001I'll take it. I'll take it. >> Where's Felicia? >> Felicia's out of town. >> I now call this Friday school district meeting to order. Let the record show that a board members is present that this meeting has been duly called and notice of this meeting has been posted in accordance with the Texas Open Texas Government Code Chapter 551. Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you. Uh I won't repeat all that. Uh the uh [laughter] the time is 6:02. I wish to extend a warm welcome to everyone present. I ask that you please turn off the sound on your electronic devices if you haven't already and and stand for the pledges to the US flag and the Texas. I >> pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands
002one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Honor the Texas flag. I aliance to the Texas one state and indivisible. >> Thank you. Okay. We uh we have on the agenda public comment, but we also have a lot of uh students here. And so we're going to go a little bit out of order uh and do item 5C, which is the athletics update on programs and [snorts] celebrations. Uh presenter is executive director of athletics, Derek Rush. Come on up. All righty. Check this. >> Okay. Good evening. It is an honor to take this moment to recognize some truly outstanding uh student athletes and coaches. Through their dedication, hard work, and commitment, these students from Brian High School, uh SFA Middle School, and also the three intermediate schools have done an outstanding job
003of of showcasing their talent uh throughout uh the last few weeks. So, at this time, I'm going to honor uh recognize our cross country uh athletes from Brian High School and SFA. And so, will those guys please come up along with their coaches? [applause] >> Okay. So, first up, uh I want to recognize uh from Brian High ET Chilton. Uh she advanced out of the district and also competed in the region 2 cross country meet. So, she's done a great job this year. So, give her a round of applause [applause] >> and also she set the record this year as well. And also, we want to recognize Diego Duran. He won the district cross country meet this year and also competed in region two cross country meet and also made it uh to the state
004meet the second time in a row. So give him a round of applause. [applause] >> He also PR and also finished 18th overall. Outstanding. [applause] >> I also want to like to recognize the Brian Husman cross country coaches. Coach uh Havens done an outstanding job since he's been there at Bryant High School as far as elevating that program as well. So give him a round of applause. [applause] Next up is uh Eaton Frier. Uh Eaton won the eighth grade district cross country meet this year and he's done a great job of force competing this year. So give him a round of applause. [applause] I think Diego is Eaton's mentor, right? Yes. Tell me something like that. And also I want to recognize the the uh coaches there at SFA. Uh Coach Overton who is new
005to the district [applause] and and Coach Jones who is also uh his first year as the cross country coach there at SFA. So give those guys a round of applause. [applause] Thank you guys. So, next up, uh, about two weeks ago, you guys can be seated. >> You want to take We want to take a picture of take a picture over here. >> And Diego, who just got home from the state meet, is just a sophomore. >> So, yay. Have a lot to look forward to. >> And guys, those guys did a great job. Uh so next up >> I want to take uh about two weeks ago the boys and girls club hosted a volleyball tournament for our inter mural volleyball team from Sadbury Rabin and Jay Long. And at this time I want
006to recognize those guys uh who were fifth and sixth graders. And you know, one of the unique things that I took from that tournament was the uh uh impressive way they displayed positive encouragement, uh teamwork, and sportsmanship. And so at this time, I want Sadberry volleyball team to come up. Sadberry. [applause] Again, these these girls displayed a tremendous amount of pride and also the hard work they put in over the the last I say five weeks uh as far as practicing after school and those type of things. And so uh this is not all of them by by the way. So it they all both all all two of the uh inter mural programs uh uh they had two teams as far as at the inter mural schools intermediate schools from that standpoint but coach
007Gardner want to recognize her uh as a coach as well and coach Lauren these guys did a great job as far as coaching and also we had coach O'Neal who is not here she's a special ed teacher we had coach Houston who was a science teacher and coach Cole who was a EL a teacher and they all volunteer coaches and So, uh, they are invested in making sure these these girls understand the proper technique when it comes to volleyball and so great things are to come. So, give these girls a round of applause. [applause] You guys take a picture real quick. Next up is Ryan volleyball team. [applause] [snorts] Again, these girls displayed a lot of uh great competitiveness and also they competed well uh from that standpoint of And so I want to uh
008introduce Coach Manley who's the PE teacher there and the in and the uh inter murals coordinator there and also coach Gford right here and she's uh did a great job as stepping it up and she's a math teacher correct and she's a volunteer uh coach and again that plays [snorts] tremendous respect for what they're doing at uh at Raven Middle School. So give these girls a round of applause. [applause] >> All right. >> So last but not least is Jay Long volleyball team and coaches. [applause] wearing little medals. >> I see medals. >> As you see, these young ladies uh are there were medals. So that tells me that they competed at a high level and and they they came out champions. And so uh uh they've competed well. They uh uh showed a lot
009of sportsmanship and they showed a lot of competitiveness from that standpoint of also here standing is coach Hughes who is the uh uh inter mural coordinator at uh Jay Long. So give these girls a round of applause. [applause] And and like I said, uh all three uh intermediate schools had two volleyball teams and like and uh it was almost like 20 20 uh players on each team and so they did outstanding job showing up. Uh and we appreciate that. >> [applause] >> Coach Rush, I want to give a shout out to all of their families. I showed up for that tournament and the parking lot was packed, the gyms were filled, and I think it was standing room only in that back gym. So, thank you because this is not possible without the support of
010our parents and our families in particular. It's a group effort and together we're better. Thank [clears throat] you. >> Thank you. All our parents, [applause] if you're not already standing, stand up, please. All our parents. >> Shout out for the parents. last. [applause] >> Thank you all. >> I also want to give u some u thank you to the Boys and Girls Club for hosting uh these tournaments and allowing us to create a platform for these kids to compete against each other and and really was uh created an opportunity for our school district at the intermediate level. So, thank you, Rhonda. You're here and and thank you for that effort and and all of uh your leadership there. Give him a round of applause. [applause] The next uh uh program that I want to highlight
011real quick is uh at Ruer uh High School and also Dobler Middle School. Uh these uh athletes are not here tonight, but I want to recognize Gabby Baker. Uh she's a former uh volleyball player at Ruer High School, graduate weighted last year and now she's at Lamar University and she's second in digs in the nation when it comes to the volleyball. And so uh if you ever seen her play, uh she's kind of small, but she she does a great job as far as being athletically in and intact. And so uh that's a big uh tribute to what they're doing there at Rudder as far as when it comes to volleyball. And I also want to recognize that the uh SFA girls uh eighth grade girls volleyball team. They beat Wilburn Middle School in two
012in two in two matches. And so that's a big contribution to uh what they're doing at SFA as well. And also SFA football. Uh they were runner up against Brenham and came in second place. And also again uh uh Satbury uh uh Raburn and also Jay Long uh flag football uh Boys and Girls Club will be putting on a invitational tournament this coming uh Saturday at 9:00 at uh SFA. So come out and cheer those guys on as well. And so we will continue to highlight all our student athletes on on Fridays or Thursday nights when those guys play. And uh we're excited about the opportunity uh that the future present for our athletes. And so next I want to recognize the Boys and Girls Club. And so Miss Ronda Watson, would you please come
013up along with Miss Thorne? And again, these guys, [applause] these guys have have done a tremendous job as far as partnering with uh uh Brian SD athletics and and the vision. Uh I I I would say I guess about two last year year before um myself and uh uh uh Mr. Bryant uh and and all us sit down and had a vision along with Mr. Carbine had a vision about inter murals program and how we can take this uh athletic department to the next level. And so we're we're seeing the the the fruits of our labor right now as far as when it comes to uh getting our reaching our kids at a young age as far as when it so when they get to the middle school and high high school level, they're fundamentally
014f sound and doing the things we need them to do when it comes to winning. So at this time I'm going to give uh Miss Watson three minutes to update things what's going on with the Boys and Girls Club. >> Thanks for the opportunity to share a little bit about the club. Um first of all, thank you so much for the partnership. It's beyond athletics. It's transportation. It's facility usage. It's academics. It's everything that's required to create opportunities and experiences for our kids who are students and also club members. They're the same. Um, I'd like to shout out Dante, one of our club kids that's here tonight. He was volunteering at the recent invitational, getting his torch club hours. So, the effect is a trickle down. It's not just the invitational. It's all of our
015members feeling like they're bought into that and coming and supporting it. It's also worth mentioning that all of the parents stayed to watch. They didn't just drop their kids and go and do errands that Saturday. They stayed and they watched their kids play. Hence the standing room only gym, the line at the concessions and all the kids running around happy to see that their parents were there participating in it with them as well. Um, the Boys and Girls Club is um dedicated to helping all youth, but especially those who need us most to become productive, accountable, caring citizens of our community. Um, I see the effects of our work every day. Uh, and your partnership getting them there is a huge boon to our mission. Um, we also coordinate mental health services for our members.
