Leon County School Board Meeting Briefs: August 26, 2025

Provided below are the news briefs from the August 26, 2025, Leon County School Board meeting.

Recognition of Continuously High-Performing Schools

Item 2.01: The recognized schools were those that have achieved all ‘A’s in the last five years or consistently ‘A’s and ‘B’s. Elementary Schools: Buck Lake, Gilchrist, Hawks Rise, Killarney Lakes, Roberts, and DeSoto Trail. Middle Schools: Deer Lake, Mumford, and Swift Creek. High Schools: Chiles and Leon High School.

Public Comment

Scott Mazur, representing the Leon Classroom Teachers Association, addressed the board regarding the state’s budget. He noted that Florida has a budget stabilization fund of $4.4 billion (10% by law) and total reserves of $12 to $15 billion, the largest in state history. Mazur argued that despite claims of a “tight budget year,” the state has ample funds and that 10% of these reserves could provide $3,000 to $4,000 for every school teacher in Florida.

Items Related to Construction. All items passed unanimously.

Item 18.01: The Leon County School Board owns property constituting Raa Middle School located at 401 West Tharpe Street Tallahassee, Florida 32303. The Board approved The City of Tallahassee request that it be granted a temporary construction easement as referenced in the temporary construction easement.

Item 18.02: The Board approved a Traffic Signal Equipment easement located on the property of Raa Middle School located at 401 West Tharpe Street Tallahassee, Florida 32303.

Item 18.03: The Board approved a Short-Form Agreement ( $1,416,737) with Ajax Building Company, LLC for the Phase I Godby High School Boiler Replacement and HVAC Project, and other work as instructed.

Item 18.04: The Board approved a Rippee Construction, Inc. Change Order 1 (Deductive) for Construction Manager Services for Chiles High School Welding Lab Project.

Item 18.05: The Board approved a School Impact Analysis for a 358 Multi-Family Residential project located at 309 W. Tennessee Street. Schools impacted include Bond, RAA, & Leon.

Item 18.06: The Board approved certification of applicants seeking prequalification for bidding LCSB construction projects.

Superintendent’s Comments

The Superintendent reported a great start to the school year in its third week, with some expected bumps in transportation. Adjustments were made for pre-IB middle school students, who are now shuttled between their home zone elementary schools and Fairview Middle School, with some volunteering in after-school programs. He provided enrollment figures, noting that the current enrollment is 29,499, which is comparable to the same time last year (29,635 in October of the previous year).

Board Discussion

Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) Legislative Priorities: Board member Smith presented the proposed legislative priorities for the Leon County School Board for submission to the FSBA which included calls for increased funding for teacher salaries.

Tax Initiatives: Board member Jones inquired about the status of two tax initiatives discussed previously: an increase in the millage rate for teacher salaries and a half-cent sales tax for capital outlay. The advice given was to “be still” until the first of the year, after which engagement with stakeholders (chambers, etc.) and a marketing plan would be pursued. The board acknowledged these are critically important for sustainable funding for teachers and capital outlay.