CSISD Board Meeting 4/15/2025 - Regular Meeting

001[Music] Welcome everybody to our regular scheduled meeting April 15, 2025, a little after 7. Item B, declaration of a quorum. We have six members present, one absent. Hoping to have him back next month, by the way. Just want to pass that along. Um, welcome everybody. Thank you'all for being here. Welcome to this meeting of the College Station Independent School District Board of Trustees. We were elected at large to represent the interests of our community and our state in educating our students. Our mission for our our mission for our students in this district is success each life, each day, each hour. We adhere to all pertinent laws, policies, and procedures and posting agendas in conducting our meetings. The detailed agenda information was made available to us at least 72 hours in advance. We've all come to

002this meeting informed and prepared. We've just completed a workshop meeting where we heard reports and discussed much of the information needed to make decisions in either this meeting or in upcoming meetings. This is a meeting of the seven trustees in a public setting rather than a public meeting. As such, public comment is included on the agenda at a specific time and requires us to listen rather than take action so as to abide by the open meetings act. We are pleased that you have taken time this evening to join us. We are very proud of this school district. We thank you for your interest in and support of our students. That'll bring us to item C. I believe we have three elementaryaries here tonight. Nope. You got it first. You guys ready? Okay. Good evening. It's

003so Thank you. It's is it's so good to see everybody. I am Teresa Cot and I am the principal at Forest Ridge Elementary. Thank you very much. Okay. You know, we're getting down to the end of the year. Just to get a few uh uh a round of applause is kind of nice. Um anyway, so uh I have the wonderful privilege to introduce two fabulous Falcons to you tonight who will be representing Forest Ridge at this meeting. So I have Keegan Brown and I have Jordan Kelly. So I have a few words and then they're going to tell you a little bit about themselves and then you'll get to meet all of our other friends from other schools here this evening. So these two ladies are uh uh important kiddos at our school. They are

004what we call flip leaders. So that is Falcon leaders inspire people. And so they do all kinds of leadership things in our school. They also are on in our show choir. And so, you know, they have have performed uh many times in front of big audiences, including the Texas A&M basketball team. And I I think that their singing helped them get as far as they did uh in their uh work. So, you know, these two ladies are really wonderful. Keegan is like the epitome of uh someone with really great social skills. She's kind and and and inclusive and all of those things. And a great example for us in Jordan, she is amazing. and she has grit, perseverance, and that girl wants something done, she gets it done. They have a few other things they

005want to tell you about themselves, so get ready. Good evening. My name is Keegan Brown. I'm from No, I'm in from Forest Ridge Elementary. I am in fourth grade. My teachers are Miss Western, Miss. My favorite subject is reading. My favorite thing to do at Forester is flip. Flip. You get to help different teachers and help kids with their work. And you have a lanyard that has your picture and your name on it and so that people know that you're a leader. My favorite thing about Forest Ridge is that people are kind and um your teachers help you and our mission is all falcons learn at high levels. Outside of forestry, I like to play with my friends and do soccer and I like to do church. my when I'm proud of get getting to

006be a fabulous falcon and I when I grow up I want to be a teacher at Forest Ridge. [Applause] Good evening. My name is Jordan Kelly and I'm a proud fourth grader at Forest Ridge Elementary in Miss House's class. My favorite subject is math. My favorite thing to do at Forest Ridge is um is to go to art class and to is to go to art class and to interact with my friends. My favorite thing about Forest Ridge are the amazing faculty and staff and the fun events I get to participate in such as um Falcon Palooa field day and the talent show just to name a few. My favorite things my favorite thing to do outside of Forest Ridge are to draw or to attend church, draw, sing and dance. and I like to

007play with my brother and sister and enjoy outdoor activities with my family. My favorite um I am proud of being a I'm proud of being on the all a student honor role all year and being named as CSISD student of the week. And when for my career when I grow up I want to be a artist and a lawyer. [Applause] Well, that's a hard act to follow, but um my name is Laura Richter and I have the very good fortune of being the principal at Southn Null Elementary. And this evening I have with me two amazing South Nolers. Um I always get input from the staff of, you know, who should we bring? We have this opportunity to honor some kids and every teacher I asked gave me these two names and so I am

008going to let them tell you a little bit about themselves because they're way cuter than I am. So here they go. Hi, my name is Saul. Um, the thing I love about South No is that everyone is kind. And my favorite thing to do, my favorite thing to do is create art. And when I grow up, I want to be an artist. [Applause] Hi, my name is Ella Espino. My favorite thing about Southnull is my teachers, Miss Lockach and Miss Kervo. What do you like best about her? What's your favorite thing to do at South? My favorite thing to do at Southn Noel is to eat lunch. [Applause] And when you grow up, what do you want to be? Whenever I grow up, I want to be a vet. [Applause] Good evening. I'm Jeff Duron,

009principal at Rock Prairie Elementary. Um, and [Applause] oh, I uh I guarantee my lack of singing is what helped the Lady Longhorns get to the final four this year. I brought along two rock and wranglers with me. Two fourth graders, Heidi Ludrake and Ashton Sims. I'm going to let them introduce themselves. My name is Heidi Lou. My favorite thing to do is read. When I want to when I grow up, I want to be a teacher and teach at Rock Prairie. And my favorite thing about school is GT Computers and [Applause] Art. My name is Ashton. My favorite thing to do is play Fortnite. When I grow up, I want to be a YouTuber. And my favorite thing to do is My favorite thing to do is with be with Miss Harris. [Applause] Thank you.

010Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. Salute begin on under the Texas 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. Please join us for the Texas flag. I mean pledge. Honor. Get honor. Honor the Texas flag. I pledge aliance to the Texas. One state under God, one and indivisible. Please remain standing for a moment of silence. Please, you may be seated. Y'all stay up here. We're going to take a picture. Okay. Stay there. All right. [Applause] Okay. So sometimes even the principal gets surprised. So, next we get the wonderful privilege of uh introducing some fabulous folks that work at each one of our one of the three schools that are represented tonight. And so, um

011I think it's going to be really interesting tonight. So what what we thought at Forest Ridge, the group that we thought would be really nice to recognize tonight is what we lovingly refer to, I'm sure you all know, as our camp team, right? So computer art, music, PE. So if those people would please come forward, I would appreciate [Applause] it. And so let's see. Let me get myself. All right, here we go. So, now I can see when you're 411. That's that's challenge. So, here we go. So, uh the the fabulous people we have in front of you really are sort of like the lifeblood of our school. They are the foundation and they are, you know, the backbone. So, without these people, then our school just wouldn't have the flow and and and and

012we wouldn't be able to work at the level that we do. The things that they do really support our kids in so many ways. So right here to right here we have coach G. So coach Gilland and that's why he's called coach G. So coach G. And one of the things that's really important and on the other end we have coach B. And so you know coach Bermudas and so those two gentlemen work really hard to make sure that our kids move their bodies because we know that they can't really use their brain to high levels if they don't keep their bodies in motion. And so he really works really hard on the health and well-being of our kiddos and that's very important for our school. Next to him is Miss Sarah Leer. So she

013is our art teacher at Forest Ridge and the way she views the world with her heart and her spirit just brings out the amazing creativity in our kiddos in ways that I can't even imagine. And so you heard one of our students say art is their favorite. Well, this lady is the reason why. So, uh, next to her is Alena Stewart. Miss Stewart, Miss Stewart is our music teacher. And so, when she's not doing a sing along or a musical or taking her show choir to amazing places to sing like, you know, where they get to to meet Anderson Garcia and he's our friend. Uh, then, you know, she is, you know, teaching kids really powerful things uh in in music as well. So, next to her is Ginger Burke. She is our computer teacher.