016We prepare a a fresh meal every day for after school and we are actively engaging our parents to be on this journey with us as well. So that whether their kid is wanting to go to a two or fouryear higher education experience or go right into the workforce, they've learned some skills at the Boys and Girls Club that can help get them there. Uh but to talk a little bit more about sports because we are full swing basketball right now off the heels of volleyball. I'd like our athletic consultant Kim Thornton to to share few words. >> Thank you. Yes, I just want to reiterate the um exciting things we have going on at the club and kind of the partnership with Brian ISD. Uh we, as coach Rush said, we had our um volleyball
017invitational last weekend and that's the third invitational we've hosted for Brian ISD. It's been so much fun to see the fifth and sixth graders coming in and competing um against each other and I think each invitational has gotten better and better and we're we're growing it and um making adjustments and just doing exciting things with it. Um we're looking forward to the football invitational this weekend and to can continue partnering with Brian ISD. Um one of the things I'm looking forward to is reaching more out into the schools, your elementary schools and intermediate schools because our club athletics serve kids ages 6 to 12. And I feel like we could really be reaching out to the elementary schools as well and getting kids from those schools who want to be in our sports leagues and
018making teams with them. Um, we have a huge heart for working with that age group and it I think it starts young and so and the club's dedicated to keep reaching out and working with Brian ISD to get those those sports programs going at the different schools and get them playing in our leagues. Um we have our basketball league um tipping off next week and then we just finished up volleyball a couple weeks ago and we had not done volleyball before and it is it we had a hundred kids right out the bat and so I'm looking forward to growing that as well and we'll be doing indoor soccer football league in the spring. So whatever we can do to keep partnering with Brian ICD and get those kiddos involved. Um we just want to
019love on those kids and we want them in the gym playing sports on the fields playing whatever they can. So, um, thank you for the opportunity to work with your kiddos. >> What What can we do to help you make that happen, especially with the elementary? >> Yeah. So, we'll, um, we've been in discussion with, um, Coach Rush about, um, just reaching out to the PE teachers and we had a couple of the elementary schools and intermediate schools that put teams into our league last year. I would love to see kids from every school have a team in our league. So just continuing that partnership of reaching out to him and getting involved with the PE teachers so that we can make that happen would would be very helpful. >> Thank you. >> That's how
020we build our programs. So, it's definitely a [clears throat] two-way street and uh we just appreciate everything and we know our coaches come and visit with you guys and we want that more often and coach Rush is making sure that that happens and so it's I'm sure it's unique for those students to see our coaches and we want them to go in and visit and say hi and meet the parents and >> so that's what hopefully that's what we're going to evolve into great even a bigger partnership. >> Yes, thank you. Yeah, I agree. That would be great. >> And shout out to Coach Rush. His door is always open. He's always very responsive to our emails, our phone calls, him and coach Ball. So, thank you very much, Coach Rush. >> [applause] >> So,
021next up uh uh is uh a guy who is no stranger to Aguiland. I think everybody knows him. So, he's a I'm not going to introduce him. I'm let him introduce himself. I play for Coach Cheryl at Mississippi State and I'm we're are definitely excited about this upcoming partnership uh with the Brian Youth Sports Association. I think the city of Bryant have uh partnered with coach Cheryl in and getting him to develop this uh new youth program and uh it's going to be a huge impact uh to our city and also to Burn ID uh youth uh for developing those fundamentals that I've keep on uh talking about. So at this time uh coach Jackie Sher. [applause] >> Howdy. Howdy. >> Howdy. >> You know, I used to say howdy and then I would say
022hello to everybody that's not an Aggie. So anyway, [laughter] I don't know where I'm supposed to reach this group or this group, but this is the mic and I will start. Uh I was asked uh back a few months ago uh from King Register if I would help start a sports youth sports program. uh the logistics and my first meeting was coming to the superintendent and she was very very uh receptive, very positive. I've leaned on Derek awful hard. You know, I years ago I told him what to do. He tells me what to do now. [laughter] But anyway, it has come with logistically we are right at the point of being able to actually kick it off which we will and we will have kids that will sign up. We'll have combines. We'll have
023uh camps and then we'll do a spring league and have a championship. But it's kind of a small filter to what we'll do in the fall. But we want to go ahead and get it started, get all the kinks out and be able, but it will eventually have all sports. I had the opportunity, and I will say this very openly, I had the opportunity to go to all the great schools, [clears throat] all the intermediate schools, and I can tell you I have never been impressed. I've been in a lot of schools in my life. These schools [clears throat] were the cleanest I've ever been in. The kids were very well disciplined. The relationship with the teachers, the principal to the kids. So, it comes back to the superintendent. Thank you. That was really impressive.
024Uh, so I'm open to any questions that you may have. Uh we had a meeting today with the advisory board and to get everything with the logistically from starting a 501c all the way down to trainers, [clears throat] doctors to being able to get equipment and we've done that. So now it's time to kind of put it in place and get it started. >> Well, I don't have a question. And I'm just going to say this sounds incredible and and I'm really glad that you're devoting your time and effort to it. You could be out fishing somewhere and you're you're uh helping us get something going. It could really mean a whole lot for a whole lot of kids. >> Well, uh my reason is as yours is to help the kids have affirmation into
025something and I applaud the Boys and Girls Club. They have done a great job with the kids. >> I just want to say thank you too, coach. It's just it's an honor to have you working with us and you bring a lot of legitimacy immediately to this program and we're very very grateful as Mr. Stazzy said for your time that you're devoting to us. >> Well, thank you. >> So, when you said that you'll have combines, so will uh like will it go what's the age group? Will it go up to >> we, you know, the state of Texas, as we know, doesn't allow organized sports passed under the seventh grade. So, we'll be starting basically in fifth six because it'll be tackled, but we will have some fourth graders that have the maturity, have
026the size, have the ability that can be part of it. And then what's the age up? >> Top age >> stopped at sixth grade. >> Oh, okay. >> Yes. >> So the there won't be like scouts and I mean combines are just where our coaches get to come in and see. >> Well, that's we're doing it to identify their ability. >> Gotcha. You know, when I first did this, I I I thought in sitting in in doctor's office that I could take in group schools, but we can't do that because then that group of schools may dominate everybody else. So, you got to identify the quarterbacks, the receivers, the running backs, the kids that have the ability and do a draft. So, it's the combines are for our coaches. I mean, plus parents and everybody,
027but it's that's kind of what I'm driving at. >> Yes. >> It's going to be so good for our um the hierarchy of our coaches to get to see and support those. of the the underlying of of this is to get the kids started affirmation and for those we won't see probably until four or five years from now but those kids will be seniors and juniors in the high school and if you look around the state of Texas you know when you look at Capel I'll just use Capel they start their kids when they're very very young. By the time they're seniors, they played, you know, together for a long time [snorts] and that's why they win. That didn't mean they have more talent, but they've been in organized >> sport. >> So, coach, just
028so uh you're going to have a combine and then a spring season. >> Yeah. Uh this is the plan currently to have a spring season with a championship before school's out. >> Yes. >> And then also a fall a fall season. >> Yes. >> That's good. >> And we the logistics is what's taken us a long time. >> Understandable. There's a lot of work there. >> But we want to get it started and hopefully we can and do it. We want to do it where it's sustainable. So we don't have to restart anything. [snorts] >> Are we going to have any NIL opportunities on this? [laughter] >> You never know [laughter] today's climate. You may not know. >> Never say never. >> Thank you, sir. >> Thank you very much. All right. Again, >> thank
