Leon County School Board Meeting Briefs: April 22, 2025

Provided below are the news briefs from the April 22, 2025, Leon County School Board meeting.

Items Considered by the Board

Item 19.01: The Board voted unanimously to advertise amendments to Policy 0169.1 – Public Participation at Board Meetings, for a public hearing and adoption on June 17, 2025. The amendments require -in part – that individuals desiring to provide public input must complete a public input form with their name and identify the proposition or matter on which the individual desires to speak, each individual speaker shall be allotted up to a total of three (3) minutes, Individuals who have filled out the Board’s public input form may not delegate their allotted time to speak to other individuals, and individuals may not utilize any demonstrative aids when providing public input.

Item 19.02: The Board voted unanimously to advertise amendments to Policy 8651 – Board-Owned Vehicles, for a public hearing and adoption on June 17, 2025. The policy notes that the School Board recognizes the benefits of operating the most functional, fuel-efficient, and least environmentally harmful fleet in a fiscally responsible manner, taking into consideration vehicle procurement and operational costs. To implement this policy, a needs analysis shall be conducted when a new or replacement vehicle is requested.

Item 19.03: The Board voted unanimously to approve a settlement related to a school bus accident. A Leon County school bus collided with a vehicle driven by Ruthie Flanders on April 5, 2022.  The accident occurred at the intersection of Jackson Bluff and Ausley Road.  The plaintiff was taken from the accident by an ambulance.  The plaintiff subsequently received medical treatment by orthopedic physicians.  Ms. Flanders has filed a lawsuit alleging that the LCSB driver was negligent causing the accident.  The parties have agreed to resolve this matter for $62,500 with no admission of fault.  Approval of the settlement will resolve all claims related to this incident and settle case #2025 CA 000009.         

Item 19.04: The Board voted unanimously to approve out of county travel for School Board Member Laurie Lawson Cox to attend the FSBA School Finance Workshop. Board policy requires that all out of county travel be approved in advance by the school board.

Information Update

Item 20.02: Renaissance Academy Charter School Updates. Chairman of the Board of the Renaissance Charter School, Inc. and the owner and operator of Renaissance Academy, a charter school in Leon County, has notified the Superintendent that they are suspending operations at Renaissance Academy, effective at the end of the FY25 school year. Their current enrollment is 220 students.

Renaissance Academy opened in 2012 under the name, Governors Charter Academy.  They changed the school’s name in July 2023 from Governors Charter Academy, to Renaissance Academy.  The school has served students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade. 

The Charter Office will be following a Closure Action Plan to effectively ensure proper charter school closure and is monitoring student enrollment to ensure all students displaced from the school are enrolled in an educational setting.