001The board of trustees of the Berles Independent School District will reconvene with open session beginning at 6:47 p.m. We have a few items to take care of from the closed session. The board of trustees of the Berles Independent School District is reconvening. I recommend that the board of trustees approve the resolution to consider selling a small track of surplus property to an abuing property owner. And I need a motion. >> Pat need a second. >> Second. >> Dallas. Um, all in favor? I see none oppose. The motion passes. Motion number two. I recommend that the board of trustees grant the board president the authority to approve new hires between now and the next regular meeting in March. The board will consider ratifying those hires at the next meeting. I need a motion. Okay, Mike. Need
002a second. >> Second. >> Ryan, all in favor raise your hand. See none oppose. Motion passes. Okay, let's all stand and recite the pledge. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> I aliance to thee, Texas. One state and indivisible. Next, I need a motion that the board of trustees adopt the order of items for the February 9th, 2026 agenda as presented. Dallas need a second. Stacy, all in favor? I see none opposed. Motion passes. Now it's time for special recognitions with Dr. Tonight for special recognitions, we've got a theme of band and choir. It's time for us to celebrate some accomplishments that they have. And I'm going to begin by
003turning it over to Miss Katherine Klein. Come over here. Uh, good evening everybody. Uh, my name is Katherryn Klein. I'm the band director at Kerr Middle School. Um, the Kerr Middle School Honors Band performed at the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference on Friday, December 19th in Chicago, Illinois. The Midwest Clinic is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious music education conferences in the world. Each year, it brings together thousands of musicians, educators, composers, and conductors from more than 40 countries. For nearly eight decades, it has served as an international stage where the highest standards of music education, musical excellence are showcased, and where the future of music education is shaped. Ensembles are selected through a highly competitive application project process and an invitation to perform represents recognition at the very highest level.
004For our students, this opportunity meant more than just a performance. It was the chance to represent Kerr Middle School and Berles ISD on a global platform to perform for worldclass educators from around the world and to contribute to a tradition of excellence that spans generations of outstanding young musicians. It required months of preparation, discipline, teamwork, and a commitment to musical growth that goes well beyond their regular school day. We are incredibly proud of the students standing before you tonight. They are not only members of the ensemble that performed in Chicago, but were also members of the 2024 2025 Kerr Middle School Honors Band who participated in the recording process as part of our application to the Midwest Clinic. Every student played a significant role in earning this recognition, whether it was on the stage in
005Chicago this December or behind the scenes during the application process. This achievement is a testament to the students hard work, their dedication to excellence and their willingness to hold themselves at the highest standards. It also reflects unwavering support of their families, the commitment of our campus, and the district leadership and a community that truly values fine arts education. On behalf of the Kerr Middle School Honors Band, we thank the Berles ISD Board of Trustees for recognizing this extraordinary accomplishment. We are honored to represent our district and we were so proud of these students for leaving a lasting mark on an international stage. Outstanding. How many days school? >> Can you see us? >> All right. One, two, three. There's one. There's another. There's another. And another. >> Parents, be so proud of your kids. I
006can only imagine how much work went into getting to be in a place to go to Chicago to be able to represent our district. So hardwork kids, well done parents. Appreciate you all and appreciate you all sharing them with us. >> Thank you. Congratulations. Well done students for >> hang. >> Oh yes, >> we can't see your banner. >> Oh, let's turn it around and show them around 180. >> Sing us a song. >> Oh wow. >> That's awesome. That's wonderful. We are so proud of you. So proud of you. This is excellent. Excellent. And I hope you had great time in Chicago. >> Yeah. >> Awesome. >> Congratulations. >> Yes. And thank you teachers, leaders, y'all y'all just work so hard and it it it shows and you consistently do it and we're so
007proud of you. So proud of you guys for being a part of that. Wonderful. Now parents, we want you to stand up. We want to see you Now 180 again now. >> Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. >> Thank you. All right. Well, it is such a cool opportunity today to get to see where they start in middle school at Kerr, uh, even from sixth grade up through 8th grade and see the the cool accomplishments that those guys have. And then you we're actually seeing this is a a full 360 uh experience because we're going to get to see uh what they turn into, the amazing human beings they turn into at the high school level. So today we actually get to to celebrate the accomplishments of uh some band and choir folks that are at the high
