001Mic check. One, two. Mic check. One, two. Mic. Mic. Mic. Mic. Mic. Mic check. One, two. Mic. Mic. Good afternoon everybody. It is 12:00. This is the 3rd of November 2025. It's Monday afternoon. Thanks for joining us. This is a special called meeting in the San Marcus CISD board of trustees. We have what? six trustees in person and one trustee joining us on Zoom. Um the meeting is officially called to order. We have a declaration of quorum. We do not have anybody signed up to speak in public forum this afternoon. So we'll move straight into our agenda prep for the notice of November 17th meeting. Dr. Cardona. >> Uh Madame President, members of the board, good afternoon, Miss Kaine, I see you up there. Um we will uh have on item four our public meeting
002to discuss the district's ratings on the state financial accountability system that we have at this time of year uh public forum then superintendence report at present there's nothing but I'm sure we will have some student recognitions uh for November item seven reports and information a academics report uh we'll give you an update on the procedures and policy see updates for the Slack that you all will be voting on later. >> Did you receive Did you receive uh nominations from everybody for that committee? They were due on Friday. >> We have four. >> Okay. If you do not have if you've not been able to find somebody to nominate, um I had several parents that expressed interest to me. So, I'm happy to pass along some names if people are still looking for nominees. >> And
003we have to have those members because we have a timeline of the next day to have our initial meeting just to remain semicompliant with our 90 days from the time somebody challenged a book. Uh, President Holly, I was just going to ask, are we going to workshop that now here or is there an expectation of when board members will submit those names since the deadline was last Friday? So, I know you said you had some names. I know we had some conversations with folks on Friday, the ski shoot. >> Are we going to handle that now or I guess are we going to give our colleagues a timeline of >> like are you going to share those names out with the board and they have Wednesday or what does it look like? I think there's
004no meeting. Is there a meeting before our next meeting? Is this Slack supposed to convene before our next school board meeting? >> They meet the day after. Okay. So, I think that we can make the names of public at the regular meeting >> and then give those folks a day to plan for the next day meeting. >> Well, I think they'll have been contacted already. >> Okay. >> There's no approval that needs to happen. We just need to make the appointment. So, once everybody's appointed, the district can go ahead and contact them and give them the outline. And then if we want to discuss it or workshop it or make it public at the next meeting, we've got that opportunity. >> And I'm not sure if you saw the invitation included the date. So if
005you were able to have that conversation with them and they committed, um hoping that you mentioned November 18th was the first meeting date. Otherwise, we do plan on sending a follow-up email this week letting them know that November 18th will be the first meeting. And yes, we have four. Double checked. So, just to confirm process-wise, if as a board member I've submitted my name, they're going to be contacted when? >> Um, if we'll do it today. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Especially if they don't know about the November 18th, we can do that today. >> And then for anyone who hasn't yet appointed someone, the process would be we would have that conversation on the 17th. >> Is that correct, President Hoy? >> Who hasn't those? If y'all could name >> three potential >> I mean
006sure but I think everybody will have appointed somebody by that date. Okay, >> that's my assumption because it's not the committee doesn't have to be approved by the board, >> right? Y'all just your appointment is the approval. >> Okay. I was just >> It's not like we're debating on the >> nominees. And again, I'm just trying to understand I guess like the process. >> So, you nominated somebody >> and so they're good. >> They're good. >> But if I didn't, >> you would communicate a name with me maybe, >> right? >> And then I could potentially nominate them on the 17th. Yeah. Yeah. Or before then. >> Okay. Okay. >> Yeah. The sooner we can get those other three names, we'll contact them today with the other four. >> And to be clear, the that
