AISD School Board Meeting 7-22-25

001All right, good evening. It is 5:00 pm on the nose. It is July 22nd, 2025. This is a regularly scheduled meeting of the Argal ISTD Board of Trustees. At this time, we will determine if a quorum is present. >> Lyanna McDade, present. >> Rich McDow, present. >> Lean Arthur, present. >> Matt Sllayton, present. And I Sam Slayton, present. We do have a quorum established. The time is still 5:00 p.m. And we will adjourn to executive session. All right, good evening. The time is 6:10 p.m. We have returned from executive session. At this time, we will have our pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance

002to thee, Texas, one state, one and indivisible. MC, do you have is there a signup sheet? >> All right, this time we'll have our opening prayer. Right. Dear Father God, just want to thank you um for the opportunity to come together tonight. Lord, I pray that you um be with us. Give this board wisdom uh direction. Lord, let it be on our heart um that we're here to serve every one of these students and faculty and staff in the district. Lord, I pray that um our students and our faculty and staff are having a safe and restful summer as we look forward to coming back to school again. Lord, I thank you for the opportunity for us to serve this district. And it's in your son's holy name we pray. Amen. >> Amen. Thank you.

003>> All right. We did not have anyone sign up for public comment this evening. So that means you don't get to hear my my speech. So there's some gratitude for you if you needed something for today. All right, Chief, the floor is yours. >> Good evening, Chief Davis. >> Good evening. Good evening. Thank you. We lead it off. All right. >> All right. >> This is good stuff. I'm excited. Officer Mitchell, go ahead. Take a take a just stand here. That'll work. >> Just stand here. >> Just stand right there. Hey, we're we're incredibly excited to add to our team tonight. Um we are uh as as I've said over and over again, the people in our department are our greatest asset and throughout the entire district. And we will continue to to search near

004and far for the right candidates and the right human beings to be a part of this uh this organization. And I think we hit yet another home run here in Officer Jeff Mitchell. So, I'm going to I'm just going to read a quick little summary of uh of of some of uh Jeff's experience as well as some of his accolades. So, tonight we're honored to officially welcome Officer Jeff Mitchell to the Argal ISD Police Department. Officer Mitchell brings with him an incredible 33 years of law enforcement experience, including over a decade spent specifically in school-based policing. And I'll stop right there and say that is the most experience that he brings to our department from that world. So it's fantastic. Tons of tons of experience there. His impressive career has included service with the Irving

005Police Department, the Trophy Club Police Department, most recently the Eagle Mountain Sagen ISTD Police Department where just this year at the end of this school year, he was named the secondary school officer of the year. >> There you go. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you, Eagle Mountain. Throughout his career, Jeff has completed over 2500 hours of certified law enforcement training and currently holds the masterpiece officer certificate. That's the highest officer cert certification recognized by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. He also holds an advanced school-based law enforcement certificate which we were in class actually together this summer. Uh demonstrating his deep commitment to the school safety profession. Officer Mitchell has served in a wide range of leadership and specialty roles, including a supervisor, training coordinator, bike patrol officer, and instructor, and as a tactical rapid response

006team member with Eagle Mountain Sagnar, which we will lean into here as well. Uh, what makes this especially meaningful for our district is that officer Mitchell and his wife Courtney and daughter Sophia, they are Argyle residents. and uh his daughter Sophia sitting here in the second row is attending Argyle Middle School this fall. This year, Officer Mitchell will serve as the campus officer for Jane Rusman Elementary. We are incredibly excited to see his experience, professionalism, and dedication on display. I know he will have a strong and positive impact on our students and staff. We're incredibly fortunate to have him join our team and we're excited to welcome him as he continues his lifelong mission of service right now here at our guy. So, thank you, sir. Without further ado, we'll go ahead and do the

007uh the oath of office. So, I'll have you stand right there. That'll work. I'll stay here in the microphone. All right. This is always tough because I got to break it up into small bits here. Okay. Go ahead and raise your right hand, please. Perfect. And then just repeat after me. So, I and state your name. I, Jefferson Mitchell, >> do solemnly swear >> that I will faithfully execute the duties of an Argyle ISD police officer >> that I will faithfully execute the duties of an Argal ISD police officer >> in Denton County, Texas. >> I will to the best of my ability >> preserve, protect, and defend >> the Constitution and laws of the United States. the Constitution and laws of the United States >> and the state of Texas. >> I further pledge

008to create a safe and inclusive school community. >> I further pledge to create a safe and inclusive school community >> where learning can thrive. >> through proactive engagement, >> partnership >> and accountability, >> I will strive to protect and empower our students and staff. >> I will strive to protect and empower our students and staff. I will faithfully enforce the laws of the state of Texas. >> I will faithfully enforce the laws of the state of Texas. >> while always upholding the rights >> and freedoms of all individuals. So help me God. >> and freedoms of all individuals. So help me God. >> Very good. We made it. Congratulations. >> Now, [Applause] so as is customary uh for for most law enforcement agencies is um your loved ones pin your badge. So, we are gonna

009have Courtney and Sophia officially pin Officer Mitchell's badge on him. >> It's tons of pressure. Very good. [Applause] >> Picture time. You got to go up. Hey, All right. >> Congratulations. You can't hide back. Oh yeah. >> We have the donations. >> Donations. >> Okay. We have our >> consent items. Here's the July 2025 donations. AEBC fiscal year 2025 number 20. $1,175 for football stadium banners. Total July donations $1,175. Thank you. Does anyone have any questions on any of the consent items presented? I'll entertain a motion to approve the consent items as presented. >> So move. >> Dr. McDade. A motion to approve. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Mrs. Lean Artho with the second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. I. >> Any opposed? All right. Thank you. Mr. Cohen,

010you're up. Good evening. >> Good evening. >> All right. Kick it off with our stadium update tonight. Uh here uh shot of our press box. They are continuing to work on the spray fireproofing on the steel structure. So that gives uh the steel a layer of protection in case of fire uh because steel will melt at a very low temperature. So that protects that from that temperature in case of that. So the whole structure is receiving that. So the yellow that you see here is the primer and then they come behind that with the with the spray-on fireproofing. Uh they have poured all the concrete. We've got our roof deck on. Uh they are roughing in all of our MEP systems on all three levels right now. Um they are starting framing. Uh you can

011see a little bit of that down low. They've got the yellow sheeting going on the outside. So that will continue on on its way up right behind the fireproofing. And this is just a little closer shot of that. So you can see a little more detail uh some of the things I just told you about. They've got their materials loaded on those floors that they're installing. It is a long way up the stairs. I haven't done it yet. This shot is of the indoor activity center uh continuing. Uh so here in this photo they've got all the roof plland on uh this week. They started installing the vinyl liner for the installation. And very soon we should start seeing some roof panels go on there. You can also see they've started the masonry on the

012exterior wall here on the left side, the east side. You can see that going on. They've actually made progress around all four sides now and they're probably up about five, six feet today. This is our home side, I mean our visitor side concession stand. Uh so that is in the dry now. They've actually started rolling roof panels this week. So the roof will start going on there and they'll actually work in reverse order. So they'll start on visitor side then go back to the home side with the roofing. Uh meanwhile they continue to work inside since they are in the dry with interior walls, framing of ceilings, uh MEP rough in uh you can also see in this photo they've got uh probably 90% of the flatwork poured around there. Actually today it's 100%. So

013all of the dirt you see in this photo uh has now got concrete on it. So we're getting the the site cleaned up and going to start concentrating on those buildings uh and not so much on the site work. This is uh on the home side. Uh here you can see they're they're forming up getting ready to pour some more flat work. Uh they've actually done quite a bit here. And within the next month or so we should see all of that flat work done. And again concentrating on our concession stands, our press box, all of our buildings. This is just a closer shot of our visitor grand stands. Uh they're probably about 95% complete. Uh they just got uh all the detail work to go on uh before they jump on the home side.

014Uh we're also waiting to get the press box, the sloped glass on the front. We want to get that installed first before we start grandstands. So they've been working on getting all the structure in place for that. All the glass is on site. So I think over the next month we should see that glass go in and then start on these grandstands on our home side. This shot is of our video board structure going up. You can drive by and see that they've actually made a lot more progress since this photo was taken. So, you can kind of get a a sense of the scale of the video board. The structure you see that is roughly the size video board we're going to have when it's done. So, a look ahead. Uh we've got had

015some summer work that we scheduled and coordinated with athletics. We closed down the turf field for a month. We've closed down the track for two months and we've been working through that and we're about to open all that back up. Uh the turf field was actually open back up 1 of July for practice again. So we're we're wrapping that up. Uh we're going to continue uh brick on the concession stands that has started. uh roofing on the indoor activity center is going to start and then they're going to continue with installation of that video board. And just a reminder some of the milestones. Um our home grandstand is still on track for summer. Uh sometime in the next month we should see those start. Substantial completion is still uh looking toward late the end of

016this year. Uh with the weather delays we've got that actually needs to be updated. We're in December now for substantial completion on that. >> Jeff, can you go back a couple of slides to the IA, please? >> Absolutely. >> I think these transitions they put in slow. Okay. Yes. This one right here. Um so with the addition of the IC, we've had to modify um that entrance into the parking lot. obviously that you can see that fencing um pushed out a fair distance from the IA right now. >> Yes. >> Do we do we expect that to be this way come the start of school? >> Yes. It it will be slightly modified from this photo because right now it's you have to look very closely, but you cannot enter the parking lot from this

017entrance. That fence is going to move back so that we can enter the parking lot, >> but they will immediately have to make a right turn where you see the yellow sky track here in the picture >> to come into that closer row of parking. So, the row closest to the indoor activity center will still be closed, that drive. Okay. >> And those two rows of parking, >> but we will have that entrance available. >> But we will have that entrance available. Yes. >> And then as soon as they get the brick up on that side, we'll we'll open that back up. So, that's probably another, you know, couple of months. >> Okay. All right. Thank you. Any other questions? >> Have to tell them to not put the transitions in there. >> I should

018have asked the question while we were on that slide. >> It's okay. >> All right. Middle school update. So, here we've got kind of our overall shot where we can see most of the 50 acres. There's a little bit in the foreground that that we don't catch here. Uh they have poured all of our slabs. They are all poured now. All of our paving is poured. Uh in this photo, they also have both tennis courts. Well, there's eight quarts, but it's two slabs. They have both of those poured. Uh they're on the right hand side toward the back. One of them is a little lighter in color than the other because the the darker one was just poured when this photo was taken. And this shot uh is just a direct overhead shot. We're looking

019at the the two gyms. Uh our uh band spaces are on the left side of the photo. And then toward the top where we don't have any roof deck on, uh that's some of our athletic locker spaces and choir room areas. There's a shot of the football field. Uh they have started on fence. You can see a little bit of that following the drives in this photo. The fence is going in. They've started the uh underground irrigation system. And then hopefully uh when we hit September when we can still do sod late September, we'll get the sod down after the summer heat's gone, but when it's still got enough time to to grow in this year so we get a good stand of grass. And don't spend a lot of money on watering that. Contractor

020money, by the way, not our money. This is just a close-up photo of those two tennis court slabs that they've poured. This photo you can see we've got the uh brick and stone veneer going on. This is uh the gym and the the band space on the left. So, this would be probably uh the back entrance if we're having a weekend athletic tournament. People would park. This is the entrance they would go in. And you've got your concession stand on the inside, both your gyms to your right. Here's just another shot, different wall, putting the stone and brick veneer on. Going to look ahead uh over the next two to four weeks. We're going to start roofing on the building. Uh all of our site fence will be complete. Uh we're going to continue to

021work on landscaping, irrigation, working from 407 toward the north. Tennis courts will be uh complete with all of their fences. uh bleachers, awnings, all of those elements. We'll continue erecting structural steel. Uh and of course, the roofing is going to follow the the structural steel and roof decking as they work their way around. Are there any questions? No. All right. And then we're still looking at substantial completion in July on this. Uh elevator install will be coming up early next spring. We will update this as as things change. I hope hope to beat this on our substantial completion. I hope we're punching furniture and walking the contractor out the door come July. >> Thank you. >> All right, Dr. Yes. Uh, first of all, I've got a couple of introductions I want to make um

022in the room. So, assistant principal of the high school, Philip Humphre, has not had a chance to meet all of the boards. So, Mr. Humphre, would you uh say hello to everybody? >> How you guys doing? >> Was not planning on speaking. >> It's okay. >> Um, I am so excited to be at AR High School. Had an opportunity to work with the team for the past couple weeks. It's been amazing. It already feels like home. So, I'm excited to be here. I'm excited to meet all you guys and um see what see what the community and the schools have to offer for our kids. So, thank you. >> Thank you. We're glad you're here, Miss Nolles. Great find just down the road. I know that's what you did, right? Okay. I also, this person

