
7 Environmental Protection presentation on
8 mitigation banking; is that correct?
9 MS. WETHERELL: (Nodding head.)
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Okay.
11 Without objection, that'll be deferred.
12 Our first item will be the State Board of
13 Administration. And I'll turn the Chair over to
14 General Milligan.
15 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: Thank you, sir.
16 First item.
17 MR. HERNDON: Mr. Chairman, the first item
18 is the approval of the minutes of the meeting
19 held on April 29th.
20 TREASURER NELSON: I move it.
21 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: And second.
22 Without dissent, approved.
23 MR. HERNDON: Item number 2 is approval of
24 fiscal sufficiency for a nine million dollar
25 Leon County Florida Housing Finance Agency bond
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
STATE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION
May 13, 1997
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1 issue.
2 TREASURER NELSON: I move it.
3 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: Second.
4 And without dissent, approved.
5 MR. HERNDON: Item number 3 is approval of
6 a 9.4 million dollar Bay County fiscal
7 sufficiency for a Florida Housing Finance Agency
8 bond issue.
9 TREASURER NELSON: And I move it.
10 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: Second.
11 And without dissent, approved.
12 MR. HERNDON: Item number 4 is approval of
13 a 13.6 million dollar fiscal sufficiency for
14 Alachua County for a Florida Housing
15 Finance Agency bond issue.
16 TREASURER NELSON: And I move that.
17 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: With a second.
18 And without dissent, approved.
19 MR. HERNDON: Item number 5 is 15.7 million
20 dollar Florida Housing Finance Agency bond issue
21 for Seminole County.
22 TREASURER NELSON: And I move it.
23 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: Second.
24 Without dissent, approved.
25 MR. HERNDON: Item number 6 is approval of
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
STATE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION
May 13, 1997
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1 an interest rate exception on an issue for
2 approximately 1 million dollars for
3 Osceola County, also a Florida Housing Finance
4 Agency proposal.
5 TREASURER NELSON: And I move it.
6 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: Second.
7 And without dissent, approved.
8 MR. HERNDON: That completes --
9 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: Thank you.
10 MR. HERNDON: -- the agenda. Thank you.
11 (The State Board of Administration Agenda
12 was concluded.)
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ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
DIVISION OF BOND FINANCE
May 13, 1997
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1 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Division of
2 Bond Finance.
3 MR. WATKINS: Item number 1 is approval of
4 the minutes of the April 29th meeting.
5 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move the minutes.
6 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: Second.
7 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Moved and
8 seconded.
9 Any discussion?
10 Passes.
11 MR. WATKINS: Item number 2 is adoption of
12 a resolution authorizing the redemption of State
13 of Florida Liberty County road bonds.
14 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Is there a
15 motion?
16 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move approval.
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Is there a
18 second?
19 No second.
20 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: I second.
21 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
22 discussion?
23 Passes unanimously.
24 MR. WATKINS: Item number 3 is adoption of
25 resolutions authorizing the issuance of bonds
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
DIVISION OF BOND FINANCE
May 13, 1997
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1 for multifamily housing projects set forth in
2 Items (A) -- 3 (A) through 3 (D).
3 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Is there a
4 motion?
5 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move approval with a
6 question.
7 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Okay.
8 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Is it my
9 understanding that this will be our swan song
10 on -- on some of the Housing Finance Agency
11 issues?
12 MR. WATKINS: That is correct.
13 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: With the change in
14 legislation.
15 MR. WATKINS: That's correct.
16 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: And I know, since
17 it's no longer under the purview of the Cabinet,
18 I probably speak for more than just myself.
19 It's our real hope that that issue of
20 competitive bonds -- and I am pleased to see
21 that a couple of these are competitively bid --
22 will continue. I think it serves the best
23 interest of all when and wherever that can
24 occur.
25 I think we've made a lot of progress on
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
DIVISION OF BOND FINANCE
May 13, 1997
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1 that issue, just over the last couple of years,
2 and know the Governor feels strongly about it as
3 well. So --
4 Thank you, General.
5 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Okay. Is
6 there a second?
7 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: Second.
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
9 discussion?
10 Any objections?
11 Passes.
12 MR. WATKINS: Item number 4 is a report of
13 award of the sale of 300 million dollars for the
14 Preservation 2000 program. The bonds were sold
15 at competitive sale, and awarded to the low
16 bidder at a true interest cost rate of
17 5.377 percent.
18 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move approval.
19 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: Second.
20 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
21 discussion? Objection?
22 Passes.
23 MR. WATKINS: Thank you.
24 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Thank you.
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ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
DIVISION OF BOND FINANCE
May 13, 1997
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1 (The Division of Bond Finance Agenda was
2 concluded.)
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ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
May 13, 1997
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1 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Department
2 of Law Enforcement.
3 MR. MOORE: Item 1 is the minutes of the
4 February 25, '97, Cabinet meeting.
5 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move the minutes.
6 TREASURER NELSON: Second.
7 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
8 discussion?
9 Objection?
10 Passes.
11 MR. MOORE: Item 2 is the quarterly report
12 for January through March of '97 for the
13 Department.
14 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move approval.
15 TREASURER NELSON: Second.
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
17 discussion?
18 Any objection?
19 Passes.
20 MR. MOORE: Item 3 is the Auditor General's
21 Performance Audit on the Department of Law
22 Enforcement for calendar year 1995, complete
23 with our reply and responses to the findings.
