Sep 17, 2026 Regular Board Meetings

[I. CALL TO ORDER]

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GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER MEETING OF THE RICHARDSON ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES. I AM CHRIS POTEET, BOARD PRESIDENT.

TRUSTEE PACHECO WILL NOT BE JOINING US TONIGHT. HOWEVER, WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT, AND THIS MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER AT 6:04 P.M.

BEFORE WE START, UH, WITH OUR PLEDGE, I JUST WANTED TO ALSO WELCOME, WE HAD A COUPLE OF BOY SCOUT REPRESENTATIVES FROM A COUPLE OF BOY SCOUT TROOPS HERE WITH US THIS EVENING, TROOP 728 AND 444, WORKING ON THEIR CITIZENSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY MERIT BADGE, AND HAD THE PLEASURE OF TALKING WITH THEM BEFORE THE MEETING. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. OKAY.

WITH THAT, UH, DR. HELLER, HELLER, WILL YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE OUR GUEST TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGES OF ALLEGIANCE THIS EVENING? YES, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT POTEET. THIS EVENING, I AM SO EXCITED TO INTRODUCE TO YOU, WE HAVE 3 5TH-GRADE LEADERS, UM, STUDENTS FROM NORTHLAKE ELEMENTARY. THEY ARE PART OF THE MORNING ANNOUNCEMENT CLUB AND DO THE PLEDGES AND SUCH FOR THEIR MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS. THEY WERE HANDPICKED BY THEIR TEACHERS, UM, TO DO THIS THIS EVENING BECAUSE THEY DEMONSTRATE WILDCAT PRIDE AND GOOD CHARACTER DAILY. SO AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE BRYSON BURRIS, ABIGAIL CATALAN, AND IAN HENDERS. IF YOU COULD PLEASE COME FORWARD FOR OUR PLEDGES.

PLEASE STAND FOR THE U.S.

PLEDGE.

I PLEDGE I PLEDGE TO 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 FLAG.

HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE, TEXAS, ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.

GREAT JOB, STUDENTS. WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR LEADING US IN THAT. ALL RIGHT, FOR ALL THOSE HERE, WE'D LIKE TO NOW TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE, SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN THAT MOMENT OF SILENCE.

THANK YOU. COLLEAGUES, IT IS NOW TIME FOR OUR RECOGNITIONS. DR.

HELLER.

YES, THANK YOU. AND AS THE BOARD IS COMING FORWARD TO THE FRONT OF THE HORSESHOE THIS EVENING, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US, UH, TONIGHT.

THE RICHARDSON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 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. AND AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE SOME VERY, VERY SPECIAL PARTNER RECOGNITIONS, UM, TO CELEBRATE, UM, THE SUCCESS OF OUR BACK-TO-SCHOOL BACKPACK BASH AGAIN THIS SCHOOL YEAR. AND I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE, UH, OUR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, SONYA PARKER GOODE, UM, WHO'S GOING TO RECOGNIZE THESE VERY SPECIAL PARTNERS.

THANK YOU, DR. HELLER. I AM SO EXCITED THAT I GET TO, UM, ANNOUNCE AND CELEBRATE THIS AMAZING GROUP OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS. WE CALL THEM OUR CAMPUS CHAMPIONS. THE 2026 BACKPACK BASH WAS A HUGE SUCCESS THIS YEAR. WE RAISED MORE THAN 150,000 DOLLARS. UH, THIS ANNUAL EVENT IS A MYRIAD OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ENTIRE RISD COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS, AND SO I JUST WANT TO TAKE THIS TIME TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR CAMPUS CHAMPIONS.

WATERMARK CHURCH. DO YOU HAVE A CARD? SPRING VALLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF RICHARDSON. NETWORK OF

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FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH RICHARDSON. WALLIS BANK.

WALLIS BANK. ARAPAHO UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. POPULUS FINANCIAL GROUP. RLG CONSULTING ENGINEERS. ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL RICHARDSON. GOOD TO SEE YOU. OKAY, RE- REMEMBER YOU ALL, WE'RE GONNA LINE UP AND GET A PICTURE, SO IF YOU'LL COME TO THE FRONT. GOOD JOB. LET'S GIVE IT UP ONE MORE TIME FOR OUR CAMPUS CHAMPIONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF IN RICHARDSON ISD. THANK YOU AGAIN. ALL RIGHT, CONTINUING WITH OUR RECOGNITIONS THIS EVENING, WE HAVE, UM, A VERY SPECIAL DISTRICT AND STAFF RECOGNITION. UM, I KNOW WE HAVE, UH, MEMBERS OF OUR STAFF HERE TO CELEBRATE. UM, RISD IS PROUD TO PARTNER WITH THE TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE AND 4-H TO GIVE RISD STUDENTS HANDS-ON OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN, GROW, AND LEAD. UM, BECAUSE OF THIS PARTNERSHIP AND ITS SUCCESS, RICHARDSON ISD WAS HONORED WITH THE PARTNER OF THE YEAR AWARD RECENTLY FROM DALLAS COUNTY 4-H FOR SUPPORTING OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS THE DISTRICT.

IN ADDITION TO THE DISTRICT HONOR, WE WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE 4-H SPONSORS AT FOREST LANE ACADEMY, MST MAGNET ELEMENTARY, AND YALE ELEMENTARY, WHO WERE RECOGNIZED AT THE DALLAS COUNTY 4-H ANNUAL AWARD CEREMONY FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP IN CHARTERING CAMPUS 4-H CLUBS THROUGHOUT THE TEXAS 4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM CHAMPION SCHOOL PROGRAM. VERY EXCITING. SO WITH US THIS EVENING, UM, WE APPRECIATE AND WANT TO RECOGNIZE MISS ANGIE LEE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STUDENT SUCCESS AND LEADERSHIP. WE HAVE KELLEY ANDREWS WITH YALE ELEMENTARY, CAROLYN WHITE, WHITE ALSO WITH YALE ELEMENTARY, JULIE DIBIASE WITH YALE ELEMENTARY, STEPHANIE YEAGER, YEAGER WITH MST MAGNET, KATIE ABER WITH MST MAGNET, AND MR. ANDREW HARDEN WITH FOREST LANE ACADEMY. LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR THIS AWESOME PARTNERSHIP.

WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR THESE DISTRICT AND CAMPUS LEADERS THAT SUPPORT THESE IMPORTANT STUDENT EXPERIENCES FOR OUR STUDENTS. SO CONGRATULATIONS, AND THANK YOU TO 4-H. AND WE'RE GOING TO BE SURE AND GRAB THAT PHOTO.

WHERE'S TYLER? CONGRATULATIONS. ARE YOU HAVING A GOOD SEASON? 2025. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU AGAIN, AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH 4-H OF DALLAS COUNTY. AND OUR FINAL RECOGNITION THIS EVENING IS A VERY, VERY SPECIAL STUDENT RECOGNITION, AND I KNOW, UM, BOTH OF THESE STUDENTS COULDN'T BE HERE, BUT WE'RE EXCITED TYLER'S HERE. Y'ALL, UM, BOTH, UH, LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL'S LUCY HOLMES AND RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL'S TYLER STEED. DID I SAY THAT CORRECTLY?

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STEAD. THANK YOU FOR CORRECTING ME. TYLER STEAD EARNED A PERFECT SCORE ON THE ACT. Y'ALL, PERFECT, PERFECT. AND I CAN SEE TYLER'S, UH, WESTWOOD FAMILY IS HERE. UM, Y'ALL, THAT I- THAT IS AN ACHIEVEMENT THAT IS ONLY REACHED BY LESS THAN 0.25% OF STUDENTS IN THE NATION WHO TAKE THIS TEST. WOW, WOW.

NEARLY 1.4 MILLION JUNIORS HAVE TAKEN THE ACT, UM, THIS PAST SCHOOL YEAR, AND ONLY ABOUT 2,600 SCORED A PERFECT 36 IN EACH OF THE FOUR SECTIONS. I'M JUST BLOWN AWAY.

HOLY COW. SO JUST FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, OR IF YOU'RE WATCHING OR LISTENING ONLINE, THE ACT IS A CURRICULUM-BASED ACHIEVEMENT, UM, EXAM THAT MEASURES WHAT STUDENTS HAVE LEARNED IN SCHOOL. STUDENTS WHO EARN A 36 COMPOSITE SCORE HAVE LIKELY MASTERED, I'M GONNA SAY THEY PROBABLY HAVE, UM, ALL OF THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE THEY WILL NEED TO SUCCEED IN FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE. WELL, WHO NEEDS FIRST YEAR WHEN YOU GET A PERFECT ACT? MAYBE THEY GO STRAIGHT TO SOPHOMORE YEAR IN THEIR CORE SUBJECT, UM, AREAS. WE ARE GOING TO BE SURE THAT LUCY GETS CELEBRATED AT LAKE HIGHLANDS.

I'M SURE SHE MIGHT BE ON THE COURT FOR A VOLLEYBALL GAME THIS EVENING, BUT TYLER, WE ARE SO INCREDIBLY PROUD OF YOU, AND WHAT AN AWESOME WAY TO KICK OFF YOUR SENIOR YEAR.

CONGRATULATIONS. AND WE'RE GONNA GRAB THAT PHOTO, TYLER.

AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHERE THIS EAGLE'S GONNA SOAR IN HIS FUTURE, SO CONGRATULATIONS. UM, AND BEFORE WE WRAP UP OUR RECOGNITIONS FOR THIS EVENING, WE KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF FAMILY AND STAFF AND COMMUNITY HERE TO SUPPORT, UM, ALL OF OUR DISTRICT AND, UM, STAFF AND STUDENTS. SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE STAND SO WE COULD RECOGNIZE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT FOR RICHARDSON ISD AND THESE RECOGNITIONS TONIGHT. FAMILY? KATIE. I'M SORRY, WHAT? OKAY, AND I'M JUST, I JUST, IT WAS JUST BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, I THINK THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, I BELIEVE ONE OF TYLER'S GUESTS IS HER KINDERGARTEN, IS HIS KINDERGARTEN TEACHER. Y'ALL.

THAT IS WHAT MAKES RICHARDSON ISD SO SPECIAL, IS THE COMMUNITY, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. AWESOME JOB. AND WITH THAT, UH, THIS CONCLUDES OUR RECOGNITIONS FOR THIS EVENING.

ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THROUGH OUR NIGHT'S MEETING HERE. UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE PUBLIC THAT WAS HERE TONIGHT TO, UH, CELEBRATE THOSE RECOGNITIONS.

[II. PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION ]

TRUSTEE MCGOWAN WILL BE HELPING US WITH THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS PORTION OF OUR AGENDA. MISS MCGOWAN, DO WE HAVE ANY PERSONS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO ADDRESS THE BOARD? YES, THANK YOU, MR. POTEET.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, I WELCOME OUR VISITORS.

DURING TODAY'S MEETING, SPEAKERS MAY COMMENT ON BOTH 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. MISS HEATHER WITHERS.

THANK YOU. UH, GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS HEATHER WEATHERS, AND I'M HERE REGARDING MY CHILD MAKO, A STRAIGHT-A STUDENT AT SENIOR AT PEARCE HIGH SCHOOL, WHO HAS USED THE NAME MAKO CONSISTENTLY WITH TEACHERS AND PEERS SINCE SEVENTH GRADE. RISD RECENTLY PROHIBITED MAKO FROM USING THAT NAME IN AN UPCOMING THEATER PLAYBILL, WHILE ALL OTHER STUDENTS ARE PERMITTED TO USE NICKNAMES AND OTHER NON-LEGAL NAMES IN THE PUBLICATION, AS WELL AS IN ANY CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES AND ACROSS OTHER SCHOOL SETTINGS.

SO I'M ASKING THE BOARD A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION. WHAT IS RISD'S OBJECTIVE, CONSISTENTLY APPLIED CRITERIA FOR MAKING THIS DISTINCT DISTINCTION BETWEEN STUDENTS? IF RISD BELIEVES USING MAKO'S ESTABLISHED NAME CONSTITUTES ASSISTANCE WITH SOCIAL TRANSITIONING

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THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

WE HAVE NO MORE SPEAKERS.

OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO S- TO PRESENT. I KNOW SOMETIMES IT'S TOUGH TO, UH, PRESENT IN FRONT OF THE BOARD AND IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE, SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THAT TIME. OUR NEXT

[III. CONSENT / CONFIRMATION AGENDA ITEMS ]

THANK YOU, MS. TIMME. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

THANK YOU, MR. EAGER. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? OKAY.

HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES 6 TO 0. OUR NEXT ITEM,

[IV.A. Consider Gifts ]

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT POTEET.

UM, AND AS ALWAYS, WE LOVE TO SEND MUCH APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE FOR OUR PTAS, PARENT ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER GROUPS AND OTHER PARTNERS THAT GIVE GRACIOUSLY TO RICHARDSON ISD TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR OUR KIDS. UM, SINCE MR. PATE'S RETIREMENT, I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF ACTUALLY PRESENTING TONIGHT'S GIFTS OF, UM, MORE THAN 5,000. SO TONIGHT I'M PRESENTING, UM, FROM ACM, UH, UH, PTA, 7,810 DOLLARS.

UM, FROM CANYON CREEK PTA TO CANYON CREEK, 35,180 DOLLARS.

FROM MERRIMAN PARK ELEMENTARY TO FROM MERR- MERRIMAN PARK PTA TO MERRIMAN PARK ELEMENTARY, 173,125 DOLLARS. FROM NORTHWOOD HILLS PTA TO NORTHWOOD HILLS ELEMENTARY, 10,150 DOLLARS. FROM THE STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTO INSURANCE COMPANY, 25,000 DOLLARS TO OUR CTE DEPARTMENT.

FROM LAKE PUTCH- LAKE POINT CHURCH, 10,000 DOLLARS TO OUR RAC STRATEGY AND ENGAGEMENT TEAM. TEXAS CREDIT UNION GAVE 5,000 DOLLARS TO OUR STRATEGY AND ENGAGEMENT TEAM. THE DALLAS HOLOCAUST MUSEUM, $15,174.17 TO THE RISD STUDENT SUCCESS LEADERSHIP WORK, AND WHITE ROCK ELEMENTARY GAVE ONE, PTA GAVE $157,500 TO WHITE ROCK ELEMENTARY. THAT IS A TOTAL OF GIFTS OF $438,939.17, TO BE EXACT. UM, AND WITH THAT, WE HAVE 16 GIFTS LESS THAN $5,000 FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES TO CAMPUSES ACROSS THE DISTRICT, TOTALING $24,228.22, WHICH ARE SUBMITTED FOR THE BOARD'S INFORMATION.

TOTAL GIFTS THIS MONTH EQUALED $463,167.39. UM, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING COMMUNITY. AND WITH THAT, I ASK THE BOARD TO APPROVE THE GIFTS AS PRESENTED.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU

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MR. EAGER, THANK YOU FOR THAT. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

THANK YOU, MISS MCGOWAN. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THE GIFTS? YES, MISS TIMME.

YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, REITERATE WHAT YOU SAID. OUR, OUR COMMUNITY AND, AND OUR FAMILIES, OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS ARE SO GENEROUS, ESPECIALLY, UM, BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL WHERE THERE'S SO MANY NEEDS AND, UM, THE MONETARY GIFTS AND THE ABILITY FOR US TO CONTINUE OUR PROGRAMMING.

WE CERTAINLY COULDN'T DO WITHOUT IT. I WOULD ALSO JUST LIKE TO ADD IN THERE THE THINGS THAT AREN'T ACCOUNTED FOR, WHICH ARE THE HOURS THAT OUR VOLUNTEERS PUT IN, THAT, UM, HELPING GETTING BULLETIN BOARDS UP, SCHOOL SUPPLIES ORGANIZED, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, UM, HOWEVER YOU CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SCHOOLS, IN WHATEVER FASHION THAT YOU DO, THE FACT THAT YOU SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC EDUCATION, WE APPRECIATE IT.

YES.

GREAT POINTS. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YES, MS. MCGOWAN.

I'M GONNA ADD TO THAT AS WELL.

A LOT OF THESE, THE GIFTS THAT YOU SEE HERE DON'T TELL THE ENTIRE STORY OF WHAT THESE PTAS ARE REALLY DOING OUTSIDE OF WHAT YOU SEE HERE. THEY'RE ALSO SUPPORTING OTHER SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT, PTAS AS WELL, AND I KNOW BY JUST FIRSTHAND THAT A LOT OF OUR PTAS DO DONATE FUNDS TO OTHER SCHOOLS THAT DON'T RAISE THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS THAT THESE SCHOOLS DO.

SO AGAIN, KUDOS TO THE PTAS AND THE PARENTS AND ALL THE DONATIONS THAT ARE SHARED AMONG THE DISTRICT.

GREAT POINT. THANK YOU, MISS MCGOWAN. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY. HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT, AND THAT MOTION PASSES 6 TO 0. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT. OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN

[IV.B. Review & Discuss 2027 Legislative Priorities ]

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT POTEET.

AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO INVITE, I BELIEVE, MR. STOCKTON FORWARD, AND THEN, UM, MELISSA HELLER IS GOING TO ALSO LEAD US IN THIS CONVERSATION. WE ARE FAST APPROACHING THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UM, AND WE ARE REALLY JUST MONTHS AWAY, AND IN OUR NORMAL CADENCE OF BRINGING FORWARD OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR THE BOARD'S FEEDBACK, YOUR INFORMATION, WE REALLY WORKED VERY HARD WITH SOME COLLABORATIVE GROUPS TO MAKE SURE THIS YEAR'S LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES WERE VERY FOCUSED, AND THAT WE COULD REALLY USE THEM AS LEVERAGE WITH OUR COMMUNITY, ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS, TO HELP THEM ADVOCATE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HE- WHEN WE HEAD DOWN TO AUSTIN, THAT WE ALL ARE KIND OF SINGING WITH ONE VOICE, WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE IN RICHARDSON ISD. SO AT THIS TIME, I'M GONNA AND TURN IT OVER TO DR. MELISSA HELLER.

THANK YOU, UM, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM, BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

GOOD EVENING. UM, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING FORWARD, UM, TO YOU THIS EVENING AS AN INFORMATION ITEM OUR, UM, DRAFT OF OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE ALSO POINT OUT THAT THIS ALIGNS CURRENTLY WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL FOUR AND IS PART OF OUR CURRENT DIP, DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN, THAT YOU WILL BE HEARING MORE ABOUT LATER THIS EVENING. UM, TO KIND OF SET THE STAGE, THERE'S A FEW AREAS WE WANTED TO, UM, REVIEW THIS E- THIS EVENING WITH YOU, UM, STARTING WITH THE IMPACT OF THE PREVIOUS SESSION, THE 89TH SESSION, AND, UM, HOW THAT HAS, UM, UH, RESULTED FOR RISD LOCALLY SPECIFICALLY.

UM, THE CONCEPT OF LEGISLATIVE ROUND TA- TABLES AND HOW WE S- UM, HAVE LIFTED THOSE UP TO SEEK INPUT FROM SOME OF OUR INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS, UM, ACROSS THE DISTRICT, AND THEN WORKING WITH THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, UM, LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES SUBCOMMITTEE, UM, TAKING THAT FEEDBACK AND THEN, UM, DRAFTING THE PRIORITIES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, DANNY STOCKTON, WHO IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF THE NORTH TEXAS EDUCATION COALITION, WHICH RICHARDSON ISD IS A MEMBER OF, UM, ALONG WITH OVER 50 OTHER DISTRICTS HERE IN NORTH TEXAS. SO THE IMPACT OF THE 89TH SESSION ON RISD.

THIS SLIDE IS NOT INCLUSIVE OF EVERYTHING, BUT JUST TO POINT OUT A FEW HIGHLIGHTS, UM, YOU KNOW THAT THERE WERE, UM, RESULTS FROM THE PASSAGE OF HOUSE BILL 6 THAT WAS IMPACTING, UM, OR HAD A HUGE INFLUENCE ON DISCIPLINE AND, UM, THINGS THAT RISD COULD DO, PROVIDING SOME MORE FLEXIBILITY TO RESPOND LOCALLY, AND SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM AND MANY ON OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM HELPED ADVOCATE AND HAD A VOICE IN THE DRAFTING OF THAT LEGISLAT- UM, OF, OF THAT BILL. UM, WE DID GET SOME FUNDING, AND, AND WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WE DID SEE A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT OF 55 DOLLARS. UM, WE ALSO DID SEE SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, INCREASES IN MONEY IN THE SCHOOL SAFETY ALLOTMENT.

UM, THERE WAS A NEW ALLOTMENT, UH, AN ALLOTMENT FOR BASIC COSTS, THE ABC,

[00:25:02]

IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IN WHAT WE CONSIDERED INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS, OUR COUNCIL OF PTAS, OUR CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, SOME OF OUR, UM, LARGER BUSINESS PARTNERS TO SIT AROUND THE TABLE AND, UM, PROVIDE SOME INPUT, UM, FOR US SO THAT REALLY THE GOAL IS TO HAVE A SHARED VOICE FOR THESE PRIORITIES ONCE THEY ARE APPROVED AND FINALIZED BY YOU, THE BOARD, UM, SO THAT WE HAVE MORE VOICES, UM, ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF RISD AND SHARING THAT MESSAGE DOWN IN AUSTIN IN THE SPRING. AND AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO SHARE, UM, THE SLIDE WITH MR. STOCKTON, WHO IS HERE THIS EVENING FROM THE NORTH TEXAS EDUCATION COALITION- COALITION. THANK YOU, DANNY.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU, DR. HELLER. THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE WITH YOU TONIGHT. UH, JUST REALLY BRIEFLY FOR Y'ALL AND, AND ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING, I WANT TO GIVE A QUICK INTRODUCTION OF, OF WHO I AM, WHAT OUR ORGANIZATION DOES.

