[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-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",[32,74],{"_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":-5,"_68":69,"_70":-5,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6428329,"mediaKeyId","5905759-481b3f8ff54d4313d04f79292170aec5","parentId",5905759,"title","KCC Southeast details improvement plan, board questions monitoring, finances and staffing","audioSeconds",1947,"startMs",381000,"endMs",2328000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5905759-481b3f8ff54d4313d04f79292170aec5&start=381&end=2328","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5905759-481b3f8ff54d4313d04f79292170aec5/thumbnail_381000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6428329/KCC-Southeast-details-improvement-plan-board-questions-monitoring-finances-and-staffing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6428329-6726d1d65a8ed7b4dfcba487aaa9fb31/orig.mp4?Expires=1770835911&Signature=OL6ZYKdY4LSOG449FCxxoA8Qrc6hHT~O~BY4~N9O7Y0ZyoB~FD7StBgf10wuzk0MyGgEsRGVuT4m6Vlh4OMi1dt1aegG3iW6NO2-m2mpHV3ptTkaUB~aUBgt15nVPao4tCQda0FpfqqsCx0-NjETllnThEXL-PrbQbHRR1QHcsBOI9hW6TEAlANYMJxMsmtY6731xeTi5dpj-0a3wemWcTZoEJbiXzJjZwqnxlYJ4GoDdq~BMd8QEWw8FLaKHO357w-GDey5AcW9DQY-NKt60qKaYSf0o1HSNogCOH8WkJKYQ7bLzNSV5uNGpGwonz8XPkv5KbtGbi23Ytzb6BpoAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hillsborough County Public Schools","date","2025-10-08T04:02:35Z","article","KCC Southeast Principal Karen presented the school’s improvement plan Monday at a Hillsborough County School Board workshop required under Florida Statute 1002.33 for charter schools rated D or F.

The presentation laid out five priority areas — improving Tier 1 math instruction, raising science proficiency, targeting the lowest-quartile math students, continuing ELA supports and implementing standards-based lesson planning — and described steps the school has taken so far, including schoolwide IXL use, monthly monitoring, classroom walk-throughs and cross-campus mentoring.

The plan matters because KCC Southeast has underperformed in recent years and, under state law, schools with a D or F must present improvement plans to their sponsor. The charter office will monitor KCC Southeast’s progress after each state progress-monitoring window; the board will not vote to approve or deny the plan at this workshop.

Karen, principal of KCC Southeast, told the board that “for 2 years, KCC Southeast has not performed at the level we are used to,” and described leadership changes and a return to stronger structure and expectations. She said ELA showed some gains last year while math scores “plummeted,” and set a schoolwide target of getting math proficiency in grades 3–8 to “over 50%.” The school is using IXL both at school and at home, giving monthly monitoring of benchmark data and implementing small-group instruction and an intensive middle-school math class tied to IXL assignments.

KCC also reported professional development focused on the 5 E’s of science instruction, adoption of Common Curriculum to align lessons to standards, and mentoring and cross-campus teacher partnerships. Karen said administrators had begun classroom walk-throughs to ensure fidelity to instructional practices.

Board members pressed for specifics. Dr. Ron Hahn asked how monitoring this year differs from last year; Karen attributed differences to new leadership, more intentional follow-up and greater emphasis on incentivizing use of IXL for all students, including arranging time during the school day so low-income families have access. Hahn also asked whether the school was relying on the same math curriculum as last year; Karen said the math program was introduced last year and remains in use.

Member Gray asked about the school’s low fund balance and its ability to pay for needed supports. Karen said the school’s fund balance was currently about $103,000 and described recent one-time expenses, including replacement of three air conditioners, and said some costs would be reimbursed by the landlord. Gray also noted the school’s 30% English-language-learner population and asked how bilingual needs and ELL supports are funded and staffed.

Member Combs asked for a breakdown of earlier fund-balance changes cited in the school’s reports; Combs noted a $1.6 million figure in earlier years and asked how the school’s fund balance fell to current levels. Karen said she would provide a report showing where that money was spent and said the school had purchased new curriculum and equipment.

Angela Wherry Crooks, director of the district’s charter office, described increased, in-person, multidisciplinary monitoring this year that includes ESE and ELL staff and collaboration with the transformation network to ensure fidelity to grant and support requirements. She said the charter office has been providing targeted training to KCC after the most recent progress-monitoring cycle.

What the board decided: no formal vote was taken on the plan at the workshop; the charter office will continue to monitor KCC Southeast and meet with school leaders after each progress-monitoring window. Board questions during the session focused on the sufficiency of monitoring systems, recent teacher turnover and financial transparency.

