[00:00:01]
THANK YOU, SERGEANT. THE TIME IS 6:01 P.M. AND THIS MEETING IS HEREBY CALL TO ORDER.
[1. Call to order]
WE HAVE THE PRESENCE OF A QUORUM ATTENDING IN PERSON.WE'RE GOING TO START THIS EVENING WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
ONE MINUTE. THANK YOU. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE.
TEXAS. ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
PLEASE REMAIN STANDING FOR A MOMENT OF MOMENT OF SILENCE.
YOU MAY BE SEATED. YES. I'M ONLINE. OKAY.
THAT'S OKAY, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO GIVE ANGIE AND ADAM A SECOND.
DO YOU WANT TO MOVE TO DAVID OR. OKAY, SO JUST THE TWO ENDS.
OR WHOEVER WANTS TO MOVE. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING FLEXIBLE.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY, FIRST UP, WE HAVE AN INFORMATION ITEM ON THE BOND 2023 UPDATE.
[3. Information]
DOCTOR SMITH. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.THE FIRST ITEM AS BOARD PRESIDENT INDICATED IS THE BOND 2023 UPDATE.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT. BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND DOCTOR SMITH.
IT IS OUR PLEASURE THIS EVENING TO PROVIDE A BOND UPDATE.
DURING THE PRIOR BOARD MEETING, TRUSTEE JONES REQUESTED TO HEAR FROM BOND COUNSEL.
AND THEN FOLLOWING MRS. DIXON, OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER MR. BRIAN GWYNNE WILL GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE FINANCIALS RELATED TO THE BOND PROGRAM, INCLUDING THE 2023 BOND EXPENDITURES TO DATE.
BOND CONTINGENCY AMOUNTS AND CLOSING THE GAP IN THE BOND 2023 PROGRAM.
[00:05:03]
SO I'LL NOW TURN IT OVER TO MR..WE SERVE AS YOUR BOND COUNSEL. IN THAT ROLE, WE DO FOUR PRIMARY THINGS FOR THE DISTRICT.
TO GIVE YOU JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT IN THE BOND ELECTION PROCESS.
WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL MEET WITH THE ADMINISTRATION PRIOR TO CALLING AN ELECTION, PROVIDE BACKGROUND ON STATE LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS AS TO WHAT CAN GO IN VARIOUS PROPOSITIONS, AND HELP PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON WHAT A BOND ELECTION ORDER MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
WE DRAFT THAT BOND ELECTION ORDER. WE'LL MEET WITH BOND COMMITTEES AND ASSIST ON ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE DURING THAT TIME, AND THEN DRAFT THE ELECTION ORDER AND ALSO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE BOARD IN CONNECTION WITH CALLING THAT ELECTION AND PROVIDE ADVICE ON POLITICAL ADVERTISING ISSUES RELATED TO ELECTIONS AS IT RELATES TO INDIVIDUAL BOND ISSUANCES.
WE WILL DRAFT THE ELECTION OR, EXCUSE ME, THE BOND ORDER OR BOND RESOLUTION ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
WE'LL MEET WITH YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, THE UNDERWRITERS, THE STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION ON THE CONTENTS OF THOSE ELECTION DOCUMENTS ON WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE. HELP STRUCTURE THINGS SO THAT THEY MEET FEDERAL INCOME TAX REQUIREMENTS AND STATE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AS THEY RELATE TO THE ISSUANCE OF DEBT FROM TIME TO TIME.
SO THAT'S THE THE BASIC SUMMARY OF WHAT WE DO AS BOND COUNSEL.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
BUT THAT'S THE THAT'S THE BROAD OVERVIEW. THANK YOU, MR. FARRELL. SO BEFORE WE GET INTO THE THE DECK, WHY DON'T WE SEE IF MISS JONES OR ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. FARRELL'S AT THIS TIME? WELL, I ACTUALLY DO HAVE QUESTIONS.
GO AHEAD. GOOD. YEAH, YEAH I KNOW. SO THAT WE COULD SEE IT BETTER.
SO THANK YOU FOR COMING. YES, MA'AM. PRESENTING THIS.
I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE EVER MET.
SO I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS TO KNOW, DO YOU HAVE A ROLE IN BOND MANAGEMENT AS FAR AS THE 2023 BOND? SO AS IT WERE, SORRY ABOUT THAT AS IT RELATES TO THE 2023 BOND.
SO WE PARTICIPATED IN THE DRAFTING OF THE ELECTION MATERIALS FOR THAT.
WE'VE ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE DRAFTING OF THE BOND ORDERS FOR THE ISSUANCE OF DEBT UNDER THAT, AND WE AMENDED THE CIP PROGRAM IN ORDER TO EXPAND THE CPP PROGRAM SUCH THAT IT COULD BE UTILIZED FOR WITH UTILIZING THE 2023 BOND AUTHORIZATION. AND SO WE TOOK THAT THROUGH THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND GOT THAT APPROVED.
THOSE WERE THINGS THAT WE BROUGHT TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL.
SO USUALLY WE COME ONCE A YEAR. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BACK IN, I WOULD SAY, I THINK WE DID IT IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER OF 23 WAS WHEN WE CAME FOR THE 2024 ISSUANCE CYCLE, AND THAT'S WHEN WE ADDRESSED ALL OF THOSE ITEMS. SO IF I MISSED YOU AT THAT MEETING, I APOLOGIZE FOR MISSING YOU AT THAT MEETING. BUT BUT THAT WAS THE TIME THAT WE'RE HERE.
SO ONCE THE BONDS ARE ISSUED, WE TAKE THOSE THROUGH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
SO WE AT THAT POINT HELP DELIVER THE PROCEEDS TO THE DISTRICT.
WE WILL HAVE TALKED IN ADVANCE WITH THE DISTRICT ABOUT KIND OF THE PARAMETERS AROUND WHICH THEY CAN USE THOSE FUNDS, BOTH FROM A FEDERAL INCOME TAX STANDPOINT AND FROM A STATE LAW STANDPOINT.
AT THAT POINT, WE KIND OF TURN IT OVER TO THE DISTRICT.
WE DON'T HAVE A CONTINUED KIND OF CONTINUED DAY TO DAY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DISTRICT AS IT RELATES TO EXPENDITURES ON PARTICULAR PROJECTS. IF ULTIMATELY A QUESTION CAME UP AND THERE WAS A CHANGE IN USE OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES, WE WOULD OFTEN TALK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ABOUT THOSE ISSUES AND WHETHER IT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD UNDERTAKE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE EXTENT OF OUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE DISTRICT ONCE THE BONDS HAVE BEEN ISSUED.
[00:10:05]
OKAY. SO, MISS, MISS JONES, IF I MAY JUST FOR A MOMENT, I DO WANT TO CLARIFY ONE THING.MR. FRELS MENTIONED, CP THAT STANDS FOR OUR COMMERCIAL PAPER PROGRAM.
SO AFTER THE BOND IS ISSUED, THANK YOU. AFTER THE BOND IS ISSUED, YOU DELIVER THE PAYMENT.
YOU'RE DONE AFTER THAT. SO IS YOUR FIRM ON RETAINER WITH THE DISTRICT OR HOW IS THE FIRM BILLED FOR YOUR SERVICES? SO WE WE ARE PAID IN CONNECTION WITH EACH ISSUANCE.
SO WE HAVE A CONTRACT. WE WILL GO THROUGH AN RFQ PROCESS.
WE'RE HIRED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME BY THE DISTRICT.
WE'RE PAID IN CONNECTION WITH A PARTICULAR ISSUANCE.
THAT'S KIND OF PART OF OUR SERVICES THAT WE'RE PAID FOR IS COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAW.
THOSE TYPES OF ISSUES ARE THINGS THAT WE PROVIDE AT THAT POINT.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING ABOUT WERE YOU AWARE OF ANY OF THAT? DID ANYONE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION REACH OUT TO YOU BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME ISSUES SURROUNDING WHAT WAS MARKETED TO TAXPAYERS IN ITS PASSAGE VERSUS WHAT IS NEEDED TO GET TO COMPLETE THE BOND PROJECTS? WHERE DID ANYONE REACH OUT TO YOU IN REGARDS TO THAT, AS FAR AS WHAT OUR LEGAL OBLIGATIONS ARE.
IF IF THERE WERE AN ISSUE THAT CAME UP, I MEAN, CERTAINLY WE WERE AWARE OF THE MEETING THAT HAPPENED LAST TIME AND, AND, AND DID LISTEN TO THE LISTEN TO THE PRESENTATIONS FROM THE MEETING THIS LAST TIME.
SO WE ARE GENERALLY AWARE OF WHETHER WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED TO DEAL WITH ANY PARTICULAR ISSUES RELATED TO THAT, THAT THAT WOULD RELATE, THAT WOULD BE BASED ON SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION FROM TIME TO TIME.
YEAH, BECAUSE I'M THINKING ABOUT IN JANUARY WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED WE HAD THAT $131 MILLION SHORTAGE, AND I'M THINKING, OKAY, WHERE'S OUR BOND COUNSEL AND WHAT ARE OUR LEGAL OBLIGATIONS TO THE TAXPAYERS IN COMMUNICATING? WE NEED MORE. OR WE'RE ASKING FOR MORE OR WHAT HAVE YOU, IN REGARDS TO COST OVERRUNS.
SO THAT MY QUESTION IS, DID ANYONE IN THE ADMINISTRATION IN JANUARY REACH OUT TO YOUR FIRM AND ASK ABOUT WHAT IS THE DISTRICT'S LEGAL OBLIGATIONS TO THE TAXPAYERS? SO AGAIN, WHAT I WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT WHEN YOU DO A BOND ELECTION AND THOSE ITEMS ARE OUT THERE, IT IS NOT UNUSUAL IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT TO HAVE COST OVERRUNS OR SHORTFALLS ASSOCIATED WITH PARTICULAR ISSUES.
BUT BUT IT'S TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF HOW YOU MANAGE MANAGE THOSE PARTICULAR ISSUES.
OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS JONES. NO OTHER QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, MR. FELLS. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. WHO'S GOING TO PRESENT OUR.
READY? OKAY. GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT. BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND DOCTOR SMITH FOR THE AUGUST CONSTRUCTION UPDATE.
DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS BUILDING IS BOTH IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.
TODAY'S UPDATE WILL INCLUDE THE TEAM'S PROGRESS THROUGH DESIGN.
THE CURRENT CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES, ALONG WITH THE PROJECT'S PHASING THROUGH THE YEAR 2028.
AFTER PROGRAMING. OH. I'M SORRY. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PROJECT INCLUDES.
DLR IS THE ARCHITECT OF RECORD FOR THIS PROJECT.
[00:15:04]
AFTER PROGRAMING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, PHASES OF THE PROJECT WERE COMPLETED, SCHEMATIC DESIGN BEGAN IN OCTOBER OF 2023.TWO MONTHS LATER, IN DECEMBER OF 2023, THE DNC TEAM, ALONG WITH THE ARCHITECTURAL TEAM, PRESENTED TO THE BOARD THE SCHEMATIC DESIGN FOR THE PROJECT. THE FIRST RED CIRCLE HIGHLIGHTS JUNE 10TH OF 2024.
THIS IS THE DATE WHEN THE BOARD APPROVED THE FIRST GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE FOR THE PROJECT.
THE GMP WON. SCOPE OF WORK WAS FOR THE MOBILIZATION OF THE PROJECT TEAM.
DEMOLITION OF THE ATHLETIC FIELDS ALONG WITH AN ABATEMENT ALLOWANCE.
GMP TWO FOR ALL REMAINING SCOPE OF WORK. THE THIRD RED CIRCLE IS THE NEW BUILDING OCCUPANCY DATE OF JULY 30TH OF 2027. LASTLY, THE FOURTH RED CIRCLE AUGUST 31ST OF 2028 IS.
THE PROJECT WAS WHEN WE ARE ANTICIPATING THE PROJECT TO BE COMPLETED.
HURRICANE BURL IMPACT TO THE INSTRUCTION WAS TWO WEEKS FROM THE SCHEDULED START DATE OF THE PLYWOOD FENCE INSTALLATION, AS WELL AS THE PARKING LOT RESTRIPING. HOWEVER, THE TEAM WAS ABLE TO MOBILIZE AND COMPLETE THE INSTALLATION OF BOTH THE PLYWOOD FENCE AND RESTRIPING PRIOR TO THE START OF SCHOOL. THE NEXT TWO SLIDES WILL INCLUDE AN UPDATE SINCE THE TEAM PRESENTED TO THE BOARD IN DECEMBER. THESE ARE DESIGNED FOLLOWING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETING TWO AND SUBSEQUENT BOARD BOARD PROGRESS PRESENTATIONS. THERE WERE TWO TOPICS THAT WERE NOT FULLY RESOLVED FOR THIS REBUILD.
THE FBISD 2023 STANDARD CALLS OUT FOR 16 REGULAR SCIENCE ROOMS AND THREE CTE LABS.
THIS IS WHAT WAS INCLUDED AND PRESENTED IN SCHEMATIC DESIGN DURING THE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PHASE.
THE PHASE. THE TEAM WORKED CLOSELY WITH TEACHING AND LEARNING, AND DETERMINED THAT THE EXISTING CAMPUS HAD MORE LABS THAN WHAT THE PROJECT WAS CURRENTLY PROVIDING, AND THUS TWO ADDITIONAL SCIENCE LABS WERE ADDED TO THE PROJECT.
THE TWO ADDITIONAL SCIENCE LABS ARE SHOWN ABOVE IN RED.
ONE PER FLOOR, WHERE THE ORIGINAL PROGRAM SCIENCE LABS ARE SHOWN IN BLUE.
THE CTE LABS, IN CASE YOU'RE LOOKING, ARE NOT THERE OR NOT SHOWN IN COLORS.
THE NEXT TOPIC, HEAVILY DISCUSSED DURING COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND BEFORE AND AFTER SCHEMATIC DESIGN, IS THE AMOUNT OF TENNIS COURTS FOR THE PROJECT.
WITH THEIR INPUT, THE PROJECT WILL NOW PROVIDE EIGHT TENNIS COURTS.
THESE EIGHT COURTS ARE AN EQUAL NUMBER TO THE COURTS ON THE EXISTING CAMPUS.
ALSO, AS A CENTRALLY LOCATED CAMPUS, THESE COURTS ARE NOT ONLY USED FOR THE CLEMENS HIGH SCHOOL TEAM AND THEIR OPPONENTS, BUT IS ALSO USED AS A AS THE HOST SITE FOR DISTRICT MIDDLE SCHOOL TENNIS PLAYOFFS EACH SPRING.
THE FIRST RENDERING IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE FOUR LEARNING PODS LIKE CRAWFORD HIGH SCHOOL.
EACH LEARNING POD WILL HAVE DIFFERENT COLORS.
TEAL, RANGER, BLUE, GREEN, AND MOSS WILL BE THE COLORS FOR THIS SCHOOL.
IN THIS RENDERING, YOU WILL SEE THE COLLABORATION SPACE ALONG WITH THE CURRENT FINISHES PROPOSED FOR THE PROJECT, WHICH INCLUDE VALUE ENGINEERING SINCE SCHEMATIC DESIGN NEXT TO THE CLASSROOM DOOR, THE AMOUNT OF GLASS ADJACENT TO THE DOOR HAS BEEN REDUCED FROM CRAWFORD.
BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND STAKEHOLDERS.
THIS REDUCTION ALSO SAVES MONEY. THE WALL TYPE HAS ALSO BEEN MODIFIED FROM CRAWFORD, FROM A GYPSUM DRYWALL ASSEMBLY TO A BURNISHED BLOCK, CMU AND THE ROOF CLERESTORY. NATURAL LIGHTING IS PROVIDED ON ONE SIDE.
THE NEXT RENDERING IS OF THE COMMONS AREA. FINISHES HERE WERE MODIFIED FROM CRAWFORD HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE THE CEILING WAS AN OPEN STRUCTURE WITH ACOUSTICAL BAFFLES.
CLEMENTS HIGH SCHOOL IS NOW A LAY IN WOOD CEILING.
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WOOD PANELED CEILING. THE AMOUNT OF GLAZING IN THE SPACE WILL ALSO BE REDUCED AS PART OF THE VALUE ENGINEERING PROCESS AND STAKEHOLDER INPUT.THE NEXT RENDERING IS IN THE LIBRARY, WHERE PROPOSED FURNITURE SOLUTIONS ARE PROVIDED IN THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, ALONG WITH A SIMILAR CEILING TO WHAT IS LOCATED IN THE COMMONS.
ON TO THE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE AND PHASING PLAN FOR THE CLEMENTS HIGH SCHOOL REBUILD.
THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS PROJECT STARTED THIS MONTH AND WILL LAST APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS.
WITHIN THIS PHASE, THE EXISTING BASEBALL FIELD, COMPETITION FIELD, AND PRACTICE FIELDS WILL BE REMOVED ALONG WITH THE DEMOLITION OF THE EXISTING FIELD HOUSE. IN ITS PLACE WILL BE THE LOCATION OF THE NEW SCHOOL.
SINCE THE CLEMENTS HIGH SCHOOL WILL BE OPERATIONAL DURING THIS PHASE, THE TEAM HAS INSTALLED A PLYWOOD FENCE ALONG THE CORNER OF SWEETWATER TO THE FIRST DRIVE AT ELKINS ROAD, THEN ALONG THE PARKING LOT NEXT TO THE SCHOOL OVER AND TERMINATING AT THE DRAINAGE AREA WHERE A CHAIN LINK FENCE WILL BE INSTALLED.
THE FENCE IS SHOWN IN RED IN THE RED BOLD LINE.
THE PLYWOOD FENCE IS SHOWN IN THE RED BOLD LINE AND THE CHAIN LINK IN THE DARK BLUE FOR THIS YEAR, A PRACTICE FIELD WILL REMAIN IN PLACE FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF AND IS SHOWN IN YELLOW.
VEHICULAR AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS TO THE SCHOOL WILL REMAIN THE SAME AS PREVIOUS SCHOOL YEARS FROM ELKINS ROAD, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FIRST ENTRANCE. SOUTH OF THE SWEETWATER AND ELKINS CONNECTION WILL BE AN ENTRANCE ONLY WHERE IN PAST YEARS THERE WAS AN ENTRANCE AND EXIT. BUSSES. PARENTS AND STUDENTS WHO HAVE PARKING PERMITS WILL BE ALLOWED TO USE THE FIRST DRIVE TO ACCESS THE PARKING AREAS. THE FRONT CIRCULAR DRIVE WILL REMAIN FOR DESIGNATED STAFF AND VISITOR PARKING, AS WELL AS PARENT DROP OFF AND PICKUP. THE LAST TWO ENTRANCES ALONG ELKINS ROAD IS FOR STAFF PARKING AND PARENT PICK UP AND DROP OFF, WITH EXTENSIVE COORDINATION WITH CLEMENTS HIGH SCHOOL.
CONSTRUCTION TRAFFIC WILL BE THROUGH A NEW DRIVE AT THE PLYWOOD CONSTRUCTION FENCE ALONG ELKINS ROAD, AND WILL BE TIMED AS TO NOT IMPACT MORNING AND AFTERNOON TRAFFIC.
HERE ARE PICTURES OF THE PLYWOOD FENCE AND THE RESTRIPING.
THESE ARE CURRENTLY IN PLACE. PHASE TWO OF THE PROJECT WILL BEGIN IN SUMMER OF 2027 ONCE THE NEW BUILDING IS COMPLETED, ALONG WITH BUS PARKING. BAND PRACTICE, BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL FIELDS, AS WELL AS STAFF AND PARTIAL STUDENT PARKING LOTS ARE DONE.
THEN, THE STUDENTS AND STAFF WILL TRANSITION FROM THEIR CURRENT HOME TO THE NEW BUILDING.
FBI'S TEAM WILL THEN BEGIN DECOMMISSIONING THE EXISTING BUILDING ONCE SCHOOL IS OUT.
THE STUDENT STAFF AND STAFF PARKING, ALONG WITH THE TENNIS COURTS AND SOFTBALL FIELDS ARE LOCATED.
THESE STRUCTURES AND AMENITIES WILL BE THEN DEMOLISHED IN THE NEW COMPETITION FIELD.
THE PRACTICE FIELDS, TENNIS COURTS AND REMAINING STUDENT PARKING WILL BE CONSTRUCTED.
THIS PHASE WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR TO COMPLETE.
THE LAST PHASE IS ACTUALLY PROJECT COMPLETION.
THAT IS WHEN WE ARE DONE, WHICH IS IN AUGUST OF 2028.
THIS RENDERING IS A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE NEW BUILDING AND SITE AMENITIES, INCLUDING A PEDESTRIAN WALK FROM THE COMMUNITY, LAND SOUTH OF THE SCHOOL, AND THE TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE NEW BUILDING.
NOW I WILL TRANSITION TO MR. GWIN FOR AN UPDATE ON BOND FINANCIALS.
THANK YOU. ASHLEY. GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT.
DOCTOR SMITH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. AS WE SHOW YOU HERE, THE BUDGET FOR THE 23 BOND STILL REFLECTS THE $1.256 BILLION THAT WAS AUTHORIZED BY VOTERS IN MAY 23RD. AND AS OF JULY 31ST, A TOTAL OF $168.1 MILLION IS ENCUMBERED.
A TOTAL OF $63.5 MILLION HAS BEEN EXPENDED FROM CONTRACTS APPROVED BY THE BOARD.
AND THAT LEAVES US WITH $1.02 BILLION REMAINING TO BE EXPENDED FROM THE 23 BOND.
[00:25:09]
LAST MONTH, WE SHARED THAT THERE IS $16.99 MILLION, AVAILABLE IN CONTINGENCY FROM ALL THREE BONDS.WE HAVE PROVIDED A REGISTER STYLE BREAKDOWN OF THE USE OF CONTINGENCY FROM ALL THREE BOND REFERENDUMS AT YOUR SEATS, AND SO YOU CAN SEE HOW CONTINGENCY HAS BEEN USED HISTORICALLY FOR BOND PROJECTS.
THERE ARE TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING THAT PROPOSE USE OF CONTINGENCY.
FOR 2018 CONTINGENCY, $43,000 IS BEING ADDED BACK TO CONTINGENCY FROM THE CLOSEOUT OF PACKAGE 043 FOR HVAC, AND THERE'S A PROPOSED USE OF CONTINGENCY OF $448,000 TO COVER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH REPLACEMENT OF CHILLERS AT BRAZOS BEND AND HERITAGE ROSE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. BOTH OF THOSE CHILLERS FAILED DURING THE 2324 SCHOOL YEAR, AND THEY WERE REPLACED USING GENERAL FUNDS. AND BECAUSE THE BECAUSE REPLACEMENTS CAN BE CAPITALIZED AND MEET THE THRESHOLD AND INTENT OF WHAT WAS AUTHORIZED BY VOTERS.
STAFF RECOMMENDS THE USE OF CONTINGENCY FOR THAT PROJECT.
THERE'S ALSO A REQUEST TO USE 550,000 IN CONTINGENCY FROM THE 23 BOND CONTINGENCY.
THIS IS FOR BID PACKAGE 040 THAT COVERS HVAC AND MEP.
AND I DO WANT TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT AROUND USE OF CONTINGENCY FOR EMERGENCY ITEMS. HISTORICALLY, THE DISTRICT HAS USED BOND CONTINGENCY TO ADDRESS EMERGENCY TYPE REPAIRS WHEN THEY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ITEMS THAT CAN BE CAPITALIZED.
SO THESE ARE ITEMS THAT ARE TYPICALLY $100,000 OR MORE IN COST.
HOWEVER, WE'VE ALSO HAD A SET ASIDE IN THE GENERAL FUND OF SOMETHING CALLED MAJOR MAINTENANCE.
THIS WAS DONE PRE-PANDEMIC WHEN WE ACTUALLY HAD MORE FUNDING FLEXIBILITY THAN WHAT WE HAVE TODAY.
AND SO THAT LED US TO RELY MORE ON BOND CONTINGENCY.
AND SO I DO WANT TO SHARE THAT OUR PLAN IS THAT WE BELIEVE THAT WE WILL HAVE FLEXIBILITY IN THE GENERAL FUND AT FISCAL YEAR END FROM THE CURRENT YEAR TO REESTABLISH THE MAJOR MAINTENANCE. AND SO THAT WOULD GIVE US A ANOTHER SOURCE OF FUNDING THAT COULD BE UTILIZED TO ADDRESS THOSE SHORTFALLS THAT WE POTENTIALLY SEE EACH YEAR.
WE'RE INTENDING TO ADD SOME ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE WITHIN THAT THAT WOULD HELP ADDRESS THAT, AND THAT WOULD COME FORWARD POTENTIALLY EITHER IN SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER FOR BOARD CONSIDERATION IN TERMS OF REESTABLISHING MAJOR MAINTENANCE.
AND SO, YES, WE ARE ASKING FOR THE USE OF CONTINGENCY TONIGHT.
FOR WHAT? TWO, ONE EMERGENCY ITEM. AND THEN AGAIN, ANOTHER ITEM THAT IS IS ON DECK FOR THE 23 BOND.
BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO SHARE THAT WE ARE COGNIZANT OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON WITH THE BOND AND ARE INTENDING TO MAKE CHANGES THAT WILL HOPEFULLY ADDRESS THE BOARD'S CONCERNS WITH USE OF CONTINGENCY. MOVING ON TO CLOSING THE GAP.
SO AS YOU'RE AWARE, STAFF IS CURRENTLY WORKING TO CLOSE THE THE PROPOSED OR THE DEFICIT THAT WE HAVE IN THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND AND LAST YEAR OR LAST MONTH RATHER WE SHARED THAT THE SHORTFALL WAS AT $56.8 MILLION, AND I DO WANT TO OFFER SOME ADDITIONAL INSIGHT INTO THAT PROCESS TO HELP CLARIFY SOME OF THE NUANCES AS WE MOVE FORWARD. SO CURRENTLY, WE HAVE 33% OF OUR PROJECTS THAT DON'T HAVE FINAL CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATES, AND THAT'S ONGOING WORK THAT'S HAPPENING THAT AS EACH OF THOSE PROJECTS BID OUT AND THE NUMBERS COME BACK FOR OUR COSTS, WE'RE ABLE TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE BOARD.
WE CAN SEE THOSE NUMBERS GO UP OR DOWN BASED ON HOW THE FINAL BIDS COME IN.
AND SO SINCE WE'VE UPDATED THE BOARD ON JULY 9TH, ADDITIONAL PROJECTS HAVE RECEDED, RECEIVED COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATES, AND OF THOSE NINE, FIVE PROJECTS RESULTED IN COST ESTIMATES INCREASING BY ABOUT $16 MILLION, AND WE HAD FOUR. THAT RESULTED IN COST DECREASES BY ABOUT $2 MILLION.
[00:30:02]
AND SO THE NET CHANGE THERE WAS ABOUT A $14 MILLION INCREASE AND THE COST THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING.AND AGAIN, WE COULD SEE FLUCTUATIONS OCCUR THERE AS WE GO FORWARD.
AND SO NEXT MONTH, WE MAY BE COMING BACK AND SAYING THE 14 THE NUMBER HAS GONE UP.
OR AGAIN, IT COULD GO DOWN BASED ON HOW THOSE FINAL NUMBERS PAN OUT.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION, AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD HAS.
THANK YOU, MR. GWEN AND MISS DIXON. MISS HANNON.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. FARRELL. AND THANK YOU, MR. GWEN. MY ONLY QUESTION, AND IT'S NOT PERTAINING TO CLEMENTS, SO I HOPE I'M NOT OUT OF LINE HERE.
HAVE ALL THREE PROPOSITIONS. HAVE THE BONDS BEEN ISSUED IN A, B AND C? NO, MA'AM. WE USE A. IF YOU RECALL GOING BACK TO THE COMMENT I MADE EARLIER, THE COMMERCIAL PAPER PROGRAM, WE USE THAT TO CASH FLOW THE PROJECTS. AND SO WE DON'T NECESSARILY ISSUE OUR DEBT ALL AT ONE TIME.
WE TRY TO TIME IT SO THAT IT COINCIDES WITH WHEN WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK.
AND SO THAT WAY WE'RE NOT BURDENING TAXPAYERS WITH THE ADDITIONAL COST OF THAT DEBT.
AT. AND SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS WE HAVE ISSUED SOME DEBT, BUT WE HAVE NOT ISSUED THE FULL $1.26 BILLION I BELIEVE WE'VE ISSUED, RIGHT AT $100 MILLION AT THIS POINT. HAVE YOU ISSUED ANY FOR C.
NO, MA'AM, WE HAVE NOT. THIS IS ALL FOR PROP EIGHT. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MISS HANNON. MR. HAMILTON. YES. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF OUR PROJECTS HAVE NOT BEGUN CONSTRUCTION AT THIS POINT, RIGHT? WE'RE STILL VERY EARLY IN THE IN THE PHASE. AND SO THIS UPDATE, WE HAVE NINE ESTIMATES THAT WERE COMPLETED SINCE THE LAST UPDATE, AS YOU JUST SHOWED US IN THE SLIDE. AND THOSE ESTIMATES RESULTED IN $14 MILLION INCREASE TO THE COST PROJECTIONS. AND SO MY COMMENT IS KIND OF THE ITEM THAT'S ON THE AGENDA LATER.
AND A QUESTION THAT I ASKED EARLIER THIS MORNING.
SO AS WE SIT HERE TODAY, WE'RE IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BREAK 2023.