029you again. and I applaud you for the way the schools look and the way they're being handled with the kids. >> Thank you. >> So, our next and and last uh u partnership, I want to recognize uh coach Dr. Mike Thornton. He's come on up. Uh he's a uh founder of the McDon McFanny Coaches Academy at Texas A&M. And so he's uh done a lot for Brian D as far as getting in coaches uh student coaches, things of that nature. And so I'm going give him uh yield it to him and he's going to talk about some exciting things uh that's coming through uh their academy there from the UIL. >> Yeah. Thank you, coach. Um just real quickly before again, Coach Charl, I kind of agree with you. I'm not sure where I'm supposed
030to face to do this, but just real quickly I'm going to do this. Um, if if I could get the the group participation, audience participation here just for a second. So, what I want you to do is I want you to close your eyes and I want you to think back to your formative years, fifth, sixth, seventh grade. And I want you to think of that person because in all of our lives, there was a person that stepped in our lives in a moment. It could have been a coach. It could have been a teacher. It could have been a community member, a pastor, a preacher, but someone stepped into your life in that moment. So, I want you to picture that person and then, you know, kind of give them a little shout of
031gratitude at the Thorn McFaren Coaching Academy. Just a quick point of correction. John Thornton is the guy that started that. If if he heard that it was me, he would he would I have to buy him lunch. So, we're going to make sure that it's correct that it's John Thornton. We happen to share the same last name. We're not related. Uh, but it was easier to put me in the position than it was to change the logo. [laughter] Um, but when we think about the people who have impacted us, for many of us, that person was a coach or a teacher. In the state of Texas, at the start of this current school year in the state of Texas, there were over 7,000 coaching vacancies across the state. We are working diligently with our students
032at the university, with other university collaborations that we have, as well as the UIL and the Texas High School Coaches Association to try to bridge that gap between the need that exists and the people going into the profession. We're trying to regain the fact that coaching is a profession and we want it to be that way. Uh we've been very fortunate to have uh partnerships here locally. We have students that are actually former students of ours that are currently coaching in Brian ISD. Uh we have other students that are getting some coaching experiences while they're in college through Brian ISD through some efforts and a strong support from your superintendent. Actually, um we were able to get the UIL to recently adopt a new rule change that will allow us to send our college students
033into the high school setting to get coaching experiences while us providing some assistance to the coaches at those levels as well. Um that was a significant significant deal. Um we're grateful for the opportunity. We have students that want to go into the coaching profession through the Boys and Girls Club, Brian ISD, and other collaborations that we have. Our students get an opportunity to step into those coaching roles in a somewhat safe space. They can have a chance to go in and make some decisions, uh have opportunities to have discussions with parents and officials and and learn and grow from those experiences. So when they leave to go into the profession, um they've got a good foundation, a solid foundation to build on. Um one of the things that we have is we have a program
034me and this microphone are having at it right here. Uh we have a program called the future coaches of Texas where high schools can be involved and adapt a charter a chapter uh future coaches of Texas like an FFA or HF FHA program and we provide curriculum and guidance throughout the year. So the students on that campus who have an interest in the coaching, teaching profession, athletic trainers, whatever it might be, um they can be around like-minded students. We host an event uh each semester. We had over a hundred students uh this past about two about three weeks ago at Legends Event Center from all over. Uh and Brian ISD participates in that. We'll have another one in the fall. will be about 120 130 students of that one where they get to come in
035and spend time with those folks that have likemindedness that are their same age creating relationships creating networks to to kind of grow the profession. So we're we're excited about that about the opportunities that exist uh in the profession. Um I'm going to end with this because I told I was supposed to close it, right? Yeah. So I'm going to end with this. So here's what I want you I want you to think about that person you mentioned earlier that you thought about. You pictured in your mind. Now I want to picture I want you to picture if that person doesn't step in. What's the difference in your life if that person doesn't step into your life? Coaches and teachers, we have the opportunity and the platform to impact and add value to kids' lives like
036no one else can. If those people don't step into my life, I'm on a much different trajectory than I'm on now. All right. Thank you, coach. >> I also want to give a shout out to Mike. Uh uh at the volleyball tournament, we had some he's he's also an official. And so at the volleyball tournament, uh some officials did not show up. And guess what? He took out his whistle and he officiated the whole time. And so give him a round of applause for the effort he put. [applause] >> That's the thing. uh the the the uh uh Texas High School Coaches Association, also the UIL, uh is is deeing this coming Friday, uh Texas High School Coaches Day. And uh kind of to piggy back what Mike was talking about as far as the
037impact that coaches have on lives. Uh it's the it's uh priceless as far as like you said, uh when you look back and think about all the coaches who influence you. Uh, one of one of the things that were said, uh, don't know how true it is, but my dad is a minister as well, coaches have a greater impact on on people's lives than some ministers. And so, that's truly something to be thankful for and think about. And so, uh, thank you. Uh, as you see that, uh, we're moving in the right direction when it comes to athletics. And so, uh, just give us a little be patient and, uh, we're going to get there. Thank you guys. All right. Uh, thank you very much for all of that. That was uh very uh in
038informational to a lot of us. Uh, and lots of good things coming on the horizon. Uh, [snorts] okay. We're going to get back where we left off on the agenda. This is the public comment on agenda items. Uh, citizens may make comments about topics relevant to district business. topic should be limited to three minutes. Well, I'll say will be limited to three minutes. Comments concerning specific student personnel will be heard in close session. Uh we have several folks who would like to speak and one on top is uh Roy Flores. Uh so, Mr. Flores, come on up and I will give you a 30 second uh warning if you're still going so that you'll know that you can kind of wrap. >> I've got I've got a uh >> Okay. Well, >> timer. Just tell
039me when you're going to turn on your timer so I can turn on mine. That way you don't have to interrupt me when >> Okay. Talking. >> Three, two, one, start. >> Go. All right. >> I'm here tonight to talk about saving our district money. Building a new high school on the west side of town will save the district in expensive fuel costs, busing, maintenance, reduce class size, uh reduce uh disruptions in class and disciplinary problems. This would also give our district the opportunity to uh utilize existing facilities such as Lamar and Jones Middle School. uh expanding Ben milm back to an elementary school and placing collegiate at our silver campus at Brian High. Imagine having nothing but immigrants, children speaking multiple languages. Those that don't speak English, their parents don't speak English, they don't
040read or write, and have no social skills. because that actually happened a 100 years ago. No one blamed the parents because school officials knew it was their responsibility and has always been their responsibility to educate and socialize the next generation of leaders into our society. This is where we've lost our way. by having school administrators direct the schools instead of parents, teachers, and their elected schoolboard officials. For more than 25 years, Texas Association of Administrators and their lobbyists have written most of the bills passed in the legislature. The district has 16,000 students and that calculates to over 30,000 adult parents, friends, and family members of voting age. who could ensure the election of competent local state legislators that will fund higher wages for teachers, smaller class sizes, and bigger budgets for education if they want