UH, SO THE NORTH TEXAS EDUCATION COALITION IS MADE UP OF 51 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ALL LOCATED IN REGIONS 10 AND 11; THAT'S NORTH TEXAS. WE ARE A NONPROFIT, NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATION THAT IS FOCUSED ON EDUCATION POLICY. WE DON'T, UH, TAKE POSITIONS ON LEGISLATION, BUT WE'RE HEAVILY ENGAGED IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS ALL THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS FOR THE MORE THAN, UH, 700,000 STUDENTS THAT OUR MEMBERS EDUCATE EVERY DAY. UH, I'M HONORED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH RICHARDSON ISD SPECIFICALLY, UH, AT A LITTLE BIT OF A HIGHER LEVEL ON FACILITATING Y'ALL'S LEGISLATIVE ENGAGEMENT, UM, AROUND WHAT YOUR COMMUNITY NEEDS AND WANTS AND IS ASKING FOR. AND SO THAT'S THE, THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, AS DR. HELLER JUST MENTIONED, AND SO I'M EXCITED TO SHARE KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT WITH YOU ALL TONIGHT. UH, SO THE FIRST PIECE THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH IS THESE KIND OF HEADLINE ITEMS, UH, OF, OF THESE THREE KEY PRIORITIES THAT CAME OUT OF THE COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLES AND THE DISCUSSION OF THE BOARD LEGISLATIVE SUBCOMMITTEE, UH, AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO EACH ONE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DEPTH IN A SECOND. SO THE FIRST PRIORITY ON THIS LIST IS PROMOTE RESPONSIBLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS. SO DR. HELLER JUST MENTIONED HOUSE BILL 1481 ON CELL PHONES, WHICH RICHARDSON ISD HAS BEEN A LEADER IN. WE GET TO DO THAT AGAIN HERE TONIGHT WITH PROMOTING, UH, RESPONSIBLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, UH, THAT YOU, YOU WERE HEARING FROM YOUR COMMUNITY. UH, YOU WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR COMMUNITY UNDERSTOOD HOW DOES TECHNOLOGY FIT INTO OUR SCHOOLS. UH, THIS IS TECHNOLOGY IS THE DEFINITION OF A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD, RIGHT? AND SO HOW DO WE USE IT RESPONSIBLY? HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT IT'S BEING USED IN THE RIGHT WAYS WHILE ALSO PROTECTING OUR STUDENTS, UM, KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW AS, AS RESEARCH CONTINUES TO DEVELOP ON THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON STUDENTS? SO, UH, SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE KNOW THE LEGISLATURE IS GOING TO FOCUS ON THIS SESSION. UH, THEY'VE, THEY'VE SAID THAT, AND IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE A CONVERSATION. IT'S SOMETHING THE GOVERNOR'S TEXAS CLASSROOM COMMISSION IS LOOKING AT. UM, IT'S IN SOME OF THE INTERIM CHARGES. WE KNOW THIS IS GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT TOPIC, AND IT HAS THE IMPACT, IT HAS AN EVERYDAY IMPACT FOR SCHOOLS, AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, YOU ALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THAT, ESPECIALLY AS LEADERS IN THIS SPACE. SO THAT'S, THAT'S NUMBER ONE. UH, NUMBER TWO IS REDUCE CRITICAL FUNDING GAPS. UH, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SCHOOL FUNDING FOR A WHILE, OBVIOUSLY, UM, REALLY SINCE 2019. UH, WE HAD, WE HAD A HUGE INFLUX OF, OF FUNDING AND A REWRITE OF THE SCHOOL FINANCE SYSTEM IN 2019, AND THEN THE WORLD CHANGED, AND COVID AND MASSIVE INFLATION AND ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT PRESSURES CAME, AND, UH, WE DID RECEIVE SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL FUNDING LAST SESSION, BUT IT WAS VERY TARGETED, AND THERE'S SOME SPECIFICS THAT ARE STILL GOING, UH, SOME SPECIFIC NEEDS THAT ARE STILL GOING UNMET, AND SO THIS IS REALLY FOCUSED IN THOSE AREAS. AND THEN THE LAST PIECE IS REDUCING UNNECESSARY REGULATORY BURDENS.

UH, THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO, UH, BALANCE THE BUDGET.

THERE'S TWO SIDES OF THE BUDGET, RIGHT? AND SO WE, WE WANT TO LOOK AT THE REVENUE SIDE WITH THOSE CRITICAL FUNDING GAPS. WE ALSO

[00:30:01]

AND SO WHERE THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE THOSE PIECES, UM, WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE SOME EXPENDITURES AS WELL. AND SO WORKING IT FROM KIND OF BOTH SIDES THERE IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND THAT'S ALSO JUST GOOD GOVERNANCE, RIGHT? AND SO WE KNOW, AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PARTICULARLY THE HOUSE HAS HIGHLIGHTED AS SOMETHING THEY WANT TO LOOK AT, UH, AS WE HEAD INTO THE NEXT SESSION. SO THAT FIRST ITEM IS PROMOTE RESPONSIBLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS. UM, AGAIN, YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT FRAMEWORK.

UM, IN FACT, I WAS REALLY EXCITED I GOT TO ASK RICHARDSON ISD TO PRESENT TO OUR MEMBERSHIP ON THIS, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE, WE DON'T JUST FOCUS ON LEGISLATIVE ISSUES, IT'S REALLY EDUCATION POLICY MORE GENERALLY, AND SO WE HAD PROBABLY THE LARGEST TURNOUT WE'VE HAD FOR ONE OF OUR CALLS, UM, BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE REALLY INTERESTED IN, IN HEARING WHAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DOING IN THIS, IN THIS AREA. SO, UM, WE WANT TO TAKE THAT A STEP FURTHER.

WE KNOW THE STATE'S GOING TO LOOK AT THIS, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DOING THAT IN A GOOD WAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO ASK FOR THEM TO ESTABLISH AN AGE-APPROPRIATE FRAMEWORK FOR SCREEN TIME THAT SPECIFICALLY DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN PASSIVE AND PRODUCTIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING YOU ALL HAVE DONE IN YOUR GUIDELINES THAT I THINK IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO PIECES.

THAT'S HOW WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING TECHNOLOGY IN A WAY THAT'S BENEFITING STUDENTS RATHER THAN POTENTIALLY CAUSING HARM. UH, AND THEN THE SECOND BULLET IS, IS REALLY IN THIS AI AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY SPACE, AND I THINK THAT EMERGING TECHNOLOGY PIECE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S AI TODAY, AND WHO KNOWS WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE TOMORROW. SO, UM, BUT WE NEED TO, AS A STATE, HAVE THE RESOURCES, THE FLEXIBILITY, AND THE GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS THAT WILL ALLOW YOU ALL TO RESPONSIBLY INTEGRATE THOSE TECHNOLOGIES AS WE PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE FUTURE WORKFORCE. WE KNOW ALREADY THAT EMPLOYERS ARE NOT, UH, A LOT, IN A LOT OF CASES, ARE JUST SAYING IF YOU DON'T HAVE AI KNOW-HOW, THEN YOU CAN'T BE SUCCESSFUL HERE, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE STUDENTS ARE PREPARED FOR THE WORKFORCE. THIS IS A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ISSUE, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE IS A LOT OF, UH, OF RESPONSIBILITY THAT COMES WITH AI AS A SOCIETY, BUT ALSO AS, AS A SCHOOL, LEARNING HOW TO INTEGRATE THAT PROPERLY, LEARNING HOW TO TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO USE IT RESPONSIBLY. UM, AND WE NEED RESOURCES, WE NEED GUIDANCE SO THAT WE'RE NOT WORKING AT CROSS-PURPOSES WITH THE STATE LAR- AT LARGE, UM, AND THEN ALSO RESOURCES THAT COME IN AND REALLY HELP US TO DO THAT SUCCESSFULLY. SO THAT'S, THAT'S THAT FIRST LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY DRAFT.

UM, AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE EACH OF THESE HAVE THE KIND OF THE HEADLINE POINT AND THEN A COUPLE OF ADDITIONAL SUPPORTING BULLETS.

WELL, AND I THINK THIS NEXT SLIDE REALLY, UM, TEASES AND SETS THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE NEXT PILLAR IN REDUCING CRITICAL FUNDING GAPS. UM, ALTHOUGH WE DID SEE SOME INCREASES IN, UM, LOCAL FUNDING FROM THE LAST SESSION, SOME OF THAT FUNDING IS STILL TO BE DETERMINED. WE HAVE BEEN USING THIS SLIDE AND ACTUALLY DEVELOPED IT, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP. WE SAW SOME OF OUR PEER DISTRICTS, UM, DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR TO REALLY SHOW WHERE WE STILL HAVE CRITICAL FUNDING GAPS. SO WHEN LOOKING AT THIS SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE BLUE BAR SHOWS THE STATE ALLOTMENT. THE RED IS THE REMAINING COST TO OUR DISTRICT. SO EVEN THOUGH WE DID SEE INCREASES IN SAFETY AND SECURITY, UM, EVEN A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIAL EDUCATION, YOU CAN STILL SEE BETWEEN TRANSPORTATION AND SPECIAL EDUCATION, THOSE ARE STILL TWO VERY LARGE FUNDING GAPS THAT WE HAVE. AND AS, UM, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM HAS SHARED AT SOME OF OUR RECENT DISTRICT UPDATES, IF WE COULD GET FULLY FUNDED OR EVEN MORE CLOSELY FULLY FUNDED TO ADDRESS THESE GAPS, WE WOULD HAVE, UM, A, A MORE BALANCED BUDGET AND CLOSER TO HAVING A BALANCED BUDGET.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND I'LL, I'LL JUST ADD THOSE THREE HIGHEST ONES: TRANSPORTATION, SAFETY, UH, SAFETY AND SECURITY, AND SPECIAL EDUCATION. I DID NOT SAY THOSE IN THE CORRECT ORDER, BUT THOSE THREE ARE THE TOP THREE FUNDING GAPS STATEWIDE FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS. UM, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT IN THE LEGISLATIVE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE NONE OF THESE, THESE ARE ALL PROGRAM, WHAT WE CALL PROGRAM ALLOTMENTS IN THE SCHOOL FINANCE SYSTEM.

NONE OF THESE ARE DESIGNED TO COVER 100% OF THE EXPENSES IN THESE CATEGORIES. UM, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE LAST THREE IN PARTICULAR, UH, YOU'RE SEEING A REALLY BIG RED SECTION, AND, UM, AND SO I THINK THAT THE, THE KEY HERE ISN'T NECESSARILY MAKING THAT ALL BLUE, BUT IT IS MOVING THAT BLUE BAR DOWN THE RED LINE, UM, TO KNOW THAT, THAT WE'RE BETTER SUPPORTING OUR, OUR SCHOOLS IN THESE AREAS. THE SAFETY AND SECURITY ONE IN PARTICULAR, I THINK, IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE, THAT TOTAL COST HAS DRASTICALLY INCREASED AS A RESULT, AS A DIRECT RESULT OF NEW LEGISLATIVE MANDATES, UM, OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.

AND I THINK LARGELY THOSE ARE LEGISLATIVE MANDATES SCHOOLS WANTED, ASKED FOR, AGREED WITH, ARE EXCITED ABOUT, UM, BUT THEY COST A LOT OF MONEY.

AND SO, UM, SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE LARGELY ABSORBED THOSE COSTS, UH, AND THAT'S, I THINK, A, A BIG AREA THAT YOU'LL CONTINUE

[00:35:01]

SO, UM, SO THAT DOES LEAD INTO THE, THE REDUCED CRITICAL FUNDING GAPS POINT. UM, SPECIFICALLY WE ADDRESS PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR ARMED SECURITY OFFICERS.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLES AS A KEY, UH, AS A KEY POINT FOR, FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW MOST IS REALLY HAS BECOME A VERY POPULAR REQUIREMENT STATEWIDE, UH, BUT IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE ONE.

AND SO, SO SPECIFICALLY PROVIDING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THAT REQUIREMENT. UM, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO SUPPORT STUDENTS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES.

UM, I KNOW, I BELIEVE THAT IT'S, WE'RE UP TO ABOUT A FIFTH IN, IN RICHARDSON ISD NOW. UM, THIS IS A GROWING POPULATION STATEWIDE.

IT'S ONE OF THE FASTEST-GROWING S- UH, SUBPOPULATIONS OF STUDENTS IN THE STATE, UH, AND IT ALSO IS A SUBPOPULATION THAT IT TAKES MORE RESOURCES TO EDUCATE. AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE SERVING THOSE STUDENTS AND DOING THE BEST THAT WE CAN FOR THOSE STUDENTS, AND WE NEED RESOURCES TO DO THAT. UH, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THAT SECOND BULLET POINT. THE THIRD ONE, PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO THE ALLOTMENT FOR BASIC COSTS, AND THIS IS THE NEW ALLOTMENT THAT DR.

HELLER MENTIONED THAT CAME INTO PLAY VERY CLOSE TOWARDS THE END OF SESSION LAST, UH, LAST SESSION, AND IT WAS ESSENTIALLY THE ALTERNATIVE TO PROVIDING MONEY IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, UM, WHICH IS WHY IT IS LIKE THE SAME WORDS, UM, WHICH I KIND OF THINK IS FUNNY, BUT IT IS ABC WAS THE IDEA.

THIS IS THE BASICS, RIGHT? THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE KNOW SCHOOLS ARE SPENDING MONEY ON, THAT THEY ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON. UM, AND I DID NOT HAVE THIS INFORMATION IN TIME TO PUT THIS IN A SLIDE FOR YOU, BUT I DID WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU, BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING READY, OUR ORGANIZATION IS GETTING READY TO PUBLISH A REPORT ON THIS ALLOTMENT SPECIFICALLY, THAT PROVIDES SOME INFORMATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW IS THIS ALLOTMENT COMPARING TO COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS? SO THIS ALLOTMENT WAS TARGETED TO SPECIFIC, UH, EXPENDITURES, UTILITIES, PROPERTY INSURANCE, TRANSPORTATION OPERATION COSTS, TRANSPORTATION, HEALTH INSURANCE, EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, PAYROLL TAXES, AND THEN TRS CONTRIBUTIONS AND TRS-CARE CONTRIBUTIONS, WHICH DISTRICTS ARE REQUIRED TO PAY. IT ALSO INCLUDES, UH, COSTS OF, UH, REHIRING RETIREES. THAT IS A MUCH HARDER COST TO IDENTIFY AT A STATE LEVEL BECAUSE WE DON'T ACTUALLY SEPARATELY REPORT THOSE, UH, TO, UH, YOU KNOW, DISTRICTS DON'T. SO I, I DIDN'T EVEN INCLUDE THAT IN THIS ANALYSIS BECAUSE I WAS DOING THIS STATEWIDE, BUT FROM FISCAL YEAR 2020, SO 2019, 2020, WHICH IS THE LAST, IT WAS THE FIRST YEAR AFTER WE RECEIVED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF FUNDING, UH, IN 2019 TO THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2025, WE HAVE SEEN STATEWIDE A 2.7-BILLION-DOLLAR INCREASE IN THOSE CATEGORIES THAT ARE COVERED BY THE ALLOTMENT FOR BASIC COSTS. SO THESE ARE NOT, THIS IS NOT ADMINISTRATION, THIS IS NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE OTHER EXPENSES. THESE ARE JUST BASICS. THIS IS HAVING WATER, HAVING ELECTRICITY, HAVING INSURANCE FOR ALL OF THE HAIL DAMAGE THAT WE GET TO DEAL WITH IN NORTH TEXAS ON OUR BUILDINGS, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S KEY ITEMS THAT WE HAVE TO SPEND. UM, AND SO THE ALLOTMENT FOR BASIC COSTS WAS ABOUT 623 MILLION DOLLARS, SO THAT COVERS ABOUT 23% OF THE INCREASE. I WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR, I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE INCREASE FROM FISCAL YEAR 2020 TO FISCAL YEAR 2025. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE TOTAL AMOUNT SPENT ON THOSE CATEGORIES. THE TOTAL AMOUNT SPENT ON THOSE CATEGORIES IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 WAS 11 BILLION DOLLARS STATEWIDE. SO THIS IS A VERY LARGE CATEGORY OF EXPENSES, UM, AND IT'S THINGS THAT DISTRICTS HAVE ALWAYS HAD TO PAY FOR. SO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT WAS ALWAYS INTENDED TO COVER THESE PIECES, BUT WE RECOGNIZED LAST SESSION THAT BECAUSE OF INFLATION AND OTHER PRESSURES ON SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WE NEEDED ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THESE AREAS. AND SO THE 623 MILLION DOLLARS IS CERTAINLY NOT CHUMP CHANGE.

THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN FUNDING, UM, BUT IT COVERED ABOUT 23% OF THE INCREASE OVER THAT TIME PERIOD, UH, STATEWIDE. UH, AND THAT'S SIMILAR IN RICHARDSON ISD. YOU GUYS HAVE ACTUALLY DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB WORKING ON YOUR EXPENSES, SO YOUR ALLOTMENT FOR BASIC COSTS COVERED A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THE INCREASE BECAUSE YOUR INCREASE WAS NOT AS DRASTIC BECAUSE YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK TO TRY TO BRING THOSE COSTS DOWN, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, IT'S ABOUT 30% STILL, THOUGH, FOR RICHARDSON. SO IT IS STILL A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT THAT WAS NOT COVERED, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THAT INCREASE THAT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE ALLOTMENT FOR BASIC COSTS. THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT ONE AS WE HEAD INTO THE NEXT SESSION. AND THEN THE LAST BULLET HERE IS PROVIDE FUNDING TO ACCOUNT FOR UNANTICIPATED DECLINES IN ENROLLMENT. UM, AND RICHARDSON ISD, LIKE MANY DISTRICTS IN NORTH TEXAS, MANY OF OUR MEMBER DISTRICTS IN THE NORTH TEXAS EDUCATION COALITION EX- IS EXPERIENCING ENROLLMENT DECLINE, AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IT'S UNPREDICTABLE ENROLLMENT DECLINE, WHICH IS WAY WORSE IN A LOT OF WAYS THAN PREDICTABLE, UH, UH, ENROLLMENT DECLINE. UH, UH, ALL THE DEMOGRAPHERS ARE JUST LIKE, THROW OUT ALL THE MODELS, NONE OF THEM ARE WORKING ANYMORE. I MEAN, IT, IT JUST IS VERY HARD TO PREDICT, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT ENROLLMENT RIGHT NOW. AND SO, UH, THIS IS, THIS IS A REAL CHALLENGE

[00:40:01]

SO, UM, SO YOU HAVE TO BUDGET BASED ON WHAT YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN, AND IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, IT TAKES YOU SOME TIME TO UNDO THAT, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO THEN, THROUGH ATTRITION, REDUCE STAFF FOR THE NEXT YEAR, BUT YOU'RE STILL, YOU STILL CAN'T REDUCE IT TOO MUCH BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT YOUR ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS. AND SO IF YOU'RE SEEING YEAR AFTER YEAR ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS MISSING, YOU'RE REALLY STUCK IN THIS PLACE OF MAYBE HAVING TOO MUCH STAFF, BUT ALSO NOT REALLY BEING ABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE OTHER THING IS, IF IT'S ALL DISPERSED AND YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, A THOUSAND STUDENTS IN A DISTRICT THE SIZE OF RICHARDSON ISD, IF YOU LOSE A THOUSAND STUDENTS, YOU COULD BE IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU CANNOT ELIMINATE ONE TEACHER. UM, IF THEY'RE SPREAD OUT ACROSS GRADE LEVELS AND CAMPUSES, WE HAVE CLASS SIZES THAT WE HAVE TO STICK WITHIN THESE, THESE GUIDELINES. AND SO YOU COULD BE IN A PLACE WHERE YOU'VE LOST FUNDING FOR A THOUSAND STUDENTS AND HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE ONE DOLLAR WORTH OF EXPENSES. UM, AND THAT'S A REAL CHALLENGE AS WELL THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE FACING.

SO ADDRESSING THAT IN SOME WAY, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH SOME SORT OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT'S KIND OF LIKE BRIDGE FUNDING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THIS LAST BULLET.

AND THEN THE FINAL ONE HERE IS REDUCE UNNECESSARY REGULATORY BURDENS, AND THE ITEMS ON THIS ONE ARE PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON, UM, ARE PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON SOME LEGISLATION THAT PASSED LAST SESSION THAT HAD SOME UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, OR WHERE THERE WAS, UH, UH, CONFUSION IN THE WAY A LAW WAS WRITTEN, ONE OF THE BILLS WAS WRITTEN.

