Brevard’s school board selected Matt Susin as their new chairperson and Megan Wright as the new vice chair at the Nov. 18 meeting.
At the top of the 5:30 p.m. meeting, the board unanimously choose the two new officers. They also voted to adopt proposed dates, times and locations for 2026 school board meetings and work sessions.
In November 2024, Gene Trent was chosen as the board’s chairperson. The board selected Matt Susin, who previously served as chairperson from November 2022 to November 2023, as vice chair.
Cape View Elementary and its potential consolidation with Roosevelt Elementary in Cocoa Beach were a significant topic among the public, with parents urging community members in the weeks prior to the meeting to come speak to the board about the possibility of keeping the school open. In early November, Cape Canaveral’s city council passed a resolution urging Brevard’s school board to keep the school open. Since then, the district has held a closed meeting for families at Cape View Elementary, as well as one at Roosevelt Elementary.
No decisions were scheduled to be made about the school until next year.
Meeting concludes with call for board to push back against voucher, charter school legislation
Public comment and the meeting concluded with Cici Trodder urging the board to halt voucher expansions and stop charter schools from occupying public school buildlings.
“School vouchers lack accountability, they encourage fraud and drain resources from public schools that are the backbone of our communities,” she said. “Charter schools are profit-driven enterprises and should never have access to public funding meant for our children.”
8:25 p.m.: Non-agenda public comment begins
Following board discussions and a recess, the non-agenda public comment kicked off, with nine speakers scheduled to speak.
Bill Pearlman was the first to speak, questioning if the board had violated Sunshine Laws and discussed who was going to be elected as chairperson and vice chair ahead of the meeting. He also spoke about the rally and food drive ahead of the meeting being moved to the parking lot.
“It wasn’t a protest, it was a food drive,” he said. “Why was that necessary? Why is it necessary to move us to an area that is more difficult for people to see us and find us?”
He also said Gene Trent was heard on his hot mic during public comment earlier saying, “I (expletive) hate transparent.”
Rajesh Ravisankar asked Superintendent Mark Rendell to provide the data driving Cape View’s closure. He also brought up that charter schools can exclude students on IEPs and 504 plans, referencing concerns that a charter school will replace Cape View.
“There are so many kids that are special needs,” he said. “Post-consolidation, if that were to happen, they would be disadvantaged. … If your child were special ed, how would you feel? I just want you guys to dig down deep, have some compassion.”
Corey Higginbotham, a student, spoke of a field trip to Kennedy Space Center he enjoyed before the school board meeting.
8 p.m.: Board addresses Cape View concerns
After the board approved all items on the consent portion of the agenda, Katye Campbell said the board does not want to be in a position where they have to consider closing Cape View.
“Obviously, we’re not voting on it tonight,” she said, adding that there were multiple work sessions where the potential closure had been discussed. “This is the process.”
She added that overcrowded classrooms would not “be a thing” at Roosevelt should consolidation take place.
“We would have enough teachers to add teachers in the school,” she said. “If it happens, I don’t want you to be upset and freaking out because you think your child’s going to be in a classroom full of 32 kids. That’s not a thing.”
Matt Susin addressed traffic concerns, saying not all students would be on the road at the same time because elementary, middle and high school start at different times.
“This board is committed to trying to make the right decision,” he said. “Thank you to everboyd who came here to speak tonight and actually took the time to speak to this item in a very well-thought out way.”
Gene Trent agreed, saying that part of the process was getting feedback from the community.
“Many of the conversations that I’m having is we have a customer issue,” he said, referring to low enrollment.
He added that the “tsunami” of AirBnBs were contributing to low enrollment.
“Please come up with a viable solution that we can add a couple hundred students to both schools,” he said. “Other than that, the students will suffer.”
7:45 p.m.: Public comment wraps up
Richard Veber pleaded with the school board to listen to the parents and kids who spoke about how Cape View had positively impacted them.
“You need to manage your resources,” he said. “We have not done the best job, and I don’t think geting rid of this school is going to help anything.”
Another Cape View father spoke of how the location is helpful for him and his family, as both he and his child are disabled and his wife works.
“”The location of the school is great for me and my family,” he said. “For the school to get closed down, it would hurt my family, and I could only imagine the other families it would hurt here.”
Another speaker questioned if the district could move Cape View to another property.
Julia Anton raised concerns about where the savings would be if a School of Hope began operating in Cape View if it were to shut down.
“My call of action to you … is do everything you can to push back against the School of Hope takeover, including find a way to use Cape View for meaningful use so they can’t come in and co-locate,” she said.
Public comment concluded with Sandra Sullivan saying she wished there had been more transparency about Schools of Hope.
7:30 p.m.: Comments in favor of Cape View continue
Quinn Dycus urged the board to consider how they were going to respond to Schools of Hope and to be transparent with the community.
