[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6507415,"mediaKeyId","5563709-7a0ae97793ce68674ffbd04f55a030ef","parentId",5563709,"title","Board to consider legislative platform Aug. 26; members favor pursuing statutory deregulation for school flexibility","audioSeconds",105,"startMs",475000,"endMs",580000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5563709-7a0ae97793ce68674ffbd04f55a030ef&start=475&end=580","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5563709-7a0ae97793ce68674ffbd04f55a030ef/thumbnail_475000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6507415/Hernando/School-Districts/Florida/Board-to-consider-legislative-platform-Aug-26-members-favor-pursuing-statutory-deregulation-for-school-flexibility","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6507415-c559ed2a2ca83d004e8032ab097147ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1776582494&Signature=LKoS8eiDynN1dL76Nos7TzJ4wObaF03k1E8HdkShWvsP1YIv3mOoBya-uJsca5zFwwiX1J~Rnxlt58rMK8uMK7GwFf-6iOHuJ~rzGEy8FKys-zJF5B38xx34TwBvPuF-jrs9Mp9IyYoHXqFoCqcZ5JDPqvD2ddU8cNllksygKJ6GhwBLY4U39E08Hu~AxbpKj143KK1D7EEfnq57spyXh24hQ6I0eWo16yRgeH9CudFKOX1MQgdZDatGLitfLgOS~G6i2XesKIhSVEg72FwQn8ovU28ECiArjOhvdgmZjDGadIDwb47qi7cShcs8utwuVKZCUtnFQP2EVDZa9ex0Kw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hernando School District","date","2025-08-12T12:56:00Z","article","Hernando County School Board members said Aug. 12 they will review and vote on the district’s legislative platform at the board’s Aug. 26 meeting so the district can meet a Florida School Boards Association deadline.

Board chair Mr. Johnson said consultants Sean Foster and Dr. Danielle Thomas will attend the Aug. 26 meeting to help the board finalize the platform, which must be submitted to the FSBA by Sept. 5. Johnson and other members identified “statutory deregulation” to give school and district leaders more administrative flexibility as a top priority to pursue with the legislature.

Why it matters: A legislative platform frames the district’s state-level advocacy and can propose changes to statutes that affect funding, administrative processes and program flexibility. Board members said deregulation could provide greater operational flexibility at the school and district levels while balancing statutory safeguards.

What they did not decide: The meeting recorded no formal vote; members asked staff and consultants to gather proposals and bring the platform for board consideration on Aug. 26.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hernando School District - School Board Informal Meeting on 2025-08-12 1:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Board members said they will vote on a legislative platform Aug. 26 to meet an FSBA deadline and that one priority will be statutory deregulation to increase district flexibility and administrative efficiency.","taxTitle","Hernando, School Districts, Florida","taxId",13114,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6507420,"Board reviews start-of-year scheduling problems; counselors' summer hours and para flex time discussed",236,582000,818000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5563709-7a0ae97793ce68674ffbd04f55a030ef&start=582&end=818","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5563709-7a0ae97793ce68674ffbd04f55a030ef/thumbnail_582000.jpg","/articles/6507420/Hernando/School-Districts/Florida/Board-reviews-start-of-year-scheduling-problems-counselors-summer-hours-and-para-flex-time-discussed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6507420-e5691be9eb84b4459aea725bf022d231/orig.mp4?Expires=1776582494&Signature=nHbPlAEuRQg7d3YsFjuVTAFrqcBM-gmXA4Ff2yeuSzGFYNGsKN3ob7nn6NHkzMpTJR5w9cenNsE-OIjvO7n2fopt6pi2Iu2Ly5jzRSP5tDSoNRi4ss7e-I-wD7~gdOGdTStZfX2GYqTVm0RPf0Pz0uhcwXn7f0gbTKE7quBdQ8eBWCe91KNF2-2HUbLYH9VBfuPkgrxe~4HxN2R-gCrrl~J0kyp~BUHPvNz5lkbOo93NpF5hlek9O9Sljbrv5Bu8PW~Fs6a~qptfeOAVuKm4cG~d6WrjHbv3fntQYl4gCwt-UO-63nwHCjk~TzTEIwGkgVzpK4kErOZiSc2dx~APDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Board members raised concerns at an informal Aug. 12 meeting about students arriving to school without schedules, the limits of the Skyward student-information system for staged schedule releases, and staffing approaches to reduce delays.

Several board members said parents reported students waiting in cafeterias or without schedules on the first day. Superintendent Mr. Pender explained the district prioritizes students with no schedules, then students with gaps in a schedule, and that student-initiated elective changes are lower priority because they require more rework. He said most students without schedules earlier in the week were assigned by the following day.

Why it matters: Missing schedules affect student instruction and can create parent anxiety and operational burdens for schools. Board members called for better communication about how and when schedules are released and for ways to expedite assignments for students who register late.

