In the School District of Osceola County’s recent October SDOCNEWS newsletter, the current board members each shared a message to the community, as they typically do in each issue. This issue, however, was different in that three of the board members will be moving on; Ricky Booth from District 5, Kelvin Soto from District 2, and Tim Weisheyer from District 3. The following is the message that Mr. Weisheyer shared in the newsletter.

After serving two terms on the Osceola School Board, it is bittersweet to say goodbye as my time here comes to an end. Over the last eight years, it has been a pleasure to not only serve the students, teachers, staff, and families of our community but to serve alongside my fellow Board Members. Through the years, our Board has provided strong leadership through challenges and celebrations, clarity through debate and decision making, and a sustained vision of excellence for our district.

Tim WeisheyerI’m proud to say our Board has worked to accomplish many great things for our district. One point of personal pride that has come to fruition for this school year is the opening of the Osceola Business Academy at Poinciana High. As an entrepreneur and business owner, my vision for this academy was to bridge the gap between theory and practice for future entrepreneurs and innovators right here in Osceola County. Finally, I just want to say thank you for electing me to serve for the last eight years. It is because of you that I have been able to work with the dedicated staff in the Osceola School District to ensure the success of every child, every chance, every day.

I look forward to staying tuned-in to the continued progress of the district and the work Jon Arguello, your new School Board Member for District 3, will accomplish. The Osceola School Board prides itself on being fiscally responsible with the dollars the public has entrusted us to manage. We work to be efficient and effective with these funds, as well as being transparent with our community. One aspect of this is working to save money where we can. Our Maintenance Department has been tasked with focusing their efforts on energy savings across the district and it appears we continue to out-perform the baseline year, even with temperature adjustments that were made at the start of this school year to allow for lower set points in classrooms to accommodate teachers and students wearing masks.

The electricity cost avoidance for the first quarter of the 2020-2021 school year totaled $460,410 compared to the same time last year. The Osceola School Board continues to encourage our departments to pursue additional savings opportunities as we navigate the school year.

Positively Osceola would like to thank Mr. Weisheyer for his service to the school district, and the community. Job well done, and thank you for making a positive difference and positive impact in Osceola County.