Feb 19, 2026 Regular Board Meetings

[I. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:05]

GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE FEBRUARY MEETING OF THE RICHARDSON ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES. I'M CHRIS POTEET, BOARD PRESIDENT. MS. HARRIS WILL NOT BE JOINING US TONIGHT. HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT AND THIS MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER AT 6.07 P.M.

DR. HELLER, WILL YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE OUR GUEST TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGES OF ALLEGIANCE THIS EVENING? YES. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT POTEET. WELCOME. GOOD EVENING.

I AM EXCITED TO INTRODUCE THAT WE HAVE THE AIKEN EMPOWERED EAGLES. THESE ARE FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS FROM AIKEN ELEMENTARY, AND I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE THEM TO YOU AT THIS TIME. THEY ARE PART OF THE LEADERSHIP TEAM.

ON THEIR CAMPUS, WE HAVE MS. ARIANA CAMPOS, MUBASHER HOTEK, MAYANNA MOORE, AND ARIELLE ALONZO-SOLAS.

IF YOU COULD, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND LEAD US IN OUR PLEDGES. YES, IF YOU COULD, PLEASE STAND. PLEASE JOIN ME FOR THE AMERICAN PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. NOW FOR THE TEXAS PLEDGE. HONOR THE TEXAS PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS, ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.

GREAT JOB. FIFTH GRADE LEADERS, THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WELL DONE. AT THIS TIME, WILL EVERYBODY PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE? THANK YOU. COLLEAGUES, IT IS NOW TIME FOR OUR RECOGNITIONS. DR.

HELLER. YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND AS YOU CAN TELL FROM THE SIZE OF CROWD THIS MONTH, WE HAVE LOTS TO CELEBRATE IN RICHARDSON, ISD. THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.

THE RICHARDSON ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF STUDENTS, STAFF, SCHOOLS, AND DEPARTMENTS. OUR TRUSTEES ALSO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS MAKE TO THE DISTRICT.

AT EACH REGULAR, MONTHLY BOARD MEETING, WE TAKE TIME TO CELEBRATE THESE ACHIEVEMENTS.

WE ASK THAT ALL GUESTS AND VISITORS HELP CELEBRATE THESE RECOGNITIONS BY STAYING TO ENJOY THE ENTIRE RECOGNITION PROCESS. THIS ALLOWS EVERYONE TO SHOW THEIR APPRECIATION FOR EACH RECIPIENT. THERE WILL BE A SHORT BREAK AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE RECOGNITIONS PORTION OF THE AGENDA. ANY GUESTS WISHING TO LEAVE THE AUDITORIUM CAN DO SO AT THAT TIME. SO WE ARE GOING TO JUMP RIGHT INTO SOME YOU AWESOME CAMPUS RECOGNITIONS, AND AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LOVE TO INVITE UP THE AWESOME CAMPUS.

PRINCIPALS OF O'HENRY AND RICHARDSON TERRACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO PLEASE COME FORWARD.

AT THIS TIME. AND AS THEY ARE COMING FORWARD, I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU WHY WE ARE RECOGNIZING THEM THIS EVENING.

RISD IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT BOTH RICHARDSON TERRACE ELEMENTARY AND O'HENRY ELEMENTARY HAVE BEEN NAMED TO THE 2026 AMERICA'S BEST SCHOOLS HONOR ROLL BY THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR URBAN SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION. YES, LET'S GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THAT. THIS NATIONAL RECOGNITION, NOT A REGIONAL OR A STATE, BUT A NATIONAL RECOGNITION, HONORS SCHOOLS THAT DEMONSTRATE STRONG EVIDENCE.

OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS FOR ALL STUDENT GROUPS AND MEET RIGOROUS STANDARDS OF EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE. WE ARE SO PROUD OF THE LEADERSHIP AND THE SUPPORT THAT YOU PROVIDE TO YOUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES. SO AT THIS TIME, WE ARE GOING TO INTRODUCE TO YOU THE PROUD PRINCIPAL OF RICHARDSON TERRACE, MICHELLE ZUPA, AND THE PROUD PRINCIPAL, YES, OF O'HENRY ELEMENTARY, JENNIFER WILLS-FOURCIER.

CONGRATULATIONS. AND WITH ALL OF OUR RECOGNITIONS, WE ARE GOING TO GRAB A PHOTO AFTER EACH ONE. SO IF YOU'RE BEING RECOGNIZED, IF YOU WILL STAY IN THE FRONT OF THE HORSESHOE, WE'RE GOING TO GRAB THAT PHOTO. MARSTON, OUR DISTRICT VIDEOGRAPHER, IS GOING TO CAPTURE THAT FOR US. THANK YOU, MARSTON.

[00:05:18]

RICHARDSON ISD IS VERY PROUD TO ALSO ANNOUNCE... THAT THESE FOUR SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN NAMED TO THE 2025 TEXAS HONOR ROLL AS RECOGNIZED BY THE EDUCATIONAL RESULTS PARTNERSHIP. NOW IN ITS 11TH YEAR, THE HONOR ROLL AWARDS TOP PERFORMING SCHOOLS IN TEXAS FOR OUTPERFORMING THEIR PEERS IN CLOSING ACHIEVEMENT GAPS AND IMPROVING STUDENT OUTCOMES. WE ARE SO PROUD OF THESE FOUR PRINCIPALS. WE HAVE, I DON'T SEE KRISTEN FROM ARAPAHOE CLASSICAL MAGNET. OKAY, SHE MUST NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO JOIN US. WE WILL BE SURE AND CELEBRATE HER AT AN UPCOMING MEETING. WE HAVE MR. JASON MYATT, PROUD PRINCIPAL OF BRENTFIELD ELEMENTARY. WE HAVE STEPHANIE CONSALVES, PROUD PRINCIPAL OF PRAIRIE CREEK ELEMENTARY. AND THE PROUD ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, TOO. YES, GREAT ADMIN TEAM.

AND PROUD PRINCIPAL FROM MST MAGNET, DR. LAUREN BULLOCK.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE CAMPUS LEADERS AND WE'RE GOING TO GRAB A PHOTO.

CONGRATULATIONS. WE ALSO HAVE THREE SECONDARY CAMPUSES TO CELEBRATE THIS EVENING. I'D LIKE TO INVITE THE PRINCIPALS UP FROM J.J. PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL, LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL, AND RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL. IF YOU CAN, PLEASE COME FORWARD AS MR. CHOATE'S COMING UP FROM THE BACK. LET ME SHARE WITH YOU WHY WE ARE RECOGNIZING THESE THREE. PROUD PRINCIPALS, CONGRATULATIONS TO J.J.

PIERCE, LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL, AND RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR BEING NAMED TO THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT, ALSO KNOWN AS AP, SCHOOL HONOR ROLL FOR 2025. THE COLLEGE BOARD RECOGNIZES SCHOOLS WHOSE OUTSTANDING WORK WELCOMES STUDENTS INTO AP COURSES AND SUPPORTS STUDENTS ON THE PATH TO COLLEGE SUCCESS. SCHOOLS CAN EARN THE HONOR ROLL RECOGNITION ANNUALLY. BASED ON CRITERIA THAT REFLECT A COMMITMENT TO INCREASING THEIR SCHOOL'S COLLEGE-GOING CULTURE, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO EARN COLLEGE CREDIT, AND MAXIMIZING COLLEGE READINESS, PIERCE, LAKE HIGHLANDS, AND RICHARDSON ALL RECEIVED THE STILVER DISTINCTION, AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, BERKNER JUST MISSED IT. SO I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT ALL FOUR OF THEM WILL BE UP HERE NEXT YEAR.

SO AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS, CARRIE BREEDLOVE, PRINCIPAL AT J.J. PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL.

AND CONGRATULATIONS, MR. CHRIS CHO, PRINCIPAL AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL. AND WE ARE GOING TO GRAB THAT PHOTO. ALL RIGHT, ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES BEING RECOGNIZED. SO FEBRUARY, EACH YEAR IN FEBRUARY, WE DO A VERY SPECIAL STAFF RECOGNITION, AND WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION INTO THAT NOW, AND THAT IS TO RECOGNIZE OUR 2025-2026 CAMPUS TEACHERS OF THE YEAR. YES, SO BEFORE I START READING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR PROGRAM, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE UP THE BERKNER LEARNING COMMUNITY TEACHERS OF THE YEAR. IF YOU'RE A CAMPUS TEACHER OF THE YEAR FOR BERKNER, IF YOU CAN, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND STAND NEXT TO MS. SONIA, AND SHE'S GOING TO GET YOU ORGANIZED. WE ARE EXCITED TO RECOGNIZE OUR CAMPUS TEACHERS OF THE YEAR FOR THE 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR.

THESE TEACHERS WERE SELECTED BY

[00:10:02]

WHO HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF LEARNERS BY EXEMPLIFYING PUBLIC TEACHING PRACTICES WHILE ALSO SERVING AS AN AMBASSADOR FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION. THESE TEACHERS WE ARE RECOGNIZING THIS EVENING UNDERSTAND AND EXEMPLIFY BEST PRACTICES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING.

THESE EDUCATORS FULLY EMBRACE, SUPPORT AND PROMOTE THE MISSION AND VISION OF RICHARDSON ISD.

WE ARE SO VERY EXCITED TO RECOGNIZE OUR RICHARDSON ISD 2025-2026 TEACHERS OF THE YEAR. WE ARE CELEBRATING THEM THIS EVENING BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST OF MANY CELEBRATIONS THROUGHOUT THE SPRING. THIS EVENING, THEY ARE GETTING THEIR OFFICIAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR YARD SIGN.

AND WE ARE SO PROUD. I'M EXCITED OF OUR AWESOME BUSINESS PARTNER, THE RICHARDSON NOTHING BUNDT CAKES ON CAMPBELL ROAD. THEY HAVE ALSO DONATED A SWEET TREAT FOR EVERY TEACHER OF THE YEAR. YOU CAN PICK UP YOUR BUNDT CAKE AND YOUR YARD SIGN IN ROOM 107, RIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF THE LOBBY, AS YOU LEAVE THE AUDITORIUM THIS EVENING. SO AT THIS TIME, WE ARE GOING TO RECOGNIZE TEACHERS OF THE YEAR FROM THE BERKNER LEARNING COMMUNITY. WE HAVE FROM RICHLAND ELEMENTARY, SHELLY SMITH. ASHLEY BORAS, KATE CARAVANO, ERIC FUNKE, HANNAH KRANGOLD, MARIA MORA.

FROM O'HENRY ELEMENTARY, ALLISON AKUI. EMILY POPOKA, FROM DARTMOUTH ELEMENTARY.

RENEE ROMSON FROM R. TERRACE ELEMENTARY, TEACHER OF THE YEAR. MICHELLE ISHIZUKA, FROM FOREST RIDGE ELEMENTARY, TEACHER OF THE YEAR. AND FROM YALE. ELEMENTARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR, JOANNA MURRY.

AND I LOVE HOW CAMPUSES HAVE BROUGHT OUT THEIR PEP RALLY TEAMS TO HELP CELEBRATE THESE TEACHERS THIS EVENING. ALL RIGHT, IF YOU GUYS CAN COME BACK AROUND AND WE'RE GOING TO GET A PICTURE WITH YOU AND THE BOARD AROUND THE HORSESHOE. HERE, EACH LEARNING COMMUNITY. AND AS THEY'RE DOING THAT, IF I COULD, PLEASE INVITE UP THE PIERCE LEARNING COMMUNITY.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR OUR TEACHERS OF THE YEAR FROM THE BERKNER LEARNING COMMUNITY. AND NOW WE CELEBRATE OUR TEACHERS OF THE YEAR FROM THE PIERCE LEARNING COMMUNITY. WE HAVE FROM PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL, TOBY BROOKS, JAIME ROMERO FROM CAROLYN BUQUER ELEMENTARY, BROOKE HUFFMAN, PRESTONWOOD ELEMENTARY, MARY NICHOLS, PRAIRIE CREEK ELEMENTARY.

TAYLOR NEIGHBORS, BRENTFIELD ELEMENTARY. FROM RISD ACADEMY, LYNN BROWN. FROM BOWIE ELEMENTARY, JILL LANDRY. JESSICA STARR, NORTHRIDGE ELEMENTARY. YVETTE LOPEZ, RICHARDSON NORTH JUNIOR HIGH. JENNA FLEMING, FROM THURGOOD MARSHALL STUDENT SUCCESS ACADEMY, TEACHER OF THE YEAR. AND FROM PARK HILL JUNIOR HIGH, GARRETT BRISCOE.

CONGRATULATIONS.

[00:15:02]

IF YOU CAN, COME FORWARD.

THESE PHOTOGRAPHS WE WILL ALSO POST ON OUR SOCIAL AND ON OUR WEBSITE TOMORROW.

ALRIGHT, LET'S HEAR IT FOR PIERCE LEARNING COMMUNITY.

OKAY, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING ALL OF OUR ATTENTION NOW. OKAY, WE ARE NOW... THANK YOU. WE'VE GOT SO MANY GREAT TEACHERS TO RECOGNIZE AND STUDENTS. SO NEXT, WE ARE GOING TO RECOGNIZE OUR LAKE HIGHLANDS LEARNING COMMUNITY TEACHERS OF THE YEAR. WE HAVE ABBY SHAW, FOREST LANE ACADEMY. MISS JACQUELINE JAMAT, STOLTZ ROAD ELEMENTARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR. OLGA MITHTADJOUBA, SKYVIEW ELEMENTARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR. CRAIG TITSWORTH, FROM LAKE HIGHLANDS ELEMENTARY.

MARISHA WATSON, LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL. LAINEY NORRIS, WALLACE ELEMENTARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR. BROOKE BAUMGARDNER, LAKE HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL. FROM MERRIMAN PARK ELEMENTARY, JENNY PATTON. SARAH ORR, FROM MOSSHAVEN ELEMENTARY. JOSHUA GRAY, FROM FOREST MEADOW MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND FROM AIKEN ELEMENTARY, SANDY, YARBROUGH. I LOVE ALL THE ENTHUSIASM AND THE SPIRIT FOR CELEBRATING THESE INCREDIBLE TEACHERS, SO THANK YOU. AND AS WE ARE GETTING THE LAKE HIGHLANDS LEARNING COMMUNITY PICTURE.

RICHARDSON LEARNING COMMUNITY. ONCE AN EAGLE, ALWAYS AN EAGLE. IF YOU COULD, PLEASE COME FORWARD. ALRIGHT, LET'S HEAR IT FOR OUR LILLINS LEARNING COMMUNITY. AWESOME JOB, WILDCATS. FINALLY, FROM OUR RICHARDSON LEARNING COMMUNITY, WE HAVE JACOB HEMSAP, RICHARDSON WEST JUNIOR HIGH. ABBY GREEN, WESTWOOD JUNIOR HIGH. REAGAN CHRISTENSEN, HAMILTON PARK PACESETTER MAGNET. FROM NORTHWOOD HILLS ELEMENTARY, KELLY FIELDS. SOPHIA PINEDO, FROM RICHARDSON HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY. SONIA WESTFALL FROM DOVER ELEMENTARY. SPRING CREEK ELEMENTARY, BRITTANY STEVENS. MINDY MAY, RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL. CASEY CARDWELL, MST, MAGNET. EMILY

[00:20:07]

THIS IS MORE THAN A MILESTONE.

IT'S A RIGOROUS, MULTI-YEAR COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE. WHILE TEACHING FULL-TIME, LEADING TEAMS, AND CARING FOR THEIR OWN FAMILIES, THESE FIVE TEACHERS SPENT HUNDREDS OF HOURS ANALYZING THEIR PRACTICE, BUILDING EXTENSIVE PORTFOLIOS.

AND PROVING THEIR CONTENT EXPERTISE TO AN EXACTING NATIONAL STANDARD. THIS EVENING, THEY'RE GOING TO RECEIVE A PIN, AND IT IS A SMALL PIN, BUT IT CARRIES IMMENSE WEIGHT.

IT SYMBOLIZES A PROMISE TO THEIR STUDENTS AND A DEDICATION TO LIFELONG LEADERSHIP. THESE FIVE HONOREES ARE JOINING NINE CURRENT RISD NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS. IF ANY OF OUR CURRENT... NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS ARE PRESENT. CAN YOU PLEASE STAND AND WE CAN RECOGNIZE YOU? THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THESE TEACHERS ON THEIR LEARNING JOURNEY. SO AT THIS TIME, WE ARE GOING TO DO THE PINNING CEREMONY.

AND AS WE PIN OUR NEW HONOREES, LET THIS MOMENT RECOGNIZE THEIR PRIVATE DEDICATION AND PUBLIC ACHIEVEMENT. EACH TIME THAT YOU WEAR THIS PIN. MAY IT REMIND YOU OF THE STUDENTS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE, WHO ARE THE HEART OF THE WORK. AND NOW I INTRODUCE YOU TO OUR NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS. WE HAVE MS. BRANDY JACKSON FROM ARAPAHOE, CLASSICAL MAGNET.

FROM BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL, WE HAVE ERIC FUNKE. ALSO FROM BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL, PAULA RILLING. FROM MST MAGNET, TAYLOR GARGLE. AND FINALLY, WE HAVE KATE CHESSER WHO IS BEING RECOGNIZED. SHE'S AN ADVANCED GTN SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER AT LIBERTY JUNIOR HIGH. ALL RIGHT,

[00:25:26]

CONGRATULATIONS, BRANDY. THANK YOU FOR REPRESENTING RICHARDSON ISD SO WELL. OKAY, NOW WE HAVE SOME REALLY SPECIAL STUDENT CELEBRATIONS. OKAY, SO WE ARE EXCITED TO INVITE BACK. AND TO ANNOUNCE, I'M GOING TO INVITE OUR THREE STUDENTS FROM PIERCE AND OUR TWO STUDENTS FROM RICHARDSON HIGH, OUR NATIONAL MERIT FINALISTS. IF YOU CAN, PLEASE COME FORWARD. YES, COME FORWARD. WE RECOGNIZED THEM IN THE FALL AND I'M SO EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU, BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT BRANHAM, AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY. ALL FIVE OF THE RIC SENIORS THAT WERE NAMED SEMI-FINALISTS HAVE NOW BEEN NAMED FINALISTS. YES, THEY ARE AMONG. THEY'RE AMONG 16,000 NATIONAL SEMI-FINALISTS, REPRESENTING FEWER THAN 1% FEWER THAN 1% OF ALL SENIORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WHO ARE COMPETING FOR OVER 6,900 DIFFERENT NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS, GET THIS, WORTH MORE THAN $26 MILLION.

THAT WILL BE AWARDED LATER THIS SPRING. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ENTER THE PROGRAM BY TAKING THE PSAT AS A NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP QUALIFYING TEST, AND IT SERVES AS AN INITIAL SCREEN OF ABOUT 1.3 MILLION ENTRANTS EVERY YEAR. THE HIGHEST SCORE POSSIBLE IS A 228, AND IN TEXAS, A STUDENT MUST HAVE A MINIMUM SCORE OF 233, TO REACH THE LEVEL OF NATIONAL MERIT SEMI-FINALISTS. NATIONAL MERIT FINALISTS EXHIBIT EXCEPTIONAL ACADEMIC ABILITIES, SKILLS, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND ARE HIGHLY RECRUITED BY SELECTIVE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE NATION, WITH SOME COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES OFFERING SIGNIFICANT SCHOLARSHIPS. OR EVEN FULL RIDES BASED ON NATIONAL MERIT STATUS.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING AND CELEBRATING OUR RICHARDSON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NATIONAL MERIT FINALISTS. WE HAVE LOGAN ZUDEVER FROM RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL AND

[00:30:03]

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT.

WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOUR ACADEMIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

OKAY, AND FINALLY, AS WE DO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AT OUR BOARD MEETINGS, WE HAVE A COUPLE BE THE ONE AWARDS TO PRESENT TO YOU THIS EVENING. FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE UP MR. VANTA. HE IS A COUNSELOR AT LAKE HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL, HE BROUGHT HIS CHEER SECTION, AND WE'RE SO EXCITED FOR THAT. LET ME READ TO YOU WHY WE'RE RECOGNIZING MR. BANTZ THIS EVENING.

COUNSELOR MIKE BANTZ HAS STARTED A PROGRAM CALLED NOURISH TO FLOURISH. IT'S A PROGRAM WHERE THE FRUIT AND WRAPPED FOOD FROM BREAKFAST AND LUNCH IS COLLECTED. STUDENTS CAN COME THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND GET A FOOD ITEM WHEN THEY ARE HUNGRY. IT HAS BEEN SUCH A SUCCESS. IT HELPS MEET A BASIC NEED FOR ALL STUDENTS. AND ALLOWS OUR STUDENTS TO FOCUS ON THEIR LEARNING. HE HAS ALSO INCLUDED STUDENT HELPERS TO COLLECT THE FOOD, WHICH ALLOWS STUDENTS TO SERVE, SHOW KINDNESS, AND LEADERSHIP. WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR MR. BANTA AND FOR THE NOURISH TO FLOURISH PROGRAM AT LAKE HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO, SIR. WE'RE GOING TO GRAB A PHOTO. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. BANTA. WE ALSO HAVE TWO STUDENTS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THIS EVENING.

I WANTED TO FIRST SEE, IS CARSON BULLARD HERE FROM PRESTONWOOD? ALL RIGHT, CARSON, LET ME SHARE WITH YOU WHY WE ARE RECOGNIZING MR. CARSON THIS EVENING. COME HERE, YOUNG MAN. CARSON IS A SIXTH GRADER AT PRESTONWOOD ELEMENTARY, AND HE TRULY STANDS OUT AS A LEADER WHO EXUDES COMPASSION AND EMPATHY. WHEN ONE OF HIS CLASSMATES IS DOWN, HE IS THE FIRST TO STEP IN THERE AND BE THEM FOR THEM. HE MAKES THE EXTRA EFFORT TO INCLUDE THOSE WHO MAY NOT FEEL INCLUDED, TO SIT WITH THEM AT LUNCH, TO PLAY WITH THEM AT RECESS, AND TO EVEN WRITE NOTES OF ENCOURAGEMENT. WHEN A STUDENT WAS HAVING A ROUGH DAY RECENTLY, HE WROTE THEM A KIND NOTE SAYING, IF YOU EVER NEED ANYTHING, I AM HERE. HE IS A COMPASSIONATE STUDENT AND A FRIEND, AND EVEN SHOWS HIS COMPASSION ACADEMICALLY. IF A CLASSMATE IS STRUGGLING, HE ALWAYS STEPS IN AND OFFERS TO HELP THEM BETTER UNDERSTAND A CONCEPT. IF A CLASSMATE IS ABSENT, HE LOVES TO WORK WITH THEM AS A PEER TUTOR.

CARSON TRULY SHOWS LOVE.

KINDNESS AND EMPATHY TO ALL AROUND HIM. AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF HIM. AND I THINK YOU CAN SEE HIS TRUE HEART RIGHT NOW.

LET'S GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO CARTER. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE. I'M VERY PROUD TO ALSO INTRODUCE TO YOU, MR. WILLIAM BAILEY, WHO IS AN EIGHTH GRADER AT RICHARDSON NORTH JUNIOR HIGH, AND LET ME READ A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY WE ARE CELEBRATING WILLIAM THIS EVENING. THIS IS WHAT HIS TEACHER WROTE. I HAVE KNOWN WILLIAM FOR OVER A YEAR, AND HE CONTINUES TO AMAZE ME AS A TRUE SERVANT

[00:35:01]

WILLIAM LEADS BY EXAMPLE, NOT JUST WORDS. HE LIFTS UP HIS PEERS, SUPPORTS HIS SIBLINGS IN THE BAND, AND MODELS RESPECT IN THE CLASSROOM. HE IS A SHINING LIGHT ON OUR CAMPUS, AND HIS CHARACTER HAS INSPIRED.

THE CAMP IS TO CREATE A NEW AWARD FOR CONSISTENT EFFORT AND LEADERSHIP BECAUSE OF THE EXAMPLE HE HAS SET. CAN WE GIVE IT UP FOR MR. WILLIAM BAILEY? THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. AND WILLIAM, WE'RE GOING TO GRAB THAT PHOTO. AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU HERE THIS EVENING AND ALL OF THOSE FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND COMMUNITY THAT HAVE COME OUT, YES. CONGRATULATIONS, WILLIAM. I HOPE YOU CAN SEE AS A TESTAMENT OF OUR RECOGNITIONS THIS EVENING, THERE ARE SO MANY INCREDIBLE THINGS HAPPENING IN ALL OF OUR CLASSROOMS, ACROSS ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES, EACH AND EVERY DAY HERE IN RISD. IF YOU'RE A FAMILY MEMBER, A STAFF, SOMEONE WHO CAME TO SUPPORT THOSE WE RECOGNIZE, CAN YOU PLEASE STAND SO WE CAN RECOGNIZE YOU? AND THIS WILL CONCLUDE OUR RECOGNITIONS FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.

THANK YOU.

[00:42:48]

HELLER, FOR LEADING US THROUGH THOSE RECOGNITIONS.

[II.A. Public Comment on Annual Performance Report]

AT THIS TIME, WE WILL MOVE INTO THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF THE MEETING. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WILL NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON THE ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT.

PERSONS WHO WISH TO ADDRESS THE BOARD DURING THIS PUBLIC HEARING.

MUST HAVE SIGNED UP ONLINE DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT REGISTRATION WINDOW PRIOR TO THIS MEETING. WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED, PLEASE COME TO THE CENTER MICROPHONE TO MAKE YOUR COMMENTS. MS. RENTERIA WILL CALL THE NAME OF EACH SPEAKER. STAFF WILL KEEP TIME IN THE SAME MANNER AS DURING THE REGULAR PUBLIC COMMENTS AT OUR MEETINGS. EACH SPEAKER SHOULD LIMIT HIS OR HER COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES, AND THE TOPIC MUST RELATE TO THE ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT.

MS. RENTERIA, DO WE HAVE SPEAKERS? FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING. WE DO, MR. POTEET. THANK YOU. MS. RENTERIA, YOU MAY GO AHEAD AND CALL OUR SPEAKERS. THANK YOU, MR. POTEET. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, I WELCOME OUR VISITORS.

SPEAKERS CAN ONLY COMMENT ON THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF THE AGENDA. AS A REMINDER, SPEAKERS ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PROTOCOL, AS NOTED IN THE RISD WEBSITE.