Looking ahead: the charter office and KCC staff said they would continue monthly monitoring, provide more detailed financial reporting to board members on request, and follow up with targeted supports for math instruction and teacher professional development.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Workshop October 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At an Oct. 7 Hillsborough County School Board workshop, KCC Southeast presented a statutorily required school improvement plan focused on math, science and tiered instruction. Board members pressed the principal on teacher turnover, use of existing curricula and a low fund balance.","taxTitle","taxId",0,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":-5,"_68":69,"_70":-5,"_71":72,"_73":72},6428322,"Walton Academy lays out turnaround steps after F grade; board presses on staffing, facilities and finances",2871,2333000,5204000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5905759-481b3f8ff54d4313d04f79292170aec5&start=2333&end=5204","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5905759-481b3f8ff54d4313d04f79292170aec5/thumbnail_2333000.jpg","/articles/6428322/Walton-Academy-lays-out-turnaround-steps-after-F-grade-board-presses-on-staffing-facilities-and-finances","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6428322-f410a58dce27d66311b17217250189d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770835911&Signature=mBRJvackjIIQYSGtjNv5Rh2MgeIQ88vlS5mzwgnZA8p-LWBGTZWpu3nBNNV-90Hk5YOaO-oZZ1G7WTnuyS~-BoObbom2Ar5dzDKptjey4Megz9s2ydNLLuq2P2YuB6b88Ne-EKRpu9y~1vOfbDREBF23i0TXDVHwhv7mBKCPJYRLp29k77ZmAZKqatQ1t3VnKuyr5l8qitEWzEFfjIYBpGIm1Rnp~sPa7jkRK0hX20y-5tCurQK5vSqEsh9V-0xbHKW9Jk5A1nl5-eIDJSlBlpm7sqZvO9zSMFErZ6lYhY1lF1oQdX05WcklNK1w-uD~wjHDSZLkFRPKQuTWPLMH5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tanika Walton, principal and founder of Walton Academy for the Performing Arts, told the Hillsborough County School Board on Oct. 7 that the school’s F grade prompted a “call to action” and outlined a three-part plan to strengthen core instruction, provide targeted interventions and build teacher capacity.

Walton said the school has implemented benchmark-aligned instruction, biweekly data analyses, weekly lesson-plan reviews, classroom walk-throughs and targeted coaching. She described a small-group Tier 2 program and targeted Tier 3 interventions, a newly launched attendance-awareness campaign and family engagement activities intended to support daily attendance and reduce tardies.

The presentation followed a statutory requirement that charter schools rated D or F present improvement plans to their sponsor under Florida Statute 1002.33. The board did not vote on the plan at the workshop; the charter office will continue monitoring.

Walton said Walton Academy currently serves 118 students and acknowledged that projected enrollment figures changed before the school year, which forced staffing adjustments. She described recent staffing changes and said several classrooms are supported by long-term substitutes; some substitutes are enrolled in master’s or alternative-certification programs.

Walton cited steep declines in academic performance: she told the board third-grade ELA achievement fell from 67% in 2022 to 27% in 2025, and that broader ELA, math and science performance had similarly declined. Walton presented measurable outcomes and said the school’s daily attendance average is currently 96.03% and that the leadership is conducting weekly attendance reviews and interventions for families.

Board members expressed concern about the depth and specificity of Walton’s written plan and about operational risks. Dr. Ron Hahn criticized the plan’s detail, saying he did not see “in the weeds” specifics about how the school would raise achievement for its lowest-performing students and noted the school’s use of substitutes. Walton and other board members discussed curriculum and monitoring tools: Walton said the school uses Wonders for ELA, Envision (Savvas) for math, Florida science materials and i-Ready for diagnostics, supplemented by IXL.

Members also raised facility and safety concerns. Member Rendon and other board members asked about code-enforcement items and remediation. Walton said the school had an extension to November and that contractors from AAA had been working on repairs; she said roughly 45–50% of identified items had been addressed and that flooring replacement — originally quoted at roughly $67,000 — may require an extension because of time needed for materials and installation.

Financial and governance questions also surfaced. Member Combs asked for financial detail and for the school to show where funds had been spent after prior years’ reported balances. In response to questions about compensation and use of resources, Walton stated her salary was $178,000 when asked by a board member.

What the board decided: no formal vote at the workshop; the charter office will monitor Walton Academy’s implementation, and board members requested more-detailed, measurable goals by grade band, clearer documentation of monitoring frequency and evidence of outside supports or coaching for teachers.

Looking ahead: Walton said the school is pursuing outside consultants for lesson planning and coaching, increasing classroom walk-throughs and continuing family-engagement and attendance efforts. The superintendent noted district PM1 data would be discussed at the next board meeting.

","Walton Academy for the Performing Arts presented a school improvement plan at the Oct. 7 Hillsborough County School Board workshop after receiving an F. Principal Tanika Walton described instructional and attendance initiatives; board members raised concerns about substitute-heavy staffing, declining enrollment and ongoing facility code issues.","actionData","errors"]

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KCC Southeast details improvement plan, board questions monitoring, finances and staffing

Walton Academy lays out turnaround steps after F grade; board presses on staffing, facilities and finances