BOND PROMISES ONE OF TWO WAYS, IF NOT IN BOTH WAYS.
MEANING AT SOME POINT, BASED ON WHERE WE SIT TODAY, WE'LL EITHER HAVE TO REMOVE PROJECTS THAT WERE PROMISED AS PART OF THE 2023 BOND PROGRAM, OR WE'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND ASK TAXPAYERS FOR MORE MONEY, WHICH I CONSIDER BREAKING THE THE COST PROMISE PART OF THE EQUATION OR SOME COMBINATION OF OF THOSE TWO ITEMS. AND SO THAT WAS KIND OF MY THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND THE QUESTION I ASKED.
SO AS YOU EXPLAINED EARLIER SO WE CAN SHIFT SOME OF THESE CAPITAL COSTS, THE OVER $100,000 EXPENSES THAT ARE MAINTENANCE RELATED OR EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE RELATED, WE CAN SHIFT THOSE TO BOND CONTINGENCY FUNDS, BUT I THINK WE JUST NEED TO. I HOPE WE'RE CONSIDERING THIS WITH EVERY PROJECT.
I'M SURE WE ARE TO SOME EXTENT, BUT I THINK BEING IN THE SITUATION WHERE WE ARE IN WITH THE BOND, WE NEED TO BE AGGRESSIVE WITH PURSUING ALL POSSIBILITIES.
SO WE'VE GOT THE BUDGET AND WE'VE GOT THE BOND FUNDS.
AND I THINK MOST EXPENSES ARE HAVE TO BE ONE OR THE OTHER.
BUT THERE ARE, THERE ARE SOME EXPENSES THAT CAN BE THAT CAN FALL IN EITHER CATEGORY.
I HOPE THAT'S AN ADEQUATE EXPLANATION OF THAT.
AND YOU WANT TO INTERJECT WITH ANY. SURE. I'LL, I'LL PROVIDE SOME CLARITY ON THAT.
HAVING SAID THAT, THE LEGISLATURE HAS SPECIFICALLY CREATED THE DEBT SERVICE COMPONENT, OR THE INCOME AND SINKING THAT ALLOWS US TO FUND MAJOR CAPITAL TYPE ITEMS. FROM A GENERAL RULE, YOU TYPICALLY WANT TO FUND YOUR MAJOR CONSTRUCTION TYPE PROJECTS, MAJOR MAINTENANCE TYPE ITEMS WHERE WE'RE REPLACING
[00:35:09]
CHILLERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT FROM THE INS SIDE BECAUSE OF THE LIFESPAN OF THEM.AND THEY TYPICALLY HAVE A USUALLY 30 YEARS IS THE MAX IN TERMS OF MOST THINGS.
AND SO THE, THE THE ANSWER IS YES. YOU CAN HAVE FLEXIBILITY WITH YOUR GENERAL FUND TO FUND THOSE ITEMS. THE CAUTIONARY FLAG THAT I WOULD THROW UP IS THAT TYPICALLY YOUR GENERAL FUND, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE STATE FUNDS EDUCATION, TENDS TO BE THE MOST CONSTRAINED. AND SO BY USING DEBT FUNDS, YOU'RE RELIEVING SOME OF THAT CAPACITY FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO PROVIDE THE FLEXIBILITY.
BUT AGAIN, TYPICALLY YOU'RE NOT OPERATING FROM A DEBT OR A NEGATIVE DEFICIT POSITION ON YOUR DEBT FUND, EITHER IN TERMS OF PROJECTS. AND SO IT'S A VERY DELICATE BALANCE.
AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, AS WE'RE HEADING INTO A LEGISLATIVE SESSION WHERE THERE IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY, WE PROBABLY HAVE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY ON HOW TO BALANCE CAPITAL PROJECTS VERSUS WHAT MAY COME OUT OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN THE GENERAL FUND.
BUT OF COURSE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU ALL ARE THE ONES WHO MAKE THAT DECISION.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT WE DO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO DO EITHER ONE.
YEAH. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. MY MY WAY IS PROBABLY MY WAY MADE SENSE IN MY HEAD, BUT PROBABLY NOT TO ANYBODY ELSE. SO BUT WITH THAT SAID JUST SITTING, YOU SAID, AS A GENERAL RULE, BEST PRACTICE. SO GENERAL RULE BEST PRACTICE IS TO NOT BE IN THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN WITH THE WITH THE BOND BUDGET AND THE, THE COST PROJECTIONS THAT WERE WAY UNDER WHAT REALITY SHOULD HAVE BEEN BASED ON WHEN THE BOND WAS CALLED AND PASSED. MUCH LESS, YOU KNOW, A YEAR PLUS DOWN THE ROAD WITH ONLY A FEW PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
AND SO WE ARE IN THAT SITUATION. AND SO JUST KNOWING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BREAK BOND PROMISES ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, WHICH MAY INCLUDE GOING BACK TO TAXPAYERS FOR MORE MONEY. I JUST WANT TO IF I'M GOING TO GO ASK TAXPAYERS TO VOTE TO GIVE US MORE MONEY, MORE OF THEIR MONEY, WHICH SOME OF THEM MAY BE GETTING INFLATION ADJUSTED PAY, BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE NOT.
AND SO JUST LIKE INFLATION IS HITTING US, INFLATION IS HITTING OUR TAXPAYERS.
AND SO KNOWING THAT IF IF WE WANT TO COMPLETE EVERY PROMISE THAT WAS MADE IN THE BOND THAT LIKELY WILL INCLUDE WILL REQUIRE US TO GO BACK AND ASK FOR MORE MONEY JUST TO COMPLETE PROJECTS THAT WERE ALREADY PROMISED.
AND SO JUST BEING IN A POSITION WHERE WE HAVE TO VOTE ON ON SHIFTING CONTINGENCY FUNDS TO COVER COSTS THAT WERE EXPENDED OUT OF THE BUDGET. I JUST EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED. AND SO JUST IN MY BRAIN, CONNECTING THAT VOTE TO THE BOND SITUATION GIVES ME PAUSE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
WE DO TRY TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ALL ASPECTS OF EXPENDITURES AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
WHAT I WOULD SAY IS I WOULD I WOULD LEAVE THE BOARD WITH ULTIMATELY, CAN WE FUND THESE OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND? THE ANSWER IS YES WE CAN. SO I DON'T WANT TO IMPLY THAT THERE'S THERE'S WE CAN'T DO OTHERWISE.
GOING BACK TO I THINK YOU HIT THE NAIL ON NAIL ON THE HEAD FROM A BEST PRACTICE PERSPECTIVE.
IT WOULD BE TO PAY IT OUT OF BOND CONTINGENCY, BUT ALSO FROM A BEST PRACTICES PERSPECTIVE.
WE WOULDN'T BE IN A NEGATIVE BOND SITUATION EITHER.
AND SO THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A COMPLICATED ITEM TO CONSIDER.
BUT AGAIN WE CAN WORK WITHIN EITHER ONE. I WOULD JUST SAY AS YOUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, I WOULD RECOMMEND MAINTAINING YOUR FLEXIBILITY IN THE GENERAL FUND, UNDERSTANDING THE CIRCUMSTANCES WE HAVE AND ON THE BOND SIDE, BUT PARTICULARLY HEADED INTO A LEGISLATIVE SESSION WHERE THERE IS LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT COULD POTENTIALLY HAPPEN IN THAT SESSION.
THANK YOU, MR. HAMILTON. MISS HANNON, DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? OH, MISS JONES BEHIND HER KLEENEX BOX. SO I'M LOOKING AT THE FIVE PROJECTS THAT INCREASED FOR 16 MILLION IN THE FOUR PROJECTS. DO YOU KNOW WHICH ONES THEY ARE? I WILL DEFER TO DOCTOR VILKS. WHO HAS INFORMATION ON THAT OR MISS DIXON.
OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON. BOARD. THE FIVE PROJECTS THAT DECREASED INCLUDE OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETICS PROGRAM.
[00:40:08]
THE. WE HAD A PACKAGE WE CALLED BID PACKAGE 20.THAT WAS INTERIOR RENOVATIONS. WE ALSO HAD ANOTHER PACKAGE THAT WAS MULTI-CAMPUS RENOVATIONS.
THE ONES THAT WENT UP INCLUDED MADDEN, THE FOUNDATION, REPAIRS AND UPGRADES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
TRANSPORTATION RENOVATIONS. ANOTHER ONE DULLES HIGH SCHOOL, TWO MIDDLE SCHOOL RENOVATIONS, MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATIONS, BUSH HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATIONS, AND HIGHTOWER HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATIONS.
GETTING CLOSE TO THE FINAL STAGES OF THE THEIR DESIGN AND THEIR WORK.
SO WHAT WAS THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THOSE INCREASES? AGAIN, IT WAS PRIMARILY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
SO FOR INSTANCE ON MOST OF THOSE ON. LET'S SEE THREE OF THOSE.
THE ARCHITECT REACHED 90% CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS.
SO IN THOSE CASES THEY'VE DONE AN ADDITIONAL.
ENGINEERING AND CALCULATIONS. SO THEY KNOW THE EXACT SIZE OF EQUIPMENT AND.
IN SOME CASES, FOR INSTANCE, THE DECREASES WE RECEIVED BIDS AND THOSE BIDS CAME IN LOWER THAN EXPECTATIONS, WHICH WAS, YOU KNOW, GOOD NEWS AS THEY SAY. YES.
WAS PROMISED TO THE PUBLIC AND TO MAKE AND CLARIFY WHAT WAS NEEDED BY THE FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT.
WHAT ARE THE MITIGATING FACTORS THAT CAUSE THESE PROJECTS TO BE WITHOUT ESTIMATES? THOSE PROJECTS HAVEN'T STARTED AS YET. AND AND WHEN WE SAY WITHOUT THE ESTIMATES, THEY'VE BEEN BUDGETED, THEY'VE BEEN LOOKED AT, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE WHAT WE CALL THIRD PARTY ESTIMATES OR ESTIMATES FROM CONTRACTORS OR SOMEWHERE SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE RELIABLE THAN JUST IN-HOUSE ESTIMATING OR I SHOULDN'T SAY RELIABLE, BUT MORE VALIDATING.
THAT'S PROBABLY A BETTER TERM THAN IN-HOUSE ESTIMATING.
OKAY. AND SO AS THOSE PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, START AND, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE RELIABLE, THAT'S INDEPENDENT FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, SOURCES THAT WILL GIVE US GREATER CONFIDENCE.
SO IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, THAT 14 MILLION MAY GO UP, BECAUSE I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY SAY THAT.
I THINK AS MR. GWEN MENTIONED, IT'LL GO THOSE ARE LIKELY TO GO UP AND DOWN JUST LIKE IN THIS MONTH.
WE SAW, YOU KNOW, FOUR UP AND FIVE DOWN, I MEAN FIVE UP AND FOUR DOWN THAT WE'LL SEE.
WE'RE GOING TO WORK REALLY HARD TO CONTINUE THAT PATTERN AND CONTINUE TO HAVE IT DECREASE.
OKAY. BECAUSE THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING, BECAUSE I'M THINKING ABOUT ON THE REAL ESTATE SIDE, THAT A LOT OF HOME BUILDERS ARE SAYING THAT CONSTRUCTION COSTS ARE GOING DOWN NOW AND THAT MATERIALS PRICES ARE ALSO GOING DOWN.
SO NOW AS WE LOOK AT THE BID, I'M THINKING, DO WE NEED TO GO BACK AND RE BID OR GO RELOOK AT THESE ESTIMATES, BECAUSE IF THE PROJECT COSTS LOWER THAN WHAT WAS SAID BEFORE, WE NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT AS WELL, RATHER THAN JUST GOING WITH THE ESTIMATE. THAT'S HOW I'M LOOKING AT IT, LIKE, YES, THE MARKET HAS CHANGED NOW, SO I THINK THAT MAYBE SOME PROJECTS WE NEED TO GO BACK AND RELOOK AND REBID.
RIGHT. RIGHT. SO OUR 14 MILLION MAY BECOME 10 OR 5 OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO IF WE JUST GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT AGAIN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MISS JONES.
MR. GARCIA, THANK YOU. JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
OF THE 33% OF OUR PROJECTS THAT WE'RE STILL WAITING ON, CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATES, DO YOU KNOW OR HAVE AN ETA WHEN WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE THOSE ESTIMATES. THOSE WILL BE COMING IN IN THE MOST OF THEM WILL BE COMING IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.
IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR. SOME WILL EXTEND OUT INTO THE SECOND QUARTER.
WE HAVE THOSE PHASED. SO BUT BY FOURTH QUARTER AND FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR, WE SHOULD HAVE A VERY GOOD HANDLE OF WHERE THINGS ARE. AND THEN ONCE WE GET TO 100% BASED ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT CHART THAT'S ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW,
[00:45:06]
KIND OF GIVE US AN ESTIMATE ON WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO PULL PROJECTS OR, YOU KNOW, PUSH THEM DOWN TO THE NEXT BOND.SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS HAS THE DISTRICT CONSIDERED I KNOW WE HAVE LAND ASSETS, VARIOUS DIFFERENT ASSETS AROUND THE DISTRICT. HAS THE DISTRICT CONSIDERED SELLING LAND AS A MEANS TO HELP CLOSE THE GAP IN SOME OF THESE AREAS.
NOT THAT IT WOULD COVER EVERYTHING, BUT THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE CONSIDERED, IF WE CAN DO IT LEGALLY BASED ON HOW THE LAND WAS PURCHASED ORIGINALLY, IF THE LAND IS PAID OFF, OR IF THE LAND PROCEEDS FROM THE LAND HAVE TO GO BACK TO PAY OFF THE BOND.
SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? I'LL LET MR. GWEN SPEAK TO THAT ONE.
MR. GARCIA, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PLOTS OF LAND THAT THE LAND THE DISTRICT HAS PURCHASED FOR SCHOOL SITES AND OTHER NEEDS, AND THE ANSWER IS YES, WE CAN SELL THOSE. THERE'S A PROCESS THAT THE DISTRICT DOES HAVE TO GO THROUGH FROM A SELLING PERSPECTIVE.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S NOT JUST AS EASY AS PUTTING THE FOR SALE SIGN UP, BUT THERE IS A PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH THAT I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A LIST OF PROPOSED PROJECTS OR PROPOSED SITES THAT WE WILL BE BRINGING TO THE BOARD, BECAUSE IT IS THE SALE OF LAND THAT WOULD BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION, AND I BELIEVE THAT WILL BE IN A FUTURE BOARD MEETING FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER.
AND THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD SAY TO THAT, YES, I DIDN'T DIRECTLY ANSWER THE QUESTION.
I THINK, CAN WE USE THOSE PROCEEDS? THE ANSWER IS YES, WE CAN.
THAT'S ALSO PROBABLY THE BEST USE OF THOSE PROCEEDS.
AND I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY YOU KNOW, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.
FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE SITTING ON ALL THIS LAND WE'RE GOING TO SELL TOMORROW. SO WE HAVE I THINK THERE'S A IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE A GOOD PLAN IN PLACE. AND TO HAMILTON, MR. HAMILTON'S POINT ABOUT AND WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION BEFORE ABOUT USING BOND MONEY VERSUS M AND O.
SO I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD SOME HIRING. POSITION WHERE WE'RE NOW, I THINK I THINK WE'VE ADDED SEVERAL POSITIONS ON DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION TEAM THAT ARE NOW BEING FUNDED OUT OF INS AS OPPOSED TO.
SO I'M GLAD WE'RE KIND OF MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND I JUST WANT TO SORT OF BRING UP THOSE THOSE ARE JUST MY TWO POINTS AND THAT'S IT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. GARCIA. DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? I AGREE WITH TRUSTEE GARCIA ABOUT THE LAND. I THINK THAT AS A BOARD, WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT IT AND LOOKING AT THE PROCESS BECAUSE THINGS ARE SITTING ON THE MARKET RIGHT NOW, AND PRETTY MUCH IT'S AN ELECTION YEAR AND PEOPLE ARE HOLDING ON TO THEIR PURSE STRAPS.
BUT DEPENDING ON THE OUTCOME, I THINK THE MARKET IS GOING TO PICK UP AND I THINK IT WOULD HELP US HAVE THE BEST ADVANTAGE IF WE START LOOKING AT PUTTING PUTTING LAND ON THE MARKET AND STARTING THE PROCESS.
YEAH. DOCTOR SMITH, THANK YOU. SO THE BOARD MAY RECALL ON MY VERY FIRST DAY, WHICH WAS JANUARY 22ND, THERE WAS A PRESENTATION. AND THAT PRESENTATION WAS INDEED WHAT YOU ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS EVENING, WHERE THERE WERE SEVERAL PIECES OF LAND THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
THAT OF COURSE, WE OWNED. AND THERE WAS A A RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD AT THAT TIME TO CONSIDER.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR SMITH. MR.. SHOAF. MR. GWIN, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS ONCE BEFORE AND REMIND ME.
WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO, INSTEAD OF FULLY LIQUIDATING ANY OF THIS LAND PUT IT OUT ON, LIKE, A 50 YEAR LAND LEASE? THAT WAY, WE'RE STILL MAINTAINING THE ASSET AND STILL COLLECTING A LITTLE BIT OF FUNDS OFF OF IT.
WITH THAT, THERE ARE OPTIONS THAT WE COULD LOOK AT IN TERMS OF DOING A LONG TERM LAND LEASE.
[00:50:02]
WHICH IF THERE'S PARTICULARLY IF THEY'RE WITHIN A CITY, MAY HAVE LIMITATIONS ON HOW THAT LAND CAN BE USED IN TERMS OF MULTIFAMILY OR COMMERCIAL TYPE DEVELOPMENT. IT IS CERTAINLY AN OPTION THAT CAN BE EXPLORED, AND I WOULD NOT DISMISS IT OUT OF HAND.BUT AS AS WE LOOK AT EACH SITE, WE WOULD WANT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT THE SURROUNDING AREA IS TO DETERMINE IF IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO LIQUIDATE AND TAKE THE PROCEEDS EARLY ON, OR IF THERE MAY BE A CASE FOR DOING THOSE LEASES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHERE WE DO SOME TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT SO THAT WE HAVE A SUSTAINABLE TERM, A SUSTAINABLE STREAM OF INCOME COMING IN AS WELL.
MR. GWYNNE, WITH ALL OF IT, ARE WE PRETTY MUCH RESTRICTED TO RESIDENTIAL? WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT EACH SITE INDIVIDUALLY.
AGAIN, IT JUST REALLY DEPENDS ON WHERE EACH SITE IS LOCATED.
OKAY. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MR. SHOAFF.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING. I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT THE TRUSTEES ARE SAYING ABOUT.
AND WE PROBABLY NEED TO MAINTAIN OUR FLEXIBILITY IN THE KNOW.
BUT I'VE SAID IN THE PAST, THOUGH, THAT I FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT KEEPING OUR PROMISE TO THE PUBLIC, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. SO I'LL JUST REITERATE THAT AND, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT WHAT WHAT THE OTHER TRUSTEES HAVE SAID.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.
ALL RIGHT. NEXT UP IS CLOSED SESSION. WE WILL NOW CONVENE IN CLOSED
[4. Convene in closed session]
SESSION UNDER THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT GOVERNMENT CODE, CHAPTER 551, UNDER THE SECTIONS LISTED IN OUR AGENDA AND SECTION 551.071 FOR THE PURPOSE OF A PRIVATE CONSULTATION WITH THE BOARD'S ATTORNEY ON ANY AND ALL SUBJECTS OR MATTERS AUTHORIZED BY LAW.THE TIME IS 6:54 P.M. AND WE ARE NOW CONVENED IN CLOSED SESSION.
OKAY. THE TIME IS 8:40 P.M. AND WE ARE RECONVENED IN OPEN SESSION.
[5. Reconvene in Open Session]
IS NEXT UP CONSIDERATION? YES. SO WE ARE GOING TO PULL THE ACTION ITEM FROM CLOSED SESSION AND MOVE RIGHT INTO REVIEW. SO FIRST UP IS POLICY BF LOCAL THE BOARD MEMBERS ETHICS.[Items 7.A & 7.B]
AND I'M GOING TO START BY TAKING QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE TRUSTEES.AND WE CAN GO AHEAD AND COMBINE THIS WITH THE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, WHICH IS SEVEN B SINCE THE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES CONTAIN THE ETHICS STATEMENT AS WELL. SO WE'LL COMBINE THOSE AND I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE TRUSTEES.
Y'ALL ARE TELLING ME Y'ALL HAVE NO QUESTIONS AND NO COMMENTS ON THE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES OKAY.
MISS HANNON. HERE WE GO. SO FIRST I JUST IF I MIGHT ASK SOME CLARIFICATION, I KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE TEAM BUILDING, I BELIEVE, IN THE FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER.
ARE THESE ITEMS GOING TO BE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION? MEANING? MEANING PART OF THAT TEAM, NOT TEAM.
WELL, TEAM BUILDING OR BOARD TRAINING? YES. SO THE TEAM BUILDING THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN SEPTEMBER WILL BE THE BOARD SELF-EVALUATION AS WELL AS REVIEW OF ETHICS AND BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE WORKING ON THEM. CORRECT.
SO SO NEXT BOARD MEETING YOU'RE WANTING A FINAL DOCUMENT.
OKAY. CORRECT. THAT'S WHY IT'S FOR REVIEW. YES.
SO JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE THIS IS A BOARD AGENDA REVIEW.
THIS IS THE ONE OF THE FEW TIMES THAT WE GET TO TALK ABOUT THINGS.
SO, MR. HAMILTON, WOULD YOU MIND PASSING THAT AROUND?
[00:55:03]
SO I WANT TO FIRST THANK THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE FOR WORKING ON THIS.I THINK THAT OUR BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND OUR, ETHICS CODE OF ETHICS HAS NEED TO BE KIND OF REFINED AND REFRESHED. SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD AND WE WE HAVEN'T REALLY DONE THAT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME TRAVEL INFORMATION THAT WAS DONE ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO.
AND SO I, I FIRST WANT TO SAY ANYTHING I SHARE IS REALLY COMING FROM A PLACE OF, OF IMPROVEMENT FOR THE BOARD. AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THIS COMMITTEE, BUT I FEEL LIKE THIS IS MY OPPORTUNITY, HAVING BEEN ON THIS BOARD FOR ALMOST FOUR YEARS, TO TO PROVIDE INPUT.
I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE JUST KIND OF HOUSEKEEPING, SO TO SPEAK.
BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR THE BOARD TO BOARD TO CONSIDER REMOVING THE Q&A FORMAT OF THE PROCEDURES, BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY OTHER PROCEDURES OTHER THAN MAYBE LIKE CHEERLEADING, OPERATING PROCEDURES OR SOMETHING THAT ARE IN Q&A FORMAT.
I THINK OF THIS AS A VERY FORMAL DOCUMENT. THIS IS WHAT LEADS THE BEHAVIOR OF OF THE BOARD.
SO THAT IS ONE THING. IF IF THE THE GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE WOULD CONSIDER THAT.
SO I'M GOING TO CLARIFY. SO THIS IS MY VERSION AS THE CHAIR OF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE.
OKAY. I JUST TOOK OUT EVERYTHING IN ORDER TO LOOK PRETTY.
I WANT IT TO LOOK FORMAL. AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY WHEN SHIRLEY AND I WERE ASKED BY THE PREVIOUS BOARD PRESIDENT TO WORK ON THIS IT AND I'M SORRY, DOCTOR GILLIAM CAN REFRESH MY MEMORY, BUT WE HAD WE WORKED WITH JONATHAN BRUSH, OUR BOARD ATTORNEY, AND ONE OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS WAS ABOUT THE Q&A FORMAT REMOVING THE PICTURES.
AND SO THE WORK THAT DOCTOR GILLIAM AND I DID YOU KNOW, NEVER SAW THE LIGHT OF DAY.
SO YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, IT'S MY $0.02. BUT AS AN AGENDA REVIEW, THIS IS MY ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO TO PROVIDE MY FEEDBACK AND HOPEFULLY HAVE SOME CONSIDERATION.
THE YELLOW THOSE ARE THOSE ARE WORDS THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE IN THERE.
BUT I JUST HIGHLIGHTED IT BECAUSE I MIGHT HAVE SOME STRIKE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE WANTS ME TO DISCUSS THESE OR, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE ARE LOOKING AT AT TWO PAGES. I THINK ONE OF THE MOST EXPLICIT ONES THAT I WOULD REALLY, REALLY LIKE TO ADD WOULD BE THE SORT OF THE THE THIRD BLUE SECTION THAT SAYS I WILL NOT ENGAGE IN PUBLIC NAME CALLING OF ANY STAFF MEMBER, FELLOW TRUSTEES OR CONSTITUENTS.
I KNOW THAT THIS TALKS ABOUT CIVILITY AND DECORUM.
YOU KNOW, TO, TO TO SAY THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO ENGAGE IN THAT KIND OF ACTIVITY.
THE OTHER ONE, I THINK IS IMPORTANT. AND, YOU KNOW, WE EXPECT OUR CHILDREN TO BE FULLY PRESENT.
YOU KNOW, WE WE HAVE CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS THAT THEY'RE NOT ON THEIR PHONE.
YOU KNOW, I JUST I THINK THAT OUR 80,000 STUDENTS AND OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT HAVE VOTED US TO BE HERE, I THINK THEY SHOULD BE AFFORDED THAT. WE ARE GOING TO BE ATTENTIVE.
I WILL HOLD MYSELF ACCOUNTABLE TO DISPLAY PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS IN MY ROLE AS A TRUSTEE, AND THAT MAY BE REDUNDANT TO SOME OF THE THINGS YOU ALREADY HAVE.
BUT I THINK NOW IS THE TIME WITH DOCTOR SMITH COMING IN WITH PROFESSIONALISM, ACCOUNTABILITY AND COMMUNICATION AS SORT OF A MANTRA FOR HIS STAFF THAT THAT LINE SORT GOES ALONG WITH THAT.
[01:00:05]
THEN IN THE NEXT SECTION WHERE YOU HAVE SOME INFORMATION IN YELLOW THAT'S ALREADY THERE.I HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO STRIKE THE WORD ARGUMENTATIVE AND ADD THE LANGUAGE.
IF BOARD MEMBERS BEHAVIOR VIOLATE THE BOARD CODE OF ETHICS, AND OR THESE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, INCLUDING THE BOARD, ADOPTED STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK ON PAGE SEVEN OF THIS DOCUMENT, BECAUSE ON SEVEN OF THE DOCUMENT, YOU KNOW, IT EXPLAINS HOW WE ARE GOING TO CONDUCT OURSELVES DURING THE MEETING.
AND SO YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT'S JUST SEMANTICS, BUT I THINK SINCE IT'S SINCE THE LANGUAGE IS VERY CLEAR IN THE BOARD ADOPTED STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK. I THINK THOSE ARE THE BEHAVIORS THAT THE BOARD PRESIDENT CAN, YOU KNOW, CAN DISCONTINUE DISCUSSION BASED ON THOSE BEHAVIORS.
THE LINE IN YELLOW ON THE NEXT PART WHERE IT SAYS THAT BOARD MEMBERS WILL SUBMIT QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE AGENDA ITEMS, AND IT GOES ON TO SAY NO LATER THAN 8 A.M. ON THE DAY OF THE MEETING TO ENSURE THE ADMINISTRATION HAS ADEQUATE TIME TO RESPOND.
I'M RECOMMENDING LANGUAGE BE ADDED OUT OF RESPECT FOR WORK LIFE BALANCE OF TRUSTEES AND STAFF.
THE BOARD REVIEW AGENDA AND THE BOARD MEETING AGENDA SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO BOARD MEMBERS NO LATER THAN THREE BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THE SCHEDULED MEETING, TO ALLOW BOARD MEMBERS ADEQUATE TIME TO REVIEW AND SUBMIT QUESTIONS.
AND ONE OF I'M GOING TO MISS TORSEN, ONE OF THE ISSUES.
AND I THINK THAT THE DEMAND NOT ONLY ON THE SEVEN OF US, BUT THE REST OF THE BOARD AND THE STAFF, IS THAT WE GET OUR PACKETS. AND I'M JUST SAYING IN THE LAST ALMOST FOUR YEARS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THOSE ROLL OUT AND IT'S DARK ALREADY ON FRIDAY NIGHT. AND SO YOU KNOW, BY THE TIME MANY OF US GET IT ON FRIDAY NIGHT, WELL, THAT DAY IS ALREADY GONE.
SO WE HAVE SATURDAY AND, YOU KNOW, AND THE AND EMPLOYEES HAVE HAD LOTS OF DIFFERENT EMPLOYEES HAVE PUT THIS TOGETHER AND THEY HAVE HAD ALL OF THESE THOUGHT PROCESSES ON THESE INDIVIDUAL PIECES AND THEN AS TRUSTEES OR I'LL SPEAK TO MY ON MYSELF.
THEN I HAVE TO DIGEST ALL OF THIS WORK WITHIN ESSENTIALLY 48.
SO I THINK AND OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACTUALLY HAVE IT IN POLICY, WHERE HERE IS WHEN THIS GETS TO THE BOARD, HERE IS WHEN QUESTIONS GET SENT TO ADMINISTRATION.
I JUST REALLY WOULD LIKE THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE TO GO BACK AND MAYBE HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH DOCTOR SMITH ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS BETTER FOR STAFF AND THE BOARD MEMBERS, WHERE WE HAVE TIME TO CHEW ON WHAT WE HAVE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE JOKE. I MEAN, I HAVE HEARD SEVERAL EMPLOYEES.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I'M GOING TO ASK EVERYTHING ON HERE.