SPEAKERS, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM AT THE FRONT OF THE AUDITORIUM. WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MR. EWAN BLACKMAN. GOOD EVENING, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, PRESIDENT PARCHIT, SUPERINTENDENT BRANHAM, AND ESTEEMED EMPLOYEES. I'D LIKE TO SPEAK A LITTLE ON SOME OF THE... SCORES THAT HAVE COME UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR AND LOOK AT THE SCORES THAT CAME OUT LAST YEAR WITH REGARDS TO ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. OUR NORTH STAR GOAL, EVERY STUDENT, TEACHER AND LEADER WILL MEET OR EXCEED THEIR ACADEMIC GROWTH GOALS. I LOVE THAT PART, THE ACADEMIC, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE I'M ALL ABOUT. AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SEEN THESE SCORES GO UP AND UP. THE TREND OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS HAS BEEN AMAZING. IN TEACHING PHYSICS, I'M ALWAYS TRYING TO HELP STUDENTS UNDERSTAND HOW

[00:45:01]

IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT'S THE DATA SETS BETWEEN AND WHERE ARE WE GOING, AND THEN WHAT'S THE OVERALL TREND? AND THE OVERALL TREND LOOKS POSITIVE. THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR DATA COMING IN FROM MAPS IS A TESTAMENT TO WHAT DR. LIEPER IS DOING WITH HER FOCUSED DATA ANALYSIS AND THEN TARGETED FOR WHAT TEKS WERE LACKING. FANTASTIC STUFF. TO CONTINUE THAT AND TO ACCELERATE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS TO MEET SOME OF THOSE BOARD GOALS IS LOOKING GREAT. I REALLY, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THAT.

BUT I'M ALSO A REALIST, AND THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY IN THERE AS WELL FOR SOME GROWTH. AND I THINK THAT OUR SCIENCES ARE BEING A BIG FACTOR THERE, AND THE BOND PASSING TO LOOK AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS GOING TO ONLY HELP THOSE SCHOOLS INCREASE. SO THAT WAS A GREAT THING, AND A SHOUT-OUT, IF I'LL BE REMISS TO DO THAT, WAS TO MY LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, RICHLAND ELEMENTARY. A NEW PRINCIPAL CAME IN LAST YEAR, A DOCTOR, MR. BILL GADDIS, AND HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB TURNING THAT AROUND. AND SOME OF THAT IS A DIRECT DRIVER OF SOME OF THE PAY WE DO, SOME OF THE FOCUS WE DO. AND SO THAT'S MY... BRIEF COMMENTS TODAY. THE SCORES LOOK GOOD, AND I LIKE THE TREND WE'RE SEEING. I THINK THAT'S FANTASTIC, AND SO CONGRATULATIONS FOR THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BLACKMAN. AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKERS, MR. POTEET, FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF OUR MEETING. THANK YOU,

[II.B. Annual Performance Report]

MS. BRANHAM, DO YOU HAVE INFORMATION FOR US? I DO.

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT POTEET, AND THANK YOU, BOARD. AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN ANNUAL REQUIREMENT.

ANY OF THE DATA THAT, IN A MINUTE, I'M GOING TO INVITE DR. ORTIZ TO THE PODIUM AND SHE'S GOING TO PRESENT TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION. THERE IS NO NEW DATA THAT WE ARE PRESENTING TONIGHT. THIS IS ALL OLD DATA.

BASICALLY, REALLY, WHAT? THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PUT LAST YEAR'S 2024-2025, ALL OF OUR DATA SETS TOGETHER INTO ONE DOCUMENT, OF WHICH WE WILL THEN MAKE PUBLIC SO OUR COMMUNITY CAN EASILY ACCESS IT AND EASILY UNDERSTAND THE PERFORMANCE OF RICHARDSON ISD.

AND SO, AS REQUIRED. BY THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR YOU TONIGHT TO MAKE SURE OUR COMMUNITY IS INFORMED OF THE PROCESS. SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, DR.

ORTIZ. THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANHAM, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE HERE WITH US. SO AS MS. BRANHAM MENTIONED, WE ARE GOING OVER THE TEXAS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE REPORT FOR 24-25.

SO THIS IS INFORMATION, WE'VE ALREADY SHARED A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION IN PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS, BUT THIS IS A REQUIREMENT FOR US TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER. AND MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC IS AWARE OF WHERE THEY CAN ACCESS THIS INFORMATION. AS PER TEXAS EDUCATION CODE 39.306, THERE ARE SOME REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING WITHIN 90 DAYS OF RECEIVING THE TAPER, REPORTS FROM THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. THE REPORTS THIS YEAR WERE RELEASED BY TEA ON DECEMBER 18, 2025. EACH DISTRICT'S ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT MUST INCLUDE THE TAPER, WHICH IS... CREATED BY THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY TO REFLECT ALL OF OUR DATA. IT ALSO INCLUDES THE PEMS FINANCIAL STANDARDS REPORTS FOR 23-24, SO THAT'S ANOTHER YEAR BEHIND IN AS FAR AS OUR FINANCIAL ACTUAL DATA. WE ALSO INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DISTRICT ACCREDITATION STATUS, CAMPUS PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES, SPECIAL EDUCATION DETERMINATION STATUS, REPORTS ON VIOLENT OR CRIMINAL INCIDENTS, AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE IN POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS.

THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD, AS WELL AS INCLUDING SOME INFORMATION ON OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS OUR HOUSE BUILD REGALS. WE'VE INCLUDED SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE HAVE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE, WITH THE LINKS THAT WILL ALL BE AVAILABLE LATER THIS WEEK. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE BROKEN IT DOWN INTO AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WHERE WE HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE INFORMATION FROM THE TAPER. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE IDENTIFY SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE WE ARE OUTPERFORMING THE STATE. AND SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE STILL KNOW ARE A WORK IN PROGRESS.

SO SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE'VE SHARED PREVIOUSLY, JUST OUR PERFORMANCE AT THE MEETS. GRADE LEVEL FOR OUR STUDENTS, BOTH FOR ALL SUBJECTS AND IN EACH CONTENT AREA, IS SURPASSING WHAT WE SEE AT THE STATE LEVEL. SO WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE THAT, AS WELL AS OUR CCMR PERFORMANCE ON DIFFERENT INDICATORS. SO THAT IS ALL INCLUDED ON THAT TAPER REPORT, AND IT WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. THE ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT IS AVAILABLE THROUGH... THE TEA WEBSITE, THERE IS A DIRECT LINK THAT YOU CAN LOOK UP THE DISTRICT REPORT, YOU CAN LOOK UP EACH CAMPUS.

ALL OF THE CAMPUSES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS ARE AVAILABLE TO LOOK UP THERE.

AND THEN ALL OF THE OTHER PIECES THAT I'VE MENTIONED, THE CAMPUS PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES, WE HAVE OUR CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PLANS LINKS, WHICH WE HAD DISCUSSED AT A PREVIOUS BOARD MEETING.

AND SO THOSE ARE AVAILABLE FOR EASY ACCESS. OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION DETERMINATION STATUS, WE DID MEET THE REQUIREMENTS.

SO THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE, AS WELL

[00:50:01]

THE LINK FOR THE ACTUAL TAPER REPORTS IS ALREADY LIVE. AND HARD COPIES OF THE COMPLETE ANNUAL REPORT WILL BE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST FOR STAKEHOLDERS WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET. THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. ORTIZ. AND WITH THAT, I DO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE APPROVE THE MINUTES. I WAS READING THE WRONG ONE. I DO ASK THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE RICHARDSON INDEPENDENT 24-25, TEXAS ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT.

OKAY, THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANHAM. BOARD MEMBERS, WE'VE RECEIVED A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT TO APPROVE THE 2024-2025 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT. AND THE PUBLIC HAS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT TO PROVIDE ITS INPUT ON THIS TOPIC. DOES ANYONE WISH TO MAKE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

THANK YOU, MS. TIMMY. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, MS. PACHECO. BOARD MEMBERS NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DELIBERATE. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY COMMENTS ON THIS MOTION? OKAY, HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. THAT IS SIX TO ZERO. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE TEAMS THAT WORKED TOGETHER AND COLLABORATED TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE ALL OF THIS IS AVAILABLE AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO OUR TEAM. SO THANK YOU ALL.

YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FROM THE BOARD AS WELL. DR.

ORTIZ, THANK YOU. AND THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED AT 6.57 P.M. OUR NEXT ITEM ON

[III. PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION]

MRS. RENTERIA, DO WE HAVE ANY PERSONS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO ADDRESS THE BOARD? WE DO, MR. POTEET. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, I WELCOME OUR VISITORS.

DURING TODAY'S MEETING, SPEAKERS MAY COMMENT ON AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS. AS A REMINDER, SPEAKERS ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PROTOCOL, AS NOTED ON THE RISD WEBSITE.

SPEAKERS, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM AT THE FRONT OF THE AUDITORIUM WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MR. EWAN BLACKMAN. GREETINGS AGAIN. THE MAYOR WILL BE HAPPY WITH ALL THESE STEPS. A LITTLE MORE DEAR AND NEAR TO MY HEART IS THE BUDGET AND THE TEACHER PAY THAT WE PASSED LAST YEAR. I THINK IT WAS A GAME CHANGER FOR MANY REASONS. WE CATAPULTED TO NUMBER ONE IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA FOR VETERAN TEACHERS. I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ACHIEVEMENT, A VERY NOBLE GOAL, AND WELL WORTH US. CONTINUING ON WITH THAT PROGRESS. AND SO I THINK IF WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE 1% AND 2% AND 3% RAISES, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO UNDO SOME OF THAT AND GO BACK TO A COMPRESSION-STYLE PAY FOR OUR TEACHERS. OUR TEACHERS ARE REALLY THE HEART OF OUR CLASSROOM, AND WE REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THEM, BECAUSE THE MORE FINANCIALLY STABLE THE TEACHER IS, THE HAPPIER WE ARE FINANCIALLY, THE BETTER OFF WE CAN CONNECT WITH OUR KIDS, THE BETTER TIME WE CAN GIVE TO OUR STUDENTS, THE BETTER OFF THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT BECOMES. IT'S NOT THE SOLE DETERMINANT, FOR SURE, BUT IT IS ONE OF THOSE FACTORS. AND I THINK HATS OFF TO THIS BOARD FOR PASSING THAT BUDGET LAST YEAR.

SO AS WE GO FORWARD, LOOKING AT NEW TEACHER PAY, I THINK IF EVERYONE SHIFTS UP BY THE AMOUNT OF THE NEW TEACHER PAY, AND THEN FORGET ABOUT WHAT THE PERCENTAGE IS.

BECAUSE THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A SET AMOUNT OF DETERMINATION GOING FORWARD AS TO WHAT YOUR PAY RAISE WILL BE.

AND SO I'M GOING TO FIGHT ON FOR THAT AND BRING TO YOU GUYS.

OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, MORE AND MORE DATA POINTS TO LOOK AT. FOR EXAMPLE, SINCE 1992, I'M DOING A BOOK STUDY THIS EVENING ON TEACHER PAY SINCE 1992. OUR SPENDING IN EDUCATION, ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, HAS BEEN ABOUT 38% INCREASE IN SPENDING. THE TEACHER PAY IS ONLY 0.6% INCREASE IN SALARIES. SO WE'VE LAGGED BEHIND GREATLY AND IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK TO DO THAT. SO IF WE LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE SHORTFALLS, MR. PATE DOES A FANTASTIC JOB WITH THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE.

I COULDN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS. I SPOKE ABOUT IT MANY, MANY TIMES AND WE'LL HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS GOING FORWARD ON THIS ISSUE. TO THINK THAT THE BUDGET IS GOING TO BE IN A DEFICIT IS ALARMING.

BECAUSE THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THINGS LIKE TEACHER PAY RAISES AND THOSE ARE TOUGH DECISIONS. AND THAT'S WHERE YOU SIT ON THOSE SEATS.

BUT MY TWO CENTS WORTH ON THAT IS, LET'S CONTINUE WHAT WE BUILT.

TAKE A LOOK AT THE REALISTIC PROJECTIONS OF WHAT ARE OUR PROPERTY VALUES.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO CUT THAT MIDDLE BAND OF ADMINISTRATION? I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE FOLKS THAT OCCUPY THIS BUILDING BECAUSE THAT IS A VERY SMALL AMOUNT.

IT'S ALL THOSE OTHER NON-DIRECT IN THE CLASSROOM CONTACT

[00:55:01]

WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR MR. PATE AND HIS ABILITY TO WORK THOSE NUMBERS, AND IT'S ON YOU GUYS TO READ THE TEA LEAVES AND DO WHAT I SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER, THE INTERPOLATION AND THE EXTRAPOLATION AS TO WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US. AND I WOULD BE VERY REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY THANK YOU TO TRUSTEE RENTERIA FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THIS BOARD OVER SIX YEARS. AS THE FIRST LATINO REPRESENTATIVE ON THIS BOARD, YOU GAVE GREAT VOICE TO THOSE WHO OTHERWISE DIDN'T HAVE IT OR WERE MUTED. AND I APPRECIATE FOR THAT THE... THE GROUNDBREAKING YOU DID WAS PHENOMENAL, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND FOR THAT, WE APPRECIATE IT, FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU.

AND TO THE REST OF YOU, GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. BLACKMAN. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MS. DEBORAH LEVY. HI. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT POTEET AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK AGAINST THE ADOPTION OF S.B. 11. AS A PARENT AND AS A FORMER YOUNG CHILD, MY ASSOCIATION WITH RICHARDSON GOES BACK TO THE TIME. MY CHILDREN WERE VERY LITTLE. AND WE WERE DRIVING PAST BRENTFIELD. AND MY SON ASKED ME WHERE THE TORAH WAS IN THE SCHOOL BECAUSE HE HAD GONE TO JEWISH DAY SCHOOL. AND I HAD TO EXPLAIN TO HIM THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE, YOU KNOW, WHEN HE'S LIKE, SIX YEARS OLD.

BUT IT JUST SHOWS YOU THAT FOR ME, PRAYER AND FAITH IS A PERSONAL FAMILY MATTER. SO I WANTED TO KIND OF JUST DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND POINT OUT THAT THE BILL ITSELF IS DIVISIVE.

IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DIVIDE CHILDREN BY WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE ABLE TO GO PRAY IN SCHOOL UNDER THE LAW OR NOT ABLE TO ACCORDING TO THEIR FAMILY'S BELIEFS. AND PRAYER FOR ME IS PERSONAL. I JUST WANT TO SHARE A LITTLE STORY. I GREW UP IN LUBBOCK, TEXAS. MY FAMILY HAD BEEN THERE FOR, MY MOTHER HAD GROWN UP THERE, AND THERE WERE 100 JEWISH FAMILIES IN LUBBOCK. AND WHEN I WENT TO SCHOOL AT WESTERN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MY OLDER SIBLINGS TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD COME AND LOOK FOR MY HORNS WHEN I WENT TO SCHOOL. SO WHAT I DID IS I WROTE A LITTLE PRAYER ON A PIECE OF PAPER, AND I PUT IT INSIDE MY DESK, THINKING, YOU KNOW, NO ONE WILL BOTHER ME IF I TAKE MY FAITH WITH ME TO SCHOOL AND PUT MY PRAYER ON MY DESK. NO ONE EVER SAID ANYTHING TO ME ABOUT THIS PRAYER I HAD AT MY DESK. AND REALLY, I WAS PRETTY MUCH NOT BOTHERED IN SCHOOL. I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL AND STUDIED BARABBAS IN MY, LIKE, IT WASN'T CALLED AP, BUT MY UPPER-LEVEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, HIGH SCHOOL CLASS. AND I WAS MADE PART OF THE COMMUNITY. I WAS ABLE TO TALK ABOUT FIRST-CENTURY JUDAISM WITH MY FRIENDS IN MY CLASS BECAUSE MY TEACHER, YOU KNOW, WAS INCLUSIVE. SO CHILDREN NEED TO BE IN PLACES THAT ARE INCLUSIVE, WHERE THEY CAN BRING THEIR WHOLE SELVES, AND FAMILIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAITH FORMATION OF THE CHILDREN. SO I WOULD JUST APPRECIATE RISD NOT ADOPTING THE PROVISIONS IN S.B. 11 FOR ALL THESE REASONS, AND THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

TAKE CARE. THANK YOU, MS. LEVY. MR. POTEET, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS FOR THIS EVENING. ALL RIGHT.

WE THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TONIGHT AND GIVING US YOUR TIME

[IV. CONSENT / CONFIRMATION AGENDA ITEMS]

OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN ACTION ITEM FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA. DOES ANYONE WISH TO PULL ANY CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION? OKAY. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVED. THANK YOU, MR. EAGER. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, MS. MCGOWAN. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR ANY QUESTIONS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ON THAT MOTION? OKAY. HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT, AND THAT MOTION PASSES 6-0.

[V.A. Consider and Approve Gifts]

THE TOOLS, THE RESOURCES, AND EXPERIENCES THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE OUR NORTH STAR GOAL IS MET. AND SO THIS MONTH, I'VE ASKED MR. PATE TO PRESENT OUR REPORT FOR OUR GIFTS OF $5,000 OR MORE. MR. PATE? THANK YOU, MRS. BRANHAM. I'M HAPPY TO PRESENT GIFTS RECEIVED THIS

[01:00:02]

OUR TOTAL GIFTS RECEIVED THIS MONTH ARE $51,551.93.

THANK YOU. AND WITH THAT, I ASK THAT THE BOARD ACCEPT THE GIFTS OF $5,000 OR MORE AS PRESENTED.

OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION.

BOARD, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THESE GIFTS? SO MOVED. THANK YOU, MS. RENTERIA. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, MS. TOOMEY. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS MOTION? YES, MS. MCGOWAN. THANK YOU FOR THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT. WE GRACIOUSLY ARE EXCITED ABOUT ALL THESE DONATIONS.

BUT DO YOU KNOW WHO COTTON BOWL FOUNDATION IS? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? THE COTTON BOWL, ACTUALLY, THEY'RE THE FOUNDATION OF WHICH, AS THEY COLLECT PROCEEDS FROM THE ACTUAL COTTON BOWL, THERE ARE DIFFERENT PHILANTHROPIC OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE HAVE TO EITHER WRITE GRANTS OR THAT THEY DONATE TO SPECIFIC CAMPUSES FOR SPECIFIC REASONS. VERY NICE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. HEARING NO MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, THOSE IN SUPPORT OF THIS MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT MOTION

[V.B. Vote on Resolution Regarding a Period of Prayer and Reading of Religious Text During the School Day]

THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON OR EVENING, TRUSTEES, SUPERINTENDENT, COLLEAGUES AND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE 89TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE PASSED SENATE BILL 11. AND IT REQUIRES EACH SCHOOL BOARD IN TEXAS TO TAKE A RECORD VOTE WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE, SO IT'S MARCH 1ST, ON WHETHER OR NOT TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION REGARDING ADDING A PERIOD OF PRAYER AND READING OF RELIGIOUS TEXT DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH TEXAS EDUCATION CODE, SECTION 25.0823. AND SO TO BE CLEAR.

THE RESOLUTION LANGUAGE, AS PRESCRIBED BY STATE LAW, WOULD HAVE, IF PASSED, REQUIRED THE BOARD TO PASS A RESOLUTION. TO AGREE TO ADOPT A POLICY TO ALLOW A PERIOD OF PRAYER AND READING OF RELIGIOUS TEXTS. I KNOW THAT'S CONFUSING, BUT THAT'S JUST THE WAY THE STATUTE READS. AND IF THE SCHOOL BOARD WERE TO PASS THAT RESOLUTION, THE POLICY WOULD HAVE TO INCLUDE VERY SPECIFIC THINGS IN THERE IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH LAW, INCLUDING THAT.

IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PERIOD OF PRAYER AND RELIGIOUS READING, A STUDENT'S PARENT WOULD HAVE TO SUBMIT A SIGNED CONSENT FORM, BUT INCLUDED IN THAT CONSENT FORM, THE PARENTS WOULD HAVE TO EXPRESSLY WAIVE THEIR RIGHT TO BRING A LEGAL CLAIM.

ON THE VIOLATION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT, WHICH IS ONE OF THE BASIC FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS THAT CITIZENS HAVE. THE PRAYER AND RELIGIOUS READING ALSO COULD NOT BE DONE IN THE PHYSICAL PRESENCE OR HEARING OF A PERSON TO WHOM ASSIGNED CONSENT HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED, WHICH MEANS THAT PRAYER AND RELIGIOUS READING WOULD HAVE TO BE IN A SEGREGATED AREA.

WHERE CONSENTING AND NON-CONSENTING INDIVIDUALS WOULD BE SEPARATED, HAVE TO BE BEFORE SCHOOL DAY, OR BY SOME OTHER METHOD THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE OR ME WOULD PRESCRIBE. THAT ALSO MEANS HAVING ADDITIONAL STAFF TO BE ABLE TO ENFORCE, MAKING SURE THAT ONLY THOSE INDIVIDUALS WITH WHOM WE HAD CONSENT FOR WERE IN THAT SPACE. YOU?

[01:05:02]

BOTH OUR STUDENTS AND OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE RIGHTS UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAW.

TO NOT ONLY PARTICIPATE IN PRAYER VOLUNTARILY, THEY CAN FORM, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, A PRAYER GROUP, THEY CAN READ THE BIBLE OR ANY OTHER RELIGIOUS TEXT. ALREADY, AND THERE'S LITERALLY A LITANY OF THINGS, AND WE'VE INCLUDED SOME OF THAT IN THE ACTION ITEM.

DOCUMENT THAT'S AVAILABLE IN BOARD BOOK, BUT LITERALLY THINGS LIKE THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION, THE TEXAS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACT, MULTIPLE SECTIONS OF THE TEXAS EDUCATION ACT, AS WELL AS MULTIPLE COURT CASES. AND OUR OWN BOARD POLICIES. AND THOSE INCLUDE BOARD POLICY FNA, BOARD POLICY FM, AND FNAB.

AND THAT'S JUST A SMALL SAMPLE.

THAT OUTLINES THE RIGHTS, LIKE I SAID, OF BOTH OUR STUDENTS AND OUR EMPLOYEES TO EXERCISE THEIR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. AND PART OF THE REASON WE ARE ASKING THE BOARD TO DECLINE ADOPTING THE RESOLUTION IS BECAUSE TO DO SO IS ACTUALLY WOULD CAUSE MORE RESTRICTIONS ON THOSE FREEDOMS. AND THAT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND. THANK YOU, MS. MCGOWAN. I ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR PRINCIPALS WHO WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR STUDENTS AND OUR PARENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THERE IS A RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION, THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS DISCUSSED AND PLANNED, AND IT'S A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS BETWEEN PARENT, STUDENTS AND THE ADMINISTRATION. SO WITH THAT, WE DO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD DOES NOT ADOPT THE RESOLUTION.

STATE LAW, FEDERAL LAW, CASE LAW, AND RIC BOARD POLICY ALREADY ALLOW STUDENTS TO ENGAGE IN PRAYER, READING, A RELIGIOUS TEXT, AND RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION ON SCHOOL PROPERTY AND DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. SO, AGAIN, WE RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD DOES NOT RECOMMEND THE ADOPTION OF THE BOARD POLICY AND RESOLUTION. OKAY.

FOR CLARITY, WE'RE VOTING TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE DO NOT. CORRECT. OKAY. JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. CORRECT.

OKAY. LIKE A DOUBLE NEGATIVE.

YES, VERY CONFUSING, BUT I THINK I GOT IT. OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THE RECOMMENDATION. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE VOTE TO DECLINE? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION? SO MOVED. THANK YOU. MS. TIMMY, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. MS. MCGOWAN, THANK YOU.

OKAY, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD OR ANY QUESTIONS? YES, MS. PACHECO.

YES, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE EXPLANATION ON THE APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTIONS AND FOR NOT SUPPORTING THAT.

FIRST, I WANT TO THANK OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO CAME OUT TO SPEAK, AS WELL AS THE FAMILIES WHO ALSO SENT US EMAILS AND OTHER WAYS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. I PERSONALLY KNOW AND BELIEVE THAT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE DESIGNED TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS OF ALL FAITHS AND OF NO FAITH. AND I BELIEVE IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT OUR POLICIES REFLECT NEUTRALITY AND INCLUSIVITY FOR ALL OUR FAMILIES.

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION, I THINK LIKE MANY BELIEVE, IS A SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT AND PERSONAL, AND IT'S APPROPRIATELY CARED BY FAMILIES AND NOT THE SCHOOL ITSELF. I THINK PARENTS CONTINUE TO RETAIN THEIR FULL AUTHORITY OVER THEIR CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS STUDIES AND TRAINING WITHOUT HAVING THEM BEING PLACED HERE AT OUR SCHOOLS. AND AGAIN, I RESPECT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS FAITH AND RELIGIOUS TRAINING FOR ALL OUR FAMILIES.

I JUST DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT NEEDS TO BE INSIDE OUR CLASSROOMS FOR AN ACTUAL PERIOD. AND, YOU KNOW, AS A BOARD MEMBER, I WANT TO PROTECT INSTRUCTIONAL TIME. I WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE EQUITABLE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND MAINTAIN A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT THAT IS WELCOMING TO ALL OUR STUDENTS AND ALL OUR FACULTY AND STAFF.

AND UPHOLDING THAT SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE HELPS US DO THAT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. PACHECO. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? YES, MS. MCGOWAN. I WON'T SAY A LOT. I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING, MY FELLOW TRUSTEE SAID, MS. PACHECO. I'D LIKE TO ADD THAT EARLY VOTING HAS STARTED AND EVERYONE SHOULD GET

[01:10:01]

YES. THANK YOU, MS. MCGOWAN.

MS. RENTERIA. ALSO, JUST THANK YOU TO MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES WHO JUST SPOKE AND ALSO AGREE. I JUST WANT TO ALSO EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO MS. MCGOWAN AND TO MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES ON THE POLICY COMMITTEE FOR HAVING THESE IN-DEPTH CONVERSATIONS TO MS. BRANHAM AND ALL HER TEAM WHO HELPED US REALLY ANALYZE THIS AND UNDERSTAND THIS. AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE, TO THESE MEETINGS, WE BRING ALL OF THE EMAILS THAT WE RECEIVED AND ALL THE COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED. AND SO IT'S JUST... JUST THANK YOU FOR HELPING US TO CLARIFY EVERYTHING AND TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING CLEARLY, SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU MS. VENTURIA. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY WITH THAT HEARING? NO MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION. PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

OKAY, AND THAT MOTION PASSES SIX

[V.C. Approval of Apollo Junior High Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) -1]

MS. BRANNON. THANK YOU. THIS IS SUCH AN EXCITING MOMENT AS WE OFFICIALLY KIND OF LAUNCH INTO THE WORK OF BOND 2025.

AND AGAIN, I'LL TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY I CAN TO THANK THE BOARD, OUR STAFF, AND OUR COMMUNITY FOR SUPPORTING BOND 2025 AND MAKING THIS DREAM THAT WE HAD FOR OUR OTHER SIX MIDDLE SCHOOLS. TONIGHT'S THE NEXT STEP IN THAT. AND SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. HOSSO, AND I BELIEVE LEE AND OUR TEAM, WE'RE GOING TO SHARE KIND OF INFORMATION ON APOLLO MIDDLE SCHOOL. MR. HOSSO.

SURE. THANK YOU, MS. BRANHAM.

BOARD, GOOD EVENING. AS MS. BRANHAM SAID, WE'RE HUGELY EXCITED TO BE WITH YOU HERE AS WE START THE OFFICIAL WORK OF THE NEXT SET OF MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION PROJECTS.

AS THE BOARD IS AWARE, WE ALREADY HAVE TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS OPERATING, WHICH IS LAKE HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL AND FOREST MEADOW MIDDLE SCHOOL.

