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Troy Weaver outlines Rock student‑support rooms and mobile 'Rolling Rock' for Levy County schools
Summary
Troy Weaver, representing Empowered of Central Florida, described the Rock program model — branded on‑site rooms and mobile trucks that provide school supplies, clothing and hygiene items — and said state appropriations will allow a Levy County pilot at Williston Middle‑High; the presentation was informational and no board vote on program adoption occurred.
Troy Weaver of Empowered of Central Florida presented the Rock program to the Levy County School Board, describing branded on‑campus "Rock rooms" and mobile "Rolling Rock" trucks that deliver school supplies, clothing, hygiene items and limited equipment directly to students.
Weaver said the nonprofit began in Marion County in 2016 and now operates rooms and mobile units across Marion, Citrus and Lake counties. He told the board the program has ‘‘served ... almost 16,000’’ students and that the organization tracks fair‑market equivalents for goods distributed, citing "29,000" school supply units, "4,000 pieces of clothing" and "3,000" instances of food or hygiene items. Weaver said the Rock rooms are stocked mostly with donated items, require Level‑2 background checks for volunteers and are age‑screened before distribution.
The superintendent and other board members discussed piloting a Rock room in Levy County, naming Williston Middle‑High as the likely start site pending space. The superintendent said appropriation money approved by the governor has been routed so Levy County can be included with Citrus and Marion counties for initial funding; Weaver told the board the program is "100% funded for the first year and a half." Board members and staff asked about volunteer recruitment, confidentiality and how the program interfaces with dress‑code and attendance practices.
Board members praised the program’s discretion and branding as ways to reduce stigma. Weaver described operational details: school staff use passes for students to visit Rock rooms, volunteers staff rooms at staggered times (for example, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. or 2:30–4:30 p.m.), and Rolling Rock trucks can fill orders delivered back to schools in multiple days. He said some schools reported improved attendance when students could be sent to the Rock room instead of sent home for dress‑code violations.
The presentation was informational; board members did not take a formal vote to adopt the program at the meeting. Weaver provided contact information and a website for the Rock program during his remarks.