014Miss Burks is a serious computer teacher. She is all about teaching coding and she's written two amazing grants that have brought really great materials to our kids so they can do things well above well above what we would typically expect in a computer classroom. So uh these are again like I said like the backbone of our school and the reason for that is they also help us with something that we call SOORE. And sore is an enrichment time during our day in which kiddos get to come and really do some things with steam, steam based activities. And so they without them we would not be able to have our collaborative team meetings the way we want them. And so and our kids are getting some real power there. I mean they do all these really

015great creations and uh they've written musical compositions and some have even been copyrighted. So, I'm sure one day you'll hear them in the world and you'll go, "Oh, that's because of Miss Stewart." So, let's give them another round of applause. Thank you. Thank you so much. Quick picture with you. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] So, I think you're going to be able to determine a theme to tonight's staff recognitions. Um, Teresa and I and Jeff all talked and um for probably pretty similar reasons, we've all selected to honor our camp team today. Um, one of the reasons I selected these fine individuals, and I'll introduce them to you. We have Amber Herblin, our art teacher, Liz Marshall is our PE teacher, Kim Taylor is our music teacher, and Rachel Lewis teaches computer to our

016kids during camp time. And what I will say is that I don't think there's a single team on our campus that touches every student every day in our building. And for some of our kids, if you think they start with us in kindergarten through fourth grade, every day, every kid, right? That is a tremendous amount of influence and power and just change that you can make in a child's life over the course of their elementary career. And I need to tell you that this team is outstanding. And I am so blessed and the children at Southnull are so blessed that these people are in their lives. And I will tell you um I'm going to speak kind of about them globally, but one of the things that is most powerful to me is that these

017these ladies are always willing to give a yes when it comes to what's best for the students at Southn No. And I'm just going to give you a few few examples of that. They make sure that every child has an opportunity on our campus to shine and be celebrated. I don't think if you that you guys know this, but whenever kids come for senior walk, they're excited to see the rest of us, but they all want to know where these four are. They all want to come find them. Um, you guys plant the seeds of love for art, music, athletics, and technology. And, um, I've personally been to a open, okay, it was a backyard band practice. um of a band that has two college age Southnull kids who one is the lead singer and

018one is the drummer. Um we have a one of our students and probably more than one but one that I know of is graduating from console this year and is going to be an art major at the University of Texas in Austin. And I know and there's probably more but I know of two students from South NLE who are going to be collegiate athletes next year. So um what you guys do makes a difference in what and what the kids um the the passions they choose to pursue. Um yeah, they say yes to being part of campus planning and initiatives because they do touch every kid in the building and they see things from a different perspective of other grade level teams. They can see things from that building perspective and they're often the first

019to offer suggestions about ways to improve campus structures or if we're going to start an initiative, thinking about how all that's going to work and how all the pieces are going to play together. And these peop these this these ladies are always willing to say yes when it comes on to take taking on challenging product projects. Several years ago, we were using a fundraising company to run a fund run for us. And these ladies watched it for a couple years. And they came to me and they said, "We can do that and we can do it better." And I and I and cheaper and and and they did. And and because of their initiative, we have a home run, a homegrown fundraiser every year where our kids get an an an experience that caters to

020who they are. And our PTO benefits positively from their willingness to say yes. They'd say yes to making sure even our youngest learners on our campus have an opportunity to to take part in their classes. This year, we made the decision to add our prek students. our youngest, our three and four year olds into the camp rotation. At first, that kind of scared you guys. I'm not going to lie. Um, but you put your heads together and and you made some changes and we have we've created something that works for them and now they are exposed to that every day. Um, you say yes to professional learning. These ladies sit through a lot of professional development on our campus that doesn't necessarily pertain to their content areas, right? They sit through a lot of reading

021and math and but I will tell you that anytime we have campus staff development, these people are the first people to raise their hand and talk about how they're going to implement what we're doing in their classrooms. And lastly, you guys say yes to leadership. I know in each of your cohort groups at the district level, you guys serve in a leadership role. And so your influence goes as South N but goes way beyond that. And so I am just so thankful for you each and every day and I don't say it enough. So heck, I got an opportunity to say in front of a lot of people and I took it. Um, but I don't know if you know how amazing you are. So I just wanted to give an have an opportunity to

022say that. So you're [Applause] welcome. Love you. Love you. Oh, sorry. Okay, let me give the mic to Jenny. [Music] [Applause] So, I brought my kindergarten team. No, I'm just [Laughter] kidding. So, these are four of our camp team. Let me introduce it to you first. On the far end, we have PE assistant Juan Benvitas. Next to him is our coach Tabitha Brown. Music teacher, Joseph Heritage, art teacher, Kelly Win. Miss McCabe, our computer teacher, couldn't be with us tonight. She's with her twin grandbabies right now. So, in a better place, I guess. Um, wow. I don't know what else I can add to what was already said by Miss Richter and Miss Cod. These are the most flexible people you're going to meet on any campus for a campus to be successful. These are

023the people who are always going to step in at any time and most of the time with a smile on their face. I brought these folks up here, however, for a different reason. We talk about words like grit and perseverance a lot in education. What these four and five folks represent is the word resilience. I could sit here and list an just a laundry list of items that have occurred in their lives in the last two years and you would think it was hyperbole, but it absolutely isn't. They have gone through a lot as a team and they have come through the other side shining just like I would have expected them to. They are incredible people, not just incredible educators. And they are the heart of any campus, but for sure they are the

024heart of Rock Prairie. And so I thank each and every one of you. Thank [Applause] you. Yeah. [Applause] I got your certificate. Miss Debbie, would you come up here? Good evening, everybody. My name is Chuck Longwell. I'm the driver supervisor with transportation. And with me tonight is Miss Debbie Morris. She's one of our bus [Applause] aids. And Miss Debbie has been with us for the majority of the semester. She came on early early this year. Um, and I'm not going to say words that I have prepared. We actually got a wonderful email from your driver and I'm going to read it tonight. Debbie Morris has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication, compassion, and professionalism in her role as a bus aid supporting special needs students. Her ability to create a calm, safe, and nurturing environment on the

025bus has made a significant positive impact on both the students and their families. She goes above and beyond her daily responsibilities, showing patience and empathy in every interaction. Whether it's helping a child with mobility challenges boarding a bus, calmly managing behavioral issues, or communic communicating effectively with parents and staff, Debbie approaches every task with a sense of purpose and care. She often sits in the same seat with students to directly communicate one-on-one. The students respond to her kindness and love her. Her strong attention to safety combined with her warm and reassuring presence has helped foster trust with the students and ensured a smooth, secure transport experience every day. Debbie is a vital part of the transportation team. CSIST Transportation benefits greatly from her employment. Her contributions as a bus aid embody the values of excellence,

026kindness, and reliability that this recognition represents, and I could not agree more. So, as thanks and to show our appreciation, we have a certificate. And if I can find it somewhere in here, a gift card provided by E3 and the Education Foundation. As well as the very fancy parking spot up [Applause] front. Congratulations. Thank [Applause] you. All right, Mr. Horak, members of the board, we will continue our recognition portion of the meeting um by recognizing some of our incredibly talented and dedicated students who have reached the state or national level in their respective activities or competitions starting with&m consolidated students who have competed in the business professionals of America state competition. So, we're proud to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of the&m Consolidated High School students who recently competed at the Business Professionals of America State

027Leadership Conference last month in Dallas. This year, 27 students from Console participated in a variety of business related events including accounting, economics, advanced office systems, business law and ethics, medical coding, and speech to name a few. It is our honor to recognize four of these students that have qualified for the BPA National Leadership Conference which will be held in May. And so students, as I call your name, if um you'll do your best to make your way down this side aisle and receive your certificate from Dr. Hark Rider and shake the board's hands and then we'll take a group photo after we call all of the names. So, placing third in extempiraneous speech at the state competition and qualifying for nationals, Chloe [Applause] Choy, also placing third in advanced office systems and procedures, as well

028as receiving the Statesman Statesman Torch Award uh during a special recognition ceremony for her service to others and serving as a voting delegate uh is Mayu [Applause] Fujiwara. Placing first winning a state championship in extemporaneous speech is Justin Palazolo. [Applause] And our last national qualifier, uh, who couldn't be here tonight, he placed first in, uh, business, law, and ethics, and it's Gian Carlo Valadereas. Please give him a [Applause] hand. And I'm not sure if I can see her in the back, but their adviser is Miss Kathy Fischer. Please come up Kathy to be recognized. [Applause] All right, congratulations, guys. [Applause] Next, we had several student athletes uh participate in um the powerlifting competitions this spring. Um tonight we have student athletes from College Station High School's powerlifting team. The&m consolid consolidated powerlifting team couldn't make