041to get reelected. sur surrounded by the same people and ideas limits our solutions to problems. Sometimes a fresh perspective is needed for growth. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Okay, our next speaker is Chris Cartwright. Come on up. Good evening. First, I would like to thank our distinguished board members and our superintendent, Mrs. Ginger Carabine and Dr. Brian Merrill, uh, for your service and all that you do for BISD in our community. It's been an amazing experience for me to participate in the bond steering committee and the vote yes BISD pack. This process has allowed me to be informed and to advocate for each of the propositions in our bond proposal and the necessary items itemized in each of them. The support encountered during this process from the community at large has been amazingly
042positive. I would like to share with you and our viewers tonight, especially those who might still be undecided at this point, a perspective for consideration as to why this initiative is so important and why we should all vote yes for the BISV bond. Whatever your political beliefs or your position on bonds may be, I believe that individually and collectively as a community, we have a moral obligation to support our kids, unite as a community, and provide them with the best possible resources and modern facilities available to give them every opportunity to reach their potential and compete at the highest levels to become successful in academics, CTE, fine arts, athletics, and most importantly in life to name name a few. This bond is the first of many initiatives that will allow us to reshape our district
043and our community for decades to come and begin creating a higher standard of excellence in our facilities and our resources that we should all come to expect and demand. You know, there is a famous quote by John Quincy Adams that reads, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." I share that because there's a bigger picture for all of us to consider moving forward. For far too long, there's been a perception that Brian is secondary to College Station in many ways. And I believe it is past time for us to change that narrative and reclaim BISD and Brian as the epicenter of the Brazes Valley once again. As members of our community, we all have a role to play. And this bond election is
044an important opportunity for all of us to do our part to begin the process of achieving that outcome where we all take pride in becoming leaders of our own community. I want to encourage everyone to rally together and vote yes on each proposition in the BISD bond and join us in redefining BISD in the city of Brian for decades to come where everybody wants to live, participate, and be a part of what BISD and Brian are doing and have to offer. Thank you. >> Thank Thank you, Mr. [clears throat] Cartwright. >> All right. Next on my list is Kathy Allen. >> Which one is Kathy? >> Thank you, Miss Ginger Carbine, board members, faculty, staff, and all of you who support our students daily. Um, my name is Kathy Allen and I am the proud
045mom of nine. Six current Brian ISD students, two graduates of Brian ISD, um, one who is currently playing division one football at Texas Tech and in the honors business program and one who is serving our country um, in the US Army in Poland and one future Brian ISD student. I've been a parent of Brian ISD students for 13 years. My husband and I own three businesses in Brian, a chiropractic office, a real estate office, and a boutique gym. Two of our children are African-American. One of our children is Hispanic, and we took guardianship of one child for two years to finish high school. I spent 11 years as a single mom working multiple jobs to survive. Our children have attended eight schools in Brian ISD. I have served as PTO president multiple years on eight
046different PTOs and more committees than I can name. I don't think there's an official expert badge for Brian ISD, but if there is one, I think I would qualify. I am Brian ISD. The decision to call for a bond was made from people like me. Not city leaders, not district leaders, not school leaders, but people just like me. The city of Brian is growing and changing, and our schools need to reflect the type of community that we want. We have to address the maintenance and technology needs at our schools. That is a must. We have to address and give our students the opportunity to grow through academics, fine arts, CTE, and athletics. These are the things that help our kids develop leadership, relationship, skills, and growth. I ask for your support for the three propositions
047for the Brian ISD bonds. My kids deserve it. All Brian ISD students deserve it. And our community deserves it. And I think the little one might want to say something. >> What's [laughter] your name? >> Helen. >> And what do you want to ask him to do? >> The pressure. >> No, [laughter] you can watch her video online. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> Yes. >> Get her signed up. Next time she'll get her own three minutes. All right, next one. Amy Dubose. >> Hello. >> Hi, everybody. I've been here a few times. Um, so my name is Amy Dubose and I've been involved with Brian ISD bonds since uh July of 2019. [snorts] In fact, I got an invite for our meeting on Wednesday for bond oversight, which is from the
0482020 bond. And I said, "Oh my gosh, yes, we're still doing that." Of course. Um, but it's been an honor to help kind of get things going for especially our pack. But, >> [clears throat] >> uh, it's been an honor to work with all of y'all. I want to just thank you, the board, um, Miss Carmine, Dr. Merrill, the entire admin staff, everybody has been incredible. And the vision around this was a wholly cooperative vision. We came into a room earlier this year and said we have needs. How do we want to address those through our pri priority maintenance um you know surveying and operations talking with all of the principles trying to identify and drill down from 800 million down to where we are today of what was absolutely needed for our kids and
049for this district. One of the things I'm most proud of because I don't have an athletic child. I have a fine arts child who loves tech theater [snorts] is that there's truly something for every single child in our district within our bond. Every single child is nurtured and cared for and provided better facilities, better opportunities through the work that's being done with this bond. And that's really something that I speak a lot about to people who aren't familiar with Brian ISD is I talk a lot about how the district fully supports the whole child and how that is a big mission of the district to say there's no singular path for every single child out there. And so we want to provide them with the opportunities to take the path that they find most important
050to them and for their future. And so with this bond, we have a lot of opportunities. All three propositions bringing something incredible to our students. All 23 campuses are touched by this. It's been a a sheer honor and pleasure to work with our small but mighty group behind guest for Brian ISD bond. And I just hope that tomorrow if you have not voted yet, please go out and vote from 7 to 7. The polls are open. and then come and join us at Carney uh because we're going to have just some food and we're going to chat and we're just going to have some some breathing room. So, we're really excited for tomorrow and thank you all for the opportunity. >> Thank you. You got a little applause. I'm going to say that that I
051think I'm not going to be out of line to say that I don't know there aren't very many people that are more committed to Brian Ashdy than you've been over the years. So, uh we we appreciate you very much. All right, our next speaker is uh David Mvvish and we've seen David around a little bit, too. >> I was going to say I was in the top 1%, but then Kathy and Amy started speaking and I don't think I'm one of the top 1% of volunteers now. So, um, hey, I just wanted to come and thank everybody for one allowing me to be part of this process. uh the board, everybody in the faculty and staff. Uh it's been an amazing process. And what I've seen over the last 20 years of volunteering in this
052district is everybody comes in with the best intentions to do what's right for these kids. Now, starting this process, I don't get to decide where a school was located or what choices were made in the past. We have to work off of what we have now. And what this committee did was come in and said, "Here's the things that we have to have." And there were a lot of things that maybe we could have said, "Hey, let's push that off and let somebody five or six years from now do that, but we didn't do that because the biggest thing that we have right now is that our kids, as much as we don't want to have to admit it, they're learning in yesterday's facilities. And we owe it to them to give them the classrooms
053and the facilities, the athletics, the fine arts that they can thrive in uh moving forward. We were just at Waco. I was in the press box over there and people say, "Why are we doing all this for athletics?" Well, I got to watch high school students at Waco Midway get to do all of the production and they're calling for roll the camera that's on the drone. Those are the types of things that help people move into their professional careers. We've got to be able to do that here in Brian. Uh so, I just want to thank uh everyone for the for the process that we went through, for all the demographic studies. I would put the work that this committee did up against any committee uh in the state. Uh there was these are needs.