008school level that have advanced all the way to the state level. Uh which is super super exciting. So uh would you help me introduce Brennan Miller and Dolly Pimton if you guys will come stand up here. So some fun facts about this process. Um, there are over 70,000 students that began the process of the TMEA all-state audition process. Uh, less than 3% of those students entered who entered the audition process earned a spot in an all-state ensemble. This year, we have these two students who earned the honor of becoming a an all-state musician. Uh, Dolly Pimton is a junior flute player who earned seventh chair in the state. She'll get to go this next week. We leave on Wednesday and we get to go uh perform. They get to go uh rehearse and perform with
009the state ensembles. >> Is that in San Antonio? >> It is in San Antonio, sir. Yes. Yeah. They'll be there Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. They get to rehearse with all these wonderful all-state students and uh uh top-of-the-line uh musicians and then they get to perform. There's like 35,000 people that go to this convention every year. It's a it's a huge huge huge deal. Uh we want to thank uh some of her lesson her teachers along the way for providing a strong musical foundation over the years. an elementary Miss Deborah Applegate Middle School, Miss Katherryn Klein and Mr. Brennan Ross, who you just got to see. Like I said, comes full circle, right? Uh and her private lesson teacher, Miss Sherry Orike. Um and then we have Brennan Miller here who earned fourth chair in the
010state, which is super cool. And again, he'll get to go with us on Wednesday and and get to experience all the >> Percussion. Yes. And a cool fun fact, I say this every year that we have a percussion allstater because I think it is so unique. A fun fact about all state percussion auditions is that students have to perform four etudes on three different instruments. Uh in comparison to learning three etudes on one instrument. So it is quite an accomplishment to learn to earn all the etudes on one instrument but he's actually doing it on different instruments. So it's pretty cool. Uh at elementary his teacher was Mr. Robert Bray. Middle school he had Mr. Joseph McFersonson and Mr. Jason Biola. At high school Mr. Richard Karns is his percussion director and his private lesson
011teacher is Mr. U. Uh would you please join me in congratulating these fine musicians? >> Awesome. >> How many hours you put in? >> A lot. I can only imagine. One step to your right. Thank you. >> One, two, three. Congratulations. >> Do we have the parents here. >> We do. We have some parents up here. >> Well, stand up. Parents, we want to >> And I I'll also say that that kind of ends the the band portion of this, but we're very lucky to have a choir all stater this year, which is super cool. So, I'll introduce Mr. Shabbo. >> Well, good evening. My name is Nick Shabbo, and I'm the choir director at Centennial. This is my second year at Centennial and I have absolutely loved it. I have the incredible honor to
012celebrate my choir student Ferris Amita. Would you come join us up here as well? >> He loves recognition publicly. He's a big fan of it, but he's somebody that absolutely deserves this recognition. Ferris is a senior in my choir program at Centennial. And more specifically, you've seen him on the sidelines of the football games as my student director for the program. So he is sort of an extension of my work with all of our students in the program. Now what we are celebrating today is similar to the band students. Ferris has earned what we are calling truly a highly coveted spot in the Texas Music Educators Association Allstate Tenerbass Choir. This honor ensemble is also performing in San Antonio this weekend. Now this recognition means that there we started with 51,000 students across the state
013in the choir process specifically and they had to do a four round audition process that started in September and actually recently just ended in January. He's been working since he was born on it though if we're being quite honest. Um uh he in earning a spot in this ensemble that also means that he landed in the top 2.6% 6% of all auditioners across the state. So yeah, that's it. That's it. >> Now, to be very to be very specific, Ferris is a bass two. That means he's the low voice in the choir world. Um, >> yeah, just give us a little Just kidding. >> There it is. Can't you tell the All State gifts, right? Right. So >> what that means specifically for him is that in our region in the first three rounds of
014the process he was the second race the second ranked base two and across all of North Texas he was the seventh ranked overall base 2 which is amazing and it is highly competitive. Now this this is a really special achievement for the Centennial Choir program as well as this marks the first allstator of any kind for choir in five years. So he is really just helping us build upon the incredible foundation that we have at Centennial. And for me personally um I want to say that Ferris has has shown tremendous work ethic, passion and heart in like I said this multi-year pursuit. you know, this has been a very long journey for him and I truly believe that he is the exact exemplary role model student for all those in our program. Um, he's an
015incredibly kind and humble young gentleman, but I am so proud of him and I look forward to even though he I do lose him this year. His impact in our program will not be lost for many years to come. So, thank you very much to our board of trustees for allowing him to be recognized and thank you all very much. Give it up for All right. Ready? One, two, three. Hold on. >> Okay. >> Parents. >> All right. Thank you. Great. I went to the Christmas uh concert and u I was so impressed with with you watching you and and the director Shabbo. >> Okay, I know your face, but >> I tell you what, >> did she behave? >> It was hard. >> You know what? >> It was hard. It was hard. I