AND SO, THANKS TO THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF OUR COMMUNITY, WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE GOOD ON THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION RESOLUTION THAT THE BOARD ADOPTED IN 2021. AND SO TONIGHT, WE BRING YOU INFORMATION ABOUT THE APOLLO MIDDLE SCHOOL PROJECT, GMP, GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE ONE.

AND SO WE HAVE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH YOU. WE'LL RUN YOU VERY QUICKLY THROUGH THE DESIGN OF THE NEW BUILDING, WHICH IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE.

BEFORE WE DO THAT, I WANT TO INTRODUCE MEMBERS OF MY TEAM AND SOME OF OUR PARTNERS WHO HAVE REALLY BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THE SUCCESS SO FAR OF THIS PROJECT. AND SO WE HAVE AT THE HELM HERE LEE ESTES, AND, OF COURSE, MS. ESTES HAS RETURNED FROM BEING BABY LILY'S MOM. WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK, LEE. JAMES WATSON IS IN THE AUDIENCE, OUR SENIOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS. OUR PROJECT MANAGER, DUSTY NUGENT, IS IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL. AND THEN WE HAVE OUR PARTNER FROM CORE CONSTRUCTION, BRANDON RUIZ, WHO WE APPRECIATE GIVING UP PART OF HIS TIME TO BE HERE. AND I DIDN'T SEE HKS, BUT I CERTAINLY WANT TO GIVE THEM CREDIT, BRIAN NELSON AND ASHLEY SNEED. SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'LL ASK MS. ESTES TO TAKE US THROUGH THE PROJECT.

ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU, MIKE.

GOOD EVENING, BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND SUPERINTENDENT BRANHAM. I GET THE EXCITING PRESENTATION OF SHOWING ALL THE PRETTY PICTURES ON WHAT THIS BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS WILL LOOK LIKE. AS MIKE SAID, THIS IS THE FIRST GMP NUMBER ONE. WE'RE VERY MUCH IN DESIGN RIGHT NOW WITH THE SIX MIDDLE SCHOOLS, AND APOLLO MIDDLE SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST ONE. FOR SOME PARTICULAR SITE DEVELOPMENT, THAT WILL BE REFLECTED IN GMP NUMBER ONE.

BUT THE DESIGN IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT. WAY RIGHT NOW, AND I WANT TO WALK THROUGH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AS A REMINDER. LATER, IN DIFFERENT BOARD MEETINGS, WE'LL GO THROUGH THE DESIGN OF THE OTHER MIDDLE SCHOOLS AS WELL, BUT APOLLO IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST ONE THAT YOU GET A LITTLE SNEAK PEEK OF. SO, FOR THE SITE PLAN OF APOLLO MIDDLE SCHOOL, THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE ADDITION RENOVATION PROJECT. SO THE MAIN ENTRANCE WILL NOW, AND IT'S PRETTY SMALL, BUT THAT MAIN ENTRANCE IS GOING TO BE WHERE YOU SEE THAT NUMBER TWO. SO WE'RE RE-EMPHASIZING A MORE PROMINENT FRONT DOOR.

FOR THE COMMUNITY OFF OF APOLLO ROAD AND REALLY CREATING A STUDENT COURTYARD AT THE ENTRANCE. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE UPHOLDING THE ORIGINAL INTEGRITY OF THE CAMPUS, WITH THE DONUT AROUND THE MIDDLE. WE'RE CALLING IT THE DONUT. IT'S THE AREA THAT HAS THE COURTYARD.

THERE'S CLASSROOMS AROUND IT.

AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE ON THE SITE PLAN IS, OF COURSE, THE NEW ENTRANCE AT THAT NUMBER TWO, THE PARENT DROP-OFF, THE DETENTION POND IN COURTYARDS. AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT THE OUTDOOR ATHLETIC FACILITIES ON THE SOUTH THAT WE'LL MAINTAIN AND SOME NEW PARKING ON THE EAST SIDE.

[01:15:02]

AND IN THE LEFT, IN RED, YOU'LL SEE THE FINE ARTS. AND THEN LOOKING ON LEVEL TWO, IT'S PREDOMINANTLY THE CLASSROOMS THAT WILL BE FULLY RENOVATED TO LOOK BRAND NEW, AS WELL AS SOME ADMINISTRATION SPACES.

AND LET ME BACK UP REALLY QUICK, JUST TO SHOW YOU WHERE THE NEW FRONT ENTRANCE IS.

THERE'S THAT BAR OF PINK WHERE YOU SEE WHERE THE NEW ADMIN WOULD BE, AND THE MAIN ENTRANCE WOULD BE OPENING UP RIGHT INTO THE MEDIA CENTER, WHICH I'LL SHOW IN A RENDERING HERE IN JUST A FEW SLIDES. LOOKING AT THE PROPOSED EXTERIOR, SO THE VIEW ON THE LEFT IS...

THE VIEW FROM APOLLO ROAD.

THAT TWO-STORY ADDITION IS THAT CLASSROOM ADDITION WHERE THE BOTTOM IS THE CT CENTERS. THAT REALLY SHOWCASES SOME OF THE PROGRAMMATIC SPECIAL PROGRAMS WE HAVE AT THAT CAMPUS. AND THEN, ON THE LEFT IS THAT NEW STUDENT ENTRY THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. AND THEN JUST A SNEAK PEEK OF SOME OF THE INTERIOR RENDERINGS.

AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL STILL VERY MUCH IN DEVELOPMENT. WE'RE WORKING THROUGH GRAPHICS AND WAYFINDING AND HOW TO REALLY TELL THE STORY OF THE APOLLO MIDDLE SCHOOL.

BUT RIGHT NOW, THE VIEW YOU'RE LOOKING AT ON THE LEFT IS RIGHT. WHEN YOU WALK IN. THE ENTRY, THE MEDIA CENTER OR THE LIBRARY IS NOW THE MAIN FOCUS. IT'S THE HUB OF THE SCHOOL. AND ON THE RIGHT IS THE INSIDE OF THE MEDIA CENTER, LETTING IN A LOT OF NATURAL LIGHT, A LOT OF MODERN FINISHES TO REALLY GIVE THE CAMPUS, UM, A MODERNIZED VIEW ON THEM IN THE INSIDE. AND THEN VERY HIGH LEVEL SCHEDULE. SO TODAY, OBVIOUSLY, GMP NUMBER ONE, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE TEMPORARY CONDITIONS, SITE UTILITIES, AND EASEMENTS THAT WE ALREADY DISCUSSED. WE'RE STILL FINALIZING OUR DESIGN ON THESE PROJECTS. WITH AN ANTICIPATED MAJOR CONSTRUCTION START THIS SUMMER OF 2026, AS ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER MIDDLE SCHOOLS, WITH A SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION OF AUGUST OF 2028.

FOR NOT JUST APOLLO, BUT FOR ALL SIX OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION. AND IF SOMEONE, AND I'LL LET MR. HOUSE, YOU DECIDE WHO THIS WOULD BE, MAYBE JUST PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF EXPLANATION OF WHY A GMP IS A STRATEGY THAT WE USE, WHAT KIND OF PROTECTIONS DOES IT PROVIDE TO OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND THESE BOND DOLLARS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF... OF WHAT WE PROMISED THAT WE WOULD DELIVER ON THIS BOND. SURE. I'LL START US OFF, AND IF MR. WATSON WANTS TO JOIN THE PARTY HERE AT THE PODIUM. THE GMP, THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE, ACTS IN ESSENCE AS A SHIELD, IF YOU WILL, TO MITIGATE THE DISTRICT'S RISK OF PROJECTS RUNNING OVER THE BUDGETED AMOUNT. AND SO IN THESE CASES, HEAVEN FORBID, THAT ONE OF THESE PROJECTS WERE TO RUN OVER THE AMOUNT, THEN WE'RE PROTECTED BY HAVING A GMP WHERE THAT WOULD, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO OUR FRIENDS FROM CORE. THAT WOULD REVERT TO THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER TO ASSUME THAT COST. AND SO WE ENTERED INTO THAT AGREEMENT, AGAIN, TO SAFEGUARD, TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF PUBLIC FUNDS. JAMES, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT. NO, I THINK YOU SAID IT NICELY. I THINK IT'S TO SAFEGUARD. ONCE THE BOARD, IF THE BOARD APPROVES THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE, AGAIN, THAT TRANSFERS THE RISK ON TO THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER.

SO ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, THEY BEAR THE BURDEN OF ANY OVERAGE. COST OVERRUNS, THOSE THINGS. SO IT'S A DELIVERY METHOD THAT'S COMMONLY USED. MORE APPROPRIATELY, ON COMPLEX RENOVATION AND ADDITION PROJECTS, YOU'VE REALLY GOT TO GET INTO THE WEEDS AND UNDERSTAND HOW TO GET IT BUILT WITH STUDENTS THERE WITH YOU.

SO I THINK YOU SAID IT NICELY.

WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD IS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO APPLAUD OUR INTERNAL TEAM, AS WELL AS OUR ARCHITECT AND OUR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER TEAM.

WHO, AS WE WORK THROUGH THESE PROJECTS, WHEN WE RECOGNIZE, HEY, THERE'S A CHANCE THAT THIS MAY ELEVATE ABOVE THE BUDGET, WE HAVE DONE INCREDIBLE VALUE ENGINEERING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAXIMIZING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS TO DELIVER ON THE PROMISE OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUT DOING IT WITHIN THE BUDGET THAT HAS BEEN STATED. AND THEN ALSO I WANT TO REALLY CELEBRATE ALSO OUR CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS, BECAUSE SOMETIMES I KNOW THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, FINGERS CAN BE POINTED AT THEM. BUT I WILL TELL YOU, THEY DO A PHENOMENAL JOB, AND WE'VE HAD MANY PROJECTS IN THE DISTRICT WHERE THEY HAVE COME UNDER BUDGET, AND THEY'VE ACTUALLY, WE HAVE SEEN SOME REFUNDS.

OF MONEY BACK TO THE DISTRICT BECAUSE THE PROJECT AND WHAT THEY HAVE DONE HAS ACTUALLY COME IN UNDER BUDGET. SO, AGAIN, IT REALLY IS A GREAT METHOD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING THE PROJECT THAT WE WANT AND GETTING IT

[01:20:01]

AND SO, WITH THAT, I WOULD ASK THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE IN THE AMOUNT OF $8,239,181.

FOR THE PHASE I. ADDITION AND RENOVATION SCOPE OF WORK FOR THE APOLLO MIDDLE SCHOOL ADDITIONS AND RENOVATION PROJECT. THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANNON, FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION. IS THERE A MOTION ON THE BOARD TO APPROVE THE GMP1? SO MOVED.

MS. PACHECO, THANK YOU. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, MR. EAGER. OKAY, LET'S OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS SPECIFIC TO THIS MOTION. YES, MS. PACHECO. WELL, FIRST, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE HARD WORK. I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY TO GO THROUGH ALL THIS PROCESS.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION, SINCE IT'S, YOU KNOW, MAXIMUM PRICE, AND WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT REFUNDING. I WISH WE COULD GET THAT ALL THE TIME.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE AGREE ON DESIGN AND ALL THOSE THINGS HAPPEN, AND THEN MAYBE THERE'S LIKE A LOT OF CHANGE ORDERS? IS THERE, LIKE, A WAY THAT WE WORK IT OUT SO THAT WE DON'T? YES, MA'AM. SO ON SPEC, WE THEORETICALLY DO NOT, WE ARE NOT FANS OF CHANGE ORDER BECAUSE IT HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE OVERALL BUDGET.

AND SO ANY CHANGE ORDERS THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER BRINGING FORWARD WOULD HAVE BEEN SCRUTINIZED TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL. BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT TYPE OF DECISION.

OKAY, PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES, MR. EAGER. AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY AGAIN.

THIS IS AN EXCITING TIME. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE SCHOOLS WERE, LET'S SAY, LOVED WELL. VINTAGE.

VINTAGE. A COUPLE OF THINGS.

ONE, AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK THE TEAM. YOU KNOW, MR. HOSSO AND THE REST OF THE TEAM TAKING ON SIX MAJOR PROJECTS AT ONE TIME. THIS IS A PRETTY TALL TASK, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE STEPPING UP TO DO, WHICH IS GOING TO BE TRANSFORMATIONAL FOR A GENERATION OF OUR KIDS.

ONE QUESTION I DID HAVE IS THAT IN A GUARANTEED CONTRACT, IF FOR SOME REASON A TARIFF GETS HANDED DOWN, WHICH DOESN'T CHANGE MUCH THESE DAYS, BUT LET'S JUST SAY A TARIFF GETS HANDED DOWN ON STEEL, IS THAT PASSED THROUGH IN THIS? OR IS IT GUARANTEED ONCE IT'S SAT, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF TARIFFS ARE APPLIED OR NOT? YES, SIR, AND IT'S THE LATTER. SO YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT. THAT RISK IS ON THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER.

SO ONCE WE GET THAT GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE, THAT PRICE THEY SAY THEY CAN DO IT FOR, OUR CONTRACT TRACTS ARE WRITTEN AS SUCH THAT AT THAT POINT WE'RE LOCKED IN.

SO THEY HAVE TO ASSUME THOSE RISKS AND TAKE ON THOSE ASSUMPTIONS. SO THAT DOES NOT GET PASSED ON TO US AFTER. AS AN INCREASE, ANYWAY, AFTER YOU APPROVE THE GMV, I WANT TO BRING ONE POINT TO YOU. UM, THANKS, JAMES, FOR THE WAY THAT WE DO PROJECT DELIVERY AT, WE DO A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK, THE RISK PART IS THE PORTION THAT THESE CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS. THEY'RE BROUGHT ON TO THESE PROJECTS VERY EARLY, SO THEY KNOW THE ANTICIPATED DESIGN THEY CAN PROJECT OUT FOR WHEN THEY'RE STARTING CONSTRUCTION. SO THEY'RE WITH US AS TEAM PLAYERS THE ENTIRE TIME, SO THEY CAN ANTICIPATE SOME OF THESE COSTS AND FOREGO THEM IF POSSIBLE. GREAT POINT. MR. EDER, GOOD. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS? OKAY. I THINK THAT IT'S THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON THIS. I WILL SAY IT'S A BLESSING THAT WE'VE GOT EXAMPLES OF TWO OF THESE PROJECTS SIMILAR ALREADY IN THE.

IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR, SO I'M SURE WE LEARNED A LOT THROUGH THOSE AND CAN APPLY THAT AS WE GO FORWARD ON THESE SIX.

WITH THAT, ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT, AND THAT MOTION PASSES 6-0.

[V.D. Inclement Weather Days Plan]

BUT WHEN WE ARE FEARFUL THAT OUR STUDENTS CANNOT DO THAT SAFELY AND OUR STAFF CANNOT GET TO SCHOOL SAFELY, WE HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION TO NOT.

ATTEND SCHOOL ON THOSE DAYS.

SO WE DID MISS FOUR INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS. MANY TIMES, OUR COMMUNITY MAY WONDER, WHY DOESN'T THE DISTRICT COMMUNICATE RIGHT AWAY WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO TO EITHER MAKE UP OR NOT MAKE UP THOSE DAYS. AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE ARE OFTEN AWAITING GUIDANCE FROM TEA. IN EACH OF THESE BAD WEATHER EVENTS,

[01:25:02]

AND THAT WAS THE CASE IN THIS SITUATION. AND SO...

TEA HAS INFORMED DISTRICTS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BASICALLY DOCUMENT TWO OF THOSE DAYS. WE HAVE WHAT IS CALLED BANKED MINUTES. AND JUST TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR, WE NO LONGER HAVE A REQUIRED NUMBER OF INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS. WE HAVE INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES THAT WE HAVE TO CAPTURE. THAT'S 75,600 MINUTES. WE, BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH OF OUR INSTRUCTIONAL DAY, EACH DAY WE'RE ACTUALLY BANKING A FEW EXTRA MINUTES. THAN WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED. SO IF WE ATTENDED SCHOOL EVERY DAY THIS YEAR, WE WOULD HAVE HAD MORE THAN 75,600 MINUTES. DUE TO THOSE BANKED MINUTES, WE CAN ACTUALLY DOCUMENT INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES FOR TWO OF THOSE MISSED DAYS. AND THEN THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY COMMISSIONER IS GOING TO BE PROVIDING A WAIVER FOR THE OTHER TWO DAYS. SO AS A RESULT, IF THE COMMISSIONER, IN A MOMENT, WE WILL BE BRINGING FORWARD THE WAIVER, BUT WE WANTED TO PROVIDE JUST KIND OF THIS OVERVIEW FIRST. IF THE COMMISSIONER WOULD BE APPROVING OUR WAIVER. THEN WE WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO USE ANY ADDITIONAL BAD WEATHER DAYS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CALENDAR LATER THIS FALL, IN APRIL. WE DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAXIMIZING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.

AND SO I WILL BE RECOMMENDING THAT WE REMOVE THE LAST EARLY RELEASE DAY FOR ELEMENTARY THIS SPRING. THAT'S THE DAY WHEN OUR CAMPUSES GET OUT A LITTLE BIT OVER TWO HOURS EARLY AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL. IT IS AN ADDITIONAL PLANNING PERIOD FOR OUR EDUCATORS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL THAT DON'T HAVE THAT BUILT-IN PLANNING.

BUT KNOWING WE MISSED THESE FOUR DAYS, WE FEEL LIKE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE CAPTURE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT TIME BACK. SO WE WILL REMOVE THAT EARLY RELEASE DAY.

WE'RE SHARING THAT NOW SO THAT STRATEGY AND ENGAGEMENT, WE CAN ADEQUATELY COMMUNICATE THAT AND GIVE PARENTS ENOUGH OF A HEADS-UP SO THAT THEY CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY. AND THEN IN A MOMENT, ALSO WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS ALSO IMPACTS. STAFF, AND SO WE WILL ALSO BE BRINGING FORWARD A RECOMMENDATION THAT FOR OUR AUXILIARY STAFF THAT ARE PAID HOURLY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT OUT OF THEIR CONTROL AND THAT THIS DOES NOT HARM THEM, AND SO WE WILL ALSO BE BRINGING FORWARD IN A MOMENT A RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE COMPENSATION FOR THOSE DAYS THAT WERE MISSED. BUT THE COMMUNITY, I THINK I GET AN EMAIL ALMOST EVERY DAY ASKING WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THOSE FOUR DAYS. AND SO I TOLD THEM TO TUNE IN TONIGHT.

AND SO THAT WAS THE INFORMATION ITEM AROUND, KIND OF HOW WE ARE GOING TO BE ADDRESSING THE BAD WEATHER DAYS FROM JANUARY 26TH TO JANUARY 29TH. ALL RIGHT, GREAT. AND SINCE THIS IS AN INFORMATION ITEM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS. I DO WANT TO ADD, I'M SO SORRY, I FORGOT, FOR PROFESSIONAL STAFF, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THEY ALSO HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR THOSE 24 HOURS.

SO THEY WILL BE WORKING WITH OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AND THEIR SUPERVISORS TO DOCUMENT ANYTHING THAT THEY'VE DONE, WHETHER IT'S STAFF DEVELOPMENT, ATTENDED AFTER-SCHOOL MEETINGS, IT MIGHT BE PTA MEETINGS AT NIGHT, PARENT CONFERENCES THAT HAPPEN AFTER HOURS, THOSE HOURS WILL BE DOCUMENTED FOR THOSE FOUR DAYS AS WELL.

THANK YOU. MS. PACHECO. THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION. I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING OUR STAFF AND OUR TEACHERS IN THIS PROCESS, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO. IT WASN'T THEIR FAULT. IT WASN'T ANY OF OUR FAULT. IT WAS NOT THEIR FAULT. FOR THEM TO NOT BE HERE AND DO WHAT THEY LOVE TO DO EVERY DAY. SO THANKS FOR CONSIDERING THAT AND FINDING WAYS TO SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU, MS.

[V.E. Approval of Missed School Days Waiver]

FOR JANUARY 28TH AND 29TH, AND I WOULD ASK THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE SUBMISSION OF THE MISSED SCHOOL DAY WAIVERS AS PRESENTED. OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION.

BOARD, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MISSED SCHOOL DAYS WAIVER? SO MOVED. THANK YOU, MS. RENTERIA. SECOND. SECOND.

THANK YOU, MS. TIMMY. ALL RIGHT. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS MOTION? DO YOU? NO? OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

GREAT. HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR,

[01:30:01]

[V.F. Approval of Compensation for Non-Exempt Employees on Days of District Closure]

SO JUST TO READ AHEAD THERE.

OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN ACTION ITEM AGAIN.

TO APPROVE THE COMPENSATION FOR NON-EXEMPT EMPLOYEES ON DAYS OF DISTRICT CLOSURE.

MS. BRANNON. AGAIN, YES. AS WE WERE CLOSED THROUGH JANUARY 26TH AND 29TH, OUR NON-EXEMPT EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING OUR CLASSIFIED AUXILIARY TRANSPORTATION AND PARAPROFESSIONAL STAFF, WERE NOT ABLE TO REPORT FOR WORK DURING THE BAD WEATHER DAYS AND WERE NOT ABLE TO EARN WAGES FOR THE DAYS OF CLOSURE. AND I WOULD ASK THE BOARD TO APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION. THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO COMPENSATE THOSE FOR THOSE FOUR DAYS, AS IT IS, WE BELIEVE, IN THE EFFORT OF PUBLIC GOOD TO PROVIDE THOSE FOUR DAYS OF COMPENSATION. SO, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU DECLARE A PUBLIC PURPOSE FOR PAYING NON-EXEMPT EMPLOYEES ON DAYS OF DISTRICT CLOSURE.

THANK YOU FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE COMPENSATION FOR NON-EXEMPT EMPLOYEES ON DAYS OF DISTRICT CLOSURE? SO MOVED. THANK YOU, MR. EAGER. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, MS. PACHECO. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? YES, MS. MCGOWAN. THANK YOU FOR THIS RESOLUTION AND TAKING CARE OF THE EMPLOYEES THAT WORK REALLY HARD IN OUR SCHOOL AND NEED THAT MONEY THE MOST. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. GREAT COMMENT.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY. HEARING NO ADDITIONAL, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU ARE IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND THAT MOTION PASSES 6-0. OKAY, IT'S 7.38.

WITH THAT, LET'S TAKE A 12-MINUTE BREAK UNTIL 7.50, AND WE'LL RESUME THE MEETING AT 7.50. THANK YOU.

[V.G. 2025-2026 District Demography Report]

THANK YOU SO MUCH, PRESIDENT POTEET AND THE BOARD. WE'RE SO EXCITED TODAY TO HAVE OUR AMAZING PARTNERS FROM ZONDA DEMOGRAPHICS. AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS LIKE A KEY MILESTONE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR 26-27 BUDGET AS WE BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE FORECAST OF WHAT OUR STUDENT ENROLLMENT LOOKS LIKE. I WILL ALSO PREFACE THIS, AND I KNOW THAT YOU WILL AS WELL, THAT MORE THAN EVER, TRYING TO PREDICT WHAT ENROLLMENT WILL LOOK LIKE, NOT JUST IN RICHARDSON ISD, BUT IN ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT, IS AS CHALLENGING NOW THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN. NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THESE FLUCTUATIONS THAT WE HAVE SEEN, DISTRICTS THAT ARE OFFERING OPEN ENROLLMENT, BUT NOW, ON TOP OF IT, YOU HAVE THE INTRODUCTION OF EDUCATIONAL SAVINGS ACCOUNTS. BUT THIS IS A REALLY KEY DATA POINT THAT WE ALL NEED TO LOOK AT AND STUDY.

TO UNDERSTAND THE FOUNDATION OF HOW WE WANT TO PREDICT WHAT OUR ENROLLMENT WILL LOOK LIKE SO WE CAN BUILD A GREAT BUDGET FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. SO I'LL TURN IT OVER, MR. PATE, TO YOU TO DO OUR INTRODUCTIONS, BUT WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU, MRS. BRANHAM. YES, WE HAVE HUDSON HUFF WITH ZONDA DEMOGRAPHICS.

YOU APPROVED THE CONTRACT IN 2025 TO GO WITH ZONDA FOR OUR DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY. AND SO. ZONDA HAS BEEN WORKING WITH A NUMBER OF FOLKS HERE IN THE DISTRICT, THE PEMS DEPARTMENT AND VARIOUS FOLKS, TO PULL ALL OF THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER AND RUN IT THROUGH THEIR ALGORITHMS. AND SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MR. HUFF AND LET HIM ENTERTAIN YOU WITH THIS. THANK YOU, MR. P. GOOD EVENING, BOARD PRESIDENT POTEET, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, AND SUPERINTENDENT BROOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE WITH YOU TONIGHT. I HAD NO EARTHLY IDEA WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THE CELEBRATION THAT YOU HAD TONIGHT. I'VE BEEN IN MANY, MANY BOARD MEETINGS, BUT COWBELLS HAVE NOT HAPPENED VERY OFTEN. SO THAT'S NEXT LEVEL. SO, YEAH, THAT'S PRETTY AWESOME, ABSOLUTELY AWESOME.

SO HAPPY TO BE WITH YOU AND KIND OF GO OVER THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE.

WE'VE GOT QUITE A BIT TO GO OVER TONIGHT. SO, FIRST AND FOREMOST, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO IS WE KIND OF TALK THROUGH KIND OF WHAT'S HAPPENING. AS FAR AS THE OVERALL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, HOW THAT POTENTIALLY MAY BE IMPACTING HOUSING AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS. SO WE'LL JUST BRIEFLY TOUCH ON KIND OF ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN THE AREA. WHAT I WILL SAY IS WE HAVE SEEN A SLIGHT UPTICK IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, AS WE'VE KIND OF GOTTEN INTO THE FALL. SO YOU'LL SEE A SLIGHT UPTICK WHEN YOU LOOK AT KIND OF WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE DFW MARKET. WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE DALLAS METRO AREA, DALLAS COUNTY AS WELL, ALL OF THOSE. INCREMENTAL INCREASES IN UNEMPLOYMENT.

WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THERE ALSO STILL HAVE BEEN JOB CREATION.

IT'S ALSO STILL TAKING PLACE.

SO YOU TAKE THAT IN COMBINATION WITH THE POPULATION INCREASES WE'VE HAD, AND THAT'S WHERE THE OFFSET IS.

[01:35:02]

SOME OF THOSE JOB LOSSES IS ACTUALLY KIND OF IN INFORMATIONAL SERVICES, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, AND A LITTLE BIT OF MANUFACTURING. SO AS YOU'VE BEEN KIND OF THINKING, OR YOU'VE BEEN... HEARING ALL THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT AI AND LOGISTICS AND ALL THOSE KIND OF THINGS, WE'RE KIND OF SEEING THAT A LITTLE BIT IN THE NUMBERS. SO THAT'S, AGAIN, KIND OF EARLY STAGES.

BUT WE STILL CONTINUE TO SEE JOB GROWTH IN, LIKE, EDUCATION AND HEALTH SERVICES, THOSE AREAS, JUST BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SO MUCH POPULATION INCREASE REALLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. THIS IS JUST A GENERAL BREAKDOWN TO KIND OF SHOW A SNAPSHOT OF THE LABOR FORCE IN THE DISTRICT. SO YOU'LL SEE KIND OF THE PROFESSIONAL TECHNOLOGY SECTOR THERE, THE HEALTH CARE, RETAIL TRADE, THOSE KIND OF THINGS, EDUCATION SERVICES THERE.