BUT. BUT THEN I GO BACK LIKE THE NEXT DAY AND I SAY IS DO I DID I, DID I SLEEP ON THAT AND DO I GET IT AND DO I UNDERSTAND? OKAY, I STILL DON'T GET IT. SO I'M GOING TO ASK THIS QUESTION.
SO ANYWAY, I THINK YOU GET THE POINT, I THINK, AND MAYBE I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT NEEDS MORE TIME, AND I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT DOESN'T LIKE TO INTRUDE UPON A WHOLE LOT OF STAFF MEMBERS FAMILY TIME ON WEEKENDS.
SO THE NEXT ONE IS JUST REALLY CLARIFICATION.
UNDER COMMUNICATION, IT SAYS SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS RELATING TO DISTRICT BUSINESS, BUSINESS THAT ARE MADE BY THE PUBLIC AND SEEN BY TRUSTEES SHALL BE FORWARDED TO THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR REVIEW AND RESPONSE.
SO IF SOMEBODY ON THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CAN EXPLAIN THE EXPECTATION WITHIN THE BOARD OF ETHICS.
[01:05:05]
WHAT WOULD BE THE EXPECTATION? SO THE POINT OF THAT IS THAT IF AND AND THE LANGUAGE CLEARLY CAN BE CLARIFIED.BUT THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS THAT IF WE AS TRUSTEES SEE PUBLIC POSTS ON FACEBOOK, FOR EXAMPLE, ON SOCIAL MEDIA INSTEAD OF TRYING TO ADDRESS THOSE OURSELVES, THE PURPOSE IS TO SCREENSHOT IT AND SEND IT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT SO THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN TAKE CARE OF IT.
THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE POINT OF THAT. JUST LIKE WE WOULD PASS ON AN EMAIL THAT'S SENT TO US, OR SOMETIMES THERE ARE TEXTS THAT ARE SENT TO US.
SAME HOLDS TRUE. IT'S JUST NOTHING WAS ADDRESSING.
IF WE SEE SOMETHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, HOW WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO RESPOND TO THAT? AND IT'S USUALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF TRUSTEES IS TO SAY, HEY, DOCTOR SMITH, THIS CAME TO MY ATTENTION.
PLEASE TAKE CARE OF IT. OKAY. SO THANK YOU. BECAUSE I JUST I WASN'T I WAS THINKING, OH MY GOSH, ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE POLICING SOCIAL MEDIA? AND THEN, YOU KNOW, OKAY, SO.
I DON'T KNOW, I'M SURE YOU CAN CRAFT IT BETTER THAN I CAN, BUT I HEARD YOU SAY INSTEAD OF BOARD MEMBERS ATTEMPTING TO ADDRESS CONSTITUENTS CONCERN VIA SOCIAL MEDIA POST RELATING TO DISTRICT BUSINESS, THOSE POSTS SHALL BE.
TRUSTEES SHALL FORWARD THOSE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR REVIEW AND RESPONSE.
WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE DOCTOR SMITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK HIS STAFF TO ADDRESS THAT.
IS THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE CLARIFICATION THERE.
ANOTHER ONE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER ADDING.
I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN DO THIS.
AND I BELIEVE THAT DOCTOR GILLIAM AND I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MR. BRUSH ABOUT THIS BACK IN THE SPRING WHEN WE WERE ASKED BY THE PREVIOUS BOARD PRESIDENT TO WORK SPECIFICALLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA PROCEDURES.
SO I'M JUST ASKING TO ADD SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.
BOARD MEMBERS SHALL NOT USE SOCIAL MEDIA IN A WAY THAT MAY CONFUSE THE PUBLIC THAT THEY ARE POSTING ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT, OR PROMOTING IDEOLOGY ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT.
POLITICAL POSTING AND POSTINGS INTENDED TO PROMOTE IDEAS OUTSIDE THE ROLE OF TRUSTEE SHALL ONLY BE POSTED WITH AN ACCOUNT THAT EXCLUDES REFERENCES TO THEIR ROLE AS TRUSTEE OR BOARD MEMBER, OR LABELS AN AFFILIATION WITH FORT BEND ISD IN ANY WAY.
AND THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO ASK BOARD COUNSEL.
THE THE THE LAST EXPLANATION. I THINK MAYBE THOSE COULD BE ONE IN THE SAME.
THEN AS FAR AS CAMPUS VISITS GOES, I WOULD RECOMMEND ADDING BOARD MEMBERS SHALL NOT VISIT CLASSROOMS OR OTHER AREAS OF THE CAMPUS WITHOUT EXPRESS KNOWLEDGE AND CONSENT OF THE CAMPUS ADMINISTRATOR. THAT WOULD BE IN BE IN ADDITION TO WHAT? GIVING THE SUPERINTENDENT A NOTIFICATION THAT THAT THAT VISIT WILL HAPPEN.
UNDER STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR CONSIDER ADDING IN THE EVENT THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT.
AND NOW THIS THIS THIS WAS DISCUSSED AT LENGTH WITH, WITH JONATHAN BRUSH.
AND IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE EXACT LANGUAGE, BUT IT WAS THE FLAVOR OF WHAT CAME OUT OF THIS, THIS CONVERSATION. AND JUST LIKE THIS BOARD HAS THE EXPECTATION THAT YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES FOR STUDENTS BEHAVIORS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SORT OF MEMORIALIZE, SO TO SPEAK, WHAT, BECAUSE WE ARE LIMITED IN WHAT WE CAN DO TO TO TRUSTEES WHO VIOLATE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
BUT I STILL THINK FOR THE PUBLIC'S SAKE AND FOR OUR OWN ABILITY TO TO WORK ON OUR BEHAVIOR. I KNOW YOU CAN READ IT, BUT I'M GOING TO READ IT OUT LOUD.
IN THE EVENT THAT THE THAT THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT A BOARD MEMBER HAS VIOLATED THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, CODE OF ETHICS, BOARD POLICY, OR THESE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, THE BOARD MAY TAKE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS OR COMBINATION OF THE FOLLOWING
[01:10:07]
ACTIONS. ISSUE NUMBER ONE. ISSUE A PRIVATE REPRIMAND TO THE BOARD MEMBER.TWO. REMOVE THE BOARD MEMBER FROM COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS.
NUMBER THREE. REMOVE THE BOARD MEMBER FROM AN OFFICER POSITION.
OR NUMBER FOUR. ISSUE A RESOLUTION OR CENSURE.
THEN I'M ALSO GOING TO RECOMMEND THAT WE ADD THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE.
IN THIS SECTION OF STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR ATTACHED TO THE END OF THIS BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES IS A BOARD CODE OF ETHICS AGREEMENT THAT SHALL BE SIGNED BY BOARD MEMBERS ANNUALLY. THEN, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER ADDING THE ATTACHMENT TO THE END OF THE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
THAT INCLUDES THE FORT BEND ISD CODE OF ETHICS AGREEMENT FORM, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT ATTACHED.
OH, DID I LOOK ON THE OH I DIDN'T. DID I NOT PASS THAT AROUND? OKAY. WELL. OH, HERE. OKAY. SO I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY YOU THIS IS BASED ON THE CURRENT BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, BUT I THINK THAT THE THE YELLOW STATEMENT WHERE WE ANNUALLY SIGN IT AND I BELIEVE I BELIEVE THAT SOMEWHERE THAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO ANNUALLY SIGN OUR BOARD CODE OF ETHICS, BUT I CAN'T THINK OF WHERE THAT IS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
SO UNDER COMMITTEES, CONSIDER ADDING LANGUAGE.
THE COMMON LAW RULE THAT DECISIONS ENTRUSTED TO GOVERNMENTAL BODIES MUST BE MADE BY THE BODY AS A WHOLE, AT A PROPERLY CALLED MEETING. THIS REQUIREMENT GIVES EACH MEMBER OF THE BODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO STATE HIS OR HER VIEWS TO THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, AND TO GIVE THEM THE BENEFIT OF HIS OR HER JUDGMENT, SO THAT THE DECISION MAY BE THE COMPOSITE JUDGMENT OF THE BODY AS A WHOLE.
AND I JUST I ACTUALLY JUST TOOK THAT FROM THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT HANDBOOK.
PAGE ONE. AND THEN THIS LANGUAGE IS JUST MINE.
AND THEN I'M ALMOST COMING TO THE CLOSE UNDER GOVERNANCE, AND THE COMMITTEE SHALL SEEK INPUT AND APPROVAL FROM THE FULL BOARD REGARDING THE SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION INSTRUMENT AND THE BOARD EVALUATION INSTRUMENT.
THE FULL BOARD SHALL BE GIVEN ADEQUATE TIME TO REVIEW DOCUMENTS BEFORE VOTING TO APPROVE CHANGES.
TO READ PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION OF THE BOARD.
SO THERE'S A THERE'S A DESCRIPTION IN ONE PART UNDER GOVERNANCE.
THAT'S HOW IT'S WRITTEN IN THE BACK. AND I JUST THOUGHT THE TWO SHOULD BETTER ALIGN.
UNDER THE POLICY SECTION. IT SAYS LET'S SEE, I DIDN'T PUT THE FULL SENTENCE.
IT SAYS ENSURING IMPLEMENTATION OF DISTRICT POLICIES.
I'M SORRY I DIDN'T PUT THE COMPLETE SENTENCE, BUT I PUT STRIKE THIS LINE.
AND AND IN MY AND AND I DON'T KNOW IF MR. HAMILTON OR MR. SCHOOF WOULD AGREE WITH THIS, BUT I THINK THE FULL BOARD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES.
THIS IS OUR GOVERNMENT DUTY AS A BODY CORPORATE.
SO IF I'M MISUNDERSTANDING THAT LINE, HOW IT WAS WRITTEN, BUT IT READ TO ME THAT THAT THE POLICY COMMITTEE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING IMPLEMENTATION OF DISTRICT POLICIES. AND I WAS LIKE, WHOA, THAT'S.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND MY CONCERN WITH THAT LANGUAGE? OKAY. THEN I'VE GOT TWO MORE. ADD THE BOARD PRESIDENT, AND THE FULL BOARD SHALL BE MINDFUL THAT BOARD COMMITTEES CREATE AN ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD
[01:15:03]
FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF WHO ARE APPOINTED TO PARTICIPATE IN BOARD COMMITTEES.THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE SHALL FOCUS ON IMPROVING DISTRICT OUTCOMES, BEING TIME EFFICIENT, BEING CONSIDERATE OF LIMITING AFTER HOUR MEETINGS, AND CREATING A COLLABORATIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BOARD MEMBERS, THE SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF. AND FINALLY ADD COMMITTEE CHAIR SHALL PROVIDE BRIEF AND TIMELY UPDATES PERIODICALLY TO THE FULL BOARD DURING PUBLIC MEETINGS. COMMITTEE CHAIR SHALL INVITE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS TO ASK QUESTIONS OR TO PROVIDE INPUT AS APPROPRIATE FOR THE TOPIC OF HAND, SO THE COMMITTEE MAY RECONVENE WITH GUIDANCE AND INPUT FROM THE FULL BOARD.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME THE TIME TO SHARE THOSE.
AND AGAIN, APPRECIATE THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE'S CONSIDERATION IN IN LOOKING AT THOSE.
THANK YOU, MISS HANNON. DOCTOR GILLIAM. GOOD EVENING.
I'M JUST GOING TO PIGGYBACK ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MISS HANNON SAID.
AND GOING BACK TO AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M SEEING IT AND READING IT.
THE ONE ALL THE WAY DOWN ON THE FIRST PAGE WHERE WE HAVE A THERE'S THE POLITICAL POSTINGS AND POSTINGS INTENDED TO PROMOTE IDEAS OUTSIDE THE ROLE OF TRUSTEE SHALL ONLY BE POSTED WITH AN ACCOUNT THAT EXCLUDES OKAY.
IT TALKS ABOUT THE PUBLIC AND SPEAKING WITH AND PUTTING THINGS OUT THERE.
AND THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED TWO WEEKS AGO TO WHERE AS TRUSTEES, WE HAVE TO WATCH WHAT WE POST BECAUSE THEN WE'RE, WE'RE EITHER AGREEING WHAT I SAW WAS AGREEMENT WITH THE POST, AND THEN THERE WAS A DISAGREEMENT WITH THE POST.
AND WHEN I SAW IT, I JUST IMMEDIATELY SHARED WITH DOCTOR SMITH.
AND SO, HEY, THIS IS OUT THERE. CAN WE WE'RE CAN WE JUST PLEASE REALLY, TRULY LOOK AT THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WE ARE GOVERNING GOVERNING OURSELVES APPROPRIATELY. I BELIEVE THAT WE IN AND I AGAIN PIGGYBACK WITH WHAT MISS HANNAN SAID.
BUT WE NEED TO MODEL WHAT WE EXPECT, JUST LIKE WE EXPECT.
I'M NOT GOING TO COMPARE US TO STUDENTS. I'M GOING TO COMPARE US TO OUR OUR EMPLOYEES.
WE EXPECT DECORUM AND HONESTY, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO MEET THAT SAME STANDARD THAT WE WANT FROM OUR FROM THE EMPLOYEES HERE IN FORT BEND ISD.
AT THAT AND AT THIS TIME ALSO I'D LIKE TO THIS IS ABOUT THE WHOLE THING, RIGHT? INCLUDING THE THE BOARD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY. I HAVE A FEW THINGS I'D LIKE TO SHARE.
ARE WE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT NOW OR THAT'S GOING TO BE LATER? THAT'S GOING TO BE LATER. I MEAN, IT'S IT'S INCLUDED IN THE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, BUT THAT'S A SEPARATE ITEM. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR GILLIAM. NOTHING ELSE.
OKAY. SO I SO I APPRECIATE THE INPUT AND THE FEEDBACK.
I MY COMMENTS ARE. I DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUE WITH THE Q&A PORTION OF IT.
I DON'T CARE WHATEVER EVERYBODY WANTS TO DO. I SEE THIS AS AN OUTWARD FACING DOCUMENT.
SO GO AHEAD. OKAY. I ALWAYS LIKE TO GO LAST. SO I JUST WANTED TO JUST AS THE BOARD PRESIDENT.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS THEIR SAY. BECAUSE IT'S AN OUTWARD FACING DOCUMENT IS, I THINK, WHY WE ALWAYS HAD THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND IT WAS A LITTLE BIT BIGGER DOCUMENT AS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING THAT WAS MORE POLICY LIKE.
SO I WOULD PROBABLY PREFER TO KEEP IT LOOKING THAT WAY BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE IT CAN BECOME STERILE AND PEOPLE DON'T USUALLY GO OUT AND READ POLICY. BUT THIS PARTICULAR DOCUMENT, I THINK THEY DOWNLOAD IT, THEY LOOK AT IT, THEY PULL IT UP AND ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE VISUAL. I JUST THINK IT IT READS A LITTLE BIT EASIER.
IF IT IF IT LOOKS NICE AND DOESN'T LOOK LIKE SOMETHING THAT'S STERILE, THAT'S JUST MY $0.02 ON THAT.
I. THE OTHER THING I HAD, SO THE ARGUMENTATIVE THE PORTION WHERE THE BOARD PRESIDENT CAN DISCONTINUE DELIBERATIONS. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I ADDED OR THAT THE IN FACT, I ADDED IT AND PRESENTED IT TO MR.
[01:20:05]
GARCIA, MR. HAMILTON, AND THEY DIDN'T PROVIDE ANY FEEDBACK.MY THOUGHT PROCESS WAS THAT IT CAN, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME AND KEEPING OUR BOARD MEETINGS MOVING IS WHAT MY THOUGHT PROCESS WAS IN. PUTTING THIS IN HERE IS JUST ENSURING THAT WE CONTINUE, THAT THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS THAT CAN HAPPEN THAT DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO HAPPEN IN THE BOARD ROOM.
AND, BUT THEY WE AS TRUSTEES CAN GO TALK TO DOCTOR SMITH AND GET ANSWERS.
THAT WAS MY THOUGHT PROCESS. I KNOW YOU GUYS IN THE PAST, BEFORE I WAS ON THE BOARD, VOTED TO LIMIT DELIBERATIONS TO TWO MINUTES. PERSONALLY, I DON'T LOVE THAT BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE, YOU KNOW, I WANT EVERYBODY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET TO SAY WHATEVER THEY NEED TO SAY.
SO EITHER WAY ON THAT, I'M FINE WITH DOCTOR SMITH, I'D LIKE TO ASK FOR YOUR INPUT ON THE.
I DO NOT GET MY I DIDN'T GET MY QUESTIONS TODAY IN BY 8 A.M..
I'M NOT VERY GOOD AT THAT MYSELF PERSONALLY. BUT I'M NOT.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO GET ADMINISTRATION'S FEEDBACK ON THAT.
AND THEN MAYBE SOME OF THE OTHER TRUSTEES CAN WEIGH IN AS WELL.
WANT THAT INFORMATION. WE WANT TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.
IT IS INDEED A CHALLENGE. IT IS SUCH A LARGE VOLUME OF INFORMATION, VERY TEDIOUS INFORMATION.
REQUEST COME IN. NOT ALWAYS IN A TIMELY MANNER.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS IT WOULD BE A CHALLENGE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO COMMIT TO HAVING IT IN THE TIME FRAME THAT YOU MENTIONED EACH, EACH WEEK EACH BOARD MEETING EACH MONTH.
BUT IT IS IT IS A CHALLENGE TO GET IT PREPARED BEFORE THAT FRIDAY.
AND IT'S REALLY JUST THE SHEER VOLUME OF INFORMATION AND THE TEDIOUSNESS AND MAKING SURE THAT ISSUE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT IS EXPECTED FROM THE BOARD.
OKAY. THANK YOU. DOCTOR SMITH, DID YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT SPECIFICALLY? GO AHEAD. SO IN THE SPIRIT OF TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP, I'M GOING TO ASK THE STAFF WHAT WORKS FOR YOU, BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME I KNOW FIRST AND THIRD SATURDAY OR FIRST AND THE THIRD SUNDAY, I PLAN MY TIME OUT TO REVIEW THE BOARD BOOK BETWEEN 1 AND 5, AND THEN THE ADJUNCT FACULTY FACULTY IN ME.
LET ME GET IT IN BY 12:00, JUST LIKE ONLINE STUDENTS OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO I WOULDN'T SAY TO TAKE FROM THEIR TIME THROUGH THE WEEK OR THE WEEKEND OR TAKE AWAY.
CAN WE GET IT IN BY MIDNIGHT? AND THEN THEY CAN HAVE ALL DAY TO ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS, BECAUSE I HEAR WHAT SHE'S SAYING AS FAR AS TAKING AWAY FROM THEIR TIME.
HOWEVER, I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY BE MINDFUL OF OUR OWN PERSONAL TIME THAT WE COMMIT TO READING THAT BOARD BOOK AND HAVING ESTABLISHED TIME AT 8:00 MONDAY MORNING BECAUSE 8:00 MONDAY MORNING, I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT THE BOARD BOOK.
OKAY. BUT THAT SUNDAY, BETWEEN 1 AND 5 OR ONE AND NINE, I'M WRITING DOWN MY QUESTIONS.
AND IF I NEED TO SUBMIT A QUESTION, I'LL SAY, OKAY, I'LL GIVE THEM TILL 12:00.
SO WHEN THEY GET IN IN THE MORNING, THEY'LL HAVE TIME TO ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS.
[01:25:05]
BUT I DO WANT MY ONE OF MY ASKS IS I'D LIKE THE QUESTIONS BY THE ANSWERS BY 3:00 CLOCK BECAUSE.I DON'T LIKE COMING HERE HAVING TO READ ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE MEETING.
AND I THINK THAT'S MORE WORKABLE THAN TRYING TO READ THIS.
AND EVERYTHING IS COMING, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE COME IN.
EVERYTHING IS COMING AT US AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, WHAT IS THIS AND WHAT IS THAT? THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS. WELL, WHERE ARE THE QUESTIONS? SO I WOULD PREFER THAT MAYBE MIDNIGHT SUNDAY NIGHT AND THEN GIVE STAFF TIME TO ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS AND SUBMIT THOSE VIA, I DON'T KNOW, A BOARD UPDATE OR AN EMAIL AROUND 3:00. AND SO THAT GIVES ME IT GIVES ME TIME TO PONDER ON IF I HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS TO THE QUESTIONS.
AND I THINK THAT'S WORKABLE. THE OTHER THING IS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO INFRINGE YOUR TIME, THAT'S YOUR TIME ON THE WEEKEND. AND I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE COMMITTED, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO, WE NEED TO BE MORE DILIGENT IN OUR TIME FRAME OF ANSWERING QUESTIONS, ASKING QUESTIONS, AND TO BE RESPECTFUL OF THEIR TIME, THE ADMINISTRATION'S TIME.
NOW, HERE'S MY OTHER ISSUE, OKAY. I LOOK AT THE CAMPUS VISITS BECAUSE I'M BIG ON CAMPUS VISITS.
I THINK WE'VE I HAVEN'T HAD A PROBLEM WITH GOING TO A SCHEDULED TIME OR LEARNING WALK OR, OR JUST A CAMPUS VISIT WHERE.
I WAS ALLOWED TO WANDER AROUND FROM CLASSROOM TO CLASSROOM.
GENERALLY WHEN I GO, I WANT TO SEE SPECIFIC CLASSROOMS OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND SO THAT'S USUALLY COORDINATED WITH JESSALYN OR MARK BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO.
AND I DON'T SEE US WANDERING AROUND GOING FROM CLASSROOM TO CLASSROOM.
OUR ASK AS FAR AS CAMPUS VISITS. SO I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALLY REALLY NECESSARY.
THE OTHER THING HERE IS HOLD ON. I LOOK AT I AGREE WITH PRESIDENT TYSON THAT SOME THINGS CAN REMAIN BECAUSE IT'S EASIER ON THE EYES, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE READING IT ONLINE VERSUS BEING KIND OF DRY AND PEOPLE LOSE INTEREST PRETTY MUCH IN READING IT.
SO WE WANT WE WANT THE PERSON TO BE ENGAGED AS THEY'RE READING, AND NOT TO A POINT THAT WE WE HAVE SO MANY RULES AND REGULATIONS TO THE POINT THAT THEY'VE JUST LOST INTEREST, YOU KNOW.
THE SECOND PART IS. THE SOCIAL MEDIA POST. AND THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE I GET IT. CERTAIN THINGS LEGALLY CAN'T BE.
STATED. ON A BOARD MEMBER ELECTION PAGE OR CAMPAIGN PAGE.
SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT. WITH A DIFFERENT LENS AS WELL, BECAUSE IT COMES ACROSS AS CROSSES
[01:30:04]
POLICING BOARD MEMBERS RATHER THAN RESPECTING RESPECTING, YOU KNOW, THOSE VIEWPOINTS OR THEIR IDEAS THAT ARE ON A PERSONAL PAGE.I JUST THINK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IN OUR HOA MEETING, PER SE.
I'M IN THE HOA MEETINGS, THE MEMBERS OF THE HOA MEMBERS MEETING, AND WE MAKE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE OF SAYING AS A RESIDENT, MEANING WE'RE NOT SPEAKING ON THE BEHALF OF THE BOARD, WE'RE NOT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE MUD.
AND I THINK MAYBE WE SHOULD CRAFT SOME LANGUAGE THERE THAT WE CAN JUST SAY THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY REFLECTIVE OF THE BOARD OR WHAT HAVE YOU, AND AGREE TO THAT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S RATHER DISRESPECTFUL TO BE POLICING EACH OTHER'S FACEBOOK PAGE HALF THE TIME.
THINK ABOUT THAT. SO I THINK LANGUAGE IS BETTER.
WE PUT IT OUT THERE FIRST ON OUR PERSONAL PAGE.
AS A RESIDENT, AS A CITIZEN, AS A TAXPAYER, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO PUT THAT THESE VIEWS, OPINIONS AND IDEAS ARE NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF FORT BEND ISD. AND I THINK IF WE PUT THAT LANGUAGE IN THERE, I THINK IT WILL TAKE AWAY THE POLICING PART. SO THAT'S THAT'S WHERE I'M AT ON THAT. AND WE CAN STILL REMAIN RESPECTFUL.
THE OTHER THING. IS. I'LL JUST LEAVE IT. I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW.
THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, MISS JONES. MR. GILLIAM, YOU HAD SOMETHING FOLLOW UP? YES. I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT.
OKAY, SO I REMEMBER, AND IT WAS IN 2020 THE WHEN WE WOULD HAVE ORIENTATION FOR NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND THE, THE ONE THING THAT, ESPECIALLY AS AN EDUCATOR, I WANT TO GO INTO SCHOOLS, I WANT TO AND NOT ONLY AND JUST AN EDUCATOR KNOWING MANY, MANY PEOPLE IN THE SCHOOLS AND WANTING TO VISIT AND WANTING TO SHARE AND AND THE ONE THING THAT I REMEMBER IS THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT VISITING CAMPUSES AND AND THE, THE MAIN THING THAT I REMEMBER ALSO IS VISITING THE CAMPUSES BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE WE SHOULD BE, WE THINK THAT PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS SHOULD BE CALM AND WANTING US TO COME. WE MAKE THEM VERY NERVOUS.
SO CAN AND I AND I REMEMBER THAT. BUT IT WAS TO ME IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT WE IF WE WERE GOING, IF WE WERE GOING TO VISIT A CAMPUS, THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
WE VISITED THE CAMPUS. CAN YOU SHARE? AM I CORRECT IN THAT OR IS THERE SOME.
I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND ENTIRELY, BUT LET ME TAKE A SHOT AT IT.
SO SO I'M GOING TO I'LL START BY ADDRESSING THE PORTION THAT TALKS ABOUT CAMPUS VISITS.
AND I'LL SAY THAT I AGREE THAT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS COORDINATED WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT, BECAUSE WE AS TRUSTEES ARE NOT REALLY ALLOWED TO CALL OR DISCUSS WITH A CAMPUS ADMINISTRATOR ANYWAY, UNLESS IT'S OUR OWN KID, OBVIOUSLY. SO EVERYTHING GOES THROUGH THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE ANYWAY.
SO I FELT LIKE THE LANGUAGE WAS NOT APPROPRIATE THERE.
THAT SAID, WITHOUT THE EXPRESS KNOWLEDGE AND CONSENT, BECAUSE THAT'S HIS JOB.
IT'S HIS JOB TO TO WORK WITH HIS CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS AND DECIDE.
SO IF WE WANT TO PUT SOMETHING IN THERE THAT SAYS WE WILL NOT, WHICH I THINK IT'S ALREADY THERE, THAT WE WILL NOT VISIT CAMPUSES WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE AND COORDINATION THROUGH THE SUPERINTENDENT.
AND I THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE. SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING.
AND I THINK SECONDLY, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ADDRESSED, WHICH MAY BE WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT WITH WHAT FOR WHAT PURPOSE DO WE VISIT CAMPUSES? WE CAN VISIT CAMPUSES TO READ TO THE KIDS. I THINK WE'VE ALL PROBABLY DONE THAT.
WE CAN VISIT CAMPUSES TO VISIT THE VISIT THE CAMPUS AND TAKE A TOUR.
BUT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO NOT BE EVALUATIVE IN ANY WAY.
[01:35:02]
WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO GO IN WITH THE WITH THE.I'M IN EVALUATING THE ADMINISTRATOR OR THE OR THE TEACHERS OR ANYONE ELSE ON THE CAMPUS.
IT'S USUALLY SOLELY TO DO A TOUR. TAKE A TOUR.
READ TO THE KIDS, SHOW UP FOR SUPPORT. SOMETIMES IT'S BECAUSE IF THERE'S A PROGRAM GOING ON AND WE WANT TO SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, AT THE EARLY INTERVENTION ACADEMY, WHEN WE FIRST IMPLEMENTED THAT, WE WOULD GO AND THEY WOULD TOUR US AND SHOW US WHAT THEY WERE DOING IN THE CLASSROOMS AND HOW IT WAS BEING IMPLEMENTED AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF VISITS THAT I THINK ARE APPROPRIATE AT THE GOVERNANCE LEVEL.
AND EVERYTHING IS COORDINATED THROUGH DOCTOR SMITH.
SO DOES THAT ANSWER IS THAT WHAT DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS. THAT'S WHAT I KNOW OF ALSO.
AND I AND AGAIN, IT WAS A MATTER OF MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTACT THE SUPERINTENDENT, NOT FOR OURSELVES, CONTACTING THE PRINCIPAL BECAUSE THE PRINCIPAL IS NOT NORMALLY GOING TO TELL US, NO, NO, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO TELL US NO.
AND IT'S NEVER REALLY SO AND AND I DON'T THINK DOCTOR SMITH IS EVER GOING TO SEND ONE OF US TO A CAMPUS WITHOUT A CAMPUS PRINCIPAL KNOWING THAT WE'RE COMING. AND, YOU KNOW, AND HE'S GOING TO DEFER, I WOULD IMAGINE YOU WOULD DEFER TO A CAMPUS PRINCIPAL THAT MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING GOING ON ON ANY GIVEN DAY THAT IT'S NOT A GOOD TIME FOR ONE OF US TO VISIT.
THAT'S WHAT YOUR WHOLE THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE.
CAN I JUST ADD BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY, CLARIFY MY THOUGHT.
