LVISD Board Meeting held on July 14th, 2025

001Anybody sign up? >> Sign up. >> Okay. All right. Presentation search firms. >> Okay. So, we have two uh two search firms here tonight that want to present to you guys about uh services they can provide on on uh search for a new superintendent. Uh so, uh first we have TABY, Texas School Board uh here. they will be presenting first. Uh each group will be given 15 minutes and then the next group will be uh Leon Aala with Matt Hunter will be representing uh that law firm and that search firm and so they will be given 15 minutes as well. And so I will crank task again and they >> so sorry before we do that for those in the audience you just articulate the legal requirement of what will require to because there's some

002questions out there about do we have to do a bid is three bids. >> Okay. All right. So uh since this is a professional service you you legally do not have to go out and and get a any type of proposal or anything like that. However, the board felt like it would be best to interview two different search firms, see which one that would best fit uh the search that that you guys would like to to have. Uh but it is not a requirement for us to to go out for proposals. Uh but y'all as a board felt like this was the best way to go about listening to two different firms to see which one would be the best fit for the search. So um yeah, [Music] you Good ammunition. We have right here

003got George and Jack wanted to do some introductions and uh so this is sex association school boards. So they're pass out some handouts and then they'll get started. 10 I believe. Nice. Then I'll get one of my team. >> Yeah, just point to Okay, George. Sure. >> All right. Well, well, good evening. I'm George Kazanis and I'm with the Texas Association of School Boards. So pleased to be here this evening to visit with you about executive search services from us. And to my left is Dr. Marian Strus and this is uh Mr. Jack Damron. And Jack is your field service representative for region 13. And Marian is our senior consultant in ESS. So I'm going to let them introduce themselves real quickly, their backgrounds, and then I'll introduce my background. >> Okay. I'm a retired

004superintendent, but I've been doing this for about 15 years now. So my uh the last superintendency was in Wimberly. So um um and I was in Somerville and a couple of others. So we're happy to be here. And I'm Jack Dameron. I am your field service representative and have been for the last 12 years for the region 13 area. I cover other territories around the state as well. All of my prior experience was down in South Texas, deep south Texas in the Rio Grandandy Valley. I was a superintendent uh before that high school principal, teacher coach, worked at the service center twice, and my last gig before retiring through TRS was a director of region one education service center. When we moved to the central hill country about 12 years ago, I had the opportunity

005to uh join the TASBY forces and I've been out there doing the work calling on superintendent primarily and pro trying to provide all of the needs that TASBY can provide to help districts operate with more efficiency and effectiveness. And we're glad to be with you this evening. Thank you so much for having me. >> Well, thanks Jack. And as I said, I'm George and I've been with TASB now a couple of years. Uh like my colleagues, I'm a former superintendent. Uh spent 24 years of my career as a superintendent. My last position was in Midway there in Waco and before that up in Witchaw Falls and before that uh China Spring ISD. And uh so I feel like uh in looking at your uh demographic study that I saw that you had on your web,

006you very familiar uh similar to when I was in China Spring ISD. A lot of some growth uh with 1,800 kids now, but projected I saw to go over 3,000 or so. So, uh, exciting times ahead of you all with with that. So, again, just real quickly, uh, behind you is a is is the presentation. I know if you had it on your computers or not, but, uh, just understand, of course, we're Tasby. We have been in a nonprofit supporting public schools for 75 plus years, began in 1949, but most interestingly enough, Executive Search Services started in 1988. So, we are one of the oldest firms uh that that conduct searches across Texas. we have uh been a member uh excuse me a part of the the services and the offerings there in your folders

007I do have something there on I believe on your the right side to kind of show you uh some of the other products and services that he has but uh again executive search started in 1988 you'll notice again I already introduced to you Marion and myself but Dr. Robert Duron is also a member of the team uh Dr. Dr. Don is a former superintendent of course too but worked for is working for TASBY and worked for TASBY and an in executive uh associate executive director level for many many years and now is working part-time with us to help us with searches. Uh but the other thing on our slide there if you'll go back one more for me is just wanted to show you was the there you go was just that network there a

008field service team and uh back in a little over a year ago in December of 2023 um we formed and and and merged the divisions of executive search and field services and so in doing so that network of experienced folks work together uh now of course as Jack mentioned his role supporting uh the superintendent and the district with TASBY but now the field service team all across Texas uh talks about advertises, recruits uh and helps us in our vetting and referencing for all candidates in executive search services. So, I'm really glad to have them. The next slide just shows that team. Um again, all of these consultants have over 30 plus years in public schools. Uh they they represent and work throughout all of the regions of Texas. Uh each one has a certain number

009of regions that they call upon and and districts that they call upon. But one of the things that we have too that we're real proud of is we do have a dedicated program coordinator in the Austin office. Joy Rivera and Joy will be available at all times to help to assist our candidates with the application and deadlines and uh questions they may have along the way. But she's also there to to help you if if I'm not able to answer your questions or Marian or Jack. She's there as well just if there are any logistical type of questions. She's very good about maintaining our schedules and keeping up those deadlines. And so she is uh there to to serve and to help us. Uh over 800 districts. Uh if you go back one more, I'm

010sorry. 800 districts have been served. Uh we're really getting closer to 900 of those or so. Uh as I said, one of the longest and the oldest organizations that have conducted searches. We're proud of that. And so we're proud of getting close to that thousand school district mark uh in our in our history. Just uh also there in your folders, you'll see our I went ahead and included a a quot sheet to you. We're an all-inclusive fee, just so you understand that. We don't charge by by the hour or charge for reimbursement for any type of of travel that we may have. Uh so we'll we're here as long as it takes to get the job done and for your satisfaction. So please know that. Next slide. What we do uh our focus of course

011is is super intense. uh we we will help uh we do have a community college division for example at Tazby and and on occasion we have helped with community college uh presidents but primarily 99% of our work is for superintendent uh and of course our services are customized to your district. Yes. Uh we have some recommendations, but if we are so chosen by you, we want to come back uh and visit with you and have what's called a planning meeting so we can hear from you uh and learn more about you and your district and and some of your thoughts and ideas that you would want to see, make sure that are part of your search. So, please understand that each district is is unique. Each district is different and our search process will be

012different based on your input and what you would like to see uh in in the search process for your next superintendent. I just want to assure you of that. Now, we do have some things like we want to make sure you understand we house all the applications. We're not burning anyone in your district with that. Uh we h take care of all of the scheduling. We take care of all the phone calls, all of the referencing, all of the data collection, things of that nature. But other than that, uh, for we'll visit with you about some things that won't we will make sure are unique to your district. Next slide. So, while we Excel, uh, one of the things we're proud of though is that 90% success rate of our superintendent retention uh, for three

013plus years. Uh, for five plus years, we're well over 80% as well. So, we're glad. This is a certainly an everchanging market uh, that we have with superintendent and with public schools and public education. so many things, so many challenges that are ahead of our schools with at the legislative level and funding and things of that nature. Uh, but we're really proud that we though can work with you all to make sure we have a a superintendent for a number of years for you. And we, as I mentioned to you, we do bring more experience than any of our other probably others that have visited with you about search services than than the rest. And uh, please remember, we're dedicated to our members. uh Lago Vista ISD is a member of TASBY and this is

014again uh executive search was asked by members uh back in 1988 to conduct help them conduct searches and so we're very pleased to continue to do that. Next slide. Customizing your search. So every search in Texas is different and priorities and the mission of each district is different. So, we want to make sure we find the leader that best fits uh Logo Vista and so that represents your goals and objectives and and dreams, but also your values of your community. So, we want to be sure we get to know you better and get to know your community better and get to know your staff better, not your teachers and and administrators as well as as community members. And so, uh that photo there is just of a recent search in Gulweight ISTD. He's a little

015bit small, of course, smaller than you are, but a great great superintendent and his wife and they're thrilled to have him and uh appreciate uh their work there in that district to welcome him and he's been doing a great job and so but they were unique too is a different district than uh Loggo Vista will be. So, next slide, the search process. And as I mentioned to you, we we we do rely upon uh our our our extensive team of field service representatives. And so, yes, Marian, Jack, and myself will be will be your main points of contact, but my other field service team will be a part of your search, too. There's more behind the scenes. They're more behind the scenes, for example, of advertising the job. We have our normal channels of advertising,

016but of course they they talk they're in the offices of every single superintendent and we'll talk about it. We do a a monthly newsletter and into each of the different regions. The superintendents within those regions will receive those with the different openings. And so once we start looking at candidates, then they help us uh in terms of the vetting. They provide us great information uh that they've collected about candidates in terms of their in their in their uh districts and uh help us along the way to help narrow that pool. Just know that every part of the process though is very intentional. Uh as many years as Marian said, she's been doing this 15 plus years, many more than I have, but uh very very intentional and thought thoughtful along the way. These are some

017things that have worked. uh we certainly are open to to feedback and and we've been tweaking our processes along the way because of course this is uh uh 2025 but uh we feel like we have come along uh and are ready of course to assist you along the along this process. Next pro next next slide. So the search kickoff if you were to hire us we the slide there just represents that we're a team we're together as the model listed together and uh at our planning meeting is really critical at this juncture that we talk about your timeline and so speaking of timeline I did place one in your folder again please it is just a sample uh it is certainly not set in stone it's very very negotiable uh Marian Marian was looking at

018that and we were talking through it and this is just for example looking at a timeline where as uh your vote to hire in this particular process is by the by the end of October. And so we're looking at primarily August, September, and October. So we certainly then translates into our process is about a 90-day process which includes that 21-day waiting period, but generally 90 to 100 days are really required for good solid search. so that we have the opportunity to to to post, we have the opportunity to advertise, the opportunity to recruit, and then you have ample time to review applications, go through interviews and things of that nature. We also want to get your commitments. Make sure that all seven of you can uh attend the meetings. It's very critical. All seven of

019you are part of the process. All seven of you are are able to attend every single interview uh in every step of the way. We want to finalize with you some qualifications and characteristics in the booklet there on the left hand side of the folder. Uh it's for you to keep, but it does outline our process. But in that booklet, we do have some of the characteristics and qualities that we find uh pretty common uh through our extensive work in the state. It does through our research doesn't mean they're logistic, but these are some minimum things that we feel like. For example, communicator, an effective communicator. Another one, for example, is financial management. As I mentioned with the legislative session, more than ever, is it is it critical that your superintendent has a good understanding

020of of financial management? Thirdly, maybe being able to get to work with you all have cander and trust and build that and build community relations as well. So, those are just some things, but we also want to hear from you. We also want to know other things that are important so that we can address those in the application. And then finally, we want to be a part of the community. So community involvement means talk with you about how you would like us to gather some community input. Uh we work on behalf of you um here at TASBY on behalf of the board. So we conduct those type of town hall community meetings for you. Uh we'd love to gather that input possibly. Uh one thing that's been successful is having you all uh uh provide

021us some names that you would like to specially invite maybe to a lunchon or something like that and we would gather input about the next superintendent. But we would also have open community meetings. We suggest having staff meetings with teachers as well as staff meetings with administrators, things like that, too. So, we're here as much as needed. Could be a day, could be over a couple of days, just what, however you all want to design that for us. Next slide. So, during the search application process, we're advertising recruiting. Uh, at the same time, we're going to post this job in a number of ways that that super those aspiring superintendents or sitting superintendents are going to look. Many of them look to TASBY's ESS page. Many superintendents look to other websites. Uh, and then we

022also have a social media presence through LinkedIn, things of that nature, too. So, we get the word out quite a bit. As I mentioned to you earlier, our field service representatives do the same thing in their own newsletters and discussions and talks all across Texas. Uh, we also have uh coming up next week, for example, at TASBY headquarters mock interviews. These are just opportunities for candidates to come in. uh Marion and I will talk with them one-on-one and look at their resumes. Whereas the field service team conducts about a 20 30 minute interview with them, not about one particular job, just overall and and kind of coach and help them and for us to get to know the candidate pools as well. We do that twice a year. We see about 30 or more each

023time. So, it's a really good opportunity for us. Finally, in the in the application itself, we do can include a video component and we boards have shared with us how positive that has been. So, in the in our presentation materials to you, of course, you're going to see traditional materials like uh resumes and cover letters, uh transcripts, letters of recommendation, but you'll also have a video component. And they're going to be talking not too long, maybe uh a minute or so or longer on on a couple of questions. And so it gives you an opportunity to see a kind of a face to a name and and and see how they react and and and see that individual before making your final selections of who you would like to to bring in for interview. And

024so uh during the application review meeting uh we will be here come back and spend what a couple hours here 2 three hours uh to to visit with you about that. Um one bonus is you do get board credit uh just recently gotten approved. there's a new process to go through but got approved for to award credit to board members as a provider. So you do get some credit for that three hours for the interview process dos and don'ts but also we help uh help you along the way select candidates uh and also help design your actual interview. We have a great big pool of uh of uh questions and and suggestions for you and we work through that as well to help design the best interview for you as along the way. uh we

025take care as I mentioned to you all the scheduling all the phone calls uh and uh one of the things you'll notice on the timeline is we suggest but but it's certainly your choice if you would like maybe to conduct a site visit you'll notice on the on the timeline that we propose a a a first round of interviews as well as a second round of interviews after your second round of interviews you may have a we call a person of interest person that that's your number one candidate and then sometimes a contingency of the board not a quorum But two to three of you might want to visit his or her your candidates's district and so we certainly can help uh help you along the way. >> Next slide. >> So point of order

026we have allowed 15 minutes. I just want to make sure that >> I'm on top of that and if not we allow the next >> Okay. >> Where am I? >> Wrapping up. >> We got to keep going. >> Am I at 15 minutes? >> You passed. >> Oh, sorry. I didn't know that. >> You're good. You're good. I just want to make sure that >> we'll make sure that okay I'm at the I'm at the bidder in here. So just remembering the process loan finalist to vote to hire. One of the things that SASBY adds is an added value to you though is a transition workshop. So we'll come back another 3 hours of credit awarded to you 3 months 4 months uh 5 months just depends uh on on the camp of the

027superintendent and you all schedule. So make sure things are going well and answer any questions and help along the way. Next slide. guarantee after two years. Uh if if your superintendent is not still sitting with you after two years, we will come back. We hope that never happens, but we will definitely come back and do that search and work with you to get the right candidate for you. Next slide. Go quickly and keep going on these. We will skip through videos that we have of some testimonials. Keep going. Will it keep going? Nope. Keep going. I'll hit it again. Keep going. The rest of it is is is just our contact information. >> No, keep going. Hit keep hitting them. Hit the down arrow. So, those are some search highlights. Those are also in the