SO THE FIRST ONE HERE IS SENATE BILL 571. THIS WAS A VERY LARGE BILL, 70-PLUS PAGES, AND IT ADDED A REQUIREMENT FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO RECEIVE AN AFFIDAVIT FROM EVERY EMPLOYEE AND SERVICE PROVIDER, WHICH WE'LL GET TO IN A SECOND, UH, ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY'VE EVER BEEN INVESTIGATED FOR CHILD ABUSE.

THIS IS A COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDABLE, REASONABLE, DESIRABLE REQUIREMENT, RIGHT? AND DISTRICTS, IN TERMS OF EMPLOYEES, THAT'S AN EASY ONE TO IMPLEMENT. THE SERVICE PROVIDER PIECE IS WHERE IT GOT KIND OF SQUISHY, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF HOW SERVICE PROVIDER WAS DEFINED.

SERVICE PROVIDER WAS DEFINED AS ANYBODY WHO CONTRACTS WITH THE DISTRICT. WELL, THAT INCLUDES ENTITIES. SO HOW DO YOU GET AN ENTITY TO SIGN AN AFFIDAVIT SAYING, DOES IT MEAN EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE AT THEIR ENTITY HAS NEVER BEEN INVESTIGATED? RIGHT? SO WHERE DO WE GO THERE? AND, UM, THE REPORTING REQUIREMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS WAS SPECIFIC TO SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH STUDENTS, WHICH MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE BECAUSE NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUALS, RIGHT? AND INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE GOING TO INTERACT WITH STUDENTS.

THEY'RE THE ONES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE, UH, ARE- ARE SAFE, RIGHT? UH, SO THAT, BUT THE- BUT THE PRE-SERVICE AFFIDAVIT REQUIREMENT DID NOT APPLY THAT WAY. IT WAS- IT WAS MUCH BROADER. UH, THE TEA HAS PROVIDED GUIDANCE SAYING THEY'RE GOING TO JUST EXPECT DISTRICTS TO ONLY APPLY THIS TO STUDENTS OR TO SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO HAVE HAD DIRECT CONTACT WITH STUDENTS, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT BECAUSE THE LAW DOESN'T SAY THAT, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE LEGISLATURE REALLY SHOULD ADDRESS TO CLARIFY, TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH A VERY CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY'RE EXPECTED TO DO ON THIS. UH, THE NEXT ONE IS, UH, THERE'S A BILL THAT WAS DESIGNED REALLY TO PREVENT DOUBLE-DIPPING, ESSENTIALLY WHERE A, AN ADMINISTRATOR WOULD COME IN AND WORK FOR A DISTRICT AND THEN BASICALLY SELL BACK THE DISTRICT THE SAME SERVICES, BUT AS A SEPARATE ENTITY. UM, THAT BILL ENDED UP BEING MUCH MORE BROAD AND ESSENTIALLY ELIMINATED THE ABILITY OF ADMINISTRATORS TO, UH, PARTICIPATE IN ANY ACTIVITIES FOR WHICH THEY RECEIVE FINANCIAL BENEFIT WITH, UH, ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT OR EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER WITHOUT BOARD APPROVAL. AND THAT BOARD APPROVAL ONLY GOES UP TO A CERTAIN LEVEL. UM, SO YOU ALL MAY HAVE SEEN THIS ON YOUR BOARD AGENDA ITEMS FOR A WHILE NOW, UM, AND IT'S JUST ADDITIONAL WORK THAT A DISTRICT IS HAVING TO DO IN SITUATIONS WHERE THERE IS NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST AT ALL.

UH, AND SO, AND, AND IS REALLY WELL BEYOND WHAT THE ORIGINAL INTENTION OF THE BILL WAS. SO, UH, AGAIN, TRYING TO REDUCE REGULATORY BURDENS HERE. IF THERE'S A TRUE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, THAT'S ONE THING. OUTSIDE OF THAT, UM, THERE'S NO REASON WHY ANY OF Y'ALL SHOULD BE SPENDING YOUR TIME ON THAT. THE THIRD ONE, CLARIFY PARENTAL CONSENT REQUIREMENTS FOR BASIC HEALTH SERVICES.

AGAIN, WHATEVER THE STATE WANTS TO DO HERE IS, IS WHAT THE STATE WANTS TO DO, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, UM, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION AROUND SOME NEW REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO THIS FROM SENATE BILL 12. THE AUTHORS OF THE BILL ENDED UP WRITING A LETTER TO THE TEA, AND THEY'VE CHANGED THEIR GUIDANCE MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAVE DRAFT RULES BUT DON'T HAVE FULLY PROPOSED RULES.

THERE'S, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY HERE, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES, UM, AND SO WE NEED CLARITY FROM THE STATE ON WHAT THEIR EXPECTATIONS ARE HERE, UM, BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME INTERNALLY HAVING TO PARSE THESE DIFFERENT PIECES, RIGHT? AND THEN THE LAST ONE, UH, THIS IS MORE BROAD, AND THIS IS SIMPLIFY OR REDUCE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. THE AMOUNT

[00:45:01]

IN FACT, WE HAVE NOW, I THINK, TWO DIFFERENT, BOTH OF THESE WERE CREATED LAST SESSION, WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT BOND DATABASES THAT WE HAVE TO REPORT INFORMATION FOR. I BELIEVE THEY'RE TRYING TO WORK TOGETHER SO THAT MAYBE SCHOOL DISTRICTS DON'T HAVE TO REPORT IT TWICE, BUT ONE IS SET UP BY THE TEA AND ONE IS SET UP BY THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE.

SO IT'S TWO DIFFERENT AGENCIES ASKING FOR THE EXACT SAME INFORMATION FROM SCHOOL DISTRICTS. SO THINGS LIKE THAT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL STAFF TIME, WHICH I- IS PART OF WHY YOU SEE ADMINISTRATION NUMBERS, RIGHT? THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE ADMINISTRATORS FOR.

UM, AND SO, UH, SO THAT'S THE LAST ONE THERE.

SO I DON'T KNOW, DO YOU WANT TO DO QUESTIONS NOW OR AT THE END? SURE. UM, WELL, JUST TO, UM, TO, UM, HELP YOU UNDERSTAND NEXT STEPS, UM, THESE ARE BEING PRESENTED, THESE PRIORITIES THIS EVENING AS A, AS AN INFORMATION ITEM.

UM, WE ARE SCHEDULED TO BRING THEM, UM, FORWARD AGAIN NEXT MONTH FOR ACTION TO OFFICIALLY BE ADOPTED BY YOU, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, AND THEN THAT WILL TRIGGER AND KICK OFF A VERY COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN THAT WILL INVOLVE, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH OUR, UM, LOCAL LEGISLATORS, OUR STAFF, OUR PARENTS, AND OUR COMMUNITY PAR- PARTNERS, AGAIN, WITH THAT GOAL OF HAVING A COLLECTIVE VOICE FOR RISD WHEN THE SESSION STARTS IN JANUARY AND THROUGHOUT THE SPRING. AND WITH THAT, WE CAN TAKE SOME QUESTIONS.

AND IF I COULD JUST ADD AS WELL, JUST TO PUT ON EVERYONE'S RADAR, THAT WE SO APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP OF OUR PTA, AND, UM, RALLY DAY IS ON FEBRUARY 22ND OF 27, AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE WHERE WE REALLY ARE, ARE HOPEFUL THAT OUR COMMUNITY WILL SHOW UP, BE PRESENT, AND BE A BIG PART OF THIS ADVOCACY WORK, BECAUSE IN THE END, WHEN I SHOW UP TO AUSTIN, OUR LEGISLATORS KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY. UM, AND MY WEIGHT OF MY VOICE RIGHT NOW DOES NOT MEAN NEAR AS MUCH AS THE WEIGHT OF OUR COMMUNITY, OUR BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS. AND SO WE REALLY NEED, I HOPE THAT WE HAVE CARAVANS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE GOING DOWN TO MAKE SURE OUR LOCAL AND, AND STATE LEGISLATORS KNOW IN RICHARDSON ISD, THESE THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR, AND THIS IS WHAT WE NEED FOR OUR KIDS. A HUGE APPRECIATION TO MR. STOCKTON AND DR. HELLER FOR THEIR INCREDIBLE WORK. I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD SUBCOMMITTEE THAT HELPED POUR INTO THESE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, AND WITH THAT, BOARD, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

ALL RIGHT, BOARD MEMBERS, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? AGAIN, THIS IS, LIKE YOU HEARD, THIS HAS GONE THROUGH THE SUBCOMMITTEE, SO WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT, THE THREE OF US ON THAT, BUT BEYOND THAT, THIS IS THE TIME TO HAVE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS BEFORE WE GET TO, UM, ADOPTING THESE NEXT MONTH. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, THAT WOULD BE GOOD.

OKAY, I'VE GOT A QUICK COMMENT.

OH, MISS BURNEY, GO AHEAD.

HI, UM, SO JUST, UM, I'M WONDERING WITH THE CELL PHONE POLICY, RIGHT? IT IS NOW STATE, IT'S A STATE, UM, BILL. WHAT KIND OF STORAGE? I KNOW WE'RE USING THE YONDR POUCHES RIGHT NOW. ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE USING THAT AS STORING OF THE CELL PHONES? THAT IS UNDECIDED RIGHT NOW.

WE WERE FORTUNATE, SO WHEN WE FIRST PILOTED AND/OR WERE ONE OF THE FIRST DISTRICTS THAT BROUGHT FORWARD THE CELL PHONE, IT WAS A LOCAL POLICY.

WITH THAT, WE IDENTIFIED LOCAL FUNDS TO PURCHASE THE YONDR POUCHES TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION. IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WHEN THIS SPECIFIC BILL WAS PASSED, THERE WAS A GRANT FORMULA THAT WAS CREATED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO APPLY FOR TO FUND THE YONDR POUCHES FOR AN ADDITIONAL YEAR. WE ARE NOT SURE YET IF THAT GRANT FUNDING IS GOING TO BE IN PLACE, AND KNOWING THAT WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR DEFICIT BUDGET, WE ARE HAVING TO LOOK AT EVERY EXPENDITURE LINE. SO DEPENDING UPON THE OUTCOMES OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET, UM, AND IDENTIFY WHERE DO WE CUT OUR EXPENDITURES, THAT IT'LL HAVE TO BE A CONVERSATION WE HAVE OF WHETHER OR NOT WE CONTINUE TO INVEST. WE BELIEVE WE HAVE ENOUGH INVENTORY THAT WE WOULD HAVE AT LEAST ONE MORE YEAR AVAILABLE USING THE YONDR POUCHES. IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE QUESTIONABLE IN 28-29 THAN IT WOULD BE IN 27-28. IF THEY WERE TO FUND THESE OTHER, SORRY, JUST ONE MORE, SORRY, JUST IF THEY WERE GOING BACK TO THAT, THAT SLIDE, IF ONE OF Y'ALL WOULD CLICK IT BACK, THE POWER OF THIS SLIDE AND WHY WE ARE ADVOCATING FOR THE INCREASE OF ALLOTMENTS, BECAUSE IF, AS MR. STOCKTON SAID, WE COULD JUST MAKE THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE BLUE. UH, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR IT TO BE ALL BLUE, BUT IF YOU COULD MOVE IT JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE BLUE, AND IF WE COULD ELIMINATE OUR DEFICIT BUDGET, THEN IT WOULD ALLOW US, IT WOULD ALLOW THE BOARD TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THE PROGRAMS, WHETHER IT'S YONDR POUCH OR OTHER STUDENT PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES, STAFFING COMPENSATION, UM, THAT

[00:50:03]

BUT AS LONG AS THESE STAY RED, AND EACH YEAR, LET ME POINT OUT THAT THESE GET MORE RED.

IF THERE'S NOT AN INCREASE IN FUNDING, THEN YES, EVERY LINE ITEM BECOMES A QUESTION MARK.

OTHER COMMENTS, MISS TIMME.

YEP.

YEAH, UM, FIRST OFF, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.

YOU SAID 51 DISTRICTS BETWEEN REGENCY AND REGIONAL. I CANNOT IMAGINE TRYING TO WRANGLE THAT MANY DISTRICTS TO AGREE ON THREE THINGS, IN A WAY. UM, SO I KNOW YOU GUYS DO REALLY GOOD WORK. I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT.

MY QUESTION IS REALLY MORE TOWARDS YOU. SO WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THAT, UM, THE PROMOTE RESPONSIBLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS, RIGHT? SO I KNOW THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR TO, LIKE, APPLY TO THE STATE, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM.

SO LET'S SAY WE GET THAT. IN RICHARDSON, WE WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE ADDRESS THE POLICY IN A WAY WE WOULD WANT IT, EVEN IF THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANTED TO BE, HAVE A STRONGER STANCE ON SOME PARTS, AND, AND REALLY I'M THINKING ABOUT AI. I UNDERSTAND WHY WE NEED THE FLEXIBILITY BECAUSE IT'S VERY DIFFERENT, BUT IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE EITHER COMFORTABLE OR UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IN OUR POLICY, RICHARDSON COULD MAKE A, COULD MAKE AN OPTION THAT WOULD FIT WITHIN THAT, THAT FLEXIBILITY WOULD ALLOW US TO DO THOSE THINGS, CORRECT? THAT IS, THAT IS OUR HOPE. SO WHAT WE'RE FEARFUL OF AND WHY WE WERE, WE FELT PRETTY, UH, WE, WE REALLY, WE HAD THE URGENCY TO INCLUDE THIS AS OUR, AS, AS PART OF OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, BECAUSE WE KNOW THIS IS GOING TO BE A CONSIDERATION, AND WHAT WE DON'T WANT THERE TO BE LEGISLATION THAT IS EQUALLY APPLIED UNILATERALLY, THAT GIVES NO DISTRICTS TO CRAFT THE ABILITY TO CREATE POLICY THAT WORKS FOR THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY.

UM, AND SO WE, WE RECOGNIZE, YES, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME LIMITS ON SCREEN TIME. AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT. UM, WE, WE IMPLEMENTED THAT FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR. SO PLEASE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO CRAFT LEGISLATION, DO IT IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS US TO, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. WHETHER THAT MEANS FOR US, WE MIGHT LIMIT IT EVEN MORE, WE MIGHT LIMIT THE ACCESS TO AI EVEN MORE THAN WHAT OUR NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBORS DO, BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME FLEXIBILITY IN ALLOWING A LOCAL BOARD TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY.

ABSOLUTELY. AND SO THEN THE DANGER OF IT NOT BEING FLEXIBLE WOULD BE THAT THEY WOULD PUT THINGS IN THERE WITH UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES CORRECT.

THAT FORCE US INTO POTENTIALLY A SITUATION WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN JUST BY THE WORDS THAT THEY CHOOSE AND THE POLICY THEY WRITE, CORRECT? CORRECT. CORRECT. SI- SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH, UM, THE BILLS THAT, THAT MR. STOCKTON BROUGHT FORWARD, IN WHICH THEY SOUND LIKE A GREAT IDEA IN PRINCIPLE, BUT WHEN THEY'RE APPLIED, MM.

THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANT RAMIFICATIONS OF IT, UM, LIKE DETERMINING WHAT SERVICES A NURSE CAN PROVIDE, AND HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE THAT AND GET THAT, AND, YOU KNOW, IT TOOK A TEA LETTER, YOU KNOW, 9 WEEKS INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR, BUT THERE'S STILL A LAW THAT DOESN'T PROVIDE THAT CLARITY.

IT'S JUST A TEA LETTER. SO THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO STAY AWAY FROM, UM, IS A, A OVER-LEGISLATED PIECE, UH, UH, BILL THAT DOES NOT GIVE US THE ABILITY TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR OUR KIDS.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YES, MISS HARRIS. DIDN'T SEE YOU ALL THE WAY OVER THERE.

SORRY.

YOU'RE JUST NOT USED TO ME BEING ON THIS SIDE. THIS IS THE NEW RIGHT SIDE.

YES, IT IS. YES, IT IS.

THE STRONG SIDE. LOVE YOU GUYS.

I REALLY JUST WANTED TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM STATED AND JUST TRY TO ELABORATE ON HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO GET BEHIND US AND SUPPORT US IN THESE PRIORITIES. IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THEM COMPLETELY OR FULLY, WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR. IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND RALLY DAY, AND I WILL TELL YOU, IT IS A MARVELOUS EVENT TO ATTEND. I'VE ATTENDED IT.

BRING YOUR KIDS, BRING YOUR FAMILIES, BRING A FRIEND. TONS OF PEOPLE ARE THERE. IT IS INCREDIBLE TO ATTEND THAT EVENT. IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND, THERE'S SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO.

THIS IS THE TIME THAT WE REALLY, REALLY NEED YOUR SUPPORT AS A COMMUNITY. EVERY DAY ON TV, WE ARE SEEING PUBLIC EDUCATION JUST GETTING PUMMELED. WE'VE GOT TO STEP UP AND DO SOMETHING.

WE'VE GOT TO HAVE OUR VOICES HEARD. SO TRUST WHEN I SAY WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU. ANYONE THAT'S LOOKING OR LISTENING, DON'T TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR HERE, PLEASE REACH OUT. WE'LL HELP YOU DEFINE WHAT IT IS THAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP US GET THERE.

[00:55:03]

AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THAT, AND THAT'S PART OF OUR, PART OF OUR FOCUS AS WE GO INTO THIS AS WELL. UM, AND I, I DID WANT TO SAY, AND MISS HARRIS, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED LOOKING AROUND ON TV AND EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW, THE COMMERCIALS WE SEE, UM, THAT ARE, THAT ALLUDE OR INFER, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE ARE SPENDING OUR MONEY AND TRYING TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO RAISE MONEY. THEY DON'T TALK ANYTHING ABOUT IT COSTS MORE EVERY YEAR TO EDUCATE KIDS. IT COSTS MORE EVERY YEAR TO RUN A SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND WE APPRECIATE THE ABC ALLOTMENT. WE APPRECIATE THEM TAKING A LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE THINGS, BUT IT'S OUTPACING, THE INCREASE IS OUTPACING ANYTHING THAT THEY'VE GIVEN OR ANYTHING THEY'VE ENTERTAINED. UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WAS TELLING SOMEBODY JUST FILLING UP WITH GAS. I DRIVE A DIESEL.

REALLY UNFORTUNATE TIME TO BE DRIVING A DIESEL THESE DAYS.

UM, BUT I MEAN, JUST WITH OUR BUS, WITH OUR BUSES AND A MILLION MILES WE PUT ON A YEAR ON THOSE VEHICLES AND THOSE FUEL COSTS, THE ABC FUND, IT'S A DROP IN THE BUCKET, YOU KNOW, THAT ALLOTMENT. SO THEY, THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS ISN'T ABOUT US JUST CUTTING. THIS IS ABOUT WE'VE GOT IT, WE'VE GOT TO GO TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LEDGER AND LOOK AT THE REVENUE PIECE TO MATCH THE ACCELERATION AND WHAT OUR EXPENSES ARE. AND I THINK, UH, MR. STOCKTON ALLUDED TO THIS AS WELL. WE DON'T GET PAID. WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO COMMIT TO THOSE EXPENSES BEFORE WE KNOW HOW MANY KIDS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IN THE DOOR FOR THAT SCHOOL YEAR. SO THAT REVENUE NEVER COMES, COMES TRUE UNTIL LATER ON WHEN WE SETTLE UP.

BY THAT TIME, THOSE EXPENSES ARE ALREADY BEEN INCURRED, AND WE'RE ON THE, WE'RE ON THE, UH, WE'RE ON THE, WE HAVE TO PAY THOSE.

SO I DON'T THINK SOMETIMES THEY UNDERSTAND DOWN THERE THE CASH FLOW CYCLE OF HOW THAT WORKS. UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT WHEN WE HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS AS WELL.

AND IF I CAN JUST ADD, MM-HMM.

UM, NOT ONLY DO WE NOT KNOW WHAT OUR ENROLLMENT WILL GOING TO BE, BUT ONCE WE HAVE OUR ENROLLMENT, WE'RE NOT PAID RIGHT.

AND DO NOT GENERATE A FULL ALLOTMENT BASED UPON THAT ENROLLMENT. IT IS BASED UPON HOW MANY DAYS A STUDENT ACTUALLY COMES TO SCHOOL. UM, SO EVEN YEAH.

WITH THAT, WE HAVE TO, THE EXPENDITURE LINE IS 100%, BUT THE REVENUE LINE MAY BE 95, 96, WHATEVER OUR ADA IS FOR THAT, THAT YEAR.

AND, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE SEE A LOT OF PRESSURE PUT ON, A LOT OF REMINDERS TO FAMILIES ON ATTENDANCE AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE YOUR KIDS IN SCHOOL. UM, PRIMARILY IT'S TO GET AN EDUCATION AND TO GROW, BUT YOU CAN'T DO THAT WHEN YOU'RE NOT IN SCHOOL.

BUT TWO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE WE, OUR REVENUE JUST TAKES A HIT EVERY TIME THAT A KID IS NOT IN SCHOOL.

AND SO, UM, BUT THE EXPENSE DOESN'T. SO ANYWAY, JUST SOME, SOME NUANCES THERE THAT WHEN YOU KIND OF MAP IT OUT, IT LOOKS VERY OBVIOUS.

