001Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Good evening, everyone. Glad to see you all here tonight. We'll go ahead and get started. I, Jacqueline Colton, president of the Duncanville ISD Board of Trustees, do hereby call this meeting of the Duncanville Independent School District to order. Let the record show that a quorum of the Board of Trustees is present, that the meeting has been duly called, and that notice of this meeting has been posted in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code Chapter 551. With that, we'll go to our opening ceremonies, and Vice Chair Vera Cruz will lead us in the invocation as we start the opening ceremonies. Thank you, Madam Vice uh President. I'm glad to uh have a prayer for us. Please join me for that word of prayer. Gracious and loving God, as
002we gather again after this season of spring break, we pause to give thanks for rest, for renewal, and for the opportunity to return with fresh minds and open hearts. We are grateful for the gift of education, for the students we serve, and for the responsibility of entrusted to this board. Renew our energy for the work ahead. Inspire us to lead with clarity, courage, and care. May the new season bring growth, hope, and success to our schools and community. In your name we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Vice President Vera Cruz. I will now turn the meeting over to Ms. Avila, who will introduce our students who are leading us in pledges tonight. Yes, ma'am. Good evening, Madam President, Board of Trustees, and Dr. Gore. Tonight, we have the Student Council and Ambassadors from Hastings Elementary
003who will be leading us in the pledges. Students, please come up to the front and face the board. All right, students, please introduce yourselves. My name is Cason and I'm in fifth grade. My name is Calvin and and I'm in fourth grade. My name is Christian and I'm in the fourth grade. My name is Amelia and I'm in fourth grade. My name is Marilyn and I'm in fourth grade. My name is Zayda and I'm in fourth grade. My name is Paola and I'm in the first grade. Everyone, please stand. I pledge allegiance 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. Honor the Texas flag, I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one
004and indivisible. Everyone, you may be seated. Students and trustees, please remain standing as we take a group photo. Can you students move this way? What's the distance? Keep going. Keep going. Keep going. Keep going. Okay. >> Big smiles. 2 3 Got you. Thank you so much, students. Thank you, Ms. Seville and the Hastings Student Council. They did an excellent job. We will now move on to the Superintendent's Report and I'll turn the meeting over to Dr. Goree. Thank you very much, Madam President and all other trustees for being here today and everyone assembled here here today. Let's give those Hastings students another round of applause. It is certainly reassuring that we are in good hands with our next level of leadership. Today, I'd like to present our Superintendent's Report for this month and I'd like
005to start off by celebrating the Duncanville High School basketball teams. I'd like to Let's give them a ROUND OF APPLAUSE. I'D CERTAINLY LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT to recognize and congratulate the Duncanville High School Pantherettes and Panther varsity basketball teams on a successful season. The Pantherettes competed with determination and advanced to the regional finals, while the Panthers made an impressive run to the state semi-finals. We are incredibly proud of our outstanding student athletes, our coaching staff for their hard work, dedication, and representing Duncanville ISD with excellence and Panther proud. Let's give them one more round of applause. February attendance winners, congratulations to the students and staff of Alexander Elementary School and Kennemer Middle School for bringing a riot. Both these wonderful campuses have been identified as February attendance winners for their outstanding commitment to being
006present and engaged. Each month, we will continue to recognize campuses leading the way in attendance. Remember, when our students are in school, they are learning and growing every day. Congratulations again to the students and staff at this these two campuses. Well, the date is finally here. We've talked about this for many months and it's time on March 28th, 20 26, to meet at Duncanville High School for our Champions' Choice event. We'd like to certainly invite all families and community members to attend the Champions' Choice School Shopping event this Saturday, March 28th, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Duncanville High School. This event will feature booths booths from Choice and Signature Programs across the district, student performances, kids activities, and more. Learn more and apply today at duncanvilleisd.org/choice. And again, looking forward to seeing everyone
007out to this a fun event. We had a wonderful showing and a wonderful last time last year and this is just a great opportunity, not just for our community, but for our neighboring communities to come out and see the things that makes Duncanville their Champions' Choice. Theaters Theater in Our Schools Month. March is Theater in Our Schools month and today I'm proud to recognize the outstanding theater programs across Duncanville ISD. Our programs are led by exceptional educators and this is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the powerful impact theater education has on students growth and achievement. At this time we are honored to have students here today representing our theater programs. Please stand students so that you can be recognized at this time. Any of our theater students here today? Okay. Again though, I do want
008to take this opportunity to just recognize and if you know of some of those theater students or even some of the people who are in leading some of those theater programs to take this opportunity to congratulate them and thank them for what they do every day. Thank you Madam President. That does conclude our Superintendent's report. Thank you Dr. Goree and the board would also like to thank the Panthers and the Pantherettes as well as Alexander and and Kennemer. We're an environment of champions everywhere. So, hats off to all of you for doing your best. With that we'll move now to recognitions and I'll turn the meeting over to Ms. Avila. Good evening again Madam President, Board of Trustees and Dr. Goree. Tonight we have one recognition honoring the Duncanville High School students who were named
009TMEA All-State Band members. Please join me in welcoming our Director of Fine Arts, Mr. Paul Duchesne to the podium to share more about this outstanding accomplishment. Good evening, Madam President Colton, members of the board, and Dr. Goree. It is a privilege to stand before you tonight to celebrate six extraordinary young musicians from Duncanville High School. Last month, these students reached the pinnacle of high school music in Texas by performing as a member of a TMEA All-State ensemble. To truly understand the weight of this honor, over 60,000 students from across the state entered the TMEA All-State competitive process this year. Through a grueling series of auditions at the district, region, and area levels, only 1,830 students were selected to perform in one of the 18 TMEA All-State ensembles. Our students represent the top 3% of all
010high school musicians in the state of Texas. This isn't just a win for our band program. It is a testament of the discipline, work ethic, and excellence we strive for in Duncanville ISD. From Feb- February 11th through 14th, these students traveled to San Antonio for the TMEA clinic and convention. They spent 4 days in intensive rehearsals with world-renowned conductors and culminated their experience with a professional-level performance at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. I would like to introduce our 2026 Texas All-State musicians. Mr. Noah Johnson. Mr. Devarian Hamilton. Mr. Andres Rubio. Mr. Ethan Rosario. Mr. Osiel Hernandez. And Mr. Mark Rosario. We celebrate not only their achievement, but also the excellence of the music education taking place in Duncanville ISD. Please join me in a round of applause for our 2026 All-State musicians. All right,
011Board of Trustees, I just got information that our theater students, they are here. And so, we want to recognize them really quickly. We're going to have them come to the front and take a photo with you guys in honor of theater in our school's month. Once again, let's give one big round of applause to our theater students, our TMEA band students. We're so excited to share all the things um and all the the student successes here during our board meetings and to give them that recognition. So, with that being said, we're going to go ahead and move on to our donations. Each month, we are proud to share the incredible generosity of our community and the ongoing support that they show for Duncanville ISD. Please take a look at the screens as I read the
012donations for this month. For Pace High School, we have Erica McKenzie Realty Group for $496. For Duncanville ISD, we have the Duncanville ISD Education Foundation for Duncanville Reads for $7,500. Also for Duncanville ISD, we have Natural Selection Productions for LLC for $3,000. And last but not least for Duncanville ISD, we have Southwest Dallas Area Retired School Employees for $75. The total year-to-date for the 2025-2026 school year for donations is $58,756. Thank you so much to all of our donors. We really appreciate it. We will now move into our Made with Pride recognitions for the month of March. Starting us off is going to be Kendall Graves, special education teacher from Bill Harts Elementary. Please come on up. We are here today to celebrate Coach Kendall Graves, nominated by Maria Jamaica for the extraordinary impact he
013has on students, families, and the entire Bill Harts Elementary community. Coach Graves is far more than a specials teacher. He truly sees each child, offering positive affirmations, and making every student feel valued and important. Families often share how their children light up on the days that they have his class, and his influence stretches far beyond the gym. As Miss Jamaica expressed, he is changing lives positively, and he is a gem and is made with pride in Duncanville. His dedication is evident year after year with family families continuing to enroll their children at Bill Harts because of the passion and care he pours into the school community. After events like the Black History Month program, former students and their families eagerly lined up to greet him, grateful for the lasting impact he made in their lives.