028the booklet that I provided to you as well. Uh searches that we have done. Uh just finally on a personal note, as I mentioned to you, the experiences that I've had uh as a sitting superintendent, I feel like match really well to to Logista being in China Springs. I started with about 12,300 kids as superintendent and when left it was growing to 2,200. They're like at 3,000 now. Uh uh as well as in Midway ISTD with several different bond packages passed. It's very exciting. Uh I know Mr. has done an outstanding job for you, but it's very exciting to of course and attractive to candidates uh of where you are and and that you have so many great things in order and ready to go and uh uh it's a wonderful opportunity. So questions. >>

029I'm just curious what are you seeing as far as uh what we consider an average number of applicants per position? >> Average I would say is in between 25 to 30. Okay. Some more, some less. Uh it's really in in like real estate almost location matters location some will be as many as 60 some may be as many as as few as 15 to 20 uh just have to under I think with where you're located uh in the Austin area uh of course not far 35 I think this is going to attract uh a strong pool. >> Okay. >> How many searches are your is your team right now currently engaged in? Currently, again, it doesn't mean Marian and I are necessarily engaging, but across the state, we have uh some that were engaged with,

030but they're in the fall. They haven't kicked off just yet. Uh the current ones we have begun. Uh we haven't necessarily started Snook ISD in the Ryan College, a smaller district. Uh in South Texas, uh La Prior and then in the fall, uh we'll have Laredo ISD in the in South Texas and >> Jim Hog and Jim Hog. Yeah. ISD. >> Your team or the broader tax? broader tasby broader tasby broader test but I I'm the division director so I'm going to be in intricately involved in all types of searches looking at those but uh as I said I have the field service team all throughout Texas to assign those to >> and we do this full-time so we're not at a board meeting we're on the phone talking to candidates or board members so

031this is a 7 day a week position that we do >> but one of the advantages is that is that though don't I hope don't be discouraged by if do have other openings because each one is different and each one is in a different part of the state and each one uh carries different uh I guess advantages to them or possibilities and different types of pools of candidates uh for for each position and so that's what we like to do in our planning meeting of course is learn more about you but then when our recruiting is this is going to be a different recruitment for example than than Snook. It's going to be a different recruitment than Laredo that kind of thing too. So, it's a different different different candidate pools. >> Um, one thing

032that wasn't included is the public presentation was a proposal fees. >> Yes. >> So, for the $11,000 fee that's fixed, I know there's a board approval of travel. So, I'm not worried about that. But for your services, >> $11,000 fixed from here until higher. >> Yes. >> Here until no hire. like >> as long as it takes until you hire. So we could be working and then things something bogged down or extended or this or that. We're still we don't build. We don't you might notice at the very bottom you're not build until that superintendent is in place >> and and not just the loan finalist but the after the 21 day and the contract is sign and you have voted for the person. >> Plus that includes that transition session where people from government

033>> board development ourselves can help out. do your team of eight training and you'll get credit for that. >> So Marin, you have 15 years, correct? >> Mhm. >> You have 24 years that >> as a superintendent >> out in the search >> in the search almost two now. >> Two years. >> Yeah. >> And I had 32 years of education. >> And then your three plus success your success rate is 90%. Your five plus is 80%. Is that correct? >> Yes. three on the job three years. Y'all have been very fortunate by the way. Congratulations. You had someone here. The average is nowhere near >> 3.2 still. >> Darren has been here. So that speaks volumes about you as a board and the community that that's a >> Darren has a great board and

034a great community. That's not right. Next question with regard to Lagoa, how do you think it's perceived by superintendent or potential superintendent? >> I think they're going to be very excited about the opportunity. Uh I think the opportunity for growth that you've said was on us all your you know with demographic studies to see that you have housing and growth coming in which is new opportunities but but it wasn't overwhelming your growth in terms of the numbers in terms of the a person that can come in and look at that take take where you are and and be able to plan uh for the the future I think would be very attractive. It will be and especially for those that have families having to, you know, a long time ago before I went to Wimberly,

035I applied here. I don't even remember how long ago that was, but it's about where you want your kids to go to school, too. And this is going to be a a very attractive um district for a lot of people. >> George, if I might add, both Mary and I have called on the region 13 service area over the years, and I do believe that you will. That question was a great question. you're going to have some uh great applicants and I do believe you'll have quite a pool from which to choose. Uh there's going to be a lot of interest in this district and again the tenure that you have in your current superintendent and the job that he's done and the work that you have done jointly as a team of eight uh

036I think speaks volumes and this is a gorgeous area. It's a a wonderful place. You're going to have a lot of very potential interest in this job >> from my perspective. >> Thank you for that. And then the final one, can you give me a little bit more information about that 2-year guarantee that you communicated? What does that look like? >> It looks like again, it certainly would be a very unfortunate occurrence if the superintendent and you part ways with your superintendent, but then we would get we would want to be back in. We want to be in visit with the board at the time uh and start the search, work with you. No additional cost at all, but but work with you to get the right person in place to find out what happened

037as well too and learn from that and uh post again and go through a process with you to make sure you get someone. Okay. >> In my 15 years, I've had to repeat twice and it was, you know, we we lead you. We don't tell you who to hire. we're gonna lead and direct and guide and um but it's still a board decision but I have had to redo twice in 15 years. So I think that rarely it rarely happens and we never want it to happen. So we do our background information first to make sure or to try to make sure that they're a good fit after we get to know you all a little bit. we can kind of um help with with that and we're going to bring you information about every

038candidate that we gather while the applications are open as people apply and you use we lean on our field service but also on our expertise and people that we know we're not just going to check their references we're going to check people that they don't have on their references that we know will know about their record. Thank you. >> And on a techn technical matter, she's talking about that, but we also included in the fee, I hate to say this, but it is a third party background check. And so all your top candidates that that you interview in the second round will go through a third party, which is your criminal background checks, your credit reports, bankruptcy, all of that. Make sure all things are clean, too. So media >> and a social media review.

039>> Okay. >> Any other questions? >> Thank y'all so much. Thanks for being here. >> I appreciate it. I'm going to grab my flash drive and get out of your way. >> We're going to go eat at the pier at the pizza. Is it? >> I don't know. There were cars there. Thank you. [Music] Okay, great. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. >> Pleasure meeting you. Thank you very much. Got [Music] it. That was my question. Now you show up. I wonder if she probably remember you think that's going to take 15 minutes. What's about to happen? Did you notice it? >> Oh god. 15 minutes. I was not paying attention. >> Hey, just like to introduce >> uh Matt Underwood. Uh he is part of Leon Kala Law Firm and so he is

040going to present to you guys uh about their search. >> Matt, you get 30 minutes start to finish. Uh we including questions. Yeah. I don't know what happened with that last group. U was that penetrating question. Of course, we're always trying to sell something. [Music] Okay, y'all have too many people. Okay. Um Okay. Obviously going through searches myself. Um I have picked over the good, the bad, the ugly. Um the ugly part is trying to keep everything top secret. Okay. Confidential search is numero uno in our book. Now it makes it easier for us because a we're a law firm. we can't talk about a lot of things. Um, and we also have a pretty small team and so the word doesn't get out as quick as some other firms have let the word out.

041Um, parameters that you set for your salary, um, kind of the person that you're looking for, you need to get that kind of nailed down pretty quick. And I know y'all's timeline and your search is probably going to be maybe fasttracked a little bit. Is that what I'm hearing? >> Yes. >> Okay. Um because we want a lot of experienced board members to be able to kind of walk through this process, I think, with everybody else. But um there's a lot of communication on the front end that I have to do on behalf of the district and that includes salary expectations because a lot of people will ask that. It won't be the first thing they ask. They know not to do that. Um but it it definitely will be in the in the question.

042Um I went through a search all the way to the end and was 502 and still didn't know what the salary was. They offered me the job and it was a $1,000 raise. I wasn't moving my family for $1,000. So, those conversations need to happen upfront and we'll work through that as as a group. Um, we do have some advantages uh over other firms. Uh, we are newly retired, so to speak. So, we know a lot of people that are sitting in the seats of the places that you're going to actually want to interview these individuals. Um, and we also obviously have a team of lawyers behind us. And so, we're kind of a turnkey organization. They will come in and negotiate the contract u after you decide on who your loan finalist is going

043to be. And that's that's pretty important, too, because that keeps everything inhouse and keeps everything confidential. Uh but I can't stress enough the confidentiality of the process is the key to a successful uh superintendent search. And um I I mean it's happened to me. It'll happen, but I the Charlton police was running my license plate in Stevenville when I was interviewing there. And then I had to come back and tell Gerald that you need to go to the superintendent search meeting. That was a horrible situation. Don't want to bring that up right now. Um, but anyway, long story short, um, they do have some good things that that they're coming out with now as far as videos. And if y'all are interested in that, uh, the process that I would suggest is that you pick

044some people that you'd be interested in talking to and then let me know and I'll put that as their first round. They make a video, then we can sit down and go through the videos and kind of get a feel. I wouldn't have every candidate send a video because you don't want to spend time on some of these if you if you see on paper that you don't want to talk to them, you don't want to spend your time watching the video. So, I think that was a good move that I saw from a search firm not long ago. But, uh it's pretty much the same recipe with everybody. uh you know, just set a timeline and if you you want to go fast with it, then we're going to post it in a hurry

045and then we'll work the back end to try to match what the community wants, what the board wants, and what the staff wants. Okay? That's that's kind of a three-prong deal. So, it'd be nice if the board would set some overriding goals kind of of what you're looking for and then I can probe the community and the staff with some ideas that follow those goals so y'all can all kind of be in lock step in what you're looking for. And and I always laugh because I'm not going to pick on Darren, but you know, when when he was hired, uh, they asked Henry, they said, "Well, what is what about what's different about Darren than Matt?" And she said, "Well, Darren's just not as flashy." And so, see, you get somebody like me that's flashy

046like that. So, now the next guy is going to have to be flashy probably cuz you're going to work on that. That's the one you got to go with. Um, sometimes you run into issues with academics, uh, accountability and you want somebody that's curriculum person or if you've got budget constraints, you want somebody that has some finance knowledge, but uh, or you have issues in the community, right? Passing bonds, you want somebody that works within the community, those kind of things. So, it really depends on what you guys are looking for that we set the parameters to try to walk the community and the staff in somewhat of the same direction. Does that make sense? >> Okay. Okay. Um, let you look at it. One is hired. Uh, we kind of laid that out for

047you. And then of course obviously we're going to go through and and wash out the district and get all the information u enrollment, accountability, finances, fund balance. That'll be a a big deal to look at. Um and then we'll post all of that as soon as you guys want us to. It doesn't take us long to to scrub the district. Matter of fact, I already talked to Miss Pock today about some of that. So, walley and roll, right? Knock it out. But y'all have any any other questions? Usually, it's a six. You pick six to eight first round. You know the drill. And then uh second round, you'll go two or three for the second interview. And then you'll pick a a lone finalist. And it's kind of a similar situation that TASBY does as

048far as how's that structured. Your second interview will be more of an informal meeting with the candidate and the candidate's spouse. So that's that's something to keep in mind. >> How many searches have you all performed? >> We've done a little over 30 because we only do it for our clients, but our clients are growing super fast. We picked up Round Rock in Georgetown the other day and so our our firm is really really growing fast. So, but the key to us and I was talking about this earlier is we only do one search at a time. >> That's I think that's the how many he done versus concurrently. You do one at a time. >> We only do one at a time. That's right. >> We got in the mind one time cuz the

049board changed their mind about the timeline and we did have a couple one time going on but we don't like to do that. We like to have one at a time because then you don't have cross applications. and you've got you've got somebody that's looking at three or four jobs, you know, he's trying to get out of his current situation. And obviously with a lot of clients that we have, we know what's happening behind the scenes. So that also helps scrub out some people that y'all would not want to bring to the table. >> And from a and I I flipped through the deck, from a fee perspective, has that been included in here? >> Uh $2,500. Okay, great. >> And that's turnkey. That includes contract negotiations and everything. >> Appreciate that. Thanks, man. >>

050Mhm. >> How many searches have you conducted? >> I have been on five, I guess, now pretty. [Music] >> Yeah, I've been through a few. I'm >> I'm going to leave some of those districts unspoken, let's say. Yeah, but you've been so you've been through that to his point. >> Oh, absolutely. That's what I said. I've seen good searches and I've seen bad searches. >> So, I assume that you have faith in Leon Ala's. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sarah, I I mean, I've always said this jokingly, but if she can keep me out of trouble, she can keep anybody out of trouble. >> She did a good job. Now, do you have any data with regards to your success rate from 3 to 5 years, 2 to 3 years? >> Three, we did

051have one superintendent turn over in 9 months. Um, but that was right when I was joining the firm and all I was really doing was background checking and I did not background check that applicant. We kind of do an East Texas, West Texas split. Um, I know most of the schools in West Texas and my partner is just retired from East Texas school. So, she she has a pretty good hold of region four and six in that direction. So, that's kind of how we how we cross reference. >> So, no doubt for the success rate. >> No, like I said, that's the only one that I know of since I've been on that's been a that's kind of stubbed their toe. And then how many years did you have with the department? >> Um I

052Well, you mean as far as this capacity? >> Correct. >> Yeah. Um I've been in this capacity for 3 years. >> Three years. >> And then how many applicants are you seeing average come in for any given search? >> Um this is going to be I think you're going to have a lot more for this search. I I'm pretty sure that this is going to be a nice shiny penny for a lot of people. It's a great school district, great location. Um, I would think maybe we'd have up to 40 for this type of search. Um, the last search I did, I think we only had like 25, but it was a smaller district, >> but no information with regards to average applicants per searches. Is that correct? >> No. Right. I haven't run that

053those numbers for all 30 searches. That's a good question. >> That's all I have. Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. >> So, Matt, the first meeting, that's where you're going to sit down with you come back as a board, we develop, okay, this is what we're looking for. >> Right. Right. And and then we'll put that as overriding goals and then I'll make the staff questionnaire um after that. Now, that's the only thing that's a little tricky about this if you're moving fast in the summer is you don't have staff here. So, it's it's getting them to answer some of this. >> Okay. They went in that day of work then. >> I mean it just I mean it just changed. I mean it's just it's hard to believe that it's >> Yeah. When's your

054first day of school? >> 14th. Wow. That is that's around the corner. >> Yeah. That won't be a problem. We'll be back. >> We'll be back. >> How'd that taste? >> Now are y'all thinking special meeting regular meeting as far as the first meeting when we had those kind of discussions? >> I think we go as fast as possible. Right. So it probably special. >> Yeah, I think it could be special just due to the fact of the accelerated timeline. I mean, we're not hes we're not hesitating that if we need to have a special meeting, I think we've talked about >> Okay, >> we'll do it. >> Yeah, I say that's what I would suggest if you if you can pull that off with summer schedules. Sometimes it's hard. >> So would you be

055overseeing the surgery? >> Yes. >> The next regular meeting 11th August. Hey, ma'am. Could you push your back a little bit? Microphone is on that. >> Oh, I thought this was a podium. What did I know? >> Any thoughts, questions? >> Well, and like I said, at the end of the day, here's here's a big sales pitch to you. It's a lot of work for $6,500. I'll be honest, you know. Um, but I don't think anybody's going to care more about this district than I do. And I want to make sure that whoever follows this guy's footsteps is as good as this guy. So, I I've got definitely some stake in the game. >> Appreciate that. >> Thanks, man. Okay. Any other questions, thoughts? Sure. See you talk. >> Well, you're trying to get there.