023doesn't know I'm about to introduce them, but um Mr. Bird, he came to me back in the spring. We were just talking about the growth of our fine arts programs. And so we decided we were going to kind of do a split off from the musical arts and the performance and visual arts. And so Aaron Turk is here this evening and Aaron's kind of our coordinating now our performance and visual arts. So we're very excited to have Miss Turk involved in kind of a leadership role. So she was continuing to do all of her theater and taking that on. So I didn't you weren't prepared for that, but I saw your smiling face and had to make sure everyone knew that. So congratulations, Miss Turk. >> Teacher of the year as well. So, we're very

024excited for her to have that opportunity and Mr. Bird for advocating for that. So, congratulations. >> Okay. U couple things going on this summer with some students that I want to share. So, Leah Chaw had just recently earned an outstanding honor with the state board of education. She um founded a a nonprofit organization called Dear Judy that's created a bridge the gap between resources and people who need them the most. And so, she's recently been honored in Austin. And Leah just continues to keep doing great things. So, we're very proud of Leah. um have continued to do great work over the summer. And then we also found out that recent graduating senior Drew McRth uh was named a National Merit Scholarship winner. And so he will be going to the University of Tulsa. And so

025we're very excited for Drew uh to earn that honor. That is a very very very small percentage of students across the nation that get that. So congratulations to Drew. And then also our wind symphony has advanced past the region in area rounds to TMA TMA honor band competition. Mr. Mr. Bird, I don't want to steal your thunder, but I think you're headed there tomorrow. >> I am. >> Yes. Tonight. Excellent. Um, and so that he he's going down to get to see them perform. So, we're one of the top 16 5A bands in the state of Texas and looking forward to being in the top eight when this is all done. So, >> congratulations. Yeah. Uh, so we've had a full summer of legislative planning. We are getting daily updates, bi-weekly meetings with TEA as

026we wait on commissioner rules. So, we're continuing, you're going to hear a lot of that tonight um as a as a board update. And then we get to kick off our leadership retreat tomorrow and Thursday. Very excited to have all of our campus leadership teams, campus leadership and our district leadership of all of our uh departments uh right here in this very room. And so we're going to be looking forward to kicking that off in the morning about 7:30 with some breakfast. And then we're going to jump right into they've been working through a book study this summer, John Maxwell's five levels of leadership. And so we're going to be working through that and then taking them through some departmental district updates into legislation. So we're going to start with the fun stuff and get

027into the heavier stuff. it. Excited to have that kicking off tomorrow. From a community standpoint, if you haven't heard, Governor Abbott has called a special session. It started yesterday. There are 18 total agenda items right now. Um, basically, you know, the they convened, but it's exceedingly difficult for them to address all 18 of these in one single session. Uh, so far, the Senate and the House have jointly identified four priorities um out of the 18. obviously the flood relief and mitigation as we are all um grieving everything that's gone on uh in the Hill Country recently and then THC regulation um also congressional redistricting and the ending and replacing of STAR testing. So uh that does impact us. Couple other things impact education but that's what they have both agreed as far as a priority

028item. So they will most likely be the most get most attention um at this point identified as those priorities but then we'll be waiting to see what else comes out. There will probably be additional special sessions as far as uh we have re received an update on the text dot uh program here on 377 and the let date for that which in the book bids for projects are opening and considered is being delayed until May of 26. So we're seeing a little bit of a delay on that and uh I think that's probably to be expected by several people but just wanted to let everybody know that. And then exciting announcement that's going to be coming out tomorrow is that we are bringing graduation home for 2026. And so we're going to be using uh

029our brand new state-of-the-art amazing stadium to have our first gradu senior class of 26 uh be the first ever graduates to walk the stage back home. So looking forward to that announcement coming out uh very very soon. I know the high school's excited about that and we're looking forward to those details. We are steadily enrolling new families and closely watching our class size numbers. Um, as we mentioned all through the budgeting process, the challenge is actual classroom space at our elementary campuses because every classroom um, basically has an assignment at this point, but we are continuing to watch that and we'll be working with elementary principles on Monday to review that information. So, that is all I have for today. It's been a busy summer. >> The one thing I'll add >> Yes, sir. Please,

030not >> that it's my report, but this is a perfect opportunity. >> The 407 breakout project is also delayed. So, and I think it's delayed until 27. So, I mean, >> that is true. >> No. Um, our two major thorough affairs in the district, 407 and 377, um, are behind schedule and people complain about it. Um, >> we're just going to get to complain a little longer >> and, you know, say sometimes our hallways and our traffic look the same road. So, we're just dealing with it. >> That's right. All right, Miss Stewart, you're up. >> You got several things right here. >> I do. So, this one is a standard item every year. Um, this is information only items. um being a um recapture district, chapter 41, chapter 49, you know, wealthy district, whatever

031you want to call it, uh we have to go through this process every year. Um and it's um basically it's called the consider for approval agreement for the purchase of attendance credit and it's option three and to delegate contractual authority to the superintendent. Again, it's not anything new. Um this is just routine for every single summer that we are designated this. We have to go through this process. Do you have any questions on that? All right. Uh, next one is depository contract. So, um, in the state of Texas, school districts um have to do a depository contract every two years. Once awarded, I believe you are allowed to have three additional two-year extensions added. We were at the end of our final extension and so we did have to put this out. Um we had

032been with um Independent Bank uh for the past several years. They were merged or bought out, whichever one it was, by uh South State Bank. Um so we transferred over to them back in May. Um when it came time for the RFP, theirs was um later than the deadline, so they could not be uh considered. And so of those that did submit, we will be recommending Point Bank. Um they do have a local depository branch here um in Argal. Um, and again, this will come back um to the board in the August 4th meeting for action. But do you have any questions about the depository contract? Um, what that means for the district or the actual uh date will be September 1 is the date of the contract. Okay. And next one is delinquent tax

033attorney. Um, again, information only. This one will come back as well on August 4th for action. Um, same thing with our um, depository contract. We were at the end of our term and so we put out um, our RFQ for delinquent tax attorneys. We did have four firms responding. Um, and we will be recommending that we stay with our current firm for delinquent tax collections. Um, but that we utilize um, a new firm uh, for us, not new to the to the business, but new for Argal SD for the um, PBS audits and appeals for their services there. um in the TNT services and that is Limeburger um firm. The current firm is uh Sco and Burroughs and we will recommend staying with them for delinquent taxes. Any questions on that one? Okay, I think

034that's it for me right now. Okay, >> you can do the next one too, Liz. I want to welcome Jump right in. >> You're absolutely welcome to the next one. >> Do you want me to get the clicker for me? Thank you. Okay, so we as promised are going to go through and kind of do a legislative review. We're going to hit the most immediate impact education related bills first and foremost. Um we do have a team here this evening that I will um ask them to kind of come up and be prepared to answer questions as we go through the different bills. We have our campus leadership team. We have our principles and assistant principles here as for some of them. We have our athletic department here. Coach Rogers, coach, coach West Morland, Mr.

035Bird, Miss Turk are all here um uh to provide answers if you have answers. Talk about just logistics on campuses and what things may look like as we're working through this process. But let me preface in this presentation. There's a lot of words um because if you don't, then things can be taken out of context. So, we wanted to make sure everything is on the slides. I don't intend to read all of the slides to you, but I want to make sure everyone has as much information as possible. So, the main disclaimer, and this is this is what TASBY will tell you every time they've done a session so far this summer, is that even though one update 126 won't come out until mid-occtober, we have the harmony and law policy at BF Local. And

036so, everything's applicable when it's effective by the legislature regardless of what our online policy states. Um, the newly enacted law is applicable when effective by legislature. So, we'll work through uh we don't get to post our own policy that comes through TASBY, but as we update things, they will post them as quickly as possible and the big update will be coming in mid-occtober. So, this will be a year-long process essentially for all of the legislative changes. So, we're going to start with House Bill 1481. All of these policies have been discussed at some point or prefaced uh through Facebook channels just to make sure that information has been out there some. But this is the prohibited student use of personal communication devices. So this is the cell phones, the smartwatches, the wireless headphones, ear earbuds,

037airpods, whatever you want to call them, and anything that can communicate. So that's what we're going to talk about in 1481. um they are now prohibited and it does require a school board to adopt and implement a written policy prohibiting students from using those items while on school property um during the school day. So this is not just instructional day. This is btobell school day. Um and they do allow the district or the board to determine, you know, if it's stored on campus somewhere or if it's prohibited at all from being on campus. That is up to uh this board of trustees. Um it allows uh the required policy provision for disposing for confiscating that. Um so you can choose after so many days and notification dispose of but it's a confiscated for sure. And

038then it requires the allowable use of a device necessary for a student that has to have one through an IEP 504 potentially a directive from a excuse me a physician or to comply with health and safety requirement um by law or district safety. So like if there was an emergency and the kids are in the classrooms and we needed to make sure they had a way to communicate some form or fashion that can be that can also um be possible requires TEA to publish the model policy. So that's what we've been working on with TASBY. And then we cannot charge fees. Um that has that is a change in the law. Used to districts could impose fees, districts can no longer impose fees um with the mandatory law. So that's kind of just the gist

039of the law. So, we're going to go through and talk a little bit about the regulations, if you will. So, the administrative reg side of what the draft would be that we're recommending is before the school day, students power off everything, store it in a backpack before they ever get in the building. So, before you come in the building, turn everything off, stick in the backpack. It's their responsibility to arrive punctually on to class. Um, has to be out of sight, out of mind, powered off. So, that's before they ever get in the building. Throughout the day, they maintain off in away in the backpacks. Um, again it says complete school day, not just instructional time. So that is out of sight, powered off, in a backpack, lunch, passing periods, all of that, anything during

040the school day. And then at the conclusion of the school day, once they're off campus, obviously they're permitted to use their devices and bring those powered back on. So th those are kind of the three phases of the school day. Um, you know, there have been some districts that went that that went this strict with it a year or two ago. Actually, Richardson ISD did. They actually have two pathways. There's one was the pouches and one was this version right here. And they've had great success with this by using backpacks. So, and we have kind of researched. They had already been out there for a couple years doing theirs. Obviously, the exception for IEP 504 physicians orders is there. Um, we have started our FAQ on their website. We started that probably about three weeks

041ago. So, as we get questions and we're able to answer them, we're adding those to the website and those are up and live. Um, but that's that's the exception piece and it would require it going through special education and 504 or medical directive from a physician. Um, we know we have some students that may need it for um, you know, their diabetic or whatever the case is. They have apps that work those. So, that that may be that may be one of those. As far as consequences, um, what we have worked on with our high school and secondary our secondary administrative teams um, is looking at is it's a offense per student and cumulative. So each device is considered an offense essentially and so those are confiscated and stored in the office. Um warning issued

042the very first time with no further consequences but a parent or guardian has to pick it up. It's not released back to the student um and the offense will be recorded in the uh student information system. So it's actually a discipline violation action code. The second offense is all of the above plus the students assigned to a day of ISS. So second offense, the recommendation is they go they go to ISS. The third offense is all of the above and it's a 1 to three day of ISS uh ISS in school suspension and the student is no longer eligible for final exam exemptions. So that would take care of um final exam exemptions and they're completely banned at that point from bringing it on campus at any point. So it's a complete ban after the

043third. Uh the fourth offense obviously they should be banned but everything plus inerson meeting ineligible still ineligible for exams in subordination and subject to DAP from the student code of conduct. So that's that's kind of the progression. Obviously that's up for uh discussion up for board input. That is what was um developed through student services and our campus leadership teams. So, um, I'll kind of open this up for you guys to talk through and we can ask our administrators to come to the mic and y'all can ask some questions. >> On the first offense, if the student is an adult and the parents still have to come in? >> Yes. Does there a student? Student first. >> Okay. >> Well, I have a question, but more so for >> Why don't y'all come on up?