014Even during COVID-19, Coach Graves brought energy and joy to students through virtual PE, so much so that he his efforts were recognized on our local news. His commitment to heart for his commitment, heart for children, and years of service make him truly deserving of this special recognition and celebration. Will Coach Graves's family and friends in attendance today, please stand to be recognized as well. One last round of applause for Coach Graves. He kindled >> Congratulations, Coach. Up next, we have Christona Souls, instructional aide, also from Bill Harts Elementary. Please come on up. Today, we proudly celebrate Christona Souls, nominated by multiple individuals, for the incredible heart, energy, and dedication she brings to Bill Harts every single day. Known affectionately as Miss K, she is attentive, engaging, and deeply committed to both students and staff. Whether
015stepping in to cover classes, coordinating student programs, or decorating for campus events, she consistently goes above and beyond in her role as an instructional aide. One of her nominators shared, "Miss K exemplifies the very essence of what it means to be made with pride in Duncanville." One shining example of her impact was during Hispanic Heritage Month, where despite not having a music teacher on campus, Miss K organized a vibrant program filled with Latin music performances, ensuring that every student felt proud and included. She transformed the cafeteria into a warm, welcoming space for families, dedicating countless extra hours to prepare a meaningful and joyful experience. Beyond special events, she also ensures student safety each day. She does this by assisting with dismissal and walking them safely into the community. Miss K truly loves, leads, and grows,
016creating a culture of unity, excellence, and pride wherever she serves. Will Miss K's friends and family who are who are in attendance today, please stand to be recognized as well, and let's give them all a big round of applause. And last but not least, please help me welcome to the podium Arturo Montoya, seventh grader at Reed Middle School. Come on up. Today we proudly celebrate Arturo Montoya, an extraordinary student whose journey is a powerful story of growth, resilience, and determination. Nominated by his mother, Edema Montoya, Arturo transforms obstacles into motivation to excel. From earning the All-Stars Award from the city of Newberry, South Carolina for three consecutive years to becoming an invited member of the Beta Club, Arturo proved that discipline and perseverance can reshape his path, including moving to a new state and adjusting
017to a new school. He rose above it all and became one of the top students in his class while attending Brandenburg Intermediate. Now, as a student at Reed Middle School, Arturo continues to thrive, carrying forward that same determination and excellence that has defined his journey. His achievements reflect far more than academic success. They reveal his character. He is described as empathetic, respectful, disciplined, a reliable reliable, I'm sorry, a dedicated karate blue belt, a loving son, and a supportive brother. As his mother proudly shared, his ability to adapt and his great emotional intelligence make him worthy of any recognition. He stands for what it means to be made with pride in Duncanville. Will Arturo's family and friends in attendance today please stand to be recognized and let's give them all a big round of applause. ISD
018congratulates the following teacher, student, and staff member who are made with pride in Duncanville. Arturo Montoya has come a long way from a restless child with behavioral challenges to a standout student. In third grade, he was recognized by the mayor of Newberry, South Carolina with an All-Star award for his academic performance. From that moment on, Arturo grew into an empathetic, respectful, and disciplined young leader. After his parents separated, he faced a new home, new friends, and a new school. Despite the odds and uncertainty, Arturo didn't just adapt, he excelled. Last year, he became the top student in his class, earning 14 awards, five medals, and the prestigious In Honor of Excellence trophy at Brandonberg Intermediate. It made me feel proud of myself for being such a academic student. I don't see myself as better than
019anyone, but I see myself as better than my previous self before that grade, or before or before the day I got the award. I was one of the students that got one, but I was also one of the students that got every single medal. Like, the only student that got every single medal. It was my first kind of the first time getting a medal of honors. Well, honors for math, for science, for social studies, and for history. When asked about how he's fitting in over at Reed Middle School, Arturo had this to say. I like that the people are nicer, kind of, and that there's there's much more there's much more scenery. Knowing that I'm making a difference, knowing that these kids are learning something. Like, they're not going home with the same Oh, I
020don't know this. They can go home and be like, Oh, Miss K taught me something today. Let me tell my parents. So, when it came down to the program, and I was like, Hey, I got this program I got to do. Mr. Hidalgo, he's our math interventionist, got it straight onto the music, was willing to help. Um coach was like, Yeah, whatever you need, Wilkes. Yeah, whatever you need, I'm coming in there. He was actually singing in song, learning the choreography. Ms. Ortiz, she's my next door neighbor. I think I bother her a lot since I've been in this position. She definitely helps me out a lot. My parenting Ms. Castillo and Ms. Perez, they help me out a lot, too. Our counselor, Ms. Babuls, when I tell you I love her down all day,
021every day. Like if she left this campus, I'd probably be sad. The specialty, Coach Graves, number one. Mr. Wills, we used to have another music teacher named Ms. Shaw. When she was here, amazing. Ms. Lilly in the morning. I also like Ms. Rigins, our interventionist, who just made Teacher of the Year. Also her, Ms. Polite. She became one of my best friend co-workers. You know, you hear from certain staff members, like Ms. K, you do above you go above and beyond and you shouldn't do it. And you know, um So, I definitely felt happy in that moment because I was the first time out of my three years I was recognized for something like that. Um anybody that knows me knows that I don't I don't see it as just a teaching job. I truly
022do treat everybody as my family. Um for me that's the best way that I can teach them, honestly, and to show them that I care. And I think the family see that every year. They get the tough Coach Graves side, hey you got to do this, this is what you're supposed to do and this is what to watch out for in life. But they also know that I care about them. If anybody is having a bad day, I'll check on them and I try to talk to them. Stuff outside of school, their families and it just tran- it just bleeds into other other generations. I've been here for years. So, some of the people that I've known, I can go on with names. Ms. Delanda Robinson, Dr. Goodman, Dr. Nitzu I just took a picture
023with. Ms. Dennis has done a great job at supporting me through ILA, through my goal at wanting to be assistant principal and and future principal, hopefully. But throughout throughout this process, she, Miss White, who's now here, they've done a great job of patting me on the back and saying, "Hey, I got your back. Anything you need." Um, and same thing with Miss Robinson. Miss Robinson has seen me be from a second grade teacher to now. Um, and she's she's been a a wonderful um path for me cuz she's she she always keeps me on track. I'd like to thank my parents and my family. I've been both been great supporters. If I talk too long, I'll start tearing up, but um my wife as well. Um, she does a great a great job at um
024at doing the same thing and supporting me. Anytime anytime that I have to be off or gone or trying a new project or doing anything trying to get towards my goals. She she she's one of those that'll say, "Go ahead. I got your back. I'll take care of this on the back end." Um, and my kids, of course, they do their job of being supportive of dad. Um, and here, um Raisha Berry, she's a librarian here. She's been my my my sidekick throughout this whole time that I've um these past couple of years. Um, Miss Madison, um Oh, we miss her. Wilkes, Miss Rigons, Miss McKinley. Um, there's so many people that again, Miss Ortiz, that when I when I say thank you, um it's very genuine. It's not just a "Oh, yeah. Okay. I
025got you. Yeah." No, they really do mean it. Um, and I know that if I ask for anything, they'll say yes and vice versa. I got their back, too. Miss Badillo, there's a whole bunch of people. Oh, Jamie Brown. Jamie Brown. Jamie Brown, oh my gosh. I have so many stories with her. We started out here, and she talks about how I would talk about how she's a great teacher and what she is, and I told her I just saw I just said what I saw. You're a great person, and look at what she's doing now. So, she has been truly instrumental through ILA, through me being a teacher here, through my path of wanting to become an administrator. She she's definitely another key one. I'm thinking of all the kids that I've had cuz