007this committee is only seven people and all of them have to be parents who are current voting members who you have um appointed and they should be parents. And then we have non- voting members that would be staff. Okay. >> Present. >> And those that number would not exceed the number of voting members. and they're only advisory in nature at the end of the day, you yes or no. >> My only last question on this topic is once that committee is appointed um is there going to be like a public facing I'm indifferent to this. I'm just curious like if I was a parent or a citizen community member and wanted to go see who like was on that committee is that a part of the reporting requirements by the state or is that in
008state legislation currently? I haven't seen anything verbatim like you must publish their names, but we will have that done. And we've mirrored on the Slack web page, we've mirrored your U board web page where there's the date, the minutes, the link to the audio or visual uh recording, and the date that the recommendations will come to the board. So, we've kind of just mirrored your table, and that's where they'll see a list of members. In that same vein and thought process, are they required to have a public comment period at that meeting? >> We will not have public comment and that's in the bylaws um that you'll hopefully be approving. >> Okay. Um last last question, and this was asked by my appointee. Are they she jokingly said she was uh willing to read every
009book in its entirety to like weigh in. um what is going to be provided to them as committee members as they make those decisions and what does that timeline look like? >> Yeah, so this first one will be a quick turnaround. Um but ideally as soon as we get a challenge, they get the the title um and any sort of background information we can provide. They'll be encouraged to read the text in as much entirety as they can manage um and kind of get themselves up to speed. At the first meeting, we will do sort of an orientation um primarily walking them through the bylaws that you'll be approving and a lot of that is in the bylaws. >> Other questions? >> Quick question. >> Yeah. So just to clarify because we are seating a
010couple of different committees on this particular one regarding the SB13. Are they allowed to be district employees? >> No, this is the one that is strictly for the review of books that we are acquiring or books that have been um had a concern raised about them. And so it must be a parent of a current student who is not also an employee of the district. >> Okay, that's what I just wanted to verify. Thank you. >> Current enrolled student. That's my understanding. >> Yeah, >> that's what the law says. >> Yes, >> that's what we decide. >> No, that one is. >> Okay. >> All right. Go ahead. >> Can I just double check? I sent my nominee late. Uh, Miss Matti, did you receive that email? >> Received. Thank you. >> Yes, received. >>
011Thank you. Item B, our auditors will be presenting the 2024 comprehensive financial report. Item eight, approval of consent agenda items. Item 8A, approval of the minutes of the regular schedule board meeting on October 20, 2025. And for the special board meeting on November 3rd, 2025. Uh item B, consider approval of district and campus improvement plans. Item C, consider approval of board policy update 126. And I believe Miss Munoz gave us a kind of an update on >> just me. >> I will share it. >> You'll share it. Um, item D, consider approval of quarterly financial and annual investment report. Item E, consider approval of board policy CH, local purchasing and acquisitions. you want to talk about that? >> So that is a local policy that we are updating uh to be in alignment with our
012legal policy that is changing due to the procurement threshold um changing from 50,000 to 100,000. The local policy um pre currently states that uh anything above 50,000 is required to be approved by the board and we want it to align with the new law for 100,000. So any single purchase um that would be over 100,000 would be required board approval. Item 8F, consider approval for of 2025 2026 budget amendments and currently have two or three. Three. Okay. So, currently we have three that we're going to present. Um, one is um an increase uh to salaries. Um, and this is for some service credit adjustments for employees that were going from uh aid uh to teachers. Um, and it Miss Manolles can add that if y'all have any other questions to that. And that's about $45,000.