056>> You remember the the time that they were sitt there? We were talking about leaving the the budget item for the superintendent search. Y'all y'all remember that? >> Yeah. Henry's like, "Oh, I think we just leave that open." >> She was ready for me to leave before I left. >> She was. She's funny. Okay. If y'all have anything else, y'all good? >> Okay. Appreciate y'all. [Music] Yeah. All right. Item number four, consideration of possible approval to select a search firm for the superintendent of schools. >> Oh, sorry. Can I ask a question? >> Yeah. >> Does this have to happen now or being that personnel matters are on a closed >> when the discussion and the selection has to happen in open session >> according to the attorney? According to the attorneys, we actually checked.

057>> Can it happen after close session? >> It it could. We just wouldn't be able to discuss it in close session. >> Well, we can move it after. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> We can move the agenda. >> Doesn't matter. We can't discuss it. >> No, you can't. We actually >> We talked to Sarah and Michelle about that. >> But it is on the agenda for Thursday night as Yes, we did put it just in case board wanted to give some time. So, it's >> discussion avoid a walking corner. >> I 100% agree in that. >> Yeah. >> Can you say that? >> I just said I think we should just discuss it now instead of avoiding a walking potential walking corn. >> Oh, I think they're both been offered the same services. Matt does have

058a vested interest. He does know this is armed and it's half the president >> and he has one search. >> Yeah, >> that's the one that's still s I mean as much as you want to conflate and diffuse a conflict of entrance if you have multiple superintendent searches going on at 4 school districts in the general vicinity of the state. I think that's a conflict of interest. Not saying that they're doing, >> but it's like >> You mean that Matt has only one going on at one time? >> One search one time. One superintendent that he and his team is trying to find Phil versus a machine that's got >> I don't remember the exact number, multiple searches happening at the exact same time, >> trying to find the best candidate for multiple districts. I

059have to believe the best candidate for multiple districts would be the best candidate for us and multiple districts. >> Well, I can speak to that experience because in the last two searches that TASMB's done for us that I've been involved in, we've had candidates that made our short list that they had to notify us that had made somebody else's short list. >> Yeah. >> So, we have done a good job of identifying qualified applicants. It's just that we are we weren't moving. We we were just behind the the other searches. They were further along in their search and they were able to but they I mean I I could think of two examples of that. >> Yeah, definitely. And and they searched for Darren and for Matt himself and they they found those candidates for

060us. Plus, they have a network of people they can go to to choose from. I think more than Leon or K would. >> No. So you're on the TASBY side of the discussion >> to to a degree. Yes. But I'm I'm >> one was polished, one was not. >> Yeah. I'm not sure which one was. >> I'm Well, you communicated a machine, right? So the machine for me is task. I'm not calling machine one basic. They've been here since 88. They have the networks. They have the process. They have the data. get any data from >> what data >> success rate, right? That's a big one. >> You could only one. >> Yeah. For me it's very you have a Ferrari and you have a Toyota in my opinion and it was presented here in

061front and that >> well using that analogy the question we want to buy a Ferrari Toyota right one that's going to be in the shop all day or one that's going to be driving us down the road for thousands of miles >> the communication was it's a lot of work for 6500 >> I think you need to calm after that. But I invested in this district and it's absolutely worth it. I mean, but it was still safe. >> No, you can't quote half the you have to quote the whole sentence. >> I would I would have just said I have vested interest. Why add money to it? >> I think he spent a lot of time. The problem is is that you've never met him before and don't know him. So, he spent a lot

062of time out in this district, worked here for a thousand years, went through the bond process and stuff. So, it's a certain familiarity, which is probably what you were picking up on. I personally Either he he thinks he has it and didn't bring his egg in. >> That's absolutely not the impression I got. >> This is where I'm This is my opinion or he just doesn't have it. What I'm communicating is we have a machine that does have it. They were able to provide they were able to articulate. They were able to provide a lot more data than what Mr. Underwood. So once again, in my opinion, you have two levels. He's only been working for them for 3 years. Tasmine's going forever. She's been 15 years. To me, it's not day. >> No, I

063see your point. I disagree, but I see your point. >> Absolutely. >> I like the fact that it's one person. I particularly like the fact that he's vested in this community and has a certain relationship with some even some teachers and administrators that we have plus people in the community and it'll make it an easier. I don't see a machine being able to relate as well to some of our community members that would want to give input versus Matt who's got a little bit more laidback. >> Yeah. >> I just like approach I just like the network ability that he had that Tazu has. They're contacts all throughout the state right through TAS. >> Well, they have to be. I mean they got 137 school districts under contract right now. >> Yeah. >> I mean

064so I mean I look at it a little bit differently. The way I look at it more is I like I like the I like the boutique. I like the people who behind the scenes know the legal aspects of what we're going on. I don't need to know. I look at if you're got a free service because your superintendent didn't last two years. Something was wrong with your search. You didn't vet him properly. Um I think TASBY has an all-encompassing group of services that are fantastic. But when it comes to asking really difficult questions about what's going to go on in the UIC, I mean, I don't have any problem calling up him and just going do better >> or do this. That's not what we're looking for. And I think the vested interest in

065knowing him since 2010. I mean, he's going to put it on Texas ISD, which I go there regularly. He goes, he's going to put it on the Tassel website. And then one of the fastest growing law firms in the state of Texas. Having it from a legal standpoint, knowing what's going on behind the scenes and who their clients are, >> that's fine. >> Yeah. But I think we're going to get a better idea personally rather than part of my reiterating the machine. >> I want boutique. I want somebody's going to be specially invested in Mago Vista, not trying to find multiple different candidates to fit around a square peg and round hole and hope it works. So I think um that's my I think we all know we're on tight time. >> Very tight. >>

066So we're on tight timing. So, this might be one of those rare topics where the board is potentially split. That said, are we committed to trying to get to a resolution tonight? >> We can table it until >> I don't I actually table. I just want to make sure we're aligned to debating this. >> I mean, we do have a full We have a full agenda tonight. Just real quick, I move that we hire Leon Okala and Matt Underwood to execute our superintendent search. That's a motion to second the floor. Then we can debate the book. >> Kevin made the motion virtually seconded. >> So I wasn't trying to I just want to get the formally >> and I agree. I think we need we are I agree 100%. At the end of the day,

067we all have differences, right? And that's what we're here. Yeah. >> Um, and I've communicated and stated my opinion, right? To me, it's very black and white, night and day. I saw here and I saw here. And I'm not being disrespectful. I'm just communicating what I saw. And at the end of the day, this board has not been about the chief. to your point we have been about going to TA going by body going through CASBY so to me we're we're sort of going different direction in the biggest decision that we have to make right and I rather have experience knowledge network data to make that decision >> they can all get this the same data about anybody in background >> but one communicated data The other one could >> well they say background search

068they didn't say the word data but >> I I asked questions with regards to success rate I asked questions with regards to applications one was able to communicate here's the numbers the other one was not >> so to be fair one gave you a number they haven't validated whether that number is true or not like >> obviously >> but they were able to provide that number >> fair So the last two times we went through this process with TASBY that number never that was not something that was that I recall being brought up. >> I don't recall in the last two time we did it 10 years ago right 10 19 12 >> years ago. So when we did it then that was not something there but >> the first search I know there were

069over 40 applicants. I think there was a little bit less than that the last time we did this. >> I think that that's the number that I had in my mind. It it comes down to the quality of the applicants. >> And I I mean that's the really the thing is is that we've had people come in here before and say, "Hey, we're just going to help you. We're just going to give you the five that you need to interview that we didn't hire them cuz we're not going to use somebody else's judgment." And that's the same way I feel here. As long as we get qualified applicants. I mean, I'm curious if I mean, I understand the timeline that we're trying to shoot for. Um, and it looks doable. I mean, looking at looking

070at these things, I mean, it gets busy. Um, and we're all going to have to look at our calendars to make sure that we can do it. But the first the most important meeting to me is that first meeting where we set what we're looking for. >> And that, you know, Matt's first concern was, hey, we're not going to have the teachers here. By the time we turn around, the teachers are back. we can get their input and then it's the same with the community. We've got to go out and get that has to happen because if we make the search independent of those things then I think we we're making a bad mistake. You have to we have to get community buy in. Um and we have to get staff we have to figure

071out what they think is important to us. >> So that's the only that's >> I like how that was brought up not staff. >> Yeah. I don't remember us doing it's optional community involvement with TASBY. I don't remember doing the community. One of the times we did not was either when we were placing calls or Matt >> it was Matt because I remember sitting >> yeah we just pulled the admin and the teacher >> Viking hall >> on their report shows it too. Uh it's optional >> but I think at the end of the day what everyone's communicated here is it can be tailored for whatever you want like this is just a sample. Mhm. >> But what it is, and I keep hearing it's the same thing. Doesn't matter. It's the same process. >>

072The exact same process. >> Yeah. >> I think we're going to get whatever we want, right? It's just who are we going to go with? >> I think it's going to Yeah, I'm hopeful that with the quality of Logist want to be here. I think you guys, some of you guys might be surprised at the level. I mean, the last time we did this, we had a 5A 5A superintendent >> apply. But the thing that he didn't get is that this you have to work. This is a working position. Darren can tell you that this is not you don't have a staff of 50 guy 50 people doing everything for you. You got to you got to be on the I mean Fred the guy drives school buses when we need it. But I mean

073it's I mean I think that's just finding the with this group. I mean I'm confident that we're going to find we're going to find the right person. >> And I'm hoping that we'll find out are we truly >> right >> a district what we call >> destination district. Yes. We'll find out. >> We will. So Darren, I have a question for you. >> Do you talk more with Leon Caller or do your field service rep? I know how many times I've talked to you. That's a that's a legitimate question. >> I don't think it is because legal. >> Let him answer. >> It has with regards to legal. >> No. Our attorney. >> I get that. But I mean, like I said, CASBY offers tons of services that we utilize also. >> I don't think

074that's a fair question. >> I mean, I can I can give you some input. I mean, yeah, do I talk to our attorneys a lot to make sure that we stay in compliance and stay within the law? Yes. You know, uh, you know, do I talk to Jack? I see Jack at a lot of different meetings throughout the, uh, you know, he's at region 13 meetings. He's at cluster meetings. He's at all your taskb uh things. Does Jack come by and visit with me uh once a month or so? Yes. Uh but just, you know, who do I talk to more? It's going to be um our attorneys. I mean, just because I just, you know, there's times where we question, okay, can we do this? Can we do that? And and I want to

075make sure we keep ourel, you know, uh within the law. And so I mean if if I had to say it would be u Sarah and and Michelle. >> Do you talk more to Susan or my wife as a teacher? >> It's the same ecosystem. >> Okay. There >> it's the same thing. >> Of course. >> Okay. >> I just I mean I thought >> all right we have a motion. Is there any further discussion >> for questions? >> Question. So let's vote. >> Yes. All those in favor say I. >> I opposed. >> Nay. >> We need hand raising. >> We're going to need hand raising. I didn't see that. All those in favor say I. >> Post 43. >> Okay. >> All right. >> Hey, I I look forward to it, guys. I

076mean, this is it's the hardest thing that we that I've done twice on the board, but when you get it right, like I think we have twice, >> it's really rewarding. >> Well, guys, I'll just say this. In the end, you guys will make the choice. >> Yeah. >> And you're going to probably get close to the same applicants. >> And you know, and I'm not picking sides here. They're both going to put it on Texas ISD. They're both going to put it on TASA. They're going to put it on their websites. You're going to get probably close to the same number of applicants, but in the end, U7 will be the ones that will make the decision based on input from the staff and the community of what personality that this district needs moving

077forward and you know, you U7 will make will make that choice. So, in the end, it it still comes down to to you guys. >> Yeah. I I just maybe if it's possible, if I could say a few words, >> of course. Thank you. Like this is the first time that we've been 43, right? Since I've been here 4 years. Uh I know all of you and I'm very well convinced that we will disagree but move on and commit to doing what's best for the district and this is behind us and we're going to go forward and find the best. >> My final one is I love you all. >> You can stay over there. >> All right. Calm down, boys. and the 2025 intermediate campus project update. >> Okay. So, uh you should receive

078that today. I uh uh wanted to kind of see what they had uh taken care of on Friday and Saturday. Of course, uh as you can see the overall summary, the uh interior campus, the the shell of the intermediate school, uh they are actually a couple of days ahead of schedule. Uh the modular building is tracking about a week behind because of the rain that that happened. Uh the uh concrete was poured on I think Friday and Saturday. So uh that was good. We are awaiting PEC uh to remove the existing pole. Uh as of right now, according to Schultz, they can put in four units. Uh I believe there's 12 total. Uh, but they can put four units in until that poll has to be moved. >> Sorry, Darren. The packet had a the

079same update from June, >> so the pictures aren't following, which is fine, but >> it was just a one page sheet. Okay. >> Yeah, I'm sorry. >> This morning, I've changed it up a little bit since since Friday or whatnot. Uh so the existing pole uh is expected to be moved any day. Uh all the vendors are engaged are active. They are working late. They uh they like I say Schultz was working this weekend. Um and so they're they're trying to get caught up uh on the budget summary. Uh core is tracking on budget. Uh we did add the gym work. Uh that is almost complete. Uh the only thing we have left are the uh uh the grates there in the wall. Uh Schultz is tracking under budget. Uh the PC cost uh came