016was. But what I wanted to say is that that auditorium was full of people, lots of kids. And he told them I learned about when you clap and when you don't clap. All the concerts I've been to, nobody had ever taught me when what you would do as the director. And I went home feeling empowered. I mean, it was but it was really it was exceptional. And the variety of it just just so proud. So proud proud of you. Thank you parents. >> Congratulations. >> Okay. Now it's time for any additional comments from board members. >> I've already done that. >> All right. Okay. So, next on the agenda is a safety, security, and intruder detection audit with Mr. Steve Logan. >> Well, good evening everybody. I just have one quick update to share with
017you all tonight on our random intruder detection audits. Uh since last time we reported, we had three campuses audited, Centennial, Mound, and Frasier, and they all passed with no findings. So, just once again want to thank our administrators, our staff, our students for continuing to follow those safety protocols and do everything we can to keep our students safe. >> Awesome. That's great. Thanks, >> Scott. Okay. Board members should have received the consent agenda in their packets. I need a motion to approve tonight's tonight's consent agenda as presented. I hear a motion. Okay. Ryan second. Dallas. All in favor? I see none opposed. The motion passes. Now it's time for monthly financials with Miss Brenda Mai. >> Good evening board members. Dr. Gmer staff. Um I am going to present the financials for December. So it's
018that semester. So, >> so Michaela made fun of me last time because I always point to change, but you don't have to. >> I can't believe it. >> Where where is it? Back there. >> I didn't even know that. >> There you go. >> It still worked. supposed to tell >> I just >> I couldn't wait. I couldn't wait for this meeting. I was like, I can't wait to see if it works. >> Yeah, >> it works. >> And you just pointed at the screen again. >> Okay, Bren, >> I'm a I'm a creature of habit, so it's going to take me a minute. It's going to take me a minute to get through it. Um, okay. So, as I said, this is December 2025. So, compared to last year, uh, revenues for general fund
019are at 56.9 million. If you'll see, they're slightly less than they are from last year. One of those is our tax revenues are a little bit lower and our state is higher. So, we have an increase in state but a a lower in um tax revenue. And then the other reason is taxes are due January 31st. So, people start paying in December and then it bleeds on into January and then sometimes even into February. Uh and then expenditures are at 53.4 million. Food service uh revenues at 3.6 6 million up slightly from last year and then expenditures at 3.3 million. For debt service uh you'll see our revenues at 10.8 million. Um once again uh state or I'm sorry tax revenues coming in uh more will be in January than December and then our uh
020payment of 13.8 million was made um in August. So, I just like to remind everybody, I know that our payment is higher than our actual revenues for the year, but we do have a fund balance in debt service, so we're able to make our payments. Special revenue funds, uh, we're at 33%, so 411,000 for the month, and we're at 4.1 million yearto date. School for early learning, which is our child care center, uh, revenues at 375,000 and our expenditures at 410,000. Oops. Capital projects, uh, oil and gas revenues. Um, if you'll see beginning balance, um, a little at a little over 14 million. Our additions are 405,000. Our minerals are about the same as they were last year. And then expenditures at 3.6 million, the largest amount for the capital outlay at Mound. Uh, ending.
021>> I saw a picture with some of the lighting. >> It's wonderful, isn't it? Yes. >> We think I can't wait to get in. >> I don't know. I ran into your PE teacher one night and here we go with the pic. She's showing me the lit up gym, so she's pretty excited herself. So, >> it looked pretty sharp. >> I got lots of pictures over the snow break of it all lit up. You know, everybody sending it to me. >> That's awesome. And didn't you tell me you can see mound lit up from >> Oh, I'm telling you. I keep >> You can see it from I just stop traffic. >> Awesome. >> That was the goal. >> Um and then on to payments over 10,000. So the the detailed list is in your
022packet if you'll look in there. But just uh in summary, the majority out of 199 our general fund, food service activity, and then also for um our capital projects and then our workers comp tax report. Uh, as we spoke to earlier in the uh, presentation, we're at 13.2 million um, for the month of December and year to date 18.3 million in tax collections. And then the construction update I have on here just by the divisions. So you'll see masonry is the biggest one, then it goes to concrete all the way down. Um, this is through December. So we still have a couple pay apps that we're going to complete through March, April, and May. But this is the majority of the divisions at this time. And then the quarterly investment report. So this is comparing
023September 30th, 2025 to December 31st, the uh second quarter. If you'll see here, I just kind of made a short little me, it was AI, but it we made this little graph um that shows the increase in the different accounts. So the debt service fund went up by 5.9 million, capital projects, general fund, school fund, and then food service did go down a little bit. Um, and that's because of the food costs that we have and the um amounts that we pay upfront once school starts. So, that is it for me on the financials, unless you have any questions. >> Okay. >> Thank you, Brenda. All right. I need a motion that the board of trustees approve the budget amendments as presented here. Pat, is there a second Dallas? Thank you. All in favor, raise