24 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move approval with a
25 comment, Mr. Chair.
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
May 13, 1997
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1 TREASURER NELSON: And I second.
2 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Okay.
3 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: I just notice,
4 Commissioner, that on Item 3, number 1, the
5 arrest information from local authorities is not
6 always received or processed in a timely
7 manner. Just know that you and I have been
8 working carefully together on a like problem.
9 And we face the same thing in education as
10 you all face in law enforcement, and that's
11 trying as best we can to acquire the best
12 statistics and the best reporting possible.
13 And you were instrumental in helping us
14 pass a piece of legislation this year regarding
15 law enforcement involvement with felonious acts
16 on school campuses. And we appreciate that.
17 I don't think that piece of legislation
18 would have passed without your support and that
19 of your law enforcement folks throughout the
20 state. And we deeply appreciate that.
21 MR. MOORE: Thank you for those comments.
22 It's, indeed, in the best interest of all of us
23 to get that data. But I -- you recognize, as we
24 do, that local police, and in the case with us,
25 they're busy responding to calls for service to
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
May 13, 1997
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1 people that are in need of their services. And
2 oftentimes, it's difficult for them to do things
3 the way we might envision that it should be done
4 up here in -- in this environment.
5 So I commend them for what they do do.
6 We're constantly working to reengineer that
7 process to lighten that load on those local
8 law enforcement agencies --
9 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Yeah.
10 MR. MOORE: -- and let them be out there to
11 serve the public.
12 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: As are we constantly
13 trying to streamline the process. Because the
14 people at the local level, I think, also
15 understand the importance of acquiring that
16 information so we can find out what's working
17 and where, and share that information.
18 And the better the information, the better
19 the opportunity that we provide. And it is
20 difficult to try to get as accurate as
21 information as possible. And we sure appreciate
22 your help, and know we share a common problem in
23 that regard.
24 MR. MOORE: Thank you, sir.
25 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Thanks, General.
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
May 13, 1997
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1 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any further
2 discussion?
3 Any objection?
4 Passes.
5 MR. MOORE: Item 4 is consistent with our
6 administrative rules in the Department of Law
7 Enforcement. Any consulting contract we have
8 that's over $25,000, we bring it down here for
9 full disclosure and public discussion before we
10 award that consulting contract. That has served
11 us well over the years.
12 This contract here is pursuant to specific
13 language in the appropriation bill for the
14 current fiscal year that directs our Criminal
15 Justice Standards and Training Commission to
16 compare and evaluate Florida's methods and
17 content of training police officers and
18 correctional officers in our state to other
19 states.
20 We have got a contract in hand now. The
21 amount is $127,000. The maximum we had was
22 150,000.
23 I would move -- or suggest -- recommend
24 approval of that item, Mr. Attorney General.
25 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move approval.
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
May 13, 1997
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1 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Is there a
2 second?
3 TREASURER NELSON: Second.
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
5 discussion?
6 Any objection?
7 Passes.
8 MR. MOORE: Thank you, sir.
9 (The Department of Law Enforcement Agenda
10 was concluded.)
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ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
ADMINISTRATION COMMISSION
May 13, 1997
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1 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH:
2 Administration Commission.
3 Items 1 to 6 will be deferred due to the
4 Governor's absence until May 28th.
5 Item number 7.
6 DR. BRADLEY: Item number 7, request
7 authorization to accept the Department of
8 Community Affairs' request, and authorize the
9 Secretary of the Commission to publish a Notice
10 of Withdrawal of the proposed Rule 28-27.016 in
11 the Florida Administrative Weekly.
12 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move the item.
13 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: Second.
14 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
15 discussion?
16 Any objection?
17 Passes unanimously.
18 (The Administration Commission Agenda was
19 concluded.)
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ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
FLORIDA LAND AND WATER ADJUDICATORY COMMISSION
May 13, 1997
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1 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Land and
2 Water Adjudicatory Commission.
3 DR. BRADLEY: There's nothing --
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: There's
5 any -- are there any comments on this? Because
6 if we have comments, we'll have to bring it up
7 next week.
8 No comments? Then it'll be passed.
9 (The Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory
10 Commission Agenda was concluded.)
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ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES/INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT TRUST FUND
May 13, 1997
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1 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Board of
2 Trustees.
3 MS. WETHERELL: Item 1, minutes.
4 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move approval.
5 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Is there a
6 second?
7 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: Second.
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
9 discussion?
10 Any objection?
11 Passes.
12 MS. WETHERELL: Item 2, three option
13 agreements for the Wekiva-Ocala CARL project.
14 TREASURER NELSON: Move it.
15 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Second.
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
17 discussion?
18 Any objections?
19 Passes.
20 MS. WETHERELL: Item 3 is an option
21 agreement for the Archie Carr CARL project.
22 TREASURER NELSON: Move it.
23 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move approval --
24 second.
25 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES/INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT TRUST FUND
May 13, 1997
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1 discussion?
2 Any objection?
3 Passes.
4 MS. WETHERELL: Item 4 is a purchase
5 agreement for Belle Meade CARL project and a
6 waiver of survey.
7 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move approval.
8 TREASURER NELSON: Second.
9 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
10 discussion?
11 Any objection?
12 Passes.
13 MS. WETHERELL: Substitute Item 5 is a
14 purchase agreement, Lake Wales Ridge CARL
15 project, a waiver of marketability, and a waiver
16 of survey.