029it tonight, but we'll honor them next month. So again, we're proud to recognize uh these student athletes from College Station High School who competed on the boys and girls powerlifting teams and had an impressive season that culminated at the state meet. The Lady Cougars dominated throughout the year, earning first place in two invitationals and were named the region 2 champions before finishing seventh overall at the state meet. The Cougar boys also had a strong showing this season, placing fourth and first at spring invitationals. At the state meet, Cougars Cougar lifters had impressive showing setting personal records, breaking school records, and representing the school and the district with determination, grit, and excellence. So students, as I call your name again, if you'll come and receive your certificate and shake the board's hands, we'll take a photo

030when all the names are called. So, starting off, our state champion in 5A division 1 in the 165 class, who was named top squad of the meet after setting a state record of 500 lbs in squat, [Applause] Miss Jesse Kajisik Placing third in the 105 class, Beth [Applause] Strener. Placing fourth in the 148 class, Giovana [Applause] Castellani. Placing fourth in the 181 class, Annayiah [Applause] Taylor. Placing fifth in the 242 class, Emma Moore. All these ladies are very impressive, but Emma is a freshman and she made it to state this year. So, that's very that's amazing. Placing seventh in the 165 class, Ray [Applause] Pac. And placing 13th in the 220 class, J Miracle Sandal. We had two Lady Cougars who could not make it tonight. Brianna Earrig placed seventh in 242 and Colleen Gold

031plays 12th in 148. Please give them a [Applause] hand. All right. And for our boys, the Cougars placing 17th in the state in the 181 class, Briaden Smith. [Applause] Briaden broke his personal record in every single lift at the state meet and he set new school records in the 181 class for squat and [Applause] deadlift. All right. And then placing 20th in the 220 class, Liam Ponte. Liam also set personal records in every lift at the state meet and set a new school record for the 220 class with a bench of 405 lbs. [Applause] And of course their coach, Mr. Greg Frasier. Please come forward. [Applause] [Music] She has We got everybody. All right. Congratulations. [Applause] All right. And our last student group, um, we are proud again to recognize an outstanding group of students

032from&m Consolidated High School and College Station High School who recently competed at the Texas Public Safety Association State Conference. TPSA is a statewide organization that provides opportunities for high school students to develop knowledge and skills in law enforcement, forensic science, emergency services, and other public safety careers. students qualify for the state competition by placing at their regional contest and uh making it to the state level is a tremendous achievement. So again students as I call your name please come receive your certificate and um be congratulated by the school board. Um first we have a back-toback state champion in report writing from&m Consolidated High School, Miss Susan Kramer. [Applause] All right. And then we have a team here that placed fourth in blood stain pattern analysis. Team is made up of three&m consolidated students. First, Autumn

033Odor. [Applause] Also on the team, Isabella [Applause] Stumpf and Joanna Chua. Sorry if I butchered that name. All right. and from College Station High School earning a top 10 placement in anthropology, Lillian Matsik. [Applause] Also earning a top 10 placement in DWI traffic stop, Cheyana [Applause] Ringo. And we have another state champion in law enforcement agility, McKenzie [Applause] Theobald. And our other Cougar state qualifiers, Sophia [Applause] Whitaker, Zoe [Applause] Ziggleman, Josiah [Applause] White, Dylan Broad, [Applause] Holly [Applause] Price, Daniel [Applause] Kennedy and Eve Oronda, TPSA advisers. from Console are Chris Dawson and Aaron Howell. Y'all here? Come on up. And College Station High School Jay Summers who can't be here tonight. Donnie Welsh. Donnie [Applause] Welsh. Here we [Applause] go. Good. You're good. All right, guys. Congratulations. Y'all can have a [Applause] seat. All right,

034and that concludes our recognitions portion of the meeting. [Applause] Yeah, just give me a sec. Good evening everyone. If we can, if you have empty seats between you, if y'all can scoot from the outside to the inside to let some folks in so that we can hopefully find everybody a seat so we're not blocking any aisles. All right, we want to make sure we recognize our artwork at the back of our boardroom from our Forest Ridge, Rock Prairie, and South Null kiddos. So, make sure y'all check those out before. Obviously, we heard a bunch of them are going to be artists later on, so I'm sure their works are back there as well. So, appreciate them bringing those over. Uh, brings us to item D, board reports. Who'd like to go first? I can. Um,

035DEIC met, and we got a science update, a social studies update, um, and then the, uh, district improvement plan, which we'll hear about later on in the meeting. We got an update on that. Mine's actually I just want to do a quick thank you at for the schools that helped uh welcome the leadership TASBY group on Friday. Um some of you know it's a it's a program that I've been a part of for this last year and we've u there's 34 of us from schoolboard members from all over the state and we've been visiting different uh districts. We've just seven different districts. this was the final one and it was a great it was a great to be able to show off some of the wonderful things happening in in our school. So, particularly thank

036you to all the admin team that helped put it on, but really the two campuses that opened up for us and let us, you know, come in there and and the students that talked to us and and let us see what's going on because that's what it's about. And so, it was it was really a good experience and thanks also to the rest of the board who was able to participate that day as well. So, It's a busy time for education foundation and I have a few things I want to share with you guys. First of all, senior hall of fame is coming up um next week. I believe we have 64 students and their educators that are going to be honored at that. Um also, the education foundation just went through its process of

037picking 130 students that are going to receive um $175,000 worth of scholarships. Um that's awesome. Um, and something that's new this year, we just had our first ever CSISD freezer sale. That was at the Brazes County Youth Livestock Show. Um, I heard it was amazing. And, um, that freezer sale was supported by the foundation as well. Um, and then Miss Bennon would like for you guys to check out the updated donor wall that's just out there in the foyer that has this year's donors on it. Um, and it's because of those donors and and the work of lots of people um, in that foundation that we can do all of these great things for our kids. the um intergovernmental committee uh meeting met intergovernmental intergovernmental uh committee met and um got a couple of development

038updates um around town. Most of it was centered in Brian, but then Dr. Harker Ryder actually also gave a uh presentation on uh CSISD and um a bunch of the things that we have going on. And so it was a a very good uh good meeting and um the intergovernmental committee meeting is um it's really it's kind of taken off this year with some changes and so I think it's going to be it's going to be good. Anything else? Superintendent update. Yes sir. We are now home to the uh 5A division one girls soccer team state championship. So, uh, big congratulations to Coach Blakeley and our ladies and I thank them for making it not close at all. They won four to nothing and in a football game that would be like winning 60 to

039nothing. So, they did a wonderful job. Uh, we will recognize them next month uh at the board meeting. Uh, the city of College Station is going to recognize them next Thursday at their city council meeting. And then I got a text uh Saturday morning from our House Republican, our House Representative Paul Dyson. He is going to do a resolution uh that will be presented on the House floor uh during one of the session days here coming up pretty soon. And we're hoping to be able to choreograph getting them there in person. It'll be a short quick visit, but it'll be a time that they'll remember for the rest of their life. So, we're very proud of those ladies. And also, not only is it difficult to win a state championship, but they were 270 and

040one. They did not lose a game all year long, so they can truly say nobody beat them, which is incredible. Just a calendar update real quick. Friday is Good Friday, so it's a holiday for everyone and then coming back. So, we've got an extra long weekend because Monday is also a student holiday and it's a staff comp day. So, uh I know we've got a lot of folks that are looking forward to having a long weekend off and get back for the final stretch run of the year. And the last excited about May the 1st, we're going to host our first district volunteer appreciation lunchon. And we have Austin, how many total volunteers we have in the district? So we have over 3,000 volunteers. Are we feeding 3,000 people? Okay, just double checking. We uh

041we have a wonderful support group of of people in our community, not just parents, that want to be a part of of what we do each and every day. So it's just a small token of appreciation uh to thank them for what they do and helping us out. It takes a village uh to have a great school district and raise uh raise our kids and we appreciate them and going to show that on May the 1st to those folks. So uh looking forward to that time uh together with them. That's it. All right, that brings us to item E, hearing of citizens. During this time, we will hear from citizens who registered to speak prior to the meeting in accordance with board operating procedures. The open meetings act prevents us from responding to speakers regarding