044So, >> for curriculars, I know band uses cell phones for like watching and then kids use smart watches for running. So is that how is that in the class? >> Is it before or after school or during the period? >> Period. >> Y'all need to come to the mic. We got to record. >> So band we do use ours uh uh they're they're kind of GPS oriented on the field. So we use them. They have an app and it literally tells them on a football field like exactly where they're standing and how close they are and listening. So for us uh we only use it after school or before school. We do not use them in the classroom. >> That's good. >> Yeah. We haven't done for some time but before and after school. >>

045Okay. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Cross country >> coaches talk about or track. >> Are they running during the period or they running before or after school? Do y'all >> they usually start I think most of them run before school but they could be able to overlap. >> Yeah, they might have stopwatches. I mean just traditional old school stopwatches. >> So we'll get >> What about elementaryaries? >> We're not doing it at all. >> No. And they haven't been elementary principles. Y'all want to talk through that a little bit? >> I need y'all the mic. >> We doing >> Come on up. >> I didn't hear it. >> No, that's okay. I'm just saying I just need everybody to come up to the mic. >> Elementary, >> what are we doing in

046elementary? This talks about secondary >> for phones. >> This is the same offenses except for >> smart watches are probably the thing that we deal with the most at the elementary level. The smart watches are the things that we probably battle the most. >> so, so now they >> we'll follow the same. >> Okay, >> I'll take them. We already had the protocol in our student handbook that they would put their cell phones off and in their backpack as soon as they entered the building. So that won't change much. >> This will just support what we've already done. Yes. It'll just help support what we've already done. >> Okay. >> Because that's what you've been your normal practice. >> Yeah. >> But the watches has been what's been difficult >> which now this will just

047help us enforce it. >> And possibly the the AirPods as well. So they'll need the ones that plug in >> which is on the school supply list anyway. >> Yeah. >> So, >> man, I have a lot of thoughts on this >> and my first thought was if the state is going to say that these are not appropriate for educational spaces. um and they then they put it on us to to enforce and they don't necessarily give money or anything to do that. And that's frustrating in some ways. But it's kind of like for me my first instinct is just to say, well, if they're saying these are like vapes and knives and everything else, just treat them like that and say don't bring them, you know, and if you don't like it, call the

048state rep or vote or do something. And I just would maybe welcome and especially at the elementary school level where I kind of wonder whether or not um they should even have those devices there with the judgment and >> that's in play. >> That's right. >> We just we have a lot of walkers so I think some parents send the phone with the kids so at least they have it on their walk home. >> And so you I mean if I was to sit there and say well I'm just like you know what ban them. You know don't bring them. Would you I guess I'm taking it. I heard, you know, um what you said about how fine arts uses them. That would probably be quite disruptive. So that's in helps me. Um do would

049y'all have similar push back on at the elementary school? We're just not going to have them. They're just not allowed >> during the school day. >> Yeah. I'm just saying don't no don't no don't no don't no don't no don't no don't no don't no don't back don't bring them back. >> They shouldn't even be in your backpack. Or would you say >> I think for safety reasons the parents would >> for the children that are walking >> have a hard time with that even even the ones that ride the bus they want to make sure their child gets to school safely and and gets home but >> during the day they don't >> they already don't use them power them off and put them in their back. So were they? >> But again, if

050they're using them, they're using the watches, right? I mean, they shouldn't be, but that's what they're using. If they're using them, they're not taking their phones out. They're using their watches that have cellular on them. >> And I was there. >> I will say just cuz last I wasn't at elementary, so I don't have that on moving there. But at sixth grade, we had that same policy. We pulled it up with them and didn't let them. And that became our biggest problem last year with smart watches. So having those knowing that if we see them we can tell take them or have them powered off and that >> but how much time are you trying to enforce that instead of teaching and doing all that right because I I look at it a lot like

051Mr. Westerm is kids are going to find a way >> or you're going to try >> to utilize that phone or oh my mom needs this or my you know my mom told me to text her when I was done with the test or whatever >> or I got to go to the bathroom and now all of a sudden the That's that's where we had them. They were they were leaving class at sixth grade >> with their watch on going to text or and then they're not back for 10 minutes. So you're fine and then mom's showing up to pick them up because they don't want to be there. But >> so having something like this I mean because this was even hard last year some push back that >> because we've had a cell

052phone policy >> but it's been hard to enforce. Yes. >> Is that is that fair? I think now it just goes back to well it's the law so legislated so that backs us up a whole lot more. >> Well, you can I mean that's that's a that's a that's a board call in the in the um in the policy. >> So if we banned them but then a kid goes to football and leaves at two o'clock and needs his phone and all that sort of stuff. I think you have to you'd have to do it by >> elementary and >> elementary versus secondary >> because secondary >> kids leaving to go to volleyball or whatever you can't right >> I mean they're on the coach you can speak to that I mean you the kids

053sometimes have to check out at noon or 2:00 and >> I got to have music >> it puts an extreme pressure on if they don't have their phones on a trip we have to parents get contacted on the way in so the parents can time the bus out those kind of things it's going to put a burden staff to stay and wait around for parents to pick up if there's not some traffic or something on their phone or >> and do you communicate with I mean you know because we have sports you and do kids that participate a lot of parents track that but kids also do they use that for communication >> up and talk on the microphone >> Rogers will you come up on the microphone got to get on the recording >>

054thank you You also you also have baseball softball who leave campus and go to the they travel to the campus for the sports facility >> in period. >> What? >> In period in school >> during the school day. >> Yeah. >> So, and so you you would be saying, "Hey, let's try let's try something like this. Let's see if we can enforce it. Be consistent about it." As opposed to saying, "Hey, bam. states or >> I'm I'm not for banning them. >> Okay. >> I have I have oh a hundred cross country kids uh that live in no pun intended, no live and die by this, right? It's a training tool, right? And so they're out there beating the paths and in Canyon Falls or wherever they go and run that day and it's tracking

055heart rate. Our coaches are recording it. our coaches are are planning the next week's running around heart rate, pace, all those things. All the data that's collected on this, it is the ve essence of his training model. And so, yes, I mean, you with this rule right here, they'll have to take the watch off uh during the day and then put it back on, which I I mean, I think it's doable, but yeah, banning it would not I would not be favorable. that would be a favorable situation for athletics. Do are we going to have to chase kids to to the bathroom during athletics as they transition all that stuff and keep it Well, we're monitoring the classroom, monitoring the locker rooms just like we always do. You're just going to have to create new

056habits and and and try to get them to abide by the rule. I mean, it's just a challenge we're going to face >> and they're not going to want to be in ISS when I'm trying to have >> you play playing play time >> in the microphone. Because is there an eligibility? Is there an eligibility issue if they're if they're in ISS the day of a game, a Tuesday basketball? >> There actually is there school the school district does not have a policy uh against ISS. >> Yeah. We like if we were leaving, >> Right. And get on the bus and they were in ISS. Yes. They have they have um disallowed themselves. So from the administration standpoint, this is something y'all worked with through the committees. You got the feedback from the principles, maybe

057teachers, athletics, fine arts, and they feel like this is a policy that they we can implement and enforce with consistency and success. >> You come on back up. >> Oh, uh yeah, we think it's going to be we're going to have our hands full. It's going to be uh we just were talking today about where we're going to store the phones, where what the checkout process is, how late do we have to have somebody stay for a parent, you know, as a working parent. You know, we can't tell them they have to be here by four o'clock to pick up their kids' phone. >> Um we've got kids driving. That is a concern. That's one of my concerns is we're putting a kid in a car without their phone. >> Um we're putting them on

058a bus, you know, but they shouldn't have their phone. >> So, don't break the rules, >> right? rules. >> If you keep it in your backpack, it has to be the rules are the rules. >> So, that is um we've got a plan in place and we think it's it's going to be at first it's going to hit some pretty hard, but they'll figure it out. We have good kids. They're smart kids. They'll figure it out. >> And you have supportive parents. Absolutely. I mean, and that's going to be the key in any policy like this is that the district had to come up with a policy >> um that complies with the law >> and it need and the parents the successfulness of it is going to be the parents supporting the district >>

059in implementing this >> and with every time you know that parent's going to get a phone call and you know we talked today about one day of is ISS can kick it'll kick you out of NHS So that's something we've got to make sure the kids know in our class meetings like one time you get caught with a phone >> and you're out of NHS. That's pretty impactful. >> And exam exemptions. Yes. >> So that seems to penalize the high school. I don't know. Well, Miss Lston, when you talk about middle school, like what's the impact on middle school because you got NJHS, you've got I mean, you've got >> Right. There would be some things that discipline on record would take kids out of. Um, I wanted to state that like the fact that

060y'all are making it so clear makes it much easier for us to enforce because it isn't just Kobe Pelt has decided this for the eighth graders, it's a district policy. Um, the one thing I'm concerned about is just like the after school. Shannon kind of mentioned this, but like I think the most prudent time parents are going to want to come pick it up is when they're coming to pick up their kids. And so you have to think right after school. Um, I think the inconvenience factor of the parent having to come and pick it up will help parents help us enforce the rule. But let's say it's 4:00 and you're at the middle school. It takes all us to do bus duty. So me, Kobe, and Laura are not going to be available till

061about 4:15. By that time, my office staff is gone and now I have a parent who has rushed up to get the phone and they may have been waiting 30 minutes because I have to deal with safety of dismissal before I deal with giving you the cell phone back that your kid broke the rules. So, I think there's some logistic things. I I in a way wish the first time we could release it to the student, but then again, I want to set the impact that if the parents know they have to come get it, they're very inconvenience. They understand the state gave us this law. So, I like it being very spelled out. Um the right after school time concerns me. Just how are we going to do that without making people more angry

062than they need to be because we'll take the brunt of that. >> Would it help at like schedule pickup this year, this policy be signed off by the parent and the student? >> We're going to for sure Kobe and Lauren already talked about having a poster up that explained it. We have a new parent orientation. Um we could collect a signed piece of paper but that's a lot of printing. So probably wouldn't want to want to print 1100 copies of that. >> What would be wrong with saying you can pick it up the next morning? >> Yeah. During the school hours would be ideal just because we don't have office staff and the doors lock so it's you know people might be stuck outside. How long do we sit and watch the window to see

063if the parents show? I think we have to kind of clarify when the pickup phone >> zone during the next school day. >> Maybe they had to come during lunch at the next school day or just >> I mean drop off the next morning or whatever. >> The following school. >> Yeah, those are all good suggestions. I would say if we added that to the policy, it would help us not take the brunt of people being mad at us for not because just the afternoon is a very crunch time where it really is already. I know Laura Tulus would tell you that is all hands- on deck to get everybody Yeah. to get everybody out of the building. So that's my only concern, but I appreciate it being spelled out and firm. Like I appreciate

064that it's firm because that allows us to enforce it. >> So So as Mr. Westerm said, right, we could we could go the route of completely banning them, but we're not doing that. We're trying to give them some ownership and be able to participate in this. If it doesn't work, we can change the policy and go right to banning them. >> Right. our admin regulations. >> We tried to be flexible and give you some ownership in this. You didn't take it. >> Now they're not allowed at all. You know, >> one thing we've talked about since we've been here is the wording is on school property. If it if we could make it where it's during school hours because like band, you know, after school they need their cell phones. You know, >> it says

065it says school day entire school day. Yes, it's school day. That's Yes. And that's the way it'll be written in FNC. >> I know. But in the regs and everything, we have it. Yeah. You're good. Thank you. Good point. >> So, what what happens on >> in the regs? It says entire school day. >> Volleyball leaves at two o'clock in the afternoon, too. >> But they'll have it on then they won't be on campus. >> So, so it's a combination I think of school day and traveling to the that goes back that goes back to the safety piece >> at 2:00. They I mean they got to have when they leave >> just like they can have them on the bus after school. >> So, they can have them on the bus. To me, that's

066what >> Yeah, that's the way I would that falls back into the articles. >> I think if if they lost their phone and due to bring taking it out and they went to on a school trip that day, I think it makes common sense that they just get it the next school day. >> I agree. >> Right. I don't think I don't think since you're leaving for a football game at 2 o'clock that that determines the end. >> No, no, I just meant that if they did lose it, they do get it to get on the bus. There'll be a lot of exceptions. There'll be lots of people that believe that that they're an exception to the rule, that they have a unique situation. And so, >> but they're going to have a buddy next

067to them that says, "Hey, can I use your phone to text my mom and daughter? I lost my phone from the bus." >> What about Fridays? >> Absolutely. >> See you Monday. >> Friday morning. >> There's going to be set number of hours. >> I mean, school. >> I don't want y'all to stay on Friday. Tell the kids >> push back on kids. >> Make your kid follow the rules. >> Kids take on a Thursday. >> That's true. >> We'll just have to We'll just have to set designated times of parent pickup >> because if they lost it on Friday, then they lose it all weekend. The parent shows up. >> Yeah. >> Institute hours of pickup during next school day. We need to spell that out. Hey, if it's on Friday, you're you don't

068get it till Monday. >> Yes. They're not going to be happy. But you know what? You're in control of that. >> Well, it is that parent going to be more supportive of a complete ban or the inconvenience of picking it up the following Monday because unfortunately your child chose not to >> child can't have their phone for Saturday and Sunday. >> Yeah. >> But how do you enforce something like this in a bathroom? Well, there's I mean there's going to be spaces. >> If we'd say they're in their backpack, do they take their backpack within bathroom? >> You just can't have any backpacks in the bathroom >> or make sure you're not getting something out of it. >> Every kid that walks in the hallway goes in the bathroom and takes their backpack >> in

069the hallway. Yes. I'm talking about between class. I mean, I'm talking about like during class to check out. No, you're right. I mean, >> it's not going to be failroof. >> So, we are we have any cell phone blockers that we can put in the bathrooms? >> But I'm serious. >> Oh, Greg. That means that means you looked it up. >> We're ready to spend time. >> Dr. Carpenter, the um the bus ride to school and the bus ride home from school, they're allowed to >> It's before the school day >> and after the school day. >> Yes, >> it's a school day. Even though it's school property, >> bell to bail, school day. >> Okay. >> Do we know how many districts are contemplating banning them completely? >> None that I've heard from. >>

