A cluster of public speakers at the Nov. 11 Pinellas County School Board meeting raised staffing and program concerns and asked the board for concrete solutions.

Elisa Aycock, a parent, said her daughter Marissa (a junior at Tarpon Springs High) has an IEP/504 plan and that several of the school’s track coaches were fired when the school year began. Aycock said her daughter had organized a petition signed by more than 100 athletes and parents asking the board to save the coaches; she described conflicts with the principal and said district staff had since intervened to address some concerns.

“I’m highly upset with this principal,” Aycock said, asking the board to consider the impact on students.

Marissa, speaking for herself, described being temporarily unenrolled and marked unexcused when she was exploring veterinary programs at other schools, and said Tarpon Springs’ agriculture and large‑animal offerings are not currently restored. She told the board that she and other students are interested in hands‑on large‑animal work and that distance to alternative programs and scheduling conflicts limit participation.

Sally Coleman described examples from New York City where public‑school space in co‑located buildings was left under-resourced after charter co‑location. Coleman urged the board to advocate for repeal of the co‑location allowance in the Legislature (identified in her remarks as SB 4 24).

Jillian Cates, a middle‑school teacher in the district, told the board she has worked for more than 10 years without paid maternity or parental leave. Cates said she received unpaid FMLA and continued to pay the district for insurance premiums while not being paid, and asked the board for ideas and solutions to support employees.

Curtis Camponi recommended that the district pursue unrestricted donations from local donors to support program innovation and suggested options such as offering free childcare for teachers or repurposing unused school space to address community needs.

Board members did not take immediate board-level actions at the meeting in response to these comments; staff said earlier in the agenda that referrals to appropriate staff would be made as needed.