17 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move approval.
18 TREASURER NELSON: Second.
19 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
20 discussion?
21 Any objection?
22 Passes.
23 MS. WETHERELL: Item 6 is a leasehold
24 encumbrance and a delegation of authority.
25 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move approval.
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES/INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT TRUST FUND
May 13, 1997
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1 TREASURER NELSON: Second.
2 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
3 discussion?
4 Any objection?
5 Passes.
6 MS. WETHERELL: Item 7, we're recommending
7 deferral.
8 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move it.
9 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Is there a
10 second on deferral?
11 TREASURER NELSON: Second.
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
13 objection?
14 Would that be to a certain date, or just --
15 want to just defer it indefinitely?
16 MS. WETHERELL: That's a good question.
17 Next meeting?
18 Till the next meeting.
19 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Okay.
20 May 28th.
21 MS. WETHERELL: Uh-hum.
22 Substitute Item 8 requires five votes, so
23 we're recommending deferral.
24 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move the deferral.
25 TREASURER NELSON: Second.
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES/INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT TRUST FUND
May 13, 1997
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1 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Would that
2 be until the 28th also?
3 MS. WETHERELL: Yes.
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Okay.
5 MS. WETHERELL: Thank you very much.
6 (The Board of Trustees of the Internal
7 Improvement Trust Fund Agenda was concluded.)
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ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION
May 13, 1997
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1 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH:
2 Marine Fisheries Commission.
3 DR. NELSON: Good morning.
4 The first Item A on the agenda is an
5 amendment to the bay scallop management plan.
6 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Move it.
7 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: Second.
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
9 discussion?
10 Any objection?
11 Passes.
12 DR. NELSON: And the second item, Item B,
13 are the -- is the rule which will implement in
14 State waters the special protection areas --
15 preservation areas in the reserve proposed and
16 the management plan for the Florida Keys Marine
17 Sanctuary.
18 We have two individuals who'd like to
19 address the rule. They both indicated it'd take
20 them about -- perhaps 3 minutes apiece.
21 Additionally, we did receive, and I believe
22 your offices received, a letter from the
23 Conch Coalition indicating they couldn't be
24 here, but they asked that I express their
25 sentiments, which are that they don't like the
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION
May 13, 1997
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1 Sanctuary. And I've done that.
2 So the first speaker we have is
3 Mr. H.P. Pontin.
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Welcome,
5 sir.
6 Please state your name for the record.
7 MR. PONTIN: For the record, my name is
8 H.T. Pontin. I have made my home in the
9 Florida Keys for over 35 years.
10 I've made my living all on the water my
11 entire life and only wish to preserve everyone's
12 right to navigate. If Secretary Mortham had
13 answered my letter of April 10th, it could have
14 saved me a trip up here today.
15 Because last Saturday in the local
16 newspaper, I read there would be a meeting today
17 to consider sanctuary zoning rules and
18 boundaries in State waters.
19 Mr. Irby of the Department of Environmental
20 Protection said he expected no problem, since no
21 one from the Keys was here to bring it up at the
22 Cabinet aides meetings.
23 I know of no one in the Keys that was aware
24 the aides were discussing this issue.
25 The latest letter to me from the Governor
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION
May 13, 1997
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1 regarding Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
2 said, quote: It is within the authority of the
3 Governor and Cabinet to make decisions and enter
4 into agreements in the public interest regarding
5 the management of State lands, and sovereign
6 waters.
7 The only waters of the state and the
8 Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary are
9 canals. When Florida became a state in 1845, it
10 was given the sovereign submerged land by the
11 right of statehood, but not the full navigable
12 waters of the United States over it.
13 On April 7th, I wrote Secretary of State
14 asking for clarification and ruling on the
15 Governor's sovereign waters.
16 On April 8th, Paul Mitchell called and told
17 me -- and said a clerk had made a mistake of
18 using the word sovereign.
19 Mr. Mitchell had already been advised of
20 that Federal Government -- that the Federal
21 Government is trying to take my right to
22 navigate away in the Florida Marine National
23 Sanctuary.
24 Also said that the State would wait for the
25 Federal judge's decision on my case before doing
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION
May 13, 1997
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1 anything.
2 Florida sovereign submerged land,
3 Chapter 18-21.001(3), includes this
4 qualification: So the public may continue to
5 enjoy traditional uses, including, but not
6 limited to, navigation, fishing, and swimming.
7 When the State gave management of the State
8 sovereign submerged land to Federal agencies,
9 they expanded their authority to attempt to take
10 the right to navigate on Federal navigable
11 waters of the United States away from the
12 public.
13 Up until now, the State has done nothing to
14 become an active partner with NOAA, even though
15 the State voted to be partners with NOAA.
16 While, you, Cabinet members, still have
17 control of State sovereign submerged land, I'm
18 asking you to withdraw the sovereign submerged
19 land from the Florida Keys National Marine
20 Sanctuary, thereby protecting the State from the
21 illegal action of the Federal government upon
22 citizens of Florida.
23 At least postpone this bill, as it will
24 make you an active partner in this illegal
25 action.
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION
May 13, 1997
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1 Thank you.
2 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Is there any
3 questions?
