Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Priority 3 Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board hears progress on food service, safety, attendance and transportation
Summary
Student‑support staff reported improvements to summer feeding, school meals, safety drills and transportation on‑time arrivals; attendance and truancy programs also showed gains, though staff noted ongoing challenges in afternoon bus drop‑offs and certain staffing areas.
Lisa Cropley, executive director of Student Support Services, and department directors reported on Priority 3 of the district strategic plan: safe and healthy learning environments.
Food and nutrition: Holly Longo, director of food services, described menu changes, salad bars and summer feeding growth. Staff said summer meal counts rose from tens of thousands to roughly 50,000 breakfasts and 54,000 lunches in the most recent summer program and that the department received an award from the Florida Department of Agriculture for the largest increase in meals served. Cropley named Brooksville and West Hernando Middle School as two summer‑meal sites for the coming season. Presenters said kitchen equipment replacements and a new digital refrigeration monitoring system are planned.
Safety and mental health: Safe‑schools staff outlined drills, after‑action reporting, active‑assailant training and a safety summit. Student‑services staff reported expanded district social‑worker assignments, more substance‑use educators, online parent courses, and partnerships with outside agencies to provide counseling and intensive supports. The district said statutorily required resiliency training for students in grades 6–12 is being implemented and that Youth Mental Health First Aid completion rates exceed the 80% statutory target.
Attendance and truancy: Student‑services staff cited year‑to‑date increases in students with 90%+ attendance and reductions in chronic absenteeism; they reported running new truancy court dates (first held April 30) and said quarterly board truancy reporting is in compliance for quarters one through three.
Transportation: Transportation staff reported on‑time arrival gains (from 82% to 98% in recent years) after route changes and pairing schools; staff said afternoon drop‑off delays persist in some areas because of staffing shortages and that the parent app “Where’s the Bus” has around 15,000 active families and reduces phone calls to the department.
Board members praised the improvements but asked staff to continue monitoring afternoon drop‑off performance and to keep pursuing staffing and equipment fixes. Cropley and directors said they will follow up on details where needed.