080in under what had had uh predicted. So that that's all good. Uh the modular building update uh new transformer um it's it's been received. It's been paid for. Like I said, the existing poll it should be should be happening this week. Uh they're hoping the transformer uh will be installed at the end in the month. Uh if if it gets late, Schulz is willing to bring in generators to to fire up the buildings to to be working on everything to make sure everything is set up. Uh and so they're they're ready to do that. Uh they're they did pour the concrete to the uh to the walkway out to the portables. Uh it looks really nice was out there today. Uh parts of the uh classroom are on site. Uh all the units uh multiple

081parts of the unit should be here no later than 13. Schultz have has them. They're not waiting on anybody. They're just waiting to be able to bring them in. So uh it's just getting that pole moved and hopefully that will happen this week. Uh moving on. Uh the intermediate intermediate building improvements. Uh the painting is substantially complete. Uh they do have a couple of touch-ups. The epoxy floors in all the bathrooms have been laid. They look really good. Our partitions are brand new partitions are completely installed. Um the flooring that the um LBT uh is about 65% complete. Uh all the hallways are done. Uh all the classrooms on one hallway are complete except for two. All the offices are done. And now they're just needing to finish the uh the other hallway classrooms and

082and that will be uh done. >> And those are the nonwaxable, >> right? Uh tack strip what where the teachers can hang kids work on that will be uh be installed uh next week. The gym painting uh here again just uh just a few minor touch-ups. Um, and then the final completion is still uh tracking for 7:29 and it will probably be a few days earlier than that. Matter of fact, uh we're hoping by this week. Adam will be able to start moving existing furniture uh back into the classrooms. And then as you can see, all the new furniture that we've ordered is scheduled to be here on the 21st with uh installation beginning on the 23rd of July. And so, uh, you know, we knew it's going to be a tight tight timeline, uh,

083but everything is working. Installation of, uh, the display scheduled for the 28th. And then, of course, security cameras and everything will be, uh, as soon as the modular gets electricity to it. All that will be uh, incorporated into the new buildings. And, of course, the fire alarm uh, connectivity will be late July as as those units are being installed. Um, >> is that being done by a contractor? The the internet, security cameras, PA, that's all. >> Yes, that's being done through Synergy. So, >> so that's part of their contract to do that. >> Yes. Yes. >> And is our staff having to be involved in that? >> Uh, Rusty, what what some >> you're doing some of the light? Yes. Crazy. >> As far as installation, you're you're actually hooking up the cameras. They're running

084the wiring. Is that correct? >> Yeah. So, we are doing some of the work. Okay. And uh and then we got the uh the fire we've got the fire company coming in to to um but as far as uh renovation update uh you know with the weather um coming in a couple of weeks ago that kind of slowed us down a little bit. We are having to replace uh a water line. Uh it's an old water line from years ago and keeps breaking. So Schultz is taking they are going to actually replace the water line for us uh so we don't keep getting leaks. Uh they had a leak Friday night when they were trying to get things ready. He called me I don't know 5:30 6:00 without a water leak and it was heading

085it was going to the water towers which it had fixed. And so Adam came up late that evening and Schulz and fixed it that night. And so, uh, they're going to dig out and and replace the whole line just to make sure that So, that's going to hold us back for a couple days, but they should be okay. So, that's all I've got. >> Any questions? >> How do you think this new construction company's doing? >> They're good. My core shops for uh they're they're solid. I mean, they're I'm doing a good job. You got all this feedback. Sledge >> Sledge just making sure, you know, Casey's doing all the legal is he just send it to me. So, and we actually are meeting once a week with Sledge to to discuss. >> Okay. So,

086uh, you know, we got House Bill 1481 that was passed and basically it's a policy we have to create a policy uh prohibiting a student from using a personal communication device while school property during the school day. So, that's kind of the uh overall word of 148 bill 1481. I'm trying to talk maybe have a hard time hearing. uh we have met with the principles uh on a few occasions about this uh and so we would like to kind of get your your input your thoughts uh we have looked at uh you know how we want to handle this situation. A lot of a few schools in the state before this even came out have gone to uh locking bags magnets. Uh we have talked to a few of those schools and those schools are

087saying that you know after the initial is uh implementation that is really worked out. We said the student engagement during the class has improved tremendously. uh they not getting any uh push back from parents because now the parents are seeing that really helping their kids stay engaged not having problems the school district themselves they see out maybe didn't put it in the bag and so you know they've seen some advantages we have talked to two different companies Uh we talk to yonder who a lot of schools or schools in Texas that are using the bags are using the yonder is a cloth bag. However, it does not block any type of signal. So if those kids don't turn their cell phone off as they come in, uh if somebody calls them, someone text them or

088whatever, it goes off in the back here. and the school districts have said that's probably the biggest issue I haven't got. There is another bag called gener generation Faraday. It's a water resistance bag and also reception. So when you stick it in the bag, it's got here's this is what the bag will look like. don't have a yonder. Uh here is the uh the locking bag right here. And here's how you take it. It just pops open just like that. And so the uh kids as they walk in, whether it be yonder or this bag, they they walk into school, put it in their uh put their phone in, they close it, and then it's locked. And the yonder one um is a different locking device than this. But uh like I say, it's two

089different devices. Uh and like I say, the um after school when the school is over out uh you on the yonder, you would put the uh magnets out to where as kids walk out, they just pop the magnets and it pops open. Uh we would mount this as well. And then um and then it also with this one the teachers get two magnet releases so they can have around their neck in case of an emergency or something that you need to release them. Uh the teacher could actually release them while they're in class where on the yonder bag they don't have that capability. Um this generation has three levels. They have a Velcro type. And then you also have the first one that I sent. It's a magnet where you put it in and it's

090magnetized and and it's out, but you can't open it up on that one. And then the third one that I'm sending around actually has the lock on it. In busing with the principles and and whatnot, uh we have really debated on, you know, what does that look like? What's the best option? Um, you know, we get into price a little bit later, but um, you know, we've talked about what does what creates the best solution for Logist, you know, is it the locking type that uh, Rich has right now, whether it be the generation or or the yonder bag, or do you use this one, which is the magnetic They come in, they turn their cell phone off, they slip it in, they close it up, and then what what we've talked about as principles

091is put the responsibility on the kids. You know, we talked about trying to create responsibility uh with the kids, let them earn, you know, the the right to keep their phones. But, uh, we talked about if we went with the middle one with just the magnet, if they're if they're caught one time with the phone out, then they have to go and use the locking device. That's one option that that we discussed. Uh, it teaches responsibility. It allows the kids to make choices, hopefully the right choice, but not getting the phones out. But if they're called with their phone out, then they would go to the locking device for the rest of the semester, for the rest of the year. You know, that'd be something we would have to look at. And so, we put

092the responsibility on the kid not to bring this out. Could they get away with it? Yes. But if they're caught, then we would go to the lock device. Um I you know with these uh the parent will not know where the kids at in the school because they will not be able to get it will be blocked and so Susie or I explain more but some forgot to to have. So, it's not just phones, it's any personal communication device, which would include, you've seen those new meta glasses that have come out, um, smart watches. That's one of the reasons we started looking at the signal blocking bag that once the phone is in that bag. This is just a watch at this point. So, we're not also having to police um, you know, accessories. >>

093Sorry, that's not true. >> Yeah, because my my phone has cell phone reception. My phone's not next to me. So I mean if it's blocked like >> some of them have a separate So you would have if they have a separate plan if I turn this off you call the phone I watch me >> I mean obviously we'd have to deal with those situations but generally speaking those kids have them have them sync to their phone we tested it with his phone >> any any personal include a person >> No but she's saying that you wouldn't put the phone No, she's saying it's not. >> Well, I mean for the people that don't have a separate plan on their watch right now, right? We're just going to assume Yeah. Right now, we see them back.

094Yeah. So come into the classroom and hand in their backpack or something like that. Are we going to when they walk in, are we going to say your back and put it in the bag and put it away for seem like you're saying the honor system that you were saying? Well, like >> I mean we either go all in and say we're not doing it or we start that cuz that's the idea when you go to the fact that has their name on it in goes in the office with every gra I mean we wouldn't want to collect 650 times in the morning. I don't want to anyway I'm not speaking that >> say that again. I thought they're just going to hold it, >> right? And and if they get caught and Yeah, I

095know. I mean, they go in the bathroom like this, but if they get caught with the phone out at any point during the school day, then the principal will bring them in and then they will take this bag up and then they will be >> I guess what's the administration's design? Are you trying to meet the letter of the law or enforce the spirit of the law? So, I think those are two different because Darren, I get it. We got kids bathing in the bathroom. So I think cell phones are going to happen in the bathroom. If if that's the letter of the law, then let's go with the least power res like the least resistance done. The spirit of the law to truly remove our children from those electronic phones. And I think there's

096I think there's a wide road how >> I mean in our conversation, you know, the spirit of the law is to keep it out of obstruction to be to be frank, right? Um, and I think, you know, part of the the thought at least between the comparison two bags that we looked at is that if it's not signal blocking, like the thought that they're really going to turn it off and if I have my phone in a locked bag that I feel buzzing and hear dinging all day long, that the anxiety that attaches to that for a student is is more distracting cuz now I know it's it's ping eight times in the last 30 minutes, but I have I can't get to it, right? And so we really thought between the two looking at

097the signal blocking such that during instruction when it I mean we tested it when it's in that bag it it does not work. Um, and so, you know, that was really the the first thought. You know, I >> I'll say this, when we first started talking about this, we were totally about lock it up, be done. But as we started thinking about in case, you know, there was some type of emergency and we needed the kids needed to get their phones out, you know, that this would be easier to to get out quicker. Now, with this, like I said, the teachers could have two unlocking devices that they could pass them out in case there wasn't an emergency of some type and those kids need to get their phones out, then there would be the

098teachers could be able to pop them open rather quickly, you know, and uh you know, and the other thing is, you know, the case of emergency or the parents don't want to know where their kids are at because if you do Yes, we may not be able to get them open as quick because uh then this one right here can ourselves. There's an emergency. I could make a phone call. We do not have there's emergency and there will be some people will not be able to call today. That's true. Some of our discussion too is though what is our what is our role in this students, right? Like are we is it to enforce the letter of this law or is it to prepare them to self-manage, right? And so because our seniors in a

099matter of months are going to be on their own. We talked about kids getting jobs where they're not allowed to have their own. They're going to have to learn how to do this, right? And so that's you know there's and honest I can argue microwave and we have we have both ways right the thought is what does the most to protect instruction grow student responsibility and have an option to if they're just unable to selfish that we have a plan in place for them. So what's the liability of the school if they get caugh this is a magic this is a laws if they are caugh with >> you know you say it could go a lot of different ways it could you know first the first offense it would be phone taken up >>

100so that's right >> yeah there's So this is basically this was not a law that makes it illegal for a student to bring to school. It was a go to school. It was a law to to require schools to adopt and enforce a policy. Does that make sense? >> Yeah. Our role is to do that. Our role is to adopt and enforce the policy that prohibits the use of student devices during the school day on school ground. after yes and one teach responsibly well either you lock it up forever and that's it or you allow them to be responsible you teach them as a school to be responsible you're able to have it without it being you get the point if there's no discipline then we can have that conversation because if there's liabilities school

101kid $5,000 no longer think about you know is this about that there's nothing in the bill that we're required to do it we the law states we have to adopt a policy that addresses the specific statute in there that says that if we pass a statute we pass a policy we don't enforce it is there's no there's No, it it provides additional authority within the bill to how we can so to have storage like it specifically list in adopting this policy a school district may apply by designating a method of storage for students personal communication device. So it provides an additional authority for us to do that. Okay. So, the yonder bag with the full magnetic, you know, you see them at concerts. They're $30 a piece. Now, they're cloth. They're not water resistant. These

102are 35 3350 a piece. They're water resistant. Uh the yonder, they they give you uh big magnets to as you walk out. Uh with these, you get the these that are mounted. Plus, you also each teacher gets each classroom, I should say, gets two portable magnet poppers to to pop them open. Uh, this company is not in Texas. We talked to them a couple weeks ago. They said if we wanted uh the uh generation ter this one right here, they said if we if we became their lighthouse district where we're the first one to adopt, then it would it would knock it down to uh 20 this so we have title four funds that Okay, so we have title four funds that could be used for this. Um, I will say that title 4 funds

103for the 2526 school year are frozen right now. So, but that's the safe and healthy schools fund. We do have some funds right now that are earmarked for this. It won't cover all of it. It will cover decent amount >> to that point. Are there other things that those same funds can be used for besides? So, we need to go to security safety. They released two weeks ago today. Now all of a sudden this month $15,000 more. So we have to get off of it by so this $15,000 is going to go to some could be fencing or any needs around port security that is broadly right. Yeah. >> Not just cuz this initiative is secure. >> No. Yeah. It's safety. It's safe in the office or anything anything safety. >> And if we were

104to come out with a policy that said students, you cannot use your cell phone or or smart watches while in class and if you do you lose it. Does that mean? >> No. >> It has to be it has to be during the entire instructional day while on campus. So sorry. >> Yeah. >> If you use your phone on campus, period, you'll lose it and you can pick it up or Yeah. >> I guess I don't understand how the bag is really adding any benefit, especially the non. It's like, let's just tell the kids they can't do it. If they do it, they lose their phone. We're complying with the law. teaching them to be responsible and the teacher has administr we did send out a survey to staff and it was 92% in favor

105of a mechanism like this >> and it was locking >> yes >> but it's just I mean still just something to enforce or something to administrate, something to look over, something to >> well another distraction in the classroom. This would be a lot easier to manage cuz once you put it in there, it's done. And the school districts that I we have talked to that are using bags have have said it has been uh there was one school district said they only had one parent that called was upset about it. They said it would wonders for the bell rings at two, three, whatever time it is. >> It actually the law says it either prohibits students from bringing devices on campus or require them to be stored securely. >> So that so I appreciate reading

106a lot. So this is so no phone on campus or locked >> or locked your points. I was like I can't imagine our kids trying to leave your front doors a lot of people like Colleen ISD uh Richardson ISD Arlington ISD are using the underbags and they're saying that they don't have any problem with the bottleneck on getting them getting them released. There was a great video on the Richardson ISD page that really in fact in some of the feedback from staff they were like I wasn't sure how I felt about this until I saw this video because it's students saying you know I mean you you guys are old enough to remember a time when the cell phone wasn't attached to your hand and your life wasn't you know this world wasn't in your

107hand all day long right and a lot of these kids don't know that right they have lived in and they were the iPad was invented in 2009 right this has been their reality since they were born. And what a relief it was for those students to to have that that clarity and time away from the device and not feel like it was had to be attached to their hand. And so um this provides you know a mechanism for that without without you know the I mean putting it in the bag it does turn the signal off right like they it you know people can be calling them and texting them and they're not hearing it and feeling it. The law says you either can't bring your phone or you have to have a law. The