054These are not wants. Uh and I would just say as Amy said, please go vote. Vote for all three propositions. Um there were a lot of people over the past decades that built the schools that helped me get through Brian ISD. It's time for us to do the same for the next generations that come through. Thank y'all. >> Thank you, Dave. Okay, that's all of our public comments. Uh we're going to uh move on to information items, one of which will be uh frequently asked questions on the bond. Uh but the first one is uh the Brian ISD calendar development for 2026 27. Uh, Donna Willlet, >> good evening and thank you for having me. I know it's hard to believe, but it is calendar time again. Um, so I was going to kind of
055go through a quick overview, share some of the information that most of you have heard before, but there are new uh people in our audience to hear. Um, first of all, the goal of the calendar committee is to create and build a cal a cal a calendar that supports the needs of everybody, our students, our staff, our parents, and our community. And we work very very hard to include as many of our stakeholders and make sure we cover all of those groups. A number of them are listed there. And as you can see, the committee is very large. We have parents, we have schoolboard members. Um, we have members from all of intermediate through high school campuses. We take a select number out of our elementary campuses. We have parents involved and many of our
056staff members that are part of this group um are also parents um in our district. And then we have student members and um for the first time every single one of them showed up to the first meeting and they were truly active involved in the process and all of them said thank you before they left and I think they the people that were at the tables with them during this first meeting uh appreciated the input. One even raised her hand and spoke up to the ho group. So, it's important to have those students who who are participating these activities and going to school every day and taking, you know, five AP classes to make sure that they're that they are heard as part of this process. Here is our timeline and as usual, it's pretty
057aggressive. Um, we did um share the information at DT last week. As I said, we had our first meeting. We have a number of meetings through November. Um, besides the calendar committee, we bring in our DEIC and then we also add in Miss Carabine's teacher advisory group and her parent leadership team to be part of this process and then ultimately our goal would be to finish up um in December to be on that December 15th board meeting. Going to go through just a few of those things as we're building this calendar. It's like you you see the calendar just put it all in. But there is so much that the state gives us guidelines to uh first is we have to have 75,600 minutes. Those are called operational minutes. And the definition of an operational
058minute for them is the total time between the first and the last instructional bells of the school day including all time spent on campus for the instructional p purposes. So basically from the very first bell the first day of school. So anything that teachers do before that first day of school does not count all the way up through that final bell on the last day of school. Um TEA added in a new guideline this year. It is something that has been a practice of ours. It says each adopted uh district calendar must include additional minutes or bad weather makeup days to account for at least two bad weather or other school days related to health and safety concerns. Um we have traditionally done that. Um we have been in pretty good shape. Um but as
059we build this it's like oo we should make it just two days. We do have to remember that the length of our school day from an elementary to intermediate, middle school, high school is different. So, it's got to be two full days for our longest the the level of campus that has the longest school days. Um, teachers have to work 187 days. Um, under the district of innovation, we um are allowed to make adjustments to the start of the school. um because TEA traditionally stands by you can't start before that fourth Monday in August. Um we have to look at the assessment calendar um and then know that there we can apply for a waiver for TEA and hopefully that goes through that we can count up to 2100 minutes towards professional development. Remember that
060can't be prior to the first day of school. But like uh today it was a professional development day. That time if we have the agendas that show it, then that's time that can be counted toward that 75,600. Um I said it a little bit ago about as we look at a calendar, people think, "Oh, it should be easy." But as you compare one school year to the next, it's all about how things fall on a calendar. I circled a couple. Um, in this year's calendar, in this calendar year, um, Labor Day fell on September 1. For this next school year, it's as late as it can be. It's September the 7th. Same thing if you look this year. Um, Memorial Day is the start of that first Monday, which is pretty early, versus this upcoming
061school year, it's the 31st, which means there's four weeks, full weeks in May before you get to Memorial Day. And that's something for us to think about at the end. Um, what is next steps? We will continue with all of those groups to to try to gather input. What do people like? What do they don't like? that calendar committee will continue to work with that input, massage the calendars that we started working on and then ult ultimately um end up hopefully here in December to to approve next year's calendars. Um Donna, I know that we always do our best to coordinate with&m blend. So having ours this early, are we putting in a contingency plan to change things maybe after&m's come out come out? >> I I checked again today. Nobody has released theirs at
062this point. And I do have a concern. Traditionally&M spring break is the [clears throat] second full week of March. Well, next year it's funny because March 1st is on a Monday, so technically that's not a full week. Will they go with that second week? What what we would call the second week or what or will they go with what we would call the third week? Um, and so I feel like that is something that we would have to go back and look into if we picked a spring break and&m picked a different one. >> So, so the answer is yes. I mean, we're going to be very >> ultimately you guys get to make that final decision. But yes, I would hope that would be something that we would go back and look look at
063if we don't match their schedule. Well, this this [clears throat] is something that some of us have brought up year after year is just wanting as much reassurance as possible that that parents are going to have uh the ability to to the especially the working parents going to have a place for their kids to be. And so I don't know uh what's happened in the past. I think I know efforts have been made. I I would certainly hope that as we move forward uh we do our best to to get as much information and asurances as we can so that parents will know where we are. Uh because it's it's a lot of anxiety for some parents when they don't don't know uh for sure that they're going to be able to have uh some
064care opportunities. >> Yes, sir. Um, one, hopefully getting it out as early as possible, and two, as we start getting to that point, I do reach out to the Boys and Girls Club and the Brian ICD program that we have for after school to make sure everybody knows where those days fall um to give them as much warning as as possible. Also, >> thank you. >> Anything else? >> All righty. Thank you very much. >> All right. Next item is career and technical education update on career pathways, enrollment, and celebrations. Director of career and technical education, Laura King. Come on up. >> Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to come this evening and give you an update on CTE. Um, those that know me well, I could easily spend the rest of the evening
065bragging on how amazing my program and department is. Um, but I'm going to try to be respectful of your time and stick to my notes and hit just a few of the highlights of how awesome CTE and Brian ISD is. We continue to stay focused on ensuring that every Brian ICD student graduates with a plan and a purpose. We've expanded CTE course offerings at each high school this year, strategically aligning with campus needs and workforce demand. Aspire Academy also joined the CTE expansion. This adds new CTE courses at the middle school level to help students kind of find their interest a little earlier while also getting a jump start on high school credits and progress towards becoming a completer. This ensures smooth pathways from middle school exploration to high school endorsements and later post-secary opportunities.
066Because of this, the CTE course expansion, CTE enrollment has grown dramatically this year, up more than 800 seats districtwide. At Rudder, that relates to 93.2 students are taking at least one CTE course this year. And at Brian High, 87.9 student% of students are taking at least one CTE course. This growth speaks volumes about student interest and teacher innovation. Our expansion is intentional. Each course is designed to fill a gap in certification opportunities, campus needs, community needs, and workforce demand. We have also been quite busy continuing to develop our connections throughout the community. Partnerships with Blend and Texas A&M continue to strengthen our dual credit and credentiing opportunities. One really exciting one uh just started discussions with&m semiconductor institute with the goal of developing a clear path for our students to go from Brian ISD to
067blind to Texas&M to follow a career path in semiconductors which is a growing industry in our area. One of the most exciting initiatives I've been invited to recently is connect. Uh this is a community group that has the goal of connecting campus, community and commerce. Members include economic development representatives from Brian, College Station, Brazes County, and the Greater Brazes um partnership. In addition to those, we have staff from Texas&M, Blind, Texas Workforce Commission, SBDC, and Young Professionals of Aguiland, and myself, of course. I love promoting our amazing kids throughout the community. Anytime a new industry partner moves in, I remind them that their company's future is sitting in our classrooms. I recently heard a statistic that 72% of American adults live near their hometown, but I'd be willing to bet that number is even higher
068for kids that grow up in Brina. Pair that kind of loyalty with the fact that last year 64% of our CTE completers graduated with an industry-based certification. No wonder my calendar is full of people wanting to come visit our programs. I wanted to give you an update tonight on our CTE expansion at MC Harris. We have a number that's growing every time I look at it. Um, and the latest data shows 185 students from MC Harris are enrolled in CTE courses this year. That includes 63 that are concentrators in their program. and we already have 12 that are completers of their program. The slide says 27 have been placed at Brian High, Rudder or CEK, but that number today is actually up to 33. So these are students that had already started their program and