SOMETIMES I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S NOT SO OBVIOUS IN OTHER, UH, FORUMS, BUT I APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT Y'ALL HAVE PUT IN.

AGAIN, WE'VE STILL GOT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. BOARD MEMBERS, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS, BECAUSE WE WILL SEE THESE AGAIN IN OCTOBER, AND WE'RE GONNA LOCK THEM DOWN IN OCTOBER AND START MOVING FORWARD WITH A GAME PLAN. SO IF YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS, THE SOONER THE BETTER TO GET WITH ANYBODY ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE OR WITH, UH, MS. BRANUM. SO, THANK YOU, MR. STOCKTON. THANK YOU, DR.

HELLER.

THANK YOU.

OKAY. DO WE WANT TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK BEFORE WE DO THE TAX PIECE ON HERE? LET'S DO JUST A QUICK, UH, 10-MINUTE BREAK, IF WE WOULD. IT'S 7:05, 7:15, WE'LL RESUME. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED AGAIN. OUR AREA SOUPS UP THERE. WHERE? I SEE T- I SEE TWO. YEAH. OKAY. ALL

[IV.C. Consider Adoption of Tax Rate for the 2026-2027 School Year ]

MISS BRANUM.

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT POTEET.

I'M INVITING, UH, MS. DAVENPORT FORWARD,

[01:00:02]

THANK YOU. UH, GOOD EVENING, BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM. TONIGHT MARKS THE FINAL STEP IN THE DISTRICT'S 26-27 BUDGET AND TAX RATE ADOPTION PROCESS. IT STARTED WITH OUR PUBLISHED NOTICE OF BUDGET AND TAX RATE, FOLLOWED BY THE BUDGET ADOPTION IN JUNE. WE'VE RECEIVED OUR CERTIFIED VALUES FROM DCAD IN JULY. WE SUBMITTED THOSE TO TEA, AND NOW WE'VE RECEIVED OUR MAXIMUM COMPRESSED RATE, AND TONIGHT WE FINALLY HAVE OUR TAX RATE ADOPTION. SOME QUICK FACTS ABOUT OUR PROPERTY TAXES. UH, WE HAVE ALMOST 66,000 PARCELS ACROSS THE DISTRICT. UH, WE ARE SPLIT CLOSE TO 81% RESIDENTIAL AND TO 19% COMMERCIAL. HOWEVER, YOU CAN SEE VALUE-WISE THAT SPLIT IS ALMOST EVEN. UH, 29% OF OUR RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNTS DO HAVE A LEVY FREEZE ON THEM, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH 2025.

THIS MEANS THAT THE TAX LEVY FOR THESE ACCOUNTS WILL NOT GO ABOVE THE AMOUNT IN PLACE, UH, WHEN THAT LEVY OR WHEN THAT CEILING WAS APPLIED. THE REAPPRAISAL THIS RATE THIS YEAR, UH, THE RATE FROM DCAD WAS ALMOST 74%. THAT IS LOWER THAN LAST YEAR, AND THEY DO APPRAISE, UH, VALUES THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THEIR EXPECTED RANGE.

FOR THE RATE ITSELF, UH, IT IS COM- PAR- COMPOSED, COMPRISED OF, EXCUSE ME, 3 COMPONENTS. UH, 2 PARTS ARE THE M&O RATE, AND THEN 1 PART IS THE I&S RATE. UH, THE FIRST PORTION WE WILL LOOK AT IS THE, UH, TIER 1 MAXIMUM COMPRESSED RATE. YOU'LL HEAR IT CALLED THE MCR OFTEN. UH, THIS COMES WHEN WE SUBMIT OUR CERTIFIED VALUES, UH, TO TEA.

FOR 2026, UH, THE TAX RATE IS 60.36 CENT. UH, THIS IS, THIS RATE IS TIED TO, TO THE STATEWIDE PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH, AND YOU WILL NOTE THIS IS A DECREASE FROM LAST YEAR.

UH, THE SECOND PART OF THE M&O RATE IS THE TIER 2 RATES. THE MAJORITY OF THESE PENNIES DO COME FROM THE TRE THE DISTRICT HAD IN 2018, AND TOGETHER, UH, THESE TWO GIVE US AN M&O RATE OF 74.19 CENTS FOR THE 2026 YEAR, WHICH IS LESS THAN THE PRIOR YEAR BY 1.33 CENTS. THE LAST COMPONENT IS OUR INTEREST IN SEEKING RATE, WHICH IS ALSO CALLED OUR DEBT SERVICE RATE.

IT IS AT 39 CENTS THIS YEAR, AND THESE FUNDS ARE USED TO PAY OUR DEBT. THIS IS UP 4 CENTS FROM LAST YEAR, AND THAT IS DUE TO THE PASSAGE OF THE 3 PROPOSITIONS FROM THE 2025 BOND ELECTION.

UM, IN ADDITION, THIS RATE WAS ALSO APPROVED AT THE AUGUST BOARD MEETING.

WITH EACH OF THESE THREE COMPONENTS, THAT DOES BRING US TO A TOTAL TAX RATE THIS YEAR OF 1.1319 CENTS PER 100 DOLLARS OF VALUATION. THIS IS 2.67 CENTS HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR YEAR RATE. UH, THE DISTRICT DOES HAVE A REMAINING 3.1 CENTS THAT WE COULD GO FOR IF WE DID DO A BETA, BUT THAT IS NOT, UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TONIGHT.

I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, MISS DAVENPORT, IF YOU'LL GO BACK JUST TO THE BOTTOM, JUST FOR OUR TAXPAYERS TO BE AWARE THAT THE M&O RATE THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING FOR THE BOARD APPROVAL IS THE LOWEST THAT WE HAD IN 42 YEARS, AND IT'S THE LOWEST TAX, TOTAL TAX RATE IN 36 YEARS.

THIS WILL GIVE YOU A PICTURE OF THAT TAX RATE HISTORY ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2001, WHEN THE RATE WAS THAT DOLLAR 50, THE M&O RATE WAS. UM, AND JUST AS MISS BRANUM SAID, WE ARE AT THE LOWEST M&O RATE THAT WE'VE HAD IN 42 YEARS. UM, WE DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT EVEN THOUGH THE RATE, UM, LOOKS DIFFERENT, INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYERS COULD EXPERIENCE SOMETHING DIFFERENT JUST DEPENDING ON THE ASPECTS OF THEIR ACCOUNT, UM, BASED ON CHANGES FROM THEIR PROPERTY OR ANY ASSESSED VALUES FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT.

AND HERE IS THE UNIQUE PORTION THAT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO US TONIGHT. UH, THIS IS THE MOTION LANGUAGE THAT SHOULD BE IN FRONT OF YOU, PORTION OF THE MOTION LANGUAGE AT LEAST. AND SO THIS, THE READING OF THIS AND THE PASSAGE OF THIS, UM, IS PRESCRIBED BY CODE. UH, THE LANGUAGE, IT'S, I'M SORRY, EXCUSE ME, SECTION 26.05 OF THE TEXAS TAX CODE, AND IT'S CALCULATED COMPARING THE PROPOSED TAX RATE TO WHAT IS CALLED THE NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE. AND THIS NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE, AS SIMILAR TO PRIOR YEARS, IS A STATE-MANDATED CALCULATION WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO. IT IS NOT AN ADOPTED TAX RATE, AND IT IS NOT USED IN THE STATE FUNDING FORMULA.

IT IS TRULY USED FOR THE CALCULATION OF THIS LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF YOU. UH, WHEN WE DO ADOPT THIS RATE TONIGHT, UH, WE WILL THEN PREPARE OUR TAX STATEMENTS, AND THOSE WILL GO OUT NEXT MONTH. AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

[01:05:01]

OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT, AND WE'LL GET TO THE QUESTIONS HERE IN A SECOND. IS THERE A MOTION FROM THE BOARD? YES, MR. POTEET. I MOVE THAT THE PROPERTY TAX RATE BE INCREASED BY THE ADOPTION OF A TAX RATE OF $1.1319, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 6.75% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE. AS PART OF THIS MOTION, I ALSO MOVE THAT THE DISTRICT ADOPT AN INTEREST IN SINKING FUND TAX RATE OF 39 CENTS PER 100 DOLLARS OF VALUATION AND A MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TAX RATE OF 74.19 CENTS PER 100 DOLLARS OF VALUATION, FOR A TOTAL TAX RATE OF 1 DOLLAR AND 13.19 CENTS PER 100 DOLLARS OF VALUATION.

THANK YOU FOR THAT MOTION.

BOARD, IS THERE A SECOND? SO MOVED.

THANK YOU, MISS HARRIS. OKAY, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD ON THIS MOTION? YES, SIR. MR. EAGER.

YOU KNOW, I, I GUESS YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION, BUT I'VE SEEN THAT THERE IS SOME COMMENTARY ABOUT ELIMINATING PROPERTY TAXES ALTOGETHER. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OR THOUGHTS ON HOW WE WOULD FUND OUR OPERATIONS WITHOUT ANY OF THIS INCOME? I- IT'S ALREADY VERY COMPLICATED TO FUND OUR OPERATIONS WITH WHAT WE DO HAVE, AND SO ELIMINATING THAT ENTIRELY WOULD, UM, PROBABLY ENCOURAGE MANY CFOS TO RESIGN. IT'S A VERY, UH, DIFFICULT PART. SO I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY WOULD DO IT, BUT, UM, WE WILL FIND OUT, UM, IN A FEW MONTHS.

I WOULD SAY PROBABLY SUPERINTENDENTS TOO.

SUPERINTENDENTS.

OKAY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY. WITH THAT, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. OKAY, AND THAT MOTION PASSES 6 TO AGAIN, MISS DAVENPORT, THANK YOU TO YOU THANK YOU.

AND YOUR TEAM WHO WORKED 8

[IV.D. Consider Classroom Waivers ]

ALL RIGHT, OUR NEXT ACTION ITEM IS TO CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF CLASSROOM WAIVERS. MISS BRANUM.

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT POTEET.

THIS IS AN ANNUAL ITEM THAT WE BRING FORWARD FOR THE BOARD AS REQUIRED BY STATUTE. UH, DR. GIBBINS IS NOT HERE THIS EVENING, AND ON HIS BEHALF, DR. GOODSON IS GOING TO PROVIDE TONIGHT'S INFORMATION.

YES, THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM. UH, WE'RE GONNA GET THE CLICKER HERE IN JUST A SECOND. I'M HAPPY TO, UH, THANK YOU, MS. TRASSO, PRESENT ON DR. GIBBINS' BEHALF.

WE CAN SWITCH TO THE OTHER PRESENTATION. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO, GOOD EVENING, BOARD.

WE'RE, I'M HAPPY TO PRESENT A BRIEF UPDATE ON ENROLLMENT OVERFLOW AND THEN OUR ANNUAL WAIVER PROCESS THAT WE CONDUCT EVERY YEAR. UM, AS YOU'VE HEARD EARLIER, OUR ENROLLMENT IS REALLY A BIG PART OF WHY WE FOCUS ON EVERY TEACHER, EVERY LEADER, EVERY CHILD, EVERY DAY, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WHEN THOSE STUDENTS COME THROUGH THOSE DOORS, UH, OUR FOCUS IS ON THEM, AND, AND REALLY IN PARTICULAR TO HELP US WORK TO TOWARD THAT NORTH STAR GOAL OF EVERY STUDENT, TEACHER, AND LEADER WILL MEET OR EXCEED THEIR ACADEMIC GROWTH GOALS.

IT'S JUST SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THE ENROLLMENT WHERE WE REALLY, UM, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THOSE STUDENTS ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. SO JUST BRIEFLY, UM, GIVING YOU A LITTLE SNAPSHOT OF OUR CURRENT ENROLLMENT FROM SEPTEMBER 11TH OF 2026.

THE TOTAL ENROLLMENT IS 35,115. ELEMENTARY, UH, ENROLLMENT IS AT 18,985, AND SECONDARY ENROLLMENT IS AT 16,130. HISTORICALLY, COMPARE- COMPARING THIS, UM, ENROLLMENT, WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE 3 PRIOR YEARS AND COMPARE TO THE SNAPSHOT DATE, WHICH IS THE LAST FRIDAY IN OCTOBER WHEN WE SUBMIT OUR DATA TO TEA. SO YOU CAN SEE THERE IN 2023, WE WERE JUST OVER 37,000. IN 2024, WE WERE JUST UNDER 37,000, AND THEN FOR 2025, WE WERE AROUND 36,230.

SO AS WE TALK ABOUT OVERFLOW, THE DEFINITION OF OVERFLOW FOR RICHARDSON ISD IS REALLY WHEN, UH, IT OCCURS WHEN A CAMPUS REACHES AND A CLASSROOM AT A CAMPUS REACHES THE CAP OF 22 TO 1 IN K THROUGH 4, AND THEN WE ACTUALLY HAVE A SELF-IMPOSED, UH, STUDENT-TEACHER RATIO CAP OF 28 TO 1. SO ONCE THAT CLASSROOM AT A GIVEN CAMPUS HITS 23 OR, UH, 29, WE TAKE A LOOK AT A PROCESS OF FINDING SPACE AT A CAMPUS FOR THAT FAMILY THAT'S SOMEWHERE NEARBY, UM, AND THEN THAT WAY THE STUDENTS WILL BE ENROLLED AT THAT SCHOOL THAT HAS SPACE

[01:10:01]

ULTIMATELY, THE FOCUS IS TO REALLY PROVIDE A SMOOTH TRANSITION FOR THE STUDENTS AND THE FAMILY SO THAT THEY CAN STAY ENROLLED IN THE DISTRICT AND BE AT A SCHOOL WHERE THEY CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE AND HAVE A QUALITY EDUCATION. SO CURRENTLY OUR SNAPSHOT, AGAIN, USING SEPTEMBER 11TH AS THE SNAPSHOT DATE, WE HAVE ENROLLED, OH, UM, LET'S SEE, 67 STUDENTS WHO ARE CONTINUE TO BE ENROLLED IN RICHARDSON ISD. THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF CAMPUSES THAT ARE SENDING OVERFLOW OUT, UH, ARE PRESTONWOOD AND DOVER, AND THEN THE 2 CAMPUSES THAT ARE RECEIVING THE MOST OVERFLOW FOR BILINGUAL STUDENTS IS HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY, AND THEN FOR MONOLINGUAL IS WALLACE ELEMENTARY. NOW, ALTHOUGH WE STILL HAVE THOSE CAMPUSES AS OUR HIGHEST SENDING AND RECEIVING, AGAIN, THE OVERALL NUMBER IS 67, AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE WITH THE HISTORY OF OUR OVERFLOWS, THAT IS STILL DRASTICALLY LOWER THAN PRIOR YEARS, WHERE WE HAVE HOVERED ANYWHERE FROM 130 TO ALMOST 180. SO WHEN WE HIT THE OVERFLOW PROCESS, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE FAMILY, IT'S IN THE FAMILY'S BEST INTEREST AND THE STUDENT'S BEST INTEREST FOR THEM TO STAY AT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL.

SOMETIMES IT MIGHT BE A SIBLING THAT'S IN ONE GRADE LEVEL THAT NEEDS TO BE OVERFLOWED, BUT THE REST OF THE FAMILY IS IN A GRADE LEVEL THAT HAS SPACE, AND WE REALLY WANT TO DO WHAT'S IN THAT FAMILY'S AND STUDENT'S BEST INTEREST.

AND SO THAT'S WHEN WE WILL UNDERTAKE THE WAIVER PROCESS.

AND SO IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHEN A SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS A CLASSROOM THAT IS OVER THE 22 TO 1 CAP IN GRADES PRE-K THROUGH 4, THE DISTRICT CAN INITIATE THE, UH, WAIVER PROCESS BY REVIEWING THE CLASS SIZE AND TAKING A LOOK ACROSS THE DISTRICT TO SEE IF THERE'S SPACE. UH, IF THERE'S NOT SPACE, THEN THEY WILL BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR A CLASS SIZE WAIVER. UH, ONE THING THAT WE WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY IS THAT THE CLASS SIZE LIMITS, THAT 22 TO 01, REALLY ONLY APPLY TO THE HOMEROOMS. THEY DON'T APPLY TO THINGS LIKE SPECIAL AREA OR OTHER EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. AND SO FOR RICHARDSON ISD, THE PROCESS IS FOR THE PRINCIPAL AND THE AREA SUPERINTENDENTS TO REALLY COLLABORATE AND DETERMINE IF INCREASING THAT CLASS SIZE BY THAT ONE ADDITIONAL STUDENT, OR IN SOME CASES TWO, TO, UH, REQUIRE US TO APPLY FOR THAT WAIVER. AND ACTUALLY, I ALSO WANT TO WORK IN THERE, THERE'S ALSO CONVERSATION WITH THE CLASSROOM TEACHER AS WELL.

SO IT'S NOT A SITUATION WHERE THE CAMPUS AD OR CENTRAL ADMIN IS MAKING A DECISION AND JUST PUTTING A WAIVER AT A C- AT THE CAMPUS OR IN THE CLASSROOM. THE TEACHER IS A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION TOO.

BUT ULTIMATELY, WE WANT TO MAKE THE DECISION THAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE STUDENTS. AND SO FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WHAT WE'RE BRINGING TO YOU TONIGHT, UM, IS A REQUEST TO APPLY FOR 5 TOTAL CLASSROOM WAIVERS. AND SO IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU HAVE A HARD COPY OF THE ACTUAL REPORT WITH THE INDIVIDUAL CAMPUSES AND THE WAIVERS THAT WE'RE REQUESTING FOR THEM. WE HAVE 2 FOR AUDELIA CREEK, 1 FOR DOVER, 1 FOR MERRIMAN PARK, AND 1 FOR WALLACE ELEMENTARY. AND THE REASON FOR THOSE REQUESTED WAIVERS ARE ALL FOR FACILITIES.

THANK YOU, DR. GOODSON. AND WITH THAT, I DO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZE, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION TO SEEK A CLASS SIZE EXCEPTION FOR THE SECTIONS THAT EXCEED THE CLASS SIZE LIMIT ESTABLISHED BY THE STATE, AS DETAILED IN TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION.

BOARD, DO I HAVE A MOTION? SECOND.

EXCELLENT, MR. EAGER, THANK YOU. DO I HAVE A SECOND? A SECOND.

THANK YOU, MISS TIMME. ALL RIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE MOTION OR ANY OF THIS DATA? YES, MISS TIMME.

YEAH, I JUST WANT TO SAY, UM, I, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS LOOK AT THE WHOLE SITUATION OF A CHILD, NOT JUST AT A STRICTLY NUMBERS POSITION, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT MAKES MOST SENSE FOR THE FAMILY VERSUS, UM, YOU KNOW, ONLY JUST MOVING NUMBERS AROUND BECAUSE IT, THAT IT HAS AN IMPACT. AND LISTEN, I, AND, AND IF WHEN STUDENTS DO HAVE TO OVERFLOW INTO OTHER AREAS, IT'S OFTEN NOT SOMETHING THAT THE FAMILY WANTS, AND SO THOSE PRINCIPALS, I KNOW, REALLY GO ABOVE AND BEYOND, AND THE TEACHERS AT THE CA- THE RECEIVING CAMPUS TO MAKE THEM FEEL WELCOME. AND SO I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED THAT. WHEN I WAS A PRINCIPAL, WE HAD THAT HAPPEN.

MM-HMM.

I WAS, I OVERFLOWED KIDS AND I RECEIVED KIDS AS WELL, AND IT WAS JUST SO IMPORTANT THAT IT WAS, YOU MAKE THE BE- YOU MAKE FAMILY FEEL THE BEST THEY CAN IN THE SITUATION THAT THEY'RE IN.

YES.

UM, AND TO THE TEACHERS WHO TAKE ON EXTRA STUDENTS, I MEAN, THERE'S JUST LOTS OF MOVING PARTS HERE, AND I ALWAYS APPRECIATE THE WAY WE APPROACH IT WITH THE KINDNESS OF, UM, THE HUMANS THAT ARE INVOLVED VERSUS THE NUMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE. SO THAT WAS ALL I WANTED TO SAY. WE APPRECIATE THAT.

NO, I, I SO APPRECIATE THAT, AND I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT IT IS A CULTURE THAT WAS ESTABLISHED, YOU KNOW, GENERATIONS OF LEADERS, MM.

LIKE WHEN YOU WERE A PRINCIPAL, THAT HAVE CREATED THAT EXPECTATION THAT WHEN WE, WHEN WE DO HAVE TO MANAGE ENROLLMENT, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT WITH AN ABSOLUTE PUTTING THE KIDS FIRST AND ALSO SUPPORTING TEACHERS THAT ARE IMPACTED. I ALSO WANT TO JUST POINT OUT THAT WHEN WE DO OVERFLOW A STUDENT TO A NEW CAMPUS, THAT WE WILL WORK WITH THAT FAMILY THE NEXT YEAR TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY.