070They've all been backpacks or or yonder pouches. As much as you you want them gone completely, like the parent factor, like they're going to want to be able to see that their child's on the bus, see that their child's actually walking home and be able to do that. Like there is a convenience factor and a an emotional safety factor in that. So I don't have that, >> right? And that's why we have therapists. So, um, so yeah. Anyway, I I'm not necessarily in favor of banning them, but I think that's what the state law is kind of basically saying in some ways. Um, but I I I I appreciate the feedback that, >> you know, there are ways these devices are being used to communicate with kids, whether it's even instructional or fine arts or

071extracurricular that I could see how that could be useful at the secondary level, at the elementary school level. You know, I'm a little more strict, I think. But, you know, >> there are >> I need to pass this in my own house, quite honestly. I was going to say there are devices out there that are just I guess you'd say sports or health related and they're not necessarily a phone, >> right? That can track >> like a like a Fitbit or something like that that can >> you were talking about about that. I mean there are options if they still want to continue. >> Most phones have Bluetooth. >> Yeah. >> Most of them have Bluetooth. >> Yes. >> Bluetooth to a phone because that's what records accumulated data. >> Gotcha. Okay. Yeah. >> Under

072the skin. >> That's right. >> So, I think you know the the issue is I mean this is a this is a policy that has a lot of teeth in it but it also has some grace in it >> and if the kids if it becomes an enforcement problem >> Yeah. I mean the policy in and it of itself has grace, right? Yeah. Or that's why I said we can try it. If it becomes too much work for them and they're not following it, >> the second alternative is the death penalty. >> Yeah. >> Because local policy you can adjust anytime you want. >> Yeah. >> All right. >> Okay. So, we will bring we'll go back in and talk with them about designated time for parent pickup. Get that added in the regs and

073then we'll bring all that back on the fourth. >> We good? >> No. >> Okay. Perfect. Okay. House Bill six, discipline reform bill. So this one is the one that is going to give um really more power to the teacher for removing students for uh who repeatedly interfere. It eliminates the requirement on a teacher to document the behavior prior to removal. That has been a thing in the past and requires written consent of the teacher or a return to class plan for the student to come back into the classroom. So um this has been much needed I think for a long time and as far as giving teachers opportunity to have uh instruction without a lot of disruptions. Um so that kind of gives you the information there. It will prohibit any exemptions from chapter

07437 in the district of innovation plan. We will be going through formal training with legal counsel on our with our campus and admin teams on July 29th >> 30th and so that's coming. But um any any any updates from this from a policy standpoint will be in the update 126. Nothing we have to bring you right now. Just wanted to update you on that as well. Um it also allows the elementary students below the grades of three grade third grade to be in ISS. Is that right? Below third grade now to be an ISS. Um that that was taken away several years ago and that has been add that will be bad added back in as a consequence for students uh for the younger students. So, have that. It also addresses the uh I think

075if y'all remember a couple years ago, they did the mandatory DAP for vaping and EIGs, but then you could DOI out of it and just use your U ISS or whatever. So, you can't DOI out of it anymore, but it's a mandatory 10day where y'all know this mandatory 10 days now in ISS if you're caught with an eig or bake, no matter what's inside of it. Okay. So, let's not get into ISS people. All right. Senate Bill 920. Um, Dr. Jordan, administration and medication. Do you want to talk about this one just a little bit? >> Sure. Um, so at the secondary level, our nurses are very supportive of this. Elementary level, there's a little bit more concern. And the reason for the concern is it's harder for a younger student to really understand how

076they're feeling. And I can give you an example that you have probably seen yourself when you have a six-year-old, it's bedtime and they're crying, but they're hungry. They're really just tired, you know. And so it's that kind of thing where it's hard for a young child sometimes to describe exactly what's wrong. And so the nurses feel perfectly comfortable administering Tylenol to an eighth grader who just got their braces tightened, >> but not as comfortable um for a kindergarten student who says they have a headache. And so they would prefer the parent come and do that because they also don't know, let's say it's an allergy medicine. How is a six-year-old going to react who maybe hasn't had it very often? Is it going to make him sleepy? Is it going to make them hyper? Whereas

077a student who's in 10th grade has taken it plenty of times and there's not as much concern. So from our nurs's perspective, you know, they love it for secondary but are more hesitant when it comes to our elementary. >> And so what do we think the recommendation is going to be? So, we'd like to keep it as is, which is what I've just described that to continue to allow it at secondary, but to limit it to students in sixth grade and higher. And then for our elementary students, continue to ask a parent to either come administer it or have a prescription for a student or an overthe-c counter medicine. Okay. All right. All right. Senate Bill 401, UIL participation for non-enrolled um also known as homeschool students. So this bill actually started in 2021 and

078it was an optin situation. Districts had to opt in. Um in 2023 it was revised where districts had still had to opt in but they were going to provide some funding aotment to it and now the law is a district has to completely opt out or automatically homeschool students are allowed to participate. So, we've had um a team meet and talk through several ways, collaborate on some different things. And so, I've got our athletics team and our fine arts and all here. Uh also our secondary principles cut to this impact to talk through this. But essentially, it requires school districts um to allow beginning this school year unless the board adopts a policy that does not allow it. It is a year-to-year situation. Um so, you could change your mind next year if you wanted

079to do so when the the year starts. Obviously, homeschool students still have to qualify um with their the grades and it spells it out on the UIL website, what they do to show eligibility and those kinds of things and their previous athletic participation form. All those pieces are still in place and it's for students that live in your attendance zone for the previous 12 months. Same things with UIL and then um otherwise it goes through DEC. So, those things are similar. So, I've got our coaches here, uh Mr. Bird, Miss Turk are here and our uh Miss Lumston and Miss Nolles kind of answer any questions y'all have. We've thought through it in a lot of ways. It wasn't just a hard yes or a hard no. There's a whole lot of stuff on both

080sides. So, I'll kind of open it up and let y'all have a discussion. >> So, I'll ask in 20 So, you said it's this was available for us to opt into since 21. >> Yes, sir. >> And then in 23 and 24, they had tied funding to it. >> Correct. >> But we didn't opt in. Do we believe now we should? And what if so, what changed? Why not those two years? And why now? >> Um, my best recollection it was it was I never was allowed to to speak on behalf of it. Um, what I just I just my my my opinion was taken, but I think it but I I wasn't brought to the board to discuss it to the board members. So, I'm an advocate for it. I was an advocate for

081I think it's it's unique. Uh, I think the the state legislature is adopting different types of education, alternative education. So, I think we're going to maybe some online options in the very near future. I I think uh with regards to maybe some catchup strategies academically for kids to if they're not just they don't fit to the conform of normal school that they can use some strategies to get them a high school diploma. And I think homeschool basically fits in this category. Um, I would like to see it approved just for the simple reason is I think there's some one-offs. We have a a student uh golfer uh that went to a golf academy to enhance his golf skills to potentially pl be a stu be a college golfer. Um, he chose this academy type training

082and and chose homeschool uh to get his education. He would be a perfect candidate. Um, I think it it happens in the tennis world, too. Uh, Meghna, who was a tennis player for us last year, she wanted to be gone from school a couple of times. Uh, and we didn't have the leniency built into our rules for her to miss that many days and she had to come back and take all of her tests. Well, she was a solid A student, but she wanted to go uh play these professional tournaments and miss and we didn't have those types of rules built in. So, she would be a perfect candidate to go homeschool because of the demands of her uh sports and come back and do it. We have we have since lost a baseball player,

083all right, that has chosen different academic path to attend a private school because they're more lenient with their educational program uh to fit his opportunities to go play junior Olympic baseball and be gone for most of the fall semester in a foreign country. So, there's some exceptions to it. Um, so I I I think it works if we're going to try to meet a kid where they are educationally. I I don't if they're already living in Argal ISD, I think it benefits um us because I be just transparent, my participation is down. Okay. And and I think it's it's down just because of our who's coming to Argal ISD now. I just don't think there there's not as many football players. It was very heavy. We had great participation, 80 and sometimes 90% and that's

084not our participation right now. Okay. >> So, you you talked about golf, you talked about tennis. I know t they're both team sports, but they're also >> individual sports, right? >> Do you not do you how do you feel about students that don't go to school with the other teammates and they show up? >> Don't you I just feel like that's going to create >> some sort of resentment. I don't know if that's the word, but >> Okay. All right. Some heads butting. a valid observation. >> You get to show up and and I still don't know. I know you said that we get to we get to look at their grades. I think the last thing I read said the parent just says, "Yeah, they passed it." >> Well, that's not >> Well, obviously

085we've got to we've got to uh delineate what the expectations are. And I think in our meeting um and I'll speak for fine arts is we expect if they're going to do this, we expect them to adhere to the same demands as anybody else that's included in our programs. We don't see a compromise. They don't get to come to practice on Monday and Wednesday and play on Friday. We don't see it in a compromise situation. The current homeschool schedule is not a daily schedule. I I'm very aware of the kids that do homeschool and they don't go practice every day. Okay? If we're talking about including a homeschool athlete into our program, I know my expectation is if everybody else is doing it, they're doing it. So I I would see a homeschool kid, we

086have a fourth period athletic, so we're 11:15 to 12:15. This is what we did during in CO two in 2020. They showed up and they came and practiced and then they left campus. >> Well, I understand that the expectation would be the same. I'm talking about the the team culture that's built sitting at the lunch table together and then all of a sudden this kid shows up, you know, to practice. >> Yeah. >> And that's it. Spend the day with them. They don't >> There is some team culture. All right. That does happen at the lunch table and attending class with them. I will agree with that. Um but they're choke. It's no different than a different alternative educational alternative. It it happened during CO. We saw kids go back. >> Everybody's going through the

087same thing. Everybody was away and everybody was coming back. It wasn't, hey, you guys got to go do this and deal with the chemistry test today and I'll show up to practice. >> I just I for me Yeah. >> So, I have a Can we do this? Can we pick the sports or is it all or nothing? >> No, you can pick and choose. >> So, I I'll piggyback on that. I I I struggle with this >> I should have said >> because you know I and I I talk to people at work. I talk to my family. I talk to people in the community about this. Um and I've tried to I think most people's instinct is is no. I try to be a little bit of a devil's advocate. I don't I don't

088think I necessarily win those arguments, but um I'll never concede that. Um I I I embrace what you're saying about choice and where education is going and and I've spoken about that from this platform and wherever I can be is that we need to start thinking differently about how we approach education UIL participation and we need to be a little bit more bold in our thinking and we've historically as a district have been bold um whether it becomes to school safety and security. We have not waited for what others do. We got out ahead of it. And this could be one of those things where you could try um and if it doesn't work, you change it the next year. Um is one thing. So I think it offers more choice. I think UIL fine

089arts is a great outreach for our community and people that are not invested in our school district, you know, that um may not vote for bonds or may not vote, you know, things that we think are important um to be successful and and I and I can see that being a positive, you know, where they get more investment, they donate their time, their resources, their volunteerism. um they may not be in public education because they have heard bad things or had a bad experience, but this may be an opportunity to change their perspective on public ed. So there are positives I can come up with in a policy like this. My question though is what do you think the like do you think it's going to be widely like all of a sudden we're going

090to have 20 football players show up and five basketball players and a nine baseball players? >> I think that I think you have to take into consideration um the regiment and and the commitment that our players have. I So I think it's going to be a little bit of a culture shock. I think we'll have kids reach out and maybe try to do it. I'm not sure the success rate will be as as high uh as they anticipate. So, we we've talked about the regime. We talked about we have a good product. We have a great product. And and I can tell you from two homeschool kids in the last five years that have left homeschool and enrolled in school that they go, "Oh, if we had just known our public school experience at X

091was not this." and and our kids are loving the social piece, the routine, the challenges. So, we introduce them to what Argal SD offers and then we get them as a full-time student. And I like, as I said, is I mean, I just had a conversation with a gentleman that lives in Denton. He's I I'm not advocating for accepting surrounding surrounding homeschool students and he was talking about like yeah I got six kids and two of them are wanting to participate in athletics and it's the demands on us and and we haven't interested and I go well right now sir I mean if we approve it we'll do it on the in the board meeting in the next couple weeks. I said but the long story short is we have a great school district and

092you need to move inside the school district. >> And so I I see the cons of it. I mean I I I think it could be you know they could create a lot of friction within the team. Parents parents are always challenges in in anything. So I I I absolutely appreciate that. But I do also want to think that we there are potential positives. And one of the things I think I always want to be mindful of in public education, right or wrong, is that the success of the extracurriculars in the UIL is I think it it goes handinand a lot of times with the successfulness of the school district. I think the successfulness of our extracurriculars has benefited this school district greatly, you know, and and I do think our participation levels are changing

093a little bit as our population grows and and and evolves. It, you know, our percentages change and this may be a way to continue to improve those programs, invest in those programs and have successful programs which is going to benefit the district. So, >> you know, there may be individual kids or families that have bad experiences, but overall, if you have a successful extracurricular UIL fine arts, you're going to have it goes hand in hand in many states. >> I think you're right about giving giving choice. We have to start looking at different ways and things like that. But then I would tell you the flip side of that is you you mentioned community members that want to participate or vote for a bond or this or that or the other. What about the family

