Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome to the City Commission meeting this June 3rd, 2025.

Thank you all for being here today.

We have a number of uh items to talk about uh this afternoon, and uh so we might as well get started.

Uh probably begin with our our communications.

We have a communication from the education advisory board.

Um not quite sure.

I understood the uh the communications.

Is anyone here from the education advisory board?

Come on up.

Oh, wait, good afternoon.

It says in your communication that you requesting our support for the approval of the education funding requests of 200,000 to provide two aviation scholarships for $5,000.

There's something missing in the translation there, because two times five is ten thousand, and then you're asking for two hundred thousand.

So I I guess there's more to that communication.

Yes, can I explain?

Yes, please do.

Please identify.

And uh the first that I like to share, and then I have a second part.

Barrington Irving Technical Training School at the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.

Captain Barrington Irving is the record holder as the youngest person and the first black pilot to fly solo around the world.

Just a little history.

He has a passion to explore, inspire, and educate others.

He has established this flying classroom and the Barrington Irving Technical Training School, which is uh acronym BITS that provides workforce development to youth and young adults in the aviation industry.

As part of the school district refined redefining initiative, Fort Lauderdale staff have connected with Captain Irving, and we would like to share this opportunity as some of the commission is already familiar with this young man.

This partnership will provide students in Broward County and in the city of Fort Lauderdale with more exposure, awareness, and opportunity in the field of aviation.

The education advisory board previously approved $2,500 for two scholarships for students entering into the field of education for aviation.

At this time, the education board is requesting the commission to support that approval.

So that's what that's about.

And the rest of it was in regards to the purpose of assisting with the funding at the scholarship for that training school at the education for the Fort Lauderdale International at the airport.

Okay, I understand.

Does anyone have any questions?

I I do, Mayor.

So thank you for your work on the advisory board for sure.

I have a question.

Um, at what point do we ever talk about or think about what is the responsibility of the school board of Broward County versus what is the responsibility of the city of Fort Lauderdale?

Um I know that we care deeply about the students and the schools in our city, but when we look at something like a $200,000 price tag for a program such as this, how much effort has been put into making sure that the school board of Broward County um, who also is a taxing authority, they raise a lot of money.

I I'm just wondering why this falls upon the city.

Good afternoon, Commissioner Susan Leanne, Chief Education Officer.

Thank you so much for the questions.

Uh great to be here today to speak with you.

Uh wanted to just give a little more background about that.

Barrington Irvings Technical Training School is currently at the Opalaca Executive Airport, and it is available to all students in Miami Dade County through the airport.

And we are following that path.

They have partnerships with the school district in Miami Dade, and we are partnering with the school district here in Broward County to bring the program to FXE.

Uh the school district has been engaged with several conversations with myself and Rufus as well as the folks and Barrington Irving and the staff at F at Opalacas Executive Airport to have a partnership with them to bring this to fruition.

So the school district has already committed to providing support via materials, supplies, uniforms, and things of that nature to assist us with uh implementing the program.

However, the program would be housed at FXE and it would be a premier uh workforce development program for the city.

So the the 200,000 uh requests of the city for the program is to cover what?

So we are building a classroom, basically, a workforce development classroom that focuses on how to operate an FBO and all of the mechanics that are involved with uh the part of having an FBO at an executive airport.

So if you can uh picture the machinery and the items that would be needed in this classroom for the students to learn the technology as well, that's what it the funding would be towards.

That would not be a total commitment, meaning it would take more than that to actually completely fulfill all of the needs of the school, but it would certainly get the ground running and get it started.

The program, as I understand, will be in a donated hangar at FXE.

So that in itself is a is a large feat just to have the location being provided for the school.

And and what exactly is the financial commitment from the school board for the program?

I think that I've had several email communications with the career and technical director in the school district, uh, and several meetings with the superintendent.

And I do believe that uh in addition to already committing around $20,000 towards supplies, materials, and uniforms, the commitment would grow as they see us implement the program.

So is this something that you're requesting for the fiscal year 2026 budget?

Yes.

Okay, so has this gone in any way, shape, or form through the budget advisory board or city management office or I mean, is this on everyone's radar that this will be considered and then also fleshed out a little bit more with those joint meetings with the budget advisory board so that uh it follows the process like any other request for an allocation would follow?

That's correct.

Okay, thank you.