School board approves charter renewal, district curriculum and nutrition purchases

The Hillsborough County School Board on Jan. 14 approved multiple routine and substantive items, including a 10-year contract renewal request for New Spring School, supplemental curricular purchases for individual schools, and hardware and software for student nutrition services.

Board action came as part of a consent motion and separate agenda votes. Member Perez moved to adopt the agenda and the motion carried unanimously with Member Washington absent. The board later approved the minutes of the Dec. 17, 2024 meeting and then voted on individual items called for discussion.

The most prominent contested item called up for separate consideration was a contract renewal for New Spring School, a K–8 STEM-focused charter that opened in 2010 and enrolls 426 students. Superintendent Ayers told the board the school has met “the statutory requirements for contract renewal” and had asked for a 10-year renewal. Member Gray questioned academic progress, asking, “What are they doing differently to bring their grade up from a C to a B?” Board staff and the school pointed to reductions in out-of-school suspensions, implementation of PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports), and targeted mentorship for students at risk of suspension.

The board also approved C502, a set of school-level purchases for the IXL digital learning platform. Superintendent Ayers said the purchases are individual school decisions that supplement the district-adopted materials and that many schools used Title I or PTA funds; IXL is in the district’s five-year textbook adoption plan begun in 2022.

Item C704, a piggyback procurement through Region 4 for student nutrition services, will provide computer hardware, software and supplies to cafeterias; superintendent and staff said much of the prior problems were software- and integration-related and that 40 laptops will be distributed to managers who need them.

All items on the consent agenda and the separately pulled items passed unanimously in recorded votes where noted; Member Washington was absent for some votes.

Votes at a glance: - Consent agenda — motion by Member Perez, second by Member Gray; outcome: approved (unanimous; Member Washington absent). Included administrative appointments noted by the superintendent. - Minutes (Dec. 17, 2024) — motion by Member Combs, second by Member Perez; outcome: approved (unanimous). - C204: Contract renewal request, New Spring School (10-year term requested). Motion by Dr. Hahn, second by Member Combs; outcome: approved (unanimous; Member Washington absent). Staff noted the school earned a grade of C for 2023–24 and serves 426 students in grades K–8; the school requested a 10-year renewal and staff said it met statutory renewal requirements. - C502: Supplemental curriculum purchases (IXL) — motion by Member Gray, second by Member Rendon; outcome: approved (unanimous). Board discussion noted IXL is part of the district’s 2022 textbook adoption and is used for targeted skill intervention and diagnostics. - C704: Piggyback procurement for student nutrition services (hardware/software) — motion by Member Rendon, second by Member Combs; outcome: approved (unanimous). Staff said funds come from student nutrition capital dollars (federal/state-restricted) and that the item will address software integration and supply shortfalls.

The board packet and staff presentation materials list additional details about funding sources, student counts, and timelines; board members asked staff to make funding-source line items clearer in future agenda descriptions so the public can see which federal or state funds are being used for purchases.