094members in the community that's already been doing that >> and their kid is next to be the drum major? One of three drum majors that you have. Four. See, >> um, and you know what I mean? I just >> I know. I get it. >> I struggle with it. >> The only other example I would give y'all is what happens if you have a starting point guard move in. >> Hey, if they move in the district, I can't control that. This I can I can have impact on. >> I I understand. But that's a little bit I mean a coach from a coach's lens is he's managing that at the team level and and this and I don't plan to compromise if if if a student can't do the things that I need him to

095do and play football and be a homeschool kid, I'm not moving forward with them, right? I'm just not going to do that. And and Coach West Morland and I have talked at length about it. The demands of our of our band is we can't have a part-time person, right? So I I think I think the control of the situation is is going to be put on us to maintain our standards in extracurricular. Okay, listen. If you say no, I'm fine with it. Right? I'm just telling to tell you looking at it from our lens. It's it it is the equivalent of a first chair trumpet moving in and the kid that's been first chair since sixth grade moves to the second chair. It's just it's it's that equivalent. It's it is it does look a

096little bit different, but when we start doing online school and and these type of things, it's going to look different. >> It's going to look different. And and like I said, is are they doing the same things? >> I don't know. We'll have to set up criteria to make sure academically they are doing the same things. And it could be good in the sense that you may have a a an extracurricular that's not viable from a participation level, but that homeschool kids could make it more viable or could create more opportunity for kids. That's one. But the other thing is I think it es and flows. I mean, some programs are stacked and loaded because you have two classes that are really good and then they graduate and then the, you know, goes down. So,

097it's a year-to-year thing with all these sports. The last thing I'm going to say and let other people talk is why did we left? Who left crazy? >> Because we don't believe it. >> It's not the last thing I'm going to say. >> They've heard that too many times. >> Is you know I just I think in the cut sports I struggle a little bit more with it because then I do the non-cut sports. You know, if you if you if you have three kids move in on the basketball team and all of a sudden three kids that are enrolled in school get cut, that bothers me a little bit more. Football is a non-cut sport and if a better kid moves in, a better kid move or, you know, comes in. I mean, they're

098kind of used to that in some respects, but they're not getting cut from participation. >> I understand that. >> So, I could see being more open to it in sports that need higher participation, and I can see being open to it in non cut sports. more than cuts. >> What are surrounding districts doing? Because this speaks to, you know, the closest district to them. >> Yes. Which we do have control over as well. We don't have to accept. We don't have to accept anybody of our as our own. Even if we opted in, we do I mean if even if we stayed in not opted in, even if we stayed and did not opt out, we do not have to accept outside of district homeschool students just because we are accepting our own. Um, I

099can tell you Pilot Point started last year and so far they have only had athletes. They haven't had any fine arts kids yet because I talked to their superintendent. They they started last year. Weatherford has been doing it since it I think pretty much this whole time um and have their experiences they have gained students into the district to enroll because of their experiences um that's been theirs. I will say majority of districts are opting out surrounding us. >> Yeah. >> Or that's the plan anyway. >> And I and that goes back to what I think though being different, being bold, being a risk taker, >> you know, not doing what everybody else does. One of the things that drives me crazy and this is we always look what are everybody else doing and that's

100how we do it. I think sometimes the wellbeaten path you kind. I think I'm more looking at it from the geography of it, like the closest participating district. That That's what I was looking at, not like are we a sheep or or something like that. >> Has Lewisville ISD made a decision? >> I do not believe Dr. Rap >> and Northwest has not either, right? >> No, but that my understanding is they let me go back and look at my I have a chart. Let me see. I don't think so. >> What? >> Keller Keller is >> Keller is I think Keller is and Pilot Point are the only two I have right now that >> Keller's opting Keller is not opting out. Correct. >> That's correct. >> If I could add just two other

101things is uh you know there's options too. You can make it a sub varsity only. You know the first year a kid was here doing that >> wouldn't take any sports. And then I think we're in a very unique situation when >> our participation in athletics has kind of tapered off a little bit but we are going to be open another school. And so you know in that school when we open is going to be participating not only in varsity as freshman and sophomores but you're going to have to feel subvarsity teams too. So, I don't think there's going to be as much cutting. Uh, you know, I know in the volleyball here this year, we're going to try to have four teams instead of three. And so, I do think a lot of the

102sports are not cutting near as much as they have in the past due to participation and just being in that unique situation where we're going to be going forward and we're going to lose some kids that are here to go down there. And so, you know, that that's just another couple things to think about as far as that part. And, you know, you said now you said, "Hey, your first year you have to be sub varsity." Well, then in that year's time, like coach said, that that kid may get over here and love it and their parents, you know, if they're living here, they may send them to school here or if they're out, you know, you know, there's options there, too. So, I like that. Just some other things to think about. >> You

103grow into it, right? >> Yes. Abs. Absolutely. And you may, we may hate it. We may It's no different than a UIL waiver. All right. A kid transfers in, they don't approve the waiver, they play subarsity for one year, and then they get a chance to play varsity. And it's a year of acclamation for that child. Well, I also like that you can if we try it and it doesn't work, >> change it. >> You have Yeah, that's a good thing. Year to year, it's not >> you're not docked into >> and we would we would expect them to discipline wise and everything. I mean, it's very very uh like I said, it's a zero zero strike policy. You were supposed to do >> as both of y'all, you know, athletic directors of women's and

104men's sports. Do you would you resist saying opt in in certain sports would and out on others or >> Okay. So across the board or nothing? >> I think I think both scenarios could work or I'll be politically correct on that. Here here's here's here's the sports that I that I really believe and that's just been in for 38 years. I think golf and tennis are probably our our most probable sports to have a home school. I think probably baseball, softball are probably our next. Okay. And then it it it's an sunundre of shot. It's a shot in the dark on on where the next ones come from. So I just think themies and the attraction of of of summer league sports and spring leagues and AEUs and things like that for some of our

105students. All right. In choosing a different academic platform to adhere to coastal safety, right? And and that's going to be a challenge on us, too, keeping up with that because it we're we're going to now we're in the mix of pulling grades and and checking those individual students where we've leaned on Miss Lemish collecting the grades from the teachers and sending them out and just having a really foolproof way of checking them. >> Do you have a thought on high school versus middle school? Um, >> would you limit potentially to high school? >> I would. Right now, my gut tells me that this needs to be a 9 through 12 decision. I'm not there. There's there's a lot of other options for middle school, >> right? I mean, you got any opposition to that? Anybody?

106Do you think middle school >> point that I think um >> we're not trying to I I think it's a good idea to just do high school um and not middle school just so more kids can participate. Some kids have never played let's say volleyball before and they get on the court their seventh grade year they make it their eighth grade year they're on the A team their freshman year they're on varsity and if they got cut as a middle schooler they may never get the opportunity to try that. Um I love to live in a community where we can have different opinions and still be friends and not be mad at each other. So, just I I am totally fine if we do this or don't do this, but just a couple points I

107would consider is I think school um sports and theater and band are what gets some kids really tied into school and it's what really motivates them to do well. >> So, I fear if we let in homeschool students, do we lose some students who now aren't bought into school? I I'm concerned about that. And then I'm a true school pride girl. Like when my son was at tech, I'm all red and black. I'm guns up. Okay, not guns up. Wreck them. Whatever we're supposed to say, that's politically correct. But um you know, now I'm an eagle and that means something to me for a kid to put on that eagle uniform. I think that that's our school and that's representing our school. And I personally think kids should be a part of our school if

108they're going to represent our school. I think these tennis and golf people are elite athletes and they have opportunities because they have that skill and that talent level where they're going to get opportunities. There might be kids at our school who may not ever have another opportunity to swing a golf club for a team. Um I think even our vision and values kind of says we're going to give our kids a place that ties them in and makes them want to be here. So, I don't like the idea of a, like you said, a cut sport taking one of our kids who are walking our halls every day, taking an opportunity away from them. So, someone who's already playing elite sport can come in and wear our uniform. >> And in a middle school, I

109mean, I hear some pretty astonishing numbers. And I don't know rumors, but I mean, in terms of volleyball triyouts and basketball triyous, I mean that that they'll have seventh grade will have 75 >> girls or boys 64 >> show up. you know, you only have you have A, B, and C, so you have maybe 35 spots or something. >> I think next year for middle school is a different dynamic because um the school on 377 will be smaller. Um so maybe there wouldn't be as many kids cut and then the school on 407. The problem right now is I don't really see how we could add another team. Like we already run three teams and everything. We have two wood floors, that's it. Um it would be very hard I feel like to run a

110meaningful practice. Like if you take for example um there's some there's some overlap in basketball and volleyball season. It's just it's hard for the just two wood floors and add a fourth team would be almost impossible. So maybe next year when there's less kids, there wouldn't be as many cuts to do this. But I I just really I I know some kids who left because they were close to getting caught and about to have some um investigations done according to them. So they withdrew and go to homeschool. Some of those kids have been good athletes. So, I just want I like the fact that I know what standard we're holding our kids to. And I think a grade check at Arg High School or Argon Middle School, you know, a grade is a number on

111a page, but what you get to earn that grade at our schools is all comparing apples to apples. And I think when you start comparing homeschool grades to our grades, it's not the same thing. It's going to be the right grade on a page, but that doesn't mean that it equates to our grades. So, school spirit, go Eagles. That's what I'm I know we can >> we've debated this before. >> I know you can you can limit which activities are are utilized uh that you don't opt out or but is can you limit the number of spots saying that >> we have five spots for someone that's homeschooled to participate in this activity. >> I don't think we do what we want to. I think the the policy you from what I understand is we

112we set we set the policy now you don't get to have admin rags that you change from year to year but I think you can set it and say we want to we'll allow up to 10 you know homeschool students in grades 9 through 12 or whatever it is in the first 10 and she as Miss Lson brought up the point about students if they if they're enrolled and they're rocking along and it's October and they get in trouble and say I'm just going to go home school and still participate they can't do that they can't drop they can't withdraw during the year and then still participate. They're they have to be homeschooled previously before the year starts for them to be able to participate under this law. >> Can I say one more thing

113even though I promised my last >> Nobody heard you say that. >> Okay. You know, if if you were going to tell me that Argyle ISD may offer a virtual learning or homeschool option in the future, in the near future, because maybe that's where education is going and it fits with the choice movement. I think I would be inclined to say absolutely not. We're we're opting out because I want if you want to play UIL Argal sports, you enroll in our virtual learning academy. We offer that and um and so you know and I wouldn't want to do things that you know encourage people not to be a part of that academy that virtual learning but we don't offer that right now. >> About two years away from it. About two years away from it.

114>> About two years. So, if that's something that I mean, I just wanted to, you know, maybe in the interim I may be able to look at it, but I don't want to see five basketball homeschool basketball players on the court either. You know, I mean, in the interim, and that's my biggest concern. You know, parents are parents are great, but they're also problems. They're going to be problems either way, whether we have optin in, opt out, or whatever. You're going to have parent problems. >> Josh Western. >> Yeah. Well, I mean it's >> So I know this says homeschooled, but do we run the risk of students from private schools >> taking advantage of this? >> It's non-enrolled. They have to be homeschooled. >> They have to be home. >> We have verified that.

115>> But to your question is if we approve it, do they unenroll at the private school and take the home? >> And they could yes do that. >> But they can't. So there's not a point in time where you say, "Hey, you have to designate your kid as a home school." >> We'll have an application deadline. I think that's what Right. So that if somebody gets in trouble at a private school, they can't jump out and jump. >> Yeah, there's an application. It's not all year long. There's a deadline of when >> Yeah. >> And we have the option, too. We can limit. We said, "Hey, we're only going to take 10 at the high school." You can do that, correct? >> It's my understanding. Yes. You can say, "Hey, we're only going to take

11610 kids total across whatever sports." And you can you can set up guidelines. It's kind of when I was at Brock, they set up when they started taking out of district transfers, they said, "Hey, come over, you've got to do you got to try out for at least one UI academic team." And also, you know, you got our principal at the time did a great job of screening the kids and saying, "Hey, if you're going to come over here, it's not you just come over here. You've got to participate in what's going on." Now, that's different. It's not a home school, but you know, they were able to set up guidelines when they did that. kids had to come in here and try. You can make it here. Hey, you have to try two sports.