013Um, also the high school is requesting some money uh just moving from function to function for some technology needs. uh due to the uh cell phone policy there were they're needing some additional technology. So that is just a function change. And then uh we have a board item here for community action uh because of the shutdown of the government right now. Um community action usually uh supports us with one teacher and three aids. Um because we're not getting that funding, we need to uh pay that from our general fund and that is $175,169. >> Item president, if we could just move the add of consent item for action, please. >> Yes. And that third one is for head start. Correct. >> Yes. >> Move item F. >> Yeah. >> All right. Uhhuh. I wanted to
014request that we um we're going to need to add another consent agenda item. We've been working with the um different furniture vendors to uh select furniture vendor for New Mendes Elementary School and we will have a name or names for you um by this November meeting. So we would like to add um on G a consider approval of selected furniture vendors for the new Mendes Elementary Pro project. Madam President. >> Yes. >> Um I'm I have no issue with this item, but since it is bond dollars and obviously I'd want to advertise what those bond dollars are doing for our community and in preparation for the Menace Elementary School, I would just ask that it's not in consent agenda. >> Yeah, I'd like to move to regular agenda and I'd like to have or to
015the regular uh action items, but I'd also like to receive in advance a list of the furniture that we anticipate needing to purchase. um because we do have a school full of furniture. So, I'm hoping that first of all, we're reusing and repurposing the furniture that we have in the best way that we possibly can. Obviously, some of it won't be able to be reused, but that would be my preference. Um so, I'd like to see us be purchasing as little furniture as we have to, but I'd also like to know what it is we're purchasing. >> Okay. We um we are in the early phases of um of the process and so we actually this week are meeting with uh potential vendors to to see who we'd like to move with moving forward to
016get into the more detailed discussions of furniture. So I don't know uh Mr. General that we would have um that information at this time. I'd be happy to share it at the December um meeting if you'd like. We just wanted to uh bring to to the board the vendors that we would like to work with and move forward on selecting. We won't have any pricing any of that information at this time. >> That's fine. And also again, I'm obviously only one trustee, but my preference is to reuse what we have first. So, >> interested. >> Thank you. I also have an item and I don't know if y'all want to put it in items for action or consent, but it is another water uh detention water water quality inspection access easement for uh Miller Middle
017School. And this is the front detention pond that's in front of the school um that we need to close a site permit out and this is a process to close that permit out which is outstanding from 2018. Is that something that's still requiring approval from the city? >> Yes. >> Then I think we need to put it in items for action. >> Okay. >> Anybody else? >> All right. Item nine, items for action. A, board of trustees consider resolution to vote for candidates for the board of directors of the Cwell County Appraisal District. Item two, consider resolution to vote for candidates for the board of directors for Guadalupe Appraisal District. Item three, consider resolution to vote for candidates for the board of directors of Hay Central appraisal district. Item four, consideration and possible action regarding
018policy procedures update of the Slack and the appointment of Slack members. And then we have the easement for Miller. We'll move the furniture vendor for Mendes and the 2025 2026 budget amendments down to finance. Item B, procurement consideration of possible action regarding resolution authorizing the transfer of the surplus bus to the city of San Marcus for fire department pursuant to a public purpose including POS possible delegation of authority to superintendent/designate to finalize a bill of sale to affffectuate the sale. It's really the fire chief Les Stevenson has asked us for a bus. We have a bus that kind of instead of auctioning off, we could donate to the city so they can use for training purposes. So both city staff and school district employees would benefit. Our school safety officers, school SRO's would practice training
019with the city in the event that something were to happen. >> No, no, not yet. Not yet. And then item 10, close session is authorized by section 551.071, 5551.074, 551.129, and 551.076 of the Texas government code. Deliberation regarding safety and security, including safety personnel systems, intruder audit reports, infrastructure, and or devices if needed. Currently, I don't believe we have anything, but we are in the middle of auditing uh school safety audits. In the event something bad happens, we keep that on there. >> All right. Is there anything anybody would like to add to the agenda? Mia? >> Um, yes. Uh, we also probably need to add to items for action, I guess, is our donation from the uh San Marcus Education Foundation that needs to be approved. What's that donation again for? >> It's from