042items not on the agenda. Comments related to items on the agenda may be discussed during deliberations on that specific agenda item. Public comments are limited to three minutes per person. Those needing an interpreter may have up to six minutes. Each person has one opportunity at the microphone regardless of minutes used. Unused minutes may not be acred by another speaker. The executive assistant will time the comments and alert the president when time has expired. The board asks that those addressing the board refrain from derogatory comments. Our first speaker is, and I apologize if I mess up your names. I I truly am going to try this. Uh, Yichen Quan, and I think we're going to use this microphone right here. Good evening. My name is Ichin Kwan and my kids are zoned for CSISD schools. I'm

043here to read the statement from the teacher Lorax. Texas law states each classroom teacher is entitled to at least 450 minutes within each twoe period for instructional preparation. A planning and preparation period may not be less than 45 minutes within the instructional day. During a planning and preparation period, a classroom teacher may not be required to participate in any other activity. Our status as a district of innovation has allowed the district to take away our uninterrupted planning time. Today, the district would like the elementary campuses to have two dedicated planning periods per week for the solution tree professional learnings committees or PLC's. Teachers are told to be grateful that we finally have been given time to work and plan together. In truth, teachers were already doing that, but now cannot do the basic planning that

044is necessary to run a class because our time has been taken away. Even with just one PLC per week, it is still too much when you factor in ARS, 504s, parent meetings, and other required meetings, and teachers take even more work home. Teachers are only paid for 10 months of the year, and training in the summer earns only a day or two of comp time during the school year. This makes for more work without pay. The solution tree training that we do in PLC would be infinitely more beneficial if it were completed in the summer with teachers being fairly compensated for their time. That way they could analyze their own data in the year, utilizing the coaches as much as needed and getting assistance with interventions and classroom support that is so desperately needed. We're

045advocating for a culture where open dialogue is welcomed, where respect is mutual, and where both educators and parents can ask questions without fear of being labeled difficult or facing retaliation. We understand that no one can make everyone happy and that leaders often have to make difficult choices. However, this administration seems intent upon silencing opposition. Rather than listening empathetically, they downplay our concerns, listening in order to refute and silence objections. There is a rudeness and incivility to interactions that is absolutely contrary to what CSISD has stood for in the past. No one is safe. We have lost many loyal long-term employees who could not remain in what they deemed a departure from our traditional values, an overreiance on test scores and a weaponization of data. And we lost even more who felt crushed by the burden

046of simply too many expectations. I've heard many teachers say that Jeff Dond helped heal their teacher rooms from other places where they were not respected and valued. Unfortunately, some of those schools are in our own district. Grievances are filed and nothing changes. Yet, the principal who uses his position to lift up his teachers rather than tear them down is the one who gets demoted. This is not who we are. Let's return to our values. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. Thank you. Thank [Applause] you, Amy Shellac. I can see heads. Thank you. Good evening, members of the board. My name is Amy Sheilac. I'm a proud product of College Station ISD, a mom of two current CSISD students, and someone deeply invested in this

047district. I served on the committee that helped craft our current strategic plan and core beliefs. I volunteered regularly at my children's school since 2020 and developed relationships with staff, administrators, and teachers across the district. I hold a degree in English from Texas A&M and once planned to become a teacher myself. After seeing the direction of this profession is heading under current leadership, I'm now grateful that wasn't the path I took. But I still feel called to support those who haven't given up hope for their chosen calling. In November, I sent a detailed email to district administration expressing concern about declining teacher morale and the crushing workload brought on by the implementation of PLC's and more. I relayed the message that teachers felt unsupported and overwhelmed. I asked for two things, a meeting and that our

048communication remained confidential. The response I received was generic, evasive, and completely sidestepped both of my asks. When I followed up, I was met with silence. That silence speaks volumes. I've since learned that my request for confidentiality was also ignored. Undeterred, I pursu pursued a meeting and was eventually granted one with two additional district representatives who had read my email. I used that meeting to advocate for the teachers who had confided in me and suggested the district conduct an anonymous survey so staff could speak freely without fear of retaliation. I was flatly told no. They would not survey the teachers. They explained that unless teachers were willing to come forward by name, the district could not effectively address the concerns. They implied that the real issue was a lack of understanding on the teachers part and

049said identifying who was struggling was necessary to offer more training. In other words, no anonymity, no action. I'm here tonight not just as a parent, but as a voice for the teachers who are too afraid to speak up. They're afraid of retaliation, not only against themselves, but even against their children who attend this district. What kind of culture are we fostering where educators who should be our partners are scared into silence? Let's talk about retaliation. We demoted a respected elementary principal. By all accounts, a beloved leader, potentially because he didn't enforce the PLC model aggressively enough. In reality, he was protecting his staff from a rigid and ineffective system. He let them teach. Imagine that. His demotion sends a chilling message. We're also seeing teachers resign mid-year in record numbers, not because they don't love

050their students, but because they're being crushed by the demands of a failing model. And in return, we're reporting them to the TEA, even when replacements are secured, potentially ending their careers. I urge you to investigate the growing concern that our superintendent may have financial ties to solutions tree, a potential conflict of interest that would explain the relentless pressure to implement a model that is clearly breaking our teachers. We say we value transparency, collaboration, and feedback in this district. then prove it. Listen to your teachers. Listen to your parents. Stop perpetuating a culture of fear and start fostering a culture of trust in an environment where people feel safe enough to speak. Thank you. Thank you, [Applause] Neo Jen. Excuse me. Dear elected members of the school district board and superintendent Hark Rider, my name is

051Neil Jang, a proud parent of two Rock Prairie Wranglers, Aliyia and Samir. I am here today to celebrate a righteous action taken to save our children from an unsavory character found hiding amongst on our mist. surreptitiously sent to us by the other Texas University. Identifying this agent was made possible by his being clad not in a proud maroon but in a yet unapologetic burnt orange. A Asian sorry a parent only shuddters at the prospect of what disagreeable propaganda and inappropriate influence our beloved children were exposed to by these longhorns. good riddance. All silly jokes aside, we together are better than this. We look straight into the eyes of those who disagree with us and oppose us and see in the heart of their hearts that we are all driven for and driven by love. In

052this room, in our hometown, and in our children's classrooms, it is the love for our children. teachers and staff who surely spend even more time every day with our children than we do. We are ever grateful that they love and care for the well-being and healthy growth of our children. Principal Durand loves what he does and I am thankful that he does. When he says, "I love what I do," he is simply putting into words what his actions have continued to show us day after day, week after week, year after year. We've all benefited immeasurably from having him with us. As a beneficiary of his love and dedication, I stand here to simply ask you to open your ears, your minds, and your hearts when we say, "Please don't take Jeff away from us. Please

053don't take principal dur away from us because we will be envious and covetous of the families who will receive him. Don't take him from us because we will have to struggle to be fair to whoever will have to step into his Wrangler boots. Here's a recitation of Wrangler pledge modified and adapted. We are somebody. We are learning to be best versions of us. We promise to be respectful, responsible, and reach for success. We are Rock Prairie Wranglers. I am a proud parent of Rock Prairie Wranglers. Thank you for your time, your open ears, open minds, and open hearts when we say we love Principal Durand. Thank you very much. Thank you, [Applause] Heather Nickel. Good evening, Dr. Harker and members of the board. My name is Heather Nickel, and I'm here today not to only

054speak for my kids, but to only speak for the amazing teachers and staff we have in this district. Nearly a year ago, I first raised my deep concerns about our outstanding school district. initially as a parent advocating for services for my daughter, then in a letter from a teacher, and most recently through a survey that felt completely disregarded. Today, I'm seeing those same concerns play out at Rock Prairie. And unfortunately, this is only the beginning. If the board continues to ignore what's happening, the situation will only deteriorate further. I want to remind all of you, the board's role is to serve and represent the community, not to function as an arm of the executive team at central office. In my meetings with with central office, I was repeatedly told, "We're not hearing it." One teacher

055said after the news about Rock Prairie broke, "What happened at Rock Prairie is exactly why we can't speak up. Retaliation is real and it does happen." The unspoken policy coming from central office feels like stay quiet and follow the orders. A few years ago, the board's vision was to bring leadership that would offer stability to our district, its teachers, and its staff. Instead, what we've gotten to feel is disturbingly similar to what happened in Brian ISD between 2011 and 2016. We are not willing to have that happen here. Teachers are tired of hearing it's a privilege to work for College Station ISD. Right now, it's not a privilege. It feels like a dictatorship. As we approach the end of the school year, I fear the mass exodus I warned about a year ago is going

056to come true. And from what we can see so far from central office, we continue to deny the true reasons why staff are leaving. My daughter is losing one of the best specialists she she's had for two years. Yet another casualty of these ongoing changes. I already know I'll be bringing a box of tissues that day when she finds out. And while one of you on the board may relate to the situation or the heartbreak of losing this amazing specialist, I'm left wondering what hasn't shifted your perspective. You're losing great teachers, administrators, and staff, and families, too. More and more kids are being pulled out to homeschool. So, I ask you, what will it take for you to truly listen to your community and work with us instead of simply taking direction from central office?