069we were able to keep them at that program on their home campus to complete that. Several of these students are already earning or working towards their industry certifications which is ahead of schedule. This is a huge milestone considering many are also completing accelerated coursework at the same time. I do have to affirm the team at Mc Harris. Uh this was really exciting. Last year I found out that this partnership is already being used as a model for similar programs throughout region six. There we go. As always, we have so much to celebrate in CTE. Several of our students have already been traveling throughout the state competing. Uh we had several welders recently qualify for the state contest in the Texas High School Welding Series, which is an incredible accomplishment in a highly competitive field. Also
070pictured here is our Brazis Valley Fair Grand Champion woodworking team from CEK. In the middle there, in case you haven't already heard, our teachers created the Brazes Valley Career Demo last year. This is a local contest that gives more students the chance to compete without the high cost of major CTSO events. More importantly, this event also connects local industry partners directly with our programs and students. Last year, through this contest, we even had multiple students that received job opportunities with the local industry partners that were judging the contests. This year, entries have doubled with over 80 participants from throughout the Brass Valley. And that's a direct reflection of our teachers creativity and the community's belief in what Brian ISD is doing for our kids. Lastly, our teachers are also bringing in funding to support the
071innovation in their classrooms. Last week, numeral nu sorry, numerous CTE teachers received education foundation grants providing tools and materials for their programs. And I have to say, Davalo Middle School is on a roll. They recently received three education foundation grants, a Garver gives grant, which is pictured up there, and have been invited to collaborate with Texas A&M University on a potential NSF grant as part of the presidential AI campaign challenge, excuse me. That's an incredible showcase of how CTE is building partnerships that span from local classrooms to national initiatives. >> Does anybody have any questions? Yes. Okay. So, the career demo, we've got the dates, >> but where when >> I mean, we know when where and who and >> who can come and how do we get there? >> Those are great questions. So,
072majority of the contests are actually being hosted at the Braz Valley um Boys and Girls Club. Um so, super thankful for their uh opening their doors to host this. Um any other contest I can definitely find if there's some specifics that have had to be relocated due to space. Um we share this throughout our Facebook page so additional information is available there. And what was the last question you asked? >> Oh I that that was it. Uh so it's at the Boys and Girls Club. >> Yes ma'am. >> Uh all day these two days? >> Yes ma'am. Uh I believe we started about 9:00 that morning and I can get more specific um times as far as uh when they think they'll be done, awards ceremonies and such. Um this is really exciting because it
073is completely organized by our teachers. Um they saw the need they saw the need within our community and they said this is great. Um you did mention I remember you asked about it being open. It is open. Um, that was another piece of them developing this was because they wanted parents to have the opportunity to see what their kids are doing. And um, so often when we travel away to these contests, it's great. It's great exposure for the kids, but the parents miss out on what they're doing. So really, really excited that they get to come in and watch them as well. >> So, Miss Carbine, the parking lot will be full, the stands will be full. So, we'll have basketball going on here and cosmetolo not really [laughter] cosmetology. Yeah, this is it's just
074amazing. And again, thank you the Boys and Girls Club. >> Oh, I know. They're amazing partners. Any other questions? >> Well, I just want to affirm your good work, Laura, with your leadership. These things are happening on your watch and uh we see you and we appreciate you and your incredible leadership. So, thank you. >> Well, we couldn't do any of this without y'all's support. So, thank you so much for being partners with CTE as well. >> I'm not going to ask you to advocate because I can't do that, but I'm going to ask you to state some facts about what you could do with bond money if the bond passes. >> Yes, [snorts] sir. So, as you could tell in each one of those projects um at each of the high schools, CTE was
075brought in. Um that was something that throughout the committee they wanted to support. So, we've got everything from um total rehauls of labs at Brian High. We've got the cosmetology and barbering lab at Rudder. CEK has money set aside as well for a new facility out there, whether it be a multi-purpose training facility, an a teaching facility, or some combination of the two. Um, [snorts] and then also just some money built in for some equipment that needs replaced, our a trucks and such. >> Okay. Thank you. U presentation and uh we appreciate all you're doing for us. >> Thank you. All right. Next, uh we have uh bond 2025 frequently asked questions and that will be presented by deputy superintendent Dr. Brian Merrill. Got some friends joining me. I appreciate the opportunity. I do believe
076this is like the 16th time I've been in the boardroom presenting. So, I appreciate the opportunity to share where we are. Uh clearly voting uh is tomorrow. We've had early voting and we want to encourage everybody to get out and make their voice be heard. And so we appreciate the opportunity to um just share a little bit about um the process where we are and uh we want to make sure everybody has the accurate information so they know um when they walk into the voting booth exactly what they're voting for. So we appreciate the opportunity uh to do uh this very presentation. So, a couple things you are are familiar with it, but for those maybe at home or um if we're uh going to get uh coverage, we started all the way back in
077March. We met and had scheduled all the way through May. And then in June and July, we had to schedule additional meetings really just to to make sure that we included all of the projects that you see before you. The board uh gave really uh they gave direction to the committee. This room was full of 90 people about 40 to 50 were consensus members of really taking the needs of the district into consideration and what ended up happen is uh we're going to get to it but $397 million as already shared $800 million were priority maintenance needs and out of that got whittleled down. I appreciate from the very first meeting the taxpayer was in the room. Um actually uh a member of the committee stood up and kind of the final thought was we
078need to keep the taxpayer all of our taxpayers in mind as we're making decisions and they really felt like that uh gave us our marching orders as we considered all of the projects. They wanted to uh make sure that uh we we just considered it in all of the decisions that we made. And so as we went along, it started with strategic planning. And as you see in April, middle of April, the committee kept asking, could we do more than just strategic planning? This is a process that is ongoing. Um even after November the 4th, we will be planning strategically. We never stopped doing that. It doesn't mean that it will always end or even begin a bond referendum. In this case, it did. We strategically planned all year to be honest. And so out
079of that came the need and desire for a bond referendum. And so they asked if we could take the information that was presented and uh move it into a more concrete u committee. And uh we stopped the group and asked them if they were willing to do that. They uh wholeheartedly 100% said yes. And we moved into that next project. And along the way we developed what we already knew but it became glaringly obvious for some thank yous that I would like to make now. our maintenance, our technology department, working with um in some cases older equipment, but keeping it up and running, really making sure that our kids are um just have, you know, all of the things that they possibly need to be successful. Our finance department in in truly decades worth of
080sound decision-m, conservative decision-m financially, put us in a position that we'll share in a second for $397 million worth of bonds with no tax rate increase. And so that doesn't come by chance. That comes from just sound decision-making that we'll share here in a minute. Um, and I appreciate specifically uh the the individuals behind me that we'll present, Mr. Bobby Griffin, Norman Fiddle, Julie Johnson, Rob Hayes, Mike Cullen, Robert Raida, just to name a few that really did an amazing job in keeping our facilities up and running. That if I left anyone off, that's not by design, it's by accident. I apologize. I I don't mean to leave you off. I'm just so very proud of the work that you do and not only as an employee but as a taxpayer and someone whose children
081go to this district. Um it's a gift and a blessing just to have the infrastructure that Brian does. So I appreciate that so very much. Now I'm going to bring up Mr. Bobby Griffin and he's going to explain kind of the data informed decision- making. Again, you've heard me say this time and time again. I've been here 16 times. I've I've praised him 16 times. Uh we work day in and day out together. I'm incredibly thankful for um just his entire family to be completely honest. Um his children are amazing, his wife's amazing, he's amazing. Um and he really has our best interest for Brian SD at the table in every meeting that we're in um in really looking out for our taxpayers, our students, and our employees. And uh so I appreciate it. >>
082Thank you. So, [clears throat] as we've developed this and and this topic is frequently asked questions, our staff, our uh our taxpayers, our community has been asking questions about how we got here. In reality, we know the financial situation this district has been posed with for the last many years and the shortfall there. With that, we've been asking our staff to do more with less over and over again. Our staff has risen to that challenge and they have done amazing work. Reality is we can only do so much with bailing wire, band-aids, and duct tape. Equipment still gets old and that's where we are. As we've said repeatedly, the lion share of this bond is priority maintenance. This equipment is more than double its lifespan. We're looking for ways to shore up and increase our
083maintenance and operation fund. It's difficult to do that when we're having to maintain and operate equipment that is double its lifespan. The equipment we're asking to look at and be replaced is not just for security and comfort of our students, but it's also to replace this equipment and make it more efficient and less times to have to be worked on. and held together and utilizing parts that we don't always have availability to. So the reality of writing the ship as we've come further and further down this line is everything we do with INS is going to assist with shoring up our M because with newer equipment then we get both efficiency standards increases but also less trips for our maintenance department to have to hold it together. All these will do more to keep our