AT THAT 8.5%. WHEN YOU LOOK UP TOP, YOU'LL JUST SEE KIND OF SIMILAR TO THAT, THOSE SERVICE SECTORS. AGAIN, YOUR TEACHERS, YOUR NURSES, POLICE OFFICERS, THAT'S ABOUT 16.3% OF YOUR OVERALL LABOR FORCE.

AGAIN, YOU'RE... LABOR AND SKILLED WORKFORCE THERE AT ABOUT 17.3 PERCENT. AND THEN AGAIN, YOUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES THAT ARE KIND OF IN THAT 66 PERCENT. AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE THERE, IT'S ALMOST COMICAL TO ME WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT COMMUTER TIMELINES, BECAUSE THAT COULD ACTUALLY RANGE IN ANY GIVEN DAY AROUND THOSE TIMELINES, AS FAR AS DEPENDING ON WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH TRAFFIC. SO IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THOSE RANGES POTENTIALLY ARE. THIS ALSO JUST KIND OF GIVES YOU A GENERAL BREAKDOWN OF THE POPULATION INCREASES THAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THOSE INCREASES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE, WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE COUNTY AND HOW THAT'S GROWN.

OVER TIME, AND ALSO JUST EVEN WITHIN THE DISTRICT, THE POPULATION INCREASES THAT YOU'VE SEEN. YOU ALSO SEE KIND OF A BREAKDOWN THERE AS FAR AS THE POPULATION BREAKDOWN.

AGAIN, WE WANT TO KIND OF FOCUS PRIMARILY ON YOUR MILLENNIALS. BECAUSE THAT IS YOUR FAMILY POPULATIONS WITHIN THE OVERALL COMMUNITY CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, BUT THEN ALSO FOCUSING ON THAT 24.9% THAT ARE GOING TO BE THOSE FUTURE FAMILIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING IN IN THE NEXT 10 TO 12 YEARS AND KIND OF ANALYZING THAT. NOW, THERE WILL BE A FEW OTHER PIECES OF THIS THAT WE'LL HIGHLIGHT.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WEALTH INDEX, THAT'S KIND OF COMPARED TO A NATIONAL AVERAGE, REFERENCING A SCORE OF ABOUT 100. SO RELATED TO THOSE IN THE AREA THAT THEY'RE...

MAKING A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS, BUT RIGHT BELOW THAT, YOU'LL SEE A SCORE OF 61, AND THAT'S KIND OF A CHALLENGING SCORE.

BECAUSE IT REFERENCES AFFORDABILITY AND TALKS ABOUT HOW THE PRICE POINTS OF THE HOMES COMPARED TO WHAT PEOPLE ARE MAKING IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. SO IT IS MORE CHALLENGING FOR YOUNG FAMILIES TO MOVE INTO THE AREA. AND THEN DIVERSITY, AGAIN, RELATED TO A 50 BEING EXTREMELY LOW AND 100 BEING EXTREMELY HIGH, YOU'RE RIGHT THERE, PROBABLY IN THE MIDDLE. MIDDLE LEVEL THERE. AND, AGAIN, MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOMES AT ABOUT $80,000. MEDIUM AGE IS 36.2 IS THE AVERAGE THERE. I KNOW THE TEXT IS A LITTLE SKEWED THERE IN THIS POWERPOINT, BUT THERE'S ABOUT 17.8% OF YOUR OVERALL POPULATION THAT ARE SPENDING AT LEAST SEVEN TO EIGHT HOURS COMMUTING EVERY WEEK. YOU JUST A FEW LITTLE STATISTICS THAT WE LIKE TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT, WHAT'S GOING ON WITHIN THE DISTRICT. WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOUSING.

AND SO AS YOU LOOK AT THIS, WE LOOK AT THE OVERALL HOUSING SECTOR.

IT'S KIND OF BROKEN INTO THIRDS RIGHT NOW. WE'VE GOT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THERE'S ABOUT A THIRD OF THE AREAS THAT ARE STILL ACTUALLY DOING REALLY WELL. AND THEN THERE'S A FEW THAT ARE KIND OF FLATLINED COMPARED TO WHERE THEY WERE A FEW YEARS AGO. AND THEN WE ALSO SEE SOME AREAS THAT ARE UNDERPERFORMING. AND SO WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THOSE IN A LITTLE BIT GREATER NUMBER THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO. SO WE'VE SEEN THAT BUILDERS HAVE HAD ABOUT 60% OF THOSE BUILDERS ARE HAVING TO CREATE BUY DOWNS TO KIND OF HELP BRING NEW FAMILIES AND NEW BUYERS INTO THE MARKET.

BUT WHEN THEY LOOK AT WHEN, YOU'VE ACTUALLY. SURVEY MANY OF THE BUILDERS OUT THERE.

ABOUT 70% OF THE BUILDERS ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW. IT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A CHALLENGING MARKET THAN IT HAS BEEN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE OVERALL MARKETPLACE.

WHEN WE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE LOCAL, THE OTHER THING THAT I WILL POINT TO IS YOU'RE SEEING KIND OF A, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AS YOU LOOKED AT 21, 22, THERE WERE SOME CHALLENGES WITH LOGISTICS, DIFFICULT TO CLOSE ON HOMES BECAUSE OF MATERIALS AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS. SO YOU SAW KIND

[01:40:02]

WHAT I WILL SAY IS THOSE THINGS ARE NOW KIND OF MORE IN LOCKSTEP THAN THEY'VE EVER BEEN BEFORE. SO YOU CAN TELL THAT THE BUILDERS ARE REALLY TRACKING WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE NUMBER OF CLOSINGS AND EVALUATING THEIR INVENTORY AS TO HOW MANY STARTS THEY'RE DOING. SO, AGAIN, THEY'RE REFERENCING KIND OF AFFORDABILITY. THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT KIND OF THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE OUT THERE, A LITTLE BIT OF UNCERTAINTY OUT THERE IN THE ECONOMY, KEEPING SOME OF THOSE BUYERS ON THE SIDELINES UNTIL THEY CAN POTENTIALLY SEE SOME NEW.

RATES THAT POTENTIALLY COULD BE COMING DOWN, AT LEAST HOPING THAT THEY COME DOWN IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO.

GETTING ON, JUST TO DISCUSS THE RATE PICTURE OF WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE HAD RATE CUTS OVER THE LAST, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL MONTHS. I WILL SAY THAT AS WE WENT INTO THE END OF THE YEAR, THERE WAS ONE FINAL CUT IN DECEMBER. SO WE ARE HOVERING KIND OF AROUND THAT HIGH FIVES, LOW SIX RANGES. BUT AGAIN, WHEN... NEW HOME BUYERS ARE THINKING ABOUT BUYING SOMETHING.

THEY'RE GOING TO SOME OF THE NEWER NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE THOSE BUILDERS ARE ABLE TO OFFER A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN ATTRACTIVE PRICE POINT AND MORTGAGE RATE. AND SO THAT'S BEEN CHALLENGING TO THE EXISTING HOUSING MARKET.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OVERALL HOUSING PICTURE, AND AGAIN, WE WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS, NOT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF HOMES THAT HAVE BEEN STARTED AND CLOSED. SO WE WON'T SPEND A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME ON THIS. ON THIS GRAPHIC, BUT IT DOES JUST SPEAK TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE ACTIVITY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THE INDIVIDUAL ZONES.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S AT A MUCH SMALLER NUMBER THAN IT HAS BEEN SEVERAL YEARS AGO. AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE DO FOCUS ON TRYING TO IDENTIFY AROUND THE DISTRICT WHERE THAT ACTIVITY IS TAKING PLACE. SO YOU'LL SEE AIKEN ELEMENTARY, STOLTZ ROAD. AND WHITE ROCK ARE THOSE AREAS THAT DO HAVE SOME HOUSING ACTIVITY TAKING PLACE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE APPLY THOSE NUMBERS AND PROJECTIONS INTO THOSE CAMPUSES AS WE MOVE FORWARD. AND AGAIN, THIS JUST SHOWS A GENERAL BREAKDOWN OF WHERE WE DO HAVE ACTIVE BUILDING SUBDIVISIONS.

SO WE'VE GOT ABOUT 10 THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.

YOU CAN SEE THERE'S ROUGHLY ABOUT 60 HOMES THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, AND SEVERAL OF THOSE. THEY'VE GOT ABOUT 220 OF THOSE. THEY CAN DEVELOP LOTS THROUGHOUT THOSE DEVELOPMENTS. WE DO SEE ABOUT FIVE FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT AREAS AND THOSE ARE IDENTIFIED IN YELLOW. AND AGAIN, WHEN WE SEE ANY TYPE OF GROUNDWORK OR UTILITY WORK THAT TAKES PLACE ON OUR MAP, THAT'S WHERE WE HIGHLIGHT IT.

AND CIRCLE THOSE IN RED. SO WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE FUTURE ACTIVITY AND FUTURE LOTS BEING BROUGHT ONLINE. SO WE'LL GO THROUGH SEVERAL OF THESE.

AGAIN, THIS IS GOING TO BE KIND OF IN THE AIKEN ELEMENTARY ZONE THAT I TOUCHED ON EARLIER. ABOUT 19 HOMES UNDER CONSTRUCTION CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW. THEY HAVE BEEN BUILDING ABOUT 15 TO 20 HOMES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. BUT WE DON'T SEE ANY CURRENT STUDENTS COMING OUT OF THAT AREA QUITE YET. WE DO WANT TO TRACK THAT AS WE KIND OF EVALUATE WHAT'S GOING ON AS FAR AS, AGAIN, OUR ENROLLMENT PICTURE IN EACH ONE OF THOSE ELEMENTARY ZONES.

AGAIN, KIND OF IN THE WHITE ROCK AREA, YOU'VE GOT HAVEN HEIGHTS. AGAIN, A FEW HOMES UNDER CONSTRUCTION. AGAIN, I WOULD ALSO POINT DOWN IN THE WHITE ROCK BLUFFS, A FEW HOMES OR ONE HOME CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW.

BUT AGAIN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT PRICE POINT, IT'S SOMEWHERE A LITTLE BIT NORTH OF $2 MILLION. AGAIN, THOSE JUST POINT TO KIND OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE DO SEE RELATED TO THOSE PRICE POINTS IN THE AREA. GREENWOOD SQUARE. IT IS IN NORTHRIDGE, THAT IS, HAS ABOUT 18 VACANT DEVELOPED LOTS THAT ARE IN THAT DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS D.R. HORTON, SO IT IS A LITTLE BIT LOWER PRICE POINT, AGAIN, BUT STILL AT THAT $620,000 TO $710,000 RANGE. AND THEY HAVE HAD, THE FIRST RESIDENTS THEY DO ANTICIPATE ARE GOING TO BE IN THAT AREA AS WE GET LATER INTO THE SPRING. AND THEN VILLAS AT BUCKINGHAM HAS 82 TOTAL LOTS THAT ARE PART OF THAT. AGAIN, WE DO HAVE ABOUT 77 HOMES THAT ARE OCCUPIED THERE, SO IT'S GOT A YIELD CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW AT THAT .454, SO ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE STUDENTS FOR EVERY TEN HOMES THAT ARE IN THAT DEVELOPMENT. AND THEN YOU'LL SEE KIND OF IN THE RICHLAND ZONE, A LITTLE BIT OF ACTIVITY TAKING PLACE THERE.

THIS CROSSING AT GREENVILLE ADDITION, 79 TOTAL LOTS THAT ARE THERE. FIRST LOTS HAVE BEEN SOLD, SO THERE IS SOME WORK IN THAT. AND AGAIN, ANTICIPATING SEVERAL OF THOSE HOMES BEING BUILT AS WE GET INTO THE SPRING AND SUMMERTIME.

[01:45:02]

AGAIN, EXTREMELY HIGH PRICE POINT AT THAT $835,000 TO $850,000 NUMBER THERE. AND THEN AS YOU GET INTO STOLTZ ROAD ZONE, YOU'VE GOT THE GREENVILLE HEIGHTS THAT HAS 29 TOTAL LOTS. THAT ARE PART OF THAT. QUITE A FEW HOMES THAT HAVE BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

AS A PART OF THAT, THIS IS A DAVID WEEKLY DEVELOPMENT.

AGAIN, SOMEWHERE IN THAT $560,000 TO $700,000 RANGE.

AND THEN WE'VE GOT A FUTURE THAT WE REFERENCED AS YOU KIND OF GO BACK UP INTO THE RICHLAND ELEMENTARY ZONE THERE.

THERE'S PARK HOLLOW. AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE STREETS AND UTILITIES THAT ARE IN FOR THAT DEVELOPMENT NOW. THIS IS GOING TO BE WESTFIELD HOMES, AND IT'S AT THAT PRICE POINT, ABOUT $550,000. THEY DO ANTICIPATE THAT IT COULD BE MID-2026, SO IN THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS COULD START TO SEE SOME FOUNDATIONS POURED AND SOME WORK TAKING PLACE IN THAT AREA. AND THEN AT DARTMOUTH, KIND OF IN THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF THE DISTRICT THERE, YOU'VE GOT A FEW TOWNHOMES THAT ARE A PART OF THAT AREA. THAT WE SEE SOME GROUNDWORK TAKING PLACE.

SO, AGAIN, ANTICIPATING A FEW NEW...

TOWNHOMES IN THAT AREA AS WE GET IT TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR. AND THEN KIND OF IN THE NORTH LAKE ZONE, WE'VE GOT THIS LAKE HIGHLANDS VILLAGE, A FUTURE THAT'S OUT THERE, A ZONE THAT'S BEEN APPROVED QUITE A WHILE BACK.

REALLY, AGAIN, WE'VE REFERENCED THIS AS A FUTURE, SOMETHING THAT WE COULD SEE SOME LEVEL OF ACTIVITY, BUT RIGHT NOW. DON'T ANTICIPATE ANYTHING TAKING PLACE WITH THAT RIGHT NOW. AND THEN JUST... ALONG 75 THERE, KIND OF IN THE TERRACE ELEMENTARY ZONE, YOU'LL SEE A FEW TOWNHOME DEVELOPMENTS THERE. AGAIN, VALENCIA VILLAS THAT'S ALSO THERE, ADDITIONAL 34 LOTS THAT ARE OUT THERE. SO WE JUST WANT TO TRACK THESE AS WE IDENTIFY, MAYBE A YEAR OR TWO, THREE YEARS OUT BEFORE WE'LL SEE MUCH ACTIVITY IN THOSE. BUT WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE AND TRACK THOSE AS WE MOVE FORWARD OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. AND SO WE DO HAVE THE SINGLE FAMILY, SO WE'LL TALK THROUGH THAT.

MULTIFAMILY HAS HAD QUITE A BIT OF ACTIVITY IN THE DISTRICT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.

YOU'VE GOT ABOUT 375 UNITS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE GOT ABOUT 1,300 FUTURE UNITS THAT ARE IN SOME LEVEL OF PLANNING STAGES CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW. WE'VE GOT SHERMAN LOFTS THAT'S CLOSE TO SPRING VALLEY. IT'S GOT ABOUT 375 TOTAL APARTMENT UNITS AS A PART OF THAT ONE-TO-ONE SECTION, AND THEN THERE'S A SECONDARY SECTION THAT'S ABOUT 215 TOTAL APARTMENTS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO WANT TO ALWAYS TRACK IS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT BEDROOM MIX, BECAUSE BEDROOM MIX REALLY DOES MATTER. AS YOU START TO SEE SOME OF THESE APARTMENTS THAT POTENTIALLY ARE IN DESIGN OR BEING PROPOSED.

IF WE SEE A LOT OF... HIGH PERCENTAGE OF ONE BEDROOM. SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 60 TO 70 PERCENT. WE ANTICIPATE THAT'S GOING TO BE A VERY LOW YIELDING DEVELOPMENT.

BUT IF WE KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE QUITE A FEW TWO AND THREE BEDROOMS AS A PART OF THAT, THEN WE CAN ANTICIPATE THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE MORE FAMILIES, AT LEAST MORE FAMILY FRIENDLY, AND POTENTIALLY COULD HAVE SOME FAMILIES MOVE INTO THAT AREA.

SO YOU COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE A LITTLE HIGHER YIELD IN THOSE AREAS. POLK STREET RESIDENCE IS AT 279 TOTAL FUTURE APARTMENTS. AND AGAIN, ZONING WAS APPROVED JUST THIS PAST FEBRUARY, AND SO WE DO ANTICIPATE SITE WORK STARTING THIS SPRING. AND THEN LEGACY AT ARAPAHOE, AGAIN, 443 TOTAL FUTURE APARTMENT UNITS THAT ARE PROPOSED. AGAIN, ZONING WAS APPROVED JUST THIS PAST FEBRUARY OF 25, AND AGAIN, CONSTRUCTION PLANS ARE IN DESIGN, SO IT'S STILL...

STILL MIGHT BE A FEW YEARS OUT, AND THEY'RE REFERENCING POTENTIAL COMPLETION TIME FRAME SOMEWHERE IN THAT FALL OF 29.

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE MULTIFAMILY NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE IN THE DISTRICT CURRENTLY, THOSE THAT ARE EXISTING, WE CAN SEE THAT YOU'VE GOT ABOUT 15,930 STUDENTS THAT ARE RESIDING IN APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 51,000. 166 UNITS

[01:50:01]

AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE KIND OF THAT DIFFERENCE THAT WE'VE SEEN RELATED TO WHAT THAT STUDENT BODY MIX HAS BEEN COMPARED TO YOUR NUMBERS IN THE 21-22 TIME FRAME VERSUS YOUR 25-26.

SO EVEN THOUGH I WOULD SAY THAT'S STILL A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE, IT'S ACTUALLY A LITTLE LOWER THAN IT HAS BEEN A FEW YEARS AGO. AND THEN WHENEVER WE LOOK AT KIND OF THE DENSITY OF THE DISTRICT, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT WE'VE GOT ABOUT 842 STUDENTS THAT ARE RESIDING OUTSIDE. OF THE DISTRICT CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S ABOUT 2.3% OF YOUR OVERALL ENROLLMENT.

SO, AGAIN, A FAIRLY LOW PERCENTAGE. YOU CAN SEE THAT ABOUT 30% OF YOUR STUDENTS ARE WITHIN THE RICHARDSON CITY LIMITS, AND ABOUT ALMOST 64% ARE IN THAT DALLAS CITY LIMITS AREA. NOW WE DO KIND OF TRACK MOBILITY, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO EVALUATE AS WE TALK ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT PIECES THAT ARE PLUGGED INTO THIS. AS WE EVALUATE ENROLLMENTS IN FUTURE YEARS, WE WANT TO BE TRACKING WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE AMOUNT OF MOBILITY THAT'S TAKING PLACE. SO THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE IDENTIFY AS POTENTIALLY NEW.

STUDENTS THAT ARE COMING IN VERSUS THOSE STUDENTS THAT WERE HERE LAST YEAR THAT AREN'T COMING IN, THAT AREN'T HERE THIS YEAR.

AND SO THOSE ARE REFERENCED AS LEAVERS IN THIS CHART. SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS YOU CAN SEE THAT YOU HAD A FAIRLY CONSISTENT NUMBER. AGAIN, 2021 WAS KIND OF AN ODD YEAR FOR EVERYONE, RELATED TO THE CHALLENGES THAT WERE OUT THERE. BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT YOU DID HAVE APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 1,000 STUDENT DIFFERENCE IN 23, 24, 24, 25.

BUT THIS YEAR, WE DID SEE A LITTLE BIT OF AN ADDITIONAL DROP. AS FAR AS THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF WHAT WE IDENTIFY AS THOSE NEW STUDENTS THAT CAME IN VERSUS THOSE THAT WERE HERE LAST YEAR THAT DIDN'T COME BACK THIS NEXT YEAR. SO WE DO WANT TO BREAK THAT INFORMATION DOWN.

WE WANT TO LOOK AT IT YEAR OVER YEAR TO EVALUATE EACH INDIVIDUAL GRADE. SO, AGAIN, YOU'RE GOING TO EVALUATE VARIOUS DIFFERENT PATTERNS.

EVALUATE THOSE GRADE GROUPS YEAR OVER YEAR TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES THAT POTENTIALLY COULD HAPPEN, IF THERE AREN'T ANY SIGNIFICANT INCREASES. ESPECIALLY IN THOSE TRANSITION YEARS FROM ELEMENTARY TO MIDDLE, FROM MIDDLE TO HIGH SCHOOL, TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY POTENTIAL CHANGES THAT CAN BE TAKING PLACE. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO EVALUATE THOSE TRANSFERS, SO TRANSFERS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE DISTRICT. YOU CAN SEE KIND OF REALLY THE LAST FIVE, FIVE TO SIX YEARS WHERE YOUR STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRING IN, WHERE THEY'RE TRANSFERRING IN FROM. SO YOU CAN SEE, GARLAND'S ISD AREA HAS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER THERE.

AGAIN, DALLAS AS WELL AS PLANO ARE WHERE YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRING IN. AND I KNOW THAT'S REALLY TIED TO STAFF.

AND SO THAT'S WHERE STAFF IS LIVING, AND STAFF HAVE THEIR CHILDREN COMING TO WORK WITH THEM. IN ATTENDING RICHARDSON, ISD. SO YOU CAN ALSO SEE KIND OF OVER THERE TO THE RIGHT, JUST A BREAKDOWN OF THAT. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRANSFER IN TO THE DISTRICT AND THOSE, AND I WANT TO BE CAREFUL IN REFERENCE TO THE FACT TRANSFER OUT, DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT STUDENTS ACTUALLY ATTENDED RICHARDSON ISD AND TRANSFERRED OUT TO ANOTHER SCHOOL SYSTEM.

THAT JUST MEANS THAT THEY ARE RESIDING IN RICHARDSON, ISD.

AND ARE ATTENDING ONE OF THOSE OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEMS. AND SO THAT'S HOW WE BREAK DOWN THOSE NUMBERS, AND THOSE NUMBERS ARE THOSE THAT ARE REPORTED FROM TEA. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AS THOSE, WHAT ARE THOSE TRANSFER OUT NUMBERS LOOK LIKE? AND SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS WE TRY TO BREAK THOSE DOWN INTO REALLY THREE CATEGORIES.

SO THOSE ARE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICTS, AGAIN, WHERE YOU POTENTIALLY HAVE STUDENTS THAT RESIDE HERE, BUT POTENTIALLY GO TO ANOTHER DISTRICT BECAUSE THEY HAVE A PARENT THAT WORKS IN ANOTHER DISTRICT. OR, AGAIN, JUST MAY ATTEND AT ONE OF THE NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS.

YOU'LL ALSO SEE THE LIST OF THOSE CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT ARE REFERENCED THERE WHERE THEY ARE ATTENDING. AND THEN A FAIRLY NEW CATEGORY THAT'S

[01:55:02]

SO MANY DON'T KNOW, BUT WE ALWAYS HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT HALLSVILLE ISD IS KIND OF OUT IN EAST TEXAS, AND YOU CAN SEE PORT STOCKTON IF YOU GO FAR, FAR WEST. SO THOSE ARE NOT STUDENTS THAT ARE COMMUTING TO EITHER ONE OF THOSE DISTRICTS. SO THOSE ARE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT HAVE A VIRTUAL PROGRAM. AND THEIR ENROLLMENTS ARE SIGNIFICANT. SO WHEN, AGAIN, YOU ADD THOSE FOUR OR FIVE THAT WE REFERENCED THERE? FOR THOSE VIRTUAL SCHOOLS, YOUR ENROLLMENT FOR STUDENTS THAT RESIDE IN THE DISTRICT THAT NOW HAVE BEEN ATTENDING THOSE VIRTUAL PROGRAMS ARE AROUND THAT 230 NUMBER THAT WE'VE GOT THERE REFERENCED. AND JUST REFERENCING THIS IS, AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE SEE SPECIFIC TO RICHARDSON.

WE'RE SEEING THIS IN DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE. SO THESE ARE JUST TRENDS THAT WE'RE SEEING AND JUST. REPORTING OUT SO THE DISTRICTS ARE AWARE OF IT. THE OTHER IS TO EVALUATE SOME OF THOSE LOWER GRADE GROUPS.

SO, AS WE TALK ABOUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ENROLLMENT, AND BEFORE WE EVEN GET INTO THE DISTRICT'S ELEMENTARY ENROLLMENT IN THOSE EARLY GRADE GROUPS, YOU CAN LOOK AT WHAT THE STATEWIDE ENROLLMENT PICTURE LOOKS LIKE. DATED BACK ABOUT 10 YEARS. SO YOU COULD SEE KINDERGARTEN NUMBERS THAT WERE AT 376,813 AND 409,977. YOU CAN SEE WHAT LAST YEAR'S ENROLLMENT IN THOSE SAME GRADE GROUPS ARE COMPARED TO WHERE THEY WERE 10 YEARS AGO. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT 259,871 NUMBER IN 378,335. SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THOSE NUMBERS IN LOWER LEVELS.

IN THESE YEARS NOW. AND THAT IS IMPACTING WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN SOME OF THE LOWER GRADE GROUPS. AND OVERALL, WHAT WE MAY SEE IS RELATED TO OVERALL ENROLLMENT OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.

THE OTHER IS TO EVALUATE BIRTH RATES. SO THAT'S DEFINITELY A FACTOR, SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO, IN COMBINATION WITH WHAT WE SEE, WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OVERALL ENROLLMENT IN THOSE LOWER GRADE GROUPS, IS ALSO JUST TRACKING WHAT WE SEE.

IN BIRTH RATES IN THE AREA. SO WE'RE TRACKING BIRTH RATES AND WE ALSO EVALUATE DISTRICT KINDERGARTEN NUMBERS. SO WE PUT THOSE TWO TOGETHER AND TRY TO EVALUATE THAT, NOT NECESSARILY JUST FOR ONE OR TWO YEARS, BUT TRACK IT FOR SEVERAL YEARS TO IDENTIFY. WHAT WE WOULD SAY IS A FAIRLY CONSISTENT RATIO.

AND SO THAT HELPS US TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY, OKAY, IF THAT RATIO STAYS FAIRLY CONSISTENT FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS, THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD SEE.

RELATED TO ANTICIPATED KINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE DO AN ANALYSIS OF WHERE WE'RE AT, WHERE WE'VE SEEN THE NUMBERS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.

WE WILL KIND OF TRACK, OF COURSE, THE OVERALL ENROLLMENT. WE DID SEE A DROP THIS YEAR AT ABOUT 723 STUDENTS, COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS FALL NUMBER AT 36,970. YOU'LL SEE KIND OF DOWN THERE BELOW THAT BREAKDOWN OF COHORT NUMBERS, AND THAT REALLY IS JUST REFERENCING THAT GRADE JUMP OR GRADE DROP FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR, SO FIRST GRADE TO SECOND GRADE. SEE, IF IT'S AN INCREASE, IT WOULD BE ABOVE A ONE, AND IF IT DROPPED, IT WOULD BE BELOW A ONE. SO WE TRACK ALL OF THOSE, AND THAT ENTERS INTO THAT EQUATION, MR. PATE WAS REFERENCING. AS WE TALK ABOUT AVERAGES AND EVALUATE POTENTIAL PROJECTIONS INTO NEXT YEAR, WE TAKE ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS INTO ACCOUNT AS WE APPLY THOSE TO THOSE FUTURE PROJECTIONS.