057Thank you. Thank you, Ashley Baros. Hi, I'm Ashley Baros. Uh, my kids are zoned at S CSISD schools and I'm here to continue the to read the statement um from the teacher Lorax. Miss Pdola taught one of my three kids and I'm happy to help her advocate for herself and for the rest of our teachers. So, these are these are her statements. Student behavior has become increasingly problematic in recent years. Teachers are being assaulted by students, even at the elementary level. We need more behavioral support. There needs to be real accountability when students are violent against teachers and other students. Even when the perpetrator has a diagnosis, safety must come first. Our teachers and students should feel safe when they come to school. Teachers already wear wear too many hats. In addition to their teaching

058duties, we are not only behavior specialists who fill out forms for doctors and psychologists. We are ESL teachers, gifted and talented teachers, enrichment specialists, and interventionists for the lowest of the low. We have to document every accommodation and modification, which can take hours. In addition to our arts and 504 meetings, we have to prepare for and attend at least twice per year per child. When we refer a child to speech services with our for articulation difficulties, we are required to work with them in class on their speech skills for several weeks before we can even begin with speech services. We fill out our behavior charts and are responsible for their social, emotional health. And we work with parents to get to the root of academic, social, and behavioral issues. We monitor lunches and keep allergic

059children from their allergens while carefully observing the epileptic children for signs of impending seizures. We help children reserve resolve conflicts and learn to persevere. Today, kids attention span is shortened by their access to devices. So, we have to be extra creative. And knowing what it's doing to their brains, we are still required to provide a certain number of minutes per week of computer assistant inter interventions. We hunt down kids who are chronically absent and try to find ways to get them to school reliably. We deal with students whose IQs are deemed too low for special education services trying to grapple with how to teach a child with no help who is destined to fail his or her way through school. We deal with helicopter parents and angry parents and wonderful parents. We contact protective services

060when we note signs of abuse. Teachers are doing a lot more than teaching. Adding more work to our plates when we are already struggling is unconscionable. A more compassionate approach would be to introduce new responsibilities in a way that decreases others whenever possible. There must be a decrease in the burden before we break our teachers. And stating that the best way to introduce sweeping change is to just rip off the band-aid is simply out of touch with reality. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. Thank you. Thank you, [Applause] Brad Brimley. My name is Brad Brimley and I have four children who have attended or currently attend Rock Prairie Elementary. Mr. Durand has been the principal for every one of them and he has been

061exceptional. My kids are excited to go to school because their teachers are passionate, they're sensitive and they're committed to them. Following the announcement regarding Mr. Durand, I visited with multiple teachers and I can tell that that passion is being stifled by a culture of fear and micromanagement created by the district administration. More and more teachers are seeing the district interfere directly in the classrooms which affects a teacher's ability to meet the students unique needs. Teachers feel like their professional judgment is no longer respected. They tell me they are being they're getting burned out because they have heavier administrative duties. There are fewer or no specialists and they receive less support from principles and assistant principles because those who are in campus administration are bogged down with meetings. What's more concerning to me is that teachers

062are afraid to speak up about the toxic environment created by our current district administration. They're afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation. They are scared and Mr. Duron's recent reassignment deepens their fear and anxiety. I'd like to draw attention to our district budget. Compared to 5 years ago, the funds allocated to the district's general administration this year have increased by 51%. Funds allocated to instruction have increased by only 22%. Campus administration funds, what goes to support principles and assistant principles, have increased by a pitiful 6% compared to 5 years ago. What is the district administration doing that is so important compared to teachers and campus staff? We understand that finances are limited. Teachers say that the new district administrative positions have not helped us do more with less. It's not working. It's not something

063where we'll just figure it out in a couple of years and iron out the wrinkles because talented staff and teachers are quitting or retiring. Their jobs have become unsustainable. When a beloved principal is removed, what message are you sending to teachers and parents? For the teachers that remain at Rock Prairie, what kind of relationship do you expect them to have with a new principal that's handpicked by this administration under these circumstances? This situation sets up that principal for failure and the teachers for failure. And who suffers? Of course, it's the students. I feel sorry for the remaining principles at Rock Prairie or other campuses who have other positions to fill. They're going to need to convince prospective teachers that the workplace actually isn't toxic. that Jeff Don was an exception and that teachers Thank you.

064appreciate Kier Rodriguez. Good evening, Dr. Hark Rider, members of the board, community members. My name is Kira Rodriguez. I am the proud parent of two Greens Prairie Mustangs. Um, over the last several months, concerns across CSISD have been growing, and they're no longer whispers. What started as quiet conversations among educators has become a collective voice from teachers, parents, and community members who care deeply about what's happening in our schools. We are advocating for five things. First, teacher retention and support. Teachers are telling us they feel undervalued, micromanaged, and unsupported, especially under current central office leadership. Many are considering leaving the profession, not because they've lost the passion to teach, but because the conditions they are being asked to work under are simply unsustainable. They're navigating costly trainings like solution tree that fill one-sizefits-all and disconnected

065from classroom needs, unreasonable expectations for data tracking and documentation. Decreased autonomy and a growing fear that pushing back, even respectfully, could cost them their jobs. Second, transparency and communication. Families and staff deserve honest communication from central office, especially when it comes to leadership decisions and major shifts in direction. Third, student centered solutions. Programs like Adminum have been implemented with limited teacher input and top- down pressure. Educators are asking, "Are these programs truly helping our students learn, or are we just checking boxes?" Fourth, restoring campus autonomy. Principles and campus leaders, those who know their communities best, are being overridden or silenced. We're advocating for them to have the trust and space to lead effectively. And finally, protecting the culture of public education. We believe in collaboration, not compliance, and open dialogue, not silence, and in building

066a district where educators, families, and leadership work together with mutual respect to do what's best for kids. This is not about tearing down. It's about holding up the voices of those who are too often left out of the conversation. Thank you for your time and for listening. Thank you. [Applause] Andrea Buck. Good evening board members. My name is Andrea Beck and I've been a Rock Prairie parent for the last seven years. I want to thank you for the work you do. I know it's not easy to make decisions that affect so many families, and I'm genuinely grateful that we have a governing body committed to holding leaders accountable and ensuring our schools are led with excellence. We all want the same thing, strong, effective leadership for our kids. But that's exactly why we're here tonight.

067The decision to remove Principal Duron from his role feels out of step with that mission because there's been no clear evidence to support it. For context, Rock Prairie has been above the title one elementary average on the STAR test since the 2020 2021 school year. When a leader is dismissed without clarity, it creates a ripple effect, one that hurts more than just one individual. For our school, this moves a blow to momentum and morale. Students lose a trusted presence in the halls. Teachers lose a supportive advocate. Families lose a principal who knows their children by name and invests in them beyond the classroom. The progress we've seen academically and relationally now feels uncertain. Recently, a teacher shared something with me that I haven't been able to stop thinking about. She said they cannot learn until

068they feel loved. But there's another consequence, too. The loss of trust in this board's leadership. When decisions are made behind closed doors without transparency or stated cause, the community begins to question the credibility and integrity of the process. And that's damaging for everyone. There is a better way forward. Last Thursday, my first grader came home talking about the Character Strong program that our district has implemented. And she was telling me how they were learning about courage. And she said, "Mom, courage is choosing what is helpful and kind even when it's hard and scary. You've got to speak your mind." And I said, "Can you please write that down for me?" Because her question to me was, "Why is he leaving us?" So I said, "I want you to write that down on my card." And