117You know, it's I mean there there's options you could do. You can set it up basically however you wanted to do that. >> Have you had students reach out to you or families reach out to you and express interest in this or like the three students you mentioned, have they mentioned that if you if we opted or did not opt out that they would want to come and play their sports here? I I did uh I did not get an answer for them about if we opted in. Okay. >> Um I did have a pre-arranged meeting with one of them that's left for a private school >> about the struggles of dealing with the the academic demands and when they played junior Olympic baseball. Um but we did not but we did not discuss the

118the other piece of it. And is that the school? Is it our attendance policies that keep them? >> Yeah, it's just it makes and the attendance policies are not bad law. >> It's state law. It's 90%. >> But we do adjunct professors to get around that for correct. >> We had a kid that was climbing. >> No doubt. No doubt. You We have them from volleyball all the time. They just didn't have those they didn't fit those criteria. Right. >> Yeah. We have options. It just didn't fit their situation in Japan. >> this is just a curiosity just a liability question. So, I'm not I know you're not an attorney. I'm just asking anyone in the room. So, band, you get to school at 6:00 a.m. You do your practice, then you have class, and

119then it's a Monday night, and you've got practice till 9:30 p.m. Parent says, "Well, I can't come get them." And they're on campus all day. They don't have a ride. You have football. They're there in the morning. We're leaving at 2:00 in the afternoon. parents like, "Well, I can't come get them. They're there." Whose responsibility is this child? >> Mine. >> Okay. But is that a burden of liability that that we need we need to look into? I guess that's >> I believe Pilot Point has that as part of their application like it's built in >> that they have to leave campus when the activity period is over. >> Exactly. Right. >> They have to have their own transportation. >> I'm just trying to think >> in Weatherford, too. >> Yeah. They can't stay on

120campus and they have to provide their own transportation. >> Okay. >> What does a cell phone look like? Cell phone rule look like >> the same. They they follow the same they follow the same discipline student code of conduct and the athletic and fine arts student code of conduct as as the as the every other student when they're on campus. >> I I don't know that I'm prepared to sit there and say, "Yeah, let's just do it all all across the board." But I I could I could see me experimenting with some sports or something and just seeing how it worked, you know? I mean, I could see that. I I think we open ourselves for an opportunity to over the next two years before we split to two high schools and before we have

121a virtual academy to to pilot it and and are there certain sports are there certain activities and then be something that we evaluate and we look at and say and then 27 say yeah we're we're for it all the way we're going to do it modified our way or we tried this experiment we don't like And Mr. Bird, can you speak to fine arts just we talked a lot about sports, but I mean how it how it how you would I mean do you think it's something you'd like to see opened up for your >> I don't think it affects us like uh it does the cut sports. Um I think there will be a few students who move in who already play a musical instrument who want to just be a part of an

122ensemble and um I think it's great. Um, I don't foresee like them taking away anything from anybody. U, the drum major, we talk about the drum major. That's going to be really difficult for anybody to come in and in just a couple of months and be a drum major. They already got high school band. It takes years to get that right. >> But but you know, it's a good but it's a good I get the idea. Um, I just don't think >> eliminate middle school from it than virtually in high school. It's almost impossible. >> Yeah. I think what you would get is probably a student who moves into the district and just homeschools and and maybe they were at a band in the previous district. >> Um you could get I mean just a

123I think a very small number. >> So I don't think it affects us like it does the other uh Mr. Turk right I mean you would you agree? >> Well I think some of the like one act play um those are those are those are cut uh at the middle school level for sure. >> You want do you want to talk on that? All right here we go. Yeah, there >> it's a little different. >> So with one act play for example, which is the UIL piece that we do, we are limited by numbers for the state. So we are allowed 24 students maximum and that's also depending upon the show that you pick and how many actors are on stage etc. But at the same point in time, if I can speak from all

124the years that I've taught theater, students that typically leave the stereotypical school setting that go and perform professionally, they're not coming back to a normal school setting just for a U.IO event. They're they're going on and they're working at Kasamana. They're working at places all around different areas if they want to. I' I've had a student who actually was a homeschool kid for years because he was on US national tours and then came to Argal his eighth grade year and did UIL. Um but he was a student who was there with us who built the relationships who really delved in and has remained continues to act on the side but I don't necessarily foresee a homeschool student coming and just wanting to do do UIO when I play >> but I could be wrong. But

125it's just a little different because we are kind of a cut at performance art and theater. >> So it's a little different. >> Yeah. I I think for us um I'm a I'm a teacher and I'm an educator and if a kid comes in my door and wants to be a part of our band program, I'm I'm okay with it. Um I think that the the students who are enrolled in our classrooms, I don't think they would they would be offended if somebody was sitting next to them um playing an instrument. you know, I don't I don't see it taking away from us. I think it adds to us. >> Um, and uh, if I I'm sure there's something I haven't thought about that might take away from us, but I don't see that. Um,

126so I I'm okay with it. I'm also okay if we don't do it. >> So, there you go. Any other questions? I answer everything. Good. Thank you. >> What's our timing? >> Yeah. So, normally it's August 1st, but uh because of the legislative change, UIL is giving until September 1st this year for us for the board to make a decision. >> So, but we got to make a decision and then you've got the paperwork. >> Yes. Correct. >> So, what's the date? >> So, I mean, we we would bring it August 4th, whichever whatever direction you're willing to go so that they could we we could obviously advertise. And you want to explain a little bit on the the uh p like the participation piece of that as far that's more probably for your varsity

127sports. >> Yeah. As far as your wait time, 15. >> Yeah, it' be 15. It'd be 15 school days. We start on August 11th, right? >> So, they would just have to wait. >> I just think we we would we would just jump through the necessary hoops to to get those things in place, but it wouldn't be >> wouldn't be any different than a kid moving in, >> right? But we would have to, you know, if we knew we were going to do it, there's some uh obviously some dedicated work time to defining what policies and and strategies we'll be using, responsibilities of duties, who's doing what, who's checking on it, the followup. We'll have our own eligibility, you know, I mean, I'll put it on my calendar so I I get these I get

128these things done because I'll have a one-off and I won't be waiting for an email from Miss Lemish. So, I'll have some responsibilities with that, right? How does the funding work? >> If somebody if if we accept >> 10 homeschool students >> and three of them after a couple of weeks, you know, come to the realization that they're this is not what they thought it was and drop out. I mean, do we get a portion of the funding? Do we get zero funding for that? >> I don't think we have a deadline as to when they when they provided that aotment. It's through. I mean, we have to turn it in, but I'll find out for that when the >> Yeah, I I don't know that either. U I know it's $1,500 per sport. >>

129So, uh >> per student. Yeah. >> You know, per student. >> I think there would be It looks like there's probably an application process. >> So, I'm sure it's going to be done through our UIO portal >> uh for homeschool students. So, we'll have to select that on there. will be afforded to look at the op the the paperwork. You go from there and and I'm sure it's some kind of submission along those lines. >> So just it it is per student per activity. >> Correct. >> It is. >> So >> yeah. >> Is this is this a thing where enrollment is open all year or do we have a deadline? >> No, they would have to in normal years you would have a deadline. So like Weatherford and these guys that do it, they're

130having they have a June 1 deadline. like applications are due June 1st for the following year. It's not something that just goes on and people can come in and out like there's a hard cut off. >> We would do something this fall >> and have I mean it would be it would be a pretty short turnaround one. >> So it like I said is I don't know about the the deadline for a spring sport, but I think I think with the models that we saw there's a deadline >> for all sports. >> Correct. rather if you were going to run track at the end of the year, you had to have that paperwork in. So, you would attend all of the preseason training as well. >> Gotcha. Okay. >> Thank you'all for being here. >>

131Yeah. >> Appreciate the input. >> Thank you. >> Okay. So, I will follow up with them and we'll go from there. If we have something, we'll bring in on the fourth. Okay. All right. And then Senate Bill 12, this is going to be parental bill of rights. There is a lot in the parental bill of rights. Most of this will be coming through the update 126 this fall. However, it all comes into play. So, we're learning and processing it as we go. Um, but it'll be updating on the grievance process. It is prohibiting instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity. It's prohibiting all the DEI practices. It's prohibiting clubs um that deal with sexual student clubs that deal with sexual orientation and gender identity. And it's also an optin now for parents to give permission

132for their students to participate in a club on campus. So there a lot to that that we've got to work through and put some systems in place. Plus there'll be some policies coming in. Those are just kind of the main highlights, but it is a very lengthy bill as well. And then Senate Bill 13 is a library standards bill. I'll let Dr. Jordan talk a little bit about this. We addressed this last summer uh subcommittee of the board with Dr. Jordan, but there are some some additional updates. I'd say the biggest two different things that are the main updates. One of them is just parent parent parental access and we have that ready to go. So um talked with our technology department today and we already use Destiny so we don't have to purchase anything

133to make this happen. At this point the guardians will receive an email every time their student checks out a book. They also have the ability to go in and um select books they do not want their child to check out. So that will be that's ready to go right now. So, we'll be sending out something to parents at the beginning of the school year letting them know how they access their child's account, but it's set up that parents will be getting the email. The other part of it is um the board can decide if they want to create the school library um what's the a slack >> student library advisory >> advisory committee. Yes. Um, so that would be a committee of parents and committee members that are appointed by the board who are the

134voting members. It could also include non- voting members of members staff members in the district. So that's the other piece of it. In speaking to the library representative at region 11, the input from her was districts. She doesn't know if the districts in our in region have plans for doing that. At the point that I talked to her, what boards decide to do of course is still up for grabs. But at that point, she had not heard that there were other districts in our region who are making that decision. Okay. And then 569, we've referenced the virtual school a little bit. So 569 is a virtual school bill that requires the commissioner education to adopt rules and regs for a full-time, hybrid, and virtual campus. um and it must require districts to engage in a

135whole year of planning before offering a course or any types of courses. So, this will be a work in progress. Um this will also be one of those type of bills that will require additional personnel from a planning standpoint and learner services. So, we will be addressing that and discussing that with you next spring when we're talking budgeting. Um but that is coming down the pike. It's also not just a full-time virtual but considered a hybrid where they're in campus some and virtual some. So that is uh that is something we will be waiting to see what those rules and regs look like coming from the commissioner but then providing us the opportunity to to do some planning. Um and then we have to within that if a district chooses to operate a plan we

136would have to demonstrate capacity to execute that plan. So there's a process with this with TEA you would have to go through >> but the funding attached to it is the new piece that makes it viable option for us. >> So the funding is the same as if the student was here. >> Correct. And right after the pandemic, you know, there were a few districts that kept having their virtual, but they weren't funded for it. And so what they're doing now is they're coming back and addressing that and and tying funding back to it and opening back up because you couldn't get opt back in at that point. 571 is an update to misconduct reporting. And so that requires principles now to report to the superintendent within 48 hours. If the principal becomes aware of

137evidence of an educator educator's abused or otherwise committed an unlawful act with a student or a minor um you cannot investigate beforehand. You can't do anything like that. They have to report within 48 hours. Superintendent has 48 hours then to submit to ESPEC. Um so there's no more let's see what we have here. Let's try to figure out if we have an need to investigate. It's a report immediately. So that is new. Um very serious about that rule. In fact, they sent personal letters to every campus administrator in the state of Texas, every principal on on listed in the Texas uh Ask TED database um in the mail plus emails. So, they wanted to make sure that message has gotten out. Child abuse and neglect reporting has been changed from 48 hours to 24. The

138law has changed, so we'll be training on that. And then um requires reports of child abuse made to law enforcement agencies can no longer be made to agencies uh inside the school district. So it can't be that has to go to an outside agency, not a school district police department. And then it repeals the provision that superintendents allow superintendents to complete investigations and misconduct prior to reporting which I mentioned. So that's all policy changes will be coming in the update 126, but those are uh in place for this school year regardless. So those are kind of the highlighted ones that obviously have taken up a lot of our attention and time this summer working through and trying to get everything ready for school to start. We will bring the ones that need board action immediately

139to the August 4th special meeting and the rest of them will just be updated in 126 when the update update comes out. It's my fault. >> Yes, it is. All right. Great conversation. Appreciate all of y'all being here. Thank you for engaging in that and talking through that. And we'll have some followup we'll talk through um the next couple days with you guys on that. Okay. Student code of conduct. This is pretty short because a lot of it's related to it, but the code of conduct requires board approval and it's late obviously this year because it's a legislative year. So, I'll just I'll click through these real quick. That's pretty much everything we've already covered. The code of conduct, um, House Bill six, you'll see the code of conduct will have changes regarding teacher removal

140of students, the nicotine delivery product and EIGs, first time offense. Um, that's a misspelling. That's supposed to be Essie. First time offense will be the mandatory 10 days, changes to ISS and OSS rules, and then certain mandatory expulsion expansions. So, um, Dr. Daniel um has he sat in and provided he sat in on the TASBY update the other day, provided us our information here um and gave us our slides to go through, but he's been working on the student code of conduct and there's not much and we we don't have any opportunity to change anything. It's just your it's the law basically. So, he's got that in there. He also has changes uh regarding SP SB12, which is a clarity of filing a grievance. The changes 1481, which is the personal communication devices. So that's

141in the code of conduct as well as Senate Bill 326 which is a new definition of anti-semitism and they've got that in there to make sure um that that is defined appropriately according to the government code 448.01. So those are the main code of conduct changes that we will uh you will see in the code of conduct and we'll ask you to approve that on the fourth as well. So that's done before school starts. Any questions on that? [Music] All right. This is for the um supplemental pay schedule. Um Dr. Daniel had prepared this for you. Um, basically what's provided is you have a cover sheet and then you have a list of all the supplemental pay um that are available um from employees who um it's for non-ourly employees who coach um or participate