AND SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO ALSO WANT TO TRACK THOSE LARGE GRADE GROUPS. SO YOU DO HAVE A LARGE GRADE GROUP THERE, AGAIN, IN NINTH GRADE. AND THEN YOU'RE REALLY SECOND, BUT MOST LIKELY REALLY YOUR LARGEST GRADE GROUP THAT'S THERE IS IN THAT THIRD GRADE. SO THAT STILL IS POSITIVE FROM THE STANDPOINT OF HAVING A LARGE GRADE GROUP IN THOSE ELEMENTARY GRADES WITHIN THE DISTRICT. AND THEN I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WE HAVE HELD A FAIRLY CONSISTENT COHORT LEVEL. AND SO YOUR ENROLLMENT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL HAS MAINTAINED A FAIRLY STABLE LEVEL, AT THAT .960. SO, AGAIN, MOST PEOPLE. WE'D NEVER CARE ABOUT THAT, BUT A FEW OF US DATA NERDS KIND OF GO, WOW, THAT'S UNIQUE. SO ANYWAY, I DIGRESS. AND WITH THAT SAID, WE TAKE ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS AND WE LOOK AT THIS INDIVIDUALLY IN EACH ONE

[02:00:01]

IN COMBINATION WITH A FEW OF YOUR LARGER GRADE GROUPS POTENTIALLY GRADUATING OUT, WE DO SEE THAT WE STILL MOST LIKELY WILL HAVE SOME ENROLLMENT DROP OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.

SO, AGAIN, THINKING THAT WE CAN BE SOMEWHERE IN THAT RANGE BY THE TIME WE GET TO 2930, 3031, SOMEWHERE IN THAT RANGE OF 34,600, 34,400 RANGE, MOST LIKELY. AND THEN WE DO BELIEVE THAT WE WILL START TO STABILIZE, BUT WE NEED SOME OF THOSE EARLIER GRADE GROUP NUMBERS TO START LEVELING OUT AND PICKING BACK UP. AND SO WE DO THINK THAT WE WILL START TO REACH THAT LEVEL BY THE TIME WE GET TO 32, 33, 33, 34. BUT WE COULD, AGAIN, AS WE TRACK THE KINDERGARTEN NUMBERS AND THOSE BIRTH RATES, WE DO EXPECT THOSE TO BE LOWER IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. AND THEN... THIS JUST GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF, AGAIN, THOSE CAMPUS PROJECTIONS BASED OFF OF OUR EXISTING NUMBERS, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT BIRTH RATES, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE EXISTING KINDERGARTEN NUMBERS AT EACH ONE OF THOSE CAMPUSES. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE MANY OF THOSE CAMPUSES WILL BE COMING DOWN IN ENROLLMENT. IF YOU LOOK JUST DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE KIND OF WHAT THOSE LOWER KINDERGARTEN AND...

IN LOWER GRADE GROUPS ARE GOING TO POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. SO WE COULD SEE SOME DECLINING OVERALL ENROLLMENT IN THOSE EARLIER GRADE GROUPS.

AS YOU GET TO THE SECONDARY LEVEL, YOU WILL SEE THAT WE DO HAVE, AS WE TALKED ABOUT, KIND OF IN THAT THIRD, FOURTH GRADE GROUPS, THOSE ARE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.

SO WE COULD SEE SOME PICKUP IN OVERALL ENROLLMENT AS WE GET INTO THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS.

BUT OVERALL, I WOULD SAY YOU'RE FAIRLY SAFE.

SHOULD BE FAIRLY STABLE AT YOUR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUSES FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.

SO, WITH THAT SAID, AGAIN, KIND OF IN SUMMARY, THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF KIND OF THE ENROLLMENT LOSS THAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. WE DO THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES WITH ECONOMIC CONDITIONS RIGHT NOW AND THE FACT THAT THE DISTRICT IS AS BUILT OUT AS IT IS. AND AGAIN, WITH SOME OF THOSE HIGHER PRICE POINTS, IT IS CHALLENGING FOR YOUNG FAMILIES TO MOVE INTO THE AREA, WHICH COMPLICATES SOME OF THOSE EARLIER GRADE GROUP NUMBERS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. SO WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF HOUSING ACTIVITY THAT'S OUT THERE. WE DO HAVE SOME MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT THAT WE DO ANTICIPATE STILL COMING ONLINE. SO WE DO STILL SEE SOME POPULATION INCREASE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HAPPEN IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS RELATED TO ALL OF THAT. BUT, AGAIN, REFERENCING KIND OF THAT LONG-TERM, MAYBE FIVE YEARS OUT, POTENTIALLY ABOUT 34,200 IS WHERE WE WOULD THINK THE ENROLLMENT PICTURE IS. SO, WITH THAT SAID, I'LL... TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. GREAT JOB. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CAN YOU GO BACK, I THINK, THREE SLIDES, WHETHER YOU HAVE THE ELEMENTARY PROJECTIONS. ONE MORE. THEY'RE RIGHT THERE. THIS SLIDE, FOR ME, I THINK, IS AN IMPORTANT SLIDE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT BUILDING THE BUDGET.

BECAUSE IF WE PROJECT POTENTIALLY A DECLINE OF ENROLLMENT OF 400 TO 500 STUDENTS NEXT YEAR, IF YOU LOOK DOWN THE ELEMENTARIES. THERE IS NOT A CONCENTRATION OF... ONE PARTICULAR GEOGRAPHIC AREA OR ONE SCHOOL WHERE WE'RE GOING TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE OF ENROLLMENT. I'LL JUST LOOK AT AIKEN. YOU'RE TALKING, YOU KNOW, WHAT, 17 KIDS. ACM IS SIX KIDS. ALDEA CREEK, EIGHT KIDS.

BIG SPRINGS, 30 KIDS. AND THEN YOU TAKE THOSE 30 KIDS AND YOU DIVIDE THAT AMONGST SEVEN GRADE LEVELS. SO EVEN IF IT'S DIVIDED EQUALLY. YOU MAY ONLY BE TALKING ABOUT TWO OR THREE OR FOUR KIDS PER GRADE LEVEL, AND THEN THAT MIGHT BE OVER TWO OR THREE SECTIONS. SO OUR COSTS, THE FIXED COSTS, ARE THE SAME. HOWEVER, THE REVENUE THAT'S NEEDED IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THOSE FIXED COSTS IS GOING DOWN, BUT NOT IN EQUAL AMOUNTS. THAT ALLOW US TO JUST COLLAPSE THE CLASS, OR TO CLOSE A GRADE LEVEL, OR TO EVEN LOOK AT A CONSOLIDATION OF ANOTHER CAMPUS. BECAUSE IT IS JUST SPRINKLED ACROSS THE DISTRICT, ACROSS GRADE LEVELS, AT UNEVEN INCREMENTS. SO, AGAIN, IT MAKES IT VERY CHALLENGING TO FIND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME MORE EFFICIENT OVER.

WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS KIND OF WHERE, IT'S JUST SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE WHOLE DISTRICT. SO I JUST THINK THAT THIS REALLY, I THINK PERSONIFIES WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR BUDGET CHALLENGES. SO WITH THAT, PRESIDENT POTEET,

[02:05:01]

BUT WE HAVE CHALLENGES, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. I'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE BOARD FOR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.

ANYBODY STILL DIGESTING ALL THIS? MS. PACHECO, GO AHEAD.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION. WELL THOUGHT OUT. I LIKE THE...

THOROUGHNESS OF THE DIFFERENT REASONS WHY, YOU KNOW, OUR POPULATION WILL NOT INCREASE. EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE NEW BILLS COMING UP, IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BRING A LOT OF NEW FAMILIES.

I DON'T SEE. I AGREE.

THERE'S A LOT OF CHALLENGES. I'M NOT GOING TO BRING YOU ANOTHER CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW IN THE COMMENT. BUT I THINK WE CAN FIND SOLUTIONS, RIGHT? AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF OUR WORK TO SUPPORT THAT.

YOU'RE CREATIVE. YOUR TEAM IS CREATIVE. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO FIND WAYS TO UTILIZE THAT SPACE AND BRING IN SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR GROWTH AND OUTCOMES. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. THANK YOU, MS. PACHECO. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? YES, MR. EAGER. MAN, I DON'T ENVY YOU. YOU KNOW, I HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT...

IN THE PROJECTIONS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, RICHARDSON IS A GREAT AREA, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T LEAVE, MYSELF INCLUDED, THAT WE JUST LOVE THE AREA.

HOW DO YOU FACTOR IN POTENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD TURNOVERS? AND THERE'S, I GUESS, A TWO-PRONGED QUESTION ON THIS AND A COUPLE OTHER ONES. ONE IS THAT. HOW DO YOU PROJECT OUT? WHEN NEIGHBORHOODS POTENTIALLY CAN TURN, BECAUSE THAT'S CAUSING COMPLICATIONS IN POCKETS. THE SECOND THING IS THAT ARE THE PRICE POINTS THAT WE'RE HITTING NOW. BEING, YOU KNOW, GEOGRAPHICALLY DESIRABLE, ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, IS THAT DO WE BECOME A SECOND HOME, YOU KNOW, DESTINATION, THAT YOU START TO SEE AN INFLUX AT, YOU KNOW, MIDDLE GRADE LEVELS? AND, YOU KNOW, SO I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK YOU, HOW DO YOU CALCULATE THOSE? I'LL JUST FACTOR IT IN. YEAH, THE REGENERATION, I WOULD SAY PART OF WHAT DOES FACTOR IN FOR US A LITTLE BIT RELATED TO REGENERATION IS THAT MORTGAGE RATE. SO WE DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HAPPY WHERE THEY'RE AT RIGHT NOW, BUT THEY'RE ALSO MOST LIKELY HAPPY WITH THE INTEREST RATE THAT THEY LOCKED IN SEVERAL YEARS AGO. AND SO WITHOUT THOSE RATES POTENTIALLY COMING DOWN, IF TAKES SIGNIFICANT LIFE EVENTS FOR PEOPLE, DECIDE TO MOVE AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. SO I WOULD SAY THE MORTGAGE RATES HELP US IDENTIFY IF WE'RE GOING TO START TO SEE FLUIDITY OR THINGS HAPPEN AT A FASTER RATE. AND POTENTIALLY CREATE SOME TURNOVER.

BUT THAT'S A BIG PART OF IT.

AND THEN WE DO EVALUATE HOME SALES. SO WE ARE EVALUATING EXISTING HOME SALES WITHIN THE EXISTING MARKET. SO THAT IF WE DO SEE A SIGNIFICANT ADJUSTMENT IN THOSE NUMBERS, A SURGE IN ONE SPECIFIC AREA, THEN THAT DOES KIND OF LET US KNOW THAT WE POTENTIALLY ARE HAVING SOME NEW FAMILIES OR COULD SEE A CHANGE IN THE POPULATION MAKE UP IN THOSE SPECIFIC REGIONS. SO THAT HELPS US TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THAT DETAILED. ANALYSIS IN THOSE AREAS. RELATED TO THE SECOND HOME, THAT COULD BE A SMALL NUMBER. I WON'T SAY THAT THAT WOULDN'T EVER HAPPEN, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT'S A VERY SMALL NUMBER IN COMPARISON TO THE OVERALL NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE TO ANALYZE. SO IT WON'T CHANGE. IT SHOULD NOT CHANGE OUR OVERALL PROJECTIONS IN SPECIFIC AREAS BY MUCH.

THEN I HAD A COUPLE FOLLOW-UP OTHER QUESTIONS, AND ONE OF THEM WAS LIKE, WITH. WE'RE JUST IN A NEW WORLD. THE WAY THINGS WERE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION 10 YEARS AGO, IT'S JUST A NEW WORLD.

AND TO MY COLLEAGUE, SOME PEOPLE CAN BE SCARED ABOUT IT, BUT WE CAN ALSO BE EXCITED ABOUT IT. AND THE OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE NEW, INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AND SOME OTHER THINGS.

AND I HAVE FULL FAITH THAT WE'VE SEEN THESE CHALLENGES BEFORE, AND WE WILL, AND THE TEAM WILL STEP UP TO THE CHALLENGES AS WELL.

BUT I HAD SOME OTHER QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO OPEN ENROLLMENT. DO YOU SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, OURSELVES AND MANY DISTRICTS ARE HAVING OPEN ENROLLMENT. DO YOU SEE THE SHIFT? IS IT PRIMARILY ON THE BORDERS OF THE DISTRICTS, WHERE YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS SHIFTING BACK AND FORTH? OR DO YOU SEE SIGNIFICANT, YOU KNOW, PARENTS DRIVING DISTANCES TO

[02:10:02]

AND OUR GOAL, AS A PART OF THAT, IS TO CONTINUE TO TRY TO BRING INFORMATIONAL PIECES AND ADDITIONAL DATA.

TO THE DISTRICT TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF EVALUATE WHAT TRENDS AND WHAT IS HAPPENING SO THAT YOU CAN POTENTIALLY MAKE AS AN INFORMED DECISION AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN. WELL, GREAT.

THANK YOU AGAIN. AND, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE MULTI-LEVELS OF AREAS OF TRYING TO DO A PROJECTION FOR US. WE APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT'S GOING INTO THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. EAGER.

YES, WE'LL COME TO THIS SIDE.

MR. ADRIA. YES, THANK YOU. I THINK THIS GOES PERFECT INTO WHAT YOU JUST SAID BECAUSE MY QUESTIONS WERE ABOUT SLIDE 30, WHICH HAD TO DO WITH...

THE VIRTUAL, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WAS VERY SURPRISED.

I REALLY WASN'T SEEING THIS, THAT IT WAS THAT HIGH. AND SO I SEE ON THIS SIDE, THE PART ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THOSE ARE ALL OUR COMPETITORS PER SE, RIGHT? I MEAN, THESE ARE THE DISTRICTS WE COMPETE WITH, AND THESE ARE THE CHARTERS AND THE VIRTUAL. ARE THESE THE ONLY VIRTUAL? I MEAN, THIS IS JUST TO OUR ISD, CORRECT? SO WHAT IS IT? INTERESTING IS THAT PRIOR TO THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, DISTRICTS REALLY DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY UNLESS YOU WERE CONSIDERED. THERE WAS AN INNOVATIVE PROCESS THAT YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH IN ORDER TO OFFER VIRTUAL AND STILL RECEIVE FUNDING. AND THERE WERE ONLY, AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT'S WHY IT'S DISTRICTS LIKE HAWKSVILLE AND ROSCOE COLLEGIATE, BECAUSE THERE WAS A SPECIFIC PROCESS. IN THIS LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THEY CHANGED THAT FUNDING MECHANISM NOW, WHERE ALL DISTRICTS, IF THEY GO THROUGH A PLANNING PROCESS, GET IT APPROVED. THROUGH THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, THEY CAN OFFER A HYBRID OR VIRTUAL SOLUTION. SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A DESIGN TEAM THAT IS HARD AT WORK AT THAT RIGHT NOW.

AND, AS WAS SHARED, IT'S AS MUCH ABOUT RETAINING OUR FAMILIES.

MAYBE WHO ARE CHOOSING THAT OPTION, SO THEY'RE NOT, OR MAYBE EVEN RECOVERING SOME OF OUR STUDENTS, THAT THEIR ONLY OPTION TODAY IS TO CHOOSE ONE OF THESE. BUT HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE THAT OPTION RIGHT HERE AND THEY WILL CHOOSE OUR VIRTUAL OPTION. I THINK THAT'S WONDERFUL BECAUSE I THINK FOR MYSELF, EVEN THOUGH I KNEW WE HAD VIRTUAL OUT THERE, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT. THE PERCENTAGE WAS THIS HIGH FOR OUR DISTRICT. AND THEN YOU MENTIONED HOMESCHOOLING, AND THAT WAS THE OTHER PART THAT I HAD. HOW MANY OF OUR STUDENTS HOMESCHOOL? SO IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. IT'S KIND OF LIKE PRIVATE STUDENTS TRYING TO ESTIMATE THAT. THERE'S NO REQUIRED REPORTING MECHANISM.

SO CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE TO USE A SIMILAR ENROLLMENT.

AND STUDENT IDENTIFICATION NUMBER THAT WE DO IN PUBLIC ED, SO IT'S EASY TO TRACK THOSE STUDENTS.

BUT WHEN THEY ARE CHOOSING TO HOMESCHOOL OR PRIVATE SCHOOL, THERE'S REALLY NO WAY OF TRACKING. SO WE ARE ABLE, IF A FAMILY, WHEN THEY'RE WITHDRAWING, LETS US KNOW, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO HOMESCHOOL, WE NOTE THAT SO THAT WE CAN CIRCLE BACK WITH THE FAMILY AND JUST REMIND THEM, HEY, WE HAVE THESE OPTIONS, AND THEN, HOPEFULLY, WHEN WE HAVE OUR HYBRID

[02:15:01]

WE ALSO HAVE VIRTUAL. AND CAN WE CREATE THAT FLEXIBLE EXPERIENCE THAT MANY OF OUR FAMILIES WANT AND STILL DO IT IN RICHARDSON, ISD? SO THAT'S THE DESIGN WORK WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. I THINK THAT'S WONDERFUL BECAUSE I THINK I AGREE, YOU KNOW, ALSO WITH THE PRESENTATION HERE, THAT THAT SEEMS TO BE THE TREND, RIGHT? I THINK A LOT OF TIMES, I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT IT IS, RIGHT? IT'S EVER SINCE 2020, OUR COVID ERA AND ALL THAT, I MEAN, ERA, THAT SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING THAT PARENTS ARE SEEKING. SO I THINK IT'S WONDERFUL. I KNOW WE HAVE JUST... AS MUCH AN INNOVATIVE TEAM AND ARE ON TOP OF WHATEVER TREND IS GOING ON.

BECAUSE IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS WHERE IT'S KIND OF HEADING.

AND SO I WAS, YOU KNOW, JUST VERY GRATEFUL FOR THIS INFORMATION. BECAUSE, AGAIN, I MEAN, I DIDN'T REALLY REALIZE THAT IT WAS THIS HIGH OF A PERCENTAGE. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT INFO. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MS. CHANTRIA.

WELL, GO AHEAD, MS. NO, YOU'RE GOOD? OKAY. OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS? NO, IT'S FASCINATING, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED AS AN INGREDIENT IN THE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING, SO I APPRECIATE IT. AND I KNOW IT'S ALL ESTIMATES, RIGHT? WE DON'T KNOW THE FUTURE. WE'RE TRYING TO USE HISTORY TO MAKE OUR BEST GUESS AT IT, SO I APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT FOR US. AND IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, WE THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. OKAY, WE ARE

[V.H. Middle of Year MAP & North Star Goal Update]

THAT WILL BE THE TO-RECEIVER PRESENTATION REGARDING THE MIDDLE-OF-THE-YEAR MAP AND NORTH STAR GOAL UPDATE. MS. BRANHAM. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY INVITE, WE HAVE SOME AMAZING PRINCIPALS THAT ARE IN THE ROOM, AS WELL AS DR. ORTIZ. I'M GOING TO INVITE THEM DOWN. I REALLY AM BEYOND ECSTATIC TO BRING FORWARD TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION.

I REALLY, I WENT BACK AND I LOOKED AT OUR MAP PRESENTATIONS SINCE WE'VE IMPLEMENTED MAP, WHICH IS NOW OVER EIGHT YEARS AGO NOW, AND WE HAVE NEVER HAD THE KIND OF GROWTH THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE PRESENTING TONIGHT. IT'S PHENOMENAL, SUPER PROUD, BUT AS YOU HEAR THIS GROWTH, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CLEAR.

WE'RE CELEBRATING THE AMAZING SUCCESSES OF OUR CAMPUSES, BUT AS I TELL THE PRINCIPALS, ALL THE TIME, WE'RE KEEPING IT AT 70. AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO KEEP IT AT 70? IT MEANS, AS WE LOOK AT THIS DATA, AND AS WE CELEBRATE THIS DATA, WE'RE NOT TAKING OUR FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL. WE STILL HAVE A DESTINATION TO GET TO IT BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

WE STILL HAVE STUDENT OUTCOMES.

WE HAVE HOUSE BILL 3 GOALS. WE HAVE NORTH STAR GOALS THAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE. SO WE NEED TO KEEP IT 70. WHILE WE'RE GOING 70, WE MIGHT BE UPGRADING THE TIRES A LITTLE BIT. WE MAY NEED TO CHANGE OUT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECAUSE SOMETHING IS GOING ON THAT WE NEED TO UPGRADE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, BUT WE'RE KEEPING IT 70. IF WE GO 90, WE MIGHT GET THERE FASTER, BUT WE'RE GOING TO CAUSE A WHOLE LOT OF COLLATERAL DAMAGE. WE MIGHT LEAVE A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE BEHIND. IF WE GO 55, THEN WE RISK OUR KIDS NOT REACHING THAT DESTINATION.

SO, WHILE WE ARE CELEBRATING THE GROWTH THAT WE HAVE TONIGHT, AND BY THE AMAZING LEADERSHIP OF OUR CENTRAL AND OUR PRINCIPALS HERE, WE STILL WANT TO KEEP IT 70. BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME LEFT BETWEEN NOW AND THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, AND OUR KIDS DESERVE NOTHING LESS. SO, DR. ORTIZ HAS CREATED A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION TO PRESENT OUR MIDDLE-OF-THE-YEAR MAP UPDATES, AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO HER. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

PRESIDENT BOUTIQUE, SUPERINTENDENT BRANHAM, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THE MAP MIDDLE-OF-THE-YEAR UPDATES FOR 25-26. OF COURSE, ALL OF...

OF THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING WITH OUR MAP IS ABOUT EVERY CHILD, EVERY DAY.

IT'S SUPPORTING OUR TEACHERS AS THEY LOOK AT THEIR INFORMATION WITH THE GREAT LEADERSHIPS THAT THOSE CAMPUSES HAVE. MAKING SURE WE'RE KEEPING OUR EYE ON OUR NORTH STAR GOAL, WHERE EVERY STUDENT, TEACHER, AND LEADER WILL MEET OR EXCEED THEIR ACADEMIC GROWTH GOALS. I WANT TO BRING BACK THE GRAPHIC THAT AT RISD WE LOOK AT OUR DATA AND WE RESPOND TO THAT DATA. WE ANALYZE, WE REFLECT ON THE DATA THAT'S AVAILABLE, WE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, AND THEN WE GATHER THE NEXT PIECE OF INFORMATION. TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS CONTINUE

[02:20:01]

WE'VE ALSO SHARED THIS GRAPHIC AS WELL. WE ARE NOW AT THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, COMPLETED TESTING IN JANUARY, AND NOW WE ARE IN THAT.

PROGRESS MONITORING OF THE ASSESSMENT RESULTS AND RESPONDING TO THE INFORMATION AS WE PREPARE FOR STAR AND FOR OUR END-OF-THE-YEAR ASSESSMENT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I SHARE, FOR THOSE THAT HAVE NOT HEARD, THE PRESENTATION AT HOME FOR OUR PARENTS, ON WHAT WE WILL BE DISCUSSING TODAY. AS FAR AS OUR RIT SCALE. IT IS A WAY TO MEASURE AND TRACK STUDENT GROWTH, VERY SIMILAR TO A GROWTH CHART THAT WE MIGHT HAVE AT HOME TO MEASURE HEIGHT. SO YOU MIGHT HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE DIFFERENT AGES, BUT THEY MIGHT BE THE SAME HEIGHT. AND SO THIS IS WHAT THE RID SCORE ALLOWS US TO DO IS TO MEASURE, NOT LOOKING AT AGE, NOT LOOKING AT GRADE LEVEL, BUT JUST THAT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. SO IF WE HAVE A HIGH PERFORMING STUDENT, WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE, ARE THEY GROWING? ARE THEY PROGRESSING? AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MAKES THIS ASSESSMENT UNIQUE IS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT GRADE LEVEL. INFORMATION, BUT JUST HOW THEY'RE GROWING EVERY YEAR. SO I'M GOING TO GO INTO OUR MATH READING. WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SCORES FROM FALL 2025 TO WINTER 2026.

WE ARE LOOKING AT THE SAME STUDENTS, SO HOW DID THEY DO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR COMPARED TO HOW THEY DID AT THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR.

AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE CHARTS, AS WE GO THROUGH THESE, FOR EACH OF THE CONTENT AREAS, YOU WILL SEE OUR NATIONAL NORM MEAN WRIT. AND THEN THE BARS REFLECT RISK PERFORMANCE. SO AS WE LOOK AT EACH OF THESE GRADE LEVELS FOR READING IN ENGLISH, YOU WILL NOTICE THAT WE ARE ABOVE THAT NATIONAL NORM. MEAN WRIT AT EVERY SINGLE GRADE LEVEL FOR RLA. WE ALSO LOOK AT THE INFORMATION BY STUDENT DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS, SO ALL STUDENTS, BUT THEN ALSO BREAKING IT UP BY SOME OF OUR ETHNIC SUBGROUPS, ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED, EMERGENT. BILINGUAL, AND SPECIAL ED. WE DO NOT GET NORMS FOR THE SPECIAL GROUPS AS A WHOLE, BUT WHAT WE WANTED TO SHOW IS THAT WE ARE GROWING ACROSS THE DIFFERENT SUBGROUPS OF STUDENTS. OKAY, AND SO WE SEE THAT FOR OUR MAP READING ENGLISH. FORMAT READING SPANISH. AGAIN, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE EACH OF THE GRADE LEVELS. WE HAVE STUDENTS TAKING THE SPANISH ASSESSMENT IN KINDER THROUGH FIFTH GRADE. AND, AGAIN, WE SEE ABOVE THE NORMS, OR AT THE NORM FOR FOURTH GRADE.

AND SO WE'RE SEEING THAT SAME TREND THAT WE SAW FOR ENGLISH. AND, AGAIN, BROKEN UP INTO THE SUBGROUPS, SO YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT. YOU'LL NOTICE THAT. THE ALL STUDENTS AND THE EMERGENT BILINGUAL COLUMN IS GOING TO BE THE SAME BECAUSE THE STUDENTS TAKING THAT SPANISH ASSESSMENT, FOR THE MOST PART, ARE ALL EMERGENT BILINGUAL STUDENTS.

AND THEN WE GET INTO OUR MATHEMATICS.

FOR MATHEMATICS, AGAIN, IT IS BROKEN DOWN BY GRADE LEVEL. ONE THING I DO WANT TO MENTION ABOUT MATH IS THAT EIGHTH GRADE IS THAT SMALL GROUP OF STUDENTS THAT IS TAKING ON LEVEL MATH. THE REST OF OUR... SO EIGHTH GRADERS ARE TAKING ALGEBRA I, AND THEY ARE IN THE ALGEBRA I BUCKET. SO AT THE VERY BOTTOM, THERE'S A LITTLE FOOTNOTE. WE HAVE 242 STUDENTS THAT ARE TAKING THAT EIGHTH GRADE ASSESSMENT AS EIGHTH GRADERS.

