The School Board of Escambia County, Florida, convened in Special Meeting at 9:00 a.m. in the Board Room at the Administrative Building, 215 West Garden Street, with the following present:

Chairman: Mrs. Cary Stidham Vice Chairman: Dr. John DeWitt

Members: Dr. Elmer Jenkins

Dr. Hal Mason

Mrs. Vanette Webb

Superintendent of Schools: Mr. Jim May

I. ADOPTION OF AGENDA

Motion by Dr. DeWitt, second by Dr. Mason, to adopt the agenda, was unanimously approved.

II. ITEMS FROM THE BOARD

The Board conducted individual interviews for School Board Attorney with Francisco Negron and Peter Williams. After discussion, motion by Dr. Mason, second by Mrs. Webb, that the Board employ Peter Williams as School Board Attorney at a Pay Grade 26 Step 7 ($81,911) plus $3,820 for Juris Doctorate, for a period beginning no later than March 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001, was approved 3-2 with Dr. DeWitt and Dr. Jenkins voting NO.

Motion by Mrs. Webb, second by Dr. Jenkins, that the Board pay for Peter Williams to attend the School Board Legal Conference in February, was unanimously approved.

The Board addressed II. ITEMS FROM THE BOARD - 3. Legislative Program 2000, which was tabled from the January 24, 2000, Special Board Meeting. Ms. Barbara Frye, Coordinator, Information Services, addressed the Board concerning the Legislative Program.

Motion by Dr. DeWitt, second by Dr. Jenkins, to amend the Legislative Program Item Number 4 to allow successful preschool programs to remain, was unanimously approved.

Motion was made by Dr. DeWitt and seconded by Dr. Jenkins, to amend the Legislative Program by deleting a line from Item Number 5 which stated "remove caps on enrollment of Exceptional Student Education (ESE)." Said motion failed 3-2 with Dr. Jenkins, Mrs. Stidham, and Mrs. Webb voting NO.

Motion by Dr. DeWitt, second by Dr. Jenkins, to amend the Legislative Program to add a line with language to "implement a 210 day school calendar for all children", failed 4-1 with Dr. Jenkins, Dr. Mason, Mrs. Stidham, and Mrs. Webb voting NO.

Motion was made by Dr. Mason and seconded by Dr. Jenkins, to amend the Legislative Program to end Item Number 19 after the word "program" and delete the rest of the sentence. After discussion, Dr. Mason withdrew the motion and Dr. Jenkins withdrew the second.

Motion by Dr. Mason, second by Dr. Jenkins, to amend the Legislative Program, Item Number 11, to reflect "fully fund and implement summer school and intersession for remediation programs" and delete "extended school year", failed 4-1 with Dr. DeWitt, Dr. Jenkins, Mrs. Stidham, and Mrs. Webb voting NO.

Motion was made by Dr. Mason to amend the Legislative Program, Item Number 6, to add language "a portion of Two Mil Capital Outlay." Mrs. Webb seconded the motion for purposes of discussion. After discussion, Chairman Stidham called for the vote and the motion failed 4-1 with Dr. DeWitt, Dr. Jenkins, Mrs. Stidham, and Mrs. Webb voting NO.

After discussion, motion by Dr. DeWitt, second by Mrs. Webb, to accept the Legislative Program 2000 (as amended), was unanimously approved.

III. ADJOURNMENT

Motion by Dr. DeWitt, second by Dr. Jenkins, to adjourn the meeting at 12:40 p.m., was unanimously approved. (Official recordings of this meeting are filed in the Information Services Department.)