The Hillsborough County School Board on March 11 approved a series of grants, vendor contracts and construction guaranteed maximum prices (GMPs) — including funding for computer science teacher certification, career and technical education projects, appliance repair services for CTE kitchens, tactile graphics embossers for visually impaired students and multiple school construction projects — while several board members repeatedly urged a review of the district's unit-allocation process and called for more staff at schools.

The actions were taken as separate motions on consent and regular agenda items and passed by recorded votes described at the meeting as unanimous. Superintendent Ayers and district staff presented each item and answered board questions before votes.

Why it matters: Board members said allocations of staff "units" determine how many teachers, ESE specialists and support personnel schools receive each year; several members argued the current formula places too much of the burden for solving staffing shortages on principals and school administrators rather than on the district.

Board discussion and direction: Member Rendon repeatedly took up multiple agenda items to press for clearer priorities and argued the district should prioritize classroom- and school-based staff over central-office positions. Rendon cited examples of ESE specialists and other positions being cut or reduced at dozens of schools while stressing the district must build staffing around school needs rather than a purely mathematical formula. Other board members asked for a workshop to review the allocation process and the state funding model.

Key items approved (votes at a glance):
- Adoption of the agenda — motion by Member Grama, second by Member Washington; outcome: approved unanimously.
- Approval of minutes for the Feb. 25 special-call meeting and the Feb. 25 regular meeting — motions recorded and approved unanimously.
- C101 — Acceptance of a Florida Department of Education computer science teacher certification grant to fund materials and professional learning in robotics, sensors and related STEM areas; motion by Member Washington, second by Member Combs; outcome: approved unanimously.
- C201 — Approval to submit consolidated career, technical and adult-education entitlement grant applications for FY 2025-26; motion by Member Gray, second by Member Perez; outcome: approved unanimously.
- C202 — Award of lowest responsive, responsible bid to TB Electronics LLC for repair, parts and equipment for residential-style appliances used in CTE facilities; motion by Member Combs, second by Member Gray; outcome: approved unanimously.
- C301 — Invitation to bid and purchase of embossers for the Florida Instructional Materials Center for the Visually Impaired (FIMC) to support braille access and statewide testing pilots; motion by Member Washington, second by Member Perez; outcome: approved unanimously.
- C401 — Personnel consent agenda (appointments, transfers, terminations and out-of-field assignments) — motion by Member Perez, second by Member Combs; outcome: approved unanimously.
- C502 — Increased expenditures (piggyback) for the Securly electronic hall-pass and student movement solution requested by school sites; motion by Member Perez, second by Member Washington; outcome: approved unanimously.
- C704 — Guaranteed maximum price (GMP) to replace the video board at Blake High School (board will seek FEMA reimbursement; district will front initial cost); outcome: approved unanimously.
- C705 & C706 — GMP approvals for new agricultural barn projects at Lennard High School and Marshall Middle School; outcome: both approved unanimously.
- C1001 — RFP award for website, microsites and district mass-notification/mobile app (App2G team recommended); outcome: approved unanimously.
- C1102 — Legal services agreement renewal with Ackerman LLP for school board attorney services; outcome: approved unanimously.

Discussion vs. formal action: Board members and the superintendent separated discussion about the allocation process from the formal approvals. Several approvals were described by staff as routine or funded through grants; the board's approvals did not themselves change the allocation formula. Multiple board members requested a workshop to review the allocation process, state forecasting models and the district's unit-allocation steps.

Direct quotes: "We have to sit down with our principals and our administration and find out what the needs of that school are, and we build a staff around it," Member Rendon said. Superintendent Ayers described the allocation process as formula-driven and in-progress: "We are in the middle of that right now...it is a complicated process. Every one of our schools is unique."

Budget and reimbursement notes: The Blake High School video board replacement will be fronted from the general fund with an expected FEMA reimbursement; district staff said the booster/soccer club that previously funded the board will be asked to supplement any unreimbursed differential if FEMA does not cover the full cost. The district indicated FIMC equipment purchases are a state flow-through handled by HCPS as the hub for Florida.

Next steps: The board asked staff to schedule a workshop to review the unit-allocation process and the state funding model and asked the superintendent's team to continue meeting with regional superintendents and principals as numbers are finalized.