142in the extracurricular and the list there I believe there were a few um additions this year. Uh one of them there was a um position that was um added that we mentioned earlier visual and performing arts. I may not have that title correct. >> Performance and visual arts. >> Thank you. that's the title there. Uh things like that that were added and um spent some time on this trying to make sure that we had everything covered um and everything that we've done in the past is actually in here. So that's the um exhaustive list of all of the supplemental pay that's available uh throughout the year for employees. Um this would come back in August for approval. And if you have questions and I don't know the answer, then we will get Dr. Daniel to

143bring the answer back. >> So, there have been no changes other than those other ones you mentioned. >> I believe there were a few minor changes other than that. Um, some were just making sure that we were um in line with what our practice actually was, making sure that the names matched. Um, but I will have to make sure that we have a list of anything else that was added. Okay. >> All right. Um, okay. The next item I think is the district insurance. This one is an action item. I believe that um Dr. Daniel had this for you. Um I think a couple of months ago we talked about it in a budget workshop. Um when we talked at that time of potentially I think it was 50 and 100. We're looking at right

144now 50 uh or 25 and that is an increase in the employee sorry employer contribution per month for employees that participate in the health insurance program. Um so that would take it from 300 a month to 350 a month. Um we have about 51% of our employees are enrolled in the program. So you're talking about um just over a majority of the employees. Um the option here that's being recommended is the $50 a month contribution and the annual cost is $240,000. That's well within our um budget that we were talking about at our last update and last workshop where we um were discussing some potential surpluses of that budget um and this would be included in that. And we have already looked at you know making sure that we've run this looked at the employees

145that are participating. Of course there's always open enrollment and changes but we're still uh right now streaming close to 51%. So, it's um discussions every year of whether we're going to, you know, put more towards a raise, more towards insurance, and we're trying to balance that out. Um last year, uh you know, we did some towards insurance, some towards one-time um payments, and this year's more towards the raise, um and some contribution to the insurance. The health health insurance has increased. I think there's some links in there if you want to go out and look at what the health insurance increase are, but anywhere from $49 to $191 depending on the plan and the level that the employees in whether it's employee only, employee family, employee spouse, something like that. >> But this only benefits

146if if you were to approve something like this, this is only going to benefit 51% of the staff. >> That's correct. You know, I think since I've been here, this has been a conversation most years. You know, what do you do? Do you try and do more for pay? Do you try and do more for health insurance? You when we ran the um Dr. Daniel got some estimates last year when we increased this last time of how we compared and were we competitive in the health insurance compared to our peers and we were lagging behind at that point in time. Um when we bumped it up $50 at that point. I think we were 250 and went to 300. It got us closer to the range but was still we were still behind some of

147our peers in that and what we offered as far as the health insurance contribution. >> And they also went to regionalized premiums by region. And so region 11 is now the highest premiums in the state, which is us. >> And so I, you know, my my feedback is I think we if if we're in that unfortunate position of being in region 11 with the highest premiums, we should respond to that and try to be more competitive and not lag behind. And the other comment I'll make is since raises benefit 100% of the staff that I think that I'd like to see the district consistently focus on funding raises and prioritizing raises over contributions to health plans that only benefit 50%. >> Isn't health insurance pre-tax? >> Health insurance is pre-tax. So, it's not just it's

148not just 50 bucks across the board in a pay raise, right? It's it's more than that >> to be comparable. >> And and you get to a point where you've raised it 50 or 75 that now that 51% becomes 62%. >> Right. I I don't know. >> Right. Right. We're keeping um we're keeping pace for the base plan for employee only is basically what we're doing because that raises $49 and this would be 50. So it it you lose your competitiveness a little bit when you go up to, you know, employing spouse or employing family if you're not on the base plan because the cost there and over the years the cost has escalated uh quite a bit. There's been legislative help in the past um couple of legislative sessions to keep the max increase

149I think at 10 or 11% for the highest region. Um and so these increases are with legislative help. I'm just let basically money that we project to have, but it's coming out of what our projected surplus would be. >> That's correct. >> And it seems like an appropriate >> use of the surplus. >> Right. It's um we felt good about the um compensation plan that we brought to the board and the board uh so graciously approved earlier this summer and so this was the next step. Have we have we ever done staff survey to ask them, hey, I want do you want $65 pay raise or do you want $50 in health insurance pre-tax or whatever? How that >> I don't think we've ever asked that question to the staff at the survey. >> But

150we did talk about in the workshop that maybe the staff that doesn't participate in the plan should get 50 bucks a month or something or something comparable. >> Well, that's why I say one's maximum the number is going to be higher. I'm just curious what the >> you know we want to be fair to everybody, >> right? And so >> and we can look at doing survey in the future >> um you know before we consider anything else but we can you know certainly look internally. I don't think I think a staff survey is pretty easy to to manage. >> Is that a yes grade? It's easy to manage >> as far as a yes no like a what you would prefer if you only have two choices. Now, if you have an open-ended, >>

151I just want A or B. >> But but again, the survey won't be pure either because you're not going to get 100% response rate. >> That is correct. >> Want to do it when employees are actually working, not trying to do it over the summer >> or or make it part of open enrollment next year like because you have to decline coverage or you have to accept it. So >> most years I think there's some years where there's a rollover. Oh, but dude, we gave them an opportunity. If they choose not to respond, then they get what they get. My mom always told me, get what you get. Don't throw a fit. >> See, so this is an action item. >> It is an action item. >> Does anyone else have any other questions? >>

152Mr. Wester, you rest. >> Yeah. No, I was actually encouraging you to move forward. >> All right. Walene, I'm going to um abstain from participating in this action item. All right. Uh I'll entertain a motion to approve action item 11A as presented. >> Motion to approve, >> Mr. Wester. Motion to approve. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Wow. >> Sorry, Mr. Hawk. >> That is on you with the second. That was quick. It >> was a trifect. >> All right. Any further discussion? >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you, Liz. >> Got you next time, Mr. McDel. >> All right. The next item is the flexible school day um that you were presented that they presented last month in June, I

153guess that was. So, we had Miss Lemish, Miss McGuire, and Dr. Quas here. Who is here to Okay. So, they're all here. They're all here. So, this is being brought back to you. Um no adjustments, no changes to it. And so they're asking for that opportunity to start that program, apply for it, and then get the Egeneuity software and workstations. If you have any questions, obviously they're here to answer any of those. >> I don't have a question, but I again, as I talked to a few of you after the last board meeting, you know, I really appreciate you guys working through and and kind of developing this. I think it's a great opportunity for some of those students. So, um, thank you. Okay. And I'll entertain a motion to approve action item 11B is

154presented. >> So moved, >> Mr. Matthew Sllayton. Motion to approve. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> There you go. >> Is that Mr. McDow? Mr. McDow with the second. >> Better get out of the way here. >> Any further discussion? >> All in favor say I. I. Any oppose? >> All right. Thank you. >> Congratulations, ladies. Thank you for your hard work. It's going to be good for kids. Thank you. >> All right. Student nutrition lunch prices. So, we talked about this last month. Um, at the time the tool had not been published, so we were estimating since then. Uh, they've been able to uh verify the increases, which are the same that were presented last month. Um, elementary campuses, you're at a 10 10 cent increase for breakfast, uh, 25 cents for

155lunch, and secondary, as you see listed there, 10 cents for breakfast, um, 25 cents for lunch, and then at the high school where you have the market, it's, um, of $525 with no increase. So, any questions? Student nutrition fund is still self-sufficient >> and the general fund is not supplementing the student nutrition >> increases match the increase in food cost that we're getting. I mean um take does it really matter? I'm just curious. >> I feel um yes, they feel like it is. We don't have as much choice at the elementary level on the prices because we do have to use the tools since we are on the federal program. Um at the secondary level and where we're off the program, we have a little more flexibility and they match these to what they feel

156like um will cover our cost. Okay. >> I'll entertain a motion to approve action item 11 C as presented. Motion to approve. Mr. Wester motion to approve. Do you have a second? >> Second. >> Mrs. Artho with a second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? >> All right. Thank you. >> All right. Budget amendment. So again, this is um action item this month. We talked about it last month. There is a change on here in the amount of the amendment. We've added um the function for security, excuse me, due to a new Senate bill um 33. There are some requirements there um that were to cover um ballistic shields and breaching materials are required at every campus now. Um and so we've included the cost um in this amendment

157as well as the cost of the startup of a new officer and and um canine. So, um you saw those costs when you approved the position, but we did not have it in the budget amendment at that point in time. So, that's the main difference between um last month and this month. Um but if you look at um the overall on the last page, um it changes our surplus to June 91,000. And again, as I mentioned last month, this will not be our last amendment. You will see one on August 4th for information and we'll um bring it back for approval on our August regular meeting. And it will address the six weeks enrollment. So there's a small increase from the fifth six weeks to the six six weeks as far as the the ADA

158increase from enrollment there. Um as well as the anticipated revenue for the first few days of school that are in our fiscal year and the expenses there to go along associated with current and new staff. So um there'll be some large adjustments on that. Um and it will increase our surplus some. Um we're still working on the the final amount there, but this will not be the last budget amendment that you see this fiscal year. So any questions on that? the function 52 security. You can see there is a line by itself that was 129,000 for those two combined items. >> They're giving us any support on those. Just telling us we have to have them. >> Telling us we have to have them. They will tell you that they increased our security aotment, but

159it still doesn't cover what we spend. >> Yeah. >> So, >> okay. >> And I I will say the majority of the startup costs are in a vehicle. Um that's the highest. >> No pun intended. All right. All right. I'll entertain a motion to approve action item 11D as presented. >> So moved. >> Mr. Hawksworth, motion to approve. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Dr. McDade with a second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. >> Any opposed? >> All right. Thank you. >> All right. And finally, I think is this our last item? Last two items here. Um, we have Matt BS and Julie McMillan from RBC here to help talk us through um, our bond sale. Um, we've been talking about this since our bond passed in May um, successfully.

160Um, our plans have changed a little bit with the legislature and some um, information, some rules that they passed. And so um, Matt and Julie will go over that, but they also now have a bond plan um, that's in there. Yes, that RBC plan there. and I'm going to turn it over to them to um go through their plan. >> Thank you. >> Oh, you want to give that to them? >> Thank you. >> We missed you last time, Matt. >> I know. That's why I'm standing here. No, thank you for uh the introduction, Liz. And it is great to see you all. Um, I cannot wait to get in my car and call my 12-year-old and say no phone next year. >> It's gonna flip. >> Anyway, it's uh it's great to be here.

161Julie and I are here >> to get it either. >> Yeah. No, I'm definitely not I'm not definitely not I like that strategy. We'll get that back next year, buddy. Um, we're excited to be here. Uh, I think Liz said it correctly when she said things have changed with the legislature. I'm sure that won't surprise you all. The, uh, original plan was to stand here in front of you tonight with the idea that we would ask you to sell 76 million of some existing authorization you had and then your newer authorization. That amount's going to triple. So, we're going to get you to the point of better understanding why that amount's going to triple and why it's in your best interest to do that now. and it has everything in the world to do with

162a whole harmless payment that they're going to make you. So, I did want to give you a sense of where things stand in the market as I always do. Uh, it's been a really, really busy July. So, when you have May elections and you have the prolifer proliferation of bond elections that got passed, there's a season for permanent school fund guaranteed Texas school district bonds. And this is the season. uh July, the last three weeks, we've had an incredible amount of supply. This week alone was a $3.4 billion dollar week. Not all of that was Texas School District paper, but a lot of it has been in the last three or four weeks. We're going to talk about a calendar in a little bit what we're looking at doing a transaction for you in the

163first week of August, and we think most of this will have sifted out of the market. That's my way of saying that rates did creep up for just a little bit. They are now beginning to come back down by the day. And I think by the time we get into August, we'll be in a more agreeable market. But understand that we're not letting rates stop people from borrowing right now. They're still near historical all-time lows. If you take COVID out, we still have uh less supply than we have demand. And so all the factors are in your favor. And that's what this page essentially says right here. Isn't the surge in selling in July that because every district's looking at it going, "Hold harmless. Correct. Sell now I get 4%." >> Correct. >> Hold harmless.

164>> Isn't that going to flood the market and make the rates change? >> Well, it just did. That's what >> it just did. And we're about to work our way all the way through that supply. So, this has been a um a bit of a guessing game as to how to calculate that additional state aid. And Julie's behind me and can stand up here anytime. But um you're by selling the additional amount going from 76 to 210 million, it's going to the state's going to end up paying you 17 million more dollars than they would otherwise. So we are trying to maximize. We're trying to sell as much as we possibly can this year, but we have to keep within that 50 cent test band. And so it makes it difficult. So, we're we're pushing

165as hard as we can to get you as much as we can, financially prudent, financially sound, but we want to capture as much state aid as we possibly can. So, everyone's looking at that plan. >> And then we enter the three-year window where you have to spend it. Correct. >> Spend it or you >> you have to reasonably expect when you sell the bonds that you can spend the proceeds. I believe that we've covered that off with with Liz and Dr. Carpenter. And I believe that you can reasonably expect to expend the proceeds of 210 million within a three-year window. >> Is it a reasonable expectation or it's not actual? >> It's reasonable expectations with no penalty. >> Thank you. >> That concludes my presentation. >> That's it. I mean, there's really that's really it.