084students in a dry, safe, and comfortable environment. A lot of the things we've identified even in the uh B and C are also tied to priority maintenance. We talk about the the tracks and the fields. Yes, it's athletic and it has to be in that particular bond referendum. The fact is there so [laughter] sorry >> the fact is that particular track has reached its life expecty not all there are a few new but that's also trying to keep the standard up for all of our students. So when we talk about age of equipment replacement cycle, that's what we're looking at is trying to get things done to help shore up our ability to control our M. And then also, as we know, our current projected role is flat, but that doesn't mean that we don't
085have the need to supply all our student with a fair shake. Yeah, we appreciate the opportunity to answer questions and as we not only presented in the boardroom and as we've gone out in the community, we've been asked time and time again um obviously the process and how we got to this place and um so often as Mr. Griffin talked about the way that schools are are financed, Miss Friddle will talk in a second, but that's that's the reason that we're here today and really the legislature you'll notice all community not all but many communities across the state of Texas are bringing bond referendums or they've already brought it. is the way that you look at those priority maintenance needs. So, we again appreciate that opportunity. When you look at it, it was 397. I've
086mentioned that earlier. Prop A general is 82%. Uh athletics, Prop B is 17% and 1% is technology. And we're going to get into exactly what those are. When you look at it, uh 325 million are is the priority maintenance that Mr. Griffin talked about. Every campus will be impacted by this bond. Even Sadbury, which is our newest campus, it's the smallest and you would expect it to be. It's very small um as Ross, but all the other campuses either have priority maintenance um or uh security, safety and security, fine arts, CTE, new construction and renovation. I want to point out a couple of things um that I think are are really really important. And um you know, we we talked about the CTE um items that are up there. You'll notice that there's not only
087renovations at Broad High School, Rudder, but then also CEK as well as fine arts. Um, when you look at a couple things, we're very proud of Brian Collegiate. Um, it is in the top 1%, it is the number one school, number one high school in the Brazes Valley. It is in the top 4% in the nation and top 6% in the state of Texas. Those students graduate with over 52 college hours. And as we got into the uh materials and as we looked at the state of the building, um, no doubt that um, it served us very well. It's been a bunch of different um grade configurations in our community. Lamar, it's previously known as Lamar, built in 1957. Um the facility condition index on that was very very high. And what that means is
088that it's a recommendation to to start over if you would. And so the committee really took that into consideration in May and that's where we came back in June and July because they wanted that considered. And again, they wanted the building in so many ways to match the quality and the of the education and the students that were coming out of it. Again, these are from all over the district. These are students hund over a hundred students will graduate this year from all the elementary schools. If you trace them back, it's pretty remarkable when you look at uh kind of that pedigree. It's not from just one simple elementary, it's from the diverse representation of our district. We're incredibly proud of that. And so, a rebuild of of Brian Collegiate. And then you look at
089the priority maintenance needs uh for the district, and that's maintaining the buildings that we have. um not only roof repairs, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, those types of things, um it's keeping those up and running. And so again, the bulk majority of this, $325 million is Prop A um general. And again, uh those fall into specific categories that our bond council recommended. When you look at B athletics, there is a rebuild of Mel Green Fieldhouse. One of the questions that has come up uh just a few times, not a ton, but a few times is we're building a new stadium. We are not building a new stadium. We're incredibly proud, historically proud of Merryill Green Stadium. Um I can remember before I moved into the community all the way back to 2015 when we rolled into town
090just uh the stature of Merryill Green Stadium and um how excited we were to play here and that excitement still exists and so we're incredibly proud of it. But the fieldhouse is in need of some renovation and so um as we looked at it, the recommendation was to to rebuild it. Um again uh maintaining the integrity of that incredible facility but looking to to upgrade that and over a thousand thousand students are in that in that building every day. Um giving rudder its de dedicated space to be able to come over and uh when they come to play games. They currently don't have that. It would give them their own space uniquely for them. And then also host many of our um uh playoff games. Um it's vital to the tourism industry here. We'll have
091uh games, multiple games because we're centrally located that will come in that will not only be good for for Brian ISD for just hosting those games, but in addition, it's just good for the community. It's good for the convenience stores and the restaurants and the hotels and everything as they're driving in from Dallas or Houston or San Antonio or Austin to play in the games. Baseball and softball, uh synthetic turf, we've mentioned that as well. Um just making sure that our kids have equal opportunity as those surrounding us. Um there's only a few districts left in in the Bris Valley that that don't have the synthetic turf. Um looking at the dressing room situation, uh Miss King shared the number of kids in CTE, 90% at the high school, over 60% of the kids are
092enrolled in an athletics or a fine arts. When you combine those numbers, that 90 and the 1660, that creates a more healthy, plugged in community, and we're better off in the long run for it. It also creates problems because you've got space issues. Um, at Rudder it was built uh and we've added on to it, but the the band hall is uh needing more space. We've grown to over a hundred students. Our mariachi programs at the middle and the high schools have just grown and they're feeding kids up. Choir as well and our dance uh you come out and so what happens on Friday night at Merryill Green Stadium. Yes, a game takes place. There's no doubt there's a football game, there's a soccer game, but if you come out there's so much more. There's
093the groups that you're talking about that Derek mentioned about the the CTE component of where they're learning to work the cameras and all the various things. You've got the choir, you've got the drill team, you've got the band, you have all of the components that go into um what happens on a Friday night and we're doing multiple recommendations and nominations and just celebrations on that night. And so it's a obviously a community affair. The multi-purpose uh sports upgrades as well. uh talking about that at rudder uh Dava and SFA the turf there and Dava currently doesn't have that and that would allow our kids access um equal access to their counterparts at SFA then track resurfacing as well and scoreboards are a constant issue across every district this would allow us to get um kind
094of a uniform scoreboard that we would be able to have parts for and sort of um just needed if we if we had to and again uh the that's proposition B we want to point out uh and the communications department I want to take a moment just to celebrate them. The graphic work that you see in all of the social media was put out by Dr. Bar and the communication department and I'm just so thankful for Cali and Chelsea and their work and it um and again the Tuesday takeaways and Friday facts have have really put the the information out there and I think um allowed many of our parents and many of our community members to have a better understanding of what's there. This was what came out I think it was last Tuesday
095um where we talked about the very thing that I mentioned earlier about Merryill Green Stadium and understanding what is and what is not in that plan. Again, we're rebuilding the Merryill Green Fieldhouse, not the complete stadium. That's not what we're looking to do. Um and so we're thankful for that. And so again, thank you to Hugo and his department for the clear communication. Prop C is technology and that's our all-in-one interactive digital classroom displays. um that's taking so much technology. When I first started an overhead projector that used to get black mark hand, you know, on your hands and the cameras and all of those things that we all remember the visa v markers, it's allin-one now. Um and you got a projector. I remember checking my projector out uh and having to qualify for
096it and all that. Now it's just built in. And it's fun to watch our kindergarteners just know how to operate it. And so there's lifespan to these. Uh we keep them up and running. Again, I mentioned the technology department. If they can figure out a way to use the bailing wire or the duct tape, they're going to, but at some point they just it can't be. And so, they're going to move on and we appreciate that. We're always going to uh make sure again that we're doing this as expeditiously and financially frugally as we possibly can. Um, we've talked about this and I'm going to bring Miss Norma Friddle up. I've learned so much of this process. defecence is a wonderful topic and I just want to compliment I've I've told I've mentioned earlier the
097board uh incredibly conservative sound decisionmaking that the board has made over decades that has put us in this position and I'm so very thankful as a citizen uh when I look back at at the way that our tax dollars were used thank you for those decisions. >> Thank you Dr. Merrill. So one of the most commonly frequently asked questions that we had is can we afford this? So before we look at some financial data, it's important to understand how did we get here. Brian ISD has spent nearly two decades building the financial foundation that we currently stand on today. If you look at this slide with me, every time you see a red arrow, that represents a time when Brian ISD made an early principal payment on an existing bond. In essence, this approach mirrors
098what many people recognize as Dave Ramsey's snowball method of debt reduction, applying extra payments towards existing debt obligations to reduce overall interest paid. These efforts have saved taxpayers millions of dollars in interest and have positioned the district to issue $397 million in new bonds without increasing the district's tax rate. These next few slides give a clear visual presentation of Brian ISD's bond principle um debt per student and also debt as a percentage of taxable value both before and after the proposed bond issuance. The comparisons you'll see include peer districts across regions 4, 6, and 12 uh with similar student enrollment. As we move through these slides, you'll notice that Brian ISD is starting from a strong financial position and remains well within range of our peer districts even after issuing the proposed bond. So, let's