AGAIN, WE SEE THAT ALL OF OUR NORM SCORES, RISD IS EXCEEDING THOSE FOR MATHEMATICS. WE HAVE I THINK, ONE OR TWO THAT MIGHT BE RIGHT ON THE NUMBER, BUT WE DIDN'T SEE THIS. WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT IT LAST YEAR.

SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO SEE THAT WE'RE EXCEEDING THOSE NATIONAL NORMS. AND THEN A VIEW OF THOSE SUBGROUPS. SO, AGAIN, SEEING THAT GROWTH CONTINUOUSLY ACROSS EVERY SINGLE SUBGROUP.

AND THEN THIS IS MY FAVORITE SLIDE FOR TODAY. WE WANTED TO LOOK AT THAT GROWTH COMPARISON, AND WE HAVE IT BROKEN DOWN FOR READING AND FOR MATHEMATICS.

FOR MATHEMATICS, IT INCLUDES ALL MATH FOR THIRD THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE, I MEAN, K THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE, INCLUDING OUR ALGEBRA 1. AND THE EXPECTATION IS THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST 50% OF OUR STUDENTS.

WHAT'S THAT NUMBER AGAIN? 50% OF OUR STUDENTS. THAT'S THE NATIONAL. THAT'S THE EXPECTED.

THAT'S THE NATIONAL.

NATIONAL. AND WE WANTED TO COMPARE THAT TO SEE WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE.

AND, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM OUR PIE CHARTS.

FIFTY-NINE PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS MET OR EXCEEDED THEIR GROWTH GOAL, AND 65 PERCENT OF

[02:25:01]

ORTIZ, IF YOU COULD JUST QUICKLY ALSO ADDRESS, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT OUR 35 PERCENT OF STUDENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN MATHEMATICS DIDN'T GROW.

CORRECT. WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? COMMUNICATE TO US.

SO, BASED ON HOW A STUDENT PERFORMS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, BASED ON THAT ASSESSMENT, A TARGET IS SET FOR THEM FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR AND FOR THE END OF THE YEAR. AND IF THAT STUDENT MEETS THAT TARGET THAT WAS SET FOR THEM, THEN THEY'RE SHOWING AS MEETING THEIR EXPECTED GROWTH. BUT THERE'S OTHER STUDENTS THAT MADE IT HALFWAY THERE, OR A LITTLE MORE THAN HALFWAY THERE, THEY JUST DIDN'T QUITE MEET THAT TARGET.

BUT THEY'RE STILL GROWING.

THEY'RE JUST NOT MEETING THAT EXPECTED TARGET. AND SO NOW THIS, THE CAMPUSES WITH THAT INFORMATION ARE ABLE TO ADJUST PLANS AND GET ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS FOR THE STUDENTS.

TO MAKE SURE THAT FOR THE END OF THE YEAR, WE CAN CATCH THEM BACK UP AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN MEET THAT FOR THE END OF THE YEAR. AND SO WE WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT A FEW OF OUR CAMPUSES. I WANT TO SAY THAT IT WAS SO EXCITING TO SEE ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES MEETING THAT 50 PERCENT MARK AND THESE CAMPUSES THAT WE ARE SPOTLIGHTING. THEY EXCEEDED IT, EVEN MORE SO. AND SO WE'RE WANTING TO SPOTLIGHT LAKE HIGHLANDS ELEMENTARY, LAKE HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL, MOHAWK ELEMENTARY, RICHARDSON NORTH JUNIOR HIGH, WESTWOOD JUNIOR HIGH, WHITE ROCK ELEMENTARY, AND YALE ELEMENTARY TONIGHT.

PRINCIPALS, IF Y'ALL WILL COME FORWARD. BOARDING COMMITTEE, IF Y'ALL WILL, PLEASE CELEBRATE THESE AMAZING PRINCIPALS.

THEY'RE PHENOMENAL. Y'ALL COME FORWARD. I'M GOING TO ASK YOU A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, AND Y'ALL CAN KIND OF DO. NOSE GOES TO DECIDE WHO'S GOING TO COME FORWARD TO THE MIC. SO IF Y'ALL COULD MAYBE JUST HIGHLIGHT, WHAT ARE ONE OR TWO ACTION STEPS THAT YOU TOOK THIS YEAR? THAT WAS EVEN DIFFERENT FROM 24-25. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR GROWTH, FOR EXAMPLE, ELEMENTARY, THESE ELEMENTARIES WERE CHOSEN BECAUSE 70% OR MORE OF THEIR STUDENTS HIT THEIR GROWTH GOAL.

IT'S INCREDIBLE, 70%. AND SO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THE DIFFERENCE FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR? WHAT ARE A COUPLE OF MOVES THAT YOU MADE THAT YOU CAN SAY THAT IS CONTRIBUTING TO OUR SUCCESS THIS YEAR? AND TELL US WHO YOU ARE. OKAY, I'M DENISE NEWMAN, THE PRINCIPAL AT MOHAWK ELEMENTARY. SO SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY FOCUSED ON THIS YEAR WAS WHEN TEACHERS WERE PLANNING THEIR TIER 1 INSTRUCTION WAS TO REALLY PLAN FOR DEMONSTRATIONS OF LEARNING FOR EACH OF THEIR LESSONS. AND SO THEY REALLY PINPOINTED, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THE KID UNDERSTOOD THE CONCEPT OR NOT.

IF THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND IT, THEY IMMEDIATELY RETAUGHT. AND SO WE MADE SPECIFIC PLANS FOR INTERVENTION, BUT ALSO FOR ENRICHMENT, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF HIGH ACHIEVERS, AND WE NEED THEM TO GROW. WE ALSO FOCUSED A LOT ON GOAL SETTING FOR OUR KIDS, AND SO WE STARTED THAT DAY ONE.

AND THE TEACHERS KNOW THE STUDENTS' GOALS. THEY REVIEW THAT WITH THE STUDENTS ALL THE TIME. THEY MAKE PLANS, AND SO WE JUST ALL WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ACHIEVING. IF YOU WERE TO WALK INTO MOHAWK RIGHT BY THEIR CAFETERIA, THEY HAVE THESE AMAZING STREAMERS OF STARS IN WHICH EVERY STUDENT'S GROWTH GOAL IS WRITTEN ON A STAR. IT'S JUST LIKE VISUAL REMINDER OF WHAT THEY HOPE TO ACHIEVE THAT YEAR. BECKY, I'M GOING TO ASK THIS OF YOU.

IT'S OFTEN A QUESTION THAT I RECEIVE FROM, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE FIRST IMPLEMENTED MAP, FROM COMMUNITIES AND EVEN FROM TEACHERS. OF.

WELL, WHEN YOU'RE ON A HIGH-PERFORMING CAMPUS, IT'S SO HARD TO GET GROWTH. SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT KIND OF WHAT DID YOU DO AT WHITE ROCK AS WELL? TO KIND OF SEE THIS INCREASE IN ACHIEVING THOSE MATH SCORES? SURE. I'M BECKY STEVENS. I'M PRINCIPAL AT WHITE ROCK. AND WE REALLY HIT HARD ON STUDENTS, KNOWING WHAT THEIR GOAL WAS.

DON'T LOVE TO PUT A TON OF PRESSURE ON KIDS WITH TESTS. AND WE KNOW IT'S JUST ONE DATA POINT, BUT WE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE KIDS KNEW WHAT THEY WERE STRIVING FOR AND WHAT THEIR GROWTH GOAL WAS, SPECIFICALLY IN READING AND IN MATH. AND I THINK THEM KNOWING THAT GIVES THEM SO MUCH POWER AND MOTIVATES THEM TO DO WELL ON THE TEST. VERSUS CLICKING THROUGH. OR, YOU KNOW, BEING BORED BY IT. THEY WERE EXCITED TO TAKE IT BECAUSE THEY WANTED SO BADLY TO REACH THEIR GOAL. SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS THAT WE'VE EMPHASIZED IT A TON WITH KIDS. WE WOULD GO INTO CLASSROOMS AND KIDS WERE SO EXCITED AND HAPPY TO TELL US

[02:30:02]

THE SPORTS. YOUR TEAM HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB OF THAT PARENT ENGAGEMENT PIECE. AND ALSO MAKING SURE TO COMMUNICATE THAT GOAL-SETTING PROCESS AT HOME AND MAKING PARENTS FEEL A PART OF THAT PROCESS, AND ALSO BALANCING IT WITH STUDENT STRESS, SO THAT STUDENTS, IT'S NOT, OH, MY GOSH IF I DIDN'T HIT IT OR WHATEVER.

IT'S LIKE, WE'RE NOT THERE YET. SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU'VE CREATED THAT CULTURE? SURE. I THINK, IN LAKEPORT, I'M THE PRINCIPAL AT LAKE HIGHLANDS ELEMENTARY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE REALLY FOCUSED ON IS THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS. WE'VE HAD.

THINGS IN OUR MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT ALLOW KIDS TO TALK TO THEIR NEIGHBOR ABOUT WHAT THEIR GOAL IS AND THEN GO HOME AND INCLUDE THAT TALKING PIECE FOR AT HOME. I INCLUDE IT IN MY COMMUNITY NEWSLETTERS AND THEN REALLY HAVING PARENTS PARTNER WITH THEM SO MUCH AS THE TEACHER EVEN KNOWS FOR OUR HIGH-GROWTH, HIGH-ACHIEVING KIDS, THEY KNOW WHAT AREAS, EVEN THOSE KIDS NEED TO GROW ON. AND ARE HAVING REAL CONVERSATIONS WITH KIDS AND CONFERENCING WITH THEM AFTER MATH TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE TARGETING THOSE SKILLS AS WELL. SO THOSE HEIGHTS. GROWTH HIGH AS YOU MAKE KIDS CONTINUE TO GROW.

IT'S PHENOMENAL TO SEE, AND I WOULD SAY, AT ALL OF THESE CAMPUSES, EVIDENCE OF MAP AND THIS NORTH STAR GOAL THAT'S RIGHT BEHIND US IS EVERYWHERE.

CARRIE GREER, YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED, I THINK, TO THE LAST, LIKE FOUR MEETINGS WHERE WE'RE CELEBRATING MAP GROWTH. HOW ARE YOU LEADING YOUR CAMPUS TO SUSTAIN KIND OF THAT LEVEL OF FOCUS? TO ENSURE YOU'RE GROWING THAT LARGE NUMBER OF KIDS? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WELL, I'M CARRIE GREER, PRINCIPAL AT YALE. AND YES, I'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO COME SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THAT DOES PRESENT A CHALLENGE AT THE SAME TIME. I ECHO EVERYTHING THAT THESE OTHER AMAZING PRINCIPALS HAVE SAID. SO TO TAKE ANOTHER STEP FURTHER, I WANT TO FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, THE STUDENT OWNERSHIP THROUGH THE PORTFOLIOS THAT WE DO ONLINE. SO HAVING OUR STUDENTS BE ABLE TO MONITOR THEIR PROGRESS BY THEIR ARTIFACTS THEY'RE UPLOADING, BUT THEY DON'T JUST HAVE AN ONLINE PORTFOLIO. THEY ALSO HAVE A PAPER PORTFOLIO THAT THEY MEET WITH THEIR TEACHER AFTER EVERY SINGLE ASSESSMENT.

SO NOT JUST AFTER MAP, BUT ALSO AFTER THEIR CIAS. AND THEY LOOK AT WHAT ARE THEIR STRENGTHS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH SO THEY CAN BUILD ON BOTH OF THOSE PIECES.

BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF. WHAT AM I REALLY GOOD AT AND WHAT AM I STILL WORKING TOWARDS. HOW ARE YOU SUSTAINING, LIKE HOW TO HAVE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS? TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY, BUT AGAIN, NOT BE A STRESSOR.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO INSTILL THAT IN THE CULTURE? SO, YES, OUR CULTURE HAS A MULTITUDE OF LEVELS THAT REALLY BRING ABOUT COLLABORATION, AND THAT'S COLLABORATION ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT LEVELS, WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING AT TEACHER-TO-TEACHER COLLABORATION, WHERE THEY COME KNEE-TO-KNEE SHARING STRATEGIES, TEACHER-TO-PARENT COLLABORATION, WHERE THEY CAN SHARE ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT GOALS, LOOK AT THOSE ARTIFACTS, AND THEN... STUDENT-TO-TEACHER COLLABORATION, AND EVEN STUDENT-TO-STUDENT COLLABORATION. SO THAT CULTURE BRINGS IN ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT PIECES WHERE STUDENTS KNOW THEY HAVE DIFFERENT PARTNERS WHO ARE CHEERING THEM ALONG TO MEET THOSE GROWTH GOALS.

AMAZING. SECONDARY. I WAS A FORMER SEVENTH-GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES AND RLA TEACHER ONE DAY. OFTENTIMES WE WOULD SAY THINGS LIKE, KIDS DON'T TAKE TESTS SERIOUSLY, OR THEY JUST KIND OF BLOW THIS OFF. CLEARLY, Y'ALL HAVE DONE SOME AMAZING THINGS WHERE STUDENTS ARE ALSO RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR OWN GROWTH. SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO ANY ONE OF YOU. WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOL, JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS, WHERE THEY SEE THE VALUE OF THIS MAP PROCESS AND THIS GOAL-SETTING PROCESS? GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I'M NICK RUSTIN, PRINCIPAL AT LAKE HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S A LITTLE EASIER FROM A SECONDARY PERSPECTIVE IS THAT WE ARE JUST MAINTAINING SOME OF THE MOMENTUM CREATED BY OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S SO NICE TO BE IN A SYSTEM TO WHERE THIS STARTS EARLY ON.

AND SO IF WE MAINTAIN THOSE THINGS, MAINTAIN THOSE CONVERSATIONS, KEEP TALKING ABOUT MAP SCORES, KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, KNOW WHAT THEIR GOALS ARE. IT HELPS YOU KEEP THAT MOMENTUM GOING. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY TRY AND DO IS CELEBRATE. I TELL YOU WHAT, OFFERING A LITTLE BIT OF PIZZA TO KIDS. IF YOU MAKE YOUR GROWTH GOAL, THEY'LL TEAR THE ROOF OFF THE BUILDING. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE THIS YEAR IS, AS WE TALK ABOUT IT MORE AND MORE, IT'S BECOME COMPETITION. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY KIDS CAME UP TO ME IN THE LUNCHROOM AFTER

[02:35:01]

EXCITED ABOUT THEIR GROWTH AND WANT TO TALK ABOUT THEIR GROWTH.

AND SOMETIMES SEEING SOME OF THE KIDS THAT STRUGGLE THE MOST, WHO SEE THE MOST SUCCESS, AND IT REALLY BRIGHTENS THEIR DAY AND CREATES MORE MOMENTUM FOR THEM GOING FORWARD. SO IT'S BEEN AN EXCITING PROCESS.

KATIE, I KNOW YOU HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK. ALSO REALLY HELPING YOUR TEACHERS UNDERSTAND MATH AND WHY IT CAN REALLY BE USED AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL DATA POINT AS WELL. CAN YOU MAYBE SHARE SOME OF THAT WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE? YES. KATIE MOSH FROM FAIRPORT, PRINCIPAL OF WESTWOOD JUNIOR HIGH. A LITTLE BIT PIGGYBACKING OFF OF WHAT NICK SAID AND REALLY ADDRESSING THAT QUESTION, IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO THE CULTURE. AND AS I THOUGHT ABOUT TONIGHT, REALLY THINKING ABOUT THAT CULTURE STARTING HERE AND THAT NORTH STAR GOAL, RIGHT? SO THAT PROVIDES ALIGNMENT FOR TEACHERS. THAT PROVIDES CLARITY IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. AND SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT MATH GROWTH, IT'S NOT JUST THAT. IT'S NOT JUST WE'RE LOOKING AT MATH.

IT'S THE CULTURE THAT'S CREATED BY THAT NORTH STAR GOAL. AND IS IN EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM, THAT EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM AT WESTWOOD, THEY HAVE GROWTH GOALS. SO THAT BECOMES THE CULTURE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EVERY SINGLE DAY, THAT WHEN I'M IN PE AND I'M DOING THE PACER TESTS, I THINK IT MIGHT BE CALLED THE FITNESS PROGRAM, I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE, BUT THAT THIS IS REALLY, THAT THIS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT HAPPENS BECAUSE OF THE CULTURE THAT STARTS HERE, THAT IS ALIGNED FROM OUR CAMPUS. AND THE CLARITY THAT THAT CREATES, RIGHT? SO, THE ACHIEVEMENT OF GROWTH GOALS. THAT ARE SET BY EVERY SINGLE TEACHER STARTS IN THE CLASSROOM, BUT IT'S ALSO IN THE HALLWAYS. IT'S IN THE OFFICES, RIGHT? AND REALLY, MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT'S WITH OUR FAMILIES, WHERE EVERY SINGLE, THERE'S TWICE A MONTH I SEND HOME, IT'S LEARNING WITH THE PAST. SO TEACHERS ARE WRITING OUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN CLASS. HOW? THAT'S ALIGNING TO OUR GRADUATE PROFILE AND WHAT PARENTS CAN DO AT HOME.

AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE AN AMAZING PTA, WHEN YOU HAVE AMAZING FAMILIES THAT ARE CONNECTING IN THAT WAY, IT BECOMES ABSOLUTELY MATH GROWTH. AND WE'RE SEEING IT THERE, BUT IT'S MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN THAT, RIGHT? IT'S OUR LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS, IT'S OUR CTE, IT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN PLC, WITH OUR INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES, THOSE DOLS AND THOSE TEACHERS MODELING GROWTH FOR STUDENTS.

SO IT'S ALL OF THOSE PIECES THAT CREATE THAT CULTURE THAT START HERE WITH THIS NORTH STAR GOAL. THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE SEEING THAT ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL OF OUR KIDS. WHEN, EXACTLY, LIKE I'VE HEARD IT SAID MANY TIMES, KIDS TOOK THAT MATH TEST. AND THEY WALKED OUT AND THEY WERE LIKE, MISS MATRAM, I MET MY GROWTH GOAL.

OR, OH, I MISSED IT BY TWO, BUT I KNOW WHAT TO DO BECAUSE OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

IN THE CULTURE. THAT IS NOT ONLY HAPPENING IN YOUR ENGLISH CLASSES OR MATH CLASSES, BUT ALSO YOUR ELOPE CLASSES, ALL OF THE CLASSES ACROSS THE CAMPUS. AND THAT CULTURE. SO I THINK THAT THAT'S HUGELY IMPORTANT, THAT IT ALSO STARTS HERE IN THE CULTURE OF THE CAMPUS AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON. THAT IMPACTS THE EXPERIENCE OF OUR STUDENTS. INCREDIBLE.

OKAY, MR. LOPEZ. SO, MR. LOPEZ IS THE PROUD PRINCIPAL OF THE NORTH VIKINGS, AND YOU'RE IN YOUR FIRST YEAR. AND SO ANYTIME THAT THERE IS A LEADERSHIP CHANGE, THAT ALWAYS INTRODUCES CHANGE ACROSS THE WHOLE CAMPUS. AND SO AS YOU'VE TAKEN ON THE LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY AT NORTH, SPECIFICALLY, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? OR HOW HAVE YOU ADDRESSED? KIND OF YOUR BELIEF IN MATH? AND HOW DO YOU MESSAGE THAT TO YOUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GROWING KIDS AT THIS RATE? WHEN WE SAY EVERY KID, EVERY TEACHER, EVERY DAY, WE MEAN IT. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, I SET THE TONE. I WAS VERY DELIBERATE. TWO DIFFERENT KIDS, ONE FROM ESPADON, ONE FROM CANYON CREEK, BOTH DESERVE A GOOD LIFE, AND WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE THAT FOR THEM. SO THE QUESTION SHIFTS TO, HOW DO WE DO THAT? NEXT, I SHIFTED FOCUS TO RELATIONSHIPS WITH TEACHERS, WITH STUDENTS.

ONCE THAT WAS SOLIDIFIED, THEN WE STARTED THE REAL WORK OF BEING DELIBERATE WITH OUR TIME AND OUR ENERGY.

THOSE ARE FINITE RESOURCES. I DON'T WANT TEACHERS THINKING OF, LIKE, I DON'T NEED THEM GOING 90 MILES AN HOUR. THEY'RE GOING TO BURN OUT. WE KEEP THEM AT 70. WE BUILD SYSTEMS WHERE THEY CAN SUSTAIN THEMSELVES, AND THEY CAN BE THE BEST VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES FOR OUR KIDS.

MAKE IT VERY OBVIOUS TO OUR COMMUNITY, CONSTANTLY PULLING THEM IN, GIVING THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO BE PART OF IT. AGAIN, WHETHER YOU'RE FROM ESPERANZA OR YOU'RE CANYON CREEK, YOU'RE WELCOME AT NORTH JUNIOR HIGH.

ONCE THAT WAS SET AND THE MOMENTUM GOT GOING, THEN WE STARTED TO FOCUS WITH LASER PRECISION ON EXIT TICKETS.

ON A DAILY BASIS, AND THAT WOULD GUIDE WIND TIME.

FOR US, WIND TIME IS WHAT I NEED. SO THAT MEANT EVERY KID, WHAT ARE THEIR GOALS, WHERE DO WE WANT TO GET THEM, HOW CAN WE GET THEM THERE. AND SO WE LEVERAGED WIND TIME ON A DAILY BASIS, SO THAT KIDS WERE CONSTANTLY GROWING, AND TECHNICALLY, WIND TIME IS A TIER TWO AND TIER THREE SUPPORT, BUT WE DID IT AT SUCH A RATE THAT EVERY KID GOT EVERYTHING THEY NEEDED IN A TIMELY MANNER. AND AGAIN,

[02:40:02]

WHAT I HOPE YOU HEARD, BOARD AND COMMUNITY, IS THE CONSISTENCY. REALLY, WE ALL KNOW THERE'S NOT LIKE A MAGIC. THERE'S NOT A FORMULA, THERE'S NOT A PRODUCT YOU CAN BUY, THERE'S NOT A, THE WORK IS IN THE THINGS THAT THEY OUTLINE. AND THESE ARE OUR EXEMPLARS OF THAT WORK, AND THEY REPRESENT THE GREATNESS THAT IS HAPPENING AT EVERY ONE OF OUR CAMPUSES. NOW, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT SATISFIED. WE KNOW WE HAVE TO BE 70, AND WHILE WE'RE GOING 70, WE HAVE TO MAKE UPGRADES ALONG THE WAY. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE CAMPUSES THAT ARE STILL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF WHERE THESE EXEMPLARS ARE.

BUT BECAUSE OF OUR AREA SUPERINTENDENTS, OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING TEAM, EVERY OTHER CURRICULUM SUPPORT TEAM THAT WE HAVE IS EVIDENCED ACROSS THE BOARD. GROWTH IS HAPPENING AT EXPONENTIAL RATES. AND I'M SO INCREDIBLY PROUD OF Y'ALL AND YOUR TEACHERS.

THANK OUR PARENTS WHO ARE LEANING IN AS WELL. AND WITH THAT, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

BUT I'M GOING TO KIND OF DROP THE MIC ON THAT.

RIGHT, NO QUESTIONS, NO. YOU KNOW, GREAT PRESENTATION, GREAT DIALOGUE, GREAT EXPLANATION ON WHAT'S GOING ON AT THESE CAMPUSES. SO I'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE BOARD FOR QUESTIONS, COMMENTS. WE'LL START WITH MS. MCGOWAN. SUPER EXCITED. GOOD JOB, GUYS. THIS IS LIKE THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT, AND WE STARTED THIS WAY TOO LATE, BUT ALL GOOD. THEY THINK SO, TOO. RIGHT? LIKE, WE SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS THE FIRST THING.

FIRST OFF, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. IT'S AMAZING. WHEN I LOOK AT YOU GUYS, I HAVE A 7-YEAR-OLD, WELL, I HAVE A SENIOR WHO GRADUATES, WHICH I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT, AND A 7-YEAR-OLD WHO'S STILL IN THE SYSTEM, AND YOU GUYS IGNITE MY ENERGY FOR HER AND HER FUTURE AT THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I LOVE THE CULTURE YOU SPOKE ABOUT, THAT YOU ARE NURTURING FROM IT, STARTING HERE, AND YOU'RE NURTURING THAT, OR YOU'RE CREATING IT, RIGHT? I KNOW YOU STILL HAVE TO DO SOME CREATING AT YOUR SCHOOL, SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. I JUST HOPE WHEN I LOOK AT YOU ALSO SEE THIS IS OUR FUTURE, LIKE YOU SAID. THIS IS RISD'S FUTURE. AND I JUST HOPE THAT WE CAN CREATE MORE LEADERS LIKE YOU THROUGHOUT THIS DISTRICT.

WE NEED YOU ALL ACROSS THE DISTRICT, IN EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL. SO I'M HOPING, AND I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS, PEER-TO-PEER PROGRAMS. I KNOW THAT EXISTS IN OUR DISTRICT. I HOPE WE ARE DOING MORE OF THAT, AND IF WE NEED FUNDS FOR THAT, I HOPE OUR BOARD WILL SUPPORT THAT. I LOVE THE PIECE WHERE YOU SAY THAT THE ALIGNMENT WITH KIDDOS, YOU ARE GIVING THEM SOMETHING TO OWN, AND THEY GO HOME TO THEIR PARENTS, AND THEY'RE SHOWING THAT TO THEIR PARENTS, AND THERE'S A CONVERSATION THAT'S HAPPENING AT HOME, SO THAT THERE'S NO EXCUSES, RIGHT? THE PARENTS KNOW. IT'S IN YOUR NEWSLETTERS. IT'S CONSTANTLY, YOU KNOW, BEING COMMUNICATED TO THE FAMILIES, WHICH IS A CRITICAL PIECE. AND WHEN KIDS COME HOME... AND SPEAK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THOSE CLASSROOMS, WE LISTEN. YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE, RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT'S AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND THANK YOU FOR THE ENERGY THAT YOU BROUGHT TO THE END OF THIS MEETING.

AND I'M SORRY, IT'S SO LATE.

THE OTHER THING, AND I HAVE A QUESTION, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TWO OR MAYBE JUST ONE, BUT WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO, AND IT'S A SERIOUS QUESTION, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO AS A DISTRICT TO SUSTAIN AND CREATE MORE LEADERS LIKE YOU ALL? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO MORE OF? I MEAN, BESIDES THAT, LIKE, I THINK WE SHOULD PUT PIZZA IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS, LIKE, COMPLETELY. I'M ABOUT THAT, TOO. I WILL TEAR DOWN THE ROOF OF PIZZA, TOO. GO FOR IT. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, I THINK ABOUT IT, AND, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW, I TRAVEL A BIT TO GET TO MY JOB EVERY DAY, BUT I DO IT BECAUSE I LOVE IT.