“The issue is bigger than party lines, and it is my belief an issue this big requires collaboration,” she said.
Aidan McFadden spoke against closing Cape View, telling the board they were elected to represent the poeple of the community.
Another Cape View parent said she believes the board can find another solution rather than shutting down the school, proposing turning the school into a STEM magnet school.
“Packing Roosevelt to 93% is way too close for comfort,” she said. “We need to consider the hundreds of young children currently living in these two cities that will need somewhere to go to school. … We don’t want to put ourselves in a situation where the long-term cost of closure will be more than the short-term gain.”
Ethan, a student who graduated from Cape View, said he couldn’t name many issues with the school.
“The teachers are very good at their jobs,” he said. “Bullying has never really been a problem there.”
Jane, another student, said Cape View “makes our community a home” to students and families.
“I’m concerned for the teachers who work there,” she said. “I would like to keep this school open … and I would like to walk those halls again when I graduate. Please consider keeping it open long enough for me and my other friends.”
Susie Slater chastised the board for the way Cape View was written on the agenda and what she felt was a lack of transparency and communication.
“The community deserves more than numbers as an excuse to close,” she said. “It deserves solutions, which I know personally have been prsented to you. We would need some time to try to implement anything, and you have not provided that to us.”
7:25 p.m.: Cape View student shares love of school
Amy Roub questioned why the food drive and protest was moved to the parking lot, going back and forth with Gene Trent and Matt Susin for a moment before being allowed to continue.
She asked why charter schools are looking to take over the school but the district is planning to potentially shut it down, saying it’s because Trent is “aligned with Moms for America and Moms for Liberty, who are actively tearing down our schools.”
Killian Lattig, a student at Cape View, said he’s been attending the school for about two years. It’s why his family moved to the area, he said.
“We went to this school because it’s a good school,” he said. “We go to this school because it’s an A-rated school and it’s close. I just want to say this school is more than just a school. It’s the only school in this commnity, and to shut it down means there will be none left.”
Another mom said closing the school would be a “profound mistake.”
“We must say no to consolidation and yes to investing in the future of our small towns, including Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach,” she said. “Our small-town schools are not just buildings. … This personal and intimate environment fosters a level of attentional and parental involvemnt that cannot be replicated in a conslidated setting.”
Katie Lattig, Killian’s mom, reaffirmed that the family moved to Cape Canaveral for the school.
“The fact that the only school in the whole community, in our community, could be closed is absolutey devastating,” she said. “I don’t know what the solution is, that’s up to you guys, but I think that there’s got to be a better solution.”
7:10 p.m.: Parents continue speaking in favor of Cape View
Mom Carrie Smith, a working single mom, said it isn’t feasible to drop her son off at Roosevelt and get to work in Merritt Island on time.
“I want you to see how it affects hundreds of us, if not thousands of our families, who love our community and love our school so much,” she said through tears.
Cassandra Tudor proposed making Cape View a choice school or special education hub.
“We all know that schools get more funding for special education kids,” she said, adding that she specifically moved to the area because of the school’s resources for disabled students. “We bought in the Cape specifically to send our high support needs disabled daughter to Cape View.”
Christopher Tudor said the school has been “an incredible” place for his daughter.
“This is more than the closing of the school,” he said. “This is the death of a community.”
7 p.m.: Commenters address Cape View’s impact on community
Mindy Mackenzie said she was worried about the “convoluted” way Cape View’s potential closure was included on the meeting agenda.
“I feel like the transparency here has failed,” she said. “Families should not have to attend the work session or search through a bunch of attachments to learn that their kids’ school is closing.”
Another mom, who is a disabled veteran, spoke, saying her children are on the autism spectrum and attend Cape View. Closing Cape View, she said, would mean losing transpertation to get to school and therapy.
Another family member raised concerns about how disabled students would suffer if the school closed, saying specific resources would be lost and families without vehicles would not be able to get their kids to school.
Tyler Billings raised concerns about how closing the school would deter families from moving to the area.
“If you don’t have a school in the area, families don’t want to move there,” he said. “Cape Canaveral has a lot more room for expansion than even Cocoa Beach does as far as housing.”
6:50 p.m.: Cape View families share personal experiences
Mom Melissa Bass asked the board to consider the hardship of busing kids down to Roosevelt Elementary School and the impact Cape View has on the community.
“I don’t think it can be overstated the negative effects that this will have,” she said. “Our kids are whole, human beings and they don’t deserve to suffer from this change. They deserve better from us, from all of us.”
Clifford Smith said his daughter with epilepsy has been embraced at Cape View.
“She was very far behind because of school time she missed, and they helped walk us through everything and get her where she is caught up with her peers,” he said. “The staff and administration there has been excellent. They really listen and care about the needs of the kids, and that’s just very different than most places.”