Operational fixes discussed included offering optional extra summer hours for guidance counselors (a board member said counselors were offered about 10 optional summer work days) and a tentative Skyward setting that can release schedules by grade rather than all at once. One board member asked whether the district could make Skyward displays uniform so parents see schedules rather than inadvertently viewing grades.

The board also discussed ESE paraprofessionals’ ability to flex hours to help students board and alight buses: a member asked whether paras could come in a half hour early or stay a half hour later to assist with arrivals and dismissals. Superintendent Pender said principals and school leadership could work at the school level to provide coverage and to coordinate flex scheduling.

No formal motions were recorded; board members suggested staff gather data (for example, a count after five school days) before the board considers additional actions.","Board members and the superintendent discussed schedule gaps for newly enrolled students, optional summer hours for guidance counselors, and requests to allow ESE paraprofessionals flexible start times to assist with bus arrivals.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6507423,"Board members signal support for superintendent’s push for professional teacher dress; item is part of negotiated contract language",120,221000,341000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5563709-7a0ae97793ce68674ffbd04f55a030ef&start=221&end=341","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5563709-7a0ae97793ce68674ffbd04f55a030ef/thumbnail_221000.jpg","/articles/6507423/Hernando/School-Districts/Florida/Board-members-signal-support-for-superintendents-push-for-professional-teacher-dress-item-is-part-of-negotiated-contract-language","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6507423-7bb62072ebf584132272e15c0e7b52ef/orig.mp4?Expires=1776582494&Signature=S~TVLl3q2v7ZDGy-bRtvMnxHv-NfD-WdbVlB9nQDek25HjWef-rSqyV4oOpynJsrLfZt-3QDGZLcKaXz19Bbq8G74HDd5Y8XVWD4VSpmoLsKryRIbbPjw8vyMa4ddZsqE9ls-4ZQUxqjkOFO8NRCnh9uX3f1fuUEjQq0W8lecgXjqx3mgoh3gbOb0f2NcHaGfnxJEh2m~4oRYICQTAGSo2Swi9IAIPoXzMSUQPbSGFqz2yaRY0fVoRbbYBCCSGV4y-Hm3l~6RVue-fcvZvc3ZnDbotGhBHeLnBmd74iyGZ37mYfHxJRVGfUDbbaMxArkpuLRWC8EiR06LRe2TkUtuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several school board members said Aug. 12 that they support the superintendent’s request that teachers adhere to a professional dress standard, and that the matter is governed by negotiated contract language.

Mrs. Duvall told the board she expected members of the public that evening to speak about a teacher dress code and said she “just hope that the board will back our superintendent on asking our teachers to dress professionally.” She added that the expectation was not “absurd” and compared staff expectations to student dress codes.

Superintendent Mr. Pender and other members noted that the district’s HCTA contract already uses the terms “dress appropriately and professionally” and reserves to principals the authority to determine appropriate attire. “It's not that we're enforcing something new,” Pender said; board members described the current discussion as revisiting and clarifying existing language rather than creating a new rule.

Why it matters: Dress-code enforcement involves labor contract language and site-level discretion; board members said handling will require leadership conversations with principals and building administrators. No new discipline rules or specific dress standards (for example, lists of permitted footwear or clothing) were adopted at the meeting.

What they did not decide: The board took no formal action. Members said the item is negotiable and embedded in the HCTA contract, and they instructed leadership to ensure principals apply existing guidance consistently.","Board members said they expect teachers to dress professionally, citing existing contract language that empowers principals to set standards; the board anticipated public comments on the issue at a later meeting.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6507424,"Board hears rise in property tax petitions and magistrate costs; hurricane damage expected to increase appeals",94,82000,176000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5563709-7a0ae97793ce68674ffbd04f55a030ef&start=82&end=176","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5563709-7a0ae97793ce68674ffbd04f55a030ef/thumbnail_82000.jpg","/articles/6507424/Hernando/School-Districts/Florida/Board-hears-rise-in-property-tax-petitions-and-magistrate-costs-hurricane-damage-expected-to-increase-appeals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6507424-58f98261fae914cd5e6745c948e8dd41/orig.mp4?Expires=1776582494&Signature=K9N9Nw~k~YoQWtElhxYUPxp8QPGpI3veJQ261esVDaisK6Yzd9cV2yhM6h5f868mRiIHM258uV3BXn3p8~PbldD3KMesNJybc2PyfzL2HzAmwZkj-Y6LmX7ah1crGef~cusllGPFz3Cwv8EEZImiU5oNpnXTypjW0TQPYLvJ5xkjRA1ePX2AUdgFm90n80UfYKx5RJuffnw~pfA-0hp93i7G9ZvhYxZ2OZ~hmBvqiS5NqX0RPWiZlPJSDb83tClAVHBBxxrJu9OU40cm-hei4dgzmptzlUmk6LxynaFGokb~kMYwZc~092whnj5Wru3NExFShgSo89kZdIs~3p9Uvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A school board briefing on Aug. 12 highlighted a sustained increase in petitions filed with the Value Adjustment Board and a corresponding rise in payments to special magistrates who hear those appeals.