026I tell my students now I've had thousands and thousands of kids. If I forget you it's not because I forgot you cuz intentionally it's just I've had so many and I and I memorize every single student's name every time they come. So it's 600, 700 kids each year. So it's it is it's a draining fun process. But throughout the process throughout when she was reading that, all of those kids started coming up. I started thinking about the memories, the the the ups and the downs, the different students that have struggled and needed to get through things, the families. Just so so just so much stuff has happened throughout my time and I'm truly blessed and feel happy to receive any kind of recognition. Not needed, but I truly am appreciative and I'm definitely grateful for
027it. These honorees are truly made with pride in Duncanville. May I have all of our Made With Pride honorees come to the front so we can take a quick group photo with our trustees. You want us to take it? Yes. Bring your certificates. And everybody ready? Big smiles. 2 3 Got you. One last round of applause. Thank you. And that concludes our March Made With Pride honorees presentation. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Avila. So, taking it back uh to my uh church roots, if we had a thousand tongues, we couldn't thank you enough for what you're doing. So, uh Coach Graves, Ms. Kay, and yeah, we we are truly appreciative of what you have instilled, your efforts, your time, your caring concern, your excellence, your character. Thank you very much for what you have done
028and for uh Arturo Montoya, uh who went from a restless child to a standout student. Now, that's what we're all about because we're writing success stories one student at a time. So, keep doing what you're doing. Y'all have just made us so proud. So, so thank you all very much. Uh with that, uh we'll um go to Ms. Brown, who will now introduce our new personnel. Good evening, Board President Colton, Board of Trustees, and Dr. Gory. Tonight, I'm going to ask Mr. William Mitchell to join me at the podium. We are pleased to introduce William Mitchell as the new Chief Athletic Director for Duncanville ISD. Mr. Mitchell brings 24 years of experience in education and a strong foundation in athletic leadership and program management. Mr. Mitchell joined the Panther family in 2023 as assistant director
029of athletics. Through his leadership in UIL compliance, scheduling, transportation, event coordination, and budget oversight, he quickly strengthened and streamlined the district's athletic operations. He was promoted to director of athletics and now serves as chief athletic director, providing executive leadership for all district programs while strengthening systems that support student athletes and coaches. Prior to joining Duncanville ISD, Mr. Mitchell served in Dallas ISD as assistant director of athletics, director of football operations, director of track and field, and head boys and girls track coach. His experience includes leading championship programs, managing athletic departments, and aligning athletics with district priorities focused on student achievement and wellness. Mr. Mitchell holds a Master of Education in Education Administration from Texas A&M University-Commerce and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Please join us in congratulating
030Mr. Mitchell on his continued leadership and commitment to the Panther family. And he also has uh friends and family members, if they would kind of stand and wave your hands in support of him tonight, those that came out to support. Thank you, Mrs. Brown, and congratulations, Mr. Mitchell. We're glad you're at the helm. And we're expecting great things. So, with that, do we have any board members who have announcements or acknowledgements? Okay, Dr. I wanted to take this time to ask the athletic department, you didn't stand with the friends and family, but you're part of that. Can we get the athletic department to stand who are here to support Coach Mitchell? And secondly, I wanted to go back to the attendance recognition. Um not to take anything away from the students and the staff, but
031also to remember the parents. Um because these students don't drive, and they don't walk themselves to the bus stops. And so, we just want to make sure that we acknowledge. So, all parents Uh what two schools was that again? Alexander and Kinnamon. Alexander and Kinnamon parents, thank you so much. So, there's a trifecta. Love it. Are there any additional um announcements or acknowledgements from uh the trustees? Okay. We will now move to communications from citizens. We don't have any. Um uh actually, I I do have one. Um we would like to uh publicly acknowledge the fact that our dear uh trustee uh Janice Savage Martin uh lost her husband. And so, uh you know, we're we're all praying uh for her. So. Okay. Yes. Dearly. >> Dearly. Yes. Okay. um so we don't have any
032communications from citizens. So we will now move to close session. Thank you. >> Mhm. >> Good evening. We are back from closed session and will continue with our agenda items. So, we will now move to take action on items from closed session. Do I have a motion to approve the superintendent's recommendation that we hire and issue a one-year contract to Ms. Tamika Butts for the position of assistant athletic director. >> So moved. Second. It's been moved and properly seconded. Are there any questions, comments, or discussion? There being none, please cast your vote electronically. Okay, that motion passed unanimously 6-0. And we're very appreciative of Ms. Butts, and congratulations to her. We'll um she'll come before the board next meeting. So, we will now move to the consent agenda. Do I have a motion to approve
033the consent agenda? Thank you. So moved. Second. Okay, it's been properly moved and seconded that we approve the consent agenda. Are there any questions, comments, or discussion? There being none, please cast your vote electronically. Okay, that motion passed unanimously 6-0. We will now move to action agenda item A, cancellation of the school board election for May 2nd, 2026 to elect trustees for places four and five, and our presenter is Dr. Graham. Greetings President Colton to all trustees and to Dr. Goree. The filing period for the May 2nd, 2026 Duncanville ISD trustee election has closed. And both place four and five candidates are unopposed. Under the Texas Education Code, when all candidates are unopposed, the board may cancel the election and declare the candidates elected. Taking this action will result in one returning trustee and one
034new trustee joining the board. At this time, administration recommends approval of the order of canceling the election and declaring the unopposed candidates elected. Thank you, Dr. Graham. So, do I have a motion that the board approve the order canceling the May 2nd, 2026 School Board of Trustees election as presented? So moved. Second. Okay, it's been properly moved and second. Are there any questions, comments, or discussion? There being none, please cast your vote electronically. Okay, that motion passes 6-0. Thank you, Dr. Graham. So, we will now move to action item B. Consideration of the 2026-2027 academic calendar with our presenter, Dr. Nix. Good evening, Madam President, members of the board. It is my absolute pleasure to bring for your consideration approval of the academic calendar for the 2026-2027 school year. So, what we have is the
035our calendar committee composition is made up of educators, community members, and of course, with our goal being to create an optimal academic calendar for the 2026-2027 school year. As we thought through, just to make sure you guys are aware of how many of each were participating, we had 13 teachers, we had 10 campus administrators, we had 32 central office individuals, 11 parents, we had five students and two community representation and those were from mainly from Dallas College. And so they and we wanted to make sure that we provided you with the a copy of the signing sheets for those who actually attended and came. So just a reminder of the key calendar requirements, we are required to have 75,600 minutes, three teacher work days, and 175 instructional days and 187 teacher contract days. This is
036a reminder of our timeline that we started in January just making sure that the board was familiar with the timeline in our in our project. February 3rd is was the first time that we met with the calendar committee. We took the feedback from that meeting and built the calendars from February the 4th to the 9th and really just took that feedback to to construct what the committee was sharing with us what what the things that they wanted to see. We presented that to the committee on February the 10th. And then of course February 13th to the 28th we worked with communications to do the revisions and sent it out for survey up until March the 23rd. So had a lot of people to give their feedback on the calendar that they are recommending. The final