108only option we're looking at is >> it says that we can accomplish this by requiring. >> There seems to be a debate. You stepped away. >> It says prohibiting a student from bringing a personal communication device on school property or designating a method for the storage of a student's personal communication device while the student is on school property during the school day. >> Yes. Above that it says the policy may provide for the school. >> I'm looking at the enrolled version of the bill. It says the policy must establish. Okay. >> Right above that >> B. >> The policy may provide for the school district to open enrollment charter school. >> There's no attorneys in the room. So maybe we can ask our attorney what our requirements board is. But it >> Okay. It seems

109like I don't know why we're I was in vehement agreement that the law the law seems clear to me. They either don't bring it or we put it in one of these things. >> Right. I mean, I realize it says May or >> the other is I'd like to get Janda and Eric's. >> Yeah. What do y'all think? What you want to do? Police people just wait. Make sure they use the honor system or you need back >> I can just say so starting middle school right? Uh I mean we've had no phones for years now. Uh but the but the problem with that is you know they'll put them in their pockets or you know whatever. So I can tell you 100% I'm great. put them in your bags and that's it. So that

110way we see it, right? If it's in your pocket, don't put it in your pocket. It has to be gone. Uh if you're listening to your headphones, well, you can't be listening to your headphones cuz that means you're connecting your phone. So like it has to I I'm 100% on board with putting it in a bag blocking the signal. I'm also, you know, we talked through the uh the levels of, you know, honor system of just putting your back and let it go, right? Well, I think sixth and seventh graders are going to do great with that because they are rule followers for the most part. Eighth graders may start to push a little bit, but that's their new reality, right? So, sixth and seventh graders will go to eighth graders knowing, oh, this my

111phone's gone during school. And so I think you know for middle for high school it's going to be a push and it's going to be a fight. Um but I think as we go along it's like what we saw with vaping. You know middle school vaping was out of control a couple years ago until they said okay have to go to DAP. Well that is significantly dro but it's not nearly as much as it was a few years ago. Right. So the I think for kids the new reality is okay I can't have my phone at school. Um and so I'm all on board with it. And I I brought up an example my son got a job at Bies and he texted us. >> He's the guy making 140 grand a year. >> Yeah.

112He said hey if you need me at work here is the person we contact because I will not have that. And so like that that's kids have to be a like you said >> they're going to be self managing them quickly. One thing I'll say about these bags too is that these already come asset tagged. So that part is really nice too is that you know if we find one we know who it belongs to cuz you know that was a concern. Um and that they're um they are a a vinyl that can be wiped down because cuz kids >> So it's a one to one >> kids, right? >> Tag kid, right? >> Yes. Right. >> Kids with an overage in case >> parents are on the hook for buying a new one >>

113if they lose it. >> Just like an iPad, >> right? >> Yeah. But they are I mean they're asset tags, so that does help. They were saying you had to like put a Sharpie and put a number on it. And like at least for these, if we find one without a phone in it, we know who it belongs to because it'll already have a tag. >> Which one's going to create the least amount of overhead for staff? >> Then I mean, let's go on our system. You're going to be chasing that down, right? You have to be dealing with that. You have to deal with pissed off parents saying, "Well, my kid didn't do this and you shouldn't have to or you shouldn't take their phone away." Like, which is the least amount of the

114locking on the set >> because at the end of the day, you guys have to deal with it just like the base that spent that took how much of your day to manage, right? In my opinion, this is going to be the same thing. Maybe in the beginning more so than >> after the fact. >> Sure. >> And I think I think I'll add to that, Mr. Holt. I I appreciate your perspective. The only time I got a call from my middle schooler was when was when he wasn't feeling well and his teacher wouldn't let him go to the office. Whatever. Three sides to every store. I'm sure he could have gone if he wanted. So, I think we need to be willing. We need to be ready for the excess capacity of kids needing

115to contact their parents in the middle in the office and being open to kids needing to call their parents and leaving class and your your office administration having like there's a downstream impact that happens from kids not having their phone and being able to say, "Hey, I'm about ready to throw up. Mom, come get a question or whatever the drama of the day >> before and after school." So that's the other like if they're on the bus they can use them like that's you know not on school um grounds during the school day. So um field trips would also be a discussion amongst administration but in terms of what's required by the policy the policy doesn't require that we include all campus >> I think I have a strong perspective >> as a parent the

116minute they leave this campus they can't be sure that's not against the law cuz I want to track my kid like >> so I appreciate the leave it up to no actually I disagree with that kids have to be able to have access to their phones outside of school. >> I mean like athletic events once they leave to go on a tournament they pop them open and they've got them for whatever 1431 come get me at school 30 minutes away. >> So So I have a question I got to ask. I mean Russell this is to you. I mean we're a iOS environment. I mean my son turns off his phone and text me from camp >> from a like an iPad from his iPad or >> I mean how do how do we keep

117prevent them from doing that? We we don't have the text messaging. >> Okay, perfect. >> Yeah. >> What do you I got a question for you. How how do you think this is going to improve the uh network the network capacity? I mean, how much how much of a drain is our 670 cell phones on a lot, right? >> Substantially. >> That's great. It's probably the reason why we can't get service when we're at >> there's 4,000 asked a question earlier about the cost. >> The yonder bag is $30 per bag and they were going to give us like a 10 or 15% discount. Uh and that's I'm sorry,000. I'm trying to think per bag isn't >> Yeah. So, let me look here. So it would be 30 56 7,000 kids >> about 34 uh

11834,000 35,000 thereabouts. Uh that's with all the attachments and everything. Now this generation side, theirs is 3325 a bag. Uh and then with all the other things that they would give us, it would cost about 469. I'm sorry. Uh I put tax on this one. So it' be 40 435 roughly. But >> as soon as that bill we knew it was coming, we should have went out there trying to >> but if if we become the only district in Texas and and you know we they use us for testimonies and and interviews and whatever it would drop to 2520 a bag and it would drop after taxes uh about 33,000. That's a lot. Do >> you know how much these last? Like is it a 3ear >> I think >> life cycle one year life

119cycle. I'm trying to figure out like >> I think they they're saying probably 3 4 years. >> The I think the yonder bags probably may not last as long cuz they're going to get >> fabric. >> Yeah, they're fabric. And so now if we went just to the magnetic bag without the locking um it would go from 28.50 a bag to 2250 a bag. So, uh >> I think if you're going to do it, you might as well do the locking thing. >> It sets the expectation. >> Yeah, it's >> And >> plus we're not going to have They stole my phone and all that, you know? I mean, all that kind of craziness. It's locked up. >> When you say locking both of them are locking, >> no one has to pop it open.

120>> Only this one. The other one actually has a lock that's magnetic that disengage. I thought the yonder also had >> Oh, yonder is locking. >> Yonder only has a locking and a Velcro, right? >> Velcro. So, we will have to have specific different bags for students with like diabetes who have to have their >> um diabetes monitors, talk to their phone and stuff like that. So, those will have to be there are some specific exceptions for that. >> But to be clear, Yonder has a locking mechanism. Correct. >> Correct. >> And generation has a locking mechanism. >> Correct. So, they're both locked. >> Except one of them blocks the signal and one of them doesn't. >> Yonder does not. I thought you were saying >> I was I did say lock at the beginning.

121I thought we were just yonder does not block the signal. Generation bar is signal blocking. >> Yeah. Can you imagine the anxiety? I mean, I can tell you one of my kids if you locked it in something and it was just buzzing right next to them, they would lose their mind. >> And that's why we called this company cuz we heard >> after Yandere said, "Well, it doesn't block anything." I mean we we started talking amongst ourselves like that will drive kids to the counselor's office >> and then with the generational the teachers also get a lot more effective oppos yonder where they do not correct >> correct >> yeah so the yonder ones have a larger um undocked locked stock it's got some sort of name >> but it's bigger and it's basically you

122know you put them in exits this you would do the same but there's There's also one that goes like on a lanyard for the teacher. Um, and it has a little screw cap on it. Um, so that it looks like a flashlight. It's it looks like a mini flashlight. >> And then we even talked about do you give the bus drivers one in case a kid happens to forget >> to unlock it walking out. You give a bus driver and he can pop it or he or she can pop it open or >> at the front of the school. Kids can drive, parents drive. >> Some and some do that. You know, of course they say you need a camera to make sure vandalism. We even talked about do you call LBPD and let them

123put one >> in the lobby or in the in front of LBPD, you know, because I don't think anybody going to vandalize something. >> I really don't think any kid is going to forget to unlock. >> No, what may happen is they're playing with it and accidentally lock it. That would be a good one, you know. >> So, the this isn't a popular statement. I guarantee this was coming. Your staff is going to be highly ridiculed by their phone usage when the students are let% >> and I know and teachers shouldn't have phones. Whatever. We're all guilty. It's going to be magnitude of inspection when the kids aren't able to and they pull their phone out in class to check something out. >> Yeah. And we we discussed that just last week about >> is

124this really is this really an action item or is this just information? Well, >> I think it's >> it I mean >> we have to develop a policy and we would bring the policy back to we want to kind of see what direction y'all want it. Uh but our handbook student code of conduct handbook from the from TAS has yet to be released and so once we get that released then all this information will be included in that at that point. >> You have it as an action item >> the point of discussion >> I mean yeah we can vote on it but is Is it going to be all or nothing or is it going to be educational? Right. >> Right. That's I think that's the question. >> Just a a discussion item. There's

125no action on it. >> I'm looking at his board. >> We definitely want direction before decide which way to go. >> My locking line. >> Locking the Yeah, I say locking one. >> That's my perspective. But when you for those is it we lock them or we get that bag and then we allow them to not lock them until they mess up and then once they do >> I think what they're saying is go bag >> become the Texas I'm in favor of the fair bag >> try to take advantage of being the first district and >> get the uh discount and go from Yeah. I mean, our kids when our kids were in school, they had the Blackberries. Remember >> your kids didn't have >> We had old enough kids, but they didn't have

126that. So, >> Zach used to do his I used to carry my phone in a bag. >> All right. >> Okay. So, >> Yep. >> You know what I mean? >> You can't throw it on. So Jana, Eric, do y'all have any as as campus principles, building principles, any any thoughts or discussions on >> I'm grateful for the support. I agree with you 100%. We had that conversation. Um Eric and I visited with um the principal from Taylor and they had already implemented this this past year and got some good information and he did say um that that that was something that he addressed with his staff like we we can't ask our students to be engaged and you not be engaged in your job. >> Um so that was definitely a conversation that we

127would have. >> Good. appreciate you showing up on a summer night. >> All right. >> Okay. I appreciate the direction and the discussion. Uh like I say, this is, you know, something that the state has put on us and you got to figure it out. So, >> all righty. We're only on number seven, teaching and learning update. >> So, I I tried to make this brief for this meeting because I saw the length of the agenda, but I do have a few things to bring to you. Um some are timely and some are just updates on uh keeping you a little more informed as a board uh of the efforts districtwide that we are um that that we are using to make improvements. So um I have my cheat notes because I can't read that

128and I forgot my cheaters. So I'm going to start with a very very quick accountability update. Um there's not really any great new news because um accountability ratings have been held up in in litigation for quite some time. So you can see that we didn't get any scores in 2020 or 2021 due to co um the 2022 ratings were impacted heavily by pandemic related disruption. So the first that were released weren't really a great uh barometer or indicator of how we were really performing um across the state. uh 2022 to 23 A throughF accountability ratings were released at the end of this school year. Okay. So, um that's 2 years lagging data or lag but it's not lagging data. We had the information, we had the test scores, but we just didn't have the A

129through F rating. Uh and then the release of these ratings were delayed due to lawsuits filed by a large number of school districts uh challenging the changes to the rating standards. Uh they flipped the script on us a little bit when in how the ratings were calculated as well as introducing a brand new STAR assessment, the STAR 2.0. Um so it was not comparing apples to apples or giving us an opportunity to gauge what this new rating system looked like to uh game plan um essentially. And then among the concerns were the new methodology for the ratings coupled with the star 2.0 redesign. Also at the same time um an abrupt change to the CCMR um rating scale. Uh the A used to be a 60% or a 60 point uh scale and they they

130jumped that up all the way to 88% in one year. So you'll see as the 2023 ratings come out um across the districts across Texas, you'll see a significant drop sometimes in high school and overall district scores because of the CCMR shift in that large change. Um, so that's kind of where we are right now. And I have a little slide that used AI to generate that cute little kid slapping his head saying, "I'm ready for the next school year." And really, you're releasing 2-year-old ratings. Um, so that is the reality. And again, the A through Fes are being released. We've been digging into star scores as well as other data every time we get a chance. So just because new ratings have been released doesn't mean this is a call to new action because

131we've been taking action along the way. Uh we do expect the 2025 ratings to come out in August. Uh the 2024 ratings, there was just um a decision on the lawsuit that had been filed for 2024 because of the AI scoring. Um those have been um TEA will be releasing the 2024. So um we will have those for you sometime soon as well, the official ratings. Uh the next slide is at a glance comparing 2022 to the newly released 2023 ratings. But in that middle middle column, what uh we've done is apply the new um rating scales and systems and calculations to the 2022 scores so that you have more of an apples to apples in the the the middle two columns rather than 2022 which was apples and 2023 is oranges. So you have

132a little bit better perception of um what progress or what slips have been you know um what what we're seeing in those those accountability readings. >> So I appreciate you putting the deck ahead of time and allow us to read read through it. Thank you. >> So that's want to make sure I understand this. So 2022 what if >> yes >> is if we took the 2023 rules >> Yes. >> applying the 2222 data. >> Yes. And so it's still fair to assume the district slipped, middle school slipped, intermediate slipped, and elementary slipped on a apples for apples basis. >> Yes. >> Okay, great. Understood. >> That is correct. >> Um and again the slip that you see there specifically in the high school and district, which is the one of the um larger gaps,

133right? is is due in part to the CCMR. >> High school approved. >> Yes, high school improve. >> Yeah, high school approved. I want to be showing again. >> Yeah, you were. >> Okay. I was show >> Yeah. Apples and oranges we slip, but apples for apples we >> Yeah, correct. >> Got it. >> Yeah. >> So, that is where we are um according to what was recently what that was released in April. that I wanted to take a moment to kind of clarify what was released and and the the reason for the delay. Oh, uh when we saw our our 2023 data, we were already looking at areas for growth and and the two things that stood out um across the the scores, right? And the areas where we need to focus on to,