020Mr. Navarat. He donated $75,000 to help with our person who really does all the work for the fundraisers and stuff to pay for part of her salary. >> Okay. And he gave a three-year commitment, $25,000 a year for three years to assist with that >> to offset those costs. Yes. Okay. >> Anybody else? >> Yes. Mr. >> I I would like at least maybe this could be in the superintendent report, but uh considering the threats to um from federal shutdown related to um food relief uh or supplements for our kids. Um I'd like to understand maybe in the superintendent's report what the district can or could do if um the SNAP funding were to go away. between now and the end of November with regard to potential well you can tell me um but maybe
021in your report. >> Yeah, I've got Mr. Cruz researching some things that other board members have asked so I can give you a report on the answer he gave me. >> Okay. >> Yeah, >> I think that >> and I go ahead. >> I'd like to add to that uh if any of our breakfast and lunch money is in jeopardy and at what point And then do we also need to stack on top of that the Head Start issue? >> So the Head Start issue is already an agenda item for y'all to vote on for those. It's 172,000 >> um that y'all be voting on those positions until they can figure out the reimbursement. Um >> food nutrition we >> currently we haven't received any notification on changes. >> Okay. >> Correct. But I'm talking
022I mean I know that there's the money factor, but we're talking about supporting potential families through maybe not having that option if they were shut and what we what that would look like for the district. >> I believe it's those three positions, correct? They would be funding permanently those three positions, >> right? Right. Th that's what currently they are employees u community action was just reimbursing us for those three positions. So this would be just paying it out of general funds, but the program is still >> right at the at this time. Yes. But if it were if something were to happen with that program the way that it's been discussed, I'm not talking about just financially. We're talking about logistically. We're going to have people who are not going to have places to send
023their children. Correct. >> So that's kind of what I was looking I don't know if there's anything that's going to be if we need to discuss that at all, how that might impact um Dr. Cardona. they would still qualify for um for Bonum's program based on their qualifications and since they're four years old, they would still be um counted for enrollment and we would still continue to um accept and enroll them as students. >> I think there's that, but I think that there's another issue which is the fact that our head start at Bonum is continuing in some presumably in some shape, but the other head starts in town are not continuing. My understanding is like effective this week, they're not continuing. So I think that we should be thinking as a district about if
024we have a way to situation if it continues like maybe even second semester, you know, maybe maybe there's not something we can do next week, but maybe there's something that we can do second semester if this problem continues. Um, and I would say also with um the district response to the food insecurity and and the removal of stamp benefits, we need to possibly also have an action item because if the district is talking about expending funds to address that, then we should probably be voting on that and not just >> Well, first we need to find out if it's legal to actually do that, >> right? But I'm saying that we maybe should have an agenda item. >> Correct. >> Madam board president, >> go ahead. >> So >> obviously I'd been limited of who
025I can talk to on this board due to TOMA and risk of TOMA violations. I had talked to uh Trusty Mclofflin and yourself, President Hollyy. I know one of the things that we had kind of workshopped in formally was is there a way that we can send some type of survey out to families asking how the federal shutdown has impacted them? So whether they are recipients of SNAP or TANNIF, whether they have children enrolled in Head Start programs, quite frankly, and honestly, I don't know the gravity and the breadth of impact of the federal shutdown with our families. So I wouldn't even know what questions to ask them. But before we workshop, how to provide child care, how to provide food service, which I think are both things we need to consider in the near
026future if the crisis isn't resolved federally. I think it'd be a good idea to know what exactly are these issues that are impacting our families, how they're manifesting. Maybe we get respondents back saying, "We're good on child care, we're good on food, maybe we don't have to worry about these things." But without knowing the data behind that, I think it'd be very difficult, as admirable as I think all of my colleagues intentions are, including my own, to try and address that. It's just hard to do without knowing what where the need is. So, I don't know if that's something I don't think that requires board approval to send out a survey to staff to employees and staff and families because again, I know we've had conversations of our employees on food service. If we pay