[01:15:01]

THAT'S SO GREAT. I ALSO WANT TO ADD TOO, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT MR. STOCKTON WAS SAYING IN THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, IS LIKE KIDS MOVE IN AND MOVE AROUND, YOU DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, AND SO YOU TRY TO STAFF THE BEST YOU CAN, AND SOMETIMES THESE THINGS HAPPEN BECAUSE THERE'S UNSP- UNEXPECTED ENROLLMENT OR, OR DECLINE IN ENROLLMENT FOR WHATEVER THAT REASON IS.

SO I KNOW IT'S LIKE A BUNCH OF PUZZLE PIECES WITH FAMILIES AND REAL FEELINGS AND, AND, AND S- YOU KNOW, LEGISLATION THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW, AND SO JUST APPRECIATE THE, THE JOB THE DISTRICT DOES TO TRY TO MINIMIZE THAT AND ALSO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S TAKEN CARE OF.

THINK IF ONLY THE KIDS MOVED IN LITTLE BOXES OF 22.

OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES, MS. MCGOWAN.

UM, LOOKING AT THIS SPREADSHEET HERE, WHERE IT SAYS THEY'RE GETTING 2 TOTAL BECAUSE OF FACILITIES. DOES THAT MEAN THEY'RE GETTING 1 NEW FIRST-GRADE CLASS, 1 NEW THIRD-GRADE CLASS? AND WHEN IT SAYS FACILITIES, WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN? IT'S, IT, THEY'RE NOT GETTING A WHOLE CLASS; THEY'RE GETTING 1 STUDENT. SO IT MIGHT BE THAT IN FIRST GRADE, FOR EXAMPLE, MR. POTEET'S CLASS, HE ALREADY HAS 22 STUDENTS, BUT IN ORDER, THAT STUDENT MAY HAVE OLDER SIBLINGS, AND THAT TEACHER AND THAT PRINCIPAL MAY KNOW THAT STUDENT WELL, AND THEY SAY, "NO, I KNOW I CAN GROW THAT STUDENT. I WANT TO KEEP THEM IN MY CLASS, AND I'M OKAY IF IT'S 23 TO 1," AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE SUBMITTING THE WAIVER. BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT FISCALLY POSSIBLE, NOR IS IT LIKELY THAT WE CAN FIND, LET'S SAY, THAT STUDENT MOVED IN AND IT'S THE THIRD DAY OF SCHOOL, AND WE'RE ADDING THAT 23RD STUDENT TO OPEN UP ANOTHER SECTION. WE MAY NOT HAVE THE FACILITY TO OPEN UP THAT SECTION, NOR DO WE NECESSARILY HAVE THE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO THEN SPREAD OUT ALL OF THOSE KIDS TO ONE MORE SECTION, AND NOR IS IT LIKELY THAT WE'RE GOING TO FIND A HIGH-QUALITY CERTIFIED TEACHER ONCE THE SCHOOL YEAR HAS STARTED AS WELL.

YES, MISS BURNEY.

UM, SO WHAT ARE THE CLASS RATIOS AFTER THE PLACEMENT IN THESE CLASSROOMS? IS IT JUST BY ONE MORE, SO LIKE 23 TO 1? YES, MA'AM. EACH WAIVER IS BASICALLY ONE EXTRA STUDENT IN THAT ONE PARTICULAR GRADE LEVEL IN THAT CLASSROOM. THAT'S IT.

THANK YOU. JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY. FIRST GRADE, WAS I THE, WERE YOU REFERRING TO ME AS A STUDENT OR THE TEACHER? THE TEACHER.

OH, OKAY, ALL RIGHT. I THOUGHT IT WAS STUDENT.

OR MAYBE EITHER.

JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR ON THAT. ALL RIGHT, THANKS FOR THE DIALOGUE. UM, WE HAVE A MOTION TO CONSIDER. WE HAVE A SECOND. SO ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. OKAY, AND THAT MOTION PASSES 6 TO 0.

[IV.E. Consider Resolution of Remembrance and Appreciation Honoring the Life & Legacy of the Honorable Linda Lorraine Griffin ]

SO WE WANTED TO JUST MAKE A RESOLUTION AS A BOARD, UM, KIND OF AS AN HONOR TO HER SINCE WE ALL, UH, WE ALL HAD, HAD WORKED WITH HER, AND SOME MORE THAN OTHERS. AND I WANTED TO HAVE MISS HARRIS SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE HAD I NEED TO MAKE THE MOTION.

YOU NEED TO MAKE THE MOTION FIRST? OKAY, MAKE THE MOTION, THEN MISS HARRIS, YOU'RE UP, SO.

THANK YOU. UH, THE SUPER- I DO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION TO HONOR THE LIFE AND THE LEGACY OF GARLAND ISD BOARD MEMBER, THE HONORABLE MRS. LINDA LORRAINE GRIFFIN.

OKAY, WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION THERE. UM, WHY DON'T I READ THE RESOLUTION, AND THEN LET'S DO A, UH, LET'S GET A, THE MOTIONS THERE, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A SECOND, AND THEN MISS HARRIS, IF YOU WOULD SAY A COUPLE WORDS AFTER THAT. SO THE RESOLUTION IS: WHEREAS THE RICHARDSON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT ACKNOWLEDGES THE PASSING OF GARLAND ISD'S BOARD OF TRUSTEE MEMBER, THE HONORABLE MRS. LINDA LORRAINE. WHEREAS IN MAY 1998, LINDA GRIFFIN MADE HISTORY WHEN SHE WAS ELECTED AS A GARLAND ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES, BECOMING THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO SERVE AS A SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE IN GARLAND ISD. FOR 28 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO

[01:20:02]

OKAY, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

THANK YOU, MISS MCGOWAN. ALL RIGHT, MISS HARRIS, I KNOW YOU'D WORKED WITH HER BEFORE.

CAN YOU GIVE US A FEW, FEW WORDS? I WILL, I WILL. UH, SO, TRUSTEE LINDA GRIFFIN WAS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH. IF YOU KNEW HER, YOU KNEW HER WHEN SHE WALKED THROUGH THAT DOOR. SHE MADE SURE THAT YOU KNEW SHE WAS THERE. SHE MADE SURE THAT YOU KNEW SHE SPENT 28 YEARS ON THE GARLAND ISD SCHOOL BOARD BECAUSE SHE WAS A GREAT RESOURCE. AS SOON AS MISS GRIFFIN LEARNED THAT I WAS ON THIS BOARD, SHE REACHED OUT TO ME IMMEDIATELY, AND HER BIG THING WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE MENTORED ME IN A WAY THAT I WAS COMFORTABLE HERE IN THIS DAIS, AND THAT I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I WAS DOING WHEN I GOT INTO THIS BOARD POSITION.

UM, SHE WAS A COLLEAGUE, SHE WAS A MENTOR, AND SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY A FRIEND THAT I WILL MISS. AND AS, UM, PRESIDENT POTEET STATED, IN THIS POSITION AS A TRUSTEE, WHAT MANY PEOPLE DON'T SEE IS THE MANY THINGS THAT WE DO OUTSIDE OF THIS ROOM. WE ARE AT CONFERENCES, WE ARE AT SCHOOLS, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATING WITH ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE STATE. AND SO YOU TEND TO BUILD REALLY FIRM RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THIS BOARD AS WELL, AND SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. SHE WAS A HUGE ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN. HER MOTTO WAS ABC, ALWAYS BENEFITING CHILDREN.

ALWAYS BENEFITING CHILDREN. WE WILL ALWAYS, ALL OF US WILL MISS MISS GRIFFIN.

TRUST ME, SHE PUT A, A HUGE IMPACT ON EVERYBODY'S LIVES THAT SHE WALKED INTO. SO SHE WILL BE MISSED, AND I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, PRESIDENT POTEET, FOR ALLOWING ME TO SAY A FEW THINGS ABOUT MY FRIEND, MY COLLEAGUE, MY MENTOR, MISS LINDA GRIFFIN.

ONE, I, I WILL JUST ADD THAT SHE, UM, SHE'S LIKE EVERYONE'S AUNTIE, AND SHE WAS THE FIRST ONE WHO, IF SHE, IF, IF SHE SAW THAT YOU WERE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT, SHE WAS THE FIRST ONE TO TELL YOU, "KEEP GOING, LIKE, THAT'S AMAZING." AND THEN WHEN SHE FELT LIKE YOU WERE MAKING A, A WRONG TURN, SHE WOULD ALSO BE THE FIRST ONE TO CALL YOU OUT, AND EVEN AS A, A PEER DISTRICT, THERE WERE MANY TIMES WHEN WE WOULD BE AT A CONFERENCE OR I WOULD SEE HER AT A MEETING, AND SHE WOULD GRAB ME BY THE SHOULDERS, AND SHE WOULD CELEBRATE WORK THAT WE WERE DOING, OR SHE WOULD GIVE ME ADVICE, OR SHE WOULD TELL ME, SHE'S LIKE, "THIS IS HOW YOU NEED TO LEAD THAT BOARD. GET ON IT." UM, AND SHE WAS NEVER AFRAID TO MINCE WORDS BECAUSE OUR KIDS DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR, FOR ANYTHING BUT, BUT DOING WHAT'S RIGHT FOR KIDS. UM, AND SO SHE IS, SHE IS A LEGEND. WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND HER MEMORIAL SERVICE AND

[01:25:01]

READING RESOLUTIONS. 2 HOURS READING RESOLUTIONS FROM ALL OVER THE CITY OF DALLAS. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT.

YES, ABSOLUTELY, AND SHE WILL BE MISSED, BUT I THINK, UH, I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT HER IMPACT, UM, WILL BE AROUND FOR A LONG TIME. SO WITH THAT, UM, IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. AND

[IV.F. Consider and Approve Certification of Compliance with Certain Laws under Texas Education Code 39.008, as enacted by Senate Bill 12 ]

THANK YOU. OUR NEXT ACTION ITEM IS TO CONSIDER AND APPROVE THE CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH CERTAIN LAWS UNDER TEXAS EDUCATION CODE 39.008 AS ENACTED BY SENATE BILL 12.

MISS BRANUM.

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT POTEET. I HAVE ASKED MISS MCGOWAN TO PROVIDE, PROVIDE TONIGHT'S INFORMATION AND THE, UH, REQUIREMENT FOR THIS CERTIFICATION. SO, MISS MCGOWAN.

THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. UH, THE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT IS PART OF THE REQUIREMENT FROM SENATE BILL 12 FROM THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION. WE'VE HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT BILL TONIGHT, AND THROUGHOUT THE PAST YEAR, THIS BOARD HAS MADE UPDATES TO A NUMBER OF POLICIES, ALL OF THAT REALLY WORKING TOWARD, OF COURSE, NOT ONLY COMPLYING WITH THOSE NEW LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AND GETTING OUR POLICIES UP TO DATE, BUT BEING READY TO BE PREPARED FOR MAKING THIS CERTIFICATION.

AND WHAT THE BILL ACTUALLY REQUIRED IS THAT EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE STATE CERTIFY COMPLIANCE WITH PROVISIONS OF THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE REGARDING INSTRUCTION AND DEI DUTIES, AND THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL HAVE TO MAKE THAT CERTIFICATION ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT BY SEPTEMBER 30TH. YOU ALL HAVE A COPY OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE SUPERINTENDENT TO PROVIDE THAT CERTIFICATION.

IT GETS UPLOADED TO TEA SYSTEM AND CERTIFYING THAT THE BOARD DID DO THIS CERTIFICATION AND VOTED IN A PUBLIC MEETING, THAT THERE WAS A PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS, BUT ALSO THAT WE HAVE COMPLETED THE TEA CERTIFICATION FORM. THAT IS A FORM THAT WAS CREATED BY THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. SO FOR ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU'LL SEE A SIMILAR DOCUMENT BECAUSE WE'VE ALL HAD TO COMPLETE THE SAME THING.

AND AS THE CERTIFICATION FORM INDICATES, IT GOES THROUGH THE POLICIES THAT WE'VE UPDATED, BUT ALSO HOW WE'VE COMMUNICATED THE PROHIBITIONS OUTLINED IN SENATE BILL 12, NOT ONLY TO OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT TO CONTRACTORS AS WELL THAT WE WORK WITH, AND THAT INCLUDES THINGS BY LIKE MAKING SURE OUR EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK WAS UPDATED, OUR CONTRACT STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS WERE UPDATED AS WELL. SO I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE SUPERINTENDENT THANK YOU.

TO MAKE THE FORMAL RECOMMENDATION.

THANK YOU, MISS MCGOWAN, FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. I DO AFFIRM THAT RISD IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH TEXAS EDUCATION CODE CHAPTER 11.005 AND 28.0022, AND I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AND CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE AND AUTHORIZE ME TO SUBMIT THE DOCUMENTATION TO THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION. THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, THE SUMMARY, MISS MCGOWAN. IS THERE A MOTION FROM THE BOARD? SO MOVED.

ALL RIGHT, MISS BURNEY. UM, IS THERE A SECOND? CAN I GET A SECOND? OKAY, SECOND.

OKAY, THANK YOU, MR. EAGER.

OKAY, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS CERTIFICATION? OKAY. I WILL SAY, UH, WE MET WITH THE BOY SCOUTS BEFOREHAND, AND ONE OF THEIR QUESTIONS WAS WHAT KIND OF TRAINING, WHAT KIND OF QUALIFICATIONS WE HAD TO HAVE AS TRUSTEES IN THIS, AND I KEPT THINKING BACK TO PART OF THIS CERTIFICATION, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, INCLUDED THE 5-HOUR TRAINING THAT EACH OF US HAD TO DO IN THE LAST MONTH, UM,

[01:30:02]

EVERY YEAR AFTER. SO, YES, SO WE ARE QUALIFIED, AND NOW WE WILL BE CERTIFIED.

SO, THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL

[IV.G. Proposal to Terminate Employment Contract of Michael Ralph Fouse Pursuant to Chapter 21 of the Texas Education Code ]

THAT MOTION PASSES 6-0. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN ACTION ITEM TO TERMINATE THE EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT OF MICHAEL FOUSE, PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 21 OF THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE. MS. BRANUM.

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT POTEET. I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION TO TERMINATE THE TERM CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT OF THE EMPLOYEE IDENTIFIED ON EXHIBIT A, ATTACHED HERETO FOR GOOD CAUSE, AND AUTHORIZE NOTIFICATION TO THE AFFECTED EMPLOYEE OF THE BOARD'S PROPOSED ACTION.

OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION. IS THERE A MOTION FROM THE BOARD? SO MOVED.

THANK YOU, MISS TIMME. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

THANK YOU, MISS HARRIS. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS MOTION? NONE. OKAY.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. OKAY,

[IV.H. Review District Improvement Plan ]

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT POTEET.

WE ARE EXCITED TO BRING FORWARD THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT OUR CENTRAL OFFICE TEAM HAS DONE REALLY SINCE JUNE, UH, REALLY AFTER THE FIRST DAY OF THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, WE BEGAN WORKING ON WHAT DO WE DO THIS YEAR, UM, IN 26, 27 TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC OUTCOMES, IMPROVE THE CULTURE AND CLIMATE, IMPROVE OUR RETENTION RATES, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR OUR STUDENTS, OUR STAFF, OUR PARENTS, AND OUR COMMUNITY. AND MISS BATES HAS LED THIS PROCESS THIS YEAR, SO SHE'S GOING TO KICK OFF OUR PRESENTATION, AND I BELIEVE OTHER MEMBERS OF CABINET ARE GOING TO CHIME IN AS WELL. SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MRS. BATES.

THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM AND BOARD, AND I REALIZED I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT PUT MY NAME ON MY SLIDE, SO, UM, BUT IT REALLY IS THE COLLECTIVE WORK OF THE CABINET. SO, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO START OFF WITH THE, JUST THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS THAT SECTION 11.25 OF THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE MANDATES THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ENSURES A DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND INDIVIDUAL CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PLANS ARE DEVELOPED, REVIEWED, AND REVISED ANNUALLY TO ENHANCE STUDENT PERFORMANCE.

THE OTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THAT THE BOARD MUST APPROVE DISTRICT AND CAMPUS PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES EACH YEAR. SO TONIGHT YOU'RE GOING TO GET A LITTLE TASTE OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, UM, AS AN INFORMATION ITEM, AND THEN WE'LL BE BRINGING THAT FORWARD TO YOU NEXT MONTH. AND THEN JUST THE PLAN STANDARDS THAT UNDER CHAPTER 4 OF THE EDUCATION CODES THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO BE MUTUALLY SUPPORTIVE IN ACHIEVING OBJECTIVES AT A MINIMUM ALIGNED WITH THE GOALS OUTLINED IN CHAPTER 4. OKAY, AS ALWAYS, THIS IS WHERE WE ANCHOR ALL OF OUR WORK. YOU, YOU SEE THIS IN ALL OF OUR POWERPOINT SLIDE, THAT THERE ARE NORTH STAR GOAL WHERE EVERY STUDENT, TEACHER, AND LEADER WILL MEET OR EXCEED THEIR ACADEMIC GOALS. AND THIS IS OUR TRUE NORTH STAR. OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN IS OUR GOAL-SETTING DOCUMENT, AND WHERE WE ENSURE THAT THIS IS EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COME, UM, MAKE THIS COME ALIVE ON OUR CAMPUSES AND WITHIN OUR DISTRICT. SO THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE GRAPHICS THAT REPRESENTS CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. AS ALWAYS, WE ARE ALWAYS, UH, STRIVING FOR THAT 100%. SO IF WE ARE NOT AT 100%, WE ARE ALWAYS IN CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. AND SO, AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE GRAPHIC, THE NORTH STAR GOAL IS SITS AT THE TOP BECAUSE THAT DRIVES ALL THE WORK. WE HAVE OUR GRADUATE PROFILE, WHICH, UM, OUR STUDENTS, UH, YOU WILL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A LITTLE BIT WHERE THEY CHOOSE THEIR GOALS FROM, AS WELL AS THE STRATEGIC PLAN.

THEN FROM THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WE DEVELOP OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN, OUR CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PLANS, AND THEN WHAT STRATEGIES WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THOSE GOALS, WHICH IN TURN ARE YOUR BOARD, THE BOARD GOALS THAT THE OUTCOMES THAT YOU HAVE SET FOR US EACH YEAR. AND THEN THE OUTSIDE OF THE CIRCLE IS WHAT, UM, REALLY IS WHAT DRIVES THIS PROCESS. I ALWAYS LOVE WHAT, UH, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM SAYS ABOUT UNCONTROLLED VARIATION IS THE ENEMY OF EXCELLENCE. SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THESE GO- GOALS ARE ALIGNED SO PEOPLE ARE NOT JUST MAKING RANDOM GOALS TO, TO MEET, UM, OBJECTIVES THAT DON'T ALIGN TO THE NORTH STAR GOAL. UM, BUT THEN WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT DATA, UH, TO ENSURE THAT IF WE NEED TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ALONG THE WAY, BECAUSE EVEN WHEN YOU'RE GOAL-SETTING, YOU HAVE TO ALWAYS LOOK ABOUT, LOOK AT WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT'S NOT, AND THAT IS THE PROCESS THAT WE WILL FOLLOW THROUGH THE REST OF THE YEAR. AND THEN THE LAST BULLET IS PROBABLY THE, THE STRONGEST ONE. THIS WORK IS OUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY.

SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM CHARGES OUR TEAM THAT EVERYBODY'S RESPONSIBILITY IS STUDENT

[01:35:02]

SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR WITH ALL OF US.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT A NUMBER; IT IS ABOUT THE GROWTH IN ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE STRIVE FOR, AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES WITH THIS GOAL. RISD WILL REIMAGINE THE WAY WE RECRUIT AND RETAIN QUALITY STAFF THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY.

THIS GOAL, YOU WILL HEAR FROM DR. HR AND HIS TEAM. WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB WITH OUR STRATEGY OR OUR COMPENSATION PLAN, SO WE WANT TO RECRUIT THEM, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE NEED TO RETAIN THEM BECAUSE THE, UH, BIGGEST INDICATION OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IS QUALITY TEACHERS IN FRONT OF OUR STUDENTS. GOAL 03, WE WILL RE- WE WILL ESTABLISH SYSTEMS FOR CURRICULUM AND LEARNING EXPERIENCES WHICH SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL GROWTH OF OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF.

DR. LEEPER AND HER TEAM REALLY, UM, THIS IS THE GOAL THAT THEY WORK ON, AND THIS IS WHERE THE HEART AND SOUL OF OUR DISTRICT IS TEACHING AND LEARNING OF OUR STUDENTS. GOAL FOUR, WE WILL CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENSURE ENGAGEMENT WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN RISD. DR. HELLER AND HER TEAM WITH STRATEGY AND ENGAGEMENT AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THIS IS TRULY A PARTNERSHIP, NOT JUST WITHIN OUR DISTRICT, BUT WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE.

AND THEN FINALLY, THE, WE WILL INCREASE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN OPERATIONS AND PERSONNEL AND SEEK ADDITIONAL FISCAL RESOURCES. SO THIS IS ALL ABOUT OUR, UM, FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE WITH OUR BONDS. OKAY, NEXT THING I WANT TO JUST WALK YOU THROUGH THE TIMELINE. AS SUPER BRAN- SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM SAID, WE STARTED THIS BACK IN THE SPRING WITH THIS WORK.

