Brevard School District work session, date not confirmed yet
2 h 42 min · 2 videos · 0 public speakers
Click any moment below to jump the video to that second. Video length 1 h 09 min.
Playing part 2 · 1 h 09 min of 2. Back to part 1
What happened
What happened at this meeting
Part 1 · 1 h 33 min
Brevard board weighs policy on booster group pay for coaches under new state law 19:23
- District staff presented an overview of Senate Bill 178 and Senate Bill 538, athletics legislation that went into effect on July 1st. 2:40
- Board members discussed whether to adopt a policy allowing school support organizations to provide funds to coaches and activity sponsors, and Matt Susin asked staff to draft versions of the policy that would allow it and that would not. 22:27
- A staff member presented the proposed 2026 sales surtax investment plan, and Matt Susin asked for time until September 10th to look at the plan before it was published. 50:36
- The board also discussed proposals for legislative agendas before breaking for the superintendent's evaluation. 1:25:19
Until Nov 4, lines where a board member takes a side don't name the member. Why →
Item by item (7)
- Opening and agenda 1:48
- Coach personal funds for student athletes 2:40
- A staff member said Senate Bill 178 permits head coaches to use up to $15,000 per year of personal funds for food, transportation and recovery services on an emergency, non-recurring basis, with school administration authorization and prior written parent consent. 2:40
- Katye Campbell asked how the consent requirement would work in practice, and a staff member said the district had a consent form developed and vetted by legal. 6:08
- One board member said the concern was the pressure the law might put on coaches and asked whether it was a board decision, and a staff member said the law must be followed. 9:14
- Student eligibility, fees and transfers 9:46
- A staff member said Senate Bill 538 describes where eligible students may participate, including adjacent counties when an activity is not offered in the county of residence. 9:46
- A staff member said fees approved April 28th, 2026 for eligible students not enrolled in district schools are $125 per sport per year for middle school and $250 for high school, and another staff member said enrolled students do not pay these fees. 13:09
- A staff member said a student may not participate in sports at 2 different schools in the same school year unless an exception applies, and that transfer policy changes were in progress. 17:47
- School support organization funds for coaches 18:49
- A staff member said the board could either adopt stronger language prohibiting coaches from accepting compensation from school support organizations or permit it from authorized organizations as written in statute. 22:27
- One board member said they were excited to get money to teachers, coaches and the music department, and another board member said they were not comfortable giving guidance until doing more research. 29:44
- One board member said they were leaning toward yes after more conversations, and another said they were in favor and asked staff to draft a policy both ways. 37:15
- Proposed 2026 sales surtax plan 49:03
- A staff member said the proposed plan includes a facility renewal program of about $41 million annually and security and technology programs of about $8.5 million annually, with turf, hardcourt and playground projects moved off to the side. 50:36
- One board member said they supported publishing the plan, while another said they did not want to publish it until conversations had taken place, citing McLarty Stadium and the Viera High School baseball field. 1:03:09
- A staff member suggested setting aside the high school athletic facilities category as an amount to be programmed later and offered to work with Matt Susin on a solution to send to the board. 1:16:58
- Legislative agenda proposals 1:24:35
- Matt Susin asked who would go to Miami, and after Katye Campbell cited a previous meeting, Matt Susin said they would go. 1:24:37
- One board member proposed asking the legislature to allow chronic absenteeism strategies upon the 5th unexcused absence and to increase accountability for scholarship organizations. 1:26:41
- An unidentified speaker proposed seeking flexibility on school start dates and a monthly student counting mechanism. 1:27:59
- Break before superintendent evaluation 1:31:03
- Matt Susin said the board would break to the superintendent's office for the evaluation and asked members to return in 30 minutes after lunch. 1:31:03
Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.
Part 2 · 1 h 09 min
Brevard board discusses health plan claims and seeking Cigna contract rates 38:55
- The board also recognized a donation of 15 CPR in-school training kits and heard a presentation on Melbourne planning and zoning. 10:22
- Matt Susin said health plan claims had increased significantly in the last 2 months and that Cigna refused to provide its contract rates to the district's consultants. 38:55
- A district staff member said staff would like to give Fleet the opportunity to renegotiate, and a speaker said PeopleOne Health was awarded the RFP and would start 1-1 with 4 clinics. 45:19
- One board member encouraged the board to move ahead with the process to sell the Cape View Elementary property after that resolution was pulled from the agenda, and another board member said the community should be given more time. 48:23
Until Nov 4, lines where a board member takes a side don't name the member. Why →
Item by item (8)
- Opening and agenda adoption 8:28
- Matt Susin called the meeting to order and reminded the public that participation is during the individual public comment opportunity. 8:28
- A district staff member said the agenda included one presentation, 2 recognitions, 29 consent items and 2 information items, and that item F23, resolution for disposal of surplus property, was pulled. 9:47
- Melbourne planning and zoning presentation 10:22
- A presenter said there is interest in the city in redeveloping mature neighborhoods to bring in more families and in extending a special business district north out of downtown. 11:02
- Matt Susin said there are no schools closing in Melbourne and that Cape View was closed due to declining enrollment for multiple years. 12:40
- Recognitions 14:08
- A district content specialist recognized the American Heart Association for providing 15 CPR in-school training kits for the district. 14:16
- Matt Susin asked whether there were enough kits to cover the schools, and a speaker said the group would focus on securing at least 14 more kits for 2027. 23:04
- A district staff member recognized a staff member's promotion to Director of Federal Programs. 31:58
- Public comment 35:48
- Matt Susin said there were zero speakers for public comment. 35:48
- Consent agenda 35:48
- A district staff member said there were 29 items under the consent agenda, and Matt Susin asked for a motion to accept the consent items. 38:31
- Health plan costs and contracts 38:55
- One board member said claims were at about 130% to 125% for both of the last 2 months and asked to let consultants obtain contract files and do repricing before 1/1. 38:55
- Megan Wright asked whether another workshop was needed and where things stood with PeopleOne, and a speaker said savings would be between $12 and $17 million after the cost of the clinics. 44:42
- Megan Wright asked for feedback from Orange County on its experience with the clinic model. 46:52
- Cape View property discussion 48:23
- One board member said the pulled agenda item was a resolution stating the Cape View Elementary property is no longer needed as an educational property and said the district needs the capital dollars from selling it. 48:23
- One board member said the real estate market in that community is going up and that the community needs more time to heal from the closure. 54:32
- A speaker said the property is something the district will end up selling but that the case needs to be made in the community. 57:11
- Board member reports 1:00:03
- Katye Campbell described a ceremony dedicating the stadium at Heritage High School. 1:00:03
- A speaker said the school opening went off without a hitch and suggested intramural sports in the gymnasium at Roosevelt. 1:02:00
- Megan Wright thanked a staff member and that staff member's team for removing fencing at one of Megan Wright's schools and cutting the grass there. 1:06:03
Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.
Who spoke
Who spoke
Matt SusinBoard ChairFirst speaks at 1:48
Katye CampbellBoard memberFirst speaks at 4:42
Gene TrentBoard memberFirst speaks at 29:44
Megan WrightBoard Vice ChairFirst speaks at 30:24
Video: posted by the district as “School Board Work Session 8-25 -26”