037draft calendars were as follows. We had three draft calendars. Each of those calendars had 175 days. Each of the calendars had the same instructional minutes. And one One things that you President Colden and the board charged us with is building a calendar with extra days, not the minimum number of instructional days, but the maximum number of instructional days. So, we wanted to and we charged the committee, you know, we charged the committee that this is a calendar that is built around students. Um and and although, you know, it's a calendar although adults want time off and summers and things of that nature and and that's good and and we want to construct a calendar to meet the adults' needs, but not at the expense of student instruction and student time. So, each of these calendars
038uh met that requirement. And all of them have 186 uh days and you'll see that they're similar in all regards except for little things like the first days of school and PD days and things of that of that nature. So, now I would just like to give you a high-level overview of uh the difference in the calendar options. So, calendar option A really just basically highlights that the the teachers report back the last week of July. Students start on August the 6th and there's one week of fall break. And boy, woo, that fall break, I tell you what. I'll tell you what, we were we we went in with the notion like, all right, we're not going to have fall break, we're going to do and that was like tough. Boy, I'll tell you what,
039I shouldn't have said those words, all right? Uh because because people need a break, you know, they they they want that break, they want that time and it's important and so, you know, they they constructed they were great. They constructed calendars that did both, right? So, calendar A keeps that fall that whole week of fall break. Um and as you can see there, the first semester and second semester days, they equal out. Total days 187 for teachers and 175 for student instructional days. Thought it was important that you understood that the bad weather makeup days, um and this is just something we just had so much conversation about, we just want to make sure that were all clear about this. There is a policy that states and it's um page 75 from the student attendance
040account student attendance accounting handbook. And it indicates that with any adopted calendar we have to account for at least two bad weather days in the calendar. So, that is policy. So, even if though we have additional days the new policy is we still have to identify two bad weather days. So, that's why you see there those two uh blue days there that indicate bad weather makeup days, even though we still have additional days in our calendar. So, neither come rain, snow, sleet, or shine, we're going to be okay. I hope. For calendar B, you'll see there that the teachers report back on August the 10th. So, that's the biggest difference there. With a fall break, this is not a full day fall break. This is a three-day fall break from October the 12th through the
04114th. So, that was a change there in what the the committee wanted. And you'll see that the same dates apply for for most of the information. And then for calendar C you'll see the difference there is that teachers report back the first week in August. Students start August the 11th, which is a little different than the first two calendars. And then of course the fall break is October the 12th and the 13th with the teacher the work day on the 14th. So, there's just a play there on you know, how how what that break looks like and how long it is, things of that nature. And then you'll see the rest of the information is similar. So, the survey from the three calendars was sent out to our stakeholders. Uh communications did a phenomenal job
042of of making sure that survey was clean, clear, provided to all of our stakeholders, sending reminders, making sure everybody was aware, um making sure that everyone knew just as a reminder that the survey was out and when the date was. It was sent out in English and Spanish. We had five groups of stakeholders to take the survey and we had 1,117 responses. The next slide just kind of shows what that data looks like. So, you'll see the question there both in English and Spanish and you'll see that we had 18% of our students which equated to 210 students participate. We had parents or guardians, 412 of them. We had staff members, 422 and then we had parent or guardian and staff member. That's a clear delineation there because we wanted to make sure that we,
043you know, in the past we've we kind of have some staff members that also serve as parents and guardians. So, we wanted to delineate it, see how many of our just true parents are responding versus how many of our employees versus our parents are responding. And so, that equates to that whole 1,117 responses. Lastly, um overwhelmingly the committee as well as the feedback from our stakeholders is recommending the calendar A at at 81%. Um and then well of course we have calendar B coming in at 11% and calendar C coming in at 7%. Ironically the shorter the fall break, the less popular the calendar option. But, neither here nor there. I think that they're still recommendations still meets the needs. So, board for your and and I just want to publicly thank every parent. I
044want to thank every student. I want to thank every community member. I want to, you know, cuz it takes a lot to to come off of work and and then spend several hours planning and thinking through and, you know, not not fighting but you just delineating over what you know, what we're going to do and how we're going to do it and just really want to thank the committee for their time. Every student and every teacher, every principal. And so board, the recommendation from the committee, from our surveys, is that the board adopt calendar A as the 2026-2027 academic calendar. And at this at this time, it would be my pleasure to answer any questions that you may have. Thank you, Dr. Nix. Are there any comments? Yes, ma'am. I don't have a question, but
045I'm I'm really glad that the majority chose option A for two reasons. Teachers need it and secondly, it's a nightmare on attendance. When we have two days in or three days in, it it doesn't work in our favor to even choose B and C because of attendance for ADA. Um I was a former staff member and we started this uh full week when I was working here. And it was much needed, so I know. Are there any additional comments? Okay, so Dr. Nix, thank you um for bringing this uh proposal to us on on this evening and we also would like to thank, you know, the committee members, the staff, parents, students, uh community members that participated as a part of the committee cuz in looking at the sign-up sheets, y'all had several meetings and
046you know, nine times out of 10, people attended. And so we appreciate that and also we appreciate the fact that they understood the assignment because we asked for additional days, and and that's what you all did. So, thank you very much um for that. And so, if there are no more comments, then I would entertain a motion to approve the academic calendar option A as presented for the 2026-27 academic school year. So moved. Okay, it's been properly moved and seconded. Um please cast your vote electronically. Okay, that motion passed unanimously 6-0. Thanks again, Dr. Nixon. Thank you, Dr. Gory and the members of the committee for the hard work and dedication that you all put into bringing us the calendar for next year. Okay. So, now we will move to action item C, consideration and
047action on the teacher incentive allotment spending plan with Mrs. Brown. Thank you, Mrs. Brown. Thank you. Good evening again, Board President Colton, Board of Trustees, and Dr. Gory. Tonight, I will walk you through the proposed teacher incentive allotment or TIA spending plan. This plan outlines how we will use state funding to support rewarding uh retaining and recruiting teachers. The goal of the TIA is simple, to recruit, retain, and reward teachers, highly effective teachers. There are two main pathways to get the TIA designation. One is through the national board certification, um and teachers can go through their process on their own, and then the other is through the local designation system, which a district's districts have the autonomy to develop their local designation systems within the state guidelines. These uh recognitions or these designations allow us
048to recognize our strong teaching staff while also recruiting teachers to Duncanville ISD by providing additional compensation based on teacher uh student performance and teacher observations. To earn a designation, teachers are evaluated in two main areas, their classroom performance and students' academic growth. The T-TESS evaluation system is the state-approved appraisal system for teachers, which we also use in Duncanville ISD. Student growth can be used uh uh derived through a variety of methods, but in our district, we do use the pre- and post-test model to track student progress from beginning of year to end-of-year growth. For the 24-25 school year, we used the NWEA MAP assessment for K-8 math and reading, Algebra 1, English 1, and English 2. Um this year we are using i-Ready for for K-8 math and reading. Uh we're using the MAP assessment