069I'm going to tell all these people tonight what courage actually is. listen to those who work with principal drawn every day, the teachers, the parents, the students. We've seen him raise academic standards and support struggling learners. We've watched him celebrate student growth and champion teachers development. He walks the halls. He shows up. He leads with excellence in heart. That's not just my experience. It's the overwhelming experience of this community. So tonight, I'm asking you, please reconsider your decision. Reinstating Principal Drn might feel like a hard U-turn, but I believe it would be a courageous one. Take it from my first grader Kate. Courage is choosing what is helpful and kind, even when it's hard or scary. I There is honor in leadership that is willing to pause, listen, and course correct when needed. Do what

070is right, not just what is easy. We and our kids are counting on it. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Samantha Kimbell, you here? Okay. Meg Anderson. Good evening. My name is Meg Anderson. Many years ago, I graduated from&M Consolidated High School right across the street. And I mean many. I'm a former substitute teacher at CSISD. I have three children. One a recent graduate of College Station High School and the other two are currently attending there. 100% of my kids student education has been in College Station ISD schools. I am not a teacher who is currently being intimidated into staying quiet about their suffering. I am not a teacher who has been threatened into silence. I am not a teacher who is worried about having a target on my back while they strangle on the injustices

071of losing their weekends and evenings and time with their family to meet the new expectations of this current administration. I am however a friend to many who are. There's been a mass exodus of many excellent teachers from CSISD. I suspect there will be many more leaving when it's time to renew contracts. These people are excellent teachers who have dedicated many years of their life to be trained to educate our children. Instead of being allowed to do this, they have recently been forced to jump through hoops for programs that have not been proven to work. They have lost more than half their planning time under the guise of being known as a district of innovation. These teachers have had to sacrifice their own time to spend planning lessons and grading papers and projects. Instead of being

072trusted, they have been micromanaged. In order to replace these compassionate, professional teachers, we will likely have to substitute them with emergency certified people who have not had the same rigorous education about how to teach children to learn. This means we will have weaker teachers to replace our outgoing ones. I don't think this is what we want for our children in College Station. We are at a tipping point in our school district. The role of superintendent is to lead with vision, yes, but also with wisdom, collaboration, and respect for those who are actually in the classrooms every day, our teachers. Unfortunately, we are witnessing a growing disconnect between our administration's decisions and the reality on the ground. The teachers, our frontline experts, are overwhelmed, undervalued, and most of all, afraid to speak up for fear of

073retaliation. We are not a district of innovation. Currently, we are a district of dysfunction. We must ask, are we best serving our students, our own children, when teachers are burning out under the weight of unrealistic expectations? Are we being responsible stewards of public funds when we invest in programs that have no proven track record while cutting back on essential resources? Everyone loves to say College Station has better education compared to nearby schools. What happened to our GT program? Where did our intervention programs go? We need leadership that builds trust instead of fear. Our current administration's vision has become increasingly out of step with the needs of this district. For the sake of our students, our teachers, the future of this community, I urge this board to seriously consider a change in leadership. We want an

074administration who inspires, not intimidates. [Applause] Sylvia Piradola Hello, my name is Sylvia Pardola and I'm a former teacher at CSISD. I love this district and have experienced it both as a teacher and as a parent. The education my children received was excellent. I'm a big fan of CSISD. Due to the changes in the general atmosphere in the district in the last couple of years, I ended up quitting my job, citing personal reasons on the advice of my lawyer after the first quarter last semester. As I was having health problems related to the stress I was experiencing, my hours of work with students and even parents was my job and my joy. And that's not what drove me away. It was the unrelenting expectations from on high that didn't take into consideration the things that were

075happening at our schools. When I left, I told my colleagues I wanted to be the teacher Lorax, so I could speak for the trees. I found an empathetic ear from my meeting with HR, but I felt attacked and belittled in my meeting with upper level personnel. I felt that my words were going to be used against my colleagues rather than listened to and considered as a way to improve relations. And so, I stopped speaking out. Tonight, I came to voice the five most common concerns of the teachers since anonymous feedback is not allowed and they're afraid to speak honestly for fear of repercussions. I've spoken to a lot of people who have trusted me with their pain and concerns from all levels of our district, past and present. The words not only reflect my own

076experience, but the experience of nearly all the others I've spoken to. I'm speaking to the board publicly because when I emailed, only one board member responded and met with me. These board meetings often feel like PR generated spin machines to me. But my hope is today that board members are going to begin to see beyond the curtain and start to dig deeper to gain a fuller understanding of the dire situation our district is in. The cost cutting measures implemented last year were touted as being best for the students and best for the teachers. Our interventionists were removed and our enrichment GT specialists stretched so thin that they were unable to keep our programs as they had been. Now, students who, for instance, did not qualify for GT because they're on level in math, but several

077grade levels ahead in reading, are at risk for disengagement and are left without the joy of a guided challenge in enrichment that makes school worth waking up for. Teachers must now plan for in-class enrichment while also trying to catch up the lowest students and challenge the onle students all in the same room at the same time. Our students and teachers need these resources back. My thanks to the two women who read the rest of my statement for me during their time. But for the board, unless someone like you cares an whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. Thank you. Thank you, Jamie Sauier. Um, it's my first time doing something like this. Uh, I don't like crowds and you can ask my kids. I don't like addressing people who've already made

078it clear they're not going to listen. In first grade, our youngest was diagnosed with a condition that qualified them for classroom accommodations and individual counseling. This is back when there was a department of education. Thank goodness Jeff Don was at Rock Prairie to steward us through this process. Honestly, the entire staff and all the faculty were and continue to be great. But um his professionalism and guidance and leadership were essential in the subsequent development of our child into the stellar student and person they are today. Deron's approach in that situation with our child was indicative of the type of educator and person he is. U reflective rather than reactionary, positive and upbeat regardless of the challenge. He's kind and caring and empathetic. He's never angry or frustrated in the face of adverse conditions. When a

079parent or guardian or a student needs him, Mr. Don makes them feel like the only person in the world, as if their issue is his only job in that moment. If the intermediate, middle, and high school principles in our family's future demonstrate half the competence and compassion of Jeff Duron, our children will be in good hands indeed. Thanks. Thank you, [Applause] Stephanie Leatherwood. Allison Moulder. Hello and thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts. My name is Allison Moulder and I'm the proud parent of a child at Forest Ridge Elementary. Over the past few years, I've had the opportunity to witness the incredible dedication of our teachers and staff across CSISD. They greet my son by name, make him feel valued, and within administrative limitations, tailored their teaching methods to his individual needs. I

080am eternally grateful to these teachers for supporting my son. And I owe them a debt that I will attempt to partially repay by speaking up here. Unfortunately, I am concerned. We have already lost some of these incredible educators and we are at risk of losing even more. Instead of meaningful face-to-face interactions with students, teachers are being asked to rely upon ineffective programs. Lesson planning time has been lost due to excessive meetings. They face dwindling numbers of support staff. Of note, our teachers are paid significantly less than the state average, while central administration salaries are above average. This district's amazing, caring, and dedicated teachers deserve better. They deserve to be trusted. They deserve fair compensation. They deserve time during the workday to plan thoughtful, engaging lessons. They deserve to go home in the afternoon to relax

081and spend time with their families. They deserve to feel physically safe at work. They deserve to freely voice concerns about the district without fear of retaliation and have their concerns addressed by the central office. One of my personal mottos is to assume good intentions. And I speak tonight under the assumption that everyone in this room is united in the goal to create a healthy, positive environment in our district so that students can grow into capable, compassionate citizens. We simply cannot reach that goal without prioritizing the safety, well-being, and professional growth of our teachers. Since we are currently failing our teachers, we are failing our students, too. I don't want to leave tonight without expressing my gratitude to the members of the board. I appreciate the time and dedication that you volunteer. You wouldn't be here

082if you didn't care for our teachers, students, and community. So, tonight, I ask you to reflect on why you chose to serve. Listen to the voices of our teachers and community. Question whether it is really beneficial to spend district money on expensive, burdens, burdensome programs and inflated central office salaries while cutting important child-facing staff. examine why so many valuable teaching professionals are choosing to leave this district. With your leadership and a renewed commitment to transparency and trust, we can shift the energy in this district and create positive change. Our teachers and our students deserve it. Thank you. Thank you, [Applause] Bethany Duran Gans. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you tonight. My name is Veran Gans and I'm the daughter of Principal Derand. I grew up in this district from kindergarten all the