AT AN ELEMENTARY CAMPUS. AND THAT'S THE INVITATION THAT'S BEEN EXTENDED, AND THE AGREEMENT OF THAT JESSALYN HAS SET UP FOR ME THAT THE INTENT OF THIS LINE WAS TO SAY, THEN I DON'T DECIDE I'M GOING TO GO WALKING AROUND THE BUILDING.
I'M GOING TO STICK WITH THE AGREEMENT. I'M NOT GOING TO ASK THE PRINCIPAL CAN YOU KNOW, MY POINT WAS, UNLESS THE PRINCIPAL INVITES YOU TO DO SOMETHING ADDITIONAL, I DIDN'T WANT I DIDN'T WANT BOARD MEMBERS TO PUT.
PRINCIPALS IN AN AWKWARD SITUATION. SO I DIDN'T ARTICULATE THAT VERY WELL.
SO MAYBE THAT JUST NEEDS TO BE WORDED DIFFERENTLY.
HEY, WHILE I'M HERE, CAN I GO SEE? I'LL ASK COUNCIL FOR FOR LANGUAGE ON THAT.
I'M SORRY. THAT WAS THE INTENT OF THAT. THAT ADDITIONAL.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION. SO SO I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR FOR DOCTOR GILLIAM BECAUSE YOU BASICALLY SAID THAT TEACHERS GET NERVOUS WHEN WE COME IN, AND I'M JUST AS A FIRST YEAR TEACHER, I USED TO GET NERVOUS.
AND THEN OVER TIME WHEN I MENTOR TEACHERS, I WOULD TELL THEM THIS IF YOU'RE DOING WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, GOD HIMSELF CAN COME IN HERE. YOU WILL NOT BE DISTRACTED AND IT WON'T EVEN BOTHER YOU.
YOU WILL NOT GET NERVOUS BECAUSE YOU'RE USED TO IT.
SO THAT ARGUMENT THAT WE SHOULDN'T COME BECAUSE THE TEACHERS ARE GOING TO GET NERVOUS.
BUT AS A TEACHER, WE ALL KNOW THAT SOMEBODY IS GOING TO COME IN OUR CLASSROOM AT SOME POINT, BE IT PRINCIPAL OR AP OR SPECIALIST OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO PRETTY MUCH THAT'S THE NORM ANYWAY. SO I DON'T SEE THE RELEVANCE IN THAT ARGUMENT BECAUSE PEOPLE COME IN THEIR CLASSROOMS ALL THE TIME, ARE SUPPOSED TO BE COMING IN THEIR CLASSROOMS ALL THE TIME.
OKAY. WELL, MAY I ADDRESS THAT? OKAY. SO I KNOW THAT THERE ARE FOLKS OUT THERE THAT I TAUGHT WITH.
THERE ARE FOLKS OUT THERE THAT I RIGHT HERE IN THIS THIS AUDIENCE RIGHT NOW.
NOW THEY'RE NOT FOR SOME TEACHERS. AND THERE ARE SOME THAT.
[01:40:02]
THEY THEY WOULD IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THEY'RE AFRAID THEY WANT TO COME.DID I DO OKAY. DID THEY SAY THIS. AND IT'S AND I UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OH A BOARD MEMBER CAME IN AND SO AND I HEAR IT AND SO AND I HEAR IT NOW.
AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT THERE IS A WAY TO DO THAT.
AND ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS GET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT.
WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER HERE TO BRIARGATE. AND IS IT ALL RIGHT IF I WALK SOME CLASSES AND EVERYTHING'S FINE? THAT'S WHAT I DO. I USUALLY HAVE SPECIFIC CLASSES THAT I WANT TO DO.
MIKE MILES CAME IN MY CLASSROOM LAST YEAR. EVERYBODY'S FREAKED OUT.
I JUST KEPT ON GOING BECAUSE OF THE SIMPLE FACT THAT IT WASN'T ANNOUNCED.
IT WAS A SPOT ON OBSERVATION. AND AS A PROFESSIONAL AND AS A TEACHER, I HAD TO HANDLE IT.
I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO BE LIKE, OH MY GOD, HE'S HERE, OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
I HAD TO STILL FOCUS ON MY KIDS AND I HAD TO STILL FOCUS ON TEACHING.
AND SO, I MEAN, YEAH, IT'S BUT THAT SHOULDN'T IF YOU'RE DOING WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AS AN EDUCATOR, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO COMES INTO YOUR CLASSROOM.
YEAH, YEAH. SO HERE AT THE FORT BEND ISD, WHAT IS IT THAT WE NEED TO DO? AND THAT'S BASICALLY IT. WHATEVER WE DO AT THE GOVERNMENT LEVEL.
RIGHT. WHAT IS HOW HOW DO WE NOW, AS BOARD MEMBERS, AS TRUSTEES, VISIT CAMPUSES? AND I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE CLEAR ON WHAT WE'RE TO DO.
SO I THINK WE CAN ADDRESS THAT. AND I THINK WE HAVE A RIGHT AS TRUSTEES TO VISIT CAMPUSES.
AND THERE IS A PROTOCOL AND PROCEDURE FOR DOING THAT.
AND I THINK WE'VE WE'VE DISCUSSED WHAT THAT SHOULD BE.
THE THE OTHER. SO I, I AGREE WITH THE SO THE, THE BOTTOM OF THE FIRST PAGE AD THAT YOU HAD MISS HANNON ABOUT BOARD MEMBER SHALL USE SOCIAL MEDIA IN A WAY THAT SHALL NOT USE SOCIAL MEDIA, A WAY THAT MAY CONFUSE THE PUBLIC THAT THEY ARE POSTING ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT OR PROMOTING IDEOLOGY.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. I, I ALSO KIND OF DISAGREE WITH THE SECOND PORTION OF IT.
I THINK DISCLAIMERS ARE IMPORTANT. I THINK ADDING DISCLAIMER LANGUAGE IS FINE.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN TELL A TRUSTEE THAT THEY CANNOT USE THE TITLE THAT THEY IN FACT HAVE. SO, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK WE CAN REGULATE THAT SOMEONE.
I MEAN, DOCTOR SMITH COULD PUT ON HIS THAT HE'S THE YOU KNOW, SUPERINTENDENT OF FORT BEND ISD AND HE IS THE SUPERINTENDENT OF FORT BEND ISD. SO I THINK IT GETS PROBLEMATIC IF WE START SAYING, WELL, YOU CAN'T USE ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT YOU ARE A FORT BEND ISD TRUSTEE WHEN YOU, IN FACT, ARE A FORT ISD TRUSTEE.
BUT BUT I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO MAKE CLEAR THAT WE ARE NOT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT AND OR PROMOTING ANY IDEOLOGY ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT.
AND I THINK A DISCLAIMER LANGUAGE, WHICH I THINK WE SHOULD GET FROM COUNCIL WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE IN THERE THAT WE'RE ALL YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE ALL GOING TO AGREE TO ADD TO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES.
YEAH. SO THE FIRST LINE I AGREE WITH. I MEAN I THINK THAT THAT'S AN EASY.
SURE. BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IN MY OPINION I THINK THAT'S AN EASY ADD.
I DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH, WITH WITH THE PUTTING THE COMMITTEE LANGUAGE IN THERE.
BUT BECAUSE THIS IS AN OUTWARD FACING DOCUMENT AND BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY PULLS IT UP AND READS IT, I DON'T THINK IT'S A BAD IDEA TO REMIND THEM THAT EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE COMMITTEES, THAT COMMITTEES AREN'T IN BEHIND CLOSED DOORS MAKING DECISIONS WITHOUT BRINGING IT TO THE FULL BOARD. I THINK THAT THAT'S WORTH SAYING.
I I'D PROBABLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE TO KIND OF GET THROUGH IT, BUT THOSE ARE JUST MY KIND OF MY HIGH LEVEL THOUGHTS AT THIS TIME. MISS, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING?
[01:45:01]
ARE YOU. WELL, I WAS GOING TO SAY I WAS GOING TO SAY I NEEDED SOME TIME TO KIND OF GO THROUGH IT.I, I AGREE ON A LOT OF WHAT WE HAVE IN THERE THAT WE'VE CHANGED.
AND WE SAID AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT, I THINK GETTING INTO A LOT OF THE, THE STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR AND THE NUANCES OF WHAT WHAT FOLKS CAN AND CAN'T SAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA. I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN ALL OPERATE.
AND IT DOES. IT DOES GET VERY CHALLENGING AT TIMES.
SO BUT THEN THERE'S THERE'S ALSO INDIVIDUAL, YOU KNOW, FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN OPINIONS. SO I THINK ON SOME OF IT, I DO WANT TO TAKE SOME TIME AND, AND KIND OF LOOK THROUGH IT. I WANT TO PROBABLY SIT DOWN AND AND CHAT WITH SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT I'M NOT IN COMPLETE DISAGREEMENT.
AND I THINK THAT WHEN I LOOK AT THE CAMPUS VISITS, YOU KNOW, I DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING THROUGH YOUR OFFICE. AND I HAVE THE EXPECTATION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO TELL THE PRINCIPALS, THE PRINCIPAL IS GOING TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE COMING. AND I ALSO KNOW THAT WHILE TO YOUR POINT, IT DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY, WHAT IF I GET AN INVITE, YOU KNOW THAT? I JUST GOT A COUPLE INVITES, YOU KNOW, TO GO TO ANNE SULLIVAN, I THINK IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
SO I HAVEN'T COMMUNICATED THAT WITH YOU, BUT THAT'S AN INVITE FROM THE SCHOOL.
AND SO. YEAH, I'LL GO AND DO YOUR YOU KNOW, NATIONAL ELEMENTARY HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTION CEREMONY.
I WOULD LOVE TO. SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GET INVITES LIKE THAT AND, YOU KNOW, THE PRINCIPAL THAT'S THE THAT'S MAYBE A GOOD QUESTION FOR YOU, DOCTOR SMITH.
AND SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
YEAH. I WOULD PREFER TO KNOW IT'S ALWAYS JUST A GOOD PRINCIPALS AND JUST GOOD PRACTICE FOR OUR PROCESS AND COMMUNICATING WITH ONE ANOTHER. SO IT WOULD BE MY PREFERENCE TO HAVE A HEADS UP ON THAT.
SO I'M GOING TO ADD THAT FOR CONSIDERATION FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION BECAUSE I MEAN I THINK THAT'S A REASONABLE, REASONABLE REQUEST. SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. I'LL, I'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU GUYS.
MR. HAMILTON, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? OKAY.
I'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU GUYS, AND WE'LL SET UP A MEETING.
EVEN IF IT'S OVER. ZOOM. AND WE WILL GO THROUGH THE.
I MADE NOTES WHEN MISS JONES WAS TALKING, AND I MADE NOTES WHEN DOCTOR GILLIAM WAS TALKING.
OKAY, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN ON THIS, BUT CAN I JUST SAY YES? GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. I KNOW WE'VE BEEN ON THE TOPIC FOR A MINUTE, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE IN SPEAKING TO THE TIMELINESS AND PREPARING THE PREPARING THE BOARD BOOK AND GETTING INFORMATION TO YOU.
SO I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE OUT ANYTHING. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD THE PROPER CONTEXT.
SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A MINUTE TO SPEAK TO THAT.
SURE. EXCUSE ME. SURE. THANK YOU. AND GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.
AND SO YOU ARE YOU ARE RIGHT ON POINT. AND SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON INTERNALLY ARE SHORTENING, LENGTHENING, LENGTHENING THE TIME THAT YOU HAVE TO REVIEW THE BOARD BOOK, SHORTENING OUR TIMELINE FOR GETTING IT READY.
AND IF WE'RE ABLE TO HIT THOSE MARKS, THEN DOCTOR SMITH AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT GETTING IT TO YOU AHEAD OF THREE DAYS, ACTUALLY, TO ALLOW FOR TIME, A TIMELINE OF ASKING QUESTIONS PRIOR TO THE MEETING ON MONDAY SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE RESPONSES IN A FRIDAY BOARD UPDATE OR PRIOR TO THAT, KNOWING THAT NOT ONLY IS IT A CHALLENGE FOR CERTAINLY A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE FOR YOU ALL TO RECEIVE A DOCUMENT WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE MEETING, BUT ALSO JUST THE COMPLEXITY OF GETTING ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS AND GETTING THEM RESPONDED TO ACCURATELY AND IN DEPTH AND WITH THE WAY THAT WE WE WANT TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION TO YOU ON A BOARD MEETING DAY PRIOR TO A TIME, EVEN 3:00 IS A CHALLENGE, RIGHT? PRIOR TO DEPENDING ON WHEN WE RECEIVE THOSE QUESTIONS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THEM ALL AND IT'S NOT A FEW, AND THEN WE GET A FEW MORE ANSWERS AND THEN WE'RE PROVIDING THE DOCUMENTS.
SO OUR GOAL IS CERTAINLY TO PROVIDE IT FURTHER AHEAD OF TIME.
[01:50:02]
SO THERE IS THAT TIME FOR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, IF THERE ARE ANY, THAT WE CAN THEN PROVIDE TO YOU IN THE FRIDAY BOARD BOARD BOOK.BUT SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE MORE SO RIGHT UP TO THE TO THE DEADLINE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT DATA COMING IN AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE OR PRESENTATIONS THAT ARE THAT ARE INCLUSIVE OF FACTS AND FIGURES FINANCIAL THINGS IN PARTICULAR, SOME THAT USUALLY ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT TO DO FURTHER AHEAD OF TIME BECAUSE THEN THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE PROVIDING IS TWO WEEKS OLD OR, YOU KNOW, A WEEK OLD AT THAT TIME.
SO THIS IS REALLY APPRECIATE THE DIALOG AND GETTING OUR HEADS AROUND WHAT YOU ALL ARE THINKING AND WHAT WOULD MAKE YOUR JOBS A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO RECEIVE THE INFORMATION FURTHER AHEAD OF TIME? BECAUSE WE KNOW IN PUTTING IT TOGETHER, WHAT A CHALLENGE IT HAS TO BE FROM YOUR END TO TO REVIEW IT ALL, AND ESPECIALLY IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, AND THEN PROVIDE QUESTIONS FOR CLARITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, MISS MARTINEZ. AND I WOULD SAY AS A TRUSTEE AND I THINK MY FELLOW TRUSTEES MIGHT WOULD AGREE WITH THIS, BUT I THINK WE WOULD EVEN BE WILLING TO.
IF THERE'S 1 OR 2 THINGS THAT CAN'T MAKE IT INTO THE BOARD BOOK TIMELY.
IF YOU CAN GET THE BULK OF IT TO US SOONER, I THINK WE WOULD GIVE A LOT OF GRACE.
SAYING, OKAY, YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET A SLIDE DECK TO US UNTIL THE NEXT DAY.
OR YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET US THE MOU EXACTLY AS WRITTEN, BUT IF YOU GET US.
EVERYTHING ELSE I DON'T. I PERSONALLY DON'T MIND THE TRICKLE IN OF A COUPLE OF THINGS.
YOU KNOW, LATER. AND IN FACT, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS PAST WEEK.
BECAUSE DOCTOR SMITH AND I WORK ON THE AGENDA.
BUT I DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, THE MEAT.
I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE TIME OVER THE WEEKEND UNTIL I GOT TO YESTERDAY.
I COULD HAVE REVIEWED A LOT OF IT, AND IF I ONLY HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS TO REVIEW ON SUNDAY, YOU KNOW, OR SATURDAY, THEN I WOULD THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NO PROBLEM.
SO I, I MEAN, I'M SEEING A LOT OF HEAD NODS. SO THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT IF IT HELPS YOU AND HELPS US, THEN I THINK WE'RE. AND MISS DAWSON, IF I COULD ADD TO THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE A LONG GRIEVANCE WITH LOTS OF DATA THAT IS INCLUDED, THAT THAT IF THAT'S PREPARED WELL AHEAD, THAT'S THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TOO.
THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU GUYS. OKAY. MOVING ON TO THE BOARD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY SEVEN.
[7.C. Board Leadership Academy]
SEE YOU GUYS HAD YOU GUYS HAD A PRESENTATION ON THIS, RIGHT? MISS MARTINEZ? YES. VERY BRIEF. THIS WOULD BE THIS WOULD BE BRINGING BACK THE BOARD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.WE HAVE FOLKS THAT HAVE ALREADY PROVIDED SOME THOUGHTS AND IDEAS AROUND IT.
AND SO FOR A LITTLE HISTORY WALK IN THE YEAR 2017, THIS WAS FIRST INITIATED.
KNOWLEDGE OF PERTINENT TOPICS IN SCHOOL BUDGET, FINANCE, ACCOUNTABILITY AND ASSESSMENT.
AND WE DO HAVE ONE PROUD GRADUATE OF A BOARD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AROUND THE TABLE HERE, MR. GARCIA. THEN IN THE 20 1819. YEAR. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BOARD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY WOULD RUN DURING LEGISLATIVE YEARS.
WELL, THEN WE FACED COVID AND WE PAUSED ON THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
AND THEN HERE WE ARE TODAY. SO THERE WERE TWO COHORTS OF THE BOARD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
WE'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR HAVING THE BOARD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AND PARTNERING WITH TRUSTEES AGAIN TO DEVELOP CURRICULUM AND TO DEVELOP SESSIONS, IDEALLY FOR ABOUT A 20 MEMBER COHORT THROUGH AN APPLICATION PROCESS THAT I BELIEVE IN THE PAST WAS REVIEWED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, BUT PERHAPS THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT INTO THOSE APPLICATIONS.
[01:55:03]
COMMUNITY MEMBERS, DIFFERENT LEVELS, DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS OF APPLICANTS WITHIN THE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TO REALLY GET A GOOD REPRESENTATION.SOME OF THE CONTENT OF THE SESSIONS INCLUDED TEAM BUILDING, A DISTRICT FIELD TRIP TO GET OUR PARTICIPANTS ACQUAINTED WITH THE VAST DIFFERENCES AND STRENGTHS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN, AS I MENTIONED, SESSIONS ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND ASSESSMENT, TEACHING AND LEARNING, SCHOOL FINANCE, AND REALLY PARTNERING WITH TRUSTEES IN YOUR AREAS OF INTEREST OR STRENGTHS TO PARTNER WITH TEAM MEMBERS TO DELIVER THAT CONTENT TO TO THE PARTICIPANTS. THE EXCITING THING IS, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE A TEAM UNDER KIM SMITH'S LEADERSHIP READY TO GO.
THEY'VE WORKED THROUGH A TIMELINE WHERE AS EARLY AS THE SEPTEMBER TIME FRAME, WE COULD BE LAUNCHING SOME APPLICATIONS AND REALLY GET GOING THIS FALL WITH THE NEXT BOARD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY. THANK YOU, MISS MARTINEZ.
DID YOU GUYS I'M GOING TO ASK A QUESTION AND THEN I'LL THROW IT TO THE TRUSTEES.
DID YOU GUYS CONSIDER THE NUMBER OF SESSIONS THAT WE WOULD HAVE, GIVEN THAT WE'RE WE'RE STARTING, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A LITTLE LATER THAN NORMAL.
AND WHEN THOSE MIGHT BE SPACED OUT. JUST SO THAT THE TRUSTEES CAN CONSIDER.
THANK YOU. YES, WE ACTUALLY HAVE PUT THAT TO PAPER.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU MULTIPLE OPTIONS.
OBVIOUSLY BASED ON HOW OFTEN WE WANT TO MEET.
WHAT THE SUBJECT MATTER IS GOING TO BE. AND HOW LONG THE SESSIONS WILL BE.
SO SO YOU'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
GREAT. THANK YOU. MISS SMITH, DOCTOR GILLIAM.
THANK YOU FOR THE EXCITEMENT. SO THAT HELPS ME A BUNCH.
I'M REALLY. I THOUGHT THE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY WAS ABOUT RECRUITING TRUSTEES.
SO THAT WAS ON. THAT WAS THE STREET TALK. SO I'M HEARING SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT TODAY.
SO. OR IS IT DIFFERENT SINCE I CREATED IT? MAYBE I COULD MAYBE I COULD ADDRESS THAT BECAUSE SO WHEN I WAS BOARD PRESIDENT IN 2017, I BROUGHT THIS TO THE DISTRICT. AND THE PURPOSE OF IT WAS TO CREATE COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, BECAUSE WE WERE IN A LEGISLATIVE WE WERE JUST COMING OFF OF A LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND WE WERE TRYING TO MOTIVATE THE COMMUNITY TO GO AND TO ADVOCATE AND TO SPEAK TO THEIR LEGISLATORS AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT IT WAS HARD FOR US TO NOT ONLY TO RECRUIT, BUT TO CONVEY ALL OF THE INFORMATION, BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW NOW THAT WE'RE TRUSTEES, IT'S VERY HARD TO EXPLAIN SCHOOL FINANCE TO A LAYPERSON OR ANY OF THE OTHER NUMBER OF OF THING. AM I NOT LOUD ENOUGH? THANK YOU.
OR ANY OF THE OTHER NUMBER OF THINGS THAT YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE TO GO ADVOCATE ABOUT.
AND SO THAT WAS THE INITIAL REASON FOR SETTING IT UP.
THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT HELPING TO CREATE A PIPELINE OF KNOWLEDGEABLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO MIGHT WANT TO RUN FOR THE BOARD IN THE FUTURE, BUT THAT WAS NEVER THAT WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE.
AND THAT SORT OF JUST KIND OF BECAME A AND THERE ARE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT DO THIS KIND OF THING THAT TRY TO CREATE A PIPELINE OF, OF INTERESTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT MIGHT WANT TO RUN FOR THE BOARD ONE DAY.
IT DOES. AND I GUESS AT THE SAME TIME, I WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE GOING ON AND OF COURSE I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT I HEAR MY, MY THOUGHTS THAT I'M LIKE, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS TO WHERE THERE'S NOT EVERYONE SMILING? OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS. AND IT TO ME, IT'S LIKE, ONE MORE THING TO DO AND I.
AND HOW DO WE HOW DO WE PICK OUR CANDIDATES WHO COME IN.
SO AND IT COULD BE VERY MANY THINGS. IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, I THAT'S WHAT I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS ABOUT TRUSTEES COMING, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE RECRUITING.
AND SO I WAS TOLD, WELL, MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET OUT THERE AND PUT YOUR.
APPLICATION IN. AND SO I WASN'T IN THE DISTRICT AND I DID AND THEN I DID THE NEXT YEAR.
SO OF COURSE I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA, BUT I WOULD JUST VERY MUCH LIKE THAT.
I LIKE TO KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT PICKING AND CHOOSING WHO GETS TO COME IN.
SO IF WE HAVE AND WHATEVER THAT MAY BE, AND I DO WANT TO LET ME, LET ME SHARE.
[02:00:05]
THAT'S MY STORY. AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING, BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD.CATCH TO GET. BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. SO. BUT I ENDED UP COMING THROUGH.
BUT I JUST WANT US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE VERY INTENTIONAL WITH HOW WE DO THINGS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE DEFINITELY WE'RE LOOKING AND WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERYONE AND LISTENING TO EVERYONE AND.
AND BEING PROFESSIONAL. NOT THAT WE WERE. NOT AT THAT TIME.
OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR GILLIAM. MR. GARCIA. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. YES, I GOT IN, I GOT ACCEPTED.
I GRADUATED. SO I'M VERY PLEASED THAT WE'RE BRINGING THIS BACK.
I KNOW I ASKED NUMEROUS TIMES ABOUT DOING THIS.
I KNOW THAT WHEN WE WERE GOING TO AUSTIN, EVEN BRINGING BACK A MEMBER FROM 2018 AND 2019 TO HELP US ADVOCATE WHEN WE WERE GOING TO AUSTIN TO TALK ABOUT OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE A CLASS AND WE GO THROUGH A CLASS, DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE THEY'RE GONE, THEY'RE STILL OUT THERE, AND THERE'S A LOT OF THEM THAT ARE STILL VERY VOCAL, AND THEY'RE STILL VERY MUCH ADVOCATES FOR THE DISTRICT. SO I THINK THERE'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE COMMUNICATING WITH THOSE WITH THOSE FOLKS AS WELL. AND WE'RE COMING UP ON A VERY BIG LEGISLATIVE YEAR.
AND I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT TIME. ARE WE? I HAVE ONE QUESTION. ARE WE INTENDING TO DO THIS EVERY YEAR, OR ARE WE GOING TO GO BACK TO WHAT IT WAS? WHAT WHAT THEY HAD DECIDED TO DO BEFORE COVID HIT AND DO IT JUST EVERY OTHER YEAR DURING A LEGISLATIVE YEAR? WELL, YOU'RE ON THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, MR. GARCIA.
SO. WELL, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF EVERY YEAR. SO THAT WOULD BE MY THAT WOULD BE MY VOTE.
SO BUT I'M VERY PLEASED. I'M EXCITED. I LOOK FORWARD TO TO TO SEEING THE APPLICANTS COME HERE PRETTY SOON AND GETTING THIS THING KICKED OFF AGAIN. SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. GARCIA. MISS JONES. WELL, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
WELL, NOT A QUICK QUESTION. IT'S JUST A LITTLE TAD BIT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT TERM LEADERSHIP KIND OF THROWS IT OFF INTO THAT REALM.
AND I'M JUST ASKING YOU TO MAYBE CONSIDER CHANGING THE NAME OF IT SO IT WON'T BE MISCONSTRUED.
MAYBE A BOARD ADVOCACY COMMITTEE R OR BOARD ADVOCACY ACADEMY OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE HAVE SAID, WELL, IT IS FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BECOME TRUSTEE AND WE SHOULDN'T LIMIT IT OR DISPEL THAT. THAT AND SOMETIMES THAT LANGUAGE IN ITSELF THROWS IT OFF AS IF IT'S A TRAINING GROUND FOR NEW BOARD TRUSTEES.
MY OTHER THING IS, AND I'M WONDERING THE I THINK ABOUT THE OLD TRUST, THE OLD ACADEMIES AND WHAT THEIR CURRENT INITIATIVES ARE, ADVOCACY INITIATIVES AS WELL AS, I GUESS ONCE THEY GRADUATE, THERE'S LIKE AN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND THEY'RE WORKING ON CERTAIN PROJECTS AND PRIORITIES OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT MAYBE THEY SHOULD JUST FALL OFF ONCE THEY GRADUATE, BUT TRY TO EXPAND IT MORE RATHER THAN JUST A CERTIFICATE NAME RECOGNITION AND BUT ACTUALLY DO THE WORK OUTSIDE OF IT.
THANK YOU. YEAH. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT FEEDBACK.
YOU KNOW, THE FORT BEND CHAMBER LEADERSHIP. WE HAVE TWO OF THEM.
OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SOMETHING THAT RECRUITED THOSE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO WANTED TO BE LEADERS IN ADVOCACY AND ADVOCATING FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND THEN MAYBE ONE DAY RUNNING FOR THE BOARD IF THEY DECIDED THEY WANTED TO DO THAT.
BUT YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN. AND WE WERE ALWAYS SUPPOSED TO HAVE ALUMNI.
[02:05:03]
IN FACT, WE WOULD DO. WE HAD TALKED ABOUT HAVING THE ALUMNI COME BACK AND AND BEING ABLE TO REACH OUT.OR HERE'S YOUR EMAIL. YOU KNOW, WE NEED YOU TO CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS AND WHATEVER.
SO YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN ON THAT AS WELL. SO THANK YOU, MISS HANNON.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO THE OTHER TRUSTEES FOR THEIR COMMENTS.
SO FIRST, I JUST HAVE A LEGAL QUESTION JUST TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE IT, I'M READING SORT OF THE OBJECTIVE IN THE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. AND WE'RE, IT READS TO GIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TOOLS NEEDED TO ADVOCATE FOR STUDENTS.
AND I'M, I'M HEARING ARE ARE WE EDUCATING THEM ON WHAT'S COMING UP IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE? ARE WE EDUCATING THEM ON WHAT ARE OUR DISTRICT PRIORITIES ARE IN TERMS OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION? AND IF WE'RE THAT EXPLICIT IN WHAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO ADVOCATE, DO WE RUN ANY RISK OF WALKING THAT LINE OF.
CREATING? I MEAN, FOR, FOR A BETTER WORD, LIKE TO, TO LOBBY ON OUR BEHALF.
WELL, WE'RE ALLOWED TO WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
WE'RE JUST NOT ALLOWED TO DO IT WITH REGARD TO LIKE I'M TRYING NOT TO PLAY LAWYER HERE.
SO YOU GUYS JUMP IN. WE ARE ALLOWED TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
THAT'S WHY WE PASSED LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. SO WE'RE JUST NOT ALLOWED TO AS THE DISTRICT IS NOT ALLOWED TO LOBBY ON BEHALF OF BOND INITIATIVES AND TAX RATIFICATION ELECTIONS. SO THERE THERE ARE NO LEGAL LINES, BUT I'M GOING TO LET I'M GOING TO DEFER TO COUNSEL IF THEY HAVE IF THEY CAN JUMP IN. BUT BUT WHEN WE WERE, WHEN WE HAD A LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE ALWAYS HAD A LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES PORTION AND ADVOCACY PORTION OF THAT PRESENTATION.
I MEAN, THIS IS A 30,000FT KIND OF BECAUSE YOU CAN'T YOU COULD SPEND ALL SIX SESSIONS TALKING ABOUT FINANCE, AND NOBODY'S GOING TO WALK AWAY AND BE ABLE TO GO ADVOCATE OTHER THAN TO SAY WE NEED MORE FUNDING OR I MEAN, NOT NOT TO OFFEND THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BUT IT'S IT'S IT'S CHALLENGING.