134you know, play that game and get those ratings up are academic growth and closing the gap. So this was already um part of our data dig and on the radar and I kind of wanted to address for just a moment like the action steps that have been taken based on the information we received. Um what what we now see in the new rating calculations is is there is a increased focus on student growth year-toear um individually um based on where that student started and and how much progress that student made whether they were a lowcoring student or a high scoring student. Gone are the days where you're just looking at the end picture of like okay how many kids got meets masters. Now we're looking specifically at like growth points per individual student. Um so

135that that is seen in academic growth as well as closing the gap. Um so Holly >> so just so I understand this. Sorry. >> Yes. >> I know like Kevin's going to ask a lot of questions. I always do. I apologize. If you had thousand 100% of your students master a subject and they take the start of the next year and master the subject or two years later, you would get killed in this rating schedule because no one progressed, right? >> No, not you could. >> You could there is the there is the very real potential of those students that are always in that higher quadrant of of >> Don't be dramatic. 100% of your school district >> was masters. >> Like if they made it to do in like a 98 because if that

136makes sense, right? Like there's a range of scores for masters. They're looking for a year's worth of growth from year to year. >> So they're looking at the actual score, not the rating. >> Say that again. >> They're looking at the score, not the rating. They're looking at what they determine to be grade level and a student making one full year's worth of progress based on what that cut score is like. So there's there would be like a point by point. I mean yes I guess if the student somehow got a perfect score from one year to the next and whether or not but even that should account for a year's worth of growth. I mean there shouldn't be a tremendous penalty for students maintaining um growth. The question is for a you know the

137passing score from year to year changes and so um you know we have like sixth grade math is a particularly low um passing score. So you could score pretty low actually and still be masters versus the next year when masters the the cut score goes way up here. And so um they are they have an algorithm to determine a year's worth of student growth um in a in a content area. And I mean theoretically you could have a high achieving student who achieves slightly less high the next year and they would not be given yeah they would not be given the credit for >> a year's growth. Um >> but it is higher to achieve the growth points though to your >> question when you have students that are maintaining high achieving students have. >>

138Yes. The less opportunity for those >> versus congratulations. Last year all of your students were struggling and now fewer are struggling. >> So we're going to reward the school district. >> Trying to help you out here. >> Yeah. rewarding a school district that took lots of struggling to a little versus doing well to doing a well a little bit better. >> Yeah. >> So, and to your point as well, we do see a lot of stability in our students and I I will address that a little bit when we talk about the new assessment that we have introduced to to really help us um focus more on this concept of growing each student individually. Um so just 2024 ratings like I just mentioned are still held up in litigation due to AI well no they

139have been um allowed to be released >> um however we don't know what the >> TA has not announced when they were released >> and so it's very likely that in August we'll have both 2024 and 2025 at the same time. I think they'll do the 2024 during the special session >> to to promote that they need to keep the star test. >> The star test is back on the agenda for the special session. So, that bill did not make it out of the Senate. It has been reintroduced to basically eliminate the STAR. My guess would be that we'll see those ratings right about the time committee meetings are happening for that. >> So, there's a potential star elimination, I guess, on >> correct. It's back on the It is on the agenda for the

140special session. It's a very long agenda though, so that's a lot to accomplish in 30 days, but it's on there >> and they couldn't come to an agreement with what that looked like. >> The House version favorable. >> Yes. But the Senate, so if you want to reach out to your senator, um, >> the Senate is where it gets hung up. So, yes. Yes. So um rather than having a whole presentation analyzing the numbers, right? Um I wanted to talk more about like this is from 2023. What have we done? What are our plans? What are we doing? Um because we know that we have an area of need and and we have an opportunity for growth. Uh so in 2023 and 2024 those ratings were released, but we've been doing things and I'd like

141to share with you it disappeared. Oh, there we go. Um so those score the the the ratings which were recently released are scores from the 22 23 school year in the 2023 24 school year. Um and that work started during the 20 the previous school year. We talked about and visited with you a little bit about implementing TE's resource system as our uh year at a glance and scope and sequence to cure up and to be a little bit more consistent across uh the core content areas K through 12 in the what we were teaching. Um we had a long history of uh uh teachers developing their own year at a glances and scope and sequence, but we were starting to experience um more changes in staff, right? Onboarding new teachers. And so we really

142uh took a long hard look at our systems and what would be best for teachers and therefore students. And um that was the year that we implemented TE's resource system as our um one-stop K through 12 core subject um resource for teachers to get to know dig into uh the TEICSS and the curriculum for their content area with a a multitude of resources to support instruction. Um and so that is an ongoing process that was a huge shift. Um we are still working on on perfecting that implementation but we've come a long way since 23 24 last year um thinking about closing those gaps right um we have to know and and helping students make growth we have to have timely data on how students are performing and quality um and and I don't know

143about you but I don't have every faith in the star test um and at the same time it comes at the very end of the year. So it is is more of >> an autopsy avoiding that word but more of an autopsy of the students uh progress rather than um giving teachers timely uh quality information that can help them develop their their learning plan for each and every student. So last year was a big year for us and we um we improved our systems on monitoring and adjusting and growing every student by implementing MAP growth assessments and MAP growth is a nationally normed assessment and we are able to administer that K through almost 12 but in math and RLA. Um the only difference at at the high school level is it is um the

144math assessments are are by subject area rather than just being banded as math. So there's a specific algebra 1, geometry and algebra 2 two assessment. We administer this beginning, middle, and end of year. And this provides teachers with a look at each and every student um and their their expected progress as well as a detailed analysis. And I just put some slides to show you what it looks like of where the student is um excelling and where the there might be work to do aligned to the TEICSS. So now we have a TE's aligned assessment for this coming year paired with um a strong scope and sequence and curriculum. Uh and our work is to continue to to bring these two together to utilize those two to uh grow each and every student and support

145teachers in planning for more individualized student um instruction and in progress. I included the video and we won't play that now because you have access to it, but I just thought it would give you a a quick p perception and overview of look at what is this map growth, why is it successful and or so how can it be successful and why is it so widely spread you like used across the nation and and I love that it is nationally normed, right? Uh because now we can can truly see how are we performing. Um, and my goal is that this past year was a learning curve for all of us, for our teachers, for our students in administering and understanding this assessment. This year is the year that we can really be boots on the

146ground from day one, right? Because now we know, okay, how do we best assess? Because that was a learning curve for our teachers. You're, you know, you're doing something new with kids and from the littlest to the oldest. coming up with a plan to really get quality time for assessments and good data. And we brought in a presenter from NWA three times last year as we implemented NWE MAP growth to make sure that the teachers and administrators had the PD the information and the support they needed to administer, understand the reports and really uh utilize this this new resource. and it it's been great. >> So when we implemented the teach resource system in the text guide, was that because we were seeing so desperate, >> I guess curriculum like we were seeing like in

147the fourth grade math or whatever, we're just seeing teachers go at it in such different ways. >> Partially. Yes. And I think also it was also a response to um teachers, right? We're not getting teachers, we are getting more and more teachers that are choosing this as a a uh different path maybe like alternative certification teachers who haven't gone through um the the the the work that is involved in in um getting a a teaching certificate through old old school ways like we did right we had courses in curriculum design um >> people coming through um and DOI hires we we're seeing that as more of a need to have a resource ready to go to take that workload off teachers. >> Teachers were asking for more support and curriculum. You know, when we started

148that initiative 13 years ago, you know, um we had, you know, our demographics of teachers looked different. We had much more veteran teachers who um and and who wanted that autonomy. Um what we were seeing from you know over the last few years is teachers are requesting less autonomy and more support and that really allows them to provide that because I don't have time right because their jobs have gotten much more complicated and difficult in so many especially post it was taking something off their plate but also at the same time >> giving them a resource that that that was that is high quality right and it provides consistency so that we can have four teachers, right? Teaching the same content, um using the same resource for their year to glance and planning, digging in

149to the same um instructional materials um that are provided. >> So, it's streamlined. It provides them with a how, but doesn't prescribe it. So, if I need like how do I teach this, I have I have a game plan. If I'm a veteran teacher and I know that this is this works for me, I have the autonomy still to to determine the how. But the what is much more um present defined. >> We have data to prove that assumption is correct. The the teacher with the autonomy is outperforming the teacher without I'm just I'm trying I'm trying to triangle it is I do like a big circle around our school district. >> Mhm. There are a lot of districts with B's and we have a C. That's a fact. There's one district has a C

150next to us. That's it. Everyone else has B's. Leander, our strategy is like let them go work in the end and we steal them at a higher rate. Leander has a B. We have a C. So, I just want to make sure that these assumptions we're making that we're swinging through with enough. I'm not saying that they're wrong or right. I just think there's there's something here. And if it's just the CCMR, let's go fix that with a bunch of brute force fixes so that that sign on 1431 on the way to town is no longer inaccurate. That alludes to us being an A district. >> And I will say that one of the reasons I felt so strongly that we needed an assessment like this is because we can dig deeper into groups of

151students um by teacher, right? which teachers have um have grown their students more consistently. Um and you know it's also very valuable for teachers to sit in a group and talk through how they are growing their students. But this new resource does allow us to um dig into exactly the types of questions that you're asking. >> And how long's that been? >> This was the first school year. So, we're going into year two. And so, just gave you some examples of um a data view. Um that line that you see in the colorful chart is uh multiple data points on the same student. Um that would probably be 1 2 3 3 years about 3 years of of of student um data which is new for us to be able to track uh that far

152back um and look at trends um for students digging deep into the TEICS because it it does align to the TEIS so that we could see okay where where are we um seeing needs. So um I just kind of wanted to give you a quick overview of yes we are responding and we have been uh we know um we have work to do um and we have been actively working since that implementation and implementation of TE's resource system and the layering along the way in a way that is meaningful um and that also doesn't overwhelm teachers at the same time because you can only take too so much new uh one year at a time. >> Well, also what's the takeaway in this chart? I just want to make sure I'm >> sorry. So the

153takeaway >> Yeah. >> So what you are seeing here is if you were looking at an individual student, you can see the growth line at the bottom. Um that yellow band in the middle is the student at the is the 50th percentile. So that's your average student in the nation. Um there is a >> I'm sorry not Texas country >> nation. Yes. And so the dotted line is what the nationally normed project uh um projected growth for that student would be. So you can see along the way where they are meeting expected growth. They might be dipping or they're making large gains. Um so again this is beginning, middle and end of year. So as like almost the first like 3 weeks of school, we will do our beginning of year assessment so that as

154the kids are walking into the classroom almost immediately students h the teachers have a valid um data point in order to start working from. >> Appreciate you sharing. It's blacked out. Is this a student or a teacher? >> That is a student, an individual student. Now there are many reports that I could show you. You can go teacher by teacher, grade level by grade level, content area by content area. And so what I'd like to do at one of the upcoming board meetings is present to you our beginning of the year district data. So that as we um like I said, last year was a learning curve for us. We are we are we were new to implementation. We had some bugs to work out in in the actual assessment process to make sure we

155were doing it um effectively and and um making sure all students were tested within that window, working through the bugs of technology um and along the way learning how to read the reports and and the meaning of the report. So, it was a big year for our teachers and and learning how how to use this tool and uh this year we're ready to roll from day one because we have the background knowledge. >> So, you can do this at the grade level. >> Yes. >> I'd love to see what's scary to me is that you look at the chart at the bottom, you're like, all right, we're doing okay. And you look at the top, we're way below the mean on growth. >> So, that is a random individual student. That's why it softens the

156variability >> and and so what we get two data points too. We get an achievement uh student achievement to see where they are in terms of other students on that one assessment. And then once we have two data points, not only do we have the achievement, but we have the growth. So it's it's it's been very valuable in our efforts to do exactly what we need to do to improve our accountability rating by focusing on student growth. Fair point. And as a board member, I'll say this. I don't know who's in charge. Be very careful how we use this for our students because I'll tell you, I can tell you of a student who's a 504 exemption, but the teacher thought it'd be a good idea to sit him down and show him where he

157ranked versus his peers and that failed dramatically. So, I just want to make sure we're using this for internal reasons and not to bestow upon our students the burden of having to be a high achiever or a high growth student because that's not their job. It's our it's our staff's job to make sure that happens. So, I'll leave it at that. And I got a question for you. Does this what does this address or allow us to identify um weaknesses? So, in other words, if a if a student is having difficulty in math, >> does it help us identify that, hey, this is not a if they're a fourth grader, it's not a fourth grade teach that they're struggling with, it's a third or second grade. So, we can identify that, hey, and then if

158we see it, then okay. So, it does it the the amount of data that you can dig through and and decipher is is so powerful and it does exactly that if it's an area of student um need. Um you can dig down to where that um where that missing link is. >> Okay. It may not be covered correctly in the third grade. So, we got to go back. >> Yeah. you see those little arrows that you can uh that you can click on those and and it will give you specific peaks that a student either did well on or they called it you know like a relative strength um or a suggested area focus. So if we see that specifically as a group then we can identify hey maybe that's >> it can form group

159instruction it can inform intervention right >> okay good >> it will self like in in the teacher view um their their students are are are put into categories based on need >> so this allows us to do because we used to have to hire t uh gosh rand did it for us she stepped out of the classroom and became where she was um identifying this kind of information. >> Yeah. >> It's it's been it's been >> screeners. This essentially is replacing some of the older screen we used to use as web back in the day. Um and so >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> So you have this data you're able to implement a plan say in groups because of this. >> Yes. >> But are you still are you still teaching to the test or

160are you educating the kid based on their needs. Does that make sense? >> Yeah. The goal is to educate the kid based on their needs because I mean >> so if we improve the scores I'm sorry if we if we if we implement right and these kids are 100% uptrend they still may fail that start. Is that correct? And I'm not >> no right like it again it is about each student's growth and a student may go from low to a higher but but but the the goal is to move that student forward and uh um and another thing that this does provide us is projected proficiency on STAR. Um and so that's always it's you know in playing the STAR game. It's just another piece of information. And I guess the point I'm trying

161to make is >> star crash. It is what it is. >> And at the end of the day, we should be educating our kids to >> tailor what their needs are, not to test, >> right? So with regards to that, what I'm trying to understand is even if we're doing our best >> and we're seeing trajectory, but these kids still for whatever reason fell in star, >> we're not helping them. And does that impact our accountability rate as well? >> I mean, these are different assessments that measure different things, right? This is this is student growth, >> correct? >> Right. >> And that I get >> Yes. So, is it possible that a student that this test tells us something different? For sure. >> Um, which one I can only speak about myself. If I

162had two reports, there's one I'm going to put more weight into than the other, right? There's one I would talk to a to a parent about more than the other. you know. >> Okay. >> So, this this view would be like the class. This is I'm assuming hypothetical. >> Yes. So, that would be a teacher's profile for them to be able to This is one view. Again, it's very interactive. Click, click, click, click. You can get to all sorts of views with different representations. >> I'm just trying the best view for me as a board member to understand how we're doing. This says half of your most of your students are below the mean. not saying this is a real thing, >> like this would be warming as a steward of this community space in

163the district. And so like can we get reviewing close session? We need to personal data whatever it is. I'd love to see how we're actually we're spending all this money and time. We actually haven't seen the real results. >> Yes. >> Of the outcome that to this year our principles will be presenting as well. >> Okay. Great. But this is highle overview. So that if we come back and look at this, you have context. >> Um and it the reports are static, right? They're not you can't click here and there like like like we can and looking at this. So there's not a great view to just show you like to to give you what you're asking for. It's kind of a process to walk through the data. >> So um >> I appreciate it.