083way to graduation and I'm proud to say that I worked within the district as a year as an instructional assistant at Forest Ridge. Right now I'm working towards my t-shirt at Texas State University where I actually drove 2 and 1/2 hours to get here today. I can confidently say I would not be here or where I am without my father. Whenever I would get overwhelmed with work, he would remind me it was all worth it in the end because I was doing the best for my students. My dad has always put the students first because that is the type of person he is. I still remember the joy on my prek students faces when the conductor of the Polar Express himself came into the room and stamped their train tickets. He brought the train conductors

084to his school every year around the holiday season just to give his youngest students a special holiday memory. I remember walking the halls of Creek View Elementary at senior walk with my dad right before I graduated and having fellow graduates coming up and saying hi and gushing about their favorite memories of my dad. They still remembered the train conductor all those years later. My dad, like a student, has also learned and grown throughout his years working at CSISD. From an enrichment specialist at Forest Ridge to an assistant principal at Creek View and finally a principal at Creek View in Rock Prairie. Every year my dad has worked in the district. He's improved as an educator, leader, and human being. He hasn't forgotten the people who have helped him grow, and they certainly didn't forget him

085based off of the amount of staff we've run into all across town that he knows. He always makes sure to stop and say hello to everyone, greet them by name, and catch up with them. He seems to remember everyone who's ever been inside his schools, even if he's only met them for a brief moment. Not to mention the fact that he somehow memorizes the names of every new parent that comes through the car line by the end of the fall semester and finds time to check in with them while simultaneously keeping the line moving. I could never. I even remember running into a parent in Alaska of all places while we were on a cruise trip. At the time, I found it so embarrassing that he always seemed to run into people, even at the

086edges of the country. But now, I find that moment and moments like it so special. These might seem like little things to you, but all of these moments have had a big impact on the people of these district of this district. I am so proud of my father for the 17 years of hard work, dedication, and care he's given to this district, and I know his impact will go far. Thank you. Thank you, Beth Netherland. Good evening, members of the school board and Dr. Hark Rider. My name is Beth Netherland. I'm a proud parent of two wonderful sons. Um my oldest is currently at College Station High School and my younger son attends St. Joseph Catholic School in Brian. um both attended Creek View Elementary under Principal Don's leadership. I'm here today to support Principal

087Duron and the teachers that are suffering burnout from the new professional learning community model. Um thank you for taking time to listen to my concerns. It appears that the solutions tree contract was approved in July of 2023. Thank you Dr. Hark Ryder for responding to my email. Um, since the approval of that contract, the University of Arkansas, um, they did release a research report and a policy brief about the PLC work model in Arkansas schools. And, um, the University of Arkansas report and brief were released in the summer of 2024. Um, after reviewing this report, I did reach out and ask um, some education professors at Texas A&M University to weigh in. Um, their insights have raised several important considerations that I believe should be addressed. Um, one professor highlighted that we do need to

088compare our student population with those in the Arkansas study. Um, she mentioned that the report indicated a dip in performance at year four across the board and warrants further investigation. She questioned if the dip was due to new leadership, initiative fatigue, or other factors. Um, she said that understanding the cause of this dip is essential for ensuring long-term success of professional learning communities in our schools. Another professor remarked that she was worried about the potential of PLC's to add even more to a teacher's already overflowing plate and contribute to teacher burnout. She said PLC's do not have to be a burden on teachers, but they have the potential to be depending on how they are implemented. Her feedback was that it's really important to listen to teachers voices. Finally, that professor expressed a desire for

089our local schools to have more autonomy in deciding what works best for them. Whether it be solution tree, admin, or other professional diff development programs, schools should have that flexibility to choose the methods that best support their students growth. Districtwide mandates may not be equally effective for all schools and allowing for tailored approaches could lead to better outcomes. Those were her words. In conclusion, I urge the board to consider these points and engage in a thoughtful dialogue about the implement implementation of professional learning communities. By doing so, we can ensure that schools are equipped to provide the best possible education for all students. Thank you for your time and [Applause] consideration. Jeff Don Jeff, do you mind? We had someone that we missed on the sheet. We were going to bring her cuz I think

090you wanted to go last or signed up last. Believe Heather Drake. My apologies. Hi, good evening. I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight. It's encouraging to see the amount of parents and community members here because I know and my hope is that we care so much about our schools, but especially about our students, our teachers, and our staff. My name is Heather Drake. I'm a Christian, a wife, and a mother to four beautiful children. Our our oldest, Heidi Lou, represented Rock Prairie Elementary here tonight by leading our moment of silence. This felt particularly timely, and we were honored to have her here with us with our wonderful principal, Mr. Dond. We have three boys younger, two of whom are also happily enrolled at Rock Prairie. I taught public school until 2015

091and have been blessed to stay home with our children since then. Also worth noting, my district then adopted the PLC model with Solution Tree during my time teaching, so I'm all too well aware of what that entails. Since then, I've continued to be an advocate for public school education, and I spend a good bit of my time supporting and volunteering on our campus. Our oldest started kindergarten at Rock Prairie in the fall of 2020, which was quite an interesting time to start. During those early days, Mr. Dond went out of his way to ease our fears, get to know us, and he truly made us a part of the family culture that is Rock Prairie. I could never condense into three minutes what the past 5 years under his leadership have meant to our family.

092There have been tears, celebrations, grief, and teamwork. I am not shy about advocating for all kids and he has always been by my side. I would be remiss if I did not implore the board to humbly reconsider what has been done. I am saddened to see the veteran principal in our district who is beloved and appreciated by countless families has been treated like he is expendable without so much as an explanation to families until pressed. That is shameful. Unfortunately, this is not the first situation that has broken our trust in the board with this community. Though I do think this can shed light on current happenings with more families. There's a growing lack of trust and transparency has waned. As an example, we have multiple children in GT and have been deeply discouraged by the

093recent changes, including not filling the open GT specialist positions last year. It's incomprehensible to continue to overload teachers in all positions and expect data to trend positively. Yet, when I kindly voiced my concerns with many of you in this room, I was dismissed and patronized. Your solutions since then have been to put an inordinate amount of weight behind expensive programs such as Adminum and expect a standardized costly contract with solution tree to solve problems at campuses of all types. In fact, I should go off my notes here and say that the woman in this room who was in charge of cutting the enrichment programs did not even know what the enrichment program at our school was and asked me what I meant by enrichment at our elementary schools. I have never been more certain that,

094and using your words, pushing in more responsibilities on our teachers, pushing in is absolutely detrimental to our school district, our teachers, and our kids. Involved parents, asking questions, and looking for answers is not the problem. I feel like I speak for many people here by saying we we'd appreciate mutual respect. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Mr. Horac, members of the board, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak a bit this evening. I'd like to start by letting folks know how incredibly grateful for the amount of love and support shown over the past week from seemingly all corners that I am. I keep using the word humbling because it's exactly what it is. friend of mine wrote me the other day saying, "We should all be so lucky to witness firsthand the impact we've

095made on others." That's true, and I am an extraordinarily fortunate man to have been given that opportunity. With that sentiment in mind, I'd like to address the 18 other principles in this district. To Chris, Justin, Gwen, Jeremy, Rhino, Omar, Piper, Britney, Roco, Laura, Teresa, Donna, Ally, Kate, Mike, Amanda, Heather, and Mindy, I want you all to know how much I respect each of you. I'd like to hope that a small outcome of all of this is that everyone begins to understand just how difficult the role of a campus administrator is. Thank you all for what you do on an hourly basis working for the kids, their staff, and the community. You all deserve just as much praise and thanks as I've received. Next, I'd like to speak to the students and families of CSISD. I

096don't know if you know this or not, but I'm a Longhorn. And so saying nice things about anything so close to Texas A&M doesn't come easily, but please hear me when I say this is a great place to have a family. Student success is indeed what is at the forefront of everyone's minds. Success has always been defined in many ways in this district. A student learning to brush their teeth independently, a student reading their first book, a student taking a chance on performing in the arts, in athletics, or in a talent show. My strong belief on accountability of a school is this. The true measure of a quality school lies in the day-to-day interactions and experiences of the students. Like the great football and football coach Ted Lasso, I tend to think that leadership is