4 DR. NELSON: The second speaker is
5 Mr. Bob Harris.
6 MS. HARRIS: Attorney General, members of
7 the Cabinet, my name is Bob Harris. I represent
8 the Professional Association of Diving
9 Instructors.
10 We have worked very, very closely with
11 Dr. Nelson and the Marine Fisheries Commission
12 on this proposed rule, and we're here today just
13 on behalf of the diving community to ask you to
14 support and approve the rule, as it was amended
15 at the Commission's meeting on April 11th.
16 We ask you to please support the rule.
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Thank you.
18 Any questions?
19 Do I hear a motion?
20 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: So move.
21 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: Second.
22 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any
23 discussion?
24 Any objection?
25 Passes.
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION
May 13, 1997
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1 DR. NELSON: Thank you, sir.
2 (The Marine Fisheries Commission Agenda was
3 concluded.)
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1 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: State Board
2 of Education.
3 DR. BEDFORD: Commissioner Brogan, members
4 of the State Board of Education, good morning.
5 Item 1, minutes of the meeting held
6 March 25th, 1997.
7 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Motion.
8 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: I have a motion.
9 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Motion.
10 COMPTROLLER MILLIGAN: Second.
11 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: And a second.
12 Any discussion?
13 Without objection.
14 DR. BEDFORD: Item 2, quarterly reports,
15 January 1 through January 31st, 1997.
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Motion.
17 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: A motion.
18 TREASURER NELSON: Second.
19 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: And a second.
20 Discussion?
21 Without objection.
22 DR. BEDFORD: Item 3 is an appeal of a
23 charter school denial. I would like to read
24 into the record the following statement:
25 The State Board of Education will now
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1 consider an appeal of a denial of a charter
2 school application pursuant to Chapter 96-186,
3 Laws of Florida.
4 Let me take a moment to explain the
5 process.
6 As prescribed by law, Florida School Boards
7 are given authority to grant approval to
8 applicants who wish to operate charter schools
9 within a district. A further provision of the
10 law allows an applicant who has been denied a
11 charter, the right to appeal the School Board's
12 decision to the State Board of Education.
13 Based on the written record and oral
14 argument presented at the meeting, the
15 State Board must vote to recommend acceptance or
16 rejection of the appeal to the School Board.
17 The vote requires a simple majority of the
18 members; and by law, is not subject to the
19 provisions of the Administrative Procedures Act.
20 The rule governing the appeal process was
21 unanimously adopted by the Cabinet sitting as
22 the State Board of Education on December 10th,
23 1996.
24 It very clearly states how this hearing
25 must proceed, and it specifies the following
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1 limitations, which must be respected by the
2 applicant, the district School Board, and their
3 representatives:
4 One, the Notice of Appeal must be based on
5 the errors the applicant charges the
6 School Board made in its decision to deny the
7 charter; two, the written arguments submitted by
8 the applicant to the State Board is limited to
9 discussion of those errors; three, the record of
10 this proceeding is limited to the written
11 arguments, the charter school application
12 itself, and transcripts of meetings before the
13 district School Board.
14 At this hearing, representatives of each
15 party may give oral argument. Oral argument is
16 limited to a summary of the written arguments
17 previously submitted to the State Board.
18 Each side is allocated 10 minutes to
19 present its summary. After the summaries are
20 presented, a vote will be taken, and a written
21 recommendation of the vote will be returned to
22 the district School Board.
23 At this time, let me present Lisa Arndt,
24 representing the Foundation School and Central
25 Florida Human Services.
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1 Lisa.
2 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Welcome.
3 MS. ARNDT: Thank you.
4 When we initially spoke before the
5 Polk County School Board on March 11th, they had
6 some concerns stemming from the School Board
7 staff committee report they asked us to address
8 and come back on March 31st.
9 We addressed those issues, provided them
10 with additional documentation, came back, and
11 got the same vote that we had initially got on
12 March 11th.
13 We felt like the School Board's concerns
14 stemmed directly from that committee's reports.
15 The issues that the School Board brought up were
16 almost mirrors of what the committee had brought
17 up against our proposal.
18 When we challenged the School Board
19 committee staff over the concerns that they
20 brought up, they stood up in the School Board
21 meeting and said that they had made errors in
22 the report that they had given to the
23 School Board.
24 One of the primary concerns that we know
25 that the School Board members had was that the
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1 public schools should not be in the business of
2 drug treatment.
3 We understand their concerns. We don't
4 necessarily disagree with that. However, public
5 schools in Polk County already provide substance
6 abuse services on a limited basis.
7 We have the DARE program, we have a couple
8 other select programs. We also have the
9 Mark Wilcox Center, which provides substance
10 abuse assessment for students who have been
11 either caught with drugs or alcohol, or high or
12 intoxicated at schools.
13 It's a part of the mitigation of the
14 discipline is they have the opportunity to go to
15 the Wilcox Center and be assessed.
16 The problem for Polk County students comes
17 in in that once they've been assessed, parents
18 are handed a recommendation and told to go out
19 and find treatment.
20 When we talked to School Board staff before
21 we ever submitted our proposal, we found out
22 that multiple parents take their children to the
23 treatment that the Wilcox Center recommends, and
24 then turn around and come back to the
25 School Board with seventy and eighty thousand
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1 dollar bills, expecting the School Board to pay
2 them. And they -- at that time, they have to
3 explain to parents that, well, these were
4 recommendations.
5 Our school, which targeted 150 middle and
6 high school students, would provide that
7 treatment for all those students who don't have
8 access to that.