027them too much, they run a foul of their affordable housing subsidies, right? And so, I don't know how many ISD employees have children in Head Start programs who now don't have child care as of today. Um, so again, if that there's interest in that, I would see that as like a logical first step and then if we have some type of, you know, agenda item for the 17th that could flesh out that data and have those conversations, I'd be in support of that. Yeah, I think I think that we should put it to our administration to use their resources and their knowledge and their people to figure out ascertain what the need is and then bring back some ways in which we can address that need. So >> you we're going to add an action
028item though like kind of a catchall actions related to report from something >> something yeah something I think that ways in which the district is addressing the needs of our students based on the federal shutdown. I mean something I think Mr. Cruz would have to give us the exact language on that, but something like that that allows us to authorize expenditures if that's what we feel like we have to do. >> Yeah, because a week ago I thought it was going to be really bad like by now, but obviously the moment passed, but that doesn't mean by the 17th we won't be in a different scenario. So, I think having something on there lets the public know that's something we could act on. >> Does that make sense to you, Dr. Cardona? somewhat but I
029mean we're in an uncharted right >> situation so I don't know what the good answer is >> but a holistic approach to how the district could be a social service along with an institutional service as well so that's what I'm thinking I mean off the top of my head I just got to figure out how the survey looks some people are very guarded with that information >> and maybe the survey isn't it but I would think that if we talk to um our communities and schools liaison and our counselors um many of our staff at our schools is going to have some sense of who's being affected and how they're being affected and immediate needs. I mean I've talked to some staff already that have identified some of those concerns. Now the question for me
030is if we had a pool of money we could dedicate to mitigate some of these impacts where where do families feel the biggest need you know and that might be around food insecurity or it might be around child care they've lost I don't know I'm fortunate not to be wondering every day about that for my own family but and so I don't it's hard to design a policy that answers a you know we don't even know the questions right we don't know what's most pressing and I think we're not asking parents communicate specifically I parent 634 need this much food. I mean I I just need a I as a policy maker help me with a general sense of where that would be. >> All right, other questions or items that we need to add
031to this agenda? I did want to ask the board if uh it was something we have received some further information from our legal team with regards to the sale of the property um that we have on Le Street and I wanted to see if that was something you would like to add um as a close session or uh some information that was received from legal um that needs to be provided to the board and I'm just not sure which um means you would like to receive that information >> as an individual trustee My position is until there's an offer that we could accept to form a contract, I'm I don't I don't need this back on the agenda. I mean, if legal has some direction about how a future hypothetical offer would be handled, I
032think we can take that up when there is one. But have putting this on every two or three months when it when a lot of community members feel a real vested interest in the outcome is just generating uh stress that is unnecessary. >> Understood. Uh would you like uh there was a memo that legal prepared would you like to receive? It's anformational on the procedural process of of selling the property and it's something that I could um provide via email to the board. >> Be fine with me. >> Yeah. >> Okay, we'll do. Thank you. >> So, while we're on this topic, I did have a followup. >> I guess my question is, well, I'd heard from members of the education foundation that they had been brought up in a meeting that there was a
033potential offer or applicant or interested party. Is that true? Is has there been additional communication since our last time discussing this that someone has come forward expressing interest >> from the city county >> from from anywhere? >> Um I have received one or two call uh two calls I believe just uh people that haven't even identified themselves that just were interested in um more information about the property. Um by no means has anybody given an offer. They were just asking if the property was for sale and they'd like more information about it. >> So, that information is receable. >> True or not, I guess my concern or frustration is I don't know how we're deciding to communicate these things to to the general public or members of the administration or to staff or in mixed
034company. But to echo Mr. Mclofflin sentiment when I hear from someone that it was brought up at at an education foundation meeting and I'm not and I'm not aware of it, right? And I'm getting phone calls of well, we heard from somebody that the ISTD has an offer. You can imagine how frustrating that is for me as a board member because of how politicized this item is in the community. So I guess my hope or my expectation moving forward is unless it's coming to us as an agenda item, unless it's coming to the full board, the anecdotal conversation of this topic is creating more frustrations not only for me but for community members who are then having to politic or talk to folks or lobby my colleagues on the board one way or the other.