097about helping people become the best version of themselves while m maintaining a high level of empathy and positivity. True leadership is striving for both. What makes leadership so difficult though is that constant struggle of the gray in between those two poles. But that's just it. That's what we have to strive for each and every day, a balance. And so it's my hope that another outcome of this is more and more reflection and time given to understanding that middle ground. These last 10 days or so have been incredibly difficult for both of my families at home and at Rock Prairie. I say to the community, it is heartening to see how involved many of you have been. and I sincerely hope that this interest in the well-being of our campus and district continues long after this

098evening. However, it's also time to focus all of this energy and concern away from my future and towards the future of all of our schools in this district, moving forward as best as we can. We have just about five weeks left in this year, and I would like to be able to guide my campus through those weeks with as much joy as I can muster and as much support as I've witnessed recently. The students and the staff deserve no less. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] So, while we can't respond, obviously, we want to try to answer or provide any kind of clarity within the restrictions that we can. So, I'd like to acknowledge the community's interest and concern regarding the recent leadership decisions within the district. We feel it is important to provide the clarity

099about the expectations of our campus leaders and process by which these kinds of decisions are made. While the board of trustees does not take action on these kinds of personnel decisions, we are made aware of the personnel matters including any concerns or actions being taken by district administration to support, coach, and evaluate campus leaders. Throughout the throughout the support process, campus leaders are made aware of expectations and potential outcomes. The intent of this process is to provide ample opportunity to continue in their role, be successful in leading their school community. As a district, we hold our leaders to a high standard. And when the standard is not met, we have a responsibility to take action that prioritize success of students, staff, and campuses. That'll bring us to consent agenda. Those items are item G, H2,

100I1, J1 through J5. That is all. Move to accept as presented. Second motion by Mr. Ben. I was the second Miss Simmon. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed. Motion carries. 6. Brings us to item H1, consideration, discussion, possible action related to the district improvement plan goals for 2526. Mr. Man. Good evening, Mr. Hack. Dr. Hark Rider, ladies and gentlemen of the board, it's my pleasure to come to you this evening uh to share with you about the 2025 2026 goals for our district improvement plan. So, just a quick reminder that um this year we did see a transition in the formatting of our plan um and how we were evaluating our progress as we went throughout the year. Um, and whenever you look at our district improvement plan, you can see

101there's a format change, but there were some of the more specific details that were built into the plan. And just like we've done in prior years, we've monitored that plan, and we have our three review periods in the fall, in the winter, and in the spring. And then in June, we'll have our summit of evaluation. And then I'll be able to share more information with you as to all of our progress that we share with our DEIC as we go through. Um, so you can see this is just my little evidence of artifact. You've got board members that serve on DEIC that are a part of the review process. Um, but we've completed these three um, components as we've gone through this school year. And just as you see here, we asked them for feedback

102and questions and provide clarification on the progress that we're making. So, we've done quite a bit of work this year and uh, we've got quite a bit more to go. Um the DEIC does have a board recommendation uh for you because that's part of what they're charged with is recommending the board goals and just as we adopted in the spring of 2021 our strategic framework, it is the same strategic goals. You can see the same six here about enhancing effective instructional practices by implementing innovative and personalized learning experiences. Elevate academic outcomes of our historically outperforming our historically underperforming student groups. Strengthening relationships between our stakeholders, our student staff and families. Cultivating and strengthening our intentional partnerships with our local businesses, communities, and higher education agencies. Continually improving our technology ecosystem um with all the different

103components that we know to maintain our safe digital secure environment. and then also the continued integration of our instructional technology into all of our teaching and learning practices. These are the same goals that we've had for the past four years. And the recommendation from DEIC is to continue with these goals if the board so chooses. And so this would be the next steps in the timeline is we met in DEIC last week. um we bring it to you tonight um with a recommendation and then we will begin gathering feedback for year five of the work from our stakeholders from across the district. Um and then we take that to the DEIC meeting, get their input, and then over the summer, the work begins with the development of our improvement plans from the district level through

104all of our campuses, everything threaded um with all of these goals. And so I end with a recommendation of DEIC made last week with a 16 to0 vote for the board to continue with the work of the board goals that we've been using the last several years. Any questions? None. I don't have a question, but I just want to just say that when we we started the strategic design process so many years ago, um one of my big concerns was how so many organizations go through that process and there's no follow through for it. And um um and just that is is always a concern and it has been it has been nice to even through a change in uh the superintendent and a lot of staff that we have continued to to look at

105that to make decisions based upon that. And so, um, just that that follow through. I know Mr. Man, you've been here a while and and so forth, but um, I I just really appreciate that as somebody who has was concerned that there wouldn't be that when we started the process. So, yes, sir. All those in favor say I. Yeah, I guess we do, don't we? I'll move to approve as presented. I'll motion. Sorry, my apologies, Jeff. I'll second. All those in favor say I. I. I. All those opposed. Motion by Miss Simmons, second by Missy. Pass 60. My apologies, y'all. You were excited to approve those, weren't you? Well, you know, I mean, I was on the committee, so yeah. So, uh, that'll bring us to item K1. Consider approval of the guaranteed maximum price

106GMPA amendment of 27,240,53 including the early release package for the construction of the CTE phase 2 project with Poke Construction to appoint the district superintendent Dr. Tim Harker to the district representative and to authorize him to execute the agreement with Poke Construction utilizing 23 bond funds. Mr. Buckner. All right. Good evening. So this is the uh the total GMP for the project. This is CTE phase 2 which um POG construction is our construction manager at risk for this project. Uh if you recall GMP1 was established uh in February at that board meeting for the pre-engineered metal building portion to get that going for delivery dates and then this is for the rest of this project. So with the entirety of this project it comes out to the 27,240,53. Um and once this is approved, we

107can get POG uh mobilized and started on this project with uh anticipated completion of summer of 26 for the uh 2627 school year. Questions? I make a motion that we approve as presented. Second. Motion by Miss Eigie, second by Miss Simmon. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed. Motion carry 6 K2. Consider approval for the replacement of the chillers and pumps at Rock Prairie Elementary in the amount of 400,000 utilizing tips contract 241042. Mr. Buckner. Yes. So, as part of the uh Rock Prairie Elementary renovations and additions, uh with the added square footage from the addition and due to the age of the uh current chillers on that campus, they're roughly about 20 years old. And chillers usually have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years old. So, we are at the

108very tail end of it. Um, after working with Solless O'Brien, our MEP engineer for the, uh, projects that we have, uh, we are needing to upsize the two chillers and replace those due to the age as well as the pumps and some of the motors. And this is outside of the project that Dramala Construction is overseeing due to we could do this with a uh, contractor and not have the overhead and everything else from the uh, general contractor. There is about a 24W week lead time on these chillers. So that's why we're kind of doing this now. We'll find a break during the fall semester and stuff to have these installed. It should be a pretty quick turnaround on that. But um it does it the price for it includes a $20,000 in contingency as

109well, just in case anything pops up that we weren't aware of or anything. But um this is for $400,000 and it will replace the two chillers at Rock Prairie and in relation to the projects that are going on there. On the on the contingency issue, I mean, is there any concern structurally? I I would imagine there's not, but with with the replacement of the chillers, they're all outside. They're all aside on these. And the chillers we're selecting, the Petra chillers fit on the existing chiller pads that are already there for the current chillers. So there's no impact there or anything. And of course being 20 years old, we have a lot better efficiencies than we had 20 years ago and over the lifespan of those chillers. So but no, it won't have anything structurally. Okay.

110Everything's on the uh ground floor. I move to approve as presented. I second. Motion by Miss Simmons, second by Miss Wilson. Any questions, comments? All those in favor? I I. All those opposed. Motion carries. 6. Thank you. Bring us item L, executive session. We're going to head to executive session. You are here when we get back. We'll see you then. If not, enjoy the next two days and enjoy your holiday weekend. Thank y'all for being here. [Music] I think John who has Yeah, whoever. Yeah. Um I make a motion to approve a recommendation to terminate Brianna Martin due to contract abandonment. A second. Holy cow. Um, we have a motion by Miss Eig, uh, second by Miss McAdams. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed. Motion carry 6. I'd like to make

111a motion that it's recommended the College Station Independent School District Board of Trustees approve a recommendation to terminate Christy Mada due to contract abandonment. Motion by Miss Simmons, second by Mr. Ben. All those in favor say I. All those opposed. Motion carries 6. That'll bring us to the last item adjourning.