Mr. Johnson, a school board member, presented two informational pages showing the annual number of petitions filed for ad valorem tax adjustments from 2009 to 2024 and a second page showing magistrate payments over the same period. He said cases have nearly doubled over that interval and noted that 2024 saw “just under 400” petitions filed.

Why it matters: Value adjustment board outcomes can change the property-tax obligations that underwrite local government and school funding. More petitions and more hearings increase the district’s share of magistrate costs.

Johnson noted that magistrate payments for hearings were “just under $20,000” for the past year and that those costs have roughly doubled since 2011. He said the board should anticipate more adjustment requests in the current year as properties damaged by recent hurricanes are assessed at pre-damage values and then seek reductions.

What they did not decide: The remarks were informational; no board action or motion was recorded. Board members were asked to take the information as background on a growing administrative cost tied to adjudicated valuation appeals.","A board member briefed colleagues on a near-doubling of value adjustment petitions and rising payments to special magistrates; hurricane-damaged properties are expected to generate more adjustment requests this year.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6507425,"Hernando schools report bus system staffed for fall; board hears magnet stop, sidewalk and cost concerns",2770,33000,2803000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5563709-7a0ae97793ce68674ffbd04f55a030ef&start=33&end=2803","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5563709-7a0ae97793ce68674ffbd04f55a030ef/thumbnail_33000.jpg","/articles/6507425/Hernando/School-Districts/Florida/Hernando-schools-report-bus-system-staffed-for-fall-board-hears-magnet-stop-sidewalk-and-cost-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6507425-d5c934da8985ce5ae473fa4103cdb1f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1776582494&Signature=ROzrLpkpnMaHRDgW95rkBuQtQ0dzQJ-yHLqeIt~8tEk8zPKzcHXr4QNatD-DVD06VGpWmsvhhNUPQHqH8jB7pIbM7tOf8vz-YLPGsc0A7vsJre0iwpXHCtWhoayc1h7JGYXXSVL1z-UpkEIEbhbm-eEfn5Gd4aoUhZJc-DbfaDrjCYaYEVqzuYlQZPJ5hxzT7zYQJywb8ggccKpf4ztaOVoB3xmmSrsgZrfm3bGXb~lPXjkJ-14b2olqCSTOpKgjpxDxGjFQQ0dtBpYBRkeQ40S6YC-fSDTCZQSnRYqmDIWCEjofiQHjpjMvn0u4OlW--DE2ETfri4GtOlt~u8nGMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Hernando County School Board said the district will begin the school year with a full complement of bus drivers and spare vehicles, but board members and parents raised safety and equity concerns about magnet-school routing and long walk distances to stops.

Board member Mr. Johnson told colleagues that “this is the first year we’re in good position starting the school year with transportation,” and that the district has 95 routes, 95 drivers and 35 spare buses. The remark was offered as part of an overall update on district operations during an informal board meeting on Aug. 12.

Why it matters: School transportation affects student safety, daily attendance and family logistics. Board members heard multiple parent complaints that magnet-school bus stops are as far as about 3.5 miles from some students’ homes, leaving working families with limited options to pick up children. Those remarks prompted discussion about sidewalks, county responsibility for right-of-way improvements and the high cost of restoring broad transportation benefits the district once provided.

District officials and board members described the program limits and tradeoffs. Superintendent Mr. Pender and members noted that choice and magnet schools typically do not require districts to provide transportation but that Hernando currently does provide magnet transportation and that doing so is expensive. A board member pointed to the 2014 elimination of courtesy busing as a major cost-savings move; “we saved a million dollars a year in transportation fees,” one member said, adding the current cost would be higher today.

Board members also discussed sidewalk gaps near schools and bus stops and said responsibility for sidewalk construction often falls to county or state road authorities depending on the roadway ownership. The board suggested including transportation and sidewalk priorities in the district’s legislative or policy platform for the coming year.

What they did not decide: The meeting recorded no vote or new policy on magnet routing, return of courtesy busing or sidewalk advocacy; board members said they would continue gathering input and could revisit the questions in future agenda items.

Board members asked staff to monitor the start-of-year routing and pick-up complaints and to report back if problems persist. Several members emphasized that parents should first contact their schools for schedule or routing issues, but they also signaled interest in tracking the number of impacted families so the board can consider systemic fixes later.","School board members said the district has enough drivers and spare buses to start the year but heard parents' complaints about long magnet bus stops, sidewalks and the cost of courtesy busing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board to consider legislative platform Aug. 26; members favor pursuing statutory deregulation for school flexibility

Board reviews start-of-year scheduling problems; counselors' summer hours and para flex time discussed

Board members signal support for superintendent’s push for professional teacher dress; item is part of negotiated contract language

Board hears rise in property tax petitions and magistrate costs; hurricane damage expected to increase appeals

Hernando schools report bus system staffed for fall; board hears magnet stop, sidewalk and cost concerns