035But yet again, it's knowledge to me that there might even be a potential offer. So I guess my ask is moving forward unless it comes through this process please as best the ability of all staff to keep these kinds of conversations private because again if someone calls in and says hey I might be interested can you send me the information the way in which that is communicated to the general public can create concerns frustrations what's going on so on and so forth right so just a a friendly request completely. >> I just want to clarify on that though that >> this topic has never been agendaized at any education foundation meeting. >> The superintendent hasn't >> in casual conversation. >> I mean there's very little we can do from keeping people from gossiping but but
036I'm just saying the superintendent did not report it. >> Okay. >> So the issue is if the gossip is coming from staff it's creating frustrations in the >> I just want to be clear. We've already told you it's not reported on it. If you got anything more specific, let me know. But we we didn't talk about it in Smith and I can't control gossip. >> I mean, I think next time it's not on our topic today, but >> Well, we we just want to know because we he and I have to deal with it. And you say one thing, everybody says one thing, we're in close session and we have a discussion and then we come out and things come out. just tell us what it is you want. Right now, we've been told by
037the legal team that a letter from the city manager can precipitate a official offer. So, you know, Marcus and I are the only two that I don't think anybody else in this room deals with it. Just he and I are the only two dealing with it. So, we just want to know. We're as frustrated as everybody else with this piece of property. >> You want to know what? We want to know if you we want to bring it because that we did get a letter from Stephanie and from the county judge that now our lawyers are saying potentially could be considered an offer. Do you want to discuss it? Do you not want to discuss it? If it were up to administration, we just drop that property alto together. Well, I think if it's an
038if if the if our lawyers say it's an offer, then it needs to come to the board as an agenda item for the board to discuss. If it if the lawyers say that it's just discussion and questions, and if you're answering phone calls and taking phone calls from people who have questions about the property, that's your job and I don't want to be involved in it. Um, but >> yeah, we prefer to just drop the issue, but we have an open bid. We have an open RFP >> on that property. If you want it to stop, then just tell us to stop the RFP and we'll stop it and then all the stop the gossip will talk stop on that property. >> You can tell us right now. >> Well, I think if there is
039an offer, if something has come to the district, >> it's really the city and the county and >> so it's a different letter than we previously received. That's part of the conversation I think that Marcus wants to have with you because the lawyer on one side is telling us I don't think they understand how to sell property. So Marcus is try trying to mitigate gossip but one lawyer's telling us need to educate the board on what it is they actually need to do to sell property because some of you are under the impression you can do certain things and we cannot do certain things. And then I know big concern of some of the board members is them digging into the dirt which is about where we're at with this piece of property. That's the
040next step and we don't want to go there because we know if we if somebody steps foot on that property y'all are going to hear about it. >> So I have a follow-up question. When we first discussed letter in question we had a member of legal council back there who told us the things we could and could not do. Who's telling us now the other thing? The same person that we're paying. >> The same person. >> If it's the same person that we're paying, I'd much rather have a conversation of why are there still our general counsel if now it's a new conversation on the exact same letter. >> Is it the exact same letter? >> It's not the exact same letter. So after close session, you asked us to reach out to Miss Reyes,
041which is what I did, and a letter was drafted. This is this other letter that came out, >> which that's what we did. we took your direction from the board and we reached out. So now we're at that original letter that they sent plus the one where we responded to them and now they've got more information. But if we can all solve it if we just drop the RFP and then we can just close it out and then nobody will talk about the property anymore. >> Okay. Well, if the two letters together constitute an offer, then I think that we do need to discuss it at the November meeting and I think if it's an offer, we have to discuss it in close session. So, I think we need to put it on the executive
042session >> and you tell us one way or the other and we'll be done with that property >> unless >> I mean I still think it's a good idea. The board initially thought it's a good idea to sell it for full value. I still think that's a good idea. That's part of the discussion. Giving it away for 1.2 1.5 1.6 mill that's not a bad that's not a good idea. But if someone wants to pay the three plus that it's worth open to it. Um, but if we need to put it back on the agenda, I just make sure whoever I just want to hear from whoever said that this might constitute an offer and that we don't know what we're doing. Make sure they're available for the close session. >> I didn't know. >>
043She didn't say you nor that's what you took. She said, "Y'all are misinformed. Know how to sell property. Misinformed. Any other comments, questions, items that we would like to add to the agenda? >> Seeing none, is there a motion to adjurnn? >> So moved. >> All second. >> All in favor, please raise your hand. Thank you very much. Have a great week. Um, thank you to Mr. Hubenac who is walking around for all of his help and his work these many years of wonderful service. We will miss you. We appreciate everything you did to get this building up and running among other things and we wish you all the best and we hope that you won't be a stranger. >> No, he's got till the end of November. He gets one more library.