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Students tell Broward board they feel heard but flag bathrooms, tutoring and counseling gaps
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Summary
Students and district staff presented results from the superintendent's student engagement initiative — 146,000 responses across three quarters — and urged fixes for bathroom cleanliness, drainage and access to counseling and tutoring. Board members directed facilities and academic teams to report back with implementation steps.
Students from 44 participating schools described where they feel supported and where the district can improve as staff presented findings from the superintendent's student engagement initiative. The district reported 146,000 student survey submissions and an average 78% response rate across three quarterly administrations, an AI-assisted ThoughtExchange tool and a 75% participation benchmark for participating schools, according to student leader Landon Spellberg (student advisor). "We could not have told the story of the survey without you," Spellberg told the student panel after the presentation.
The district summarized three initiative goals: establish principal-student advisory-board guides, implement a ThoughtExchange feedback loop in every high school and make key student-success information easier to find on district webpages. Presenters said the principal engagement packet (PEP) and quarterly surveys were intended to increase student voice and to produce school-level follow-up.
Students cited several recurring issues. Many said they feel supported when adults are accessible and when teachers act on student feedback; several named trusted adults by name. Cleanliness — especially bathroom maintenance, restocking supplies and drainage after heavy rain — was a frequent concern. "If something spills on the floor, making sure that it is cleaned up immediately" and "proper maintenance with the bathrooms" were cited by multiple students; district facility staff said they had begun quality-assurance visits and targeted night-shift work to address those types of issues. Chief facility officer Mark Dorsey said staff have started school-level visits and flagged staffing shortages in custodial ranks, noting the district is exploring contractor support and other staffing models.
Board members pressed staff for concrete next steps. Board member Alan Zeman asked whether improvements had been made after low first-quarter cleanliness scores; Dorsey and Superintendent Howard Hepburn pointed to targeted follow-up visits and said several schools reported visible gains. Hepburn asked Mr. Dorsey and the PPO team to bring a report back to the board on how ongoing restroom and drainage issues will be prioritized and verified.
Students also pressed for more and earlier SAT/ACT prep and expanded tutoring options. District officials said some high-dosage tutoring is available to schools via an ITB and that Clever (not Canvas) provides a district portal for high-dosage vendors such as Varsity Tutors, with federal grant funding covering services at selected schools. Dr. Kona (chief academic staff) confirmed schools can use Title I funds or district ITB options to procure additional online tutoring.
Several students offered practical suggestions — campus cleanup days, incentives for student volunteers, improved signage and more accessible counselors — and board members pledged to follow up. The district said it will finalize transition plans, staffing commitments and communications for sustaining the engagement work and will return with detailed recommendations in coming weeks.
The board thanked the students and staff and directed follow-up reports from facilities, academics and the student-engagement team. The next procedural step is a staff report back to the board on custodial staffing, vent and drainage action plans, and a plan to publicize available tutoring resources.