099take a look at our first comparison. When comparing Brian ISD to peer districts within our region, our current bond principle of roughly $242 million remains well below most comparable districts. This reflects a cautious and deliberate approach to issuing debt. So where will we be after issuing the debt? As you can see, Brian ISD remains well within range of our peer districts. In fact, the district in fact the difference between us and the next four districts is very minimal even after the new bond is issued. What's truly remarkable here and what sets us apart is that while we appear appear to be toward the higher end of the chart, our INS tax rate is actually lower than the majority of our peers. That means our community is supporting a comparable level of investment in facilities at
100a lower cost to our taxpayers. This speaks volumes about the district's long-term financial planning. [snorts] Oops. Sorry. When we look at debt per student, Brian ISD's amount of $15,113 is one of the lowest compared to the districts of our size and far below the state's average. This shows that we've been careful and efficient with our spending, making the most out of every taxpayer dollar. It also means that we're starting from a strong financial position and that Brian ISD can responsibly afford to move forward with this bond proposal. Even when we add in the authorized proposed bonds, Brian ISD still has a modest debt level per student when compared to districts of similar size. This shows that we can take on new projects in a responsible way. What's really noteworthy here once again is that we're
101able to do this without raising taxes. Now, this is one of my favorite illustrations here. This slide communicates another strong message about our current outstanding bond principle as a percentage of our property values, 1.79%. In plain language, what this means is Brian ISD has a modest amount of debt relative to the size of its tax base. In other words, we're not overextending ourselves. What we're proposing is a conservative borrowing approach, one that fully considers our tax base and its ability to support our bond payments. And even with the proposed bond, Brian ISD remains well within conservative debt levels when compared to peer districts across the region. Once again, this illustrates that the district has a solid foundation supported by a strong and stable tax base. And if that's not enough, one of the most extraordinary
102things I want to bring to your attention tonight is this. The average maturity of Brian ISD's bonds across all of our existing debt is 14.4 years or less. In simple terms, bond maturity refers to how long it takes to fully pay off a bond. Many school districts carry bond for 20 years, 25 years, even 30 years, much like a home mortgage. But Brian ISD consistently pays debt off early. And that shorter payoff period means that we have saved our taxpayers millions of dollars in interest expense. And here we have an illustration of Brian ISD's tax rate history. As you can see, our tax rate has steadily declined over the past two almost two decades. What's important to highlight is that we've been able to make every investment, complete every project, and achieve every milestone while
103our tax rate has been declining. And finally, I want to make sure everyone understands if you are new to the conversation, uh, one important detail about the ballot. The state of Texas requires every school bond ballot to say this is a property tax increase even if the property tax will not go up. So when you see that wording at the polls, please remember it's just something the state requires. In Brian ISD's case, the tax rate will stay the same. One of the common questions we get is what if the bond doesn't pass? Will the debt service tax rate go down? That decision has always been board driven and just like in the past, our board has chosen to keep a stable tax rate so the district can continue paying off debt early. So if this
104bond doesn't pass, the tax rate would remain the same, allowing Brian ISD to stay on track with early debt payments, avoid millions of dollars in interest, and continue saving our taxpayers so much money in the long run. >> [clears throat] [snorts] >> Thank you, Mr. Priddle. We've shared this all over social media and again the 16 times I've been in the boardroom. We encourage everyone to get out and vote. There's one day left. Uh election day is November the 4th, 7 to 7 in these locations obviously are all around town. So you can walk in and get it done. We we also go to Robertson County. When you see Brian ISD, we are we are vast. We're very very big. Uh, and so we even have some in in Hearn, believe it or not, in
105Franklin. >> And I'd like to expand on that. Um, this week I had I was talking to somebody and I just asked them if they had voted and they said, um, well, I'm really not too interested in this because I live in the county. I don't live within the city limits. >> And I said, well, you know that Brian ISD expands. I mean, we're county. Yes, ma'am. We go from river to river to Robertson County to river. And so I think there's a misconception that you can only vote in a school election if you live in the city, right? But that is, you know, our kids live almost all the way to the, you know, city limits to the river. To the river. >> Yes, ma'am. They do. And so we need to stress that
106um county is Brian ISD. >> Yes, ma'am. I appreciate you making that point. >> Again, in summary, uh we've got all everything is online from the very first meeting all the way back in March to what you're currently seeing now. We load everything up there. um the handouts, the campus fact sheets, the presentations, the slide decks, the anything that we have that we put out in front of the group, we've put online. And so I'm so very thankful. Again, thank you for um just allowing us to put the committee together. I'm thankful for the group of folks that made the recommendation. And um again, I appreciate the opportunity to share tonight. Happy to field any questions that you have. Well, the only actually what you just said is most frequent question I've gotten is how
107come we can't find all this uh anywhere? Y'all didn't you know it's not out there. Uh so obviously it it is or I don't know. Well, I shouldn't say it is because some people might expect more things than we actually have. Uh but but anyway, it is easy to find. Uh where where do you find it on? >> Yes, sir. Thank you for asking. Go brianist.org. The very first box you're going to see when you go to the website, you'll click on it and then you'll see everything. It's all loaded down. And so Chelsea has done an amazing job of putting it together. Hugo Cali have uh made all the sheets. And so again, you may have to click on a few things because there is a ton of things. If we had just loaded
108it on one page, the page would have gone all the way down. And so yes, it branches and it broken down into meetings and all of the available information, but it's all there. all the slide decks, all of the presentations by uh architects, uh builders, anybody that came in, we loaded it. Um signin sheets, we wanted to make sure that we were really transparent with it. I kind of joke 16 times I've been in here. We've talked on WTAW, KBTX, the Eagle. We appreciate I think they may have already left their their coverage of our our work. Um we went on the radio, TV, all of the things that we possibly could and on social media. We went back and I it was 50 I mean it was a ton of times that this information
109made it to the public but again if you're working going to taking care of your life it may not have have been on your front page and so we recognize that and so we wanted to as it became more I guess prevalent we wanted to make sure everyone could could go back and could see the work that we've done. >> All right. Thank you Dr. Merl. I do want to ask I mean on our agenda it says frequently asked questions. So, when you've been out in the community, what are some of the more frequent frequently asked questions? And I'll give you an example. I had actually happened to me today. Um had somebody ask me, well, well, which proposition do I vote on, right? >> Meaning that they assume that well, you only got one
110choice. So, can you >> that's been a question ongoing. So, interestingly enough, it's not a governor election, governatorial election, ginatorial election. It's not a presidential election. So, it's a bunch of propositions and schoolboard elections. And so, as you go in, you're going to get to vote on everything. you'll get for Brian ISD, you're going to get three votes. You're going to get a yes or a no on prop A, Prop B, or Prop C. So, that was something that some folks didn't quite understand. They thought they could maybe get one or two or so we'll we'll get none, one, two, or three uh based on uh tomorrow. So, that that's a question that gets asked quite a bit. Um they ask about how could we raise $397 million uh without a tax rate. That seems
111unbelievable. Um, again, and when you point out the decades worth of work and you look at it, um, that's pretty I mean, it's amazing to be completely honest with you. We started with our financial advisors. They came in and talked to the group. They've been in here to speak to the group and that puts us in unique company in the entire state to be able to do that. In most cases, they have to raise taxes to be able to generate any money and that's not been the case. And Miss Friddle shared that that time frame for the maturity of the bonds. We don't finance. Another question that gets asked is, well, why would you finance, you know, a computer over the technology, the interactive boards over 20 years? Well, we don't. We only finance that
112piece of technology for the lifespan of that technology. And so, in in this case, that interactive board may last 5 to 10 years. Is that right? >> Eight to 10. Okay. Um, we're going to pay it off in four. We we pay all of our bonds are paid off. Traditionally, they've averaged less than half of the total time that we could take to pay them off. And so, for example, Brian Collegiate, we may finance that for a longer period of time. If we continue to do the what you've done, we'll pay that off in half the time. Our bonds will be paid off in half the time. So, that's a question that gets asked and we'll show them the the financial piece of it and they're just they look at it and they become appreciative.
113uh to be honest, but that is a question that we get regularly >> in everything that we've been asked, we've compiled on our Brian ISD website for FAQs. Yes, ma'am. >> And another way that we've helped uh tell the story is we put a yard sign in the in the front yard of every single campus and all of our facilities. Um and again, everything every time we've ever presented with the media, uh it's all archived and it's actually posted on our website as well. So, we point everyone uh to our website if at all possible if people are looking to make informed decisions and most of it is in English and Spanish as well. >> Okay. Anything else? >> Thank you, Dr. Mer. >> Absolutely. Thank you. >> We now move to the consent agenda
114that has a whopping one item on it uh which is the approval of minutes for October 20, 2025. that can be removed from the consent agenda or we can have a motion and just leave it there. >> I move for approval, Mr. Stasman. >> Second. >> All right. Motion was made by Mr. Gonzalez, seconded by Mr. Brian. All in favor say I. >> I. All oppose. Is unanimous. Uh I'm informed that uh these items for close session were were placeholders. We do not have any items for close session. So we will with there being no further business uh this meeting is adjourned at looks like 7:37 that right >> that's the first