164I just want to offer some context maybe. >> Yeah. >> We have a new competitor in town. >> Charge schools. >> Publicly funded charge schools. >> Yeah. >> And here's what I'm worried about. Our best and brightest students are going to be lured away, leaving us with the most challenged academic students. and having the data to one try to keep the families of the best and the brightest here in the district and also bring that tail up at the same time will allow us to be more competitive in a new world which I'm convinced in 2 or 3 years we are competing with a new breed of school competition that is not Marble Falls or Leander but a charter school that's on the moment for >> that's it that's my context I'm not trying to

165point fingers at anybody at the district or administration or teachers it's a combative view of our district versus the option that is not our district. That's it. Agreed. >> At the end of the day, I think by design though, right, it goes back to the state of Texas intentionally destroying the public education system to drive more towards a private chartered school system. And while I agree with you 100%, if we had all the resources in the world, if we had the money that we needed, we would be able to compete. But we don't have that. And I'm not saying that is an excuse, but that's reality, right? So to me, this is by design. It is what it is. And yes, y'all are doing your best. And yes, I agree that we need to see

166what we can do and what those results are. But we're under attack right now and we don't have the resources and we don't have. So that's my two cents. And like I said, we'll start we'll be bringing this to y'all uh throughout the the year. Uh like say I've already talked to the principal about they will be presenting like elementary together, middle school, and uh secondary together. And so you'll start getting more uh teaching and learning updates throughout the school year. So >> and and I said as I said like I'd like to bring you the beginning of year data once we get it now that we are confident in understanding the data um after year one launch year. I think uh I'd like to bring you beginning middle and end of year updates so

167that we can see how we're progressing. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you. I was I was going to ask if I could ask one question with House Bill 4. Is your understanding that it very closely mirrors some of this where they're giving that beginning and end of year and I think within 24 hours the teacher supposed to have feedback on how the students are doing. >> So yes, so the house the house version of the star bill essentially said that they need to use a nationally norm assessment that provided progress monitoring. I mean most districts most districts are using this right and so it would really be kind of an easy transition. That would be my guess. There's this and I ready. There's two kind of bigger assessments. >> Overall, this is this

168is the concept. >> This is the concept is that you're giving, you know, multiple small multiple small assessments versus the shut down the school for a week start like so yes, this is coming back on the agenda. It starts on Monday. if you have any feeling about that in full favor of NWA or something like allowing districts but but the other option that came from the Senate was star interimm assessment so really three times a year so it it it is not what we want right not only do we not 100% um stand behind the data yet like it it is very manipulated um but >> it's also lacking So, it's been it's been great. Um, it's been a great year. >> Thank you, Dan. Yes. >> All right. Budget update. >> We got Mr.

169Stoner who give us an update. >> Lighten the mood. Susie just said, let's your turn to lighten the mood. So, let's talk about let's talk about money. Uh first of all before we start talking a little bit about the preliminary budget I wanted to give you an update on our performance versus actual in 2425. I had sent you that document we've been tracking since uh believe I've been track uh tracking it all year but as of January I started to provide you updates on that. Right now we're trending to have a deficit budget of about600,000. We adopted uh somewhere close to a million about $960,000 which is just over 3% deficit last year. We're looking to outperform that a little bit. Uh some highlights of that is that our our projected payroll uh uh budget

170is just under $11,000 of what we what we thought was going to be. That's that's pretty tight. That's that's pretty nice. Uh that's nothing that we did in particularly. It's just the right folks left and the right folks came in to to make that number as close as it was. I think 6200 is only a couple hundred off at this point and then we're seeing some relatively decent gains in fees and dues and supplies. But the the biggest sort of whatif moment in this scenario is our revenues. Uh right now we've collected over $27 million when we thought we were going to collect around 29 million. So we're about 1.3 short, 1.4 short. About half of that is revenue that we're anticipating to get from the state between now and August 31st. And then uh

171we had dismissed our formal appeal of our our SHs data for our cost report in 2022. Uh the feds were going to give us $140,000. Uh since we've dismissed that, uh I've contacted them probably eight times at this point, wondering when we're going to get that and I've gotten no response. Uh except that I'll get a response in two days. Uh but that's I've gotten that about four times. So uh some of that is is not necessarily the tax collection portion. some of that state and federal. But that's the biggest what if at this point is is seeing how close we can get to that 20 million $29 million uh revenue projection that we thought. But if we do meet that $29 million, we'll be about $600,000 deficit, which means we outperformed our budget by

172about $350,000. So that leads into next year. Uh we're still having to deal with the $950 some odd thousand dollars that we adopted last year in our uh in our budget last year. So uh looking forward to school year 2526. Our goal of this board and ours has always been to try to be as close to 2% as we possibly could uh or possibly can. Right now we're at 1.97% deficit budget which is uh about see what that number is exactly. Holly you have that other uh document >> preliminary. >> The preliminary. Yes ma'am. >> That number is $518,000 deficit uh budget going into school year 2526. So, what that means is if if we choose to move forward with this preliminary budget, that $520,000 is something we're going to have to deal with going

173into 2627. Uh we've cut the $960 down to520, but we'll still have to deal with that 520 uh as we as we move forward. Uh the templates that we school finance is based on, they've they've run through three different templates. Uh the fourth template came out uh July 10th. That hasn't been run yet. Uh that was just released last late last Thursday. I haven't ran that data yet. Uh there may be some some changes to the preliminary budget in terms of revenues uh based on that information. Uh, every legislative session is a little bit of a a crapshoot because of how many things are changing in terms of of law. U, the $140,000 exemption, the business personal property exemption, the over 65 disabled vet exemption are all going to tweak what our tax collections ultimately

174look like. So, the numbers that we've derived will ultimately be confirmed or changed on July 25th. That's a big date for us. That's when certified values come out and we'll get what Travis Central appraisal district says what they think our collection's going to be and we'll move forward on that. But ultimately what we're sort of held to is what the controller says our values are. And if you guys remember that whole debate and and sort of drama a few years ago, TCAD, the Trev Central Appraisal District, is not allowed to talk to the comproller in terms of what their values are. So we base our budget and our collections on what TCAD says, but our recapture and our funding formulas are based on what the controller says. And they don't necessarily always talk. So it's

175pretty awesome. Uh hope that they're they're close. uh but uh we go by what the data says and the data that we're getting is from from TCAD and that's how we're we're getting to this point. Some some areas of of note in terms of this and I know uh uh keep it as sort of succinct as possible. Our revenues are going to go down about $3 million from last year and we're look to collect about $3 million less than we did the the year before. Uh that's largely based on what our tax collections will look like. We do anticipate interest rates going down a little bit. Uh our interest revenue going down a little bit on for two reasons. We are potentially looking at maybe a recession. And then also, we're just not collecting as

176much as we did before because our tax collection is is going down based on the homestead exemptions, property values not going up, uh, and the other laws that were were were passed in the last legislative session. So, with that revenue uh going down about $2.7 million or so, our expenses have gone down about $3.2 million. Uh so that's where you see some of these budget items that we looked to to to thin uh coming to fruition in that. Uh just last thing to note, our recapture, that's a big number. Uh that's that's gone down. That's twofold. Uh one, we're allowed to to fund teacher raises with what we usually have paid in recapture. And then two, property values have gone down as well. So, uh, that's why that recapture is is gone down by about

177$4 million, which puts us about in the range of what we were paying in recapture, uh, precoid. Uh, if you guys remember, we end up paying about 16 $15 million in recapture in 22 23. Uh, since then, property values have plateaued a little bit, but still slightly growing. This is the first year that I've been here where property values have actually gone down a little bit. So that's why the recapture number has changed so much. Uh state aid's gone gone down. Uh and I think that's largely based on Go ahead. >> What's the recap number? I'm sorry. >> For next year, about $4 million. Thank you. uh state aid's gone down a little bit uh compared to last year largely I think because they're allowing us to keep a little bit more of that recapture

178that that that has been paid in in House Bill 2 and uh we think we're doing some pretty good things and we'll have to try to lean on other resources. Unfortunately, some federal funds have been frozen uh for school year 2526. So that adds a little bit of a wrinkle into how we navigate that. We largely lean on idea B and uh title one in federal funds. Those at this point have not been uh altered. Uh but you know keeping our fingers crossed that they that they remain a a source of revenue for us because they have matching expenses and some our idea B. Uh we we've leaned on idea B as we've gotten off of SHs and our our idea B funds are completely depleted and about $300,000. So um we hope that they

179get uh renewed so that we can still code those matching expenses to to those teachers that that receive those funds. Any questions on the budget? So I saw our tax collection is 94%. Is that what is that currently for this year >> for current to date? To date got two months left. >> We budgeted for not what percentage do we think we were going to collect or what do we need to collect? >> We need to collect just over 25 million and I think we're around the 24.7ish range. So we're we're fairly close. A lot of PNI usually penalty interest starts coming in usually in these last couple of months. uh the the the normal current year and prior year do get a little slow, but we we hope to still get pretty close to

180that number based on what we anticipate in penalty and interest in the next couple of months. >> I hate to bring this up, but this is on the special session as well um that starts next week. Um it's on the list of priorities from Governor Abbott is um to uh reduce further reduce property taxes which um the there's my understanding is that's going to be achieved through compression. Um so there basically there was gratitude for the homestead exemption but feeling that ultimately that doesn't lead to the the you know most widespread reduction. And so there's a push for additional compression which would obviously impact all of this sort of weight. >> If it were just the homestead exemption portion, school districts often are held harmless to to that >> piece. But if it comes through

181compression, school districts aren't held harmless through compression. So that that would that would negatively impact our revenues. >> Well, thank you. Sorry. Bright cheer. Appreciate that, Susan. >> When are you going to bring us some good news? >> Right. There's 19 things on the agenda to get done in 30 days. So, I don't know if it actually happens, but it's just fair warning that it is on the agenda. >> I will share good news. Uh you guys uh >> always end on the >> Yes. Uh uh we have discussed for the last couple years about defeasing bonds. Uh we actually made our defeasence payment uh at the end of last week and uh in doing so the school district has saved the taxpayers almost $2 million in interest payments. So, uh, obvious was able to

182defeat our 2014 and 2017 bonds and and by doing that, uh, we we don't have to pay about anywhere between 1.72 million in interest over the next few years. So, that that was good. That's good. >> Great. The high school almost paid off, correct? >> Yeah, we're getting close to this high school's almost paid off. So there is there >> I should I should end there. I should end there. >> There there is some some law about INS and what uh and what we're able to carry in our INS rates that the district has approved. uh but uh there's still some some potential compression that has to be done on our INS rate based on uh new law. So our 32 cents has put us in a position to potentially go for a new X

183campus in the next three or four years without going out for any more pennies. Uh but that may have been legally challenged by uh this new this new law. So I'm I'm doing some digging on that. But, uh, I hope that we'll be able to maintain the the tax rate that the community has voted on. Uh, but we may be forced to have to change that. >> All right. Well, thanks. >> I should finish. >> Okay. >> Any other questions? [Music] >> Discussion of possible approval of cafeteria prices for 2526. >> All right. So, we got Jason and we've got Jennifer Porter here from Airark. uh if you need ask her any questions, she's she's available. Uh but I I want to thank Jason and Jennifer because guys, this is a uh anytime you're dealing

184with TDA, it's um it's a it's a mess. And so, you know, you guys approve the contract, um even though TDA has to approve it, you know, we still have to approve it as well. Uh but I want to thank them for all the work they've done uh dealing with all the uh rules and regulations from uh TDA. So Jason, I'll let you take >> Yeah, I'll try to make this super brief. I gave you some information in terms of how these calculations are are derived. Uh next year 20 uh 24 25 26 I'm sorry 25 school year 25 26 will be federally audited. Uh it's a a deal that they do every couple of years. It is it's called an AR administrative review. So things have to be really tight. Uh and and Jennifer

185and I and largely Jennifer has done a really good job of of making sure that we're going to to pass that with flying colors. Part of that is making sure that our pricing models are all uh up to date and and tight. And so what we brought to you is is the proposed rates for the prices and how they compare to school year 2425. I'll I'll share with you that school year 2425, we've seen about $10,000 in negative balances for for un unpaid uh lunches that have been provided. So that that obviously hurts the budget a little bit. And then the projections of of sales that we've had hasn't hasn't met the mark. So So we we'll see what that ultimately looks like as we move forward. We're going to make a push in August

186to try to collect as many negative balance as possible. When students come back and and and collect their schedules, we're we're going to we're going to make a a large push to to collect those. And Jennifer and principles have have done uh a lot of of work already to get to that number. Uh it it was much higher than that and we started pushing to get those collections done sometime in February. So, we've worked hard to get it to that number, but it's still a number that we're going to have to ultimately deal with. We're not able to use profits from food service to pay for negative balances. So, any money that's generated from food service is has to stay in food service. It can't uh it can't go toward negative balances. That's a that's

187a district expense that we're going to have to take on. But, I felt like that that was worth sharing. Uh, >> so on that note, I remember at Starbucks there was something at the cash register. >> Yeah. About $1,200 >> asked me to donate. Does that go to the $10,000? >> That will go to negative balances. Yes. >> And I don't remember and I apologize. There was a discussion about this time last year where there's the way that some donations happened from a local group. If we had done differently, we could have. >> Right. Right. So, we had capped what a kid's a student's negative bounce could be last year and it was somewhat of an inflated number because it it it capped out at 20 bucks $20. Well, we took that cap off because

