North Port High School JROTC and Student Representative

Recognize CTE Students of the Year

School Spotlight  - Gulf Gate Elementary School 

AL HARAYDA    al.harayda@sarasotacountyschools.net

ALLISON FOSTER   allison.foster@sarasotacountyschools.net

JODY DUMAS   jody.dumas@sarasotacountyschools.net

CHRIS RENOUF   chris.renouf@sarasotacountyschools.net

Creekside Health Rehabilitation Center has agreed to STC Health Science Program to make its facility available to School Board students a clinical learning experience through the application of knowledge and clinical skills in actual patient-centered situations in a health care facility.

STC medical programs require clinical experiences at medical facilities to provide work-based learning experiences for its students which is required to program requirements.

Student success in the Nursing Assistant, Practical Nursing, Surgical Technology, Emergency Medical Technician, and Paramedic programs. Maintain highest level of quality patient care as experienced through hands-on clinical rotations.

That the Affiliation Agreement between Creekside Health Rehabilitation Center and the School Board of Sarasota County, FL be approved as presented.

RON DIPILLO   ron.dipillo@sarasotacountyschools.net

RACHAEL O’DEA   rachael.o’dea@sarasotacountyschools.net

Piggybacking is the post-award use of a contractual document or process that allows an entity that was not contemplated in the original procurement to purchase the same supplies, equipment or services through that original document or process. The School Board of Sarasota County Policy 7.70 Purchasing and Bidding allows for this process subject to the provisions of law.

The Purchasing Department has researched and reviewed the competitive solicitations that are available for these purchases and has determined that the use of the attached contracts for the purpose cited presents the best value and/or is in the best interest of the School Board. 

The District is required to provide inspection and repair services for our fueling systems district wide. This is a State Mandate that requires inspections and immediate attention to all failed inspections.

The fuel stations/systems in the District typically have needed regular inspections and repairs. However, up to this point all repairs have been minor in nature.

At this time, we are working with aging fuel systems at 3 of our 4 fueling locations. Approval of this T & C will allow for the now needed major repairs within the District as well as the State mandated inspections.

That the piggyback contracts were awarded to Windemuller Technical Services, Inc., for the ratifications and the anticipated purchase of testing, repair, and maintenance services for petroleum products storage tanks, be approved as presented.

DON HAMPTON   don.hampton@sarasotacountyschools.net
JODY DUMAS   jody.dumas@sarasotacountyschools.net

Not to exceed $500,000.00

The funds for these purchases are contained in the budgets allocated to the appropriate departments and schools. Funding Source:  Capital Funds

Piggybacking is the post-award use of a contractual document or process that allows an entity that was not contemplated in the original procurement to purchase the same supplies, equipment or services through that original document or process. The School Board of Sarasota County Policy 7.70 Purchasing and Bidding allows for this process subject to the provisions of law.

The Purchasing Department has researched and reviewed the competitive solicitations that are available for these purchases and has determined that the use of the attached contracts for the purpose cited presents the best value and/or is in the best interest of the School Board. 

Facilities is in need of a vendor that supplies artificial turf for both playgrounds and play areas. 

In the past, Facilities utilized mulch and Poured in Place (PIP) surfacing for playgrounds. Mulch is a constant maintenance need and requires daily labor. PIP is expensive to install as well as maintain.

To utilize the approved vendor on playgrounds in lieu of mulch or PIP which will offer superior comfort to our students and supply them with the proper fall cushioning ratios for protection.

That the piggyback contracts awarded to ForeverLawn of Tampa Bay, for the anticipated purchase of pour in rubber & artificial turf for playground surfaces, be approved as presented.

DON HAMPTON   don.hampton@sarasotacountyschools.net
JODY DUMAS   jody.dumas@sarasotacountyschools.net

Not to exceed $500,000.00
The funds for these purchases are contained in the budgets allocated to the appropriate departments and schools. Funding Source:  Capital Funds

The specified shed has been inspected by the Facilities Services and Construction Services staff and is deemed beyond economical to maintain or renovate and is more cost effective to be replaced with a new shed. Therefore, it is requested the shed be deleted and demolished.

This Board action item provides documentation and description of district-owned property that is recommended for demolition and deletion from Florida Inventory of School Houses (FISH) records. It also identifies any items that require replacement.

