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Charles High senior updates board on Girl Flow menstrual-equity work; parent urges district to enable VPK in extended care
Summary
Anitra Krishnan, lead ambassador of the student-led Girl Flow Project, updated the board on efforts to expand access to period products and to destigmatize menstruation in schools. In public comment, Christy Tillman asked the board to investigate barriers keeping VPK students from before- and after-school extended care; staff said Director Brooke Bruner will follow up.
Anitra Krishnan, a senior at Charles High School and lead ambassador for the Girl Flow Project, briefed the board on July 29 about the student group’s work on menstrual equity. "All of us here at the Girl Flow Project want to make sure students in Leon County have access to vital period products," Krishnan said. She outlined donation drives, educational events, and installed dispensers in all Leon County middle and high schools, and invited the community to a back‑to‑school event on Aug. 9.
During public comment, parent Christy Tillman told the board that VPK (Voluntary Prekindergarten) students at Woodville Elementary are excluded from before‑ and after‑school extended care programs. Tillman said the exclusion forces working families in her geographically isolated community to arrange costly private transportation or to forgo VPK enrollment. She asked the board to investigate whether the barrier is state statute, DCF licensing, student classification or staffing certification and requested urgent action so families can access care for the upcoming school year.
The superintendent asked Dr. Gail to collect Tillman’s contact information and asked that Director of Early Childhood Brooke Bruner research the issue and follow up before the end of the week. "We'll get our director of early childhood education, Miss Brooke Bruner, to do a little research on this issue, and she'll be in contact with you before the end of the week," the superintendent said.
Another public commenter, Audrey Lewis, a longtime educator, offered to partner with the district on parental engagement programs. Gary Hunter, attorney for a developer with an item on the agenda, identified himself and offered to answer questions when that agenda item was considered.
Next steps: Director Brooke Bruner to contact Christy Tillman and provide findings about legal and operational barriers to VPK participation in extended care programs.
