001[Music] testing. Testing. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Hey. Hey. Hey. [Music] regular I don't [Music] You want to know? I just sat down, but I didn't I can't [Music] At this time, I would like to call to order this meeting of the Arlington Independent School District. District Board of Trustees for May 15, 2025, beginning at 5:08 p.m. First on our agenda this evening is the swearing in of our school board trustees. And presiding over that swearing in are the Honorable Carrie Walker and Mrs. Ruth Beasley. First, we will be swearing in place four. First up is David Wilbanks. Please step to the podium, Mr. Willbanks. Presiding over Mr. Wilbank swearing in for place four is the Honorable Carrie Walker who has been the presiding judge of the Tarant County Criminal Court number two since 2014.
002Judge Walker and Mr. Wilbanks, please both of you step forward to the podium. And when you're ready, Judge Walker, we would love for you to do the honor of swearing in Mr. Wilbanks. All right. Thank you. Thank Thank you, Judge Walker, for being here. Um, I'm being sworn in tonight on my family Bible that dates to the 1860s from my great greatgrandfather. And it was a gift from my his father, um, Gardener Willbanks, the patriarch of my family in Texas. And not only is it um a connection to my family legacy here in Texas, but also to the first school board elections in the state of Texas um in 1866 in the 11th uh legislative uh session. that session enacted a a public school act because uh for 20 years they've had trouble getting public
003schools established since Texas was before that but when Texas was a republic. So that order um or that act uh required every county in the state of Texas to divide up in one or more school districts. Um, my third great-grandfather, Gardener Willbanks, was chosen to be on the to divide up precinct five of Johnson County, which is in the far southeast corner along the Brazes River around Clebron State Park, if you know where that is. Um, and since it was all Willbanks land back then, they divided into a single uh school district that became known as school district number 16 in Johnson County. Now, the act that was passed by the legislature also required that schoolboard elections be called for every school district that was created. So, Gardenner Willilbanks was the election um uh judge
004for that precinct and the election for the very first school board elections was held in Gardner Wilbanks's house. Uh, and so tonight, not only, um, am I honored to use this Bible to honor the legacy of my family in Texas, but to honor public Texas school history. So, with that, I would like to my wife, because this is a very heavy Bible, I would like my wife to come up and hold the Bible during the ceremony. [Applause] Okay, you got it. I got it. All right, David, if I get you to raise your right hand and you need to uh state after what I read to you. All right, state after me. I I David Wilbbanks David Wilbbanks do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the duties that I will faithfully
005execute the duties of the office of trustee of the office of trustee place for place for Arlington Independent School District of the state of Texas of the state of Texas and will to the best of my ability and will to the best of my ability preserve preserve protect protect and defend the Constitution and laws and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of the United States and of this state and of this great state. So help me God. So help me God. Congratulations. Thank you very much. Good job. Thank you, Judge Walker. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Willbanks. And Mr. Will Banks, I believe there is a document that needs your signature. Mr. Walker might have that document. We'll wait a moment for that. And Mr. Will Banks, you are officially sworn in
006as our place for trustee. Congratulations. Next in place five, we will be swearing in our board president, Mr. Justin Choa. Mr. Chapa will be sworn in this evening by his mom and Sam Houston High School alum, Mrs. Ruth Beasley who is also a notary public. Mrs. Beasley and President Chapa, thank you for joining us at the podium and please begin the swearing in when you're ready. In the name and by the authority of the state of Texas, repeat after me. I, Justin Chapa, I, Justin Chapa, do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute that I will faithfully execute the duties of the office of trustee place 5 the duties of the office of trustee place 5 Arlington Independent School District Arlington Independent School District of the state of Texas of the state
007of Texas and will to the best of my ability and will to the best of my ability preserve preserve protect protect and defend the Constitution ution and defend the Constitution of the laws of the United States of the laws of the United States and of this state and of this state. So help me God. So help me God. Right. [Applause] Mr. Chapa, would you like to say a few words this evening? Sure. Thank you. Thank you, Vice President. Um, I don't have a lot to say. This is a small crowd tonight. Um, all of you, I know you in some way or friends or family. I do want to recognize my family. You met my mom, uh, Ruth Beasley. Also, tonight have my dad, Roel Champa, over there. My stepfather, Bob Beasley, my wife, who
008I couldn't do any of this job or anything really without, uh, Anna Champa is here. I also have my mother-in-law, Kathy Ingabretzen. And then I have up on the front, I have my niece, Kaylee Capabiano, my youngest. She's in the second grade. Evelyn Chapa. If we go back, uh, the guy in the Arlington Colts hoodie, even though it's 100 degrees outside, is is my oldest, uh, Benjamin who's a ninth grader at Arlington High. And then, um, we have a friend of the family, Joe, is here. And then my niece, Crystal Del Capabiano, is here as well. So, um, I also have some friends visiting from Houston. Um, I work at the McDow Heatherton Firm, which is based out of Houston. And tonight is, of all things, the Ranger game night for the Arlington office. And
009so our office head Amy Boyier is here, but our firm chair David McDow came up from Houston and Will Thomas, one of our partners from Houston. So even though they're Astro fans, and David made clear to me that he's wearing an Astros tie, uh they did trek all the way up to Arlington to go to a Ranger game tonight. I just want to say thanks for the opportunity um to do great work with y'all and for coming and supporting me tonight. Um for those of you who love public education, uh this is a a really tough time. Uh you've been watching the news the last few days. It looks like we're going to get $55 increase to the basic aotment when we needed about $1,350 increase in the basic aotment just to get us back
010to 2019. Um, if you've grown up in Arlington, you know that our district is facing a lot of challenges and looks a lot different today than it did when when I was growing up here. And so I think the headwinds against us are pretty strong. Um, but I look forward with to handle those challenges with this board. I made a post on Facebook not long after I was elected president uh by this board last year uh and noted that it's a little bit interesting being uh my age, but also being the longest tenured on this board at at just a little bit under eight years. Um, but this is a fantastic board that represents all parts of the community that I know has the best interest of our kids in mind and I know that
011despite the very significant challenges that we're going to be facing, um, these are the right folks to to tackle those challenges and I know they're going to do right by our kids and our our community and along uh alongside our new superintendent. Uh, at some point I'm going to stop calling him new uh Dr. Matt Smith who's been here uh for well over a year now. So, thank you all for coming in uh tonight. Thanks for supporting public education and supporting me as well and look forward to working with you. [Applause] Hardy, congratulations to Trustee Choa and Trustee Will Banks. Um, Judge Walker and Miss Beasley, I want to thank you both for coming to our board meeting today to swear in our reelected trustees. Thank you. We had such we have such a great
012opportunity in Arlington to elect individuals that citizens believe will represent them well in making decisions that impact the lives of our children and community. We will now take a brief recess to visit and then we will reconvene into our board workshop in room 401. The time is 5:18 p.m. and we are now in recess. [Music]