THAT WAS OUR KICKOFF MEETING WITH OUR DISTRICT PLANNING COMMITTEE. THEN AFTER WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLA- PLAN FROM 25, 26 AND SEEING WHAT WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T WORK, SOME OF THE ADJUSTMENT WE NEEDED TO M- MAKE, THEN WE WENT TO EACH OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, AND WE WERE CHARGED TO BRING FORWARD A DRAFT TO SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM ABOUT HOW WE ARE DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY. WHAT UPGRADES ARE WE MAKING TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST ALWAYS DOING THE SAME THING WE DO FROM YEAR TO YEAR, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THAT WON'T ACHIEVE THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE SEEKING. SO THE FIRST DRAFT WAS DUE BEFORE WE LEFT FOR MATH BREAK. THEN WE CAME BACK ON JULY 9TH, AND WE BROUGHT THAT, THOSE PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE AND THOSE STRATEGIES TO OUR CENTRAL CONNECTS TEAM TO MAKE SURE WE WERE TRULY LOOKING AT OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN, THAT IT WAS REALLY GOING TO MEET THE GOALS OF EACH DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS, UM, ENSURE THAT WE WERE REACHING GROWTH. THEN WE MOVED TO JULY 14TH AND 16TH. THAT'S WHEN OUR PRINCIPALS CAME BACK, AND WE GATHERED, AND THAT'S WHEN THEY BEGAN THEIR CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESS. THAT'S WHEN THEY GOT ALL THE DATA THEY NEED. NOW, SOME OF IT WASN'T COMPLETE FROM THE STATE, BUT THEY HAD ENOUGH TO WORK IT, THEY COULD START THEIR PLANS.

AND THEN SEPTEMBER 8TH AND 9TH, WE HAD OUR DISTRICT PLANNING COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS A VERY IMPORTANT COMMITTEE TO GIVE US FEEDBACK ON OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN. AND THEN THAT IS WHAT THEN WE WILL BE BRINGING TO YOU TONIGHT.

I'LL GIVE YOU SOME RESULTS OF THAT, AS WELL AS THEN WHAT WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR IN OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT WE'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD TO YOU ON OCTOBER 15TH FOR BOARD APPROVAL. OKAY, SO OUR PLAN DEVELOPMENT, UM, THIS JUST OUTLINES, UM, WHAT WE DO TO DEVELOP OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN. AND SO THE FIRST BULLET JUST BASICALLY STATES THAT WE LOOK AT 25-26 DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WHAT WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T WORK, WHAT DO WE NEED TO START DOING MORE OF, AND WHAT DEFINITELY DO WE NEED TO STOP BECAUSE IT DIDN'T SHOW ANY IMPROVEMENT. THEN WE, THE, THE BIGGEST PART OF IT IS OUR 2026 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.

THAT HAS TO BE WHERE OUR GOALS AND TARGETS ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MEETING THE STATE PERFORMANCE, UM, OBJECTIVES. AND THEN OUR CLIMATE SURVEY RESULTS. I DO WANT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW, UM, THAT WE TAKE OUR CLIMATE SURVEY RESULTS VERY SERIOUSLY.

SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM PRINTS THEM OUT, SHE HIGHLIGHTS THEM, SHE READS EVERY SINGLE PAGE, AND I WANTED TO BRING THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A LOT OF THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT WE GET TO D- TO DRIVE THESE DECISIONS, FROM OUR PARENTS TO OUR STAFF. UM, IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TO HER AND TO US THAT WE ARE ACTING ON THOSE CLIMATE SURVEY RESULTS.

UM, AND THEN THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN, WHICH DEVELOPS OUR GOALS. UM, HUMAN AND FISCAL RESOURCES,

[01:40:02]

AND THEN FINALLY, THE DISTRICT PLANNING COMMITTEE FEEDBACK, SO WE CAN ENSURE THAT NOT ONLY ARE WE ENSURING THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN ON OUR CAMPUSES, THAT WE GET FEEDBACK FROM OUR TEACHERS AND OUR COMMUNITIES AS WELL. SO OUR PRIORITIES, UM, GROWTH, AS YOU WILL SEE, IS OUR ALWAYS OUR TOP PRIORITY, ENSURING 100% OF OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF MEET NORTH STAR GOAL EXPECTATIONS, WHICH YOU SEE DISPLAYED ON EVERY POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AND BEHIND US RIGHT HERE. TALENT, RECRUIT AND RETAIN HIGH, HIGHLY QUALIFIED, DIVERSE STAFF, BECAUSE, LIKE WE STATED BEFORE, UM, THE QUALITY TEACHER IN FRONT OF OUR STUDENTS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED TO ACHIEVE GROWTH. AND THEN INSTRUCTION, HIGH-QUALITY INSTRUCTION FOR ALL, MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ARE MEETING THE RIGOROUS STANDARDS OF OUR, OF OUR STATE STANDARDS. AND THEN ENGAGEMENT, STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNICATION AND CONNECTIONS WITH OUR COMMUNITY. AND THEN FINALLY, STEWARDSHIP, STEWARDSHIP, ENSURE TRANSPARENT STEWARDSHIP OF DISTRICT RESOURCES.

OKAY, SO THIS GOAL NOW, WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF DIVIDE THIS UP. GOAL ONE IS THE, UM, FIRST GOAL THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT. SO WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE, UM, THE PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES THAT ALIGN WITH THIS GOAL. SO GOAL ONE IS WE WILL DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT SYSTEMS THAT PROVIDE THE NECESSARY STRUCTURE, SUPPORT, AND TOOLS TO ENSURE THAT STAFF AND STUDENTS ACHIEVE INDIVIDUAL GROWTH. SO THE FIRST PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE IS 100% OF STUDENTS AND STAFF WILL MEET NORTH STAR GOAL EXPECTATIONS.

SO THIS IS THE GOAL IN WHICH WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT EVERY STAFF HAS TWO GOALS. THEY HAVE A, UH, A S- I'M SORRY, EXCUSE ME. THEY HAVE A PROFESSIONAL GOAL, AND THEN THEY ALSO HAVE A STUDENT GROWTH GOAL BASED ON DATA. AND THEN OUR STUDENTS HAVE ONE LIFE-READY GOAL, WHICH IS A GRADUATE PROFILE GOAL, AND THEN ONE AM- ACADEMIC GOAL BASED ON DATA. SORRY, I APOLOGIZE, I GOT OFF BY THE RUNNING, I DON'T KNOW, I GO, "WHY IS THIS RUNNING ON HERE?" SO, UH, PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE NUMBER 02, THAT IMPLEMENT MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT TO IDENTIFY AND SUPPORT BEHAVIORAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS. THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT NOT ONLY DO OUR STUDENTS NEED TO COME TO US PREPARED, NOT ONLY ACADEMICALLY, BUT MAKING SURE WE HAVE INTERVENTIONS TO SUPPORT THEM TO ADDRESS BEHAVIOR, ATTENDANCE, AND TRUANCY. THE SECOND PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE IS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR MULTI-TIER SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT TO IDENTIFY AND SUPPORT ACADEMIC NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS. SO THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN OUR INTERVENTION SYSTEMS TO MAKE SURE OUR STUDENTS MEET THEIR GROWTH TARGETS. SO PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 2 TALKS ABOUT THE BEHAVIORAL NEEDS, AND THEN P- PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 3 TALKS ABOUT OUR ACADEMIC NEEDS. AND THEN PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 4, THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN THE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM, TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE, AND CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM TO SUPPORT THE NORTH STAR GOAL. SO WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT OUR STUDENTS, WHEN THEY COME TO US, THEY'RE READY TO LEARN. THIS IS WHERE WE APPLY OUR MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING, OUR DIRECT STUDENT SERVICES, AND CHARACTER EDUCATION THAT IS ALSO TIED TO OUR GRADUATE PROFILE. AND THEN FINALLY, OUR PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE FIVE IS ENSURE STUDENT HEALTH AND WELLNESS SO STUDENTS ARE EQUIPPED TO MEET THEIR NORTH STAR GOAL. SO THAT'S, IN SUMMARY, OUR PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE TO MEET GOAL ONE. NOW I'M GOING TO TURN OVER TO DR. HR AND HIS TEAM WHO WORKED ON GOAL NUMBER 2.

THANK YOU, MISS BATES. GOOD EVENING AGAIN, BOARD. UM, SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THE GOAL NUMBER 2 IS WE WILL REIMAGINE THE WAY WE RECRUIT AND RETAIN QUALITY STAFF THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIES. AND WHILE I APPRECIATE MISS BATES GIVING HR THE CREDIT, IT REALLY IS A GOAL FOR ALL LEADERS AND ALL STAFF IN THE DISTRICT. AND SO, YES, ABSOLUTELY, IT'S CRITICAL FOR US TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN THE, THE QU- THE HIGHEST QUALITY TEACHERS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE NEED TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN THE HIGHEST QUALITY ANY CATEGORY OF EMPLOYEE. WE REALLY WANT THE BEST. AND SO PART OF HOW WE'RE DOING THAT IS TO LOOK AT PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 1, WHICH IS TO ALIGN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND GATHER FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS ON THEIR OWN GROWTH AND THE IMPACT OF THE TRAINING ON THE NORTH STAR GOAL. AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO DO IS TO DEVELOP A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PLAN TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF AUXILIARY AND CAMPUS AND CENTRAL-LEVEL PARAPROFESSIONALS TO SUPPORT THEIR NORTH STAR GOAL. WE HEAR FROM OUR EMPLOYEES, AND WE'VE HEARD FROM THIS GROUP IN PARTICULAR, THAT THEY, THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND GOOD PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, BUT SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T QUITE ALIGN WITH THEIR INDIVIDUAL JOB OR A GOAL THAT

[01:45:01]

SO THAT'S JUST ONE WAY WE'RE TRYING TO LEVEL UP PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 1.

FOR PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 2, RISD WILL MAINTAIN AND DECREASE OR DECREASE THE CURRENT TURNOVER RATE AND EXPAND HIGHLY QUALIFIED APPLICANT POOL THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE RECRUITMENT AND ENHANCED MENTORING PLAN. A COUPLE OF WAYS THAT WE'RE REALLY TARGETING THAT. WE KNOW THAT FROM TIME TO TIME, THE OPERATIONAL PART OF HIRING AND, UH, MONITORING VACANCIES AND REALLY COMPLETING THE APPLICATION PROCESS CAN SOMETIMES GET IN THE WAY OF MORE, OF A MORE EFFICIENT PROCESS SO THAT OUR LEADERS CAN REALLY WORK WITH THEIR NEW EMPLOYEES. AND SO ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'RE GOING TO LEVEL UP THIS PARTICULAR OBJECTIVE IS TO IMPLEMENT AN INTEGRATED HR SYSTEM THAT STANDARDIZES AND AUTOMATES VACANCY TRACKING, EMPLOYEE LEAVE MANAGEMENT, AND HIRING PROCESSES TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY WHILE ENSURING TIMELY PLACEMENT OF HIGH-QUALITY STAFF. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THOSE QUALITY CANDIDATES INTO THE CLASSROOM OR INTO THAT JOB ROLE, AND THEN THAT WAY THOSE LEADERS CAN REALLY FOCUS ON WORKING WITH THE EMPLOYEES SO THAT THEY CAN BE, UM, BE SUCCESSFUL. AND THEN ONE ADDITIONAL COMPONENT THAT WE'RE ADDING IN, AND AGAIN, LISTENING AND LEARNING FROM OUR CURRENT EMPLOYEES ON HOW WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB IN SUPPORTING THEM. WE'RE GOING TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT SUPERINTENDENT TEACHER ROUNDTABLES TO IDENTIFY STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT IMPROVED TEACHER RETENTION. WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT ABOUT THAT IS WE WANT TO HEAR FROM THEM EARLY AND OFTEN SO THAT WE ARE GETTING INFORMATION BACK AND NOT HAVING TO WAIT FOR AN EXIT SURVEY TO WONDER WHY THEY LEFT. AND THEN FINALLY, PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 3, DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR ALL EMPLOYEE GROUPS TO ENSURE HIGH-QUALITY STAFF REACH IDENTIFIED OUTCOMES. THIS IS REALLY AN EMPHASIS ON PROVIDING, UM, CONSISTENT AND CALIBRATED LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS FOR HOW SUPERVISORS WORK WITH THEIR EMPLOYEES.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CAN BE A CHALLENGE. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF EXPERIENCE, BUT IF WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FIRST, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST WAYS WE'RE LEVELING UP IS TO TRAIN SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS ON PROVIDING ACTIONABLE FEEDBACK, DOCUMENTING PERFORMANCE, AND CONDUCTING GROWTH-FOCUSED CONVERSATIONS, AND THEN INCORPORATE SPECIFIC CALIBRATION AND SUPPORT ON HIRING DOCUMENTATION AND TOOLS FOR MONITORING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE. IT'S NOT ABOUT WRITING PEOPLE UP; IT'S ABOUT SUPPORTING PEOPLE; IT'S ABOUT ONGOING COMMUNICATION, SOMETIMES HAVING A CHALLENGING CONVERSATION, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, HOW DO WE HAVE THOSE COACHING CONVERSATIONS TO REALLY HELP THE EMPLOYEE REALIZE THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO IN ORDER TO GET TO THEIR GOAL? AND THEN FINALLY, WE WANT TO, AS WE DEVELOP THAT PERFORMANCE FRAMEWORK, WE WANT TO CONDUCT PRINCIPAL AND SUPERVISOR FOCUS GROUPS TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK THAT SUPPORTS THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF CAMPUSES AND DEPARTMENTS.

SO AGAIN, HAVING THE LEADERS AROUND THE TABLE TO HELP US CULTIVATE THIS NEW TOOL SO THAT IT TRULY ALIGNS WITH THEIR NEEDS, AND THEN IT'S A GO-TO REFERENCE, UM, FOR ANYONE, WHETHER THEY ARE A NEW LEADER IN RISD OR AN EXPERIENCED LEADER IN RISD.

TWO THINGS I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IN THIS GOAL. UH, TRUSTEE TIMME, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE ASKED US FOR SEVERAL YEARS IS HOW ARE WE EVALUATING THE INVESTMENT THAT THE BOARD MADE IN THE COMPENSATION PLAN, NOT JUST IN OUR TURNOVER OR RETENTION RATE, BUT ALSO IN THE SIZE OF THE APPLICANT POOL. AND AS A RESULT OF SOME OF THE UPGRADES THAT, UH, DR.

GOODSON MENTIONED IN THE HR SYSTEM, WE ARE NOW A- GOING TO BE ABLE TO TRACK THE ACTUAL POOLS FOR POSTED POSITIONS, AND WE CAN SEE OVER TIME HOW WE, HOW THOSE ARE INCREASING, OR MAYBE HOW THEY'RE NOT, AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO SPECIFICALLY TO TARGET EITHER A SPECIFIC EMPLOYEE TYPE, MAYBE IT'S AN EMPLOYEE LOCATION, UM, SO WE CAN GIVE YOU MORE OF THAT DYNAMIC DATA. THE OTHER THING THAT WE ARE ALSO FOCUSED ON IS REALLY LOOKING AT HOLISTIC DATA AROUND EVALUATING PERFORMANCE OF OUR EMPLOYEES. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, JUST LIKE WE MENTIONED WITH STUDENTS, IT'S HARD FOR OUR STUDENTS TO LEARN IF THEY'RE NOT HERE.

WELL, IF OUR TEACHERS ARE ABSENT A LOT, IF THEY'RE MISSING A LOT OF DAYS, IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO HAVE HIGH-QUALITY TIER 1 INSTRUCTION. WHY WE SO APPRECIATE OUR SUBS, THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB. WE KNOW THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THAT, THAT HIGH-QUALITY TEACHER THAT WE'VE HIRED TO DO THAT JOB, AND WHY, YES, WE WANT OUR TEACHERS TO STAY HOME WHEN THEY'RE SICK.

ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE IN PLACE, OF COURSE, BUT WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL DATA SETS TO ENSURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR KIDS FOR 174 DAYS, AND SO WE WANT TO MAXIMIZE THOSE 174 DAYS AND HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL METRICS IN THAT PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT.

THANK YOU. UH, GOOD EVENING, BOARD. AS WE MOVE ON TO GOAL 03, IT SAYS WE WILL ESTABLISH SYSTEMS FOR CURRICULUM AND LEARNING EXPERIENCES WHICH SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL GROWTH GOALS

[01:50:01]

GOING THROUGH PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE THREE, WE CONTINUE OUR FOCUS ON OUR INSTRUCTIONAL PRIORITIES. UM, WE'VE ALSO DONE A LOT OF WORK THIS SUMMER TO SUPPORT OUR SECONDARY SCHEDULING CHANGES, UM, AND REALLY SUPPORTING OUR TEACHERS AS THEY'RE UNDERGOING THAT CHANGE.

IN PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 4, WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THOSE LEARNING EXPERIENCES TO SUPPORT RISD BEING THE ONE.

IN PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 5, WE HAVE A, A STRONG AND STEADFAST FOCUS ON OUR CCMR AND OUR COLLEGE AND CAREER MIL- MILITARY INDICATORS. AND FINALLY, IN PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 6, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, REALLY ENSURING THAT WE ARE PRIORITIZING SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES FOR OUR TEA-IDENTIFIED SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT CAMPUSES. SO WORKING WITH REGION 10, UH, IMPLEMENTING OUR LIFT GRANT FOR EVERY SINGLE ELEMENTARY CAMPUS, AS WELL AS, UM, ENSURING THAT WE ARE, UH, PRIORITIZING RESOURCES FOR OUR CAMPUSES THAT MIGHT NEED MORE SUPPORT.

I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT ON, UH, PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 3. NOT ONLY ARE WE APPROACHING IT ON THE LIFT GRANT, WHICH IS A FOCUS ON HOW ARE WE HELPING OUR TEACHERS PLAN, HOW ARE WE HELPING OUR PRINCIPALS GIVE FEEDBACK TO TEACHERS DURING THAT PLANNING AND THEN IMPLEMENTING THAT FEEDBACK IN THEIR LESSON, BUT ALSO WE'RE FOCUSED ON ACCOUNTABILITY, AND REGION 10 HAS PARTNERED WITH US TO PROVIDE DEEP ACCOUNTABILITY TRAINING FOR ALL PRINCIPALS SO THAT OUR PRINCIPALS UNDERSTAND EVERY NUANCE OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM, AND HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT WE ARE GROWING STUDENTS IN A WAY THAT IS GOING TO ALLOW OUR, OUR ACCOUNTABILITY, ESPECIALLY THAT, THAT FOCUS ON GROWTH.

HOW CAN THAT BE THE LEVERAGE POINT THAT ALLOWS OUR, OUR CAMPUSES TO ALL BE AT THAT C OR HIGHER? WE WANT ALL CAMPUSES TO BE AN A, BUT AT LEAST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ALL A C OR HIGHER. SO THAT PERFORMANCE OB- OBJECTIVE 6 IS REALLY THE HEART OF GOAL THANK YOU. GOAL 4 CONTINUES TO BE OUR FOCUS ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND I WOULD JUST WANT TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO BOTH, UM, PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 1 AND PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 4. NOT THAT 2 AND 3 AREN'T IMPORTANT, BUT WE HAVE ALREADY REPORTED OUT TO YOU THE WORK THAT HAS ALREADY STARTED, BOTH WITH OUR NEW COMMUNICATION, UM, PROGRAM, PARENTSQUARE, AND OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. BUT WITH PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE ONE, WE ARE REALLY DOUBLING DOWN ON OUR OPPORTUNITIES TO GO FIND THOSE NEXT BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS WHO WANT TO ENGAGE WITH RISD. WITH THE PENDING DESIGN AND BUILD OF THE NEW CTE CENTER, YOU KNOW, OUR COLLECTIVE GOAL, AND WE KNOW THROUGH BOND 2025, WHICH WE'RE SO SUPPORTIVE OF OUR, OF OF OUR COMMUNITY FOR, UM, FOR THAT. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO REALLY BRING FORWARD A STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY TO, UM, TO TRAIN AND, AND BE, BE A HUB IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE WANT TO REALLY ENGAGE THOSE NEXT-LEVEL BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS, UM, AND THERE'S SOME SMALL WAYS AND BIG WAYS. UM, WE'RE GONNA, UH, WE, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED WORKING WITH SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM TO LIFT UP QUARTERLY BUSINESS ROUNDTABLES. WE'RE BEING VERY STRATEGIC IN WHO WE'RE ASKING TO BE AT THE TABLE WITH US, A MIX OF OUR, SOME OF OUR CURRENT PARTNERS, AS WELL AS SOME OF THOSE BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES IN THE AREA AND REGION THAT MAYBE WE HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO SPEAK TO YET, AND THAT SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM CAN INVITE THEM TO THE TABLE AND REALLY TALK ABOUT, HERE ARE WAYS THAT YOU CAN ENGAGE AND CREATE A REALLY MEANINGFUL TWO-WAY PARTNERSHIP TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF. AND THEN LOOKING AT PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 4, YOU KNOW, AND SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM HAS SHARED, YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD REDEFINE WHAT PARENT ENGAGEMENT MEANS HERE IN RISD, IT WOULD MEAN THAT 100%, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR PARENTS KNOWS THEIR STUDENT'S GROWTH GOAL AND CAN THEN CAN ALSO ACCESS RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THEIR GROWTH AT HOME. SO WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN THE WORK OF DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT ONLY SHARING INFORMATION AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, BUT FROM THE CAMPUS DOWN TO THE CLASSROOM LEVEL. AND HOW ARE WE SUPPORTING OUR TEACHERS AND OUR CAMPUSES WITH MESSAGING AND TOOLS AND INFORMATION THAT THEY CAN HELP PUSH OUT SO OUR PARENTS KNOW HOW TO SUPPORT THEIR STUDENTS WITH THEIR ACADEMIC GROWTH GOALS AT HOME? IT HELPS WHEN I PUSH THE RIGHT BUTTON. BOARD, GOOD EVENING.