Approvals to delete district-owned property can be necessitated by damage from storms such as hurricanes or high wind events; however, most commonly they are presented due to the item outliving its useful life and being more costly to repair and/or bring up to current code.

Upon approval by the Board, staff will work to have the item removed and if required, replaced accordingly, which will provide for safer and more secure facilities.

That the deletion of the storage shed 96-220 located at Laurel Nokomis School from F.I.S.H inventory be approved as presented.

DON HAMTION   don.hampton@sarasotacountyschools.net

JODY DUMAS   jody.dumas@sarasotacountyschools.net

All work has been completed and all required closeout documents have been received from the contractor. The final project costs have been internally audited, and the final payment application and backup #22303568 are enclosed. The Director of Facilities Services has determined that the project is complete in accordance with state statutes.

Acceptance of this item allows the project to be completed, unspent funds to be returned, closeout to be finalized, and final payment to be made to the Construction Manager.

These items are submitted to the Board for all completed projects. The item officially closes out the project financially and frees up District staff for new projects. Many small projects are completed immediately following the summer months when most of takes place.

Acceptance of this item will close out the project financially and free up District staff for new projects.

That the project be accepted as complete, and the final payment and certificate of substantial completion be approved as presented.

DON HAMPTON   don.hampton@sarasotacountyschools.net

JODY DUMAS   jody.dumas@sarasotacountyschools.net

($76,284.82)

The Facilities Services’ change order is summarized on the enclosure for ease of review. This change order reflects a decrease of ($76,284.82) in gross contract dollars.

Change orders are utilized on facilities’ contracts to adjust the original contract amount for various circumstances. These may include adjustments for an increase or decrease in project scope, adjustments needed to close a contract and return unspent project funds to the district, or for removing the purchase of large items from a contract so the district can purchase these items directly from vendors to save sales tax. The attached document details the associated change order for this item.

Change orders reflect facilities’ project progress and occur normally as a result of conditions on the facilities’ project and district staff managing the costs associated with each project.

This system has resulted in significant, ongoing savings and allows district staff to continue to maximize these benefits, especially as the construction market becomes more competitive.

That the Facilities Services’ change order be approved and/or ratified as presented.

DON HAMPTON   don.hampton@sarasotacountyschools.net

JODY DUMAS   jody.dumas@sarasotacountyschools.net

($76,284.82)

JANE DREGER   jane.dreger@sarasotacountyschools.net

JODY DUMAS   jody.dumas@sarasotacountyschools.net

The Construction Services' change orders are summarized on the enclosure for ease of review. Included in these change orders is a ($5,352,917.55) deduct for Direct Material Purchases and the corresponding ($88,240.65) deduct for sales tax savings. These change orders result in an overall contract decrease of ($5,441,158.20).

Change orders are utilized on construction contracts to adjust the original contract amount for various circumstances. These may include adjustments for an increase or decrease in project scope, adjustments needed to close a contract and return unspent project funds to the district, or for removing the purchase of large items from a contract so the district can purchase these items directly from vendors to save sales tax. The attached documents detail the associated change orders for this item on multiple projects.

Change orders reflect construction project progress and occur normally as a result of conditions on the construction project and district staff managing the costs associated with each project, including deductive change orders to allow the district to save sales tax.

This system has resulted in significant, ongoing savings and allows district staff to continue to maximize these benefits, especially as the construction market becomes more competitive.

That the Construction Services’ change orders be approved and/or ratified as presented.

JANE DREGER   jane.dreger@sarasotacountyschools.net

JODY DUMAS   jody.dumas@sarasotacountyschools.net

($5,441,158.20)

That the Board appointed community members for the Financial Advisory Committee be approved as presented: 

• Karen Rose appointed Eric Robinson
• Tom Edwards appointed Jennifer Johnston
• Robyn Marinelli appointed Atticus Frank

That the vacancy for the District 2 Representative on the Board's Audit Selection Committee be filled by Thomas Chaffee be approved as presented.

The Purchasing Department has researched and reviewed the competitive solicitations that are available for these purchases and has determined that the use of the attached contracts for the purpose cited presents the best value and/or is in the best interest of the School Board.