9 One of the school's concerns -- or one of
10 the School Board's concerns was that we couldn't
11 provide quality education and treatment with the
12 same FEFP money that the School Board has a hard
13 time providing just education with.
14 And we understand their concerns. However,
15 we gave them a detailed budget explaining that
16 our intent to do that was strictly to hire --
17 in lieu of a teacher aide, we would hire one
18 teacher, one clinician per 25 students. That
19 would give us the capabilities of providing that
20 treatment as an addendum.
21 Our academic component we felt was really
22 strong. We have former interim superintendent,
23 John Kersey on our organizing board who has gone
24 over all the academic components with us, gone
25 over the regulations. So we felt like we were
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1 really strong in that area.
2 We also felt like we have less overhead
3 than the public school system, and, therefore,
4 we could operate on less money.
5 Coupled with the fact that we couldn't
6 provide those services was their concern that we
7 couldn't get 150 students. We took that figure
8 from the School Board's own discipline referral
9 records. We took all the records from the
10 students who were suspended or expelled for any
11 kind of substance abuse involvement. And we
12 took referrals to local treatment agencies, and
13 several other factors, and kind of combined them
14 together to come up with a rough estimate.
15 In just the last school year, over
16 200 students in the age that we targeted were
17 suspended or expelled for substance abuse
18 issues.
19 So we felt like, you know, that our target
20 of 150 students was more than adequate.
21 We also felt that we could be a supplement
22 to the Wilcox Center, and that we could work
23 together. We took the referrals -- we talked to
24 the people at the Wilcox Center and took the
25 referrals that they had gotten, and felt like
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1 more than 150 students would get in line to come
2 to the school.
3 We get -- as a community treatment agency,
4 we get calls from parents every day who can't
5 afford the seven, eight hundred dollars a day
6 that private treatment costs.
7 The other primary concern of the
8 School Board was that we couldn't provide --
9 because we did target high school students, that
10 we couldn't provide the instructional needs of
11 those students.
12 When we questioned exactly what concerns
13 they had, Robert Helmick, who's the head of
14 instructional services, did inform the
15 School Board that we would be considered an
16 alternative education site, and, therefore, that
17 we had a little bit more flexibility in the
18 academic component.
19 We did notify the School Board that we do
20 have a comprehensive computer system so that if
21 we had a student who had a specific need, that
22 we could use computer assisted learning in order
23 to meet each individual student's needs.
24 They also expressed concern over our
25 facility, that our facility would not
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1 accommodate a high school curriculum. We're
2 unclear how they came to that, because no one
3 ever looked at our facility. No one from the
4 committee or the School Board has ever set foot
5 in our building.
6 We also had contacted several realtors,
7 which we informed the School Board, looking at
8 the possibility of leasing property if they did
9 not care for our facility.
10 So we felt like we had really covered all
11 the issues with them. And we still came back
12 with the same vote.
13 Since that meeting, since the March 31st
14 meeting, we've talked to several of the
15 School Board members, in particular,
16 Randy Wilkinson, who stated to our CEO, that he
17 was glad to hear that we were appealing, that he
18 had gotten additional information after the
19 meeting that made him open to reconsidering it.
20 We also have provided some additional
21 information to School Board member Jim Miles,
22 who had a concern over the School Board's doing
23 medical treatment.
24 We gave him an outline of what substance
25 abuse treatment is, and we feel like quelled his
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1 concern that we are not going to be doing
2 medical treatment, per se, that substance abuse
3 treatment is not medical treatment. It's a
4 different type of treatment.
5 So we feel like at least those two
6 School Board members' concerns have been
7 addressed. We did, however, feel like we had to
8 go forward with the appeal process in order to
9 provide the service for the students of
10 Polk County.
11 So thank you.
12 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Any questions?
13 Thank you, Ms. Arndt.
14 DR. BEDFORD: At this time, we have
15 Steven Selph, the attorney for the
16 Polk County School Board.
17 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Good morning.
18 MR. SELPH: Good morning, members of the
19 State Board of Education. My name is
20 Steve Selph. I'm the attorney for the
21 School Board of Polk County.
22 I wanted to just point out a couple of
23 preliminary matters as we get into discussing
24 the application at hand, and that is to say that
25 I'm pleased to be able to tell you, if you don't
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1 already realize this, that before the ink was
2 dry on the charter school statute last summer,
3 we had one charter school application, which we
4 hurriedly processed, our School Board approved
5 that application, and approved a charter at a
6 public hearing that all happened at one time to
7 try to get that school started by the beginning
8 of our school year, which we were able to do.
9 So we had one of the first charter schools in
10 Florida, which is still in operation.
11 This past fall, we adopted charter school
12 policies so that we could set up time lines and
13 procedures for dealing with applications in the
14 future, and received six applications this past
15 winter. Three of those applications were
16 approved by the School Board, three were
17 rejected.
18 And, of course, one of those three that was
19 rejected is the Foundation School's application
20 that we're here to talk about today.
21 I wanted to simply point that out so that
22 there's no mistake made that -- concerning the
23 School Board's desire to cooperate and to try to
24 have charter schools. We are not hostile to
25 having charter schools. We have four out of
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1 seven right now that have applied that have been
2 approved.
