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School Board meeting highlights (Dec. 8)
Posted on 12/08/2020
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The School Board of Orange County held its regularly-scheduled board meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center. These are the highlights of the meeting:
 
School Board approves CTA contract for 2020-21 salary increases & contract language
The School Board and the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association (CTA) collaboratively bargained a contract that included a compensation package and contract language changes. The compensation package represents an increase in starting salary from $40,900 to $47,500. There are also language changes in Articles I, II, III, IV, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XIV, XV, XVI, XXIII, and Appendices A, A-2, A-5, A-6, A-7, A-8, B, and I. If ratified, these increases will pay retroactive to July 1, 2020, or the first duty day of the employee’s work year for the 2020-21 school year. You can review the Tentative agreement. This item is pending ratification.
 
School Board approves salary distribution plan for additional instructional staff
Through the creation of a new categorical entitled the “Teacher Salary Increase Allocation” (TSIA) the school board approves the plan for the distribution of $37,397,733.  
Part 1, 80 percent of TSIA: $47,500 per eligible full-time classroom teacher
Part 2, 20 percent of TSIA:
·     Full-time Non-classroom instructional employees shall make no less than $47,500.
·     Eligible employees whose increase to the new minimum of $47,500 is less than 1.27 percent will receive an increase of the difference up to 1.27 percent. No one will receive an increase less than 1.27 percent.
·     Eligible employees whose current base salary is at or above $47,500 will receive an increase of 1.27 percent.
 
School Board approved names for new high schools & middle school for 2021-22
School Board approved names for two new high schools and one middle school set to open in August 2021. The high schools will be the district’s 21st and 22nd traditional high schools.

Horizon High School will be located at 10393 Seidel Road in Winter Garden. The school relieves Windermere High. The community voted on three possible names that were nominated most frequently: Hamlin High, Horizon High and Horizon West High. The name Horizon High was chosen as a reference to the horizon of opportunities that the school will provide students and reflects the Horizon West community where the school, previously known as Site 113-H-W-4, is located. The school was designed by SchenkelShultz Architecture and is being built by Wharton-Smith, Inc.

Lake Buena Vista High School will be located at 11305 Daryl Carter Parkway in Orlando. The school relieves Dr. Phillips and Freedom high schools. The top three names chosen by the community were: Lake Buena Vista High, Sand Lake High and Vineland High. The name represents a widely known nearby lake and municipality within the attendance zone of the school. The school, previously known as Site 80-H-SW-4, was designed by SchenkelShultz Architecture and is being built by Pirtle Construction.

Water Spring Middle School will open in 2021 in a wing at Horizon High School. It will get its own campus adjacent to Water Spring Elementary in August 2023. The school relieves Bridgewater and SunRidge middle schools. The community voted on three possible names: Hickory Nut Middle, Storeyleigh Middle and Water Spring Middle. Water Spring was chosen because the school site is next to Water Spring Elementary and will be a middle school for Water Spring students. The school was previously known as Site 65-M-W-4. It will be designed by Harvard Jolly Architecture.
 
School Board approves the 2021 State & Federal Legislative Platforms
The state and federal priorities are based on a review of the 2020 Legislative Session and input from school board members, district staff, teachers as well as various local and statewide organizations. This platform will be submitted to the Florida School Boards Association, Florida Association of District School Superintendents, and the Central Florida Public School Boards Coalition for consideration. It will also be submitted to other school boards for consideration of endorsement and support. The platform will be presented to the Orange County state and federal legislative delegations and other members of the Florida Legislature and U.S. Congress. You can read the State Legislative Platform and the Federal Legislative Platform.
 
School Board pledges support to OEP’s efforts to enhance diversity, equity & inclusion
The School Board authorizes the superintendent to sign the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Organizational Pledge on behalf of OCPS.  
 
Members approved to the Board of Directors for the Foundation for OCPS
The Foundation’s Board of Directors voted to add three outstanding community members to serve as Directors.
Mandy Bond, Senior V.P. Food & Beverage, Universal Orlando Resort
Martha Santoni, Government Relations Coordinator, Nemours Children’s Health System
Katie Thomason, V.P. Community Engagement & Partnerships, Addition Financial
 
January proclamation for Orange County Public Schools
January 2021 as National Mentoring Month
 
Changes regarding administrative personnel
Superintendent Barbara Jenkins announced the following new administrator:
 
Kimberly-Dawn Webb Jacobson, assistant principal, Boone High
 
*Reminder* All board meetings are live-streamed on the School Board’s YouTube page and will be accessible from web browsers on computers or mobile devices.