166>> Seriously, that really we've kind of hit hit it right there. >> Last time when you weren't here, we beat her. Uh >> Julie took the brunt last. >> Awesome. >> She did. She did great. >> She's the best. She is the best for sure. >> Uh I'm going to go through a couple things. You've already nailed it. I love you all for that. Um we are looking at 221,15,000. That number may go up slightly. Don't know. We're going to maximize that amount uh as we get closer with real interest rates and real data as we put it into our model. Just three and a half million of that comes from your previous authorization in 24. the balance comes from authorization from your successful campaign in 2025. Um the the change in the state homestead

167exemption from 100,000 to 140,000 is the main driver for making this a larger sale. But I do want to reiterate for those of you all listening at home that this is still a very financially prudent plan. We're just accelerating sales into this year. We do not think you will have a bond sale in 2026. We don't think we'll be back here in the summer of 26. We'll have a rest year. We'll get to see where taxable assess valuations go and that gives us a high level of comfort. We are contemplating the issuance of two series of bonds. One is traditional fixed rate bonds like you've always sold in the past. And the second is a new tool, but it's a tool that's commonly used in the Texas school district world and one that we would

168like to introduce here, which is a fixed rate bond for a 3 to fiveyear period that gets reset every 3 to five years, but it has a longdated maturity. So, it allows us to put um a significant amount of debt out at the end of of 30-year amortization, but reset the rate every three years. So, you get the advantage of the short end of the yield curve. So, it's a lower interest rate, gives us some flexibility on repayment of those obligations and fits well with what we're trying to accomplish. I did want to go through the assumptions very quickly. Um, as I've said many, many times standing before this board and previous boards and administrations, you all sell debt when growth necessitates that you can sell debt. That's been the plan here. So, when the

169growth comes, you sell debt and then you stop. And when the growth comes again, you sell debt and stop. And that is because we have the statemandated 50 cent test that we have to pass when you sell new obligations. That said, the district has grown at a very rapid and consistent pace for a long period of time. The historical information is in the bright blue bars at the bottom of the page. You can see that it's been very consistent. It's not as um graphically severe as it might be if you blew that up some, but you've essentially gone from one and a half billion in 2015 to over 4 billion in 2024. So, it continues to grow on a 10-year basis uh at roughly um 15% perom. We are only projecting that it grows on

170a average basis of just under 10% perom for the next 10 years. So we're we're deploying yet again some more conservatism to buy us some space to issue the additional obligations that you all have authorized. A lot of words here. I won't go through all this. The third bullet point we've discussed uh already, but the additional state aid due to the homestead exemption is the aid that the state will step up to indemnify you against tax loss this year. So these obligations have to be sold prior to September 1 of 2025 to qualify for that additional state aid. We plan to sell these obligations the 5th of August and close prior to that 91 date. Uh, and again, we're just trying to maximize as much as we can to get as much state aid as

171we possibly can. I do want to mention that we've had conversations with Moody's Investor Service. The district's current underlying rating is double A3, but it did previously have a negative outlook because you are issuing a significant amount of debt and essentially taking um $450 million in debt to call it $660 million in debt. We do expect to see uh a chance of a rating downgrade into the A category. I do want to remind you though that these obligations are sold with the AAA rating due to the permanent school fund guarantee. So you will still qualify for that. In terms of interest rate costs, it could be one basis point 01%. It could be five. We won't know until the day that we price the obligations. This is not uncommon for a fast growth school district.

172I think Dr. Carpenter and Miss Stewart have done a fantastic job of staying connected with them, providing the information that you all are uh providing them is abundantly important on an annual basis and we we're doing the best we can, but that's >> something that we'll take a look at and we'll be in touch with you about. >> The alternative is lose $17 million from the state. >> There you have it. There's some information on this page about the series 2025B bonds. Uh, and I I gave you a summary moments ago, but this is essentially a way for a school district to sell longdated bonds. So, bonds that have a 25 to 30-year maturity, but price them with a shortterm interest rate because you repric them every 3 to five years. Uh, there are a

173lot of Texas school districts that do this. We've listed some there. Dallas, Denton, Eagle Mountain, Little Elm, Prosper, and it's traditionally used in districts that are high growth, fast growth, bumping up against the 50 cent test. And it allows you to pay down debt as you have the ability to pay down debt and actively manage your debt portfolio. And that's what the district has always done. Um, one of the barometers that the rating agencies look at is to make sure that you don't have more than 25% of this product as your total debt mix. This would make up essentially right at 16th. So, you're well under that 25%. I think it's financially prudent. I do think that we'll be watching it every year um to make sure that we reset rates when it's advantageous. If

174at any given point in time short-term interest rates should rise, you do have the ability to go ahead and fix these out just like the rest of your fixed rate debt. So, you do have that as a fail safe. Uh I'm very comfortable with this. I'm happy to talk in more detail about this. Uh but it's been a product that's widely used and we're we're extremely comfortable in using here. Now, there's a lot on this page, and I won't profess to want to go through all of that with you, but I will say that this is Julie's handiwork. Um, and this contemplates these two series of bonds, skipping a year in 2026, and then systematically having sales every year thereafter until 2031 when you will exhaust the existing authorization from the 2025 election. So that's

175my way of saying not only have we thought about what you're selling this year, but how we'll deploy the sales in the future through 2031. And this meets with what we believe your construction capabilities will be for all of your contemplated facilities through that period of time. If you look at pa uh I'm sorry, column 20, I'm sorry, column 21, having trouble seeing here. We've highlighted that. Um, and you can see there that we max out at 50 cents for a couple of years, but you do begin to see it come down over time. And this assumes that we hit all of those taxable assess value growth rates that we've outlined in the model. This is our way of showing you that you do have future capacity. So if in five years you need another

176election, I'm not suggesting you will, but if you should, we will have the capacity to do something additional so long as we continue to grow at the pace that we think you'll grow as outlined in the previous graph on two pages prior. So again, financially prudent, tons of conservatism. We are pressing the model right now to capture additional state aid. Um, and I think this program is right size for where you all stand right now. >> Can I'm sorry. Can you go back? Is So, is the reason there's no TAV growth after it looks like 34 35? Is that because we're projected to be built out? >> It's just conservatism. It's us saying we're going to stop growing the model because we can't see that far. Once we get five years into this model, we'll

177grow five more years beyond that. we sort of leap our way into it. It's just our way of of wanting to be as conservative as possible so we don't put you in an awkward spot in 20 years of having to meet a projection that was made 20 years prior. It just doesn't seem reasonable. >> Any other questions while I'm on this page? I'm surprised at this. >> These next two pages are just the individual scenarios for the 2025A and 2025B. Right now, we're projecting that the 2025A bonds would be sold at a rate of 4.84%. [Music] And the 2025B bonds would be sold at a rate of 3.87%. And then finally, we have a a timetable of events here. It's um obviously we're here tonight to get your approval on these two individual orders. They

178are separate legal items, so they'll have to be passed upon. Um each one of them will have to be passed upon and voted upon. Um we had the conversation with Moody's this week. The uh plan would be to put these obligations in the market honor about the August on or about August 5th. I only say on or about because we do have the flexibility per the order to move this around if we see market volatility, but that's the date that we've targeted as of today and then close on the 26th of August so that you have proceeds to spend at that point in time. This is just observation. Like it it seems like the tax rate's going down quicker than I would have anticipated. Like it it doesn't stay at 50 cents that long. >>

179Well, especially since you told you're talking about using these certain bonds that you could push push the cost out. I would have figured that we would have stayed up against 50 cents for longer. >> Well, and let me go let me show you why on that series of bonds. Where'd he go? See where the principal amounts are in that series of bonds. >> So assuming you didn't pay any you reserve the right whenever you repric these on an annual basis to pay down principal and that's what we entirely hope to see you do. As it stands right now, you would just be paying interest only in those years. But that's not what we hope to do. We want to am by the way this is all for useful the useful life of the assets financed

180with this series of bonds well exceeds 30 years. So we're not mismatching anything here with asset to liability. But this is a place to give you some flexibility to pick and choose how much you pay off each year. If it's a million that's great. If it's 10, that's better. You know it. So we can monitor that every year and work with your administration to pay off as much as you can. But in the next couple years as you deploy these new bond series, we may elect not to do that and to prepay principal from those elections or those series quicker. So it does all work together. This does give you some capacity. It does help you issue more. It does help you capture the state aid. Okay. Thank you. See we have any questions from

181that. >> So you're saying they they could be interestonly payments for up to 20 years. >> Is that what that's looking at? >> Yeah. Well, that's the way it's shown here. But if you so elected to do that, you could do that. We don't have any school districts that do that. They always prepay some every year. What ends up happening is you get things like delinquent tax collections and you end up there ends up being a little more INS money than you think there will be and they use that to they repric the securities at a current market rate and they pay down the principal value when they do that. And then some of them say, well, we're in a very low rate fixed rate environment again. Let's just go ahead and fix it all

182out and and reamortize the whole loan. And it gives us the ability to do that. And you could do that anytime. >> Anytime you reset the rate, so once a year on certain pieces of it. Yes. >> So Liz, we're effectively speeding up when we're issuing some of these bonds and having to put these dollars at work on various projects, which a lot of these projects had inflationary triggers tied to them. So the government's effectively incentivizing us to spend these dollars, which should mean that we save money on some of these projects versus what was proposed. >> Yes. Anything that we could speed up in theory would have savings on that based on escalation. >> So if our architects and general contractors are listening, they should not be going over our bond numbers. Yes, >>

183when we do bids >> and any of those savings numbers, >> some of those bond numbers already have the escalation in them, so they should be going under, >> right? >> Well, that's what I'm saying. We should >> which could then be applied to the principal and if if once those are closed out >> once they're closed out, we'd have to Yes. We'd have to get with the legal bond attorney to walk us through that. Yes. So in it's a little frustrating for this whole harmless thing that that's changing the law, you know, forcing us to do things and make adjustments. But I do see, man, I mean, there are very positive things about it. One, you know, by selling it more earlier, we're going to potentially or have access to hold harmless funds and

184we're going to potentially, we have a reasonable belief that these projects need to be done in the next three years. We got land, we got capital improvement, we got baseball softball complex, we got I mean we got plenty to do. Um and so I I I see some positives in this that could potentially save the district money. >> Y >> any other questions for Matt? >> I'm I'm just one for Liz. I mean, I always you're my barometer, so you know, how are you how are you feeling with all of this and your comfort level and the doability? >> Um, we were provided, you know, this is a a timing issue. The legislature does something and it kind of messes up your plan and you're scrambling trying to get everything together and um you Julie

185really helped us with that. Um we actually received our certified values um I think late yesterday which is a few days early from um our appraisal district and they actually verified some estimates that we had that um Julie had been using in our projections for this year. So, um, if you compare net taxable, um, year-over-year, we're still looking at about, and this is at the 100,000, right? They haven't given us 140 yet, but we have a way to estimate that at the 100,000, our growth rate at net taxable is about 15%, which is a very high growth rate, but still um if you compare um freeze adjustable, we're still um just above 13%. So, those are well within the ranges that that um Julie and I had worked on and Matt had worked on as

186far as coming up with this plan and trying to make a change. um you know based on what the legislature had done. So I do still feel good about it. Um I think it's this is going to help take some burden off our taxpayers. If we do leave that state money on the table, then it reverts to being all of our taxpayer and our um our local taxpayers. Um it's their burden. So we do want to take advantage of that state funding. Um, if you go back to the last time they raised the homestead exemption, um, they the legislature actually put in it was not just issued bonds. It was anything authorized and and issued at that time. So, say your voters had approved in May, right, that we had $400 and something million dollars.

187It didn't matter when you issued those, they still held you harmless if that was five years from now. That's not what they wrote into law this time. And so, that is a large change for all of us. And um you know it left us scrambling a minute but we feel comfortable and confident that this is the best financial decision to take to have in that state funding dollars. >> Okay. >> Awesome. Do it. >> Yeah. No appreciate that and I appreciate the >> all the explanations in English and not deep financial ease because it it like like you said earlier we said succinctly you know this this this and we're done because that's essentially you know that's What helps you to understand it when you're listening to it? These are these are big numbers. >>

188They are >> big numbers for a long time, >> right? >> So, all good. Thank you. >> Thank you, ma'am. >> Thank you. >> All right. I'll entertain a motion to approve action item 11 as presented. >> So, moved, >> Mr. Matthew Slate. Motion to approve. Do I have a second? >> Second, >> Mr. Westerm. Second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? All right. Thank you. And I will entertain a motion to approve action item 11F as presented. >> Mr. Hawksworth silently. Motion to approve. So second. >> Second. >> Mr. McDow. Second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? >> All right. Thank you. The time is 8:33 p.m. We will adjourn to executive session and when we come back there will be no action

189to be taken. Thank you.