3 With regard to this particular application,
4 there were some comments made by the charter
5 school application review committee. And when
6 they conducted their own internal meeting, and
7 also when they presented their recommendations
8 to the School Board on March 11, some of those
9 comments I found questionable and -- and advised
10 the Board that those were -- some of those
11 issues that were raised were not issues that
12 related to this particular application, but were
13 simply concerns that they had about how they go
14 about funding and sponsoring, if you will, a
15 charter school, which are -- which are issues
16 that deal with every charter school that comes
17 along, and it would not necessarily be issues
18 that would cause the School Board to want to
19 reject this particular application.
20 So I think we cleared the air on those
21 things at the charter -- at the School Board's
22 meeting when it considered this application on
23 March 11. And in spite of that though, because
24 of some concerns that the School Board members
25 had, they voted 4 to 1 to reject the
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1 application.
2 The concerns I think that were raised at
3 that time dealt with not only the question of
4 using these education funds to try to carry out
5 middle school and high school curriculum, and
6 present that curriculum to a wide variety of
7 students, which we were uncertain as to what
8 that student population would be, but also our
9 concern about trying to take a portion of that
10 money and use it to pay counselors to do drug
11 treatment and counseling in conjunction with the
12 educational needs of those students.
13 It was mentioned at the March 11 meeting
14 that, well, they probably would try to focus on
15 middle school aged students, rather than
16 high school. And hopefully they would be
17 considered a dropout prevention program, or an
18 alternative education program that would allow
19 teachers to teach out of field so they would not
20 have to try to have teachers instructing
21 high school students on their various subjects
22 that they have to complete in order to meet
23 their graduation requirements, and have those
24 teachers teaching in field, which is required by
25 State Board of Education rules, and by the State
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1 law, unless teachers -- in some cases, teachers
2 are allowed to teach out of field temporarily.
3 And in alternative ed sites, they can teach
4 out of field all the time if we're unable to
5 find teachers that -- to cover that wide variety
6 of subject matter.
7 But that was discussed on March 11. When
8 they came back for reconsideration, our Board
9 didn't -- was willing to hear them again on
10 March 31 at a subsequent meeting.
11 At that time, there really was no specific
12 information given as to what the student
13 population might be anticipated to be. And
14 I think that's not any fault of the applicants.
15 It's simply a -- it's simply the situation we
16 have at hand here where, because charter schools
17 are schools of choice, because parents are
18 not -- we cannot require a student to attend a
19 charter school, we can't be certain as to which
20 students would apply to attend this school. We
21 may have a large number of high school aged
22 students, may have a small number.
23 Some of them may be planning to graduate --
24 we hope they are -- and would need to take
25 certain courses to fulfill their graduation
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1 requirements.
2 It's anticipated this school would operate
3 for a full school year -- or have students in it
4 for a full school year, and they would need to
5 have meaningful classes while they're there, in
6 addition to the drug treatment.
7 Middle school aged students would give us a
8 lot more flexibility. And so that was what we
9 were hoping we would hear from them.
10 And, of course, in fairness to the
11 applicant, they can't really predict what
12 students they would have if they open it up to
13 that age bracket.
14 We do have the Mark Wilcox Center, that was
15 mentioned, where students who are identified as
16 possibly having a drug or alcohol problem are
17 referred there for a short 10- to 15-day period
18 to be assessed, to determine whether they need
19 counseling or need some kind of treatment before
20 they return to school or finish out their period
21 of suspension.
22 In some cases, they go to an alternative
23 education site. But in many cases, they return
24 to school.
25 And, yes, as Lisa pointed out, that is --
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1 what treatment they receive is largely dependent
2 upon their parent's financial ability or what
3 type of insurance coverage they might have.
4 So I don't think anyone -- I don't think
5 anyone disputes the fact that there's a need to
6 try to provide this kind of service to
7 students. I believe our question is whether
8 it's appropriate to do it through the mechanism
9 of a charter school, rather than working out
10 some other kind of arrangement with this
11 organization, as we do with many other agencies
12 in our school district.
13 TREASURER NELSON: On that point, let me
14 ask a question.
15 What would happen to these 200 students if
16 the charter were denied?
17 MR. SELPH: The ones that go through the
18 Mark Wilcox Center now or --
19 TREASURER NELSON: The ones that are slated
20 to go into the charter school. What would
21 happen to them?
22 MR. SELPH: Well, they're slated there
23 simply based on a -- based on a prediction that
24 the charter school applicant has made, based on
25 discipline referrals, and based on the number of
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1 students who go through the Mark Wilcox Center
2 during a given year.
3 Those students would be -- if they had this
4 charter school, they might choose to apply to go
5 there, they might not. We don't know what they
6 would do. Many cases, parents are into denial
7 and don't want to admit their child has a
8 problem.
9 We could not force the child to go there if
10 that school was there. But if it was not there,
11 they would either return to the regular school
12 and seek other types of outpatient treatment, if
13 it was needed; or they might go into -- as an
14 inpatient to some facility temporarily if they
15 had the funds or the insurance coverage to
16 provide for it.
17 That's pretty much the extent of what would
18 be available to them, as I understand it now,
19 with what government offers, or fails to offer,
20 in that area.
21 TREASURER NELSON: Now, you said that your
22 School Board's major objection is that it's more
23 or less a philosophical difference that -- that
24 a charter school in part -- an extension of the
25 the school system shouldn't be in the business
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1 of having to do with drug rehabilitation.
2 Is that basically your objection?
3 MR. SELPH: I believe that's the way it was
4 expressed by the -- one Board member's comments
5 that preceded the motion in the 4 to 1 vote to
6 deny the application, yes, sir.