As a public education agency, the deployment of a next-gen, robust firewall holds paramount importance in ensuring the integrity, security, and efficiency of Sarasota County Schools’ digital infrastructure. The Information Technology Department has taken significant time to research and identify a firewall solution that meets the current and future needs of the district as it relates to: protection against cyber threats, preservation of data integrity & privacy, content filtering & compliance management, and optimization of network performance. 
A next-gen, robust firewall serves as the first line of defense against an array of cyber threats prevalent in today's digital landscape. It acts as a barrier, meticulously scrutinizing incoming and outgoing network traffic to intercept and neutralize malicious entities such as viruses, malware, and unauthorized access attempts.
Safeguarding sensitive student and staff data is of utmost concern. A firewall plays a pivotal role in preserving data integrity and privacy by regulating access to confidential information and thwarting unauthorized attempts to breach the district's network perimeter. This ensures compliance with stringent data protection regulations and fosters trust among stakeholders.
Beyond security measures, a next-gen firewall enables granular control over internet access, allowing school leaders to implement content filtering policies tailored to the educational environment. By selectively restricting access to inappropriate or non-educational content, the firewall helps maintain a safe and conducive online environment for students while aligning with regulatory compliance requirements.
Efficient network performance is essential for seamless delivery of educational resources and administrative functions. Through sophisticated traffic management capabilities, a robust firewall optimizes bandwidth utilization, prioritizes critical network traffic, and mitigates bottlenecks, thereby ensuring uninterrupted access to online learning tools and resources.
The adoption of a next-gen, robust firewall represents a strategic imperative for fortifying cyber defenses, protecting sensitive data, fostering regulatory compliance, optimizing network performance, and mitigating cybersecurity risks. By investing in robust cybersecurity infrastructure, our schools can cultivate a safe, resilient, and conducive digital learning environment conducive to student success and institutional excellence.

The previous purchase for the district’s firewall solution was approved as presented. The firewall met the intended needs and objectives of the district during its anticipated lifecycle along with meeting the unanticipated needs through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The purchase of the district’s firewall appliances with 3 years of support and maintenance should be approved as presented. The support and maintenance for these firewall appliances can be extended beyond the 3 years if the firewalls continue to meet the needs of the district at that time.

That the cooperative contracts awarded to SHI International for the anticipated purchase of materials and/or services be approved as presented.

JOE BINSWANGER   joe.binswanger@sarasotacountyschools.net

CHRIS RENOUF   chris.renouf@sarasotacountyschools.net

Not to exceed:  $1,150,000.00

The funds for these purchases are contained in the budgets allocated to the Information Technology Department. Funding Source:  Capital Budget within IT Department Budget

Approval of request to advertise removal of the following School Board Policies:

•     Policy 3.23 Emergencies

•     Policy 4.21 Textbook Adoption

•     Policy 5.325 Dating Violence and Abuse

•     Policy 5.55 Notice of Involuntary Examination

We are seeking authorization to advertise policies as part of the rulemaking process for a minimum of 28 days.  Once this time period passes the policies will be brought back before to formally remove these policies.

Per F.S. 120.54, a notice of proposed rule is required to be published for Board policy cha­­­­nges. In accordance with our Interlocal Agreement with Sarasota County, approved by our Board on October 17, 2023 and the Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners on November 14, 2023, our notices for each policy will be published on the County’s Publicly Accessible website, with a link on our District website.

After expiration of the required 28-day advertisement period, the Board will be asked to formally remove these policies as early as the April 16, 2024 Board Meeting

Policy 3.23 is now covered more thoroughly in the revised safety policies discussed at the February 20, 2024 workshop and advertised for adoption at the April 5, 2024 meeting.

Policy 4.21 is covered more thoroughly in Policy 4.22, which the Board adopted on January 16, 2024.

Policy 5.325 is covered more thoroughly in Policy 2.72, which the Board adopted on December 12, 2023.

Policy 5.55 is covered more thoroughly in Policy 3.14, which the Board adopted on January 16, 2024.

These policy were all previously adopted by the Board but are now no longer needed due to updates to similar policies.

Upon formal removal of these policies after the required 28-day advertisement period and a final Board vote, they will be removed from our list of policies to avoid confusion with similar updated policies.

CHRIS PARENTEAU   chris.parenteau@sarasotacountyschools.net

CRAIG MANIGLIA   craig.maniglia@sarasotacountyschools.net

That the Board appointed community members for the Financial Advisory Committee be approved as presented: 

• Karen Rose appointed Eric Robinson
• Tom Edwards appointed Jennifer Johnston
• Robyn Marinelli appointed Atticus Frank