UH, GOAL 5 YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, WE WILL INCREASE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN OPERATIONS AND PERSONNEL AND SEEK ADDITIONAL FISCAL RESOURCES TO ACCOMPLISH OUR CALL TO ACTION.

IN PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 1, WE CONTINUE

[01:55:01]

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 2, UH, THE SAFE AND COMFORTABLE AND WELL-MAINTAINED. UH, THESE ARE CONTINUANCE OF OUR EFFORTS.

SO, FOR INSTANCE, AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, UH, WE, UH, HAVE SAFETY WEEK IN WHICH OUR CAMPUSES UNDERGO AND REMIND OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF OF OUR VARIOUS, UH, PROTOCOLS, HOLD, FOR INSTANCE, SECURE, LOCKDOWN, EVACUATE, SHELTER, SO THAT WHEN, UH, WE ARE FACED WITH THOSE TYPES OF SITUATIONS ON CAMPUS, THAT EVERYONE IS WELL-VERSED IN THOSE PROTOCOLS AND KNOWS HOW TO RESPOND. UH, WE ALSO MAINTAIN ALL, UM, ALL OUR, UH, SROS AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL AND OUR SECURITY OFFICERS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL. AND SO, UH, THAT'S COMPLIANT RE- REMAINING COMPLIANT WITH HOUSE BILL 3 SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 3, MR. HALL AND HIS TEAM DO A TREMENDOUS JOB OF PROVIDING US THAT SECURE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE.

THEY STAY AND MAINTAIN ALL STATE AND FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO CYBERSECURITY TO ALLOW OUR KIDS TO SAFELY USE DIGITAL RESOURCES, UH, AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, AND, AND THEY, THEY DO A TREMENDOUS JOB OF THAT, UH, ON AND ON. AND PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE 4, IMPLEMENT BOND 2025. SO I THINK EVERYONE HERE AROUND THE HORSESHOE IS KEENLY AWARE THAT WE HAVE BROKEN GROUND ON THE 6 MIDDLE SCHOOL PROJECTS, AND THEY ARE PROCEEDING ON TIME, AND WE ARE BEGINNING THE WORK OF, UH, VISIONING FOR THE CTE CENTER, WHICH WAS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, WHICH CAN BE A, A TOTAL GAME CHANGER FOR THE DISTRICT AND, UH, THE COMMUNITY, SO.

OKAY, SO NOW NEXT IS THE DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

THAT'S KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF, OF WHAT WE HAVE, UH, TO BRING FORWARD TO YOU, BUT NOW I JUST WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR DISTRICT PLANNING COMMITTEE AND THE STATUTORY COMPLIANCE UNDER TEXAS EDUCATION CODE, THAT WE DO HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT REVIEWS OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN. IT IS NOTED THAT IT IS AN ADVISORY ROLE ONLY. THEY SERVE AS A PURELY ADVISORY CAPACITY TO ASSIST THE BOARD IN DEVELOPING, REVIEWING, AND SETTING DISTRICT EDUCATIONAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, UM, AS IN MAJOR INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS. SO WE WILL TO SEE THIS WAS OUR AGENDA FOR OUR RECENT DISTRICT PLANNING COMMITTEE. AND THEN ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU JUST SOME BRIEF FEEDBACK THAT WE DID GET FROM THE DPC, BECAUSE AS WE STATED, IT IS AN ADVISORY ROLE, BUT WE TAKE THE FEEDBACK. UM, SOME OF THE KEY OFFERINGS IS THEY DID CONSIDER OFFERING PARENTSQUARE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES. DR. HELLER TALKED ABOUT OUR NEW PLATFORM WITH PARENTSQUARE, AND IT HAS BEEN GOING WONDERFULLY, BUT THAT WAS SOME, UM, FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM THE COMMUNITY. ALSO, EXPANDING GROWTH BOWL CAMPS, UH, POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM OUR NEW RLA AND MATH LABS, PRE-K TRAINING.

AND OUR IPAD PILOTS. SO AS WE HAVE MOVED TO OUR TRADITIONAL SCHEDULE FROM BLOCK SCHEDULING, IF YOU REMEMBER LAST SPRING WHEN WE TRANSITIONED, UM, AT OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS, THAT WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM OUR TEACHERS, IS THAT JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE AWARE TO MANAGE THE SECONDARY BLOCK PACING AND ADVANCING TO THE DISTRICT AI COMMITTEES.

SO HOW DO WE MEASURE THE DIP? WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION. WE TAKE STUDENT PERFORMANCE DATA, OUR CLIMATE SURVEY DATA, FOCUS GROUP, OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM, AND RESEARCH BEST PRACTICES.

AND THEN WHAT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE IS THAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON OUR HOUSE BILL 3 GOALS, WHICH IS THIRD-GRADE READING AND THIRD-GRADE MATH.

UM, KEY TAKEAWAY AND NEXT STEPS. UM, THE DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN IS DRIVEN BY THE NORTH STAR GOAL, GRADUATE PROFILE AND STRATEGIC PLAN. AGAIN, OUR PRIORITIES INCLUDE A CULTURE OF TRUST AND RESPECT BY BALANCED WITH HEALTHY URGENCY. UH, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM ALWAYS TALKS TO US ABOUT GOING 70 BECAUSE WE ALSO KNOW WE HAVE TO GET TO THE FINISH LINE, AND, UH, BUT SO WE DON'T WANT TO BURN OUT BEFORE WE GET THERE. DEEPEN OUR CLASSROOM IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LEARNER FRAMEWORK, PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT TO BUILD CAPACITY IN OUR CAMPUS AND DISTRICT LEADERSHIP. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO BUILD OUR CAPACITY SO WE CAN SUSTAIN THIS WORK. INCREASED ENGAGEMENT WITH RISD STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, STRENGTHEN PARENT AND FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS TO SUPPORT STUDENT GOAL-SETTING AT HOME, AND ENSURE OUR FACILITIES SUPPORT ENGAGED LEARNING EXPERIENCES. AND THEN FINALLY, WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT NEXT STEPS THAT WILL BE COMING FORWARD TO YOU IN OCTOBER IS ENSURING THAT WE'RE ALIGNING OUR STRATEGIES FROM THE DIP TO THE CIPS

[02:00:01]

UM, WE WILL BE PRESENTING THE DISTRICT AND CAMPUS PLANS TO THE, TO THE BOARD FOR OFFICIAL APPROVAL AT THE, EXCUSE ME, THE OCTOBER BOARD MEETING, AND THEN WE WILL BE SUNSETTING THE DISTRICT PLANNING COMMITTEE AND RESTRUCTURING IT INTO THE DISTRICT EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE TO WHERE WE WILL BE SENDING OUT INFORMATION ON OUR DISTRICT WEBSITE, UM, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SERVING. SO WITH THAT, WE WILL TAKE QUESTIONS.

AGAIN, THIS IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK. WE KNOW THAT IS A LOT TO COMPREHEND, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE BRING THIS FORWARD FIRST AS A INFORMATION ITEM, UM, TO GIVE THE BOARD TIME TO NOW TAKE THIS INFORMATION, READ THROUGH THE DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN, PROCESS THE INFORMATION, AND THEN OF COURSE ASK ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE BRING IT FORWARD AS AN ACTION ITEM. THE BOARD, WE ASK YOU TO LOOK AT OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN IN LIGHT OF WE HAVE REALLY 2 MAIN AREAS OF FOCUS. ONE IS HOW DO WE REACH OUR NORTH STAR GOAL, AND NUMBER 2, HOW DO WE REACH THE IDENTIFIED HOUSE BILL 3 BOARD GOALS FOR THIRD-GRADE READING, MATH, AND CCMR? AND WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL LOOK AT THE PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AND SEE HOW DO THOSE LEAD TOWARDS US ATTAINING THOSE 2 MOST IMPORTANT NORTH STAR AREAS THAT YOU'VE SET FOR US.

UM, SO WITH THAT, WE ARE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, ANY FEEDBACK, AND AGAIN, I JUST APPRECIATE THE WORK OF OUR CENTRAL OFFICE TEAM.

ALL RIGHT, BOARD, THIS IS AN INFORMATION ITEM, SO LIKE SHE SAID, WE CAN, IF YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS TONIGHT, THIS IS A GOOD TIME.

OTHERWISE, WE WILL SEE THIS AGAIN, RIGHT, IN OCTOBER.

YES, SIR.

SO, UM, WE'VE GOT SOME TIME TO DIGEST IT AS WELL. THIS IS TIMME. GO AHEAD.

LISTEN, I TRY TO HOLD OUT TO SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO GO FIRST, AND THEN IT LOOKS LIKE NOBODY HAS A COMMENT, SO I DON'T MEAN TO DOMINATE. I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

UM, I'M LOOKING AT GOAL 2, JUST THE, THE, UM, THE ACTUAL GOAL ITSELF, THAT RISD WILL REIMAGINE THE WAY WE RECRUIT AND RETAIN QUALITY STAFF THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIES. I JUST WANTED TO JUST GET A LITTLE CLARITY ON THE REIMAGINE, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, LIKE, HOW OUR, LIKE, HOW A LOT OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING ARE WORKING, AND YOU GUYS HAVE MADE SOME, AND I THINK WE HAVE ALSO TRIED TO MAKE SOME STRATEGIC PIECES TO ALLOW YOU TO DO THAT. AND SO WHEN I READ THE WORD REIMAGINE, TO ME, THAT'S A LITTLE, IT COULD FEEL LIKE THROWING OUT THE BABY WITH THE BATHWATER OR LIKE REIMAGINING THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO GET A LITTLE CLARITY ON WHAT Y'ALL MEAN ON REIMAGINE.

SURE. SO THAT ACTUALLY CAME FROM THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE, AND I REALLY THINK THAT WE HAVE 2 PIECES OF EVIDENCE TO SHOW HOW WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THAT.

ONE IS THE F- THE WAY THAT THE BOARD INVESTED IN OUR TEACHER PAY SCALE AND THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THERE IS NOT COMPRESSION INTRODUCED, AND WE HAVE, IT IS FOR NOW, AT LEAST FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS, CHANGED THE WAY THAT WE HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD COMPENSATION MODELS. SO I DON'T THINK IT IS A COMPLETE WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO LET GO OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE EVER DONE, BUT IT IS, HEY, WE HAVE, WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR, OUR STAFF COMPRESSION IS AN ISSUE, AND I THINK THIS BOARD MADE THE COMMITMENT OF WE'RE GOING TO CREATE A NEW TEACHER SALARY SCHEDULE THAT IS, AND WE'RE GOING TO COMMIT YEAR-OVER-YEAR WHEN WE INTRODUCE A RAISE, THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO REINTRODUCE THAT BACK INTO THE I- I- INTO THE SYSTEM. THE SECOND PIECE, I THINK, IS THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE WITH, WITH THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT. THE BOARD HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ABOUT THAT WORK AT OUR LAST, UH, WORK SESSION, AND I DO THINK, AND, AND AS EVIDENCE THAT IT'S IN ALL BUT 8 SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW, THAT IT HAS ALLOWED US TO RETHINK WHAT THAT FUTURE COMPENSATION TRAJECTORY COULD LOOK LIKE FOR A TEACHER THAT HAS A HIGH-GROWTH, UH, OUTCOMES IN THEIR CLASSROOM.

AND SO NOT ONLY HAVE YOU CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF OUR TEACHER SCHEDULE, BUT ON TOP OF THAT, TEACHERS HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EARN HIGH LEVELS OF ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION THROUGH THE TECH- THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT. SO THOSE ARE JUST, I THINK, TWO WAYS THAT WE'VE REIMAGINED, AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE, BUT WE'VE JUST MADE A COMMITMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IT DIFFERENTLY SO THAT WE DON'T REPEAT THE SAME ISSUES AND CONCERNS THAT TEACHERS HAVE BROUGHT FROM THE PAST.

ABSOLUTELY. AND OKAY, SO THAT WAS THE PART THAT I REALLY WANTED TO, IS LIKE, THAT IS PART OF THE REIMAGINING, RIGHT? LIKE, THAT IS, THOSE ARE THE PARTS THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE, AND NOW WE'RE FOCUSING ON SOME OF, LIKE, THE DYNAMIC DATA AND SOME OF THE OTHER PARTS THAT WILL GO TO ENHANCE SOME OF THE, THE PIECES THAT YOU'VE ALREADY DONE AND THAT ARE DOING WELL. UM, OKAY, GREAT. THAT WAS THE FIRST PART. UM, OKAY, THE- THEN ON GOAL 3, I DID JUST WANT TO SAY, I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO REWORKING SYSTEMS AND GIVING COACHING AND REAL-TIME FEEDBACK. I THINK, UM, WE'RE SEEING SOME BENEFITS OF THAT, AND SO, UM, I- I THINK- I THINK THAT'S BEEN A REALLY GOOD PIECE. JUST WANTED TO COMMEND YOU ON THAT BECAUSE I THINK YOU CAN TELL IN OUTCOMES, SOMETIMES SYSTEMS TAKE A MINUTE TO DELIVER OUTCOMES, AND IF YOU CHANGE THE SYSTEM EVERY TIME, CHANGE EVERY YEAR, AND DON'T LET PEOPLE GET GOOD AT DOING THINGS LIKE THAT, THEN

[02:05:01]

I LOVE THAT YOU POINT THAT OUT, AND I WILL JUST POINT OUT THAT IN GOAL 3, OUR 3 INSTRUCTIONAL PRIORITIES HAVE BEEN THE SAME 3 INSTRUCTIONAL PRIORITIES, HAVE BEEN THE SAME 3 INSTRUCTIONAL PRIORITIES FOR NUMEROUS YEARS.

MHM.

UM, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN ADJUSTMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN A SPECIFIC CURRICULUM, BUT HOW WE ADDRESS IMPLEMENTING THAT CURRICULUM HAS BEEN THE SAME. HOW WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON DATA-DRIVEN INSTRUCTION, OBSERVATION AND FEEDBACK, AND THE INTERNALIZATION PROCESS.

WE HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT WITH THAT YEAR-OVER-YEAR, SO WE'RE NOT REINTRODUCING NEW LANGUAGE AND NEW EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR TEACHERS YEAR-OVER-YEAR.

AGREED. AND I WOULD JUST SAY, LIKE, I'M A BIG BELIEVER, AND I, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT EVERYBODY'S GETTING UP AND GIVING THEIR BEST EVERY DAY.

AND IF THEY'RE NOT HITTING WHERE YOU NEED THEM TO, OR YOU'RE WANTING THEM TO GET BETTER, I THINK THAT FEEDBACK AND THAT CONVERSATION AND THAT TWO-WAY DIALOGUE IN, IN THE MOMENT OR IN A QUICK CYCLE, RIGHT? A QUICK REPEATING CYCLE OF GIVING SUGGESTION AND FINDING WHAT WORKS AND DOING THOSE THINGS, I THINK IS THE WAY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. AND I THINK WE KNOW THAT THE MORE TEACHERS HONE THEIR CRAFT AND THE BETTER THEY ARE AT INSTRUCTION, THE BETTER OUTCOMES YOU'RE GOING TO GET. AND SO I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE INVESTED A LOT IN THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SEEING SOME OF OUR OTHER GOALS AS FAR AS OUTCOMES COME TO FRUITION, BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE DONE SUCH A GOOD JOB WITH THAT. UM, AND THEN LASTLY, JUST WANTED TO, I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THE AI COMMITTEE.

I DON'T KNOW THAT I TOTALLY KNOW ABOUT THAT.

YES.

I PROBABLY MISSED A MEETING ABOUT THAT, BUT I REALLY WOULD JUST LOVE TO KNOW JUST A LITTLE BIT SURE.

ABOUT THAT SINCE THAT WAS PART OF THE FEEDBACK.

ABSOLUTELY, I CAN PROVIDE FEEDBACK FOR THAT. SO WE HAVE A TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND A ELEMENT OF THAT TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN STUDYING AI AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE, AND HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE SAFE? WHEN IS IT DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE TO INTRODUCE AI? WHAT DOES IT MEAN IN TERMS OF CTE AND ENSURING AND UNDERSTANDING HOW AI MIGHT BE IMPACTING FUTURE CAREERS? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE AI, IT'S REALLY PART OF THE TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE WITH A FOCUS ON AI, BUT ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF THAT WAS MAKING SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS DON'T HAVE JUST OPEN ACCESS TO AI CHATBOTS, UM, OR, OR CHAT ENGINES, AND INSTEAD WE HAVE INVESTED IN A TOOL, UM, AND WE DO NOT USE IT WITH OUR, OUR YOUNGEST OF LEARNERS, BUT IT IS A TOOL THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A TEACHER THAT W- DESIGNS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO USE AI, THAT THE TEACHER DESIGNS IT IN THE SPECIFIC SOFTWARE, THE STUDENTS ARE GIVEN A CODE, AND IT'S LIMITED TO A SPECIFIC, IT MIGHT BE FOR THIS ONE 45-MINUTE CLASS PERIOD IN 7TH GRADE, AND THEY'RE ONLY AL- THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO ENGAGE WITH THE CHATBOT IN THIS SPECIFIC WAY SO THAT WE'RE SAFELY AND, AND RESPONSIBLY INTRODUCING AI, BUT IT'S IN A VERY CONTROLLED WAY. UM, AND THAT CAME FROM OUR, OUR AI COMMITTEE KIND OF FOCUS GROUP THAT IS A PART OF THE TECH- TECHNOLOGY GROUP.

THAT'S RIGHT. I, UM, THE, THE ONE THING I WOULD JUST SAY, LIKE, IN THIS IS, AND THIS MAY BE PART OF THE, THE DIP, OR IT MAY BE SOMETHING DOWN THE ROAD, IS THAT MY FEEDBACK WOULD BE IS LIKE, AS WE'RE INTRODUCING THESE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT, YES, THEY'RE GO- THERE MIGHT BE GREAT EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS, BUT ALSO TOO, THINKING OF THE TEACHERS WHO ARE IMPLEMENTING IT AND MANAGING IT, THAT'S A LOT OF TRAINING THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE, AND I THINK AS IMPORTANT AS IT IS TO DESIGN THOSE STUDENT EXPERIENCES, IT'S AS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT TEACHERS ARE EQUIPPED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND UNDERSTANDING THE POWER AND THE WAYS TO DO THAT IN A WAY THAT'S RESPONSIBLE.

SO THAT W- I JUST SAW WHEN IT SAID LIKE, YOU KNOW, ADVANCING ALL OF THOSE THINGS, THAT'S JUST A CONCERN I ALWAYS HAVE. I HOPE THAT'S JUST TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION POTENTIALLY IN THE YES, DIP THANK YOU.

GOING FORWARD.

IF, IF I'M NOT, IF I'M NOT WRONG, I BELIEVE THAT THE COMMITTEE WAS REALLY JUST CONTINUING THAT TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE WITH A FOCUS ON AI. NO ONE HAS IT FIGURED OUT.

AND THAT, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY YES.

WHAT MY POINT.

AND SO TO YOUR, TO YOUR POINT, IT WAS DON'T, LET'S NOT JUST EXPAND AI AND OPEN IT UP YES.

BEFORE OUR TEACHERS ARE READY, BEFORE OUR KIDS ARE READY, BEFORE OUR COMMUNITY IS READY.

AND SO I THINK THAT WAS REALLY, TO YOUR POINT, EXCELLENT.

WAS THE MESSAGE OF, LIKE, WE'VE GOT TO KEEP STUDYING THIS, AND WE NEED THE, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO KEEP MEETING GREAT.

SO THAT WE, WE DO THIS WELL, AND ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A BIG LEGISLATIVE FOCUS ON THIS, UM, AND WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR PARENTS THAT WE WANT TO BE VERY CAREFUL IN THE ABSOLUTELY.

WAY THAT WE ENGAGE WITH, WITH AI. SO I THINK IT WAS REALLY A CALL TO CONTINUE THE STUDY AND THE, THE CONVERSATION, NOT ADVANCE THE SPECIFIC AI STRATEGY.

OKAY, THAT, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT I WAS LIKE, BECAUSE ADVANCING, RIGHT, CAN BE TAKEN MULTIPLE WAYS. I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE I UNDERSTOOD CONTINUING THE COMMITTEE IS DIFFERENT THAN ADVANCING AN THE, AN AGENDA OF THAT. SO, OKAY, THAT'S ALL I HAD. THANK YOU GUYS. I KNOW THAT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK. I WILL SAY THIS TOO, JUST LAST CLOSING PIECE FOR ME. UM... I, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THIS DIP,

[02:10:01]

THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS USEFUL.