7 Because of all the other issues that deal
8 with family matters and deal with societal
9 problems that the schools are now required to
10 take on, I think it was felt that that was just
11 one more that we don't really have the resources
12 to deal with. If it's going to be tried -- if
13 those resources are going to be divided between
14 education and drug counseling.
15 TREASURER NELSON: So basically, in our
16 role here as a quasi-judicial appellate panel,
17 either recommending to reject or accept the
18 School Board's decision, we should rule -- or we
19 should make our decision on the basis of the
20 reason that they rejected the charter.
21 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Yes, sir.
22 TREASURER NELSON: And that is whether or
23 not we think it is appropriate for students to
24 have an alternative to a normal classroom that
25 would -- in addition to their academics, would,
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1 in fact, focus on the problem of drug rehab and
2 correlary activities. That's basically it.
3 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: That's the crux.
4 Yes, sir.
5 Any other questions from the members?
6 Did you have any other comments,
7 Counselor?
8 MR. SELPH: Let me just check my notes
9 here, since I got off on a tangent here a little
10 bit and tried to answer those questions, which
11 were good questions, by the way.
12 I think I pretty well covered the points I
13 wanted to make.
14 Here again, I think I should point out that
15 our Board does enter into partnerships with
16 other agencies, and we're not -- I don't think
17 it would be fair to say that they're adverse to
18 trying to deal with this drug problem, as
19 they've tried to do in some -- to a limited
20 degree already.
21 I think it's just a concern about whether
22 the charter school approach is the way to deal
23 with this, as opposed to allowing the parties to
24 work out some other arrangement, perhaps where
25 the school district could require students to
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1 attend a facility like this, as opposed to being
2 a choice situation as a charter school, with the
3 limited number of charter schools that we can
4 sponsor.
5 I appreciate your attention.
6 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Thank you, Counselor,
7 very much.
8 I'll kick off some additional discussion
9 with, first of all, also commending
10 Polk County. Polk County is one of the six
11 original, I suppose, charter charter districts
12 that we have in the state of Florida. And they
13 have consistently worked well, with not only
14 that school that's up and running, as I visited,
15 but also those who have applied. I think
16 they've been very professional, and I think
17 they've handled themselves well, not only in the
18 approvals, but also in the denials.
19 And I guess I would characterize this
20 particular denial as anything less than
21 hostile. I think both parties have been very
22 professional in trying to work through this.
23 And the appellate process is not always
24 hostile. It's one of just trying to make your
25 case to a higher authority.
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1 I would also say that I guess I'm second to
2 none in terms of my position on reading,
3 writing, and arithmetic being at the center of
4 everything that we do.
5 But I also know that if we have students
6 within our schools that themselves are at risk,
7 and by virtue of that fact, not able to receive
8 a quality educational experience because of some
9 condition, malady, or situation in their life;
10 and also by virtue of that fact, potentially
11 robbing other youngsters of their ability to
12 learn in a safe and disciplined environment, one
13 of the things the charter schools have been able
14 to offer, nationwide, is an avenue for
15 innovative and creative ways to reach out to
16 such students.
17 And as we look at the statistics
18 nationally, and even right here in the state, we
19 find that over 50 percent of the charter schools
20 nationally, and here in this state, are set up
21 to serve very special populations of students
22 with very special needs.
23 And I think in this particular case, we
24 have a charter school applicant who appears to
25 have a good proposal, recognizing that nothing
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1 is a guarantee, and recognizing that a student
2 population, other than that of the traditional
3 public education system, is never a guaranteed
4 commodity whenever you're dealing with a school
5 of choice, therein lies one of the great risks,
6 and yet one of the great beauties of schools of
7 choice, is that they are subject to being
8 subject themselves to the ebb and flow of
9 choices of parents.
10 But I think that's also one of the
11 strengths of school choice, is that it is market
12 driven. And I would suggest in this particular
13 case, if not enough parents take advantage of
14 this particular situation for students, that
15 ultimately, the school and the district would
16 have a tough decision to make.
17 But also recognize, having been a
18 superintendent and a principal and a teacher,
19 that there are large numbers of parents that
20 exist out there who are searching for help for
21 their child, that child being in the throws of a
22 drug problem, or on the precipice of a drug
23 problem. And I know the cost that is engaged in
24 with parents in that situation through private
25 providers. And -- who do a wonderful job, but
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1 also recognize that many parents are simply not
2 able to acquire that kind of assistance for the
3 good old-fashioned reason that they simply can't
4 afford it.
5 And so the Commissioner's question was a
6 good one, and I heard it loud and clear. What
7 would happen to those youngsters if, in fact,
8 they didn't have this opportunity. And the
9 counsel was right, some of those youngsters
10 would seek and gain help elsewhere.
11 But I also believe that Polk is no
12 different than any other district in that some
13 of those students, whatever some is, would not
14 have the opportunity to avail themself of help.
15 And they would return to their traditional
16 high school or their traditional middle school.
17 And they would either fall further and further
18 through the cracks, personally; and/or take with
19 them a significant number of other students
20 based on the problems as they manifest
21 themselves in the classroom.
22 So I -- while I hear also loud and clearly
23 the concerns of Polk County -- again,
24 Polk County's done a great job with working
25 through this process. I also believe that there
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1 are no guarantees, and I think that the
2 application that the school has put forward is
3 reasonable, rational, and doable.