049for English 1, English 2, Algebra 1, and this year we have also added the uh fifth and eighth grade science and biology components. Additionally, we have the Circle PreK 4 assessment for the PreK 4-year-olds, and that is a reasoning test. So, with those required components dealing with teacher observation and student growth, you can see the different um levels that the teachers have to reach in order to receive a designation. These minimums are set by the state, and so uh districts have the opportunity to add their own designation systems on top of this. The designations last for 5 years. They're actually put on the teachers teaching certificates, and so that designation can follow them wherever they go once they earn it. It lasts for 5 years. And so with the T-TESS evaluation system, teachers are ranked
050on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being needs improvement and 5 being distinguished. And so as you can see, uh for example, recognized has an average of 3.7. And then they would have to have at least 55% of their students to meet to meet growth. And again, this is the state's criteria. This year, also they have added a new acknowledged level. So based on this year's data, next year teachers can qualify for the new acknowledged level, which has the observation of 3.5 and the student growth of 50%. Districts also have some flexibility within local guidelines to add additional criteria for the selection. So designated teachers earn annual stipends that range based on the various levels. And so here you see some information listed. This just shows a range of of funding that is
051available for each level. It prioritizes hard-to-fill positions. Rural areas earn more. The amount that is designated in each campus varies depending on the campus' socioeconomic status of the students. So one elementary in this in Duncanville ISD will get one amount for recognized, and another elementary could get a different amount. They're still an average amount, and they will be closely aligned, but it will vary based on the student population at that campus. Also, these funds are TRS eligible, meaning they do count towards their retirement for compensation purposes. This chart outlines our eligibility by phase. And so, as you can see, during the 24 the designations that teachers will receive this year are based on the assessments the data that was captured last year during the 24-25 school year. And as you can see in the light
052blue, we've added the science and the pre-K 4 exam that we're talking uh that I just reviewed on the previous slide. And so, next year we will be adding social studies and pre-K 3 reading. And so, uh each year we're using this phased-in approach uh to allow us to share accuracy while we're making adjustments to the plan. Each year all data has to be validated by TEA. And so, that is an annual process where you must meet that validation test. And so, our recommendation is to use this phased-in approach with the goal of hopefully including all teachers uh at the end of 5 years. TEA requires that 90% of the funds be spent directly on teacher compensation. Um and districts are allowed to keep 10% to allow for district support. And so, while the board
053initially approved the TIA plan in the 23-24 school year, uh the plan included allocating a portion of the funds to teachers who are not yet eligible to receive a designation due to that phased-in approach. Uh like I said, we're adding science this year, social studies, and a lot of your elective courses and things of that nature, CTE fine arts, they will be added later down the line as we develop growth measures for those subject areas. The updated proposal before you tonight allocates the full 90% to designated teachers. Um if approved, the designated teachers would receive 30% of their of the full 90% that they earned going to them. They would receive 30% of that in June, and they would receive the other 70% uh in August. And the reason for that is the goal is
054to retain them in district, right? So, we want to encourage you to return to get the bulk of the TIA pay payment by returning for the next school year. And so, that is the update to the original proposed plan that you that was presented in 2023-2024. The TIA committee did gather feedback um from various stakeholders about the proposed changes in the spending plan. And so, 95.8% of the district and campus leaders surveyed supported allocating 90% of the funds directly to the designated teacher that earned uh the designation. Um 80% of teachers surveyed uh that participate on the district-wide TIA committee supported allocating 90% of the funds directly to the TIA designated teacher verse the versus the previous approach where other teachers who were not eligible would receive a portion of that funding. In the plan,
055um it also includes what happens when people leave. And so, with the movement of teachers, uh if they are promoted or reassigned teachers, if they generate allotment, uh meaning they were a teacher of record when we submitted data to the state in February, uh if they are promoted or reassigned within a district, they would continue to get that allotment. Also, if they retired, they would continue to get that allotment. Um because teachers, if they decide to leave the district, they would only get that June payment and if they did not return that 70% would have to go to other teachers, uh designated teachers at that campus. If there are no other designated teachers at that campus, then the funds have to be distributed to other teachers at that same campus. And so that is a
056state rule. The money has to go to teachers at that campus. Um of course if teachers are non-renewed or terminated and these are part of our our local criteria, they're non-renewed or terminated, uh the funds would rebe be redistributed at the campus level again to other designated teachers at that campus. Um and if there are no other designated teachers, then between other teachers that meet local criteria. Um at the same campus. And of course if they resigned before the end of the year and broke their contract, the same pattern will follow. So this slide just shows the number of designations, uh the number of teachers that we have uh being that will receive designations this year and the estimated amount of funding um that we will receive for each category. And so uh proud to
057announce that uh we will be recognizing 32 teachers uh this school year, 29 of them having their first designation in And so we're really uh proud about that. I think that was very great for our first year and so I just wanted you to have this data for your information. This is just an example of the state timeline um showing some of the progress of the the TIA application and this this cycle repeats every year. And so uh in April 2024, we applied for the system application. It's an annual application. So the application is also due again. I We did it again last year, April. It has to be done again this April. So it's an annual application. Um in August, they notify us your application has been you know accepted. Uh and then we
058turn in the data in October. And so the data is submitted in October. Uh in the spring time, we were notified in February. You receive the notification of system system approval and we will actually get the funding amounts in April. Uh to be paid out in June and in August. And so this is an annual cycle. Are there any questions? Great job, Mrs. Brown. Yes, ma'am. So Ms. Brown, I'm wondering how what is the correlation between the the student Can you put go back to the slide with the allocations, the master that one? What is the correlation between the the teachers with the designation and star achievement? I understand this is MAPS and I ready, but what type of correlation can we see um with star? So that's a good question. Um that's something we
059will probably have to look into in more detail, but I can tell you that through the data validation process that we went through with TIA, they look at what they call a value um added measure or the VAM component. And so they look at a district's data and they say first of all, how are you comparing against other districts? So your data has to be congruent in alignment. And then also they say for the students that tested in these various areas, what kind of value added measure or VAM did we think they should have you know, do they have with star? And do we also see those similar patterns with TIA? And so we passed that portion of the test. But as far as like a a correlation between individual teachers, I do not have
060that, but I know as a whole our district did pass the value added measure, which is one of the data test that you have to pass in order to get approved. That's that's really good, but I also think it would be informative, especially for the board to see the teachers that are that have the masters and the exemplary and the recognized designations. How did their students do on STAR? That also helps us see how aligned STAR and I ready may be with STAR, I ready and math may be and just give us some more information to to discuss. So, I think that's really important. I'd like to know or the board to have the information about the correlation with that. Okay. And I can get with C&I and we can work on getting that information.