188we wanted a visual of what that number ultimately looked like. >> That was the Okay. >> And so now it's pretty egregious. And and some of this is because, you know, two years ago everybody was eating free and we don't need to pay and now you only 25% of our our student population qualifies for free reduced lunch. >> No, 25% fills it out and qualifies and >> qualifies. >> So this is all and then like MMRC like this all is tied together, right? >> It is. >> Okay. Yeah, >> it is very much. So 75% of our our population that fills out the paperwork is classified as a paid student and that's what generates that that large largely that negative balance. But we've uh proposed to increase prices uh and our prek through three breakfast

189was 185. it goes to 220. Uh, and prek lunch and prek through grade level 3, our lunches would were 210 and they are proposed to go to 220. Breakfast is the same across the board in K through 12. And that's by design. Serving sizes are the same, menu items are the same. So, it's going to be the same across the board. uh where in the past prek through 3 was actually charged less and that that doesn't make any sense moving forward. The the meal is exactly the same and we we stand to gain a little bit more revenue because breakfast sales at prek through three are are significant. In grades 4 through 12, uh breakfast went from $3 to 330. And then in grades 4 through 12, lunch went from 340 to 350. Uh, all

190things considered, allocart items in conclude in included and based on what meal sales were in 2425, this would generate a profit of about $4,000. That doesn't mean that that's going to happen. Last year it was 3,800 and we're we're not going to be at a profit of 3,800 last year. So, uh, it's hitting our allocart sales items. It's hitting the projected field sales that that we think. And TDA only approves what we think based on what it was the year prior. So it's not like we can just say, "Well, let's move that number down." We can't do that without it being approved by Texas Department of Agriculture. So we're sort of our we're we're our hands are tied in that regard. Uh and then adult prices. Uh we do want to continue to give our

191our our staff the flexibility of getting a little bit more here and a little bit more there. Uh the fixed meal cost is the same. So we're we're getting build either way, but with that additional serving size or whatever that case may be it that price goes from 230 for breakfast to 250 for adults and 350 for lunch to 370. I think David, you said last year you can't go to Sonic anymore without spending $8 on a meal. So, uh to to say to say that, you know, a lunch is provided at $3.70 still says that we value our staff. and the short that comes from that. The meal that we're being charged more than $3.70, but the district carries about three grand every year to cover those shorts for our staff. >> Again, the

192board knows it's $129 that we car carry >> and then 93 cent on the breakfast. >> So, Jason, did we we remove the cap on the amount of deficit that a student can go into? Did we are we putting that back in place? Are we putting it back to where I mean if we that if that ballooned up to where now our deficit is greater, are we going to cap it now? Because even if a kid gets to their limit, they're still they still get a a lunch, right? They just get >> Yes. And what we found this year is that students are actually liking the alternative meal. Uh it's not it's not really a disincentive, if that's a word, to like say, "Okay, well, you have a negative balance. Here's your alternative meal. Well,

193some are buying the alternative meal out a cart. >> Yeah, my kids would love that. >> Yeah. And and then the downside, I think, of having that alternative meal option in the cap is the district is responsible for that alternative meal, which technically is a free meal, but they're not getting the reimbursements for a free meal. They only get for a pay, which is like 40 cents as opposed to Was it $4? I think it was about $4. Um, so if you put the cap, you have to put in that alternative meal because every kid gets gets meal. >> I was just asking if we were doing I don't know. Is there an advantage to have? No, it's the obligation is is going to be on the district either way, but at least we have

194a a value to say, you know, >> David, you have a $600 negative balance versus a $20 negative balance. >> We have no we have no real recourse to collect. >> Correct. Correct. >> And do we implement an automated system to email address? >> It's not automated. It's manual. >> Yeah. So, we're we're sending notifications and we've gotten to the point of doing uh paper past a certain point and what we started doing is sending home paper applications for free and reduced lunch once they get past a certain point too. So, no, it's I mean we pull a list, we get a number, >> pardon me. >> Would it be beneficial? >> I mean, if they're in my my school bus, they'll get one. >> Yeah. And there's something to receive the receive the notification

195then they'll get a notification automatically when they drop below whatever >> threshold they set >> amount that they say. >> Um on with the side of that our point of sale system this year this past year we were getting it weekly with emails where it would automatically send all of all parents with you know based on balance levels. And then on the second weeks we would print for those students we could tell that they were previously career reduced. >> Mhm. >> Especially after that after that 45 days we would put the paper application in with the letter and mail it. >> So every week they were getting some kind of notification. >> Got it. Okay. I was trying to understand number one can we get more control of all of the excessive that we owe

196because they aren't paying and then can we reduce the overhead you guys have to go through a manual process to do anything just a thought >> yeah we've started uh Jennifer has started rolling in assistant principles and principles into these conversations with with particular families that are struggling with negative balances just to provide more teeth to to that issue, which is it's wonderful, right? I mean, they're they're busy otherwise, but it's beneficial to a district's bottom line because that if that number doesn't change, that's $10,000 off of the general fund we'll have to cover. >> And to Kevin's point, if we do a better job of identifying these students, then we it does impact us in accountability because we are compared to other districts with similar demographics. And so if we're under identifying students who

197qualify for free and reduced lunch, we're being compared against districts who actually don't look like us. >> And then in turn, our title one funding will also increase because our free and reduced lunch applications indicate more students with >> So how does 100% possibility of signing that paper? How many are actually doing like 50%, 40%. >> 30% >> 35. And I know we've talked about this like how >> do we get no matter who you are? >> Yeah. And then there's some some that would qualify that will not pull out >> will not negative state. >> Mhm. >> Okay. Right. >> So those are those are the the proposed lunch prices. >> I move we approve the lunches pricing as as presented. >> Second. >> Kevin made the motion. ESI seconded. >> Okay. >> Any

198additional comments or questions? All those in favor say I. >> I opposed. >> She unless she rest. >> Okay. 2025 2026 compensation. >> Okay. So, uh that information was provided to you guys uh in your packet. I want to thank uh Jason and and Susie for working on this. A lot uh a lot goes into u you know not only this year trying to u decipher through the the laws of of what we have to do as far as the teachers salaries and how that can be uh presented. And so I want to thank Susie for putting the u compensation packet together. a lot of information. Uh, but it it does have the uh the teacher uh compensation scale. And if you notice, we put the $8,000 at the bottom uh for any uh teacher

199that's got five or more years experience. If you have three or four years of experience, uh they get the $4,000. And so when you see the the total that's adopted that does not include the uh the the extra stipen that the state you know that the state is providing. So uh when you look at the compensation scale uh you you know if you look at somebody that's got year you know that's uh got three years uh that's 51,000 you'll add $4,000 to it. So they've made 50 555 >> and so um you know this this money that the teachers are getting is is provided by the state and uh and then of course librarians and registered nurses have to you know they're viewed differently by the new law. So we had to uh change that

200scale. Then we have the administrative scale as well. Uh, and then we've also have the counselor compensation scale for 2526. Uh, and then you also have the district stipens that were were listed in there. And we also included the hiring scales for all of our different folks as uh as we move forward. Just wanted y'all to see what that looked like uh as we continue to, you know, every year hire hire different folks or whatnot. So, um, lot of information in here. Um, you know, like I say, the the teacher pay was was probably the the biggest thing that was on the radar of this year. Uh, teachers certainly deserve the the the rates that they're getting. Uh, we actually did give our zero through uh two years a little bump as well. Uh, just

201so they would get something. Um, and so I'll let Jason or or Susie speak to anything else that they'd like to talk about. Um, >> getting the death stair, so I will answer. >> One of the things that stood out to I'm sorry, but one thing that stood out to me is what we're paying substitutes. We pay not we asking somebody to step into the classroom for $100 a day and if they come in and they will sit in our daycare they make $120 a day. Is the time diff is there a time difference on what they have to be there? >> Yes. And it's different revenue. So their their day is >> No, I understand that >> their day is longer. So they're 7:15 to 4:30. >> Yeah. But god $100 for 8 hours.

202Is that 8 hours? 12 and a half and $12. We looked at bumping it. >> I agree. >> But, you know, we we looked at bumping it and then, you know, we looked at, >> you know, how much would it take to get a sub to actually outcome sub? You know, is it an extra $15 a day? Is it an extra $50? And then when you start looking at the numbers, it was going to be a $40 $50,000 cost. And then with the deficit budget, we were trying to figure out >> I agree. I just that stood out to me that I was just like good. I mean, I'm not sure >> for a hundred bucks a day. I mean, I heard I don't hear much, but I have heard from people that want that

203been asked to substitute like I'm not doing it. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> 100%. >> I was just so I see there I mean there are some new stipens, right, that we've identified. >> So if we move we have moved people out of positions and so we were having to disperse you know we've covered a lot of ground through attrition this year but we you know those people did work and so um in some of those positions we've had to part portion out pieces of um positions and give them to existing employees. So we, you know, when we've done that, it would attach the stipen. >> Well, with stipens, regardless male, female, if you're an assistant coach, you compensated exactly the same. So there's no difference between girls and boys rights. David to your point about

204subs. Uh that was one of the things we've discussed a lot uh because our fill rates are challenging and whatnot, but >> we have the sub here. >> Thank you. >> Yes. Thank you very much for your service. >> Yes. Thank you. $15 an hour, which I'm not sure we've moved the needle, uh would cost us over $40,000. >> We we have had a challenge filling our soap jobs though, so you know, that is something we're continuing to monitor for sure. >> More so on Fridays and Mondays, I guess. >> Oh, yeah. >> Good work on this. Thank you. >> Need a motion. >> I move that we approve the compensation plan as presented. >> I said again. >> Who second it? >> I'll take it. >> Dave's the taker. >> Okay. So, Greg and

205David. >> Greg and David. >> Any additional comments or questions? All those in favor say I. I >> opposed 70. >> Okay. Where are we at? >> Uh we're region producing cooperative resolution. >> Okay. So, as as we're trying to, you know, save money and whatnot. Uh we've talked uh Jason and I were talking about trying to join uh different uh purchasing cooperatives and and the more that you can join the uh the more you can put it out there when we go out for bids or or whatnot. And so we would like to join the region 7 purchasing cooperative. Uh that way if we start to go out for a bid, we can put that on on their buy or not buy board, but their uh their board and then they can uh be

206able to give us prices just like through region 13 or buy board or tips or caps. And so Jason, I'll let you add anything to that. >> No, we're just trying to expose ourselves to as many vendors as possible to get the best possible price for anything that we potentially need or want. inflationary costs are a thing will continue to be. So is if we can get into as many purchasing co-ops as we possibly can, we can potentially bucks. >> So is this a 1%? What is the percentage on this co-op compared to in products and services compared to >> Well, most of those are are pretty blanket in terms of of fees. You're aware of that as much as anybody. I'm not sure of the difference in in price that region 7 would get

207us versus a buy board, but I do know that there's vendors in region 7 that aren't on by board or tips. So, we're trying to get exposed to as many vendors as we possibly can >> and then if it's not cost saving that direction. >> That's your options open. >> Right. It's a good idea. >> I need a motion. I move we approve uh joining the region seven person Rich motion Gerald seconded >> any additional comments or questions is there clarification >> okay yeah >> what's that >> oh just talking about the next time I'll talk >> uh did you get that whole the motion in a Yeah. Rich and Gerald. >> All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed 70. >> Uh public workers compensation program resolution. >> Yes. PWCP. Uh Mr.

208Stoner has worked with uh with this group uh to to get the rates. And so I'll let him kind of just explain where we're at on this. >> This is just an amendment to continue our our services with PWC. I believe Wagab Vist has been with him since 1988, maybe. Uh by continuing this with another five-year agreement, we're looking at saving as much as $10,000 uh going with this particular service. Uh they've been great for us and nothing good things to say about about them. And then the fact that they're saving us money is really great for for me as well. So, I I like to propose that we continue our our relationship with PWC. >> I move that we adopt as recommended. >> Kevin made the motion. >> I'll second. >> I mean, I

209>> I don't mean to. Whoever said it over there, how's that? >> Rich. >> Kevin made the motion. Rich seconded. Any additional comments or questions? >> All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed? 7. I also move that we approve the consent agenda as presented. >> Thank you, Kevin. >> Is that general second? Gerald >> Kevin made the motion. Gerald seconded. All those in favor say I. >> I opposed. Superintendent. >> Okay, just a couple of things. Uh our team of eight training will be uh Thursday um July 17th, I believe. Uh yes. Is it? >> Yes. >> Thank you. At 6 o'clock, uh >> yes, it'll be here at the MAC. C Kathy Lowour from region 13 will be providing uh the training for you guys. Um uh >> in board meetings

210till the rest of time. >> Yeah. >> I think Holly sent you guys a uh a form for sandwiches from Lakeside Sub. So, if you could get that to her uh sometime tomorrow, that'd be great. that we we can get you a sandwich and everything for for dinner during that time. Uh Kathy has been a former superintendent. Uh she she's a region 13 field service agent. I think you will enjoy her presentation. Uh and so she's got some things uh lined up for you guys. And so uh just reminder there. Also, we've got a couple of other meetings. Uh regular board meeting will be August the 11th. And then also uh could have a meeting on the 7th and talk about to talk to you about that. Uh but then the other meeting that's going

211to be a called meeting for to adopt the tax rate and to set the budget will be uh I believe that's August uh that's Thursday, August 28th. And that will be to adopt the tax rate, adopt the budget, and then make any budget amendments that are needed for the 2425 school year. uh just to make sure we get all of our uh areas covered as far as uh money. So, >> have we set a time for that? >> Uh it'd be 6:00. Okay. >> Right. Thank you for that. Yeah. >> So, is that two or three meetings in August? >> What's 11th, 28th, and >> the possible the seventh? >> Okay. >> Right. >> We have not had the confirmation on on that yet. So, okay. and and we uh and so the 11th is

212a is a regular board meeting date and then the 28th will be on that Thursday at 6 o'clock. So >> are these on the calendar? >> Yeah, we'll put those on the calendar u tomorrow 11th may already be on there. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> So, >> God bless. >> Any any questions? >> Any issues with the 28s? >> Uh, I may be out of town, but Okay. >> Yeah. I hope. Okay. All right. If for some reason you're going to be out, like Kevin, just uh let me know. If you're going to be out, let me know. That way, if we get down to four or so, we'll need to make sure we we can have it for them. But we have to have this uh within a time period in by state law. So,

213and that's all I've got on superintendent for >> all righty. We're going to go into close session and take a very brief >> take just >> 5 minutes >> one minute to talk >> 5 minutes 8:30. Thank you.