AND SO I DIDN'T I MEAN, MR. WILBANKS OR MR. BRUSH, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT? NOT MUCH. THE LIMITATION WOULD BE NOT ADVOCATING FOR A SPECIFIC CANDIDATE OR A SPECIFIC BALLOT MEASURE AND EXPENDING FUNDS FOR A SPECIFIC MEASURE. OKAY. THAT WOULD IMPLICATE THE ELECTIONEERING LAWS, BUT JUST GENERAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
THE KIND OF ADVOCACY PRESIDENT TYSON DISCUSSED IS PERMISSIBLE.
AND SO WHILE I THINK BUILDING LEADERSHIP CAPACITY IN OUR STUDENTS IS IMPORTANT, AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING PEOPLE WHO WILL SPEAK OUT AND SUPPORTING TRADITIONAL PUBLIC EDUCATION LIKE THIS DISTRICT, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. MY CONCERN IS ADVOCATING FOR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES WITHIN THE DISTRICT. AND YOU KNOW, THAT WHATEVER THOSE PRIORITIES ARE, AND LET'S SAY IT PASSES 4 TO 3. SO MY CONCERN IS THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE FOLLOW THE THE CODE OF ETHICS AND SAYING THAT EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T VOTE FOR THAT, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO BE TAUGHT TO THE LEADERSHIP GROUP.
ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME ON THIS? SO WHAT IF NOT ALL BOARD MEMBERS AGREE ON WHAT LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES ARE BROUGHT FORWARD? ITS NOT A70 VOTE. I MEAN, WE WE JUST ALL SAY THIS IS WHAT WE SUPPORT AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE WE'RE.
[02:10:01]
BUT WE ALL HAVE TO WE WE ALL THE BOARD'S VOTE IS IS THE VOTE.SO THE WAY WE DID IT PREVIOUSLY IS TRUSTEES WERE ALLOWED TO SIGN UP FOR OR YOU DON'T HAVE TO.
AND THEN YOU GO AND YOU YOU TEAM UP WITH A EXECUTIVE TEAM MEMBER AND YOU AND REALLY YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, THE DISTRICT IS GOING TO PROVIDE THAT CURRICULUM AND YOU PROVIDE THE GOVERNANCE PERSPECTIVE.
AND THAT'S THE WAY WE DID IT. WE DID IT AS A AS SORT OF A TAG TEAM.
BUT IF IT'S NOT, IF THERE'S A SESSION THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS SOMETHING IN IT THAT YOU EITHER DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE PRESENTING OR YOU KNOW, YOU OR YOUR VIEW IS CONTRARY TO WHAT THE VOTE WAS.
MAYBE YOU JUST DON'T HAVE TO STEP BACK AND NOT FACILITATE, OKAY? YOU DON'T HAVE TO, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO CREATE CONFUSION ON WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE ASKING FOLKS TO ADVOCATE.
IF SOME MEMBERS DIDN'T AGREE TO THAT, I ACTUALLY WOULDN'T WANT THEM FACILITATING THAT THAT SESSION.
PERHAPS. THEN MY OTHER CONCERN I JUST WANT TO ADD TO TO WHAT DOCTOR GILLIAM SAID, I, I AGAIN, I WANT TO BUILD LEADERSHIP CAPACITY IN FOLKS.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF THIS TAKES AWAY. A MINUTE OF STAFF'S TIME THAT IS, SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON IMPROVING STUDENT OUTCOMES.
THAT IS JUST MY CONCERN. BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO, TO IMPROVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOTS OF OUR KIDS ON MANY CAMPUSES. SO THAT IS THAT IS JUST ONE CONCERN.
I JUST WANT TO VOICE PUBLICLY THAT THAT THIS IS A BOARD INITIATIVE.
BUT I'M ASSUMING WE'RE ARE WE ASKING THEM TO BUILD OUT THE CURRICULUM FOR THIS, OR ARE WE BUILDING OUT THE CURRICULUM FOR THIS? WHO'S IN CHARGE OF MOST OF THE LOGISTICS OF THIS? MISS MARTINEZ SPOKE TO THAT EARLIER. YOU WANT TO? SO WE HAVE TWO STAFF MEMBERS IN MISS SMITH'S AREA, AND SHE CAN SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO THE EXPERTISE AROUND THAT.
ONE IS DEANNA DURAN, WHO HAS WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN BOTH COHORTS PRIOR AND HELPED TO ORGANIZE NOT ONLY THE CURRICULUM, BUT STAFF TO WORK ON THE CURRICULUM. I. IF I RECALL PERSONALLY, I BELIEVE I WAS INVOLVED IN THE ACADEMIC SIDE OF IT.
AND AND IT WAS IT WAS THE WORK WE DO. AND SO IT WAS PUTTING TOGETHER VERY SIMILAR PRESENTATIONS AND CONVERSATIONS THAT WE, WE HAVE WITH PARENTS AND WE HAVE AT STAFF MEETINGS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
IT WAS NOT A HEAVY LIFT. IT WAS REWARDING TO MEET PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO WERE INQUISITIVE ABOUT WHAT IT WAS THAT WE WERE DOING IN THE ACADEMIC SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND POSED QUESTIONS TO US AND, AND CHALLENGE OUR THINKING AS WELL AS LEARN AND GROW TOGETHER.
AND AGAIN, THE PARTNERSHIP WITH TRUSTEES IN THAT LEARNING AND DELIVERY OF THAT INFORMATION, FROM MY EXPERIENCE. IT WAS BENEFICIAL. IT REALLY DID HELP BUILD COMMUNITY.
AND KIM CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE TWO FOLKS THAT SHE HAS THAT WOULD BE LEADING THIS IN THE WAY OF ORGANIZING AND LOGISTICS AND REALLY HELPING TO SUPPORT STAFF AND THE BOARD MEMBERS. THE GREAT NEWS. THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT DNA DID LEAD THIS, THIS ACADEMY AND THE BUILD OUT OF IT PREVIOUSLY. CHASTITY, WHO WAS A PART OF THE SUGAR LAND 95 INITIATIVE? I'VE REALLY BEEN UTILIZING HER A LOT MORE FOR THIS, THIS FIRST YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN WITH THE DISTRICT.
AND BUILDING AMBASSADORSHIP ACROSS THE COMMUNITIES.
AND SO WE FELT LIKE WANTING TO BRING THIS BACK, THAT THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TO DO THAT.
JUST ANOTHER ANOTHER FACET. OKAY. THANK YOU BOTH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
THANK YOU MISS. THANK YOU. OKAY. REAL QUICK, DOCTOR GILLIAM, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? JUST VERY QUICKLY AS LOOKING AT THIS, LIKE, HOW WILL HOW WAS IT EVALUATED? WAS THERE AN EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM? I KNOW IT HAPPENED FOR TWO YEARS, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR EXCITEMENT ABOUT IT BECAUSE THAT DOES HELP ME.
MISS MARTINEZ, BUT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE EVALUATION LIKE, HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE DID? DID WE DID I KNOW THAT IT WAS IT WAS TWO GROUPS.
IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? IT WAS TWO GROUPS. YES, IT WAS 2000, SEVEN, 18, I MEAN 1718 AND 1819.
AND SO AND I WOULD LOOK TO HIM AND ASK IF YOU COULD GO BACK.
I WAS A PRESENTER. I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE ORGANIZING OF IT.
OR AND I DON'T RECALL A PROGRAM EVALUATION LIKE A FORMAL PROGRAM EVALUATION.
[02:15:03]
THERE MAY HAVE BEEN FEEDBACK FOR THE SESSIONS.I THINK WE MAY HAVE 1ST MAY HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
I DIDN'T MEAN THAT TO BE LIKE, DO WE? I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT WHAT IS IT THAT WE EXPECT? YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT WE'RE EXPECTING TO WORK WITH WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND ENGAGEMENT AND PROVIDE COMMUNITY MEMBERS A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISTRICT.
AND HOW DO WE KNOW THAT WE JUST THAT'S HOW I LOOK AT IT.
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT WE DID THAT? SO WE MAY NOT KNOW, BUT IF WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT SO THAT WE CAN BE WE CAN SAY THIS REALLY WORKED. AND THIS IS THIS IS WHERE WE ARE NOW.
OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO JUST SEVERAL COMMENTS.
IF WE ESTABLISH THE PRIORITIES THAT IS, THAT ARE TO BE TAUGHT, AND IF SOMEONE DOESN'T WANT TO TEACH IT, DON'T TEACH IT. I MEAN, IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
IF THEY DON'T AGREE WITH IT, DON'T DO IT. I THINK THERE'S A DIVERSE GROUP HERE WITH DIFFERENT IDEAS, OPINIONS AND TALENTS AND SKILL LEVELS, AND THAT SHOULD BE RESPECTED ON ALL FRONTS.
I, I'M MORE CONCERNED WITH THE CURRICULUM PART.
I JUST WANT TO SEE HOW IT'S FORMATTED PER SE.
IT'S WHAT SUCCESSIONS AND IS THERE EVALUATION ARE THERE? THERE IS. IS THERE AN EVALUATION PIECE AT THAT SIXTH SESSION? IS THAT IN THE CURRICULUM? BASICALLY, HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THE ACADEMY AND SOME OF THE GOOD THINGS, SOME OF THE NOT SO GOOD THINGS AND AREAS THAT WE SHOULD FOCUS ON THAT WILL HELP AND EXPAND THE PARTICIPANTS KNOWLEDGE.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY BIGGEST ASK IS WE NEED TO KNOW HOW WE'RE DOING.
IS IT WORKING? IS IT NOT WORKING? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO MORE.
AND SO THAT THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD PRETTY MUCH ADD THAT PUT THE EVALUATION PIECE AT THE END AS WELL, AND EVALUATE EACH BOARD MEMBER AT EACH SESSION AS WELL, SO THAT WE CAN IMPROVE UPON OUR PRESENTATION AS WELL AS THE ENGAGEMENT OF ENGAGEMENT OF THE PARTICIPANTS AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU, MISS JONES. OKAY, I'M GOING TO MOVE US ALONG TO SEVEN D, WHICH IS THE
[7.D. Superintendent's Evaluation Instrument]
SUPERINTENDENTS EVALUATION INSTRUMENT. AND I'M GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU, DOCTOR SMITH.AS I AM HERE LONGER IN THE DISTRICT. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, MY SUMMATIVE CONFERENCE IS SCHEDULED TO BE FOUR MONTHS FROM NOW IN DECEMBER. AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO AND NOT LIKELY TO GET ALL THAT WORK DONE IN THE DISTRICT IN THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS.
SO THE EVALUATION INSTRUMENT AND THE INDICATORS WOULD LIKELY BE A LOT DIFFERENT IN DECEMBER OF 25 THAN IT IS COMING UP IN FOUR MONTHS. SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE THAT CONTEXT.
AS YOU THINK THROUGH THE DOCUMENT, ALSO, WE ARE PREPARING A CALENDAR FOR THE BOARD TO OUTLINE THE ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED IN THE EVALUATION INSTRUMENT.
TYPICALLY, WE USE OUR TRAINING SESSIONS IN THE SUMMERTIME AS A TIME TO BE ABLE TO SET PRIORITIES, AND THEN THOSE PRIORITIES WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE ACTUAL INSTRUMENT.
AND SO WHATEVER IS DEFINED BY THE BOARD WILL BE CAPTURED, OF COURSE, IN THE INSTRUMENT AT THAT TIME.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD HIGHLIGHT IS THAT IT IS CONSISTENT WITH OUR BOARD POLICY.
A, B, C, D, AND THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT REQUIRES US TO HAVE AN ANNUAL EVALUATION REQUIRES ME TO PROVIDE UPDATES DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. OF COURSE, MY FIRST FORMATIVE CONFERENCE IS COMING UP IN AUGUST, THE 26TH AT OUR UPCOMING BOARD MEETING.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD ADD IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I ADDED A STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE SECTION.
YOU MAY RECALL WE ARE IMPLEMENTING MAP GROWTH DATA THIS YEAR.
[02:20:07]
AND WE OBVIOUSLY HAVEN'T ROLLED THAT OUT YET.BUT IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS WE WILL BE BEGIN THAT PROCESS.
BUT THAT WILL BE ONE OF THE DATA POINTS, ALONG WITH LOTS OF OTHER DATA POINTS THAT I WILL BE PROVIDING THE BOARD THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE YEAR IN VARIOUS BOARD UPDATES. OF COURSE, IN MY FORMATIVE CONFERENCES THAT WE HAVE, AND THEN IN THE ACTUAL SUMMATIVE CONFERENCE, OF COURSE, I WILL BE PROVIDING OBJECTIVE DATA CENTERED AROUND ALL THE INDICATORS THAT YOU SEE LISTED THERE.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH THE STUDENT PERFORMANCE PIECE, OBVIOUSLY, IT, YOU KNOW, HOT OFF THE PRESS, WE JUST LEARNED THIS TODAY THAT A JUDGE BLOCKED T FROM RELEASING DISTRICT ACCOUNTABILITY RATINGS.
HAPPENED REALLY JUST THE DAY BEFORE WE STARTED OUR BOARD MEETING.
SO THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER WAYS UNTIL ALL OF THAT GETS WORKED OUT, THAT WE CAN MEASURE THE INTERNAL WORK THAT WE'RE PROVIDING IN OUR DISTRICT, AND THOSE ITEMS CAN BE CAPTURED IN THE IN THE INSTRUMENT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE THAT PERSPECTIVE TO THE BOARD AS YOU THINK THROUGH AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR SMITH, MISS JONES. THANK YOU, DOCTOR SMITH.
SO I WAS I TOOK SOME TIME AND LOOKED AT JUST TO REALLY REVIEW EVALUATION FORM THIS DOCUMENT BECAUSE THIS IS LIKE GOING TO BE MY SECOND TIME DOING THIS. AND SO.
AS AN APPRAISER FOR TEACHERS. I THINK THAT NEEDS A LITTLE BIT MORE HERE. AND THE WAY THAT WE EVALUATE THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE FIRST ASK IS, I'D LIKE TO REQUEST A RUBRIC FOR THE SCORING, MEANING THAT WE SEE HERE THAT DID NOT MEET SOME PROGRESS. SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS MET EXCEEDED.
OKAY. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AND HOW IS THAT MEASURED? AND SO WE DO OUR TEACHERS THIS WAY. AND SO I THINK AT SOME LEVEL WHEN WE EVALUATE THE SUPERINTENDENT, WE SHOULDN'T JUST BE CHECKING OFF BOXES OBJECTIVELY RATHER THAN HAVING SOME STANDARD OF WHAT UNSATISFACTORY UNSATISFACTORY LOOKS LIKE VERSUS EXEMPLARY. AND SO MY FIRST ASK IS THAT.
RUBRIC HAS TO BE AND IT GUIDES US AS WELL OF FAIRNESS AND CLARITY OF THOSE EXPECTATIONS. YOU KNOW, THE SECOND THING IS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A SUPERINTENDENT SELF-EVALUATION TOOL IN THIS AS WELL, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT JUST A THIS IS A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TOOL.
AND SO WE HAVE TO HAVE AN IDEA OF WHERE HE'S AT AND HOW TO MEASURE THAT GROWTH IN COMPARISON TO WHAT THE BOARD'S EXPECTATIONS ARE.
AND SO THAT'S MY SECOND ASK. AND THEN THE THIRD ASK IF A BOARD MEMBER DECIDES THAT BASED ON THE RUBRIC THAT THEY NEED IMPROVEMENT OR HAVE AN UNSATISFACTORY OR A LOW SCORING, THEN THAT TRUSTEE MUST PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THOSE RATINGS RATHER THAN OR EXAMPLES, RATHER THAN JUST CHECKING OFF THE BOX OR CHECKING THAT.
SO I THINK THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPREHENSIVE RATHER THAN AND JUST CHECKING OFF THE BOX AT THE END. THE OTHER PART OF THIS AND I PUT IT HERE.
OH. SINCE THIS IS SUMMATIVE, I WAS THINKING THAT.
IT HAS TO BE A SUMMARY OR AN AGREEMENT BY THE BOARD WHERE THAT CLEARLY OUTLINES AND DEFINES OUR AREAS OF CONCERNS AND THOSE BOARD EXPECTATIONS IN EXPLICIT FORM, SO THAT HE'S CLEAR ON WHAT WE WANT TO KNOW AND WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IN HIS CAPACITY AS THE SUPERINTENDENT.
[02:25:05]
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS JONES, MISS HANNON.SO THANK YOU, DOCTOR SMITH, FOR THE LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION AND WHAT I'M PASSING AROUND, KNOWING THAT YOUR SUMMATIVE IS IN DECEMBER AND KNOWING THAT YOU WEREN'T HERE LAST YEAR AT.
BOY, I'M GOING TO SAY THAT I AGREE WITH MISS JONES ON EVERY POINT SHE MADE.
AND, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME I'M ASKED BY A BOARD PRESIDENT TO DO SOMETHING, I HAVE DONE IT.
AND LAST FALL, I WAS ASKED BY THE PREVIOUS BOARD PRESIDENT TO WORK WITH BOARD COUNCIL.
SO I WORKED WITH RICK MORRIS ON CREATING WHERE THERE WAS A MEASURABLE RUBRIC WHERE YOU UNDERSTOOD WHAT EACH OF THESE WHAT DOES UNSATISFACTORY MEAN? AND SO WE WORKED THROUGH THAT.
AND AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE A PATTERN HERE. IT DID NOT COME TO FRUITION.
BUT I JUST I HAVE WRITTEN SOME THOUGHTS DOWN AS I WENT THROUGH HERE BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FULL LIFE CYCLE OF A YEAR, I DO THINK THAT IT IS OUR OBLIGATION TO BE VERY CLEAR.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE RUBRIC NEEDS TO BE SCALABLE IN SOME WAY.
RIGHT. DOES FOR ME I LOVE TO SEE THAT STANDARD SEVEN IS HERE.
AND TO ME THAT, YOU KNOW. THAT THAT HOLDS THE GREATEST WEIGHT TO ME BECAUSE THAT'S THE BUSINESS WE'RE IN, RIGHT? OBVIOUSLY, IF WE'RE NOT FINANCIALLY DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO, EVERYTHING'S A MOOT POINT.
BUT I JUST, I HAVE THAT IF THE COMMITTEE COULD GO BACK OR AND WERE DID THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE WORK, JUST TO BE CLEAR. NO, WE WE DID NOT. SO WE ASKED DOCTOR SMITH TO SUBMIT HIS VERSION.
AND SO THAT IS FOR US AS A BOARD TO OKAY. SO THE MY MY MY BIG TAKEAWAYS HERE ARE IF I HAD TO SIT DOWN AND USE THIS, IT IS VERY SUBJECTIVE BECAUSE THERE THERE ARE NO EXPLICIT, MEASURABLE, IDENTIFIABLE PERFORMANCE MEASURES HERE. AND SO I JUST I THINK ONE OF THE, THE ISSUES THAT THE BOARD NEEDS TO AND DOCTOR SMITH NEED TO WORK ON IS TO SAY, I KNOW THIS IS IN DECEMBER AND WE HAVE A FORM, A FORMATIVE COMING UP, BUT I STILL THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME MEASURABLE ITEMS IN HERE.
I THINK THAT'S OKAY TO HAVE A MIGHT PROVIDE, BUT I THINK THERE ALSO NEEDS TO BE A SHALL PROVIDE.
AND SO TO JUST YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH HE WASN'T HERE THERE COULD YOU KNOW I HOPE TO SEE FROM BOY LAST YEAR TO BOY DATA THIS YEAR. I HOPE THAT THERE'S IMPROVEMENT.
AND MAYBE BECAUSE HE'S COMING IN DECEMBER, THAT'S NOT FAIR TO PUT GROWTH FROM THIS AMOUNT TO THIS AMOUNT, BUT TO SAY IMPROVEMENT IN GROWTH OR ACHIEVEMENT.
AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, SO EVEN THOUGH THESE AREN'T NECESSARILY HAVING EXPLICIT MEASURABLE BUT PROMOTES IMPROVEMENT OF THE PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS THROUGH EVIDENCE BASED MEASURES. SO MAYBE WE DON'T HAVE STAR DATA FROM LAST YEAR, BUT BY DECEMBER WE WILL HAVE THE BUOY DATA ON ON A LOT OF OUR KIDS, AND WE MAY HAVE MATH TESTING. YOU KNOW, WE MAY WE HAVE SOME OTHER MEASURES.
AND SO MAYBE THIS THIS BOARD RIGHT NOW, WE'RE NOT LABELING HOW MUCH GROWTH WE WE EXPECT.
AND WE'RE HOPING THAT TO YOUR POINT, BECAUSE I KIND OF MISSED MY OWN POINT WAS, I THINK PART OF THAT SELF-EVALUATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT NEEDS TO INCLUDE HIS OWN GOAL SETTING AND THAT BOARD GOAL SETTING, BECAUSE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE HAVE TO KNOW WHAT DIRECTION WE'RE GOING IN.
[02:30:09]
IDEA OF WHERE HE IS? ARE THOSE GOALS BEING MET AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT HIM IF THEY'RE NOT BEING MET? AND SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO FRONT LOAD THAT WITH ESTABLISHING SOME GOALS.HE ESTABLISHED SOME PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GOALS, AS WELL AS WE AS A BOARD ESTABLISH SOME PROFESSIONAL GOALS FOR HIM THAT WE ALL CAN AGREE ON AS WELL PRIOR TO EVALUATING HIM.
SO YEAH. YEAH. SO I WON'T I WON'T READ THESE ALL TO YOU.
BUT I THINK BECAUSE YOU CAN READ BUT I THINK YOU GET THE, THE GIST THAT THAT I, YOU KNOW, I EXPECT THAT WE PUT EXPLICIT LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT WE, WE EXPECT SOME DATA THAT SHOWS ACHIEVEMENT GROWTH OR SIMPLY STUDENT GROWTH.
AND I'M JUST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF. NUMBER SIX, THOUGH I WILL SAY.
I MEAN, THIS IS EXPLICIT. ARTICULATES THE ACTION PLAN FOR IMPROVEMENT AT LOW PERFORMING CAMPUSES, RATED D OR F, AND PROVIDES QUARTERLY UPDATES TO THE BOARD.
I MEAN, THAT'S YOU DID IT OR YOU DIDN'T. YOU KNOW, IT'S SO I KNOW WHAT I'M YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT BY DECEMBER THAT WE'RE MAYBE WE'RE INTO THE WE'RE NOT QUITE FINISHED WITH THE SECOND QUARTER.
AND SO MAYBE BUT DID WE GET THE FIRST DO WE, DO WE HAVE A I MEAN I KNOW WE COULD ALL EACH SAY WHAT WE WOULD LIKE MEASURED, BUT I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY NOT NOBODY HERE THAT WOULD SAY WE WOULD NOT EXPECT TO SEE AN ARTICULATED PLAN, AT LEAST FOR OUR CAMPUSES THAT ARE RATED POORLY.
SO BACK TO THE GOAL SETTING. AND SO AND I'VE JUST GOT MORE EXPLICIT LANGUAGE THERE.
SO I THINK YOU GET THE GIST. I JUST THINK WE NEED SOME MORE SOME MORE EXPLICIT LANGUAGE.
I AGREE WITH DEFINING WHAT THE RUBRIC MEANS, WHAT THAT SCALE MEANS IN EACH STANDARD.
YEAH, BECAUSE ME PERSONALLY, I'M GOING TO BE LIKE, WELL, WHAT AM I LOOKING FOR AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? SO SO I'M GOING TO LET DOCTOR. DOCTOR SMITH. YEAH.
GO AHEAD. THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK. I HEAR YOU AND I RECEIVE IT.
THE TASK THAT I WAS CHARGED WITH AND THE TIMING IT JUST DIDN'T FLOW WELL IS THE BEST.
THAT WAS OUR PLAN. THAT WAS MY PLAN. BUT BUT WE DIDN'T.
THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. AND SO AND THEN YOU KNOW, THAT TRIGGERED THE CHAIN OF EVENTS TO GET PREPARED FOR THE FORMATIVE AS WELL AS THE SUMMATIVE IN DECEMBER.
AND SO THOSE THINGS ARE LIKE LITERALLY RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, RIGHT.
SO I WANTED TO OFFER THAT CONTEXT SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND.
YEAH. AND I HEAR YOU BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN YOU FIRST CAME ON, I SENT SOME EMAILS AND SAID, HEY, WE NEED TO SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT THIS. YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND WE GOT TO DO BETTER BECAUSE WE JUST GOT TO DO BETTER.
AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. AND SO IN THAT RESPECT, FROM UP TO FROM THAT POINT TO THIS POINT, IT GOES BACK TO GOALS AND DIRECTION. WELL, HE'S JUST STEERING THE SHIP, BUT WE'RE NOT TELLING HIM WHERE TO STEER THE SHIP, HOW TO STEER THE SHIP. AND THAT'S ON US. AND WE'RE.
LET ME MAKE A PROPOSAL. THE WE HAVE THE FORMATIVE COMING UP, BUT THE FORMATIVE IS USUALLY IS MORE ABOUT GIVING INFORMATION.
IT'S NOT SO MUCH ABOUT THE INSTRUMENT. I WOULD PROPOSE THAT WE PULL THE INSTRUMENT FROM BEING VOTED ON AT THE NEXT REGULAR BOARD MEETING. WHEN I CONTACT THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE ABOUT GETTING BACK TOGETHER FOR THE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, WE CAN PUT ON THE AGENDA TO TAKE THIS INSTRUMENT AND TWEAK IT AND MAKE IT TAKE THIS FEEDBACK AND MAKE IT SOMETHING THAT IS MORE LIKE WHAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED HERE.
SO THAT WE'RE NOT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE RUSHED.
[02:35:05]
CONVERSATION. WE HAD THE FORMATIVE COMING UP, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE, AS TRUSTEES HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TO TALK ABOUT IT. SO I FEEL LIKE WE'VE ACHIEVED THAT. AND NOW THE BETTER COURSE OF ACTION IS TO PULL IT SO WE DON'T HAVE TO FEEL RUSHED TO VOTE ON IT.JUST LET IT BE A WORKING DOCUMENT AND WE'RE JUST WORKING AND WE'LL BRING IT BACK.
WE'LL BRING IT BACK. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE INPUT.
ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO SEVEN E, WHICH IS POLICY F LOCAL.
[7.E. Policy EF (Local)]
AND WE HAVE THE THREE POLICIES F LOCAL F A LOCAL F B LOCAL THAT ARE ALL INCLUDED HERE MISS HANNON OR.WELL, I'M GOING TO GIVE IT TO OUR POLICY CHAIR FIRST.
MR. HAMILTON. YES. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT.
SO FIRST I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTED.
SO ALL OF THE FEEDBACK WAS APPRECIATED. WANT TO GIVE ONE EXAMPLE WHERE THE FEEDBACK DID NOT ENTIRELY FLIP THE OUTCOME FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER, BUT IT DID HELP CLARIFY AN ISSUE THAT WAS A CAUSE OF CONCERN PREVIOUSLY.
SO THE WE CHANGED THE LANGUAGE ON THE AUTHORITY THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS.
SO ONE REASON WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO ADD THAT AUTHORITY IN THE LOCAL POLICY IS BECAUSE FROM GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF PEOPLE BROUGHT BOOKS TO MY ATTENTION, AND THEN I BROUGHT THOSE BOOKS TO THE ADMINISTRATION'S ATTENTION.
AND FROM GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND DEALING WITH F LOCAL AS IT CURRENTLY EXISTS IN PRACTICE, THERE WERE SITUATIONS WHERE I THINK VERY CLEARLY.
I WOULD SAY OBJECTIVELY TRUE, THAT A BOOK VIOLATES THE F LEGAL COMPONENT OF HARMFUL MATERIALS AND THE F LOCAL COMPONENT OF AGE APPROPRIATE MATERIALS, AND THE ADMINISTRATION'S INTERPRETATION OF THE EXISTING F LOCAL POLICY WAS BECAUSE WE HAVE WORDING IN THE IN THE EXISTING POLICY THAT SAYS ALL RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEES WILL GO THROUGH A FORMAL RECONSIDERATION PROCESS, EVEN IN SITUATIONS WHERE THE LEGAL POLICY AND THE LOCAL POLICY SAY THIS BOOK SHOULD NOT BE IN THE DISTRICT.
THE ADMINISTRATION WAS STILL SAYING THAT BOOK HAS TO GO THROUGH THE CHALLENGE PROCESS.
AND SO SO WE DO STILL HAVE IN THE PROPOSED POLICY LANGUAGE THAT GIVES THE SUPERINTENDENT OR SUPERINTENDENTS DESIGNEE AUTHORITY TO REMOVE A BOOK. AND WE ADDED CLARIFICATION THAT I THINK IS HELPFUL.
AND SO IF THE ADMINISTRATION'S DETERMINATION IS THAT A LIBRARY BOOK EITHER VIOLATES THE LAW OR SHOULD NOT BE IN THE DISTRICT PER THE DISTRICT POLICY, THEN THE SUPERINTENDENT OR ADMINISTRATION HAS THAT OR HIS DESIGNEE HAS THAT AUTHORITY TO REMOVE THE BOOK.
LIMITED TO THAT SCENARIO. AND SO IN PRACTICE, I THINK THAT WE CAN TRUST DOCTOR SMITH TO ON THE SAFE SIDE, THAT IF IT'S NOT A CRYSTAL CLEAR, UNAMBIGUOUS, INDISPUTABLE VIOLATION OF THE LAW OR VIOLATION OF THE OF THE POLICY.
