School board approves $150,000 Future Career Academy partnership after heated debate over $51,000 curriculum line item

The Hillsborough County School Board voted 6-1 on Feb. 11 to approve a memorandum of agreement with Future Career Academy to continue career-exploration activities for seniors and other students, including business tours, job fairs and classroom materials. The contract carries roughly $150,000 in workforce dollars for the year; board materials show transportation costs are supported by the Perkins grant.

The vote followed extended questioning from Dr. Hahn, who said the board was being asked to pay about $51,000 each year for FCA curriculum materials that, she told the board, duplicate free classroom lessons already available through the Florida Department of Education’s CPALMS repository. “Why are we paying $51,000 for a curriculum when the state provides equivalent lessons?” Dr. Hahn asked, and she demanded an audit comparing FCA lesson plans to CPALMS offerings and a detailed annual explanation of what is updated in the supplemental curriculum.

Supporters defended FCA as a large, multiyear workforce partner. Board member Nadia Combs, who moved the item, cited event numbers and local business participation as evidence of the program’s reach: FCA recently hosted eight days of business activities that served roughly 2,100 students using 59 bus trips, 185 business tours and 83 unique businesses, Combs said. “This program impacts thousands of students,” Combs said during the meeting, and she urged the board to ask the same financial and operating questions of similar vendors going forward.

Member Gray noted an independent audit cited in the FCA materials and highlighted the program’s role in recruiting students to technical programs and apprenticeship pathways, saying that those placements generate FTE for the district and create direct employer connections for students.

The district staff told the board FCA’s curriculum is being used as a voluntary supplement in English 4 and English 4 honors classes at the discretion of school principals and teachers and that the district and FCA have increased collaboration this year to improve alignment and impact measurement. Staff confirmed the contract is year three of the current arrangement and that the $150,000 is recorded as workforce-state funds in the district documents.

The board approved the agreement with Dr. Hahn recorded as the lone no vote. District staff agreed to return requested documentation: a detailed line-item explanation of the annual curriculum costs, a comparison audit of FCA lessons to CPALMS materials, and clarification of any fees charged to participating businesses.

Actions at the meeting also included a request from Dr. Hahn that the district provide the audit and curriculum comparison by the end of the month; staff acknowledged the request and said they would follow up.

Why it matters: The agreement funds programs that place students directly in front of employers and can lead to apprenticeships or employment, but board members pushed for clearer evidence of instructional value and financial transparency before continuing a recurring curriculum expense.

What’s next: Staff said they will bring additional documentation and implementation updates to the board as requested; the contract will be implemented in partnership with district CTE staff and business partners already engaged through FCA.