HOWEVER, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THIS DIP AND THESE GOALS, THESE ARE GOALS THAT WE ACTUALLY REALLY GO BACK TO.

LIKE, I CAN SEE THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING THAT YOU'RE BRINGING FORWARD TO US AT EVERY, YOU KNOW, AT EVERY MEETING WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE, WHERE THERE'S INFORMATION TO DISCUSS, WHERE THERE ARE DECISIONS TO BE MADE. AND IF I LOOK BACK ON THE DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AND BIG INVESTMENTS, I CAN SEE EXACTLY HOW IT TIES INTO THIS. I, I MEAN, PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SAY IT'S A WORKING DOCUMENT ALL THE TIME.

I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I HEAR THAT. HOWEVER, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY ALWAYS ARE, AND SO THERE DOES SEEM SOME INTENTIONALITY IN THE GOALS THAT WERE SET HERE. AND SO, LIKE, TRULY, IT DOES FEEL LIKE IT'S A WORKING DOCUMENT THAT YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO, BUT ALSO WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHAT'S BEEN ACCOMPLISHED ALREADY. UM, AND SO ANYWAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

THAT'S REALLY GOOD AND DIFFICULT WORK.

I WILL SAY THAT THAT IS ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THIS BOARD. THIS BOARD HAS COMMITTED TO THE NORTH STAR GOAL AND CHARGED M- MYSELF AND OUR TEAM OF IDENTIFY THE GOALS AND THE STRATEGIES THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THAT NORTH STAR GOAL, AND YOU HAVE ALLOWED US TO STAY TRUE TO THAT. UM, YOU'VE GIVEN US TIME TO IDENTIFY, HERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC MOVES WE WANT TO MAKE. YOU TRUSTED THINGS LIKE A CELL PHONE POLICY. YOU TRUSTED WHEN WE BROUGHT FORWARD HERE, HERE'S A NEW WAY TO THINK ABOUT COMPENSATION, AND AT A TIME WHEN RESOURCES ARE INCREDIBLY LIMITED. AND THEN YOU'VE GIVEN US THE TIME TO FERRET THAT OUT AND LET US SEE HOW THAT HAS YIELDED RES- RESULTS. SO I REALLY DO THINK THAT THIS DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND THE STABILITY THAT YOU'VE SEEN AND THE REFINEMENT IS BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE GIVEN US THE GRACE TO WORK THROUGH THESE THINGS AND TO IDENTIFY WHAT ARE THE RIGHT THINGS THAT WORK FOR THIS SYSTEM TO MOVE OUR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT FORWARD.

WELL, I THINK WE'VE DONE THAT BECAUSE YOU, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE WANTED, BUT, BUT I DON'T WANT TO UNDERPLAY THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS ARE BRINGING THESE INNOVATIVE PIECES FORWARD. WE KNOW WHERE WE WANT TO GO, AND WE CAN GIVE DIRECTION THAT WAY, BUT THE ACTUAL PROGRAMS, THE ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION, THE ACTUAL SUCCESS OF THAT GOES TO YOU, TO YOUR STAFF, UM, ALL THE WAY THROUGH, RIGHT? LIKE, THOSE THINGS WE CAN SUPPORT, BUT WE CAN'T DO. YOU GUYS DO, AND ANY SYSTEM CAN BE DONE WELL OR POORLY. UM, SO I DON'T WANT TO UNDERSTATE THE FACT THAT, YES, WE MAY, WE MAY GIVE YOU THE, THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO DO IT, BUT THOSE IDEAS AND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THE SUCCESS OF THOSE COME FROM YOU AND YOUR STAFF, AND I, I DON'T WANT THAT TO GET LOST IN, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT WE MAY HAVE ALLOCATED RESOURCES, BUT, UM, YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS? YES, MISS MCGOWAN.

I'M JUST GOING TO ADD A LITTLE BIT TO THAT, JUST FROM A PERSONAL, UM, EXPERIENCE IN WATCHING AND BEING ON THIS BOARD AND WATCHING THIS PROCESS BEFORE, AND SEEING PERSONALLY IN A SCHOOL WHERE WE ARE HAVING SOME CHALLENGES AND SOME THINGS THAT DON'T REALLY ALIGN WITH THE CIP, AND WATCHING YOU AND YOUR TEAMS MAKE DIFFERENT ADJUSTMENTS TO MAKE AND ENSURE THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING THOSE THINGS SO THAT WE CAN GET THERE IS REALLY, UM, AN TESTAMENT TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM. SO I APPRECIATE THAT, JUST LIKE MISS TIMME SAID, LIKE, WITHOUT YOU, YOUR STAFF, AND THE EXPERTISE, WE, WE CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU GUYS, SO THANK YOU.

I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE WE MONITOR THIS QUARTERLY.

SO WHETHER WE'RE LOOKING AT THE DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN OR WHEN YOU SEE THIS, THE CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PLANS, EVERY 9 WEEKS WE ARE EVALUATING THE STRATEGIES, THE OUTCOMES, ADJUSTING IF WE SEE SOMETHING'S NOT WORKING AT A SPECIFIC CAMPUS OR IN A SPECIFIC AREA. WE DO NOT WAIT TILL THE END OF THE YEAR. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. UM, OF C- OF COURSE, THERE ARE PERSONNEL LIMITATIONS AND SOME THINGS IN, IN THAT WAY, BUT WE WILL IDENTIFY AND, AND, AND ADJUST AS WE NEED TO.

OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YES, MR. EAGER.

UM, YEAH, YOU KNOW, I'LL JUST KEEP IT SHORT, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT'S, UM, HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT ON THE STRATEGIC PLANNING, UM, COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THE, I GUESS, UM, I WANT TO COMPLIMENT THE TEAM BECAUSE IN A NUMBER OF CASES, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU PUT TOGETHER STRATEGIC PLANS, IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY BECOME WHAT I CALL A BARNEY MEETING.

UM, I LOVE YOU, YOU LOVE ME, AND THEN YOU GO ABOUT YOUR DAY, AND IT GOES, AND IT'S PUT ON A SHELF. UM, YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT, THAT YOU BRING THIS BACK, YOU ALIGN TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER AND SAID, THESE ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS. SO THOSE ARE 5-YEAR PLANS, AND YOU CAN SEE EACH ONE OF THESE STEPS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS IMPROVEMENT PLAN, AND SO THAT'S GOOD TO SEE. AND THEN THE OTHER THING TOO IS THAT YOU CAN ADJUST ACCORDINGLY, BECAUSE IN, IN THE PACE OF CHANGE IN TODAY'S WORLD, UM, YOU CANNOT WAIT, UM, UNTIL YEAR-END TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS. AND SO, AGAIN, UM, COMPLIMENTS TO THE TEAM AND THE EFFORTS, BECAUSE YES, WE SIT UP HERE

[02:15:01]

GREAT COMMENTS. ANY OTHERS? MISS HARRIS.

I'LL BE BRIEF. I WILL ADMIT THAT GOING THROUGH THAT PRESENTATION WAS ALMOST LIKE DRINKING FROM A FIRE HYDRANT. IT WAS A LOT, BUT A FEW THINGS THAT I DID CAPTURE THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE IS HEARING SUPPORT, TRAINING, RESOURCES, TOOLS, AND THEN I ALSO HEARD THE COMMENT, "WE DON'T WANT TO JUST WRITE UP OUR STAFF." THAT PART IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT JUST MEANS THAT YOU ARE READY AND WILLING TO TAKE THE TIME TO TAKE OUR STAFF WHERE THEY NEED TO BE FOR OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS, FOR ALL KIDS IN RICHARDSON ISD.

NOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS IN HERE THAT, YOU KNOW, I DO UNDERSTAND. SOME THINGS I'M LIKE, "HUH, WHAT?" BUT WE'VE BEEN THERE BEFORE. I MEAN, WE HAD A WHOLE LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT YONDR POUCHES, A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS. IT WAS NOT LIKE YOU BROUGHT YONDR POUCHES TO US AND WE WERE ALL LIKE, "OKAY, YAY, LET'S GO." UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF DIVIDE IN THE BEGINNING, BUT WE PUSHED THROUGH, AND IT WASN'T BECAUSE YOU GUYS GOT IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. AND JUST LIKE YOU JUST STATED, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA KEEP GOING BACK UNTIL IT'S PERFECTED, UNTIL WE FEEL LIKE IT'S READY TO MOVE FORWARD. AND SO I KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH TONIGHT I FELT LIKE I WAS DRINKING FROM A FIRE HYDRANT, I KNOW THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THIS AND HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, IT WILL BECOME MORE CLEAR, AND YOU ALL ARE THERE FOR THE CONVERSATION AND TO HELP US AND GUIDE US TO UNDERSTAND IT BETTER SO THAT WE CAN GET IT RIGHT FOR ALL OF THESE KIDS, ALL OF OUR STAFF, ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES HERE IN RICHARDSON ISD, AND THAT'S THE PART THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK.

GREAT COMMENTS. ANY OTHERS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? OKAY, I WILL, UM, THE ONLY THING I'M GONNA SAY, I MEAN, I'D ECHO EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY SAID, BUT WHAT KEEPS PINGING AROUND IN MY HEAD IS THE, UH, THIS ALL SPEAKS TO THE CULTURE OF THE DISTRICT, AND WE'RE BASICALLY PUTTING THE CULTURE OF THE DISTRICT IN A DOCUMENT. AND SO IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE AN RISD, WHETHER IT'S A STUDENT, A STAFF MEMBER, A TEACHER, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE DIP AND LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE PUTTING RESOURCES, WE'RE PUTTING TOOLS, STRUCTURE, TIME, UM, THAT ALL SPEAKS FOR ITSELF AND SPEAKS TO THE GREATER CULTURE. AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A, UM, THERE'S A, UH, A, A PART OF THAT CULTURE, AND IT STARTS AT THE TOP, IS HAVING A LEVEL OF HUMILITY AND HUMBLENESS TO RELOOK AT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU'RE OPERATING AT ALL TIMES. WE TALK ABOUT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.

THAT SOUNDS EASY BECAUSE IT'S A WORD THAT'S USED IN EVERY CORPORATE OFFICE IN AMERICA, BUT TO EXECUTE THAT, YOU'VE GOT TO BE OPEN. YOU'VE GOT TO PUT THE EGO ASIDE.

YOU'VE GOT TO BE OPEN TO LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE OPERATING AND HOW CAN I DO BETTER, OR HOW CAN I DOUBLE DOWN ON STUFF THAT I'M DOING RIGHT? AND SO I THINK YOU AND YOUR STAFF HAVE ESTABLISHED THAT CULTURE OF BEING OPEN TO THAT, AND THIS DOESN'T WORK IF YOU'RE NOT OPEN TO THOSE SELF-REFLECTIONS AND THOSE IMPROVEMENTS. AND, YOU KNOW, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE TALKED, SOMEBODY BROUGHT UP FEEDBACK, YOU KNOW, FOR THESE, IT WAS MENTIONED IN HERE ON ONE OF THE GOALS, AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKE FEEDBACK. I KNOW FROM AN ATHLETICS PERSPECTIVE, AS TIMME CAN TELL, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT YOUR COACH TO GIVE YOU FEEDBACK. IF YOU'RE A TEACHER, YOU WANT YOUR PRINCIPAL TO GIVE YOU FEEDBACK. PEOPLE WANT IT. IT'S NOT ALWAYS GREAT FEEDBACK, BUT WHEN YOU KIND OF STEP AWAY FROM IT, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S CONSTRUCTIVE. IT HELPS YOU. IT'S A, IT'S AN IMPORTANT TOOL, AND PEOPLE LOVE FEEDBACK. AND SO BEING, I LIKE THAT WE'RE ADDING SOME MORE FEEDBACK LOOPS YEAH.

IN THIS SYSTEM, UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT SPEAKS TO WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS, OR WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO MAKE A CHANGE TO ANYTHING, BUT WE'RE OPEN TO LISTENING TO OTHER PEOPLE AND GETTING THEIR FEEDBACK AND, AND CONSIDERING THAT WHEN WE'RE DOING OUR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. SO THIS IS ALL SPEAKS TO THE CULTURE.

UM, AGAIN, HOW MANY DIPS, MISS HARRIS, HAVE YOU BEEN THROUGH NOW? THE MOST ON HERE, 8 OR 9, 7, 8, I FORGET, BUT THEY'RE EACH ONE, IT'S STILL, IT'S STILL TOUGH TO TAKE IT ALL IN BY VOLUME,

[02:20:02]

IT'S THE STORY WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR YEARS, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK DONE ON THIS AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING IT AGAIN IN OCTOBER. AND WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS? OH, THERE'S ONLY ONE NAME ON THE SLIDE. OH YEAH, NO PRESSURE, MISS BATES. SO, YEAH,

[IV.I. Review and Discuss Local Board Policies]

WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN INFORMATION ITEM TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS VARIOUS LOCAL BOARD POLICIES, MISS BRANUM.

I'D LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THEIR WORK, AND OF COURSE THE WORK OF OUR AMAZING GENERAL COUNSEL, SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MISS MCGOWAN.

HI AGAIN. I'M GONNA HAVE 9 POLICIES TO TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT. ALL OF THEM ARE RELATED TO, AGAIN, SOME LEGISLATIVE UPDATES AS WELL AS SOME STATE ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION UPDATES. UM, WE ARE JUST BRINGING OUT THESE POLICY CHANGES INTO COMPLIANCE WITH LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, AND IN SOME CASES ALREADY REFLECTING WHAT OUR PRACTICE IS, MAKING SURE IT'S ALREADY REFLECTED IN POLICY. SO I WILL START WITH EEH, INSTRUCTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR HOMEBOUND INSTRUCTIONS. AND THIS IS ONE WHERE THE CHANGES THAT ARE IN THE POLICY UPDATE IS BECAUSE OF REVISIONS THAT WERE MADE BY THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY TO THE STUDENT ATTENDANCE ACCOUNTING HANDBOOK. AND ESSENTIALLY IT IS THAT STUDENTS WHO HAVE PSYCHOLOGICAL AS WELL AS MEDICAL CONDITIONS ARE NOW ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE HOMEBOUND SERVICES, AND THEIR WEEKS OF CONFINEMENT NO LONGER HAVE TO BE CONSECUTIVE TO QUALIFY.

AND SO THE REVISED POLICY LANGUAGE IS JUST UPDATING THOSE CHANGES. ANY QUESTIONS? AND I'LL JUST KEEP GOING UNLESS SOMEONE CALLS MY NAME. EEP (LOCAL), INSTRUCTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS: LESSON PLANS, A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE RELATED TO SENATE BILL 12. HERE WE'RE CREATING OR RECOMMENDING A NEW, UH, CREATION OF A POLICY, AND IT REFLECTS THE REQUIREMENT FROM SENATE BILL 12 ABOUT POSTING AND MAKING AVAILABLE INSTRUCTIONAL PLANS AND COURSE SYLLABI TO PARENTS. WE DO ALREADY DO THIS, BUT THIS IS JUST BRINGING OUR POLICY UP TO DATE, NOT ONLY WITH THE LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENT, BUT OUR PRACTICE CURRENTLY.

BOARD POLICY EFA, INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES: INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL.

AGAIN, SENATE BILL 12. WE ARE REVISING THE POLICY TO ADD SOME ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE REQUIRING OUR SUPERINTENDENT TO DEVELOP ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS TO ENSURE PARENTS AND GUARDIANS CAN REVIEW INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN THE SUBJECT MATTER THAT THEIR CHILD IS ENROLLED WHEN THE PARENT BELIEVES MATERIAL IS NOT ALIGNED WITH DISTRICT-ADOPTED MATERIALS OR THE MATERIAL DOESN'T HAVE THE APPROPRIATE RIGOR FOR A GRADE LEVEL FOR THAT PARTICULAR SUBJECT AREA.

AGAIN, AS DR. LEEPER CAN CERTAINLY ATTEST, WE DO ALREADY MAKE OUR INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AVAILABLE TO OUR PARENTS. AGAIN, MAKING SURE OUR POLICY IS UPDATED, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENT, BUT WHAT OUR CURRENT PRACTICE IS. BOARD POLICY EHBAF, SPECIAL EDUCATION: VIDEO AND AUDIO MONITORING. THIS IS ANOTHER LEGISLATIVE UPDATE RELATED TO HOUSE BILL 2 AND SENATE BILL 571. THE CHANGES ARE ACTUALLY MINIMUM. IT'S JUST CLARIFYING THAT THIS POLICY, WHEN WE'RE REFERRING TO CLASSROOMS, WE'RE REFERRING TO SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS, AND THERE'S ALSO AN UPDATE TO THE TIMELINE FOR REPORTING CHILD ABUSE.

WE'VE MADE SOME CHANGES

[02:25:01]

ANOTHER LEGISLATIVE CHANGE, THIS TIME SENATE BILL 920. THE REVISION REFLECTS THAT UNDER THE LAW NOW, SCHOOL EMPLOYEES, NOT JUST NURSES, ARE ALLOWED TO ADMINISTER NON-PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, AND THOSE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE WRITTEN PARENTAL CONSENT. THE MEDICATION WOULD HAVE TO BE IN THE ORIGINAL CONTAINER AND BE PROPERLY LABELED AND GIVEN AS INSTRUCTED. BOARD POLICY FFB, STUDENT WELFARE: CRISIS INTERVENTION, LEGISLATIVE UPDATE PROMPTED BY HOUSE BILL 02, AND IT'S REVISED TO ADD LANGUAGE RELATED TO NOTIFICATION TO TEACHING STAFF OF A THREAT, AND IT RE- IT ADDRESSES THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT THAT THE DISTRICT, AS SOON AS IT'S SAFE AND PRACTICABLE, AFTER THEY LEARN OF A THREAT AGAINST THE CAMPUS, INCLUDING THE THREATS THAT MAY BE MADE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT THEY IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY MEMBERS OF THE TEACHING STAFF, INCLUDING TEACHING AIDES, WHO MAY BE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THAT THREAT. AND THE SUPERINTENDENT IS CHARGED WITH DEVELOPING ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT REQUIRED NOTICE HAPPENS.

AND AGAIN, THIS IS ALSO AN AREA WHERE THIS DISTRICT, THIS IS WHAT WE ALREADY DO. SO AGAIN, BRINGING OUR POLICY UP TO DATE WITH THE LANGUAGE THAT IS REQUIRED BY LAW, BUT ALSO REFLECTING WHAT WE DO IN PRACTICE. AND BOARD POLICY FFF, STUDENT WELFARE: STUDENT SAFETY. THIS IS ALSO A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE PROMPTED BY HOUSE BILL 2, AND THESE REVISIONS ARE NECESSARY TO ADDRESS THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE PARENT OF A STUDENT WITH WHOM AN EMPLOYEE OR SERVICE PROVIDER IS ALLEGED TO HAVE ENGAGED IN MISCONDUCT IS NOTIFIED. AND JUST TO NOTE THAT THAT NOTIFICATION IS REQUIRED TO THE ACTUAL PARENT OF THE STUDENT WHO IS IMPACTED BY THOSE ALLEGATIONS, NOT JUST BROADLY. BUT THAT AGAIN IS SOMETHING THAT AS A DISTRICT WE ALREADY DO, CATCHING UP OUR POLICY TO THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT IN OUR PRACTICE. BOARD POLICY FO. THE UPDATE HERE IS JUST TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON THE USE OF VIDEO AND AUDIO EQUIPMENT AND THE NOTIFICATION OF, UM, THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE USE OF THAT EQUIPMENT AND HOW INDIVIDUALS WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT MATERIAL. THE VIDEO AND AUDIO EQUIPMENT CAN BE USED FOR SAFETY PURPOSES, TO MONITOR STUDENT BEHAVIOR ON DISTRICT PROPERTY, AND PARENTS ARE ABLE TO ACCESS, UM, THAT VIDEO IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT, OR FERPA, OR ANY OTHER LAW THAT GIVES THEM THE RIGHT OF ACCESS TO THAT VIDEO INFORMATION. AND LAST ONE FOR TODAY, BOARD POLICY GKA, COMMUNITY RELATIONS: CONDUCT ON SCHOOL.

ANOTHER LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, THIS TIME RELATED TO SENATE BILL 706. AND THE CHANGE HERE IN GKA IS ACTUALLY SIMILAR TO WHAT THIS BOARD HAS ALREADY APPROVED, UM, EARLIER IN THE YEAR FOR BOARD POLICY DH. THERE WAS A CHANGE IN THE LAW TO RECOGNIZE ANY VALID LICENSE TO CARRY A HANDGUN, UM, NOT JUST LIMITING IT TO TEXAS, BUT ANY OTHER STATE AS WELL.

[02:30:02]

OKAY. IT WAS AMAZING. UH, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? IT'S INFORMATION ITEM, SO WE'VE GOT A LITTLE TIME IF YOU THINK OF SOMETHING HERE BEFORE WE SEE THEM AT THE NEXT MEETING.

BUT I APPRECIATE YOU GOING THROUGH ALL THAT, MS.

[V. CLOSED MEETING]

THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TONIGHT. ADJOURN.

[VI. RECONVENE]