AND I THINK THAT HOW WE SUSTAIN THIS IS A UNIFIED VISION AND A UNIFIED MISSION. YOU KNOW, WE REALLY REITERATE THE THINGS THAT SUPERINTENDENT BROWN TALKS ABOUT ALL THE TIME, WHAT JENNY BATES TALKS TO US ABOUT ALL THE TIME. SO IT'S JUST KEEPING THAT AND SIMPLIFYING IT IN A WAY, TOO, TO NOT OVERCOMPLICATE IT, THAT WE'RE HERE TO GROW KIDS, AND WE'RE HERE TO GROW TEACHERS, AND WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU ALONG THE WAY. AND IF WE KEEP THAT IN THE FOREFRONT, IT'S GOING TO KEEP ME COMING BACK. AND SO, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD WHEN YOU HAVE SO MUCH PRESSURE WITH STATE TESTING.

BUT WHEN YOU CAN USE A PLATFORM

[02:45:02]

AND I TAKE THAT, WHETHER IT'S OUR CABINET TEAM, WHETHER IT'S OUR EXECUTIVE CENTRAL TEAM. OR IT'S OUR PRINCIPALS. I TAKE THAT SO SERIOUSLY. AND WHEN YOU HAVE 50 LEADERS, WE HAVE TO WORK TO DIFFERENTIATE THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND THEIR MENTORSHIP, JUST LIKE WE ASK THEM TO DO FOR TEACHERS. SO WE COME TOGETHER, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR OUR MONTHLY PRINCIPAL MEETING, AND WE'RE DELIVERING SOME DIDACTIC DIRECT INSTRUCTION. HERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT AS A WHOLE GROUP YOU ALL NEED, AND THEN HOW THEY WORK TO APPLY THAT AT THEIR CAMPUS. THAT'S WHEN THEY BEGIN TO WORK WITH THEIR AREA SUPERINTENDENT.

TO UNDERSTAND, IF I'M A BILINGUAL CAMPUS, LIKE AT LAKE HIGHLANDS ELEMENTARY, WHAT IMPLEMENTATION LOOKS LIKE. THERE IS SOME LEVEL OF DIFFERENTIATION, AND HOW EMILY HAS TO DO THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN MAYBE AT WHITE ROCK. AND SO CREATING THOSE TIGHT GUIDE RAILS. AND THEN ALSO THEN ALLOWING THAT FLEXIBILITY FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DOES THAT NEED TO LOOK LIKE AT THEIR CAMPUS.

BUT THEN ULTIMATELY... THERE'S ALSO A POINT WHEN WE KNOW THERE'S A PRINCIPAL WHO'S STRUGGLING WITH THOSE EXPECTATIONS. IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN, AGAIN, AS A PRINCIPAL LEADING THEIR BUILDING. WE PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW. WE PROVIDE EXTRA SCAFFOLDS OF SUPPORT. AND THEN ULTIMATELY, IT'S UP TO THAT INDIVIDUAL TO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS, TO MAKE THE GROWTH THAT THEY NEED TO. AND THEN IF THEY DON'T, THEN THAT'S A DIFFERENT, CRITICAL CONVERSATION. AND JUST LIKE TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM, WE'VE SEEN BOTH WORK. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE GET THE RIGHT FIT AND WE FOUND THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE RIGHT CAMPUS, AND THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE MISS. AND THAT WEIGHT OF WHEN WE GET THAT MISS, IT'S A WEIGHT. BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE 500 OR 01,000 OR 3,000 KIDS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY EVERY DECISION THAT WE MAKE.

SO THE MENTORSHIP AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE PRINCIPLES ARE EVERYTHING. I WILL ALSO SAY A BIG PART OF THAT IS ALSO US LISTENING.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE SCREW UP SOMETIMES, TOO, AND SOMETIMES WE MAKE A BAD DECISION. AND SO ALLOWING THEM THE AVENUE TO SAY, HEY, WE LIKE WHAT YOU DID HERE, BUT HERE'S MAYBE WHERE YOU HAD A MISS. AND US BEING WILLING TO SAY, YOU'RE RIGHT AND LET'S MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT. SO THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A VOICE IN THE PROCESS AS WELL IS KEY.

IT CAN NEVER BE A TOP-DOWN. IT HAS TO BE AS COLLABORATIVE BETWEEN US AS IT IS ALL THE WAY AROUND. YEAH. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, IT IS. IT TAKES ALL OF US TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THESE LITTLE PEOPLE, RIGHT, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE WONDERFUL FUTURES FOR.

SO WE'RE IN IT WITH YOU. AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU GUYS NEED, YOU HAVE AN AMAZING LEADER THAT IS TALKING TO US ABOUT THAT. JUST KEEP ADVOCATING AND ASKING FOR THE PIZZA PARTIES. THANK YOU, MS. MCGOWAN. NOT THE BERKSHIRE BUBBLE, BUT WE HAVE TWO POLL ON ITEMS AFTER THIS ONE. SO THIS ISN'T THE END OF THE NIGHT. SORRY ABOUT THAT. OTHER BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS? YES.

MS. RODRIGUEZ, GO AHEAD. YES, I CAN'T SAY IT BETTER THAN WHAT MS. MCGOWAN ALREADY DID. I DIDDLE, EVERYTHING THAT, SHE SAYS. ONE OF THE THINGS FOR ME THAT I HEARD, TOO, THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PASSION FOR ME, IS THAT PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT PART. GETTING THOSE PARENTS TO REALLY, REALLY BUY IN AND TO REALLY BE A PART OF THIS ENTIRE JOURNEY, RIGHT? SO EVERYTHING, I MEAN, THAT WE HEARD TODAY WAS JUST AMAZING AND IT'S SOMETHING TO DEFINITELY CELEBRATE. AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING, I HAVE ONE QUESTION ABOUT, LIKE, HOW DO YOU KEEP THE PARENTS ENGAGED? BECAUSE I'M THINKING. YEAR AFTER YEAR, ALL THESE YEARS THAT WE'VE DONE MAP, RIGHT, SO THEY ALREADY KIND OF KNOW IT AND THEY SEE IT. I MIGHT HAVE TWO OR THREE KIDS THAT I'M ALSO DOING MAP WITH. IT MIGHT GET A LITTLE MUNDANE, RIGHT, OR WE KIND OF KNOW MORE OR LESS. I WOULD JUST LOVE TO KNOW, LIKE, HOW DO YOU ENGAGE THOSE PARENTS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A VERY DIVERSE POPULATION? HOW DO YOU GET THEM ALL TO BUY IN, ALL TO STAY IN, AND TO CONTINUE? AND KIND OF HAVE THE ENTHUSIASM, LIKE MY FELLOW TRUSTEE, WHO'S ALSO A PARENT,

[02:50:01]

AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO HOW DO YOU BUILD AND HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN THAT PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND BUY-IN WITH ALL THE MAPS? SURE. I THINK IT GOES BACK TO THE CONVERSATIONS YOU'RE HAVING WITH THE STUDENTS AND MOTIVATING THE KIDS TO TALK ABOUT THEIR GOALS AT HOME.

CELEBRATING THOSE STUDENT SUCCESSES, I HAD A FOURTH GRADE BILINGUAL TEACHER THAT CELEBRATED EVERY SINGLE STUDENT IN HER CLASS, PRINTED OUT CERTIFICATES, AND HAD A MAP. GROWTH PARTY FOR THEM. SO THEY WERE COMING HOME SHOWING THEIR PARENTS, I GREW THIS MANY POINTS, OR I WAS CELEBRATED FOR THIS SUBJECT, AND I KNOW WHAT I NEED TO WORK ON. SO I THINK IT'S JUST A MATTER OF IGNITING THAT EXCITEMENT IN TEACHERS AND CELEBRATING TEACHERS GROWTH JUST AS MUCH AS STUDENTS. SO THAT THEY GO HOME AND THEY'RE EXCITED TO TALK TO NOT ONLY THEIR TEACHER, BUT THEIR PARENTS ABOUT IT AS WELL. THAT'S WONDERFUL. I MEAN, I THINK, AS WE ALL KNOW, YOU KNOW, ATTITUDE OF ANYTHING IS CONTAGIOUS, RIGHT? AND SO I JUST LOVE THAT.

I LOVE THAT IT JUST GOES, AND IT GOES FROM THE TEACHERS TO THE PARENTS. BUT AS MY COLLEAGUE ALSO JUST MENTIONED RIGHT NOW, MS. MCGOWAN, IT STARTS WITH LEADERSHIP. AND SO I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL AGAIN, TOO, FOR THE AMAZING WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. AND, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU, YEAH, FOR BEING THE ROLE MODELS TO EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE DISTRICT. SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MS. RENTERIA. YES, MS. PACHECO. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY. I'M SO EXCITED AND PROUD TO SEE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU MEET YOUR CAMPUSES IN SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WAY.

COLLABORATIVE, FULL CIRCLE, KIDS, YOU GUYS AS TEACHERS, FAMILY, PARENTS. IT'S JUST AMAZING. I LOVE THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY IN ADDITION TO THAT, BUT I WANT TO COMMEND OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL, JUNIOR HIGHS ALSO FOR KEEPING THE ATTENTION. FAN OF THOSE MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, PRETEENS, KEEPING THEM MOTIVATED AS WELL. I THINK THEY'RE SO DIFFERENT, RIGHT? ELEMENTARY AND, YOU KNOW, THE LITTLE UPPER GRADE, AND WOW. I MEAN, PIZZA PARTY DANCE IS GREAT, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S LIKE KEEPING THOSE KIDS MOTIVATED IN EVERY GRADE LEVEL. YOU KNOW, KEEPING OUR PARENTS ENGAGED, ALSO IN THE HIGHER GRADES, THAT'S AWESOME. I AM SO PROUD TO HEAR THAT. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT ELSE WE'RE DOING AND ACHIEVING. AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ALL YOUR FACES AGAIN IN OTHER WAYS AS WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. THANK YOU, MS. PACHECO. MR. EAGER.

WOW. I MEAN, LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE STORY.

ABOUT TWO, THREE YEARS AGO, THIS GROUP SAT IN A ROOM. AND THAT NORTH STAR GOAL, WE AGONIZED OVER EVERY WORD, LITERALLY EVERY WORD. AND IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT LONG, BUT I'M TELLING YOU, THIS GROUP AND OUR FEARLESS SUPERINTENDENT HERE. WE AGONIZED OVER EVERY WORD BECAUSE WE KNEW THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THIS.

NOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE RAMIFICATIONS OF MEET OR EXCEED GROWTH GOALS.

AND WHAT A MASSIVE SHIFT THAT WAS GOING TO CAUSE THAT YOU TOOK ON AND EXECUTED.

BUT WE KNEW THAT, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU. WE KNEW WHAT KIND OF RAMIFICATIONS IT WAS GOING TO CHANGE, BUT WE KNEW IF WE ALL TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY, STARTED TO CELEBRATE. THE KIDS THAT MAY BE STRUGGLING. AND THEY JUST NEED THAT LITTLE BIT OF CONFIDENCE, THAT LITTLE BIT OF, I GREW 10%, WE NEED TO CELEBRATE THAT. AND THE COMPOUNDING EFFECT OF TURNING AROUND THAT PERSON THAT MAY HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING. OR, ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU KNOW WHAT? SOMEBODY'S MAKING 90, THEY DESERVE GROWTH, TOO. THEY DESERVE, AND TO HAVE THAT STARTING TO WIRE IN, AND I'M GOING TO BORROW FROM MY TRUSTEE, POTEET, CULTURE. WHEN WE SAT UP HERE AND WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW HOW AND WHY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME TO RICHARDSON, YOU HAVE THE CULTURE AND THE IMPACT YOU'RE HAVING ON OUR KIDS.

EVERY KID NOW STARTS TO SEE THAT GROWTH IMPACT. AND WHEN WE, AS A TEAM, CAME UP WITH IT, WE REALIZED THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A BIG ASK, THAT MANY IN THE COMMUNITY WEREN'T PROBABLY GOING TO SEE IT FOR YEARS, AND WE KNEW THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A STRUGGLE AND A CHALLENGE. BECAUSE I'VE SAT IN FRONT OF SOME AUDIENCE AND THEY GO, HOW DO YOU HAVE A GROWTH GOAL FOR EVERY SINGLE STUDENT? HOW DO YOU IMPLEMENT THAT? AND WE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE HARD.

SO ALL I CAN SAY IS... THANK

[02:55:01]

AND I ALSO WANT TO REMEMBER, TOO, THAT MAKE SURE IT'S NOT JUST THE STUDENTS. YOU KNOW, WE MADE SURE THAT IT WAS ALSO GOING TO BE OUR TEACHERS AND LEADERS.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM CONTINUE TO DO IT, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU WIRE IT IN. YOU WIRE IT IN BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST OUR STUDENTS. IT'S THE GREAT LEADERS, AND I THINK THE COMBINATION OF NOT ONLY THIS, BUT A NUMBER OF THINGS, MAP SYSTEMS, MAKING SURE THAT WE COMPENSATE THE BEST TEACHERS IN OUR DISTRICT AND CONTINUE TO ATTRACT EVEN THE BEST AND KEEP THEM THERE. AND ANYHOW, I'LL TALK TO YOU FOR AN HOUR FOR YOU. AND I KNOW IT'S LATE, BUT AGAIN, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR STAYING UP HERE LATE. YOU KNOW, TAKE PRIDE IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING. YOU SHOULD BE PROUD. EXCELLENT. DO I GET TO SAY ANYTHING? OR WE WON'T CLAP AGAIN. WE'LL JUST, TO KIND OF WRAP THIS UP. UM, AND I KNOW MS. TIMMY HAD TO LEAVE AND I'M SURE SHE WOULD BE ECSTATIC OVER THIS. I KNOW MS. HARRIS ISN'T HERE.

COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT. SHE WOULD BE CHEERLEADING AND JUMPING ON HER SEAT. AND I JUST KNOW HOW THAT WOULD WORK. SO I'M SORRY THEY'RE NOT HERE, BUT, UM, I THINK YOU'RE KIND OF GETTING THE VIBE OF THE TEAM OF EIGHT IN THIS. A COUPLE OF WORDS THAT POPPED OUT AT ME. WHAT'S THAT EXERCISE WHERE YOU PUT TOGETHER A GRAPHIC WITH WORDS ALL OVER IT? YEAH, WORD CLOUD. SO SOME OF THE ONES THAT I HEARD WAS OWNERSHIP. WE HEARD THAT A LOT, AND I THINK THAT'S CRITICAL IN SO MANY THINGS. BUT TO TAKE A STUDENT, A YOUNG STUDENT, AND START DEVELOPING THAT UNDERSTANDING.

AND THE VALUE OF OWNERSHIP NOT ONLY IS GREAT, FROM A MATH AND A GROWTH PERSPECTIVE, BUT THAT WILL SERVE THEM WELL THE REST OF THEIR LIFE. PARTNERSHIP, THAT'S ANOTHER WORD IN THE WORD CLOUD. YOU KNOW, THIS PARTNERSHIP, MS. RENTERIA TALKED ABOUT THE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PARENTS. THAT'S A PARTNERSHIP, RIGHT? WE ALWAYS, THAT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE. I MEAN, WE'VE WORKED, YOU'VE WORKED ON THAT FOR MANY MORE YEARS THAN I HAVE, AND WE NEVER, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO GET TO PERFECT. IT'S ALWAYS A WORK IN PROGRESS, RIGHT? BUT IT'S SOMETHING WHEN Y'ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ENGAGE WITH THAT PARENT FROM THE SCHOOL SIDE. AND THE MOST DIRECT CONNECTION WE HAVE WITH THAT PARENT IS THROUGH THE STUDENT. SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DRAG A STUDENT IN TO GET THE PARENT. THEY'RE ALREADY CONNECTED. SO SOMEBODY MENTIONED THAT THAT WAS PART OF THE SUCCESS, WAS GETTING THE STUDENT EXCITED AND TAKING THAT INFORMATION HOME TO THE PARENT. SO IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT KIND OF THOUGHT ABOUT. ANOTHER WORD IN THE WORD CLOUD WAS COLLABORATION THAT Y'ALL HAD.

AND I MEAN, THE COLLABORATION YOU'VE GOT AMONGST YOURSELVES, THE COLLABORATION AMONGST THE TEACHERS. I HAD NEVER REALLY PUT MUCH THOUGHT INTO KIND OF THE VERTICAL INTEGRATION.

THAT YOU HAD WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT ELEMENTARY TO JUNIOR HIGH AND KEEPING THE MOMENTUM AND STUFF. I MEAN, THAT, AGAIN, SPEAKS TO THAT CULTURE. WE DON'T HAVE A JUNIOR, HIGH AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CULTURE, AND AN ELEMENTARY CULTURE, AND A HIGH SCHOOL CULTURE.

WE'VE GOT A CULTURE, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE VERTICALLY INTEGRATED AS WELL. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S HAPPENING, AND WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THE FRUITS OF THAT LABOR. AND THEN I'M TRYING TO SEE WHAT ELSE. I HAVE RELATIONSHIPS. SOMEBODY USED THE WORD RELATIONSHIP. I MEAN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S THE START AND THE END, RIGHT? IT'S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR TEACHERS, THE TEACHERS WITH THE STUDENTS, THE SCHOOL WITH THE PARENTS, ET CETERA.

AND RELATIONSHIPS AREN'T EASY.

AND SO BRAVO TO TAKING THAT, IDENTIFYING THAT, AND THEN TACKLING THAT.

BECAUSE IF WE CAN USE OUR CULTURE TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, WE'LL SEE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. AND THEN, FINALLY, TO DOVETAIL OFF YOU, THE CULTURE PIECE.

AND I REMEMBER BEING IN. THAT ROOM AND TALKING ABOUT THIS, AND AT THE TIME, I MEAN, EVERYTHING WAS SO, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS 21, I THINK, 20, SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE. AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO KIND OF, EVERYTHING WAS KIND OF HAPHAZARD, RIGHT? COMING OUT OF COVID AND EVERYTHING ELSE, TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY COULD FOCUS ON.

AND I KNOW THAT TERM FOCUS WAS USED A LOT, BUT EVERYBODY COULD FOCUS ON THAT WOULD TAKE US FORWARD.

AND I DON'T THINK I TOTALLY UNDERSTOOD. THE IMPACT THAT WE COULD HAVE FIVE YEARS LATER, TEN YEARS LATER, WHEN WE SAT THERE AND DEBATED EVERY WORD IN THERE, I WAS VERY FOCUSED ON THE GROWTH PIECE. BECAUSE I HATE, AS A PARENT WITH TWO KIDS IN THE SCHOOL, I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS SO MUCH OUTCOME-BASED, OUTCOME, OUTCOME, TEST SCORE, TEST SCORE, YOU KNOW, AND SO KIND OF CHANGING THAT TO THE GROWTH. AND LET'S FOCUS ON THE GROWTH AND WE'LL EVENTUALLY GET TO THE OUTCOMES. THAT WAS SUCH A BIG PIECE OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT I NEVER REALLY UNDERSTOOD.

[03:00:02]

IN FIVE YEARS, YOU ALL HAVE TO BE STANDING IN FRONT OF US AGAIN, CELEBRATING. FIVE YEARS. THAT'S RIGHT. THIS IS THE TIME TO COMMIT. WE'RE GOING TO SHAKE HANDS TOMORROW. I AM WRITING YOU A PASS FOR A LATE ARRIVAL IN THE MORNING. SO YOU CAN GO TO THE LATE ARRIVAL. AND TO INCENTIVIZE YOU TO STAY HERE ANOTHER FIVE YEARS, ALL THE PIZZA YOU CAN EAT ON US. MS. MCGILL WILL BUY YOUR PIZZA. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU. DR.

ORTIZ, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

IT'S GREAT NEWS. LET'S KEEP OUR FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR TO 70, RIGHT? 70. SO THAT'S RIGHT.

CRUISE CONTROL. THAT'S A GOOD ONE. OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN

[V.I. 26-27 Budget Discussion]

AND THE DEVELOPMENT, I'M TRYING HERE, Y'ALL. I'M TRYING TO MAKE THE SEGUE. THE NEXT STEP OF OUR 26-27 BUDGET? TONIGHT'S FOCUS REALLY IS AROUND KIND OF THAT BENCHMARK INFORMATION FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE IN COMPARISON TO THOSE AROUND US. SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. PATE. I ALSO THINK HE NEEDS TO DO IT IN THE SAME ENERGY LEVEL AS MS. MCGOWAN. SO, YES. I'M GOING TO DASH ALL OF YOUR HOPES.

JUST AS A REMINDER, I'M AN ACCOUNTANT. I'M NOT AN EDUCATOR. SO I WILL MAKE THIS AS EXCITING AS POSSIBLE, BUT I'M NOT AS ANIMATED. SO LET'S SEE HOW THIS GOES. AND SO, AFTER ALL OF THAT, I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO TOUCH THE SLIDE HERE ON THE NORTH STAR GOAL. WE'RE JUST GOING TO SKIP THAT OVER.

WE'VE COVERED THAT VERY WELL ALREADY THIS EVENING. SO REALLY, OUR TOPICS TONIGHT, AS MS. BRANHAM SAID, IT'S ABOUT OUR BENCHMARKING. I WANT TO JUST DO SOME KIND OF LEVEL SET AS WE START INTO THE REAL, GETTING INTO THE MEAT OF THE BUDGET PROCESS. WHERE ARE WE? WHO DO WE COMPARE TO? HOW DO WE COMPARE? I'VE GOT A FEW CLOSING THOUGHTS FOR YOU.

AND, AS ALWAYS, I'LL BE GLAD TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW, THERE'S TWO KINDS OF DEFICITS. STRUCTURAL DEFICITS WHEN OUR EXPENDITURES ARE INCREASING FASTER THAN OUR RECURRING EXPENDITURES, ARE INCREASING FASTER THAN OUR RECURRING REVENUES. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE FIND OURSELVES RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW, EXAMPLE OF 3% ANNUAL RAISE FOR PERSONNEL, STABLE FUNDING FOR STUDENT, DECLINING ENROLLMENT, THAT IS EXACTLY US. AS OPPOSED TO WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO IN THE PAST, BUILD UP FUND BALANCE, USE IT FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS. BUT STILL HAVE ADEQUATE AND RUN THAT DEFICIT, THAT CYCLICAL DEFICIT, ON PURPOSE FOR A SPECIFIC REASON. WE'VE ALL BEEN THROUGH THE CBSC, BUT I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU AND REMIND THOSE WATCHING TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS STILL GUIDING OUR PROCESS. THE WORK OF OUR COMMUNITY BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE, ALL THE HOURS THAT THEY COMMITTED.

THIS CABINET TEAM PUT IN TO HELP US GET TO THIS PLACE, THE BOARD SUPPORT, THIS IS STILL GUIDING US. AND WE'RE STILL USING THIS WORK.

IN FACT, I'M PRESENTING NEXT WEEK AT TASBO AND TALKING ABOUT THIS VERY SLIDE IN THAT PRESENTATION I'M MAKING. SO STARTING WITH SOME OF OUR KIND OF BENCHMARKING DATA, AND THIS IS JUST BENCHMARKING OURSELVES, THIS IS LOOKING AT... TOTAL STAFF FTES SINCE BASE YEAR OF 2019, SO RIGHT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, AND THEN TOTAL ENROLLMENT. AND YOU CAN SEE, WE WERE AT ALMOST 39,000 STUDENTS AND ABOUT ALMOST 5,200 TOTAL STAFF FTES. THIS IS ACROSS ALL FUNDS. THE BLUE LINE AT THE TOP IS THE CHANGE IN STAFF FTES. AS COMPARED BACK TO THAT 2019 BASE YEAR. AND SO RIGHT NOW, IN 2025, FOR FISCAL 25, WE'RE SITTING AT ABOUT FOUR AND A QUARTER PERCENT ABOVE WHERE WE WERE IN 2019. ON STAFF FTES. AND

[03:05:04]

AND WE'RE AT ABOUT FIVE PERCENT BELOW ON STUDENT ENROLLMENT WHERE WE WERE IN 2019. SO, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF KEY TAKEAWAYS.

HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE MAYBE SOME STABILIZATION IN OUR ENROLLMENT. REMINDER, THIS IS STAFF FUNDING FROM ALL SOURCES, BUT WE ARE RIGHT-SIZING OUR STAFF. THE STAFF NUMBER IS GETTING HEADING BACK TOWARDS, AND HAS BEEN HEADING BACK TOWARDS SINCE, YOU KNOW, THAT BASE YEAR, SINCE 2022. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT SINCE REALLY THAT 2021-2022, 1-22, THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT INCREASES BOTH IN SERVING OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION POPULATION, NOT JUST LOCAL BUT STATEWIDE. BUT THEN, SECOND, THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS SUCH AS SAFETY AND SECURITY OFFICERS. THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STAFFING AND THE FTES, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS NOW 55 FTES THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE NOW, THAT WE DID NOT HAVE TO HAVE IN 2019-2020. THANK YOU, MS. BRANHAM. I FORGOT TO INCLUDE THAT. THE NEXT SLIDE HERE IS JUST OUR TEACHER FTES, SAME PRESENTATION METRIC, BUT ISOLATED TO JUST, EXCUSE ME, TEACHERS AND TEACHERS.

FROM ALL FUNDING SOURCES. AND WE'LL LOOK AT A FEW MINUTES, A FEW SLIDES LATER, WE'LL LOOK AT SOME INFORMATION ON GRANT FUNDING AND SEE HOW THAT IS ALSO PLAYING INTO THIS. ALSO, FISCAL YEAR 25 WAS THE FIRST YEAR OF PROJECT RIGHT SIZE. SO OUR GENERAL FUND COST STRUCTURE, JUST WANT TO GO INTO A FEW THINGS WITH YOU ON THIS. SO THIS IS 2022, FISCAL YEAR IS 2022 THROUGH 2025. AND JUST LOOKING AT PAYROLL AND CONTRACTED SUBS, YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR INCREASE SINCE 2022 IS ABOUT 12.5%. SO WE'VE BEEN AVERAGING PRETTY CLOSE TO THAT 3% RAISE A YEAR THAT OUR BOARD ALWAYS HAS TRIED TO TARGET. WHEN WE'RE IN THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, BUT OUR PAYROLL AND CONTRACTED SUBS FOR 2025, THAT'S 89% OF OUR BUDGET. EIGHTY-NINE PERCENT OF OUR EXPENDITURES ARE TIED UP IN PEOPLE. THAT NEXT GROUP THERE IN GRAY, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE REALLY HAVE VERY LITTLE CONTROL OVER. THE UTILITIES, PROPERTY AND LIABILITY INSURANCE, RECAPTURE PAYMENTS, WHAT WE HAVE TO PAY, THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, PAYING. PAYING FOR ELECTIONS, EXTERNAL AUDIT, FUELING OUR BUSES, WE JUST, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ROOM TO MOVE THE NEEDLE WITH THOSE. THOSE TOTAL ABOUT 5%. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE HAD SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE HAVE GROWN A LOT, LIKE RECAPTURE AND PROPERTY AND LIABILITY INSURANCE AND FUEL FOR BUSES. WHILE THAT'S A REALLY BIG 22% DECLINE, THAT'S JUST NOT MUCH MONEY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE. AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE, WHICH IS REALLY PRIMARILY SUPPLIES, TRAVEL, SOME OTHER CONTRACTED SERVICES OUTSIDE OF CONTRACTED SUBS, THAT'S 6% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET OR TOTAL EXPENDITURES. AND IT'S BEEN RELATIVELY FLAT SINCE 2022.