THEN YOU'RE GOING TO TRIGGER ONE OF THE ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT YOU HAVE, RATHER THAN JUST SAYING, AND I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD EVER JUST SAY, I'M THE ONLY PERSON WHO SAW THIS, AND IT'S MY DECISION.
[02:40:09]
HEY, THIS WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION. I THINK IT SHOULD BE REMOVED.HERE'S WHY. AND IF THERE'S ANY PUSHBACK, THEN HE HAS THE THE OPTIONS TO EITHER CONVENE AN INTERNAL COMMITTEE OR GO BACK TO WHOEVER COMPLAINED, WHOEVER BROUGHT THE COMPLAINT AND SAY WE'RE NOT.
AND THEN IF THE DECISION IS NOT TO GO EITHER OF THOSE TWO ROUTES, THEN HE'S THEN THE THE THIRD, THE THIRD OPTION IS TO GO BACK TO THE COMPLAINANT AND SAY WE'RE NOT MOVING FORWARD WITH AN INTERNAL DECISION.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, YOU CAN COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THE FORMAL CHALLENGE DOCUMENT.
AND SO RIGHT NOW THAT'S THE ONLY OPTION ACCORDING TO THE ADMINISTRATION'S INTERPRETATION, THE ONLY OPTION THAT EXISTS CURRENTLY, EVEN WHEN THERE IS UNANIMOUS AGREEMENT WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION THAT A BOOK SHOULD NOT BE IN THE DISTRICT.
THE ADMINISTRATION'S INTERPRETATION IS THAT A FORMAL CHALLENGE HAS TO BE FILED, AND WHEN A FORMAL CHALLENGE IS FILED, THE CURRENT POLICY REQUIRES THAT WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO GO BUY FIVE COPIES OF THE BOOK AT 5 OR 7, AND THEN 5 OR 7 EMPLOYEES HAVE TO GO READ THE ENTIRE BOOK BEFORE WE CAN MAKE A DECISION.
AND SO THERE'S THERE IS LEEWAY FOR THAT TO BE THE OPTION.
IF THE ADMINISTRATION FEELS THAT'S APPROPRIATE AND THE AND THE ADMINISTRATION HAS THE ABILITY TO CREATE PROCEDURES. YOU CAN CREATE PROCEDURES THAT GOVERN THAT COMMITTEE PROCESS. AND SO BUT IN MY OPINION, AND FROM GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS SEVERAL TIMES THAT SHOULD NOT BE THE PROCESS. IF A BOOK IS IN CLEAR VIOLATION OF THE, OF THE LAW OR OF THE POLICY.
AND SO THIS, THESE POLICY CHANGES ENABLE THE ADMINISTRATION TO REMOVE BOOKS THAT ARE IN CLEAR VIOLATION OF THE LAW OR THE LOCAL POLICY OR LEGAL POLICY, WITHOUT REQUIRING THAT A BOOK GO THROUGH THE FORMAL RECONSIDERATION PROCESS EVERY TIME.
SO WE WERE BASICALLY HERE FOR TWO REASONS. ONE OF THOSE IS THAT HOUSE BILL 900 AND THE NEW TSLAC STANDARDS REQUIRE US TO UPDATE THE POLICY. AND THE SECOND REASON IS THE LEVEL OF EGREGIOUS CONTENT THAT HAS BEEN DISCOVERED SINCE JANUARY.
AND SO SOME OF SOME EXAMPLES OF THAT CONTENT WERE READ IN OUR MARCH BOARD MEETING.
AND I DISCUSSED WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD PRESIDENT THE POSSIBILITY OF ME READING SOME EXCERPTS, AND THEY BOTH ASKED ME NOT TO DO SO. AND I DESCRIBED SOME EXAMPLES OF THE CONTENT IN OUR APRIL BOARD MEETING.
AND SO WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE TRUSTEES OBJECT TO ALL THREE OF THOSE EVENTS HAPPENING.
AND I THINK IF IF WE HAVE SUCH EGREGIOUS CONTENT THAT IT'S DETRIMENTAL TO THE DISTRICT FOR IT TO BE READ ALOUD IN A BOARD MEETING OR EVEN DESCRIBED IN A BOARD MEETING, THEN I THINK, I THINK WE'VE I THINK THAT'S CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT WE'VE HAD LIBRARY CONTENT PURCHASED THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PURCHASED AND SHOULD NOT BE IN OUR DISTRICT.
AND SO WHERE AGAIN, WHERE THAT CONTENT VIOLATES THE LAW OR VIOLATES THE POLICY? TO ME, I DON'T WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH, I WOULD SAY IT'S PROBABLY NOT NECESSARY TO SAY WE EXPECT YOU TO FOLLOW THE LAW OR WE EXPECT YOU TO COMPLY WITH POLICY. BUT BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE THAT WE'VE HAD SINCE JANUARY, WE NEED TO CLARIFY THAT IN THIS SITUATION, WE EXPECT THE ADMINISTRATION TO FOLLOW THE LAW AND COMPLY WITH THE POLICY.
AND SO WE CLARIFIED THAT AUTHORITY THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS UNDER THIS PROPOSED POLICY TO TO SAY THAT YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW AND COMPLY WITH THE POLICY.
SO WITH THAT, AS A LITTLE BIT OF A RAMBLING INTRODUCTION, WE'LL THROW IT TO THE OTHER POLICY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I GUESS. OKAY, MISS HANNAN. THANK YOU, MR. HAMILTON.
AND I HOPE THAT THAT THAT LEVEL OF RESPECT IS AFFORDED TO ME THAT I AFFORD TO YOU.
AND YOU KNOW. I'LL JUST. I'LL STOP AT THAT. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FULL BOARD UNDERSTANDS SOME CONCERNS I HAVE.
[02:45:07]
THE VAST MAJORITY OF REVISIONS THREE TIMES, I BELIEVE, HAVE HAPPENED BETWEEN.OUR OUR BOARD, COUNCIL AND THE CHAIR. AND SO I DON'T AND I MEAN I'M, I'M, I'M GUESSING THAT YOU'RE WORKING TOGETHER OR PERHAPS OUR BOARD COUNSEL IS WORKING ALONE AND THAT'S JUST NOT I'VE BEEN ON I HAVE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO BE ON THE POLICY COMMITTEE SINCE I WAS ELECTED THE ELECTED THE FIRST TIME. AND SO THIS HAS JUST BEEN A REALLY UNUSUAL AND FRUSTRATING SITUATION TO ME, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ANYONE ON THIS BOARD WOULD DISAGREE THAT I DO MY DUE DILIGENCE TO BE PREPARED. AND SO I WANT TO THANK PUBLICLY, MR. WILBANKS, PROVIDING US LAST TUESDAY TWO DOCUMENTS, FAA AND EFB, WITH ALL OF THE CHANGES TRACKED. IT WAS IT WAS CLEAR I COULD SEE WHAT WAS CHANGED.
I AND I KIND OF STRUGGLED TO GET THAT. SO SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT THEN I WANT THE BOARD TO KNOW TWO HOURS I SPENT FRIDAY MORNING BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I HAD ON MY CALENDAR TO REALLY GO THROUGH TO MAKE SURE I WAS LOOKING AT THAT. SO I DID TOOK DILIGENT NOTES. AND THEN WHAT DO YOU THINK I GET AT 322 ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON? I GET DIFFERENT DRAFTS FROM THE BOARD COUNCIL BECAUSE SOME REVISIONS HAD BEEN MADE.
AND SO THIS IS NOT AN EASY POLICY. THESE ARE NOT NEITHER OF THESE ARE EASY POLICIES TO FOLLOW.
SO I JUST I WANT YOU TO KNOW, AS THE BOARD POLICY BRINGING YOU THIS.
MY ATTEMPT TO BE PREPARED. I FELT A LITTLE BIT FRUSTRATED. RIGHT. SO I SET TWO HOURS ASIDE TO BE PREPARED, AND THEN SOMETHING ELSE COMES TO ME.
AND SO WITH MR. HAMILTON AND MR. SHOAF THAT I STILL WILL NOT SUPPORT THIS.
AND DAVID AND I HAVE AND I COULD I COULD REFUTE THE THINGS HE SAYS, BUT.
BUT I'M GOING TO STICK WITH THE REASONS THAT I DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS POLICY.
YOU ALL KNOW THAT I FEEL I GET IT. HE'S THE SUPERINTENDENT.
HE'S THE MAN IN CHARGE. BUT I STILL FEEL THAT.
THE INTENT IS FOR US TO HAVE A RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE AND THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATION CODE.
CHAPTER 13, PART ONE, CHAPTER FOUR, SUBCHAPTER A, RULE 4.2, SECTION 7G4A.
IT DOESN'T SAY SHALL, BUT THE INTENT IS INCLUDE A REASONABLE TIME FRAME.
AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A REASONABLE TIME FRAME.
ALL WE HAVE IS THIS LITTLE TEN DAY BY TEN DAYS.
WE'RE GOING TO NOTIFY THE PARENT THAT IT'S GOING TO PROCEED.
BUT WE WE DON'T HAVE ANY TIME FRAME BEYOND THAT.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF THAT QUALIFIES AS ELIGIBLE OR NOT, BUT IT CONTINUES TO SAY INCLUDE A REASONABLE TIME FRAME APPROVED BY THE BOARD FOR THE REVIEW AND FINAL DECISION BY A COMMITTEE CHARGED WITH THE REVIEW OF THE ITEM IN ITS ENTIRETY.
THE DISTRICT SHOULD CONVENE A REVIEW COMMITTEE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CRITERIA ESTABLISHED BY THE DISTRICT, TO ENSURE A THOROUGH AND FAIR PROCESS. A THOROUGH AND FAIR PROCESS SO THERE IS NO SHALL.
I'M NOT A LEGALLY MINDED PERSON, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHOULD AND SHALL.
BUT WHEN THE TEXAS ARCHIVE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES ASSOCIATION AND THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED THE STANDARD, THE STANDARDS. THOSE STANDARDS INCLUDE. THE FRAMEWORK INCLUDES A RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE.
SO I WON'T BEAT THAT HORSE BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S ALREADY DEAD.
THE SECOND REASON I CANNOT SUPPORT THIS POLICY.
THE POLICY NOW FAILS TO RECOGNIZE STAFF FOR THEIR EXPERTISE IN THE SELECTION OF MATERIALS.
AND I'LL JUST I'LL PRECEDENT THIS BY SAYING I BELIEVE IT WAS THE FORMER BOARD PRIOR TO ME BEING ON THE BOARD THAT BEGAN PUTTING PHILOSOPHY STATEMENTS IN BOARD POLICY. WOULD THAT BE CORRECT? OKAY. AND SO PRIOR TO THIS, BOTH EFA AND EFB HAD PHILOSOPHY STATEMENTS. NOW, EFB DOES NOT HAVE A PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT OR ANY WAY IT DIDN'T AS OF AUGUST 2ND.
SO I HAVE TO READ MY NOTES BECAUSE I'M LOOKING BETWEEN WHAT I GOT ON AUGUST 2ND AND AUGUST 9TH.
[02:50:02]
THEY THE BOARD HAD A PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT THAT READ IN PART, THE BOARD HAS CONFIDENCE IN STAFF SELECTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. THAT LANGUAGE WAS STRICKEN IN THE BOARD COUNSEL DOCUMENT I RECEIVED ON AUGUST 9TH.SO I BEG YOUR PARDON? THE ONE THAT WAS STRUCK BETWEEN THE SIXTH AND THE NINTH WAS IN EFA, WHERE WE NO LONGER APPRECIATE THAT WE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN OUR EMPLOYEES SELECTING MATERIALS. AND SO I, I'M GOING TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF, YOU KNOW, I LOOKED ONLINE AND I SAW THAT OUR COORDINATOR OF LIBRARY MEDIA SERVICES, THERE'S A JOB OPENING AND IT'S POSTED UNTIL AUGUST 19TH.
AND I'M GOING TO SAY I RESPECT AND SUPPORT OUR LIBRARY FOLKS.
I RESPECT OUR CURRICULUM. I RESPECT OUR TEACHERS.
I RESPECT THE PEOPLE ON A TEXTBOOK SELECTION COMMITTEE BECAUSE IT'S NOT FUN.
I MEAN, IT'S IT'S A HEADY AMOUNT OF WORK. AND SO I HOPE THAT NOTHING THAT THIS BOARD HAS DONE HAS INSPIRED THE VACANCY OF THAT POSITION, AND I'M REALLY HOPING THAT THAT THAT POSITION IS FILLED SOON.
THE THIRD REASON I DO NOT SUPPORT THIS POLICY IS THESE POLICIES DO NOT RESPECT PARENTAL RIGHTS.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S CHAPTER 26 THAT SPELLS OUT PARENTAL RIGHTS, BUT SPECIFICALLY AND IT YOU KNOW, MY, MY, MY DAD WOULD HAVE SAID, YOU KNOW, HONEY, YOU'RE TALKING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF YOUR MOUTH. IF HE HAD READ THIS POLICY AND IT SAYS THE LIBRARY MATERIAL READS, THE BOARD RECOGNIZES PARENTS ARE THE PRIMARY DECISION DECISION MAKING DECISION MAKERS REGARDING THEIR STUDENTS ACCESS TO LIBRARY MATERIALS. EFA AND EFB READ A PARENT OR GUARDIAN'S RIGHT TO EXERCISE CONTROL OVER ACCESS TO INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS SHALL EXTEND ONLY TO HIS OR HER OWN CHILD. NOW I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW AND I TOLD THE THE POLICY COMMITTEE THIS TOO.
I DON'T WANT OUR CHILDREN ENGAGING IN ILLEGAL BEHAVIORS OR RISKY BEHAVIORS.
I WANT THEM TO HAVE ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE LEVEL BOOKS.
BUT THERE'S SOME EXTRA LANGUAGE IN THIS THAT THAT I DISAGREE WITH.
AND PART OF IT IS THE VAGARIES IN THE LANGUAGE SURROUNDING IN THE SECTION.
AND I CAN'T, I CAN'T DO BOTH FLIPPING BACK AND FORTH.
IT THERE'S LANGUAGE NOW THAT READS. WE DO NOT ADVOCATE OR PROMOTE.
THOSE ARE THE WORDS DO NOT ADVOCATE OR PROMOTE SPECIFIC BEHAVIOR.
AND THIS IS NOT THE QUOTE SPECIFIC BEHAVIOR SUCH AS ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, DRUG USE OR SEX ACTS.
AND MY QUESTION IN THE POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING WAS WHO? WHO DETERMINES IF THE CONTENT IN THE BOOK PROMOTES OR ADVOCATES ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
AND SO I GUESS THAT WOULD BE YOU. OR I GUESS THAT WOULD BE YOUR DESIGNEE OR I GUESS THAT WOULD BE A RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE IF YOU CHOSE TO DO THAT. BUT WHAT I, I FEAR IS THAT LANGUAGE IS SO SUBJECTIVE.
REGARDING THE AUTHOR'S INTENT, WAS THE AUTHOR WRITING THIS TO PROMOTE AND ADVOCATE THIS BEHAVIOR? I THINK YOU'RE FOLLOWING ME THERE. BUT I DO THINK THE BOARD SHOULD RECOGNIZE PARENTAL RIGHTS TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR YOUNG ADULTS TO ENGAGE IN READING BOOKS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THEM WHILE INSIDE SCHOOL OR OUTSIDE SCHOOL.
SO I REALLY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE PARENTAL RIGHTS PIECE, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE MAKING IF THE BOOK IS INAPPROPRIATE, THAT'S FINE. BUT PERHAPS SOMEBODY'S IDEA OF WHAT'S INAPPROPRIATE FOR A 15, 16, 17, 18 YEAR OLD MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM I DON'T HAVE A CHILD IN THE DISTRICT ANYMORE, BUT MAY BE VERY DIFFERENT THAN THAN MINE, THAN THAN MY IDEA OR OTHER PEOPLE'S IDEA.
I ALSO THINK IT IS IN CONFLICT, BECAUSE IF WE ARE PROMOTING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS THAT ENABLE STUDENTS TO MAKE INTELLIGENT DECISIONS OR BUILD CRITICAL ANALYSIS, I THINK THAT IT IS EVERY PARENT'S RIGHT TO ALLOW THEIR STUDENTS TO HAVE THE FREEDOM OF CHOICE AND ACCESS TO LIBRARY AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS THAT HELP THEM BUILD THOSE SKILLS.
WHAT I'M CONCERN IS THAT THE OPINIONS OF SOME ARE GOING TO SHAPE WHAT.
[02:55:12]
I'M CONCERNED THAT THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE A BROAD SELECTION OF BOOKS THAT THAT STAFF MIGHT FEAR FOR.I JUST I FEAR THAT I DON'T WANT OUR LIBRARY COLLECTIONS TO BECOME.
STERILE BECAUSE OF THE THE OPINIONS OF THE A BOARD MEMBER OR BOARD MEMBERS VERSUS WHAT PARENTS THINK IS GOOD AND RIGHT FOR THEIR OWN KID. SO I DISAGREE, AND I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BY THE LANGUAGE IN EFB FOR LIBRARY MATERIALS. IT STATES MATERIALS AVAILABLE TO ELEMENTARY STUDENTS SHALL BE FREE OF DEPICTIONS, ILLUSTRATIONS, OR DESCRIPTIONS OF NUDITY. TO BE CLEAR, I DON'T WANT TRASHY.
I MEAN, I KNOW WHAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR FOR YOUNG STUDENTS, BUT I'M GOING BACK AND I'M THINKING ABOUT KATIE, AND I'M THINKING ABOUT NO DAVID, THE BOOK BY DAVID SHANNON, WHERE THE LITTLE BOY IS ILLUSTRATED AND HE'S RUNNING AND IT HAS HIS BOTTOM.
AND SO IF WE USE THIS LANGUAGE, IT IS A CLEAR DEPICTION OF A LITTLE BOY'S BOTTOM. AND KATIE HAD TO GO, THEY HAD TO REVERSE AND THEY CHANGED SOMETHING AND I DON'T DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER THAT BEING IN THE NEWS LAST YEAR? AND SO ARE WE SAYING THAT WE CAN'T HAVE. NO, DAVID? CAN WE NOT HAVE CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS BECAUSE HE'S STANDING IN HIS UNDERWEAR WITH NO TOP? THAT'S WHEN I READ THIS. I WAS LIKE, ARE WE GOING TO BE IN THE NEWS? BECAUSE I DON'T I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE CLARITY ON ON THE LANGUAGE THAT'S THERE.
I DON'T RECALL THAT LANGUAGE BEING THAT WAY WHEN I MET WITH THE POLICY COMMITTEE LAST TIME.
NUMBER FIVE, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT THE APPEAL PROCESS.
WE'VE ALSO CHANGED THE WORD COMPLAINANT TO INDIVIDUAL.
I PREFERRED THE WORD COMPLAINANT BECAUSE IT'S CLEAR WHO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S THE PERSON COMPLAINING ABOUT A TEXTBOOK.
BUT I'LL GO WITH INDIVIDUAL. BUT SO IF THE BOARD OR NOT, THE BOARD.
BUT LET'S SAY I'M GOING TO USE MYSELF. I AM THE COMPLAINANT AND I DON'T WANT TO BOOK IN.
WELL, I DON'T LIKE THE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE'S OUTCOME.
OKAY, WELL, NOW IT COMES. I FILE AN APPEAL AND IT COMES TO THE BOARD.
THAT'S WHERE THIS POLICY STOPS. SO WHAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS THIS POLICY EXPLICITLY STATE, IF IT IS A TRUSTEE ANGIE HANNON, WHO IS THE COMPLAINANT? I HAVE NO MORE RIGHTS THAN A PARENT COMPLAINANT OR A STAFF COMPLAINANT.
AND SO I DON'T GET A VOTE IN THE THE APPEAL. AND I AND IF AND IF A PARENT ONLY GETS THREE MINUTES TO STATE THEIR CAUSE, THE THE TRUSTEE THAT THAT FILED THE COMPLAINT SHOULD ONLY GET THAT.
I JUST BELIEVE THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE CLARITY SURROUNDING WHAT THE APPEAL PROCESS LOOKS LIKE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S A TRUSTEE. ON TOP OF THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT? I HAVE MANY CREDENTIALS IN LITERACY. MANY. AND I DO NOT FEEL QUALIFIED.
WITH THIS BOARD TO TO MAKE THE FINAL DECISION THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE BY STAFF.
SO I'LL ADD THAT I ONLY HAVE THREE MORE. NUMBER SIX THIS POLICY LACKS A MECHANISM TO PREVENT ABUSE OF THE RECONSIDERATION PROCESS. I'M GOING TO SAY TO YOU THAT I REALLY IT IS MY OPINION THAT I BELIEVE THAT THAT THAT ON THE FORM THAT WE ARE PROVIDED AND THAT THIS SHOULD BE SPELLED OUT IN POLICY, THAT THE COMPLAINANT OR THE INDIVIDUAL SHOULD ATTEST THAT THEY ARE SUBMITTING THE RECONSIDERATION FORM ON THEIR OWN BEHALF. THAT WOULD INCLUDE A TRUSTEE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD BE DOING IT AS SURROGATE.
[03:00:01]
WELL, I'M GOING TO FILE IT ON THEIR BEHALF. SO I THINK THIS POLICY SHOULD STATE NO ONE CAN SUBMIT INSTRUCTIONAL OR LIBRARY MATERIAL.MATERIAL RECONSIDERATION FORMS ON THE BEHALF OF ANOTHER ELIGIBLE PERSON.
STUDENT I MEAN A PARENT OR A STAFF MEMBER OR AN INELIGIBLE PERSON, GROUP OR ORGANIZATION. GOT TWO MORE. THE POLICY SHOULD REQUIRE EACH COMPLAINANT BE EXPLICITLY INFORMED THAT THE FORM THEY ARE FILLING OUT IS SUBJECT TO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT, AND MAY BE REQUESTED AT ANY TIME BY ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.
SO I JUST THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK IS MISSING FROM THIS POLICY IS THE LANGUAGE DESCRIBING A PARENT'S OPPORTUNITY TO OPT IN TO NOTIFICATION OF THEIR STUDENTS LIBRARY BOOK CHECKOUT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS POLICY AND SHOULD BE, SINCE WE HAVE THAT HAVE THAT MECHANISM FOR PARENTS TO SAY, YES, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT BOOK MY KID HAS.
I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE IN POLICY THAT WE SAY THAT THE DISTRICT SHALL PROVIDE AN OPT IN, OPT OUT POLICY FOR NOTIFYING PARENTS. SO AS A LITERACY PROFESSIONAL, I KNOW HOW VERY IMPORTANT IT IS THAT KIDS HAVE ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE BOOKS FOR THEM. AND WHAT'S APPROPRIATE BY SOMEBODY'S STANDARDS MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE BY OTHERS.
I DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING THAT WOULD VIOLATE THE PENAL CODE, ANY OF OUR TEXAS EDUCATION CODE.
THEN THE TIME WE ARE SPENDING TRYING TO GET BOOKS OUT OF KIDS HANDS.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOU LISTENING.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS HANNON. MISS JONES.
OKAY. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TYSON. TYSON. OKAY.
I BELIEVE THAT THE ORIGINAL POLICY WAS SUFFICIENT.
OKAY. THAT'S WHY THEY'RE HERE. THE POLICY. THE SPIRIT OF THE POLICY IS MEANT TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM MATERIAL THAT IS HARMFUL, AND IT HAS THE POTENTIAL OF INFLUENCING THEIR DECISION TO MAKE WRONG CHOICES. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. I THINK THE GOAL OF THE DISTRICT IS TO ENSURE THAT WE PERFORM. I DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE IN ESTABLISHING GUIDELINES FOR CONSIDERATION OF BOOK REMOVAL.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE GOING BACK TO PROTECTING KIDS.
IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE. I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS MADE INTO SUCH A PARTIZAN ISSUE, WHEN THE BOTTOM LINE AND THERE SHOULD BE A CONSENSUS ABOUT PROTECTING CHILDREN.
IF WE SEEK TO TAKE A PARTIZAN APPROACH ON THIS ISSUE, THEN THE OVERARCHING THEME AIM, AND ONE GROUP WANTS TO PROTECT CHILDREN, WHILE THE OTHER GROUP DOESN'T WANT TO PROTECT CHILDREN.
AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S LOOKING LIKE. OKAY. ABOUT THIS BOOK ISSUE.
SO THE WAY THAT I SEE IT IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PARENT.
THIS IS A PARENTAL, RIGHT? PARENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN COME TO US.
AND BE PROTECTED BY US AS ADULTS THAT THEY ENTRUSTED US TO BETWEEN 8:00 AND 3:00 IN THEIR EDUCATION AND SAFETY. AND THAT INCLUDES WHAT WE EXPOSE THEM TO.
AND SO THESE PARENTS ENTRUST THEIR CHILDREN TO US, TO HELP THEM TO DISTINGUISH THOSE THINGS, THOSE RIGHT THINGS, FROM THE WRONG THINGS AND TEACHING THEM HOW TO BECOME ADULTS.
[03:05:01]
AND SO NOT HAVING A POLICY, IT TAKES AWAY A PARENT'S RIGHT OF PROTECTION OF THAT CHILD, OF WHAT WE SAID, THAT WHAT WE SEEK TO DO IS TO EDUCATE THEM BY THE DISTRICT.SO MY REAL QUESTION AS I'M LOOKING AT THIS, IF I WAS OUTSIDE LOOKING AT THIS, I'M LIKE, OKAY, WELL, WHO'S OPPOSED TO TEACHING CHILDREN THE RIGHT THINGS IN BECOMING AN ADULT HERE? BECAUSE THAT'S HOW I'M LOOKING AT IT. AND THESE BOOKS ARE NOT TEACHING THOSE THINGS.
AND THAT'S JUST WHAT IT IS. YOU HAVE RAPE, YOU HAVE MOLESTATION, YOU HAVE INCEST.
THOSE ARE NOT THE THINGS THAT WE TEACH CHILDREN.
BUT IT'S JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE IN BOOKS, YOU KNOW, THAT LITTLE UNNOTICEABLE THING, NOT ONLY IN HARDBACK BOOKS, BUT AUDIOBOOKS, EBOOKS. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS.
NOW, WE CAN'T PROTECT WHAT THEIR PARENTS EXPOSE THEM TO, BUT WE DO HAVE AN OBLIGATION BECAUSE THESE ARE OTHER PEOPLE'S CHILDREN THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. OKAY. AND SOME MAY PERMIT, HEY, I'LL LET MY CHILD DO THIS WHILE OTHERS LIKE, NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHY ARE YOU EXPOSING MY CHILD TO THAT? BECAUSE JUST LIKE THEY PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN AT HOME, THEY. THEY HAVE THAT SAME EXPECTATION OF US. AND SO.
I GO IT GOES BACK TO THAT WORKSHOP COMMENT THAT I MADE.
IF PARENTS WANT THEIR KIDS TO READ CERTAIN BOOKS THAT ARE PROHIBITED BY THE DISTRICT, THEN THEY SHOULD GO PURCHASE THEM FOR THEIR KIDS AND NOT USE TAXPAYER MONEY TO DO SO.
BECAUSE, AGAIN, WE'RE TEACHING THEM TO BECOME ADULTS.
NO. DAVID. NO. EVEN JUST BEING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND LOOKING AT THAT BOOK, IT DOESN'T TAKE AN ADULT TO TELL A CHILD THAT A NAKED CHILD IN A BOOK IS INAPPROPRIATE, BECAUSE EVEN THE KIDS WILL TELL YOU THAT THAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE. EVEN THEY KNOW. SO LET'S STOP PRETENDING AS IF THE KIDS ARE NOT AWARE OF WHAT'S APPROPRIATE AND WHAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE BASED ON WHAT THEY'RE BEING TAUGHT.
NAKEDNESS IS NOT APPROPRIATE. PERIOD. I DON'T CARE IF A IF A KID CAN SEE THAT, THEN WE AS ADULTS SHOULD ALSO SEE IT IN THAT SAME RESPECT.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE APPROPRIATENESS AND APPROPRIATENESS OF NUDITY.
SO A COUPLE WEEKS AGO I TOOK MY GRANDDAUGHTER.
SHE WAS THREE. WE WENT TO UNIVERSAL SOUL CIRCUS.
I HAD NEVER BEEN THERE AND I WAS LIKE, OKAY, LET'S GO.
WELL, THE CIRCUS WAS ALL GREAT. BUT THEN THERE WAS THIS ONE PART WHERE THE MEN WERE DRESSED VERY INAPPROPRIATELY, AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS A PART OF THE ACT, I TOOK HER OUT BECAUSE HOW THEY WERE DRESSED WAS VERY INAPPROPRIATE. IT WAS MY DUTY AS A GRANDPARENT TO SAY, HEY, I CAN'T PUT YOU IN.
YOU KNOW, I CAN'T PUT YOU IN FRONT OF THIS. THEY'RE NOT DRESSED APPROPRIATELY.
ADULTS SHOULD NOT BE DRESSED THIS WAY IN FRONT OF CHILDREN.
AND SO I TOOK HER OUT AFTER THAT PART WAS OVER.
WE CAME BACK IN. BUT I'M SAYING THAT TO SAY A LOT OF KIDS DO NOT HAVE THAT.
AND THAT IT IS OUR IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO NOT EXPOSE THEM TO THINGS THAT ARE QUESTIONABLE AND THAT ARE INAPPROPRIATE. THE OTHER THING TO YOUR POINT, MISS MISS HANNAN, IS REGARDING THE LIBRARY AND ROLES REGARDING THIS POLICY.