061Thank you. All right. Are there any other comments? Okay, so I would like to say that I'm I'm very excited that um we are participating in this program. We know that our teachers are the backbone and they're driving you know, academic excellence and um I guess so the teachers, these 32 teachers, they will uh receive um the bonuses for lack of a better term for 5 years, correct? Yes. Yes, and then this is money coming from the state. It's not coming Correct. Yeah, so I mean this is a wonderful program and we know that it's only going to grow. You know, next year hopefully there'll be at least 64. I mean, but we know the way that um you know, Dr. Goree is working, you know, with all the administrators and the the principals and
062all of that, we're we're going up. So, yeah, very excited to see this. And with that, if there aren't any other questions, um do I have a motion that the board approve the teacher allotment spending plan? So moved. Second. Okay, it's been properly moved and second, and please cast your vote electronically. Okay, that one was unanimously approved. And and thanks again, uh Mrs. Brown. So, with that, we will now move to information and discussion items, and the first item is security and safety update, intruder detection audit findings with the chief. Madam President, members of the board, Dr. Goree, I just want to start off and say I I love meetings where we celebrate student staff and faculty. Mr. Moore is going to hate me for this, but I I got to point out, I don't
063know if you noticed when Ms. Avila asked the theater students to stand up at first, there was nobody that stood up. They were here. They were just acting like they weren't here. Thank you. You know, in all seriousness, just just to follow up, uh in in close session, we discussed We we discussed recent intruder detection audits, and and I will say that that we make it a a point to uh work with all of the schools in the district to promote safety and security, uh regardless of intruder detection audit findings. Uh we're striving to to become even more proactive, share safety tips, and and things like that. Uh as as is customary, we won't discuss the specifics uh in in open session. We however discuss them with the the safety and security committee and with
064the individual schools and administrators. So unless there are any additional questions, I just wanted to say thank you for just a phenomenal district. It's so exciting to be here. It's a great time. Great. Thank you, T. We will now move to information discussion agenda item B, building the future raising champions proposed 2026-27 Alexander Elementary strategic transition plan with Dr. Graham. Thank you. Greetings once again, President Colton and to all trustees and Dr. Goree. Tonight I'll present the proposed 2026-2027 Alexander Elementary strategic transition plan. This is important because it's a part of our long-term strategy to ensure that we continue to build the future and raise champions in Duncanville. As we look at our executive summary, this is not just in recommendation. We are aligning our facilities, our finances, and our student needs to ensure sustainability
065in Duncanville ISD. Let's start with our reality. Alexander Elementary has declined from about 400 students to about 285 projected students next year. That makes it the lowest enrolled student I mean elementary campus in our district. At the same time, we're operating in a budget constraint environment. This recommendation is about two things, operational efficiency and fiscal responsibility, and ultimately equity for all students in our district. As we look at the data behind this decision, I want to be very clear. This is not a reactionary decision. This is a result of a multi-factor analysis. First, enrollment trends, facility conditions we'll look at tonight, the financial impact of having this campus, and student access to resources are things we'll discuss in this decision. This is not about a building. This about how we responsibly serve students over the
066next 5 to 10 years in Duncanville. Our current enrollment realities. In Texas, we know that funding follows students. Through your average daily attendance, that's what drives our revenue. Over the last 5 years, our district has lost over 838 students. That equates to approximately $7.1 million in lost funding. That's not theoretical. That's dollars impacting staffing, programs, and opportunities for students. When we keep underutilized buildings open, we we spread our resources thinner, and we reduce what each student can receive across the district. This is about protecting the educational experience for all students, not just one campus. As we look specifically at Alexander, the data shows a clear sustained downward trend. From 417 students to a projected 285 students next year. That's a 21% decline. This is not a temporary fluctuation. It's a long-term pattern based on the
067demographic study that we have seen several times over the past few years. Alexander now serves the fewest students in our district and at this scale it becomes difficult to offer robust programs for students at the campus and maximizing that staffing efficiency that larger campuses have. Next, we will look at our facility operations. This building is over 50 years old. The older facilities come with higher maintenance costs and increased risk of HVAC and roofing and infrastructure problems. We're investing more dollars into maintaining a building serving fewer students each year. That's not a sustainable model. Here's the key to operational reality. The building is operating at about 52% utilization. That means nearly half of the nearly half of the building is underused but 100% of the cost remain. Schools do not scale down efficiently. That means you
068still need a principal. You still need staff and you still have to maintain the entire facility. So, we're paying half price for So, we're paying full price for half of the usage. Now, let's look at the proposed solution that we have for Alexander. We're not displacing students. We're repositioning them into stronger environments. Receiving campuses will have available space and capacity, increased peer interaction and engagement, and that creates more balanced class sizes and more efficient staffing for our campuses. As you can see, the campuses that we plan on split sending our students to are Daniel, Brandenburg, and Central. You can look at the projected capacity of the campuses that will be receiving the students and the little utilization of those campuses. Currently, students will be accepted at Central through our choice application process. Next, we want
069to look at specifically at the configuration of our proposal. The total column, and I'll go through each column, the total column reflects the projected student enrollment for each campus. Next, the capacity column shows how many students each building is designated to hold. The utilization represents the building, how much of the building is currently being used based on current enrollment, and the ED column reflects the economically disadvantaged students, in which the final column is the percentage of economically disadvantaged students. There are a few key takeaways that I want to highlight on this slide. First, Alexander and Merryfield will no longer serve elementary students, which is a part of our effort to right-size the district. Second, Central operates differently. It's a choice campus, so enrollment is based on students who apply and qualify. Currently, we're going through
070that process. Third, and very important, no campus exceeds 86% of utilization under this plan. That means we're not overcrowding schools and we're creating balanced and efficient learning environments for our students. Now, the most important insight is that even after closing two elementary campuses, our district-wide utilization is still under 62%. That means we have the capacity for over 2,000 additional elementary students in Duncanville ISD in elementary. Our current feeder patterns, as you can see, the Byrd feeder pattern has those four campuses with Bilhartz split, the Kennemer feeder pattern has three campuses with most of the Bilhartz students, and the Reed feeder pattern. All going to Duncanville High School. The proposed feeder pattern for next year is with the Byrd feeder pattern will now have Daniel, Hastings, that same part of Bilhartz, and part of Brandenburg Elementary,
071the new Brandenburg Elementary. Kennemer feeder pattern is Hyman, Acton, and part of Bilhartz. Reed is Hardin, Fair Meadows, and part of Brandenburg. And finally, the brand new Central Fine Arts Academy will open and it will have its own feeder pattern because it soon it will soon be a K through 8 campus, next year opening as a K through 5 campus. And of course, we have our new Smith Early Learning Campus opening next year as well. Now, because we want to ensure that our com- to our community that we will make sure that this building is taken care of, this building will not be abandoned. It will be repurposed for district use, ensuring continued value. Long-term use will be evaluated strategically. This allows us to preserve that asset and avoid unnecessary disposal costs. As we look
072at our timeline and next steps, we're committed to that thoughtful, transparent process. And as you can see, community meetings are in April. The final recommendation to the board will be next month, in April as well. We'll have our clear communication to the family if this were to pass next month in April. And a structured staff transition plan has already been worked on by our HR department. This is not rushed. We are ensuring clarity during this process. As I leave you with this, the decision about this about closing this school was not taken lightly. It's about strengthening the district. If we do nothing, we continue to lose resources. We continue to dilute opportunities for all students. If we act now, we stabilize an opportunity for our finances and reinvest in instruction. Again, thank you for this
073time, and I welcome any questions at this time. Thank you, Dr. Graham. Are there any uh questions, comments, or discussion? Yes. Uh I'm a little concerned about the Alexander becoming a storage facility. There's some nice homes in that area, and if I owned one, I wouldn't really be happy about that. Now, our maintenance department keeps the building and outwardly looking very nice. But I'm just concerned about it being a storage facility. And that's something we have discussed to ensure that that building continues to look nice um during the process of of converting that to a storage facility, you won't be able to tell that it's a storage facility on the outside. It will still look the same during this time. Um as I recall, there's kind of nooks and crannies in the building. Um what
074about vandalism? Uh a place for kids to go and play and whatever. What about that type of thing? And currently with with vandalism, that's that's always a problem when you have a facility that's not manned all the time. So, that is something that we can't say will not happen. But if you continue to keep the building up, normally people don't pick buildings that are that are kept up to vandalize. So, that's why it's important for our maintenance department to continue to cut the grass, keep it looking like a nice building, and for that community as you stated before. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Graham. So, I have one question. Um will we have any staff that will be housed uh at that facility? Now, as far as staff from the maintenance department >>
075Mhm. they'll be working over there. I don't know if they're actually staffed there or not. They won't be staffed. >> won't be office there. >> Okay. Okay. All right. Um so, thank you very much for that report. Uh we will now move to Yeah. Thank you. And thank you, Dr. Graham, for the excellent report. Again, I do want to reiterate uh Dr. Graham did say this though that we are going out into the community over the next 30 days before this comes back to the board because we certainly do want our community to be informed and thank the board members for your insightful questions tonight because I do believe those will be some of the things that we will face as we go into this challenging decision. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Goree. So, we
