Levy County School Board approves new purchasing policy and class‑size compliance plan, hears midyear student data and votes to terminate employee

Levy County School Board members approved a new district purchasing policy and the district's class‑size compliance plan, heard a midyear student assessment update and district graduation figures, agreed to participate in a two‑day Master Board Program, and voted to adopt a final order recommending termination of an employee.

The board voted during its meeting to adopt Policy 7.13, a purchasing and bidding policy introduced after federal audit changes tied to recent federal grant activity, and approved the district's class‑size compliance plan based on the October (survey 2) counts the state uses for compliance. The board also received a presentation of midyear PM2 assessment data for English/language arts, math and science, and heard that the district's reported graduation rate is 94.8% versus a statewide rate of 89%.

The purchasing policy was presented as a model policy adapted from guidance staff received following pandemic‑era federal funding and related audit findings. The superintendent explained that changes in the Code of Federal Regulations and federal audit requirements prompted the need to formalize the district's purchasing and bidding procedures; the policy had been advertised for the required period before the board vote. The board approved the policy by motion with no recorded opposition.

On class‑size compliance, district staff summarized the statutory maximums used for compliance reporting: 18 students per class for pre‑K through 3, 22 students for grades 4 through 8, and 25 students for grades 9 through 12. Staff said the compliance calculation uses the October survey (survey 2) and that while the district conducts multiple internal counts, the DOE calculation method excludes certain subsets of classes, so the public numbers are not a literal classroom‑by‑class roll count. After describing an internal cleanup and a one‑day workshop with schools to correct anomalies, staff asked the board to approve the compliance plan for submission to the Department of Education. The board approved the plan by motion.

Assistant or central office staff (presenting as "Ms. Lewis" in the record) gave a detailed PM2 midyear data presentation. She said the district moved its PM2 window earlier into December this year to allow the district to act sooner on results; she noted the earlier testing date (one month earlier than last year) combined with seven days of instruction lost to hurricanes likely affected elementary English/language arts results. Staff quantified the lost elementary ELA instruction as roughly 17.5 hours (150 minutes per day times seven days) and said math lost fewer minutes (about seven hours), which staff said likely contributed to larger performance drops in ELA than math. The presenter reviewed cohort‑by‑cohort changes and midyear goals set during an administrators' workshop, and highlighted that a number of grade levels met midyear targets (for example, 2nd and 7th grade met midyear math goals). The district also noted differences in assessments across grades (for example, second‑ to third‑grade assessment differences) and changes to middle school science course pathways that make some year‑to‑year comparisons not directly comparable.

The superintendent reported that the district is 7th in the state for graduation rate (94.8% overall when lab schools and Florida Virtual School are excluded from the comparison) and listed individual school graduation rates cited during the presentation (Bronson ~98.2%, Cedar Key 100%, Tewell Middle High 96.5%, Williston Middle High 92%). The superintendent and presenters said additional slides and data will be available to board members, and administrators will meet January 29 for an admin workshop to dig into specifics.

On training, the board approved participation in the 2025–2026 Master Board Program offered through the Florida School Boards Association (FSBA). The superintendent said the multi‑day program is recommended, especially with two new board members and recent changes in leadership, and the board voted to move forward with the training.

The board also considered a final order recommending termination of employee Jonathan Irizari and placement on a disqualification list. District counsel David Delaney told the board that the employee has a statutory right to request an administrative hearing within 15 days of receiving the superintendent's termination letter. As Delaney stated during the meeting, "that right is 15 days from receipt of this letter from the superintendent," which counsel said gives the employee until the calculated deadline to request or waive a hearing. The board voted in favor of the superintendent's recommendation to terminate; counsel and staff clarified the board's vote is contingent on the employee not requesting a hearing within the statutory 15‑day period.

Routine business items — approval of the meeting agenda, prior meeting minutes, the consent agenda (including personnel and contracts), and the finance portion of the consent agenda — were each approved by motion during the meeting with no recorded opposition in the public record.

Board members and staff mentioned ongoing local activities and supports: a district legislative platform and an upcoming Tallahassee appropriations request (including a roofing project), the district spelling bee and literacy week, school volunteer grandparent reading programs, FFA events and state competitions, and local facility improvements such as bus area work behind Williston Elementary.

Votes at a glance - Motion to adopt the meeting agenda: approved (motion and second; voice vote "aye"). - Motion to approve Policy 7.13 (purchasing and bidding, model policy adapted after federal audits/Code of Federal Regulations changes): approved (motion and second; voice vote "aye"). - Motion to approve class‑size compliance plan (based on October/survey 2 counts): approved (motion and second; voice vote "aye"). - Motion to approve participation in FSBA Master Board Program (two consecutive days at board office): approved (motion and second; voice vote "aye"). - Motion to adopt final order recommending termination of employee Jonathan Irizari (and placement on disqualification list): approved by voice vote; board and counsel noted the employee has a 15‑day statutory right to request an administrative hearing, and the recommendation is contingent on no hearing request being filed in that period. - Motion to approve prior meeting minutes: approved (motion and second; voice vote "aye"). - Motion to approve consent agenda (personnel/contracts): approved (motion and second; voice vote "aye"). - Motion to approve finance portion of consent agenda: approved (motion and second; voice vote "aye").

What the board did not decide tonight: there was no final administrative hearing for the employee; counsel stated the employee retains the statutory right to request a hearing within 15 days of receipt of the letter. Several data items and slide details are available for board members to review and will be followed up at scheduled administrative workshops.

The meeting closed with board members recognizing local students and staff activities and asking for community support and prayers for members of the Bronson community following recent local tragedies. The board adjourned after the consent and routine business votes.