Taylor Palmer, a mom, called Cape View the “backbone” keeping families and businesses alive.
“You don’t pull stability away from these children and call it equitable or in the best interest of these children,” she said, speaking of her child who is on the autism spectrum. “Our children are not for sale. Our community is not a real estate opportunity.”
6:40 p.m.: Commenters continue discussing Cape View
Public comment continued with Chris Higginbotham, assistant principal at Viera High, questioning if there might be a rezoning that would have less impact on community members rather than affecting Cape View families. He proposed closing Edgewood and West Shore Jr./Sr. High.
“If no one’s offering you alternatives, then you can only make the decision that lies in front of you,” he said.
Bruce Robertson spoke about the proposed rezoning of Cape View Elementary, which would rezone all students to Roosevelt Elementary. He was a student there, and his granddaughter is now enrolled there.
“To us, Cape View is more than a line on your budget,” he said. “Cape View Elementary is integral to our community. It’s as vital to Cape Canaveral as our churches. It’s the heart and soul of our community.”
He asked the board to partner with the parent and teacher organizations at the school to help keep the school open.
A Cape View student spoke, saying she has been in the school since she was in pre-K.
“It’s a really, really good school, and all the teachers are really nice,” she said.
6:25 p.m.: Public commenters address concerns about transparency, protest
Public comment kicked off at about 6:25 p.m., with Gina Derenge speaking first. She raised concerns about Schools of Hope, a program that allows charter schools to operate in persistently low-performing schools, and what kind of long-term plan the district had for Cape View.
Bill Pearlman spoke second, chastising the district for making protestors move their food drive to the parking lot on the same night that they made a proclamation about the Children’s Hunger Project. Matt Susin spoke over him and attempted to stop him from speaking, saying his comment was not related to the agenda, while Pearlman argued it was related to the agenda because of the proclamation.
Pearlman also questioned why Gene Trent did not appear at a meeting at the school.
“Cape View is a school in your district, Mr. Trent, and your community will not forget that you failed to show up for them,” he said, with Susin interrupting. “Brevard deserves better. Do better.”
Rajesh Ravisankar, president of Cape View’s PTO, questioned why the board had put a proposed boundary change for Cape View on the agenda when he did not believe they were attempting to change the boundaries.
“Transparency — that’s the word of the day,” he said. “Mark’s meeting at Cape View — SAC was not let it, the mayor was not let in. The mayor.”
The mayor was let in after initially being stopped from entering.
6:15 p.m.: director of performance data analyst and special programs, assistant principal recognized
A few minutes past 6:15 p.m., the board recognized the reclassification of Aretha Vernette from the position of program specialist in strategic programming and support to the position of director of performance data analyst and special programs in curriculum and instruction and student services, and the reclassification of Ruth E. Jusa from the position of assistant principal as Space Coast Jr./Sr. High School to the position of assistant principal at Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School
6 p.m.: Proclamations made on veterans, hunger
Just after 6 p.m., Director of Communications Yvette Cruz read an Veterans Month proclamation, with Donn Weaver with the Brevard Veterans Memorial Complex present.
“The best place to be a veteran is Brevard County,” Weaver said.
Board member Katye Campbell, who is also a board member of the Children’s Hunger Project, then read a proclamation in honor of the 15th anniversary of the organization.
“We do not want to celebrate that we have hungry kids to feed,” Campbell said. “But we want to commemorate and be thankful for all the work that’s been done through the years.”
Executive Director Cheryl Cominsky thanked volunteers for helping to provide food for kids in need.
“We could not do this without you,” she said.
5:50 p.m.: Teacher mentors recognized
A Teacher Leadership Council Fellowship pinning took place at about 5:50 p.m. The program works to help teachers mentor one another and develop professionally.
5:40 p.m.: Wright selected as vice chairperson
Just after 5:40 p.m., Megan Wright was nominated as vice chairperson. No one else was nominated, and she was voted in as vice chairperson unanimously.
The board then approved proposed school board meeting dates for 2026.
5:35 p.m.: Susin chosen as board chairperson
Megan Wright nominated Matt Susin as chairperson of Brevard’s school board, with Katye Campbell seconding the motion. No other members were nominated, and he was unanimously voted in as chairperson.
The meeting went on a short recess ahead of choosing a vice chair.
5:30 p.m.: Board meeting begins after protest
Cape View supporters held a protest and food drive ahead of the board meeting. They initially started out in front of the school board building but were told to move to the front area of the parking lot by Brevard County Sheriff’s deputies. One man was trespassed.
The board meeting began at 5:30 p.m. with the board set to choose their new chair and vice chair shortly after the start.
Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at fwalker@floridatoday.com. X: @_finchwalker. Instagram: @finchwalker_.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Recap: Community speaks in support of Cape View at Brevard school board meeting
Reporting by Finch Walker, Florida Today / Florida Today
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