The Hernando County School Board (HCSB) looks a little different. In the August 30th Primary election, Linda Prescott won the seat vacated by Matt Foreman, while in the November 8th election incumbent Gus Guadagnino won the district 4 seat.
The first meeting after the election began with the swearing in of Prescott and returning board member Gus Guadagnino.
The first action of the new board was to select Beth Narverud as the new chair and Mark Johnson as the vice-chair. After moving chairs and nameplates, Narverud opened the meeting to discuss and approve proposed meeting times for the next calendar year.
The HCSB sent a survey to the other 66 counties asking about the frequency and times of their meetings. Forty-three responded, and staff narrowed them to four options. Each school district determines when their meetings are held, and since they are open to the public, some districts vary the times to allow those who work in the evening to attend a morning meeting.
Ultimately, the board decided on a 5th option – to hold informal meetings once a month beginning at 11 am; continue to have workshops twice a month, but begin at 2 pm and change the time of the regular board meetings to 6 pm. This will allow families to attend so parents can participate in the public comment time and still get the children home at a reasonable time.