Public speakers urge support for schools and the Right to Read Act; question budget projections

Several members of the public addressed the board during the green- and pink-form citizen-input segments. Jennifer Sullivan, who gave her address for the record, urged support for budget items 11–13 and said retirees and other residents should keep in mind the importance of fully funding schools. "Schools are the lifeblood of our community," she said.

Beverly Ko of Brooksville urged constituents to support the Right to Read Act, describing it as federal reauthorization that would fund librarians, professional development and diverse library collections. "I urge everyone concerned to please write their congressional representatives and senators to support the Right to Read Act," Ko said. Patricia Greenwood later asked the board to explain how multi-million-dollar projected fund balances were forecasted to the dollar and pointed to apparent discrepancies in reported millage and revenue figures, asking staff for greater transparency.

Board members asked staff and the CFO to meet with Greenwood to explain the budget projections and invited Ko to provide a list of books she referenced so the board secretary could review materials and follow up.