076will now move to information discussion item C, future consideration and possible action under DF FB local to approve a reduction in force due to a program change, identify the employment areas to be affected, propose non-renewal of term contracts under DFBB local, and or terminate probationary contracts at the end of the contract period in the best interest of the district under DFAB legal. Presenter is Mrs. Brown. Thank you. Good evening again, Board President Colton, Board of Trustees, and Dr. Goree. Tonight, I'm going to walk you through the proposed program changes and how they may impact staffing across the district. This presentation will outline what a program change is, uh what we're recommending, and what it means for our staff moving forward. Per DFBB, a program change is basically describing the adjustment of district operations. This can
077include changes to courses being offered, uh schedules, curriculum offerings, or the restructuring of departments and positions. Um these adjustments or program change adjustments usually allow the district to better meet student needs and operate more efficiently. With the proposal, um there are four key factors um, that are uh, determining the recommendation that we are uh, bringing for you tonight, the information that we're bringing for you tonight. And we're recommending these changes based on the need to address current bus uh, budget challenges uh, and in alignment with fiscal responsibility aligning staff with current student enrollment. Dr. Graham just reviewed some of the declining enrollment um, for example, at Alexander uh, and we know that we also have declining enrollment. We've had declining enrollment across the district. It'll allow us to prioritize core academic programs that support student
078success. Um, and lastly, it would allow us to make sure that we're using our resources, our staff um, as efficiently as possible in alignment with the fiscal responsibility, course academic needs um, and that uh, enrollment alignment. Our campuses are currently developing master schedules based on student requests, student court course requests. Uh, this means that we are prioritizing courses that support academic success. We're adjusting programs based on student selection and academic needs. And aligning staff to ensure that we are meeting those needs effectively. Some of the possible um, areas that could be impacted mainly involve uh, elective courses at the secondary level. When possible, uh, with the proper program changes, we would reassign teachers to open positions in the district that match their certification. Um, final decisions on courses and staffing will actually depend on student
079enrollment and the master scheduling needs. And our goal is to minimize the disruption while still making the necessary adjustments. With the timeline, we have began initial communication with staff regarding potential changes and possible reassignment options as we are working on designing master schedules. Um if needed, the administration may return to the board in April to recommend a reduction in force related to program changes and or determination of probationary contracts due to the program changes. Any such action would apply to positions only to positions that no longer align with student enrollment or course offerings. Our goal through this process is to stay focused on students um while being responsible with our resources and supporting our staff as much as we can through the changes. Um and doing all of this with the budget and fiscal responsibility
080in mind. Uh the budget is you primarily made of about 85% staff, usually 80 to 85% with most districts and so staffing uh is primarily what impacts districts budgets. And they usually uh go hand in hand with student enrollment and aligning that. I am happy to answer any questions that you may have at this time. And Madam President, I may add to that. Thank you, Ms. Brown. This is really a proactive measure that we're stepping forward with. We may never not even have to do this, but as we work through individual schedules, making sure that we are as responsible as we could be to meet our student needs and quite frankly our financial needs, uh we did want to present this information to the board tonight. Okay. All right. Um thank you, Mrs. Brown. So,
081trustee Phil McNeeley. I just see when you're changing all of your changing master schedules at every building. Um secondary master schedules are are being updated and aligned. And so, that's why it's primarily affecting um And we're we're doing that to prioritize core academic programs. I thought we did that anyway. Yes, but the master schedule design is providing a greater emphasis on some of those core areas providing the students with the opportunity to get additional math or reading intervention during the day at some of our secondary campuses. And so, that impacts some of the elective course offerings. And one thing I'll add to that, this is really speaking to our middle schools and the way we look at how we first are performing at the middle school level and then prioritizing that seat time in some
082of those core academics. And what we found is as we work through our master schedules, we could do a Well, let's just say we could increase our opportunities if we had students in core spaces. Pro- from a program perspective, nothing at this point is being eliminated. Everything is just a matter of how we're looking at how we're utilizing our time. Would you you're bringing this for us to vote on later? Right, there may be nothing to vote on. >> to this sounds like a blank check. I don't have enough information to vote on this. Right, this is not a This is information only. This is nothing you're voting on. >> that, but you're it it starts with information and it ends up with a vote sooner or later. Right, but we don't have we don't
083have anything to vote on now. >> information. I want to know what you're changing. Absolutely. >> to know what the I want to know what the what when you start changing master schedules, what are we changing? Absolutely. And we can't provide that for the middle school perspective. >> voting for a blank check. Agreed. Yes. I've read recently that the University of North Texas is doing the same thing in reducing courses, thus reducing staff because there's no enrollment in that area. So, it's the very same thing and I'm sure that's not the only college or university that's doing that. May I add something? If this were brought and we may not have to bring anything back to the board in April, but if it is brought back to the board in April, it would be similar
084to last year where there are specified areas and there there would be specified names and that would be on the agenda item. So, it would outline clearly the the program area uh and it would outline clearly any employees uh that were impacted by name if if it's brought back to the board in April. >> If we're making any major changes, I want it I don't want it on the day I we're going to vote on it or 2 days before. I want to know ahead of time, way ahead of time. Is that Did I make myself clear? Absolutely, yes. Okay. I have a question and uh Dr. Goree, this is really for you. Are we talk When we talk about program changes, are we looking at the middle school and uh Ms. Brown, I'm not
085excluding you. Are we looking at things like maybe having to double block math or double block English because of uh student achievement, we have this big achievement gap and so students may lose elective classes and have two English classes or two math classes to support not just passing the star, but to close the academic gap. Are Are those some of the program changes that we are looking at and and trying to plan for? Absolutely. You just described the plan at the middle school. Uh and again, what I'll what we will bring is what the middle school master schedules look like, as well as as we work through this at the high school, bring what that looks like. But again, our charge, of course, with our deficit is to really uh we have to be creative
086with our people. And as we're creative with our people, we want to do that when we do exactly what you described. We protect the academic side of the conversation, protect the fine arts, protect the athletics, protect all of those at the same time, but be more efficient with how we're utilizing people. But we will certainly uh provide that in adequate time with many opportunities for us to speak to what we're changing. And again, we're working very closely with staff, uh teachers, principals, everyone as we've gone through this. There've been several conversations around the recommended changes at our middle school. And it does speak to our performance of the school schools schools. >> not against changes. I'm just against being held in the dark. Absolutely. It's go I I can assure you you will have adequate
087information about anything. This was only so that we could begin the board to be informed. I don't have enough information. I ain't voting for it. I understand, but this is us making sure the board had some information today as we move into our budget cycle and we'll continue to bring We have several budget sessions scheduled. All of those things are done intentionally so the board members do have an opportunity to to speak your part before we come to a vote on the budget. Thank you. Are there any further comments? So, but this is not budget driven, is academics driven. Correct. So, it's budget driven and academics driven though, because again, we have an $18 million deficit that we have to cut. That's going to have to speak to people. And as we do that though,
088we don't want to just be the district that just decides, "We're just going to start cutting people." Uh the team has worked diligently with our principals and with our staff around what are those things that are going to yield the best academic outcomes. And I I can't I'm excited to give you guys tomorrow as quick as I can the middle school plan because I think it's it's brilliant. And excited to get that to you so that you can see where we've already made incredible progress in our middle school scheduling. In fact, we're pretty sure we won't have to come back at middle school because everything has worked itself out. However, as we continue to work through these schedules, we want to make sure that the board is informed and this was just a method to
089begin that that information stage for the board as we move into the cycle. Okay. But it's definitely got to do with money as well because again, our charge charge has been to balance the budget as well. I just wanted to clarify it's it's positions Right. >> instead of people. It's It's absolutely yeah, positions. Okay. Um thank you, Mrs. Brown. But two, I want to reiterate, there is no vote that's required. No one wanted to vote tonight. This was only about beginning the conversation. And I I thank everyone on the board. Coach, thank you too because you begin to help us know those things that we're going to have to those blanks that we have to fill in before we come to the vote because there will be a vote one day. >> This this left
090a lot of blanks. So, I would like to voice my time. I understand, sir. Thank you. Okay. Uh we will now move to information discussion item D, update on Central Fine Arts Academy with Dr. Mix. Madam President, members of the board, it is my absolute pleasure to bring for you in consideration of an update that we have. Last month, we provided you an update of our Smith Early Learning Academy, the progress that was taking place at that campus. This month we would like to provide you with an update on where we are with our Central Fine Arts Academy. I'd like to invite Ms. Ayanna Parker, the campus principal for this new campus that will be opening to the podium to provide a comprehensive overview of the progress of that campus at this time. Ms. Parker.
