Though the November elections didn’t go too nicely for different New Tampa residents — with Jim Davison (Hillsborough County Fee) and Rico Smith (State Home of Representatives) each dropping, Tampa Palms residents Jessica Vaughn (New Tampa’s District 3) and Karen Perez (countywide District 6) not solely gained reelection of their respective Hillsborough Faculty Board races in August, they’ve now been named the Board’s chair and vice-chair, respectively.
Vaughn says that is large information for our space, as New Tampa has by no means held the Board’s prime two spots earlier than. “Karen already has been a District-wide member, so she has needed to have a extra ‘international’ perspective and be extra all around the county,” Vaughn says, “however now, because the chair, I additionally need to be extra concerned District-wide, despite the fact that I’m nonetheless the District 3 member. It means much more work, however I’m prepared.”
Vaughn and Perez had been elected as the brand new leaders on Nov. 19, on the Board’s annual reorganization assembly.
Vaughn says she already has been laborious at work, “attempting to place sources into colleges which haven’t all the time had sources.” She says that among the many colleges she has been pushing for are Freedom Excessive, Turner-Bartels Ok-8 Faculty and upgrades for Benito and Liberty center colleges. “I’ve been working intently with Liberty principal Frank Diaz to get him the sources he wants,” Vaughn says.
She says {that a} hot-button concern proper now could be the potential growth of center college sports activities packages. “Our residents need sports activities like lacrosse and deal with soccer with full gear in center colleges,” she says. “However, these are costly sports activities and there will not be sufficient cash in our funds to make them work on the center college degree. I assist the concept however I don’t know if the Board will assist the funding for it.”
Talking of the funds, Vaughn says she is “so grateful” that Hillsborough County voters overwhelmingly (with greater than 66% of voters voting “Sure”) handed the millage enhance to extend salaries for lecturers and workers members. “That was large for us, so our instructor and workers salaries can turn out to be extra aggressive with different massive districts,” she stated.
Though Vaughn didn’t know precisely when the extra funds would start displaying up in paychecks, as a result of the District is at present with out a Chief Monetary Officer (former CFO Romaneir Johnson took the identical place with Broward County Colleges), “however we’re hoping to have a brand new CFO in place by Jan. 1.”
Vaughn additionally was comfortable that Hillsborough voters determined to resume the half-cent Group Funding Tax (CIT), so the District additionally will proceed to have funds for capital outlays like enhancements at District colleges.
“I’m additionally thrilled that voters throughout Florida voted in opposition to making Faculty Board races partisan,” she says. “Plainly folks really need politics out of schooling.”
Talking of partisan politics, Vaughn says she was relieved to have gained reelection following a destructive marketing campaign spearheaded by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and her opponent, Myosha Powell, who accused Vaughn of being a “civil servant who thinks that we’re her topics.” Vaughn was reelected with about 59% of ballots forged, as all 4 incumbents operating for reelection ended up holding onto their seats. “I’m proud to have assist throughout the aisle,” she says.
Montessori & TOY Information
One other concern Vaughn is engaged on is changing Heritage Elementary on Cross Creek Blvd. right into a Montessori college, starting with one grade and including a further grade yearly.
“It’s working nicely at Essrig Elementary (close to Citrus Park,” she says. “The group appears to love it and lots of people are selecting personal Montessoris over public colleges lately. We’re dropping households in New Tampa and Temple Terrace to it.” The one concern, she says, is that Montessori schooling doesn’t all the time translate nicely to standardized checks.”
And, whereas the finalists weren’t introduced till after we went to press with this concern, Vaughn says New Tampa and Dist. 3 have, “essentially the most finalists” for Instructor of the Yr and the opposite Hillsborough Schooling Basis awards.