SO, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF THE LEVEL SET THERE IS, PEOPLE IS THE BIGGEST PART.

AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ROOM ANYWHERE ELSE. WHEN WE LOOK AT ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT THAT PAYROLL AND OUR CONTRACTED SUBS IS WHAT SHARE OF OUR REVENUE ARE THEY UTILIZING? AND YOU CAN SEE, AGAIN, SAME TIME PERIOD WE'RE COVERING.

THAT HAS MOVED FROM 88.5% ALMOST UP TO 92.5% OF OUR PAYROLL IS NOW 92.5% OF OUR REVENUE. SO IT'S CONSUMING A LARGER CHUNK OF OUR REVENUE, ESPECIALLY AS WE SEE LITTLE TO NO CHANGE IN OUR BASIC ALLOTMENT AND OUR DECLINING ENROLLMENT, AND JUST REINFORCES THE IMPORTANCE OF TRYING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON BOTH ENROLLMENT AND ATTENDANCE. SO MOVING INTO THE BENCHMARKING, OUR BOARD POLICY, CA LOCAL.

I'LL JUST REMIND YOU THAT THAT DOES REQUIRE US TO CONDUCT AN ANNUAL ANALYSIS.

PEER DISTRICT COMPARED TO FINANCIAL INFORMATION. AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, HELPS US DETERMINE IF WE'RE BEING EFFICIENT, HELPS US DETERMINE IF OUR STRATEGIES ARE HAVING THE DESIRED EFFECT, DEMONSTRATES SOUND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. SO JUST TAKE A, I DON'T HAVE A TON OF THESE,

[03:10:02]

MOST OF THESE, IF NOT ALL, ARE FTES FROM ALL FUNDS. SO THAT'S GENERAL FUND, OUR GRANT FUNDS, CHILD NUTRITION. I WISH THAT I COULD GET THIS DATA BROKEN OUT BY GENERAL FUND ONLY. I'VE TALKED TO THE PROVIDER OF THIS BENCHMARKING DATA, BUT I JUST HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE WITH THEM.

TO GET THIS BROKEN OUT THE WAY THAT I WOULD LIKE.

BECAUSE FISCAL YEAR 2025 JUST ENDED. AS FAR AS THE PEMS DATA SUBMISSION, I DON'T HAVE ACTUAL EXPENDITURE DATA. AND EVEN SOME STAFFING DATA FOR ALL THE PEER DISTRICTS AVAILABLE IN THE DATA TOOL THAT I USE.

AND THEN WHERE I COULD, I DROPPED IN. 2026 DATA FOR RICHARDSON ISD. AND THEN, AGAIN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT PROJECT RIGHT SIZE. WE DIDN'T DO ANY LAYOFFS. WE'VE ELIMINATING POSITIONS AS VACANCIES HAVE HAS OCCURRED, AND YOU KNOW, WE HAD ONE MORE CAMPUS THAT WAS CONSOLIDATED.

SO IT'S NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF PROJECT RIGHT SIZE BEING IMPLEMENTED THERE AS WE LOOK AT THESE BENCHMARKS. OUR PEER DISTRICTS. JUST A QUICK REMINDER. WE RUN TWO SETS, BUT I DO CONSOLIDATE THE PRESENTATION FOR YOU, BUT I'M USING OUR STATEWIDE PEERS THAT ARE MOST LIKE US THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

SPRING BRANCH ON THAT LIST.

THEY ARE THE CLOSEST TO US AS FAR AS STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS OF ALL OF THESE. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE NEED TO LOOK AT OUR NORTH TEXAS PEERS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHO WE'RE COMPETING WITH. FOR STAFF, FOR FAMILIES, YOU KNOW. AND THEY'RE OPERATING IN THE SAME ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT THAT MR. HUDSON DESCRIBED EARLIER TO US. WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS SLIDE A LOT, BUT I'D JUST LIKE TO KIND OF CONTINUE THIS. THE DARK BAR THAT'S RUNNING HORIZONTALLY ACROSS THE SLIDE, THAT'S AT THE LOWER END OF OUR TIER 5. THOSE ARE OUR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS LIVING IN THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF POVERTY. AND THEN THE RED LINE GOING ACROSS HORIZONTALLY, KIND OF THERE IN THE MIDDLE, THAT IS MARKING THE TOP END OF OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED.

THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS, THIS ALL REPRESENTS PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS. AND JUST WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT TO YOU, SO WE'VE GOT, IT'S RICHARDSON ISD, AND THEN TO THE RIGHT OF US, OVER TO SPRING BRANCH ISD. WE'RE ABOUT THE SAME PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN TIER 5. AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE FOURTH FROM THE RIGHT TO DALLAS ISD.

TO FIND ANOTHER DISTRICT THAT HAS CLOSE TO THE SAME. OR MORE STUDENTS LIVING IN THAT HIGHEST, ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS LIVING IN THAT HIGHEST LEVEL OF POVERTY. TO RICHARDSON ISD.

THEN WHEN WE START LOOKING AT OUR NON-ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS, THERE'S A FEW OF THOSE, BUT LOOK AT A COUPLE OF THEM.

YOU KNOW, WITH ME, LOOK AT ALVIN ISD, SECOND FROM THE RIGHT, EXCUSE ME, SECOND FROM THE LEFT, AND THEIR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED BREAKDOWN DOES NOT LOOK ANYTHING LIKE OURS. DENTON ISD, THE SAME. LOOK HOW FEW THEY HAVE IN THE TIER 5, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT AS YOU LOOK ACROSS. I WON'T READ ALL OF THOSE TO YOU, BUT WE OPERATE AT THE EXTREMES. AND THAT CREATES A WHOLE INTERESTING SET OF CHALLENGES FOR OUR PRINCIPALS, FOR OUR TEACHERS, SERVING OUR STUDENTS. SO AS WE LOOK AT OUR ENROLLED STUDENTS PER TEACHER FTE, THINK ABOUT THIS KIND OF AS A SPAN OF CONTROL. AND SO RICHARDSON ISD IS THE YELLOW LINE, AND YOU CAN SEE US DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, PROBABLY AROUND, YOU KNOW, 13.8, JUST RIGHT UNDER 14 STUDENTS PER TEACHER FTE. NOW, THIS IS ALL TEACHERS ACROSS ALL FUNDS. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE OPERATING CLASSROOM, THAT OUR CLASSROOMS ONLY HAVE 13 STUDENTS IN THEM ACROSS THE DISTRICT, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SERVE OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS.

AND A LOT OF, AND THOSE CLASSES ARE VERY OFTEN TWO, THREE, FOUR, MAYBE FIVE STUDENTS IN A CLASSROOM. AND SO, AND AS MS. BRANDON MENTIONED EARLIER, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY, OUR ENROLLMENT DECLINES ARE NOT OCCURRING AT A SINGLE CAMPUS OR

[03:15:01]

AND AGAIN SIMILAR SITUATION.

THE ONE THING THAT I FAILED TO POINT OUT ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, AND I'LL JUST BRING IT UP HERE.

THE ONLY LINE ON HERE THAT IS A SINGLE DISTRICT IS THE RICHARDSON LINE. ALL OF THESE NUMBERS ARE A COMBINATION OF THE OTHERS. SO IT'S THE MAXIMUM IN ANY ONE YEAR ACROSS ALL OF THOSE 20-SOMETHING DISTRICTS. IT'S THE MINIMUM. AND THAT MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM DISTRICT CAN CHANGE FROM YEAR TO YEAR. IT IS JUST THE MAXIMUM NUMBERS IN THAT.

FOR STUDENTS PER CAMPUS, FTE AND THE GENERAL FUND, THIS IS THE ONES THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A... I COULDN'T GET 2026 DATA FOR US BECAUSE I DON'T GET ALL OF THE BREAKOUT THAT I WANT FROM THE DATA SOURCE ON THAT TO BRING OUR CALCULATION IN.

BUT AGAIN, THIS ONE, AT LEAST, IS GENERAL FUND ONLY DATA, AND IT CONTINUES TO BE.

SAME THING WE'RE SEEING ON THE OTHER SLIDES, OUR SMALL CAMPUS SIZES IS CONTRIBUTING TO OUR LOW STUDENT TO CAMPUS STAFF RATIO. EXCUSE ME, GENERAL FUND, YEAH, GENERAL FUND FUNDED CAMPUS STAFF RATIO.

LOOKING AT OUR EXPENDITURE, GENERAL FUND, CAMPUS EXPENDITURES AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL EXPENDITURES, WE SPEND A LOT AT THE CAMPUS LEVEL. A LOT OF THAT, AGAIN, HAS TO DO WITH THAT SMALL CAMPUS SIZE AND OUR STAFFING AT THOSE CAMPUSES, BUT WE ARE CONTINUING TO FOCUS OUR RESOURCES AT THE CAMPUS LEVEL TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS. AND OUR CENTRAL EXPENDITURES, AS A PERCENT OF OUR TOTAL EXPENDITURES, WE ARE AT THE BOTTOM. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP DURING THE COMMUNITY BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE. THEY CHARGED US WITH STAYING IN THE BOTTOM QUARTILE. WE ARE IN THE BOTTOM QUARTILE.

IN FACT, WE'RE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BOTTOM QUARTILE.

BUT WE'RE STAYING THERE. WE'RE MAKING AN EFFORT TO STAY THERE, TAKE THAT CHARGE OF KEEPING THE EXPENDITURES.

AT THE CAMPUS LEVEL. WE LOOKED AT THIS A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, BUT, YOU KNOW, COMPARING US TO OUR PEERS, OUR GENERAL FUND PAYROLL. THIS ONE, IT'S ALL CONTRACTED SERVICES.

FOR THE OTHERS, I CAN BREAK IT OUT WHEN IT'S US ALONE, JUST OUR PAYMENTS FOR CONTRACTED SUBS. THERE'S NOT A TEA ACCOUNT CODE JUST FOR CONTRACTED SUBS, SO I HAVE TO PULL. ALL CONTRACTED, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR TOGETHER, BUT WE'RE SPENDING, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 92% THERE, AS YOU CAN SEE, AND WE GENERALLY ARE THE MAXIMUM FOR THE PERCENT OF OUR EXPENDITURES. AND THE GENERAL FUND FOR PAYROLL AND CONTRACTED SERVICES. SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT DISTRICTS WILL OUTSOURCE ARE TRANSPORTATION, IN ADDITION TO THE SUBSTITUTES THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY OUTSOURCING. OUR TRANSPORTATION'S IN-HOUSE. WE BROUGHT IT BACK IN-HOUSE ABOUT 2018, WHEN THE DALLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS THING HAPPENED.

CUSTODIAL AND CHILD NUTRITION ARE OFTEN ALSO DEPARTMENTS THAT OTHER DISTRICTS WILL OUTSOURCE, WHICH ALSO HAVE A HIGH NUMBER OF FTES. SO AGAIN, THAT'S WHY THIS ONE IS REALLY HARD TO BENCHMARK, BECAUSE SO MANY DISTRICTS WILL OUTSOURCE THOSE VERSUS WE DO ALL OF THAT IN-HOUSE. AND CHILD NUTRITION GENERALLY IS NOT.

IN THE GENERAL FUND, BUT I DID FAIL TO PUT SUBSTITUTE, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, CUSTODIAL ON HERE.

THERE'S, I THINK, LITERALLY A HANDFUL OF DISTRICTS IN THE STATE THAT RUN THEIR CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM THROUGH THEIR GENERAL FUND, SO, AND NONE OF THESE DISTRICTS WE'RE COMPARING TO DO THAT.

AND THEN THIS SLIDE, AND YOU'RE, I KNOW YOU'RE ASKING YOURSELF, WHY ON EARTH IS, ARE WE LOOKING AT JUST OVERTIME? I JUST WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT. WE'RE, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD IS AWARE, THE PEOPLE WATCHING THIS ARE AWARE, WE ARE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING. WE ARE DIVING INTO THE DETAILS AND LOOKING AT OUR EXPENDITURES. YOU CAN SEE IT'S A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL EXPENDITURES, A LITTLE OVER 1.5%. BUT WE'VE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OUR OVERTIME EXPENDITURES OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.

AND MS. BRANHAM HAS CHARGED US WITH DISTRIBUTED INFORMATION

[03:20:01]

AND THEN JUST A COUPLE, THIS IS MOVING OUT OF THE BENCHMARKS, BUT JUST LAYING SOME GROUNDWORK FOR FUTURE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS.

THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION FOR A RAISE AT ALL. IT IS JUST SO YOU'LL HAVE THE DATA AS WE MOVE FORWARD, BUT EACH 1% RAISE IS $3.6 MILLION. SO THAT KIND OF 3% NUMBER THAT WE HAVE TARGETED HISTORICALLY IS A $10.8 MILLION COST. AGAIN, NOT A RECOMMENDATION. THIS ALSO WAS CALCULATED AS... 3% ON WHAT ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE MAKING, NOT A 3% OF MIDPOINT RAISE, WHICH DOES CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH COMPRESSION.

BUT JUST EVERYBODY, THIS ASSUMES EVERY EMPLOYEE HAD A 3% INCREASE. AGAIN, NOT THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATION. JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT FOR EVERYONE. WANTED TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT AT OUR FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING.

HISTORICALLY, BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT LATELY. AND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR GRANT FUNDING, YOU CAN SEE IDEA-B, WHICH IS OUR BIG SPECIAL EDUCATION GRANT. THAT HAS BEEN DECLINING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, EVEN THOUGH OUR SPECIAL ED POPULATION IS INCREASING. SO WE HAVE TO SPEND MORE. WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES TO THEM. WE DO EXPECT TO GET IDEA-B FUNDING FOR 26-27. WE JUST... DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO EXPECT. IS IT GOING TO GO BACK UP? IS IT GOING TO GO DOWN? IS IT GOING TO BE LEVEL? WE DON'T KNOW. WE HAVE GRANTS, FEDERAL GRANTS, THAT ARE SOMETIMES JUST ONE TIME. OUR INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP GRANT, WE'RE, AGAIN, NOT EXPECTING THAT. PERKINS, THAT GOES TO OUR CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION PROGRAMS, RUNNING ABOUT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.

OR JUST A HAIR UNDER. WE EXPECT THAT TO CONTINUE, BUT AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW. EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH IT. THE PRINCIPAL RESIDENCY, STRONGER CONNECTIONS, THOSE HAVE ENDED. WE DON'T EXPECT TO SEE THOSE SURFACE AGAIN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

AND THEN WE EXPECT EDUCATION FOR THE HOMELESS FUNDS TO CONTINUE, BUT WE JUST DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IS GOING TO BE THERE. IF YOU CAN GO BACK JUST A LITTLE BIT, I THINK IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TO NOTE. WITH THESE GRANTS, SO, FOR EXAMPLE, INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP, PRINCIPAL RESIDENCY, EVEN THOSE ARE ENDING. THOSE ARE NOT PERSONNEL THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MOVING INTO THE GENERAL OPERATING BUDGET. THESE WERE GRANTS THAT WE USED TO ENRICH, TO SUPPLEMENT CURRENT PROGRAMMING, BECAUSE THEY WERE GRANT FUNDED.

BUT ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO'S IN THESE GRANTS KNOWS AND IS AWARE THAT AS THE GRANT FUNDING ENDS, THAT THERE WILL BE A NEW OPPORTUNITY, A NEW POSITION FOR THEM. ON THE CONTRARY, IF YOU LOOK AT IDEA B, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT $8.6 MILLION DOWN TO $7.1 MILLION, ALSO, KEEP IN MIND THAT WHEN THE BOARD GRACIOUSLY DID PROVIDE AN INCREASE IN COMPENSATION, SO THAT PUSHED MORE PEOPLE OUT OF THE GRANT. WE RECEIVED LESS FUNDS FOR THE GRANT. SO THOSE PERSONNEL UNITS, WE CANNOT NOT SERVE SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS. SO THEN WE HAD TO ALLOCATE AND MOVE THOSE POSITIONS FROM THIS FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING INTO THE M&O. SO, AGAIN, WHEN YOU SEE THOSE INCREASES IN THE GENERAL FUND AND WHEN YOU SEE THOSE INCREASES IN THE FTES, PART OF THAT IS EVEN COMING FROM WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE WITH IDEA-B. AND THANK YOU, MS. BRANHAM. AND I JUST WANT TO REEMPHASIZE SOMETHING YOU SAID, BECAUSE IT IS IN FEDERAL LAW.

BECAUSE WE RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDS, THE RULES AROUND FEDERAL FUNDS, WE HAVE TO TREAT THE SAME CATEGORIES OF EMPLOYEES THE SAME, REGARDLESS OF THE FUNDING SOURCE. SO A TEACHER PAID IN THE GENERAL FUND AND A TEACHER PAID IN OUT OF IDFB FUNDS HAVE TO BE PAID SIMILARLY FOR THAT WORK. SO IF YOU GIVE A RAISE IN THE GENERAL FUND, YOU'RE GIVING A RAISE TO THE GRANT-FUNDED TEACHERS.

AND AS MS. BRANHAM SAID, AS THE GRANT FUNDS DECLINE AND THE SALARIES GO UP, THERE'S ROOM FOR LESS PERSONNEL IN THOSE GRANT FUNDS. TITLE I FOCUSED SUPPORT, THAT HAS ENDED. IT WAS A VERY

[03:25:01]

WE'LL CONTINUE TO FOCUS OUR EXPENDITURES ON THE CLASSROOM. THAT GUIDANCE FROM YOU AS THE BOARD HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR. WE DO HAVE THOSE COSTS THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES IN, BUT WE JUST CAN'T, DON'T HAVE REALLY ANY ABILITY TO REDUCE THOSE. AND WE WILL CONTINUE AND ARE CONTINUING TO WORK TO RIGHT SIZE OUR BUDGET WHILE PROVIDING THAT STABILITY FOR OUR STUDENTS, FOR OUR STAFF, MAKING SURE THAT... STUDENTS HAVE A CLASSROOM, EXCUSE ME, A TEACHER IN THAT CLASSROOM TO GO TO. AND I WOULD JUST ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, THE GRANT FUNDS AREN'T THERE.

TO SAVE THE GENERAL FUND AND THE CHALLENGES IN THE GENERAL FUND ARE NOT THERE TO SAVE THE GRANT FUNDS EITHER.

SO WE HAVE TO WORK WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS OF BOTH OF THOSE SETS OF FUNDING.

THERE'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THE FEDS ARE REDUCING THE FUNDING TO US, THE STATES CONTROLLING THE FUNDING, AND WE'RE JUST DOING THE BEST WE CAN IN THIS SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. SO... ONE THING TO POINT OUT HERE ON THE BUDGET CALENDAR, WE HAVE FEBRUARY 26TH AS THE ONE WE'RE RECEIVING THE UPDATE FROM DCAD. THAT HAS NOW BEEN SET. THAT'S NO LONGER TENTATIVE. I'LL BE MEETING WITH THEM ON MARCH 3RD, AND I WILL GET THIS BUDGET CALENDAR UPDATED FOR THAT. AND THANK YOU. I KNOW THAT I WAS NOT AS EXCITING OR ENGAGING AS THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, AND I WISHED YOU WOULD NOT MAKE ME GO AFTER. A GROUP LIKE THAT, BUT THAT IS MY ROLE IN THE DISTRICT, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. PATE, FOR THAT PRESENTATION, I THINK. THAT'S RIGHT. GREAT JOB. VERY EXCITING. IT'S AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM, SO I'LL OPEN IT UP. ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? OKAY.

EVERYBODY GOT WHAT THEY NEEDED.

OKAY. OH, MS. PACHECO, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE DETAILS. I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY TO, YOU KNOW, DISINTEGRATE THE INFORMATION, PUT IT ON A CHART, EXPLAIN IT TO ALL OF US. IT'S JUST EASY TO, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND NUGGETS. SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT. AND I KNOW WE WEREN'T, LIKE, CHEERING OR ANYTHING, BUT WE STILL NEED THIS INFO.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT PROVIDES US WITH A PROCESS AND WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE CHOICES AND DECISIONS FOR OUR DISTRICT. SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I WILL BE A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT ALL OF THIS IF YOU START CHEERING IN MY PRESENTATIONS.

ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? YES, MR. ENSCHEDE. I WOULD SAY THAT THERE WILL BE CHEERING, BUT STILL SENDING A LOT OF LOVE, AGAIN, WITH WHAT? MS. PACHECO SAID. JUST THANK YOU, MR. PATE. YOU'RE AWESOME.

[V.J. Discuss Revisions and Additions to Board Policies: •BE (LOCAL) - Board Meetings •BED (LOCAL) - Board Meetings: Public Participation •FEF (LOCAL) - Attendance: Released Time]

OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN INFORMATION. THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GETTING REALLY EXCITED HERE NOW. TALK POLICY.

INFORMATION ITEM TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS REVISIONS AND ADDITIONS TO LOCAL BOARD POLICIES, B.E., B.E.D., AND F.E.F. MS. BRANDON. SOME OF US ARE READY TO GO TO BED, BUT WE ARE GOING TO PLUG THROUGH. I KNOW, RIGHT? THAT WAS GOOD, RIGHT? AT 9.48 A.M., I'M STILL WITH IT. I WANT TO THANK OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES WHO SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE TO HELP US REVIEW THE POLICIES AND BRING FORWARD THE CHANGES OR BRING FORWARD NEW POLICIES AS NEEDED, AND ESPECIALLY, A BIG SHOUT-OUT TO MS. MCGOWAN, WHO LEADS THIS PROCESS. AND SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO HER FOR A FIRST INITIAL READ ON POLICIES. THANK YOU. HELLO AGAIN. AND YES,

[03:30:01]

THE GREAT NEWS IS, AS I DESCRIBE WHAT THE CHANGES ARE, YOU WILL SEE. THESE ARE THINGS THAT IN THE DISTRICT WE'VE ALREADY, IN PRACTICE, TAKEN CARE OF.

WE'RE JUST MAKING SURE THAT OUR POLICIES ARE UPDATED. UNDER SENATE BILL 12, WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A POLICY THAT IS IN LINE WITH THE TO HOLD THESE BOARD MEETINGS OUTSIDE OF TYPICAL WORK HOURS. AND SO THE LANGUAGE IN THERE REFLECTS THAT CHANGE AT THE TOP. WE ALSO HAVE TO POST OUR AGENDAS FOR THREE BUSINESS DAYS. IT USED TO BE 72 HOURS, SO THAT IS THE CHANGE. AND THAT CHANGE IS REFLECTED UNDER THE NOTICE TO MEMBERS.

WE ALSO HAVE, AND THAT'S A CHANGE FROM HOUSE BILL 1522. SENATE BILL 413 REQUIRES ALSO ALLOWING ROLL CALL VOTING. AND IF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND THOSE WHO ARE IN THE ROOM NOTICED? WHEN YOU ALL HAVE VOTED, YOU DID ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S OUTLINED IN THERE BY RAISING YOUR HAND TO SHOW YOUR VOTE. AND SO IT'S JUST REFLECTING THOSE OPTIONS.

THERE IS LANGUAGE RELATED TO MINUTES RETENTION THAT IS DELETED, AND THAT IS BECAUSE RETENTION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL OF OUR DOCUMENTS, SO THERE'S NO NEED TO CALL IT OUT IN PARTICULAR HERE, BUT THERE IS A REFERENCE TO OUR POLICY THAT DEALS WITH RECORDS RETENTION. AND THAT'S ALL FOR BE. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, NOW WE'LL GO TO BED, BUT NOT IN HERE. NO. SO IF YOU'RE A FAN OF GOLDEN GIRLS, IT'S BLANCHE ELIZABETH DEVEREAUX THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT BOARDMEETINGS, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. I'M TRYING TO GET SOME ENERGY STILL GOING THESE LAST FEW MINUTES.

AND SO, AGAIN, THIS IS LANGUAGE THAT IS REQUIRED. FROM SENATE BILL 12, AND IT IS RELATED TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE REQUIRED NOW TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS OCCUR AT THE BEGINNING OF BOARD MEETINGS. SO AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS BOARD. THIS IS NOT A CHANGE IN YOUR PRACTICE AT ALL. AND THE REVISION ALSO JUST ADDRESSES THE PROCEDURES FOR FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, LIMITATIONS ON AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION.

BUT AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THIS BOARD ALREADY DOES. SO, ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. FEF, FRANK ELIZABETH FELICIA, ATTENDANCE, RELEASE TIME. I KNOW THAT ONE WASN'T AS GOOD, SORRY. SENATE BILL 1049. SO THIS IS A NEW POLICY TO ADDRESS. SENATE BILL 1049 REQUIREMENTS, AND IT'S TO ALLOW FOR EXCUSED ABSENCES FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ATTENDING A RELEASED TIME COURSE. RELEASED TIME COURSE IS DEFINED AS A COURSE IN RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION OFFERED BY A PRIVATE ENTITY.

THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU SEE IN OUR POLICY IS WHAT SPECIFICALLY REQUIRED BY STATUTE. AND THAT INCLUDES THAT WE HAVE TO ALLOW. STUDENTS TO MISS AT LEAST ONE, BUT NOT MORE THAN FIVE HOURS PER WEEK, HAVE WRITTEN PARENTAL CONSENT TO ATTEND THAT COURSE. THE PRIVATE ENTITY THAT'S OFFERING A COURSE HAS TO MAINTAIN ATTENDANCE RECORDS AND PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO THE DISTRICT. THE STUDENT IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MISSED COURSEWORK. AND WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION.

AND THE PRIVATE ENTITY IS GOING TO BE LIABLE FOR THAT STUDENT WHILE THE STUDENT IS UNDER THEIR CARE. AND ALSO, THERE'S NO EXPENDITURE OF DISTRICT FUNDS FOR ANY OF THIS. MY BUDDY HERE, DR.

[03:35:02]

BUT ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO THIS PARTICULAR POLICY? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, MS. MCGOWAN. WE APPRECIATE THAT. AND WE'LL SEE THOSE AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING FOR ACTION ITEM, RIGHT? SO, GOOD. OKAY. WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE PUBLIC. CAN I MAKE ONE MOMENT OF PRIVILEGE? SO I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE JUST A MOMENT AS WE CLOSE OUT THE MEETING. WE HAVE A NEW MEMBER THAT IS JOINING US AT THE HORSESHOE. ROBIN IS STILL IN THE BACK. GIVE IT UP FOR ROBIN. WOO-HOO. SO WE'RE GOING TO FORMALLY INTRODUCE JENNY TO ROBIN. I KNOW THERE'S LOTS OF PEOPLE LISTENING ONLINE, SO I'M SO PROUD TO ANNOUNCE JENNY BATES AS OUR NEW ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT. SO CONGRATULATIONS, JENNY BATES.

THOUGH SHE ALREADY GOT FIRED TONIGHT BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T GET THE BALLOON DOWN. THE NIGHT'S

[VI. CLOSED MEETING]

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION 551.071, CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY, AND SECTION

[VII. RECONVENE]

THANK YOU. GREAT JOB. THE BOARD IS RETURNING TO OPEN SESSION AT 1129 P.M. I HAVEN'T TAKEN NO ACTION WHILE IN CLOSED SESSION. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 11:29 P.M.

ON THE 19TH OF FEBRUARY, 2026.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.