091Good evening, President Colton, board members and Dr. Gory. Thank you for the opportunity to provide an update on the progress of Central Fine Arts Academy, which is scheduled to open in fall 2026. This Academy represents an exciting step forward for Duncanville ISD as we align academics academic excellence with the arts to cultivate creativity, scholarship, and student success across the district. Central Fine Arts Academy will be a dedicated Fine Arts Academy opening in fall 2026 as a K-5 campus adding a grade level each year until the campus is kindergarten through eighth grade. The school will integrate music, visual art, theater, dance into daily instruction not just as electives but as a part of core learning. Students will experience learning that develops creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. Our instructional model will emphasize performance opportunities helping students build
092confidence and discipline. Beyond academics, the arts support social emotional growth, resilience, empathy, and self-expression. The Academy will operate from 7:45 to 3:15 and these hours were intentionally adjusted to minimize traffic congestion with Harden Elementary and improve improve arrival and dismissal flow for families and buses. This model allows us to nurture both scholars and artists from the earliest grades. Arts integration connects core academic learning with music, visual art, dance, and theater. Students learn through creative processes that deepen their understanding of academic concepts. This approach increases engagement because students are not only learning content, they are creating, performing, and expressing understanding through the arts. This approach is not just engaging, research shows it significantly impacts student outcomes. So, arts integration increases achievement and research shows that it supports social-emotional development as well. Studies indicate measurable outcomes such
093as 10% improvement in reading, math, and science scores, 5% increase in student attendance, 5% decrease in behavior incidents, and students being four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement. These outcomes reinforce why integrating arts with academics is such a powerful strategy for student success. So, Central Fine Arts Academy will operate as a choice school requiring application for enrollment. Since Central Fine Arts Academy does not have an attendance zone, in-district transportation will be provided ensuring equitable access for families. Students in grades kinder through second grade will participate in an arts exposure model introducing them to multiple art forms. And then students in grades three through five will move into a focused pathway model allowing deeper integration of the arts across um their academic courses. This structure allows us to develop early exposure while intentionally
094building towards mastery. Year one, we will have a capacity of 288 students with planned growth each year to approximately 430 students. For our staffing timeline, staffing staffing planning began in the fall with HR determining the staffing model in January. Teacher interviews began in February with in both fine arts and founda- foundational academic teachers. Interviews continued um will are continuing this month with teacher notifications expected in April. Our goal is to recruit educators who are not only strong instruct- instructors, but also believe deeply in the power of arts integration. We have implemented a comprehensive marketing strategy to ensure families across Duncanville are aware of this opportunity. Some of our efforts included updating our campus branding and logos, social media updates across district platforms, promotional videos highlighting the school in construction progress. Um and then we will
095also be participating in um the Champions Choice event and um we were on um our the podcast with Dr. Goree as well. Um and then we will also be uh creating yard signs to be um displayed across the um the district. These efforts are helping building helping build excitement and awareness across the community. The slide These slides highlight new learning spaces designated to support both academic instruction and artistic development. The building will include dedicated fine arts classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, performance and rehearsal areas, creative studios, and plus flexible learning environments. These spaces were designed intentionally to support both rigorous academics and artistic exploration. One special feature we are excited about is within the the cafeteria area, um which will include an archive wall honoring the history of Central Elementary. This wall will feature photographs that
096commemorate the generations of students, families, and educators who have been a part of the Central community. Love it. Love it. Oops. In closing, Central Fine Arts Academy represents more than the opening of a new campus. It represents an investment in the future of Duncanville ISD. By aligning rigorous academics with creativity of the arts, we are creating an environment where students can discover their talents, strengthen their academic skills, and develop the confidence to lead. In Duncanville, we proudly call ourselves the City of Champions. At Central Fine Arts Academy, we are preparing champions in a different but equally important way. Champions in scholarship, creativity, collaboration, and innovation. Central Fine Arts Academy will um help build a pipeline of scholars and artists who will continue to contribute to the excellence and pride of Duncanville ISD. Thank you again
097for your continued support of this vision and for your commitment to pro- providing innovative opportunities that elevate excellence for every student in our district. Any questions? Thank you, Dr. Parker. That was an excellent presentation. >> It's coming. It's coming. Okay. Thank you. Are there any uh comments? Yes, ma'am. Kindergarten, is that fourth graders? Or third and fourth. K5. Kindergarten through fifth grade. Fifth grade. Five year one. Yes. Five year olds, sorry. Yeah, five year olds. Five year olds, yes. Yes. Yeah, I got you. Okay. Okay. Are there any other questions? So, I I have a question. Will this also include boys? I know it says music. Is that musical uh So, for music we'll have music, traditional music, choir, and piano. Oh, great. Wonderful. It's wonderful. Okay. Are there And one thing I'll add, if
098you drive by you'll see the construction is moving along well. Yes. Yeah. Thank you. And in also I wanted to thank Mrs. Avila and her team because throughout everything we've talked about tonight it had a pretty substantial communication piece. So, yeah, thank you and your team for all that that y'all do as well. Yeah, with excellence. So, we don't have any additional items to discuss. We've reached the end of our agenda. Thank you, Ms. Parker. Uh so, being that there is are no further items to discuss, do I have a motion to adjourn this meeting? So moved. Okay, thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you for your attendance and thank you trustees for your dedication and faithfulness. Thank you. And thank you, Dr. Goree. >> Mhm.