School Board Meeting Highlights (Nov. 12, 2024)
The School Board of Orange County held its regularly-scheduled board meeting at 5 p.m. at the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center. These are the highlights:
School Board approved the OESPA Contract for 2024-25 Wage Increases and Contract Language Changes for Education Support Employees (Subject to Ratification)
The wage increases will increase the minimum hourly rate for all education support employees to $15.45 per hour. To implement this increase in the minimum hourly rate, there is an increase in the minimum hourly rates for pay grades 3 – 18. The combination of the wage structure movement and the employee adjustment to the structure movement will result in all active education support personnel who worked one day more than half a year in 2023-24 receiving a minimum of two percent (2%) per hour increase. In addition, the parties agreed to a one-year extension of the bonus for those employees regularly assigned to a self-contained classroom with at least one student identified as ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) or EBD (Emotional/Behavioral Disability). There are also language changes in Articles XIV, XV, XVII, XVIII, and Appendices A-1, and A-2. If ratified, the wage increases will pay retroactively to the first duty day of the employee’s work year for the 2024-25 school year.
School Board approved salary increases, retention supplement, revised salary structures for School-Based Administrators, Administrative/Technical Staff, Executive Management, District Police, Food Service Managers, and Hourly Pay Plan
All employees in these positions must have worked one day over half of the previous school year in an OCPS benefitted position to be eligible for the July 1st annual pay increase. The cost of these salary increases is 2.0% of respective payrolls. The School-Based Administrators, Administrative/Technical, Executive Management, District Police, Food Service Managers and Hourly Salary Structures have been updated accordingly. School-Based Administrator’s increases will meet the requirement of statutes for “effective” and “highly effective” evaluations.
School Board approved new school attendance zones
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Site 97-E-2, adopted Rezoning Option 2. School opens in August 2025.
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Site 126-E-4, adopted Rezoning Option 1. School opens in August 2026.
Changes regarding administrative personnel
Superintendent Maria Vazquez introduced the following new administrators:
Mary Levy, assistant principal, Atwater Bay Elementary
Zohra Noorali Savja, assistant principal, Bay Lake Elementary
School Board Recognitions
FFA individual and state winners: Apopka Middle, Middle School Ornamental Horticulture Demonstration Career Development Event, Harper Garrels and Ashley Houndonougbo. Hamlin Middle, Middle School Prepared Public Speaking Leadership Development Event, Cameron DeSanto. SunRidge Middle, Middle School Citrus Evaluation Career Development Event, Mia Gordon, Glenna Mastroianni, Emma Paterson and Ashley Stover. Middle School Land Evaluation Career Development Event, Mia Gordon, Luke Poeppelman and Ashley Stover. Middle School Land Evaluation Career Development Event High Individual Scorer, also Ashley Stover. Colonial High, High School Food Science and Technology Career Development Event Award, Roseann Cedano, Angelissa Delgado and Landon Redditt. High School Environmental Science and Natural Resources Career Development Event, Veronica Haley, Ryan Jimenez and Ashley Simmons, High School Environmental Science and Natural Resources Career Development Event High Individual Scorer, also Veronica Haley. Wekiva High, High School Safe Tractor Operation and Maintenance Career Development Event, Joshua Spencer.
FFA individual and chapter national champions: Colonial High – 3-Star National Chapter Award. High School Spanish Creed Speaking Leadership Development Event – National and state champion, Fabiana Jimenez Amesty. Ocoee High – 3-Star National Chapter Award
Wekiva High – 3-Star National Chapter Award
District 2 School Board Spotlights:
District 2 Board Member Maria Salamanca recognized Dr. Oniel Tobias, who has worked at Liberty Middle and OCPS for the past seven years. Oniel is passionate about the performing arts. During his tenure at Liberty, students have performed in “The Wizard of Oz;” “Thor and Loki;” “Senorita Cinderella;” and “Romeo and Juliet.” He also wrote and directed the musical, “A Child Shall Lead the Way.” Oniel went the extra mile and ensured his theatre students had a chance to experience Broadway by helping them raise funds so they could travel to New York City and see “Aladdin.”
Football Challenge:
The Football Challenge winner was District 5 Board Member Vicki-Elaine Felder. Jones High defeated Wekiva High on Nov. 7. The score was 28-6. District 7 Board Member Melissa Byrd had to wear Felder’s custom Jones High football jersey.
School Board celebrations/observations calendar for 2024-25