4 And also recognize that in
5 public education, albeit through programs like
6 homebound for students who are ill and spend
7 prolonged periods of time in their own homes
8 learning through the public education system so
9 that they can deal with not only a medical
10 malady, but also the educational need, programs
11 such as alternative education, that do give us
12 greater flexibility in certification, greater
13 flexibility in curriculum, the opportunity to
14 serve the needs of students where we find them
15 through computer-based programs, as were
16 mentioned before, or individualized instruction,
17 or small group settings. I think there are a
18 variety of ways to reach out to youngsters.
19 I am not in a position to make a motion,
20 because I'm chairing this portion of the
21 meeting. But I, for one, have -- at least at
22 this stage of the game, again, applaud
23 Polk County, but suggest that my concerns at
24 this point have been satisfied.
25 Other comments? Questions?
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1 Commissioner.
2 TREASURER NELSON: Well, I'll take a que.
3 And I'll move to reject the School Board's
4 decision, and to remand it to the School Board
5 for further consideration on the basis of just
6 what you said, and what the implication of my
7 question was, that we know that charter schools
8 are -- by law are held strictly accountable for
9 their academic results. So you've got that
10 control in the system.
11 And that part of the purpose of charter
12 schools is to allow site-based decision making
13 and to get teachers and principals responding
14 immediately to a specific need. And obviously
15 this is a need.
16 And it seems like to me that if you are
17 satisfied with school -- the public school
18 systems as they are, you would want to vote no
19 on my motion.
20 But if you think that there's a place for
21 innovation and creativity and experimentation,
22 then I would commend that you vote for the
23 motion.
24 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Crossing eight time
25 zones hasn't hurt you at all, Commissioner.
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1 Any other comments? I have a motion.
2 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Second.
3 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: A motion and a
4 second.
5 Further discussion?
6 Hearing none.
7 Without objection, motion passes.
8 We will at this point recommend back to the
9 Polk County School District further
10 consideration of this particular charter. And
11 again, thank both sides for being so
12 professional in their delivery and their
13 deliberation.
14 And lastly, would point out that on your
15 place, we have provided for you an update from
16 Tracey Bailey, who is heading up our School
17 Choice Office, on the status of charter schools
18 in the state of Florida today.
19 And hopefully, members of the State Board,
20 you'll find that to be as pleasing as we do,
21 recognizing that we are now, I think, second in
22 the country in terms of new charter school
23 start-ups in the length of time.
24 So the State has much to be proud of. And,
25 again, we think all of public education will
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1 ultimately benefit as charter schools grow and
2 prosper. And we thank you for your regular
3 support of the concept.
4 DR. BEDFORD: Thank you.
5 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: Thank you,
6 Mr. Bedford.
7 I turn the meeting back to you, General.
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any further
9 comments from any of the Cabinet members?
10 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: We would invite all
11 of you at 1:00 o'clock out to do what you like
12 to do best, and that is wave good-bye to me
13 as -- as we begin the Sunshine Tour today.
14 We are going to -- after the Habitat for
15 Humanity visit, we're going to be off to
16 Pensacola to visit our first site and first
17 Teacher of the Year.
18 We will then go to Jacksonville;
19 Vero Beach; Arcadia; Stuart, Martin County; and
20 on to Dade County. And end up next week in
21 Orlando for the Statewide Teacher of the Year
22 function where we will name Florida's 1997-98
23 Teacher of the Year, and five tremendous
24 finalists. And we know any of them would make a
25 great Teacher of the Year.
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1 So we're excited about it. We think the
2 tour's going to raise the level of public
3 awareness regarding the importance of
4 public education. We want to keep it in the
5 public eye.
6 We think the tour will raise the visibility
7 of the new Sunshine State Standards, and the
8 importance of our push for excellence. And we
9 think the tour will also give our teachers
10 greater visibility in the importance of
11 excellence in teaching.
12 So we started this morning at
13 Leon County -- or Leon High School, and
14 celebrated their 60th anniversary as a place to
15 start on the bus tour. And they were wonderful
16 to us, and excited about the trip.
17 So we hope you'll come out and join us at
18 1:00 o'clock, and anywhere else on the tour that
19 you care to be.
20 Thank you.
21 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Any further
22 short comments?
23 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: I just saw how much
24 time we still had to kill, General.
25 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Do I hear a
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58
1 motion to rise?
2 TREASURER NELSON: So move.
3 COMMISSIONER BROGAN: So move -- second.
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL BUTTERWORTH: Okay.
5 (The State Board of Education Agenda was
6 concluded.)
7 *
8 (The Cabinet meeting was concluded at
9 10:40 a.m.)
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1 CERTIFICATE OF REPORTER
2
3
4 STATE OF FLORIDA:
5 COUNTY OF LEON:
6 I, LAURIE L. GILBERT, do hereby certify that
7 the foregoing proceedings were taken before me at the
8 time and place therein designated; that my shorthand
9 notes were thereafter translated; and the foregoing
10 pages numbered 1 through 58 are a true and correct
11 record of the aforesaid proceedings.
12 I FURTHER CERTIFY that I am not a relative,
13 employee, attorney or counsel of any of the parties,
14 nor relative or employee of such attorney or counsel,
15 or financially interested in the foregoing action.
16 DATED THIS 22ND day of MAY, 1997.
17
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19 LAURIE L. GILBERT, RPR, CCR
100 Salem Court
20 Tallahassee, Florida 32301
(904) 878-2221
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ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