I'VE SEEN A LOT AND I'VE SEEN A LOT OF FEEDBACK, AND I'VE HEARD SOME THINGS THAT WE HATE LIBRARIANS.
LIBRARIANS DON'T LIKE THIS OR WHAT HAVE YOU. SO AND I KNOW I WROTE THIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THE ONE THING THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE BELIEVE AS EMPLOYEES IN THIS DISTRICT, I BELIEVE THAT WHATEVER THE BOARD DECIDES IS WHATEVER THE BOARD DECIDES AND WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH IT OR NOT, YOU HAVE TO FULFILL YOUR DUTY AS AN EMPLOYEE SLASH EDUCATOR TO TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT THE BOARD HAS STATED IS CARRIED OUT IN REGARDS TO THESE BOOKS.
[03:10:07]
WE STILL HAVE A JOB TO DO. WHETHER WE AGREE WITH IT, WHETHER WE DISAGREE WITH IT, MAYBE WE NEED TO IMPROVE UPON IT OR WHAT HAVE YOU.AND SO AS I SIT HERE AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, WE'RE GIVING A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH LEVERAGE TO THE TYPE OF FEEDBACK FROM LIBRARIANS REGARDING WHAT THEY THINK OR BELIEVE, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A VAST ARRAY OF DIFFERENT VIEWS ON IT. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY STILL HAVE A JOB TO DO, AND THAT'S TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN.
AND AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY AT THIS POINT ON THIS MATTER.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS JONES. DOCTOR GILLIAM.
OKAY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND. SO I NEED SOME HELP.
SO. MISS HANNON, DID YOU SHARE THAT THE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
THAT DID WE. DID SOMETHING CHANGE? IT'S NOT THE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
THE ACTUAL. WHAT? THE. TELL ME AGAIN. BECAUSE I'M.
I'M, LIKE, REALLY CONFUSED. SO YOU SAID THAT ON ONE DAY IT WAS THIS, AND THE NEXT DAY IT WAS THIS.
AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT OR I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
ON TUESDAY. OKAY. SO THE EFA AND EFB THESE TWO POLICIES.
SO WE WE WORKSHOPPED IT. WE THEN IT CAME BACK TO THE POLICY COMMITTEE.
THEN I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS.
MR. WILBANKS WOULD HAVE TO HELP. SO KNOW WHAT I WAS JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY WAS THE.
BUT TO ME, I WAS JUST TRYING TO EXPRESS THAT A COMMITTEE SHOULD BE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
SO THAT'S THAT'S WHAT I WAS JUST TRYING TO SAY WAS ONE VERSION WAS WHAT I GOT ON TUESDAY.
THEN ANOTHER VERSION OF BOTH CAME ON FRIDAY AT 322.
AND SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO ILLUSTRATE THAT. I AM SURE THAT THIS IS A CHALLENGING PROCESS FOR YOU GUYS TO READ THROUGH IT BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE BACK STORY. AND, AND, AND I'M JUST WANTING TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND AND CAN PRESENT AS A POLICY COMMITTEE MEMBER THE BEST THAT I CAN. BUT WHEN IT'S THE CHANGES FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT, IT'S JUST HARD FOR ME TO TO FEEL LIKE. I CAN ARTICULATE WELL TO THE REST OF YOU WHAT'S IN HERE. THAT'S WHY I HAD TO WRITE IT DOWN. OKAY.
AT LEAST I WAS I WAS REALLY LOOKING AT NOT HAVING DOCTOR SMITH TO BE THE LAST PERSON TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT A BOOK WAS GOING TO COME OFF A SHELF OR NOT.
AND I JUST THINK THAT'S WRONG. THAT IS 100% WRONG.
WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE LIBRARIANS THAT KNOW HOW TO DO THIS.
AND WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS AND I'M GOING TO BE VERY BRIEF.
WE ARE NOW IN A POSITION TO WHERE WE'RE JUST TELLING DOCTOR SMITH WHAT TO DO.
AND IF HE DOESN'T DO IT OR IF THAT IF THAT BOOK DOESN'T COME OFF, WHAT HAPPENS? WHAT HAPPENS? AND I'M JUST ASKING YOU, MR. HAMILTON, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HE SAYS NO? THERE'S AN APPEAL PROCESS. WHAT HAPPENS. OKAY, SO WHAT HAPPENS? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT WHEN YOU WANT SOMETHING THAT IS PRESENTED? I HOPE I'M NOT OUT OF LINE. I'M NOT TRYING, AM I? I WHAT I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO. OKAY.
I'LL STOP. DEBATES THAT LEAD TO I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND.
I'LL STOP. WELL, I HAD TO KIND OF CHECK MYSELF JUST THERE.
SO THAT'S WHY I DID THAT. SO I JUST. SO LET ME PUT IT A DIFFERENT WAY.
[03:15:01]
I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE THAT NOT TO HAPPEN.THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR GILLIAM. MR. GARCIA.
SO I THINK A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS WE'VE HAD IN THE WITH THE POLICY THAT WAS REVISED LAST YEAR WAS WE SORT OF GOT INTO A SITUATION WHERE THE POLICY PREVENTED US FROM WE GOT ROADBLOCKED BY OUR OWN POLICY, AND I MADE THAT PRETTY CLEAR.
AND I THINK TO TRUSTEE JONES'S POINT, THE POLICY BEFORE SEEMED TO WORK WELL BECAUSE WHEN THERE WAS AN WAS AN ISSUE WITH A BOOK AND IT VIOLATED POLICY, THE BOOK WAS REMOVED.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE KIND OF GOING BACK TO THAT.
I FEEL LIKE WE'RE MAKING SOMETHING MORE THAN WHAT MAYBE IT NEEDS TO BE, BECAUSE WE HAVE POLICIES THAT AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL, IT SAYS WHAT IT SAYS, BUT THEN THE SUPERINTENDENT GOES AND MAKES THE PROCEDURES AROUND SAID POLICY.
I DON'T THINK DOCTOR SMITH WANTS TO GO AND REVIEW EVERY SINGLE BOOK. AND I DON'T THINK THAT DOCTOR SMITH IS. I THINK DOCTOR SMITH'S DESIGNEE DOESN'T WANT TO GO AND REVIEW EVERY SINGLE BOOK. SO I WOULD SORT OF EXPECT MAYBE SOME SOME UNDERLYING PROCEDURES THAT WHEN A BOOK IS COMES AND THIS IS GOING TO BE THE PROCEDURE FOR IT. MAYBE WE CAN GET SOME CLARITY ON THAT.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION OR A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS SINCE THE EMAILS STARTED COMING IN REGARDING WHEN A BOOK IS CHALLENGED IS THE BOOK THAT WAS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I HAD WAS WHEN THE WHEN THE BOOK WAS CHALLENGED. IT'S LEFT ON THE SHELF INSTEAD OF BEING REMOVED FROM THE SHELF AS THE BOOKS REMAIN ON THE SHELF OR DURING A CHALLENGE PROCESS RECONSIDERATION PROCESS, THE BOOK STAYS ON THE SHELF WAS REMOVED.
CORRECT. ACCORDING TO THIS UPDATE, THE EXISTING POLICY IT HAS TO STAY ON THE SHELF, WHICH IS PART OF WHY WE HAVE TO PURCHASE FIVE ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THE BOOK FOR THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO READ. I BELIEVE THE WORDING ON THE NEW POLICY IS THAT IT MAY BE REMOVED.
MAY. OKAY. AND THEN THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WHOLE PICO CASE.
IN REGARDS TO WE WRITE THE POLICY IN A WAY THAT MAY OR MAY NOT GET US INTO A LEGAL SITUATION.
CAN. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT, MR. BUSH? CERTAINLY.
AND FOR PURPOSES OF EVERYBODY'S RECOLLECTION, PICO IS A PLURALITY DECISION OF THE US SUPREME COURT THAT, DISTILLED DOWN TO ITS ESSENCE, SAYS THAT A SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN REMOVE BOOKS FROM A PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARY THAT ARE PERVASIVELY VULGAR OR EDUCATIONALLY UNSUITABLE. NOW, I SAID, IT'S A PLURALITY DECISION.
IT MEANS THAT IT DID NOT COMMAND A MAJORITY OF THE SUPREME COURT AND THUS HAS NO PRECEDENTIAL VALUE.
THE FIFTH CIRCUIT HAS ASSUMED AND HAS APPLIED PICO AS IF IT HAD PRECEDENTIAL VALUE, BUT HAS AGAIN MADE CLEAR THAT MATERIALS THAT ARE PERVASIVELY VULGAR CAN BE REMOVED WITHOUT OFFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
THIS AREA OF THE LAW IS IN A STATE OF FLUX. WHILE NOT A SCHOOL DISTRICT CASE.
THAT MEANS ALL 17 JUDGES ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE ISSUE IN THAT CASE.
THE DISSENTING JUDGE FROM A PANEL OPINION ARGUED THAT LIBRARY COLLECTIONS OUGHT TO BE CONSIDERED GOVERNMENT SPEECH, WHICH THE GOVERNMENT CAN SPEAK HOWEVER IT LIKES WITHOUT FIRST AMENDMENT SCRUTINY.
SO THAT'S A CASE TO WATCH. BUT THIS POLICY, AS SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD, IS COMPLIANT WITH PICO.
IT ALSO CONSISTENT WITH THE TSLAC STANDARDS, MANDATES THAT THE BOARD OF THE DISTRICT'S LIBRARIES CAN'T CONTAIN OBSCENE MATERIALS OR MATERIAL HARMFUL MATERIALS. THE DISTRICT WOULD ALSO RETAIN THE DISCRETION TO REMOVE MATERIALS THAT ARE PERVASIVELY VULGAR. THANK YOU, MR. BUSH. I HAVE NO MORE QUESTIONS.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. GARCIA. SO I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF FEEDBACK FOR THE FOR SOME OF THE SPECIFICS OF THE POLICIES, BUT I'M GOING TO SPEAK IN GENERAL TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE TRUSTEES HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING.
FIRST OF ALL. I'M JUST I GET REALLY CONFUSED.
[03:20:06]
I THINK I SAID THIS THE LAST MONTH, I GET REALLY CONFUSED BY WHY WE HAVE A PROBLEM DELEGATING THIS TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.I JUST CANNOT. EVERYTHING IS DELEGATED TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
EVERYTHING IS DELEGATED TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
THE SUPERINTENDENT DECIDES. AND EVERYONE IN THIS DISTRICT ANSWERS TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
SO IF SOMEONE'S NOT FOLLOWING POLICY OR IF SOMEONE'S TEACHING SOMETHING THAT IS NOT PART OF THE CURRICULUM, OR IF I MEAN WE COULD, THE LIST CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON.
THE BUCK ALWAYS STOPS WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT.
ALWAYS. SO UNLESS WE'VE DONE A REALLY POOR JOB HIRING A SUPERINTENDENT, THEN I TRUST DOCTOR SMITH AND HIS AUTHORITY TO CONVENE A COMMITTEE OR TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO REMOVE SOMETHING THAT VIOLATES THE LAW OR IS NOT EDUCATIONALLY APPROPRIATE.
WE DECIDE ALL THE TIME WHAT IS AND IS NOT GOING TO BE BROUGHT INTO OUR CLASSROOMS ALL THE TIME.
THERE ARE INTERNET SITES THAT ARE ALLOWED AND INTERNET SITES THAT ARE NOT ALLOWED.
THERE ARE TEXTBOOKS THAT ARE ALLOWED AND TEXTBOOKS THAT ARE NOT ALLOWED.
THAT'S NOT A PARENTAL RIGHTS ISSUE. I JUST DON'T SEE IT.
I MEAN, PARENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO GIVE THEIR CHILD ANY BOOK THEY WANT TO GIVE THEIR CHILD.
AND THESE DAYS IT'S SUPER EASY BECAUSE YOU GET ON KINDLE AND YOU DOWNLOAD IT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, MY DAUGHTER COULD NOT WRAP HER HEAD AROUND THIS ISSUE.
THE ONE THAT JUST GRADUATED. SHE'S LIKE, WHY ARE Y'ALL TALKING ABOUT THIS? THIS IS NOT WHAT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS.
YOU KNOW, IF THE KIDS WHO WANT TO LOOK AT PORN ARE LOOKING AT PORN, THE KIDS WHO ARE NOT GOING TO DO THAT, WE DO NOT CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. SO I GUESS THAT'S MY PERSPECTIVE, IS THAT IT IS OUR JOB TO BE THE GATEKEEPERS OF WHAT GOES IN THE CLASSROOMS AND WHAT GOES IN THE SCHOOLS.
AND WE ARE THE FINAL SAY WHETHER I HAVE EXPERIENCE IN IT OR NOT, WHETHER I HAVE EXPERTISE OR NOT.
THIS IS THE JOB I WAS ELECTED TO DO. I HEAR GRIEVANCES ALL THE TIME, AND I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE THE EXPERTISE THAT UNDERLIE THOSE GRIEVANCES, BUT IT'S MY JOB TO HEAR IT, AND I HAVE TO HEAR IT, AND I HAVE TO RULE.
AND THE SAME GOES FOR, YOU KNOW, BOOK REVIEW, APPEALS AND ANYTHING ELSE.
SO I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD THAT'S JUST NOT A VERY PERSUASIVE ARGUMENT TO ME, BECAUSE THE BUCK DOES STOP WITH US. WE DO SAY WHAT HAPPENS AND WHAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
THAT'S OUR JOB TO SAY. WE LITERALLY VOTE ON THE TEXTBOOKS AND WE'RE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION SAYS, HERE'S YOUR LIST OF TEXTBOOKS. BUT WE ARE PRESENTED STAFF PRESENTS US.
AND IN THE PAST I HAVE VOTED AGAINST TEXTBOOKS BECAUSE I SAID, NO, THIS IS THIS VIOLATES OUR UNBIASED CURRICULUM POLICY, WHICH FORT BEND ISD HAS AND NOT EVERY OTHER DISTRICT HAS.
SO I GUESS THAT'S MY PERSPECTIVE, IS THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE CONSTANTLY DECIDING WHAT IS AND IS NOT GOING INTO OUR SCHOOLS AND WHAT IS AND IS NOT GOING INTO OUR CLASSROOMS. AND SHORT OF FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND AND THE THE LAW, THEN WE DO GET TO SAY THAT WE DO GET TO SAY AND I DON'T I YOU KNOW, IF AN APPEAL COMES TO ME, I'LL HEAR THE APPEAL AND I'LL MAKE A DETERMINATION BASED ON WHAT I THINK, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M ELECTED TO DO.
BUT I THINK THAT'S WHY THIS MAN IS THE QUALIFIED PERSON.
AND MAYBE HE DESIGNATES, YOU KNOW, A LIBRARIAN OR A GROUP OF THREE, OR HE CONVENES A COMMITTEE OR WHATEVER HE DECIDES TO DO, BECAUSE THAT'S WHY HE GETS PAID THE BIG BUCKS, RIGHT? THAT'S WHY HE GETS PAID THE BIG BUCKS IS TO DECIDE THESE THINGS.
AND PERSONALLY, I, I DON'T KNOW WHO IS OR ISN'T ON THESE COMMITTEES.
I MEAN, I DON'T EVEN KNOW AS A TRUSTEE AS I SIT HERE.
[03:25:03]
BUT I THINK HE NEEDS TO KNOW. AND SO IF HE CONVENES THAT COMMITTEE AND HE DECIDES WHO'S GOING TO BE ON IT, THEN HE HAS THAT AUTHORITY. AND WE ARE DELEGATING THAT TO HIM, AND WE TRUST THAT HE'S GOING TO DO IT AND THEN HE'S GOING TO BE EVALUATED. AND THAT'S PART OF, YOU KNOW, DID YOU DID YOU DO YOUR JOB AS THE SUPERINTENDENT? SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M A PRETTY LINEAR THINKER, I GUESS.SO MAYBE I JUST FAIL TO SEE ALL THE, THE REAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS THE JOB. SO I THINK PARENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO DECIDE PARENTS ARE THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY. THE SCHOOLS DO NOT RAISE CHILDREN.
PARENTS RAISE CHILDREN. AND SO IF A PARENT WANTS TO GIVE A CHILD ACCESS TO A BOOK, THAT'S GREAT.
AND THAT SHOULD NOT CHANGE TODAY. AND EVERY STUDENT SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCESS.
TO TO SOME OF SOME OF THE BOOKS, SOME OF THE MATERIALS.
I THINK HAVING AN OPT IN OPT OUT IS A GREAT IDEA PERSONALLY.
I MEAN, I THINK PARENTS SHOULD ULTIMATELY GET TO OPT IN OR OPT OUT.
I'M SPEAKING TO THE LEGAL TEAM. IF IF THAT'S I MEAN, I THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
I THINK PARENTS SHOULD SEE WHAT THEIR KIDS ARE CHECKING OUT.
AND IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY FOR THEM TO SEE THAT, THEN I THINK IT SHOULD BE IN POLICY.
MISS TORSEN, I BELIEVE WE DO HAVE THAT. AND THAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE.
OKAY, SO THAT'S FINE. I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE DOING THAT ANYWAY.
I THINK I SIGNED THAT EVERY YEAR. SO BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK HAVING IT IN POLICY IS IS GREAT.
I THINK THAT'S THAT'S FINE. I THINK I PERSONALLY THINK WE SHOULD PUT THE PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT BACK.
I THINK ALL WE DID WAS CROSS IT OUT, BUT WE STILL HAVE IT.
YEAH, IT IS A PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT. SO I THINK WE SHOULD PUT IT BACK.
I THINK I WOULD ADD. THAT SOME KIND OF STATEMENT THAT SAYS THAT NO TECHNOLOGY OR ANY PROCESS WHEREBY PARENTS CAN VIEW OR SEE WHAT THEIR STUDENTS ARE READING. SO THIS OPT IN, OPT OUT OR WHATEVER TECHNOLOGY IT IS THAT WE USE SHALL IN ANY WAY LIMIT OR OBSTRUCT A PARENT'S ABILITY TO REVIEW MATERIALS AVAILABLE TO, OFFERED TO, OR USED BY THEIR STUDENT. AND THE REASON I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO BE IN THERE IS BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN STATEMENTS WHERE THERE'S A THEORY, I GUESS, A THOUGHT PROCESS THAT STUDENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO PRIVACY AND WHAT THEY'RE READING. I JUST DON'T SUBSCRIBE TO THAT.
I THINK THAT PARENTS GET TO SEE, AND IF THEY OPT IN TO SEE, THEN NOTHING SHOULD HINDER OR LIMIT THAT. I THINK THAT'S A PARENT'S RIGHT TO SEE.
I THINK THAT THERE'S A PORTION WHERE WE TALK ABOUT THE REVIEW OF MATERIALS.
I FEEL LIKE THAT NEEDS TO BE MORE LIMITED BY TIME, OR SOME TIME FRAME NEEDS TO BE PUT IN THERE SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST I THINK IT SAYS REGULARLY RIGHT NOW. I FEEL LIKE THAT'S VAGUE.
SO I, I WOULD PROPOSE ADDING SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
I FOUND THIS ONE PARTICULAR SECTION ON PAGE SIX OF NINE, AND THIS IS E F B.
SO IT'S PAGE 75 OF THE BOOK WHERE IT SAYS WHEN A PARENT OR GUARDIAN OBJECTS TO A LIBRARY MATERIAL, THE STUDENT'S ACCESS TO THE MATERIALS SHALL BE RESTRICTED.
[03:30:06]
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN THAT ALL STUDENTS ACCESS ARE RESTRICTED.SO I THINK WE NEED SOME CLARIFICATION THERE. AND I FRANKLY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM ADDING BACK THAT STATEMENT IN THE PHILOSOPHY THAT I MEAN, CLEARLY, I THINK I VOTED ON IT THE FIRST TIME.
I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT STATEMENT.
I, I LIKE THE STATEMENT AFTER IT SAID THE BOARD RECOGNIZES PARENTS ARE THE PRIMARY DECISION MAKERS.
BUT I GENERALLY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE STATEMENT THAT'S BEEN STRICKEN.
I MEAN, I DO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN STAFF TO SELECT INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES.
BECAUSE YOU'RE THE PERSON I HOLD ACCOUNTABLE, AND I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOU.
AND I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOU HOLDING EVERYONE YOU KNOW ALONG THE LINE ACCOUNTABLE.
SO SO GENERALLY THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY ABOUT THAT.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A STATEMENT THAT SAYS, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE THEME AND OR PURPOSE OF THIS WORK? WHY DO WE CARE? I DON'T UNDERSTAND ASKING THE THE PERSON WHO'S MAKING THE COMPLAINT.
I DON'T NEED THEM TO DESCRIBE FOR ME WHAT THEY THINK THE THEME OR PURPOSE IS.
CLEARLY THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE MATERIAL AND THEY'RE BRINGING IT FORWARD.
I DON'T THINK THAT THAT QUESTION IS USEFUL. WHAT DO YOU FEEL MIGHT BE THE RESULT OF EXPOSURE TO THIS WORK? I'M NOT SURE WHY WE CARE ABOUT THAT EITHER. SOMEBODY MIGHT COULD CONVINCE ME. THAT'S OKAY. BUT AND THEN ARE YOU AWARE OF REVIEWS OF THIS MATERIAL BY EDUCATIONAL OR LITERARY CRITICS? I THINK THAT'S COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT.
I THINK THE REVIEW COMMITTEE HAS TO USE THAT.
I SAW THERE'S SOME LAW ABOUT THAT. SO I THINK THE REVIEW COMMITTEE NEEDS TO, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS THAT.
BUT WHAT THE WHAT THE COMPLAINANT THINKS, I DON'T THINK IS RELEVANT.
FOR WHAT AGE GROUP DO YOU FEEL THIS MATERIAL IS SUITABLE? I THINK THAT'S COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT THE ULTIMATE DETERMINERS OF WHO'S GOING TO READ IT OR NOT.
SO IT DIDN'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE TO ME WHY WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE IN THE FORM.
SO I WOULD JUST ASK YOU GUYS, DOCTOR SMITH, TO MAYBE TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT FORM AND LET'S MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT. AND ALSO, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT MAKING IT TOO DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO FILE FOR REVIEW.
SO I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE. DID YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO ME? I SEE YOU WITH YOUR LIGHT ON, MR. HAMILTON. YES.
OKAY. THAT IS SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF THAT WAS EFB ON THE PHILOSOPHY SECTION.
SO ONE OF NINE WAS THE. WAS THAT THE STATEMENT THAT WE WERE REFERRING TO? I DON'T KNOW. THE BOARD HAS CONFIDENCE IN STAFF.
NO NO NO NO SORRY. I DID WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT TOO.
SO THERE WAS A LEGAL REASON. I DON'T KNOW IF MR. BUSH WANTS TO SHARE THAT, BUT I THINK THE SO REMOVING THE STATEMENT DID NOT, WAS NOT MEANT TO CONVEY THAT WE DON'T HAVE CONFIDENCE IN STAFF TO MAKE SELECTIONS. AT THE SAME TIME, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE UNLIMITED AND UNCHECKED CONFIDENCE.
I DON'T BASED ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPOSED, AND AT THE SAME TIME, THE 40 OR SO BOOKS THAT HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED ARE NOT ENTIRELY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PROBABLY 20,000 PLUS UNIQUE BOOKS WE HAVE IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND SO I DO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE SELECTION ABILITY OF STAFF FOR THE MOST PART, AND I THINK THEY'VE SELECTED SOME THINGS THAT ARE EGREGIOUS AND NOT SHOULD BE IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT LIBRARY. AND SO THE REASON WHY THAT STATEMENT WAS REMOVED WAS NOT TO INTENTIONALLY.
[03:35:01]
TAKE A SHOT AT STAFF FOR THEIR ABILITY TO SELECT LIBRARY RESOURCES.THE INTENTION WAS THAT IT WOULD BE AWKWARD TO.
ANYTIME YOU'RE IN A CHALLENGE SITUATION, YOU ARE REEVALUATING A STAFF DECISION.
AND SO I THINK THERE THERE WAS A CONCERN THAT YOU MIGHT IF YOU IF YOU DECIDE TO REMOVE A BOOK, THEN THE ADMINISTRATION IS MAKING THE DECISION THAT THAT WAS A BAD SELECTION.
I ALSO THINK THAT THERE ARE TIMES THAT MAYBE A BOOK WASN'T SPECIFICALLY SELECTED AS MUCH AS IT WAS PART OF JUST MATERIALS THAT WERE SENT, LIKE STARTER PACK MATERIALS. SO SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S TRUE IN EVERY CASE.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT ONE PERSON THINKS IS BAD. I MEAN, IT'S JUST SUBJECTIVE, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE HAVING HERE IS THAT IT'S JUST SUBJECTIVE.
BUT IT DOESN'T IN ANY WAY DIMINISH MY CONFIDENCE.
SO THAT'S JUST MY MY $0.02. MISS HANNON AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, I MEAN, THIS ONE SENTENCE IS AN EXAMPLE OR THE, THE PHRASE IN HERE THAT THE COMMITTEE WASN'T AFFORDED TO EVEN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT BECAUSE IT WAS JUST THIS.
I DON'T RECALL THAT THIS REMOVAL OF THIS, THIS LINE, WHICH IS PHILOSOPHY, WHICH ISN'T MEAT.
IT'S NOT THE MEAT AND POTATOES OF THE, THE THE POLICY.
IT IS ACTUALLY PHILOSOPHY. THIS IS WHAT WE BELIEVE AS A BOARD.
NOW HERE'S THE POLICY. SO I JUST I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT WHETHER IT'S THE GOVERNANCE, THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE, THAT EVERY PERSON ON THE COMMITTEE IS AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS ITEMS BEFORE THEY COME TO THE BOARD. OKAY. THANK THANK YOU, MISS HANNON.
SO I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO MOVE US ALONG. AND I WOULD ASK THAT THE POLICY COMMITTEE AND THE LEGAL TEAM TAKE SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT THEY HEARD. AND TO THE EXTENT THAT ANY UPDATES NEED TO BE MADE TO PLEASE GET US AN UPDATED VERSION TO REVIEW.
OKAY. NEXT UP IS SEVEN F, WHICH IS THE JUVENILE JUSTICE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM.
[7.F. Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP)]
DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS BY THE TRUSTEES ON THIS? MISS HANNON, DID YOU. OKAY. NO. OKAY. AND THEN SEVEN G IS THE EXPOSE EXCELLENCE YOUTH PROGRAM. QUESTIONS? SEVEN[7.G. Expose Excellence Youth Program]
H IS THE ATTENDANCE CREDIT. SEVEN I IS THE STORM SEWER[7.H. Attendance Credit]
EASEMENT WITH THE MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER TEN.[7.I. Storm Sewer Easement with Sienna Municipal Utility District No. 10]
SEVEN J IS THE 2018 BOND CONTINGENCY. I KNOW WE HAD SOME CONVERSATION EARLIER ABOUT CONTINGENCY,[7.J. 2018 Bond Contingency]
MR. HAMILTON. YEAH, JUST JUST WANTED TO REITERATE.SO SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE THE NUMBERS AT, I THINK 70 MILLION FROM THE PRESENTATION EARLIER.
AND SO AS FAR AS THE, THE BUDGET OVERAGE PROJECTED CURRENTLY IN THE 2023 BOND.
AND SO I THINK I THOUGHT THAT I HAD AFTER MY COMMENTS EARLIER, IT'S JUST THAT I THINK RATHER THAN TRYING TO TRYING TO FIND ALL 70 MILLION THAT WE NEED TO FIND IN COST SAVINGS IN THE BOND TO ME SEEMS MORE CHALLENGING THAN TRYING TO FIND THAT COST SAVINGS IN BOTH BUCKETS, IF YOU WILL, AS FAR AS THE BUDGET AND THE AND THE BOND BUDGET.
SO I THINK IT MAKES SENSE. I KNOW THAT THERE I KNOW YOU WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF CUTTING THINGS THAT ARE, I'M SURE, GOOD THINGS THAT WE COULD HAVE SPENT MONEY ON AND WANTED TO SPEND MONEY ON THAT WERE THAT WERE CUT OUT OF THE BUDGET AS YOU WENT THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.
AND SO YOU'VE ALREADY CUT FUNDS? BUT I JUST THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO IT MAKES SENSE TO ME TO TRY TO CUT FROM BOTH AREAS OF FUNDING RATHER THAN TRYING TO FIND ALL OF THAT 70 MILLION THAT WE HAVE TO.
FIND UNLESS WE END UP GOING EITHER CUTTING PROJECTS OR GOING BACK FOR FOR.
FOR ADDITIONAL BOND FUNDS FROM THE VOTERS. SO THANK YOU.
[03:40:02]
THANK YOU, MR. HAMILTON. MISS JONES. I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION I DIDN'T ASK EARLIER.WHAT IS THE IMPACT? BECAUSE THIS WAS MY NUMBER ONE QUESTION.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE DELAY OF THE BONDS THAT WERE ISSUED? THAT WAS MY QUESTION. CAN ANYBODY ANSWER THAT? WHAT'S THE IMPACT SINCE SOME OF THE BONDS HAVE NOT BEEN ISSUED? WHAT'S THE IMPACT? OH, SHE'S TALKING ABOUT. YEAH.
WHEN YOU TALK JUST TO CLARIFY, WHEN YOU SAY THE BONDS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ISSUED.