024your hand. See none opposed. Motion passes. Thank you, J. And that's was in your packet. It's just Yeah, it's the one that we do this time of the year so that everybody starts squaring away the functions. And so I appreciate you all doing that for me. So next is Mr. Tom Dyer with some action items. Okay, Brenda. Brenda, show him. Show him. >> Okay, Porter. Now, set it up. He had it turned off. That was a thing. >> Everybody does it. outside emerging AI. Steve's working on that. Actually, he's already done it. Designate private spaces. Um competitive purching purchasing threshold chain is the first time in a long time. New restriction for administrators on outside uh compensation. The daily rate if you remember this one shall be comp shall be computed by basic math. Let's
025see let's get back to that. Uh basis for non-renewal now includes DEI changes to all the grievance policies the employee student and public and they're all they all track DEI prohibited now is at the point of non-renewal. new requirements. Of course, civil sob teachers have to give them out to parents already doing that. We now have 24 hours to report an incident to law enforcement under certain circumstances. Uh the law strangely requires our principles to have two or teachers to have two conferences a year. They have lots more than that. And academic dishonesty or make the conferences available, I should say. And academic dishonesty, the definition for it was rewritten to include AI in certain circumstances. Parent portal is already up. New rules for students attending released time course away from campus. Clarifies that appropriate
026staff can administer non-prescription medication. Uh let's see. Notify staff when a threat is made to the campus. Tell all the staff at the campus. Notify parents when an educator is engaged in misconduct. That's a given. This is another companion reporting policy requiring us to support report suspected abuse within 24 hours. Again, changes to complaint policies proving the use of video evidence of student misconduct. already do that. Many changes to the complaint policy here too. And that's it. >> Okay. Now I need a motion from the board of trustees to approve update 126 as presented by TASBY. Okay. Ryan second. Mike. All in favor? See none opposed. Motion passes. Next, uh we'll consider a resolution to pay staff during the district closure. This is becoming our annual February tradition. I think we seem to come back
027to you and ask you to do this every time. Uh the money is already budgeted to those employees who were not allowed to work due to the closure related to inclement weather. So we ask you to consider paying those funds as a benefit to our employees. It boosts morale and helps us with employee retention as well. >> I agree. So, I need a motion that the board of trustees approve the resolution to pay staff during the district closure and authorize the superintendent to pay all employees according to the terms declared in this resolution. Hear a motion. Stacy second, Dallas. All in favor? Seeing none opposed. Motion passes. The last item is a resolution pursuant to Texas Education Code section 25.0823. A new law passed requires you to take a record vote on whether to adopt
028a model resolution that would require you then to adopt a model policy to do something that quite frankly at least in most substantive ways we have already been doing for years. This is about creating a period of prayer or re reading of religious texts. Well, under the first amendment our students are allowed to pray and have been allowed to pray not just once but all day long as long as it's not disruptive to instructional time. So parents, anyone listening, if you have raised your child to pray or read a religious text, know that they are welcome to do so. >> If they want to pray before taking a test, please do so. >> Before an athletic competition, before a musical competition, they are welcome to do so. There's another logistical difficulty in this particular model
029policy that you would be required to adopt if you adopted this resolution and that is that employees and students have to be separated according to whether they consent or not consent to participate in this period. Now think of the logistics of that. You have a classroom you have one teacher for 21 22 kids and some whose parents have not consented. By the way, this is a parents rights issue. We fundamentally support the right of the parent to direct the moral and religious upbringing of their children. So when they do not consent, we would be required to separate them from the students whose parents have consented. There's still only one teacher, one supervisor. The logistical difficulty of getting first graders to common areas according to whether their parents have signed consent and whether they haven't would
030prove to be very difficult and challenging to do. And since it is so challenging, we have to consider the value. And the value is to authorize them to do what they already do. They are allowed to pray under the first amendment now and they are allowed to read the religious text according to the dictates of the faith of their parents the way they've been raised. So we think that it's simply unnecessary to adopt this particular model resolution and the companion policy because our kids already have that first amendment right to do so. Thank you. >> All right. Based on that, I'm going to need a motion that the board of trustees decline to approve the model resolution for the Texas Education Code section 25.0823. Do hear motion? >> Mike second. Pat. All in favor? Motion
031passes. All right, that brings us to the end of our meeting for tonight. Uh, the meeting is adjourned at 7:18 p.m. Thank you for being here. Jerry, you got to drink every