SO VOTERS HAVE AUTHORIZED 1.26 BILLION. WE'VE ONLY ISSUED 100 MILLION.
IS THAT THE QUESTION. YEAH. AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS IF THERE'S A DELAY, WHAT IS THE IMPACT? WELL, THE THE SHORT ANSWER IS IF PROJECTS ARE NOT ONGOING THAT FULLY NEED TO UTILIZE THAT FUNDING, THE THE RISK, THERE'S A BENEFIT AND A RISK FACTOR.
SO ONE IS WE'RE IN A HIGH RATE INTEREST ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE NOT ISSUING IN THAT HIGH RATE ENVIRONMENT.
AND SO THERE'S A RISK ON THAT SIDE AS WELL. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR TYPICALLY WILL SAY TO THE BOARD WHEN HE IS HERE IS THAT WE ISSUE MONEY WHEN WE NEED MONEY. AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS RIGHT NOW, BASED ON THE PACE OF CONSTRUCTION, THERE'S NOT A NEED TO ISSUE THOSE FUNDS.
AND SO THE REAL RISK TO US IS NOT HIGH. AND TYPICALLY SPEAKING, NOT ALL DISTRICTS OR, AND I SHOULD SAY I SHOULDN'T SAY DISTRICTS. THIS ACCOUNTS FOR ALL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES. THEY WILL ISSUE THE DEBT AS IT'S NEEDED.
SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS WE'RE NOT AT RISK FOR NOT ISSUING.
AGAIN, THE REAL RISK WOULD BE IF INTEREST RATES WERE IN A RISING INTEREST RATE MARKET.
THE MOST RECENT COMMENTS FROM THE FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIR IS THAT WE WILL LIKELY BE RATCHETING DOWN ON RATES, AND SO THERE'S ACTUALLY SOME BENEFIT TO WAITING AT THIS POINT.
OKAY. THAT WAS MY UNANSWERED QUESTION. THANK YOU, MISS JONES.
AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WE'RE ALSO NOT INCURRING INTEREST.
SO WE'RE NOT ACCRUING INTEREST BY NOT ISSUING NOW AS WELL.
THAT IS CORRECT. THERE'S A COST TO ISSUING DEBT.
AND BY NOT ISSUING IT NOW, WE'RE AVOIDING THAT COST.
ONE OF THOSE COSTS IS INTEREST PAYMENTS THAT WE MAKE ON THE DEBT.
RIGHT. BECAUSE THAT WAS ALWAYS MY UNDERSTANDING, IS THAT WE DIDN'T WANT TO INCUR DEBT AND HAVE THE COST OF THE DEBT UNTIL WE ACTUALLY NEEDED THE MONEY. RIGHT. OKAY. MR. GARCIA, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMERCIAL PAPER, DO YOU RECALL SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE COMMERCIAL PAPER PROGRAM WITH THE SAVINGS TO THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN OFF? I'M GOING TO LOOK BACK FOR JUST A SECOND.
I WAS THE NUMBER THAT WAS ON MY TONGUE WAS 20 MILLION.
THANK YOU. NOW, I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT I, I'M, I GUESS GOING THROUGH THE EXERCISE AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE BOND AND THE COMMERCIAL PAPER PROGRAM AND SEEING ITS ADVANTAGES.
IT DEFINITELY MAKES SENSE NOT TO ISSUE DEBT EVEN IF RATES WERE TO GO UP, YOU ISSUE THAT MUCH DEBT AT ONE TIME, YOU'RE INCURRING INTEREST ON THE LARGER AMOUNT OF OF DEBT THAN IT'S GOING TO BE.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE PAYING THESE THINGS OFF FOR FOREVER. SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
THEY DID NOT DO THAT. AND I THINK THEY ISSUED PROBABLY MOST OF THEIR THEIR BOND DEBT.
SO BUT I DID HAVE A QUESTION ON THE SO WE'RE ON THE H-VAC THE 2018 BOND CONTINGENCY, WHICH IS THE CHILLER. BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO MOVE ON TO K, WHICH IS THE 2023 CONTINGENCY, AND I THINK THAT'S THE HVAC. WELL, I HAD A QUESTION ON THE 2018 ONE.
SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CHILLERS, I KNOW THAT THERE THERE'S BEEN SOME ISSUES WITH SEVERAL SCHOOLS BEING IMPACTED FROM THE STORM, OAKLAND ELEMENTARY BEING ONE OF THEM. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE ISSUES THAT THEY'VE BEEN HAVING WITH THEIR HVAC SYSTEM IS RELATED TO THE STORM, BUT DO WE HAVE WILL WE GET A, I GUESS, AN OVERALL LIKE DAMAGE? I KNOW WE SORT OF TALKED ABOUT THIS. WE HAVE LIKE A DAMAGE ASSESSMENT REPORT OR ANY OF THESE REPAIRS OR
[03:45:09]
ITEMS THAT WERE, WERE PURCHASING. WOULD THAT BE COMING FROM ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO THE DAMAGE FROM THE STORM? AND ALSO IF THERE'S ANY LIKE INSURANCE CLAIMS, OR ARE WE DOING ANYTHING AS FAR AS ANYTHING THAT'S BEEN DAMAGED IN THE HURRICANE, HAS THERE BEEN ANY ARE WE WORKING WITH INSURANCE, IS THERE INSURANCE ON SOME OF THESE THINGS? AND I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS. YOU HAVE TO GIVE ME AN ANSWER NOW. THAT'S PROBABLY A LOADED QUESTION, BUT I WAS JUST GOING TO SAW THIS POP UP. IT MADE ME THINK OF OAKLAND AND THE AC ISSUES. I THINK THE AC WENT OUT TODAY.THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. GARCIA. DID ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING ON THE 2023?
[7.K. 2023 Bond Contingency]
OKAY. NEXT UP IS 7L1, WHICH IS THE LIBRARY, MEDIA SERVICES AND RELATED ITEMS.[7.L. Review of proposed expenses that exceed $50,000]
MR. HAMILTON, AND DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO PRESENT ON THIS, DOCTOR SMITH? LET ME LET THEM PRESENT. AND THEN? AND THEN WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS.THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT.
BOARD OF TRUSTEE MEMBERS, DOCTOR SMITH. I'M JUST GOING TO BRIEFLY, BECAUSE THIS AGENDA ITEM WE BRIEFLY LOOKED AT LAST MONTH, AND I WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAD ANSWERED.
AS WE KIND OF MOVE FORWARD AND AND IT MIGHT BRING ABOUT OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
THE FIRST THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT IS THE FOLLETT.
SO THAT WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT MEANS WHEN YOU'RE APPROVING FOLLETT.
THERE ARE THREE COMPONENTS TO THAT SYSTEM THAT WE USE.
COMPONENT ONE IS TIDAL WAVE. THAT'S LIKE AN ANALOGY THAT'S LIKE AMAZON FOR BOOKS.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE BUYING THE BOOKS. THE LIBRARY BOOKS.
AND IN THAT SYSTEM YOU HAVE A CATALOG. THAT'S WHERE YOUR BOOK REVIEWS ARE.
THOSE TAGS THAT I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU ALL ABOUT, THAT KIND OF GIVE YOU AN INDICATION OF MATURE THEMES, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEN WE'RE ABLE TO DO A COLLECTION ANALYSIS BY AGE AND GENRE.
DESTINY LIBRARY MANAGER. THAT IS OUR LIBRARY INVENTORY SYSTEM.
SO THAT DATA TALKS TO SKYWARD SO THAT WE CAN SEND OUT PARENT EMAILS AND THEN OUR USAGE REPORTS, OVERDUE NOTICES, THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPEN IN LIBRARY MANAGER.
RESOURCE MANAGER IS ALSO FALLS UNDER DESTINY.
AND THIS IS OUR INVENTORY FOR NON LIBRARY ITEMS. SO LAPTOPS CHARGERS ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN INVENTORY AND CHECK OUT TO STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT LIBRARY MATERIAL RELATED AND USAGE REPORTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. WHAT I WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO IS THE STAR.
IN JANUARY OF 2024, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVED A NON INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE RFP IN WHICH FOLLETT WAS ON THERE. THAT APPROVAL IN JANUARY OF 2024 FOR ALLOWS US TO USE, CONTINUED USE OR DO ANNUAL SCOPES OF SERVICES WITH THE LIBRARY MANAGER COMPONENT AND THE RESOURCE MANAGER COMPONENT.
SO I JUST WANTED YOU ALL TO HAVE CONTEXT TO THAT.
ANYTIME THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH FOLLETT OR ANY OF OUR OTHER VENDORS, KIND OF ON THIS RFP, AS WE LOOK AT A ONE YEAR SCOPE OF SERVICES, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE COMMITTING TO ONE YEAR'S WORTH OF WORK.
AND SO THIS JUST GIVES YOU SOME CONTEXT ABOUT WHAT WE'VE SPENT OR PROJECTED TO SPEND FOR THE 2425 SCHOOL YEAR, FOR THE LIBRARY MANAGER AND THE RESOURCE MANAGER.
THE LIBRARY BOOKS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THROUGH TIDAL WAVE, VARIES YEAR BY YEAR BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY BOOKS ARE ORDERED FROM THAT PARTICULAR VENDOR. SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT A SYSTEM IMPACT TO NON-RENEWAL OF THE RFQ AS A WHOLE.
THEN WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE IMPACT TO ORDERING OF LIBRARY BOOKS COLLECTIVELY.
RIGHT. SUBSCRIPTION. SUBSCRIPTION TO REFERENCE MATERIALS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THIS RFQ LIKE WORLD BOOK, THINGS LIKE THAT. THEY'RE ALL CONNECTED INSIDE OF THIS RFQ.
AND THEN OUR SUPPLIERS FOR MAKERSPACES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO I WANTED YOU TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT FOR THAT.
[03:50:05]
PROCEDURES. SO AS WE'VE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, WE ARE INSTITUTING OUR CENTRALIZED ORDERING PROCESS OF OUR LIBRARY BOOKS, REGARDLESS OF THE VENDOR THAT WE USE TO PURCHASE LIBRARY BOOKS, MAKIN BOUND TO STAY BOUND, WE MUST FOLLOW THE POLICY AND THE AND THE SELECTION CRITERIA THAT IS APPROVED BY THE BOARD.AND THEN THEY SUBMIT THAT TO OUR LIBRARY COORDINATOR.
WE THEN TAKE THAT LIST AND WE VET IT FOR COMPLIANCE WITH DISTRICT STANDARDS FOR THOSE LIBRARY BOOKS.
AND THEN WE ASK LIBRARIANS IF WE BELIEVE THAT A BOOK IS NOT COMPLIANT.
WE ASK THEM TO REMOVE IT FROM THE BOOK LIST. FROM THERE, THE LIBRARIANS ARE GIVEN YOU KNOW, THE OKAY TO REQUEST A QUOTE FROM THAT VENDOR, AND THEN THEY SUBMIT THAT QUOTE TO THE LIBRARIAN COORDINATOR.
AND THEN FROM THERE, THE ORDER IS ACTUALLY GENERATED IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN IT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TEACHING AND LEARNING.
SO ME FOR APPROVAL. AND THIS IS THE SYSTEM THAT WE ARE USING NOW AS WE LOOK FORWARD.
WE ARE GOING TO ADHERE TO OUR CENTRALIZED ORDERING PROCESS AND THAT IS ANCHORED IN OUR POLICY.
AND THEN WE WILL CONTINUE WITH OUR DISTRICT WIDE AUDIT SCHEDULE.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN FICTION NOVELS. WE FINISHED GRAPHIC NOVELS.
AND THAT IS PART OF THAT SYSTEM OF MAINTAINING AND REVIEWING THE BOOKS THAT ARE ALREADY IN OUR SYSTEM PRIOR TO THE PASSAGE OF OUR NEWER SELECTION CRITERIA. SO WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
THANK YOU, MR. HUBBARD. OKAY, MR. HAMILTON, GO AHEAD.
YES. THANK YOU, MRS. HUBBARD, FOR THAT. SO THIS IS OBVIOUSLY CONNECTED TO THE F.
SO CURRENTLY F LOCAL PROPOSED TO BE CHANGED TO F A AND F B.
AND SO. I WANT TO KIND OF POINT AND POINT MYSELF IN THE MIRROR FIRST AND BEFORE I SAY SOME THINGS AND MAYBE PERCEIVED AS HARSH. SO I THINK THERE'S PLENTY OF BLAME TO GO AROUND WITH THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN CURRENTLY WITH THE CONTENT THAT HAS BEEN DISCOVERED.
ON AN ONGOING BASIS. AND SO ALONG WITH THE BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITY TO OVERSEE CONTENT, CONTENT, MAKE SURE THAT WE ONLY HAVE EDUCATIONALLY SUITABLE CONTENT IN OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
SO THE LIBRARIANS HAVE RESPONSIBILITY. THE VENDORS HAVE RESPONSIBILITY.
AND SO WE'RE CHANGING THE PROCESS TO WE'RE LOOKING AT POLICY CHANGES.
AND SO I'M WILLING TO AGREE THAT JUST THE NATURE OF BUYING AS MANY BOOKS AS WE BUY THERE ARE THERE ARE DEFINITELY SITUATIONS WHERE I CAN SEE THE LIBRARIAN DECIDES TO BUY A BUNDLE OF BOOKS AND MAY NOT VET EVERY BOOK AS THOROUGHLY AS MAYBE SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED.
AND SO THERE'S THERE'S SOME ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE LIBRARIAN, AND THERE'S CULPABILITY ON THE PART OF THE VENDOR FOR PRESENTING A BUNDLE OF BOOKS TO A CAMPUS OR A DISTRICT THAT HAS EDUCATIONALLY UNSUITABLE CONTENT IN IT.
AND SO, AS WE DISCUSS OR AS I MENTIONED LAST MONTH, SO THE IN STOCKING THE NEW LIBRARY AT CRAWFORD HIGH SCHOOL FOLLETT PUT, I BELIEVE, 20 PLUS BOOKS THAT THE TWO CAMPUS LIBRARIANS WHO VETTED THE LIST REMOVED DUE TO,
[03:55:03]
I BELIEVE, MOSTLY, IF NOT EXCLUSIVELY SEXUALLY EXPLICIT CONTENT IN THOSE BOOKS.THAT AND SOME OF WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN REMOVED.
MOVED. AND SO WE PURCHASED BOOKS A YEAR AGO AND THEN HAVE ALREADY REMOVED THEM DUE TO THE CHALLENGE AND THE ADMINISTRATION DECISION THAT THEY VIOLATED POLICY. AND SO TO ME, I THINK IN GENERAL, I'M WILLING TO TO LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THAT THE POLICY CHANGES AND THAT THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE BOARD HAVING THEIR EYE ON THE BALL, SO TO SPEAK, IN A WAY THAT WE HAVEN'T IT WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR THE PROGRESS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE.
HOWEVER, I THINK FOLLETT IS AN EXAMPLE, THE CRAWFORD EXAMPLE AND OTHERS TO ME SHOWED MORE THAN JUST A SUPPLYING WHAT THE DISTRICT REQUESTED. TO ME IT SHOWS A DEMONSTRATION OF, OF PROACTIVELY PROMOTING THAT TYPE OF CONTENT FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND SO IN THAT MEETING, THIS IS ACCORDING TO ONE OF THE STATE REPS WHO WAS IN THAT MEETING, AND I'M QUOTING HE SAID ONE OF THE MOST CONCERNING TURNS IN THE MEETING WAS FOLLET'S INSISTENCE THAT SELLING GRAPHIC, SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIALS WAS WHAT'S BEST FOR BUSINESS.
AND THEN I THINK THAT'S OBJECTIONABLE. BUT I THINK THE NEXT SENTENCE IN SOME WAYS IS WORSE.
SO HE SAYS FURTHER, THEY BACKPEDALED ON IMPLEMENTING DIRECT PARENTAL CONTROLS IN THEIR ONLINE SYSTEM BECAUSE OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION'S LIBRARIAN BILL OF RIGHTS, THE B.A.R. SEEMS TO COMMUNICATE THAT ALL LIBRARY READERS POSSESS A RIGHT TO PRIVACY, EVEN KEEPING PARENTS FROM KNOWING WHAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE READING.
AND SO I THINK THAT POSES SEVERAL CHALLENGES AS FAR AS THE VENDOR THAT MANAGES OUR DIGITAL LIBRARY.
YOU LOOK LIKE YOU WANT TO RESPOND. GO AHEAD. YOU'RE EAGER.
PLEASE FINISH. AND THEN. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY, BECAUSE I DID FOLLOW UP I THINK I THINK THERE ARE JUST MULTIPLE EXAMPLES FOR ME THAT THAT HAVE LED ME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT I MENTIONED LAST WEEK THAT THAT TO THE EXTENT THAT I CAN HAVE A SAY IN IT, I DON'T SUPPORT GIVING ANY MONEY TO FOLLOW IT BASED ON WHAT I FOUND OUT ABOUT THEM.
AND I FOUND OUT SOME NEW INFORMATION THAT GIVES ME A LITTLE BIT OF PAUSE ON THAT.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT POSSIBILITY, BUT I BELIEVE THERE IS A VERSION AND I BELIEVE IT'S THE THREE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU CAN, THAT THEY DO SUPPLY TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT EXCLUDE THE CONTENT THAT WOULD THEORETICALLY NO LONGER BE COMPLIANT. I WOULD ARGUE IS NOT COMPLIANT WITH OUR EXISTING POLICY, BUT WOULD NOT BE COMPLIANT WITH THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE POLICY.
YOU COULD GO BACK TO WHAT YOU WANTED TO SAY A MINUTE AGO IF YOU WANT. OKAY.
WE DID VERIFY WHEN SAW THE POST RELATED TO PUT BACKPEDALING OR HOWEVER IT WAS PHRASED IN TERMS OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH FOLLETT IN THIS IN THE DESTINY SYSTEM, WE THEY HAVE NOT PULLED BACK ON OUR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE THE BOOKS THAT ARE CHECKED OUT BY A STUDENT TO THEIR PARENT.
AND THEN WE ADDED THAT NEW FEATURE WHERE A PARENT CAN GO IN AND MAKE NOTES ABOUT BOOKS THAT THEY DO NOT WANT THEIR CHILD TO CHECK OUT THAT IS STILL AVAILABLE TO US. THAT HAS NOT CHANGED TO THE NEW SYSTEM OR A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SYSTEM.
I WOULD HAVE TO DO RESEARCH ON THAT. THANK YOU, MR. HAMILTON. MISS AND MISS HUBBARD, MISS HANNON.
SO INSTEAD OF DIGGING FOR DIRT, I TRIED TO DIG FOR SOME POSITIVITY.
AND SO I KNOW THAT IF WE DON'T APPROVE THIS BY SEPTEMBER.
CORRECT, WE'RE IN A HEAP, A HEAP OF TROUBLE. OUR LIBRARIANS CAN'T CHECK OUT BOOKS.
IS THAT CORRECT? WE WILL WE BE ABLE TO DO THE THINGS THAT FOLLETT AND I MEAN, THE LIST IS LONG ON THIS $2 MILLION VENDOR LIST. SO. SO IF IF WE DO NOT APPROVE THE RFQ
[04:00:08]
AS A WHOLE THEN IT WOULD IMPACT OUR ORDERING OF LIBRARY BOOKS FROM ANY OF THE VENDORS THAT ARE ON THIS LIST FOR APPROVAL.RIGHT. SO IF YOU WERE TO PULL THE RFQ IN ITS ENTIRETY, RIGHT, OKAY.
IN TERMS OF THE DESTINY SYSTEM THAT HAS THE TWO STARS, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE USE OF THE DESTINY SYSTEM USING THE RFP THAT YOU ALL APPROVED IN JANUARY OF 2024.
OKAY, OKAY. OKAY. SO SO EVEN IF THE REST OF THE BOARD DETERMINES WE ARE NOT GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK OUT FOR ANOTHER RFP. WE WE STILL CAN USE THE SYSTEM, BECAUSE IF YOU HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE AT THE DESTINY SYSTEM FOR THE PUBLIC, FOR THE CHILD FACING AND THE TEACHER FACING AND WHOEVER FACES IT.
IT IS AMAZING WHAT THE INFORMATION AND HOW THE USER CAN USE IT.
SO I WAS REALLY WORRIED THAT THAT, THAT THAT WOULD GO AWAY.
AND SO I WOULD STILL SAY YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE VERY CAUTIOUS.
TAKING THE THE MISTAKE OF THE COMBINATION OF OUR STAFF AND FOLATE AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO BANISH YOU FOREVER.
WE ARE NEVER GOING TO BUY A BOOK FROM YOU BECAUSE I, I, I'M GUESSING THAT IF WE LOOKED CLOSE ENOUGH AT EVERY ONE OF THESE VENDORS, THERE MAY BE A BOOK THAT HAS BEEN PUT IN OUR LIBRARY THAT MAYBE EVERYONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WOULD NOT APPROVE OF OR THEY WOULD FEEL GOES AGAINST OUR POLICY. SO I'M JUST I STILL SUPPORT US GOING ON WITH THESE VENDORS THAT WERE PURCHASING BOOKS AND MAKERSPACE ITEMS FROM BECAUSE THE LIST IS LONG AND THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF STELLAR VENDORS ON HERE.
RIGHT. AND SO I'M HOPING THE NEXT TIME WE DO, I'M ASSUMING AFTER 2025, WE HAVE TO.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT THAT THEY WILL ALL COME BACK OUT TO, TO TO APPLY FOR THAT PROCESS.
SO I WANT TO CLARIFY ALSO THAT I ASKED DOCTOR SMITH TO BRING THIS THIS ITEM BACK AND TO LIMIT IT TO THE ONE YEAR SO THAT WE CAN, SEE IF IN THE FUTURE WHEN WE GO OUT FOR.
WAS IT AN RFP OR RFQ? YEAH, I THOUGHT IT WAS AN RFQ.
THAT WE CAN MAYBE NOT OR FIND A WAY TO NOT LUMP THEM ALL TOGETHER IN ORDER TO GIVE THE TRUSTEES THE ABILITY TO APPROVE CERTAIN VENDORS WHILE NOT APPROVING OTHERS.
IF THE BOARD IN ITS ENTIRETY, SO CHOOSES. SO THAT'S WHY I ASKED IT TO BE BROUGHT BACK FOR A ONE YEAR TERM, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WANTS TO YOU KNOW, TIE THE HANDS OF OUR EDUCATORS IN ENSURING THAT WE HAVE LIBRARY BOOKS AND MATERIALS AND ALL OF THESE OTHER THINGS.
SO I'LL JUST SAY THAT'S WHY I ASKED FOR IT, AND I'M GOING TO SUPPORT IT.
MR. HAMILTON, DID YOU WANT TO. SORRY, I MEANT TO SAY THAT I AM NOT EXPECTING YOU TO MOVE THE EARTH AND COME UP WITH A NEW VENDOR BEFORE THIS EXPIRES IN SEPTEMBER. SO I AM WILLING TO SUPPORT RENEWING THE CONTRACT, SINCE WE'RE RIGHT HERE AT THE END OF IT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US MOVING FORWARD WITH A PLAN TO POTENTIALLY REPLACE FOLLETT NEXT YEAR.
AND AND IN THE MEANTIME, I WOULD LIKE US TO AT LEAST GET INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THEY OFFER THAT COULD ADDRESS THESE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT UP IS OUR SEVEN L2, WHICH IS OUR DATA CENTER INFRASTRUCTURE AND RELATED SERVICES. ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE?
[04:05:02]
MISS HANNAN, I ASSUME YOU HAVE NO QUESTIONS. OKAY.THREE IS CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FOR HVAC, MEP, EAST ZONE TWO RENOVATIONS AND UPGRADES AT MULTIPLE CAMPUSES. BID PACKAGE. ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE? ALL RIGHT. 704 IS CONSTRUCTION SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR RESTROOM RENOVATIONS.
705 IS ENERGY SOLUTIONS CO-OP. 706 IS PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES FOR BOND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
707 IS SCOREBOARD REPLACEMENT. ANY QUESTIONS? MISS HAMMOND? COULD STAFF JUST QUICKLY DESCRIBE TO ME THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND WHAT THOSE FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR? IS IT ONLY SPORTS? NO. NO, MA'AM. THE ENTERPRISE FUND IS WHERE THE REVENUES FROM FACILITY RENTALS ARE DEPOSITED.
ANY ITEMS THAT THE SHORT ANSWER IS BASICALLY ANYTHING.
THERE'S NOT QUITE THE RESTRICTIONS ON THOSE AS ELSEWHERE.
AND SO THIS WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE OF A CASE WHERE THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN SOMETHING THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY GENERATE ADDITIONAL REVENUE, THAT WOULD GO INTO THAT FUND AND PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR THE DISTRICT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT FUND HAS DONE IN THE PAST WHEN OUR EXTENDED LEARNING PROGRAM, YOU MAY RECALL THAT IT MAKES A $2 MILLION CONTRIBUTION EACH YEAR TO THE GENERAL FUND AND YEARS WHERE IT HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO FULLY MAKE THAT CONTRIBUTION. WE HAVE USED THE ENTERPRISE FUND TO BRIDGE THAT DIFFERENCE.
BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THERE HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT FUNDS GENERATED TO COVER THIS THIS COST.
OKAY. AND SO HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE SITTING IN OUR ENTERPRISE FUND? I WILL HAVE TO GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT. OKAY.
THAT I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. AND SO I HEARD YOU SAY WE'RE TYPICALLY TRYING TO UTILIZE THE MONEY WHERE IT CAN THEN HAVE THE CYCLE OF CREATING MORE FUNDS. AND SO OUR STUDENTS WHO AREN'T IN A PROGRAM THAT CREATES MONEY DON'T REALIZE IS ANY OF THESE FUNDS? LIKE. LIKE.
VISUAL ARTS. THEY'RE THERE. THERE'S NOTHING THAT THEY HAVE THAT IS GOING TO PRODUCE.
FUNDS. WELL, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT THE. WE WOULD.
I'VE GOT A FOG IN MY HEAD. FORGIVE ME JUST A SECOND.
AND SO WE DON'T HAVE TO JUST SEGMENT IT OR SEGREGATE IT TO.
WE'RE ONLY GOING TO SPEND IT ON THINGS THAT GENERATE ADDITIONAL MONEY.
OR IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE SCHOOL BOARDS.
OKAY. SO IT WOULD JUST BE INTERESTING TO ME. MAYBE IT'S JUST ME, BUT I WOULD KIND OF LIKE TO SEE US A LITTLE BIT OF LONGITUDINAL DATA ON HOW WE HAVE USED THIS MONEY OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS OR SO, THREE, FOUR YEARS TO SEE.
TO SEE WHICH OF OUR STUDENT POPULATIONS ARE BENEFITING.
AND THAT I THINK I CAN ANSWER FOR YOU. SO THIS IS REALLY THE FIRST LARGE STEP OUT OF UTILIZING THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS FOR SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF JUST GENERATING THE RENTAL REVENUES. AND SO THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST STEP FORWARD, AND I GUESS YOU COULD SAY ACTIVELY USING THOSE FUNDS.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE EXTENDED LEARNING PROGRAM MAKES A CONTRIBUTION TO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THE WAY THAT I WOULD DESCRIBE THAT, IT DIDN'T.
IT'S ALL STUDENTS. AND SO IT WASN'T SEGMENTED DOWN TO A PARTICULAR THING.
IT'S LIKE THE REVENUE THAT COMES IN FROM THE STATE. IT WAS JUST A CONTRIBUTION TO THE GENERAL FUND. AND SO THIS IS AGAIN REALLY OUR FIRST EFFORT TO UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS IN A WAY THAT WOULD IT HAS A HAS A BENEFIT TO A CERTAIN GROUP OF STUDENTS, BUT IT ALSO HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GENERATE FUTURE REVENUES THAT THE DISTRICT CAN UTILIZE.
THAT'S JUST $1.3 MILLION FOR TWO SCOREBOARDS.
[04:10:01]
SEEMS I MEAN, I'M NOT IN THE SCOREBOARD BUSINESS, AND THE RECOMMENDATION IS ONLY AT THIS TIME PURCHASE ONE GROUP OF SCOREBOARDS.YES. YES. ULTIMATELY. SO WE WOULD HAVE THE SCOREBOARD AT HALL STADIUM WOULD BE REPLACED, AS WELL AS A SCOREBOARD AT THE WHEELER FIELDHOUSE. AND SO BOTH OF THOSE TOTAL COSTS, I BELIEVE, IS JUST RIGHT AROUND 650,000.
IT'S 15,000 FOR BOTH. OKAY. CORRECT. I'M SORRY.
IF WE MOVE FORWARD, MY HEAD IS ALSO WITH THE FUTURE OF DOING IT.
THAT'S WHERE YOU WOULD SEE THAT NUMBER. BUT AT THIS TIME, IT'S JUST RIGHT AROUND 615,000.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS 7L8 EMPLOYEE VOLUNTARY BENEFITS.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? MADAM PRESIDENT, I'M SORRY, IF I MAY, IF I HAD THE MIC AND I SHOULD HAVE SAID IT THEN, BUT NOW THAT MR. GARCIA IS BACK. 26 MILLION IS THE SAVINGS THAT WE HAVE HAD FROM OUR COMMERCIAL PAPER PROGRAM.
I REALIZE THAT'S NOT ON TOPIC, BUT I FELT IT WAS SALIENT.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? ALL RIGHT.
710 IS SAVED BY THE BELL PROGRAM AND PUBLIC COMMENT.
THE TIME IS 11:58 P.M. AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.